Breathe!

Good morning all and happy Monday!  I am sorry to start the morning by cursing at you, but I wanted to go a little out of the box today.  This quote is from Dutch adventurer, scientist, endurance athlete and contrarian Wim Hof.  Wim’s nickname is “the iceman,” because many of his feats revolve around cold exposure.  He is most famous for having climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in nothing but shorts.  He set another record staying submerged in an ice bath for 1 hour and 13 minutes on The Today show.  He currently holds more than 20 world records for his feats of endurance and cold exposure.  You can learn more about Wim at these links below.  The pod casts are long, but definitely worth the investment.  I think you will be amazed by Wim’s outlook on life and its’ possibilities.

Wim Hof on Joe Rogan 1  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np0jGp6442A

Wim Hof on Joe Rogan 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2NtdOKn630

Wim Hof on School of Greatness https://lewishowes.com/podcast/wim-hof/

Wim Hof on Vice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMjhwFE1Zw

But, why did I chose Wim’s quote for today’s motivation.  Here are two of the things I have learned from reading about Wim that can apply to a life in restaurant management.

• There is very little more important than breathing. All of Wim’s feats and philosophies start with the importance of breath.  Wim feels through trained breathing techniques he can raise his body temperature in order to withstand extreme cold.  He also feels he can use his breath to combat sickness.  I won’t go there, but I will let you explore if you are curious.  Even if it is not your goal to stay submerged in ice bath for an hour, your breathing is still important.  Breathing is the most important thing our body does, and for the most part it happens totally subconsciously.  Yoga & meditation practices are all about harnessing breath to improve the health of your mind and body.

 

For all of us, when we find ourselves stressed or anxious, the first place to start is by controlling our breath.  It is very important not to manage “angry.”  There is a ton of frustration in what we deal with on a daily basis.  It’s totally normal to get upset or stressed.  This is when it is very important to regain control before we start to manage others based on emotional instincts.  Step away, take a deep breath and get some control before you do anything you will regret.  Concentrating on your breathing will help you with this for sure.  When I need to take a moment, I often say to myself Wim’s, “breath, motherfucker.”  This little aside helps me cut through the tension, and get a little a chuckle about how seriously I am taking myself or the situation.

 

• There is a whole lot in the world that has yet to be discovered. Wim has some very progressive theories about the potential of the human body.  I don’t know a thing about how true some what he believes is, or will be proven to be true or false in the future.  What I do know is that as humans, we don’t know as much as we think we know.  All the time, new things are being discovered that shatter thousands of years of commonly held wisdom.

 

In business, we need to have the same curiosity and drive for discovery as Wim.  We are all shaped by our beliefs, our surroundings & our frame of reference.  It is vitally important to not let these influences shut down our capacity to innovate.  Innovation is not possible until you are more open to world of radically different possibilities.

 

Have a great week, and a above all…… breathe!  If you wind up researching Wim, please come back and let me know what you think!