Podcasts about mental agility

This Mindfulness in Action episode is a real-time practice in mental agility: the ability to notice what's happening in your thoughts, emotions, and body, and make small adjustments that help you stay aligned with what matters.In the previous solo episode, I talked about mental agility from a more practical and educational lens: emotional agility, attentional agility, mindfulness, and the internal and external shifters that help us regulate and adapt. In this episode, we take those ideas out of the theoretical space and into real life.I recorded this while moving outside, because movement often helps me feel more embodied and aware of what's happening in my inner world. I talk about resilience, adaptability, psychological flexibility, and the constant adjustments we make as athletes, parents, partners, professionals, and humans trying to do hard things.This episode includes a short mindfulness practice to help you notice where you might feel rigid mentally, emotionally, or behaviorally, and then gently practice shifting. Here's what you'll learn:- Mental agility is resilience in motion- Hard things happen on many scales- Flexibility takes practice- Emotions need space- Small actions build capacityLINKS- Recently solo episode on mental agility- MIA: What It Means to Get Better- MIA: How to Build Human Connection--------------The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

What does it really mean to be mentally agile?In this solo episode, I'm talking about the emotional and attentional skills that help us notice what's happening inside of us, create space, and choose our next move with more intention. Mental agility is the ability to shift, adapt, and stay connected to what matters, especially when things don't go the way we planned.Today, I'lm talking about emotional agility, mindfulness, emotional granularity, and the internal and external “shifters” that can help us adjust in real time. I also walk you through two practical tools: my REAL framework for emotional agility and the 3R tool for attention: recognize, regroup, and refocus.This episode leads us to the next Mindfulness in Action practice, where we'll take these ideas out of the theoretical space and into real life. Next week, we'll practice mental agility on the move, using mindfulness as a way to notice shifting in real time.Top 5 TakeawaysMental agility is different from resilience: Resilience often shows up after hard things happen, but mental agility is something we can practice every day.Emotions are data, not directives: Your emotions can tell you what you care about, but they don't have to decide how you behave.Mindfulness creates space: When you can notice your thoughts, emotions, and body sensations without immediately reacting, you have more choice.Attention is trainable: The 3R tool (recognize, regroup, refocus) can help you come back to the task, the moment, or the next right action.Small shifts matter: Sensation, attention, perspective, physical space, trusted people, and culture can all help us regulate and shift in real time.--------------The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

In this episode of The Human Founder, I sit down with Donna Griffit, a world-renowned Corporate Storyteller, Pitch Alchemist, and Communication Coach at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Donna is the bestselling author of "Sticking to My Story" and has spent over two decades helping startups and Fortune 500 companies globally raise more than $2 billion. Our conversation delves deep into the mental aspects of the entrepreneurial journey, exploring how communication serves as the foundation of all human behavior. We discuss the transformative power of empathy, the danger of losing our unique voice to artificial intelligence, and how founders can build the mental resilience necessary to navigate constant market shifts. The GSBG Framework and Finding Your "X Factor"  Donna shares a powerful framework she initially created during a market downturn to help anxious corporate employees identify and present their unique value. Today, she uses this method with Stanford students to help them articulate their personal narratives effectively. The framework, known as GSBG, stands for setting an internal Goal for the interaction, telling a relevant Story that highlights your suitability, presenting the Benefits and proof points you bring to the table, and circling back to the Goal to explain why you are the perfect match. It provides a structured way to steer any conversation with purpose rather than simply reciting a chronological resume. The Art of Empathy and the "Bonfire" of Small Talk  One of the most crucial elements of communication is empathy, which requires thinking deeply from the audience's perspective and understanding their specific needs. Donna notes that many young leaders today, partly due to the isolation experienced during the pandemic, struggle with basic small talk and building initial connections. She compares a good conversation to a bonfire: personal stories are the wood, curious questions serve as the kindling, and actively listening and responding to conversation hooks provides the oxygen that keeps the interaction alive. By navigating shared experiences and getting genuinely curious about the other side, founders can build the profound trust required for long-term relationships with investors and team members. Avoiding the "Patchwork Pitch"  A common and detrimental mistake founders make is altering their presentation based on every piece of isolated feedback they receive from different investors. Donna refers to this as the patchwork pitch, a practice that results in a dense, overwhelming deck that completely loses its core message. She emphasizes the critical importance of sticking to your core conviction and long-term vision. Instead of serving a messy platter of mixed information, founders should present their data clearly and cleanly, ensuring their central story remains the focus. Maintaining this focus requires immense self-confidence and mental strength to avoid being rattled by external noise. Pitching to the Head, Heart, and Gut in the Age of AI  While artificial intelligence is an incredible tool for solidifying and structuring ideas, Donna warns against relying on it entirely, noting that AI-generated content is ultimately devoid of soul. To truly captivate an investor, a pitch must successfully hit three points: the head for data and logic, the heart for emotional resonance, and the gut, which is where the actual investment decision is made. By sharing an authentic origin story, founders establish a triad of credibility, likability, and momentum. Personal vulnerability and authenticity remain the ultimate human advantages that no machine can replicate. Mental Agility and the Entrepreneurial Mindset  Entrepreneurship is not just the act of building startups; it is a fundamental mindset of continuous reinvention and agility. Donna openly shares her own professional challenges, such as navigating the 2008 financial crisis and the sudden halt of global work during the early days of the COVID pandemic. Her strategy for resilience involves allowing herself a short, defined period to mourn the setback, followed by a conscious, determined choice to seek out new opportunities. Whether it was pivoting to remote training or creating an AI version of herself called Deck Check, her journey highlights the absolute necessity of adapting. Ultimately, maintaining a positive energy and deliberately choosing to rebuild from adversity is the true essence of leadership.

In this Episode, you'll hear:- How endurance sport builds the mental agility that leadership demands- Why reframing your internal narrative is more powerful than chasing external milestones- What it means to be a female leader in a region where the path isn't always clearly marked- How physical training becomes a masterclass in resilience, consistency, and self-trust- Why your worst training day might be your greatest teacher- The difference between performing wellness and actually living itWhat does it take to go from never having raced a bike to standing on the podium with the highest cycling honor in your country, all while leading high-stakes innovation across one of the world's most dynamic regions? Jennifer Choi did it in four years while managing international teams, crossing time zones, and navigating the very real challenges of being a female executive in Singapore.1. The Lesson the Road Teaches YouThere's a moment every endurance athlete knows when your body is screaming and your mind starts negotiating. It's in that moment that real leadership is forged. 2. Training for endurance sport strips away everything external - the title, the approval, the metrics and forces you to ask a harder question: "Why am I doing this, and do I believe I can?" That internal reckoning is the muscle women in leadership need to build. Trust in your own process even when the results aren't visible yet.3. From External Validation to Internal Compass: One of the most powerful threads in this conversation is the shift from seeking external validation to building an internal one. In male-dominated spaces, in cultures where leadership has a very specific look and sound, women are often trained, consciously or not, to measure their worth by what others reflect back at them. When you're training at 6 days a week, when your fitness drops after a grueling travel schedule, when you have to rebuild from scratch after every setback — there's no one handing you a gold star. You learn to find your own signal. You learn that the data on your screen means less than the conversation you're having with your own body. That reframe, she says, changed everything — not just on the bike, but in every room she walks into.4. Mental Agility as a Wellness Practice: What endurance sport and great leadership share is this: both demand that you stay present under pressure, adapt mid-race, and resist the urge to catastrophize when the plan falls apart.5. Stop measuring yourself against others and focus on being a better you.If this episode resonates, share it with a woman in your life who is running her own race — on the road, in the boardroom, or somewhere in between."The journey back to yourself is always worth it."

Hey everyone!

If you want to know how to think on your feet, you need to understand something most advice on this topic gets wrong: Thinking on your feet is not a talent. It's a trained response. And the training required goes far deeper than memorizing a few “power phrases” or practicing small talk at networking events. Real mental agility, by which I mean the kind that serves you in a boardroom, on a stage, in a heated conversation, and even in physical danger, is something you earn. And to earn it requires systematic preparation across multiple domains. I know this because I've spent decades training for exactly these moments. As a university professor, I've lectured in multiple languages to rooms of students who didn't always want to be there. And to get my PhD, I had to sit for a dissertation defense in a room where some of the examiners delighted in throwing hardball questions. As a performing musician, I've improvised solos on stages where the set list changed mid-show. While performing card magic, I've recovered from botched tricks in front of audiences who were actively trying to catch me out. And as a martial arts practitioner, I've used my training to escape three real-world physical confrontations without throwing a single punch. Then there was my TEDx Talk where I had to make real time adjustments when the audience failed to even smile at my scripted laugh lines, but chuckled substantially during parts I had not planned to be funny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqtDy68-gkY How to Think on Your Feet: The Complete Training System for Mental Agility Under Pressure What I've learned across all of these experiences is that every domain of “thinking on your feet” shares one foundational requirement. It's not intelligence. It's not quick wit. It's often not even confidence. Rather, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that thinking quickly and responding in the best possible way comes down to the systematic reduction of ego. That might sound philosophical, but it's intensely practical. And it will become the thread that connects everything in this guide. From how to recall information instantly in a conversation to how to physically escape a threatening situation without freezing. Here's what we'll cover today: Part 1: Why “Thinking on Your Feet” Is a Trained Skill, Not a Personality Trait Part 2: The Ego Problem (Why Your Self-Image Is Your Biggest Obstacle) Part 3: Mental Recall Under Pressure (How to Access What You Know When It Matters) Part 4: Verbal Agility (How to Sound Smart, Pivot, and Recover in Conversation) Part 5: Performance Under Pressure (Lessons from Music, Magic, and the Stage) Part 6: Physical Composure (How to React When Your Safety Is at Stake) Part 7: Daily Training Exercises for Mental Agility Part 8: Loading Your Mind (Why What You Memorize Determines How Well You Think) Part 9: The Paradox of Mental Silence Let’s dive in with why most people struggle with the skill of spontaneously responding in optimal ways in the first place. Why “Thinking On Your Feet” Is a Trained Skill, Not a Personality Trait As Freud pointed out, civilization is not our natural state. In Das Unbehagen in der Kultur, which is usually translated as Civilization and Its Discontents, he argues that much of our inner tension comes from how our social training represses our instincts. “Discontents” is not really a great translation for the title of this book. “Unbehagen” means something more like “unease” or “discomfort.” And since languages and skills are something we learn, we literally have to undergo a process of discomfort to learn most things. That's not a political statement. It's a neurological one. Your brain's implicit memory system, the part that handles automatic behaviors, gut reactions, and how you repeat social patterns on autopilot, was shaped by millennia of environments that looked nothing like a conference room or a dinner party. It was shaped by physical survival, tribal dynamics, and the need to read danger before it arrives. This means that when you're put on the spot in a modern context, your brain defaults to patterns it learned through observation, not through deliberate training. And those patterns were modelled on the people around you growing up. Especially in contexts like: Being asked a question you weren't expecting Getting challenged during a meeting Having someone force you to improvise a presentation at school or work In such situations, you might find yourself freezing under pressure and not realizing that you’re actually repeating how you saw a parent go cold when you were young. Or you might find yourself getting defensive in arguments the way a sibling did, or going blank during presentations based on someone else’s blip you observed. When you repeat this behavior yourself, it’s not a character flaw. That's implicit memory doing exactly what it was designed to do: replicate observed behavior. And if you’re reading this and don’t have problems thinking on your feet, chances are that you were a lucky observer of someone who could when you were young. Combatting Implicit Memory’s Hold with Reconsolidation The problem is that your default patterns are not optimized for the situations modern life throws at you. They're survival patterns, not performance patterns. Since you’ve learned to react like those you’ve observed instead of how you’d prefer to act as a fully realized being in this world, what can you do? Fortunately, quite a bit. Neuroscientists call the mechanism behind how you can shift the hold of implicit memory on your behavior memory reconsolidation. Here’s how memory reconsolidation works in brief: Every time you recall a memory, it temporarily destabilizes. Researchers call this destabilization a “labile state.” And while the memory is transitioning, the memory can be modified before your brain stores it again. This includes modifying behavioral patterns, not just facts. So when you clam up after being put on the spot and then reflect on what happened, that freezing response is briefly open to revision. This process was first demonstrated in landmark research by Karim Nader and Joseph LeDoux at NYU, which you can read about in Memory Reconsolidation. As part of their investigation, Nader and LeDoux demonstrated that even deeply encoded fear memories could be altered during reconsolidation. Unlocking Transformation Bruce Ecker and colleagues later applied this principle therapeutically. I recommend their discussion in Unlocking the Emotional Brain: Memory Reconsolidation and the Psychotherapy of Transformational Change. As you’ll read, they discovered how long-held emotional patterns can be rewritten. Not through willpower, but through a specific process of activating the old pattern, introducing a contradictory experience, and allowing the brain to re-encode. Monica Khosla explores a parallel idea in The First and Last Belief. This fascinating book is written by someone who experiences non-dual states similar to those I shared in The Victorious Mind: How to Master Memory, Meditation and Mental Well-Being. Khosla discusses how our earliest family-formed beliefs become the templates for how we respond under pressure as adults. Her work in family therapy suggests that these templates aren’t permanent fixtures. Rather, they’re “reconsolidatable,” provided you understand how they were formed and deliberately create new experiences that contradict them. This is precisely what the training in the guide you’re reading now is designed to do. Every exercise, every practice, every discipline I’ll share works by activating your default pattern (the freeze, the defensive reaction, the blank stare) and replacing it with a trained alternative in the moment it’s most labile. The Catch But there’s a catch. There’s always a catch, isn’t there? The pattern that most resists reconsolidation is your self-image. It’s also your self-image that most aggressively defends itself against change. People literally argue for hours with therapists that they cannot change. I know because I made this argument myself for years in front of my own therapists. This is precisely why thinking on your feet requires training. You cannot simply decide to be quicker, calmer, or more articulate under pressure. You have to deliberately replace your default patterns with trained responses. And use deliberate practice to ensure those responses become the new default. The training looks different depending on the context: In conversation and debate, it means learning frameworks for organizing thoughts rapidly and practicing with real people. In professional settings, it means memorizing key information so thoroughly that recall becomes effortless, freeing your mind to think rather than search. On stage or in front of an audience, it means thousands of hours of performance practice that builds a reservoir of recoveries and pivots you can draw on automatically. In physical danger, it means martial arts or self-defense training that bypasses conscious thought entirely and produces trained physical reactions. Each of these contexts has its own training methods. But they all share the same underlying principle: the trained response must be so deeply encoded that it fires before your conscious mind has time to interfere. The single biggest source of that interference? Your ego. But never fear. As big of a problem as the ego can be, you’re going to learn how to solve and resolve it. Part 2: The Ego Problem (Why Your Self-Image Is Your Biggest Obstacle) Here's the uncomfortable truth that almost no “how to think on your feet” article will tell you: The reason most people freeze, fumble, or fail under pressure is not that they lack information or intelligence. It's that they're managing their self-image at the same time as they're trying to perform. They experience serious cognitive drain as a result. Why? Well, when you're in a meeting and someone asks you a question you don't know the answer to, your mind doesn't just process the question. If your ego is not well-managed, your mind simultaneously processes: “What will they think of me if I don't know? Will I look incompetent? How do I maintain my status?” That parallel processing consumes the very cognitive resources you need for actual thinking. The Additional Cognitive Drain of Fantasizing Your Own Wit The psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan made an observation that I've found profoundly useful in this context. He once pointed out that our fantasies are almost always better than the reality. For example, when we fantasize about being the quick-witted person everyone admires, we're constructing an idealized self-image that the real moment can never live up to. At least not all the time. You’ve probably heard the phrase “the gods have clay feet.” Well, spend enough time with accomplished performers, and you’ll start to see why. No one always has: the perfect response the devastating comeback the elegant pivot But we fantasize that some people do. And then when we don't perform like our fantasy, we experience not just the failure of the moment, but also a painful collapse of our self-image. That's why a stumble in a presentation can feel catastrophic even when the audience barely notices. The ego is experiencing a much larger injury than the situation warrants. How to Reduce Ego Before It Costs You There’s no quick fix for the ego. And ego reduction exercises so you can respond with greater self-satisfaction in the moment require: Practice in advance Consistent application in a variety of situations And in a variety of ways until responding off the top of your head from a clear mind becomes your default orientation. Then you maintain the practices that get you the spontaneous mastery you want over time. Here is a powerful place to start. Practice Stoic Premeditation The Stoics called it premeditatio malorum or negative visualization. Basically, you deliberately imagine everything that could go wrong related to the situations that regularly require your response. If you regularly visualize yourself going blank in a meeting, stumbling through a presentation, or being publicly corrected, the actual event loses its power to destabilize you. You've already experienced the worst in your imagination. The real version is almost always milder. It’s the flipside of the point from Lacan we discussed above. You’ve now made the reality much better than the fantasy. Modify the Classic Stoic Exercise You can modify premeditatio malorum in two key ways. I suggest you experiment with both techniques I’m about to describe. One: Transform Old Memories of a Disastrous Performance First, you can excavate through your memory to find situations you recall where things have already been bad for you. Then, you can “cleanse” those memories by placing them in a “Happy Memory Palace.” The scientific basis for this process comes from research showing promise in therapy for trauma, such as this study of memory reconsolidation specific to declarative memory. And there is the now classic Tim Dalgleish-headed research on using Memory Palaces or the method of loci for successfully reducing depression. For more on this kind of research, the following livestream replay gives you an exact exercise and more about the memory science behind the positive outcomes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs9UHz4pVuM In terms of how I’ve used this approach personally, I sometimes wince at one particular memory from when I sang a song during show-and-tell one morning when I was in grade two. I don’t know why I used to feel embarrassed when the memory would arise as an adult, but I could feel the sting in my cheeks. And later when I first started sharing the Sanskrit phrases I’ve memorized, that little flush of shame would arise again. So to forgive that kid whatever my memory was holding against him for his squeaky little voice, I turned the classroom into a Memory Palace and used it to memorize a delightful poem. From the point that I finished learning the poem (you can learn the process from this poetry memorization guide), I can think of that episode without that old embarrassment reviving any of its sting. And I’ve used this approach to transform other lingering memories I don’t like as well, something I’ll share more in-depth in a forthcoming book. Releasing old negative memories that involve shame makes me feel more spontaneous. And I’m confident you’ll enjoy a similar benefit too. Two: Memorize Stoic Quotes Memorizing poetry is one thing, but it takes time. You can commit quotes to memory a lot faster. I share one of my favorite quotes from Seneca in this YouTube short, one that took only a few minutes to memorize, even though it’s in Latin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISvX0-CfRkk I found this quote in Kevin Vost’s Memorize the Stoics! Although it’s not on my list of best Memory Palace Books, it provides a great look at memory training through a Stoic lens. And Vost is right: The value of having ancient wisdom on tap cannot be exaggerated. Not just for correcting your ego. You’ll also find that you have more things to say when pressed to speak on the spot. Things that have stood the test of time. Meditate Specifically for Ego Reduction Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, often says in his talks that if you are empty of thought, you don’t have to worry about what to say next during a conversation. You’ll spontaneously produce the best possible reply. I often wondered how it was possible to empty my mind of thoughts until I encountered Gary Weber’s Happiness Beyond Thought and Evolving Beyond Thought amongst other works. Although Weber’s full program requires a fair amount of time, it’s worth it for the mental space and spontaneity you’ll enjoy. Two Other Tactics for Detaching From Your Ego for Greater Spontaneity While you’re experimenting with Stoicism, here are two other tactics to explore. They’re both counterintuitive, but powerful. Embrace ignorance as a position of strength Saying “I don't know, but I'll find out” is not a failure. It's a demonstration of intellectual honesty that most people find more impressive than an imaginary answer. If your ego tells you that not knowing something is a form of weakness, push back. Admitting when you don’t know something and then doing some research and following up, builds trust at the same time as it builds your knowledge base. Detach from Needing Any Particular Outcome Your job in any high-pressure moment is not to be brilliant. It's to be present and responsive. Almost as if there is no “you” longing to be perceived in any particular way. Or desiring things to play out for or against you. When you stop trying to produce the perfect response and instead focus on actually hearing the question, understanding the situation, and responding honestly, the quality of your thinking improves dramatically. And it happens largely because you've freed up the cognitive resources consumed by your egotistical needs. You’ll also enjoy your perception of the present moment much more. Part 3: Mental Recall Under Pressure (How to Access What You Know When It Matters) One of the most common experiences of “not thinking on your feet” is this: You know the information, but you can't access it in the moment. You know your mind possesses the answer. But the pressure of the situation has locked the door. There's a neurological explanation for this. Researcher Amy Arnsten has documented how stress signalling pathways in the prefrontal cortex effectively shut down under acute stress. As we know from studies in anxiety-induced memory loss, during stress, the amygdala takes prominence over the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for working memory, reasoning, and flexible thinking. As a result, your brain redirects resources toward fight-or-flight responses that are useful for physical survival but terrible for articulate speech. This is a major reason why you can know something perfectly in a calm environment and go completely blank when asked about it in front of an audience or in a heated discussion. The information hasn't disappeared. Your brain has simply redirected resources away from the systems that retrieve it. The Alphabet Retrieval Technique When I suddenly can't recall something (a name, a fact, a point I wanted to make), I have a technique that works more often than I'd expect: I mentally run through the alphabet from A to Z. It doesn’t always bring back the information. But the technique works often enough to make it a reliable first move, hitting the correct first letter while scanning through the alphabet triggers the retrieval. When it works, it’s because the first letter acts as a cue that unlocks the rest of the word or thought. It’s also the basis of how associative memory operates. As Dr. Gary Small has explained, your brain stores information in networks that somewhat resemble neighborhoods. And the first letter of a word is often enough of a “key” to unlock the door on a full node of information. It's the same principle behind why a song's opening notes can bring back the entire melody. Or how just a word or two of a lyric can bring back an entire verse. The “Let It Go” Retrieval Technique If scanning the alphabet doesn't work, the next best strategy is counterintuitive: Stop trying. In other words, deliberately release any attempt to search your mind for the content. Instead, move on to the next point, the next topic, the next question. Often, within 5–10 minutes, the information you were grasping for will come racing back to mind. This form of recall happens because your subconscious continues processing the retrieval request even after your conscious mind has moved on. Releasing the conscious effort actually accelerates the process, because you've removed the stress that was blocking retrieval in the first place. The Anti-Digital Amnesia Discipline You Need In order to ensure your memory gets stronger over time, you need to break the habit of immediately reaching for your phone or a search engine when you fail to recall something. Every time you outsource mental retrieval to a computer, you weaken the neural pathways that perform recall. You're training your brain that it doesn't need to do the work — and over time, it stops trying. This is the phenomenon I've written about as digital amnesia, and it's one of the most insidious threats to mental agility in the modern world. Preloading: The Real Solution to In-the-Moment Recall Both alphabetical retrieval and simply letting go are recovery strategies. They're useful when recall fails. But the real solution to thinking on your feet is to ensure that recall rarely fails in the first place. This is where a variety of memory training techniques enter the picture. Not as gimmicks, but as the foundational infrastructure for mental agility. The Memory Palace Technique Using Memory Palaces provides a core means of preloading information into your mind. Because this technique allows you to encode very large amounts of information, retrieval under pressure becomes qualitatively different from trying to recall something you passively read or heard. You literally own that information, forwards and backwards. It works because the spatial structure of the Memory Palace gives your brain a retrieval path that works even when the prefrontal cortex is under stress, because spatial memory is processed partly by the hippocampus. This is a different system than the one stress shuts down. In practical terms: If you've memorized the key points of a presentation using a Memory Palace, you don't need to “remember” them under pressure. You just mentally walk to the next room. The information is there, waiting. But it’s not merely attached to a place you know as well as your own home. It has also entered long-term memory. To learn this approach, check out The Memory Palace Technique: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide. Memory Wheels and the Art of Combination Retrieving facts, quotes, even entire passages under pressure is one thing. But what about those moments when you need to synthesize information on the spot? Such as when someone poses a complex question and the right answer isn’t a single piece of information but a combination of ideas you need to assemble in real time? This is where most people’s recall fails them entirely. They might remember one relevant point, but they can’t pull together the three or four ideas needed to construct a substantive response on the spot. I use a technique for this that dates back to the 13th-century philosopher Ramon Llull, later refined by the Renaissance memory master Giordano Bruno. It’s called ars combinatoria or the art of combination. It works by pre-organizing your knowledge onto mental structures called memory wheels so that you can rotate through ideas rapidly and recombine them in novel ways during live situations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opmb-mU-KPI Here’s the simplest version of how it works in practice: Imagine a circle in your mind with the letters A through Z arranged around it. For each letter, you’ve pre-assigned a thinker, a framework, or a principle you know well. A might be Aristotle. B might be a breathing technique. C might be a core value you hold. M might be Marcus Aurelius. S might be the Stoic concept of premeditatio malorum. When a difficult question hits you in conversation, instead of grasping for one perfect answer, you mentally spin the wheel. Instead of searching randomly for something to say, you approach the task of coming up with something to say by scanning an organized inventory of your best thinking. Because you’ve pre-loaded and spatially arranged all of it, your mind can traverse what you’ve already learned quickly. Memory Wheel Example One of my favorite Memory Wheels is populated with philosophers (one for each letter of the alphabet). When I’m confronted with a complex topic, I rotate through and consider what Aristotle would say and then move on through as many philosophers as I like, all the way to Zizek for Z. I know this technique sounds elaborate and it requires having read the best philosophy books, but once you have a Memory Wheel built and practiced, the rotation takes seconds. Here’s a rapid fire discussion with a few more examples from one of my YouTube shorts from the road in Brisbane: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/29nOib2ZS_4 Please don’t overlook this technique. It produces responses that are genuinely multi-perspectival, not just whatever my default opinion happens to be. The deeper history of this technique and detailed instructions for building your own memory wheels are covered in my full guide to Ramon Llull’s memory wheel method. But the principle you can apply immediately upon developing your own memory wheels is this: If you pre-organize your knowledge into a spatial structure rather than leaving it scattered across your memory, you gain the ability to not just recall individual facts under pressure but to combine and recombine ideas on the fly. That is the difference between someone who can answer a question and someone who can think through a problem in real time. It’s not speed without purpose. It’s architecture with a sense of direction based on the shoulders of giants. Part 4: Verbal Agility (How to Sound Smart, Pivot, and Recover in Conversation) Verbal agility isn't about having a quick tongue. It's about having a calm mind with a deep well of material to draw from. The people who seem effortlessly articulate in conversation are rarely making it up on the spot. They're drawing on vast reserves of pre-loaded knowledge, practiced frameworks, and rehearsed transitions. What looks like spontaneous brilliance is actually the visible tip of an enormous iceberg of preparation. Frameworks for Organizing Your Thoughts Rapidly When someone throws a topic at you and you need to respond coherently, having a mental framework prevents the rambling that makes people sound unprepared. Here are several that work, provided you practice using them before they’re required in real-life situations: The PREP Framework PREP stands for: Point Reason Example Point It’s a very powerful formula to practice during debates as well as in conversation. When using PREP, you state your position, give one reason, illustrate with one example, then restate your position. This takes 30–60 seconds and helps keep your replies structured without sounding rehearsed. The WRAP Technique I learned this one from Chip and Dan Heath's Decisive. WRAP stands for: Widen your options Reality-test your assumptions Attain distance before deciding Prepare to fail I placed WRAP on a memory wheel and demonstrate how to run through it mentally in this ars combinatoria video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cYDmaBXvJg What to Do When You're Stumped Even with the frameworks we just discussed or tactics like running through the alphabet, you will experience situations where you simply don't have a response. Here are more strategies you can try. Pause Peacefully Although falling silent can feel painful when you first start practicing it, rest assured that it barely registers to the person listening. And in many cases, a two or three-second pause before responding signals thoughtfulness, not ignorance. Most people rush to fill silence because their ego can't tolerate appearing slow. But a measured pause followed by a substantive response is always more impressive than a rushed response followed by backtracking. Seek Clarification There’s nothing wrong with asking people: “Can you say more about what you mean by that?” or “Are you asking about X or Y specifically?” Such questions will not stall the conversation. It's genuine intellectual engagement, and it often reveals avenues for further conversation that would not be revealed any other way. Use the Truth You might not know this, but many people find it refreshing when someone admits that something is outside of their area. Nir Eyal did that on my podcast a few years ago and I’ve never forgotten his willingness to “stay in his lane,” as he put it. The best part? Nobody penalizes honest uncertainty and a request to move on if you really don’t have a settled opinion on some matter or any expertise. Practice Physical Awareness Sometimes when we’re stumped, our body tenses up. Shoulders rise, the jaw clenches and breathing shallows. This physical tension feeds back into your mental state and makes mental freezing worse. But deliberately dropping your shoulders and taking one slow breath can help break the cycle. More on this kind of physical solution is coming up in Part 6. Practice Steelmanning One of the most powerful exercises for verbal agility is practicing steelmanning. Related to the principle of charity in rhetoric, steelmanning is the practice of arguing for positions with which you disagree. But not half-heartedly. No, you make the argument in the strongest possible terms. One simple way to practice steelmanning involves getting a friend to throw topics at you randomly. Your job is not to argue your own position, but to construct the best possible argument for the opposite side. This practice accomplishes three things simultaneously: It forces you to think through ideas from perspectives you wouldn't naturally adopt, which builds cognitive flexibility. It trains you to separate your ego from your position, because you're explicitly not defending your own views. It prepares you for actual debates, because you've already rehearsed the strongest version of your opponent's argument. For more tips that will help you in this department, check out my guide to preparing for debates. The Improv Principle If you take one thing from this section and act on it, let it be this: Take an improvisation class. Why? Improv comedy training provides you with the single most transferable skill for verbal agility in any context. The core principle of improv is quite easy. You simply answer everything with either “yes, and…” or “no, but…” This simple structure teaches you to accept whatever is thrown at you and build on it rather than blocking or deflecting. This is the exact skill you need in meetings, conversations, presentations, and debates. Improv also provides the one thing you can't get from reading articles: Real-time practice under social pressure while receiving immediate feedback. No amount of theory replaces the experience of standing in front of a group with nothing planned and having to produce something. It’s been a long time since I took an improv class, or any class. But you really only need one round to create a permanent transformation. Part 5: Performance Under Pressure (Lessons from Music, Magic, and the Stage) If you've never performed music, theatre, magic, public speaking, or any other form of real-time presentation, you may not realize how much of “thinking on your feet” is simply having enough trained material that you can recover from anything. The principle applies far beyond the stage. But the stage is where the principle is most visible, so let me share what I've learned from three performance disciplines. Music: Improvisation Is Built on Structure & Self-Awareness When I studied music, I learned something that most non-musicians find surprising: improvisational soloing requires more preparation than playing a written piece. A written piece has every note specified. You practice it, you perform it, you're done. An improvised solo, on the other hand, requires you to internalize the underlying structure so thoroughly that you can navigate it in real time without conscious planning. You need to know the modes, the chord changes, the rhythmic patterns, the phrasing conventions. And you need to know them so well that they're available to your fingers before your conscious mind has time to think about which note comes next. I know this from decades of musical experience. But my life in music almost never happened at all. In grade five, I failed a recorder test. It was given as a prerequisite for joining band class in grade six. The reason, though I didn’t have the language for it at the time, was a condition then called image-deficit disorder, now known as aphantasia. I couldn’t visualize what my teachers were asking me to see on the recorder or the sheet music. And the boring mnemonic sentences they gave us for remembering the notes made no sense to me. The school’s verdict in the face of my supposed failure? No band class. My dad changed that. He rolled up to the school on his Harley Davidson and had a conversation with the administration that I wasn’t privy to. Whatever he said, it worked. I was in. So long as I played the trombone instead of my dream bass guitar. They thought trombone would be easiest for me with its one simple slide. The Art of Coping By Copying But getting into band class didn’t mean I could play. In fact, for the entire first year, I sat beside another trombonist who picked up every note like it was nothing. I survived by watching his slide positions and copying them. I wasn’t reading music. I was reading him. The next year, in grade seven, the teacher gave us separate parts, and my copying lifeline was over. I remember sitting alone in a room with that trombone, sweat rolling down my face, sheet music on the stand turning my brain into wet sawdust. It felt like staring at an explosive I didn’t know how to defuse. But something shifted as my juvenile brain worked to solve the problem. Once I was forced to actually engage with the notation instead of mimicking someone else, I started seeing patterns. The theory behind the notes began to click. My teacher noticed the transformation quickly, both in performance and on my written tests. Later that year, she encouraged me to enter a sight-reading competition. Even though I didn’t win, I remember the thrill of performing music I’d never seen before. And because my teacher saw how deeply I’d started engaging with music, she helped me secure a spot at the local summer school of music before high school. That summer changed my trajectory. I studied with a celebrated trombonist from Canadian Brass. My skills went up substantially, and after a solo I played during the final concert, I was asked to audition for the Kamloops Rube Band. I turned that invitation down and finally retired the trombone for a bass and joined a heavy metal band instead. Over the years that followed, I played in multiple bands, learned increasingly complex music, and eventually realized a lifelong dream: going on tour with an established band. Memory expert Anthony Metivier performing at a concert in Germany. The Lesson That Changed How I Perform And it was during that tour, playing with a sophisticated band called The Outside, that I received perhaps the most important lesson about thinking on your feet that music ever gave me. After a show, our drummer Tito told me I’d missed a few notes. I braced for a critical lecture, but he said something I’ve never forgotten. It was an important tip that has everything to do with the practice of thinking on your feet: “The real problem isn’t missing the notes. It’s looking like you made a mistake. If you look like you made a mistake, it is a mistake.” From that moment on, I trained myself to improvise how I looked just as much as how I sounded. A missed note played with confidence reads as a creative choice. A perfect note played with visible anxiety reads as a near-miss. The audience often doesn’t hear your mistakes, but they do see your reaction to them. This principle extends far beyond music. It shows up in meetings, presentations and conversations. Your stumbles themselves are almost never what people remember. They remember whether or not you flinched. And to tie this all back to the beginning, flinching is an ego response. It’s the visible evidence of caring more about how you appear than about what you’re communicating. Tito didn’t know he was teaching me about ego reduction back during that tour in 2013. But that’s exactly what his lesson was. Card Magic: Multiple Outs and Recovery In card magic, which is especially useful in memorized deck magic, there's a concept called “multiple outs.” I think about it constantly in non-magic contexts. A multiple out is a tactic you might never use, but always have something prepared so that no matter what the spectator does, you conclude the trick successfully. In other words, no matter which card they choose, which pile they point to, which decision they make, you have a prepared path to a successful conclusion. The spectator thinks they're making free choices. In reality, every choice leads to the same place, or to one of several equally impressive endings. This is exactly how preparation works for thinking on your feet. If you've prepared thoroughly for a meeting, you don't just have one argument. You have multiple arguments, multiple examples, multiple pivot points. If someone challenges your position, you have an “out.” If someone asks an unexpected question, you have another “out.” The more preparation you've done, the more outs you have. Magician in Trouble There's also a sub-genre in magic called “magician in trouble” where the performer intentionally appears to make a mistake, building tension before a surprising recovery. What the audience doesn't realize is that the “mistake” was planned and the recovery was rehearsed. But it only works because the performer has done thousands of hours of practice behind the scenes. If you’re having trouble acting spontaneously, learning a few magic tricks is one of the best things you can do. The more tricks you know, the more you can make mistakes and recover. If one trick goes wrong, you transition to another. If a spectator does something unexpected, you have a different trick that accommodates their choice. The depth of your repertoire is directly proportional to your ability to handle anything. Translate this to your professional life: The more tools, frameworks, examples, and stories you have memorized, the more “tricks” you can draw from when a conversation or presentation goes sideways. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvtYjdriSpM Two Levels of TEDx Improvisation Where Preparation Met Reality Minutes before I was due on stage for my TEDx Talk, a long-time fan showed up without a ticket. From what I gathered, he’d traveled to attend the event in Melbourne. And I could tell he was genuinely excited. But he didn’t have a ticket. And when the venue staff told him he couldn’t come in, due to fire capacity rules, we were both frustrated. Anyone with two eyes could see that the room wasn’t actually full. But there was no time to argue the bureaucracy. I was about to deliver the most important presentation of my career, after all. This is exactly the kind of moment that derails people. Not the talk itself, but the things that happen right before you hit the stage. I’m talking about the unexpected disruptions that flood your system with cortisol at the worst possible time. My ego wanted to fight for this person’s entry. It wanted to make a scene about the absurdity of empty seats and fire codes. It wanted to be the hero who fixes things. Instead, thinking on my feet, I suggested we meet for dinner after the talk. He understood. We shook hands. And then I had approximately four minutes to completely reset my mental state before walking on stage. Here’s what I did, standing backstage where nobody could see: I placed my hands behind my back and began Kirtan Kriya. This is a four-syllable meditation (Sa, Ta, Na, Ma) combined with a sequential mudra where your fingers tap. Gary Weber teaches it in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehvokeZnXMM By using the technique with both hands behind my back so no one would see, I simultaneously slowed my breathing and brought myself back to center. Between breath cycles, I also ran a quick body scan from my feet to my scalp, deliberately releasing tension wherever I found it. Jaw, shoulders, hands, the major muscle groups. By the time they called my name, I was calm. Not confident in the way people usually mean. I wasn’t puffed up or “psyched” to give my speech. Just calm in the way that comes from having emptied the bowl. The fan situation was gone from my mind. The ego’s need to intervene was gone. What remained was a mind with nothing in it except a memorized talk and the willingness to deliver it to whoever was in that room. What To Do When the Room Doesn’t Follow Your Script Shortly after my talk began, the room did something I hadn’t planned for. A scripted joke that had worked perfectly to create laughter during the dress rehearsal the day before landed in silence. Not awkward silence. Just… nothing. The audience looked at me with interest but no laughter. A few minutes later, during a section I hadn’t intended to be funny at all, they laughed. Genuinely. A speaker working from notes would have been buried in their script at that moment, unable to read the room because their eyes were on the page. But my entire talk was encoded in Memory Palaces using the technique I teach in my guide, How to Memorize a Speech. I didn’t need to look at any notes. I could look at everyone and connect with them directly. So I did and leaned into their laughter. I let it breathe. I adjusted my pacing to ride the energy they were giving me rather than forcing the energy I’d planned. Going with the flow, I made an unscripted joke and it landed. And when the moment passed, I stepped to the next station in my Memory Palace and continued on with the talk. What the Audience Saw vs. What Actually Happened The audience experienced this as spontaneity. They saw a speaker who was loose, present, reading the room. What actually happened was decades of training expressing itself through a four-second decision. The musical performance training that taught me to keep playing through mistakes without flinching. The card magic training that taught me to have multiple outs when a planned effect doesn’t land. The teaching experience that taught me to read a room full of people who may not be responding the way I expected. And underneath all of it, my ego-reduction efforts shone through, including the willingness to let go of the talk I’d planned and deliver the talk the audience needed. After the event, several people told me how natural and relaxed I seemed. One person said it felt like I was just talking to them, not giving a speech. That’s the highest compliment a speaker can receive. And it was entirely the product of preparation. But nothing about that talk was spontaneous other than the joke I made up on the fly. Otherwise, every word of that talk was memorized verbatim. The audience saw someone thinking on their feet. What they were actually seeing was someone falling back on their training. That, and they witnessed someone with enough training to fall back on. That is the difference. And it’s available to anyone willing to put in the work before the moment arrives. Part 6: Physical Composure (How to React When Your Safety Is at Stake) There are situations where “thinking on your feet” has nothing to do with being articulate or quick-witted. Quite the opposite. There are many moments in life when thinking itself is the problem, especially during situations where what you need is a trained physical response that fires before your conscious mind has time to interfere. I've been in three of these situations. Each time, it was my years-long Systema training that kept me safe. In case you don’t know it, Systema is a martial art focused on breathing, relaxation, and fluid movement under stress. To be clear, it didn’t help me fight. It helped me because it stopped fights from erupting in the first place. Let me explain. Incident One: The Attempted Mugging While writing my dissertation, I was living in Washington Heights, a district north of Harlem in New York City. I was walking south, down to the 170s from the corner of 187th and Cabrini, where I’d stopped to use a bank machine. On my way out, a man stood in front of me with something resembling a gun in his pocket. Exactly as it happens in the movies, he gestured in quick spurts of energy so that my eyes dropped and looked at his pocket. “Give me your wallet and all your money,” he demanded. My Systema training kicked in. Instead of having my shoulders shoot up with anxious tension — the default I’d seen in almost every new student Emmanuel Manolakakis worked with, including me during my first lessons — my mind automatically followed the training I’d received. Without willing it, my shoulders dropped and my mind and body synced with my breath. In a way that still completely bewilders me, a smile came across my face. I don’t know what I looked like, but my expression unnerved the mugger. It created the stress in him that should have been in my body. After what seemed like an eternity, the mugger said, “Wipe that smile off your face or I’ll shoot you.” At this point, my smile grew wider and I started to laugh. An instant later, it felt right to move. I took one step forward into his space and angled to the left with the second and third steps. I didn’t break his gaze and watched as his eyes and entire head tracked me as I moved past him. Then, still operating completely on autopilot, I started to run and found myself in a cleaning supplies store filled with mops and buckets. No confrontation. No escalation. No ego. Just a trained body responding faster than a thinking mind would have. My Systema training, from breath coordination to deep muscle relaxation and long hours of practice with dropping into calm during situations of simulated threat, delivered exactly what it was designed for: bypassing the conscious mind that would have frozen me and let the body handle the situation. Incident Two: The Dark Path in Toronto Some time later, walking in Toronto, I approached a path at the end of a high school field. It was too late to be taking this popular shortcut, but there I was during a night that was far darker than I would have liked. There was just one street lamp hanging over that path, and its bulb was barely working. Before I stepped onto the path, I put a dime on my thumb. I didn’t think about why. There was no conscious strategy at work. My body simply did what training had taught it to do: prepare for the possibility of contact without committing to a plan. Sure enough, someone stepped into my path. I flicked the dime. The coin caught his gaze and seized his attention, producing a few seconds of involuntary visual tracking. This is the same reflex that makes every human eye follow sudden movement. Thanks to the distraction created by the spinning dime, I moved past him easily and paced off into the distance before his focus returned. The entire encounter lasted maybe three seconds. There was no conversation, no confrontation, no mental calculation. Just a trained response that created a tiny window of distraction and an immediate exit through it. I still think about the fact that I put the dime on my thumb before anything happened. It wasn’t a decision so much as it was a product of procedural memory — the same memory system that helps a musician’s fingers find the right fret before their conscious mind has named the note. Systema trains you to read environments the way musicians read chord changes. Not by analyzing, but by responding to patterns your body has trained to respond to inside the dojo. Incident Three: Outside the Post Office The third incident was the strangest. Outside a post office, someone with a grievance I didn’t fully understand began yelling at me aggressively. His body language was escalating and the situation felt like it could turn physical. My response was immediate: I raised my hands into a prayer gesture. With my palms together and fingers standing straight up, I found myself saying “thank you” over and over. I wasn’t being clever. I wasn’t trying to defuse the situation with wit. The gesture came from training, and it served two purposes simultaneously that I was only partially aware of in the moment. First, it put my hands in a position to quickly block any incoming strike. The prayer position is a natural guard because your hands are high, elbows close and forearms ready to redirect. I mean, it’s not going to make you bulletproof, but it’s just as disarming as the smile I delivered back during the mugging I survived in New York. Second, my response psychologically short-circuited the man’s aggression. Being thanked while you’re on the offensive is so dissonant that the brain doesn’t know how to process it. This person’s rhythm broke. His volume dropped. The escalation stalled because the script he was running had been interrupted by a response that didn’t fit. He didn’t thank me back. But at least he stopped. And I walked away unscathed. The Common Thread: No Ego, No Thinking, Just the Fruits of Training In all three incidents, the pattern is identical: Because the ego was out of the way, I wasn't trying to prove anything or “win” the encounters. There was also no conscious thinking. The responses were physical, automatic, and executed faster than mental deliberation would have allowed. Plus, there was relaxation under threat. The counterintuitive act of relaxing when threatened, which Systema specifically trains, prevented the freeze response that ego and fear typically produce. Finally, the strategy in each case was oriented toward getting away, not engaging. For anyone who wants to develop this dimension of thinking on their feet, I strongly recommend studying a martial art that emphasizes relaxation, awareness, and movement rather than aggression and force. Finding Your Own Physical Practice If personal experiences make you want to sign up for Systema, I’d encourage it. But I’d also encourage any martial art that emphasizes awareness, breathing, and relaxation over aggression and force. The point is not to become a fighter. The point is to develop a body that responds to threat with trained composure rather than untrained panic. Beyond martial arts, I practice Qigong daily and have for years. It’s not a combat discipline, but it trains the same foundational skills experienced in a gentler format: Breath coordination Bodily awareness Relaxation under tension For someone who has no interest in martial training, Qigong offers many of the same benefits for composure and physical presence without ever throwing or receiving a strike. Whatever physical practice you choose, I’d offer one caution: Don’t romanticize these practices or turn them into a glamorous fantasy. Remember the lesson from Lacan and the Stoic lessons that make sure reality is better than fantasy if and when real situations of trouble land. The three incidents I described above weren’t action sequences. They were awkward, brief, and slightly absurd. I didn’t defeat anyone. I smiled, flicked a coin, and said thank you. The training didn’t make me dangerous. It made me calm enough to exit each situation without a scratch. And that brings me to what I consider the most important physical skill of all, one that doesn’t require any formal training: situational awareness. Train for Situational Awareness In each of the three incidents, there was a moment before contact where my body registered something my conscious mind hadn’t articulated yet. In Washington Heights, I noticed the man’s posture before he spoke. In Toronto, something made me put a dime on my thumb before I entered the dark path. Outside the post office, I registered the escalation in body language before any words were exchanged. To train for greater situational awareness, walk with your phone in your pocket instead of your hand. Move around the world with your ears empty instead of listening to music or podcasts. When you enter a room, notice the exits. When you’re in an unfamiliar environment, pay attention to who is around you and how they’re moving. These aren’t paranoid habits. They’re the same environmental reading skills your ancestors used every day. Modern life has simply given us the luxury of ignoring them. There is almost no better way to think on your feet than the thinking that steers you clear of sticky situations in the first place. When it comes to physical confrontation, the best-trained response is the one you never have to use. Part 7: Daily Training Exercises for Mental Agility Everything discussed so far requires ongoing practice. Here are the specific daily exercises I use and recommend, organized from quick (2 minutes) to involved (30+ minutes). Breathing Techniques (2–5 minutes) Before any high-pressure situation, be it a presentation, a meeting or a difficult conversation, controlled breathing is the fastest way to shift your nervous system from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (calm and focused). The simplest technique: Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 6 counts. The extended exhale activates the vagus nerve and physically slows your heart rate. Do this for 2 minutes and you'll enter any situation calmer and more mentally available. For more advanced breathing techniques, check out this video tutorial I made for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeO06_uZZcg   Progressive Muscle Relaxation (5–10 minutes) Systematically tensing and releasing muscle groups, from your feet to your face, trains your body to release the physical tension that accumulates under stress. Over time, you develop the ability to detect and release tension in real time — during a conversation, during a presentation, during a confrontation. This is the body scan component that I used before my TEDx Talk, and it's a core element of Systema training as well. The ability to scan your body for tension and deliberately release it is a physical skill that directly supports mental agility. Steelmanning Practice (15–20 minutes) Get a partner. Have them throw random topics at you. Your job: argue the strongest possible case for the position you naturally oppose. Switch roles. Do this twice a week and within a month you'll notice a dramatic improvement in your ability to think through problems from multiple angles under time pressure. Now, you might think about going to Chat-GPT or some other LLM. You can certainly give this a try. However, beware of context-dependent memory and state-dependence issues. If you only train in digital environments with a bot, you will likely find that you perform fine when sparring with a computer, but flounder with a human. As this study found, training in certain environments creates less cognitive fatigue than others. So if you come to develop certain beliefs about the difficulty of discussing things based on experiences with chatbots, you will probably not like the energy-drain you encounter when dealing with humans. Remember: we tend to fight the way we train, so practice all rhetorical argumentation in a variety of environments, never just one. Random Topic Riffing (10–15 minutes) Have someone give you a topic and speak about it for 2 minutes without stopping. What you say doesn't need to be brilliant, but work at speaking continuously. The exercise trains your brain to keep producing output even when it doesn't feel ready, which is exactly the skill you need when put on the spot. Increase difficulty by having the topic-giver interrupt you with new topics mid-stream. This trains your ability to pivot and shift directions without losing composure. Memory Palace Practice (15–30 minutes) Every time you encode information using a Memory Palace, you're doing more than memorizing. You're building the retrieval infrastructure that makes recall under pressure possible. Regular Memory Palace practice is the single most important investment you can make in your ability to access information when you need it. The more you memorize, the more you should seek to incorporate memorized material into your steelmanning and random riffing practice routines. Alphabet Drills and Multiple Mentality (5–15 minutes) One of the most unusual training systems I’ve encountered comes from Harry Kahne, a performer from the 1920s who could write with both hands simultaneously while reciting poetry from memory. He called his approach “Multiple Mentality” because it’s the deliberate practice of running several mental operations at once. His exercises sound deceptively simple. The foundational one: write out the alphabet backwards from memory. Not from Z-A printed on a card. From memory, cold. Most people find reciting the alphabet backwards surprisingly difficult the first time. But once you can do it? That’s when the real training begins. Kahne then asks you to pair the alphabet’s extreme ends mentally: A-Z, B-Y, C-X, working inward. Then start from the center and pair outward in reverse. These are pure concentration drills because they force your brain to hold a structure in working memory while performing various forms of recall. I go deeper into the full Multiple Mentality system and all of Kahne’s exercises in my detailed review of his course, including the parts I think are brilliant and the parts where I respectfully disagree with him. Part 8: Prepping Your Mind (Why What You Memorize Determines How Well You Think) Most of us know that the quality of your thinking is directly proportional to the quality of what you've committed to memory. A mind loaded with poetry, philosophy, scientific principles, historical examples, memorable quotes, and well-understood frameworks will produce richer, more nuanced, more creative responses under pressure than a mind that relies on whatever it happens to recall from last week's reading. This is not about showing off. It's about having raw material that makes you mentally dexterous. And gives you information you can use in an instant. What to Memorize for Maximum Mental Agility As you’ve seen, I strongly recommend memorizing quotes and poems. Because memorized poetry gives you access to compressed wisdom, beautiful language, and emotional resonance that you can draw on in conversation, writing, and thinking. Likewise, you can learn how to remember a story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM4TxD6ez1Y When you've memorized a poem or story, you own the content in a way that reading on its own never provides. The lines and structures become part of your mental vocabulary. I've memorized dozens of poems and passages of verse, and they surface constantly in conversation, in my writing, in my thinking about problems that have nothing to do with literature. Memorize Speeches for Mental Dexterity Likewise, you can seek out speeches from people like Churchill, Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and Marcus Aurelius. The words of leaders who were themselves masters of thinking on their feet make for excellent training material. When you've memorized their words, you internalize their patterns of thought. You don't just quote them. You begin to think in the structures they used. Learn to Tell Jokes Like improv, humor provides you with one of the ultimate forms of thinking on your feet. And telling jokes is far more learnable than people assume. To get started, commit a few jokes to memory and study their structure. You’ll soon notice that a good joke is a tiny argument: The setup establishes expectations The twist violates the expectations The punchline resolves the violation in a surprising or ironic way This simple structure is not so different from the PREP framework we discussed above. Practice Parroting and Accent Imitation Imitating a famous actor might sound like a party trick, but it's actually a profound exercise in sharing another person’s perspective and behavioral patterns. To imitate someone convincingly, you have to at least try and understand how they think, how they move and how they use language. As a result, the understanding you develop translates directly to the ability to read and respond to different people in different contexts. I’m not particularly good with foreign accents or imitating people. But merely by putting time into practicing a few people, I’ve learned a lot and become more spontaneous on my feet. Reflective Thinking Practice Memorization alone isn't enough. The material you memorize needs to be processed through reflective thinking. This is the practice of deliberately considering what you've learned, connecting it to other things you know, and forming your own positions. I do a lot of my reflective thinking through journaling, through conversation with carefully chosen friends, and through a practice I've maintained for years: regularly re-reading books I've already read, looking for things I missed the first time. All of these practices transform static knowledge into dynamic intellectual resources you’ll draw upon with great ease when you find yourself put on the spot. Part 9: The Paradox of Mental Silence We've covered a great deal of ground today: ego reduction, memory techniques, verbal frameworks, performance training, martial arts, daily exercises, and the art of loading your mind with quality material. And now I want to end with something that sounds like a contradiction but is, in fact, the deepest truth about thinking on your feet: The goal is not to think faster. Rather, it’s to create the conditions where you don't need to think at all. I know this sounds paradoxical. How can “thinking on your feet” require not thinking? It’s because the highest level of performance in any domain doesn’t just look like effortlessness. It actually is, if only in the present moment. I’m talking about the musician who plays a transcendent solo. That performer isn't thinking about which notes to play. Nor does the martial artist who evades a strike sit there thinking about which direction to move. And the speaker who delivers a perfect response to an unexpected question isn't thinking about what to say. They’re drawing upon deep preparation. In each case, the performer has trained so deeply that the right response emerges from a place beneath conscious thought. The preparation started long ago. Practice has quieted your fantasies, both positive and negative. And what remains is a mind so well-prepared that it can be still during the demands and in that stillness, the right response simply appears. This outcome is common in the world of mindfulness and meditation, where practitioners describe the experience of being “full by being empty.” In order to receive the moment as it actually is (not as your ego wants it to be, nor as your anxiety fears things might go wrong), you just have to empty your mind of the noise that normally fills it. Your Next Step If this article has shown you anything, I hope it's this: thinking on your feet is not a gift. It's the product of deliberate, ongoing training across multiple domains — mental, verbal, physical, and philosophical. The foundation of all of it is memory. Not “good memory” as a vague trait, but trained memory — the ability to encode, store, and retrieve information on demand, under pressure, in any context. If you want to start building that foundation, I've created a free course that teaches you the core Memory Palace technique in four video lessons. It's the same starting point my Masterclass students use, and it will give you your first experience of what trained recall feels like. For even deeper training that includes the Memory Wheel technique, ars combinatoria, advanced Memory Palace strategies, and the Recall Rehearsal patterns that make long-term retention predictable, my Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass takes you through the complete learning system. And if you want to explore the meditation, breathing, and muscle relaxation routines I've combined with memory training for maximum mental composure, I go into all of that in The Victorious Mind. So what do you say? Are you ready to stop worrying about what you’ll say next and start training so deeply that the right response arrives on its own? Remember: the secret every performer, martial artist, and memory expert discovers is ultimately the same. You don’t rise to the level of the mome

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In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Paul Cap, Chief Revenue Officer at MongoDB, to explore the core leadership principles and sales execution strategies that have driven one of the most explosive growth stories in tech. Paul shares his personal path from finance into sales, the pivotal mindset shifts that helped him lead at scale, and the mission-first approach that keeps MongoDB thriving. We dive into building high-performance teams, the early indicators of future CRO talent, and what separates great companies from the rest. Whether you're a first-line manager or a seasoned sales leader, this conversation delivers hard-earned lessons from the frontlines.

How do you stay clear, calm, and precise when every word counts and there's no room for error?Staying calm and focused while translating high-stakes conversations in real time isn't just a language skill — it's a masterclass in communication under pressure. And for Giampaolo Bianchi, simultaneous interpreter for the United Nations and World Health Organization, it's a challenge he meets with presence, precision, and a whole lot of preparation. In this expanded conversation from our Spontaneous Speaking series, Bianchi offers a behind-the-scenes look at how he prepares for — and performs in — moments where being calm, in control, and adaptable are essential.“We don't translate words — we translate ideas,” Bianchi explains, highlighting the mindset shift that allows interpreters to go beyond language and convey meaning with clarity and nuance. He shares the role of rigorous preparation, physical grounding, and mental focus in his work, and explains how tools like note systems, pre-session rituals, and active listening help manage cognitive load during live interpretation.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Bianchi and host Matt Abrahams explore how the principles of simultaneous interpretation apply far beyond the booth — offering valuable strategies for anyone who needs to communicate effectively under pressure, adapt in the moment, and ensure their smartest communication happens without a script.Episode Reference Links:Giampaolo BianchiEp.197 Prep or Perish: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (1 of 3)Ep.198 Pause and Effect: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (2 of 3)Ep.199 Blunder Pressure: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (3 of 3)Ep.203 No Script, No Problem: Final Secrets to Speaking Under Pressure (Bonus)   Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:42) - Becoming a UN Interpreter (03:50) - Staying Calm Under Pressure (05:03) - Translating Emotion, Not Just Words (06:10) - Memory and Focus Techniques (07:51) - The Power of Preparation (09:17) - Pre-Meeting Rituals and Readiness (10:34) - Handling Mistakes in Real Time (11:44) - Interpreter Habits in Daily Life (12:45) - The Final Three Questions (17:28) - Conclusion  *****This Episode is sponsored by Stanford. Stay Informed on Stanford's world changing research by signing up for the Stanford ReportSupport Think Fast Talk Smart by joining TFTS Premium.        

Why traditional mindset advice falls short in real leadership scenariosThe concept of Mind Flex and how it outperforms rigid thinking3 Tools to build your Mind Flex muscle:The Toggle Method – See challenges from opposite anglesPerspective Prompts – Break free from default thinking patternsMental Strength Training – Create a weekly Think Time ritualAction challenge: Apply the techniques to a real-life leadership challenge this weekQuote to remember: “Great leaders don't default to a mindset. They adapt to what the moment demands.”✅ Want more tools to think clearly, lead boldly, and grow deliberately?Explore coaching, events, and resources at www.deliberatedirections.com

How open are you to new experiences? Have you found that with age comes a fear of learning new things? Research finds that being willing to admit that we may be wrong about truths we previously held while maintaining confidence is a central tenet of resilience. The inherent capacity for neuroplasticity within our brains means that even with age, our minds remain capable of forming new connections and adapting. This fosters mental agility, allowing us to pivot from outdated notions and integrate fresh perspectives without feeling threatened.For insights on how to keep our mindset flexible, Harvesting Happiness Podcast host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with cognitive psychologist and author, Dr. Elaine Fox.Dr. Fox shares her research about the psychological talents, or tools, required to boost neuroplasticity and promote a growth mindset from her book, Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility. She also explores the concept of intellectual humility and emotional intelligence.This episode is proudly sponsored by:Better Help— Offers convenient and affordable professional therapy made simple. Listeners get 10% off their 1st month at BetterHelp.com/HarvestingHappiness Like what you're hearing?WANT MORE SOUND IDEAS FOR DEEPER THINKING? Check out More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus content available exclusively on Substack and Medium.bonus content available exclusively on Substack and Medium.

How open are you to new experiences? Have you found that with age comes a fear of learning new things? Research finds that being willing to admit that we may be wrong about truths we previously held while maintaining confidence is a central tenet of resilience. The inherent capacity for neuroplasticity within our brains means that even with age, our minds remain capable of forming new connections and adapting. This fosters mental agility, allowing us to pivot from outdated notions and integrate fresh perspectives without feeling threatened.For insights on how to keep our mindset flexible, Harvesting Happiness Podcast host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with cognitive psychologist and author, Dr. Elaine Fox.Dr. Fox shares her research about the psychological talents, or tools, required to boost neuroplasticity and promote a growth mindset from her book, Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility. She also explores the concept of intellectual humility and emotional intelligence.This episode is proudly sponsored by:Better Help— Offers convenient and affordable professional therapy made simple. Listeners get 10% off their 1st month at BetterHelp.com/HarvestingHappiness Like what you're hearing?WANT MORE SOUND IDEAS FOR DEEPER THINKING? Check out More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus content available exclusively on Substack and Medium.bonus content available exclusively on Substack and Medium.

Paula Davis, a bestselling author and workplace stress expert, unveils the secrets to thriving in high-pressure environments. Her journey from the courtroom to applied positive psychology brings unique insights into fostering resilience and well-being at work. Paula's latest book, "Lead Well: Five Mindsets to Engage, Retain and Inspire Your Team," serves as a toolkit for leaders striving to combat stress and disengagement.We explore the delicate balance between workplace wellness and overall well-being, dissecting how leadership and team dynamics hold sway over employees' happiness, stress levels, and purpose. It's not just about offering yoga classes or healthy lunches; it's about cultivating an environment where growth and resilience can flourish.By challenging teams with opportunities for mastery, leaders can ignite a spark of ongoing learning and professional development. Paula shares practical strategies for fostering this growth, encouraging leaders to align personal and professional aspirations with team goals.Building intentional relationships takes the spotlight as we discuss methods to cultivate a sense of community within teams. From "Seinfeld meetings"—those unstructured, agenda-free gatherings—to shared meals that bring teams closer together, we emphasize the importance of trust and rapport. This episode is filled with actionable insights for leaders to inspire their teams and create a thriving workplace culture.What You'll Learn- Discover the innovative concept of "sticky recognition" andhow it can transform team motivation.- Understand the delicate balance between workplace wellness and overall well-being.- Learn how leaders can challenge teams for growth and resilience through focusing on mastery.- Explore methods to build intentional relationships and cultivate a sense of community within teams.- The importance of mental agility in today's AI-driven world.Podcast Timestamps(00:00) – An Introduction to the 5 Mindsets(08:31) – The Science and Practice of Employee Recognition(17:18) – Wellness Versus Well-Being? Where Organizations Can Miss the Mark(25:10) – Leadership Lessons from Seinfeld (28:58) – The ABCs of a Culture of Flourishing(33:08) – The Importance of Leadership Buy-In(48:26) – Managing Stress and Enhancing Mental AgilityKEYWORDSPositive Leadership, Workplace Stress, Resilience, Well-being, Team Dynamics, Burnout, Positive Psychology, Employee Recognition, Increasing Motivation, Team Engagement, Organizational Culture, EstablishingCommunity, Mental Agility, Human-Centered Skills, CEO Success

What if your emotions weren't roadblocks but guideposts? Dr. Aprilia West unpacks psychological flexibility—the ability to navigate emotions with clarity, agility, and purpose. Interviewed by Coaching Revealed hosts Austin Matzelle and Emily Terrani, this episode covers Dr. West's Three M Model: Mindfulness, Mental Agility, and Meaningful Moves. Diving into Dr. West's background of politics, music, and psychology, she illustrates how narrative shaping and psychological flexibility can help individuals align actions with their values. 

Are you ready to transform your mindset and elevate your game? This episode of "The Ride to the Rink" brings you an insightful conversation with former pro hockey player Jason Podollan, who shares the powerful "Three R's" technique: Rewind, Replay, Reset. This episode is packed with strategies to help players recover from mistakes and build mental resilience on the ice. Discover how to shift from negative to positive mental states and enhance your performance with practical tips and success stories.Key Discussion Points- The Three R's Technique: Rewind, Replay, Reset- Success Stories and Mental Agility- Practicing Mental Techniques- Post-Shift Routine Bonus Tip- Importance of Self-Belief--Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!Looking to get your coach a great gift this season?Lee has recently re-released his team building philosophy - How to Win: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Championship Culture for Your Team! This new edition expands on Lee's acclaimed 2017 release with fresh insights, updated strategies, and practical tools. Grab a copy now on Amazon - https://a.co/d/9tDlwnCHave A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!Follow Us On Social Media: Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

Today, we are joined by Dr. Graeme Codrington, Bestselling Author and Futurist. Dr. Codrington, is an internationally recognized futurist, specializing in the future of work. He helps organizations understand the forces that will shape our lives in the next ten years, and how we can respond in order to confidently stay ahead of change. For the past two decades, Graeme has worked with some of the world's most recognized brands, traveling to over 80 countries in total, and speaking to around 100,000 people every year. He is the author of 5 best-selling books, and on faculty at 5 top global business schools. In this episode, we dive into techniques such as the 5 Whys and the six thinking hats method to overcome cognitive biases, like the Dunning-Kruger effect. Discover the evolving role of AI in enhancing decision processes and fostering cognitive awareness. Learn the importance of continuous learning, empathy, and ethical judgment in leadership. Join us for an insightful discussion on improving mental agility and transforming your decision-making approach for a better future. Graeme's Website: https://www.graemecodrington.com/ Graeme's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemecodrington/ - Website and live online programs: http://ims-online.com Blog: https://blog.ims-online.com/ Podcast: https://ims-online.com/podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesagood/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesgood99 Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:08) Technique: The Five Whys (05:41) Tool: Leveraging AI for Better Decision Making (11:03) Technique: The Six Thinking Hats (15:13) Tool: The Dunning-Kruger Effect (16:24) Technique: Navigating Unknown Unknowns (17:11) Tip: The Importance of Mental Agility (19:30) Tip: The Future of Leadership and AI (21:56) Tip: Building a Better World (23:04) Conclusion

This week, we sit down with the dynamic Shari Spencer, the First Lady of MMA, who has blazed a trail from international finance to managing MMA champions and now thriving as a CFO!

Do you prefer multistory episodes, single story episodes, or a mix? Let us know! In this episode of Discover Daily, host Sienna explores the fascinating world of the Trachtenberg system, a unique method of rapid mental calculation developed by Russian engineer Jakow Trachtenberg during his imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps. This innovative approach to arithmetic eliminates the need for multiplication tables, relying instead on a set of readily memorized operations that allow users to perform lightning-fast computations by "reading" numbers and applying logical rules.Sienna delves into the remarkable impacts of the Trachtenberg system, particularly in education, where children who had struggled with traditional math have shown significant improvements in both skills and confidence. She also examines the cognitive benefits of the system, including enhanced memory capacity, visual memory, and concentration. The episode features a step-by-step walkthrough of a complex example using the Trachtenberg technique for multiplying two-digit numbers by 11, making early entry into the method accessible.Join Sienna as she uncovers the inspiring story behind the Trachtenberg system and explores how this innovative approach to mental math can unlock our mental potential and open up new possibilities. Stay curious and keep discovering with Discover Daily!From Perplexity's Discover Feed:https://www.perplexity.ai/page/trachtenberg-s-mental-calculat-HjhArY9CQ72dR3xWf41FHQPerplexity is the fastest and most powerful way to search the web. Perplexity crawls the web and curates the most relevant and up-to-date sources (from academic papers to Reddit threads) to create the perfect response to any question or topic you're interested in. Take the world's knowledge with you anywhere. Available on iOS and Android Join our growing Discord community for the latest updates and exclusive content. Follow us on: Instagram Threads X (Twitter) YouTube Linkedin

Want to boost your mental agility? It's time to think like a golfer! Yep, that's right - Elaine Fox reminds us that for each problem life throws at us, we need to be using the right golf club. Different problem, different club.  LINKS See more from Elaine Fox here Follow @novapodcastsofficial on Instagram    CREDITS Host: Casey Donovan @caseydonovan88 Writer: Amy Molloy @amymolloy Executive Producer: Anna HenvestEditor: Adrian Walton  Listen to more great podcasts at novapodcasts.com.au   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore the profound journey of Jonny Miller, whose path to nervous system mastery began with a personal tragedy that reshaped his understanding of grief and resilience. Jonny has dedicated years to exploring the depths of his inner landscape through various modalities, including meditation, breathwork, and neurofeedback.Jonny is a passionate advocate for mental fitness and personal growth, leading a five-week bootcamp called Nervous System Mastery and hosting the popular podcast, Curious Humans. ___How Prepared is Your Team for the Next Big Disruption? Future-proof your team with Malosiminds.com Get your copy of Personal Socrates: Better Questions, Better Life Connect with Marc >>> Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter Drop a review and let me know what resonates with you about the show!Thanks as always for listening and have the best day yet!*A special thanks to MONOS, our official travel partner for Behind the Human! Use MONOSBTH10 at check-out for savings on your next purchase. ✈️*Special props

Join us for an engaging discussion where we candidly explore the multifaceted nature of aging, self-worth, and societal values. We start by catching up on a fascinating eye transplant experience and its humorous implications, including an unexpected encounter at the DMV. This sets the stage for a heartfelt conversation about empathy and cognitive challenges, using President Joe Biden as a poignant example of how aging can impact communication and mental agility. We also reflect on the broader struggles of forming coherent thoughts and adapting to change as we age.Next, we shift our focus to the intricate relationship between self-worth, power, and external validation. Through references to popular TV shows like "Mad Men" and "Industry," we illustrate how the pursuit of external achievements can lead to a cycle of never-ending goals without true satisfaction. Our discussion also touches on the medical industry's rush to promote new treatments like Ozempic, drawing concerning parallels to the opioid crisis. Through personal anecdotes and professional insights, we contemplate finding meaningful work, maintaining community connections, and navigating the challenges of modern medical advice.Finally, we explore the pervasive influence of money on societal values and personal success metrics. Reflecting on historical events like the Great Depression and World War II, we discuss how financial stability has shaped generations' perceptions and priorities. We consider the ethical implications of prioritizing profit over holistic success and the detrimental effects of exploiting others for financial gain. Personal stories highlight the varying definitions of success, emphasizing a preference for fulfillment over wealth and questioning how we can balance these aspects in our lives.--------- EPISODE CHAPTERS ---------(0:00:01) - Regret and Changing Self-Worth(0:08:00) - Navigating Self-Worth and Personal Goals(0:20:12) - Social Media's Impact on Parenting(0:29:17) - Money Versus Holistic SuccessSend us a Text Message.

Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast! In episode 342, we continue our 18-week self-leadership series inspired by Grant Bosnick's book, diving deep into Chapter 13, which focuses on the neuroscience of agility. Join Andrea Samadi as she explores how physical and mental agility play critical roles in our ability to handle sudden changes and stressors. Discover practical strategies to enhance your mental agility, build resilience, and thrive in the face of adversity. This episode not only highlights the importance of maintaining physical fitness but also delves into the science behind mental flexibility. Learn how to identify and manage your stressors, strengthen your neural pathways, and become anti-fragile in both your personal and professional life. Stay tuned for insights from neuroscientist Tara Swart and actionable tips to improve your brain's agility, ensuring you are better prepared to navigate life's challenges. Don't miss this enlightening episode and the upcoming interview with Dr. Sui Wong on resilience! On today's episode #342 we continue with our 18-Week Self-Leadership Series based on Grant Bosnick's “Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership: A Bite Size Approach Using Psychology and Neuroscience” that we first dove into with our interview on EP #321[i] the end of January. The goal was that each week, we focused on learning something new, (from Grant's book) tied to the most current neuroscience research, that builds off the prior week, to help take us to greater heights in 2024. So far, it's taken us 8 months to cover the first 13 chapters thoroughly, and we still have 6 chapters to go.  After this week on agility, we have chapter 14 on resilience, 15 on relationships and authenticity, 16 on biases, 17 on trust, 18 on empathy and the final chapter 19 (and one of my target areas to focus on this year), the topic of presence. When we finish each of these chapters, we will put them all together, with a review of each one, in one place. It really has surprised me that a thorough study of this book will take the entire year to complete. On today's EPISODE #342 we will cover: ✔ The Neuroscience of Mental and Physical Agility ✔ An overview of our personal and professional stressors ✔ Why being antifragile can help us overcome life's obstacles and challenges ✔ Characteristics of an Agile Brain ✔ 6 Pathways of an Agile Brain ✔ 4 STEPS to Developing an Agile Brain for Future Problem Solving Success For Today, EPISODE #342, we are moving on to Chapter 13, covering “The Neuroscience of Agility” which came out as a low priority for me with the with 0% (Pathway 5) along with Change and Resilience. If you've taken the leadership self-assessment[ii], look to see if Agility (in Pathway 5) along with change and resilience, is of a low, medium or high priority for you to focus on this year. I was surprised to see this topic showing up with a low priority, not because this topic is something that I don't think about daily, but it was when I read the first few paragraphs of Grant Bosnick's chapter 13, on Agility, where I was reminded that we are talking about physical agility, in addition to mental agility, and as I'm getting older, I notice this area requires extra effort to stay on top of. While the self-assessment says this is not an area of focus for me, it's one of my TOP priorities at the moment. Grant Bosnick opens up this chapter by talking about a basketball player who pivots by “maintaining one foot having contact with the ground without changing its position on the floor and utilizes the other foot to rotate their body to improve position while in possession of the basketball. In life and business, when we are faced with a change or challenge immediately in front of us (Bosnick says) it is the same.” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership). He reminds us that “in basketball, to be agile and pivot, a player needs to be physically fit and have strong ankles, otherwise they may injure themselves in the moment of stopping suddenly. Reading this paragraph took me back to my 20s when I was a teacher in Toronto. I loved basketball. So much so that I spent some of my weekends being trained as a basketball coach where I learned drills directly from one of the Toronto Raptor's coaches themselves. I remember taking these drills to a boy's PE class, and watched in amazement at the skill of these young men, playing a sport, where I honestly thought there were players in that PE class who should have gone pro. I watched them pivot, and move in ways that I knew I never could. One student worked with me after class, trying to teach me to walk and pass the ball through my legs at the same time, and after an hour, I just gave up. It took these young athletes many years of practice outside of their gym time to develop these skills. Thinking back now, to those days, a few decades later, I know that while I don't have the same physical agility as I did years ago, and I definitely can't walk and pass a basketball through my legs at the same time, I still put exercise at the top of my list, and know that when I put in the time here, this helps (not hurts) my ability to pivot maybe not like those basketball players, but enough to be prepared physically, to handle sudden change that inevitably will come my way in life. And while I know that we can't all be at the same level physically, (depending on the amount of time we can dedicate here) we ALL have the same advantage when it comes to the ability to strengthen our mental agility. This is where Grant Bosnick takes us in his book, reminding us that “in business or life, when we are faced with a challenge or a change that makes us stop suddenly in our course of action. At that moment, we need to have mental agility to be strong in that moment… (reminding us that) we all face stressors and challenges in life. We need to push through, adapt and thrive in the moment, so that we can pivot, see the opportunities and come out even stronger on the other side.” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Page 145) Stressors and Triggers Bosnick covers “various stressors or triggers that may cause us to stop our course of action (with) ways to improve our mental agility and ability to pivot.” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Page 145). On Table 13.1 Bosnick lists common stressors in the workplace, in our personal lives and I think he's got ALL of the stressors covered. I looked at what is currently stressing me out (in my work and personal life) and they are ALL on Bosnick's list in some form. I think that it's easy to get overwhelmed with work and personal stressors, that I even forgot about daily stressors like traffic, or road closures, not having enough time for the daily exercise, or things that are important to us, or those days where I fall short on sleep, and know I'll pay for it somehow. Bosnick does tie chapter 9 on emotion regulation into this chapter, with strategies to overcome our daily life stress, and when we look at the Neuroscience of Mental Agility next, we will connect emotion regulation with a strategy from Tara Swart, MD, PhD, a neuroscientist and author of The Source: The Secrets of the Universe, the Science of the Brain for improving and strengthening our neural pathways, to improve our brain agility (or mental agility). Before we can strengthen our mental agility, it helps to know what is stressing us out. I was actually talking about this during the week with one of my good friends from high school. We throw ideas back and forth, and I mentioned that as certain stressors were piling up in my daily life, I was getting to the “end of my rope with them.” She gave me a good analogy, and shared that we can pile up all of our stressors on a book shelf, until we reach our breaking point, and the book shelf breaks. I think it's good to be aware of our breaking points, and how much we can handle at once.  Bosnick suggests an activity where we identify all of our stressors. IDENTIFYING OUR STRESSORS First, look at the stressors on Bosnick's list, (Table 13.1) and see if you can identify what is stressing you out. I think these days we can also circle workload, and lack of time in our work day, and I've circled injury with my girls who are both facing injuries from competitive gymnastics at the moment. Look and see what your stressors are. Bosnick suggests next to uncover the magnitude of these stressors by rating them on a scale of 1-5. Here's where our mental agility comes into play. Bosnick introduces three terms from the book Antifragile by N Taleb[iii] where there are three types of systems, organizations or people.  The fragile: which is like an egg and breaks under stress. No one wants to be labeled as fragile. The robust: which is like a phoenix, when destroyed comes back exactly as it was before. This is a step in the right direction, but who wants to emerge from challenge the same as before? The antifragile: gets stronger from uncertainty—like the Hydra from the Greek myth where you cut off one head, two grows back in its place. It gets stronger from the sudden change. When we face challenges, changes and stressors, we need to become antifragile in the process according to Grant Bosnick. He also mentions resilience that we will cover next in chapter 14, and have covered this topic often on this podcast[iv] with EP 135 “Using Recovery to Become Resilient to Physical, Mental and Emotional Stressors.” This episode came from some of the biggest AHA moment from EPISODE #134[v] with Kristen Holmes, the VP of Performance Science of WHOOP[i], a wearable personal fitness and health coach that measures sleep, strain, and recovery. Bosnick, in chapter 13 cover specifically how to grow from adversity, sustaining our peak performance, and that what we want to take away from this chapter is how to “train our brain to be antifragile in order to be more agile in the moment when we face challenges or stressors.” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Page 149) HOW DO WE IMPROVE OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL AGILITY? Bosnick does talk about the importance of maintaining “a healthy lifestyle, with proper amounts of sleep, food, water and physical fitness. This will increase your energy and mental alertness” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Page 151) so that when something comes our way, unexpectedly, we can be better prepared, or more agile which will help us to be “prepared to withstand the shock.” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Page 150). He also talks about the importance of taking the time to rest and recover by going for a walk, practicing yoga, or meditating. We've gone deep into the Top 6 Health Staples Scientifically Proven to Boost Our Physical and Mental Health[vi] that will provide us with the mental strength “to withstand our stressors in the first place, just like a basketball player needs to have physical strength to withstand the sudden stop.” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Page 150). Bosnick also suggests “yet another way to improve our mental well-being and strength is to find meaning in what we do (and that) by aligning personal meaning and doing what matters most, we will create a focus and a source of energy that can help us cut through a lot of the chaos. We did cover this topic with Chapter 2 on Goals[vii] and Chapter 3 Inspiration and Motivation[viii]. Bosnick does cover more strategies in Chapter 13 including overshooting, mental self-talk, and the importance of anticipating the future with examples that I know we've mentioned before on this podcast, with neuroscientist Friederike Fabritius, who wrote about Wayne Gretsky's ability to think ahead of the hockey puck. Bosnick shares that “Wayne Gretsky, the greatest ice hockey player in history, once said “I don't go where the puck is; I go where the puck will be.” And this, Bosnick reminds us “is what we need to think in order to get through these stressors or obstacles and find the opportunities on the other side.” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Page 156) anticipating and directing ourselves to where we want to be. Bosnick has us think of ways that we can adapt and manage ourselves through change, urging us to overshoot to strengthen our mental muscles which can endure more than we think, with strategies that include learning to become more optimistic. It was here that I wondered what else could we learn about the neuroscience of agility (specifically mental agility where we all have the same ability, since we all have a brain) and I wondered if there was a way that would allow us to use our brain to work FOR us, rather than against us, and the answer came when I found Tara Swart MD, PhD, a neuroscientist and author of The Source: The Secrets of the Universe, the Science of the Brain. The answer came to me with her definition of “Mental Agility.” What Is Mental Agility? Tara Swart opens up her book, The Source, with a paragraph written by Charles Haanel, from 1919, (you can tell from the language that this was written over 100 years ago) in her Epigraph that reads: “Some men seem to attract success, power, wealth, attainment with very little conscious effort; while others conquer with great difficulty; still others fail altogether to reach their ambitions, desires and ideals. Why is this so? The cause cannot be physical…hence mind must be the creative force, must constitute the sole difference between men. It is mind which overcomes environment and every other obstacle...” Tara Swart says that “Mental agility is the ability to switch between tasks and between different ways of thinking, such as logical, emotional, creative, intuitive, physical, or motivational.” She says that mental agility “also enhances the way you respond to stress and your capacity to keep multiple options open, allowing you to make your thoughts and emotions work for you during challenging tactical or physical events.” In many ways, mental agility boils down to being flexible and not so hard on yourself, whether life gets in the way of your goals (like with any of the stressors from Bosnick's list) or you encounter personal slip-ups in your day to day life. We've all been there, but how we persevere through all of this is a sign of mental agility.  Tara Swart wrote this book to offer an up-to-date, scientifically backed method for retraining the brain to direct our actions and emotions to lead us towards our deepest dreams and goals. She shows us how to take control of our own brain, and this powerful understanding took her nine years of college, seven years of practicing psychiatry and ten years of being an executive coach to get to this point. In chapter 5 of The Source, Swart lists an activity to help us to improve our Mental (Brain) Agility by learning to “nimbly switch between different ways of thinking.” (Chapter 5, The Source, Page 109). Swart reminds us that we are all “perfectly capable to assessing more of our brain power more of the time. We don't because we don't realize how brilliant, flexible, and agile our brain can be.” (Chapter 5, The Source, Page 109). DID YOU KNOW THAT “an agile brain is one where each of our neural pathways is adequately developed?” An agile brain Swart says can: Focus intensely and efficiently on one task at a time Think in many different ways about the same situation or problem Switch gradually between these different ways of thinking Fuse ideas from differing cognitive pathways to create integrated solutions Think in a balanced way, rather than thinking rigidly (or logical) for example. What is Swart's Whole-Brain Approach to Brain Agility? (IMAGE CREDIT: Credit by Andrea Samadi from Chapter 3, Brain Agility, The Source, Tara Swart). Swart lists 6 ways of thinking that correlate with a simplified version of that neural pathway in the brain. HOW AGILE IS YOUR BRAIN? Swart next suggests that we try this activity to see how agile (or balanced) our brain is to see where our strengths are, as well as areas for improvement. STEP 1: Draw a circle in a notebook, and give yourself 100% to start of with in the center with “Your Source” STEP 2: Draw the arms for each of the 6 areas that correlate with brain agility. Emotions, Physicality, Intuition, Motivation, Logic and Creativity. STEP 3: Call to mind one of your stressors (personal, or work) and rate how much of your brain power went towards each area. STEP 4: Look to see how effectively you draw from your brain's resources during times of stress. Did you allocate more energy to certain areas, and less to others? Swart reminds us that we don't need to have balance in all areas, but it's important to “feel strong enough in all the pathways, as well as knowing what your key strengths are.” (Ch 3, The Source, Page 115). EXAMPLE: From Andrea: You can see my example in the show notes with a sports injury with both my children that is definitely one of my stressors. INTUITION 50% While dealing with anything stressful, I notice that I go straight to my intuition first. Before was even told about each of my daughter's injuries, I could tell by looking at their facial expressions, and body language that the injuries were important for me to take seriously. PHYSICALITY 20% Once I have the intuitive feeling, next I'll feel something in the pit of my stomach that tells me (to go straight to the ER) or whether we can wait the injury out with some time. EMOTIONS 10% While I'm always working on mastering my emotions, it's impossible for me to hide what I'm feeling. When I'm serious, you will see it on my face. CREATIVITY 10% Next I'm thinking of ways to solve the problem, (the injury) and what we will need to do for a speedy recovery. MOTIVATION 5% This pathways keeps me focused on the end result LOGIC 5% I don't need to get x-rays or wait for a doctor to tell me the results. While I know that my husband would lean this way first, I rely on different pathways in the brain while under pressure. If you can take ONE of your stressors, and do this activity, you will learn what pathways in your brain are your strengths. Most people, Swart says have 2 or 3 pathways that they favor, 2 they draw on while under pressure and 2 they don't use much, if at all. REVIEW AND CONCLUSION To review and conclude this week's episode #342 on “The Neuroscience of Agility” we looked at Chapter 13 of Grant Bosnick's Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership uncovering our top work, personal and everyday life stressors. Next, we rated our stressors on a scale of 1-5 to uncover the magnitude of what stresses us out on a daily basis. We looked at three terms from the book Antifragile by N Taleb[ix] where there are three types of systems, organizations or people. The fragile: which is like an egg and breaks under stress. No one wants to be labeled as fragile. The robust: which is like a phoenix, when destroyed comes back exactly as it was before. This is a step in the right direction, but who wants to emerge from challenge the same as before? The antifragile: gets stronger from uncertainty—like the Hydra from the Greek myth where you cut off one head, two grows back in its place. It gets stronger from the sudden change. We learned that when we face challenges, changes and stressors, we want to become antifragile in the process so that we grow from adversity, and become stronger in the process. Finally, we looked at Mental Agility, with Tara Swart's whole-brain approach from her book, The Source, by taking one of our stressors, and rating how much of our brain power we use while problem solving. I highly encourage this activity to notice which pathways you favor during problem solving, which ones you go to while under pressure and which ones you don't use at all. The goal with this episode was to show us that while physical agility is important, it's our mental agility that some, like Charles Haanel, from 1919, believe “overcomes environment and every other obstacle.” While I will always keep the TOP 6 health staples at the top of my mind to improve my physical agility, I'll end this episode with a quote from our ALL-TIME most listened to episode from November 2022 on “Applying the Silva Method for Improved Creativity, Intuition and Focus”[x] that has now over 9K downloads. I hope you have found some valuable insights in this episode, and we will see you next week, with an interview with neuroscientist Dr. Sui Wong, and then chapter 14 on resilience. See you next week. REFERENCES: [i]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #321 with Grant ‘Upbeat' Bosnick  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/insights-from-grant-upbeat-bosnick/   [ii] Self-Assessment for Grant Bosnick's book https://www.selfleadershipassessment.com/   [iii] Antifragile by Nassim Taleb Published Jan. 28, 2014 https://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto/dp/0812979680   [iv] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #135 “Using Recovery to Become Resilient to Physical, Mental and Emotional Stressors”  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-using-recovery-to-become-resilient-to-physical-mental-and-emotional-stressors/   [v] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #134 with Kristen Holmes, VP of Performance Science of WHOOP.com on “Unlocking a Better You: Measuring Sleep, Recovery and Strain” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/kristen-holmes-from-whoopcom-on-unlocking-a-better-you-measuring-sleep-recovery-and-strain/   [vi] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast BONUS EPISODE “Top 5 Health Staples” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-a-deep-dive-into-the-top-5-health-staples-and-review-of-seasons-1-4/   [vii]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #323 “Using Neuroscience to Level Up Our 2024 Goals”  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/insights-from-season-11-of-the-neuroscience-meets-sel-podcast/   [viii]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #324 on “The Neuroscience of Inspiration and Motivation”   https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/a-self-leadership-series/   [ix] Antifragile by Nassim Taleb Published Jan. 28, 2014 https://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto/dp/0812979680   [x] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast PART 1 “Applying the Silva Method for Improved Intuition, Creativity and Focus” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/a-deep-dive-with-andrea-samadi-into-applying-the-silva-method-for-improved-intuition-creativity-and-focus-part-1/        

Hey everyone!

Welcome to the RMT podcast and channel with your host, Dr. Debra Durst, and co-host Farideh, a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Our practice at RevitalizeMD focuses on providing patients with non-traditional options like peptides, which are amino acid sequences that mimic natural processes in the body. Today, we're diving into SEMAX, a peptide with amazing potential in cognitive performance, neuroprotection, and even gastroprotection. We'll discuss its origins, studies supporting its use, and how we integrate it into patient care. Tune in for an insightful discussion on this fascinating.

Welcome to the RMT podcast and channel with your host, Dr. Debra Durst, and co-host Farideh, a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Our practice at RevitalizeMD focuses on providing patients with non-traditional options like peptides, which are amino acid sequences that mimic natural processes in the body. Today, we're diving into SEMAX, a peptide with amazing potential in cognitive performance, neuroprotection, and even gastroprotection. We'll discuss its origins, studies supporting its use, and how we integrate it into patient care. Tune in for an insightful discussion on this fascinating.

Mental agility, or cognitive flexibility, is the ability to adapt to changing situations and think creatively. It can help athletes improve their mood, reduce stress, and increase their overall well-being.

Be the Best You Can Be   Joining us this week on She Talks Business is a very special guest, Phil Holberton. He is an incredible example of how mental agility can help you overcome some of the biggest physical and mental challenges you face in life.    With many decades of specialized expertise in strategic planning, business development, operations, and executive coaching for senior executives, business owners, and CEOs, he has consistently stayed at the forefront of his field. He has successfully guided and developed senior management teams in various companies, a testament to his ability to drive organizational growth and success through effective leadership.   Stop Comparing Yourself After suffering from a massive seizure, Phil shares with us how he grew the most in his own mental agility. He went from doing basic stretches and needing help getting up and down from the floor in the gym to doing 90-pound weighted goblet squats in just five years.  His physical shape now is in the top one-half of 1% of people his age, but the way Phil achieved that is not by aiming to be in the top 1% but by focusing on being the healthiest version of himself he can be.    3 Steps to Better Mental Agility  Phil believes mental agility is preparing yourself to be the best you can be. You're setting yourself up to live your life well and handle whatever is thrown at you.  There are 3 things he does to be on his A-game: get enough sleep, eat well, and exercise.    Be Who You Want To Be  Habits and routines set you up for success and get you ready to face the day, but they also help you become who you want to be.  Mental agility is about mindset and how you react to different challenges and situations. Prepare yourself by adopting healthy habits for your body, and you'll achieve the mental agility you want in your mind.    We have a great discussion where we focus on continuing to learn and being open and vulnerable to grow as a leader and as a person. I know you'll find some great inspiration and takeaways from this episode, so be sure to share it on social media or with a friend!    What's In This Episode Managing sleep, diet, and exercise for mental agility Commitment to continuous learning and personal development Benefits of openness and vulnerability in peer groups Impact of personal attributes on leadership and performance Promotion of Positive Company Culture   What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e156 for all resources from this episode.

"The Hidden Power of Mental Agility"

One of the biggest sports fans you'll ever meet, Market President Leigh Anne Lanier lands gems of wisdom like Steph Curry lands free throws in this elite episode. Bobbing and weaving between the importance of agility, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace change, Leigh Anne lays out how to build self-mastery and a winning team - with an emphasis on thinking bigger and playing bigger.  

Keep your brain running in tip-top shape with these apps and games for brain training! Rosemary Orchard and Mikah Sargent share some of their favorite brain training apps and games, share some early thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro and iOS 17.3's Stolen Device Protection feature, and Rosemary takes on a challenging Shortcuts Corner request. MindPal - Brain Training https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mindpal-brain-training/id1457846652?uo=4 Kahoot! Play & Create Quizzes https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kahoot-play-create-quizzes/id1131203560 Everyday Puzzles: Brain Games https://apps.apple.com/us/app/everyday-puzzles-brain-games/id1580601028?uo=4 Brilliant: Learn Interactively https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brilliant-learn-interactively/id913335252 Crossword Jam+ https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/crossword-jam/id6448909510 Lumosity: Brain Training https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumosity-brain-training/id577232024 News Apple offers to open iPhone tap-to-pay to other payment systems in the EU https://www.cultofmac.com/843731/apple-offers-to-open-iphone-tap-to-pay-to-other-payment-systems-in-the-eu/ iOS 17.3 with Stolen Device Protection https://9to5mac.com/2024/01/22/apple-releases-ios-17-3-with-stolen-device-protection-unity-wallpaper-collaborative-playlists-more/ iOS 17.3 Features: What's New in iOS 17.3 https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-17-3-features/ Some Personal News – 512 Pixels https://512pixels.net/2024/01/some-personal-news/ Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. You can also contribute to iOS Today by sending an email to iOSToday@TWiT.tv.

Keep your brain running in tip-top shape with these apps and games for brain training! Rosemary Orchard and Mikah Sargent share some of their favorite brain training apps and games, share some early thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro and iOS 17.3's Stolen Device Protection feature, and Rosemary takes on a challenging Shortcuts Corner request. MindPal - Brain Training https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mindpal-brain-training/id1457846652?uo=4 Kahoot! Play & Create Quizzes https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kahoot-play-create-quizzes/id1131203560 Everyday Puzzles: Brain Games https://apps.apple.com/us/app/everyday-puzzles-brain-games/id1580601028?uo=4 Brilliant: Learn Interactively https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brilliant-learn-interactively/id913335252 Crossword Jam+ https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/crossword-jam/id6448909510 Lumosity: Brain Training https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumosity-brain-training/id577232024 News Apple offers to open iPhone tap-to-pay to other payment systems in the EU https://www.cultofmac.com/843731/apple-offers-to-open-iphone-tap-to-pay-to-other-payment-systems-in-the-eu/ iOS 17.3 with Stolen Device Protection https://9to5mac.com/2024/01/22/apple-releases-ios-17-3-with-stolen-device-protection-unity-wallpaper-collaborative-playlists-more/ iOS 17.3 Features: What's New in iOS 17.3 https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-17-3-features/ Some Personal News – 512 Pixels https://512pixels.net/2024/01/some-personal-news/ Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. You can also contribute to iOS Today by sending an email to iOSToday@TWiT.tv.

Keep your brain running in tip-top shape with these apps and games for brain training! Rosemary Orchard and Mikah Sargent share some of their favorite brain training apps and games, share some early thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro and iOS 17.3's Stolen Device Protection feature, and Rosemary takes on a challenging Shortcuts Corner request. MindPal - Brain Training https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mindpal-brain-training/id1457846652?uo=4 Kahoot! Play & Create Quizzes https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kahoot-play-create-quizzes/id1131203560 Everyday Puzzles: Brain Games https://apps.apple.com/us/app/everyday-puzzles-brain-games/id1580601028?uo=4 Brilliant: Learn Interactively https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brilliant-learn-interactively/id913335252 Crossword Jam+ https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/crossword-jam/id6448909510 Lumosity: Brain Training https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumosity-brain-training/id577232024 News Apple offers to open iPhone tap-to-pay to other payment systems in the EU https://www.cultofmac.com/843731/apple-offers-to-open-iphone-tap-to-pay-to-other-payment-systems-in-the-eu/ iOS 17.3 with Stolen Device Protection https://9to5mac.com/2024/01/22/apple-releases-ios-17-3-with-stolen-device-protection-unity-wallpaper-collaborative-playlists-more/ iOS 17.3 Features: What's New in iOS 17.3 https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-17-3-features/ Some Personal News – 512 Pixels https://512pixels.net/2024/01/some-personal-news/ Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. You can also contribute to iOS Today by sending an email to iOSToday@TWiT.tv.

In this compelling episode of 'Goal Smasher', an award-winning podcast inspired by Audrey Lawrence's best-selling book, we explore the transformative topic of retuning your brain. Recognized as 'Most Bingeable' by Speak Up Radio Awards, we delve into neuroscience-backed techniques to reshape and enhance cognitive functions. Join us to uncover the secrets of rewiring your thought patterns for greater clarity, creativity, and mental agility, enriched by insights from Audrey Lawrence's expertise and relevant TED Talks." Keywords: Retune Your Brain, Cognitive Enhancement, Goal Smasher, Audrey Lawrence, Best-Selling Author, Award-Winning Podcast, TED Talks, Neuroscience, Mental Agility, Speak Up Radio Awards, Brain Plasticity.

This week Candyce interviews the renowned interview expert, Tom Hannemann. In this discussion, Tom shares the art of brand building, crafting a unique value proposition, and shaping the way you want to be perceived in interviews. Discover Tom's unique approach to standing out in interviews by doing something truly original and unprecedented. Tom also shares invaluable insights on achieving mental agility, ensuring you're mentally equipped to handle any interview scenario that comes your way. Understand the importance of designing a peak performance mindset, free from anxiety, nervousness, or tension, and how this can dramatically impact your interview success. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from Tom Hanneman and elevate your interview game to new heights. Let's Hack!

Welcome to Episode 202 of the Balance Period Podcast—a journey towards holistic well-being and greater health equity. In this episode, we've curated a rich lineup of topics to ignite your curiosity, align your actions with values, boost your mental agility, and access crucial healthcare resources. Recovery Ray does a debrief of Volume 139 of the Generational Wellness Digest. This volume shines a spotlight on an article that unveils the keys to accessing free and low-cost healthcare services—an invaluable resource for Black and Brown communities across the United States. Mindful Moment: Join us for an intentional pause, where we engage in a calming breathing practice. This moment of awareness is designed to soothe your central nervous system, allowing you to check in with your body and mind. It's also an opportunity to express gratitude for the blessings in your life—an essential practice in our journey towards balance. Mindful Movement: Discover the transformative power of movement with Recovery Ray as he introduces a quick and effective 3-minute yoga routine. This is the perfect starting point for anyone looking to incorporate more movement into their daily life. Flexibility and vitality await! Mindful Reflection: Ray delves into mindful reflection by answering this week's prompt: "How aligned are my actions and daily routines with my core values and life purpose, and what steps can I take to create a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life?" Ray shares a framework to bridge the gap between mindset, habits, values, and goals—a formula for greater alignment and fulfillment. Affirmation: This week's affirmation is a powerful declaration: "I have faith in my ability to overcome obstacles," sourced from Demond Hicks' book, "The Mindset Shift." Ray offers profound insights into the transformative power of faith in neutralizing fear and turning obstacles into opportunities for growth. Featured Article: Ray dives into this week's featured article, "Finding Free Healthcare, Local Resources, and Help." Discover the critical importance of understanding where to access healthcare services, regardless of your insurance or socioeconomic status. It's a resource-rich conversation that empowers you to take charge of your health. Join us on this episode, where curiosity reigns, movements empower, alignment guides, mental agility elevates, and healthcare resources become accessible to all. Tune in now to embark on a journey towards holistic well-being and community care. Don't forget to subscribe and stay tuned for more inspiring and empowering episodes to come. Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be great. Be patient with yourself and be kind to yourself as you create generational wellness. Thanks for being a part of our community! Balance Period Resources: See our Products/Services: https://shop.balanceperiod.com/ Check out the Generational Wellness Digest: https://balance-period.ck.page/profile Get a Free WHOOP Wellness Tracker - https://join.whoop.com/balanceperiod Sustainable Self-Care System Discounts: shorturl.at/lpsMV Download our Free Energy Management Guide: https://balance-period.ck.page/742a74403a Access more resources: https://linktr.ee/balanceperiod --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balance-period/support

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by the University of Adelaide's Head of the School of Psychology, Dr. Elaine Fox, to talk about her new book "Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility." They discuss the importance of cognitive flexibility in navigating the uncertainties of life.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4530061/advertisement

Step into the latest episode of the Balance Period Podcast, where we're taking a captivating rewind to dive deep into a powerful skill that can have a positive impact on our lives: mental agility. Join me, Recovery Ray, as we unravel the transformative power of sharpening our mental acumen and infusing it into every facet of our lives. In this engaging episode, we journey through the fascinating landscape of mental agility and its undeniable value. I'll be sharing my own personal experiences in this realm, as I've embraced mindfulness and harnessed the incredible potential of mental agility. But the real treasure trove lies in the three game-changing habits I'm thrilled to unveil. These are not just ideas to ponder; they're actionable steps you can start practicing right now. Get ready to supercharge your mental agility and unlock the doors to a more balanced, enriched life. Our podcast isn't just about delivering insights; it's about igniting change. By being aware of the power of mental agility, holding ourselves accountable, and cultivating an attitude of gratitude, we pave the way for our collective healing and growth. Questions? Comments? Feedback? Email us at podcast@balanceperiod.com Get set to reshape your mental landscape, enhance your overall well-being, and create generational wellness. Tune in, take notes, and let's build a brighter, more balanced future, together. Balance Period Resources: See our Products/Services: https://shop.balanceperiod.com/ Check out the Generational Wellness Digest: https://balance-period.ck.page/profile Get a Free WHOOP Wellness Tracker - https://join.whoop.com/balanceperiod Sustainable Self-Care System Discounts: shorturl.at/lpsMV Download our Free Energy Management Guide: https://balance-period.ck.page/742a74403a Access more resources: https://linktr.ee/balanceperiod --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balance-period/support

How open are you to new experiences? Have you found that with age comes a fear of learning new things? Research finds that being willing to admit that we may be wrong about truths we previously held while maintaining confidence is a central tenet of resilience.To discover some practical tips for keeping mental arthritis at bay, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen talks with Elaine Fox about the role of intellectual humility and psychological agility. Elaine is the Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide, Australia, and the author of Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility. She describes the concept of Switch Crafting and how it is used to increase longevity and satisfaction in life.

How open are you to new experiences? Have you found that with age comes a fear of learning new things? Research finds that being willing to admit that we may be wrong about truths we previously held while maintaining confidence is a central tenet of resilience.To discover some practical tips for keeping mental arthritis at bay, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen talks with Elaine Fox about the role of intellectual humility and psychological agility. Elaine is the Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide, Australia, and the author of Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility. She describes the concept of Switch Crafting and how it is used to increase longevity and satisfaction in life.To learn more, visit www.harvestinghappinesstalkradio.com.

Do you need the courage and confidence to break out of your comfort zone?As we get into midlife and beyond we often want to be more adventurous and creative.And mental agility is vital to this and is a function of your daily habits - small consistent actions over time are what create big results.This week my guest is Anna Levesque a distinguished leader in the outdoor industry as a mental agility and white water kayak coach.What differentiates Anna is her approach to physical and mental well-being and how this is tied to success on the water and in life. She leads, inspires and coaches her clients on the self-leadership required to live a healthy, confident and adventurous life.Anna is passionate about empowering her clients with courage and confidence through her company Mind Body Paddle.In our conversation, we dive into:What is mental agility?How do you cultivate confidence and courage on and off the water?What is the average age of her whitewater kayak students?For those who don't have children, we talked about a different type of creativity.To connect with Anna and learn more about her work go to https://mindbodypaddle.com/If you enjoyed this episode do rate and review this so more people can tune in and hear the wisdom my guests share every week. https://www.thrivethrumenopause.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/thriving-thru-menopause/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Get full access to Heart of Menopause at clarissakristjansson.substack.com/subscribe

Description: Welcome to this podcast episode, where we dive into the nitty-gritty of work-life balance, mental agility, and how to take control of your life and career. Join our guest Karla, an experienced career coach since 1999, as she shares powerful insights, practical strategies, and heartfelt conversations about managing stress, navigating careers, and redefining success on your own terms. In each episode, we explore different facets of life and career that often challenge us and how to master them. Here are some of the upcoming episodes you wouldn't want to miss: "Ooops! I forgot to manage my career" - We explore how easy it is to lose track of our career goals and share strategies for re-engaging with our professional paths. "Mental Agility: Why you need to become a better surfer" - This episode dives into the concept of mental agility and how it helps us navigate the waves of change in our lives. "Victim/Victorious" - A discussion about the transformation from feeling victimized to victorious, highlighting the power of mindset. "The Candid Conversation: How to make these less stressful and more productive" - Karla shares effective communication tips for having productive, stress-free conversations. "Move Away or Move Toward: Which action do you trigger in others?" - Understanding how our actions and attitudes affect those around us and how to build more positive relationships. Karla is ready to answer questions about her coaching practice, its evolution since 1999, and the common challenges people face in coping with stress. Listen as she discusses the profile of someone who succeeds in her program, the initial simple practices listeners can adopt, and how to stay on track despite drifts from regular practice. This episode is designed to remind you of one simple truth - that you possess a unique gift, a secret power to shape the life and career you've always wanted. So, are you ready to uncover it? Tune in and let's make today the day you begin to make a difference in your life or career! To connect with Karla, visit her website: http://www.karlarobertson.com/ Disclaimer: Not advice. Educational purposes only. Not an endorsement for or against. Results not vetted. Views of the guests do not represent those of the host or show. Do your due diligence. Click here to join PodMatch (the "AirBNB" of Podcasting): https://www.joinpodmatch.com/drchrisloomdphd We couldn't do it without the support of our listeners. To help support the show: CashApp- https://cash.app/$drchrisloomdphd Venmo- https://account.venmo.com/u/Chris-Loo-4 Buy Me a Coffee- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chrisJx Thank you to our sponsor, CityVest: https://bit.ly/37AOgkp Click here to schedule a 1-on-1 private coaching call: https://www.drchrisloomdphd.com/book-online Click here to purchase my books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PaQn4p Follow our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/chL1357 Thank you to our advertisers on Spotify. Financial Freedom for Physicians, Copyright 2023

Change is a part of life, and it's a big part of growing and developing. Yet, with change comes uncertainty, and that can cause us to get stuck. To thrive during change, we need a mental agility that comes from self-awareness, emotional awareness, and situational awareness. It's about what Elaine Fox calls, switch craft. Elaine Fox is a leading psychologist and performance coach who's spent her career working with athletes, military leaders, and executives. What she's seen is that the most successful people are the ones who can toggle between different approaches, who have an agile mind. In her book, Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility, Elaine Fox teaches us what it means to be mentally agile and how to master its key components. It's the perfect book for managing all of the change and uncertainty that surrounds us today. Episode Links Gut Feelings: How Does Intuition Work, Anyway? Perspectives from affective science on understanding the nature of emotion Turn Your Subliminal Biases Toward Optimism The Matter of Everything: How Curiosity, Physics, and Improbable Experiments Changed the World by Suzie Sheehy The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTSOur leadership is effected by our mental wellness.Cara's connection to body-mind wellness started at age 15."Who you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you're saying." - Ralph Waldo Emerson"CEO of the Room"When we change our breathing, we change our STATE.The Gut / Brain Axis - the Importance of our Gut Health to our leadership4 contributors to poor gut healthTips to improve Gut HealthGetting started towards the best version of you!https://www.linkedin.com/in/carabradley/https://www.carabradley.nethttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tonydjax/https://www.wellroundedleaders.com

Elaine Fox is a cognitive psychologist and the head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide, Australia. She's a leading mental health researcher who combines genetics, psychology, and neuroscience in her work. She runs the Oxford Elite Performance, a consulting group that brings cutting-edge science and psychology to those at the highest levels of sport, business, and the military. Her newest book, Switch Craft, focuses on the benefits of mental agility.  Just like we need a variety of tools in the toolbox we keep for our homes, we need a variety of tools to solve problems, manage uncomfortable emotions, and deal with challenges. Some of the things Dr. Fox talks about today are why we sometimes get stuck in rigid patterns, the strategies we can use to increase the number of tools we have in our toolkits, and the best ways to increase our psychological flexibility.

Mental Fitness & Mental Agility i relation till att skapa ett bra partnerskap med din häst! Hur behöver vi att tänka?Hejsan Hästlinger… Nytt år och nya tilltag. Jag har tyvärr varit både sjuk och skadad här över både jul och nyår och därför har du inte hört något från mig på ett tag. Men jag är uppe och igång igen och det betyder självklart flera videor och podcast. Den här gången pratar Jonna och jag om Mental Fitness och Mental Agility. Hur vi skapar ett positivt, progressivt och powerfult mindset. Hur vi behöver tänka för att kunna bli en bra partner, men även hur vi kan göra för att bli starkare mentalt och därmed lättare kunna ta oss genom negativa situationer och problem som vi alla vet, med garanti kommer resten av vårt liv. Jonna delar med sig av en av sina strategier för mental styrka, vilket är genom hendes Breathwork, alltså andetaget och jag pratar om hur jag tränar mig själv mentalt och vad som styr mitt mindset i alla situtationer. Men visste du att..... Linda Parelli kommer till Sverige. Va?? Är det sant?? Ja det är sant. Linda och jag har genom en länge tid pratat mycket om och funderat en del på hur vi skulle kunna göra ett samarbete och visa det absolut bästa inom Natural Horsemanship, hästpsyklogi och partnerskap mellan hästar och människor. Så vi har kommit fram till att göra en helgkurs tillsammans. Två hela dagar fullpackad med utbildning, problemlösning, hästpsykologi, samarbete och hur man skapar en glad häst och en glad människa. Alltså en glad relation mellan hästar och människor. OM du inte vet vem Linda Parelli är så kan jag berätta att Linda är en av de mest välkända och duktigaste kvinnorna i hela hästvärlden och har många års erfarenhet av att utbilda och föreläsa om just hur man skapar en lycklig relation tillsammans med hästar. Hon anses vara den ledande och främsta kvinnliga experten på hästpsykologi och utveckling baserad på hästpsykologi. Hon är en mästare på Mindful Riding och en otroligt talangfull dressyrryttare. Linda har coachat flera tusen hästmänniskor till att inte bara få en bättre relation med sin häst utan även hela vägen upp till att vinna OS i dressyr. Vårt evenemang är den 2-3e september i Hässleholm i Skåne och du kan boka din plats på vår hemsida: https://www.heartsandhorses.se/hh-gathering.html Då hoppas jag verkligen att du och alla dina vänner kommer och tar del av ett helt unikt evenemang. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A messy show, but nevertheless useful according to the feedback.    Someone who is psychologically flexible is open to change, or may even find change exciting. Let's practice what is also called Mental Agility, together. Follow Seb on Vero True Social: https://vero.co/seb_tmg Follow Seb on Mastodon: https://mastodon.cosmicnation.co/@seb_tmg Join our shows on Fireside: https://firesidechat.com/seb_tmg Join the conversation on Matrix: https://matrix.to/#/#tmg-community:cosmicnation.co Join the conversation on Telegram: https://t.me/TMGCommunity Visit our community website: https://tmg.cosmicnation.co

This might be more important than intellectual acumen in any one particular discipline.Greg Beckgreg@captial-tactics.com513-379-2399

The #BruteCast audience knows that we've had several episodes this year in which we asked the question: What will the next fight look like, and what changes must be made to compete and win? In the context of the institutional restructuring undertaken through Force Design 2030, these are important questions. Today, we look at the problem through the lens of another topic we've often focused on, and that is wargaming. In May 2022, the students of the School of Advanced Warfighting at Marine Corps University looked at the hard choices an institution must make to design a force capable of outperforming a committed adversary, and tested these choices in a series of open-source wargames; and recently, the US Naval Institute's Proceedings journal published three articles that highlighted these games. LtCol Brian Kerg and Maj Tyler Quinn, both part of the student cadre that ran these games as well as contributors to the articles, are here today to talk about what they learned and how those lessons apply to the challenges that Force Design 2030 is trying to face. The articles which our guests reference in this presentation can be found below: The 'Agile' Wargames that Can Test Force Design, Part 1 (https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/november/agile-wargames-can-test-force-design-part-1) The 'Agile' Wargames that Can Test Force Design, Part 2 (https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/november/agile-wargames-can-test-force-design-part-2) The 'Agile' Wargames that Can Test Force Design, Part 3 (https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/november/agile-wargames-can-test-force-design-part-3) Enjoyed this episode? Think there's room for improvement? Share your thoughts in this quick survey - all feedback is welcome! The survey may be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenRutN5m31Pfe9h7FAlppPWoN1s_2ZJyBeA7HhYhvDbazdCw/viewform?usp=sf_link Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

There are many facets of the human experience we have yet to fully comprehend. While we have mapped out the systems and attributes of our physical bodies, very little is understood about the intuitive and spiritual aspects of our complex selves. Quantum physics offers us a glimpse into our connection with the universe. To help us navigate the widely uncharted territory of the ethereal, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with three authors who write about mental agility, mental hygiene, and spiritual practice. Elaine Fox is the Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide, Australia, and the author of Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility . She describes the concept of Switch Crafting and how to increase longevity and satisfaction in life. Quantum Physicist, Amit Goswami, and Valentina Onisor, a pioneer of quantum integrated medicine discuss the essence of the book they co-authored, The Quantum Brain: Understand, Rewire, and Optimize Your Brain . They also explain the role of the chakras and preconscious in determining health and happiness.

Gubben Med Hatten #10 - Trail Talk med Jonna om vårt Forskningsprojekt, Mental Agility och om hur viktigt Fölprägling och Naturlig Inridning är för hästar idag.Nu är vi här med ett nytt Trail Talk. Jonna och jag har satt oss ner och funderat över flera viktiga saker kring just fysisk träning av hästar, samtvåra opservationer kring Apollo som just är med ett otroligt spännande forskningsprojekt vi håller på med här på gården. Att få bort hans stereotype beteende med luftsnappning. Vi kommer även runt fölprägling och inridning och vad och varför just de två utbildningsstadier är så viktiga.Det har varit ett tag sedan vi sist satt ner och spelade in ett podcast, men det visade sig att vi ändå hade en del på hjärtat och samtalet blev fylld rätt så enkellt. Jag hoppas verkligen att du kommer få mycket bra inspiration och information ut av samtalet så du själv kan göra en skillnad med din häst.Men innan du lyssnar!!! Tillåt mig att slå ett litet slag för vår nyaste online distansutbildning Naturlig Inridning. Den är absolut något av det bästa av sitt slag här i Skandinavien och kan med garanti hjälpa dig till att göra övergången från marken och upp i sadeln så stressfri, effektiv och säker som det bara går. Det är en utbildning som genom många videolektioner ger dig den mall som jag har lärt mig och utfärdigat genom många många år och många många olika typ av hästar och som kan hjälpa dig att släppa oron för inridningen, de stora kostnader och även den ängest det kan ge att skicka din häst iväg och inte vara helt säker på vilket resultat som kommer hem efteråt. Så gå in och kolla på den. Just nu har vi ett EARLY BIRD erbjudande där du kan köpa utbildningen innan lanseringen till ett rabatterat pris på enbart 4250kr. Från 1a december när utbildningen lanseras kommer den att kosta 5000kr. Gå in på det online Hästakademi via den här länk: Hästakademin och anmäl dig idag. Glöm inte när du väl är inne på sidan att anmäla dig vårt nyhetsbrev så du är först på att få nya erbjudanden, nyheter om våra evenemanger och annan viktig information som vi kommer med. Vill du gärna göra en skillnad för podden här, så är vi först och främst väldigt tacksamma, men annars gör du det bäst genom att ta in informationen och lärdomerna som finns här, gilla och prenummerera på podcasten och självklart dela den med dom du älskar. Gör ditt bästa och…. Gör en skillnad… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elaine Fox, Ph.D.: “In life we tend to get mental arthritis. We get a little bit rigid and set in our ways.”  Elaine, a psychologist and author, joins mbg co-CEO, Jason Wachob, to discuss how to stay mentally agile as you age, plus: - What does it mean to be mentally agile? (~01:04) - How your brain's flexibility wanes as you age (~03:29) - How social media impacts your mental agility (~05:08) - How to know if you're mentally agile (~08:32) - How to balance routine & getting out of your comfort zone (~12:53) - The four pillars that underlie your agility (~15:38) - How to instantly understand someone's personality (~18:35) - The link between exercise & self-awareness (~22:20) - A technique to understand your life story (~23:54) - The psychology of resilience (~29:02) - The science of intuition (~31:54) - How to make your intuition stronger (~34:39) - The fine line between optimism & toxic positivity (~38:55) - How optimism can improve your longevity (~44:36) - The best brain exercises to enhance mental agility (~51:50) - How diverse perspectives can strengthen your brain (~55:08) Referenced in the episode: - Elaine's book, Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility. - Take an OCEAN personality test. - The Psychology of the Stranger research. - A study on resilience and post-traumatic growth. - Elaine's study on adolescents and resilience. - Elaine's previous book, Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain. - A study on optimism and longevity. Take 25% off our nootropics with code BRAINCODE. Cannot combine with gift cards or other discount codes. Apply code at checkout. We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on Youtube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com.

Dr. Elaine Fox is a psychologist, author, and the Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Before her move to Australia, Dr. Fox founded and directed the Oxford Centre for Emotions & Affective Neuroscience (OCEAN) at the University of Oxford, a renowned research center exploring the nature of resilience and mental well-being. A cognitive psychologist by training, she is a leading mental health researcher combining genetics, psychology, and neuroscience in her work. Dr. Fox also runs Oxford Elite Performance, a consulting group bringing cutting-edge science and psychology to those at the top levels of sport, business, and the military. She's also the author of Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain and Switch Craft. We talk about...  Why mental agility is important  How multi-tasking drains us of energy Why you need to get comfortable with uncertainty How worrying about the unknown fuels anxiety Why it's important to challenge your beliefs and interpretations Why it's important to switch up your routines How switch craft can help you identify what might work best in different situations What you can do to improve your mental agility   Episode goodies...  Did you know that 97% of the coffees out there are full of pesticides, toxins, and mold? Gross right?! This is why I made the switch to Kion Coffee. Wanna try it for yourself and save some money? Save 10% off your Kion order when you click here and use code COURAGE at checkout.   Like the show? Please leave me a review here. Even just one sentence helps! Post a screenshot of you listening on Instagram and tag me at courageously.u so I can send you a virtual hug.    TODAY'S SHOW NOTES: https://courageouslyu.com/dr-elaine-fox/   HANGOUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/

Aidan is Transformation Consultant in Innovation, Leadership, Neuroscience, Cognitive Bias, Culture and Mental Agility as well as a speaker, podcast host and retired professional rugby player. He talks about the speed of change and what 'exponential change' really is. We consider the brains response to crisis and how this can make you less intelligent meaning both a hazard and opportunity for salespeople. Also on the agenda is trust and why it is important to understand thinking bias as we look to resonate with customers. Making connections is key to a successful approach and it is evident when a seller doesn't have pure intentions. This erodes trust and makes subsequent communication increasingly difficult. How much do we need to reinvent ourselves to be successful today? https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Your ability to flex your thoughts, feelings, and actions can transform your life, bolster your resilience, and foster your zest for living. Elaine Fox, PhD, psychologist and researcher, studies the science of neurological flexibility. In her new book, Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility, Elaine explores how we can expand and improve our mental agility, and why it is so critical to become as mentally agile as we can.   Guest Bio Elaine Fox, PhD is a psychologist and author and became Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide, Australia in 2022. Originally from Dublin, her academic career has been primarily in the UK, most recently as Professor of Psychology and Affective Neuroscience at the University of Oxford. She is a leading scholar on the science of resilience and wellbeing and her work was awarded with a prestigious European Research Council Advanced Investigator fellowship from 2013-2019 to set up a large study in Oxford investigating why some people are emotionally vulnerable (to anxiety, depression, & addictions) while others are resilient. She is an engaging writer and speaker with a passion for the science behind how our mind works. Her first book RAINY BRAIN SUNNY BRAIN describes the fascinating science and stories behind why some of us are optimistic and resilient while others take a more pessimistic slant on things. Translated into more than 20 languages, it is a bestseller in several countries.   For episode homepage, resources and links, visit: https://kristenmanieri.com/episode198   Learn more about coaching: Kristen@kristenmanieri.com   Mentioned in this Episode Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility https://www.amazon.com/Switch-Craft-Hidden-Mental-Agility/dp/006303008X   Guest's website: https://www.instagram.com/profelainefox/   Host Bio Kristen Manieri is a coach who works with teams to increase both productivity and wellbeing. She also helps individuals navigate transition with clarity and confidence. Her areas of focus are: stress reduction, energy management, mindset, resilience, habit formation, rest rituals, and self-care. As the host of the weekly 60 Mindful Minutes podcast, an Apple top 100 social science podcast, Kristen has interviewed over 200 authors about what it means to live a more conscious, connected, intentional and joyful life. Learn more at kristenmanieri.com/work-with-me.    Learn more about coaching: Kristen@kristenmanieri.com Connect with the 60 Mindful Minutes podcast   Web: https://kristenmanieri.com Email: Kristen@kristenmanieri.com   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/60MindfulMinutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenmanieri_/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kristenmanieri/  

My guest today is Elaine Fox, a professor of Psychology and head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. A leader in research on the role of cognitive mechanisms in mental health across the lifespan, Professor Fox's work focuses on the nature of human emotions and why people respond differently to adversity and success. She has published over 120 academic papers in peer-reviewed journals or edited volumes.  The topic is her book Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility. In this episode of Trend Following Radio we discuss: Why she chose Donald Trump as an example Intellectual humility The supremacy of social media tools Rigid mindset into a growth mindset When is it necessary to be gritty Measuring mental agility Explaining dialectical behavioral therapy How do we get people to be more agile? Jump in! --- I'm MICHAEL COVEL, the host of TREND FOLLOWING RADIO, and I'm proud to have delivered 10+ million podcast listens since 2012. Investments, economics, psychology, politics, decision-making, human behavior, entrepreneurship and trend following are all passionately explored and debated on my show. To start? I'd like to give you a great piece of advice you can use in your life and trading journey… cut your losses! You will find much more about that philosophy here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/trend/ You can watch a free video here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/video/ Can't get enough of this episode? You can choose from my thousand plus episodes here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/podcast My social media platforms: Twitter: @covel Facebook: @trendfollowing LinkedIn: @covel Instagram: @mikecovel Hope you enjoy my never-ending podcast conversation!

My guest today is Elaine Fox, a professor of Psychology and head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. A leader in research on the role of cognitive mechanisms in mental health across the lifespan, Professor Fox's work focuses on the nature of human emotions and why people respond differently to adversity and success. She has published over 120 academic papers in peer-reviewed journals or edited volumes.  The topic is her book Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility. In this episode of Trend Following Radio we discuss: Why she chose Donald Trump as an example Intellectual humility The supremacy of social media tools Rigid mindset into a growth mindset When is it necessary to be gritty Measuring mental agility Explaining dialectical behavioral therapy How do we get people to be more agile? Jump in! --- I'm MICHAEL COVEL, the host of TREND FOLLOWING RADIO, and I'm proud to have delivered 10+ million podcast listens since 2012. Investments, economics, psychology, politics, decision-making, human behavior, entrepreneurship and trend following are all passionately explored and debated on my show. To start? I'd like to give you a great piece of advice you can use in your life and trading journey… cut your losses! You will find much more about that philosophy here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/trend/ You can watch a free video here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/video/ Can't get enough of this episode? You can choose from my thousand plus episodes here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/podcast My social media platforms: Twitter: @covel Facebook: @trendfollowing LinkedIn: @covel Instagram: @mikecovel Hope you enjoy my never-ending podcast conversation!

I'm delighted to speak to Prof Elaine Fox this week. Elaine is the Head of School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. Prior to that Elaine was at The University of Oxford for 12 years where, up until very recently, she ran a research lab and team. Elaine's background is in cognitive psychology. More recently she has undertaken research around emotion, specifically how we react to different situations, as well as in mental health research.  She is also director of her company Oxford Elite Performance which she co-founded with her husband to utilise scientific research in psychology and cognitive science in order to optimise high performance in sport, the military, and business. Drawing on her 25 years of scientific research, Elaine has just released her brilliant new book “Switchcraft: Harnessing the Power of Mental Agility to Transform Your Life” in which she shares her step-by-step guide to what she calls ‘Switchcraft': the set of skills we need to navigate a complex and uncertain world. In her work coaching top athletes, military leaders and business professionals, she has seen that it's the people who know how and when to switch between different approaches – people who have an agile mind – who achieve the best performance.

Listen to and Subscribe to the podcast on all platforms for more amazing interviews at https://www.KDDPodcast.com © 2021 by KDD Media Company. All rights reserved. #MikeDiamond #onedayatatime #wedorecover Listen to and Subscribe to the podcast on all platforms for more amazing interviews at https://www.KDDPodcast.com © 2021 by KDD Media Company. All rights reserved. #MikeDiamond #onedayatatime #wedorecover Why did Knockin' Doorz Down podcast host Jason LaChance want to talk with Mike? Mike Diamond has achieved a great deal externally, but it is the internal battles that he's confronted with the drive for mastery of self. With knowledge, purpose, and a sense of humor. Mike Diamond is an Author, Television Personality, Director, Life Coach, and Interventionist. Known for his work on the hit TV shows NY Ink and Bondi Ink Tattoo Crew, which is currently nominated for a Logie Award for Best Reality Series. Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Mike got off to a bit of a rough start. Battling undiagnosed dyslexia, he started using drugs and alcohol at age 12. At age 16, he was expelled from Aquinas College and finished at Melville H.S. Immediately after graduation, Mike moved to Sydney and enrolled at the Actors Center. He got a job at a local clothing store which, unbeknownst to him at the time, would change his life forever. Lady Luck was on Mike's side when a customer at the store handed him a Green Card Lottery ticket. Mike won a green card in 1997 and made the move to Miami. Shortly after his arrival, Mike landed a role on the CBS sitcom, Grapevine from Director David Frankel. After Grapevine, Mike moved to NYC, where he worked on various projects including as a guest star on Sex and the City. Mike wrote, created, and starred in a VH1 pilot with former STP and Velvet Revolver frontman, Scott Weiland. Splitting his time between NYC, Miami, and Los Angeles, Mike had regular gigs performing stand-up at Caroline's on Broadway and The Comedy Store. Mike was properly introduced into the tattoo world when he appeared on Miami Ink. He later became the store manager for his good friend, Ami James, at Wooster St and starred in Season 3 of NY Ink. Mike then headed back to his hometown where he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Bondi Ink Tattoo Crew, based on Bondi Beach. Although Mike has had plenty of “highs” in his life, he has also had his “low” moments along the way. Mike has battled cocaine and alcohol addiction for the majority of his life. The defining moment came at the height of his career while shooting a TV show for VH1. To the outside world, Mike looked like he was living the dream but on the inside, Mike was spiritually bankrupt and miserable. He realized that if he didn't turn his life around, he was going to die. April 16, 2006, was the day Mike Diamond got sober. Since then, Mike has literally helped hundreds of people on the road to recovery. He is on beck and call to all his clients and friends, helping them through their life problems and battles with addiction. This is Mike Diamond in his own words, on the Knockin' Doorz Down podcast. For more on Mike Diamond https://themikediamond.com/ For 51FIFTY use the discount code KDD20 for 20% off! https://51fiftyltm.com/ For more information on Carlos Vieira's autobiography Knockin' Doorz Down, the Carlos Vieira Foundation, the Race 2B Drug-Free, Race to End the Stigma, and Race For Autism programs visit: https://www.carlosvieirafoundation.org/ 

To tackle mental health issues, you need a strategy. This could be talking to a therapist, doing inner work, visualizing, but regardless, there needs to be a strategy. When in the middle of a mental health crisis, it can be hard to see clear and create that strategy. This is where Gordon Corsetti comes in.  Gordon has come a long way in his mental health journey and uses what he's learned to help educate kids and adults with their struggles with stress, anxiety, resentment, and worthlessness. He speaks to the unique human ability to change our minds and show how to use tools to acompish that change.  Gordon is an author, public speaker, and advocate for suicide prevention and mental health awareness, writing regularly on his website mentallyagile.com. He speaks to the uniquely human ability to change our minds and shows how to use tools to accomplish that change.  While “tough it out” is fantastic advice for someone who already knows what to do and has the ability to do it, Gordon believes that it is impractical and dangerous advice to those with no idea what they are doing. Whether you have a diagnosed mental illness or are just facing the stresses of everyday life, tune in to hear about Gordon's experience with depression, self-harm, anti-depressants, and therapy, and learn how you can start taking action today. On This Episode: Gordon's struggle with depression growing up with good parents and a good childhood The impact of having a predisposition for mental illness Planning his first suicide attempt and the friend who changed the course of his life Gordon's brutal cycle with anti-depressants How he started working with his depression instead of rebelling against it The human stress response and why it is not designed for the ongoing stresses we experience today The power of visualization and learning how to be content Mental agility vs. mental toughness Action steps to keep moving forward when dealing with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm Key Takeaways: Depression isn't usually something you just wake up with one day. It's a slow and insidious process.  Never underestimate the power of simply asking someone, “How can I help?” Listen to your doctor when they tell you not to quit your anti-depressants cold turkey. The human mind has a significant ability to adapt. Don't judge yourself for not being at 100% every day. Tweetable Moments: “We exist on a spectrum of behaviors.” - Gordon Corsetti “If you don't sleep well, you're screwed long-term. Nobody operates well off of a lack of sleep.”  - Gordon Corsetti “Pain teaches if you're willing to be a student.” - Gordon Corsetti Connect with Gordon: Website: https://mentallyagile.com/ (https://mentallyagile.com/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentallyagile (https://www.facebook.com/mentallyagile) Twitter: https://twitter.com/mental_agility (https://twitter.com/mental_agility) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyagile/ (https://www.instagram.com/mentallyagile/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordoncorsetti/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordoncorsetti/) Email: gcorsetti@mentallyagile.com  Contact Form: https://mentallyagile.com/contact (https://mentallyagile.com/contact) Connect with Joseph James:  Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/meetjoejames (https://www.facebook.com/meetjoejames) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetjosephjames/ (https://www.instagram.com/meetjosephjames/)

An agile mind dramatically improves your chances of success and happiness…so says the Head of School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. Professor Elaine Fox discusses her "switchcraft" method to deal with uncertainty in life. WANT MORE FROM PRO. FOX? Find out more about her book Switchcraft (Hachette Australia, $32.99) here, or follow her on Twitter @profelainefox. WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness. On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley. On YouTube: Watch Body + Soul TV, here. In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many Australians are in support of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, but it's still a long way off. How has First Nations recognition been implemented in other parts of the world and what can we learn from those experiences? Plus neuroscientist and performance coach Elaine Fox on how to build a flexible mindset, for better mental health.

Todd Kashdan is leading expert on the psychology of well-being, curiosity, psychological strengths, mental agility, and social relationships. His research has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and Forbes amongst many other publications. In 2010, he received the Distinguished Faculty Member of the Year Award at George Mason University and in 2013, he received the Distinguished Early Career Researcher Award by the American Psychological Association. His latest book, The Art of Insubordination, is for anyone who wants to see more justice, creativity & innovation in the world. He is also the author of Curious?, The Upside of Your Darkside, and Designing Positive Psychology. Todd's work is right at the front of my first book Defining You opening with how to keep your mind as open and flexible as possible in order to explore your own story. I approached Todd for permission to include his curiosity inventory and he very generously said yes. Todd has done some fantastic work from research to writing and his website https://toddkashdan.com/ is really worth exploring. We discuss ageism and how Todd says that he obsesses over social norms that are dysfunctional. Take for example Silicon Valley rebuffing the idea of giving anyone over the age of 25 a second look for job opportunities. How we don't have a cultural respect for our elders like in Asian cultures and if we did we that maybe we'd gain wisdom from the people right there in our families rather than having to refer to books. But Todd also raises how ageism is directed both ways – the older generations can dismiss the younger or refuse to learn and be inflexible to changes that are coming through. We need more cross-pollination of intergenerational thinking. We discuss false information and Todd explains how “the information that we're first exposed to is rarely right wherever that's from” yet we tend to take the view of people we perceive as socially attractive, and dismiss those who are not. When coming to a ‘point of view' Todd encourages us all to stop and ask ourselves these questions: What is the evidence for the position that I'm emotionally tied to right now?What is the best evidence for the alternative viewpoint?Why do I believe the evidence I hold near and dear?Why am I dismissing evidence to a counter point?What evidence would be required to change my mind?”By doing this we show intellectual humility, curiosity and perspective taking helping to play our part in making the world a better place to be.  Todd recently published a piece on ‘The 10 principles for having constructive conflict in organisations'. Something we need to do if we're to ensure diversity. We discuss how important this is in boardrooms to classrooms and Todd emphasizes how important it is to “allow people to disagree even as minorities of one, not because they might be right but just because it allows everyone to see like ‘oh maybe we are prematurely closing on one viewpoint too quickly.'”When it comes to the learning Todd comments on the strange societal attitude we have to learning. “The notion of living until you're in your 80s and 90s and yet you're done with formal education after college at the age of around 22. So for the next 40 years you just you wing it and you go into your silo in terms of your own individual searches for books and for information online.” And poses the question to you the listener of “What is the fundamental list of life skills that everyone should learn?” I'd love to know your thoughts.   

Professor Elaine Fox is one of the world's leading psychologists and performance coaches, and a renowned researcher in the area of resilience and mental wellbeing, she's recently released a book Switchcraft, which shows you how to break out from rigid mindsets to restore your fulfilment, curiosity and zest for life. If you'd like to learn to be more agile and positive in your thinking and develop a mindset that will see you moving forward - then stay listening as Elaine has some great advice.

The Ken Coleman Show is here to help answer your questions about career, passion and talent so you can maximize your potential and get closer to landing your dream job. Do you have a question for Ken? Call us live from 1-2 p.m. ET at 844-747-2577 or email ask@kencoleman.com.   Free Guides & Resources The Proximity Principle Facebook Community Subscribe to The Newsletter Articles by Ken

Brain flexibility. How do you become aligned with the environment around you to learn as much and build relationships? In this episode, we take it on. 7 ways to become more mentally agile. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/evelyn-kish/message

WE MUST RE-EXAMINE AND UPSCALE OUR PERSPECTIVE AND CONCEPTS OF LEADERSHIP NEED FROM THE SPECTRUM OF HEAVEN'S PROPHETIC MANDATE FOR THIS EPOCH. THE REDEMPTION AND ULTIMATE RESTORATION OF MAN AND CREATION DEPENDS SOLELY ON THE QUALITY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WE CAN PRODUCE AND RELEASE INTO THE HARVEST FIELD THIS SEASON. THE FUTURE IS NOT SOME CALENDAR MONTHS AHEAD, BUT THE PROPHETIC ACTIVITIES OF THE LORD SHAPING AND REDIRECT EVERYTHING BACK TO THEIR ORDAINED ORDER AND PLACE IN CHRIST THE HEAD OF ALL THINGS. OUR VISION MUST BE STRAIGHT AND STRENGTHENED TO CONTINUE LOOKING INTO THE GLORIOUS FUTURE BEFORE US, IN CHRIST. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/isaiah-phillips-akintola/message

Puja is the Founder and CEO of Drifted. A sustainable clothing company that combines both function and style for women who like to adventure and travel, designing clothes that can be worn on both the Trail and in Town. In her past life, Puja ran one of the largest Activewear stores in North America, and as you'll hear in this episode, she's now helping redefine the modern outdoor culture and influencing the rise of women leaders in the outdoor space. Social Media - @driftedco Website - www.drifted.co Happy Listening! PS. the cute gurgles in the background is Puja's beautiful little baby! ------------------------ YOUR HOST LIZ: Connect with me on Instagram @LizLandeen Join my FREE Women's Entrepreneur's Facebook Group Find out about my various programs to support entrepreneurs and/or set up a FREE 30-minute clarity call with me HERE LOOKING FOR GUESTS! Are you an Outdoor Entrepreneur? Want to be a guest on the podcast? Fill out the guest submission form to be considered for the show HERE

Curiosity triggered passion for Brandi and Craig Garden, founders of Eversio Wellness.  Inside of eighteen months they discovered the health and wellness benefits, and enhanced the product quality, of functional mushroom supplements.  Now the journey continues in a licensed facility with research in quality and efficacy for the psilocybin mushroom industry.  Consumer enthusiasm is growing.  Significant evidence is available that mushroom products of an extremely high quality deliver advanced health and wellness through making available all of their immune-modulating, anti-oxidant and secondary metabolite compounds.   Brandi's personal experience of radical health improvement, the Garden's family wellness experience, and client's testimonials that supports and amplify the laboratory results, expand the evidence daily.In producing premium, dual-extracted, functional mushroom extracts in Canada which clients use in capsule or powder form, and conducting research to produce high quality psilocybin mushrooms under laboratory conditions, this young company has an exceptional business model.  Through the tears and rainbows of entrepreneurship as a humanity-plus company Eversio successfully launched, pivoted, and took timely advantage of the challenges that the pandemic dealt.  They structured an advantage.  Their functional product division ensured a pathway to revenue and sustainability while building research capability, while they awaited grant of their psilocybin research license.  Now they can also apply their skill and capability in their second functional division.Tune in to hear about: The difference between premium quality mushroom products and others – to mycelium or not. What mushrooms eat, where they grow best, and why those grown outdoors are exceptional. How cultivation of psilocybin producing mushrooms has to be different and how Eversio Wellness is contributing to the pharmaceutical aspect of the industry. The array of developments to come from the mushroom industry – watch for significant research in products, food, and health. And more. Mentioned in this episodeEversion Wellness website – look for products and information.InstagramYouTubeFacebook

Fabienne Vailes is the French Language Director at the University of Bristol, Senior Fellow of HEA and Director of Flourishing Education Ltd, with almost 25 years' experience in the sector. Fabienne is on a mission to change the face of education!   Join us for this incredible conversation about developing mental health skills, keeping curiosity alive in a knowledge-rich system, using natural consequences to help learners flourish, the benefits of intrinsic motivation, and the importance of taking risks.     IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER: The difference between the salutogenic and pathogenic approach to mental health How too much knowledge can damage our curiosity Helping students find a balance knowledge and wisdom Making tough decisions that lead to long term benefits The dangers of forced learning Why taking risks and facing challenges helps students before global citizens     RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Connect with Fabienne on Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin Join Fabienne's Facebook group: Flourishing Parents, a non-judgmental space to discuss topics related to children and young people to empower transformative learning and wellbeing for outstanding futures Check out Fabienne's books, How to Grow a Grownup: Prepare Your Teen for the Real World and The Flourishing Student: Every tutor's guide to promoting mental health, well-being, and resilience in Higher Education Visit flourishingeducation.co.uk to learn more about Fabienne's work Listen to the Flourishing Education Podcast Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here Enjoying the show? Leave us a review and help more people find us! bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts   MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST: In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.   This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

On Today's Episode the guys discuss what their definition of Mental Agility is, and how it has or could help improve aspects of their lives! Be sure to drop a like, subscribe on our YouTube channel, and follow us on all social media platforms (@dudeality_)!

To tackle mental health issues, you need a strategy. This could be talking to a therapist, doing inner work, visualizing, but regardless, there needs to be a strategy. When in the middle of a mental health crisis, it can be hard to see clear and create that strategy. This is where Gordon Corsetti comes in.  Gordon has come a long way in his mental health journey and uses what he's learned to help educate kids and adults with their struggles with stress, anxiety, resentment, and worthlessness. He speaks to the unique human ability to change our minds and show how to use tools to acompish that change.  Gordon is an author, public speaker, and advocate for suicide prevention and mental health awareness, writing regularly on his website mentallyagile.com. He speaks to the uniquely human ability to change our minds and shows how to use tools to accomplish that change.  While “tough it out” is fantastic advice for someone who already knows what to do and has the ability to do it, Gordon believes that it is impractical and dangerous advice to those with no idea what they are doing. Whether you have a diagnosed mental illness or are just facing the stresses of everyday life, tune in to hear about Gordon's experience with depression, self-harm, anti-depressants, and therapy, and learn how you can start taking action today. On This Episode: Gordon's struggle with depression growing up with good parents and a good childhood The impact of having a predisposition for mental illness Planning his first suicide attempt and the friend who changed the course of his life Gordon's brutal cycle with anti-depressants How he started working with his depression instead of rebelling against it The human stress response and why it is not designed for the ongoing stresses we experience today The power of visualization and learning how to be content Mental agility vs. mental toughness Action steps to keep moving forward when dealing with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm Key Takeaways: Depression isn't usually something you just wake up with one day. It's a slow and insidious process.  Never underestimate the power of simply asking someone, “How can I help?” Listen to your doctor when they tell you not to quit your anti-depressants cold turkey. The human mind has a significant ability to adapt. Don't judge yourself for not being at 100% every day. Tweetable Moments: “We exist on a spectrum of behaviors.” - Gordon Corsetti “If you don't sleep well, you're screwed long-term. Nobody operates well off of a lack of sleep.”  - Gordon Corsetti “Pain teaches if you're willing to be a student.” - Gordon Corsetti Connect with Gordon: Website: https://mentallyagile.com/ (https://mentallyagile.com/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentallyagile (https://www.facebook.com/mentallyagile) Twitter: https://twitter.com/mental_agility (https://twitter.com/mental_agility) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyagile/ (https://www.instagram.com/mentallyagile/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordoncorsetti/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordoncorsetti/) Email: gcorsetti@mentallyagile.com  Contact Form: https://mentallyagile.com/contact (https://mentallyagile.com/contact) Connect with Joseph James:  Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/meetjoejames (https://www.facebook.com/meetjoejames) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetjosephjames/ (https://www.instagram.com/meetjosephjames/)

We are experiencing a long-overdue explosion of information and awareness about mental health. Just as we've steadily developed great interventions for our physical ills, we are now developing similar solutions for our mental ills.But prevention is always preferable to cures.Developing our mental fitness can have a hugely positive effect on us as individuals, collectives, and professionals, but it's not yet a prominent part of the public discussion around mental wellbeing.Jodie Rogers, founder of Symbia, mental fitness expert, and published author, is on a mission to make mental fitness a key part of how we live and work. She joins me in this episode to share how we can start practicing better mental fitness individually and collectively.Find out about:What the difference is between mental health and mental fitnessThe evidence behind mental fitness and Jodie's work in the fieldHow Jodie coaches mental fitness in corporate settingsHow we can all work on our mental fitness independentlyThe common cognitive traps we set ourselves and what we can do to increase our awareness of themHow and why to prime a group before a workshopWhy Jodie thinks it's important to call out signals of discontentment, boredom, or disagreement in a groupDon't miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.Thanks to our sponsor “Dancing with Markers”. Click here to get the workshops work discount for Lauren's upcoming visual facilitation course.Questions and Answers[01:00] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator, if you do at all?[04:20] Can you explain what mental fitness is?[09:07] Would you call mental fitness a growth mindset?[14:21] How do you go about teaching groups mental fitness?[18:08] Does raising this group- and self-awareness improve our understanding of perceptual differences?[19:50] Do you use any specific tools or ideas to help people understand how their attention works?[25:56] Do you have a favourite tool or exercise for applying mental fitness?[29:16] How do you recognise whether a group is mentally available or if there is tension in it?[31:46] How would you advise someone about calling out visible tension in a group?[36:04] What sort of scene-setting do you do to make ‘calling out' possible in a group setting?[41:03] What makes a workshop fail?[43:26] What would be your advice for showing up even when we don't feel very mentally fit?[45:20] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksSymbia, Jodie's companyJodie's Mental Fitness ScorecardConnect to Jodie:LinkedIn 

To maximize your potential, to perform at your very best consistently, and to feel truly content there is an argument to say that being comfortable in your skin will help you.  Today is part one of a number of episodes, where I will go on to unpack “toughness” some common myths around mental toughness, and some typical barriers that people put up.  I also go on to highlight some real examples, case studies and offer different strategies to help you.  This episode is designed to help you question your approach. Key Learning Points: By “toughing it out” or “getting on with things”, you may be letting your ego take over and sabotaging success.  When you hear the words Mental Agility and Mental Flexibility you wouldn't necessarily consider similarities with Mental Toughness.  However, Professor Peter Clough 4 C's framework highlights Mental Toughness does warrant a deeper look rather than being drawn into making assumptions based on one word – “Toughness”. Do you or your organisations culture promote psychological safety with an emphasis on conversations related to mental toughness? I discuss Naomi Osaka and the role of the elite professional athlete in sport and the difficulties they encounter meaning that they can struggle to be comfortable in their own skin.  Women's professional sport can make it challenging for athletes to be themselves due to demands on their time and the need to be “performing” for 60+ hour per week in some cases. Sports like gymnastics help youngsters develop excellent qualities such as discipline, focus and conscientiousness.  Yet, I'd be asking the question are some gymnasts “performing for too many hours?” As a result, this culture may be bringing on challenges such as learning new skills and “lost move syndrome.”  Connect with David Charlton Accelerator Course: Achieving Your Goals Faster Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Our Podcast Sponsor Kymira Sport Relevant Podcast Episodes Podcast Ep011: Dave Algeo - Mental Toughness, Mental Health and High Performance Podcast Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky - Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Podcast Episode 066: Marilyn Okoro - Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Relevant Blogs Blog - Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport

You can't control every situation or circumstance in life, and you definitely can't control other people (even though some of you try). You CAN control your response however, every single time. Don't believe me? Listen to this episode and learn how to avoid common pitfalls in thinking. If you think this doesn't apply to you, you definitely need to listen! This week's Monday Mini is a bit longer than other weeks, but the information is audio gold. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Mental agility refers to our ability to look at a situation from multiple perspectives, it's related to problem solving and often referred to as cognitive flexibility. When we encounter challenging situations, we sometimes get trapped into one way of thinking - and it might well not be a way that leads us to dealing with the difficulties we're facing in a constructive way! So building mental agility and practicing the approach of looking at things from different angles will help us discover better ways forward - creating greater resilience. The other aspect here is spirituality. Defined in many different ways, at the core of spirituality is a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, a belief that there is more to life than what meets the senses. It can also be seen as a kind of turning inward to find balance and independence from external factors and influences, and often manifests as a search for meaning, purpose and direction. Having this sense of connection and nurturing it can give us hold during times of hardship; practicing mindfulness helps to distance ourselves enough from the trials to find strength again, and to formulate better responses. See video to this Episode on YouTube. Click here #resilience #bounceback #mentallytough #mentaltoughness #strength #overcome #resilient #challenge #pivot #adapt #mentalagility #cognitiveflexibility #spirituality #mindfulness #stayconnected --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/alphaweibchen/message

"The Potential of a Well-Timed Nap"    A Light Look at Afternoon Napping and Cognitive Function. This Short Feature was inspired by a recent Clinical Study (Mental Function in an Aging Chinese Population).  Compiled alongside various Naturopathic Notes - pertaining to Sleep and Mental Agility.   Based on my published article, of the same name.  

In this second part of an extended conversation with two of the best practitioners in their respective industries - with so many insights that we had to split the conversation over two separate listens! - we jump straight into the big questions: how do you train mental agility & toughness at the elite levels? And are there behaviors or actions we can all take that will help us improve in our own battles, at work and in life? Coleman Ruiz & Ceci Craft should know - not only did Coleman take lead hundreds of operations and dozens of sensitive military programs as part of the SEAL teams, he then went on to serve as an advanced training officer in Naval Special Warfare. Ceci, the recently appointed Director of Mental Performance for the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB, also has 6 years experience coaching US Army & Special Operations personnel, and at the time of recording was the Lead Mental Performance Coach for the program overseeing the mental conditioning of US Army & Special Operations soldiers. **Note - if you haven't listened to Part 1 of this conversation (literally the previous episode of this podcast) do that first!**

When lives are on the line and people are pushed to their limits, what do the elite Special Forces of the US military lean on to find that extra gear? As a former officer in the U.S. Navy SEALs, with 13 years on active duty, during six (6) combat deployments in both the Afghanistan and Iraq, Coleman Ruiz should know - not only did he take part in and lead hundreds of operations and dozens of sensitive military programs, he then went on to serve as an advanced training officer in Naval Special Warfare. Joining him for this 2-part episode is Ceci Craft, the recently appointed Director of Mental Performance for the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB, who has 6 years experience coaching US Army & Special Operations personnel, and who at the time of recording was the Lead Mental Performance Coach for the program overseeing the mental conditioning of US Army & Special Operations soldiers. In a conversation with two of the best practitioners in their respective industries - with so many insights that we had to split the conversation over two separate listens! - we dig into the concepts of mental agility & emotional stability, and how the best of the best train them to prepare for their toughest battles.

In this episode we talk to Gordon Corsetti. He is an amazing individual that has been through a lot in his life including multiple suicide attempts and lives with depression and anxiety. He has become a champion for mental illness and he shares some of his story and experiences with us.

Mental Agility is required for all ages. Its relevant for all ages. Not only it enables enrichment of our lives, it helps to flush out the irrelevant and open the mind to new experiences and new outlooks of life. It is important to the Teens as well as Middle aged parents. Lets listen to my philosophy

Dr Andre Vermeulen passionately shares practical insights you can start using today to continuously out-think, out-learn, out-create, out-perform and succeed in a highly volatile, uncertain world. He uses the analogy of us having to be as dexterous as ballerinas if we want to succeed in a complex world of business. He emphasises the importance of knowing who we are and what we're going to do with the potential we have and that if we keep multiplying what we have, we become liberated and a far better version of ourselves than we ever thought we could be. He shows how intelligence and technical skills are not enough to succeed and thrive. We may be smart but without neuro agility we can still be mediocre. Without neuro agility it's harder and takes longer to succeed. When we tap into our brain power, we are unlimited in what we can achieve. Dr Vermeulen shares practical ways we can tap into this power by explaining how the brain works like a movie. When we tap into our brain power, we get into the driving seat of our own lives and realise we have no limitations except for those we impose on ourselves. This episode will not drive you to want to use the power of your brain to reach new levels of thinking, being and achieving! Episode Themes Beauty is what we emanate from the inside outwards Overcoming challenges of low self-esteem / self-confidence The one thing that is inclusive…the brain Translating neuroscience into tools that drives business results Link between the brain and the mind Brain myths Neuro agility success stories Skills to operate in a volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous world Technical skills are not enough for optimal performance Being smart with no flexibility & brain fitness = mediocrity Out-think, out-learn, out-create the competition Vastness of brain power What AI can't do Getting into the driving seat of your own life Brain solutions to improve performance Human beings most precious commodity in the universe Message to humanity Connect with Dr Andre Vermeulen Company website: https://neurolink.company/cms/ Connect With Carmen Wilde Creator & Host: Business without Barriers & Co-Founder: Wilde Success Limited We're living through an economic revolution that will change the business landscape forever! While undoubtedly daunting, it also presents an unprecedented opportunity to RE-INVENT your business to succeed & thrive in the 'new normal!' BwB helps you crush through challenges and thrive in a volatile, uncertain world. !!SUBSCRIBE to BwBTV!! and be notified of new episodes: https://businesswithoutbarriers.tv/podcast/ Watch episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoHh-9vsxyvY2DzKVmIA5lA Access new episodes via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/business-without-barriers/id1522708862 Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BwBTV Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmenwilde/ Email Carmen: team@bwbtv.net Join the success revolution! Let's bring humanity back to business and create a future we're proud of! To Your Wildest Success! Carmen --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/businesswithoutbarriers/message

Are you thinking about your thinking? Being an agile leader and building agility in your team or organization requires a look inward. In this episode, we discuss: What is mental agility and what are mental models? What are some examples of mental models and how they work? How to develop mental agility and practical steps for you to take Links and Other Information Fulmer, R. M., & Keys, J. B. (1998). A conversation with Peter Senge: New developments in organizational learning. Organizational dynamics, 27(2), 33-42. Click here Baran, B. E., & Woznyj, H. M. (2020). Managing VUCA: The human dynamics of agility. Organizational Dynamics. Click here Mathieu, J. E., Heffner, T. S., Goodwin, G. F., Salas, E., & Cannon-Bowers, J. A. (2000). The influence of shared mental models on team process and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(2), 273. Click here

Welcome to Health & Fitness Friday on The Essential Strength Podcast! Today's episode is supported by the amazing folks over at FNX Fit. FNX Fit is a Utah-based company committed to creating the highest quality nutritional supplements and training apparel to fuel your greatness. As a listener of the Essential Strength Podcast, you get 15% off of any purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!Let's talk about PSYCHOLOGY - the everyone's favorite subject from their personal training coursework, right? For those non-trainers and non-coaches out there - that's what we call a JOKE. There is essentially NO training for how to handle the psychological factors at play in this job, even though physical and mental performance are inextricably linked. The longer I work as a therapist and a coach, the more I realize managing the psychological factors is absolutely VITAL to get people the results they want.Considering the world we live in right now, most of us and our clients have had out coping strategies and resilience stretched beyond max capacity. In a recent article for Tony Gentilcore's blog, his wife - Dr. Lisa Lewis - wrote about resilience and positive psychology - a branch of psychology which offers evidence-based recommendations for living well, coping effectively, and thriving. There are real, measurable benefits to gratitude, meaning, optimism and health relationships - and arming yourself with that knowledge so that you can pass it long to your clients and patients will make you a more effective coach and clinician. And in another parallel to physical fitness - mental fitness means helping our clients recognize their strengths. How often have you had to re-direct a client who just hit a small PR on a lift but quickly minimizes their achievement by telling you what they still CAN'T do? For some reason, people tend to focus on their weakness and shortcomings, rather than their strengths. As coaches and clinicians, there is exceptional power in illuminating what people do well, while still acknowledging they have room for improvement - WE ALL DO.I personally am fascinated by this stuff, which is why I've enrolled in the Behavior Change Specialist course through NASM. The power that our thoughts and emotions have over our ability to achieve our goals and live a fulfilling life is something I just can't learn enough about. And Dr. Lewis now has a course for fitness professionals as well - It is called Psych Skills for Fitness Pros, Volume 1.The article I've referenced in this episode is also the featured article on the Stronger in Motion Reading List - I highly recommend reading the entire thing!Whether You are a fitness professional, healthcare professional, a manager, a parent, or just someone who wants to give their own mental health a bit more TLC - the concepts of positive psychology and mental agility are worth your time and effort to learn about, I know that's what I'll be reading about for the next few days!That's it for todays edition of Health & Fitness Friday, catch ya'll next week!FNX Fitness Supplements To Fuel Your Greatness - - Use code ESSENTIAL for 20% at check-outDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Music Credit: Vicious Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Chris Drouin, John "Lax" Locy and Chris Kolon sit down with Gordon Corsetti to talk lacrosse, but really more to talk about mental health.  Quick disclaimer, none of the guys are physicians, doctors, counselors or have any certifications in mental health.  This was just a chance to hear Gordon's story and ask some questions on how he is dealing with the lack of lacrosse right now.  His original story that he shared in US Lacrosse Magazine here: https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/fuel/us-lacrosse/lacrosse-saved-my-life-a-story-of-friendship-and-survivalGordon is also a NILOA official, USL Officials Trainers and founder of Mental Agility.  As he says on his website: Mental Agility is my answer to “Mental Toughness”. A cliched bit of advice that, in my opinion, has been overused to the point of meaninglessness. Mental toughness boils down to:Just do it, Put your head down, Find a helmet, Grind it outGrit, and perseverance are valuable virtues for any human to develop; I am not arguing against these virtues. I attack the lack of strategy.  You can find out more on Gordon and his story by visiting his website https://mentallyagile.com/#lacrosse #MichiganJoin now: www.uslacrosse.orghttps://twitter.com/usl_michiganhttps://twitter.com/LaxLocyhttps://twitter.com/Chriskolonhttps://twitter.com/chrisdrouin

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Worldwide Weather Warfare, Domestic Bees (Dying Off), Texas Tornados, Aerial Chemtrail Spraying, Shepherding Techniques, States of Knowledge - Acceptance - Waking Up, Human Sheep-Pens - Habitat Areas, Propaganda - Historians - Histories of Kings - Egypt, Rewriting History, Employing Spies to Monitor the Public, Machiavelli - Advisor to Royalty - Managing the Populace - Psychopaths - Pulse of the Public, Crisis Management, "The Prince and the Discourses" Book by Max Lerner, Humanism - Idealism - Theology - Metaphysics - Political Realism, Inbreeding, Leaders Are Supplied to the People, Corruption, Freedom and Tyranny, Princes and Kings, Psychopathic Alliances, Rome, Appeasing the Masses, Dissentions and Disorders, Submission to Servitude, Terrifying the Public through Wars, When Public Fear Magistrates (Law) and Leaders, Faulty Base of the World System, Psychopathic Craving for Power Over Others, Megalomania- Want of Degrees - Titles - Statues - Awards - Appeals to the EGO, Imagery - Innate in Children - Intuition - Survival Mechanism, Subconscious Messages - Symbols - Unconscious and Conscious Mind, Satan - Embodiment of Evil with Human Characteristics, Gods and Deities with Human Attributes, Cunning - Tricks - Chess Game of the Psychopath, Mental Agility, Playing the Game, Con-Men at the Bottom - Swindling the Public, Running the World through Money and Your Labor, Exploitation by World Elite, Want of Peace and Security, Move of Industry to China - Years of Governmental and Business Negotiations, Living in Fear is Not Living, (Song: "Guantanamera" by Los Campesinos ) *Dialogue Copyrighted Alan Watt - Mar 30, 2007 (Exempting Music and Literary Quotes)