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“Balance is overrated. Forget about being balanced and work on being present.”
Dr. Michael Gervais
What are the consistent behavioral themes across the spectrum of high performing athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, and change makers?
Is there a common thread connecting those who change how we understand how the world works?
Dr. Michael Gervais has devoted his life to answering these questions.
A high performance psychologist working in the trenches of high-stakes environments, Michael lives and breathes in that special place where there is no luxury for mistakes, hesitation, or failure to respond.
His clientele include the elite of the elite – the world’s most prolific Olympic, professional, and extreme athletes. MVPs in every major sport. High level military. Internationally acclaimed artists and musicians. And Fortune 100 CEO’s.
You might recall Dr. Gervais as the guy Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll credits as integral to their 2014 Super Bowl win. The meditation, mindfulness and other crucial team building techniques Michael helped foster and instill into the fabric of that organization paved the team’s path towards incredible success.
You might also remember that Felix Baumgartner’s now-infamous Red Bull Stratos jump from an altitude of 128,000 feet almost never was simply because Felix simply could not overcome the high level of anxiety and claustrophobia he experienced every time he donned the jump suit. It was Dr. Gervais who helped Baumagartner resolve the issue and get Stratos back on track. No Gervais, no history making jump.
Michael is also the man behind skydiver Luke Aikins, who astonished the world by becoming the first to jump from a plane at 25,000 feet without a parachute or wingsuit and live to tell the story.
A published, peer-reviewed author and recognized speaker on optimal human performance, Michael has been featured by CNN, The Wall Street Journal, ESPN, NBC, NFL Network, Red Bull TV, Extra, The Huffington Post, Outside Magazine.
This is a long way of saying that Dr. Gervais is the man.
While Michael’s roster includes the world’s most elite, he is about so much more than high performance athletes.
Everyone is required to perform daily. We all navigate our own high stakes environments. And everybody can benefit with the right mindset training. Towards this end, Michael committed to scaling the principles that drive high performance for the betterment of all. He shares his wisdom and experience each week on his Finding Mastery podcast (subscribe immediately) and works intimately with organizations both big and small through Compete To Create, the consulting firm he co-founded with Coach Carroll.
A man I consider friend and mentor, Michael is one of my very favorite people. Today we convene for a crossover episode — his third conversation on this podcast and my third appearance on his show — focused on the tools and practices required to transcend self-imposed limitations, unlock dormant potential, and lead your best, most fully expressed self.
Whether you’re a high performance athlete, top tier executive, 9-5’er, weekend warrior, or a stay-at-home parent, this gem-packed conversation is for you.
Because everyday, every one of us — irrespective of circumstance — has the opportunity to create a living masterpiece.
I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange. For the visually inclined, you can watch our conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/richandgervais.
If you are enjoying the video versions of the show, do me a favor and subscribe!
Peace + Plants,
Listen, Watch & Subscribe
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Thanks to this week’s sponsors
Note: One of the best ways to support the podcast is to support the sponsors. For a complete list of all RRP sponsors and their respective vanity url’s and discount codes, visit my Resources page and click “Sponsors”.
SHOW NOTES
In addition to curating conversations with those who have dedicated their life toward Finding Mastery, Michael has vowed (with the help of co-founder Pete Carroll) to help 1.5 billion people be the best they can be. To learn more check out Compete To Create.
Background, Context & Reference
- Connect With Michael: Finding Mastery | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
- Compete To Create: competetocreate.net
- Outside: Dr. Michael Gervais on Mental Mastery
- Business Insider: A sports psychologist shares the visualization technique that’s helped Super Bowl champions and Olympic gold-medalists
- Thrive Global: High-Performance Psychologist Michael Gervais on Why There Are No Life Hacks
- CNBC: The simple exercise a psychologist taught Satya Nadella and Microsoft execs that can help you succeed
- Guardian: The Seahawks’ Legion of Boom is finished, but their legacy will endure
- Mindful: Teaching Kids How to Meditate — and Getting Schools on Board, Too
- WSJ: The Shrink on the Seattle Seahawks’ Sideline by Matthew Futterman
- USAToday: One of Kerri Walsh Jennings’ most important accomplishments came at home by Josh Peter
- USAToday: [VIDEO] Kerri Walsh Jennings Behind The Gold (feat. Michael Gervais)
- HuffPost: Pete Carroll And Michael Gervais On The Blueprint Of A Successful Culture by Kira Brekke
- FieldGulls: Seahawks’ Michael Gervais on sports psychology by Danny Kelly
- Seahawks: Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll: “If We’re Not Having Fun, I’m Screwing It Up”
Notable People Discussed In Today’s Podcast
- Pete Carroll: head coach and executive vice president of the Seattle Seahawks
- Anthony Ervin: 2x Olympic gold medalist in the 50 meter freestyle and podcast guest
- Kerry Walsh Jennings: American professional beach volleyball player, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and a one-time Olympic bronze medalist and podcast guest
- Susan David, PhD: award-winning Psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, author of Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life* and podcast guest
- Tristan Harris: co-fonder of Time Well Spent – a nonprofit organization which seeks to reverse the “digital attention crisis”, caused by technology companies designing mobile devices and social media features in order to capture as much attention as possible, regardless of their impact on users’ quality of life.
Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy
- RRP #120: Michael Gervais on How To Master Mindfulness in Sports & Life
- RRP #252: Dr. Michael Gervais On Elite Performance & The Psychology Of Self-Mastery
- RRP #262: Lessons On Mindset With Kerri Walsh Jennings
- RRP #351: Alex Honnold: The Free Soul Of Free Solo Climbing On Fear, Risk, Mindset & What It Means To Be Truly Alive
- RRP #356: Susan David, Ph.D On The Power Of Emotional Agility & Why Discomfort Is The Price Of Admission To A Meaningful Life
- RRP #239: Ryan Holiday On The Perils Of Ego & Inherent Value Of Humility
- RRP #237: Anthony Ervin: The Rebel Olympian On Chasing Water, Finding Meaning In Gold & The Search For Authenticity
Thanks to Jason Camiolo for production, audio engineering, interstitial music and show notes and Blake Curtis for graphics. Theme music by Ana Leimma.
*Disclosure: Books and products denoted with an asterisk are hyperlinked to an affiliate program. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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