Introduction: This Is Unbeatable Mind - Amazon S3...Divine Brothers, Inc., a legacy family business...
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Introduction:ThisIsUnbeatableMind
Whenamanisbeaten,tormentedanddefeated…Heisreadytolearnsomething.
—Emerson
BasedonmydiscussionswiththousandsofmySEALFITandUnbeatable
Mindtrainees,Ihavenoticedthatnomatterhowsuccessfultheyare,
theyfeelincompleteandthattheyhavemoretogive.Buttheyarestuck.
Sometimesanexistentialthreat,suchascancer,joltsthemoutoftherut
andtoahigherlevelofthinkingandacting.Butmytraineesdon'twantto
waitforanexistentialcrisistofindtheirfullpowerandtomakea
differenceintheworld.Ibetyoufeelthesameway.Thegoodnewsis
thatyounowhaveatoolinyourhandsthatwillhelpsolvethispuzzling
aspectofthehumanexperience.
The"bigidea"ofthisbookisthatyouarecapableofsomuchmore
thanyouthinkyouare,butyouhavebeenkeptinthedarkaboutthis
potentialyourentirelife.Icallthispotentialyour20XFactor,inthat
youarecapableofatleasttwentytimeswhatyourcurrentparadigm
allowsyoutobelieve.Itisnotasthoughyourfamilyorourculture
purposelykeptyouinthedarkaboutthisimportantfact.No,theywere
ignorantaboutitaswellandcan'tbeheldtoblame.Wecannotignore
thisunbelievabletruthanylonger.Notonlydoyoudeservetotapyour
fullpotentialforyourownsuccessandhappiness,butourcollective
mindsareneededtosyncuplikeaglobalcrowdsourcednetworkof
solutionfinderstopullusoutofthemesswehavecreated.Thisbook
isn'taboutthosemesses,though—thereareplentyofauthorswriting
abouttheperilswefaceonourabusedplanet.No,thisbookisabout
howyoucanbegintotapintothatvastpotentiallyingdormantinsideof
you—sothatyoucanachieveyourfullestexpressionofyourself,help
thosearoundyou,andsendpositiveripplesthroughouttheworld.
Einsteinsaidthatyoucan'tsolveaproblemfromthesame
paradigmthatcausedit.UnbeatableMindoffersanewparadigmofhow
touseyourmindasawholemindtoelevateyourselftowhatIcall“fifth
plateauconsciousness”byintegratingyourfivekeylinesofhuman
development,whichIcallthe“fivemountains.”Theyareyourphysical,
emotional,mental,intuitional,andspiritualintelligences.Itisalsoabout
learninghowtoavoidmentaltraps,developingnewmodelsofthinking
thatarepositiveandsupercharged,andworkingfromthe"we"
perspectiveratherthanyournarrow"I"perspective.Whenwecanall
accomplishthis,evenonasmallscale,Ibelievewewillensureour
children'sfuture.ThustheUnbeatableMindphilosophyandtrainingis
aboutdevelopingyourpersonalpowerfullysoyoucanbemore
successfulinyourjob,career,andlifeandthenuseyourgrowingpower
tohelpguideyourtribes,organizations,andthehumanracetoabetter
place.Soundslofty,right?Ifyouareonboardwiththisvision,thenlet's
getbusylearninghowtodevelopanUnbeatableMind!
TheEarlyYears
Letmebackupnowandgiveyouan ideaofwhere I came from
andhowIgothere.MyupbringinginUpstateNewYorkwassimpleand
groundinginmanyways.Wide‐openfarmcountryandsixmillionacres
ofAdirondackPark,withafewsmalltownsdottedhereandthere,gave
mealotofroomtoroam.Upstate,aswecallit,covers95percentofthe
realestateofNewYork—theother5percentissqueezedintotheNew
York Metro area. Aside from the occasional cow crossing the road or
drunkdriverpeelingoutofthelocalwateringhole,therewasn'tawhole
lotgoingonUpstate.
Inmyearlychildhood,Ilearnedtofindsolaceinthesilenceof
nature.Andgrowingupinthemountainsandvalleys,allIhadtodowas
stepoutdoorstofindit.Myfather'sconstantneedtotinker,hislovefor
thetrails,combinedwithmymother'sathleticism,keptusoutdoors.
TwiceaweekduringthesummerIwouldfindmyselfnavigatingthe
Adirondackpeakswithmydadandbrother,Brad.Ilovedthese
expeditionsthatarousedasenseofaweforthenaturalbeautyand
excitementofalwaysfindingsomethingnewaroundthenextcorner.
InawayIchoseMotherNatureasabestfriendbecauseofthese
experiencesandforlackofmanyothersuitableoptions.Ibecamevery
comfortablewithsilence,whichprovedtobeanimportantthemeinmy
life,unbeknownsttomeatthetime.Naturewasatrustworthyandloyal
friendwhoIdidn'targuewithandwhodidn'tdemandmuchfromme,as
longasIrespectedher.OftenIwouldjustsitinabsorption,notthinking
orstrivingforanythinginparticular,andallowthepeacetosettlein.
Onthehomefront,thingswereloudandoftenconfusing,andfor
reasonsIdidnotunderstandatthetime,Iwasshutdownandunsettled,
asiflockedinanemotionalprison.IcravedtheconnectionthatIfeltso
keenlywhenaloneinnature,butIhadnoluckfindingitinrelationships.
SoIkeptturningtomyfriendshipwithnature,anditwasthatmentor
relationshipthatpreparedmemostforwhatwastobemyfutureasa
warrior.Butbeforeanyofthat,Ihadtowakeup.
MortalityKnocks
"Sitdown,Mark."Thedoctorlookedwaytooserious.Iwasinthe
hospitalforaherniaoperation.AweekearlierIhadtriedtoimpressmy
dadbyliftingamassivelogontoasplitter.Egowasdrivingtheshow,and
asIhoistedthemonster,mystomachpoppedthroughmygroin.The
surgerywasnoproblem,andIwasupandreadytorollaftertwodays.At
seventeenIwasn'ttobediscouragedbyaminorsetbacklikethis.
MyparentsandIsettledinandwaitedforthenews.Ihadallbut
forgottenabouttheotherissueIhadnotifiedthedocaboutbeforegoing
undertheanestheticfog.Heclearedhisthroatandbegan,"Wetooka
lookatthegrowthonyourleg,Mark."Hissternlookchilledmyspine."It
ismelanomacancer…doyouknowwhatthatis?"Itriedtofindamental
footholdasIshiftedfromexpectinggoodnewstothesemoresinister
words."Weneedtoschedulesurgeryrightnowtoremovethelymph
nodesinyourlegs.Thiswillpreventthecancerfromspreading."
Whatthehell?Ithought.Mymomanddadnoddedinconcurrence,
butIsatquietly,takingitin.Mymindseemedtodissolveintoastateof
shockandpresence.Everythingseemedbrighter,andIfeltarushoflife‐
forcethatIalsofeltwhenabsorbedinnature.The"I"ofmeleftfora
moment,asifIwereinsuspendedanimation.Thiswasmyfirstaltered
stateexperience,anditfeltliketenminutes,butitmusthaveonlybeena
fewmoments,beforemyrationalmindclickedbackin.Whatdoesthis
mean?Isitreal?Iamtooyoungtodie.Inspiteofthestitchesinmygroin,I
feelprettydarngood.Wouldn'tIknowitifIhadcancerriddlingmybody?
MyinnervoicetoldmethatIwouldhaveknownandthateverythingwas
fine…butwhattheheckdidaseventeen‐year‐oldkidknowabout
intuition?
Thedocexplainedthatiftheoperationwassuccessfuland
followedbythenormalradiationandchemo,Ihadachanceat
eradicatingthecancer.Icouldleadanormallifewithonemajor
exception:Iwouldneverbeanathleteagain.Thelymphnoderemoval
wouldresultin"fattylegsyndrome"duetotheabsenceofthecleansing
workofthelymphnodes.Hedidn'ttellmewhathetoldmyfolks…that
hisprognosiswasthatIhadsixmonthstolive.
Strangehowthingscanbecruisingalongswimminglyone
moment,andthenthenextmoment,boom:youhavecanceroratree
fallsonyou.Beingignoranttothegravityofthesituationwasablessing
indisguise.
Thedoclefttheroom,andIlookedatmyparents,whoseemedin
moreshockthanme.
"Idon'tbelieveit,"Isaid."Idon'tbelievethisishappening,andI
don'tbelievethedoctor…shouldn'twegetmoreopinions?"Myparents,to
theirgreatcredit,agreedandinformedthehospitalthatIdeclinedthe
surgeryandcancertreatment,pendingfurtherresearch.
AsIattemptedtoreturntomylife,Iwassoonhitbyafloodof
sympatheticpeople,manyofwhomIbarelyknew.ApparentlyIwasthe
onlyonekeptinthedarkaboutthesixmonthstolivepart.Awkwardto
findoutthatway.Ikeptmyfocusonhealthandinsistedonattending
summerswimcampafewweekslater.Itfeltgreattogetbacktomy
trainingandtakemymindoffthings.Swimcamphelpedmeclearmy
head,andwhenIleft,Iwasfeelingmuchbetter.Thewholeepisode
seemedlikeamistake,andtwomonthslaterIgotword.Threeresearch
hospitalslookedatthebiopsy,andthescorewas:
Cancer:0
Notcancer:2
Uncertain:1
Thatreportputanendtothisstrangeepisodeofmylife.However,
itimpactedmedeeplyforafewreasons.First,itshowedmehow
preciouslifeisandhowquicklyitcancometoanend.Muchtomy
dismay,theillusionofyouthfulimmortalitywasgone—soIhadbetter
makethemostoutofeachday.Second,Ilearnedthatprofessionalsare
limitedandpronetoerror,justlikeeveryoneelse.Itisimportantto
questionauthorityandgetmultipleperspectivesonimportantissues—
thenmakeupyourownmind.Third,itshowedmethatmyparentswere
notinfallible,andthoughtheyhadmybestinterestsatheart,Iwould
needtochartmyownpaththroughlife.Finally,ittaughtmetolistento
thatlittlevoicedeepinsideofme,theonethatwhispered"no"whenI
heardthewordcancer.Ilearnedtoappreciateintuition,eventhoughI
hadnoideahowtotapintoityetfordeeperlevelsofinsight.
TheEducationYears
During my high school years, my siblings all got shunted off to
boarding school, butmymomdecided tokeepmeathome.Her logical
reasoning was that I was smart enough to get into a good college
without that fancyprepschool finish.The truthwas that Iwas justan
easy kid to have at home, and I added color and comfort to the home
front.SothereIsatatthepublichighschool,whereImadeletteringin
sports a pastime. Though I enjoyed the team sports, I was drawn to
endurance training for themental challenge and the simplicity. Endless
laps in the pool and running track were predominantly mental
endeavors. Through these sports I learned the importance of proper
breathingandmentalmanagement.Myswimtimesearnedmeasloton
theColgateUniversityteam,andoffIwentin1981.
Colgate is a considered a "lower Ivy League" school that prides
itself on academic rigor and football, neither of which I majored in. I
settledoneconomics,thinkingthat itwouldhelpwhenI landedbackat
DivineBrothers, Inc.,a legacy familybusiness inmanufacturingstarted
in1898.IquicklybecameasolidBstudentat"theGate"asotherpursuits
capturedmytimeandinterests.Socially,myworldburstwideopenasI
beganmyloveaffairwithbeerandwomen,inthatorder.IfeltasifIhad
beenacave‐dwellingasceticinamountainhamletwhohadfinallysnuck
awaytotastethehedonisticrealworld…mybrainexplodedwiththenew
experiences.
After a semester of craziness, I knew I needed to groundmyself
againor Iwoulddrown, so I reverted towhat I knewbest:natureand
sports.Therigorofmydailyschedulekeptmefocusedandlessproneto
participateinthenonstopparty:
6–6:30am:Wakeandrunthreemilestotheboathouse
6:30–7:30am:Rowcrewforagut‐bustinghour.
7:30–8:00:Runthreemilesbacktothefraternityforbreakfast
9:00–11:30:Classes
11:30–13:00:Hitthegymtoliftweights
13:30–15:30:Classes
15:45–18:00:Swimpractice—uptofivethousandmeters
18:30–19:50:Rowthedreadedergometer
20:00:Dinner
Dinneratthefrathousewouldbefollowedbyatriptothelibrary,
where Iwould end up facedown in drool, snoring like a big dog. Upon
finishingmy"studies,"Iwouldheadtothepubtoscanforgirlsandbein
bedbyeleveno'clock—dependingontheresultsofthepubvisit.
OK,Iadmitthoseweregreattimes,andIhavesomegreatfriends
fromthatera.However,IhadnoideawhatIwantedtodowhenIgrew
up besides the family business, which was my default. As senior year
groundtoaclose,though,Ifoundmyselfwithauniquejobofferfroma
Big 8 CPA firm in Manhattan. The firm, Coopers & Lybrand (now
PricewaterhouseCoopers), somehow thought it a good idea to sponsor
me to attend NYU Stern School of Business as part of a work‐study
program.Iwouldworkasanauditorfortwoyears,duringwhichtimeI
would get amaster's and pass the CPA exam. Sowithin fiveweeks of
graduatingColgate,IfoundmyselfbackinsummerschoolatNYU.Class
washeldMonday toThursday,and thenFridayswerespentatCoopers
with the other students. It was not too complicated, and I picked up
auditing quickly. For a few months, the newness of the challenge
motivatedme,butitwasn't longbeforeIdreadedthemonotonyof"the
"realworld."WasthisreallywhatIwasgoingtodofortherestofmylife?
Completelyonmyownnow,desperationovercamemeastheeducational
billspiledupandmyoptionsdwindled.Itwasn'tlongbeforeIstartedto
questionwhetherIhadmadeahugemistake.
TheMentorAppears
Walking home from the subway one evening, I heard spirited
shoutsexplodingfromasecond‐floorwindow.Lookingup,Inotedaflag
stating"SEIDOKarate,WorldHeadquarters."Interesting.Soundslikethey
arewhippingupastormupthere,Ithought.Icouldn'tresist,soIclimbed
thestairsandmetthemanwhowouldbecomemyfirstmentor,whoheld
thekeytounlockthedoortomyownUnbeatableMind.
Kaicho(Grandmaster)TadashiNakamurafoundedSeidoKaratein
theseventies.HewasbroughttotheUnitedStatesbytheKyokushinkai
founder, Mas Oyama, to head up the training. After a few years,
Nakamurabecamedisenchantedwith the tournament fighting focusof
thatstyle,desiringtoteachkarateincombinationwithZentrainingtoa
broader base. He believed that the inner development of the warrior
mustparalleltheouterdevelopmentortheartcouldbeusedimproperly.
In essence he felt that self‐mastery was equally important as fighting
prowess. The fighting strategies, tactics, techniques, and physical
conditioning were methods of the outer training, while meditation,
contemplation, and silence were the methods of the inner warrior
development.Incidentally,mostmodernmartialartshavelostthissubtle
artofwarriordevelopment,aiminginsteadatcompetitionorMMA‐style
training.KaichoNakamura'strainingandmentorshipcausedaparadigm
shiftinmyownconsciousness—meetinghimwasawatershedmoment
inmylife.EverythingafterSeidowasjust,well,different.
IreceivedmyShodanblackbeltrankinginNovemberof1989.
Incidentally,IalsoreceivedmyCPAandmyMBAcertificatesthesame
month.Butthemostsignificantthingthathappenedthatmonthwas
thatIhoppedonatraintoNewport,RhodeIsland,tobeginmysecond
careerasanavalofficer.ThementorshipIhadreceivedunderMr.
Nakamura'sguidancehadopenedupnewdoorsofpossibilitytome,and
Itookaleapthroughoneofthemoreadventurousones.TheZenand
warriortraininghadfinallygroundmyoutershelldownenoughthatit
allowedmyinnervoicetobeheard,tellingme,"Mark,youareoutof
alignmentwithyourpurpose.Yourpassionistobealeader,awarrior,
andtofindagrandadventure.Yourprinciplesarebeingcompromised
bychasingmoney,andyourpurposeisbiggerthanjustbeingin
businessforthesakeofacareer."Ihadalsobecomeenchantedwiththe
NavySEALs'sirencallto"BeSomeoneSpecial"andtookthebait.Into
thenavyIwentin1989andneverlookedback.
Teams'n'Shit
ItwaslateNovemberwhenIgotoffthetrainforNewport,Rhode
Island,leavingthesuit,thecorporateworld,andsadly,KaichoNakamura,
behind. Officer Candidate School (OCS) was four months of marching
from one class to another in formation, and I gutted through it, no
problem. InMarch I checked intoBUD/S, the sixmonth SEAL training
course, for Class 171 on a Friday and found that itwasn't starting for
another tenweeks. Iheard thatadifferent class,170,was rampingup
that coming Monday. I was determined to get started right away, so I
wentsearchingforsomeonewhocouldmakeithappen.
SoonIfoundmyselfsteppingontothedeckoftheCombatTraining
Tank (SEAL‐speak for pool) facing 180 scared‐looking students of class
170, lorded over by Lieutenant Rick May perched high on the dive
platform. The entire class went silent when this newly minted officer
(me)enteredtheirspace.
"What can we do for you, Enzyme?" was May's response to my
interruption.
"Sir,Ihaveordersto171butwouldliketoclassupwith170,"Isaid
withasenseofconfidence.
"OK,that'snotnormal.Provetousthatyouareready:swimfifty
metersunderwater inyourbootsandutes(utilitypants)rightnow,"he
said.
OK, I thought, this is going to be interesting, but it's rightupmy
alley.
The sea of candidates parted, likely wondering about my sanity
during this brazen stunt. I stood at the pool's edge, took a few deep
breaths,andjumpedin,bootsandall.Ipulledlikehellagainstthewater
andmadeit totheotherside,andthenIturnedandkickedagainst the
wallwithallmymight. Iglidedhalfwayandthenpulledmywaytothe
other side. Gassed, I could barely drag myself onto the deck to await
sentencing.
"See me Monday morning," May said. Then he went back to
hammeringtheclass.
On Monday I classed up with 170. May and the other SEAL
instructorswereadifferentbreedofmenthanIhadeverbeenexposed
to. Their confidence was born not of cockiness or the size of their
paycheck,butofextremecompetenceanda"beenthere,donethat"air
ofuntouchability.The legendwas thatLieutenantMay fracturedhis leg
onthethirddayofhishellweek.Hewasn'tgoingtoletthatdetailsideline
him,sohecontinuedtorunonituntilhepassedoutfromthepain…after
securingfromtrainingondayfive!
PeoplelikeLieutenantMayandLieutenantZinkeweremyheroes
andnewmentorsforthenextninemonths.Theydidn'tmessaroundor
wastetime,goingfromzerotoahundredmilesperhourondayoneand
not throttling back at all for the duration. The training standards kept
gettingharderand fasterwhile thequitting linegot longer.Thoseofus
who had spent several years preparing and cultivating our mental
toughness were ready. Those who had not…were not…and didn't
survive. Of the 180 who started in my SEAL training class, only 19
graduated,andIwastheHonorManoftheclass.
The arduous BUD/S training has been exposed by many SEAL
authorsandHollywoodmovies,soIwon'trepeatdetailshere.ButIwill
sprinkleinafewanecdotalstoriestobackupaprinciplehereandthere.
BeforeIgoon,foryouladiesreadingthis,Iwantyoutoknowthatthis
bookiseverybitasmuchforyouasitisfortheguys.ThoughtheSEALs
andmartialartsaredominatedbyrough‐and‐tumblemen,Ihavetrained
alongsidemanywomenintheartsand,morerecently,inthedisciplineof
AshtangaYoga. InAshtangamostofmypeersarewomen,everyoneof
themasphysicallycapable,ormoreso,thantheirmalecounterparts.The
principlesofUnbeatableMindarenotaboutbeinghard‐corebutrather
abouthow toperformat yourpeak in anydomain,whether youarea
mom,dad,SEAL,student,orCPA.SomeoftheintriguinglessonsIlearned
duringSEALtrainingareworthstatingnowthough:
I. Getting through SEAL training is largely a mental exercise. The
physical readiness is certainlyaprerequisite,but it is themental
preparationandresiliencythatmakethedifference.Provingthat
isthekeytoprovingyoucansurviveandbea leaderinthemost
chaoticanddangerouscircumstancesknowntomankind.Applied
toanygoalinlife,thislessonwillserveyouwell.
II. SomeamazingindividualsmakeittoSEALtrainingbutfaildueto
"bad luck" injuries. But isn't it true that the more aware and
durableyouare,thelesslikelyyouwillfallpreytowhatotherscall
bad luck? Idon't subscribe to thebad luck theory.Murphy'sLaw
says that what can go wrong will. Destiny favors the prepared.
Awareness,sleep,recovery,anddurabilitytraininghelpwithinjury
avoidance and allow you tomaintain peakperformance over the
longhaul.Hardisnotalwayssmart,andenergymanagementisa
crucialskillwhetheryouareaNavySEALcandidateortopfemale
CEO.IntheSEALswelearnedhowtoputout100percentwhenit
paid to be a winner and then how to rest, even if that meant
sleepingcomfortablyonapointyrockwhengiventhechance.
III. SomeofthesmartestandfittestpeoplemadeitthroughBUD/Sbut
failed as SEAL leaders because they lacked emotional depth and
control. This is difficult for men but is a critical skill for
performanceatthelevelwedesirewithUnbeatableMind.
IV. Theself‐confidenceofaSEALisbothacharactertraitandaskill.
The skill is to rackup small,worthy, and achievable victories on
thewaytomissionaccomplishment.Inaddition,itrequiresbeing
abletoreframefailurestofindasilverlining.Withthesetwoskills,
youwillhavetheself‐confidencetoattackanychallenge,andyour
confidenceinyourdomainofexpertisewillgrowasyoursuccess
grows.
V. Trainingneverstops.IntheSEALs,BUD/Swasjustthebeginning.
ThetraininggotharderandriskierduringSQT(SEALQualification
Training), and then it was notched up by another large factor
when we got to the actual SEAL Teams themselves. It never
stopped, and it became the "main thing" in the life of the SEAL
operator.Thisconcept isa fundamentaldriverformylifeandfor
theUnbeatableMindprogram.
VI. Valuesarejustwords.SEALstakethewordsandmakethemhabits,
turnthemintovirtuesandeventuallytheircharacter,andsomust
you. When you do this, your actions will truly express your
character,whichwill forge your destiny. Youwill stand out from
theaveragelikealighthouseonastormynight.
VII. Navy SEALs solve problems in unique and unconventional ways
not obvious tomost people. Through trial and errorwe learn to
reframeallproblemsbylookingatthemthroughmultipledifferent
lenses.We turn themupsidedownand insideout;westepoutof
the box altogether to look at them from a new paradigm, or
dimension,orculturalperspective.ThisisaSEAL‐inspiredversion
of the science of creative invention called TRIZ, developed by a
Russianinventor,whichwewillgetintoabitinchaptereight.
VIII. SEAL training established the conditions for accelerated human
performance. This is due to the immersive nature of the
experienceandtheconstantexposuretonewskills, ideas,people,
places,andchallengesofahigh‐risknature.Wegrewfastandmade
learning to learn a passion. This same type of accelerated
development is my goal for you with this book and the online
UnbeatableMindAcademy.
AfterBUD/StrainingIwastoldthatastheHonorMangraduateI
couldchoosemynextdutystation.IwrotedownSEALTeams2,4,and8,
allon theEastCoast,onmydreamsheet. I liked the ideaof serving in
Europe with SEAL Team 2 and knew I would enjoy the cold weather
work. But I soon learned that the needs of the navy trumped their
promises, and I was ordered to SEAL Team 3 in Coronado, California.
There IwasassignedasassistantplatooncommanderofAlphaPlatoon
under Lieutenant Washabau. Wash was an excellent officer, and we
trainedtheteamhardfortwelvemonths.WewereslatedtogotoDesert
Storm when the war ended just as we were heading out the door, so
instead we deployed to The Philippines. In the "PI" we conducted a
mission confusingly called "Foreign InternalDefense" (FIDwas a term
usedtodescribeUSSpecialOperationsForcestrainingaforeignforcefor
theirinternaldefenseneeds)andotherspecialreconnaissancemissions.
FIDhadustrainanumberofnavalspecialopsforcesintheAsianrimfor
thepurposeofbilateralrelations,pointofpresence,culturalawareness,
and intelligence. I really enjoyed thesemissions, though they paled in
comparison to thehard‐coredirect actionmissions seenby theSEALs
since 9/11. Most of all I loved working with Alpha Platoon and SEAL
Team3, serving there for close to fiveyears.Theworkwas fast‐paced,
extremely challenging, and very rewarding. Some of the stories that
cameoutof thatperiod areoutrageously funny andmind‐blowing.We
chalkedallthoseexperiencesuptowhatwecalled"teams'n'shit."Most
SEALs who stick around for more than a single tour have crazy sea
storiesduetothenatureoftheteamandthemissionstakenon.
In 1995my Platoon Commander Tour ST‐3 was cut short, and I
was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 in Hawaii. I also got
married to a Coronado girl named Sandy. Learning how to drive and
navigate theminisubswasalmostas funas learninghowtonavigatea
marriage!When I checked into the team insteadofgoing intoanother
operatingplatoon,Iwasslatedtoheadupaspecialprojectthattookme
back toSouthKorea.At thispoint inmyactive‐dutySEALcareer, I felt
pulledinoppositedirections.Mywifewasnotthrilledaboutthemassive
amount of travel, and I did not want to be away from her for eleven
monthsoutoftheyear.IcertainlyunderstoodthetravelneedswhenIgot
married, but I wasn't prepared for the emotional challenge they
presented.Manypeopledealtwiththisbytreatingtheirmarriagelikea
business arrangement—it didn't bother them, and they enjoyed being
away. I, on the other hand, didn't like it one bit andworried that the
marriagewouldn'tsurvive.Inretrospect,IthinkthatbecauseIhadsuch
adifficult time connectingwhen Iwas younger,when I finally founda
heart connection with a woman, I didn't want to blow it. Therefore I
made the difficult life‐changing decision to leave the active duty and
transfertotheSEALReserves.
In April of 1996, I found myself a part‐time SEAL and full‐time
entrepreneur. I paired up with my brother‐in‐law to launch the third
brewery in San Diego, the Coronado Brewing Company (CBC). The
business is thriving to this day, and since that fateful decision I have
launched five more successful businesses, including NavySEALs.com,
Inasoft, US Tactical, US CrossFit, and SEALFIT. While busy as an
entrepreneur,IalsoservedatReserveSEALTeams1,3,and17,aswell
asNavalSpecialWarfareGroupONEandSpecialOperationsCommand
Pacific.Iwasmobilizedforone‐yearactivedutystintstwice,onetimeto
BahrainandAfricaand theother to Iraq.There I rana specialproject
withST‐1tostudywhethertheMarineCorpsshouldbecomepartofthe
special ops community. I was also hired as an adjunct professor of
leadership at the University of San Diego and helped launch an
entrepreneurial leadership institute there. Iwas very busy, but again I
feltlikesomethingwasmissing.
I thought back through the years and noted that Iwas happiest
andmostsuccessfulwhenIwasactivelyengagedindailycomprehensive
training.Inbusiness,whetherasaCPAinNewYorkoranentrepreneur
inCalifornia,thefocuswasallonwork.Therewasscantattentionpaid
to physical training or mental performance. For a second time I was
facedwith the prospect of a slide into physical andmentalmediocrity,
and I decided Iwould find away, ormake away, to train like I had at
Seidotenyearsearlier.
YogaJitsu
In1998IstumbleduponSaitoNinjitsuandAshtangaYogaandtook
themboth up. Throughmy ninjitsu training, Iwas able to tap into the
physicality and raw warrior spirit of the martial arts again. It was
liberating. But it was through the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga that I
finallyunderstoodwhatittooktomovefrombeingawarriorathleteand
leadertobecomingametaphoricalwarriormonk.Yogaturnedmeinside
out,slowedmedownandfirmlyplantedameditativepracticebackinto
mylife.ItwastheperfectcomplementtothehardphysicaltrainingthatI
wassoaccustomedto.Throughmyyogatraining, I foundthe following
insightstoaddtomygrowingknowledgeofhumandevelopment:
I. Yoga ismuchmore thanbending and flexing yourbody. It is the
oldestformofpersonaldevelopmentknown,spanning5,000years.
It isalsorumoredtobethesourceofmodernmartialarts,witha
fellownamedBhodidharmahavingtraveledfromIndiatowhat is
nowChinaandestablishingtheShaolinMonastery.
II. Yogaliterallymeansto"yoke"orunifyyourlimitedconsciousself
withyourexpansive,soulself.Thetrainingcomesinmanyforms,
but the one I foundmost intriguing is the eight‐limbmethod of
Ashtanga Yoga outlined by a fellow named Patanjali in his Yoga
Sutras.
III. Theeightlimbscoveracomprehensivedevelopmentpathwaythat
includes developing personal disciplines, cultivating an ethical
foundation for good living, developing the body, developing the
breath (or life‐force), deepening sensory perception, deepening
powers of concentration, releasing into presence and the void
through meditation, and finding bliss, union, or
enlightenment…which have existed all the time but need to be
discoveredpersonally.Whatapowerfulandmotivatingpath.
IV. What I love about Ashtanga Yoga is its synchronicity with the
warrior disciplines I learned from Kaicho Nakamura and Zen
training, and also the teachings of Christ from my Christian
upbringing (I distinguish the teachings of Christ from the rules
anddogmaofsomeoftheChristianreligioustraditionsthathave
evolvedovertheyears).BecauseofyogaIbegantostudyhowand
whythegreatspiritualtraditionsallcameathumandevelopment
with similar tools and methods but using different words and
culturalinterpretations.
V. Yoga reinforced the notion that daily training and practice was
more important thananyspecific teacherorskill.The journeyof
disciplining the body,mind, and spirit to still itself and focus on
higher‐ordernotionsofbeingandlivingisoneofthegreatsecrets
to development. Just as the body will atrophy without constant
training, the mind and spirit will not develop, and will atrophy,
withoutasimilarfocus.
I began to experiment by combining CrossFit, Ninjitsu and
Ashtanga into my training regimen. I found each to be rich and
rewarding,but alone theydidnotmeetmywarriordevelopmentgoals.
CrossFit lacked the inner development, Ninjitsu lacked the functional
fitness and meditation, and yoga lacked the strength, stamina, work
capacity, and endurance training I desired. So I cobbled together a
program with all three, but I found it difficult to handle three $150
monthly training memberships and juggle the schedules. So in 2006 I
finally decided I would figure out a way to integrate the best of each
system into one training model. The result, launched in 2008, was
SEALFIT.
Thetrainingworkedverywell.Infactitwassofun,effective,and
upliftingthatby2013SEALFITwasknownworldwideforourAdvanced
Operator Workouts, live‐in Academy, and fifty‐hour Kokoro mental
toughness camps. Along the way I had become a recognized mental
toughness expert. All of this came from my simple desire to create a
trainingprogramformyselfthatintegratedthemostpowerfulelements
ofphysical,mental,emotional,intuitional,andspiritualtrainingthatIhad
experiencedintheSEALsthroughthemartialartsandyoga.Cool.
TheUnbeatableMindRoadMap
Since leaving theactivedutySEALs in1996, Ihavewatchedhow
businessandlifehavebecomesomuchfaster,morecomplex,andmore
aggressive. The rules that I knew then have been shattered by the
Internetandthediffusionoftechnology—bothofwhichhaveseemedto
flatten the world and compress time. Entire cultures that were once
isolated arenowconnectedviamobiledevices, andvalues are clashing
and morphing. The business landscape now looks more like enemy
territoryonasecretSEALmission.YouandImustdevelopnewmethods
andbeliefstoeffectivelydealwiththisnewreality.
Inthefirstchapterofthisbook,westartwithwhatIcalltheFirst
Premise—that youmustwin in yourmindbefore setting foot into the
battlefields in life. Using visualization techniques I first learned from a
swim coach and then honed in Zen training, I planted the seeds for
success intomysubconsciousmind.This training,alongwithpositivity,
self‐talk,andpropergoalsetting,cementedthedealandensuredthat I
wasusingmuchmoreofmymentalpowers thanmypeerswhen I set
foot onto the BUD/S grinder. This brings us to the second chapter of
Unbeatable Mind. The Two Disciplines were gleaned from closely
observingmymentor Kaicho Nakamura. He taughtme that to live an
uncommon life, one needs to learn uncommon disciplines. He andmy
NinjitsuSenseiShanePhelpsinspiredmetodevelopthe"FiveMountain"
trainingmodelofUnbeatableMind,introducedinchaptertwo.
In SEAL training, and later in business, I learned that if we can
control stress and fear, we can focus and leadmuch better. In chapter
threeIdiscussthatmentaltoughnesshasthreesecrets—controllingthe
body, the mind, and the emotions. Win those three, and you win the
battle every time. Next, chapter fourwill get into the four elements of
awarenessandguideyoutoactivateanddeepenyourself‐awarenessand
the situational awareness of your surrounding environment. You will
become sheepdog strongwith this knowledge. In chapter five I discuss
the five critical skills for developing mentally tough leadership, drawn
straight frommy high‐risk days as a SEAL officer. Chapter sixwill get
into how to develop power virtues. A virtue is a value that you have
habituated until it becomes a character trait. Unbeatable Mind leaders
embody these virtues that help to propel them into new territory and
keep them on track to be uncommon. Since we all rely on teams to
accomplish worthy goals, I offer seven "tough team" training tools in
chapterseven.Youwillleveragethesetoolstotrainyourteamtooperate
atanelitelevel.Chaptereightdivesintotheeighttraitsofmasterythat
willstartshowingupinyourrelationshipsandactionsasyourtraining
progresses.Thesesignpostsareyourindicatorsthatyouareontheright
pathandalsoyourmotivatortostaythecourse.InchapternineIprovide
a glimpse into the five plateaus of consciousness so you can better
understandwhereyour centerof gravity lies, and to lay the foundation
foryoutoascendtothehighestlevels.
Letmesaythatyouarenotaloneonthejourney—therearemany
whoare following theUnbeatableMindprescription, includingathletes,
executives, moms, dads, teens, martial artists, yoga practitioners, and
spiritualseekers.Thisbookwillprovide thebasicphilosophyand tools
to allow you towin in yourmind, forge grit, and develop an offensive
attitude. It will help you to train yourself and your team to peak
performance, and,more importantly, to leadwithyourheart andmind
mergedinaction.Iencourageyoutoenjoythejourneyratherthanfocus
onthedestination.Foreverymountainyouclimbandplateauyourestat,
therewillbeanotherandmoreinterestingviewahead.