Stoic Fridays - Remove External Distractions (#253, 6 Mar. 2026)

This is the first Stoic Friday, an ongoing series on the featuring the Stoic philosophy. In this episode, we focus on a key passage from Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. Aurelius reminds us to remove external distractions. In this episode, I explore why this simple concept is so essential to well being and to being the best version of you.

In this episode of The Rockne Cast, host Rockne Cole delves into the health perks of daily pomegranate juice consumption, sparked by Ben Greenfield's Boundless Life podcast. Greenfield, a University of Idaho exercise physiology alum and northern Idaho influencer, merges ancestral practices with science for mind-body-spirit gains.In Solosode 497, Greenfield spotlights a 2003 Israeli study on 19 carotid artery stenosis patients (70-90% narrowing): one group drank a diluted ounce of pomegranate juice daily in an 8-ounce glass, versus placebo. Cole discusses the results of that study and its limitations. This affordable, low-risk Walmart buy (Pom recommended) inspires Cole's thoughts on similar low cost or free interventions like sugar reduction and fasting.

SummaryThis episode explores the transformative power of stress and pressure, emphasizing how embracing challenges can lead to resilience, strength, and personal growth. Drawing on insights from books like 'The Obstacle is the Way' and 'Think Like a Monk,' it highlights the importance of stress as a catalyst for development.Keywordsstress, pressure, resilience, personal growth, stoicism, obstacle, transformation, mental toughnessKeyThe role of stress and pressure in personal developmentLessons from 'The Obstacle is the Way' by Ryan HolidayThe importance of stress in building resilience and strengthThe biological and philosophical basis for embracing challenges

Just finished up a 36 hour monk fast, going 36 hours without food. It is fricking awesome. I feel great!!In this episode, prepared on the 36th hour, I outline my own experience and results relating to the power of fasting to enhance the mind, the body, and the spirt.In this episode, you'll learn about the monk fast, its benefits, and how to integrate it into your life. Perfect for anyone looking to improve health and well-being through fasting.Intermittent fasting has gained popularity in recent years, but what if there's a way to elevate its benefits even further? Enter the monk fast—a powerful wellness tool that can enhance your health, boost brain function, and promote spiritual clarity. In this blog post, we'll delve into the monk fast, what it entails, its benefits, and tips for success. What is the Monk Fast?The monk fast is a form of intermittent fasting that involves abstaining from food for 36 hours. This practice is rooted in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, where fasting is seen as a means to achieve spiritual clarity and enlightenment. But beyond its spiritual significance, the monk fast offers numerous health benefits that have been validated by science.The Benefits of FastingFasting, especially the monk fast, can lead to several remarkable health benefits:Metabolic Switch: After 12 to 16 hours without food, your body begins to switch from burning glycogen (stored carbohydrates) to burning fat. This metabolic shift can help reduce body fat and promote weight loss.Increased Clarity and Focus: Many practitioners report heightened mental clarity and energy during fasting. This is attributed to the production of ketones, which serve as an alternative energy source for the brain.Cellular Repair: Fasting triggers autophagy, a process where the body cleans out damaged cells and regenerates new ones. This cellular cleanup can have protective effects against diseases, including cancer.Like any health practice, do your own research before doing any kind of fasting and of course, consult your own medical professional before changing how you eat.

For 2026, I am launching Rock for Norge - A Viking's Return Home, a project focusing on my sojourn to Iceland this summer. Together, we will be exploring the places, peoples, and myths of Iceland, the land of the Vikings and home of the Gods. I will be doing podcasts from Iceland and taking video during my journey there. I am also inviting RockneCast listeners to co-create with me on Rock for Norge. If you have been to Iceland, know the sagas, or just share a common love of Nordic Culture, reach out to me and share what you know. If you don't suck, you may even be picked to be on a RockneCast episode.

First episode of 2026. I outline what's in store for 2026!

Last year, after she asked me to do a lawyer wellness presentation, a friend recommended a book The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. It sat on my bookshelf for about a year. I finally decided to tackle it. And I am glad that I did.Kishimi and Koga are students of Arthur Adler, an early 20th century psychiatrist and contemporary of Sigmund Freud. Adler differed from Freud in significant respects about how to cure malaise or psychological trauma, especially childhood related trauma upon which Freud focused so heavilyIn a format of a Socratic dialogue, Courage outlines how Aldler's theories differed from Freud and more importantly, how you can utilize Adler's philosophy to live a more purpose driven and happier life.In this episode, we'll focus on central themes of the book:1. Adler's insight that all problems arise from social relations;2. His definition of happiness - contributing to others.3. His three concepts of happiness: a. Self acceptance of limitations and embracing strengths; b. Cultivating strong "horizontal relationships" with friends based upon unconditional confidence; and c. Soaking up the process in the here and now rather than only the end result. I cover these concepts in some detail, but if you really want to soak up the book's wisdom, you need to buy the book!This was a great book!

In this episode, I review the book Masters of Uncertainty - The Navy Seal Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team by Rich Diviney.If you think about it, stress is one of the most powerful assets and liabilities in each one of our lives. It can cause us to focus and be the best version of ourselves. Left unfocused or uncontrolled, it can devastate us or even lead to premature death. In the military, panic is not an option. Panic rarely serves us well, but that is precisely what happens if we cannot control our stress. Acute stress leads to panic. By definition, the military knows that they are putting their men and women in acutely stressful situations. So they have developed a series of techniques to allow there troops to be as calm and as possible to achieve the mission.Diviney shares what he learned in his SEAL training, outlining a series of concrete steps to turn negative stress into an asset to achieve your mission.In this episode, we focus on one part of the book relating to controlling your response in the midst of uncertain and unexpected events.We cover: duration, pathway, and outcome DPO); what is known and controllable in unexpected events; and breathwork to immediately calm the mind when an unexpected event occurs.This is book short; however, its impact is powerful. It has the potential to change your life.Control your stress. Turn it an asset. Optimize the result. Just like the Navy SEALS do. This was a good book!!

In this episode, I outline the joys of intentional ideation, i.e. intentionally setting aside quiet time to sit and just think. It's not rumination though. The goal is to intentionally set aisde quiet time so that you can think, your mind wander to tap the power of the subconscious. The pen makes all of the difference. This will allow you to capture those ideas as they pop up.That's what life is all about... making the abstract concrete, manifesting and bringing into form all of the powerful ideas resting within the subconscious. We all have these amazing ideas down there. The purpose of the intentional ideation is to make those ideas come to life.We'll also formally define ideation, the concept of an "idea", and how the Taoist philosophy book of wisdom, The I-Ching, describes the creative.This was a fun one to do.The audio quality on this episode kind of sucks, but I wanted to get this one out!!

Shalom, that beautiful Hebrew word meaning peace. But its meaning is much deeper than simple absence of conflict. It's more active and intentional than that.As I learned from a sermon last year, Shalom is a earned harmony, resulting from the intentional resolution of difficult conflicts in our personal, professional and spiritual lives.One thing is certain: you will not gain shalom by avoiding conflict.This has taken a lifetime for me to figure out with significant consequences flowing from that avoidance.Here's the thing about conflict. We don't do it because its uncomfortable and we fear the consequences of daylighting the conflict? What will happen if we raise this as an issue?Here's what I've learned. Whether you address it or not, the thing you fear will happen, whether you raise the conflict or not, but if you don't do it earlier, the thing you fear will be 10 times worse. Being proactive early means you have a chance to solve it while the conflict is manageable. So just do it. Address it now or face the consequences later. In the early stages, you at least have a chance to heal it rather facing a much worse problem later on. If you are a conflict avoider like I am, I offer some suggestions based upon the Biblical story of Jacob and Esau. This episode is important. These are all critical skills that we must learn to develop!!