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Episode 100: Nik Wood | My Major Takeaways from 100 Episodes

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 100 of the Life Athletics podcast. Yes, we’ve reached a milestone! 100 value-filled episodes! Today’s guest life athlete is me, your host, Nik Wood. Join me as I unveil the top takeaways from all of the amazing life athletes I’ve interviewed on the show. On this episode, I bare it all – my vulnerabilities, my reservations, my hesitations. I tell you about how I embraced the challenge and finally realized that I needed to take a step in order to move toward my goals, dreams, and vision. And I want you to do the same. I want you to take action. I want you to become the best life athlete you can be – because in the end, it’s ultimately up to you. After all, it’s your life, it’s your game. Level up!

Noteworthy points from this episode:

  • You gotta love the game
  • Know your why!
  • Through doing the things we say we want to do, we become the people we want to be
  • When we share ourselves authentically and openly, we become people that others can relate to.
  • No one came out of the room fully formed
  • Shift your normal
  • Life is trainable
  • If you want to improve, you can get better
  • The things that made my eventual victory challenging made that victory worth having
  • Give yourself permission to BE.
  • Think less, play more
  • In life, there is no finish line

 

Resources:

The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

 

Join the Life Athletics Community:

Facebook

Twitter: @lifeathletics

Instagram: @lifeathletics

 

 

Episode 99: Caroline Weiler - The Travel Storytelling Festival and Living Life Enthusiastically

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 99 of the Life Athletics podcast. Today’s guest is Caroline Weiler. Caroline is an author, photographer, travel leisure entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Travel Storytelling Festival happening this April in Brussels. Caroline shares about these projects, as well as her newest passion of mind-mapping individuals and events to visually understand the thinking behind just about anything.

 

Habit of Thought:

"I look forward to every single day and tell myself it's going to be an awesome day with new opportunities and experiences. I'm an optimist."

 

Habit of Action:

"I write a lot about my experiences, life, people, my thoughts, feelings, emotions, expectations. I write about the little pleasures of life."

 

Greatest Strength:

"I am independent and can deal with tough stuff by myself."

 

Resources:

The Travel Storytelling Festival on Facebook

www.dreamsarepicturingtheworld.com

Facebook

Instagram: @dreamscaroline

Twitter: @DreamsCaroline

 

 

Episode 98: Harry Oram | Empowering the Members of the Third Culture

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 98 of the Life Athletics podcast. Today’s guest is Harry Oram. Harry Oram is the founder of Third Culture. Third Culture is a community of people who, for whatever reason, do not subscribe to classic definitions of cultural identity. He's also an actor, and he's combining these two tracks with the first-ever Third Culture film festival this year in Hong Kon. We talk about this and much more in this sweeping conversation. Enjoy!

 

Habit of Thought:

“You can always use your time to the best of your ability.”

 Habit of Action:

“Acting and working out. Working out is a discipline in my life that I keep constant.”

Greatest Strength:

“People have told me that I have incredible determination and focus”

 

Resources:

www.thirdculture.cc

Facebook

Instagram: @tcthirdculture

Twitter: @TCThirdCulture

Tony Robbins

 

Episode 97: James Pointer | Melon Optics and Getting Stuff Done

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 95 of the Life Athletics podcast. Today’s guest is James Pointer. James is the founder of Melon Optics, a company that makes custom sunglasses and goggles. Success, to him, means happiness – which is the end game of it all, as he says. He likes to go about his day (and life) without being confined by other people’s needs.

His greatest strength, he believes, is his ability to get stuff done! Although it’s easy to get stressed by a lot of things, he offers an advice of stepping back whenever problems arise. After all, it is a great way to be able to solve the puzzles of life when you’re an outsider.

 

Habit of Thought and Habit of Action:

“My habit of thought and action is a synergy – and that is to do things NOW. Don’t delay it.”

Greatest Strength:

“My ability to take one thing up and get it done.”

Books:

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Web Resources:

 melonoptics.co.uk

Melon Optics Facebook

Twitter: @melonoptics

Instagram: @melonoptics

 

 

Episode 96: Kristin Ahmer - Focusing on Gratitude and the Original Squeeze Company

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 96 of the Life Athletics podcast. Today’s guest Life Athlete is Kristen Ahmer who is the founder of the Original Squeeze, a portable, reusable, spill-proof  container for kids and the Original Squeeze Sport for slightly larger kids. The story of how she created and grew her company while also starting her young family is an inspiration and she shares it now.  

Habit of Thought:

“I focus on gratitude. I’m a big believer in that.”

Habit of Action:

“I like waking up before 5:00 AM and having my me-time before my children, my husband, my dogs get up.”

Greatest Strength:

“I am inspiring person.”

Books:

The 5 Levels of Leadership by John Maxwell

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

 

 Web Resources:

originalsqueeze.com

Facebook

Twitter: @OrigSqueezeCo

Instagram: @theoriginalsqueezecompany

 

Contact:

kristin@originalsqueeze.com

 

 

Episode 95: Morgan McKay - Setting Goals and Making Them Happen

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 95 of the Life Athletics podcast. Today’s guest is Morgan McKay. Morgan is an adventure racer who has done over 70 adventure races including the Spartan Death Race and the World’s toughest Mudder. She has her eyes on winning the world’s toughest Mudder in 2016.  Morgan transformed herself from an average teen who did some modeling to a successful entrepreneur and athlete. Her journey is proof that an attitude and perspective shift can transform your life. I absolutely loved this chat!  

Habit of Thought and Habit of Action:

“Every morning I focus my energy on my vision board – what my goals are, what’s important. And I keep that at the back of my mind as I go through my day and choose those things that are going to help.”

Books:

10-Minute Toughness by Jason Selk

 

Web Resources:

Facebook

Instagram: @worlds_toughest_morgan

 

 

Episode 94: Jonny Freesh - Keeping It "Freesh" with Rap and Hip-Hop

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 94 of the Life Athletics podcast. Today’s guest is Jonny Freesh. Jonny is a rapper who has recently made the leap and declaration that this is more than just a side passion project and that he IS in fact, a professional musician. Unlike the hiphopopotamus Freesh’s lyrics really ARE bottomless and he’s constantly pushing himself to expand as a writer, performer, business man and artistic director but in his words, all he does is Freesh.  

Habit of Thought:

"Unhook. If a story is running in my head and it's not benefitting me, I'll just say, 'Unhook!' And just drop it."

Habit of Action:

"In the morning, I set up my day into blocks to keep me focused in what I need to do."

Greatest strength:

"My unique perspective on how I live and what I see the world as."

 

Books:

The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

 

Web Resources:

freeshrap.com

Patreon

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter: @jonnyfreesh

Instagram: @jonnyfreesh

Soundcloud

Evolution of the Rap Flow music video

Life Athletics Episode 62: Claudia Eslahpazir

Cause An Effekt podcast by Claudia Eslahpazir

 

 

Episode 93: Tiba Ganesh - Tiba Thoughts and YogaNeshan

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 93 of the Life Athletics podcast. Today’s guest is Tiba Ganesh. Tiba is a Yoga instructor currently teaching in Washington D.C.

Habit of Thought:

"Always see the silver lining in things, whatever situation and place you're in."

Habit of Action:

"Move forward and embody the ideals that I'm teaching instead of just preaching something that I'm not living."

Greatest strength:

"I am able to make people feel good and bring a positive atmosphere and good vibe."

 

Books:

A Fine Balance by Rohinston Mistry

 

Web Resources:

www.yoganeshan.com

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Facebook

Instagram: @yoganeshan_ and @tibathoughts

Twitter: @yoganeshan_ and @tibathoughts

 

Episode 92: Lydia Lee - Screw the Cubicle and Live Free!

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 92 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Lydia Lee, the founder of Screw the Cubicle. Lydia is a business creator and lifestyle strategist who helps people break out of the corporate prison. We all want that, don’t we? Being a mentor, she helps people realize their potential and find their path to freedom! Lydia used to work for the corporate world, and although she was very successful in her field, she couldn’t help but ask herself, “Is this all there is?” She found herself in a spot where she was unhappy and she really didn’t see the purpose of what she was doing. And this is where she came up with the concept of Screw the Cubicle. Lydia has turned her life around for the better, and she wants you to do the same!

On this episode, Lydia shares about her journey and encourages you to screw the cubicle with her and enjoy the freedom you were meant to have!

 

Habit of Thought:

“Focus and attention – because these are what make things complete.”

Habit of Action:

“Internal language is key. I work on catching myself when I’m not parenting myself properly.”

“I always take out a piece of paper. I write out every other way that this could turn out a different way.”

 

Web Resources:

screwthecubicle.com

Screw the Cubicle podcast

Join the cubicle crashing revolution

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter: @screwthecubicle

Instagram: @screw_the_cubicle

 

Episode 91: Andrew Crichton - STANDapart and Decision-Making

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 91 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Andrew Crichton of standapart.co, creators of lightweight, portable laptop stands. Andrew considers himself as a corporate escapist and has long exited himself from the tedious life of living in the rat race. He believes in being firm in making decisions and pushing through with whatever you have set your heart to do.

Andrew was on the road to becoming a senior project manager, but he wilfully turned it down. While working in the corporate world was rewarding, he never felt fulfilled. He explains this sentiment, and I can’t help but resonate with his thoughts. It’s so refreshing to hear someone else say it out loud. You’ve got to hear his inspiring words on this episode!

For him, it’s all about making a decision and sticking with your decision. It may not work out the soonest you jump off the bandwagon, but eventually – if you work hard enough – it will.

Habit of Thought:

“Revisiting life goals and doing a rough sketch of what life will look like five years from now.”

Habit of Action:

“I have a to-do list that I check during my morning routine.”

Greatest area of strength:

“I’m very decisive.”

Book:

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris

Launch by Jeff Walker

 

Web Resources:

standapart.co – pre-order your lightweight, portable laptop stands here!

STANDapart official Facebook page

Twitter: @_STANDapart

Making It Anywhere blog

The Tropical MBA

 Contact:

andrew@standapart.co

Episode 90: Magdalena Lundkvist - Freedom and Wallpapers

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 90 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Magdalena Lundkvist. Magdalena is a designer and she currently owns a company that sells custom-made wallpapers for hotels and residences. She left Sweden and travelled the world while building her business. Like most Life Athletes, Magdalena strongly refuses being caged in a nine-to-job and be limited. She has so much potential, and she knows it! On this episode, she shares that even when she is a freedom-seeker, she still goes back and feels she needs to be in one spot for her children. Magdalena talks about how difficult it is to balance, being a single parent who has a passion for chasing liberty. Magdalena also provides us with tons of value as she lays out her story. Listen up!

 

Habit of Thought:

“To love to looking at my limiting beliefs.”

 

Habit of Action:

"I meditate."

 

Greatest area of strength:

“I’m courageous, a freedom person, driven, focused, and optimistic.”

 

Book:

Unlimited Power: The New Science of Personal Achievement by Tony Robbins

Living with Joy by Sanaya Roman

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

 

Web Resources:

www.magdalenalundkvist.se

http://www.mrperswall.com/wall-murals/collections/shades

Facebook

Instagram: @ magdalenalundkvist

Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

Contact:

magdalena@magdalenalundkvist.se

 

Episode 89: Tom McLoughlin - Finding Your Joy and Being Happy

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 89 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Tom McLoughlin. Tom is a believer in finding your true joy and following that path toward happiness. A constant theme in his life is that he needs to have fun in everything he does, everywhere he goes. On this interview, he talks about owning your life without foregoing fun. He is devoted in creating a life of positivity and being authentic to your own self.  

Tom feels that the true meaning of success is being happy, and this is what he lives by. He owns his life, travels the world, and continues to inspire others to find their joy.

 

Habit of Thought:

“I need to have some fun.”

Greatest area of strength:

“Positivity.”

Book:

A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber

Contact:

mohosapedapetalon@gmail.com

 

Episode 88: Matt and Cherie Chan - The Eternal Pursuit and Crossfit

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 88 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athletes are Matt and Cherie Chan of the Eternal Pursuit movement. They are world-class Crossfit enthusiasts that strive to make a world a better place by inspiring everyone to live and experience life the best way possible. Matt and Cherie have always strived to become the best at what they do and continue to move toward the direction of progress. They surround themselves with people with the same level of drive and passion and inspire those around them to take action. This couple has been all over the world and they urge everyone to focus more on the things that make life a more awesome experience, basically by just living it, and stop worrying about money, jobs, businesses, and all those other things that usually bind and tie us to one spot. It’s all about celebrating life for these two!  

Habit of Thought:

“Be willing to work at the things you aren’t good at.”

 

Web Resource:

theeternalpursuit.com

Facebook

Twitter: @t3pursuit

YouTube

 

Episode 87: Helene Schmit - Street Luge and Finding Happiness

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 87 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Helene Schmit. Helene is a passionate and driven individual whose kindness, she says, is her greatest strength. She is a former street luge world champion and has been inspiring people with her motivation to become a better version of herself each time. On this episode, Helene tells me about the sport she is in love with and moves on to share about her life experiences that have taught her to become more “selfish,” in a positive way, learning to say no more often and practicing self-respect. Learn more about why she feels racing can bring out both the best and worst in people.

Helen Luge
Helen Luge

Habit of Thought:

“Practicing gratitude and forgiveness.”

Habit of Action:

“Speaking my truth.”

Greatest area of strength:

“My kindness.”

Book:

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz

Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill by Matthieu Ricard

Web Resource:

heleneschmit.wordpress.com

Facebook

Instagram: @heleneschmit

Episode 86: Ahni Radvanyi - Resonating Threads

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 86 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Ahni Radvanyi. Ahni is a free-spirited creative and acro yoga enthusiast who is passionate about doing the things she loves. She currently lives in Bali and is busy with her business called Resonating Threads, a company that produces adaptable—and artful—leather bags. She believes that purses can be an art form! I agree! On this interview, Ahni shares about her earlier experiences which led her to where she is today. We talk about life, optimism, focus, and relationships. What I love about Ahni is that she knows exactly what she wants and is willing to work hard to get the job done. There is so much value on this episode, you wouldn’t want to miss it! Ahni is such an inspiring and powerful lady, and I can’t wait to share our conversation with all of you!

 

Habit of Thought:

“I have a refresh button. I have to regrounded in order to continue what I’m doing.”

Habit of Action:

“I love getting up of bed close to when the sun is up and doing things before I get resistance. It is easier to continue than to start something anew.”

Greatest area of strength:

“I have a very buoyant sense of optimism – and I have laser focus.”

Book:

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Reflections on the Art of Living by Joseph Campbell

Bossypants by Tina Fey

 

Web Resource:

ahniradvanyi.etsy.com

Facebook

ahnigear.com

Instagram: @ahniradvanyi

Resonating Threads on Facebook

brainpickings.org

Allan Watts Lectures

Nahko Bear

Saul Williams poetry

Sarah Kay poetry

 

Episode 85: Garrison Cohen - Self-love and Relationships

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 85 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Garrison Cohen. Garrison has always been fascinated by the way that people connect and interact. Especially when it comes to male - female relationship dynamics. He focuses on what it means for a man to be playfully and authentically in his masculine power and how that allows space and is attractive to powerful women. Garrison will soon be launching a podcast in which he interviews AMAZING women to gain even more insight into what they’re looking for in a partner.  

Habit of Thought:

“It’s my philosophy around dating and relationships. Run toward your highest excitement. If you find someone else doing those things, it’s likely there’s an alignment there. Introduce yourself.”

“Be kind to other people because everyone is in their own private battle that you know nothing of.”

 

Habit of Action:

“Having a morning ritual – reading, working out, stretching, yoga, meditation. The more I come into my body, the more my head actually clears, the more I think better.”

 

Greatest area of strength:

“I feel like I can see people really well. People say they feel ‘seen’ by me. Women feel like they can be themselves around me.”

 

Book:

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

The Presence Process: A Journey into Present Moment Awareness by Michael Brown

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

Web Resource:

garrisoncohen.com

 

Other episodes you might like:

Episode 58: Monty Hooke

Episode 9: Dr. Maral Yazarloo

Episode 6: Les Leventhal

 

 

Episode 84: Jazmine Howard - Unlocking Potential and Being Fearless

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  Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 84 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Jazmine Howard. Currently based in Bali, Jazmine keeps herself busy by helping out a local business maximize its potential and improve the owner’s way of life. She’s been everywhere and worked as a visual manager for big brands such as Ikea, H&M, Ralph Lauren, among others – but she realized that she was never really cut for the nine to five. And so Jazmine packed her bags and, along with her daughter, left everything behind.

Jazmine is a firm believer in living authentically and following your biggest dreams. She’s been through tough times and wants us all to know that everything will unfold in its due time, so be patient and wait. It’s amazing how this artist, coach, and mother of two gets it all together! Fearless, passionate, and patient – that is Jazmine Howard!

 

Habit of Thought:

“I like to connect with people because I believe that behind each person lies a story.”

Habit of Action:

“When I feel like I’m forcing myself and it’s becoming a waste of time, I just snap out of it.”

Greatest area of strength:

“I am very patient, and I see potential in other people and things easily. They also say I’m a very kind person.”

Book:

How to Solve All Your Money Problems Forever by Victor Boc

Web Resource:

Jazmine Howard Facebook

Improve Ibu Dayu’s Way of Life campaign

Episode 83: Victoria Janashvili - Curves the Book and Self-Love

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 83 of the Life Athletics Podcast. On this episode, I sit down with a Victoria Janashvili, a talented photographer and driven movement leader. Victoria made waves in the world of photography by spearheading a campaign that supports positive body image and self-love through her book called Curves the Book. She’s an inspiration to everyone around her and continues to improve by surrounding herself with positivity and love. Victoria believes that everyone is beautiful, and that we have to learn to love ourselves in order to truly achieve pure bliss and contentment. Beauty comes from within and in being confident in our own skin. She’s true to her movement and I loved every single minute of this podcast interview.

 

Habit of Thought:

“I am still exploring and changing my ways. I am in the process of self-exploration.”

Habit of Action:

“I meditate every morning and every evening. When I meditate, I see life a little more positively.”

Book:

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

Princely Advice for a Happy Life by Alexi Lubomirski

Web Resource:

www.curvesthebook.com

http://www.victoriajanashvili.com

Facebook: Victoria Janashvili Photography

Instagram: @victoriajanashviliphoto

Contact:

victoria.janashvili@gmail.com

Episode 82: Sofia Araujo - Spiral Growth and Yoga

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Name: 82 Sofia Araujo  Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 82 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Sofia Araujo. Originally from Portugal, Sofia stepped out of her comfort zone to explore the world and find where her passion truly lies. She is now a yoga teacher and a macrobiotic chef/counselor. She is committed to serving her students wholeheartedly by providing them with lessons and advice to improve and enhance their health through yoga, meditation, and a healthy diet.

On this episode, Sofia talks about her journey through life – and what brought her to where she is now. She discusses about simplicity, stressing that it is actually one of the most difficult concepts to grasp. Learn more about Sofia and her Life Athletics story!

 

Habit of Thought:

Replace the feeling of loss with a feeling of learning. It’s not about winning or losing; it’s about winning and learning.

Habit of Action:

I travel with a little kitchen set with my own healthy food to make sure that the energy flows throughout the rest of the day.

Greatest area of strength:

I’m very accommodating to different kinds of people, and I always try to find a way to communicate with everyone.

Book:

Bhagavad Gita

Web Resource:

spiral-growth.com

Contact:

araujosofi@gmail.com

Episode 81: Russell Maier - Ecobricks and Frisboo

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Name: 81 Russell Maier Life Athletes, hello and welcome to episode 81 of the Life Athletics Podcast! Today’s guest Life Athlete is Russell Maier. Russell travels the world and through the art of collaboration he works to transform problems into possibilities. From pollutions, to solutions, from grey to green. He lives in the moment to bring about a brighter tomorrow.

Habit of Thought:

I must integrate with the local people.

Habit of Action: Learn the language.

Greatest area of strength:

"I’m really good at orchestrating collaborations."

Training for this area:

“Let's make a mandala together"

Book:

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment - Eckhart Toll

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho Web Resource:

www.frisboo.org

www.ecobricks.org

Contact:

www.Facebook.com/russs.net

www.Russs.net