Winning $315 million in the lottery should have been the best thing that ever happened to Jack Whittaker. Instead, it ruined his life.

Within a few years, he was broke, his family was destroyed, and he wished he had never won at all. Why? Because money doesn’t fix your problems—it magnifies them.

This is the true story of how sudden success can be a curse, not a blessing—and what it teaches us about handling success before it handles you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔥 The insane rise and fall of Jack Whittaker—how he went from millionaire to rock bottom

🔥 Why most people self-destruct when they get what they want

🔥 How money, power, and success expose who you really are

🔥 The psychology of sudden wealth—and why most people lose it all

🔥 A challenge to make sure you’re building habits that keep you strong—before success shows up

Because getting what you want doesn’t make you stronger—it just makes you more of what you already are.

He had no real qualifications. No degrees. No training. And yet, he convinced the world he was a doctor, a lawyer, a pilot, and a college professor—without ever stepping foot in a classroom.

Frank Abagnale Jr. didn’t just forge checks—he forged identities. He didn’t beat the system by being the smartest guy in the room—he beat it by understanding how people think.

This is the true story of one of history’s greatest conmen, and what it reveals about confidence, perception, and why people believe what they expect to be true.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔥 How Frank Abagnale Jr. tricked banks, airlines, hospitals, and law firms into believing he was legit

🔥 The psychology of deception—why confidence matters more than competence

🔥 How to use perception and body language to influence how people see you

🔥 Why most people are held back by doubt—while others fake it ‘til they make it

🔥 A challenge to start owning the room and acting like you belong—before anyone questions it

The world doesn’t run on reality—it runs on belief. And the people who understand that? They don’t just play the game. They win it.

You think you’re in control. You think you decide when to act, when to speak, when to move. But what if I told you your brain makes decisions before you’re even aware of them?

In the 1980s, neuroscientist Benjamin Libet ran an experiment that shook the foundations of philosophy and psychology. His research suggested that your choices aren’t really yours—your brain decides first, and your conscious mind just takes credit afterward.

So what does that mean for free will? Are we all just biological machines running on autopilot? Or is there a way to hack the system?

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔥 The mind-blowing experiment that suggests your brain makes choices before you do

🔥 Why free will might be a lie—or at least, not what we think it is

🔥 How your habits and environment might be controlling your decisions without you realizing it

🔥 The veto effect—how to take back control of your mind in the split second before you act

🔥 A mental challenge to start recognizing when you’re actually in control—and when you’re not

Because if you’re not making your own decisions… who is?

Seven years. That’s how long James Stockdale survived as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Beaten, starved, locked in solitary confinement—every single day designed to break him. But he didn’t break. He found a way to outlast the pain, control his own mind, and stay strong when everything was designed to destroy him.

This is the story of a man who turned torture into a test of willpower, and what it teaches us about surviving our own battles. Because suffering isn’t what breaks you—how you handle it is.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔥 The insane true story of James Stockdale’s survival in a Vietnamese prison camp

🔥 How to control your mind when everything is against you

🔥 The Stockdale Paradox—why balancing brutal honesty with hope is the key to endurance

🔥 The mental strategies POWs used to resist breaking under torture

🔥 A practical challenge to help you train your mind for resilience—starting today

Pain doesn’t break you. Panic does. The strongest people aren’t fearless—they just know how to fight their battles in the mind first.

For 29 years, Hiroo Onoda believed he was still at war. Alone in the jungle, cut off from reality, he refused to surrender—even when the world had moved on without him. This is the true story of a soldier who fought an invisible enemy long after the battle was over, and what it teaches us about knowing when to let go.

Most people aren’t stuck in the jungle with a rifle—they’re stuck in jobs, relationships, and mindsets that should have ended years ago. In this episode, we break down why people refuse to quit, how to recognize when you’re fighting the wrong battle, and what it really takes to walk away. Because the scariest thing in life isn’t losing the war—it’s wasting years fighting one that already ended.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔥 The insane true story of Hiroo Onoda—the soldier who refused to surrender for 29 years

🔥 Why people stay stuck in unwinnable battles (and how to spot when you’re doing it)

🔥 The sunk cost fallacy—how your brain tricks you into holding onto things that no longer serve you

🔥 The psychology of quitting—why it’s not failure, it’s strategy

🔥 A practical challenge to help you recognize what’s holding you back right now

Because sometimes, the strongest thing you can do… is walk away.

Winners never quit—except when they do, and it’s the smartest damn thing they’ve ever done. This is the true story of a spy who risked everything, stole war-changing intel, and then made the hardest call of all: walking away. Why? Because survival isn’t just about endurance—it’s about knowing when to pivot. In this episode, we break down the psychology of quitting as strategy, why the sunk cost fallacy is keeping you stuck, and how to know when it’s time to cut the rope. Because sometimes, the strongest move isn’t pushing through—it’s letting go.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Do Hard Sh!t, we’re looking ahead to 2025 and breaking down how to redefine what success means to you. Forget the hustle culture and endless comparison—this is about building a version of success that aligns with your values and creates lasting fulfillment. I’ll share simple, actionable habits that can transform the way you approach your goals and help you crush the upcoming year with purpose and clarity.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

•Why traditional success metrics might not be serving you.

•How to define success on your own terms for 2025.

•The key habits that help you stay consistent and focused.

•How to align your daily actions with your long-term vision.

•Practical tips for creating a sustainable and fulfilling life.

Call to Action:

Ready to take charge of your success in 2025? Start with one habit from this episode and make it part of your daily routine. Share your progress with me on Instagram @dohardshitofficial or tag me using #DoHardShit.

Weekly Challenge:

Choose one habit you want to build in 2025. Write it down, set a plan, and stick to it for the next 7 days.

Stay Connected:

•Follow me on Instagram or YouTube @SethCapehartMD

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Do Hard Sh!t, I’m sharing some of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned from my time in the ER. When people face the end of their lives, their regrets often reveal what truly matters. These stories will challenge you to reflect on your own life and make the changes needed to live fully, so you can avoid the pain of looking back and wondering, “What if?”

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

•Common regrets people express at the end of their lives.

•How to identify what matters most to you and live with intention.

•Why avoiding hard things now leads to deeper regret later.

•The importance of building a life aligned with your values.

•How to use these lessons to make bold changes today.

Call to Action:

Don’t wait until it’s too late to live the life you want. Take five minutes today to reflect on one thing you’d regret not doing and take a single step toward it. Share your commitment with me on Instagram @dohardshitofficial or tag me using #DoHardShit.

Weekly Challenge:

Write down one thing you’d regret not doing if your life ended tomorrow. Then, take one bold step toward it this week.

Stay Connected:

•Follow me on Instagram or YouTube @SethCapehartMD