Being Grateful In the Face of Adversity | with Humberto Gurmilan

11/20/17 • 55 min

The holidays are the time of year we’re all meant to slow down and recognize all the things in our lives that we are grateful for, but unfortunately with the crazy speed that life moves nowadays, the holiday season is most likely the most stressful time of the year. All most people (including myself) are often focused on is rushing to get projects done before the year ends, making travel plans, fighting the mad rush of holiday shoppers and traffic, and if there’s any spare time left in the day...maybe getting some sleep.

Where in the world is there any time to slow down and be grateful?

My guest today is Humberto Gurmilan, an Emmy award-winning producer, author, speaker, podcaster, and all-around inspiring guy. He is the founder of the Gurmilan Foundation which empowers individuals with disabilities in challenged communities, and until recently he was the sports anchor for Telemundo in San Diego where he also teaches communications at San Diego City College. But despite his many accomplishments, I didn’t invite Humberto on the show with me to discuss how he became successful.

In this interview Humberto and I talk about the tragedy he experienced as a teenager when due to a freak surfing accident he became paralyzed from the chest down. Rather than thinking about what was taken away from him, instead Humberto decided to rise to the challenge and instead develop gratitude in the face of adversity and use his experience to inspire others to do the same.

For those listening today who are frustrated with your present circumstances, I hope this interview allows you to reframe where you are in your life right now and take even a few minutes to be grateful for what you do have before embarking upon the madness of the holiday season.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

Humberto's early life surfing in Tijuana
Processing a traumatic injury and the changes that come with becoming paralyzed
The healing love of family in the face of depression
The power of seeing yourself within your own comeback story
Transitioning your perspective from "Why me?" to "Why not me?"
Taking responsibility for your attitude towards the world
Humberto's pursuit of sports broadcasting and discovering his gift for public speaking
Taking stock of the strengths you have so you can categorize your obstacles
Learning that you have way more talents than you think you do
The Three A's: Attitude, Accountability, Action
Write down your goals. Once you do, you will be exponentially more likely to achieve that goal.

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Gurmilan Foundation

Overcome Podcast

Overcome TV series

GO FAR

Rewiring Your Brain to Be Happier | with Shane Burcaw

Our Generous Sponsors:

This episode is made possible by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone interested in moving more at their height-adjustable workstation. Listen, standing desks are only great if you’re standing well, otherwise you’re constantly fighting fatigue and chronic pain. Not like any other anti-fatigue mat, the Topo is scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. And they’re really fun and a great conversation starter.

Guest Bio:Facebook|YouTube

Humberto ("Beto") is an Emmy award winning Journalist and Producer with 13 years of experience in the media. He hosts the Overcome Podcast and Overcome TV series on Youtube. His life mission is to help others by shar...

Where in the world is there any time to slow down and be grateful?

Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?

» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode

Here's What You'll Learn:

Humberto's early life surfing in Tijuana
Processing a traumatic injury and the changes that come with becoming paralyzed
The healing love of family in the face of depression
The power of seeing yourself within your own comeback story
Transitioning your perspective from "Why me?" to "Why not me?"
Taking responsibility for your attitude towards the world
Humberto's pursuit of sports broadcasting and discovering his gift for public speaking
Taking stock of the strengths you have so you can categorize your obstacles
Learning that you have way more talents than you think you do
The Three A's: Attitude, Accountability, Action
Write down your goals. Once you do, you will be exponentially more likely to achieve that goal.

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Gurmilan Foundation

Overcome Podcast

Overcome TV series

GO FAR

Rewiring Your Brain to Be Happier | with Shane Burcaw

Our Generous Sponsors:

Guest Bio:Facebook|YouTube

Previous Episode

The Journey of 1000km That Began With a Single Step | with Todd Kopriva

If you spend all day sitting in front of a computer, then you’ll no doubt relate to Todd Kopriva’s oh-so-familiar story of gaining over 70 pounds from working a sedentary job for over a decade as a software designer for Adobe. But even though the beginning of this story might sound familiar, the rest of it is anything but ordinary.

During his final year before leaving Adobe, Todd had a stark realization about the direction his life was headed and decided he needed to make a major change. So that’s just what he did. He committed to changing his life...literally a single step at a time.

After leaving Adobe, Todd spent the next year training for a once-in-a-lifetime journey most of us could only dream of including learning several skills he’d wanted to acquire his whole life: Martial arts training, as well as learning several foreign languages including Portuguese. And this journey also led him to South America to travel several hundred miles walking the famous Camino da Fé. In this episode Todd and I chat about his reasons for leaving a secure job in corporate America to experience life outside the cubicle.

Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?

» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode

Here's What You'll Learn:

Todd's realization that he was in middle age, that his time was limited, and that his life needed to change
The frightening realization that Todd had gained 70 pounds over a decade working a completely sedentary job in software
The leap of faith required for escaping corporate america
Learning how to overcome the fear of developing socializing skills (which led Todd to becoming part of a government convoy)
Todd's extraordinary hike over the 1,000km long Caminho da Fé in Brazil
Todd's encounter with a Brazillian mayor
Finding small places to implement movement, rather than just reducing your work
Understanding the basic good and decency of humanity during very turbulent times in our country
The difference that shifting his mindset had on the final year of working at Adobe before his journey even officially began

Todd's final fitbit stats:Useful Resources Mentioned:

Why Brazil

Our Generous Sponsors:

Guest Bio:Twitter|Instagram

Todd has recently been spending his time studying languages, training in Tsun Jo kung fu, and otherwise working on making himself healthier and happier. Before that, he worked for 17 years for various software companies, including almost 12 years at Adobe.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Jakin Rintelman. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love!

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

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Next Episode

The Power of a 'Mindfulness' Practice | with Dr. Swati Desai

“Mindfulness” is a buzz word you see on the Internet all the time nowadays, but what does the term mindfulness actually mean? And do I need to wear sandals, eat organic hemp granola, and chant to the stars while somebody balances my chakras to authentically practice mindfulness? Luckily mindfulness requires nothing more than a willingness to hit the pause button on your life for just a few minutes a day and focus on the present moment. And in doing so it is scientifically proven to help you enhance focus and concentration, decrease anxiety, better manage stress, and improve cognitive function. Not bad for literally doing next to nothing for just a few minutes a day, right? In this episode (one of my favorite early interviews from my Fitness In Post days) I dive deep into the topic of mindfulness with Dr. Swati Desai, a psychotherapist and mindfulness and meditation expert. We discuss the benefits of developing a regular practice and how to easily apply it to your daily life, and for those who might be skeptical, we even chat a bit about the neuroscience behind mindfulness and meditation so you understand how it’s literally reshaping your brain and your neural pathways to help you become a happier, more relaxed, and more focused human being.