Ep 134. Across a lifetime, we invest enormous effort into becoming who we are meant to be. We learn, we search, we question, and we explore. We are driven by a deep biological and psychological need to find meaning, purpose, and identity beyond mere survival. This is the human journey of self-development.

From childhood to adulthood, the path of growth can carry us far from what once felt like home. It is why the saying “all who wander are not lost” resonates so deeply. For many, wandering is not confusion—it is curiosity, courage, and the instinct to evolve. It is the pursuit of self-discovery, personal growth, and a life that feels authentic.

Yet wandering without direction can also bring loneliness, doubt, and the feeling of being unanchored. As we overcome challenges and gain experience, we naturally seek to improve ourselves. We compare, we model, and we learn from those we admire. Emulating mentors and heroes is not weakness—it is one of the oldest learning strategies of the nervous system and the social brain.

However, there is a subtle danger in the idea of endlessly “reinventing yourself.” When transformation becomes a way to escape accountability, responsibility, or unresolved parts of our past, the self-image can become inflated, fragmented, or disconnected from reality. True growth is not about erasing who we were, but integrating what shaped us with honesty and clarity.

We do not need to confess every chapter of our story, but we must acknowledge it. Self-awareness grounds the nervous system, stabilizes identity, and prevents the mind from constructing grand illusions about who we think we are. Real confidence comes from integration, not denial.

Become the best version of your self with Coach Veronika Partikova PhD Sport Psychologist and Sifu in Hung Gar Kung Fu. Your transformation awaits.

Seek out kung fu academic at: https://www.kungfuacademic.com/

Take care, and walk well.

Hey folks, let me know what you think about the Running Man Podcast. Let me know where you're from and how you are doing in your little part of the world!

Support the show

intro outro music for episodes 1 through 111 done by Jonathan Dominguez Rogue musician. He can be found on youtube at Lazyman2303.

New musical intro and outro music created by Ed Fernandez guitarist extraordinaire. To get in contact with Ed please send me an email at runningmangetskillsproject@gmail.com and I will forward him the contact.

Donations are not expected but most certainly appreciated. Any funds will go toward further development of the podcast for equipment as we we grow the podcast. Many thanks in advance.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2216464/support

Ep 133. A human life is a long journey of learning—how to move, how to nourish the body, how to relate to others socially, and in the modern world, how to function professionally. Survival may be the starting point, but thriving over decades is the real objective. As lifespan has increased in modern times, the question has shifted from how long we live to how well we live.

At the foundation of longevity and quality of life lies one essential pillar: physical health. Our ability to think clearly, regulate emotions, recover from stress, and remain engaged with life is deeply rooted in how well we care for the body. Nutrition, movement, sleep, and recovery practices shape not only healthspan but vitality itself.

Throughout a lifetime, illness and injury are inevitable. When they arise, healing and recovery become priorities. While modern allopathic medicine has made extraordinary advances in treating acute illness and trauma, there is growing recognition of the importance of self-healing skills, recovery modalities, and complementary health practices that support long-term resilience, mobility, and nervous system regulation.

Many of these approaches are not new. For centuries, traditional systems of health in Ancient China and India integrated movement, breath, meditation, manual therapy, and herbal medicine into a unified model of care. Martial arts instructors were often also healers—teaching physical conditioning alongside massage, herbal prescriptions, breathwork, and meditative practices designed to restore balance and vitality.

Today, these time-tested practices continue to support recovery and performance. Modalities such as acupuncture, shiatsu massage, Rolfing, somatic therapy, float tank therapy, meditation, breathwork, and traditional herbal medicine—both internal and external—are increasingly used to enhance healing, joint recovery, mobility, and nervous system regulation.

Among all healing strategies, movement stands as one of the most powerful. Intentional, well-designed movement restores circulation, maintains joint health, improves neurological coordination, and reinforces the body’s natural regenerative processes. Movement is not only exercise—it is medicine.

In a world where longevity is increasing, developing skill in recovery, self-regulation, and integrative health is no longer optional. It is essential for living fully, moving well, and sustaining vitality across a lifetime.

I fully endorse and encourage you to seek out kung fu academic online!

Please go to https://www.kungfuacademic.com/onlinekungfucoaching. You will be pleased with the level of care and quality instruction provided by Sifu in Hung Gar Kung Fu Veronika "Verca" Partikova PhD Sport Psychologist. Look her up you will be pleased by the depth of instruction and your results.

Take care and walk well.

Hey folks, let me know what you think about the Running Man Podcast. Let me know where you're from and how you are doing in your little part of the world!

Support the show

intro outro music for episodes 1 through 111 done by Jonathan Dominguez Rogue musician. He can be found on youtube at Lazyman2303.

New musical intro and outro music created by Ed Fernandez guitarist extraordinaire. To get in contact with Ed please send me an email at runningmangetskillsproject@gmail.com and I will forward him the contact.

Donations are not expected but most certainly appreciated. Any funds will go toward further development of the podcast for equipment as we we grow the podcast. Many thanks in advance.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2216464/support

Ep 132. Play is not the opposite of discipline — it is the fastest path to mastery.

From early childhood to elite performance, play is one of the most powerful learning mechanisms available to the human nervous system. When we play, explore, and experiment, we engage curiosity, creativity, and our brain’s natural learning architecture. Failure, in this context, is not a verdict on identity — it is data. It provides feedback, information, and direction, showing us what doesn’t work so we can refine what does.

Failure does not define who you are.
Failure informs how you grow.

Every mistake becomes a stepping stone in the next phase of skill acquisition. This is how mastery evolves — not through judgment, but through iteration. Play activates mirror neurons, accelerates pattern recognition, and shortens the learning curve when we model, emulate, or follow skilled mentors. It is one of the most underutilized tools for rapid learning, self-regulation, and personal development.

As we move into 2026, this becomes an essential question:
What have you learned through emulation, mentorship, and direct experience?
How much did you gain by following a guide — and how much did you discover on your own?

This is an invitation to move forward with adventure, curiosity, and wonder — not perfection. Growth does not require becoming someone new. It requires returning to the natural learning state you were born with.

Play. Explore. Learn. Evolve.
Take care — and walk well.

Hey folks, let me know what you think about the Running Man Podcast. Let me know where you're from and how you are doing in your little part of the world!

Support the show

intro outro music for episodes 1 through 111 done by Jonathan Dominguez Rogue musician. He can be found on youtube at Lazyman2303.

New musical intro and outro music created by Ed Fernandez guitarist extraordinaire. To get in contact with Ed please send me an email at runningmangetskillsproject@gmail.com and I will forward him the contact.

Donations are not expected but most certainly appreciated. Any funds will go toward further development of the podcast for equipment as we we grow the podcast. Many thanks in advance.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2216464/support