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Living with a SEAL

“Living with a SEAL” by Jesse Itzler


In the midst of COVID-19 “Spring Break” with my family, I spent my time focusing on three things: 

  1. Creating memories with my family (cooking together, eating with no devices, picnics in the neighborhood or a quick walk with the dog).
  2. Giving myself time to read, workout and reflect on the real meaning in all of this.
  3. Reflecting on how I can continue to grow as a leader.

Number #3 is what lead me to read “Living with a SEAL”. I have been curious about this book after seeing David Goggins on a morning show and reading his book “Can’t Hurt Me.” This book is about Jesse’s time living with a SEAL (David) for 31 days. It takes you through his journey physically and mentally during this time.


I have always been fascinated with the human mind and truly believe that any limits we have are those that we place on ourselves. How else can you explain all of the mental, athletic and spiritual feats that happen throughout the world everyday?


My top three leadership lessons from this book were:

  1. When you feel that you can not go any further, have barriers placed in front of you and want to quit, Don’t! You will never grow as a leader if you are not uncomfortable. Jesse was given many workout challenges that made him uncomfortable, but he never regretted completing them once they were done. 
  2. Relationships can evolve over time. A professional relationship can become personal and vice versa. The best relationships are those with a foundation of mutual trust and respect. Jesse and SEAL demonstrated this as their relationship evolved throughout the book. They started the book as acquaintances and end up as friends. 
  3. The human mind maximizes or minimizes our growth as a leaders. Our thought process is what helps us all achieve greatness!

My biggest takeaway from this book was in the power of the individual to unleash their potential.


Cheers to unleashing your potential and Book #6!

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Digital Minimalism

“Digital Minimalism”: Choosing a focused life in a noisy world by Cal Newport.


I started Book #4 , ”Digital Minimalism” by Cal Newport in  early March before COVID-19 shut down the world. As a Gen X’er, I remember the world without technology at your fingertips. 


I remember what it feels like to use the phone in the kitchen and have to whisper so your parents would not hear what you are saying. I remember seeing my best friend’s dad with a car phone and wondering why he wanted to have a phone in his car. I remember getting excited about call-waiting, call-forwarding and caller-ID. I remember the first time I used an Apple computer in high school to edit my articles for the yearbook. We only used computers to type & edit our papers. I remember my first beeper and the first time I received   “143” or “911” (of course it was never an emergency). And my first phone, don’t even get me started, but you get the picture. Things were different then and things are different now. 


“Digital Minimalism” reminded me of my younger days and how much easier communication & human interaction was. I had several take-aways from this book personally and professionally.

  1. It’s important to reflect on how you use technology and what benefits it gives you. If you feel anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, you probably need to re-evaluate your relationship. It will make you a better _______!
  2. If your stuck on the digital roller-coaster, set boundaries for yourself. This can involve a schedule or setting parameters for when you will use technology.
  3. The benefits of improving yourself through learning a new skill, hobby, language, etc. > the time you spend scrolling, liking, posting.

Stay Safe! Stay Healthy! Love one another and keep on reading!
On to Book #5