Forged by FIRE with Ryan Rodriquez

Oftentimes we feel we have to sacrifice one or the other. And there are a lot of stereotypes out there of the muscular person not being very smart or the intellectual not being very strong. I’d like to marry those two and make a super smart baby that could crush you. This is my goal with the FIRE framework; to shore up all those areas of our lives so that we are a formidable force to be reckoned with!

Today is part TWO of my FOUR part series on learning how to feed your FIRE! 

In today’s episode, I will focus on the second element in the (FIRE) framework that I personally use in my life to help refine myself, and I will share how using this strategy can help you in all important areas of your life!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Join The Forge! (Application)

Improving Fluid Intelligence With Training On Working Memory (Research Study)

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SHOW NOTES/LINKS:

Buy my book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Join The Forge! (Application)

ARTICLES/TOOLS:

Benefits of Physical Activity (CDC)

Why is physical activity so important for health and well-being? (AHA)

Recommendations for physical activity in adults and children (AHA)

What Should I Eat? A 3-Step Guide PDF (Precision Nutrition)

As firefighters and EMS providers, we train for situations that other people might not ever see in their lives.

This means that we set up scenarios that test our ability to physically perform, keep our emotions in check, and mentally adapt to whatever the situation may throw at us.

We are literally forging adversity. By doing this, we better prepare ourselves to overcome any situation that life might throw at us. We don’t need to be firefighters or EMS providers to do it, either!

In today’s episode, I will talk about what it means to forge adversity in our lives, how that differs from simply creating problems for ourselves, and how using this strategy can help you in all important areas of your life (FIRE)!

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Buy my book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Join The Forge!

ARTICLES:

How Adversity Makes You Stronger

Post-Traumatic Growth: Conceptual Foundations and Empirical Evidence

Rethinking stress: the role of mindsets in determining the stress response

You’ve heard the term “complacency kills’. Well, why is that? Officially it’s because we get to a point where we are satisfied in our situation in spite of the deficiencies we harbor and as a result, we expose ourselves to danger.

This could look like a firefighter not checking their gear every morning. It could look like a father gaining 50 lbs due to lack of discipline in diet and exercise. Or it could be as simple as not looking both ways before crossing the street. All of these things increase the opportunity for danger to occur and that’s when people get hurt or even killed.

I believe the best way to fight this complacency is by being purposeful in your daily actions, making small improvements over time that lead to big results. I refer to this process as becoming the hero of your own story.

In today’s episode, I will talk about exactly what that means, provide you with some insight as to how to go about becoming the hero of your own story, and invite you to the next cohort of The Forge which will focus on this specific mindset!

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Join The Forge!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Great Videos:

Become the Hero of Your Own Story - Jordan Peterson

Be the Real Life Hero of Your Own Story - Donald Miller

There is SO much information out there in the world today! Along with all the information out there comes the different ways that we can learn it.

I’m a huge supporter of learning by doing. In the FIRE and EMS world, there are many things that we teach to our new people through this method.

In today’s episode, I share with you what exactly it means to learn by doing and how it can be an incredibly effective way to learn something new!

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Buy my book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Join The Forge!

I love movies. I love the story-writing that goes into them. When we watch a movie or read a book, we are watching character development play out right before our eyes.

Ultimately, regardless of what movie we are watching, the story comes down to one theme, “who am I?”

I recently read an article that stated there are 3 versions of you. The author asked the question, “which one is the real you?”

In today’s episode, I will break down the concept of the “3 versions” of yourself and leave you asking yourself the questions; “who am I?” and “who do I want to be?”

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There Are 3 Versions of Yourself You Must Master (YouTube)

Box Office Bust: ‘Black Adam’ Faces Theatrical Losses (Variety)

Dogville (IMDb)

Buy the book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Join The Forge!

As we go through the motions, shift by shift, and week by week, we often forget to take moments to ourselves, but not only that, we forget to be actively grateful for what we have.

I have been given so much in my life and with Thanksgiving in our rearview mirror, I want to make sure that I'm not just spending one day a year being grateful, but that I am actively spending some time every day focusing on those things that I am grateful for, big or small, and I'd like to encourage you to do the same.

In today’s episode, I will share with you how being consciously grateful can positively affect your life and I will share with you 4 ways that you can actively be more grateful to reap those rewards.

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Buy the book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Join The Forge!

Back in 2017 I learned of a horrendous statistic; firefighter and first-responder suicides outnumbered line of duty deaths (LODDs).

This hit me hard and I wanted to learn more about why this was happening. The more I learned, the more I realized I needed to share what I’d learned with my brothers and sisters across the world.

I decided that the best way for me to do that is by starting a podcast to share what I had learned. The great part about it all is that I am constantly learning new things and as a result am refining my mentality and my perspective on the things that we are faced with in the first-responder community.

In today’s episode, I will share with you what drives the IGNITEd movement, how a focus on refining ourselves can make a huge impact, and how you can actively be a part of it.

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Buy the book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Join The Forge!

I was recently asked what I think separates arrogance and confidence and my answer was this: humility and ability.

If you don’t have the ability to execute, then you are being arrogant and false in your capability. If you are capable but not humble about it, then a sense of arrogance still remains. However, if you introduce humility along with your ability, then you’re a confident performer and that tends to make people like and trust you and want you on their team.

In today’s episode, I will talk about how we can achieve levels of confident execution through humble preparation.

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Ego & Humility vs Arrogance - Jocko (YouTube)

Buy the book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

Join The Forge!