This one-hour episode is jam-packed with content that does not disappoint. It is a thoughtful conversation with my friend and re-united brother, Mark Melvin. https://www.instagram.com/markamelvin

Just a few of the things we cover during out conversation: 

• How Mark and I met 20+ years ago at the University of Richmond, but went years without contact, only to be reunited in the Spring of 2020 right around the start of the pandemic, thanks to the Great Man Mastermind - https://www.dominickq.com/masterminds/the-great-man-mastermind
  • Mark is one of the anchors of the mastermind and resident expert when it comes to all things mindfulness. He is currently a corporate attorney by trade (for now), but a yoga, meditation and breathwork instructor at heart. 
• "Our Why" for pursuing the Licensed Professional Counselor profession. I explain how instrumental Mark was in giving me the confidence to go for it. And just like that, we're classmates once again, this time pursuing a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of the Cumberlands - https://uofcumberlands.com/programs/clinical-mental-health-counseling
• We give gratitude to our significant others for allowing us the support, and privilege of choice, to even pursue this major career change in the first place. 
• The Power of Reframing - how Mark ultimately saw desperation as a gift in his struggles of relying on alcohol to numb out his feelings, or for me, choosing to feel like a bomb-disposal technician, instead of a ticking time bomb (a feeling many of us with VEDS struggle with on a daily basis). 
• Mark is also a RYT-200 Yoga instructor, and one of the best out there that I know. I talk about a powerful yoga and spiritual experience Mark led at our mastermind immersion in Austin in May of 2021. 
• BONUS - at the end of the episode, Mark takes me on a Walking Meditation as I get my steps in. Listeners - I suggest you do the same and take a walk when listening to this episode. It's a simple exercise to literally "stop and smell the roses", along with getting the other senses involved. It's all about directing our minds to be aware and attentive to the present moment, to be able to experience and enjoy more of the world surrounding you. 

Mark's Contact:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markamelvin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markamelvin
Email: [email protected]

I want to be upfront and honest about one thing...doing this episode was for me. It was something I felt that I needed and wanted to do. I wanted to document and preserve my journey over the last 20 years of dealing with Trauma and PTSD since 9/11. Hopefully you can get something out of listening to my story. I hope it can be medicine for others, for people still processing things from that day, or dealing with any other types of trauma.

I'm so thankful to have my best friend of 35+ years, Dominick Quartuccio, guide me on this journey of memories and reflections over the last 20 years since 9/11. Dominick is the host of the Great Man Within podcast (highly recommend to check it out and subscribe!) and leader of the Great Man Mastermind. I'm sure I'll have him back on the show soon to talk more about what he does, but for this episode, I brought him on as a guest to interview me, and to bring out the best in me.

Last but certainly not least, it's necessary to acknowledge the almost 3,000 lives that were lost on September 11th, 2001. The people on the planes. The people in the towers. The people at the Pentagon. Firefighters. Police Officers. Military Personnel. And even many people who made it out of the Towers that day but died later due to exposure to dust and toxins. These lives were tragically cut short, but will undoubtedly be remembered forever.

Never Forget.

Links/References

Great Man Within podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-man-within/id1449269930

Great Man Mastermind - https://www.thegreatmanmastermind.com/ 

Nick's 9/11 College Fund - http://nicks911collegefund.org/

I want to be upfront and honest about one thing...doing this episode was for me. It was something I felt that I needed and wanted to do. I wanted to document and preserve my story and experience on 9/11/2001 in an audio format. For my kids one day, and for anyone else who wants to hear my story. And yes, it was somewhat cathartic and therapeutic. But hopefully you can get something out of listening to my story. I hope it can be medicine for others, for people still processing things from that day, or dealing with any other types of trauma.

I'm so thankful to have my best friend of 35+ years, Dominick Quartuccio, guide me on this journey of memories and reflections from that day. Dominick is the host of the Great Man Within podcast (highly recommend to check it out and subscribe!) and leader of the Great Man Mastermind. I'm sure I'll have him back on the show soon to talk more about what he does, but for this episode, I brought him on as a guest to interview me, and to bring out the best in me.

WARNING: there are some tough things to listen to as I recount my story. Depending on your experience from that day, there may be triggers that bring up certain emotions. By all means, if you have to hit that 30 second fast forward button, please do so. We do our best to warn you of these moments. My goal here was not shock value, it was simply to document my experience and to process and explore some of the emotions that still come up for me twenty years later. 

Last but certainly not least, it's necessary to acknowledge the almost 3,000 lives that were lost on September 11th, 2001. The people on the planes. The people in the towers. The people at the Pentagon. Firefighters. Police Officers. Military Personnel. And even many people who made it out of the Towers that day but died later due to exposure to dust and toxins. These lives were tragically cut short, but will undoubtedly be remembered forever. 

Never Forget. 

Glad to be back and excited to discuss this topic! I pride myself on being a great husband and father, but I'm always looking for ways to improve. Whether you're a current parent, soon to be parent, or a son or daughter looking for ways to connect with your parent(s) in deeper ways, I think you'll find a lot of value out of this episode. Some of these "principles" & "rhythms" my wife and I are currently using in our marriage or as part of our parenting strategies, and some we are implementing ASAP and excited to report back the results in a future episode. 18 SUMMERS - of the time you spend with your child in their lifetime, 85% of it is before the end of their 18th summer. That's a crazy sobering statistic. Therefore, as parents, how can we make the most of those first 18 summers of a child's life? Listen to this episode to find out the answers to that question!

Also, if you can spare a few minutes, please don’t hesitate to write a review. That 5 star rating goes a long way to helping me bring more awareness to this Walk with DeCo mission.  And make sure to hit that subscribe button too if you haven’t already! Also let me know what you think - you can always hit me up at [email protected]. Remember, crisis equals opportunity. If you’re going through a rough patch, try and reframe it that quite possibly you are being given a gift, one that could set you on an even greater path of self worth joy and fulfilment. Cheers everyone, be well! See ya!

References that inspired me to do this episode:

https://www.18summers.com/ - founders Jim and Jamie Sheils

The Family Board Meeting Book by Jim Sheils - https://amzn.to/3hNPMRa

Work Life Balance & The 18 Summers You Have with Your Kids (a Chat with Jim Sheils) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-passive-income-online-business-blogging-podcast/id383084001?i=1000524744801 - this is on The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast with Pat Flynn

The Adventure Challenge: Couples Edition - https://www.theadventurechallenge.com/collections/products

This episode wasn't easy for me to talk about. It brings me out of my comfort zone. I show vulnerability. But what you'll hear me harp on multiple times in the episode, is that Vulnerability = Power.

I talk about my weight loss and weight gain journey throughout my life and how I've never been happy with the way my body looks.

Then, for the last ~20 minutes of the episode, I talk about a breakthrough moment I had at our men's mastermind retreat a couple of weeks ago, all thanks to this episode and man that inspired me - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-man-within/id1449269930?i=1000521971438 . Hence, the chain reaction of vulnerability and how powerful it can be.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Feeling Full Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feeling-full/id1540876733
Mordechai on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.mordechai

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WALK WITH DECO MISSION

The Mission: DeCo is walking 4,000,000 Steps AND Raising $40,000 - All For Vascular EDS

Follow DeCo's journey throughout the "Walk with DeCo" mission here - https://www.walkwithdeco.com/

The GoFundMe Page - https://gofund.me/782d391a  

The "Walk with DeCo" Mission Teaser Video (with narration) - https://youtu.be/Jw3w4k06YSo

DeCo's full story about Vascular EDS on YouTube in its entirety - https://youtu.be/HmxChx_LSno 

Full disclosure, this episode is not as light as part 1, as my Mom and I discuss some tougher moments in our lives, and I thank her for passing down to me her toughness and ability to overcome adversity. We also talk about the moment when she found out about my diagnosis of Vascular EDS and how she handled that as a parent. But, we get through these more serious conversations and thankfully end on a much lighter note...how could I not mention the infamous "Rusty Nail"!

Not sure if anyone has ever started off a podcast with outtakes or bloopers, but I am. As promised, here is my episode on mothers on the heels of Mother's Day last weekend. This episode includes my first special guest star, my mother, Marion DeCoursey. My audio ebbs and flows at parts while out on my walk, just hang in there, the content hopefully won't disappoint. If you're Italian, so much will resonate with you, but even if you're not, you'll still get a kick out of the one and only, Mariooch! Love ya, Mom! Had to split this one up into 2 parts, so here's part 1 of 2, what I'm calling the "lighter version", as we discuss many signs or traits of being raised by an Italian mother! 

Yes, I know, I'm aware that I'm launching an episode about Fathers right before Mother's Day. Don't you worry, I have an episode on mothers planned for next week! As for this episode, buckle up! Not only will you get my obligatory "SAM" update - steps, awareness, money - but you'll get a longer story about the human element of baseball and about the sacred, invaluable relationship between father and child. Also, if you've unfortunately lost a parent too soon, it does not mean you can't continue to have a relationship with them after they are gone. Listen and I'll explain why!