Men Talking Mindfulness

What does a man do when no one is coming to save him?

Hal Hughes is a registered psychotherapist, former police officer, and federal corrections officer who survived two traumatic brain injuries, a bipolar and PTSD diagnosis, and an opiate addiction that nearly killed him. At his lowest, he was on eight psychiatric medications and undergoing electroconvulsive shock therapy. Today, Hal runs Hughes Counseling in Smiths Falls, Ontario, specializing in first responders, military personnel, and anyone navigating the wreckage of a life that got away from them. In this episode, Hal joins Jon and Will to break down the philosophy, the structure, and the daily discipline that actually gets a man through the hard stuff — not the kind you read about, but the kind he earned the hard way.

IN THIS EPISODE:

1.  Two TBIs, bipolar, PTSD, and opiate addiction — Hal’s full story

2.  The sharp instrument: why the human mind cuts us when we’re untrained

3.  The rat park experiment and why addiction only gets fixed in community

4.  The healing circle that led to forgiveness — and where “more love, less judgment” was born

5.  Get the vehicle right first: the body-mind framework that makes everything else possible

More about Hal Hughes:

1.  Website: https://www.halhughes.com

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

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JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

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We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Father's Day is almost here, so Jon and Will sat down to talk about what fatherhood actually asks of us. Not the highlight-reel version. The real one.

This episode is about forgiveness. The kind you give your kids, the kind you give your own father, and the kind you eventually have to give yourself. We get into how holding onto resentment quietly wrecks the connection you say you want, and what changes when you finally put it down.

We talked as dads. We also talked as sons, because you can't really separate the two. Some of this got personal. That felt right for the topic.

If you're a father, or you're still working through things with your own, this one's worth your time.

What we cover:

• Why Father's Day is a good excuse to look honestly at how we show up as dads
• Forgiveness as a real tool, not a soft one, for repairing the father-child bond
• How resentment blocks the peace and clarity most of us are chasing
• What we've learned sitting on both sides of the relationship... as fathers and as sons
• Where forgiveness actually starts the healing, and where it just papers over things

Most of this work starts with one skill, paying attention to what's actually going on inside you before you react. That's the whole premise of our Awareness to Action course. If you want to build that skill on purpose, you can check it out here: https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-course

And if you're not sure where you stand right now, start with our free Awareness Self Assessment. It takes a few minutes and gives you a real read on where your attention is going: https://focusnowtraining.com/assessment-page

Time stamps:
(00:01)Forgiveness and Fatherhood: An Advanced Human Skill
(10:16) Forgiveness and Fatherhood
(12:39) "Understanding and Forgiving Our Fathers Across Generations"
(15:09) Forgiving and Accepting Parents for Who They Are
(17:45) The Neuroscience and Psychological Benefits of Forgiveness
(19:04) "Parental Influence on Adult Behavior: A Study on Forgiveness and Vengeance"
(20:45) "The Interconnection of Forgiveness, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion"
(24:33) "Understanding Emotional Differences and Healing Relationships with Fathers"
(26:25) Forgiveness and Self-Compassion: Healing Relationships and Moving Forward with Integrity
(28:08) "Transformative Power of Awareness and Forgiveness"
(29:53) Modeling Forgiveness for Our Children
(31:42) The Power of Empathy and Forgiveness in Personal Growth
(37:22) "Understanding and Forgiveness: Transforming Relationships"
(44:41) "Discussing 'The Living Years' Lyrics"
(45:21) The Importance of Forgiveness in Relationships
(48:49) "Podcast Sign-Off and Father's Day Wishes"

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Dr. Lisa Larkin, doctor of internal medicine and 35-year women's health specialist, joins Jon and Will to explain what men need to know about menopause and perimenopause. She covers why women age completely differently than men (fits and starts vs. gradual decline), the biological reasons behind declining libido, sleep disruption, mood changes, and body changes in women's 40s and 50s, and why communication is the single most important thing couples can do during this transition. She also breaks down breast cancer risk assessment (25% of women are high risk and don't know it), the history of hormone therapy from the 2002 Women's Health Initiative scare to where the science stands now, why she opposes high-dose testosterone pellets for women, and why lifestyle beats supplements every time. Dr. Larkin is a breast cancer survivor herself and past president of the Menopause Society.

Full episode: https://podfollow.com/mentalkingmindfulness/episode/03387a9002dca750859496876727425e576ad645/view
Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-gSueDpfWY
Free A2A course access: use code FREE at https://men-talking-mindfulness-a2a.circle.so/checkout/free-access
Free Awareness assessment and Focus app: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/linkinbio or text MTM to 33777

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

GET MORE FROM MTM:

Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletter

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

The longest relationship you'll ever have is the one inside your own mind. Most men have never been formally introduced.

Jimmy Wightman — former London DJ turned global meditation teacher — joins Jon and Will for an honest conversation about what a consistent medit3
IN THIS EPISODE:

1. How Jimmy's Meditation practice saved his relationship in real time
2. Concentration, sensory clarity, and equanimity are the three components that rewire behavior
3. Equanimity: the magical third option between reacting and suppressing
4. How people-pleasing is a nervous system pattern mindfulness exposes and rewires
5. What Jon, Will, and Jimmy still get triggered by — and what they do about it
6. How to choose a meditation style: interest, opportunity, necessity

RELATED EPISODES:

1. Ep. 120 — Creating Emotional Stability with Jay Fields
2. Ep. 111 — Accessing Inner Harmony: Mind-Body Integration with Luke Iorio
3. Ep. 138 — Curiosity Is Key to Breaking Men Free from Judgment and Rumination

More about JIMMY WIGHTMAN:

• Instagram: @that_meditation_guy
• Website & Courses: delvedeep.com

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

GET MORE FROM MTM:

Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletter

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink joins Jon and Will to break down what "discipline equals freedom" actually looks like in daily life. They cover getting up early and imposing your will on the day, recognizing over-training before it wrecks you, extreme ownership as a leadership tool and a life tool, the detachment story that changed how Jocko leads, humility as the single most important trait in a leader, default aggressive (and knowing when to override it), and applying battlefield leadership principles to parenting and family. Jocko also shares what it was like to lose Mark Lee, Ryan Job, and Mikey Monsoor in Ramadi, and how that loss fuels his gratitude for every single day. Jon opens up about his own survivor's guilt from Operation Red Wings and how it led him to mindfulness. The episode closes with Jocko's first on-air one-minute meditation.

Full episode: pod.fo/e/2d9003 Full video: youtu.be/_FmnCrniCq4

Take the free A2A Awareness self-assessment or check out the full A2A course: text MTM to 33777 or click here for more info: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/linkinbio

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

GET MORE FROM MTM:

Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletter

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

What happens when you stop doing things virtually and actually show up for each other?

Jon, Will, and returning MTM guest David Valadez reflect on a weekend in Colorado Springs that started with an excruciating Spartan 10K — 7 miles of mud, hills, barbed wire, and shared struggle — and ended with something harder to measure. Every wall and climb was a reminder that we are stronger together than we will ever be alone. Outside the race, the moments kept coming: Jon's Family embracing the gang for dinner, and a visit to Dan Carcillo's plant medicine retreat center in Golden.

This is a short episode about the one thing that accelerates everything else — real, in-person community between men. It's one of the core tenets of Men Talking Mindfulness: we are stronger together, and this weekend proved it.

MORE ABOUT DAVID VALADEZ:
Business advisor to the show, investor, partner, and advisor across multiple business ventures and startups. In 2018 he walked away from a corporate operations career — including senior roles at Convergint, a global systems integrator in security and building automation — to focus on investing in and advising growth-stage companies. He also brings a background in youth sports performance leadership as former VP of Operations at Dedicated Athletes and Legerity Sports Performance. David is a Partner at Kitsap Olhava Management and one of the men behind the scenes at MTM.

Check out his past ep:
Men's Journey Through and Healing After Divorce

IN THIS EPISODE:

-Why shared struggle creates a depth of connection no Zoom call can replicate

-How co-regulation works — and what Jon's wife saw in him after just one weekend

-The visit to Dan Carcillo and Experience Onward — what happened in that room

-Why doing something hard together is different from just hanging out

-The first step if you've been isolating — and how to take it

-A direct invitation to join MTM community and future in-person events

Tired of just listening and want to become more mindful?
Take our Awareness to Action COURSE (A2A)

12 modules structured curriculum on attention, presence, practices & performance — plus an inspiring community built in for connection.

https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-course

→ This episode is a living example of what A2A is building — community as the foundation of growth

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mentalkingmindfulness.com

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Does your company need help, or would you like to reduce safety incidents?? Head over to focusnowtraining.com - we have you covered!

Produced by Robert Lopez cratesaudio.com

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

GET MORE FROM MTM:

Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletter

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

What does a dedicated meditation practice look like off the cushion and in the real world? On this episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, hosts Jon Macaskill and Will Schneider sit down with Chris Lee... former Green Beret, 18 Delta medic, author of Beyond the Battlefield, and newly signed president of Machine Mentality alongside Nick Lavery. Chris came on to talk about why meditation is the quiet superpower that most men keep putting off, and what actually changed when he stopped treating it like a checkbox.

Chris shares his walking meditation practice (72 steps per lap in his backyard, nearly killed the grass), the moment he realized he'd been matching his breath to his pace instead of his pace to his breath, and why flipping that became a metaphor for his whole life. He talks about the shift from knife-handing his daughters to being present during driving lessons, the self-talk change that cracked everything open, and a psychedelic-assisted therapy session where he heard: stop striving for peace, just be peace.

Jon shares his own meditation gap... learning the practice in 2015, dropping off, and coming back in 2017 when his newborn daughter's nighttime feedings forced him to rediscover the tool. Will talks about teaching non-doing meditation to high performers in New York and why you'll never out-clever your own mind.

The episode gets practical with the five-minute rule, the gym analogy for beginners (start with 45 seconds, not an hour), and two responses to common meditation pushback that are worth remembering: "I can't quiet my mind" is like saying "I'm too dirty to take a shower," and the deadlift analogy for people who think sitting still is a waste of time. Chris closes by guiding a liquid light body scan meditation.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Chris's walking meditation practice and matching pace to breath as a life metaphor

• The self-talk shift: being gentle when your mind wanders

• How meditation changed Chris's parenting with two daughters

• Jon's nighttime feeding story and rediscovering the tool

• The five-minute rule and why 45 seconds is a great place to start

• "I can't quiet my mind" = "I'm too dirty to take a shower"

• The deadlift analogy for meditation skeptics

• Non-doing meditation and why fighting your mind gives it control

• Peace as a reservoir, not a mountaintop

• Sleep, alcohol, the Brick device, and variables that affect your practice

• Community and accountability for sustaining a meditation habit

• Guided liquid light body scan meditation

• 
  

Chris's book: Beyond the Battlefield (available now) Chris's upcoming book: Beyond the Serpent (early 2026) Chris on Instagram/TikTok: @coach_chris.lee Machine Mentality with Nick Lavery

Full episode: https://pod.fo/e/34fabf

Text MTM to 33777 for updates on new episodes, the A2A course, and resources from Focus Now Training.

Jon's book, DIAL in Your Leadership: 4 Non-negotiables for Leading with Clarity, Trust, and Purpose, is available now on Amazon. https://a.co/d/0hYwI2Sz

Follow Men Talking Mindfulness, Jon Macaskill, and Will Schneider for more.

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

GET MORE FROM MTM:

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Steven Pressfield spent 27 years writing before his first novel was published — enduring 21 jobs, living in 11 states, and at times out of his car. Finally, at age 52, Steve finally, what Joseph Campbell calls, “Seized the Sword”.

Since then, he’s written over 20+ books and sold millions of copies. His most famous works are: The War of Art, Turning Pro, Gates of Fire (Gates is on the US Marine Corps commandant's mandatory reading list), and he also wrote the 2000 Oscar-nominated film, The Legend of Bagger Vance. His newest book, The Arcadian, was just released May 26th.

Steven comes on Men Talking Mindfulness to talk about the inner war every man is fighting — against Resistance, and the risks of actually Turning pro.

IN THIS EPISODE:

-What Resistance is — and why it wants to kill you, not just stop you

-The one question Steven asks at the end of every day — and why it changes everything

-Why warrior virtues and artist virtues are identical

-The Muse — what it is, where it comes from, and how to tune in

-Amateur vs. pro: the mindset shift that separates people who do from people who mean to

-The authentic swing — Bagger Vance, the Bhagavad Gita, and your true calling

RELATED EPISODES:

-Overcoming Procrastination

-The Shadow Holds Your Power, Not Your Pain with Connor Beaton

-Finding Your Purpose

-Curiosity Is Key to Breaking Men Free from Judgment and Rumination

PRE-ORDER THE ARCADIAN BOOK &

FOLLOW STEVEN PRESSFIELD:
-stevenpressfield.com

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A2A COURSE:

Change is Possible, this is where it starts - 12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Self-paced.

-https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-course

- Maps to Module 2 of A2A: Observing Your Inner World Without Being Owned By It

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Co-produced by Robert Lopez cratesaudio.com

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

GET MORE FROM MTM:

Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletter

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Our A2A Course is live and at 40% off until Friday, May 29th at 1pm ET. Visit https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-course to sign up NOW!!

Marcus Aurelius said it nearly two thousand years ago: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own. On this episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, hosts Jon Macaskill and Will Schneider sit down with Andy Riise... army officer, mental performance coach for NFL athletes including the Chicago Bears, and host of the Skull Sessions podcast... to break down the approval trap and why it's quietly running most men's lives.

Will lays the biological foundation. Fear of negative evaluation, FNE, is one of the most studied patterns in clinical psychology. Your brain processes social rejection through the same neural circuits it uses for physical pain. Getting dismissed in a meeting registers the same way getting punched does. That's evolutionary wiring, not weakness.

The guys get into the spotlight effect (Cornell research showing people overestimate how much others notice them by roughly double), Andy's story of deliberately sitting with a different group at the West Point prep school mess hall, and Alyssa Liu's gold medal comeback after quitting figure skating to rediscover why she loved it in the first place.

Jon, Will, and Andy walk through how FNE shows up in daily life: the yes-man pattern at work that stalls careers, the reassurance-seeking in relationships that erodes attraction, the Disney dad trap of buying approval instead of earning respect, and the deepest layer... the ghost. Most men are performing for one or two specific people from their past, and they've been doing it for decades.

Andy teaches the BASS framework he uses with NFL athletes for real-time emotional regulation. Will adds a values audit and a spotlight effect experiment. And Jon talks about how purpose is the single biggest antidote to approval-seeking, which ties directly into the A2A (Awareness to Action) course launching through Focus Now Training.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why social rejection activates the same brain circuits as physical pain

• The spotlight effect: half as many people are watching you as you think

• Andy's West Point mess hall story and why crossing social lines is the real macho move

• Alyssa Liu's gold medal run and the next-play mindset

• How FNE shows up at work, in relationships, with kids, and in community

• The ghost concept: who you're still performing for decades later

• BASS framework: Breathe, Accept, Separate, Shift

• Motivational interviewing basics: OARS (Open questions, Affirmations, Reflective listening, Summarizing)

• Purpose as the antidote to approval-seeking

• 
  

Andy's podcast: Skull Sessions (available everywhere) Andy's TEDx talk: Fight to Win the War from Within

Full episode: https://pod.fo/e/3abd25

Text MTM to 33777 for updates on new episodes, the A2A course, and resources from Focus Now Training.

Jon's book, DIAL in Your Leadership: 4 Non-negotiables for Leading with Clarity, Trust, and Purpose, is available now on Amazon. https://a.co/d/0hYwI2Sz

Follow Men Talking Mindfulness, Jon Macaskill, and Will Schneider for more.

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

GET MORE FROM MTM:

Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletter

1.  Subscribe: mentalkingmindfulness.com

2.  FNT: focusnowtraining.com

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Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

What happens in the space between a trigger and your reaction? That gap — the one most people don't even know exists — is where everything changes. In this special episode, Will and Jon break down the concept live during the Awareness to Action (A2A) course launch webinar, walk the audience through a real-time breathwork exercise to experience the gap firsthand, and explain how training this skill can transform the way you lead, parent, and show up in every relationship.

Whether you're a maxed-out leader running on fumes, someone searching for a change that actually sticks, or just going through a hard season, this one's for you.

Sign up for the Awareness to Action (A2A) course: https://focusnowtraining.com/A2A-course Or text MTM to 33777

Check out our Awareness-to-action Self Mastery COURSE & COMMUNITY:

12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Work at your own pace plus a community built for Inspiration and connection.

1.  www.focusnowtraining.com/a2a-Course

JOIN US IN PERSON — Future Events and Retreats.

1.  Live in-person event: Warrior Defined.
We will be in Charlotte, NC, September 25, 2026 more info HERE: 

Or mentalkingmindfulness.com

GET MORE FROM MTM:

Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletter

1.  Subscribe: mentalkingmindfulness.com

2.  FNT: focusnowtraining.com

BRING FNT TO YOUR TEAM:

1.  focusnowtraining.com/contact

Produced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/