216: Locked and Loaded 24 Hours in a Box - Brian “Tosh” Chontosh

Imagine 24 hours locked in isolation in a completely dark shipping container competing to see who can run the furthest on a TrueForm treadmill.  Retired United States Marine, Major Brian Chontosh (aka “Tosh”) and three others (John Witzing, Josh Chessman, and Isaiah Vidal ) accepted this challenge to raise awareness around mental health with the Whiteboard Project’s LL24h ( https://www.thewhiteboardproject.com/24-hours-of-isolation ). The recipient of one of the highest military honors: the Naval Cross- Tosh, has shown unmatched fortitude in combat and combating the stigmas around post traumatic stress. Jump in the shipping container with us as we learn how to “suck a little less each day.”   In this episode, Joe Desena interviews Tosh before he enters the shipping container, and then all 4 athletes the moment the box is unsealed.   Lessons: You are what you advertise Do a lot with very little Surround yourself with great people Want “in” on the hardest things Do things you don’t want to do Identify your limits and expand your horizons Prove things to yourself, know your limits & strive beyond them Measure your effort, but against the right things Always do the BEST that you can in EVERY moment PTS vs PTSD: traumatic stress as a normal reaction vs a disorder Don’t believe your own bullsh*t Walk humbly, absorb, think, question.. it's not about having the right answers - it's about having the right questions Take ownership - kill the excuses ! Rationalizations are just excuses in a fancy package Break down big problems to small problems & utilize small solutions Stay process oriented Focus on the task at hand and that will lead you to the target JUST BE HAPPY WITH YOU Suck less today then you did yesterday :) LINKS: LL24h ( https://www.thewhiteboardproject.com/24-hours-of-isolation   On Instagram The Whiteboard Project https://www.instagram.com/the_whiteboard_project/ John Witzing https://www.instagram.com/johnwitzing/ Josh Chessman https://www.instagram.com/joshchessman/ Isaiah Vidal https://www.instagram.com/isaiahvidal/ Brian Chontosh https://www.instagram.com/tosh.crookedbutterfly/ The Reveille Project https://www.instagram.com/thereveilleproject/ Wound Warriors Canada https://www.instagram.com/woundedwarriorscanada/   This episode of “Spartan Up!”  is sponsored by Athletic Greens.  Get 20 travel packs free when you order at https://athleticgreens.com/spartan   Time Stamps: 0:00 intro to episode 1:18 Athletic Greens 1:48 Interview begins 2:00 Marine background 3:00 The Navy Cross 3:40 shipping container challenge | Whiteboard Project 4:45 What is a strong mind 5:40 The need to do things you don’t want to 6:00 Dr. L’s advice 7:10 The burden of command 8:30 Truth of looking yourself in the mirror 9:15 Competitions in life 11:00 Mental Health Awareness 12:00 PTS as normal & natural - not a disorder 12:40 Athletic Greens break 16:27 Interview continues 16:45 barriers of knowing & bullsh*t 17:30 Not about answers- It’s about questions 20:00 Rationalizations are just excuses in a fancy package 24:00 Reductionism: breaking big problems down to have small solutions 26:00 How to suck a little less 28:00 Keep your eye on the task at hand 29:18 The panel gets ready to break them out of the shipping containers 29:35 Shipping containers opens    29:50 Tosh’s reaction to 24 hrs in darkness 32:00 The four Whiteboard Challenge participants men’s reaction 41:00 Sefra, Angle, Johnny & Joe discuss the interview 47:30 AthleticGreens.com/Spartan     SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Sefra Alexandra Production Assistant - Andrea Hagarty   © 2018 Spartan