Podcast: The High Performance
Published Date:
Fri, 30 Dec 2022 01:00:18 GMT
Duration:
6:25
Explicit:
False
Guests:
MP3 Audio:
Please note that the summary is generated based on the transcript and may not capture all the nuances or details discussed in the podcast episode.
Oli France has led many expeditions, guiding groups through some of the world’s most hostile destinations, from Syria to Iraq, Somalia to Siberia, Congo to Yemen. Here, he has encountered countless bleak situations. He has been caught in a 6.9 magnitude earthquake, held at gunpoint, detained for 5 days on the Afghan border and severely ill with meningitis, while facing spies, interrogations, militia groups, avalanches and more. All this, while attempting to complete intrepid journeys across the globe. What he has learned, however, is that in the bleakest places and the hardest situations we can encounter untold beauty, if we allow ourselves to find it.
His experiences have helped him to develop a range of mental strategies, which he will share alongside harrowing and uplifting stories from his adventures:
With these guiding principles, we can begin to realise that the difficulties we face need not define us or limit our aspirations. We have the power to seek the good amongst the bad, to find resilience through adversity, and to become undaunted by even the harshest setbacks. Even in the darkest places, we hold the power within us to uncover the light.
Watch the full keynote here on The High Performance Circle (you can sign up for free): https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/all-content/oli-france-finding-light-in-the-darkest-places
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**Navigating Adversity and Finding Light in Darkest Places: Lessons from Oli France's Expedition**
Oli France, an experienced expedition leader, has encountered countless bleak situations during his journeys through some of the world's most hostile destinations. From natural disasters to political unrest, he has faced life-threatening challenges that have tested his resilience and perspective.
Through his experiences, Oli has developed a range of mental strategies that enable him to reframe ambitious goals, transform dire situations into positive outcomes, and overcome restrictive perspectives. He emphasizes the importance of seeking the good amidst the bad, finding resilience through adversity, and remaining undaunted even in the harshest setbacks.
Oli's keynote speech, delivered to the High Performance Circle, delves into these guiding principles and offers valuable insights for personal and professional growth. He shares a particularly poignant moment during his expedition across Lake Baikal, where he received news of his wife's pregnancy while facing extreme physical and mental challenges.
Despite the conflicting emotions and the allure of returning home, Oli persevered, reminding himself that his purpose was to continue hauling his sled, step by step. He refined his vision to focus solely on the task at hand, eliminating distractions and self-doubt.
Oli's determination and unwavering focus eventually led him to complete the expedition, becoming one of the first people to finish it solo and unsupported. His story highlights the power of mental resilience, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and the importance of maintaining a clear and unwavering vision.
Oli's experiences and insights offer valuable lessons for navigating adversity, overcoming challenges, and finding light in the darkest places. By embracing these principles, individuals can cultivate a mindset that empowers them to seek the good, find resilience, and achieve their goals, even in the face of daunting obstacles.
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[01:22.600 -> 01:39.560] That's mintmobile.com.hpp Hi there, welcome along to another episode of the High Performance Podcast.
[01:39.560 -> 01:43.360] We know you don't always have an hour or an hour and a half to dedicate to us, but we're
[01:43.360 -> 01:45.380] still keen to give you a bit of goodness,
[01:45.380 -> 01:48.120] sometimes in a slightly shorter format.
[01:48.120 -> 01:51.060] Are you a subscriber to the High Performance Circle?
[01:51.060 -> 01:52.840] Okay, if you're not, then you're about to hear
[01:52.840 -> 01:55.680] some content from the Circle that is really fantastic.
[01:55.680 -> 01:57.560] And let me just explain what it is very quickly.
[01:57.560 -> 02:00.600] So the Circle is a way for us to give you more.
[02:00.600 -> 02:02.920] And we've said so many times this podcast
[02:02.920 -> 02:10.340] is about outcome, not about income. So it's totally free to be a member of the circle and you will get keynotes. You will get high performance boosts
[02:10.340 -> 02:16.760] You will get offers. You will get exclusive news. You will also get an inspirational weekly email from the team
[02:17.120 -> 02:22.240] So if you would like to subscribe, all you have to do is go to the high performance podcast comm
[02:22.720 -> 02:26.960] Forward slash the circle or just click on the link in the description
[02:26.960 -> 02:27.920] to this podcast.
[02:27.920 -> 02:30.540] But we were joined recently on the high performance circle
[02:30.540 -> 02:32.560] by Oli France,
[02:32.560 -> 02:34.720] who delivered an incredible keynote speech to us.
[02:34.720 -> 02:36.620] And I'm about to share a little bit of that with you.
[02:36.620 -> 02:39.480] So Oli is an expedition leader who leads groups
[02:39.480 -> 02:41.840] through some of the world's most hostile destinations.
[02:41.840 -> 02:43.600] We're talking here about the places
[02:43.600 -> 02:45.200] that you and I don't go on holiday.
[02:45.920 -> 02:48.560] He has seen the bleakest of situations.
[02:48.560 -> 02:52.480] He has been in situations that are incredibly scary,
[02:52.480 -> 02:56.480] where the difference between life and death is mere moments.
[02:56.480 -> 02:57.360] So what's he learned?
[02:57.920 -> 03:00.480] How has that reframed the way that he sees the world?
[03:00.480 -> 03:04.960] What can he tell you that can help you deal with the things in your life even better?
[03:04.960 -> 03:09.040] How do you become the master of your life and realize that actually the perspective
[03:09.040 -> 03:14.200] of your life is so much more important than anything else? He has guiding principles that
[03:14.200 -> 03:18.160] I think are going to be a real game changer for you. So if you want to hear the full keynote
[03:18.160 -> 03:23.720] from Oli France, subscribe to the High Performance Circle. There you'll find a rich treasure
[03:23.720 -> 03:25.320] trove of amazing content. But right now, for you, here is rich treasure trove of amazing content.
[03:25.320 -> 03:30.320] But right now for you, here is a little snippet of what Oli France shared with
[03:30.320 -> 03:32.320] us on the High Performance Circle.
[03:34.240 -> 03:38.760] On the seventh day of my expedition, I was approaching a critical point on the
[03:38.760 -> 03:45.440] lake. I was walking past the final village before 200 miles of total wilderness.
[03:46.280 -> 03:52.440] And so if you're feeling like you can't make it to the end, if your food supplies or fuel is running low,
[03:52.720 -> 03:57.960] or you're not sure you've got the fitness, this is the last easy point to bail.
[03:58.720 -> 04:03.520] I knew that if I carried on, any form of rescue would be very, very difficult.
[04:03.520 -> 04:03.840] on, any form of rescue would be very, very difficult.
[04:09.040 -> 04:09.200] And I'd heard from my local contacts that the weather was due to get much worse
[04:12.640 -> 04:13.840] and the snow far deeper on the northern part of the lake.
[04:18.960 -> 04:19.680] And it was as I was crossing this village that the most unexpected thing happened.
[04:24.920 -> 04:26.000] I received a phone call from my wife and she told me she was expecting our first child.
[04:26.000 -> 04:30.720] I'm going to be honest, my mind went into meltdown as I heard this news and I felt so
[04:30.720 -> 04:32.080] conflicted.
[04:32.080 -> 04:38.960] All I wanted to do was to get off into this village and get home as quickly as possible.
[04:38.960 -> 04:48.080] Walking away to the north into incoming storms and uncertainty was a very, very hard decision. One which in the
[04:48.080 -> 04:57.040] following days I would almost come to regret. What followed was the most difficult day of my life.
[04:58.400 -> 05:06.040] It was far in the northern reaches of Lake Baikal, a hundred miles from any civilization
[05:06.040 -> 05:08.320] where I'd encountered mile upon mile
[05:08.320 -> 05:12.440] of impossible to cross ice rubble, deep snow.
[05:12.440 -> 05:14.360] And that meant that my snow sled,
[05:14.360 -> 05:16.240] which had glided along on the bare ice,
[05:16.240 -> 05:18.080] fine on the southern part of the lake,
[05:18.080 -> 05:21.040] now felt more like an anchor.
[05:21.040 -> 05:23.000] My average pace of three miles an hour
[05:23.000 -> 05:25.520] was now less than one mile an hour.
[05:25.520 -> 05:31.640] The strains on my body, in my hips, my knees, my joints, my shoulders were aching more
[05:31.640 -> 05:36.480] than ever and every step forward felt like an impossible distance.
[05:36.480 -> 05:42.600] The finish line which had seemed so close seemed to extend way into the distance.
[05:42.600 -> 05:46.280] But it was one of those pure moments
[05:46.280 -> 05:49.000] where now I was left alone.
[05:49.000 -> 05:51.200] I've gone past all those difficult decisions
[05:51.200 -> 05:52.920] and debates in my mind,
[05:52.920 -> 05:55.220] and it was just me and my vision.
[05:55.220 -> 05:59.040] My one purpose on earth was to continue walking
[05:59.040 -> 06:01.680] step after step with my sled.
[06:01.680 -> 06:04.740] And I remember repeating this strange mantra in my mind,
[06:04.740 -> 06:09.800] which seems so strange to say now where I told myself you are a sled hauling machine
[06:09.800 -> 06:16.640] that is your only purpose in life just keep on hauling that sled. I'd refined my
[06:16.640 -> 06:22.160] vision right down to me and that sled on that ice and the only thing that was
[06:22.160 -> 06:25.780] stopping me from moving forward was myself.
[06:25.780 -> 06:31.900] Eventually the hard work became worth it, the storms eased and I finally made it
[06:31.900 -> 06:37.520] to the northernmost point of the lake. In 16 days I'd done 16 back-to-back
[06:37.520 -> 06:43.160] marathons, completing around 900,000 steps to become one of the first people
[06:43.160 -> 06:48.400] to finish this expedition solo and unsupported.
[06:48.400 -> 06:50.720] And it was around this time in March, 2020,
[06:50.720 -> 06:54.040] that I learned that the world was now gripped
[06:54.040 -> 06:57.600] by this global COVID pandemic.
[06:57.600 -> 07:00.540] Made things interesting to say the least.
[07:00.540 -> 07:03.120] I squeezed out of Russia in the nick of time
[07:03.120 -> 07:05.520] and Expedition Baikal was complete
[07:10.280 -> 07:16.500] Well, what a special person and Oli can I just say thank you so much for bringing your experience your wisdom your lessons
[07:17.500 -> 07:22.620] Your stories to high performance and just a reminder if you've listened to that and you want more
[07:22.900 -> 07:25.360] It's totally free to get
[07:30.280 -> 07:32.480] Hours and hours of amazing access to incredible people. We don't want to charge you for this stuff We want to make an impact for everyone
[07:32.480 -> 07:36.720] We don't believe that your finances should be a barrier to you getting this content
[07:36.720 -> 07:40.680] And I would love you just to subscribe to the high performance circle
[07:40.680 -> 07:46.320] Click the link in the description to this podcast or go to thehighperformancepodcast.com
[07:46.320 -> 07:48.920] forward slash the circle.
[07:48.920 -> 07:51.260] Thank you so much for continuing to share the learnings
[07:51.260 -> 07:53.620] and spread the word around this podcast.
[07:53.620 -> 07:55.380] It makes such a difference to us.
[07:55.380 -> 07:59.460] Remember, stay humble, stay curious, stay empathetic,
[07:59.460 -> 08:01.220] and we'll see you again soon.
[08:01.220 -> 08:02.060] Bye for now.
[07:56.880 -> 07:58.880] again soon. Bye for now.