Anthony on Faith, Endurance, and Finding Purpose Through Suffering | Security Halt! Podcast Ep. 456

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 Some people run from pain.

Others allow it to transform them.

 In this powerful episode of the Security Halt! Podcast, host Deny Caballero sits down with endurance athlete and speaker Anthony to explore the life-changing lessons found through suffering, perseverance, and faith.

 From overcoming childhood adversity and life-threatening health challenges to competing in some of the world's toughest endurance events, Anthony shares how every obstacle became an opportunity to grow stronger—not just physically, but spiritually.

 This conversation goes far beyond endurance sports. It's about learning to trust God's plan, embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth, and discovering purpose through life's greatest challenges.

Whether you're facing hardship, rebuilding your life, or searching for deeper meaning, Anthony's story is a reminder that perseverance, faith, and service can carry you farther than you ever imagined.

Listen now. Follow the show. Share this with the veteran or entrepreneur who needs to hear it.
 
Chapters:

00:00 Meet Anthony: A Story of Faith and Resilience

03:15 Overcoming Childhood Trauma

09:42 Why Pain Became a Catalyst for Growth

16:08 Discovering Purpose Through Endurance Racing

23:14 Lessons from Running 240 Miles

31:40 Facing Health Scares and Finding Strength

39:22 Trusting God Through Every Challenge

46:55 Serving Others Through Your Story

54:11 Building Mental Toughness Through Faith

01:02:30 Living a Life of Purpose

01:08:15 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

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Transcript

Mind, Body, Spirit Connection

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Finding ways to challenge yourself physically because these two aren't just connected. Mind, body, and spirit are all together. And when I found your profile online, when I started your content, I was like, here's a guy that gets it. So today, I want to dive into your journey, man. How'd you find yourself in this space? How'd you find yourself willing to do hard things almost every day?

SPEAKER_03 0:21

It was fucking horrible. So they took it out, they took out some lymph nodes. It turned out to not be cancer. It was this like super rare tumor that women in their mid like 40s get. And it made no sense that I had it, but it was just a weird thing, freak thing that happened. And so I've been good. I've gotten scans every year and everything's fine. But so I almost couldn't do the race. That's now like after you know 34 years. Like that's where my faith is like anchored in Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit, like the whole trio.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

That Security Halt Media is looking for clients that need video editing. Have them reach out to info at securityhaltmedia.com.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Anthony Dott, welcome to Security Halt Podcast. How's it going, man?

SPEAKER_02 1:09

Good. How are you? Thanks for having me on, man. This is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Dude, you're you're doing a lot of the things that I'm championing and constantly telling my own friends and people to reach out. Um, one, find that faith pillar, be plugged back into that, dive into it uh slowly at first, you know, figure it out where wherever you're at in life, but um doing hard things, finding ways to challenge yourself physically, because these two aren't disconnected. Mind, body, and spirit are all together. And when I found your your profile online, when I saw your content, I was like, here's a guy that gets it. And yes, this is for veterans, first responders, but our community and our tribe are are are are wide and it's growing. This this uh this idea that we can't be students to individuals that don't come from our same background is ridiculous.

Why Anthony Chases Hard Things

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Uh so today I want to dive into your journey, man. How did you find yourself in this space? How'd you find yourself willing to do hard things almost every day?

SPEAKER_03 2:12

Um, I think, you know, the way I grew up, I was forced to do hard things that were out of my control, and that was uh difficult. And then I think when I got older, um initially it became a way to just deal with trauma and just like escape from um pain that I couldn't choose to pain that I like could choose, um and just uh starting that journey because of like I would guess essentially self-worth, like trying to show myself that I am strong, I am tough, I can do hard things, um, I'm not like weak. And then that didn't really start until like you know, 20 like 17 when I ran like my first um marathon, and I never really found something that I could excel at. And after that, I realized like okay, I'm I'm good at just dealing with pain for an extended period of time, and so I just wanted to push that and see where it could go. And um in 2017, shortly after that, I discovered um Spartan racing, like what that was. I wasn't aware of that. That was even a thing, and so I started doing that, and then became, I would say, borderline, like addicted to racing. Um I did like six or seven races the last like few months of the year, and then 2018 did probably like 30 more, and then 2019 like 30 more, and they were getting progressively longer and longer and longer. And then, like, kind of as you can guess, like the longer the race that you do, uh the shorter ones don't really like scratch that itch anymore. Um, because they're just not they're not pushing you to where you know you can go. Um, and so after I I did uh a couple challenges in 2019, like I did the the 24-hour Spartan Ultra race again in Sweden. The previous year I did in Iceland, and then um started just doing more challenges of my own because there wasn't just like a 24-hour race every weekend in in New York. So um I started doing like some like philanthropic endeavors. Like I did like seven marathons in seven days back home to help my my aunt raise money for for breast cancer and um start doing stuff like that. And then in 2020, I I heard about this race called uh the Moab 240, which was like insane to me. You know, the longest I'd ever run was like 50 miles, and that was during um you know the OCR uh Ultra World Championship events. So it was it was different, you know, it was like doing obstacles and stuff, so it wasn't quite just like running. Um but I I was explaining to my wife the other day because there's a challenge that I really want to do that like this feeling where it's like you can't stop thinking about something, and you like you know you're eventually gonna do it, but like you don't really see the path. And so that was the race. Like I I couldn't really fathom running 240 miles. That was just like absurd to me, you know, because I'd never run more than like 50. Um, but I just kept feeling pulled to do it, and I knew that that if I signed up, I'd just figure out a way to to do

Moab 240 And The Neck Scare

SPEAKER_03 5:29

it. Um, and so we signed up and uh I was training, and then I I noticed a pretty big lump in my neck, and everyone was saying I was like crazy. Like, there's nothing wrong with you, you know, like you're a hypochondriac, which like I definitely am. But I went to the doctor and then they they I guess misinterpreted. They said I had like thyroid cancer and I had to get surgery and all that, and so um this was like a month or two after I had my daughter, so I was like pretty bummed. Um and then just pretty bummed. I was pretty bummed. I mean, I knew even if it was, it's it turned out to not be cancer, but even if it was, I knew the survival rates were were high, like I'd be fine uh as long as it didn't spread anywhere else. Um, but it grew really quick, like over the course of a month and went from nothing to like a golf ball. So I was like pretty alarmed by that. Um and then like the day before I was going into surgery, after I told my family is my friends that I had cancer and it was gonna be fine, they were like, you know, there's only like a 60% chance it's cancer. Like it might not be, you know, and I was like, oh well, that's great. And they're like, well, we'll know once we take it out. And I was like, that's really annoying that I had to have those conversations with people. Like my sister was heavily pregnant at the time, and she was like crying her eyes out. And I was like, that wasn't cool to like have to put her in that situation. So they took it out, they took out some lymph nodes. It turned out to not be cancer, it was this like super rare tumor that women in their mid like 40s get. It made no sense that I had it, but it was just a weird thing, freak thing that happened. And so I've been good, I've gotten scans every year and everything's fine. But so I almost couldn't do the race. And my family was telling me, like, just I had to get surgery like late July, and they're like, just heal up, like, you know, don't do the race. And I was like, no, like I just thought I was you know dying a month ago. Like, I'm doing this race. Like, if anything, I want to do more. Do more. Yeah. So we did the race. I had a good like couple of friends that helped us out, and and after that, it was like that was like setting me off on the journey of like, I think I can do anything, you know. Um, and it just progressed from there to just harder challenges, triathlons, ironmans, like whatever I could think of doing, and now I'm just still just trying to go just bigger and bigger.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Yeah, dude, it's um it's a lot of people see the numbers, even a marathon seems impossible to a lot of people. Um I I always tell like the younger guys that reach out when they want to talk about going special operations, going special force. I'm like, just go out there and do something that seems insane. Go out there and run, you know, maybe five miles is that insane idea for you at first. Go do five mile, go do ten. Like, figure out who you are because when you start running for a distance that you you know, unknown distance, uh, you'll learn who you are. Like you really truly understand the like you you can quit, and there's tons of people that have quit, and there's nothing wrong with that. But there's a lot of people on the other opposite of the spectrum that when they start, they're not gonna stop. And it just continues that drive, pushes them.

Pride, Injury, First Marathon Lessons

SPEAKER_01 8:50

I want to take it back to that first event, that first like long run you did. Like, what was it like diving into this world?

SPEAKER_03 8:58

It was fucking horrible. It was uh I I had run a marathon in 2012, but I did it alone. I just wanted to see can I can I run 26 miles? So I ran 10 miles, it was okay. I ran 15 miles, it was okay. So then I just just ran a marathon. I just did I didn't like really count it because it wasn't an official race. I just ran for 26 miles. And it took me like you know, a little like four and a half hours or something, and I was like, oh, cool, like I did a marathon, and then I didn't do anything for like five years. I was just a kid, I was trying to figure it out. I had graduated college, I was working, I traveled to New Zealand for like six, seven weeks to just travel and try and find like who the hell I am. Um but then it came time, I was like, let me give this like a real shot. Um and I like truthfully, like I have a very I'm working on it, but my toxic trait is like I will sign up for these races with every intention to train, and then other things just get in the way. I just don't I don't place an importance on it, you know, especially now that I have kids. So I didn't train for it. And then a month before the marathon, I thought that maybe I could just just do it. So before that, I ran a half marathon and I injured my leg because I wasn't running, so I I injured my knee. So I just didn't run for the 30 days before the marathon. And I started it, and about three miles in, my knee started to ache. And then by the time I got to the halfway point, I was just couldn't, I like was just limping, and I was only like halfway. Um, and you could you could bow out because it was two laps, two half marathons. So I could have just stopped, and it was just my pride. That was it. I didn't care that I was injuring myself. It was like I was too proud to quit. I couldn't let people see me quit. So I just limped another 13 miles. I got to the finish line, and I just like broke into tears because I was so happy that it was over because I was in so much pain that I just like was so happy that I could just stop. Um, but that didn't last long because of like a week later, I was like, I want to do it again. Um, and so I think I just like I grew up with so much like unchosen suffering, and so I felt like just like broken, not a good kid, like not, you know, like very just like unlovable. No matter what you did, you're like unlovable. And that's like typical, I feel like of people that grew up with like trauma and like abuse and stuff. And so I was like, all right, like I'll dedicate, I'll be dedicated to becoming just like this unbreakable person. And so um after that, I realized, wow, I can endure so much more than I thought I could like endure, and like what else can I do? And I think it just like the way it translated to everyday life was like life was not as hard anymore as it used to be because like I was putting myself in this un this chosen suffering, which was then preparing me for all of the unchosen, like suffering and problems that life will like inevitably throw at you.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

Dude, that um that relates to that a lot because I always gave, you know, my my background was and and you don't have to unless you're comfortable being vulnerable and sharing on the show, but you know, I I talk about a lot. Like I came up in a very dark, very horrible, horrible, horrible, painful childhood. And when I went through special forces training in the military, every time I went through a difficult course, I'd always say, well, you know, it's because I went through all this stuff. Like it was in preparation for this. So I gave all the power to all the suffering and all the horrible things I endured and almost like put it on a pedestal. I'm like, oh man, thank goodness I went through all that. It's it's it's what's giving me the edge. You know, when I went to SEER school, um, you know, everybody else is in that suffering and that mentality, and they haven't experienced stuff like that before. And I was like, oh, it's my ace in the card. I've been abused my entire life. I know how to go through this. So I was in a in a way, I was like, oh man, super pumped that I had this entire childhood of being just subjugated to the worst shit imaginable. Because I thought, I'm like, oh now, I have an edge, I have a superpower. And it wasn't until I went through all of my my healing and my journey to realize, like, no man, like I'm not, I'm not great because of this. Like, I overcame all this stuff. I'm just a good person. I'm a good person. I went through something and I had the strength to go through it. Um did you go through a moment and you're in in all this running where you're you're able to take a knee and kind of reflect on that journey and say, like, okay, I'm powerful, I'm strong. Like it's not because if I endured all this stuff that's made me better at running, it's just I have this ability to do it and I'm focused on it.

SPEAKER_03 13:48

Um it wasn't during uh running that I had that. So last we're in we're in June.

Rewiring Trauma Through Retreat Work

SPEAKER_03 14:02

About a year and a half ago, I took this class. It was called uh Genesis. It's like a subconscious rewiring class for like three days online, and that was the first time I had healed anything, like ever. Like actually dove into like trauma, who I am, like the issues. Because we would always joke, me and my siblings, it's like dark humor, but we're like, we had like the right amount of trauma, you know what I mean? Not to where it was like we were able to overcome it in our different ways and use it and like kind of use that dark side or whatever. And so that's all I ever knew was just use pain, like the dark part of it, and think like, okay, like you just dive into that and just go. Like I would always tell my brother, it was like, I think I was like on the last day of my like marathon challenge, and I was just was like, I had nothing left. I just like couldn't go anymore. And I just was like, he was running with me that day. I was like, I gotta go to a dark place, man. Like, I gotta go somewhere where this doesn't exist to get out of this pain. But I took that class and that like opened up something, and I was like, oh my god, like you can actually heal from this, you know, like because I was like, oh, therapy, like that's not for me. You know, I completely wrote that off, which was so like just like so closed-minded to be like, oh, that's not gonna work for me. And then and I still haven't done therapy, but this kind of took the place of that. And then a few months later, there was like an in-person retreat for like seven days that was like supposed to reimalinate like your brain, like through experiences. So it's almost like seven years of like healing through seven days of um of like these experiences. And I came back from that, like this, this like new person who like for the first time in my life actually believed in myself that I could do something. Like, I was doing all this with like zero self-belief. It didn't matter what I did, whether it was like a 5k or 240 miles, or you know, running from like the length of uh the island that I was for, like, it didn't really matter what I was doing, like it was never enough. You know, it would it I was never gonna be enough from these challenges. And then a few months after that, the third, there's three classes. So it was like Genesis, Exodus, Atlas. Atlas was when I it was a 10-day retreat where I became for the first time in my life in like 34 years, I actually loved me, my own company. Like I could never be alone. Like you hear it's like people are like, Oh, would you rather be alone for five minutes? Or like that study where or like shock yourself. And like most men are like, I'm just gonna shock myself, I don't want to be alone. Like, I would do anything to not be alone because the dark thoughts in my head were horrible. And for the first during that retreat, you have to do a two-day solo camping trip. You're in like a 10 by 10 square with like water, no food, like you're fasting, and it's just you, and you're you're writing, you're like internalizing. And I knew that I was gonna have to do something like that, and it was absolutely terrifying. But this was like towards the end of the retreat, and by the time I got there, I was so looking forward to my own company, like just being alone with myself that it was like unrecognizable. And like that was in October, and so I have not been like the same since then, and so now I'm still working on it. It's not like you don't just like heal, you know, like it's a journey, man. Yeah, it's a journey, but I found the healing through that, not necessarily like the races.

Intentions, Mantras, Anxiety In Races

SPEAKER_03 17:36

And now when I do like a race, I usually set like an intention. Like, why am I doing this? And it used to just be to prove to myself that I can do it, and now it's like usually an intention, and like so. The last long, long race I did was the the Arizona Monster 300, and my intention for that was like to dive like deeper into like my faith. And so like I I always have like a mantra that helps me when I'm like in pain or having anxiety because like I'll have like an anxiety attack if I don't have that, and like I it'll like recenter me. Um and I learned this when I was doing like my Iron Man, because halfway through the swim, when I'm like out there in the water, like a mile from shore, like um that would like give me anxiety, and I would be like really nervous that I'm just gonna like drown. Like, so I would have like a mantra, and so this past one was uh I think I I run I run this race for the one who carried the cross for me, like the one who like bared everything, and the longer that I go, the stronger I am. And it was like something very similar to that, and so I would just repeat that, and I got I was able to get to a point where like my conviction was so strong that like I didn't want anything more in that moment than to finish that race. There was nothing else that I wanted more, and so there was nothing that was gonna stop me. And I remember like I hadn't talked to anyone, I hadn't talked to my wife, and I was at mile like 150, and it was the first time I got to talk to her, and she was like, How you doing? Like, and I was just like crying. I was like, not good, like I'm in a lot of pain right now. Like, I don't I don't know how I'm gonna keep going. Um, a third of the race had already they dropped out the first like 20 miles because it was so hot, and she was like, Oh man, she's like, So are you gonna finish? And I was like, Yeah, like I just remember saying, like, yeah, like I'm definitely gonna finish. Like, and that's why I'm so upset right now, because I know I'm not gonna quit. And so, in in not quitting, I know how much pain the next three days is gonna bring me, and I know that there's nothing that will stop me, and so I'm just really like sad, like mourning right now, like how shitty I know this is gonna be, you know.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Um, so I mean the race almost that is insane to comprehend and and and that such a different mentality for so many people, and and no judgment to anybody. It's it's pain is something that we are conditioned to believe that we should avoid at all costs. Uh but if you dive into scripture, you you know be understand faith and and come to it in your own way, you start to understand that like pain's part of life, and it it could be a powerful catalyst for a lot of growth, a lot of change, and and we have to be willing to embrace it, man. You have to be willing to touch it.

SPEAKER_03 20:35

Yeah, people will avoid like people will avoid like minutes of being like uncomfortable for like a lifetime of being like uncomfortable. Like if you could just be in pain for like five or ten minutes or heal from something and have like a much easier life or like a much more fulfilling life, but people like avoid it to just not be in that discomfort or to not look at those like areas. Like, I know because I did that for the first like 32 years of my life, so I'm not like talking about other people, I'm like talking about me. I would do anything to not talk about stuff. Like, I just want to hear about you, like just tell me about you. Um, you know, because I don't want to like look at me because I don't like me. So like why would I want to talk about me? Um but yeah, I think I just I just like surrendered in that moment. Like you have like when you get to a place of surrender, it's just like total, like you can just look at everything objectively. And one of the things that I learned was uh from uh like the Dr. John D Martini has a book called The Breakthrough Experience, and he has actually a lot of books, but what he's best known for is that is the breakthrough experience, where it's like every single moment that's ever existed has an equal amount of positives and negatives, and so that's how you find peace, and you can just look at someone with neutrality, and so that went a long way with me healing. Everything with my dad, who was like the main abusive person, like physically and and verbally. And so I was like, I hate him. I'll I will never not hate him. I'll never like whatever. And I was able to get to a point of looking at him with like absolute, like just neutrality and just honestly, like just love. Because I got to a place a place of surrender where I was like, everything that he did, there was an equal number of benefits and drawbacks. And you can't blame someone for the bad without blaming them for the good. And so it's like I never would have gone down this path, most likely, had that not happened. And maybe I wouldn't have done any of the things I would have done, you know, where I could have, I have two daughters. It's like, well, maybe they would just look at me like your dad's like I'm weak. Like maybe I just wouldn't have done any of these ultra endurance challenges or pushed myself. And for me, now the goal is to just show them that, like, no matter what, like it everything is possible. And I use that mindset a lot of like when I'm doing something, like, what if one day they go to do this and and they need me to help motivate them or push them, and I can't do it because I quit in that moment. Like when I was doing like my first Iron Man, I didn't have kids, but every race thereafter was like, if I quit right now, and then like 10, 20 years from now, my daughter's doing an Iron Man, and she tells me she wants to quit. Like, how can I look her in the eye and tell her not to quit if I quit? Like, I couldn't do that, you know. So a lot of the time I'll push through for that. Now it's like that's where that journey has evolved to is just showing them like like you can do whatever you want, and I can look you in the eyes and tell you that because like I showed you how to do it first, you know.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

Yeah, it's one of the the greatest things about having kids, it quickly makes you focus on like how you should be as a person completely, not just how you are at home in front of them, but your character in every aspect of your life. Like it's easier to be a good person focused on what's really important in every aspect. Like it gets completely more complicated if you're trying to make a false persona at home, and then out in your public life, you're just a horrible person.

SPEAKER_03 24:14

Yeah, they see it, man. Like they see, they see so much more than like you think they see. And like, and even then, it's still not like it's still not perfect. It's like I know, like it's like, oh, you raise your voice, it's like they're gonna think that's okay, and you'll still raise your voice. It's not like it's like a cheat code, but it helps just like ground you in the moment. Like the other day, I was like renovating our office, and my daughter was like, Can I help you? And I'll always slow down to show her something because like my dad never showed, like, I always wanted to learn how to build, and he just never taught me. And so I grew up and I taught myself and I got a job and whatever. So whenever she wants to learn something, I will slow down to explain it to her. And we were painting, and she just took a pen and and put it behind her ear. And I was like, What are you doing? Like, why do you have a pen behind your ear? She said, That's what you do when you're working, you put a pen behind your ear. Like, little things like that. I never I never knew that she noticed I always had a pen in my hat when I was doing construction, like, but she like noticed that little detail. She says, like, they notice everything, and and then if you see them do something and you're like, they learn that from me, that's really great in a lot of ways, and it can also like disgust you in a lot of ways, like where you're like, Oh, they learned that habit from me. That's fucking horrible that they learned that from me, or oh, that's great. Like, you know, like my daughter is six, we just did a 5k the other day, and I saw her like pushing through, and I'm like, okay, she also learned that from me. So it's it's good and bad, you know. But like my kids and and Jesus and my my family, it's like that is what I just look at and I'm like, when they're looking at me, it's like, you know, what what are they seeing? Because like at the end of like all this, like that's really all that's gonna matter, you know.

Returning To Jesus With Purpose

SPEAKER_01 26:03

Yeah. And how did faith come into your life, man? I know for me, you know, having survived what I did as a kid, like it didn't bring me closer to God and serving in the military. Uh it's true when you're facing some really horrible situations, you you will pray to the man upstairs, but it never brought me closer to him once I was, you know, back home stateside safe. It was only after I I went through, you know, hit rock bottom that I started working on that third domain. You know, we focus on mind, focus on the body, but spirits always last. And and I never put any any like any weighted like any reflection on it. I always just saw it as an afterthought, maybe someday, or it's not for me. But when did you find yourself back in the faith?

SPEAKER_03 26:53

So I think when I was younger, I just wanted to like I wanted to like protect my siblings and protect everybody. Um and so since I can remember, like I don't know how young, but like forever for my entire life, I would always pray to God and just be like, but it would always be asking. It was never out of service, it was always like asking, you know, and it was like, please keep like my siblings safe, you know, they're traveling, keep them safe today, like protect them, like protect me, like help me with this, help me with that. Um, so forever I would always pray. And I grew up like traditionally Catholic, so I got like baptized when I was a baby. I went, I got communion, confirmation, went to Sunday school, but I never retained any of it. I never learned like about Jesus. Like I knew the the basic like story of what happened, but I never really cared, honestly. Like I just believed in God and I always believed that there was something after this. And then as I got older, I would always use the word God, but there was a time in the middle where it was like, you know, the universe, source, whatever, like there's something greater, someone greater. Like I don't exactly know how it all works, but I know that like I always had faith. And then um my when my daughter like was born, she had like asthma, and I realized like my sister has a similar story. Like, at when I'm at my absolute most desperate, I just go to God. I'm like, so I know that that's what I truly believe because when I'm at like that point of like I need help, I know who to turn to. But my sister, who was like not into God, Jesus, like she was always into like she was more spiritual than anything else. Yoga, like that was her path. And then a few years ago, she found Jesus, and it was weird. Like, I had always been like talking to God my whole life, but never really did the due diligence do due diligence of learning about Jesus. And then we started talking about it, and she was educating me, which was so weird. I'm like, I've always gone to church, I've always like done this, you never did this, and now all of a sudden you know more than me, but that's like who my sister is. Like she believes something, she will learn every single thing about it. Like, and so she's educating me on Jesus, and then finally, like I just dove more into like reading my Bible, talking with her. Uh we we started watching the show The The Chosen Together, and like so we started learning about um Jesus, and then hearing uh like what happened in detail. I just it's almost like uh this like unconditional love for something that it's like why would you sacrifice that for me, like someone that didn't even like exist at the time? And so I just became, I don't know how to explain it, like there was no uh like chanks in that like belief anymore, like a hundred percent. It wasn't like source or this or that. It was like, no, like I'm here and I can um live this life because because he gave up his for mine. And so that's now like after you know, 34 years, like that's where my faith is like anchored in in Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit, like the whole trio. And now I'm just dedicated to, you know, someone said like you can do all the right things, but when you die, he he can look at you and be like, Yeah, you prayed, you went to church, but I never knew you. Like I never knew you. You know, we didn't have a relationship. And so I want to make sure that that that he knows me, but and more importantly, that like my kids, like that they know him and he knows them. So that like after all this, you know, we're all gonna spend like eternity together. And so I really like got deeper into my faith when learning about like Jesus and how important his like sacrifice was, what it all meant, why it happened, and me and my wife got baptized again this year on Easter, and like consciously like making that choice now as like an adult to like follow Jesus rather than like when I was a baby and had no idea. Um and that's just helped me like tremendously. Like I got fired a couple weeks ago, and that would be like really throwing me for a loop, but I just I just always just say, like, all right, like I have like I I have uh sorry no dude, this is exactly what it's about, man.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Like it's when you understand the importance of like what your life should be rooted in, like it makes it so much easier when things the right the doors you think are the right ones when they close and you you finally understand like okay, this isn't for me. Like I'm not gonna stress about this place that honestly when I reflect back, I wasn't really happy, I wasn't thriving. It kept me, it kept me from feeling like I was like my best. Like, okay, I'm trusting in God. Like I I have lost clients in moments where it's like, how I'm gonna, how am I gonna pay for all this other stuff? And then I realize, like, okay, God's got me. I don't know what it is, but I'm not gonna freak out. I'm not gonna panic, and I'm I'm gonna pray my rosary. I'm gonna go to adoration. I'm gonna sit down with my wife, and I'm gonna focus on what really matters because I know right now I'm if I look at this screen with this cancellation message, it's gonna freak me out some more. But I'm just gonna go outside, I'm gonna do a rosary.

SPEAKER_03 32:50

Yeah. So I just, yeah, exactly. Like I just uh I just like to say, like, yeah, Jesus has my back, God has my back. Clearly, this wasn't meant for me. Like, this wasn't the road that uh that I'm supposed to be on. And when I do that, like I feel more at peace. And like when I look back at it, like, yeah, I got let go from a job, but I was so unhappy in that job and was just doing it to to to to provide and and like not trusting that he would provide. And that doesn't mean like I think it's really easy to misinterpret that. Like, it's not like just trusting, like, oh, God's gonna do everything. It's like, no, God will like steer you, but you still have to like row the boat, like you still have to row, like you can't just not do anything, and so it's just like, all right, wake up and like put my best foot forward and just have like have like pure intentions and try, and like He will guide me. And it's still been like years of this of like endurance challenges, problems with my family, my in-laws, like moving across the country, like raising kids, like having one job, having another job, having like the career path that I set for like 10 years, like completely disappeared, like trying as an entrepreneur, like doing what I'm doing now with like my my my brand and trying to help other dads. It's it's like it's all a journey, but it has to be anchored in something. And I feel just so much more peace being anchored in Jesus and like knowing like no matter what, like this is the plan he has my back, and like it's it's gonna be okay. And like it just might not be like the plan that I want. And I always know that like I just have to slow down. I pray every day to be strong, to be resilient, to prepare my girls for a world where I won't be there one day and make sure that they're able to provide for themselves and defend themselves and take care of each other. And like, how would I do that if I never went through like a hard time? Like, and so I know that it's for a reason, and that helps me stay like in it where it's like that's why you're in this. You prayed, like reminding myself, like, I prayed for this, like you know, like I forget the exact story, but there was like I think the pastor was talking about it the other day in church where this person was there was a big flood, and these people were stranded on roof, and like the the water kept creeping up, and they were praying to God to save them, and then this person came by with like a rowboat and was like, get in. And they're like, No, like we prayed to God, we trust God, God's gonna save us, and so the people left, and then they came another speed boat came by and was like, get in, like, we'll we'll take you to safety. And they're like, No, like we trust like God, God's gonna like save us, and then they drowned, and then they got to heaven and they were like, We we put all of our faith in you, why didn't you save us? And he's like, I did. I still like who do you think sent the two boats? Like, so realizing like the thing that I prayed for, that's why I'm here. Like, you can't be resilient if there's no adversity in your life, and it's like the price of one is the other, and so just viewing it that way and just being in it and like not avoiding the suffering, you know. And in the past, I would look forward to the suffering, and it's like it's not avoiding, it's not looking forward to it, it's just like knowing like this is what I have to do today, like this is what I have to get through today, and eventually it's gonna get me to where I need to be, but more so where where he knows I need to be.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

So dude, thank you for sharing that, man. Um, it's life's not easy, and it's not supposed to be easy. We have um we have this weird thing, this weird fascination with trying to depict life as it's perfect, and if you're not living the life that's projected on, you know, on full house or family matters, sorry for dating me. Uh the race by Carl Winslow. Uh you know, that where T where life is wrapped up in a nice, beautiful bow at the end of a 45-minute show, and that's just not life, man. It it's it's gonna be filled with pain, moments of sheer agony, stress. But that's life. Like you have to understand that you have to be rooted and 100% connected to your pillars. You have to build them, and faith is one of them. And you have to be able to have the people you can lean on, the people you can count on and trust and understand that you're gonna be navigating some rough seas. More often than not, that's gonna be the majority, but you're gonna have great moments on sea where it's peaceful and tranquil. You'll be able to regain you know, regain your bearings, but understand it's part of life. I didn't understand it for the longest time. Anytime my my ship got rocked, it was like, woe is me, this is horrible, it's never gonna get better. And then somewhere along the the journey, someone did help me and gave me that understanding that you're gonna be riding waves, man. Like, enjoy the good times, enjoy them thoroughly, be happy, but understand there's gonna be a down part of that wave. And then when you're there, find ways to be happy in that too. Find ways to understand they're like, all right, man, it's gonna get better. And I will tell you for you listening, one of the greatest things, and I and it was getting the phone calls from all my friends that were finding their faith. Shout out to you, Liam. Shout out to every other friend that shared their moments of like, you know, you're building something as an entrepreneur and it's not going right. You know, maybe just don't focus on what you're trying to build. Maybe just try to focus on building something right in your life by going to church, by finding your faith. Because for him and I, when we both we called each other and we're like, bro, everything's going a lot smoother now. What do you do? What's going on in your life? Going back to church. I'm I've been more more intentional with my faith. Same here. Like that's a testimony that's changing lives because it's not about these giant miracles. Like, those are great and they do occur, but the everyday small miracles of you not losing your shit and swearing every day when there's something comes wrong, that's a miracle in itself. The the ability to walk a little bit lighter because you understand that, like, hey, you can want things and they cannot go your way and you cannot get them, but you can also just say, you know what, it's not meant for me and move forward. Like, understand there's a greater plan in action. That's one of the greatest things that I now understand. And and yeah, sometimes it does hurt when that thing doesn't come to fruition that you want. But take a knee and reflect, man. Take a knee and understand that, like, hey, at the end of the day, I didn't even like that client. I didn't even like that guy. And God did me a favor by closing that door. And it's like, oh wow. And even better, it opened up the opportunity for a greater blessing. One that I'm now like leaning, like literally shocked that it came in my way and being able to look at my wife and say, there it is. That's the that's the miracle you needed. That's a small miracle you were praying for and it came to fruition. And they can't, and it's not just me, these things are happening to everybody. Like, this is one of the greatest things about understanding that, like, hey, trust that your plan isn't the best plan out there. He's working on something better for you.

SPEAKER_03 40:19

Yeah, I think I agree, and I think that like I would say we all trying to speak in generality, I was talking about me. But it's like, yeah, I just want what I want in my timeline, and like you can't get what you want if it's not like in God's time. It's like it's gonna happen in his time for a reason, and he'll close doors. And it's funny because like me and my wife joke about it, but it's like these doors that I keep trying to open and they just keep getting slammed shut. And she's like, How many times, dude, does he have to close this fucking door? Like, for you to get it, like for you to be like, dude, this is like not what you're meant for. Like, she can see it, like other, you know, my sister, like people believe in me more than like I have in in myself, and they're just like, you know, this is happening for

Serving Others Over Ego And Likes

SPEAKER_03 41:06

for a reason. I feel like from our biggest voids will come like our biggest blessings. And it's like, I know that that for me, like the the grand goal is like, you know, I I don't know how to explain it, but if you've ever done something where it's like when when we're just hanging out and you're stressed out, it's a good example. When you're stressed out, what do you want to do? Like, and that's a good guide of like what are my all right, so like what are my what are my my voids, my cheap dopamine, whether that's like drinking, smoking, pornography, whatever it is, like snacking, you could tell like you're not fulfilled when you want those things. And you're and you're going to them to be fulfilled. And so I took those classes, like I said, and then I had the opportunity a couple months ago to staff one of the classes. And so what you do is like you volunteer. So I bought my own plane ticket there, I took off of work, I I traveled there just so I could serve the next class and help them heal, like help them get through the same things that I went through. And I remember during that week where I wasn't making money, where I wasn't sleeping a lot because I was just like working like around the clock to like, you know, help help with this class. It was the most short of like having children, it was the most fulfilled I've ever felt in my life. Any like cheap dopamine, what like Instagram, like like I said, like snacking, like what whatever it is, like I had no desire for any of it. Like none. Like I was so fulfilled that like all of those desires went away. And that was when I I knew, like my friend asked me the other day, he's like, when was the last time you were completely sure of who you are? And I was like, that was it. Months ago, when I was doing that class, I was 100% certain of who I am and what I was meant to do. And so having that now is like um a compass of like you wouldn't have been, I wouldn't have been able to serve that class as much as I was able to if I didn't go through it first, like go through my childhood and all of that. And I'm like, so if all of that was just so that I could perform in this moment and know what I'm meant to do, and then and then serve the rest of my life because then it was worth it. And like I feel like I forget exactly where Jesus says it, but it's like it's incredibly difficult for like a rich person to like get into heaven because like the bigger, like, not the bigger the deal is, but like the more the less you serve here, like I feel like the less glorified you are after this. And it's like Jesus came as like a servant, like he was serving, he was washing people's like feet. And it's like if you want to be great after this and you want to, you know, have this really with Jesus and with God, it's like then you have to serve. And I think whenever I whenever I go with the intention of serving first, you know, everything else takes care of itself. So just trying to to get to a place where like how can I help and serve as many people and like when I'm putting like content out there, like being intentional about like who am I speaking to and like who is this going to help? Or is this just like for my ego? Is this just so I can like get more views, more followers, more brand deals, or is this so that I can like help somebody and it's usually pretty apparent by the result like which one it was.

SPEAKER_01 44:41

Yeah. I I think you you do a great job of um putting content out there that's of purpose. Yeah. Instead of putting and and it's again I'm not trying to shame anybody out there but there's there is money to be made and there is a a market for people that are that are out there putting things for I look at me look at me this is for me this is for me. But I I would say that there's a huge market it's up and coming for positivity and content that's more of service to you. Here's something I can do for you here's something for you this is for you. No contract I'm not trying to get anything from you this is for you. I'm putting this out there because I think it can be a value to you and help you in what you're dealing with. Because the one thing that I did learn and one thing that I'm uh always always sharing with people out there is we're not alone in our suffering. Like we are connected. We are if I am in my cave of and pit of despair one thing I have learned is that to to stop and understand that like I am not alone in this suffering. Somebody out there in this vast experience is suffering from the same thing and I'm not alone in this and I can I can overcome this and there is going to be a uh in the near future I will be looking back whatever I'm whatever ails me and I'll be able to overcome this and look back like all right yeah it's not going to be that bad. But we're all connected and if I can if I can share something positive or something a tool a resource to help somebody out there I know it resonates and that's what you're doing. You're sharing something authentic and true in hopes of connecting with someone and we need more of that.

SPEAKER_03 46:27

We need more people that are willing to mentor willing to coach man yeah I think and I feel like I feel like it is rooted in faith spirituality and and I think even people that don't don't believe in like Jesus right like there's obviously there's a lot of people that don't believe in Jesus that that he was real that that sacrifice was a real that it meant anything which you know I have a lot of friends that are like that and like I know that our relationship can only go so far. It's like it it peaks at a certain point because if you can't get there with me it's it's okay. But then I realized they are spiritual in their own way like they work really hard to provide for their family so they can provide this and that and they are spiritual just because they don't believe in in Jesus and and that story and like his you know that part of of like history it doesn't mean they're not spiritual but I feel like it's rooted in that and like God will put people in like like I'll put you in this amount of pain so that you can recognize it in someone else and pull them out or like I'm gonna put you in your own hell and you will crawl out so that you know the way you know the path back so you can go pull someone else out. It's like I don't know anyone that's like healed from something that isn't helping other people now heal. It's like when you find that it's almost like it's like that's you you innately just want to do that. The closer you are to God the more you're reading the Bible the more you're going to church the more you're like you're you're thinking about Jesus' sacrifice it's like you want to do those things. No one has to motivate you like nothing has to motivate you to do it like money kids like fame fortune like it doesn't matter because the your purpose is so clear you're like this is what I crave I just I just crave like serving and being close and and trying it it's impossible you can't possibly pay back what Jesus did but but trying to like trying to like you your sacrifice was not for nothing you know like there might be people that take it for granted I'm not gonna be one of them and like realizing that like I don't know I think the biggest thing for me was realizing that no matter what no matter what I do or or have done that I'm like worthy of love and there's someone that that loves me and if I can like share that with people and and sometimes it's it's telling that line of like not making it a hundred percent about faith because some people won't won't fully resonate about that. But I've honestly gotten away from that too because like I would try and speak I do like you know public speaking and and presentations on like healing and subconscious relying I always try and look at it with neutrality and not mention like God or Jesus whatever. And then someone said to me during my last presentation it was at an all men's retreat and they're like you know you were you were trying to stay neutral up there but I want to ask you like will how what would you have said if Jesus was standing right next to you know like how would would you have tried to remain neutral would you have like or would you have just spoken like you would like with like truly coming from your beliefs and I'm like yeah I would have spoken about my I would have spoken just about Jesus. I would have I wouldn't have tried to like be be neutral whatever I would have just spoken clearly like from my heart and he was like so why didn't you do that? And I was like yeah that's a great a great question and and then after that someone else presented and they did exactly that like they talked about God and Jesus and fasting and how it related to their business and how like their business grew when they were like closer to Jesus and I was just like it was kind of a wake up call like you're not gonna please everyone like stop stop trying to you the you can't say the right thing to the wrong person you can't say the wrong thing to like the right person and just speak and the right people will like hear you you know yeah it's a truth man it it's hard I I I remember I had a one video that got like just destroyed because I leaned into my faith and I was like with a with another buddy of mine uh shout out to you vanilla gorilla like two soft guys with Navy SEAL and the green braid talking

Handling Hate And Inviting Dialogue

SPEAKER_03 51:01

about faith.

SPEAKER_01 51:01

Wild concept never understood while that that got demonetized I got pulled down and then before it did that people were up arms and there was a lot of negativity on that like nobody wants to hear you talk about your God and I'm just like you you're perfectly fine when people from our background get on there on a soapbox and are negative and they talk down on people and they cut each other down and they break down horrible stories of of survival and and determination and grit on the battlefield but the moment a green beret in a Navy SEAL talk about faith and God, you're like nope, pull it down. We don't want any of that and I realized does it really matter that people got angry we weren't saying anything violent we weren't saying anything hateful. But what at the end of the day it was a conversation that I was glad to have with somebody that I respected and thought of thought of highly and and at the end of the day that's all that mattered. It was a good connection it was a great episode and whatever it doesn't matter if it doesn't resonate with people that don't care about you or what you're talking about. And if one person that needed it heard it and they got something positive from it that matters most. So I think it and I'm seeing more of it and more people are being brave more people because it does take some courage to be open out there and say hey you're not the most important thing out there there's something greater and if you would just take a few moments to reflect on life and ask the question of like hey maybe I can go to church today. Maybe I can reconnect with a friend and ask them about their faith. Maybe I can open the dialogue maybe I can crack open the Bible maybe I can reach out to a friend maybe I can reach out to Anthony or Denny and ask them about their faith journey and learn something new and be willing to ask questions we could share that we could be a little bit better for it. And I think we all need to do that. It's we're willing to do a lot of things in 2026 and and uh why not be willing to go back to church why not be willing to to watch chosen it's a good show it's a great it is a great catalyst for going back to faith. My favorite is the hollow app I get to pray the rosary with Mark Wahlberg every day and it's funny I joke about it all the time but more often than not I've gotten messages from my friends that have downloaded the app just to do that. And I'm like dude be willing to try it be willing to figure it out for yourself we do so much on other people's recommendations. Try out a restaurant try out a new movie try your try getting connected with your faith today. Be willing to venture into that last domain I'm telling you right now and Anthony has told you in this episode we weren't perfect we were very flawed individuals and in our own way in our own time we both came back to the church um proud Catholic myself it wasn't an easy it wasn't an easy return I had a lot of issues but let me tell you the the positives outweigh any perceived negatives yeah man I just I think it can give you so much you know I can I can talk about this forever for for hours and hours and I know we're just like kind of scratching the surface of all this but um I think you know put the stigma aside the judgment aside because at the end of the day their judgment's not going to matter is only one person whose judgment is actually going to to matter and also at the end of the day most people are just thinking about themselves.

SPEAKER_03 54:43

They're not really thinking about you. You know what I mean and their judgment is just because you know when you chase your dreams and you're or you truly believe in your faith and they see that change it's like you're just kind of unfortunately you're reminding them of how they just gave up on theirs and that's like people don't want to be reminded of the things that they that they gave up on. But I think and I can't explain why but for the longest time even now there's such a ref uh reverence I have for special forces like when you say like Navy SEAL Green Berets like when I was younger I always wanted to go into the army and I always had excuses family uh relations like romantic relationships that I didn't want to sacrifice whatever and I never did it but I always viewed it as one of the biggest sacrifices the hardest things that you can do and then going to that tier of being an elite special forces operator to me is just one of those things that I feel like I would always not regret because you know my path is my path for a reason but always regretted not doing you know and now I'm trying to train to become like an EMT and just be able to help people in that way. But I just think it's so amazing. It's something I'll always revere like it doesn't matter if I run 2000 miles or 3,000 miles across the country. It's like if I see like a green beret or a Navy SEAL or someone special force I'm like that's just so so like cool.

SPEAKER_01 56:06

You know I'll tell you man what you're doing is is just as cool because you you are a warrior you're you're out there professing your faith and you're putting it out there and you're putting in uh it's no scarier there there's no scarier place to do it than in social media and you're doing it and you're doing it well and you're showing people that you can be a man of God you can be a rock star endurance athlete and you can put all that stuff out there.

SPEAKER_03 56:32

And the most important thing be out there helping others like being in the space willing willing to put something out there to be like hey I'm I'm here I want to help you and before we close out I want to dive into that for a little bit talk about what you're doing and helping others you know it it's it's not an easy thing to be an entrepreneur and try to help coach people no I think for me the biggest thing is like I just want I just want to be able to hold space for people because the people that like held the space for me led me to like my greatest like blessings you know having unconditional love for myself and I never experienced that before before I I got married I had kids I accomplished things and I just never it was never enough like I never had that unconditional love for myself and it came from Jesus and it came from like healing. But I wouldn't have been able to do that if it wasn't for the people that held the space for me that even like the people that created the programs and it wasn't until I was able to see like someone else have unconditional love for me like truly in their eyes like I was enough no matter I didn't have to do anything to be enough um that I could believe it. And so trying to hold that space for people now is like that's just that's just the goal like that's like there isn't a whole lot that matters more I just want to help people like I just want to hold that space for them you can be vulnerable you can like you can you can cry you can not cry you can yell we can like we can just sit and talk like you can just I can just you put your head on my shoulder like I don't care like I'm just here to hold the space for you and like at the end of this at the end of whether it's a conversation uh a presentation that I'm giving like at the end of it you know the goal is for you to know that like you're enough and I feel like it's twofold it's like you are enough no matter what you do like you don't have to do anything to be enough and the second part of that is like you are are capable of astronomically more than you think like you can do so many things that you don't believe you can do you just have to just try just you know and that's like not you know not putting so much weight into other people's judgment of who you are of of how you look you know most people unfortunately a lot of people don't like themselves so you can't expect them to like you like it's just but as long as you like you it's like that is contagious to people like our conversation when we're talking it's like you're not it you get it like when you talk to people and they're like well you know me me I did this I did this I did this I did this it's like but even the opposite like when you go out of your way to not talk about it you know I I feel like I kind of trend towards that sometimes where it's like I don't want to talk about my accomplishments because I don't want to come off like that like oh I'm great because of this you know and it's just I think like you said like the intention of our our conversation here is just to yeah hopefully someone hears it and hopefully someone hears something that like resonates with them that they can then implement into their life and make make a change and then have that just like that that compounding effect you know absolutely man trying to help somebody out there that's that's suffering.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:04

It's like uh one of the best things about this platform man like the the chance somebody can dial in tune in hear something and impact them in a positive positive way and I know it I know it has. There's the proofs in the inbox and the DMs and that's that's the the thing that is just hypes me up the ability to know that like okay man like I'm gonna put something good out there it can connect with somebody and they'll reach out and and let you know how it's impacted them. That's the greatest form of currency out there.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:36

Um can't spend it but it's fucking awesome yeah you could have a hundred hundred people hating on you but if one person's like hey just like you know that what you said today helped me heal like I I never looked at it that way it's like that gives you enough energy then to just like keep going and just like ignore the haters. And it also comes down to intention too people I think people weigh intention too much. You know and like as a society that's what we do. It's like oh I intended to murder someone well that's a pretty big deal but like not everyone that wants to help you will help you and not everyone that wants to hurt you will hurt you. And haters are a great example of that. It's like well you get you usually have to pay to get people to view things. You're paying with like you know your time whatever if you're running ads but they're giving you this this free attention they're putting your stuff out there the more people that hate on something the more people that are eventually going to see it. And so they have this intention to hurt you but overall they're helping you. And then you might have people in your life that all they want to do is help but when they try and help you like something goes wrong. It's like it doesn't it doesn't help you. It actually makes things worse but their intention is like I love you I want to help you. And so it's like not everyone that's trying to help you will make your life better. And not everyone that's trying to hurt you will actually make your life worse. They might actually make it better without even realizing so that's you know a way that like if you are worried about like if someone's watching this they are worried about like people hating it's like I love that shit now. You know like it used to hurt like with people like I I posted a video on Instagram last year and it has it has over 50 million views. And it was just all it was was seven seconds of me in the cold plunge talking about trauma and it just took off and I was never used to that and now this there's thousands and thousands and thousands of comments and a couple of them in the beginning were like I never looked at it this way like oh this helped me look at my trauma but then people were like dude like why are you wearing a hat you're a loser you're going bald like what the hell like why like why are you putting your hat on a cold plunge like you're like like dude like give it up like the hair's gone like all this stuff and I was like damn like that's like so mean to say but I'm like well if they didn't if the people weren't arguing on this post and trying to hate on me then then it wouldn't have blown like maybe only a million people would have seen it instead of 50 million people. So I'm like now I look back when people start arguing on my posts or whatever I'm like oh this is great like now the more people are going to see this message that I tried to get out and like that's awesome. And like I just don't put any weight into it. I'm like so this person from Kansas that has like a cat as their profile picture tells me I'm a loser it's like why does that matter?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:21

Like it doesn't have the same follower and that guy is a dick.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:25

Yeah he's a dick right there's so there's so many of them and like it's hard to explain that to people that it does matter but I'm like just it it's tough if people say something and it directly impacts like an insecurity like the hair thing like I specifically remember that because like I have thinning hair which to me I'm like oh that that used to be and to this day still like kind of bothers me. But at the end of the day I'm like it's it like this person doesn't even know me. They're taking they're digesting one 10 second clip of you and then they're expanding that 32 years and now they know you even if someone's listened to every episode of your podcast you know whether it's a thousand episodes and now they have six thousand minutes or like sixty thousand minutes of your life it does not scratch the surface of who Denny is but they are taking that and expanding it to I know this person now. You know it's like you don't know anything. You just know what I said on this one 30 second clip and a year from now I'm going to be someone completely different.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:28

Yeah my my my approach and um I I don't know why and it just came to me and I remember the day specifically I I shared a clip where I said we need more veteran stories be willing to share your story be willing to talk and write a book and put it out there and someone comes right into the comments and it was just like hate just no one wants to hear F you blah blah blah your story and I'm just like you know what I'm gonna send you a message. I'm like hey I don't know what you're going through I'm assuming you're a veteran but if you'd like to talk about it hey man I'm here for you he replied back and I was like I was shocked he's like yeah I just don't feel like I had an important story and I'm like hey I'm here to tell you that at any moment I would clear my schedule you can come on my show I want to hear your story. I think that every soldier every veteran has a piece of the story I mean if if you deployed and you were part of the GWAT you have a part of our of our culture of our GWAT history that I want to hear about. I want to hear your lived experience I don't know who's who said that it didn't matter. I don't know who made you feel like you didn't matter but I'm here to tell you that you do and I'd like to hear it. And you see the bubbles coming through and then stop and a couple bubbles and then stop and then then they reply back. And I was like hey I left it at that and I and I and I sincerely

SPEAKER_03 1:06:00

mean it if it's uh if if you're listening if you're still there open invitation man I will tell you I don't care what you think is trending or what I'm telling you what I want to hear that's your story like yeah I I I don't know where we got so jaded on you know the idea of just being positive but it's become this thing where people are are just want to you know the hurt people hurt people saying this truth a lot of people just had a bad day or or they had a bad interaction they want to lash out and hurt somebody and if you can just take a breather and just be willing to reply back to that angry statement or that you know rant and chain of painful you know derogatory remarks or some positivity it'll change their life I'm telling you even if they don't reply back it'll it'll stick with them but what yeah and what you're saying is like it it's like a superpower that you have of like recognizing that you know like if you can recognize like oh this person's like they're hurting that's why they said this they're not just a bad person because initially you just want to like label people bad good when in reality it's like we all have good and bad in different quantities but and what you're also describing sounds it just sounds like Jesus it's like he'll leave the 99 to get the one you know that that that left and so for this for this guy or girl saying like I just feel like mine's not important. There's so many better options there's so many people that have like better stories. And in reality it's like well who cares if you have this perfect story of how you repelled from a helicopter and saved six people like maybe you just you did a couple years you know three five six years in the in the army and maybe nothing crazy happened but like you felt like I gave six years and I didn't get what I thought or I wasn't like whatever it is it's like you have a unique perspective. Not everyone's gonna be the same and if they were it'd be incredibly boring. Like no one you know if if everyone had the same experiences it's like well then then we wouldn't need podcasts or anything like this. Exactly life would be very boring yeah exactly it's like it's unique to you in some way and which means like it's gonna help someone else in some way if you had that experience Ozar someone else did.

Training Smarter And Fundraising Mission

SPEAKER_01 1:08:20

Yeah absolutely man Anthony I can't thank you enough for being here today brother um before I let you go though I am gonna press you for a couple couple of things when it comes to your preparation now do you still just haphazardly run or do you have an intentional routine that you use to prep for these insane runs um it really depends because like now at the place I am right now I'll do things for different reasons.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:54

If I just need to like just I just need to go do something hard I just got to experience pain because like my day to day has been too comfortable I'll just go sign up for like a half marathon or like marathon and just I won't prepare I'll just go run without like you know not trying to injure myself or anything. But I guess like I just want I want to leave an impact and and the and the you're not enough or like you're not doing things that anyone will actually care about still lingers from time to time. But for me at this point I just want to do I just want to do extraordinary things that's that's seemingly like more and more people would find impossible so that I can reach more people. So like I can if I run a half marathon well maybe like a million people run a half marathon a year. Or if I can run a marathon maybe only like a hundred thousand people run a marathon a year. If I can go run 300 miles maybe like a thousand people do that a year. Like not as many people and so I can almost like build credibility where it's like I can I can speak to all these different things. I can reach all these different people and the and the crazier the challenge it's like I can reach more and more and more people and like use these platforms for social media to reach people like the most passionate thing that I could possibly do in my time is is when we do these challenges is like raise money for pediatric cancer because that is my biggest fear of like something happening to my children is like my absolute biggest fear. So when I see that I I I resonate with that and I cannot I cannot fathom going through what these families are going through. And so every philanthropic event I do now I do for the same charity it's called um Alex's Lemonade Stand. It's like relatively small it's not like St. Jude's or anything but um to raise money for them to because that to me is like one of the purest causes and so I mean a regular like the the 300 miles like I'll prepare but nowhere near what I should you know and I start learning more and more and more. So it's it's a slow it's like a slow burn. Like I am learning to prepare more and more and more but I also know that it's not I'm not not preparing because I don't care. It's because of just where my values are and like the one thing that I've learned is like people will only be loyal to their values. Eventually you will go back to whatever your values are and serving those. And I know that my values are serving my family God um inspiring and trying to help people heal like those are up there in my values and so the training just it just isn't you know and and so I can try and make it important but it has to support other values or it'll never last it's just it doesn't work like that. Like we're only loyal to our our deepest values and so if I can find a way to link being more prepared to maybe okay if I'm more prepared I can go faster I can go further and then that way I can inspire more people then I will make it a priority. And I'm doing that for the first time now I mean not having my nine to five and trying to build my brand it's like I've been training more the last like month than I ever have realizing that if I want to be able to do audacious goals the my body as it is right now can't do it. It's just not it's not a matter of like how much pain can you withstand. It's like at a certain point your body will fail. Like even if mentally you can keep going and so I have a couple things on the horizon that I know if I want to go try it right now I wouldn't succeed and I really really want to so I can have the greatest impact. So I'm I'm just looking at it more analytically now where and and and and in my mind understanding this will support the greatest goal so place more of an importance on the training than than I have in in the past.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:04

Heck yeah I can definitely appreciate that approach because I am not raw dogging another uh savage loop in Destin Florida.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:13

Nope next time I do that it will be with proper nutrition and training yeah you'll go through it man you'll get through it you will you have that willpower but it's like at what at what cost and like is it necessary?

SPEAKER_01 1:13:30

Yeah I want to be able to drive back home under my own conscious willpower and not be passed out anywhere. Yeah but dude thank you so much for being here today but before I let you go man where can people connect with you and check out what you got going on um I'm on most social media sites it's just the ultra dad life that's it just one more the ultra dad life on Instagram um I post everything to Instagram and then through uh another program repurpose it'll spread it out to other platforms so I could just kind of concentrate there and reach people there and that's really it man's up that's what's up man guys do me a favor you know the spiel pause the episode go to the episode description click those links send a friend request and if uh if you haven't heard the message and you haven't been paying attention to the episode it's really quite clear connect with your faith be willing to explore that last domain look telling you I've been more vocal about it in the last few months and it's only going to get stronger be willing to dive back in and tap into that last domain hear my testimony you've listened to Anthony's now go live your own because I'm telling you it's gonna pour back and get the dividends are going to pay out all over the place whether it's your business, your friendships, it's really honestly a net positive in every aspect of your life and I want you guys to do better and be better so you can come back and listen to the show. Anthony again thank you for being here and everybody listening thank you again thank you so much and we'll see you all next time. Till then take care.