Episode 253-Stop Killing Your Opportunities
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
Release Date: 10/03/2025
Episode 261- Living on Borrowed Time: Mastering the Moments That Count
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
In this deeply personal and reflective episode of Personal Mastery Training, the Alliance gathers to close out a challenging 2025. For host Alvin Brown, this year brought the profound loss of his 31-year-old son and the show’s beloved co-host, Dr. Charlie Cartwright. These events sparked a vital conversation about the concept of "Borrowed Time." We often live under the illusion that we have endless time to chase our dreams, but the reality is that life is unscripted and finite. As we transition into 2026, the question isn't just about what you want to achieve, but how...
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Episode 260- Success Is Not Pursued - It's Attracted
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
We often find ourselves trapped in the "relentless pursuit" of success, constantly moving the goalposts and feeling that we are never "good enough." But what if the secret to achieving your dreams wasn't found in the chase, but in a profound shift in identity? The truly successful understand that the goal is not to pursue success—it is to become the person who effortlessly attracts it. Key Highlights: The Strategy to Attract Success The Trap of the "Enough Bar": Many of us live in "quiet desperation," chasing an arbitrary idea of success (more money, next degree, next car). This...
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Episode 259- Mastering the Winters of Life
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
Our entire philosophy at Personal Mastery Training is built on one radical idea: In order to achieve mastery, we cannot simply get through challenges. We must strategically seek to get something from them. We understand the seasons of nature perfectly. Spring is for growth. Summer is for harvest. Autumn is for beautiful decay and letting go. But then there is the fourth season: Winter. Winter shows up in our personal lives, and it often leads us to panic. It’s not always cold outside, but it is freezing inside. It’s the season of unexpected layoffs, financial downturns, health setbacks,...
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Episode 258- The Legacy of Dr. Charlie Cartwright: Seeds of Greatness and a Life Well-Lived
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
"Don't get through it, get from it." That is the mantra of the Personal Mastery Training podcast, but in this specific episode, the Alliance—Alvin and Raymond—faced a challenge that was difficult to simply "get through." On November 8th, the Alliance lost a dear member, Dr. Charlie Cartwright, after a battle with cancer and a stroke. Life is not a storybook; the hero doesn't always ride off into the sunset. However, as Alvin and Raymond discussed, while we cannot control the unpredictability of life, we can control the legacy we leave behind. This post is dedicated...
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Episode 257-Free yourself from your own slavery
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
At 57 years old, I decided to do something I’d spent 30 years in the fitness industry avoiding: I started training to compete in a bodybuilding show. As I've shared this journey, one comment comes up constantly: "I love what you're doing, but I could never do the food part." This single phrase got me thinking. It's the perfect example of a bigger conversation about freedom. When we say "I could never," we are admitting we are enslaved. The opposite of freedom is slavery, and any addiction—to food, habits, or even negative thoughts—is a chain that makes you feel like you...
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Episode 256- Success By Design - Flawless Execution
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
In today's complex world, we're often taught the skills of management—how to organize tasks, track metrics, and keep things running. But is that enough to truly succeed, lead a team, or build the life you dream of? The hosts of the Personal Mastery Training podcast argue that management falls short. What's truly needed is leadership, and the absolute cornerstone of leadership is belief. In a compelling episode, they explore why unwavering belief—in yourself, your team, and your vision—is the essential ingredient for navigating chaos, inspiring trust, and...
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Life Balance: Is It Still Something to Aim For?
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
"Work-life balance." The phrase alone can trigger a wave of guilt. We’re constantly told we need to achieve this perfect, mythical equilibrium—a state where our career, family, fitness, and hobbies all get an equal, harmonious slice of our time. But what if this entire concept is a trap? In a thought-provoking episode of the Personal Mastery Training podcast, the hosts argue that the pursuit of a static work-life balance is a myth. Life isn’t a perfectly balanced scale; it’s a dynamic teeter-totter, always shifting. The real secret to a fulfilling life isn't found in a 50/50...
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Episode 254- Sometimes You Just Have To Quit
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
There's a story about how to catch a monkey. You place its favorite treat in a box with a small hole. The monkey can slide its open hand in, but once it clenches its fist around the treat, it can't pull its hand out. The monkey is trapped—not by the box, but by its own refusal to let go. In a recent episode of the Personal Mastery Training podcast, hosts Alvin Brown and Dr. Charlie Cartwright use this powerful metaphor to explain the Sunk Cost Fallacy: the psychological trap that keeps us invested in failing relationships, dead-end jobs, and bad decisions long after we should have walked...
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Episode 253-Stop Killing Your Opportunities
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
Every day, you walk past opportunities for a better life—a game-changing business connection, a piece of life-altering wisdom, or a deep friendship. You don't see them because they are hidden inside other people, and you’ve already decided who they are. In a profound episode of the Personal Mastery Training podcast, the hosts reveal how we unknowingly kill our own opportunities through a single, destructive habit: labeling. The moment you place a label on someone, you stop being curious. And the moment curiosity dies, so does your opportunity for growth. Key...
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Episode 252- Universal Rule for Not Giving Up
Personal Mastery Training Podcast
We all face mountains in our lives—the audacious goals, the life-changing dreams, the daunting challenges that stand between who we are and who we want to be. When the climb gets tough, the air gets thin, and our legs start to burn, the temptation to turn back is powerful. But the mountain has one, simple rule. In a recent episode of the Personal Mastery Training podcast, the hosts drew inspiration from the incredible Netflix documentary 14 Peaks to deliver a masterclass on perseverance. The lesson, taken from mountaineer Nirmal Purja, is as harsh as it is true:...
info_outlineKey Highlights from the Discussion
- The Labeling Trap: The core idea is simple but transformative: "The labels that we place on other people fracture opportunity." When you judge someone based on their appearance, job, or your past experiences with them, you slam the door on what they could teach you or how they could change your life.
- The Need to Be Right Destroys Curiosity: This is the ultimate communication killer. If you enter a conversation with the goal of being right, you have already lost. You cannot be curious and defensive at the same time. Prioritize understanding over winning, and you will unlock a new level of connection.
- Curiosity Turns Enemies into Friends: The hosts shared a powerful story about Abraham Lincoln, who argued that the best way to destroy an enemy is to make them your friend. How? Through curiosity. Asking questions to understand another's perspective is the fastest way to dissolve conflict and find common ground.
- People Crave to Be Seen: The deepest human need is to be seen, heard, and valued. When you approach someone with genuine curiosity, you give them that gift. In return, they lower their walls, and a real connection becomes possible.
- Stop Seeing a Past Version of People: "Familiarity breeds contempt." Are you still seeing your partner, your child, or your old friend as the person they were five years ago? Be curious about who they are becoming. This is where new layers of your most important relationships are waiting to be discovered.
The Takeaway