As one third of the legendary rap group Run-DMC, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels—aka Legendary MC, The Devastating Mic Controller, and the King of Rock—had it all: talent, money, fame, prestige. While hitting #1 on the Billboard charts was exhilarating, the group’s success soon became overwhelming. A creative who enjoyed being at home alone or with his family, DMC turned to alcohol to numb himself, a retreat that became an addiction. For years, he went through the motions. But when intoxication could no longer keep the pain at bay, he plunged into severe depression and became suicidal. He wasn’t alone. During the same period, suicide became the number three leading cause of death among black people—a health crisis that continues to this day.

In this episode, we explore the challenges and subsequent psychological growth, resilience, and the deeper human story behind Darryl McDaniels' public persona. We explore themes of identity, mental health, family, creativity, and personal transformation - all central to his life story and his evolution as an artist, advocate, humanitarian and community leader, and he is an inspiration to help us all to live our life in full.

I know that many listeners of my podcast, Living a Life in Full, are athletes, and many of them are runners – from 5ks to ultras and everything else in between. I also know that a lot of my audience members are travelers – local, global, adventure – you name it. Imagine if those interests overlapped like a Vinn Diagram where that confluence would be running a marathon, on each continent, in 7 days. Impossible?

Well, no.

But how would you even manage the logistics of such a challenge?

That’s where Dr. David Kelly, MD, comes in. David is the Founder and Race Director of The Great World Race, an event in which participants attempt to complete a marathon on each of the 7 continents over a 7-day period.

It’s been said that The Great World Race not only tests the physical and mental fortitude of its participants but also promotes cultural exchange and global unity, bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds to share in the spirit of competition and cooperation.

David is a wonderful example of living his life in full, and he creates amazing experiences that have been life changing for many in their journey to living their lives in full.

#Running #marathon #adventure #adventuretravel #endurance #enduranceevents #GuinnessWorldRecords #Guinness #Guinness #WorldRecords

What if I told you that the traits you need to get ahead are the exact opposite of what you’ve been told most of your life? What if instead, I told you that in order to be successful you need to be Weird, Selfish, Shameless, Obsessed, Nosy, Manipulative, Brutal, Reckless, and Bossy?

Well, that’s what former Google leader and top career coach, Jenny Wood recommends. Jenny counters conventional wisdom about achieving your goals, and she gives us permission to ditch our fear and chase after what we want - unapologetically. But to do so, takes courage – what Jenny calls, Wild Courage, and that’s the basis of her New York Times Bestseller Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It.

Jenny’s journey is fascinating, from rising through the ranks at a global behemoth like Google to empowering others to take bold ownership of their careers with her work and her new book.

Imagine logging 50,000 miles of solo sailing adventures, including a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, and a 7800 km paddling journey across Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Or, maybe you’re more interested in entrepreneurship and making an impact in the lives of others using technology and artificial intelligence? Or, perhaps you have a desire to be an author? If so, you’re in luck, because in this episode I’m talking with a person who has done all that, and more, the remarkable polymath, Bert terHart.

Bert’s certainly living his life in full, so much so it was hard to know where to begin our conversation. He blends exploration with science, and entrepreneurship with adventure, in a variety of unique ways. He shared how all this came about and what inspired him in his pursues. This is a not-to-be-missed episode.

#Adventure #livingalifeinfull #sailing #entrepreneurship #ai #artificialintelligence #technology #exploration #climate #oceanography #circumnavigation #Canada #science #citizenscience

Are you an ambitious industrious worker and a high achiever who always delivers, but you feel stuck or unseen, and you struggle to move up in your career? Or maybe it’s your peers who seem to get all the recognition and advance, while you're wondering why you’re being left behind.

And that is where Lorraine K. Lee can lend a hand.

Lorraine is an award-winning global keynote speaker and an instructor for Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program and LinkedIn Learning, and she is the author of the bestselling new book, Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career, it’s also one of the Next Big Idea Club’s Must Reads. Through her role as a founding editor at LinkedIn and work with Fortune 500 companies, she's helped millions of professionals develop an intentional, powerful presence that takes them from invisible, to unforgettable.

Lorraine’s work is a gift to those of us who what to advance, to be effective in the world, and to help live our professional lives in full – and by doing so, she benefits us all, and the world.

Dean Karnazes is a force of nature and an inspiration. He’s raced across the globe in support of various causes and modeled unparalleled perseverance and going beyond perceived limitations that serve to unlock an inner strength in others to also attain extraordinary results. He shares real-life examples that explore the topics of dealing with adversity, overcoming obstacles, setting and reaching lofty goals, the importance of teamwork - even in solo endeavors, and excelling in a competitive and complicated world. In this episode we discuss the essential ingredients necessary for high-achievement/performance and developing the ability to prevail and preserve against staggering odds.

He is also a New York Times bestselling author of a number of books, and Dean has served as a US Athlete Ambassador on three separate Sports Diplomacy envoys to Central Asia and South America. He’s twice carried the Olympic Torch and is a recipient of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He currently serves as the Global Ambassador of Greek Tourism.

Dean has been named Competitor magazine’s Endurance Athlete of the Year on three occasions; Men’s Fitness hailed him as one of the fittest men on the planet, and GQ magazine called him, “The Perfect Human.” ESPN awarded him an ESPY as "Best Outdoor Athlete" of the year; Men's Journal inducted him into their Adventure Hall of Fame, and Outside magazine named him one of the Ultimate Top 10 Outdoor Athletes, and put him on the cover. He’s also been on the covers of Runner’s World and Wired; and TIME magazine named him one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”

Dean not only lives his life in full, but he is an inspiration to millions over multiple generations, always with a gentlemanly presence, grace and gratitude, as a model for others to do so as well. He is uniquely able to demonstrate how the lessons learned from athletics can be applied to business and life, with authenticity and humanity.

Sara Fix is a powerhouse. A mother of three, a small business owner, and a woman who’s navigated life’s highs and lows—all while completing 28 Ironman races across the globe, but her biggest challenge is being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer, yet, she refuses to let her diagnosis define her. She continues to train, compete, and inspire others with her resilience and positive mindset.

Sara's story is one of perseverance and advocacy. She emphasizes the importance of being one's own health advocate and encourages others to listen to their bodies and seek help when needed. Her message of hope and determination resonates with many, making her a beloved figure in the endurance sports community and beyond as she lives her life in full.

Prescription medications are fairly controversial these days – cost, insurance coverage, efficacy, and too often, medications are dosed incorrectly, cause toxic side effects or just don't work. But what if we could change how we prescribe drugs, what if there was a 3D printer that could design pills that adapt to an individual’s needs, and maybe print-on-demand the medications tailored to the patient?

Or what if there was a real-world device that worked like the diagnostic Tricorder we imagined watching Star Trek? How about AI-infused antiviral discoveries and laboratory-level diagnostic tools accessible via your smartphone?

These ideas and technologies, and many more, are paving the way to a more democratized, connected and data-driven future of medicine, and personalized care. And this is the world where Dr. Daniel Kraft thrives.

Daniel is a Stanford and Harvard trained physician-scientist with more than 25 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research, and innovation. He is Founder and Chair for NextMed.Health, a program which explores convergent, rapidly developing technologies and their potential to reshape the future of health and biomedicine, and he is the Faculty Chair for Medicine at Singularity University.

I’m not sure if we can call Daniel a medical futurist, as he seems to be a co-creator of that future, but I asked about what some of the various technologies transforming patient care in the next decade may be, as well as some of the exciting innovations he’s seen in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapies recently. Daniel had a great deal to say about his thoughts on that vis-à-vis personalized medicine.

We wrapped up with Daniel sharing who’s influenced you him and his work, and the various mentors he had in his various areas of interest. He also shared advice for young medical professionals interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. Daniel’s work and life are a testament to the benefit that cross-disciplinary approaches, augmented by technological innovations, can bring to medicine and healthcare. While Daniel’s work saves lives, he also serves as an inspiration for all of us to live our lives more fully.