I open this one with a simple ask: if our stuff helps you, drop a quick rating/review on Apple. It really does get this message in front of guys who need it.
What we cover
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Self-gratitude, defined. Appreciating and acknowledging yourself for who you are and what you’ve actually done—without chasing external approval.
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Bitter vs. better is a choice. The default is bitterness. Choosing better takes practice, self-awareness, and repetition.
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Regret, comparison, and the inner critic. How we reflect on past choices can inflame regret or dissolve it. Comparison is on my daily “surrender” list.
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Belonging and contribution. Underneath our titles and paychecks, most people want the same two things: to belong and to contribute—and to be appreciated for it.
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Leadership blind spot. Great leaders praise in public, correct in private. Appreciation is the most missing leadership behavior I see.
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Environment matters. Negative rooms and isolation will eat your mindset. Choose your company and your inputs.
Mark’s daily practice (the muscle)
I share my three-part morning ritual:
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Love: I send quick love/thanks toward five arenas—God, my kids, my work, my health, my girlfriend.
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Surrender: I write down the junk (comparison, regret, self-doubt, impatience, pride… about 7–8 items) and hand it off to God—“They’re yours for today.” I ask my inner critic (the “little guy”) to be kind.
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Visualize: I picture the life I’m building and the energy I’ll bring into rooms. Most days the payoff is quiet; some days it hits like a wave.
Jim’s story: gratitude → impact
Jim walks us through his 18th annual Hayward High Football Alumni Campout:
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Full varsity team in his backyard. Food, mentorship, standards.
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Message #1: Show up. Ninety percent of life is showing up—on time, every time, prepared.
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Message #2: Transitions matter. From “last whistle” (football) to “last bell” (graduation) to real life. Keep showing up when the spotlight moves.
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Message #3: Filtration is real. Life tries to filter you out. Earn your way into the 10% who keep going.
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A moment of firm kindness: A junior who lost eligibility asked to come. Jim told him no—then challenged him to fix his grades and earn it next year.
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The payoff: former players are now coaches, ADs, husbands, fathers—and they came back to lead. That’s impact you can touch.
Quotes we reference
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“All comparison leads to misery.”
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“Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”
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“People may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
Why this matters (to you and me)
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Self-gratitude is internal work. It’s how you talk to yourself when no one’s around.
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It changes rooms. I walk into trainings and tell myself: I’m going to light this room up. Gratitude fuels that.
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It sustains legacy. Not ego—purpose. Belonging + contribution over time becomes your life’s work.
Try this this week
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Write a 3-line gratitude check each morning (love → surrender → visualize).
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Praise someone in public today. One sentence. Be specific.
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Audit your inputs: one negative feed out, one positive conversation in.
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Do one “show up” rep when you don’t feel like it. Then notice how you talk to yourself afterward.
Quick CTA
If this hit you, share it with a friend who needs it—and rate/review the show on Apple. One or two sentences helps more than you think. Thanks for listening.