RockneCAST

In this episode, I explore how Geno Smith resurrected his career from a career backup to one of the top NFL quarterbacks.

How did he do it?

In this episode, I explore how and try to offer the Carolina Panthers can take the lessons learned to handle their Bryce Young situation.

Deep Listening is one of the greatest gifts that you can give or receive. This episode is about the art of Deep Listening.

This morning, I read Thich Nhat Hanh's book The Heart of Buddha's Teaching and learned about the concept of Deep Listening. Whoa this is something that we rarely do well, but when we do, it has the power to transform us in all sorts of different ways.

In this episode, I discuss the concept of Deep Listening, how to do it, and what it will do for you. I'll also introduce you to the great listener, Kwan Yin and share some awesome passages from the work of Thich.

We can't always control whether others will listen to us, but we can control whether we can listen. Listening is the first step to Deep Understanding, healing, and transformation.

This was probably one of my favorite episodes so far!

Deep gratitude to all of you for listening in.

I just finished Jesus is the Question by Martin Copenhaver. In this book, he addresses the questions of Jesus. In particular, Jesus asked 307 questions, was asked 186 questions, and he answered only 3.

In this episode, I cover how I learned about the questions of Jesus, the types of questions he asked, the three that he answered, and my favorite chapter of this book. I cover a little Slavoj Zizek, Elie Wiesel and the important of questions in a healthy religious practice.

Buy this book! Loved it!!

I am reading Martin Copenhaver's 2014 book Jesus is the Question the 307 Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered. Chapter 8 covers the loaves and fish miracle covered in all of the Gospels. Copenhaver uses Mark 6:31-44 to explore this topic.

In this episode, I cover the story, its meaning, and the multiplier effect in action through the stories of Millard Fuller and Mother Theresa.

I also give you a take away.

Loved this one!!

It's fall in the Upper Midwest! I just finished hike that I have been wanting to do for a while, the Marching Bear trial near the Effigy Mounds National Monument, which is located just about 2 miles north of McGregor, Iowa.

The Marching Bears hike is about 1/4 mile south of the visitors center. I learned about it through the work of Lori Erickson, a travel writer who featured Marching Bears in her book called Every Step is Home: A Spiritual Geography from Appalachia to Alaska.

After your hike, you should visit McGregor, Iowa a short trip south from the Marching Bears trail head. McGregor has two awesome book stores: Paper Moon and Rivertown Fine Books. It also has a whole bowl of hoppy awesomeness called Old Man River Restaurant and Brewery. Check the hours before you go!

If you're like me, your knowledge of WWI was fairly shallow. It started in Sarajevo and ended on November 11, 1918 followed the Treaty of the Versailles. You probably know about the Western Front and the large number of casualties. That's about it.

If that's your knowledge level, you absolutely must read A World Undone, which provides a readable and in-depth analysis of WWI from its causes, to its tactics to its aftermath.

I loved this book! In this episode, I primarily focus on the why the lesson of Sarajevo is a much more apt precedent to govern US decision making rather than the lesson of Munich, the often cited lesson of appeasement that our inept leaders commons cite.

This is required reading for anyone who wants to really understand the world today. WWI, in my view, had a much greater impact upon our world than even WW2. Indeed, some of those battles are still being fought in Palestine for example. All of the conflict of today was set in motion by WWI and what happened in Sarajevo in 1914.

I also gained a new appreciation for Neville Chamberlain and do not think he has been given his due, in light of what had actually happened during the Great War, the war to end all wars. The decision to mobilize was not quite as easy as our modern leaders make it seam. He had his reasons for slowing the road to war and avoiding the mistakes of Sarajevo in 1914.

In this episode we learn about the insight gained by stopping, calming, resting, and healing through the work of the great Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh and his book The Heart of Buddha's Teaching.

Mindfulness allows us to control and influence our positive and negative habit energies.

Thich teaches us how to do achieve this control through the practice of mindfulness.

I just finished Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.

I discovered this book while browsing at the Paper Moon bookstore in McGregor, Iowa.

Loved this book. He covers the work, wellness, routines, and exercises of some of the all time creatives in business, politics, and even War.

We focus on work and rest habits of two creatives: Scott Adams of the Dilbert comic strip and Earnest Hemingway.

Whoa, just did my first 4:00 morning in quite a while. Usually get up around 5, but this morning was incredible. So for this episode, I am going to focus on three things:

1. Why should do 4:00 mornings.

2. How you can do 4:00 mornings, and

3. What you should do during your first 4:00 morning.

Music and book recommendations.

1. Morning Light by Josh Garrells (music)

Books

2. Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

3. Heart of Buddhist Teaching - Thich Nhat Hanh

Rookie NFL Quarterback JJ McCarthy recently suffered a season ending injury, tearing his meniscus in a preseason game.

He responded with two words, "Amor Fati."

This comes straight out of the ancient philosophy of Stoicism.

In this episode, I cover those two words, McCarthy's response to the injury, Victor Frankel's book Man's Search for Meaning, and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

Will JJ McCarthy be a great quarterback? Who knows, but it if he succeeds, it will be because he focuses on what he can control.

Stoicism is a powerful philosophy whose timeless truths can completely transform your life.