Forged by FIRE with Ryan Rodriquez

In order to get to be the person we want to be and get to where we want to be in life and in our careers, we’ve got to start by looking within to identify who and where we are. We’ve got to be introspective.

We can do this in a few different ways; we can perform 360 evaluations where we ask for insight from those we work for, those we work with, and those we provide services to. We can rely on our annual performance review (that may never come). Regardless, taking active steps on our own to be introspective can help us make sure we are on the right path to becoming the person we want to be.

In today’s episode, I will talk about 5 steps you can take to become more introspective, become more self-aware, and become more of the person you want to be.

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87 Self-Reflection Questions

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I was recently a part of a group of people who were working toward establishing a new vision, mission, and values for their organization. I was SUPER excited to be a part of it because I really want to see this organization thrive with the new leadership that recently took the helm.

Anytime you want to know where you want to go, as an organization or as an individual, you have to start by asking questions about where you’re at. We asked a lot of questions like, “what are the characteristics that the organization should be known for?” and “what makes this organization unique; why would people want to be a part of it over another one?”

I witnessed a question come up between what matters more, professionalism or passion. I thought about this for a few weeks, asking myself where I stood on this issue, doing some deep dives and research and I’m ready to talk about my conclusion.

In today’s episode, I will share my perspective on professionalism vs passion, give you some ways to define each, and I will provide you with some reasons why I landed on the conclusion I did.

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When we hear the words “health & wellness” we might think of the umbrella that that phrase covers, or committees that are bogged down in bureaucracy. Being able to identify the elements of health and wellness and how they apply to you are crucial when it comes to staying in the infinite game that is the fire service.

Being able to not only identify the elements that you may need to shore up, but taking action in those elements could be life-saving!

In today’s episode, I talk to Annette Zapp of Fire Rescue Wellness. It’s her mission to bring to light the elements of health and wellness that not only speak to us as individuals, but can act as a catalyst for improving our lives so we can enjoy a long and healthy retirement.

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Fire Rescue Wellness

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Firefighter wellness isn’t just about working out and training for the “big one”, it’s about being mentally healthy, spiritually sound, and having our nutrition dialed in. When we hear the term “diet”, we can’t help but think of restrictions; tightening our belt figuratively so we can tighten the belt literally.

Megan Lautz is a registered dietician with a Master’s degree in sports nutrition who focuses her efforts on members of the fire service and our unique challenges when it comes to making sure we are taking care of ourselves. She’s got a great social media presence and is VERY knowledgeable and passionate about the community she serves!

In todays’ episode, we talk about how a small shift in our mindset can make for huge changes, how our diet doesn’t have to be restrictive, and we also talk about the taboo subject of energy drinks!

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Sometimes it can be hard to find the humility sweet spot between the spectral ends of ego. If we believe we are more capable than we are then we are victims of dunning-kruger syndrome where our ego outweighs our ability. On the other end of that, if we are of the mindset that we aren’t good enough and that other people deserve things more that we do, we are victims of what’s known as “reverse pride” where we don’t feel we are doing anything worthwhile.

There’s no doubt that the fire service is a male-dominated profession and the elements of pride and nobility are definitely very present in the establishment. But when does it go from being a productive driver of motivation to a cancerous mentality keeping you from reaching your true noble potential?

Jack Donovan is a speaker, author, and has been writing about masculinity and tribalism for over a decade. In his book A More Complete Beast, Donovan utilizes the words of Frederich Nietzsche to help men refine a strength-based ethos, reveal their highest and noblest selves and become a more complete beast.

In my conversation today, I talked with Jack about taking the reins when it comes to getting what you’ve earned, how we can leverage our personality traits to help us achieve success, and why it’s so important for us to become what he calls a “noble beast”.

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Have you ever come off of a bad or frustrating call, and get on the truck or back to the station and use that sacred space to debrief and express your feelings and frustration to your crew only to hear someone on your crew say something like, “It could’ve been worse!” or “we’re just lucky to have jobs!”?

When people respond to your vulnerability and willingness to express frustration in this way, they are ultimately diminishing your feelings or ignoring them altogether. There are more examples of this type of response and behavior, but I recently discovered that there is an official term for it; “toxic positivity”.

In today’s episode, I will share what I’ve learned about what “toxic positivity” is, help give you some ways to identify it, and I will provide you with some strategies that we can use so that we aren’t the ones purveying this type of dismissive behavior.

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As firefighters, we are expected to perform incredible physical tasks at the drop of a hat. But we should all be asking ourselves the same question, “am I ready to answer that call?” Being strong isn’t the only thing we should be focusing on. We should be focusing on all of the elements that will make us effective firefighters, and more functional human beings; sleep, nutrition, and fitness.

In today’s conversation, I spoke with Nate Harpster, Phoenix firefighter and paramedic. Whether it’s on or off duty, Nate has been very active on social media, sharing his fitness journey and inspiring others to do the same. He gives us his thoughts on being an asset, not a liability, what that means and how he not only puts an emphasis on strength conditioning and physical fitness, but just as equally on recovery as well.

I had a great time talking to Nate and I know you’ll get a lot out of our conversation, I know I did.

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When we start out in our careers, we are incredibly passionate for the job and the opportunity to live our dreams! Sometimes the light gets a little dim and sometimes we burn out altogether.

It's this burnout that can cause us to lose our identity, our sense of meaning, or even our lives due to suicide.

In today's episode, I will talk to return guest, Chris Chandler-Yates about passion, how sometimes that passion can lessen or even burn out, and he will talk about some strategies we can implement to re-ignite the fire of that passion, or even find a new one altogether.

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When I first started my career in the fire service, we used paper reports that had carbon copies that we had to file and keep records of. Now, things are digital and we don’t use nearly the amount of paper and ink that we used to.

Even though things have changed, we still need to be rockstars when it comes to documentation. If it doesn’t get documented, it never happened, right? So why would we slack when it comes to our documentation?

In today’s episode, I will share a system with you that will add value and if you implement it, it will help you build trust and introduce consistency into your documentation systems making your reports a leading example of professionalism.

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Early on in my pursuit of becoming a firefighter, I was told about a principle that I keep on the back burner to this day. That principle is more of a question that I can repeatedly ask myself if something I was doing ever raised a question within myself.

I’ve witnessed a lot of people come and go from the fire service, whether it’s due to resigning because they’ve found a different passion, early retirement due to medical reasons, or termination of employment based on a poor decision they made on or off duty.

In today’s episode, I will talk about what this principle is, why we should keep it in our minds whether we are on or off duty, and how living by this principle will help ensure you to live out a successful career in the fire service.

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