Mark Divine

And I had kind of wandered off over the berm and just sat and looked at the ocean and just began my breathing and kind of meditation practice, what I now call winning in my mind before the battle. And as I was sitting there, one of the instructors came up to me and he kind of smiled.

He looked at me and I don't know what was going through his head, but he must've been thinking, okay, this guy is a little bit different And he's doing something different and I get it. And he came to me and he goes, Mark, you got nothing to worry about because you're capable 20 times more than you think you are. Have fun.

He looked at me and I don't know what was going through his head, but he must've been thinking, okay, this guy is a little bit different And he's doing something different and I get it. And he came to me and he goes, Mark, you got nothing to worry about because you're capable 20 times more than you think you are. Have fun.

You know, basically have fun with this one because he knew for some reason that I was going to make it through. And when the training started, you know, again, the first like five, 50 some odd hours are the hardest. Cause that's the, like the new reality of this, your life circumstances setting in your body is all of a sudden saying, I am exhausted. I haven't slept. I'm freezing cold. I'm chafed.

You know, basically have fun with this one because he knew for some reason that I was going to make it through. And when the training started, you know, again, the first like five, 50 some odd hours are the hardest. Cause that's the, like the new reality of this, your life circumstances setting in your body is all of a sudden saying, I am exhausted. I haven't slept. I'm freezing cold. I'm chafed.

I'm bleeding. You know, I'm just ache all over the place, but your mind says, okay, that's all fine and good, but you're not quitting. you got three and a half more days. And so, that was what was going through my mind. In the meantime, my teammates were quitting left and right. You know, we started my class with 185 students, all, you know, highly qualified super studs.

I'm bleeding. You know, I'm just ache all over the place, but your mind says, okay, that's all fine and good, but you're not quitting. you got three and a half more days. And so, that was what was going through my mind. In the meantime, my teammates were quitting left and right. You know, we started my class with 185 students, all, you know, highly qualified super studs.

By the time we got to hell week, we were probably down to like 120 or something like that. And then, By the end of 50 hours a hella week, we're down to like 60. They're just dropping like flies. And I was just telling myself, can't quit. Just keep going one front in front of the other, you know, words to that effect. My body started to get stronger.

By the time we got to hell week, we were probably down to like 120 or something like that. And then, By the end of 50 hours a hella week, we're down to like 60. They're just dropping like flies. And I was just telling myself, can't quit. Just keep going one front in front of the other, you know, words to that effect. My body started to get stronger.

So, you know, after days without sleep, you know, around the clock physical training, most people conventional wisdom would be that you'd be breaking down and, you know, you'd be almost catatonic. And my body started to build muscle mass. And it started to get stronger and I started to get more alert.

So, you know, after days without sleep, you know, around the clock physical training, most people conventional wisdom would be that you'd be breaking down and, you know, you'd be almost catatonic. And my body started to build muscle mass. And it started to get stronger and I started to get more alert.

And I was still probably, you know, if you were to give me some sort of test, I would probably have, you know, failed any higher cognitive functions or skills, you know. But I was able to stay focused on the tasks that they were giving to me and to stay focused on my team and to, you know, to drive through. And I was getting stronger and feeling stronger.

And I was still probably, you know, if you were to give me some sort of test, I would probably have, you know, failed any higher cognitive functions or skills, you know. But I was able to stay focused on the tasks that they were giving to me and to stay focused on my team and to, you know, to drive through. And I was getting stronger and feeling stronger.

And so, that was really profound to me because I realized, you know, afterwards that that instructor was right. Like I truly was... capable 20 times more than I thought and how we proved it to me.

And so, that was really profound to me because I realized, you know, afterwards that that instructor was right. Like I truly was... capable 20 times more than I thought and how we proved it to me.

And so that's become kind of a central tenet of my teaching today is that, you know, you are capable 20 times more and then 20 times again, but you got to prove it to yourself in order to believe it at a really gut heart level. You know, I mean, it's not a cognitive thing. You can't just think yourself that you're capable that much more because that's not enough.

And so that's become kind of a central tenet of my teaching today is that, you know, you are capable 20 times more and then 20 times again, but you got to prove it to yourself in order to believe it at a really gut heart level. You know, I mean, it's not a cognitive thing. You can't just think yourself that you're capable that much more because that's not enough.

You know, you've got to know it deeply. Yeah.

You know, you've got to know it deeply. Yeah.

You know, the evolutions, they call every event an evolution. The evolutions range from anywhere from, you know, a couple hours to like six or eight hours long. And they had us doing, you know, seal-like stuff, but not super complicated. Like we weren't... Jumping out of helicopters with, you know, live ammunition and bursting down doors because this, you know, wasn't the purpose of the training.