This is the first time I’ve posted for a while, as I’ve been in hospital for 7 weeks.
For those of you who wish to know – it was an infected spinal disc.
A rare form of excruciating back pain that needs huge amounts of antibiotics to treat.
I had various complications (hence 7 weeks in hospital) and even though I’m now out, I still have another 5 weeks of antibiotics.
The doctors did all kinds of tests, multiple scans, and nobody was able to identify either where the infection came from, how it got there, or even exactly what bacteria it was (despite a biopsy).
Thank you NHS!
Anyway, I’m on the mend and getting back to clinic next week, then nutrition and life/mental strength coaching.
Needless to say, I have renewed insights and a lot of humility.
Before I went in I was compiling a book on ‘Thinking Right’ a mixture of positive psychology, self help techniques and what I’ve learned from my Heroic Coaching, and Unbeatable Mind coaching.
My stay in hospital has now given me some very personal stories and I’m very thankful for the training I’ve had.
So I’ve simplified my book, my working title is ‘A Stoic Stay in Hospital’. With the Sub heading ‘How ancient wisdom, breathing, and an exciting new App kept me on track.’
And if you’d like to read the draft of the back cover, and what I’ve written of the introduction, read on…. (Please note the grammar etc. have not yet been checked and this is likely to change, so please look past that!)
BACK COVER
This is not a book about how to survive a hospital stay by practicing stoic philosophy. It is a book about how to train your mind so that when your whole worldview gets shattered, and the confidence in your body and expertise is swept from beneath your feet by a critical health condition, you get up again swiftly.
This is a book on how to train mentally so that when emotional and physical trauma come your way you don’t fall (totally) to pieces.
INTRO
Imagine being one of the healthiest people you know. At 52 you are more flexible and fit than many of your 20 and 30-year-old patients. You’re the person who if you got seriously ill, none of your friends would believe it. And you have a vision to live to at least 120 in good mental and physical health.
—–
On the 10th February 2024, I woke up with a very stiff back. So I got up, went downstairs, and did some stretches.
The stretches I often did in the morning to limber up proved mostly impossible – they hardly helped.
Soon the stiffness became pain, and the pain became a lot of pain, and then a lot of pain became unbearable pain.
As a chiropractor, I have seen a lot of people in agony, but what I was experiencing was worse than anything I had seen. Nothing I did, no position made any difference. I needed help just moving side to side. I felt like I needed help just to stay still.
Things got so bad that by the 14th February I was taken by ambulance to hospital and was lying (eventually) in a hospital bed.
…For the next 6 weeks. And the pain was just the beginning.
HEROIC COACH/THINK RIGHT
For some time before I went into hospital, I was compiling material for a book about ‘Thinking Right’ which is one of the components of seven ‘health strategies’ I teach my patients, that I in turn learned from one of my mentors (more on that later if you are interested).
A great bulk of what I had compiled was from the training I went through to become a Heroic Coach.
And it’s in my capacity as a Heroic Coach that I present to you part of a pathway proven to help you flourish emotionally and physically (and productivity wise).
So what is a Heroic Coach?
Very quickly Heroic, used to be called Optimize, and the vision of their founder, Brian Johnson, is to see 51% of humanity thriving by 2051.
The 300 day coaching program they developed has been shown to improve confidence, good habits like eating and exercise, the ability to overcome challenges (like getting critically ill and being hospitalized), a sense of purpose and focus, and connecting with others.
There is actual specific data collected on one thousand people who went through the program.
- At the beginning 29% of participants felt connected to the best version of themselves. In the end, it jumped to 93%.
- At the start 37% exercised for 25+ minutes a day. In the end, that number was 64%.
- 43% meditated every day on Day 1 (the program seems to attract people already into some form of self-care), and by day 300 89% meditated. [see later for the profound benefits of meditation on brain health and even your genes]
- On Day 1, 37% felt calm and confident and present most of the day. On Day 300 that number was 88%.
- On Day 1, only 23% of the people in the program leaned into challenges (vs. avoiding them). On Day 300, 79% were facing their challenges.
- 58% felt they could handle any challenge life presents on Day 1. That became 90% on Day 300.
- 83% felt more excited than anxious at the end, while only 41% could say that in the beginning.
- Eating-wise: 53% said they followed their nutritional philosophy on Day 1 whereas 84% said that on Day 300.
- There was also a shift from 46% who felt it was easy to maintain their ideal weight to 76% saying that at the end.
- 46% said they started the day Energized on Day 1. On Day 300 that was 85%
This is done by hitting 7 objectives, known as the Heroic Protocol
- Objective I: Know the Ultimate Game
- Objective II: Forge Antifragile Confidence
- Objective III: Optimize Your Big 3
- Objective IV: Make Today a Masterpiece
- Objective V: Master Yourself
- Objective VI: Dominate the Fundamentals
- Objective VII: Activate Your Soul Force (inspired by a phrase Gandhi used).
So a Heroic Coach is someone who can guide you and teach you tools to get these sorts of results.
A great description from another Heroic Coach:
“At its essence, Heroic coaching focuses on optimizing three core areas: Work performance; Energy and Well-being; and fostering personal relationships through the power of LOVE – a hero’s secret weapon. It intertwines the principles of ancient wisdom and modern science to offer a comprehensive understanding of how individuals can actualize their potential and accomplish their goals. The program’s focus areas include self-discovery, mindset transformation, performance optimization, well-being and balance, continuous growth, and leadership and influence.” Jocelyne Daw
This book does not cover all seven objectives but focuses on elements of II and V, but I’ll touch on others.
A fascinating (to me) part of becoming a Heroic coach was learning about ancient Greek and Roman stoic philosophy and how it correlates so well with modern positive psychology as well as what is taught in various religions (which I had already read quite a bit about and taken on board). ….
So what is stoic philosophy all about?
Let’s quote an expert in the field:
- “Progressor is a translation of the ancient Greek term for a student of Stoicism, a prokoptōn, or ‘one who makes progress.’ Since none of the Stoic philosophers claimed to be perfect sages but tried to make progress each and every day through the use of self-reflection and various exercises, all of the Stoic philosophers were progressors.
- In the end, to make progress as a human being, you must first realize that you are imperfect (or have reason to improve) and, second, have a desire to improve. It’s no coincidence that one of Seneca’s most frequently used words in his letters is ‘progress,’ or making progress toward wisdom. And as he concluded, ‘most of progress consists in the desire to make progress.’ For without that desire, progress itself is impossible.” David Fideler from Breakfast With Seneca
The stoics aimed to live to the ‘Highest Good’ which according to David Fidler
“Highest Good was for them: it was always striving to live in a way that is honourable and rational, with excellence of character, by aligning your life with the four cardinal virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice.’”
If you’d like to learn how to keep your Highest Self at the surface, even when you are at your lowest, this book is for you.
Enjoy.
I hope you liked that first draft intro – and if you’d like to learn more about the Heroic Ap, or the FULL Heroic Coaching program I did here’s some links.
Free month trial of Premium Ap (you only need the free version to track habits and see benefits, but you may enjoy the other benefits) – Get the Heroic App
To learn more about the coaching program I went through – Heroic Coach
If you would like to learn more about me coaching you for your unique needs here’s a current pdf outlining a sample program aimed at mental performance and peak productivity – Optimize Your Life
