John Ballen

If you're scared to go down in the basement because you hear an intruder breaking in, listen to yourself, don't go down in the basement. When it comes to like goal setting, kind of going back to that idea of shower thoughts, right? Everybody has something that they just really want to do. And it's not even necessarily motivated by one particular thing. Maybe it's some action they want to take.

If you're scared to go down in the basement because you hear an intruder breaking in, listen to yourself, don't go down in the basement. When it comes to like goal setting, kind of going back to that idea of shower thoughts, right? Everybody has something that they just really want to do. And it's not even necessarily motivated by one particular thing. Maybe it's some action they want to take.

Maybe it's talking to a friend that they've blown off for 10 years or it's public speaking or whatever it is. But they know, even if they don't admit to it, deep down they know fear is the thing keeping them from doing it. It's fear of embarrassment. It's fear of failure. It's a fear of all the things that make us human.

Maybe it's talking to a friend that they've blown off for 10 years or it's public speaking or whatever it is. But they know, even if they don't admit to it, deep down they know fear is the thing keeping them from doing it. It's fear of embarrassment. It's fear of failure. It's a fear of all the things that make us human.

It's the very select number of people in this life that are still able to say, I'm going to still do that thing that scares the fuck out of me, that have the best and most fulfilling lives. Not always, but they often do. And that's why we look at Will Smith, for example. That dude, very likely, just because I'm referencing him, he's probably had to do things that were so uncomfortable in his life.

It's the very select number of people in this life that are still able to say, I'm going to still do that thing that scares the fuck out of me, that have the best and most fulfilling lives. Not always, but they often do. And that's why we look at Will Smith, for example. That dude, very likely, just because I'm referencing him, he's probably had to do things that were so uncomfortable in his life.

To be an actor at his level is like, hey, perform in front of everybody right now. And don't screw it up. You know, it's like pressure and performance. It's like that dude has faced fears his whole life. Yeah, he's using skydiving as an example, but his life is very likely a product of a guy who faces fears. But it's the fear knowing that if I do this, there's something big on the other side.

To be an actor at his level is like, hey, perform in front of everybody right now. And don't screw it up. You know, it's like pressure and performance. It's like that dude has faced fears his whole life. Yeah, he's using skydiving as an example, but his life is very likely a product of a guy who faces fears. But it's the fear knowing that if I do this, there's something big on the other side.

And so I preach to my children and I try to live this idea of do things that scare you. And literally the live tour that we just did was it. I was having like an existential crisis before we began. But the second I took the stage, it was like, oh, this is great.

And so I preach to my children and I try to live this idea of do things that scare you. And literally the live tour that we just did was it. I was having like an existential crisis before we began. But the second I took the stage, it was like, oh, this is great.

Yeah. I look back at the fact that I was in San Francisco at a dinner where I literally froze and put the mic down and walked off. I looked at that as a catalyst for why I was so scared to do public speaking this time. And it ultimately pushed me to do it. I don't regret San Francisco. I'm glad it happened. but only because I faced it later on. I would be so embarrassed.

Yeah. I look back at the fact that I was in San Francisco at a dinner where I literally froze and put the mic down and walked off. I looked at that as a catalyst for why I was so scared to do public speaking this time. And it ultimately pushed me to do it. I don't regret San Francisco. I'm glad it happened. but only because I faced it later on. I would be so embarrassed.

I would harbor like my pain forever if I never tried again. But yeah, it's like you don't regret the failure. You regret not trying.

I would harbor like my pain forever if I never tried again. But yeah, it's like you don't regret the failure. You regret not trying.

Oh, good question. I would say, and this is not even to try to curry, you know, favor with my, you know, former SEAL brethren. But I think that even when I was posting, and this is really just specifically to the people that really disowned me, who still very likely do. You know, my intention when I was posting the SEAL stuff before Mr. Ball and thing happened, it was never like, I'm so great.

Oh, good question. I would say, and this is not even to try to curry, you know, favor with my, you know, former SEAL brethren. But I think that even when I was posting, and this is really just specifically to the people that really disowned me, who still very likely do. You know, my intention when I was posting the SEAL stuff before Mr. Ball and thing happened, it was never like, I'm so great.

It was more like, I want to do something with my life. And this feels like an opportunity. And I know it's sort of like questionable. But when you're no longer in that insulated space, team room, when you're in the wolf pack, so to speak, it's easy to view the rest of your life as being, oh, I've become a SEAL. I can do anything I want.

It was more like, I want to do something with my life. And this feels like an opportunity. And I know it's sort of like questionable. But when you're no longer in that insulated space, team room, when you're in the wolf pack, so to speak, it's easy to view the rest of your life as being, oh, I've become a SEAL. I can do anything I want.

But when you're cast out or when you leave and you're by yourself and you've got to figure out your new life, it's really difficult to imagine how you're going to do that without leveraging the biggest thing you've ever done and

But when you're cast out or when you leave and you're by yourself and you've got to figure out your new life, it's really difficult to imagine how you're going to do that without leveraging the biggest thing you've ever done and