RockneCAST

This is a short episode on Marcus Aurelius' comments on death and its relationship to living in the present moment.  The Stoics teach that acknowledgement and recognition of death is part of our nature, our fate, our destiny.  Nothing to fear, but recombining elements and returning the dust.

Whoa, acknowledgment of our own demise brings joy in the present moment if we are not dead yet.

We don't know when or how we will die, only that we will someday enter the next realm.  "Memento Mori" - remember that you must die.  Death is the yin to the yang of life.  It's nothing to fear, but one aspect of the gift of life.  

If we don't know how much time we have or control when that moment comes, let's seize the day.  Don't let external things over which you no control disturb your enjoyment of the gift of today.  Focus on what you can control and live our your life's purpose.

 Fulfill your dharma, your passion skill.  And match it to service with the time that we have on the beautiful earth.

Live out your destiny now.  

We only have so much time.  

Carpe Diem!!

In this episode, I share one atomic habit that I applied to lose 70 pounds, skipping breakfast.  Yep, mom, and Judy, that dietician gives you sugary juice, cornflakes, and a muffin at the hospital are wrong.  You don't need breakfast, at least just 6 hours after you gorged yourself while watching your latest Netflix binge series.  Move it back 16 hours after your 6:00 dinner the night before.  

In this episode, I discuss my experience with the 16/8 intermittent fasting protocol and explain why it works using the work of Dr. Jason Fung and his book the Obesity Code.  I am going to be doing a separate cast on his work, but you really need to read that book along with Atomic Habits by James Clear. 

Combine the two, and you will change your life.  

In Clear's book, he discusses identify and tiny steps reinforcing that identity.  I am an intermittent faster and I'll share with you the tiny wins that reinforced that identity.  70 pounds later.  I now have a lot of proof to reinforce that identity.

And I'm no longer dadbod guy.  

Bye-bye Dadbod!!

In this episode, we explore the work of James Clear's excellent book, Atomic Habits - Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results.  This book has had a huge impact on me in multiple domains. We explore Clear's view on identity and habit change that reinforce that identity.  I think you'll find this episode very useful.  Clear is a whole bowl of mega-awesomeness!!  He is wise, smart, and Clear.

My sister, Susie, introduced me to the work of Dr. Henry Cloud, the most awesome and wise Christian psychologist.  He consults, writes, teaches, and has his own podcast.  In his book "Necessary Endings", he quoted the following proverb, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12.  This podcast is a meditation on that proverb.  Whoa, love that verse!!

Just went to Free Guy, the the sci-fi comedy starring Ryan Reynolds.   Loved it!  This is my review of the movie and why should go!

In this episode, we explore Shetty's take on separating our emotions from ourselves, or what monks call detachment.  The simple shift from being an emotion to describing how you experience can have a powerful impact on your day to day life. Using this chapter as a springboard, I also discuss the Stoics and how practice of focus of focusing on what you control and practicing detachment on things you cannot control can transform your life. 

This is my final episode on Shetty (for now).  Infinite gratitude to Shetty, the Ashram where he studied, and to all of the wise teachers that taught Shetty as that location.  This is truly one of the best books that I have read in a long, long time.  Love it!!

In this second to last episode on Jay Shetty's book "Think Like a Monk", we consider the tiny seeds and weeds that we create in our life through our day to day acts and choices.  Seeds create happiness, abundance, and fulfillment.  Weeds create anger, resentment, and sadness.  

We'll explore Shetty's concept of seeds and weeds and what makes something a weed.  I'll also share my own views on what makes an act a "seed" versus a "weed".   

We also cover the work of Aristotle, James Clear, and Jesus.  I even disagree with Jesus a little on one of his verses in the Bible.  

We'll be doing final episode tomorrow!!

In this episode, through the lens of Jay Shetty's book, "Think Like a Monk", we'll explore the beautiful things that can emerge from muddy waters of life's challenges.  

In this episode, we cover Jay Shetty's approach to mornings as a monk: T.I.M.E.  Thankfulness.  Insight.  Meditation.  Exercise.  I also cover my morning routine and discuss the relationship of regular time or more importantly, the lack of it as it relates to our day to day well being and stress. Mornings are absolutely key to finding more time so that you can engage in T.I.M.E. practice.

Whoa, this one was a fun one to do.  Jay Shetty's book, Think Like a Monk, is so full of insight.  This episode covers his chapter on Fear and its unhealthy companions, stress and anxiety.  

We'll cover the zen of Kelly Clarkson, and her views on hormesis, why Iowa wine sucks and why trees kept on falling over in greenhouses.

Yep, it all has to do with stress.   I also share my own struggles with stress and what I've learned about how to use stress for health, personal growth and my own personal well being.  I offer my own suggestions about how to use stress to your advantage and how to make it your happy friend.

I hope you find this one interesting and useful to you!!