John Ballen

Whether they're at rock bottom or just starting out like they're young people or whatever age you're at. If you feel like you need to make a change, like you said, the pain of staying the same is greater than making a change. If you're at that point, you kind of know it. Think about what matters to you, whatever it is.

Whether they're at rock bottom or just starting out like they're young people or whatever age you're at. If you feel like you need to make a change, like you said, the pain of staying the same is greater than making a change. If you're at that point, you kind of know it. Think about what matters to you, whatever it is.

I like to equate it to when you're in the shower by yourself and you're just having unfiltered true thoughts. Ask yourself, what do you really care about? Honest to God. Forget what society says you should care about. Let's say you really just wanna be famous. And that's the actual core. And you don't even know why, but that's what you want. Well, guess what? Listen to that part of you.

I like to equate it to when you're in the shower by yourself and you're just having unfiltered true thoughts. Ask yourself, what do you really care about? Honest to God. Forget what society says you should care about. Let's say you really just wanna be famous. And that's the actual core. And you don't even know why, but that's what you want. Well, guess what? Listen to that part of you.

It's not vain. It's a thing that matters to you. Similarly, if you're like, I wanna be just rich. Great. If that's a real motivation for you, like at your core, in the shower, it's just you. If that's really what drives you, great. Those are boxes that must be checked for something to be worth doing. So it's like have your shower thoughts and be real with yourself.

It's not vain. It's a thing that matters to you. Similarly, if you're like, I wanna be just rich. Great. If that's a real motivation for you, like at your core, in the shower, it's just you. If that's really what drives you, great. Those are boxes that must be checked for something to be worth doing. So it's like have your shower thoughts and be real with yourself.

Like what do you really actually care about? Not what society says, not what you want your family, none of that stuff. For me, honestly, the reason the SEAL thing really paid, I wanted to do it ultimately, is I wanted people to say, that's John Allen, the Navy SEAL. Because to me, it was like I had been the black sheep in my family because of me. I had discovered this.

Like what do you really actually care about? Not what society says, not what you want your family, none of that stuff. For me, honestly, the reason the SEAL thing really paid, I wanted to do it ultimately, is I wanted people to say, that's John Allen, the Navy SEAL. Because to me, it was like I had been the black sheep in my family because of me. I had discovered this.

But it's like, oh, his sisters have done this. Oh, his dad's done this. His mom's done this. And then there's John. I wanted something that sort of overrode the mediocrity and failure. And I felt like, what better thing? What more honorable thing? And also, I wanted to serve. That's another check. It's a big goal. That's difficult. That's a check.

But it's like, oh, his sisters have done this. Oh, his dad's done this. His mom's done this. And then there's John. I wanted something that sort of overrode the mediocrity and failure. And I felt like, what better thing? What more honorable thing? And also, I wanted to serve. That's another check. It's a big goal. That's difficult. That's a check.

But ultimately, it was like, I want people to know that I became a Navy SEAL. That mattered to me. And you know what? It flies in the face of what Navy SEAL instructors tell you, which is you shouldn't do this because you want to be a Navy SEAL. You should do it because you want to serve the country. And, like, that's true. And what else are you going to tell your students?

But ultimately, it was like, I want people to know that I became a Navy SEAL. That mattered to me. And you know what? It flies in the face of what Navy SEAL instructors tell you, which is you shouldn't do this because you want to be a Navy SEAL. You should do it because you want to serve the country. And, like, that's true. And what else are you going to tell your students?

But if you really want to be real about it, you've got to find your real motivation, and that box must be checked.

But if you really want to be real about it, you've got to find your real motivation, and that box must be checked.

Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.

Ultimately, exactly what you said. If that box goes unchecked, you might in your life eventually convince yourself that you never needed to check that box. But at some point, at some point in your life, when it becomes too late or you're about to die or you're on your deathbed, you will have regret.

Ultimately, exactly what you said. If that box goes unchecked, you might in your life eventually convince yourself that you never needed to check that box. But at some point, at some point in your life, when it becomes too late or you're about to die or you're on your deathbed, you will have regret.

And I can actually speak to a specific instance in my life, which I had checked a box by this point, but I had one that I hadn't checked. I was in Afghanistan in 2014. And we were in this alleyway and a grenade came over the wall and it detonated next to a whole bunch of us. And I nearly bled to death.

And I can actually speak to a specific instance in my life, which I had checked a box by this point, but I had one that I hadn't checked. I was in Afghanistan in 2014. And we were in this alleyway and a grenade came over the wall and it detonated next to a whole bunch of us. And I nearly bled to death.