Welcome to Greatness

If this is your first time with us, welcome! Each week it is my goal to help you take another step closer to the greatness you're seeking. I want you to grow through each newsletter. The format is simple: 1 quote to inspire some contemplation, 2 lessons/stories for you to apply knowledge to your life, and 3 interesting learning opportunities to grow you understanding of greatness.

We are all capable of becoming great. It starts with the 7 pillars listed below. 

The 7 Pillars of Greatness

1. Work

2. Discipline

3. Mindset

4. Resilience

5. Purpose

6. People

7. Courage

There are many things that make up greatness. And within each of these pillars are several other skills that need to be understood and developed. If you want a deeper look at the 7 Pillars check out this document I wrote going deeper into each pillar.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

I want to give you guys a gift. I'm going to give away 10 signed copies of my latest book Master of the Sea. If you're interested in winning a copy it's super easy to enter. All you need to do is reply to this email with the name and email address of someone who you think might benefit from this newsletter (this will not sign them up for unwanted emails). For each name and email you will get an entry. 

I will then email each of the people individually and share that you thought they might enjoy this newsletter. If any of your recommendations sign up, you will get a second entry. I will announce the winners in an upcoming newsletter post, but will reach out to you for shipping information. Good luck!

1 Quote

2 Lessons

• Introduction to Meditation

This week I did my first meditation session.

I set a time for 5 minutes, closed my eyes, and did my best to draw my attention to my breath.

Within seconds, I started to hear every sound in the house.

I could hear the ticking of my clock in the living room.

I could hear my dog walk across the room.

But as I pulled my attention back to my breath each time, the world around me began to disappear.

I noticed the cool sensation in my nostrils as I inhaled.

I noticed the rising and falling of my chest.

I felt my mind zero in on each inhale and exhale.

As each minute passed, I fought to keep my focus solely on my breath.

Then before I realized I had been there for more than a few minutes my buzzer pulled me away from my breath.

The 5 minutes were up.

The second time was similar to the first.

My attention jumped around early, then settled into a rhythm.

This time, however, I found myself starting to mind wander.

I believe this was because I was more tired.

I felt myself nodding off a few times during the five minutes.

However, what I enjoyed was how I felt after the five minutes were up.

There was a clarity to my thoughts and a direction to what I was trying to accomplish.

I actually just finished 5 minutes before writing this section of this newsletter.

There's a power in meditation that I have missed.

The struggle to stay focused on a singular task is one that I will continue to work on.

I'm curious to see how learning to pull my attention where I want it to be will help me into the future.

If meditation isn't for you, that's understandable.

It wasn't for me for 39 years.

Find something that you have to focus your energy on and continue to pull yourself back to it.

That can have a similar benefit. 

I noticed these same sensations while practicing being present during my podcast conversations.

Work on your attention and use it for what you want.

It's time to get off auto-pilot.

• Learning to Live Hungry.

Another challenge I've recently introduced into my life is fasting.

I've been intermittent fasting for several months now.

Typically I do 14-16 hour fasts 3 days per week.

I have also performed one 24 hour fast (another one coming soon).

This has done two very important things for me.

It's built a better relationship with the food I eat.

I now pay attention to the food I consume more.

I appreciate what hunger feels like better.

I have been less inclined to eat crap food.

Probably because when you find yourself hungry the last thing you really want to do is fill your stomach with crap.

Instead, I'm conscious of what I'm choosing to eat and how much.

During this time I've also dropped around 15 pounds.

I'd still like to come down another 10-15, but I'm making the progress I want.

The other thing the fasting has done is allow me to connect with my mind to control my urges.

I've learned to delay gratification.

I've learned to hold off on my impulses.

I've learned that I have control of my choices and I'm not governed by how I feel in a moment.

I'm currently at the tail end of one of my fasts right now.

The last food I consumed was last evening at 9p and it's 12:30p the following day.

I'll eat again in about thirty minutes, making today's fast 16 hours.

I still have feelings of hunger.

I still want to grab food during my fast.

But now I find ways to delay that reaction and response.

I feel like my mind has become stronger.

I also know that I have improved my health by doing this.

There is power in our struggle.

Learning to put yourself in uncomfortable situations forces you to adapt.

Find new ways to challenge yourself.

Get uncomfortable and watch how you start to change.

Watch how you start to evolve.

Don't fear struggle, embrace it.

3 Things to Check Out

I recently read How to Own Your Own Mind by Napoleon Hill and found myself fully immersed in what was being said. The power we have within our mind to create a life of purpose, meaning, and success is staggering. Yet for some reason we do not fully understand how to take control of our own mind. This book looks at several principles of mastering our mind that can give you an advantage in any field you are trying to pursue.

Gary Vaynerchuk is an American entrepreneur and in this YouTube video he dives into the struggles and challenges that pushed him to where he is today. A big part of this talk is about how we can set our kids up for kids by creating struggle and removing entitlement from our world and culture. It's time to start to push ourselves to be more.

Kristen Ulmer will be joining me on The Edge of Greatness Podcast in the next few weeks, and in preparation for my conversation I love digging into all the things my guest has done. If you're curious about Kristen or what fear and anxiety are doing in your life and what to do about it, check out this TED Talk. I'm looking forward to getting to talk to Kristen in the next few weeks.

Thanks for Stopping By

Thanks for coming by. I hope you enjoyed this week's issue. If you'd like more content before next Sunday visit The Edge of Greatness Project.

If you're working on a project or just need some help, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to help you get to your next milestone. Just reply to this email or send me a message at [email protected].

It'd be great if you shared this with a friend. See you guys next Sunday.