Despite the Limits

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I review some of the land navigation tips I gave to my Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets and talk about how they can be helpful in navigating toward our life goals.  Here is a quick breakdown of what they are: •Plot your course on a map and plan any detours. •Check the compass and map at regular intervals. •Locate each bound before proceeding to the next...

Send us Fan Mail Summer is here! I have been spending some time reflecting about last year and things that I will change next year. In this reflection time I began to reminiscence about Ranger school and the mountain phase blueberry pancakes. There was a lesson in those pancakes similar to the idea that we can never go home again. Ultimately, we long for a lost time that we cannot reclaim because...

Send us Fan Mail It's Memorial Day 2026 and I wanted to share a little about the day it became more than a Monday off for me.  I also talk a little about veteran suicide because it's a problem that is not going away anytime soon and we need to change this. Never forget the fallen! Let’s continue the conversation! https://www.linkedin.com/in/scot-storey https://www.facebook.com/Scot. Stor...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I talk about the concept of ‘ikigai”(ee-key-guy) a Japanese concept translating roughly to "a reason for being" or "a reason to wake up in the morning".  It was something I was reintroduced to in a recent Netflix limited series documentary called “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones”. Hosted by Dan Buettner - a 65 year old mountain bike ridin...

Send us Fan Mail Pain is pain and it is unpleasant, but it does not have to become suffering. This is the idea behind Radical Acceptance. The phrase “It is what it is” sums up the idea. In a 2012 blog post on the website Psychology Today, Dr. Karyn Hall wrote “Accepting life on life’s terms and not resisting what you cannot or choose not to change. Radical acceptance is about saying yes to life, j...

Send us Fan Mail We moved into a new house recently and I’ve taken the opportunity to build my home gym. In this episode I talk about five indicators of longevity as listed on the “Barbell Medicine” Podcast episode #386, Longevity Myths.   Here is a link to the show website if you want to listen to their whole episode or just check out their show in general. https://www.barbellmedicine.com/podcast...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome season 3 of Despite the Limits. 2026 is well underway and there is a feeling of uncertainty in our world today. Our economic and political climates are volatile to say the least. One of my coping mechanisms is to look for light news stories that can encourage me and maybe even teach me a little bit along the way. This episode is inspired by one such story. On January 25, 2...

Send us Fan Mail In this last episode of Season 2, I look at “The Six Mistakes of Man”. Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC) was a Roman statesman and scholar whose work was admired by ancient scholars and is also admired by modern scholars today. It appears we have wrestled with these six mistakes for thousands of years. Here they are: 1)The illusion that personal gain is made up of crushing ot...

Send us Fan Mail The holiday season has begun - it’s fast paced, chaotic, overwhelming and sometimes the demands feel oppressive. Whether it is the holiday season or our current political climate being patient seems to be increasingly more difficult. Patience is a skill it can be developed. In this episode I talk about how to develop patience. Here are four reasons why you should develop your pati...

Send us Fan Mail I release the podcast on the last Friday of each month, which means this episode went public on Halloween. Since so much of the season seems to be centered on scary stories and creepy decorations in the neighborhoods it seemed like a good time to talk about fear. Fear seems to be everywhere these days and it is an interesting paradox. Fear often keeps is from trying the very thing...

Send us Fan Mail If you are struggling with some difficult times or a significant challenge then this is the episode for you.  “Embrace the Suck” is my simple grunt way of describing the Stockdale Paradox. In this episode I talk about the Stockdale Paradox and how we can employ it to do more than survive in our difficult times but maybe even thrive. I recommend the book “Good to Great” by Jim Coll...

Send us Fan Mail “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” These penned by Robert Frost were first published in 1915. Today more than a 100 years later I think they still ring true.   In this episode I reflect of a few of the hikes I have taken with my wife Cathy this summer and the life lessons we have taken from them. •Be wil...

Send us Fan Mail “Where you sit, determines where you stand.” This a phrase I did not really understand when I first heard it as a young staff officer. In this episode, I talk about how our backgrounds shape our perspectives.  I also spend some time talking about the importance of seeking the perspective of multiple people, perhaps most importantly the perspectives of people with whom we disagree....

Send us Fan Mail June marks the halfway point in this second season of “Despite the Limits.” The main concept of this episode came to mind while I was serving as the chief of the Land Navigation committee at a JROTC camp. True heroes are really just ordinary people like you and me.  Here are some links to things I mention in this episode. Episode 11 of season 1, “Failure is not your Enemy” is wher...

Send us Fan Mail In this ninth episode of season two, I talk about what makes an expert and what you should look for when listening to the plethora of “experts” in media today. This is the first episode since deciding to shift to a once-a-month production schedule. So now look for the podcast to drop on the last Friday of each month Here are some links to things I mention in this episode. Episode...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I reflect on my father telling me, “Bad news is not like fine wine. It doesn’t improve with age.” Since and did not and do not drink wine, the metaphor is lost on me. Later in life I learned that there really is no such thing as bad news, rather there is only accurate and timely news. I also discuss my decision to reduce the frequency in which I produce and releas...

Send us Fan Mail In preparing for this episode, I was involved in a rear end collision. So, rather than forging ahead with my plan I thought I would share the experience with you. My initial reaction was poor to say the least. I have spent some time evaluating my reaction and a cup of spilled coffee taught me a lot about why I may have reacted so poorly. I mention episode 6 of season 2, “Everybody...

Send us Fan Mail There are three kinds of people you need in your life if you want to grow. Everybody needs a mentor, a peer, and a student if you are to grow to your full potential. This episode was born during my Spring Break travel to the Texas coast to visit my family. The trip gave me time to think about a few of my assignments in the Army. These assignments have stayed in my mind all these y...

Send us Fan Mail The changing of the time and warming weather has my wife and me starting to get our hiking legs under us again.  In this episode, I talk about hiking with my grandsons and how they reminded me about voluntary hardship. I also talk about what voluntary hardship is along with how I apply it to my own life. I describe the three types of fun and talk about how they fit into the concep...

Send us Fan Mail Connection is vital to any effort we make to effectively communicate, especially if we want to collaborate. Have you ever wondered why this is? This is the topic I explore in Season 2 Episode 4.  It is my initial discussion about communication this season. This need to connect is tied to our biology and is the reason we survived when Neanderthal man did not. If you want to explore...

Send us Fan Mail This is episode 3 of season two and I had planned to talk about communication, but the I sensed some uncertainty from the people I have been talking too. So, this episode is focused on leading in these uncertain times. How do we bring order to the chaos? In this episode I share things to do when you are leading you team through uncertain times. There are three: (1) Secure yourself...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 2 of Season 2 is the first time I am bringing different voices onto the podcast. I was able to spend some time the studio of the Tracer Burnout podcast with the hosts Dan Baker and Roger Vogel. Their podcast is dedicated to letting veterans share their stories. I was honored to be their guest and share my story of service which they will air at a later date, but afterwards...

Send us Fan Mail This first episode of season 2 comes from a listener suggestion. Bill Emig reached out to me through Facebook and asked me about discipline. Specifically, he asked me about cultivating a life of discipline.  This episode is about the two key components to cultivating discipline, habit and identity. I talk about why it is so hard to change bad habits and how to use the habit cycle...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 24 is the final episode in this first season of “Despite the Limits”. In it I revisit the reason why I started the podcast in the first place. I discuss some recurring themes through the season. I also talk a little about changes you can expect in Season 2. Despite the Limits is intended to provide short conversations aimed at helping leaders grow professionally and person...

Send us Fan Mail The end of 2024 is just around the corner and I had some thoughts to share so here is a bonus episode. In episode 23 I talked about doing an end of year review. This episode explores the concept of New Year’s resolutions and talks about while they are good things, we probably should not wait for the New Year to start incorporating any changes. Let’s continue the conversation! http...