37. Donald Robertson: How To Think Like A Roman Emperor

Hello my friends today, my guest is Donald Robertson. Donald was born in Irvine, Scotland, and he became a specialist in teaching evidence-based psychological skills. Known as an expert on the relationship between modern cognitive behavioral therapy and classical Greek and Roman philosophy. Who merges those two things? And if that wasn’t enough, he was also interested in eastern studies and found a common thread perhaps to all of those a common root in stoicism.

His most recent book is called How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius published this year in 2019. Part of what I love so much is that he brings to life these figures from antiquity, from ancient history, and helps us understand who they were, how they lived, and what lessons they have for us that are still relevant. In fact, maybe more timely than ever.

I hope that you enjoy this storytelling, this learning, this biography of sorts. And by the way, when we get to the end of this interview and I ask him for his insights and experience about the creative process and writing, I love what he shares. I hope you learn something and I hope you become a better person because of it and then use that better self you’ve become in service to others.

SUMMARY
00:02:42 – What’s life about?
00:06:12  – Reading for the audiobook.
00:13:20 – Discussion of Marcus.
00:17:21 – More comfortable does not equal better.
00:21:51 – Why Stoicism didn’t take shape as Buddhism did.
00:41:27 – Life after writing this book.
01:08:57 – Lightning round.
01:38:50 – Exploration of the creative process.

LINKS
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
Stoicism and the Art of Happiness
All Donald Robertson books.
Donald Robertson website.

36. Wally Hines: JETPUBS

Wally Hines is the Director of Standards for JETPUBS Inc. His background includes a B.S. in Aeronautical Studies from the University of North Dakota, followed by various flying positions ranging from flight instruction, traffic reports, aerial photography, and fire patrol for the Department of Natural Resources. He has flown for two regional airlines and, since 1996, has been a pilot for Sun Country Airlines (flying the B727, DC10, and currently, the B737NG). He has been at JETPUBS since 2001 and is one of its founders. JETPUBS provides manuals services and training materials to over 400 airlines and training centers worldwide.

Wally discusses the writing process for his yet to be released book on fighting against false accusations from the government and his years-long battle to clear his name.

SUMMARY
 00:46 – Belly of the Snake.
02:00 – JetPub
08:08 – Being accused of abuse.
22:16 – Why isn’t the book finished yet?
32:13  – Deadline.

LINKS
Linkedin Profile
JETPUBS
AP story discussing Wally’s case.

35. Mark Divine: Unbeatable Mind

Hello my friends today my guest is Commander Mark Divine. Mark is an amazing human being whose nickname when he was in the Navy SEALs, was Cyborg. In his class of 185 participants, 19 graduated and he was the number one of those 19 earning the Honor Man. He’s unquestionably a leader and a warrior and he teaches leaders and warriors.

We talk about how to transmute desire into certainty, how to achieve peace and contentment, how to live one day, one lifetime as a philosophy. I had the chance to hear first at a Tony Robbins event a few years back in San Diego. He later came and spoke to executives at our company and as part of that event he took us outside and had us all engaged in some PT, some physical training, and we went for a run and we did some of the stretching and some of these movement and breathing exercises, and I realized how much I’d missed that. Mark has written The Way Of The SEAL, Kokoro Yoga, Unbeatable Mind, and 8 Weeks to SEALFIT. I hope you’ll hear something in this interview from a man who has been around the world who has studied martial arts, meditation, all kinds of different trainings, but really gone beyond all of that and looking deep into the heart and the mind and the soul to find really what it means to be alive and effective as a leader in these challenging times.

SUMMARY
00:03:04 – What’s life about?
00:04:38 – Ringing the bell in SEAL training.
00:09:01 – A moment of clarity.
00:30:04 – Officer candidate.
00:41:27 – Daily routine.
00:50:47 – Five mountains.
01:04:48 – Growing up.
01:23:14 – 50 hours of nonstop mental training.
01:26:23 – Lightning round.
01:39:49 – Questions about writing.

LINKS – (In order of appearance)
Books written by Mark Divine
Unbeatable Mind / Mark Divine’s website
SEALFIT / Physical and mental training
How to do a burpee


34. Ian Manuel: My Time’s Going to Come

Ian Manuel is a truly inspiring soul. He’s a spoken word poet who’s messages is the impossible is obtainable. When I first met Ian, he was on stage delivering some of his spoken word poetry, and when I talked to him afterward, he shared with me something that I could see in his delivery. He said, “God has given me the gift to compose words in ways that move people.” He had plenty of time to practice cultivating that gift while he spent a 26 year prison sentence, 18 consecutive years in solitary confinement, for a crime he committed at 13 years old. He received life in prison without the possibility of parole. In this interview, we talk about the crime that landed him there, how he confronted his victim, and why, what she said and did and continues to do.

Very, very remarkable. And the final thing here, and we talk about this briefly toward the end, but it’s a theme I think that runs throughout, is this idea that our traditional justice system is oriented toward punishment where a restorative justice system is or would be oriented toward healing. And that was a concept I had no notion of more than two years ago. It’s one that I have really enjoyed learning more about. It was kind of invisible to me. I hope that if you’re not already familiar with the concept of restorative justice, that this interview opens your eyes and your mind to the possibility of something that would serve us as a society in a far greater way than what we’re currently doing.

SUMMARY
00:02:27 – What’s life about?
00:07:12  – Life sentence at 13 years old.
00:19:41 – Solitary confinement.
00:25:14 – Preserving strength while in prison.
00:40:00 – Forgiveness.
00:43:35 – Writing his book.
00:50:04 – Reentry process.
00:54:15 – Lightning round.
01:00:12  – Creative process.
01:08:03 – Poem: Every Time I Breathe

LINKS – (In order of appearance)
Equal Justice Organization
Ian on Facebook
Starbucks Coffee Video