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"Dustin Luce, and his wife, Emily, are Coach Sam’s special guests in this episode of Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit." Parable #1: Intro to Warrior  Garrett’s provocative ads caught Dustin’s attention and introduced him to the world of Warrior. He purchased WarriorBook in the fall of 2017,  joined KingsKit in the summer of 2018, and attended WCON3 in December of that year. Upon attending WCON3, Dustin quickly realized this was not going to be a “normal” conference.  “It was an immersion that was scary and mesmerizing at the same time. I was thinking this is not normal AND I’m hungry for it!” As he received the invite to attend Warrior Week, Dustin felt he needed to do it, but at the same time was really nervous about stepping forward into it. “I’ve never spent that much money on myself – EVER – and I had never stepped out and made myself that uncomfortable.” What was your initial response to Garrett’s ads and presence? Parable #2: Warrior Week Dustin describes day one as an explosion of sorts. Amidst the chaos, he knew he needed to trust the process. “Walking into it, I was shaking, not knowing what to expect. There was fear as well as certainty as we were led into a place of not being able to hide. That day could’ve been a week.” Dustin received a personal message from the Voice on day two. “We were on the beach where we had just finished crawling a mile through the sand on legs that were bleeding. We huddled up as brothers, looking out on the ocean. As I leaned back into the arms of one of the coaches, with all the brothers’ hands on my heart, it was simply a realization that I AM ENOUGH.” What message have you received from the Voice recently? Parable #3: From Euphoria to Drifting Coming out of Warrior Week, Dustin experienced euphoria. Suddenly he was wide awake! It was as if he had never had there for his family, and then all of a sudden, he was. Emily explains, “There was a distinct change. He loved on his family; he wanted to know about all of us and wanted to have detailed conversations with us. He was so hungry to get to know us.” Many people believe that when they arrive at a place where life is good, they’ve essentially “arrived.” However, life will always be filled with challenges that lead to constant expansion. “That feeling [of euphoria] can drift away, and that’s where the daily work is necessary. If you don’t do that and are not plugged in, and are not part of a brotherhood to challenge you and call you out, it does go away.” What is your daily routine that keeps the fire within burning? Parable #4: Numb From the Hunt At church recently, the Voice shared a message with Dustin. “Men hunt for the bacon, but in the process, they lose the thing they were supposedly fighting for. They are numb from the hunt. We’re building this empire, but then we lose our family in the process. How does that make any sense? I am building the canister and filling it. I’ve been awoken, and now I must train and equip.” “Your children are arrows in your quiver. As parents, we can only go so far. Our goal is to shoot them as far as we possibly can. The question becomes, how can I train daily, not for me but for my kids? How can I equip them to go so much further than I can?” What are you doing to train your children? Parable #5: Isolation Coach Sam explains, “In a world filled with technology that connects us, we are actually very disconnected. When it comes to social media, so many are sucked into that vortex that creates doubt and fear in the game of constant comparison. And within a window of five seconds, you can receive a message from someone that can completely make you feel worse.” Many parents are sucked into the social media vortex and, as a result, avoid their children. “Your head is in this world [social media]. It’s today’s reality. On one side, it connects us; it’s beautiful. On the other side, it keeps us apart. COVID and all of the restrictions are reinforcing this isolation.” What can you do to create more connection vs. isolation? “Parables From The Pit” “There’s only one thing that is a cure for ‘numb from the hunt,’ which is awareness, aka, awaken and remember. Being aware of the fact that men are numb, they must remind themselves of their priorities, and realize they are constantly going to be going up and down. It’s in that up and down process that men actually move up.” –Sam Falsafi “I’m seeing a massive level of certainty and confidence moving forward. It’s a baseline that’s positioned where we have every opportunity in front of us. It’s not coming from a place of lack; it’s coming from a place of growth.” — Dustin Luce “We’re ending this year on a really positive note of growth. It’s very disturbing what’s going on in the world, but we’re not entering 2021 depressed; we’re already steamrolling forward.” –Emily Luce

"Matt Edmundson, Warrior Week 61graduate, and his sixteen-year-old son, Kade, join Coach Sam Falsafi in this special episode of Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit." Parable #1: The Gates Of Warrior  In 2018, Matt found himself in a dark place, blaming everyone for everything that was going ‘wrong’ in his life. It was at that time he bought WarriorBook, read it cover to cover, and tried living the Warrior’s Way by himself. He was also listening to the Warrior On Fire podcast with his family, but when it was brought in-house only, Matt lost his fire and was back to square one. Whereas Matt was first turned off by Garrett’s message, he began identifying with Garrett’s life experience of trying to find a path, improve himself, constantly learning, and then bumping into walls. Matt found he was always trying to do things by himself, his pride and ego getting in the way of asking for help.  What was your first intro to Warrior? How did you respond? Parable #2: What Is Required? The Warrior Week experience came across to Matt as an intense boot camp experience.  He wasn’t in a good place physically at that time and was not interested in intentionally “beating myself up.”  Matt realized he was avoiding what was necessary to move forward. “I want what’s on the other side, but I’m not willing to do what’s required  to get there.” Where in your world do you avoid that which you know will help move you forward? Parable #3: Conditions to Conclusions  Coach Sam reminds us that we all have different current conditions, aka, one might be overweight, another might be lost or have an addiction, etc. Many people fall into a belief their current condition is the way things will ALWAYS be, not realizing that their current conditions do not define their entire life experience. “So many men just ‘conclude.’ This shit went wrong, so I must be an idiot, I must not be worth it, I must be evil. We are so quick to place labels on ourselves.“ The reality is, the stories we run in our minds create our circumstances, whether it be freedom or self-made prisons. What are the beliefs you hold onto around your current conditions? Parable #4: Before & After Warrior Week Balance was the reason Matt initially came to Warrior Week but he quickly discovered the real reason was that he was lacking a connection to God. “During my life, I had been leading with my brain and had been rewarded for that. It was during Warrior Week that I surrendered my brain, and connected to my heart.” After Warrior Week, Matt thought he would have all his shit figured out and have all the answers. But the first day back into his regular environment, he felt like he had never left. “Everything around me collapsed right back to who I was.” What was your experience after Warrior Week? Parable #5: The Sixteen-Year-Old World Kade shared what he views as the current 16 year-old-prison. “There’s a lot of pressure with social media and how everyone portrays their life as amazing, which causes us to question our own life.” Kade knows he must answer the questions: Who am I? What is my purpose in the world? What am I put here to do? What do I want to be? And inside of the current COVID restrictions, he must put himself in the right position to succeed and find his own way, rather than sedate all day.  What can you do to assist your teens inside of the current world conditions? “Parables From The Pit” “Our current condition doesn’t define the conclusion.” –Sam Falsafi “Without judgment, there is a level of acceptance that we all have our shit, and we’re all a bit crazy. But within Warrior, we can all envision a future self that is bigger and better, and are committed to trying to find the way forward to achieve what that is…and continue leveling up.” — Matt Edmundson “…as like a seed of doubt, right now, some kids will just go home and play video games all day, and not deal with the world. Or, a lot of other people just don’t talk about it and internalize it.” –Kade Edmundson, 16

Welcome to a very special episode of Warrior Week: Parables from the Pit with Coach Sam and Warrior Week 57 graduate Marc Beauchamp. Parable #1: Retire vs. The Next Challenge Marc’s first immersion into living the Warrior’s Way came via KingsKit 2 in 2018. At the time, life appeared successful from the outside looking in, yet Marc was bored and had no new challenges going on in his life. He wanted to get his fire back.  It was during WC3 where he felt the push to apply for Warrior Week. “I was 55 and running a large payment-processing company. One day my wife said, “We’ve got it made, we’ll retire and travel…” But Marc was far from that place and was ready to climb the next hill in front of him. Where in your world is the next hill you know you must climb? Parable #2: Release the Rage Marc remembers the first day of Warrior Week being “a long-ass day!” Having released and dealt with a lot of rage about his father, Marc was certain there was nothing left to process.  Late that night, he realized residual resentment remained as he let go of a “shit load of rage,’ afterward feeling liberated and free. Where are you still holding onto rage about something from the past? Parable #3: Pain, the Great Motivator September 15, 1990, is a significant date and turning point in Marc’s life. It’s the last day he had a drink. “30 years ago, I was literally close to death. The choice was to either quit drinking or die.”  Marc had hit rock bottom. His first wife left with their one-year-old daughter; he had no money, no car…nothing. “Pain was a great motivator for me.  While today l change proactively, back then I had to have something like pain to change me.” He credits everything he has in his life today to that pivotal decision to not take another drink. What message is the pain in your life telling you? Parable #4: Under the Influence Coach Sam experienced a life-changing moment twelve years ago in 2008 while on a business trip. This is the year he chose not to take another drink. For him, it wasn’t about the pain; it was more of a natural path.  He no longer associates drinking with having fun. Instead, he has found non-alcoholic beer to be a delicious and satisfying substitute. “When under the influence of alcohol, we were not ourselves,” remarked Coach Sam. It’s not that something is wrong with you if you drink or that those who don’t drink are better than those who do. However, they agree that with any drink or drug, you are no longer yourself; instead, you’re under the influence of whatever you’re drinking or ingesting. What is the message speaking to your heart? Parable #5: 30-Day Challenge Coach Sam is extending a challenge to you. “Listen to the Voice without being under the influence of alcohol for 30 days. Then evaluate your relationship with God, your wife, your kids, yourself…and life itself. Ask yourself how your life improved, evaluate the quality of your prayers/communication with God. While Marc and Coach Sam have challenges in other areas of their life, cutting out alcohol is one less thing they have to worry about.“ Marc also cut out smoking. “Once I started seeing these changes and effects in my life, it created momentum.” Are you ready to take the challenge? "Parables From The Pit" “Zero delay in transactions is the name of the game with Marc Beauchamp.” --Sam Falsafi “A lot of guys have no issue with alcohol. But for me, I had to figure out who I was without it.” -- Marc Beauchamp coachfinancing.com marc@coachfinancing.com

Parable #1: Veneers, Lambos, and Surfing Dr. Todd's first encounter with Warrior was through Garrett's wife, Danielle, who showed up in his dental clinic looking for veneers. Not long after that, he saw a Lamborghini in his parking lot one day, snapped a photo alongside it, and stepped into his office to find a tattooed man waiting for him.  After a couple of conversations and surfing sessions, coupled with a curiosity-driven visit to Garrett's online presence, Dr. Todd was all in with Warrior. "I was in a place at that point in time where his message resonated with me. I was burnt out in my career, I was stressed, and it cascaded over into my marriage and personal life, where everything felt stressed and overwhelming. I was going nowhere, and if anything, I was going backward and drowning." How did Warrior come into your life? Parable #2: Armor of Steel & Emotional Backpacks Coach Sam recognized Dr. Todd’s humility in their conversations. “You’re a doctor, you’re a healer, you’re a businessman. That, by itself, is a fuck combo, emotionally.” He understands why so many doctors, dentists, and surgeons feel alone because of the armor they have to constantly wear and never take off, in addition to the emotional backpack they carry around filled with things no one wants to talk about.  Dr. Todd explains that the majority of doctors and dentists are introverts and are not usually social, outgoing people. Over time, the artistry of building and fixing teeth becomes who you are. It’s common to take things personally or beat yourself up when something doesn’t work correctly or when a patient complains. This leads to burn-out and dentists wanting to throw the towel in after twenty years in. How has the reality of "we don't talk about it" affected your life? Parable #3: The Many Faces of Dr. Todd There’s the crazy soul that pushes things to the edge, the calculated doctor, the healer whose heart kicks in, and the artist extraordinaire that creates. At the end of the day, it’s his hands and fingers that are the agency of his art. As such, it creates a wide-open space for the plague of elf-sabotage to inch its way in. Dr. Todd thought that Warrior might be a way out for him. “I was definitely conflicted with all the different things I was doing. To drop everything and just start doing Warrior was interesting. After doing my own thing for so many years, and then instantly stopping and having someone telling me what to do was tough for me." The lead-up process to Warrior Week itself was not an easy process for Dr. Todd, nor was it an enjoyable one. It was actually brutal and exposed lies and stories he was unaware of. How many different hats are you wearing daily? Parable #4: Soul Searching With so many different personalities vying for his attention, Dr. Todd questioned who was it that he actually wanted to be? This entailed a lot of soul-searching and questioning on his part. He recognized that creation without follow-through or having too much creation, and too many battles to fight becomes a problem. He also came to recognize he lacked the necessary tools to handle the chaos he was experiencing and realized he needed to let go of the perfectionist in him. He began implementing 90-day challenges and creating weekly Doors to walk through. How do you currently handle the chaos of life? Parable #5: Legion Dr. Todd has the opportunity to speak throughout the year to dentists worldwide, teaching the how-tos of dentistry. However, what is lacking is the opportunity to talk about life, problems, and chaos present in every dentist’s life. Over time, there is a massive buildup of emotional weight they carry with nowhere to talk about it. He created LEGION, an online experience that teaches dentists about what’s most important and equips them with the tools they will need. “At some point, you will have a meltdown, you will have some problems, and what you don’t realize is the problem is you.” Dr. Todd teaches them the Warrior doctrine and how it can save their family and business and allow them to have a good life going forward…if they choose to play the game. What tools and weapons are in your arsenal to win the war? "Parables From The Pit" "There was a war that was brought upon our door. We’re in a transition to surviving 2020, but the goal is not to survive war; we’re here to win the fucking war. What we do now defines how we’re going to win in 2021.” --Sam Falsafi “My armor had holes in it, but I’ve built new armor…and I’m coming to help the rest of the dentists. My message? Let me show you what you could be doing so you’re working less, you’re making more, life is more fruitful, you have more time with your Maker, your family…and you’re passing it along to your children." -- Dr. Todd Snyder

No doubt, 2020 came out of nowhere, and, for a time, human potential and momentum were seemingly put on pause. Human beings were “forced” to take a step back and revisit their strategizes and plans for the year. At the end of the day, it all comes down to focusing on what matters. Welcome to the 100th episode of Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit, with head coach, Sam Falsafi, in this very special father-son edition with guests Mike Hardy and his son, Jacob. warriorweeknow.com   Parable #1: Warrior Week 29 & 51 Before Mike entered the gates of Warrior Week 29, nearly five years ago, he was in a place where he knew he needed to change his thought process. Work was becoming all-consuming, and he was aware that he needed to reprioritize and realign his role as husband and father and his entire life. Warrior Week 29 was perfect timing for Mike because it helped him get centered, focused, and clear on the things that were really important to him. Why return to Warrior Week 51? Mike realized that if there’s no intention to grow with a healthy environment, it’s part of human nature to easily slip back. “Warrior Week 51 was almost a recommitment to “no compromise” in all areas of life. Things were moving in a good direction, but I think I needed to re-anchor the foundation, and get to a place where I had a higher level of certainty, and double-down on what worked.” QUESTION What caused you to enter the gates of Warrior? Parable #2:  Letting GoK Often we will stay in a place of comfort for years. However, in order to grow, it is imperative that we learn to let go and step out of that comfort zone – especially if it’s working for us – and have the courage to step into the new. The hardest part of getting to great is giving up good. Mike: “One of the things I’ve always struggled with is that I am a very calculated risk-taker. Through the Warrior training, I’ve learned to slow down long enough to take that quiet time (meditation) every morning to listen to that still, small voice, and then act on that, which is not always logical. There are windows in time, like a strong intuition, that open up worlds of opportunity that I would have completely missed out on had I not slowed down and listened.” QUESTION Where in your world do you know it’s time to let go and step outside your comfort zone? Parable #3: A Father’s Impact Coach Sam recalls something his father told him on his wedding day that has stayed with him throughout the years. “Living a life with someone is easy, but building a life with someone is difficult.” When things get heated between two people, he realizes that he could live with someone for a very long time, but to build something and have common projects is something entirely different. Mike’s son, Jacob, is currently nineteen years old. At the time of his father’s entry into Warrior Week 29, he was fourteen. He recounts several projects he and his father have worked on together throughout that time, notably fixing up his first car. “He let me just kind of figure it out, and then I worked through it.” Currently, they are working towards getting their pilot’s licenses. QUESTION What message from your father has remained with you throughout your life?   Parable #4: The Pit “There is a miserable process that takes place on day one of Warrior Week that’s long and goes into the night. It’s called the Pit. It makes us face things and feelings that we’ve kept inside, things that we regret, relationships that caused us harm, and the pain that resides deep inside. No matter what man you look at, all of us have this pain inside of us, but the majority of us are not willing to feel the pain. The first night is a transition into allowing a man to feel some of that pain.” Coach Sam “There’s a heightened learning experience that takes place when I’m pushed to my limit. There are things to let go of and lessons that can be absorbed that just wouldn’t happen otherwise. There’s a catharsis from being able to let go. My belief is that it’s almost impossible to really grow into who you’re supposed to be, and experience what’s possible for life if emotional baggage and anchors are holding one back.” Mike QUESTION What emotional baggage are you hanging onto? Parable #5: Exposed Mike recalled his experience during one of the evolutions, where a picture of his family was presented to him. “There’s something about when what you love most and have to fight for, a human being can make anything happen.” Knowing that intellectually, he experienced it firsthand during this evolution., “It was like a little microcosm for my capacity of what I can do for my family.” From the beginning of time, every generation faces a heavy crisis that they have to go through. Ours is COVID. Mike sees this as a gift, not a curse. “When there are challenges, people will fall to the level of their foundation or their base systems. Everyone is being exposed right now for who they really are. As Einstein said, within every challenge is an opportunity so great that it will literally dwarf the problem itself. Look for the gift and the opportunity.” QUESTION How has 2020 exposed you? “Parables From The Pit” “There is nothing more powerful in this world than to train your brain in gratitude. If your brain is trained in gratitude, it will be a weapon in this society.” –Sam Falsafi “When something is in front of you, and you feel it welling up, it’s there for a reason, and you’re supposed to act on it. When you feel it, you just GO!” –– Mike Hardy “While I’m working on my car, my dad walks in and asks me, “Are you winning, son?” –Jacob Hardy

In this week’s episode of Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit, Coach Sam welcomes Warrior Week 58 graduate, Chad Hovermale to the podcast where they have a conversation that takes us into the mindset of men, how Chad discovered Warrior, and how persistence on his part led him into the gates of the experience that impacted and altered his life. Parable #1: Intro to the Warrior’s Way   A Facebook ad in the Spring/Summer 2017 brought the message of Warrior into Chad’s world. He found the message intriguing and was happy to discover there were people “out there” who understood him. Chad didn’t want to lose the energy and passion behind his anger but knew he needed to reign it in so as to not hurt his family. He felt that through Warrior, he might actually get his shit together. QUESTION What was it that brought Warrior into your life? Parable #2: Keep Knocking    Chad was consistent in knocking on the door of Warrior Week despite receiving the “no, you’re not ready yet” message several times over a two-year period. It was in 2019 that the opportunity finally became his. He had heard Garrett mention something about if you can’t solve a three hundred dollar problem, how are you going to be able to solve a three million problem? In the lead up to the Warrior Week experience, Chad actually became the guy who could solve bigger problems. QUESTION What has persistence brought into your life experience? Parable #3: I Got This Figured Out   That first night in the Pit, Chad felt a sense of control. He was confident he would handle anything that might come his way and was void of any intimidation. In all actuality, though, the biggest lie he was telling himself was that he had it all figured out. “I think all men need to come to a point where they are willing to say, “I don’t have this figured out, and it’s not always going to work out. Shit happens.” This was the beginning of Chad becoming comfortable with himself and his limitations. QUESTION Where are you pretending? Parable #4: Comfort vs. Discomfort   As men go throughout their lives, many do not wanting to leave their comfort zone. The desire to not experience any discomfort is so great that they refuse to want “more” in their lives, knowing full well it will thrust them into that zone. They remain in a state of denial to the detriment of themselves and their loved ones. Coach Sam explains, “They become a slave to their relationships, their business, and the world. They decide they’re going to self imprison in their own fucking pit of their making. And the QUESTION Where in your world do you know it’s time to get uncomfortable? Parable #5: Guilt & Shame null This process [Warrior Week] was created for a man to let go of shame. There is literally no power associated with shame, and yet we are all conditioned to shame ourselves. The expectations of others teach us how we’re “supposed” to be and what we’re “supposed” to become. “These are all parameters that the world has adopted. Therefore you operate within these parameters as a fucking slave. Yet, you think you’re in control, but the reality is all you control is the tiny solitary prison you have created for yourself.” QUESTION How does acting on the expectations of others really affect you? “Parables from the Pit” “When you come to Warrior Week, your reality to some extent is shaken, and you recognize that in order for you to even have the power, you have to first be comfortable with yourself by getting uncomfortable.” –Sam Falsafi “Warrior Week gave me the permission to ask for more.” –– Chad Hovermale

Matt Radmacher, Warrior Week 6o graduate, joins Coach Sam in this very moving and pivotal conversation where we are invited into their hearts and souls through the sharing of stories and experiences. We are also privy to Coach Sam’s brilliant mathematical skills as he unveils the meaning behind the 2M Club. Parable #1: Asleep An avid fan and student of personal development, Matt recalls a conversation with his brother, where he shared Garrett’s story and success with Matt. “I don’t think you’d be interested in him, though, because he cusses a lot.” Matt’s life wasn’t burning down at the time, but he describes himself as asleep. He golfed several days a week, lacked a sense of purpose in life, and built a business that provided residual income with minimal input. QUESTION Where were you when you were first introduced to the game of Warrior? Parable #2: The Warrior Journey Begins While driving to a golf tournament one afternoon, Matt’s YouTube search for Garrett brought up an interview where one line, especially, intrigued and resonated with him. “I expose wealthy businessmen all the time. You peel back one layer, and their life is a chaotic drift.” Matt’s first experience in Warrior was the Be the Man Challenge, where for sixty days, he absorbed all things, Warrior. QUESTION How does Warrior help peel back the layers in your life? Parable #3: Modern Idols SAM: Modern idols have become men. We idolize celebrities, gurus, politicians, and athletes to the point that we are willing to separate ourselves from our closest ones. Warrior connects men to the work, it connects men to the Voice, and once a man is connected to these, the need to put another man on a pedestal goes away. The result? Men become leaders in their realm. QUESTION What are the idols that you worship that separate you from your family? Parable #4: Shaken On the first night of Warrior Week, Matt felt exhausted but spiritually liberated. His decision to go all in and not hold anything back allowed him to purge and cleanse his soul. Coach Sam explains, “It’s in the Pit that first night where the temple of a man is shaken by physical exhaustion, where just like a salt shaker, all of the useless stories of guilt and shame are shaken out of men.” QUESTION What stories of guilt and shame is it time to let go of? Parable #5: The Hero Warrior Week isn’t about going through transformation, it’s about welcoming the hero. And as long as you do the work from that space, you remain the hero. Your work means being an example for your family and the leadership that you have. No matter your status in life, you have been given stewardship and how you reframe that inside of the work makes you who you are. QUESTION How are you handling your stewardhip? “Parables from the Pit” “We have become the modern prostitute of our miracles, and we call them coincidences.” –Sam Falsafi “With Warrior, you can’t hide behind a camera, you can’t hide behind the layers and walls that you build up for yourself, and the masks you try to wear. Warrior cuts to the heart of where you’re at.” –– Matt Radmacher

Dustin Goss danced on the sidelines of Warrior for about twelve months prior to taking the plunge into WC3. In this episode, we learn about Dustin’s Warrior journey, how his involvement in it coupled with the application of the Warrior tools has transformed his life, as well as the miraculous event that occurred during WW 61. We also get to meet his family as they reveal their book and project, “Quick Cents to a Buck.”  Parable #1: WC3 Dustin danced on the sidelines with Warrior for about twelve months before taking the plunge into WC3. Coming into this three-day event, his only previous exposure to Warrior was the videos he had watched online. “It was quite insane not knowing anyone or anything about Warrior as I sat in this room with 1200 individuals dressed in black. You could feel the power!” As he dove into the experience, it hit him like a ton of bricks, and within the first two hours, he knew he was meant to be there. QUESTION How long have you been watching Warrior from the sidelines? Parable #2: The Box Dustin was very strategic about his rock selection during a particular evolution. He was sent to the “box” where he positioned the rocks to look at him and had conversations with the people or experiences these rocks represented. “I had hours with myself and nothing else which I had never taken the time to do. It was the first time turning the microscope on me. The metaphors and gifts that were given to me were amazing.” QUESTION How often do you take time to pause and reflect? Parable #3: The Clouds Parted During day two at Warrior Week, in the midst of torrential rain and wind, on top of long periods of waiting, getting lost, and experiencing pure fucking misery, it was in that moment that the group surrendered to hope in the horizon. “We had no idea where we were standing, no idea,” recalls Coach Sam. “As the clouds went away, and the sun started shining on us, giving us heat, warming us up and making us comfortable, the final piece was the revelation of an island.” Dustin adds, “To experience that was one of life’s gems.” QUESTION Describe one of those “life gem” moments in your life. Parable #4: Post Warrior “Before Warrior, Core 4 (Body, Being, Balance, and Business) was not part of my thought process. Post Warrior, the man I’ve become, and the ability to enhance myself as a father, husband, and businessman have transformed beyond my wildest beliefs.” “I’ve become much more intentional with the time I spend with my seven-year-old son and one-year-old daughter. And the relationship with my wife has grown profoundly. I listen to her differently, talk to her differently, and think about her emotions and frustrations from her perspective more than I ever have in the past.” QUESTION How has your life transformed post Warrior? Parable #5: Bag of Tools Dustin: “The bag of tools that I obtained through Warrior are the pieces I value the most, along with the relationships. I’m having conversations with my Warrior bothers that I can’t have with my best friends or relatives. I can’t open up the same way with them.” Coach Sam: “When it comes to guys outside of Warrior, I compare the way I operate vs. how they operate. Yes, I can socialize with them, but that’s about it, which limits the time I want to spend with them.” QUESTION What was life prior to using the Warrior tools? “Parables from the Pit” “We sell “now” to the future of “I will be.” We don’t recognize that who we are right now is much bigger than who we were, and who we are about to become is completely dependent on who we accept ourselves to be today.” –Sam Falsafi “The bag of tools that I obtained through Warrior, along with the relationships, are the pieces I value the most.” –– Dustin Goss

While enjoying drinks on the Monarch Resort’s patio in Dana Point, Matt and his college buddies, who had gathered for their once-a-year guy’s weekend, were intrigued by the sight of a bunch of men dressed in black doing some sort of “clap and boom” not too far from them. Unbeknownst to Matt, this would mark the beginning of his Warrior journey. Welcome to this episode of Warrior Week: Parables from the Pit, with your host, Sam Falsafi, lead trainer, and his special guest, Matt Davenport, graduate of Warrior Week #60. Parable #1: Two-Clap BOOM! While enjoying drinks on the Monarch Resort’s patio in Dana Point, Matt and his college buddies, who had gathered for their once-a-year guy’s weekend, were intrigued by the sight of a bunch of men dressed in black doing some sort of “clap and boom.” Curious about them, Matt was told by their server that it was a secret business group called Wake Up Warrior. Upon returning home, his google search led him to watch video after video with messages that spoke directly to him. “I felt like someone had read my mind.” QUESTION How did you first encounter the message of Warrior?   Parable #2: From Denial to Awareness At the time of entering KingsKit 3, Matt’s life was in a pretty dark place, including his marriage. “The whole idea of telling the truth had me start looking in the mirror. It brought awareness of all the things I needed to change in my life, which was overwhelming at first.” It was through his association with men inside of Warrior that Matt felt he could be authentic and totally honest, and that the change he was witnessing in other men’s lives could be his experience as well. He was willing to do whatever it took to start making changes in his life, including attending Warrior Week. QUESTION Where in your world do you know you’re being authentic? Parable #3: Tell the Truth, Burn the Past It was that first night in the Pit where Matt realized he had been living his whole life seeking things that he thought would set him free and make him happy. He had tried everything except telling the truth. It was in the Pit that he discovered, “until you tell the truth, there is no way out.” Looking back on his life with regret and shame had become the go-to pattern for Matt. It was through writing down and burning a list all of the things he was going to let go of that put into motion the process of setting himself free. QUESTION What is something you know you need to burn from your past? Parable #4: Before & After Matt came out of Warrior Week renewed, reframed, and excited to leverage himself and his power. It definitely proved to be a pivotal point in his life. “Who I have been as a father to my girls has been life-altering.” Before Warrior, Matt explains, “I was always sedating. I was a workaholic, always watching TV, always distracted, never present, and always wanting to escape.” At the time, alcohol played a huge role in Matt’s life. Today he is alcohol-free which has profoundly affected how he shows up as a father. QUESTION Who are you today vs. the man you were before Warrior?   Parable #5: Warrior Week Plus Warrior Week has shifted into a virtual experience. “It’s amazing to see how we are able to create the same conditions and feelings virtually as we did in person, ” comments Coach Sam. He further explains that it’s the space and energy that the men allow themselves to experience that creates the conditions for their Warrior Week, whether in-person or virtually. QUESTION When will you experience Warrior Week Plus? “Parables from the Pit” “We are brought up with this condition where the only gear we know is the gear of the past, the grudge’s gear.” –Sam Falsafi “Going into Warrior Week, I felt like I was a prisoner of my past. Walking out of Warrior Week, I felt and believed that I was a new and different person; that I could create whatever life I wanted, and that the past no longer had power over me.” –– Matt Davenport

Brent Kocal is Coach Sam’s special guest in this week’s episode, where we discover it wasn’t Brent’s intention to attend Warrior Week, but the Universe had other plans for him. Sit back and enjoy this amazing episode of Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit.  Parable #1: The Gate Brent entered the gates of Warrior through a marketing event in the summer of 2019, Big Money Marketer. Although he had been exposed to the message of Warrior a few months earlier, this is where he actually got his feet wet. At the end of a two-day intensive, Coach Sam did a presentation about Warrior Week, afterward asking the participants to text him either “yes” or “no” about attending. Brent texted, “No.” But the Universe had other plans for him. QUESTION What have you been led to do that initialy you had zero inentions of doing?   Parable #2: The Showman Brent considers himself a recovering asshole, someone who did things so he could be in the spotlight. “This has been going on since eighth grade, where I just wanted people to look at me.” “It was during Warrior Week that I realized I am a fucking asshole. And it was Warrior Week that opened the door for me to recognize how much work I needed to do on myself.” QUESTION Where in your world are you showing up as an ass-hole? Parable #3: Give vs. Get Post-Warrior Week, Brent did a lot of self-inquiry about how he spent his life and how he was spending his days. Stack after Stack revealed that he was the happiest when he was in service to others. “Rather than thinking about what I can get, I started thinking about what I can give. Ultimately, that’s what filled the space. When I interact with others, I’m thinking, “How can I make that person feel good about whatever it is they’re doing?” QUESTION What do your Stacks reveal about you? Parable #4: The Shift While attending the Big Money Marketer event, one of Garrett’s messages was, “It doesn’t matter if you’re solving the wrong problem, just pick a problem and then test it.” During meditation, Brent heard the message, “You should be a parenting coach.” So Brent tested it and tested it with zero response and zero results. It was during a Production Workshop at the beginning of 2020 where he was called out and challenged by Coach Sam, and within seconds, Brent blurted out the real problem he would solve. QUESTION How has collision with others impacted your life choices? Parable #5: What About Me? Brent’s involvement with Warrior has impacted his family relationships. His wife appreciates that he is better able to share his feelings with her, which has been hard for him in the past. Fatherhood, though, remains a rocky road for him, although he does have increased patience. The downside is, Brent’s wife feels a growing distance between them due to all of his Warrior work. “You came back, and you’re on this trajectory where you’re always doing things, and I feel like what I’m doing is making myself worse.” QUESTION What are you doing to support your wife as you take on the Warrior journey? “Parables from the Pit“ “We’ve proven with Virtual Warrior Week that you don’t need all the fucking shenanigans. The process itself works because a guy is supposed to be there at that time. It’s out of our hands.” –Sam Falsafi “I need to accept what the Universe is giving me in this moment; that this is exactly what I need right now.” –– Brent Kocal

Brian Q Davis, graduate of multiple Warrior Weeks, and neurosurgeon Dr. Omar Ibrahim providentially crossed paths a world away. Together they join Coach Sam in this critical episode of Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit. The purpose of this conversation is to give voice to the children of war who did not get the chance to speak. Parable #1: COVID-19 COVID-19 has put a pause on human momentum everywhere around the world. With all the bad that has come with it, one of the good things is that it has allowed us to pause and reflect on what we are doing and who we have become. Coach Sam explains, “It is in times like this that it is important for us to become a voice for the children that died thirty years ago in the chemical war; for the children who put the Warrior of God bandanas around their heads and cleared the minefields.” QUESTION What are some of the things you have taken the time to pause and reflect upon during the COID-19 pause? Parable #2: Scars On Your Soul Living in a war area leaves scars on your soul, and you don’t have time for your soul to heal. Dr. Ibrahim has been a first-hand witness, as has Coach Sam, to the horrors of war and its far-reaching effect on men, women, and children. As a doctor on the frontlines, Dr. Ibrahim has witnessed unspeakable crimes against children., and amid all the chaos, he explains, “You have to stay calm. You have to hold yourself together and do your job as perfectly as needed.” QUESTION How have you gone about healing scars from your childhood?   Parable #3: Shining Light On Evil If we don’t learn the lessons from the past, then the children who have died in wars will have died in vain. For the most part, there’s no interest in sharing this kind of pain that ultimately brings awareness to the masses. “People are sharing absolute minor issues every two to three seconds on social media vs. sharing major human issues like unjustness and unfairness to the children. It’s not only the killing of children in war zones, but it’s also the raping, the pedophilia, and the sexual abuse of children across the world by a network of evil people,” shares Coach Sam. QUESTION What can you do to bring awareness to the pain and injustices of others? Parable #4: Civil War Horrors There’s a significant difference between soldiers fighting soldiers vs. civil wars. Civil wars include women and children. It includes rape, it violates and loots, burns people’s homes, and kills them in their sleep. “The images of the horror these children experienced remain in their minds for the rest of their fucking lives. Who will quench their thirst for revenge for the deaths of their brothers and sisters?” QUESTION What are your feelings about all of this?   Parable #5: Separation What’s happening today in the United States stems from hate, anger, and fear. Many of the actions and demands are filled with hypocrisy, and the complaints would not stack up against the unspeakable horrors that Dr. Ibrahim and Coach Sam witnessed first-hand. As the only neurosurgeon on-site, Dr. Ibrahim had to determine which of the many patients were most likely to survive. In many cases, he treated their wounds and injuries without all of the necessary tools, and at the same time, taking on the roles of many different types of doctors. QUESTION How are their stories and experiences speaking to and inspiring you? “Parables from the Pit“ “When you witness this as a child, it does not go away. The horrors of war remain as a scar in your soul.” –-Sam Falsafi “I would like the world to know that war is the most dangerous thing. It doesn’t affect one or two generations; it affects multiple generations.” –Dr. Omar Ibrahim, Neurosurgeon “When others picked up a gun, you picked up a doctor’s coat, a stethoscope, and bandages. You brought your knowledge to heal instead of bringing bombs and weapons like so many others.” –– Brian Q Davis

Matthew first heard the call of Warrior in 2013 and initially rejected it. But in 2015, when he hit what he calls his second rock bottom, it put him in enough pain to realize that his life wasn’t working. Thus began his personal journey of discovery. Welcome to Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit, with your host Coach Sam Falsafi and his special guest Matthew Lee. Parable #1: The Call of Warrior Matthew first heard the call of Warrior in 2013 and initially rejected it. But in 2015, when he hit what he calls his second rock bottom, it put him in enough pain to realize that his life wasn’t working. Thus began his personal journey of discovery. As he traveled to his first Warrior event, he knew that the man he left behind in Chicago was dead. He was ready for change, and from the moment he stepped into the room with the other guys, Matthew knew this was the place he was meant to be. QUESTION What was taking place in your life when you first heard the call of Warrior? Parable #2: The COVID-19 Pause COVID-19 has created a lot of emotion. When emotions are high, intelligence tends to be low. Coach Sam reflects, “Worldwide, we have put human momentum on pause because of fear of the unknown; because of the lack of faith to take a leap. We’ve decided to walk back and pause. And today, I have a huge appreciation for this pause.” This pause has given all of us the time to look at our reflection in the mirror at who we are today and what we’re becoming. The anger, blame, guilt, and shame that we feel is driving who we’re becoming rather than being driven by compassionate, unconditional love. QUESTION How are you using this time in history to reflect?   Parable #3: The Knock At the Door Matthew explains, “In life, we have these knocks at the door; times when we fall down. These are simply an opportunity. When I feel something, that’s a trigger, a sign, a knock at the door that I need to go discover. It’s the sound that someone or something wants to gain entry.” But oftentimes, we will use our “already always listening voices” to silence the knocks at our door. The gift is found in recognizing that things that happen in our lives happen FOR us, not to us. “I had to have all of that pain unleashed on me to be open and ready.” QUESTION How are you responding to the knocks at your door? Parable #4: Feel the Pain The genesis of any change comes down to daily decisions and defining decisions. A change in the way we perceive ourselves and others happens over time, not overnight. It’s a process and a commitment, dedication, and devotion to a cause. “If you truly don’t understand the “why” behind why you must change, then you’re just putting a bandage on the wound. Which means you’re no longer feeling the pain. But if you feel pain, you have begun the investigation into why this thing matters. You must feel the pain, and you must have tactical empathy.” QUESTION What are you doing to understand they “why” behind change?   Parable #5: Separation As human beings, we don’t all witness the same unfairness, which is why it is difficult to understand one another. Coach Sam is a child of war who unspeakable horrors while the rest of the world was in denial. “For over thirty years, I have kept this pain inside of me. How come nobody heard our cry? How the fuck do I purge that?” Most of us have been taught that there is me, there’s we, and there’s them. Matthew explains, “I’ve been taught to look across at “them” and pick apart everything they’re doing wrong. That’s a test. If I learn to love, I pass the test. I let go of what I’ve been hanging onto and try on a new perspective.” QUESTION Are you passing the test? “Parables from the Pit“ “One of the misconceptions about Warrior is that weak men go to become strong. But that’s not it. Powerful men come to Warrior and recognize the weak game they have been playing. It’s not the man that is weak; it’s the cheap games he’s been playing.” –-Sam Falsafi “How we show up in the world in one way is how we show up in all ways.” –– Matthew Lee

Internationally renowned CrossFit athlete Christian Lucero is Coach Sam’s special guest in this episode of Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit. Parable #1: Born For Something Bigger Christian is a professional CrossFit athlete whose background is sports and martial arts. He always felt there was something bigger he was here to do; that he had something more to offer the world. From a very young age, he was mentored into this role as an athlete. At one point, it was football, which pivoted into mixed martial arts, and eventually, that pivoted into CrossFit, where he found great stride. “I started at the bottom and worked my way into worldwide recognition in CrossFit.” QUESTION Where in your world do you feel like you have more to offer the world? Parable #2: Heros to Emulate null In this journey of life, it’s important to have people you can look up to and admire; people who have traits you want to emulate in your own life that you’re going to remember when the going gets rough, and you feel you can’t go on. “It’s taking things that are important to you and doing them to the best of your ability across all areas of your life. It’s being obsessed with that drive of excellence and taking pride in everything you do.” QUESTION How are you showing up as a hero to your wife and children?   Parable #3: Willing to Die null There are going to be people who are willing to die for the win. If that’s not your goal, you’re going to get run over by those who have that as their goal. When you’re willing to die for something, you’re not going to suck ass for long. When you’re willing to die to prove someone wrong or avenge wrongdoing, that’s linked to a state of mind that goes beyond the pain. QUESTION What are you willing to die for? Parable #4: Ego The ego tries to make what others think or say about you, all-important. It puts traps and road-blocks in front of you to get you out of your own focus and your ability to be in a true zen state of mind, and instead move you into a state of questioning. “Ego=1/Knowledge. What this means is the more the knowledge, the lesser the ego,  the lesser the knowledge, the more the ego.” At the end of the day, the more knowledge you have, the smaller your ego becomes. QUESTION What do you do to shrink your ego?   Parable #5: Quest “It’s about enriching the lives of the people you see on a daily basis and helping them to be the best versions of themselves. I feel like that’s the biggest thing you can do with whatever gifts you’re given, to make other people’s lives better.” “When it comes to competitions, these people [spectators] have taken time out of their day to be here, so as competitors, we owe it to them to “die” here; to give all of ourselves to this event.” QUESTION How are you sharing your gifts with others?   “Parables from the Pit“ “It’s human nature to seek this feeling of significance.” –-Sam Falsafi “It’s about enriching the lives of the people you see on a daily basis and helping them to be the best versions of themselves. I feel like that’s the biggest thing you can do with whatever gifts you’re given, to make other people’s lives better.” –– Christian Lucero

Scott was initially introduced to Warrior in 2015 but couldn’t pull the trigger, which left him with all sorts of regrets. He thought he had missed his chance. But as fate would have it, he once again heard the Warrior call and jumped at the opportunity to be part of it. Like thousands of others, Garrett’s message resonated deeply with him. Welcome to the Warrior Week podcast with your host, Coach Sam Falsafi, and his special guest, Scott White, graduate of Warrior Week 55. Parable #1: The Warrior Call Scott was initially introduced to Warrior in 2015 but couldn’t pull the trigger, which left him with all sorts of regrets. He thought he had missed his chance. But as fate would have it, he once again heard the Warrior call and jumped at the opportunity to be part of it. Like thousands of others, Garrett’s message resonated deeply with him. “I felt Garrett was speaking to me and figured this was my last hope. I was in a bad place mentally and physically and was very much overweight. I felt terrible, and my wife was ready to leave me. Although I was making money, everything else in my life was horrible. I had hit rock bottom.” QUESTION Where were you when you heard the call of Warrior? Parable #2: Exposed Many men are wary of exposing details about problems they are experiencing inside their marriage relationships. They believe it’s a private matter, but they also fear being judged in the future, or that somehow others will take advantage of the information. As a result, they keep things inside and end up convincing themselves that things are “good.” “This is a fear of men because there’s a risk that comes with expressing, so we are very careful with what we share. As we start disconnecting ourselves from the false value that we give to the various circles of people we surround ourselves with, it is then that we realize that the thing that matters is our own expression, and with that comes the price of losing some of those associations.” Coach Sam QUESTION What fears to you carry when it comes to sharing your problems?   Parable #3: Connected Scott experienced a lot of success by participating in the KingsKit challenge and then felt he could continue doing it on his own. He started scaling back on his CORE 4 and found himself getting off track. However, a series of extraordinary experiences during WC3 changed all of that. Coach Sam shared the various encounters he’s experienced throughout the years that led him to the gates of Warrior, the unfolding of which was quite astounding “Everything is connected. There are all of these angels that come into our lives to show us a path.” QUESTION What are some of the extraordinary encounters you have experienced in your lifetime? Parable #4: Unlocking Buried Trauma Scott’s experience with the lead up to Warrior Week was very enlightening and tough. “It did a great job at blowing shit up. You never knew where that missile was coming in. It came in hot, and you had to deal with it. It definitely prepared me for a baseline of what to expect at Warrior Week.” During Warrior Week, Scott was continually wondering how and when he was going to be exposed. “It wasn’t just soul-bearing pain; it was physical pain. It brought me back to a place deep within me that I had locked away and exposed secrets and trauma from my childhood.” QUESTION What have you done to deal with childhood trauma you experienced?   Parable #5: Awaken & Remember A lot of people are reacting irrationally to situations that seem completely unfair. The animal inside is being triggered. It’s in those moments that we are reminded by the Voice to awaken and remember, which in turn slows down the reactions. Those who listen react differently to unfairness than the guy who carries rage. But many are not listening. “When I’m in situations where people are being triggered, I don’t match their level of rage. I try to figure out what’s going on and discover the real issue. When I’m operating at a high-frequency vibrational level, it allows me to see through all kinds of bullshit. This is what makes the Stack such a valuable tool.” QUESTION How do you handle the triggers that come your way?   “Parables from the Pit“ “My son is my experiment. I get to be the leader of that, I get to guide that. I get to protect him from the pain and position him to the possibilities.” –-Sam Falsafi “When you start tearing down the walls and the layers and layers of shit that have built up inside of you throughout the years, that is how you transform. That is what takes place at Warrior Week. But you’ve got to actually be vulnerable enough to go there and unlock that.” –– Scott White

Shawn was led to the gates of Warrior by nothing less than perfect timing and divine intervention. After searching for answers to his wife’s eighteen-year condition, it was during a month-long stay at the Mayo Clinic while waiting for his wife that Shawn randomly opened up Facebook. Enter Garrett J White promoting a 30-day challenge. Welcome to the Warrior Week podcast with your host, Coach Sam Falsafi, and his special guest, Shawn McDonald, Warrior Week 54 graduate. Parable #1: Divine Intervention null Shawn was led to the gates of Warrior by nothing less than perfect timing and divine intervention. After searching for answers to his wife’s eighteen-year condition, it was during a month-long stay at the Mayo Clinic while waiting for his wife that Shawn randomly opened up Facebook. Enter Garrett J White promoting a 30-day challenge. At the time, Shawn’s relationship with his wife had gotten to an all-time low, and they were moving closer to divorce. “I was financially very successful, career-wise very successful; I was an executive doing very, very well. Inside? I was literally dead. I was hopeless as to where my wife’s situation was and very hopeless where I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So… I took the challenge.” QUESTION Where were you when you were first introduced to the message of Wake Up Warrior? Parable #2: The Garage The first evolution in the Kings Kit Challenge takes place virtually in the guy’s garages. Previously organized because of his wife’s skills, his garage was now a complete mess, which was a vivid and glaring reflection of the shit taking place in his life, in his heart, and in the relationship with his wife.  “The whole process of bringing practical circumstances to the forefront of my perspective, and helping the other men and me literally walk through a journey of breaking things down piece by piece, helped me to completely get out of my pit and was the beginning of a revolution for me.” QUESTION What is your garage a reflection of in your life?   Parable #3: Exposed One challenge led to another until Shawn eventually found himself in the throes of the crucible, Warrior Week. During the Inquisition process, it felt like someone had peeled back the vale and had exposed where he had been for over 20 years of his life. Although he was ready to understand what was going on inside of him, admittedly, it was so much harder than he expected it to be. “When you finally get down to an understanding of things you have danced around forever, that awakening means everything.  The biggest thing for me was literally coming to a place of acknowledging that I hate myself and that I’ve never loved my wife.” QUESTION Where in your world is it time to shine a light to expose what you’ve been hiding? Parable #4: You’re Not Alone All around us, families are being crushed and shattered. Men are operating at the lowest version of themselves and have been conditioned to believe they have to go through this life alone. But that is simply not the case. “We underestimate the importance of men who have gone before us. In order to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with somebody, you have to have been tested by the fire yourself. You’ve had to have gone into your own pit, and trust another man to help you walk out of that pit.” QUESTION Who has your back in this world? Parable #5: Own Your Why On the second day of Warrior Week, Shawn experienced the next major step in opening his eyes to the work that lay ahead of him. He began identifying and imprinting into his soul the purpose for his existence, shouting to the world the names of his wife and children. “This is why I’m alive! This is my family that’s been entrusted to my care.”He realized it was his unwillingness to show up for himself and his family that led to a path of destruction for all of them. “It led me to five affairs, two bankruptcies, kids who didn’t want to have anything to do with me, a son who got on drugs, and a daughter that got raped.” QUESTION What is your why?   “Parables from the Pit“ “The majority of men don’t have the courage to admit their faults because they don’t want to remind themselves of their mistakes. And so they hide and hang with “positive” people who are also liars, and who will never have the fucking balls to remind them of their mistakes and lies.” –-Sam Falsafi “It’s one thing to point out another man’s lies; it’s a completely different thing to help lead him to the light.” –– Shawn McDonald

During the closing weeks of 2018, John found himself in a deep pit. Unbeknownst to him, his world was moments away from changing in a massive way as he ate lunch with a friend at a restaurant in San Diego. Welcome to this special episode of Warrior Week: Parables from the Pit with your host, Coach Sam Falsafi, and his special guest, John Estefanso, graduate of Warrior Week 56. Parable #1: Right Place, Right Time During the closing weeks of 2018, John found himself in a deep pit. Unbeknownst to him, his world was moments away from changing in a massive way as he ate lunch with a friend at a restaurant in San Diego. A group of guys donning black “Do More, Suck Less” t-shirts walked through the doors of that restaurant, and two days later, after devouring hours and hours of Warrior content, John found himself on a phone call with Coach Sam Falsafi preparing to attend Warrior Week. QUESTION When were you at the “right place, right time?” What happened? How did your life change? Parable #2: The Awakening Warrior Week 56 was captured in a movie and has since touched the hearts of thousands of people. Of the many highlights of that week, the surprising actions taken by one Warrior coach demonstrated the power of Warrior Week and how it filters all serpents and liars. Notorious for being both intense and powerful, the month-long build-up to Warrior Week 56 was an interesting awakening and journey of self-discovery for John. “I realized how full of shit and stories I really was.” QUESTION What has been exposed about your life on your journey of self-discovery?   Parable #3: Abandoned One of the common themes among the men of WW 56 was abandonment issues. For John, it was his father. “Having to face that, look at it, and really live with it showed me who I was. For me, I ended up loving my father a lot more because I realized throughout that abandonment, he helped make me who I am.” Coach Sam adds, “The common theme in WW 56 was the conflict that took place with our fathers. There were a lot of alphas, big mother-fuckers, big muscles, and rough guys.” The idea was to investigate the truth, rather than rely on one’s memory. QUESTION Do you have abandonment issues? What are they? Parable #4: The Pit As chaos settled in on day one, it channeled its way into the night into a place where every man was no longer going to hold anybody’s hand. It was all about what every man was going to have to face, what they would allow themselves to feel, and what they would ultimately surrender to while facing the fears of the past and the prisons of the present. John recounts, “The build-up to the pit experience was surreal. I was battling the thoughts of questioning why the fuck I was even there, and why I was putting myself through it. There were physical challenges as well, and it was an emotional roller-coaster ride. It was in the pit that I was able to let go of everything I had been hanging onto and replaying in my head my entire life.” QUESTION What is one story you know it’s time to let go of?   Parable #5: Hand of God The second day of Warrior Week takes place on the beach and is one of the most pivotal experiences for the majority of the guys. For John, that proved to be the case. “The Hand of God evolution was one of the deepest things I have felt in my entire life. The second I was perceiving that God was answering me, the clouds parted, and the rays of the sun literally and completely hit me. I felt that I was completely connecting with a higher source and power, something I tap into regularly to this day.” QUESTION When was the last time you opened yourself up to the higher power? “Parables from the Pit“ “Stop living in your fucking memories. Transcend from that place to the place of what is right now. Be willing to open up and investigate.” –Sam Falsafi “During my morning run as I looked at the sunrise, I found myself understanding that there IS something bigger than me out there that created all of this.” — John Estefanso

Parable #1: Rock Bottom Finding himself in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere, David prayed to God for the first time in ten years. “God, I’ll do anything you want me to do if you will help me; if you’ll help save my marriage. About a week later, a KingsKit video showed up on social media out of nowhere – David’s first exposure and introduction to this thing called Wake Up Warrior. Something in that video touched him on a deep level, which led him to take the plunge. QUESTION Where were you and what was your state of mind when you first heard the message of Warrior? Parable #2: The Garage Warrior created an opening for David to question his stories for the very first time in his life. It also gave him permission to start telling the truth about where he was in his life, what he had done, how he felt, and that it was ok to be open about the messes in his life. “The first time I saw Coach Sam speak with authenticity and certainty in his garage surrounded by all of his shit, I felt and knew that this guy wanted me to speak my pain; that he wanted to help me and others get out of our Pits.” QUESTION In what way has Warrior “given you permission” to do something for perhaps the first time in your life?   Parable #3: Physician, Heal Thyself David cheated on his wife, lied, and tore down everything he had built or wanted to build. During this time, he made the most money ever as a physician because he threw his entire life into his work. He believed his worth was determined by what he was doing. During Warrior Wealth, David felt so broken that he was ready to give up everything, even being a doctor. “During Warrior Week, I finally received the certainty that I am a fucking healer and that I didn’t default into this path.” But he knew he first had to heal himself mentally QUESTION What areas of your life are calling to you to heal? Parable #4: Mom David had a lot of rage and pain in the way his mother acted toward and treated him. That first night in the Pit opened up the floodgates of emotions and feelings towards her. David ultimately went to therapy and completed three to four hundred Stacks about his mother and his relationship with her. “It was so suffocating how I felt about myself, and as a result, everything else was fake. Once I allowed myself to feel anger, rage, pain, and joy – at myself – I could then be honest with other people.” QUESTION Describe your experience in the Pit. Parable #5: The Beach The second day of Warrior Week was David’s favorite day. In the Pit, he felt like God was talking to him, but it was on the beach where David had a back and forth conversation with him. A lot of what he was told is now coming pass, although, at the time, it didn’t make sense to him. One of the most significant messages he received from God was, “Why are you fighting the fucking waves? Let me take you. Trust my process. You trust Warrior, so trust the divine process. Just let go. Let go and let the waves carry you.” QUESTION Are you listening to God? What is he telling you? “Parables from the Pit“ “I want you to consider that what this is, is an opportunity for you to ask yourself, “What the fuck are you hearing? What do you need to hear today to guide you toward an action that you have been called to do?” —Sam Falsafi “Authenticity is currency no matter what you do for a living.” –Dr. David Fedor

Parable #1: “Who the Fuck Coaches You?” As a student and leader inside of many transformational trainings throughout his life, Demian had always been a seeker of growth and improvement at a fundamental level. However, once he found himself smack dab in the middle of the “trifecta of insanity,” aka a married businessman with children, it became apparent that what had been working was no longer working for him. Through the conversations, arguments, and collisions with his wife, it became clear to Demian that something needed to change and shift. Having been instrumental in the breakthroughs of hundreds if not thousands of others, one day, his wife asked him, “You coach everybody else, but who the fuck coaches you?”  QUESTION How do you open yourself up to coaching when you are the one usually doing the coaching? Parable #2: Rise & Remember When the conversation of Warrior entered Demian’s world, he had been dabbling in some old patterns and behaviors that weren’t at all serving him. On top of that, things were fizzling out sexually inside of his three-year marriage.  About this time, a video on Facebook caught Demian’s attention showing men in extreme conditions who were being called to “rise and remember that you are a king.” Over sushi one evening, he shared this with his wife – an intuitive – who blurted out, “That's it! Sign up right now!” What Demian experienced in the next 45 minutes was a foreshadowing of the wild, life-altering adventure yet to come. QUESTION Describe your intro to Warrior. Parable #3: Buried Alive It was during one of the evolutions at Warrior Week 49 that Demian came face to face with one of his greatest fears. After being blasted with water while reciting Invictus, Demian was immediately taken to a plot of ground where he was instructed to dig his own grave. His greatest fear? That of being buried alive. And yet, that is exactly what happened next as dirt began covering him, and men started piling on top of him, all the while a muzzled German Shepherd began barking ferociously in his face. At that moment, in order to survive, Demian disconnected from the chaos and panic. What happened next proved what would be a pivotal moment for him. QUESTION What is one of your greatest fears? Parable #4: That One Time in India… During his travels to India ten years ago, Coach Sam had a very unusual and memorable experience. As he sat on a park bench one morning, he suddenly heard all of this laughter and set out to find out where it was coming from. Imagine his surprise when he discovered a group of people being led in a laughter meditation! After joining in the contagious laughter, Sam asked the guru a question that had been burning inside of him for a while. The guru answered Sam’s question by sharing an unforgettable story. QUESTION What burning question do yoi have inside of you? Parable #5: Discover the Gift In 2011, Demian’s movie, “Discover the Gift,” screened at the Sundance Film Festival. During the Q&A that followed, Demian heard a loud noise followed by someone suddenly standing up and abruptly leaving the room. A few minutes later, as Demian stood outside the theater, a large, tall man wearing an intense expression on his face came barreling towards him. Demian instinctively raised his hands to protect himself. But as the man drew closer, he noticed tears running down the stranger’s cheeks as he asked Demian, “What did you do to me?” QUESTION How did you feel when you heard Demian recall this story? Parables from the Pit“ “You truly don’t know another man if you don’t know his pain.” —Sam Falsafi “…as your father, I will always love you. As your king, I command you to rise! Rise..and rise again!” –Demian Lichtenstein   warriorweeknow.com

Parable #1: The “Dream Life” Illusion At the time Daniel was first introduced to the conversation of Warrior, he had what most would consider a dream life. He had the beautiful home overlooking the pacific ocean, a successful law firm, not a lot of debt, a vacation home in Cabo, a wonderful wife & kids…he seemingly had it all. But he had reached the boredom stage and was starting to go crazy. And underneath the surface, he had some health and relationship issues and knew he had to make a shift. Enter Garrett’s infamous video in Vegas that completely resonated with Daniel. QUESTION What is the message that spoke to you when you were first introduced to Wake Up Warrior? Parable #2: Feelings Daniel grew up on the opposite spectrum of financial wealth. He was raised by a single dad who worked all the time, and as a result, Daniel took on the mentality of “go to work, do what I say, leave me alone, and let me drink when I want.” He had a fear of losing everything he built and knew how quickly it could all disappear. But the last thing he wanted to do was talk about it because it was like ripping off a scab, and he didn’t want to feel that pain. So he spent a lot of energy and time focusing on everything BUT that. QUESTION How do you feel about expressing your feelings and facing your fears? Parable #3: Fuck Date Night The first six months following Warrior Week, Date Night between Daniel and his wife, was anything but romantic. She had a “fuck you” attitude about it, but they continued to go, week after week, oftentimes dining or watching movies in complete silence. Over time, his wife began to trust the change she saw in Daniel, and Date Night became something she looked forward to. What Daniel never foresaw, however, was the feedback and response from others wanting to know their “secret” and asking for marital advice, which placed an unexpected expectation around Date Night and his wife. QUESTION What are you doing to keep Date Nights fresh, consistent, and sustainable, especially during this lockdown season? Parable #4:  Facts vs. Law As a lawyer, there are two ways Daniel presents arguments: 1- the facts and 2- the law. When it comes to the facts, you can’t argue them; facts are facts. The law, however, is gray and can be manipulated. Through Warrior, Daniel has learned to frame the conversation through the lens of certainty and spends more time wanting to focus on the facts than on the law. “When you have the facts on your side, it doesn’t matter what the law says.” QUESTION What has been one of the most significant shifts in your life since your Warrior journey began? Parable #5: Certainty & Value Your energy precedes you; therefore, if you are certain or uncertain, it is obvious the moment you step into a room. As such, Daniel trains his lawyers to over-prepare through role-playing every conceivable worst-case scenario his clients may face. The conversation of value goes hand-in-hand with the conversation of certainty. What are you willing to walk away from or stand up for because of the value you place in it? Do you place that value in yourself? At the end of the day, you must have certainty in your value; otherwise, you will be exposed. QUESTION What is one thing you can do today to demonstrate more certainty in your value? Parables from the Pit “We are sacrificing time that we can never get back for a fucking story that may or may not happen in the future.” —Sam Falsafi “You are not broken. You have to tell the truth, especially to yourself. Get clear about what you really want and what is important enough for you to let everything else go.” –Daniel Hitzke

Brian Holloway, Coach Sam’s guest in this episode of Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit, was a self-proclaimed quitter for years. A break up with his first wife led to disconnection, guilt and shame, and a ruined relationship with his daughter. We discover how his commitment to living the Warrior’s Way and developing this one superpower changed everything for him. Parable #1: Intro to Warrior Brian’s first introduction to Warrior was the infamous Vegas video. At the time, Brian was struggling and didn’t know what direction his life should take, and everything Garrett was saying rang true for him. Shortly thereafter, Brian found himself in a conversation with Coach Sam, where he was able to fully open up and express himself while feeling absolutely zero judgment from him. Although Warrior Week was placed on the back burner for a time, Coach Sam shared relevant information that Brian could implement into his life immediately, which left a lasting impression. QUESTION What about Warrior’s message rang true for you the first time you heard it? Parable #2: WARRIOR X Three months later, Brian was immersed inside the wild two day Warrior X event, the most intense physical version of Warrior that was nonstop, unpredictable, included very little sleep and it was almost as if time was folded in half. “It was an ass-whooping experience spiritually, mentally, and physically. From the moment we showed up, I knew we were in for a ride! For me, the experience brought out exactly what I needed in order to refocus and shift.” QUESTION What impact do experiential events have on your life that a classroom-type setting doesn’t begin to have? Parable #3: DSYSYWGD Immediately following Warrior X, Brian enrolled in the 90-day one-on-one program with Coach Sam called, “Do the Shit You Said You Were Going to Do.” It was all about continuing to do the work and being held accountable for keeping your word. Brian recalls the time when he and his wife were driving in his truck during a call with Coach Sam. In an unexpected move, Brian was instructed to jump out of the truck and do pushups on the side of the road as a consequence of being unprepared for the call. QUESTION How do you hold yourself accountable for the things you say you’re going to do? Parable #4: The Shifts Brian had three significant shifts with the relationships that meant the most to him – his wife, his son, and his daughter. He had reached a point in his life where his patterns and routines were preventing him from connecting meaningfully with them. He began making a conscious and intentional effort to share, listen, pay attention, ask questions, pay attention, and be fully engaged with them rather than giving up and quitting, which was his previous pattern. Eventually, his relationships were healed. QUESTION What do you know you must do for healing to take place in one of your key relationships? Parable #5: Don’t Ever Quit One of the most powerful things Warrior has taught Brian – and something he considers to be his superpower – is that he just doesn’t quit. Having spent ten years of his life quitting, he embraced this new way of being, which has empowered him to lead his family and business. His advice? “Invest in yourself, and you will gain confidence, then teach what you learn, and don’t ever quit. The thing about obstacles… you can get around them.” QUESTION What is one of the most important things living the Warrior’s Way has taught you? Parables from the Pit “Children and wives are the backbone of our workforce.” —Sam Falsafi “The work I did then, created the environment we have now.” –Brian Holloway