158: Vulnerable Strength, Blue Blockers, and the No Alcohol Challenge

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Vulnerable Strength Blue Blockers and the No Alcohol Challenge

Swanwick Sleep and Swannies Blue Blockers Founder:

James Swanwick is an Australian-American investor, entrepreneur, speaker, former SportsCenter anchor on ESPN and host of The James Swanwick Show podcast. He is the CEO of Swanwick Sleep and creator of blue-light blocking glasses (blue blockers) Swannies, which helps people sleep better; and the author of The 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge, which helps people reduce or quit alcohol. Forbes listed James as one of 25 Professional Networking Experts to Watch in 2015. Swanwick has interviewed celebrities including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On This Episode You Will Hear:

  • [spp-timestamp time=”00:30″] Introduction
  • [spp-timestamp time=”02:33″] Celebrate competitors and the competition that breeds better entrepreneurial success.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”04:01″] Dave Asprey, his own blue blocking glasses, his instrumental movement three to four years ago to put butter in your coffee.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”06:38″] Let me tell you, kids are actually the most susceptible to the dangers of blue light. As we age, our eyes actually develop more of a barrier to blue light. When we’re very young, our eyes haven’t developed as much. That blue light that has been emitted from an iPad or TV screen or cell phone is literally hitting their eyes. We don’t know exactly what damage it’s doing.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”10:17″] Even if you got seven or eight hours of sleep, your sleep quality was compromised from blue light. I have not actually limited my screen time, my screen use if anything has increased. However, I protect my eyes with these glasses while I’m using it. I got to tell you, Scott, I sleep flawlessly. I mean for a 42-year-old man, I’m sleeping as good as I’m sure 40 something man can sleep.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”11:45″] Geeking out on Dr. Jack Kruse.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”14:30″] Ten, twenty, or thirty years from now, we are going to look back to this time and realize that putting a phone to our ear and using WiFi was actually just disintegrating our brain and messing with our neurology. All of this causing irreparable damage, just like when people first smoked cigarettes, they didn’t really realize it was it was bad for your health.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”17:00″] I’ve had people challenge me a lot. In fact, my voice is busted at the moment, you can probably hear it’s a little bit creaky. I’ve been at a self-development seminar for five days, where they broke me down and made me cry in front of 50 people.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”21:28″] One thing that I’ve been able to grow with, this is not self-promotion, is this level of vulnerability that we reach as a man. This is not to take anything away from the ladies. We as men are afraid to show that softer side or that vulnerable side.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”25:45″] I would imagine them saying just stop being a pussy, dude. I gotta say, I don’t want to say I’m drinking the Kool-Aid, but I will say that I am certainly embracing going deep, getting triggered, and bringing up some nasty, awkward stuff for the sole purpose of growth. So far, it’s working. It’s not pretty. It’s messy. But I have to say that it’s working.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”30:27″] Our job description in relationships has changed. It used to be, go out, hunt, kill, and provide, Be tough, deal with the stuff and take care of business. They’re demanding more of us and that more is vulnerability and emotions. It’s challenging and it’s messy sometimes.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”36:06″] If we’re not getting out of our comfort zones, if we’re not challenging ourselves, if we’re not taking risks and risking failure, we’re not learning. We’re not gaining either, you’re just paused.

[spp-tweet tweet=”Just Do It and Do It Now! @JamesSwanwick “]

  • [spp-timestamp time=”42:30″] I think we’re reaching new levels of growth and that’s actually more exciting. Be a little selfish about that. What if you grow and you attract even more success because you stop being a douche bag and you treat people like you want to be treated?
  • [spp-timestamp time=”52:40″] No alcohol challenge. I looked in the mirror and I was a weathered man, I had wrinkles. I’d put on about 25 pounds in the course of a year, which isn’t a huge amount, but it’s, it’s noticeable. I had little fat rolls, kind of like hanging over my little inflammatory storage.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”54:45″] I don’t think you can necessarily get better looking. It’s just that your body can finally unleash your true self. You look the way nature intended you to look.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”57:14″] I have this program called 30 days, no alcohol challenge. I don’t tell people to quit drinking. I just encourage people to quit drinking for 30 days. I put about almost 10,000 people through this. Now, in three years, since I’ve had this program, most people at the end of 30 days do go back to drinking. However, they go back at a far reduced rate than before. So they’re now no longer relying on alcohol to relieve stress. They no longer are relying on alcohol to social and realize they now have a better relationship with alcohol.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”01:02:08″] Alcohol affects you all over and shows up in your skin, it dehydrates your body’s biggest organ, which is your skin. All of these women and men around the world are spending all of this money on moisturizers, face anti-aging, all that stuff. If you want to reduce wrinkles and reduce the site visible signs of aging, quit drinking. It’s so simple, just drink a bunch of water.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”01:10:47″] Are you getting into fights or not saving money to invest. There are all of these little things, incremental things. It’s not that alcohol is the devil but if it’s slowing you down just a little bit, explore that.
  • [spp-timestamp time=”01:19:20″] Final Words

 

Links and Resources:

 

People Mentioned:

 

Final Words:

Just Do It… and… Do It Now!

Just do it: despite fear and despite challenges.

Do it now: not tomorrow, or the next day, do it now.

 

Action Steps:

About the author, Scott

Host of the LIVETHEFUEL Podcast | Public Speaker | Sales & Marketing Professional | Coach | Traveler | Consultant | Health Educator | Former Firefighter

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