Basecamp for Men E296: How to Age Gracefully

E296: How to Age Gracefully with Special Guest Roy Holman

 

E296 Introduction

Aging gracefully and vibrant health is something that I have highly valued my whole life, really. I have watched as the so called “authorities” have put out dubious information about just about everything: our diets, how we exercise, our supplementation, our spiritual and emotional approach to our lives and our health.

It seems the dominant narrative is one where we are always surrendering our sovereignty. The mainstream, consensus mindset is to just try and do the best you can and, if things seem to go wrong or not feel good, go get on a pharmaceutical product. If that doesn’t work or creates new problems or side-effects, go back and get another.

I would imagine this simplified illustration is why so many Americans are on 5-10-15 or more medications. A person can lose track of what is what not to mention lose faith in their own bodies ability to find a healthy baseline. It’s like we are not even giving or God-given bodies a chance to find vibrant health, are you following me?

I have always found that being healthy is a life-long project. One of tinkering with all sorts of modalities, teachers, food, and supplements to find what is optimal for ME. That is one of the important pieces. What works well for someone else may not work well for you. You have to try things out and notice how you feel. Over and over again as you go.

Today’s interview is with my dear friend Roy Holman. He is a man that I deeply respect and admire and he takes a similar approach as a sort of health scientist.

We kick the tires on all sorts of things both well-known and little-known. Our hope is that you can hear your own calling to deeply connect with God and yourself, so that you can hear the whispers that speak uniquely to you. Enjoy the interview.

Roy Holman Bio

My guest today is Roy Holman. Roy is a meditation and yoga teacher, a lover of nature, and the creator and host of the podcast The Soulful Warrior. Here is my interview with Roy Holman.

 E296 Final Thoughts

Well, I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did with our dear friend Roy Holman. My hope and prayer is that you heard a thing or two today that resonated with you and has you reframe the coming months and years for you, in terms of your health and vitality. God Bless you all Basecampers and we’ll see you around the fire next week.

Basecamp for Men E284: Recovery and the Hero’s Journey

E284: Recovery and the Hero’s Journey with Special Guest Kristy Stevens

 

E284 Introduction

One of my favorite sayings is that each chapter of your Hero‘s Journey will require a slightly different version of yourself. It is a saying with many layers, isn‘t it?

I was talking with my 18 y.o. son Lucas, who has taken a fairly cynical view of his future prospects. He doesn‘t think that there is any way he will ever be able to buy a house or get ahead. The hamster wheel perspective (totally justified btw, if not the most creative way to look at the future. ) But…..he’s really young, right?

And I was telling him that he is on Lucas Rezac version two or three right now. I am his father and I am on Tony Rezac 9.0 or 10.0. Getting ready for another version soon.

I went on to say that the way you see yourself and the world changes with each version. Sometimes subtly and sometimes quite drastically.

You can always tell when you are outgrowing the previous version of yourself. How? You may start to get tired of the same ole same ole routine you do. You find yourself annoyed at how you see and do things. You notice that shit ain’t working but you don’t yet have the next moves.

Oftentime, what is required is a LIGHTER version of yourself. And when I say lighter, I mean lighter in ego, lighter in the emotional/spiritual things that are weighing you down. Things like a lingering addiction or a victim mentality that no longer serves you or a habit that is completely running you around or maybe you keep telling yourself the same 2 or 3 disempowering stories about yourself and the world. You know, where the people around you know you are sort of lying to yourself and don’t know how to alert you, are you following me?

In many ways, you may not be fully aware that you have started a new version of yourself. It might feel like your just working through another mini-crisis, or you finally turned the corner on some part of life that you had been struggling with. Or maybe your friend circle looks a lot different like it does for me now. The friendship circle of Tony version 10.0 looks a lot different than the friend group of Tony in earlier version. This doesn’t mean you have to create new close friends, just that it may be required to successfully grow into what is needed from you.

Today’s guest is a wonderful example of growing into newer versions of yourself and travelling lighter on the road less travelled. I found her to be inspiring and charming. Enjoy the interview.

 Kristy Stevens Bio

My guest today is Kristy Stevens. Kristy is a mother, a former addict, and now a champion of recovery and helping young people find a better life path through her work with the Eastside Academy. Here is my interview with Kristy Stevens.

E284 Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. To find and support the great work that Eastside Academy is doing right here in Seattle, go to www.eastsideacamemy.org. Thank you Basecampers!

 

Basecamp for Men E172: Sobriety as a Hero’s Journey

E172: Sobriety as a Hero’s Journey

with Special Guest Dr. Bob Beare

 

E172 Introduction

I speak a lot about our Hero’s Journey, both our individual and our collective. Each chapter requiring a slightly different version of yourself. Each man and woman and child will have their own version of this and all will help elevate the collective. Isn’t that fantastic news? Each and every person has the opportunity to embrace their courage, face their fears and their demons, and contribute to the healing and redemption of the Human Soul, the Human Spirit. This Hero’s Journey will bring you many gifts: dignity, worth, unconditional love, the development of grit and strength, and the expression of courage, which always inspires.

I have had many initiations as many of you know. So have you, whether you acknowledge them as such or not. Getting married and moving far away from friends and family was an initiation. Doing the New Warrior training was obviously an initiation. Becoming a father was an initiation. But perhaps my greatest initiation was taking on my sobriety from alcohol.

The reason I am bringing this up is that this episode airs on March 7th. And March 8th, Wednesday, will be my anniversary, marking my 10th year of sobriety. So many blessings happened after this initiation, after I finally committed to myself. It was like God started to bestow these incredible gifts to me. My marriage got a lot stronger, my health and perspective improved, I wrote a book and that led to me having this podcast with 172 episodes. I seriously doubt any of these things would have taken place without my stepping through that dark tunnel and into the light of clear seeing. Anyone can do it. The alcohol and drugs would have you think that there is no way you can live without them. After all, who would you be? My answer, a more courageous slightly new version of yourself.

I want to honor each and every one of you. I have been blessed with an incredible group of friends over my lifetime. Many who are addicts and alcoholics. I even know many who have taken the same initiation that I have taken. Gratefully walking the sober path.

I was approaching March 8th and wondering who I should have on the show. As I was looking over my guest list, I saw Dr. Bob Beare’s name and that was it. Bob knows more about addiction that just about anyone I know, both as a recovering addict and a therapist and addiction counselor and director of a top notch treatment center in Texas.

Let’s go sit around the fire with our respected friend and mentor Dr. Bob Beare.

Bob Beare Bio-

My guest today is author Dr. Bob Beare. Bob has been a leader in the mental health and addiction field for over 20 years. He is the Senior Clinical Consultant and former Clinical Director of The Last Resort Treatment Center for Men.

Dr Bob Beare is the CEO of Deep Waters Recovery Programs – deepwatersrecovery.com . Bob is the author of a new book, which we‘ll talk a bit about today, titled “Stop Doing Shit You Don‘t Want to Do.” Here is my interview with Dr. Bob Beare.

Final Thoughts

If you are someone who is looking for a safe program to step into your new sobriety as a Hero’s Journey, I can think of no better guide that Bob. To find out about his Deep Waters Recovery Program and how it can launch and support you in your healing, go to www.deepwatersrecovery.com

Thank you so much Basecampers, good luck on your Hero’s Journey, and we‘ll see you around the fire next week.