The Upstream Podcast with Salman, Like the Fish

‘Without a vision, the people perish.’

We can’t hit target if we don’t aim at it. And we cannot aim at it, if we cannot see it. So what then? We can be aimless, and aimless we will carry on. But as the proverb says, if we have no aim, no vision, we wither: mentally, emotionally, professionally, spiritually, and physically…even relationally.

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Now what if one has an actual limitation. They can either allow that limitation to become a reason to having limited aims, or they can can proceed despite limitation and aim for the highest good of themselves and potentially overcome not just themselves, but whatever arena of life they are striving in.

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Join me and my guest @mullin_sean, a man who is blind, yet pursuing the aim of being a top competitor in Jiu Jitsu, in an arena with other athletes without any disabilities or limitations. See what he’s been able to do, despite having to overcome obstacle after obstacle, and adversity after adversity. He is truly and man with vision.. one who is not perishing but thriving and climbing higher and higher to the top.

When a man embarks on the journey of fatherhood, his life undergoes a stark transformation. Suddenly, he finds himself entrusted with the profound responsibility of nurturing a co-created with his beloved and the divine Creator. How he embraces and enacts his role as a father profoundly influences the trajectory of his child's life, shaping their future in profound ways.

Yet, no father walks this path flawlessly. Many carry unseen wounds, unresolved and unhealed, which can inadvertently be passed down to their own children, burdening them with generational baggage. However, within every generational lineage, there emerges a trailblazer—a man who courageously breaks the chains of the past, reshaping the narrative for the betterment of future generations.

Join me, along with my dear friend Freddy Banales, as we delve into the complexities of navigating fatherhood without a complete roadmap, healing from our own pasts, and striving to honor our own fathers while fulfilling our roles as loving husbands and fathers. This conversation is particularly meaningful to me, and I hope it resonates deeply with all fathers and soon-to-be fathers out there.

Keep swimming, friends!

We won’t go into the dictionary’s definition. That would be too easy, and quite frankly, it doesn’t reach the depths or heights that would satisfy this inquiry.

In this episode of "What is a Man," we delve into the landscape of what it is to be a man through the lens of a discussion with my guest, Matthew Pride. Exploring the pillars of being a man, we navigate through societal expectations, values, as well as philosophical and theological thought.

Plot twist…there will be a part 2 as we couldn’t answer this question fully in one hour! More to come friends! Just keep swimming…

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"... is this true? I can't recall anyone ever questioning this statement, especially when it comes to fitness.

We all know the general benefits of exercise and fitness, but how much exercise should we be engaged in, and what kind? ... At what kind of intensity? How much recovery is needed for the level of exercise we engage in? Where is the tipping point of doing "too much," to the point where there are diminishing returns?

Join me and my guest Crash, owner of Venator Human Performance and Jiu Jitsu Black Belt instructor as we have a conversation about whether or not our fitness is killing us or actually benefiting us for the long term.

With so much focus on people, particularly men to be "vulnerable," within the last few years, it became evident to me that there wasn't enough guidance on how to actually be vulnerable. Even more lacking is the insight on who we should or shouldn't be vulnerable with and how much should we reveal of ourselves. Because it's a hot topic, it seems as the more vulnerable you are, the better. However, vulnerability carried out this way could have unwanted consequences.

Join me and my guest, Crash, as we discuss walking this tightrope of vulnerability in our relationships and share our own experiences, good and bad. We hope it will be helpful for you on your own journey to hone your own vulnerability in your life. 

Physical fitness is important, not just for our bodies, but for our minds. But what happens when you have all the fitness in the world, but you are unable to defend yourself and/or others in a physical confrontation? Strength, and even instinct, will most likely not be enough against a would-be attacker.

Why be hard to kill? There’s an old Chinese Proverb that says, “It’s better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in war.” That is to say, it’s better to be prepared and know how handle oneself in a physical altercation, than to not know and be thrust into a situation that one has no experience in.

Being hard to kill from a physical stand point is one level. There is also the mental and emotional level which is absolutely necessary to handle the chaos of life when it eventual comes, and it will. There are things we can do to fortify our physical bodies to withstand potential threats. There are also things we can do that would benefit our emotional and mental well-being to fortify us against the definitive trials of life.

Join me and my friend and teacher, Crash, BJJ instructor and Fitness Business Owner, as we discuss just how we can make ourselves hard to kill from the physical, mental, and emotional perspective.

We've all heard the phrase, "Survival of the fittest." I believe the great poets Mobb Deep emphasized that only the strong survive. 

While this may be true, it is intense. In today's modern world, we are provided conveniences that centuries ago, human beings couldn't even fathom. Surviving in a sense is not so difficult that you need to be the fittest any longer.

However, being fit-ish is not just helpful, but necessary if one wants to live optimally. We don't all need to be professional athletes or insanely strong, or fast... but if aren't leaning towards being fit-ish, our bodies go neglected and eventually let us know it. Considering that the body, mind, and soul are one, this doesn't go so well for us.

Join my guest Father Gino Delarama and I as we discuss his fit-ish journey. His body eventually let him know that it was time for a change. What he didn't realize were the positive benefits towards his mental, emotional, and spiritual health. He shares all that with us right here on another episode of Upstream.

Also, this recording was saved by AI. I neglected to record myself and utilized AI to help recreate my voice so I could put this together. Really grateful that this content did not end up getting lost forever. Bare with me on this one, but also, check out what AI can do!

Keep swimming, friends. 

"Lesser men have done greater things...." The first time I heard this quote, it was like a lightswitch went off in my brain that I didn't even know it was there. The man who shared this quote with me, Shaun Puluse, took the time to sit down and speak further about the context of this quote in his life. 

This episode is one of my long awaited episodes. When Shaun shared this with me, I was just in the beginnings of starting a private practice and had nothing but doubt and fear in me. Now that I'm quite literally living the dream, when I come across someone who was in my position of making a change and experiencing trepidation, I share with them this very quote. 

Shaun and I go back a few years now, but I had no idea the trials he had faced in his history, and yet throughout all, he's on the other side and working on finding and being his best self. And on this episode, he lays it all out with a courage unsurpassed by any other. We hope you take away all you can from this one. Love y'all!

One of the strange challenges of our current times is the idea of masculinity. The "culture," which is always shifting, seems to have deemed any facet of what masculinity is as "toxic." Be not mistaken! There is no such thing as "toxic masculinity." What some may call "toxic masculinity," is not masculinity in the least bit.  It is a counterfeit. It is putrid. It is an utterly false replica of authentic masculinity which has culture bucking back at the reality of authentic masculinity as a whole.

Join me and my guest Eddie Bastidas, a man who I've found to demonstrate authentic masculinity, even the in the most trying times. This one isn't just "for the boys." We encourage everyone to listen in as we dive in and explore what it means to be authentically masculine. 

Everything we do and don’t do has a consequence, for better, or for worse. Whether it’s our relationships, health, finances, or spiritual life, everything is always changing and how we carry on (or don’t) effects these domains.

If we find we are in a space in life that we did not intend to be in, we would benefit from taking extreme ownership in that we are the reason that we are where we are, and start sowing seeds today that will change the course of our future.

If on the other hand, we appreciate the space in life we are in, it’s a good time to make an assessment as to what brought us there and continue to make the adjustments to create a fuller, more fulfilling life… not just because it benefits us, but because it’s of benefits to all around us and society at large.

Join myself and two of my best friends and co-teammates of the infamous Masters Division CrossFit team Jumbo Shrimp and Fish, Dan Pitre and Chris Tufel, as we discuss the pursuit of a life well lived through sowing seeds today for our future.