Physical Defense | Your Right, Your Responsibility

Of all that transpired to save my life during and after that enemy ambush in 2007, only two had been within my control. One of them, according to the medical teams who put me back together, was my rock-solid physical fitness, which had prepared my body for its best chance at survival and healing through the extreme compound trauma. If Physical Leadership hasn’t already been a consistent focus for you, I recommend you make it your primary goal starting today. Start here …

When I talk about balance in life, I’m referring to an ongoing investment in strength and readiness across a broad enough base to keep me stable, grounded and positive through all the ups and downs of life. I build this stability by a reasonably equal distribution of focus and attention within all areas of what I refer to as the Pentagon of Peak Performance, one of which is Mental Leadership. The demands of leadership can be relentless. Great leaders are highly effective in part because they constantly flex their mental muscles in pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and intellectual growth.

The sooner we each face it, the better: Much of life on Earth is beyond your control or mine. Only by embracing that fact can we fully realize the value in developing one of our greatest individual super-powers: self-control. Self-control is the key to effective self-leadership, and excellence in self-leadership is the key to overcoming the adversity, savoring the fruits, and even leading others in life. And it requires strength, balance and discipline …

People are increasingly striving to cultivate resilience, balance and leadership in their personal and professional lives. They need to adapt quickly as leaders — especially through change and adversity. How do we best prepare ourselves to recognize and avoid what pitfalls we can and quickly and properly manage those we can’t?

If you feel overwhelmed, paralyzed or crushed by adversity, and you believe that you are trapped by your circumstances, you’re in what I call a life ambush. In any crisis, being well prepared to handle adversity will be the key to overcoming it.