Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet
I had heard about this book tangentially, but I was really introduced to this book after listening to two Rich Roll podcasts (one featuring SEAL and one featuring Jesse Itzler). In fact, I wasn’t aware that the podcast featuring SEAL was about the same guy – I was just immensely inspired by their conversation (the podcast is fantastic and I encourage you to listen to it!!).
Once I put two and two together at the end of their discussion, I immediately requested the book from the library. You can also purchase it from Amazon.
If you are looking for a quick inspirational read that will encourage you to get your life – habits, goals, etc. – on track (or back on track) this is the book for you. It is a raw, diary-like depiction of a month when the SEAL moves in with Jesse Itzler to transform his life through mind and body training of an extremely intense caliber. The book is sprinkled with little bits of inspiration, nuggets of wisdom, and stories that will keep you laughing or force you to pick your jaw up from the ground.
They run, at all hours, in all conditions. In fact, the colder/darker/snowier, the better. They do push-ups. Hundreds of them, again at all times, including in the middle of work, in-between meetings. On one occasion, they are vacationing near a frozen lake. To round out their workout, SEAL grabs a boulder, smashes a hole in the lake, and they get in for their ‘ice bath’. Sounds pretty ingenious. On another occasion they crank the heat in the sauna to 125 and stay in as long as possible to “test their will”.
The book is a good reminder of how comfortable our lives are, how we could all benefit from shaking things up a bit. It also encouraged me to do something each day to be better than the day before. “The only easy day was yesterday,” SEAL says. Here are a few of my other favorites:
“train for the unexpected”
“you can always keep going”
“it doesn’t have to be fun, it has to be effective”
“I like to sit back and enjoy the pain. I earned it”
What are some good inspirational books you’ve read recently?
– Kathlyn Ehl
Kathlyn Ehl 