I grew up reading primarily fiction. These days, the majority of my reading is nonfiction; however, when I learned Mike had written a fictional novel based on many of his Substack posts, I immediately ordered a copy. Already having high expectations, Paradox exceeded them all.

Paradox is a science fiction thriller based on moral dilemmas in creating advanced AI. Integrating science, psychology, and technology, Mike creates an engaging plot, likable characters, and a story that reads like a real possibility. It will challenge you to consider the pros and cons of continued development toward sentience of AI while allowing you to draw your own conclusions. Its premise poses a simple question, “In the battle over advanced AI, will we lose our humanity or learn what truly makes us human?”

In this conversation, Mike and I discuss his outstanding book and the many themes that arise in it such as moral dilemmas, consciousness, identity, reason vs. emotion, technology vs. human experience, and the illusion of progress. We also discuss his creative process, merging of science and fiction, and the already published sequel to Paradox titled Integration. He’s now working on the third book in his series titled Rebirth which sounds like it’s developing into his most exciting novel yet.

If you enjoy fiction in any way, I can’t recommend picking up a copy of Paradox enough. Order here

I also highly recommend checking out The Singularity Chronicles website for more information on all of his novels to include sources of information for the various concepts he writes on, videos, order links at a discounted cost, and more.

Posts we alluded to in our conversation:

• AI: A Reflection of You

• Becoming a Man

• Sympathy -> Empathy -> Resiliency

• Mixing Mental Arts

Daily Challenge

As a functional fitness coach of several years, I run a community-based fitness group outside of my gym. We discuss goals, meet weekly for outdoor workouts, and tackle a new daily challenge each month.

The intent of these daily challenges is to create productive habits and induce both mental and physical adaptations. The at-home exercise is never more than ten minutes - often less. Short, achievable tasks provide an opportunity to still earn the day when your plans get disrupted.

Consistency will always produce better and more lasting results than intermittent intensity.

Anyone can find a few minutes to do something beneficial for themselves.

That’s all you need to begin seeing progress.

The Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID) Principle is an exercise physiology concept that demonstrates the more you do anything, the better you get at that specific thing.

The body’s ability to physiologically adapt and optimize performance based on what we consistently put it through is amazing. Even more impressive is the mind’s plasticity in response to stress.

Machine learning for humans.

Fitness serves as a vehicle for resilience training, with the physical benefits secondary to the mental skills developed.

Showing up daily isn’t easy but it’s how lasting change is formed.

Enhance resilience by consistently embracing self-created challenges.

May Daily Challenge: Complete 5 sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats

Pulling, pushing, and squatting account for some of the most basic human movements. Pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats make up the best bodyweight exercises to enhance these functional patterns.

Pull-ups enhance:

• Neuromuscular pulling strength of the upper body

• Posterior chain stability and posture

• Grip strength

• Shoulder and elbow stability and mobility

• Muscular endurance in the upper body and core

Push-ups enhance:

• Neuromuscular pushing strength of the upper body

• Shoulder, elbow, and wrist stability and mobility

• Core and posterior chain stability

• Muscular endurance in the upper body and core

Air squats enhance:

• Neuromuscular pushing strength of the lower body

• Hip, knee, and ankle stability and mobility

• Core and posterior chain stability

• Proprioception, body awareness, and balance development

• Muscular endurance in the lower body and core

Stacked skill development opportunity for functional fitness and resilience.

Subscribe now

Technique & Modifications

* Watch video for technical demonstration and discussion. The written steps can help add detail to the micro-movements as needed *

Pull-up variations:

• Unmodified pull-up: Start in a hanging position without your feet touching the ground. While maintaining good posture and core muscle engagement, pull yourself up until your chin is in line with the surface you’re hanging from. Descend back to the starting position for one rep.

• Platform assisted pull-up: Start with a chair or stable object you can stand on. Ideally, a surface that is tall enough for your head to reach the pull-up bar while standing up straight. Use this platform to support as much of your weight as needed while practicing the motion that is a pull-up. Engage your back and arm muscles, maintain good posture, grip the bar tightly, and begin pull-up movement. The less you support yourself with your legs, the harder the rep.

• Negative pull-up: Using a platform or jumping from the ground, begin in the top position of a pull-up and support your weight in that position. When ready, descend at a slow, controlled pace.

• Band-assisted pull-up: Resistance bands, like a platform, support your weight while training proper technique for a pull-up. Wrap a band around your bar and then insert one of your feet to begin performing this modification. The less resistance in a band, the more strength required to complete a pull-up.

• Pull-up alternatives: If you do not have a pull-up bar/surface to perform the movement on, there are many pulling movements that can serve as alternatives. A few considerations are inverted rows, bent over rows, or band pulldowns.

Push-up variations:

• Unmodified push-up: Start in a high plank position with hands shoulder width apart. While maintaining good posture and core muscle engagement, bend at the elbows and descend toward the ground until your chest touches the floor and/or your arms go beyond a 90-degree angle at the elbow. While maintaining the same form, push yourself back to the starting position. Keep your neck aligned with your back by looking straight down at the floor throughout movement.

• Knee push-up: Same upper body form as an unmodified push-up. Only difference is the knees are on the floor instead of the feet. The closer the knees are to the hands, the easier the rep.

• Incline push-up: Same upper body form as an unmodified push-up. Only difference is the hands are placed on a surface higher than the feet. Options include the stairs, counter, or a wall. The higher the surface, the easier the rep.

Air Squat:

• Unmodified air squat: Start with your feet shoulder width apart and toes either pointing forward or slightly outward. Hinge at the hips and begin to lower body by bending your knees while keeping your chest up, back straight, core engaged, and feet flat. Knees should stay in alignment with the toes throughout the movement. Continue to lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Return to the standing/starting position while continuing to keep your neck and spine straight. No bending or looking down at any point during this movement.

• Half or quarter squat: Using the same form as an unmodified squat, descend halfway or a quarter of the way down before returning to starting position.

• Chair squat: Using same form as an unmodified squat, sit down to a chair or stable surface. Stand back up unassisted, with momentum, or by using the surface for support as needed.

• Supported squat: All squat variations can be assisted by holding onto a stable object while completing the movements with focus on proper form and muscle engagement.

Progression Guide

For beginners:

• Don’t wear a weighted vest

• Decrease rep count for any all movements

• Decrease set count

• Focus on proper form rather than speed

• Start with modifications and progressively increase difficulty as you’re able to complete the prescribed rep count

For intermediate/advanced:

• Time yourself and attempt to go faster each subsequent attempt

• Focus on efficiency without compromising form

• Increase set count once you’re able to complete five sets in less than five minutes

• Change the amount of weight you’re wearing to vary the stimulus - no weight for speed work to heavier weight for strength building

• Add in cardio (running, stationary equipment, jumping rope, or jumping jacks) before and/or after your sets.

**This is a difficult daily challenge. For those doing other forms of training with competing goals, split up your regular training with this challenge as much as possible. For athletes, the daily challenge is intended to supplement your typical training schedule, not compromise or replace it. Listen to your body and either modify down or take days off as needed.**

As always, compete with yourself yesterday.

Quality of movement is more important than quantity of repetitions. Become comfortable with the technique first, then increase your volume.

If you can’t do it slow, you can’t do it fast.

Show up and do your best.

Battle your internal resistance and get that small win.

Everything feels easier when you occasionally make things a little harder on purpose.

Murph

Lieutenant Michael Murphy was a former United States Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life for his teammates during an operation in Afghanistan in 2005. Due to his heroic actions on that day, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2007.

Having been familiar with his name and story due to the book Lone Survivor, I was excited to read SEAL of Honor, which was one of the featured books available for trainees, when I attended Officer Development School in Newport, Rhode Island in September 2013. I ended up reading through the incredible life biography of Michael Murphy twice over the five weeks I was in that training program.

If you aren’t familiar with his name, do yourself a favor and go read both of those books. Lone Survivor was also made into a movie back in 2013. Excellent film but the books are even better as they reveal what is impossible to capture in a film - the character of the man and the admiration all of his teammates and family had for him throughout his life.

Michael Murphy was a man of virtue. His biography demonstrates the will he possessed since childhood to protect and serve others. To do the right thing regardless of adversity. To sacrifice for the greater good. To lead by character. To be the best that he could be.

One of his favorite workouts was called “Body Armor.” Unmodified, the workout consists of wearing a 20-pound weight vest and then completing:

• 1-mile run

• 100 pull-ups

• 200 push-ups

• 300 air squats

• 1-mile run

Following his death, this workout became known as Murph and is done by thousands of people every year on Memorial Day - a United States holiday that honors those who have sacrificed their lives in support of their country.

The daily challenge this month is designed to help you practice the standard approach many people use to break up the movements between the runs. Rather than doing all the reps straight, many do twenty sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats.

The Murph is a whole-body functional fitness workout. It tests your mind, body, and spirit regardless of modifications.

Watch the technique video above to learn about modifications so you can start at a manageable level based on experience and proficiency with movements.

This daily challenge is intended to help you develop the proficiency to perform The Murph if you so choose. If not, you’ll be developing several skills to enhance performance in all life domains.

Productive skill development within fitness makes the task exponentially more beneficial.

Stacking valuable inputs in training adds quality to the limited quantity of time we have throughout the day.

This is self-care.

The primary purpose of all of this - resilience development physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Get Ready

I’m posting this a day early so everyone, including my international friends, can prepare to start strong on day one at their own skill and comfort level.

Track your times and modifications only to set a goal for the following day. The outcome doesn’t matter as long as you show up and put out.

Consistent effort leads to improved performance over time.

How will you respond when you don’t feel like it?

These are the days that matter most.

These are the moments you see what you’re made of.

This is a transformative opportunity.

This is how resilient mental states are developed.

Embrace the challenge of discipline to optimize the skill of resilience.

Deliberate discomfort daily can cause improved satisfaction elsewhere forever.

By the end of May, if you consistently complete this challenge regardless of modifications, your neuromuscular strength and endurance for pulling, pushing, and squatting will be enhanced.

Use a brief fitness routine to insert control and success into every day.

Self-care through self-challenge.

A few minutes a day can change your life.

Subscribe now

*Special Offer*

Join our community and earn a 15-min phone call with me to discuss your fitness or life goals:

• Complete the challenge for more than half the month.

In our community chat, we’ll hold each other accountable by posting a ✅ after completing each day’s challenge. Timing and modifications don’t matter—just show up and do your best.

To claim your 15-min call, share your story at the end of May:

Share a reflection on your progress (either in the community chat or privately with me) and then I’ll confirm your ✅ count.

Join our community, and let’s improve together.

Disclaimer:

The content provided is intended for general knowledge and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to making any decisions or changes relating to your health. Kyle Shepard is not responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the use of information in this publication.

Kit is one of the most brilliant writers and speakers I know. She developed Grey Cell Protocols to assess human conditions and systems to detect vulnerabilities and opportunities. While her work and all of her credentials are impressive, it’s the experiences behind them that make her truly interesting, credible, and inspiring.

In this conversation, Kit shares the history behind her Why. From the military, to abuse, loss, militias, the dark web, reorientation, transformation, and faith, she doesn’t hold back. We discussed trauma, healing, growth, vulnerability, validation, weirdness, communities, and interconnectedness.

Kit’s story demonstrates the power of resilience and how adversity can be used to elevate your purpose and life. Anything is possible for those who are willing to endure, explore, and evolve.

On April 30th, Kit’s newest book she co-authored with Donald Vandergriff, a retired US Marine and Army Officer who specializes in military leadership, decentralized command, and maneuver warfare, will be released. It is titled Mission Command & The Grey Cell Protocols. Pre-order here.

Kit’s Substack and podcast will sharpen your thinking and orientation to reality. I highly recommend both.

Some of her recent written work includes:

• The Discipline and Process of Synthesis

• Spotting Deception Under Pressure

• Orientation is the System

• Why I’m Leaving the Three Percent (a powerful article she wrote ten years ago)

• Why Good People Become Infiltration Vectors

• Personality vs. Pathology

• Pornography and Orientation: An Operational Hazard

There may be no word more ripe for a reframe than stress.

Stress is inevitable. It is also invaluable.

Stress narrows focus, increases energy, and is required for growth. Chronically mismanaged stress, on the other hand, causes countless problems such as increased all-cause mortality risk and decreased performance in any domain.

Aspects of life are undoubtedly difficult yet we often make it much harder than it needs to be. Unproductive beliefs, false assumptions, irrational fears, resistance to change, prolonged rumination, access to information, and temptation indulgence are just a few of the reasons we struggle to stay regulated in the modern world.

We know chronic stress without recovery can have detrimental effects on your health. Avoidance of stress, however, produces the same effect.

Stress is a physiologic prediction of or response to something you care about. If it doesn’t perceptually matter or affect you, it doesn’t stress you. This is true of the mind, body, and soul. Stress is neither good nor bad. Stress becomes harmful when you think it is or aren’t able to recover from it.

Your understanding of and belief about stress ultimately determines whether or not it can be used to your benefit.

The brain is a predicting mechanism that is continuously attempting to keep us alive and well through a process called allostasis - the central adjustment of internal systems based on need anticipation to meet demands. Once signals are received, the brain either matches predicted needs based on past experience or reorients to help us effectively respond to any situation. Following the event, the mind continues to encode and recode as a result.

The process of allostasis and the stress response are extremely prone to adaptation based on continued experience.

The mind can be trained to better predict and effectively respond to adversity by intentionally using stress as a stimulus. Cultivate new experiences with stress to create productive predictions and subsequent responses.

I’ve been teaching resilience for more than ten years. Initially trained in stress management, I quickly determined that simply managing stress is insufficient. Rather than teach methods to effectively respond to stress, how can one proactively prepare to leverage its benefit? The answer is simple - use it.

Resilience is the ability to effectively function with, recover from, and improve because of stress.

We all have the capacity to be resilient.

To train the skill of resilience, you must induce stress intentionally at a manageable level with prepared strategies for the purpose of getting more comfortable at what initially caused discomfort.

Your attitude toward stress dictates your resilience in response to it. The more you attempt to avoid stress, the more significant mild stressors become. The more you embrace stress, the more significant your response to any stressor becomes.

Resilience isn’t possible without stress just as courage isn’t possible without fear.

At the beginning of every month, I create a fitness challenge to build resilience. Physical training is one of my favorite ways to gain wisdom from intentional stress. It is, however, just one of the many ways you can leverage the stress response for growth.

The mission of this series is to explore methods of training mental, social, and spiritual resilience without physical exertion.

Last time the focus was on creating a mission statement. While drafting a mission statement can be challenging, determining how to consistently execute it is where the real work begins.

Subscribe now

Read more

Now offering Left of Bang Strategic Briefs and advisory work focused on preparedness as a capability, he has made getting left of bang actionable beyond military operations.

In this conversation, we discuss his strategic framework for getting left of bang, preparedness vs. readiness, experience-based vs. proactive preparation, patterns in preparedness, the value of projects, personal preparedness, and much more.

Patrick Van Horne is one of the best writers and speakers on applying strategic thinking.

Being a paid member of The CP Journal has been one of the best investments I’ve made over the past two years.

Use links below to access his work that inspired this podcast:

• Preparing the Organization You Will Need

• The Three Levels of Left of Bang

• The Four Preparedness Personas: Where Your Organization Fits

• The Individual Readiness Playbook

In this conversation, we discuss many of the interesting aspects of and lessons from Peter’s life.

After nearly drowning as a one-year-old, Peter’s mother forced him to learn how to swim by the age of two. Despite wealthy parents and access to privileged societies, Peter was drawn to the water and the life of a surfer. Traveling the world, involvement in marijuana trade, learning to fight, near death experiences, heartbreak, and forced blue-collar labor led Peter to pursue a doctorate in history in New York. It was here he became committed to serving others. As a war-crimes investigator and professor of law and war theory at Columbia University, Peter began publishing books based on his work:

Law and War

Facing Death in Cambodia

Thai Stick: Surfers, Scammers, and the Untold Story of the Marijuana Drug Trade

Peter trained various martial arts throughout his life earning black belts in multiple disciplines, including one from the greatest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter of all time - Rickson Gracie. Through their friendship, Peter authored both of Rickson’s books, which are two of my favorites:

Breathe: A Life in Flow

Comfort in Darkness: The Invisible Power of Jiu Jitsu

Peter continues to write and mentor in many domains, including his Substack, Sour Milk.

To continue his life of service, Peter founded The Fainting Robin Foundation which provides financial support to independent scholars, writers, and thinkers whose work falls outside the mainstream.

To hear more about Peter’s interesting story, check out his appearance on the Jocko Podcast. As a longtime Jocko Podcast fan, Peter’s episode remains one of my favorites.

As a husband, father, and military leader, Will has grown to use virtue — excellence of character grounded in reason — as a core standard for all actions within each role of life.

In this conversation, we discussed the history, principles, and practical insights from Stoicism in extreme environments and everyday life. We also cover teaching virtue, cosmopolitanism vs. military duty, moral clarity, eclecticism, attitude, and much more.

This was one of the best conversations I’ve had on philosophy. Will has a unique ability to make concepts actionable based on his understanding of philosophers throughout history.

If you enjoy Stoicism, I strongly recommend getting his book. Military or civilian, Will’s writing makes Stoic principles relevant to all roles in life: Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy

Will just began writing on Substack. His first on James Stockdale, who we also discuss in this episode, is well worth your time. Get more from Will on Substack at: Officium: Stoicism and Military Service

You can also find him on LinkedIn.

Two must-reads from James Stockdale released through the Naval Academy:

• Stockdale on Stoicism I: The Stoic Warrior’s Triad

• Stockdale on Stoicism II: Master of My Fate

As a functional fitness coach of several years, I run a community-based fitness group outside of my gym. We discuss goals, meet weekly for outdoor workouts, and tackle a new daily challenge each month.

The intent of these daily challenges is to create productive habits and induce both mental and physical adaptations. The at-home exercise is never more than ten minutes - often less. Short, achievable tasks provide an opportunity to still earn the day when your plans get disrupted.

Consistency will always produce better and more lasting results than intermittent intensity.

Anyone can find a few minutes a day to do something beneficial for themselves.

That’s all you need to begin seeing progress.

The Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID) Principle is an exercise physiology concept that demonstrates the more you do anything, the better you get at that specific thing.

The body’s ability to physiologically adapt and optimize performance based on what we consistently demand of it is amazing. Even more impressive is the mind’s plasticity in response to stress.

Machine learning for humans.

Fitness serves as a vehicle for resilience training, with the physical benefits secondary to the mental skills developed.

Showing up daily isn’t easy but it’s how lasting change is formed.

Enhance resilience by consistently embracing self-created challenges.

April Daily Challenge: Horse Stance

Hold a horse stance for time.

Goal is to build up to two and a half minutes or more unbroken.

Modifications for all offered below allowing this challenge to be accessible for all regardless of age, weight, or ability.

Subscribe now

Technique & Modifications

* Watch videos for technical demonstration and discussion. The written steps can help add detail to the micro-movements as needed *

Unmodified Horse Stance:

• Feet greater than shoulder-width apart

• Toes pointing slightly outward (~45 degrees)

• Engage your core, glutes, and legs while maintaining posture

• Slowly lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground and hips are in line with knees which should be bent at a 90-degree angle and pointed out over toes

• Maintain upright posture and straight spine at all times in the position as well as contraction of all major muscle groups

• Continue to hold for time

Beginner Modifications:

• Decrease depth of stance

• Support weight with sturdy object to hold onto

• Sit down to a stable surface and then engage core, glutes and legs to manage as much of your weight as you can

• Break the challenge up into timed sets (ex. 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off for three minutes)

Advanced Modifications:

If an unmodified horse stance for at least two and a half minutes feels relatively easy:

• Extend hold time

• Add weight (wear weighted vest/pack or hold an object)

• Perform single leg horse stance/pistol squat holds

Getting Started

Initially practice the position to determine appropriate modifications based on mobility/flexibility issues, preexisting injuries, familiarity with form. Choose modifications based on what you are able to do for at least ten seconds.

On Day #1:

1. Set a timer and hold the horse stance (modified or not) for as long as possible

2. Note when you break from the position

3. Each day, try to beat your previous time by at least five seconds

4. Once you can comfortably complete a modified horse stance for one minute, progressively remove the modification (ex. lower your stance, use less support, and/or decrease rest periods within set)

5. If you fall short, no worries—tomorrow is another opportunity

The goal is to eventually build up to completing the unmodified hold for at least two and a half minutes unbroken. Some may be able to accomplish this in a month while it may take longer for others. Some may use advanced modifications on day one.

Doesn’t matter.

We are all starting from different places with unique life circumstances.

As always, compete with yourself yesterday.

Quality of form is more important than quantity of time. Become comfortable with the technique first, then increase your volume.

Show up and do your best.

Battle your internal resistance and get that small win.

Everything feels easier when you occasionally make things a little harder on purpose.

Subscribe now

Isometric Holds

Isometric holds are exercises that require you to maintain a particular position with just your body weight for time.

They are a continuous, steady stressor. No skill needed once you’re in the position and the muscles contract. The same resistance will be applied to your body for whatever amount of time you are able to hold, or more specifically, you decide to hold.

Just you and your stress response.

Of all physical training options, isometric holds are my favorite for building mental, physical, and spiritual resilience.

As much as I love planks, I find horse stance holds even more difficult, and therefore beneficial, to attempt holding for time.

Horse stance holds enhance:

• Core and lower body strength

• Muscular endurance

• Stability

• Mobility

• Flexibility

• Self-command

This is one of the most challenging isometric holds anyone can do.

Thanks to the SAID Principle, you will cause multiple adaptations to enhance strength, endurance, self-control, and resilience by the end of April if you consistently complete this challenge regardless of modifications.

Stress is not linear.

How does your mind react to the signals of discomfort and fatigue?

Perfect time to practice reframing negative thinking patterns or intentional breathing to decrease the stress response.

Subconscious reactions can become conscious responses with training.

Make sure you watch the technique video above to learn about modifications so you can start at a manageable level based on experience and proficiency with movement.

Subscribe now

Get Ready

I’m posting this a day early so everyone, including my international friends, can prepare to start strong on day one at their own skill and comfort level.

Track your times and modifications only to set a goal for the following day. The outcome doesn’t matter as long as you show up and put out.

Stacking valuable inputs in training adds quality to the limited quantity of time we have throughout the day. Use a brief fitness routine to insert control and success into every day.

Consistent effort leads to improved performance over time.

How will you respond when you don’t feel like it?

These are the days that matter most. These are the moments you see what you’re made of. These are the days that change you. This is how resilient mental states are developed.

Embrace the challenge of discipline to optimize the skill of resilience.

Deliberate discomfort daily can lead to improved comfort elsewhere forever.

Self-care through self-challenge.

A few minutes a day can change your life.

*Special Offer*

Join our community and earn a one month subscription to Resilient Mental State:

• Complete the challenge for more than half the month.

• Bonus giveaway for anyone who completes it every day.

In our community chat, we’ll hold each other accountable by posting a ✅ after completing each day’s challenge. Timing and modifications don’t matter—just show up and do your best.

To claim your one month subscription, share your story at the end of April:

Share a reflection on your progress (either in the community chat or privately with me) and then I’ll confirm your ✅ count.

Join our community, and let’s improve together.

Disclaimer:

The content provided is intended for general knowledge and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to making any decisions or changes relating to your health. Kyle Shepard is not responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the use of information in this publication.

Chris is uniquely skilled in making the conceptual practical. He’s open-minded, curious, and deeply passionate about helping others become the best versions of themselves to live a fulfilled life.

In this conversation, we dig into spiritual growth, internal excavation, differentiating calm and peace, the connective power of vulnerability, reframing the word surrender, and much more. Chris explains how his philosophy has continued to evolve since publishing his first book which is now becoming a trilogy.

Beyond the Battlefield is a quick and outstanding read. There is also a link at the end of the book for a free call with Chris. This is how we initially met and I’m grateful I made that choice.

For more from Chris, check him out on Instagram and MCHN Mentality.

He also published a 90-Day Performance Workbook titled Legacy Forged full of challenges, journal prompts, and operating systems to take ownership of your life.

The podcast I first heard him on was ’s Mindset: Lessons from the Field episodes 13, 29, and 53. It was listening to Chris talk on this show that prompted me to buy his book.

For indeed a house is a little church.

- St. John Chrysostom

I love this little sentiment so much, I embroidered it to display it in our home. It serves as a beautiful, physical reminder to us all that our dwelling place is so much more than a shelter.

This fragment of wisdom is part of a much larger homily echoing the same principle. Whether you are religious or not, Chrysostom’s comparison of a home to a church certainly has merit.

A home is a place where sacrifices are made. It’s a place where rituals are sacred and virtues held in the highest esteem. It’s a place for fellowship and communal praise. It’s where we are constantly implored to practice charity. Grace and forgiveness are poured out in abundance. There’s a tangible sense of belonging. Its leaders are entrusted with maintaining the delicate tension between sturdiness and tenderness. A steadiness, if you will.

If you were to walk into our home on a given weekday, you might have some gripes about how our little church is maintained. It’s far from a quiet, reverent sanctuary. School books are strewn about our table, toys cascade out of cabinets, and teacups and cookie crumbs seem to perpetually litter the counter. Our “Sunday Best” is often pajamas. You might see a cute boy running into the house with muddy boots being chased by an equally adorable boy with wild curls. All while their big sister cradles the baby, rolling her eyes and affectionately whispering, “these crazy boys…” But I can tell you, in our messiness, you will find immense love. A passion for seeking knowledge, a deep faith in things larger than ourselves, a desire to laugh and play, an appreciation for good food and drinks, and children who are treasured simply for their souls.

I would like to think if we were to welcome St. John Chrysostom into our little church, he wouldn’t seek stillness, silence, and orderly little pews. He’d smile at the giggles set to background music, the smell of a loaf of bread getting a bit too dark in the oven, and couch pillows stacked up in a fort. And he’d recognize a little church, very much alive and well.

Subscribe now

Sunday Dinner

A warm March day calls for outdoor grilling and lots of herbs.

-Herb marinated chicken thighs over lemon dill risotto

-Roasted eggplant with toum and pine nuts

-Rounded it all out with Maroulosalata and homemade pita - and my sweet Sammy giving a thumbs up in approval!

Conor’s work focuses on the origins of fitness including the prominent figures, equipment, supplements, and programs that influence today’s fitness culture. Willing to be brutally honest, open-minded, and hilarious, his writing reveals there is often much more to history than we assume.

In this conversation, we discussed:

• Definitions mattering

• Adaptation specificity

• The fitness industry

• Good enough metrics

• Progressive variability

• And much more

Conor is as entertaining as he is brilliant. This was such an interesting, fun, and funny podcast. He’s been on many more shows diving into the fascinating personalities, systems, and origins of fitness and they’re all great. Search his name on Apple and they’ll pop up.

Shout out to , my favorite personal trainer, whose name came up several times throughout the podcast.

Read a fantastic interview of Conor by my buddy here.

If you’re interested in learning more about historical figures and programs, Conor recommended visiting strongmanproject.com which is an online library of resources and articles focused on the origins of strength training.

There may be no word more ripe for a reframe than stress.

Stress is inevitable. It is also invaluable.

Stress narrows focus, increases energy, and is required for growth. Chronically mismanaged stress, on the other hand, causes countless problems such as increased all-cause mortality risk and decreased performance in any domain.

Aspects of life are undoubtedly difficult yet we often make it much harder than it needs to be. Unproductive beliefs, false assumptions, irrational fears, resistance to change, prolonged rumination, and temptation indulgence are just a few of the reasons we struggle to stay regulated in the modern world.

We know chronic stress without recovery can have detrimental effects on your health. Avoidance of stress, however, produces the same effect. Stress cannot be escaped, nor is it the enemy.

Stress is a physiologic prediction of or response to something you care about. If it doesn’t perceptually matter or affect you, it doesn’t stress you. This is true of the mind, body, and soul. Stress is neither good nor bad. Stress becomes harmful when you think it is or aren’t able to recover from it. Your understanding of and belief about stress ultimately determines whether or not it can be used to your benefit.

The brain is a predicting mechanism that is continuously attempting to keep us alive and well through a process called allostasis - the central adjustment of internal systems based on need anticipation to meet demands. Once signals are received, the brain either matches predicted needs based on past experience or reorients to help us effectively respond to any situation. Following the event, the mind continues to encode and recode as a result.

The process of allostasis and the stress response are extremely prone to adaptation based on continued experience.

The mind can be trained to better predict and effectively respond to adversity by intentionally using stress as a stimulus. Cultivate new experiences with stress to create productive predictions and subsequent responses.

Stress is natural. Your response is nurtural.

I’ve been teaching resilience for more than ten years. Initially trained in stress management, I quickly determined that simply managing stress is insufficient. Rather than teach methods to effectively respond to stress, how can one proactively prepare to leverage its benefit? The answer is simple - use it.

Resilience is the ability to effectively function with, recover from, and improve because of stress.

We all have the capacity to be resilient.

To train the skill of resilience, you must induce stress intentionally at a manageable level with prepared strategies for the purpose of getting more comfortable at what initially caused discomfort.

Your attitude toward stress dictates your resilience in response to it. The more you attempt to avoid stress, the more significant mild stressors become. The more you embrace stress, the more significant your response to any stressor becomes.

Resilience isn’t possible without stress just as courage isn’t possible without fear.

At the beginning of every month, I create a fitness challenge to build resilience. Physical training is one of my favorite ways to gain wisdom from intentional stress. It is, however, just one of the many ways you can leverage the stress response for growth.

The mission of this series is to explore methods of training mental, social, and spiritual resilience without physical exertion. For the first one, we will be working to define your mission.

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Personal Mission Statement

Why do you get out of bed in the morning?

Why do you do anything for that matter?

Is it because of external demands, perceived requirements, or desires to acquire?

While all choices carry consequence, there are no obligations. You GET to get out of bed and experience the world. Why you do this, however, must be considered.

A personal mission statement clarifies your Why. It provides a frame to anchor yourself to each day so you can approach any how on your terms. While missions may change, mission statements are ideally written so they can be applied to any circumstance. Make them simple so they can still be considered when things aren’t easy.

My mission statement is “be a good husband, father, and man.” Every thought, decision, and dilemma is considered through this lens.

Defining your mission prevents you from becoming a cog in someone else’s. The world will pressure you in many directions. Regardless of the pushes and pulls, a known mission can be executed within any context.

A personally derived purpose provides a productive perspective regardless of external demands. While you can’t control others, including those you care most about, or injuries, illness, and demands from things like your occupation, you can always control the interpretation of your thoughts and subsequent actions. A known mission filters and simplifies the control we have despite complex, dynamic, uncertain, and challenging aspects of life.

Challenge: Draft a one-sentence personal mission statement.

This will be a living document worth revisiting regularly.

Add meaning to your life by defining your mission within it.

Knowing your Why allows you to do any What no matter How.

On January 14th, 2022, James Freitas’s car was hit by an 18-wheeler forever altering the course of his life. Suffering a diffuse axonal brain injury, a severe form of traumatic brain injury causing tearing of nerve fibers throughout the brain, James had to relearn all the basic functions most take for granted. Rather than succumb to his condition, he progressively reclaimed his life through his love of birding.

James embodies resilience and his story demonstrates some of the most beautiful aspects of life can be found in response to unexpected adversity.

In this conversation, we discussed:

• Capacity

• Gratitude

• Slowing down

• Vulnerability

• Acceptance

• Leaning into discomfort

• And much more

As you will hear in this podcast, James has and continues to overcome significant hardship. His inspirational experience only adds power to his beautiful writing and photography.

Adaptation is always possible.

Purpose provides perspective to overcome life’s greatest challenges.

For more of James’s work, I highly recommend checking out his Substack Rock & Hawk, as well as his website www.james-freitas.com.

I once told my daughter that I won’t just get her anything she wants. But if she asks for a book, I’ll say yes every time. Sometimes we check it out at the library, sometimes I’…

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As a functional fitness coach of several years, I run a community-based fitness group outside of my gym. We discuss goals, meet weekly for outdoor workouts, and tackle a new daily chal…

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Progress is unique to us all.

Mother to one typically developing child and two profoundly autistic, non-verbal children, Sarah has experiential wisdom to back her deep knowledge of neurodiversity and the culture around it.

Always willing to share her story and empowering perspectives, Sarah inspires curiosity, authenticity, and resilience.

In this conversation, we discussed:

• Atypical progress

• Choosing your perspective

• Behavior as communication

• The benefit of difficult conversations

• Responding to hard days

While her mission is to be the voice of radical acceptance for mothers and caregivers of children with profound autism to encourage fulfilled living, her work inspires calm, gratitude, and joy for anyone in all domains of life.

Inchstones on Substack

Inchstones Podcast

My appearance on the Inchstones Podcast

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In the last year of getting my doctorate in audiology, I had the honor of being competitively selected to be an extern at The Cleveland Clinic. The top ranked ENT & Audiology Department w…

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Reco…

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Rather than provide how-to guides, Sam digs into what is possible despite adversity of all kinds. Leaving readers with questions, not specific answers, he allows us each to grapple with our own potential Why? and subsequent What?

If I was forced to recommend only one account on Substack to subscribe to, it would be his.

In this conversation, we discussed:

• Suffering

• Perspective

• Contemplating death

• Reframing adversity

• Self-command

• And much more

Find more from Sam at What then?

In this conversation, we discussed:

• Domains and pillars of resilience

• Nuance

• Pursuing productive discomfort

• Abstract vs concrete

• Resilience vs Antifragility

• And much more

As demonstrated in this podcast, Michael is a wealth of knowledge with perspectives and strategies to build resilience in any domain of life. Check out his work to learn more:

Resilience Optimized Website

Resilience Redefined Podcast

Michael’s Substack

Michael on LinkedIn