Do you feel stuck in the rat race? Are you unhappily going through the motions in life — feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and uninspired? Do you feel as if you're not accomplishing anything unless you're constantly busy?

Tom Parker joins Tim and Steve in the first of several episodes discussing "Sacred Pauses" and the importance of creating a type of oasis from the chaos and busyness of life.

“And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack And you may find yourself in another part of the world And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?" — Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads

Anna — a black belt student who has been training for over 20 years — joins Tim and Steve to discuss some of the differences between women and men training in the dojo:

• There are no weight divisions or gender divisions in life — life is not fair

• Women often have a disadvantage in the dojo when training with men

• Many men can learn a thing or two from women in the dojo

• Frustration is a part of our lives — we must deal with it

“There's something so special about a woman who dominates in a man's world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” — Rihanna

2 weeks ago Marc, Tim, and Steve discussed Marcus Aurelius and the Touchstones of Goodness. This is Part 2 from that conversation. More on Marcus Aurelius is discussed, and much of it you can read below. We also talk about:

• The importance of finding a community where positive growth is cultivated

• Creating a “current” — a flow of what it is you ultimately want through consistency

Marcus Aurelius called them the “Touchstones of Goodness” — Courage, Temperance, Justice, Wisdom.

These are guides to what to do, who to be, how to behave, how to respond in every situation — with bravery, fortitude, honor, sacrifice, self-control, moderation, composure, balance, fairness, service, fellowship, goodness, kindness, wisdom, knowledge, education, truth, self-reflection, and serenity.

These are the key to a life of excellence, in every sense. “If, at some point in your life,” Marcus wrote, “you should come across anything better than justice, prudence, self-control, courage — if you find anything better than that, embrace it without reservations — it must be an extraordinary thing indeed.” That was almost 20 centuries ago. We have discovered a lot of things since then — automobiles, the Internet, cures for diseases that were previously a death sentence — but have we found anything better? No, we have not. It’s unlikely we ever will.

Tim and Steve talk about the abundance of fear right now. It’s time to replace fear with:

• Hope

• Truth

• Faith

• Love

fearmonger | (ˈfɪərˌmʌŋɡər)

• (noun) — someone who deliberately spreads fear among people

Marc Berardinelli, Tim, and Steve discuss Marcus Aurelius and the Touchstones of Goodness:

• Many call them “cardinal virtues” — they have been adopted by Christianity, most of the Western world, as well as Buddhism, Hinduism, and just about every other philosophy

• They’re called “cardinal" because they originate from the Latin cardo which means hinge

• It’s pivotal stuff — the hardware upon which the door to the "good life" hangs

There must be a strength that comes from your heart to stand up to the world and still do good things

• Courage is built around Faith

• Courage and Faith together create Compassion

Bob Vidoni joins Tim and Steve to discuss one of his favorite profound excerpts from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind — the book of teachings by the late Shunryu Suzuki. We should always strive to be the best we can be, however, "the best" is relative. If you think you're always going to "win" simply because you're the best, you'll be mistaken.

• Overcome the pain and grow through facing obstacles

• There's always going to be something that knocks us back

• Slow down and don't worry about being the "first to get there"

“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast” — Navy SEALs

Tim and Steve talk about sparring in the dojo. When people fight in a controlled atmosphere it’s often best to use that experience to grow from — rather than win.

It’s about embracing and purposely losing in the short term — in order to win in the long run.

It’s our “Ninja vs Samurai” concept. There’s a time and place for each.

Some of the profound thoughts Bernie, Tim, and Steve share:

• Strive to not take things personally, and not be concerned with being popular

• Own your thoughts, your words, and your space — stop renting these

• Confidence must grow in all different types of situations

• Controlling fear is a lifelong struggle

Bernie, Tim, and Steve talk about:

• A simple way to take conflict out of discussions

• How you are responsible for yourself — and that is all

• How controlling your ego allows you to make good choices