The Brave Monkeys Speak | Adventure and the Science of Stoked

Interested in the neuro-biology of how you can become more resilient to stress? Listen in. Episode 032: #mc_embed_signup{background:clear; clear:left; 18px font: courier,Arial,sans-serif; } Ready to get out of the comfort zone and thrive? Join us! Get in touch if you want some citations to the research that went into this episode - I'd be happy to send out the citations. As a great, readable reference, check out 'The Hour Between Dog and Wolf' - it's a great [...]

Climbing... can you think of a more fun way to master your own personal psychology? To calm yourself down in the face of stressful situations? It not only provides useful skills for everyday life, it's also fun. Boom. Don McGrath and Jeff Elison are psychologists, professors, PhD's, and (perhaps most importantly for our purposes) climbers who put their heads together to write and publish Vertical Mind: Psychological Approaches for Optimal Rock Climbing. In this episode, Don, Jeff, and I had a [...]

    I would be remiss if I discussed the topic of adventure without bringing personal psychology into the equation. I know it seems strange. Allow me to explain in Episode 030.     One of the most important, foundational principles in understanding yourself for the purposes of personal development and growth is to understand your biological reactivity - are you inclined to seek out novelty or does doing things outside of your comfort zone make you nervous. Your rea [...]

Whether or not you believe in climate change, the world is undoubtedly changing rapidly, and disasters that come in and shake our world up (sometimes literally) seem to be happening more often. Earthquakes aside, though, in 2011 insurance companies were disappointed when after just 6 months, the year proved to be the costliest year on record - a statistic that their research tied unambiguously to climate change. I’ve seen it first hand this year in California, where a record drought has broug [...]

“The essence of socialization is to make people dependent on social controls, to have them respond predictably to rewards and punishment. And the most effective form of socialization is achieved when people identify so thoroughly with social order that they no longer can imagine themselves breaking any of its rules.” -Mihaly Csikszentmihalyl in is national bestseller, Flow: the psychology of optimal experience.     I know we’re all in a minority, but I think I speak for a [...]

David Kroodsma, a Stanford-educated physicist and environmental scientist, decided to embark on a 21,000 mile bike tour in the name of raising awareness for the climate crisis. Can we say wow? Tune in to Episode 027 to hear from him chat about the trip, climate change, and the highs, lows, joys, and challenges of long-distance bicycle touring. #mc_embed_signup{background:clear; clear:left; 18px font: courier,Arial,sans-serif; } Ready to get out of the comfort zone and t [...]

    Hey ladies and bros - the Brave Monkeys are back. Coming at you this time from Joshua Tree National Park, we have a climbing story. No, a life story. Wait, I'm not sure which one it is. Enjoy Episode 026: Music courtesy of Holland Hopson on Mevio's Music Alley! #mc_embed_signup{background:clear; clear:left; 18px font: courier,Arial,sans-serif; } Ready to get out of the comfort zone and thrive? Join us! [...]

    Matthew Lee created a monster of a bike ride - the 2,745 mile Tour Divide. Starting in Canada and ending on the U.S.-Mexico border, the route climbs enough quad-burning vertical to be equivalent to summiting Mount Everest seven times.     At some point Brendan Leonard interviewed Matt, asking why for so many years he took a month off his job as a maitre’d in North Carolina to come out West and ride his bike an insane number of miles. “Have you heard of The [...]

Are you ready to stop settling and start living? To stop constantly 'playing defense' in life? Are you ready to play to go for audacious goals? Health guru and men's coach Clark Danger and I discuss the value of personal development in creating a freaking awesome life for yourself. Stop waiting for that magical day to come when you are allowed to start living the epic life you have dreamed of. Create it now. Stop settling, start living in Episode 024. Make sure to connect with Clark at [...]

    Call me crazy, call me masochistic, call me just plain stupid, but I decided to go on a run with Michaeline. That’s right - the Michaeline I spoke of last week - the ultrarunner who only seems to get stronger as she goes. Uhh, just hearing her name is a formidable challenge.     My alarm clock rang at 6:03 (I don’t like to set alarms for even numbers), and almost immediately I heard Mikey stirring in the other room. Not 30 seconds passed before she had her [...]