The Sisu Way  show

The Sisu Way

Summary: The Sisu Way is about grit, character, will, & the decision to choose strength. Scott interview's people about life's adversity, universal connections, & powerful moments that have strengthened their character. Topics include perseverance, mindfulness, gratitude, philosophy, fitness, leadership, service, & humor. Hosted by father, husband, law enforcement professional, & Mindful Warrior, Scott McGee. TheSisuWay.com

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  • Artist: Scott McGee: Grit, Character, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Fitness, Leadership, Service.
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Podcasts:

 12: Olympian Lauren Gibbs – Happiness is a Choice | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:47:40

Lauren Gibbs is an American bobsledder who won a silver medal at the 2018 Olympic Games.  While that is a statement of fact, it does not define Lauren’s character. She is equal parts power, intelligence, intuition, respect, and drive. This makes her a champion of a human being. Our conversation is meant to show people that grit is learned. That you can choose to be happy. That anyone can achieve their dreams if they work hard and are honest about deficiencies, and believe in their ability to choose. Show notes: 8:30  What it feels like to be an Olympian. 12:05  College Coach Diane Short: “It was not a surprise at all. She never folded under pressure.” Lauren says this was not true because she relied on natural talent. What does this mean now looking back. Are most lessons through suffering and pain? 18:30  Lesson in asserting yourself 20:00  Business suit to Team USA suit – Staying in something you are not happy with. Finding purpose 24:14  How does someone find what makes them happy? “Happiness is a choice.” – Lauren Gibbs “Take opportunities and see them through.” 28:40  I understand what I want to do. Public speaking, leading the youth. You actually have to work! 33:00  Do that thing you want to do. Time is not a right its a privilege. 36:00 Your authentic self.  Learning to work hard. 42:00  Training for bobsled and how to make the team. 45:10  Setting up to go for a bobsled run. 59:04  Fighting for gold. 1:04:00 Making Team USA and telling your parents. 1:08:27  Is grit learnable? 1:11:30  How to develop contentment with yourself. 1:15:58  Best lesson: “Be able to have open and honest conversations about your deficiencies.” 1:17:45  “You’ll you never be successful if its something that you can do different or better, then that means you have the opportunity to be better.” 1:20:44  Selfie with the First Daughter, Ivanka Trump. You don’t have to agree to be civil. Americans taking a selfie. Social Media: @lagibbs84, @1scottmcgee,   @TheSisuWay  TheSisuWay.com Health is Wealth – Vulnerability is a Strength – Strength is a Choice You are the Master of your Fate – You are the Captain of your Soul Get Up Strong – Be Unconquerable  

 11: Christmas Abbot – Pressure is a Privilege | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:28:19

Christmas Abbott is an author, athlete, CrossFit gym owner, girl boss, former pit crew member, entrepreneur, branding/marketing expert, speaker, and model …but these titles DON’T define her. It’s her courage, spunk, guts, and her gumption that make her a relentless human. It is these qualities coupled with her heart, that will fuel her greatest title ever… Mom. In this episode we talk about one of Christmas’ darkest years, how she is grateful for tragedy, the collateral beauty associated with it, what helps her recover emotionally, and her pregnancy. 2018 is serving to be a transformative year, as Christmas is using her vulnerability, struggle, fire, and heart to not only empower others, but to prepare for the best thing she will do with her life, and that is to be a mother. I am honored to hear (and share) the news and super proud of her. I hope you enjoy this side of the one and only, Christmas Abbott.  Show Notes: “Stopped being impressed by things, and started being impressed by people that were happy. People that made other people feel good.” – Scott 4:00  Who are you? “Work in progress. A human who wants to leave a beautiful footprint.” 8:00  1996 Sister’s car accident when Christmas was 13 – Darkest years of life, as was 2017. 11:13  2017 A dark year. Learned what made of and the bigger picture 13:01  Near death experience – Mortar round in Iraq Experience in Iraq as a female 14:10  Looks a strength or a weakness?  16:37  Health is Wealth – Broken Foot 2017  Broke up with finance – friend OD’d – Depression – Broken foot 19:15  Big Brother TV show – Human Experiment 23:10  What helped her recover emotionally.  Service. Vulnerability. Struggle. Vulnerability is Strength “Saving lives saves lives.” 26:20  Connection and therapy through social media 27:07 Caterpillar or butterfly? “Life is awesome, but first I’m going to make you strong.” -Scott 28:40  Gratitude Whats hurting you?  Word for this year is, “Transformative”. 31:00  Slice of life that “normal people” are protected from. 32:30  Nar-Anon – support group – community that understood demons 34:00  How to be honest with yourself. 38:20  How to figure of what your Why is. 38:53  Christmas is pregnant – Her greatest role is yet to come. 41:40  “I’m pregnant” “This is the best thing I will do in my life.” 47:00  Slow Down Challenge – Pay Attention 51:46  Grateful for Tragedy – Collateral Beauty 56:00  Get Up Strong – Live and Love on Purpose – Empowering Kids 1:03:20  Loving your body during pregnancy 1:13:13  Living the life that you Love 1:14:50 Social Media as a journal   Social Media: @christmasabbott, @canutrition, @badassbodydiet  @1scottmcgee, @TheSisuWay   TheSisuWay.com Links and References: Beyonce – I Was Here How to reach Christmas: info@christmasabbott.com Badass Life Book

 10: Traver Boehm – Strength Reborn | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:33:10

Traver Boehm is a man of the heart. He is a primal man, a sensitive man, and a Man Uncivilized. Traver is a man that was completely broken by life, and decided to skillfully use the pain as rocket fuel for growth.  It is that pain that rebuilt a life dedicated to service. That service is vital to our current state of thought in regards to what it means to be a man. This episode aims to challenge your way of thinking, and open your mind to the action of surrender, ownership, and forgiveness. We talk about service, choosing strength, soulful crying, surrendering hate and regret, creating space to think, finding gratitude, “seeing” in darkness, finding yourself, the 21st Century Man, and helping guide others like a lighthouse in a storm.  It’s okay to feel.  Vulnerability is Strength. I am full of pride and gratitude for Traver and this episode. This may be one of the most important ones I do. Because of Traver, we are One Day Stronger.  Get Up Strong, Scott McGee “No Man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.” -Seneca Below are show notes, quotes, links, & more info discussed in the episode: Intro: Desiderata by Max Ehrmann 3:47  So who were you?  Unfigured Out. Something was deeply missing. I was half born.  5:21  Beautiful Death – Knowing Thyself – Temet Nosce 8:51  What moments woke you up?  “Hang on” 11:10  Meditation – Go sit down and be with yourself 12:50  Utah – Month in the Wilderness. (Boulder Outdoor Survival School)  – Discussion and lesson about forgiveness. 22:00  Service “My life would not have been ripped to shreds to be be rebuilt in a way that would be self-servicing. I am dedicated to service.” 22:40  Driven by pain or driven by love? “Pain is the catalyst that got me here.” Balance “If your pain could speak to yourself, what would it say?” 25:44  Strength is a Choice. Comparing Down. How do you get someone to choose strength?  Humility. Find Gratitude. 28:28  Surrender, Ownership, Forgiveness 30:00  Carrying Hate. How to surrender it? 32:00  Learning to Breathe  “Create Space”  How to meditate. Box breathing. 39:45  The Year to Live Project – 28 day Dark Retreat, 28 day survival course in Utah, volunteered in a hospice 42:00  How long did it take to journey inward while in an environment with no light or sound? 49:15 How do you see in complete darkness? Hallucinations 51:21  “If you are strong within then you can deal with anything without.” 52:52  Why spend time in a hospice? “It is a blackbelt in space holding.” 54:24  Standing in front of someone you love that is dying. 56:45  How do you deal with regret? 57:00  The 21st Century Man 1:02:30  Write 1:03:55  It’s ok to feel. Vulnerability is Strength. 1:07:45 What do you struggle with?  How to find a home. 1:10:35 Communities – Built on a universal struggle 1:11:55  Combat – Taking a throwing a punch – Man Uncivilized TraverBoehm.com -email, text….. Reach out for help!! How to teach kids Grit…. Get Up Strong 1:26:45   How can people in support roles help their Men? Books: Today I Rise – Traver’s Book Way of the Peaceful Warrior – Dan Millman

 9: Lindsey Valenzuela – Strength to Give | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:26:24

Lindsey Valenzuela is someone you may identify as a CrossFit Games Athlete, but Lindsey is more than that. She is a powerhouse of emotion, passion, strength, and love that has had a renewed sense of purpose since the birth of her son.  Lindsey has inspired generations of men, women, and children to “Lift Like Lindsey”, to find their strength through vulnerability, and that its okay to show your emotions. She isn’t defined by her victories or loss’s, what matters is what kind of human being she has become.  In this episode we talk about having belief in your ability to work for what you want, successes and failures in CrossFit, letting pain resonate and moving on, being true to yourself, legacies, becoming a mom, giving back, perspective on growth, what its like to be married to a law enforcement officer, and where she draws strength from.  I am lucky to record this episode with Lindsey, surrounded by loved ones, because she is like a little sister to me. This is a also a special episode to me because we learn to not only Lift Like Lindsey, but to have a Heart Like Lindsey.    Show Notes:  Be Strong when you are weak, Brave when you are scared, & Humble when you are Victorious. – Michelle Moschetti. 1:03  What is Autumo?  It is Latin for “I Believe.”  A motto and way of living that has guided Lindsey. 2:30  The “why” for this episode. 6:50  Believe in your ability to work for what you want. 11:53 “Take whats yours.” –Coach Kellee Roesel.  If you want something, but willing to go work for it. 13:10  “It doesn’t matter about victories or loses. It matters about what kind of human being you have become.” 13:34  2014 CrossFit experience and lessons learned from “failing” to make the CrossFit Games.  18:12 How silly does not making the Games look now? 19:23  Victories, defeats, letting pain resonate with you, and learning to move on. 21:30  Vulnerability is a sign of Strength. 24:30  Lindsey’s honesty about her pregnancy 35:17  Titles? How does Lindsey identify herself? Vulnerability, passion, and emotions.  38:45  Being true to yourself in the face of adversity. Being a role model. 44:15  Ability to make others feel good. Strength to Give.  Strength is more than a muscle.  At just 10-months-old, Fritz was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Disorder, a fatal genetic disorder leading to progressive muscle degeneration. It’s incurable though physical therapy can help re-build weak muscles, but living beyond 30 is rare. Fritz’s parents started a non-profit to raise awareness and help fund research for a cure. **Lindsey’s gym did a fundraiser to help support the family.  You can help by clinking the link below** “Live on Purpose” – Scott 56:35  What do you want your legacy to be? “Get Up Strong.” – Scott 58:50  What message would you want to leave for your son to find in 20 years? “I didn’t really start living until he was born.” – LV 1:02:53  What its like to be married to a law enforcement officer and how does that affect parenting. 1:19:30  Where draw biggest strength from. “He shows me what it means to make hard times simple.” – LV on her son.  “Lift Like Lindsey. Heart Like Lindsey!” Books talked about in the episode: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown Emotional Survival by Dr. Gilmartin Websites: AutumoCrossFit.com Fritz and Friends   Please click to donate and learn more.

 8: Tait Fletcher – Humility is Growth | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2:06:56

Tait Fletcher has a wide-ranging resume from addict, fighter, stuntman, entrepreneur, podcaster, actor, etc. but that is NOT why he is on the show.  Through adversity, he follows his passion that happens to give him those titles.  Through his brokenness, Tait curates a positive life for himself that empowers those around him.  He has the life experience and perspective that taught him that service leads to a fulfilling life. Tait’s number one rule is to lead a life of appreciation. THAT is why this unconquerable soul is on the show. As Tait says, humility is the ability to be taught. I am proud to call Tait a friend, but he is also a mentor, soul recalibrater, teacher, and standard holder. I am humbled to have a soul to soul conversation with Tait about appreciation, gratitude, and growth that happened to be recorded for this special episode. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Stay strong, Scott Below are some show notes and references: 3:12  How do you curate a positive life and fall in love with that life?  8:20  What legacy are you leaving? How can you be of service?  How can you be more useful to your community? 11:20  Humility is being teachable. 19:36  What is a virtuous man? “What I think about matters. What I say matters. What my actions are matter.” 31:30  Dichotomy of thought. Positive thought hack. #thoughtdrunk Replace with 2 positive thoughts, or 1 positive action Change you Actions – Change your Thoughts 38:14 “If you want to learn. If you want to grow. Get rid of your defensiveness.” 47:15  (Homework) Have a conversation without saying anything. Just sit there and listen. When you have a negative thought, follow it up with a positive action. 50:55  Advice from Eddie Bravo: #1 – “Be in appreciation all the time.” 57:53  What do you struggle with? What is commitment? 1:05:00  How do you find strength to give all your outlets the opportunity they deserve? 1:10:30  Meditation – Restored – Changing Behavior 1:15:00  Kids? 1:26:16  Leadership 1:37:13 Acting Career – Connecting with people – Favorite scenes and memorable deaths Tait’s websites: Tait Fletcher, Pirate Life Radio, Caveman Coffee Co, Social Media to follow: @taitfletcher, @functionalcoach, Ryan Moody, Aubrey Marcus, Joe Rogan,  Scott McGee, The Sisu Way Things to read: Claudette Colvin, Letter from Birmingham Jail Eric Greitens, Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life TheSisuWay.com

 7: Matt Aporta – Fostering Love: A Story of a Family | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:24:44

Episode 7: Fostering Love with Matt Aporta is more than a story of what its like to foster-to-adopt a child.  It is a lesson and reminder that everyday is a gift and nothing is more powerful than love. Relationships can come and go in an instant. Nothing in life is guaranteed.  Love with a sense of urgency and live on purpose. Fostering a child is the highest form of service. In the dictionary, service is defined as: the action of helping or doing work for someone. What act is greater than giving a child-in-need a family?  The opportunity to be loved beyond words, a safe environment, and the chance to thrive?  People might be temporary in your life, but that is not in your control.  What is in your control is the deliberate and passionate love shared in the moment, everyday.  Nothing is guaranteed, regardless of the word (bio, adoptive, foster, step) that comes before parent. What is guaranteed is the love and dedication in the heart of my guest, Matt Aporta and his wife Mary Beth Larue.  They have opened their heart to foster-to-adopt a newborn child, giving this soul a chance to thrive in the most loving environment.  In these moments, Matt and Mary Beth became what they were meant to be.  This is the story of a good man, who grew into a great dad, and a women who has never known a love like this or had a “purpose as deep as the sea and as vast as the sky.” I hope you open your hearts and enjoy this story, Scott Matt’s Instagram: @matt_aporta Mary Beth’s Instagram: @marybethlarue Scott McGee’s: @1scottmcgee  @TheSisuWay Nonprofit foster family, adoption, and advocacy agency: Extraordinary Families 

 6: The Art of Living – Epictetus, Stoicism, & Serenity | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 37:45

The Art of Living is the classical manual of Epictetus (a Stoic philosopher who lived from A.D. 55 to A.D. 135) on how to live a good and moral life. It has helped me effectively meet everyday challenges of life, deal with life’s inevitable major losses, disappointments, and adversity. It came at a time in my life when I did not have a philosophy of inner freedom and tranquility to follow. It started me on a path to mastering my desires, performing my duties well, and learning to think clearly about myself (Temet Nosce) and my relationship with others. It gave me the ability to see that some things are in my control, and some things are not.  I can either accept things, or resent them, but most importantly, my will is always within my power.  Well there are some things are within our power, and some things are not.  Sometimes the things that are not come in the form of an unexpected violent cancer. My Aunt, the one who gifted me this book many years ago, is in a fight for her life. She is fighting for her husband, her boys, her family, and her future grandkids. She is a warm ball of light stuck in a human body, and that human body is failing her.  There is not much I can do physically, but I don’t think it starts or ends there.  This is an opportunity and reminder that Strength is a Choice, and there is something I can do in her honor.  I can use this platform to pass along the gift that she gave me to you. I give this book to people very frequently because it helps learn the art of living a good life. Since I cannot physically hand each of you a copy, I would like to take this opportunity to share the gift with you via the podcast in my Aunts honor. The Sisu Way podcast is telling a story, and this is part of the journey. Vulnerability is Strength, so I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me. In following podcast I present, read, and paraphrase some of my favorite parts of the book with you. To begin, I open with The Serenity Prayer. Humbly, Scott McGee TheSisuWay.com

 5: Val Voboril – Strength is a Choice | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:32:14

   Val Voboril is the everyday woman with super-powered fitness.  She is a mother, 4th Grade teacher, and a 6-time CrossFit Games Athlete.  But these titles do not define her. The quality of her character is shown through her resilient spirit, her unconquerable soul, and her commitment to teaching kids that they have the power to choose strength. Val’s successes has not come without a dip, a trial of “failure.” Despite her almost super-human powers, in 2015 at the CrossFit Games California Regional, Val doubted herself and felt the fear of disappointing others by failing to meet certain standards. This is a place we have all been. We have all been knocked down, but that’s not where we have to stay.  She thought about the kind of message she wanted to send to her daughter, her students, fans, and the community. Her dad asked her: What do you want the story to be to tell your daughter? That you pulled through, gave up, or persevered when it was hard? When faced with adversity, we have a choice. Val found strength in having fun and connecting to the community. She used strength and love to conquer. Val remembered to smile. Through this simple act, Val showed the power of having fun. That Health is Wealth. In turn, through her unconquerable spirit she prevailed in competition and triumphed over her own adversity. Val is not only a role model to the CrossFit community, she leads the way by teaching her students the importance of a positive attitude and how to get themselves out of a dip. This mindset and indomitable spirit is why we at The Sisu Way are proud to welcome Val as our first guest. Vals website: Just Val Instagrams to follow: @valvoboril  @1scottmcgee  @thesisuway Books: The Art of Living Daily Stoic Temet Nosce – Know Thyself

 4: Health is Wealth – Memento Mori – Movement is a Gift | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 20:40

“Health is Wealth” is one of the tag-lines of The Sisu Way, but if I were to make the title of this episode longer it would say, “Health is Wealth, Movement is a Gift, and Your Will is Within Your Power.” Without health, all the perceived wealth in the world is irrelevant. We all have health, if you didn’t you would not be able to listen to this podcast. If you can’t hear this podcast then be grateful you can read these words. If you have the ability and resources to purchase whatever device you are listening to it from you have health.  We also live in countries that allow podcasts, and other peoples opinions can be heard.  These are all gifts. There is a latin phrase, Memento Mori, which means remember death, or remember that you will die. This stoic practice of reflection on mortality is an opportunity to reflect on the temporary state of our being and to appreciate what we have in the moment… health, the gift of movement, the freedom and opportunity to choose strength, and the gratitude for it. Buddha said: To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him. To go a bit further, beyond just a healthy you….is a healthy you full of appreciation, gratitude, and a resilient mind to see the gifts in the world instead of what you don’t have. The ability to wake up from wants and needs and appreciate what you have right now. Remember to forgive and love yourself, and take a moment to really appreciate the ability to see, hear, and talk with your loved ones. For more info and episodes go to: TheSisuWay.com Instagram: @thesisuway Personal: @1scottmcgee

 3: Strength to Love – MLK “Loving Your Enemies” | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 31:00

Episode 3: Strength to Love is about perspective. This episode stands to provide a different light on the finger pointing mentality we sometimes show, and instead, turn the light back on ourselves. We have the ability to chose strength, love, and forgiveness.  This leads to growth, not pain.  We are the master of our fate. We are the captain of our soul. I open with the Man in the Arena, a speech by Theodore Roosevelt that hammered critics who look down upon people who are trying to make the world a better place. One of those people was Martin Luther King Jr. He is someone I very much admire. His approach to dealing with hate and negativity is so simple yet very difficult. It starts with analyzing ourselves and forgiveness. We can show the strength to love by looking within. We can heal by actively and intently listening, taking accountability for ourselves, and learning to forgive. That includes forgiving ourselves. His sermon, Loving Your Enemies, is covered in the middle of the podcast. I close out the episode by providing a way to stand up in the storm and have compassion for those that fail. I provide tenets I try to live by and a social media challenge. The goal of this episode is to shine light on some of the dark thoughts we have and show you that it’s okay to put the heavy bag of resentment down. It’s time to surrender. Love is the Way. Books: Strength to Love – Martin Luther King Jr.

 2: Strong Willed – A Parents Story about Strength, Willpower, & Resilience | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 49:40

Episode 2: Strong Willed, is a story of strength, fortitude, and a celebration of resilience told through letters that were written to my sons from several months in 2015. In Episode 1: For Dad I looked back to the generation before me. In this episode, I take a look at the generation after me by sharing a story of life and death with my son, Connor. This story may bring you thoughts of sadness or grief, but I want to change your perspective on that.  This is a story of choosing to overcome adversity, and how an unborn child recalibrated his father’s mindset with one powerful kick. Things happen to us, but like Connor proved, those things don’t define us.  Good and bad things come and go like life speed bumps, but you can choose to have an unconquerable soul and turn anything into an action for good. This is only part of Connor’s story, as I will discuss him more throughout this podcast.  In this episode I tie together the words my parents wrote, especially my dad, in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I share how I forgave my father about writing to his grandson too late in life, from a letter he wrote me on March 16, 1981. Time is not a right, it is a privilege. Life is precious, unexpected, and unpredictable.  But like my mom wrote to me in 1979, “This world is only as you make it.” Health is wealth. Vulnerability is strength. Strength is a choice.  You are the master of your fate. You are the captain of your soul.  Choose strength and be unconquerable. Books mentioned on the show: The Art of Living by Epictetus Mask of Masculinity by Lewis Howes Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman

 1: For Dad – The Why | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 31:29

Welcome to the first episode of The Sisu Way Podcast. There are many reasons for this passion project, and I’d like to start the show with my ‘why’. One of the major themes is the awareness, appreciation, connection and gratitude for life and the opportunity to leave lessons for the next generation.  In this episode I share a deeply personal experience (12:41) and lesson in the balance of life and death. Within the same week, my first son was born and my father died.  Life is a privilege, not a guarantee.  It’s a reminder that health is wealth, and there is no time to waste in sharing how you feel with your loved ones.  With that being said, I encourage you to start writing for your loved ones, and have the generation in front of you do the same.  Don’t assume your kids know that much about you as a person, or that there will be lessons for them if something were to happen to you.  There is generational information that is lost between is, and there is something we can do about it! Another reason for the show is to motivate, inspire, and help others.  I want to grow this together into a movement for service and personal growth.  Surrendering, writing more on social media, and opening up personal thoughts is something I decided to do because I found it reached someone at the right time.  That connection helps build us both up. Battles, adversity challenges are all universal and unavoidable but we have a choice how to react to it. Our attitudes and thoughts are in our control.  Accountability is happiness and strength is a choice. This episode was a relief for me to record. I did not know how I would feel recording solo for the first time, but I am glad I did it. I hope you appreciate my honesty and I humbly thank you for listening. I am very excited for what this show has in store for all of us! Stay strong, Scott

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