Attack Life, Not Others

Len joins Tim and Steve as they discuss: The “new normal” Say goodbye to the handshake Use this time to reset, recalibrate, and reflect "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." — John Lennon

Hear life lessons Tim picked up from the early years of developing his martial arts schools, and how his observations can help everyone during the coronavirus crisis. Grit and Sacrifice — What are you doing during the COVID-19 pandemic? Taking it on? Or packing it in? After most hardships throughout history, came times of greatness. Bridging — While earning one belt after another, martial artists progress towards a black belt. They must practice patience, otherwise, they’ll never reach that goal. As we work towards getting back to “normal”— we must take one step at a time, day by day. Phases — In Sensei Hoover’s martial arts system there are Four Phases of Fighting, representing different ranges. With quarantining we are closed up and living restricted. Gradually we will expand, the threat will diminish, and we will be less vulnerable. Be Water — Like a chameleon, we need the ability to adapt our behavior according to the situation. Nothing expresses this better than Bruce Lee’s famous quote below.

During this coronavirus pandemic, acts of loving kindness matter not only to others, but they hold more spiritual weight for your own soul. Dr Bernie joins Tim and Steve as they focus on the Spirit component of Mind, Body, and Spirit. They talk about our Creator, how we have been given free will to choose between good and bad, and how our choices define us. “It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” — Epictetus

Many of us are driven by external factors — such as training for a race, or looking good in a bathing suit. Many of these external motivators currently don’t exist or won’t be happening because of the coronavirus pandemic. So how do we stay motivated when no one’s watching? Chelsea from Fuel for Thought Nutrition joins Steve with thoughts from her blog including: Create new routines pertaining to meal times, exercise, work, bedtime, etc Reassess your priorities and find deeper reasons to achieving and maintaining them

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo, Les Misérables “When you face difficult times, know that challenges are not sent to destroy you. They're sent to promote, increase and strengthen you.” — Joel Osteen “I don’t count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. When I feel pain, that’s when I start counting because that’s when it really counts.” — Muhammad Ali

From a scrawny kid with asthma who was abused and bullied, to a world champion martial artist with multiple black belts — Matt Stait is our guest on this episode. When Matt was a teenager his father committed suicide. Shortly after that, he was diagnosed with PTSD. He spent many years working as a bouncer and a bodyguard, and now runs a martial arts gym in the UK. He is the CEO and co-founder of Team Fightback CIC — an organization which helps military veterans through martial arts. Matt is an author of books and magazine articles, a creator of online courses, along with being a public speaker, and corporate trainer. If you could use some positive energy and inspiration amid all the uncertainty and startling news with the COVID-19 crisis — this episode will do it for you. You'll hear: How everything goes back to your mindset Ways to practice having an “attitude of gratitude” How to change your perception so that many so-called problems disappear How just like Tim and Steve discussed last week — Matt,

“A truly great person is not disturbed even when suddenly confronted with an unexpected event or crisis …” — Gichin Funakoshi Now, more than ever, with the coronavirus pandemic, we should be cautious of what we consume — this includes food we eat and thoughts we take in It’s also very wise to have greater awareness, so that we don’t overreact or underact Tim shares how every day he prays for: Faith, Courage, Hope, and Patience

As the world struggles to contain COVID-19, many are stricken with fear. Fear is an emotion triggered by a perceived threat. Notice we said “perceived.” Make sure your reality is your perception, and not dictated to you by someone else or something else (such as the media). The coronavirus outbreak is reminiscent of past global epidemics like SARS, MERS, the Zika virus, and the swine flu — and just like those, this too shall pass. Fear can be healthy. Fear keeps us alive. It prompts us to take the necessary steps to handle situations accordingly. However, once there is a course of action, perpetuating additional fear serves no purpose. In fact, living under chronic fear and anxiety takes a toll on our health with very serious consequences.

Lenny DiNote joins Tim and Steve to share some very personal, powerful, and profound words. He sees adversity coming in two forms: The adversity we bring on ourselves. We still have to decide on how to deal with this adversity, but it’s a result of our choices — either directly or indirectly. The adversity that we have no control over. It presents itself in our lives. The only thing we control is how we choose to handle it. This is what you’ll hear on this episode. Adversity is an opportunity to strengthen your moral principles and values. Run into it, rather than away from it. Hear how and why we can all learn a thing or two from Len’s son, Michael.

The Inklings, the Victorians, and the Moderns reminds us of the importance of creativity and imagination. The author, Chris Butynskyi, joins Tim Hoover and Steve Mittman to discuss: Faith requires imagination We were made to be communal Education, meditation, religion, and spirituality should act as tools to get us where we need to be Why creativity and imagination are the keys to our humanity — how they are tied to our intellect and reason How we can learn from teachers that came before us — the present is fleeting, we can't predict the future, the only thing we have to study is the past When ordering The Inklings, the Victorians, and the Moderns use code UP30AUTH20 to receive a 30% discount through 12/31/20.

In martial arts a Sensei is a person who has knowledge and is willing to teach that knowledge to others. The title of Master is used to describe or address a very experienced practitioner. Mastery in life, however, is very elusive. It might never be possible to achieve. Once a person starts believing they are different, that often is the beginning of their failure.

Danny Blowe is a senior level Security & Safety professional with almost 30 years combined experience in private security and law enforcement. He is located in Topsail Island in North Carolina — where Tim and Steve recently visited. Immediately, upon meeting for the first time, it was apparent to Tim and Steve that Danny exudes the lifestyle promoted on this podcast. Danny can be an inspiration to us all. He practices gratitude for his blessings every day He speaks about the importance of faith, family, and friends At nearly 60 years of age, he competes as a triathlete regularly Hear how he combats dark times — both with triathlons and life in general

Willpower is defined as the ability to control your own actions, emotions, and urges. It is strong determination that allows you to do something difficult. Most of our bad habits are due to lack of willpower Willpower leads to consistency and momentum​ — and they lead to confidence Combat doubt: challenge yourself, step up to the plate, walk into the lion's den — deliberately place yourself in difficult situations "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." — Vince Lombardi

Last week we talked about excuses — how there are plenty to go around. With most people, if they faced any single one of the setbacks today's guest has dealt with — let alone all of them — they would have many excuses. Sensei Dave Pohlmann, however, doesn't have any. He continues to train, teach, motivate, inspire, and "Attack Life!" You’ll hear: How to be an effective leader How being sedentary never leads to good things The difference between challenges and true limitations Motivation for those that think everything has to be perfect before doing something Life is a state of mind, body, and spirit — realize one will lead the way at different times AMERICAN = A Message Everyone Remembers: I CAN

January is almost over and most people's New Year's resolutions are disappearing. Are yours? Gyms are becoming less crowded. Fad diets are being broken. It’s easy to get off track. If you want an excuse — you'll find one. Get your mind in the right shape and your body will follow.

Most people fail to achieve their New Year’s resolutions. The last couple weeks we’ve talked about making smarter food choices and making gains with your workouts, but first we have to discipline our minds for any of that to stick. Dr Jarrod Spencer from Mind of the Athlete, LLC suggests we should let go of the resolution mentality and try a new approach that is more beneficial and realistic to achieve.

The most common New Year's resolutions are to lose weight and exercise more. Last week we had Chelsea on the show talking about common sense ways of eating. Today Tricia Butynskyi, MPT, DPT joins us to discuss simple concepts for you to reach new levels in working out: A well-rounded full body workout routine Warming up, stretching, and flexibility Cardiovascular conditioning Dealing with sore muscles

It’s our 100th episode! Special guest Chelsea from Fuel for Thought Nutrition helps us kick off 2020! If your New Year's resolution is to get healthier and eat better, she’ll help you get rid of that “all or nothing” diet mentality and start thinking of food as fuel. Learn about the 80/20 Rule — where you eat high-quality, whole foods 80% of the time and allow yourself to enjoy a few indulgences 20% of the time. Not only is this a healthy lifestyle, but it’s a realistic diet that’s sustainable. Chelsea also explains: Intuitive Eating Mindful Eating

Dr Jarrod Spencer from Mind of the Athlete, LLC joins Tim and Steve to discuss the power of visualization and also his personal daily ritual of prayer. When things look bad, the first thing people often do is turn to prayer. We propose turning to prayer when things are good. This time of the year has been celebrated for millennia by many cultures, and there is no denying it is full of miracles and magic. There’s no better time to connect with prayer than now — in the present — and during this time of year. Catch Jarrod’s previous episodes with us including: Ep 071 - How to Focus Better, Ep 073 - The Importance of Good Sleep, Ep 076 - How to Avoid Depression, and Ep 077 - How to Reduce Anxiety. Contact him if you’re interested in his keynote speech for business leaders or his signature keynote speech for athletes.

Lenny, Bernie, Tim, and Steve talk about the importance of making memories — not just for your sake, but for those you’re making the memories with. ”Your self is created by your memories, and your memories are created by your mental habits.” — Rick Warren ”The more often you share what you've learned, the stronger that information will become in your memory.” — Steve Brunkhorst