A New Way of Being

"We are always striving for the top - but sometimes it's better to embrace being in the middle".Konnie Huq is a TV & Radio presenter, a screenwriter and a children's author, who holds the record for being the longest-serving presenter of the iconic British children's TV programme Blue Peter. The essence of what Konnie speaks about in this episode is that our continual striving for more, bigger & better is making us less happy. As she says, if you can be happy with what you already have - you are winning! Konnie recognises her good fortune, which was helped by her time working on Blue Peter, and she has adopted something of an anti-mindless consumerist mundset - that has somehwat rubbed off on her husband, the creator of Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker.YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeSimonMundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/For the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - head to simonmundie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Life Lessons podcast has a simple mission: to have discussions that reveal something important about life and how best to live it. My guests range from the biggest sporting names on the planet, as well as neuroscientists, world-renowned philosophers, and psychologists – right through to Buddhist monks.One of the key skills anyone can develop is to do what needs to be done, even when you don't feel like doing it.YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeSimonMundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/For the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - head to simonmundie.com Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to go from all-rounder to outstanding. Nick Matthew is the greatest squash player in English history - a genuine legend of the game who reached world number one and won both the World Championships and the British open (the Wimbledon of squash) on three occasions. To reach the top, Nick had to pivot and adapt on several occasions, eventually working out his 'super strengths' to be able to take him to number one. Nick had an incredible desire to improve, but underneath his drive and determination is a deep love for the sport, and the sense of transcendence it brought him. Since retiring, Nick has started developing the next generation of young talent - and has continued to evolve as a coach and person. He is full of valuable lessons anyone can learn from.Nick's website and the Nick Matthew Academy: https://www.nickmatthew.co.uk/YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeSimonMundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/For the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - head to simonmundie.com Please can you share this episode. Thank you!Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are all aware of 'competitive sports parent' syndrome. It is a phenomenon I discussed with Gary Lineker - speaking about football specifically. Fair to say he's not a fan!YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeSimonMundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/For the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - head to simonmundie.com Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Hunt-Davis, an Olympic gold-medal rower and performance consultant, shares insights from his journey and the 'Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?' philosophy. He discusses how shifting focus to specific actions and emotional intelligence transformed his team's performance. Ben emphasizes the importance of aligning daily habits with personal goals and highlights practical steps for creating a fulfilling life. He encourages listeners to break down big goals into manageable actions and cultivate a feedback-rich environment for growth.

Thinking Correctly under Pressure. Who doesn’t want – or need – to be able to do that?TCUP – as Clive calls it – was fundamental in helping England win the rugby World Cup twenty years ago. Clive shares a couple of recent examples of how this works from sport and his own life. Really it’s about envisaging how things might go – so that when challenges arise, as they always do in life, you have considered how you might respond and are able to do so effectivelyFull Length Episode: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/sir-clive-woodward-cultureMyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to know how to get your nervous system back into a state of relaxation and calm? TRE is a powerful, simple and effective way to release stress and tension from your body. My guest is the its creator, David Berceli.Both humans and animals alike are born with a biological stress response known as “fight or flight”. We are also born with a natural trembling capacity that enables us to discharge accumulated stress, something we have in common with other mammals. Unfortunately for human beings, once the ego develops, it typically overrules this natural mechanism to stop us being perceived as 'weak', meaning stress and tension is free to accumulate in our nervous system, which can lead to a host of physical and mental problems.TRE is a simple set of exercises that activates the body’s natural shaking or trembling mechanism – which helps to release deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma.YouTube video of my powerful TRE session guided by David is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyHYCjdPhoUPLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!I am a huge fan of TRE and do these exercises regularly, and it has definitely helped me in a big way. I am really keen to spread the word – as I truly believe these exercises could have a profound effect on people’s health and wellbeing.In this episode:-         How David’s work in war zones led to the creation of TRE-         The relationship between the fetal position & the fight or flight stress response-         Why & how human beings lose the natural capacity to tremble-         The importance of letting go-         Why the most resilient animals are those that know when to lose control of their bodies-         How the ego gets in the way of our inbuilt release mechanisms-         The importance of the PSOAS muscle and releasing tension from it-         How the TRE exercises work and how often people can do itThe TRE website: https://traumaprevention.com/David's website: https://www.david-berceli.com/**YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3sLPu0sHWdnpPF6FmAnRpQ?sub_confirmation=1MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is easy to take credit for our successes, and look down on others for their 'failings', without acknowledging the huge number of interrelated factors and events that first had to happen for them to come into being. We don’t choose our parents, our genetics, our personality traits, our talents, the time and place where we are born, or the experiences that shape us. If we really consider all of these things – and truly recognise how little say we have in the formative elements of our life – it is inevitably humbling.And on the flipside, it can allow us to have more understanding and empathy for people who have lost their way. The famous psychologist Albert Ellis spoke about judging behaviour as good or bad – but not judging people, and that really points to this.One person who powerfully illustrates this point is the Nike sponsored endurance athlete John McAvoy – who previously was sentenced to life in prison in his early twenties for armed robbery, before turning his life around.Full Length Episode: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/john-mcavoy-the-power-of-environmentMyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going on inside us"Dr Bessel van der Kolk is a titan in the world of trauma research. He’s the author of the seminal best-selling book about trauma - The Body Keeps the Score - which has been published in 38 languages and read by millions of people around the world.As the title of his book implies, trauma leaves imprints within our bodies and brains that can lead to physical and mental health problems.Bessel has studied numerous ways that help us heal – and he splits them into three categories: Top Down, bottom up – and medicinal.Top down processing involves things like traditional talking therapies.Bottom up focusses on somatic, body based interventions.- as feeling safe within our own bodies is key.Medicinal treatment is where SSRI anti-depressant medication comes in.In this episode:How common trauma isBessel’s frustration with the 'over medicalisation' of traumaWe are social creatures, the importance of our place in social systemsThe role of our parental relationshipsThe British boarding school phenomenonHow trauma drives people to great achievementsTrauma is pre-verbalThe benefit of being triggered and leaning into thatThe importance of mindfulnessSomatic therapies including yoga, QiGong and team sportsShadow work/ internal family systemsPsychedelic therapyAdvice if you want to address your own trauma & how to avoid passing it down generation to generationCAUTION: This conversation contains themes of an adult nature and references to sexual assault.Bessel's website: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you are not open to new experiences, and stepping out of your comfort zone, you may miss out on some of your own discovering deep-seated passions and talents. One person who illustrates this brilliantly is the triathlon legend Chrissie Wellington, who was crowned Ironman world Champion on four occasions – despite only turning pro at the relatively ripe age of 30. She took a meandering route to an elite sporting career by trying new things and tuning in to her intuition, which eventually led her on a path which she had never anticipated.MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.