Andrew Petty is Dying
I met in 2018, when I served as executive coach for the leadership at the , the addiction treatment center here in Steamboat Springs, CO, where he served as Clinical Director. My respect and appreciation for Mike grew quickly in the course of that partnership, built especially upon Mike’s willingness to learn from anything and anyone–despite the long alphabet salad of credentials behind his name and his position of esteem in the addiction treatment, trauma, and family therapy community. Since then, our paths have continued to cross, and I’ve continued to benefit greatly from his...
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At the beginning of 2024, Chris Ray embarked on a new Adventure. We captured Chris' thoughts and expectations at the beginning of the Adventure in . This is the promised "after" episode, in which Chris and I explore how the Adventure impacted him. Chris' story showcases the power of the Big 6 to create big results in our lives. The Big 6 are essential ingredients in the recipe for a life we're outrageously proud of: Courage, Humility, Truth-telling, Self-permission, Self-responsibility, and Self-knowledge. Tune in to Ep. 095, , for a deep dive into the Big 6. I hope this episode...
info_outlineAndrew Petty is Dying
In this episode, I sit down with my pastor and friend, Chris Marsh, to dig into how a very recent and very close encounter with Mortality has impacted him and his family. Along the way, we explore: how to find solid ground in the face of crippling fear the necessity of appealing to the transcendent the gift of suffering As always, thank you for your time, trust, and attention. Remember, you ARE going to die. But you’re not dead yet. So get after it! Let’s Connect If this episode helped you, I'd love to know. Find me on , and , visit , or . Connect with Chris: ...
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In a hurry? Like me, you might do well to tap into some wisdom from the farm. On this episode, I offer a confession en route to extracting some wisdom from the farm that applies to all of us if we’re willing to hear it. I also offer what I suspect is a much-needed clarification of what I mean by “get after it”--the phrase with which I close my standard episode sign-off. If you’re often in a hurry and “get after it” only makes it worse, be sure to stay tuned in to the end of this episode. Remember: You ARE going to die. But you’re not dead yet. So get after it!...
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How can we stay positive and free from fear when the news is overwhelmingly bad and fear-based? I got this topic idea in the form of a question from a good friend and a former guest on this show, Frederic Tate. You can find him on Ep. 056 . Frederic’s a fascinating guy with a fascinating story. I thoroughly enjoyed that interview, and I wholeheartedly recommend that episode. Frederic's experience is that it is difficult to stay positive and free from fear when he perceives the news to be overwhelmingly bad and fear-based. Many of you can relate. It is a wild time to be alive on planet...
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What is bravery, and why is it so important? What are some of the common counterfeits of bravery? How can we detect and eliminate them from our own lives? How can we get braver? As an “arms dealer for the creative revolution," is the author of seven books and a veteran podcaster of 19 years who speaks internationally on creativity, productivity, and passion for work, and helps people and teams generate brilliant ideas. Todd's new book, The Brave Habit, is a concise, persuasive, and timely treatise on bravery. In today's conversation, we explore bravery through the lens of The...
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This episode is different in a few notable ways. First, it’s extemporaneous. Second, I recorded it to video for release on my fledgling YouTube channel, where all of my past episodes currently reside. Finally, I share news about the future of the podcast–an ending to make way for a new beginning. Key moments in this episode include: 00:00:01 - Embracing Change and New Beginnings 00:03:24 - Pursuing a Unified Framework 00:08:07 - Making Bold Choices 00:11:10 - Moving Forward with Conviction 00:13:48 - Seeking Audience Input Remember, you ARE going to die. But you’re not dead yet....
info_outlineAndrew Petty is Dying
Do you ever feel powerless against your hurts, hang-ups, and habits? Chris Ray's hurts, hang-ups, and habits literally killed him. Remarkably, his encounter with Mortality wasn't permanent, and Chris returned transformed. Chris is no longer powerless against his hurts, hang-ups, and habits because he has learned to look up and let go. If we have ears to hear, we can learn the same lessons from Chris’ story without a harrowing ordeal of our own. If we have the courage to add Action to our Insights, we can experience transformation, too. I met Chris through a mutual friend...
info_outlineAndrew Petty is Dying
Who are you? A big question, for sure, and not a slow pitch over the plate for most of us. But it’s a pitch that is critical for us to get good at hitting. As of this recording, I’m just a couple days removed from the first Growth Camp of 2024, where we plumbed the time-proven depths of the Hero’s Journey framework to go beyond resolutions and discover a heroic path to our best year yet. Once again, the importance of who we are–that is, the quality of our character and our responses in life’s defining moments–rose to the surface and stayed there, demanding our...
info_outlineAndrew Petty is Dying
Each new year presents the opportunity for a new adventure. Often we start out strong but fizzle in a month or two. Our fragile resolve sabotages even our most well-intended and heartfelt resolutions. We need something stronger than our own resolve and more reliable than our resolutions. As we kick off a new year, I invite you to go with me beyond resolutions to find a heroic path to your best year yet. In this episode, you will: Learn about the Hero’s Journey. Be equipped to embark on a transformative journey through the Hero's journey framework. Discover a path to...
info_outlineHave you ever frozen in the face of fear? Have you ever dreaded the prospect of the day ahead or a difficult conversation you have to have?
Me, too. A couple of times just recently, in fact.
Maybe you’re glad 2021 is in the rearview mirror but dreading what 2022 might bring? You’re back on your heels, wary and anxious, waiting for the next catastrophe.
In this episode, I share a simple but powerful strategy for mastering your fear, combating dread, and going from back on your heels to leaning forward into life. This strategy comes to you compliments of my 9-year-old son, Marshall, who recently brought it to life for me in a whole new way.
The Challenge
I stood at the top of the hill, looking down towards my 9-year-old son, Marshall, and his 15-year-old cousin, Jeremiah. Beyond them, our house sat tucked between other houses across the street at the bottom of the hill. To my right stretched the Yampa Valley in its march westward with the flow of the Yampa River. In front of me, from my perch on the hill, I could see over the rest of our little neighborhood to where the Yampa Valley curved east and south against the mountains that Steamboat Ski Resort calls home.
Finally, the view all around was mostly white instead of the persistent brown of a longer-than-usual fall. It was a beautiful bluebird winter day in Colorado–one of the first in a winter that had been stubbornly slow to get going.
The season’s first snows had provided just enough cover to make sledding worthwhile, and Marshall and a few of his cousins were milking it for all it was worth. Marshall was at the top of the hill near me, and Jeremiah was trudging back up the hill after his run. As we watched Jeremiah ascend, he paused for a moment and pronounced to all that he would give them three tries to hit him with a snowball as he closed the distance between where he stood and the top of the hill.
Challenge accepted!
The Plot Thickens
I began to lob high, arcing mortar rounds from my position. And Marshall started launching high-velocity snowballs from his. We may or may not have exceeded the three-snowball limit Jeremiah specified; history is so hard to recall accurately, sometimes, especially when it’s shrouded in the fog of war. You understand.
One thing was certain though: When the snowballs had stopped flying and the snow dust had cleared, a grim scene remained. Jeremiah was on his knees, stunned, slowly beginning to clear a massive, newly-deposited clump of snow from the center of his face. It was so big that just his eyes and ears were clearly visible. I wasn’t sure who was responsible for the direct hit, but I did know it wasn’t me. What kind of animal do you take me for, anyway?
It didn’t take long though–as I glanced over and saw the panic-stricken look on his face–to realize that Marshall was the marksman who’d delivered the devastating blow.
“Oh man,” I thought to myself, “this could get interesting.”
The Twist
Jeremiah continued slowly clearing the snow from his face, taking a moment both to recover from the blow and consider his next move. Then, understandably, according to the unwritten but universally-accepted rules of snowball warfare, he began to assemble a snowball of significant proportions from the snow right around him. Marshall had it coming to him.
And in an instant, Marshall, seeing Jeremiah’s snowball-of-unusual-size, or SOUS, taking shape, went from frozen still and panic-stricken to wildly motivated, and sent himself hurtling at Jeremiah with a battle cry unlike any I’d ever heard from him before. It was precisely the opposite of what I’d expected.
The scene mesmerized me, and it seemed to play out almost in slow motion. Here was my much smaller 9-year-old charging hell bent for leather at his much bigger 15-year-old cousin, apparently with some idea that it made sense to do so. At first, it seemed sort of like Don Quixote charging a windmill. What possible chance did Marshall have of succeeding?
But you know what? It worked.
Marshall barreled into Jeremiah before he was able to prepare his weapon of mass destruction, and they both went down in a tangle of limbs and flying snow.
I don’t even think Marshall took any direct hits of consequence in the scuffle that ensued. By taking the offensive, Marshall required his opponent to be on the defensive, and prevented him from being able to unleash the barrage that might otherwise have followed.
Well-played, Marshall, well-played. And thanks for the life lesson.
The Moral of the Story
Whether it’s paralyzing fear, debilitating dread, preoccupation with the future, or anything else that threatens to immobilize you or take you out of the game…be Marshall.
Seize the advantage. Face your fear and advance courageously toward its source. Put your fear on its heels as you press forward into the fray. Don’t give it a chance to overwhelm you or convince you to run away.
Be Marshall.
Harness the fear and channel it into a new kind of energy that propels you into action. Start your day. Have the conversation. Face the bad news. Take the first steps toward your audacious goal.
Be Marshall.
Remember, you ARE going to die. But you’re not dead yet. So get after it!
Seize the Offensive…STAY on the Offensive!
Marshall motivated himself to go on the offensive in the story I shared today. But staying on the offensive in life over the long haul–amidst all of the challenges that come our way–requires more guts and gusto than any of us can muster on our own. We need help from others who are committed to our wellbeing and success.
That’s why I created the Graveyard Group, a mastermind designed to help you become the person you were made to be and live the life you were made to live with guts, gusto, and abandon. We tap into the power of our Mortality to motivate us to leave it all out on the field of life and eliminate deathbed regrets. I’m forming another in-person group locally here in Steamboat Springs, and my colleague Beth Romano is forming the first-ever group for women. Beth’s group will also be the first-ever virtual group.
Go Here to learn more, including how to join a Graveyard Group. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, visit my website, or email me.
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If You Liked This Episode, I Think You’ll Like These, Too
- Ep. 005 | How to Become the Boss of Your Fear: Bravery-building to Live With More Guts and Gusto
- Ep. 006 | The Nine Lives of Lise Leroux: One Woman's Mind-blowing Tale of Living With a Terminal Diagnosis
- Ep. 016 | The Question That Changes Everything: The Go-to Tool for Living the Life You Were Made to Live