What does success mean? Is the 'winner and losers' narrative too simplistic? Tim Henman reached six major tennis semi-finals - four at Wimbledon - and was ranked fourth in the world. And yet, in some quarters, there is a view that somehow Tim didn't deliver. If that were true, then almost all of us are failures. In this episode, we talk about exploring your potential, rather than setting a goal and limiting yourself, and why everyone’s journey and trajectory is different. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone is familiar with the phrase 'there are too few hours in the day' but one of my previous guests proved that emphatically wrong. In 2019 Jasmine Paris won the 268 mile Spine race – unquestionably one of the toughest endurance events in the world. Not only did Jasmine become the first woman to win the race, she smashed the men’s course record by 12 hours. Jasmine juggles her ultra running with being a mum, wife and a qualified vert. She truly has mastered the art of prioritising what is important to her in life. MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to transcend needless suffering & discover true happiness - with 'the Mind Architect' Above everything else, people want to feel happy – and to experience freedom from suffering. It’s not the car, the promotion or the relationship we really want – it’s the happiness we believe we will derive from it. But what if the very act of seeking happiness is exactly what is stopping us from experiencing true happiness? That is the essence of this week’s conversation with Peter Crone. He calls himself the Mind Architect, and he has twenty years of experience training and coaching elite athletes and world renowned artists – includingTom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Peter says his work is not about solving problems, but about dissolving them. You see, the brain is a prediction making machine. So, it creates problems at the level of thought, and then goes about trying to solve the imagined problem at the very same level at which it has been created. As you hopefully can see, that’s not a recipe for success. The answer lies in enquiring into the places where we appear not to be free, and questioning the reality of those assumptions. That is the nature of the game of life. In this episode: The paradox of working on yourself – seeking to ‘fix’ yourself – until you realise there is nothing to work on or fix Peter’s experience of true aloneless – after the death of both his parents when he was young The difference between pain and suffering – and how the latter only exists relative to the idea we have about ourselves Working with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman – and giving a snapshot into their lives The difference between solving so-called problems and dissolving them The relationship between inner freedom and effortless performance The game of life – shining light onto the areas ‘where we are not free’ Radical responsibility The brain as a prediction machine, and the absurdity of how it creates problems and then tries to solve its own creations Starting with love and acceptance for where you are now and the 'is-ness' of this moment What true happiness is the absence of the search for happiness means Releasing resistance to what is NOW The instantaneous nature of change Peter Crone's website: https://www.petercrone.com/ MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a human being – or a human doing? Bill Beswick is one of the world’s most respected sports psychologists, having worked at Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominant reign as manager. Roy Keane and Gary Neville are among those who credited Bill with making a real difference to their ability to perform at the top. I talked to Bill during the covid pandemic – and he spoke about how it was an opportunity to reflect on how we want to live. The question is – have you done that? And if not, recognise the opportunity to reflect is still available at any moment ** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I was the sports reporter for BBC Radio 1 for 8 years, I spent a lot of time talking to and hearing from an exhaustive list of Premier League managers. One of them stood out above the rest for entertainment value – and that was Ian Holloway when he was in charge of Blackpool FC. Ian Holloway is clearly a naturally funny man – and he also has a depth and emotional sensitivity that you can’t help but warm to. A driving theme of this podcast is ego – and not letting the idea you have about yourself get in the way. Ian opens up about how hard he has been on himself throughout his life, and self-critical – so much so that he once had to take down all the mirrors in his house because he didn’t like looking at himself. We also talk about emotional intelligence – and the time Ian went on a BBC programme called Stress Test to learn how to calm his temper down, at a time when showing vulnerability like that wasn’t as in vogue as it is now. Ian shares about how his experiences have helped him grow and evolve, not least looking after his wife through serious illness as well as raising three profoundly deaf children. As he says, we all get challenges and difficulties in life – and it’s about how we cope with them that matters. In this episode we discuss: Relationships are the most important thing The best phrase for dealing with someone who is giving you stick Ego and how it leads us astray Emotional intelligence and what Ian Holloway learned going on the BBC programme The Stress Test   Some of the biggest challenges in Ian's life and how we all have difficulties, and it’s how we react that’s important When Ian's Dad died – and the transcendental experiences Ian subsequently had Self-care and the importance of doing something for yourself Recognising the feelings underneath anger – like a fear of failure or not being good enough The wisdom of Graham Taylor Laughter is the best medicine Ian ranting about the Qatar World Cup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6PacW2fJV0 Ian's book: How to Be a Football Manager - Enter the hilarious and crazy world of the gaffer https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-be-a-football-manager-enter-the-hilarious-and-crazy-world-of-the-gaffer/ian-holloway/9781472298591 ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s no doubt that meditation is good for body and mind, but a lot of people struggle with it. Perhaps they don’t think they’re doing it right – or just can’t turn it into a habit. But meditation is undoubtedly a hugely valuable habit to develop, and the research on its benefits is vast. And here to talk about the simple 'how-tos' of mindfulness meditation – is Headspace founder and former Buddhist monk – Andy Puddicombe ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perfectionism is often seen as a desirable trait in modern society. But, the reality is, it leads to procrastination - and mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and burnout. In a world that celebrates the idea of your 'Best Self', and always being better than you were yesterday – this conversation is about considering a healthier approach, one that acknowledges we are fine as we are now, and that we don’t always need to be striving for more and better. My guest is Tom Curran, the acclaimed professor of psychology at the London school of economics and author of The Perfection Trap: The Power Of Good Enough In A World That Always Wants More. Tom explains how we are in middle of perfectionism epidemic, fuelled by a consumerist society and the comparative nature of social media – and the drive to be more successful, have more followers, collect more stuff, just be more – is rife. Perfectionism stems from a belief that you are not enough now – and however much you achieve or earn, it’ll never fill the void. What’s the answer? Listen to find out... ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How often do we spend time continually looking to the future – while overlooking how far we have already come? Dr Dame Katherine Grainger is Britain’s most decorated female Olympian. She won rowing gold at London 2012 and silver at four other Olympic Games. We spoke about reflecting back on how far you’ve come – as well as what perseverance is all about ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberto Salazar was once the most revered running coach in the world, leading athletes including Mo Farah to the very top of their game. But, in 2019, Salazar was banned from athletics for violating anti doping rules. This week’s guest, Steve Magness, had worked alongside him at the Nike Oregon Project – and he was the whistleblower whose claims were followed up by a BBC Panorama and Pro Publica investigation, leading, ultimately, to Salazar’s downfall. It’s fascinating to hear Steve explaining his role in what is a truly incredible tale. While he says being a whistleblower led to a traumatic nine-year period of his life, he says he doesn’t regret it. And what he learned during that time informed his most recent book – called Do Hard Things. He busts myths around what toughness and resilience really mean. Toughness and grit isn’t about projecting confidence or some of the other the obvious stuff, like running marathons or taking ice baths. It's about being authentic, embracing having hard conversations... right through to sitting still and doing absolutely nothing.  In this episode: Overcoming the doubting voice in the head Steve's key role in exposing high-profile athletics coach Alberto Salazar The importance of not being dependent on achievement and success to ‘fill an internal hole’ How his view of athletics has been tainted by the Salazar experience ‘Tyrant leaders’ who rely on fear to motivate The similarities between good leadership and parenting The four key pillars of doing hard things Confidence is quiet and insecurity is loud The importance of being ‘secure but flexible’ Self or no self - do we really need to have a conceptual identity? Avoiding emotions & embracing boredom Why often the hardest thing is doing nothing Embracing having hard conversations Steve Magness' website: http://www.stevemagness.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevemagness ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Smeele was a world champion wakeboarder – until he broke his neck performing a trick in 2014 which left him quadriplegic. Until that point, Brad had been pretty much living the dream, chasing summers around the world while earning money on the side as a model. His identity before the accident was closely bound up with his physicality, and coming to terms with the fact that that was no longer the case was a huge challenge. However – Brad has demonstrated a truly inspiring mentality toward his new life as a quadriplegic He has taken acceptance to a new level. For Brad it’s all about owning what happens to you. ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why relationships are the key to success in sport and life, with former England captain Will Carling. Will was appointed captain aged just 22 and led England to their first ever rugby World Cup final in 1991. As well as reaching that World Cup final- England won three Grand Slams in the 90s under Will, and were undoubtedly the northern hemisphere’s best team during that period. The theme of this conversation is relationships, in life and sport, which Will says are more important than 'success'. Will also talks about why leadership is all about having the best interests of your team at heart, emphasises the importance of continuous honest conversations, and explains why hitting rock bottom, as he did after retiring from his playing career, can be a blessing in disguise.  MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a lot to be said for truly empathetic leadership, where caring for and taking an interest in the individual comes first. Not only does this create an environment in which people can flourish, it makes winning and success more likely. And my guest this week, Ama Agbeze, undoubtedly proved that to be the case, when she led England to their greatest netball triumph – a historic Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2018. The Commonwealth Games is the pinnacle competition in netball, because currently the sport is not part of the summer Olympics. Team England’s victory in 2018 was their first gold medal in the competition – and was the undoubted all-time highlight for the sport in this country. How did Ama capytain the team to triumph? We talk about the importance of valuing individuals within a team set up, and Ama also shares insights such as the impact on her life and mental health when she was unexpectedly dropped from the team the following year. And Ama’s emotional intelligence doesn’t just shine on court – she does some amazing work off it, too, in her role as an ambassador for Greenhouse Sports, the charity that uses sport to help disadvantaged young people.  In this episode: The importance of valuing individuals within a team set up Empathy and sincere compliments Sport as a great leveller "If you work hard anything is possible” The key mentors in Ama's life – and what she took from them Making your own mind up about people, not accepting pre-conceptions Success is not a straight line The importance of belief Remembering people are just people – and taking them off pedestals Managing voices of doubt Importance of a support network The journey is more important than the medal Learning that it is ok to be vulnerable The power of time management & prioritising Greenhouse Sports - Changing lives Through Sport: https://www.greenhousesports.org/ ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you like to know some tips for succeeding under pressure from someone who was one of the best in the business? Sir Nick Faldo is Britain’s greatest ever golfer – a six times major winner who spent 97 weeks as world number one in his pomp. During our full length conversation – I asked him about one of his strategies for success, which came down to being able to... slow down. ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We tend to believe happiness is found when we accumulate money, success and status – but that’s actually wide of the mark. According to one of the pre-eminent happiness scientists in the world, real joy is found by tapping into the transformative power of Awe. Dacher Keltner is a bestselling author and psychology professor at the University of California. Twenty years into teaching people about happiness, he is on a mission to reveal the secrets of the good life. He has found that experiencing a sense of awe leads people to cooperate, share resources, and sacrifice for others, while also becoming more modest, and less narcissistic. In a nutshell – It’s not about aggrandising our sense of self – it’s about transcending it. But what is awe and how do we get more of it in our lives? You’re about to find out. Big Beach Boutique 2 (Fatboy Slim party on the beach) trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH2V62kI_nE "You felt like you were part of this giant organism!" Dacher's 8 'wonders of life' and ways into awe: the moral beauty, nature, collective movement, music, visual design, spirituality, big ideas, and the cycle of life and death. Dacher's website: https://www.dacherkeltner.com/ MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dame Heather Rabbatts trained as a barrister – but that barely gets her CV started. She’s also been a BBC Governor, the youngest-ever Chief Executive of Merton and Lambeth Councils, Head of Education at Channel 4, a Director of the Bank of England, a Board Member of the UK Film Council, and deputy chair of Millwall FC – and that’s just to name a few. I wanted to ask her about getting ahead in big organisations and businesses – and she gave her take on that before speaking about retaining humility as you rise the ranks – as was so masterfully personified by Nelson Mandella, who she met while working in Lambeth. *** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best". As many of you know, the topic of flow and its deeper implications are subjects I have spoken about on many occasions in this podcast – and in today’s episode we dive into what is a fascinating area. Steven Kotler is a New York Times best-selling author and executive director of the Flow Research Collective. Steven has spent decades exploring flow and working out ways for people – from elite athletes and Navy seals through to your everyday man and woman – to hack their way into 'the zone'. As well as being about flow and how to get in to it, this episode is also about peak ageing and performance, and is full of actionable insights, tips and hacks. In this episode we discuss: How the feats of extreme athletes in the 90s informed Steven's decades of work on Flow How Flow is a trillion dollar industry - we pay to watch it and love to experience it Flow underpins peak performance - and peak ageing Why accessing Flow is so crucial as we age (think inflammation & stress and Flow's direct anti-ageing properties) How Flow can increase the speed of learning by as much as 500% Flow & releasing the 5 Potent Reward chemicals Steven's Peak Performance ageing experiment The Four Stage Cycle of getting into Flow Deliberate Practice v Deliberate Play Understanding Allostatic Load - the cumulative burden of stress & life events How to do a Flow Walk Friction that gets in the way of Flow Understanding Flow Triggers The Flow Research Collective: https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/ Steven's website & book Gnar Country 'Growing Old, Staying Rad': https://www.stevenkotler.com/book-pages/gnar-country ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What the experience of flow - particularly in sport - may reveal about the nature of reality. One theme that has arisen time and again while recording this podcast is the experience of flow, and numerous athletes in particular have spoken about the experience of "me" not being there in such moments. But what is that "me" that seems to disappear? That’s a big question and here to help address it is Rupert Spira, a philosopher interested in the nature of reality, the nature of consciousness - and non-duality. This is a rerelease of the episode Rupert and I recorded in 2021 - the full 2 hour episode can be found here: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/rupert-spira-a-philosophy-of-sport-and-reality "I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness." - Max Planck, the Nobel prize winning Physicist and 'father of quantum theory' MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Understanding the cost of fear and how to face and replace it - with the former England football psychologist, who was credited with helping transform the team at the 2018 World Cup. Pippa explains the difference between 'in the moment fear', and 'not good enough fear', and it's the latter that is the focus of this conversation and which is lurking behind many of our self-defeating behaviours. MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ability to hack our health could be right inside us. That’s the view of Wim Hof - aka the iceman. Among other things, he has run marathons barefoot beyond the polar circle as well as climbing through the "death zone" of Mt. Everest in only his shorts. He puts his achievements down to the Wim Hof Method – which has three components, cold exposure, breathing techniques and meditation. Wim speaks about the importance of tapping into your inner pharmacy – and putting ourselves into stressful situations consciously – by using cold, water for example – to make us more robust and resilient. Continually seeking comfort is gradually killing us – he says, so go to the stress, before the stress comes to you. ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you like a proven pattern to tackle your most ambitious and challenging plans? Whatever it is you would like to do – whether it is starting a business, running a marathon or transforming a school – this episode is for you. My guest in Sir Michael Barber, whose career has straddled the world of elite sport and government. Since joining the government in 1997, he has advised 7 of the last 8 Prime Ministers – the exception being Liz Truss. In the world of sport, Michael has advised Team Sky, the elite cycling team, and he is a member of the Football Association's Technical Advisory Board, which helps the FA prepare England’s teams, both men and women, for major tournaments. Michael has written a book called Accomplishment, and we discuss some of the key themes in this episode, so that you can immediately start applying them in your own life.  In this episode we discuss: -         The value of setting an irrationally big goal underpinned by values -         A powerful thought experiment used by Tony Blair to understand what is truly possible -         How to develop focus in an age of distraction & why it is crucial -         The key elements to building a plan -         Planning mustn’t stop action. How do you know when you have done enough? -         What to do when things go wrong -         How to build relationships & the art of negotiation -         Managing an ‘implementation dip’ -         Recognising that ‘success’ isn’t all its cracked up to be Sir Michael Barber's website: https://sirmichaelbarber.co.uk/ Michael's book Accomplishment: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/314538/accomplishment-by-barber-michael/9780141991276 ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you someone who has a tracker to keep tabs on things like your sleep and calorie count? We are increasingly obsessed with data and tracking – and we are also increasingly out of touch with the signals of our body. Christie Aschwanden is an award winning journalist, Nordic skier and the author of the fascinating book - Good To Go: What the athlete in us can learn from the strange science of recovery. She emphasises the importance of getting in touch with our bodies and learning to directly heed the signals it gives us, and to be with our bodies and minds - without distraction. It’s the key to recovery, relaxation – and vital for a life well lived. ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychological flexibility is often described as the ‘super skill’ of resilience, wellbeing and mental health. It is your ability to ‘make contact with experience in the present moment fully and without defence’. Research has found that it is associated with higher quality of life and wellbeing. As regular listeners will often hear me say, we are not our thoughts – we are aware of our thoughts. This is a profound insight that can have a huge impact on your experience of life, and is the cornerstone of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - and psychological flexibility. This week I am truly delighted to be joined by Steven Hayes, the founder of ACT. ACT is is all about developing Psychological Flexibility, and is one of the most profoundly helpful psychological interventions in the world. While so many other approaches focus on changing the content of your thinking, for example from negative to positive, this is all about changing how you relate to your thoughts and feelings. In this episode we discuss: How we lose touch with our innate belonging and develop the 'conceptualised self' Recognising the ‘I hear, nowness of awareness’ and its profound importance Steven's panic attacks – which led him to develop ACT (and my experience with insomnia which ACT had a profound help with) Recognising the importance of not turning from the content of experience Flow state and our true nature Learning how to put the mind ‘ on a leash’ Walking through an exercise in self-compassion Psychological flexibility – just how important it is Developing it with the six steps of ACT Mental Defusiuon techniques – 'Mental breaks to stop mental breaks' Living your values and how to uncover them Steven Hayes website, including his 'ACT toolkit': https://stevenchayes.com/ Steven's TED TALK on Psychological Flexibility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o79_gmO5ppg Steven's TED TALK 2 on 'mental breaks': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnSHpBRLJrQ ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olympic 2020 Tokyo 1500 metres silver medalist Laura Muir is one of the finest middle-distance runners Britain has ever seen. But there’s more – she is a trained vet too. Muir graduated from the University of Glasgow’s prestigious vet school in 2018 all while competing at the top level – winning her first senior outdoor gold medal at the European Championships that summer. How did she juggle both things? And what are the key lessons to take from her experiences about not overthinking things, and recognising that sometimes anticipation can be worse than reality? ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As research into the potential healing powers of psychedelics gains pace, I am thrilled to be joined by Michael Pollan, the author and journalist described as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. In his book How to change your mind, Michael researches how psychedelics including psylocibin mushrooms are being used to help people suffering from various mental health conditions – including depression, anxiety, PTSD and addiction. Psychedelic research is clearly a growing and interesting area, and may have the potential to help a lot of people who are suffering. That said, psychedelics are not to be taken lightly. They are extremely powerful substances that must be treated with respect. That’s why the work that is taking place in various universities and medical institutions around the world – to explore how people can explore psychedelic therapy safely – is so important. In this episode: – What are drugs? How what we consider to be drugs is continually shifting – and the role of coffee and caffeine in capitalism – How his view of psychedelics shifted once he started looking into their potential for therapeutic use – So-called 'ego death' and how it can help people living with cancer reduce fear of dying – What is the ego, its address in the brain and the value in transcending the self – including its relationship to flow in sport – The hard problem of consciousness & different views of reality – How psychedelics can shake up beliefs and relationship with self, other and the world – The evolving legal situation in the United States – Current work on psychedelics taking place & what the future may hold Michael Pollan's website: https://michaelpollan.com/ US Berkeley Centre for the Science of Psychedelics: https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/ My BBC news report on Ayahuasca: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41333172 CAUTION: This conversation contains themes of an adult nature ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A good night’s sleep can make you feel strong enough to take on the world. A bad nights sleep – well, let’s not go there. This clip is all about how to avoid falling down the insomnia gap. You see, one bad night’s sleep can quickly snowball – so it’s good to know how to stop that from happening and to recognise the signs. This is from my conversation with Dr Guy Meadows – the founder and clinical director of The Sleep School My full length conversation with Dr Guy Meadows is HERE: https://pod.fo/e/16ff87 The Sleep School: https://www.sleepschool.org/ ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawrence Dallaglio is an English sporting icon who understands the power of being driven by a higher purpose. He won 85 international rugby caps and was a crucial player in England's World Cup triumph of 2003. But Dallaglio is not cut from typical rugby playing cloth. It was the tragedy of losing his older sister in the Marchioness boating disaster of 1989 that ended up propelling him to pursue a rugby career. I am grateful to Lawrence for being open and vulnerable about his life and struggles, including the tragedy of losing his sister and the profound impact that had on him, while also sharing some gems around what it takes to win sports biggest prizes.  In this episode: -         Becoming a rugby icon despite never having set out with rugby as a career choice -         The importance of belief in a competitive environment -         The power of vulnerability in a group - and embracing consistency & honest conversations -         Playing to honour his sisters memory & being driven by a higher purpose -         Why rugby was not an ideal catalyst to facilitate healing -         The difference between his private & rugby personas -         His one big rugby regret -         The gift of giving and setting up Dallaglio Rugby Works -         Reaction to his decision not to select Jonny Wilkinson for his all-time England 15 -         The best rugby player he ever lined up alongside or against Dallaglio Rugby Works: https://www.dallagliorugbyworks.com/ Simon Dent's Marathon Des Sables 'run in the sun' 2023: https://justgiving.com/campaign/simondentsruninthesun The Jonny Wilkinson episode referenced: https://pod.fo/e/16fa31 ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who doesn’t want to know how to stop unpleasant and even intrusive thoughts from bothering them? While lots of people talk about positive thinking, and training yourself to turn a negative into something upbeat – the truth is – that takes a lot of effort and doesn’t always work. Dr Russ Harris is one of the world’s leading psychologists. He shares a portable mindfulness technique that can sap the power out of any bothersome thought, at any moment – whenever thoughts are bothering you. This is seriously powerful, if paradoxical, stuff. My full length conversation with Dr. Russ Harris is HERE: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/russ-harris And a heads up - the full length conversations return on monday - kicking off with Lawrence Dallaglio: Harnessing Emotion ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email me: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 250 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a saying that I’m confident you will have heard of – but which we can all too quickly forget when the mind starts taking off. And it is – what you resist, persists. One of my guests who has really internalised the wisdom behind that saying is Jonny Wilkinson. We all know his story – he was the darling of English rugby who kicked the World Cup winning drop goal in 2003, and whose mental health suffered in the ensuing years. So Jonny has been on quite the introspective journey – and he’s now learnt how to let go of resistance to allow life to flow as it can and should.  Full Length Conversation with Jonny W is here: https://pod.fo/e/16ff5e **Date for your diary - full length conversations will return on MONDAY APRIL 17th** ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gary Lineker has been in the news recently – more than usual – after a social media fracas that led him to miss a week of presenting match of the Day and which briefly dominated the news headlines. As we now know that situation was soon sorted – and Gary was quickly back alongside his chums on the MOTD sofa, looking as unruffled as ever. Being centre of the media glare as he was didn’t seem to knock Gary off his stride too much – and when you hear about his career playing football, you can understand why.  Gary and I chewing the fat: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=500304600552690 **HEADS UP - FULL LENGTH CONVERSATIONS WILL RETURN ON MONDAY APRIL 17th** ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Email: [email protected] And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all come into this world with unconditional worth – and then we lose sight of that and spend so much time running around trying to prove that we are enough. It’s part of the human condition – and has been something of a key theme running through this podcast. One of my guests I talked about this with was the 1996 formula one world champion Damon Hill, whose father Graham had also been a world champion – making them the first ever father-son duo to achieve the feat. In this episode: Why complete self-acceptance, and the joy of simply being, is the ultimate state The sense of lack that drives some people to seek fame The impact that fame has on those who rise to acclaim, and the rest of society who put them on a pedestal The value of looking inwards and developing self-awareness Getting help on the journey of self-reflection - and the value of therapy ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can you have as many good days as possible? It’s so easy to continually be looking to the future – and pay too high a price in the present as a result. Frances Houghton is a five time Olympian, who won three silver medals, 4 world championship golds and held two world records in rowing. Early on – she set two goals, to compete in as many Olympic games as possible, and to win Olympic Gold. Eventually, that drive and need to win gold led to burnout, and so she realised she needed to redefine success. It led to a profound epiphany – it was about collaborating with other people and appreciating them along the way – not simply continually looking to success in the future and pinning her happiness on that. Frances retired on the Olympic podium in 2016 as part of the first British women’s eight ever to win an Olympic medal – and the picture of her and her teammates beaming with joy while holding hands on the podium speaks volumes about the value of her change in outlook. ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is about how much our parental influences shape our outlook on life. While we all come into this world with some innate traits, we are also largely a blank slate to start with, but are hugely conditioned by our upbringing. But I think the really interesting thing is that we invariably pick up a framework of what is right, and how to behave in those early years – and that can then shape our beliefs and behaviour for the rest of our life – unless we start to question the 'guiding narratives' of our life.  We all have conditioned beliefs and ways of seeing the world that we didn’t actively choose. The challenge is to uncover what our guiding narratives are – and then consider whether they are serving us in the way we want them to. A belief is just a thought we feel to be definitively true – and while beliefs are more 'sticky' than thoughts about the weather – we still have the capacity to notice them, and not take them seriously – if we choose to. That's for each of us to decide. ** MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are you like at sitting with emotions? It can be so easy to distract ourselves, or numb ourselves – by reaching for a drink or a device, or even by going up into our heads and getting lost in rumination. One of my guests who told me he had to embrace sitting with emotions was the former UK Special Forces soldier and Royal Marine Commando turned explorer, adventurer, investigative journalist and TV presenter Jason Fox. Foxy has made a remarkable recovery after being discharged from the army with PTSD. After coming close to suicide, Foxy started 'looking inwards' to process his trauma. In this episode: the importance of acknowledging your emotions What NOT to do when you wake up feeling out of sorts Approaching your feelings with compassion Foxy's definition of REAL resilience - stemming from being compassionate with yourself Jason Fox twitter: @jason_carl_fox Other links: https://linktr.ee/jasonfox Website: https://www.jasonfox-official.com/ "A fox can be smarter than a wolf" - Jason Fox MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who struggles to embrace their emotions, or on social media - it makes a big difference. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I like things to happen… and if they don’t… I like to make them happen.” - Winston Churchill This episode is all about creating opportunities… rather than waiting for things to fall in your lap. I spoke to the award winning author and journalist Maurice Hamilton, who explained how he got to do the job he loves – in part by taking motivation from the most successful formula one driver of the early 20th century, who overcame immense odds and tragedy to get into motorsport, as Maurice explains. Full Length Episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08wxcjl Maurice's twitter: https://twitter.com/MauriceHamilton His bio says it all - "Lucky enough to be able to write - and occasionally talk - about motor sport for a living. One day I'll get a proper job." Follow me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Burnout and stress is on the rise. Finding work-life balance is increasingly elusive. What's the answer? The issue isn't necessarily too few hours in the day, it's how we use the hours we have - which comes down to our choices and priorities. Ed Jackson, the former pro rugby player turned walking quadriplegic who is now a charity fundraiser and TV presenter, came up with a superb formula for how to work out how to spend your time that helped save him from burnout. That formula was the adopted by another of my guests Lucy Gossage, the former Ironman Champion turned Oncology Doctor and Charity fundraiser, and it had a huge impact on her life which allowed her to have a hugely positive impact on so many other people's lives. In this episode: How Lucy realised she wasn't fulfilling her potential and was risking burnout When she listened to Ed and the impact his formula had Her advice for anyone in a similar position Understanding the value of time Ed's formula that helps establish the value of time with extrinsic (money) and intrinsic (joy and purpose) activities Why doing things for other people is so rewarding Lucy's charity 5K Your Way: https://5kyourway.org/ Lucy's full length episode on 'Self Talk': https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/lucy-gossage-self-talk Lucy's Iron Mind coaching website with Helen Davis: https://www.thinkbelieveperform.co.uk/iron-mind/ Helen Davis full-length episode on 'Beliefs': https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/helen-davis-beliefs Ed's charity Millimeters 2 Mountains: https://www.millimetres2mountains.org/ Ed's first full length episode on 'perspective': https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08b258s Ed's second full length episode on 'Hard Conversations': https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/ed-jackson-the-healing-power-of-hard-conversations Ed's book 'Lucky': https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucky-Ed-Jackson/dp/0008423369 Follow me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who struggles to manage their time, or is feeling disillusioned with their career, or is suffering - or has suffered - with any of the symptoms of burnout. Thank you. b4f345c8731d0089ca073d34cbaa3a097fbe9602 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It can be easy to judge other people for negative actions and decisions, but the truth is we can’t know the circumstances that led to them. We are not nearly as in control of our lives as we like to think. People don’t necessarily like to hear that, but we don’t choose the family we are born into, our genes, our personality traits, the influences we are surrounded by while growing up and so on. Where we are is basically a result of a vast web of interconnected occurrences and events over which we have not control. To think we wouldn’t behave as others do if we were in their shoes, with their traits and upbringing, is a massive stretch – and so, I would suggest – the less tightly we can hold on to judgements of other people – the better. John McAvoy is currently a Nike athlete, however he was previously a high profile armed robber who found redemption through the power of sport. Having broken both British and World records whilst in prison he is now forging a new life as an endurance athlete and speaker who is committed to using his story of rehabilitation to help and inspire others to change their lives for the better Full Length episode: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/john-mcavoy-the-power-of-environment John's website: https://therealmcavoy.com/ ** To message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode, as it does make a big difference Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Joe Wicks came up with the idea that changed his life, and started posting online content in 2014, there was no master plan. He just loved doing it and ploughed on - even as people told him he was barking up the wrong tree - before eventually breaking through. It's a story that is often repeated in seeming 'overnight successes' - that ability to keep on going even when the rewards are not immediately obvious. And that’s the lesson Joe wants to share – the importance of relentless consistency. ** To message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Commit to something - then figure it out." Jimmy Chin Jimmy is a pro climber, skier, photographer and Oscar winning Film director. The theme of this episode is about following your heart and taking risks. Committing to a path and working it out along the way. Jimmy picked up the Academy Award for the incredible Free Solo. You can find the episode with Alex Honnold, star of Free Solo, here: https://play.acast.com/s/dont-tell-me-the-score-with-simon-mundie/fear-alexhonnold ** To message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many high achievers are driven by a burning desire to compensate for the wounds of childhood trauma. But you can’t fill an inner void with accomplishments and approval. This isn’t to cast judgement on so called "successful" people – it is just to suggest that putting them on a pedestal is overly simplistic, and in many cases they may benefit from empathy rather than envy. This week's bitesize guest is Caitlyn Jenner - who won Olympic Decathlon Gold in 1976 as Bruce Jenner - and whose house in LA I visited to record the full length episode. To message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't overlook what you have NOW by focusing on what you are working towards in the future. We live in a world of perpetual doing. Thinking about the future, and the past, making plans, and completing tasks. There's nothing inherently wrong with that – BUT - we do risk missing out on the joy of being, appreciating our experiences in this moment This was clearly illustrated to me by one of my previous guests – who left a profound impression on me. Recently I attended an incredibly moving memorial service to celebrate the life of Liz Clarke-Saul. Liz was a para-cyclist for Britain, who was told that she had incurable bone cancer in 2018. We spoke on my podcast back in 2019, the year before she died. This bitesize clip from our conversation is about being grateful for what you have - now. In focusing on what we don’t have, we miss out the miraculous things we do have – family, friends, health and – most importantly – life.  In memory of Liz Clarke-Saul. 19 May 1989 - 20 July 2020. To donate to the Liz Clarke-Saul fundraising page - please head here: https://specialfunds.bcrt.org.uk/liz-clarke-saul-fund/ To message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the course of the last 4 and a half years speaking to people for this podcast – the topic of visualisation has come up a lot. Former Wales rugby union captain Sam Warburton spoke about using it to help him recover more quickly from an injury. 6 time major golf winner Nick Faldo would visualise the outcomes he wanted twice a day in his pomp, and “saw” himself as the winner of major championships including The Open – before it happened. So, this is a massive topic among elite performers – and one of my guests who put it in some truly compelling terms was Lewis Pugh, the record breaking swimmer and UN Patrons of the oceans. Lewis was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world, and was also the first person to swim across the North Pole- to highlight the melting of the Arctic sea ice. Lewis does all his swims, even those in freezing temperatures- wearing only a pair of speedos - and his work has been dubbed ‘speedo diplomacy. Lewis Pugh harnesses the power of visualisation to such a great effect – scientific papers have been written about it. He can dramatically change the state of his body through the power of his mind. ** Follow/message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Marvel at the incredible benefits walking confers on our bodies and minds' Professor Shane O Mara is a leading neuroscientist and author of the fantastic book – In Praise of Walking Getting out walking is so important, especially at this time of year, and particularly for those of us still working at home after the covid pandemic changed working habits so profoundly. It helps with creativity, mood, wellbeing, digestion - and its effects on heart health is remarkable. Increasing the amount we walk has even been shown to have a profound impact on our personality– making people more outgoing, and less neurotic. ** **BREAKING NEWS** In the New Year, I will be back releasing longer episodes every monday. Follow/message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Happiness is about pleasure and purpose. the key is to get that balance right" This bitesize episode is all about setting up our lives for happiness. Paul Dolan - professor of Behavioural Science at LSE and author of the excellent book Happiness by Design - says happiness is about striking a balance between pleasure and purpose. He shares some great examples of how to find both – and talks about how to design your life to help yourself. Our willpower is weak, but our 'design power' is strong. So, the skill is in designing our lives to recognise this fact - and in doing so make it easier to find peace and happiness. ** Follow/message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) b4f345c8731d0089ca073d34cbaa3a097fbe9602 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Henry Fraser is a best-selling painter, best-selling author and highly in-demand public speaker. When he was seventeen years old, Henry’s life changed in a moment when he was paralysed from the shoulders down after breaking his neck diving into the sea in Portugal. Before his accident, despite being an academy rugby player for Saracens, Henry described himself as being quite anxiety prone, and someone who hated public speaking. Loads of people hate public speaking, but Henry has some words of wisdom that can literally change your experience of public speaking in an instant. Can also change how you experience social anxiety – subtle but profound change of focus. ** **BREAKING NEWS** In the New Year, I will be back releasing longer episodes every monday. Follow/message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smartphones have so many people in a grip, and the mental health cost is profound. In this episode, professor Cal Newport - author of Deep Work and Digital Minimalism - sounds a warning. He talks about the work of Jean Twenge, a generational researcher in the US. Her research revealed the profound impact that smartphones had on the wellbeing and mental health of the first generation of students that went to high school with both a smartphone and a social media account - known as IGen. Recent mental health research here in the UK is particularly eye catching. A quarter of young people aged 17-19 are experiencing mental health problem, a statistic described as “deeply worrying” by Mind, mental health charity. The role of smartphones and digital cannot be underestimated. As well as the comparative element of social media, it’s also the neverending stimulation that phones provide. For the first time eve we never have to be bored, which means people’s brains are continually being stimulated. Cal Newport says it is time to heed the warning. ** Follow/message me: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email) Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you the sort of person who tries to combat anxiety and other challenging inner experience by practicing positive thinking? If so – this bitesize episode is for you. My guest is Dr Russ Harris, the best-selling author of the Happiness Trap. He argues that positive thinking has its place – but it is limited. So called negative thoughts are an inevitable part of the human experience – and its not their content that is the problem – it’s the way we respond and relate to the thoughts. With resistance, avoidance – or getting lost in them. There is another way – and that is to do the one thing the mind doesn’t want you to do. Stop battling them and embrace them.  ** Follow me: on instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ on twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And to get in touch - head to simonmundie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Language is the post powerful drug known to man" Dave Alred is one of the most in demand coaches in elite sport. He’s helped major winner is golf, elite athletes galore.. and was famously Jonny Wilkinson’s guru and mentor during his World Cup winning heyday. In this bitesize episode – Dave talks about the power of language, and how to use it to positively impact people and even get them to change. The advice he gives may sounds simple- but its effects can be profound ** Follow me: on instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ on twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And to get in touch - head to simonmundie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same..." As Rudyard Kiplng was well aware, success and failure are relative. Neither change who we fundamentally are, and life goes on. One man who understands this is England cricket captain Jos Buttler, who led England to T20 World Cup success recently. When we spoke in our full length episode - number 14 in the back catalogue –– Jos shared some interesting thoughts about how to relate to failure and success, and about not getting too carried away with either. In 2015, Jos was dropped by England after struggling to score runs, but he quickly realised it wasn’t the end of the world. Conversely, winning a World Cup – of any type of success – doesn’t propel you into a lasting state of euphoria. So blindly chasing success, and fearing failure, is a recipe for unnecessary suffering. ** Follow me: on instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/ on twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie And to get in touch - head to simonmundie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices