A New Way of Being

The power of embracing a cause bigger than yourself. The qualities associated with being selfless include generosity, kindness, thoughtfulness and a sense of humility. Former England captain Lewis "Mad Dog" Moody is someone who has embodied selflessness throughout his life, on the pitch and off it. Connection is one of his top values, which has allowed him to thrive, inspire and lead. This episode...

Why resisting and battling uncomfortable thoughts and feelings doesn't work, but acceptance and self-compassion does. Dr. Russ Harris is the world's best-know teacher of Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) Experiencing emotions like anxiety is entirely normal. It is part of the human experience. If you DIDN'T experience them, then there may be a problem. However, it is not unusual to believe w...

Why learning to face uncomfortable feelings is vital for our wellbeing. Clarke Carlisle, once crowned "Britain's brainiest footballer", has had well publicised mental health difficulties and issues with drink and gambling. He believes his issues with drink, gambling and other activities stemmed from an inability to sit with painful emotions. In this episode, we discuss patterns passed down through...

Everyone has had the experience of being 'in flow' - but what about being able to create it during the exact moment you've trained your life for? Goldie is an Olympic medalist in the javelin and was Britain's top thrower for a decade. In this episode we reflect on some of the implications and possible lessons that came up during the 'philosophy of sport' conversation with Rupert Spira. Goldie reso...

The main battle we all face is with our self - even when you've been a World Champion boxer. Tony Bellew was the WBC Cruiserweight Champion, but he's also been a Hollywood star and is now an author too. One thing Tony isn't - is full of himself. He understands we are all the same, irrespective of what we achieve in life. We all have good days and bad days, and that's ok. It's only when we believe...

The power of creating and living a compelling vision of how you want to be in the world. Helen Richardson Walsh scored one of the crucial penalty shootout goals as Team GB won a historic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The team's journey to the top of their sport was a bumpy one; after winning bronze at London 2012 they finished 11th at the 2014 World Cup prompting a radical rethink. They hel...

What the experience of flow in sport may reveal about the nature of reality One theme that has arisen time and again on this podcast is the experience of flow: when we lose ourselves in whatever it is that we are doing. Several sportspeople have spoken about the experience of "me" not being there in such moments. But what is that "me" that seems to disappear? That’s a big question and here to help...

Reflecting on your strengths and weaknesses to grow as a person in sport, business and life. Kerry is one of Britain's best coaches, leading Team GB's women's hockey team to gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016. He's now leading GB's men to Tokyo 2021. Rio was Kerry's third Games as GB hockey coach. His first was at Beijing 2008, after which he endured a chastening post-Games debrief in which his meth...

Letting go of control and self-importance to find peace of mind with Jonny Wilkinson. While we explore the art of letting go of control in order to find peace of mind, we talk about the concept of pressure and how it is created by thought, not by external factors. Wilkinson opens up about the emptiness he felt after winning the Rugby World Cup, and what that reveals about our false belief that hap...

How to go from surviving to thriving with All Black legend and mental health advocate Sir John Kirwan. Back when All Blacks legend Kirwan was one of the best rugby union players in the world, he had a serious mental health crisis which sent him on a wellness journey that eventually led to him being knighted for services to mental health. Here he shares his 'daily mental health plan', which include...

What causes addiction and how to face it, with the Arsenal and England legend Tony Adams captained a title-winning team in three different decades - the 80s, 90s and 00s – but describes founding the Sporting Chance Clinic, that provides treatment for sports men and women suffering from drink, drug or gambling addictions, as his greatest legacy. A recovering alcoholic, Adams explains the key factor...

Kindness can make us happier, deepen our relationships and even improve our heart health and immunity. Fascinatingly, with an R number of five, kindness has the power to ripple out and make a big impact on the world around us. David Hamilton PHD explains how ** For the newsletter - head to simonmundie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Learning to manage your mind is crucial to happiness and success - in sport and in life. Professor Steve Peters famously created a model of the mind that was the subject of his first book The Chimp Paradox – to help us develop techniques to do so.  He argues that learning how to manage your inner chimp is the key to peace of mind, as well as getting ahead in sport and in life.  ** For the newslet...

How our beliefs and perceptions shape how we experience ourselves and the world. A sports psychologist who has worked with a number of top athletes, including previous DTMTS guest Lucy Gossage, Davis explains the key understanding that it is not people or events that make us feel or behave in a certain way, but rather our perceptions and beliefs that are crucial. Davis shares tips on how to uncove...

The art of embracing moderation to be happier and healthier with snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan. Having struggled with various addictions throughout his life, including food, drink, and even running, snooker legend O’Sullivan tells how learning to exercise restraint in all areas of life, including in planning his playing schedule, has extended his career and left him feeling healthier and happie...

How to create a winning culture with in sport, business and life with Sir Clive Woodward. After Woodward was appointed England coach in 1997, he went about transforming the culture of the team using many of the lessons he had learnt running a small business - taking England to the Rugby World Cup in 2003. Here he shares his thoughts on how to create a winning culture within sport, business and lif...

How to deal with pressure and thrive when the stakes are high with elite performance coach Dave Alred. Alred is the go-to elite performance coach of many of the world's best athletes, including golf major champions and World Cup winners including, most famously, Jonny Wilkinson. He started his career as a teacher, though, and it was during that period that he developed many of his guiding principl...

How to use the ancient Greek philosophy of stoicism to cope with the ups and downs of life. See clearly, act correctly and endure and accept the world as it is; these are the three key pillars of stoicism. Best-selling author Holiday teaches us how to use this ancient Greek philosophy to cope with the ups and downs of life, and explains why we should focus on objective judgement, unselfish action...

Taking full responsibility for your life and facing challenges head on with the former Manchester United psychologist Beswick is one of the world's best-respected sports psychologists, having worked at United under Sir Alex Ferguson during the club's dominant reign.  In this episode he talks about developing a ‘fighter mindset’; ie taking full responsibility for your life and facing the inevitable...

Judging behaviour but not the person with the ex-armed robber reformed through sport in high-security prison. Having grown up around some of the most notorious criminals in the country, McAvoy spent ten years in the UK's highest security prisons – where he had an epiphany that transformed his outlook and identity.  McAvoy – now a Nike-sponsored Iron Man athlete – proves that a leopard can change i...

Giving your everything and having no regrets with Olympic gold medal winning hockey player Alex Danson After suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2018, Danson – one of Britain’s greatest ever hockey players – shares why the most difficult aspect of her accident was the loss of identity, connection and purpose. She has now come to see what happened as a gift that has enabled her to have more balan...

Why emotional intelligence can be more important than IQ. An internationally known psychologist and author of the best-selling book Emotional Intelligence , Goleman explains how EQ is about understanding ourselves better, managing our own emotions, and using empathy to better understand the feelings and emotions of the people around us.  In this episode, he explains how we can develop it – as well...

Resolving complicated feelings, recognising patterns and understanding yourself better – with the 1996 Formula One World Champion. When Hill secured the Formula1 Championship in 1996, he ensured that he and his father Graham Hill entered the record books as the first father-and-son pair to win the sport’s biggest prize. But sadly, his dad was not there to celebrate the achievement; he tragically d...

How to use mindfulness to thrive with Headspace co-founder and former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe Mindfulness is about focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Puddicombe, former Buddhist monk and founder of Headspace, has arguably done more than anyone to popularise mindfulness.  He speaks about how...

Why having self-doubt is normal and how preparation and perspective are key, with the six-time Olympic gold medalist. Having won six Olympic gold medals during a dazzling cycling career, becoming World Champion 11 times, Hoy is perfectly placed to explain how to develop the right attitude. He explains why looking a fear of failure in the face can be utterly transformative, and how thoughts of winn...