Lessons In Life And Leadership

LLL029 Are You Self Aware Self-awareness is a critical trait to possess. It allows us to maintain healthy relationships and become better parents, leaders, entrepreneurs, and co-workers. Many people believe they have strong self-awareness - even when, in reality, their perception of themselves, their strengths, and their weaknesses is not as strong as they believe. On today's episode, I'm explaining what it means to be self-aware. I'll explain how self-awareness can impact the relationships you've built with your family, friends, and co-workers and the importance of evaluating yourself and your principles. I'll also explain why surrounding yourself with people you love, trust, and respect - people who are willing to help you identify your strengths and improve your weaknesses - is the key to improving your self-awareness as well as the effects of living in denial.   "It's in these moments of self-awareness that we become fully alive iv the present moment and do the things we need to do." - Mike Staver &n

LLL058 Why Your Brain is Your Enemy and How to Change It   Our brain is an amazing organ. It is the most complex organ in our bodies and is made up of a series of complex networks and connections. It is responsible for everything we do in our day-to-day lives - from regulating our heartbeat and ensuring the other organs in your bodies are properly working to enabling us to think, develop ideas, form opinions, as well as help us avoid dangerous situations. But, sometimes, our brain may think a situation or event is dangerous when, in reality, it's not.   On today's episode, I'm discussing why sometimes your brain is your enemy. I'll explain the difference between your brain protecting you from real dangers versus false alarms and the importance of ignoring the false alarms that your brain engages when you consider doing something that is out of your comfort zone. I'll also share strategies to help you overcome the challenge of giving into these false alarms when your willpower is not enough to win th

LLL057 Who Feeds Your Soul   We make thousands of connections with people throughout our lives, from family and friends to co-workers and acquaintances. Sometimes, these people impact our lives in a positive way and sometimes they are simply destructive relationships. So, how do you identify and connect with people who truly feed your soul - who make you feel good when you are around them? Do you fully understand the impact that the people you invite into your life have on your mental and emotional well-being?   On today's episode, I'm explaining the importance of surrounding yourself with people who feed your soul and how to identify destructive relationships. I'll explain how the people we connect with in our lives have an impact on our emotional and psychological well-being and the impact that surrounding ourselves with negative, toxic, or "soul sucking" people can have on our psyche. I'll also explain the importance of allowing yourself to be open to those who feed your soul instead of resisting

LLL056 When is Hope Good   Throughout our lives, we are frequently told to keep hope alive and sometimes - in certain situations - we should. However, sometimes we allow the mindset of clinging to hope to enable us to create excuses to procrastinate instead of taking actionable, effective steps to achieving our goals.   On today's episode, I'm discussing hope. I'll explain when it's a good idea and bad idea to "keep hope alive" in various situations or circumstances and why it's important to understand when to be hopeful - and when to take action. I'll also challenge you to take a fearless inventory of your life to identify where you are being hopeful that something will work out and to ask yourself how clinging to hope is helping you effectively and productively achieve your goal.   "Hope without activity sometimes just leaves us with the anticipation of something to come true as opposed to doing the things necessary to make it come true." Mike Staver   Staver On Demand  If you enjoyed t

LLL055 What is Philanthropy Really?   We live in a world of angry, hostile, argumentative noise. Yet, many people, politicians, and organizations consider themselves to be philanthropists. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term "philanthropy" means to have good will to fellow members of the human race - especially active efforts to promote human welfare. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we were all truly philanthropic?   On today's episode, I'm discussing what philanthropy really means, how we can be more philanthropic even without being wealthy, and how forming more philanthropic habits can impact the world around us. I'll explain how our current attitudes and behaviors toward each other prevents us from allowing us to genuinely care about the well-being and welfare of others and what we can do to change the trajectory of our current state to become more philanthropic human beings. I'll also challenge you to do a fearless inventory of your life to discover ways you can

LLL054 What a New Year's Resolution SHOULD Be   Every year, millions of Americans set New Year's resolutions for themselves - promises to themselves that they will lose weight, be more active, spend more quality time with their families and loved ones, quit smoking, or a million other goals they want to accomplish over the next 12 months. However, according to statistics, a staggering 42% of people fail to follow through on these promises they made to themselves. In fact, the average North American only remains committed to their resolutions for approximately 14 days. Yet, we still insist on making these huge promises to ourselves each year - fully aware that we may not stick to or follow through on our goals.   On today's episode, I'm discussing why New Year's resolutions don't work as well as the type of resolutions we should be setting for ourselves. I'll explain why setting smaller, short-term resolutions are easier to achieve and how they can positively impact your sense of achievement and self

LLL053 How to Avoid Being Judgmental   Every religious book, from the Holy Bible to the Koran, discusses the sin of casting judgment onto other people. Yet, hypocrisy and judgmental behavior still seems to run rampant in today's society. Whether we do it intentionally or unintentionally, most of us have experienced moments where we placed judgement on someone else's actions, beliefs, appearance, words, or points of view - and all of us have experienced times where we've been judged by others. However, most of us fail to realize or accept that none of us are perfect. We all live in the metaphoric glass house.   On today's episode, I'm discussing the importance of being careful about judging others. I'll explain how to avoid being judgmental by looking within yourself first and evaluating your own flaws, mistakes, and failures before being hypocritical and casting judgment onto others. I'll also share examples of hypocritical situations and encourage you to do a fearless inventory of your life before

LLL052 How do You Know Which Conflicts to Engage In   Throughout our lives, we are faced with many challenges, arguments, and conflicts with others. Knowing which battles you should engage in and which ones simply aren't worth the time, energy, or consequences is an important skill we must all learn. So, how do you know which conflicts you should engage in and which ones you should concede?   On today's episode, I'm discussing how to choose which conflicts you should engage in and when you should choose to walk away. I'll explain the importance of evaluating conflicts based on your personal criteria and values to determine whether an argument is worth engaging in and how engaging in certain conflicts can simply be based on a feeling of self-righteousness or for selfish reasons. I'll also explain how engaging in conflicts that are not worth engaging in can negatively impact your relationships with others.   "Some battles are worth fighting even if you lose. Some battles are not worth fighting ev

LLL051 Finished Doesn't Equal Failure   When relationships, jobs, or careers end, many people often feel depressed. The first thought that typically comes to mind is that they have failed and that this failure is the reason a situation or circumstance has come to an end. But, just because something is finished doesn't mean that it was a failure.   On today's episode, I'm sharing why finished doesn't always equal failure. I'll explain how some things are simply just finished and why you shouldn't immediately consider every finished circumstance or situation as a personal failure. I'll explain the difference between a failure and a situational end. I'll also discuss the importance of being open to the natural ebb and flow of the circumstances in your life and why you should consider your failures as opportunities to grow and learn from your mistakes.     "A measurable percentage of the endings that you've had in your life were not failures. They were just endings." - Mike Staver    

LLL050 Do What You Say You Will Do   We live in a world where people are largely intention-based. While being intentional is good - and encouraged - intending to do something is meaningless if your actions do not follow through with your intentions.   On today's episode, I'm discussing why we need to do what we say we will do. I'll share how intention without action can affect your life, how social media has enabled people to be intentional without following through on their promises, and the importance of being diligent in following through on what you say or promise. I'll also share how breaking the promises you make can impact your credibility, trust, and integrity with the people around you.   "Closing the gap between what you say you are going to do and what you are actually going to do is one of the best things you can do to build consistent relationships in life." - Mike Staver     Staver On Demand  If you enjoyed the content in our podcast episodes and would like access to Mi

LLL049 Are You Complacent   Complacency is the enemy of productivity and success. It's a self-serving habit to remain in your comfort zone or avoid taking care of a task or facing a challenge that makes you feel nervous or uneasy. It often prevents us from seeing foreseeable dangers in time to figure out a solution before the problem escalates out of control. To be successful in life, leadership, business, or your career, you need to identify moments when you're being complacent then take the appropriate action to overcome and avoid it.   On today's episode, I'm defining what complacency is and why it's one of the most dangerous things we fae in our lives and businesses. I'll share tips on how to identify complacency and the impact that ignoring the warning signs can have on your life, your business, and your relationships. I'll also share how you can be self-satisfied and aware of potential danger without being complacent and encourage you to do a fearless inventory of your life to identify where y

LLL048 Why I Ride to Sturgis Sturgis is a little town in southwest South Dakota and home to one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the world. Thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts travel across the country to visit Sturgis and celebrate their love of riding. Many non-enthusiasts don't understand the joy, passion, excitement, and the feeling of freedom that motorcyclists experience as they ride through mountain ranges, feeling the wind in their hair and the sun on their face. On today's episode, I'm sharing why I enjoy riding to Sturgis each year. I'll explain how riding my motorcycle fulfills four fundamental aspects of my life, what those aspects are, and why I believe they are important for living a healthy, fulfilling life. I'll also explain how missing one of these fundamental aspects can leave you feeling unsettled or bothered and I'll encourage you to evaluate your life, identify which of these aspects are missing in your life, and develop ideas on how you can fill the void to live a more fulfilling lif

LLL047 Affirmations Don't Always Work Many people believe in the power of positive affirmations and positive thinking. Affirmations may help build your self-confidence and self-esteem and aren't necessarily harmful. However, can we truly attribute our level of success or our ability to achieve our goals strictly to repeating positive affirmations each day? On today's episode, I'm sharing why I believe affirmations don't always work. I'll explain how positive thinking is useless in achieving your goals without taking the appropriate actions to get you there. I'll also explain how making these statements without following through and taking action can impact your credibility with the people around you.   "You must intentionally and willfully move in the direction of what you believe - or what you want to believe to be true - about yourself." - Mike Staver     Staver On Demand  If you enjoyed the content in our podcast episodes and would like access to Mike Staver even more, join us at Staver On

LLL046 Manners and Civility We live in a world where people strive to achieve a certain "shock value" level. Manners, civility, and the way we treat the people around us seems to have taken a back seat in our priority list as a society. Saying "please" and "thank you," being kind and considerate to one another - even when we don't agree - and being considerate of other people's time and feelings have become outdated attributes in today's world. On today's episode, I'm explaining why manners and civility are still important. I'll share why I believe being polite and considerate have slowly eroded from our culture, how uncivil act and comments can diminish the validity of a reasonable or rational point of view, and how we can begin to rebuild civility and manners back into our society to make the world a better place to live.   "Manners matter still." - Mike Staver     Staver On Demand  If you enjoyed the content in our podcast episodes and would like access to Mike Staver even more, join us at

LLL045 Dealing with the Storms of Life We all deal with a variety of storms throughout our lives. Like meteorological storms that come and go with each passing season, these storms of life vary in intensity and duration. Sometimes, we may feel as though the storms we are facing is too unbearable to continue to fight or simply won't pass. On today's episode, I'm discussing what we can learn about dealing with the storms of life from the storms we experience in nature. I'll discuss the importance of staying resilient when facing new challenges, how to assess the storms you face throughout your life, and the importance of identifying and seeking support when you're in the eye of the storm. I'll also discuss the importance of accepting the scope and magnitude of the storm, understanding its intensity and impact, and accepting that the storm is only temporary.   "Regardless of the intensity of the storm, you are going to get through whatever it is you are currently dealing with." - Mike Staver    

LLL044 Burnout or Just Lazy Excuse Making We have all had moments where we feel burned out. Whether we feel burned out in our businesses or careers, our marriages or our relationships, feeling burned out can often affect our ability to make decisions. Many people believe the reason they feel burned out is because they are working too much or too hard to achieve a desired goal. On today's episode, I'm explaining the difference between being burned out and simply making excuses to be lazy and procrastinate. I'll explain how we can act a certain way that can be perceived as being lazy - even when we're not lazy people by nature - and how making excuses about the situations you are in can impact your ability to be decisive or to do the work you need to do to achieve your goals. I'll also share how to overcome "lazy excuse making" habits so you can begin making and acting on decisions to change your circumstances.   "Give yourself permission to feel bad, unhappy, or be burned out - but don't allow that to bec

LLL043 How to Measure and Deal with Risk Taking risks is a natural part of life, leadership, and business. We take a risk every time we step off the sidewalk to cross a busy street or ride on a subway train to work. We take a risk when we fall in love, get married, and have children. We take a risk when we hire someone new into our organization. So, how do you measure the risks you take each day? How do you determine which risks are worth taking - and which ones are not? On today's episode, I'm sharing how to measure risks and determine which ones are worth taking. I'll explain how your subconscious brain plays a role in your ability to accurately measure risks and your decisions on which risks are worth taking. I'll also explain why some things may seem risky for some people but not for others and share strategies you can use to measure the perceived risk or danger of a situation as well as your perceived ability to cope with it.   "Risk is largely subjective. It is largely relative to how you interpret

LLL059 Are You Focused on What You Are For or What You Are Against   In today's society, it seems like people are more focused on discussing causes, events, or beliefs that they disagree with than they are willing to discuss things that they support. Whether the conversation is about politics, religion, or any number of other topics, people today seem more willing to point the finger or create an argument around topics they are against than they are to create conversations around things they strongly believe in.   On today's episode, I'm discussing the difference between focusing on what you are for and focusing on what you are against. I'll explain why just because you share what you are against doesn't mean that whatever belief you support becomes instantly obvious and the importance of focusing on the things you support instead of the things you disagree with. I'll also share why sharing the reasons you are against a particular cause is not an effective strategy when trying to sway someone else's

Perhaps the most stressful time during a flight is not when you think you'll be late or when there's bad turbulence, but when you're just starting to board the plane. How many times have you experienced getting rude strangers cutting in front of you in line, getting pushed and have your feet stepped on as you try to get to your seat, or see people pretending to be bound to a wheelchair only to run off as soon as the doors open when you arrive? If you're not fond of air travel, then maybe you're one of the lucky ones. For everyone else, boarding a plane is most definitely a nightmare.   On today's episode, I'll share some of my pet peeves when it comes to air travel. I'll describe a lot of situations many can relate to as well as how those problems shouldn't even happen in the first place. I'll also discuss the importance of being patient, what spatial awareness is all about and why having that can help make you not just a better passenger, but also a better person overall.   "Spatial awareness has t