I lived in New York City for two years—throughout 2018 and 2019.

I left, thanks to a series of seemingly random events that, in hindsight, made me realize they weren’t random at all, just before Covid and all the chaos that followed.

What could be said about New York City that hasn’t already been said thousands of times?

Very little.

Those were interesting years, filled with equally interesting reflections that I want to share here.

I don’t know if my NYC experience can be considered atypical, or perhaps, precisely because it is atypical, it can certainly be defined as quintessentially New York.

Read the story here: https://open.substack.com/pub/theheroblog/p/center-of-the-universe?r=3zo09s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Some time ago, I made friends with a guy.

I don’t speak his language very well (Spanish), but I speak it much better than he speaks my second (English).

But, you know, when there’s a connection, words aren’t really necessary.

He’s from Colombia, which, apart from being famous for coffee, plastic surgery, or Pablo, has a rich, mysterious, fascinating, and “shamanic” indigenous culture.

https://open.substack.com/pub/theheroblog/p/kiss-the-dragon?r=3zo09s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

The idea for this came while listening to a podcast by Joel Osteen, a famous pastor/motivational speaker here in the United States.

What Joel talks about is that many people live in a constant state of "proving mode," feeling that their worth is tied to how well they perform, how successful they are, or how much they impress others.

This mindset leads to exhaustion constantly striving to outdo others or gain their approval.

Check the full article here:

https://open.substack.com/pub/theheroblog/p/nothing-to-prove?r=3zo09s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

A hug.

M

I always thought, 'Why the hell do they do it (walking)? If you want to chat, you can do it sitting on the couch. If you need to get from point A to point B, you can do it faster by car/motorbike/bicycle.'

I held on to this belief until recently.

At nearly forty years old, without any specific plan or intention to explore that particular place, I suddenly found myself on a Swiss Air flight from Miami to Milan, and then Milan to Lugano, in Switzerland.

And there, without any Wi-Fi connection, no cell phone, no television to connect me with Netflix or Amazon Prime or Hulu or HBO, I started walking every day.

Check the full article here: https://open.substack.com/pub/theheroblog/p/go-for-a-walk?r=3zo09s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Enjoy!

In this episode I'm in doing my evening walk in Downtown Miami. And you know what?

It's noisy as hell.

Not only external noise, but also, internal.

Airpods, Apple Watches, Audiobooks, Podcasts, Social Media.

Why do we always need to fill silence?

Why can't we just sit still and quiet our minds?

For the full story head to my blog:

https://open.substack.com/pub/theheroblog/p/staying-in-silence?r=3zo09s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Enjoy!

In this episode I'm in Lugano, Switzerland.

In an Idyllic setting, surrounded by the quietness of the lake and a beautiful full moon, I have nightmare.

I'm jumping off a building in Manhattan, freefalling at a high speed towards the asphalt.

My life flashes through my eyes and a question arises: When have I made the passage into adulthood?

For the full story head to my blog: https://theheroblog.substack.com/p/rite-of-passage-for-healthy-males.

Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about "The Knight in Rusty Armor" book by Robert Fisher. And the Hero's Journey.

I talk about Australia and body surfing.

Press play.

If you want to read the whole article I recommend you go and check out my blog : https://theheroblog.substack.com/ and subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out when I'm dropping new stuff. A hug.

In this episode I talk about Panic Attacks.

What do two ER visits, an Ayahuasca Ceremony in aboriginal land in Australia, and getting in touch with your hidden self, your dark side, your SHADOW, have in common? Press play and you'll know.

In this episode, the official first episode of The Hero Pod, I talk about Matura Masculine Archetypes.

The King, The Magician, The Lover, The Warrior.

I talk about patriarchy and what it is.

For a full experience, I recommend you go and read the article posted on my blog here

( https://theheroblog.substack.com/ ), and if you want, you can subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out when I'm dropping new stuff.

The book I talk about is this one here:

https://a.co/d/06S8LlaH

Leave me comments, feedbacks!

This is Matteo (@mattscaletti) and this is The Hero Pod.

It is in conjunction with The Hero Blog, in which I send a weekly newsletter where I share personal thoughts on self improvement, wellness, spirituality and how you can be the best version of yourself.