Unleashing Self-Confidence - Lessons From Spartan Warriors And Special Operations Forces For Today'S Elite Mindset
00:00:00 Hello Listeners!
00:06:00 Who are the Spartans?
00:23:01 Who Are The Special Operations Forces?
00:24:58 How do the Special Operations Forces train?
Self-Confidence: The Spartan And Special Operations Way To Overcoming Fear And Building An Elite Mindset By Ryan Hunt
Hear it Here - https://adbl.co/3zC6sYL
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DZ1MG8B
In this episode, we explore how self-confidence is a key factor in the lives of elite warriors like the ancient Spartans and modern special operations forces such as Navy SEALS, Green Berets, British SAS, Marines Raiders & more. Discover their rigorous training methods that instill fearlessness amidst challenges to foster self-confidence. Learn key takeaways from these elite warriors' mentality in this eye-opening journey of conquering personal limitations and building an invincible mindset, inspired by the book "Self-Confidence - The Spartan And Special Operations Way."
1. Understanding who these elite forces are with a focus on US Navy SEALS & British SAS (Special Air Service).
2. Examining the intense training routines of Spartans and Special Operations Forces to build self-confidence, courageous mentality amidst fearlessness.
3. Discovering how these warriors harness this confidence in their professional lives for success against formidable odds; while sharing practical ways you can apply similar tactics into your personal life as well! Click the link below to hear more about our discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zC6sYL
Don't let fear hold back from achieving greatness, tune in today for an empowering journey of self-confidence inspired by these exceptional individuals!
Transcript
Hello Listeners!
Speaker:Today is March 27th, 2025.
Speaker:Join us on Voice Over Work as we delve into an episode where we explore "Self-Confidence: The Spartan And Special Operations Way To Overcoming Fear and Building An Elite Mindset" by Ryan Hunt.
Speaker:Dive straight in as the audiobook of this compelling read—available on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible for your convenience—unravels the secrets behind Self-Confidence with insights from elite warriors like Navy SEALS, Force RECON, Marine Raiders, Green Berets, Rangers, Night Stalkers, and members of the British Special Air Service.
Speaker:In this episode:
Speaker:"The Spartans" – learn how their discipline led to unparalleled confidence on battlefields over two millennia ago;
Speaker:“Special Operations Forces”—Understand what these elite soldiers and commandos do, the rigorous training regime they undergo in US military academies like West Point or Navy SEALs bootcamp.
Speaker:The episode explores how their self-confidence comes from understanding that it’s not about being fearless; rather realizing you can confront your worst nightmares —
Speaker:This podcast is sure to take listeners on a journey through the mindset of elite soldiers, giving insight into building and sustaining confidence in demanding environments.
Speaker:One of the most important elements of success is self-
Speaker:confidence.
Speaker:A lot of studies and research have been done to fully
Speaker:understand the concept of believing in oneself and how it can
Speaker:lead to a successful life.
Speaker:There are many successful individuals
Speaker:in your personal life that you can look up to.
Speaker:It can be your
Speaker:parents who have raised you and your siblings to be good people
Speaker:who have stable careers.
Speaker:It can be a friend who has overcome alcoholism and has been
Speaker:sober for several years now.
Speaker:Or it can be an acquaintance
Speaker:who runs her own business and travels the world in her free
Speaker:time.
Speaker:Even when you do not know someone personally, you
Speaker:can just look around you and you will see a lot of successful
Speaker:individuals—be it a celebrity, a businessman, athlete, an artist,
Speaker:a career person, etc.
Speaker:Aside from these amazing individuals, two groups of people
Speaker:stand out when it comes to being successful in everything that
Speaker:they do—the ancient Spartans and the Special Operations Forces.
Speaker:They may have come from two very different periods but the
Speaker:principles that they adhere to are more or less the same, which
Speaker:makes them highly successful groups of people.
Speaker:What makes the Spartans and Special Forces so unique?
Speaker:They
Speaker:are confident in everything that they do, otherwise, they will
Speaker:not be able to complete their training but you cannot simply
Speaker:lump them together with famous successful individuals such as
Speaker:Elon Musk or Peter Thiel.
Speaker:Their training is different because it
Speaker:encompasses physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual
Speaker:toughness.
Speaker:The successful individuals that you see all around
Speaker:you are admirable, but what sets the Spartans and the Special
Speaker:Operations Forces apart from these groups of people is self-
Speaker:confidence which stems from courage.
Speaker:Self-confidence is one
Speaker:thing, but having courage is a whole different level.
Speaker:You will
Speaker:learn more about how courage and fearlessness make a person
Speaker:more confident in everything that he does that leads to success
Speaker:when you start reading this book.
Speaker:You can apply the timeless
Speaker:principles used by the Spartans and Special Operations Forces
Speaker:to gain admiration and respect from your peers.
Speaker:In this book, you will learn many different things about self-
Speaker:confidence and fearlessness in relation to the training of the
Speaker:Spartans and Special Operations Forces.
Speaker:Some important points will be discussed in this book, such as:
Speaker:• Reasons why some people do not have self-confidence while
Speaker:others do not have a hard time believing in themselves
Speaker:• Ways on improving physical, emotional, and mental health
Speaker:• Techniques on how to take action and not just become a
Speaker:passive observer of the lives of successful people
Speaker:• Useful tips to overcome adversities in your life
Speaker:• Ways to get rid of fear to achieve self-confidence
Speaker:• Tips on how to stop doing bad habits and start doing good
Speaker:ones
Speaker:• Ways to become efficient, effective, and confident even on
Speaker:your worst days
Speaker:• Methods of defining your goals and objectives and how to
Speaker:achieve them the best way possible
Speaker:• Ideas on how to focus on your positive traits and assets and
Speaker:revealing talents that you do not know you have
Speaker:• Important behavior to have to achieve self-love and positive
Speaker:self-view
Speaker:• How to live a life free from fears and worries
Speaker:These are just some of the things that you will learn as you start
Speaker:reading this book.
Speaker:Start your journey to a more confident life
Speaker:right now!
:The Spartans and the Special Operations Forces
:85 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:06,880 SELF-CONFIDENCE
:Who are the Spartans?
:The first thing that you need to do is to learn more about the
:Spartans.
:You have most likely heard of them from books,
:movies, and pop culture.
:The Spartans were known for their self-
:discipline and fearlessness.
:They lived in Sparta, a Greek town
:situated in the southern Peloponnesian region.
:Today, Sparta is
:just like any other modern urban jungle, with concrete blocks of
:apartments and offices.
:Thousands of years ago, just hearing the
:name Sparta sparked fear, admiration, and reverence because
:the place was home to the most powerful warriors in ancient
:Greece, the Spartans.
:Countless stories have been written about
:them because their training is something to be admired.
:They
:became successful warriors and beat even the most powerful of
:rivals because of the kind of discipline they had.
:Aside from self-discipline and fearlessness, the Spartans are
:also known for their humble society.
:Ancient Greece back
:then, especially in major places like Athens, favored creating
:sophisticated structures made of marble.
:Sparta, on the other
:hand, maintained its cultural values of simplicity and austerity,
:with most of its structures built from wood and other simple
:yet sturdy materials.
:They focused mostly on military training
:and did not bother with frivolous and luxurious things.
:Their
:life revolved around being a successful warrior society—from
:the time a Spartan baby was born up to his death.
:This is
:probably one of the things that made them extremely successful
:warriors—their goal was clear and straightforward and every
:little thing that they did was geared towards achieving this goal.
:Their education system called the agoge was all about training
:the little boys to become exceptional soldiers.
:It is like a boot
:camp from daycare to college.
:They were also taught basic
:arithmetic, reading, and writing because a great warrior must
:also have basic knowledge of things but the education system
:was mostly about building physical and mental toughness by
:undergoing intensive training and dangerous exercises.
:In today’s world, the kind of training that the Spartans had to go
:through may not be applicable but you can learn a lot of things
:from these extraordinary people.
:How did the Spartans train?
:Human rights are not a common topic back in the day and you
:will see a lot of violations in how the Spartans trained.
:However,
:you can still learn a lot from these ancient warriors in terms of
:the kind of mindset that you should have to be self-confident.
:So what kind of training did the Spartans undergo?
:• Training started from infancy
:When a Spartan baby was born, he had to be inspected by a
:council to see if the baby was fit to become a soldier in the future.
:If physical defects were observed, the baby would be left to die
:or thrown at the foot of the mountain, although the latter was
:considered a myth by most historians.
:If the child was lucky, he
:would be rescued by strangers.
:If not, he would either die from
:animal attacks, exposure to the elements, or hunger and thirst.
:The lives of those babies who were considered fit to become
:soldiers in the future were not a walk in the park, either.
:When
:they started crying, the mothers would not pick them up.
:They
:would just leave them until they stop.
:The babies were also left
:in the dark by themselves to train to be fearless and were bathed
:in wine instead of plain water.
:This was considered ‘tough love’
:and it was so popular in ancient Greece even in neighboring
:states that Spartan women were highly regarded as excellent
:mothers and nurses.
:• The Agoge education system
:The state-sponsored education system in Sparta, called the
:Agoge, started when the boys turned 7.
:They had to be separated
:from their families to begin the difficult training regimen.
:Although the Agoge system was designed to train them to
:become exceptional soldiers and exemplary citizens when they
:grow up, the boys were still taught academics, the arts, and
:other subjects that are more or less military-related such as
:hunting, stealth, warfare, and sports.
:Older students aged 12
:were forced to sleep outside with nothing to wear but a red cloak.
:Stealing food from others or scavenging was encouraged but
:anyone who got caught would be punished, usually by flogging.
:These exercises taught them how to be resilient against the
:elements, resourceful despite having limited materials on hand,
:and stealthy especially when they had to cross over enemy lines.
:• Physical punishments and brawls
:In modern days, hazing is still being practiced by certain orga-
:nizations such as fraternities; it is not encouraged.
:In Sparta,
:hazing and fighting were encouraged to build tough men out of
:the Spartan boys.
:Adults and teachers would encourage fighting
:among younger boys and physical punishment was practiced
:because it made the boys tougher and entirely removed any form
:of timidity or cowardice.
:Physical punishments made it easier
:for them to endure hardships such as pain and hunger.
:Teasing
:and ridicule that often led to brawls also made the boys mentally
:stronger.
:There was even a religious ritual that involved flogging of
:the Spartan boys that sometimes led to death called the “dia-
:mastigosis”.
:This was done at the sanctuary Artemis Orthia in
:front of an altar.
:This also served as a physical test for courage
:and pain endurance.
:As time went by and Sparta was no longer
:considered a military powerhouse, this practice became a blood
:sport done in amphitheaters where spectators watched and
:cheered.
:• The Spartan diet
:At age 21, a student of the agoge would be allowed to eat at
:a military-style mess called the “syssitia”.
:This was where
:citizens ate their meals.
:You might think that there was a
:buffet and the food was a feast but this was far from what they
:served at the syssitia.
:The main purpose of the mess was to
:prepare soldiers for war when food was scarce, which is why
:they served bland, unflavored, and insufficient meals.
:They
:also discouraged being overweight and unfit, so overeating was
:highly discouraged.
:The Spartans were well known for their
:strict diet and exercise regiment which made them physically
:fit.
:People who were overweight were loathed and ridiculed and
:were also at risk of being permanently banished from Sparta.
:When it comes to drinking, Spartans loved drinking wine but
:drunkenness was frowned upon.
:In fact, they would make Helots
:drunk and allowed them to act wildly, which they would then
:show to their children as an example of why getting drunk was
:not a good thing.
:• The Spartan women
:While boys were trained to become skilled warriors, the Spartan
:girls were trained to become mothers and wives of Spartan
:soldiers.
:They did not have to leave their homes and stayed with
:their parents but their education and training system were just
:as intensive and rigorous.
:Spartan women should bear children
:and should train to become strong and tough mothers.
:Their
:subjects include physical activities such as discus throwing,
:javelin, gymnastics, and dancing.
:The girls would ridicule and
:shame trainees who were lagging while performing a song in
:front of the Spartan dignitaries.
:• The different classes in the Spartan society
:Since the society was all about the military and producing elite
:soldiers, it is not surprising that the highest class in Sparta
:was the military class called the “Homoioi”.
:If a man wanted to
:become an equal citizen, the only option was to become a soldier.
:Being in the military was not only a career but it was also a way
:of life and it dictated a man’s place in society.
:It was a lifelong
:commitment because a soldier could remain on duty until they
:reached 60.
:You might ask, how could this type of society survive if the
:only thing that mattered for them was the military?
:They also
:had trades and manufacturing but the people who worked in
:these areas were considered inferior as compared to the military
:men.
:People who were not in the military and instead worked
:as laborers, craftsmen, and traders belonged to the lower class
:in the Spartan society called the “Perioeci”.
:They were free but
:were considered as non-citizens and they lived in Laconia.
:Meanwhile, the “Helots” or the slaves who worked in agriculture
:and were generally responsible for the food production were the
:lowest class.
:It is interesting to note that the Spartans focused
:so much on building a strong military because there was always
:a threat of the Helots, which comprised the majority of the
:Spartan population, revolting against the state.
:• Marriage was encouraged
:The Spartans were not discouraged to have relationships and get
:married but the main reason for getting married was to conceive
:more Spartan soldiers.
:Because of this, citizens of the state
:were encouraged to choose partners who were physically fit and
:healthy so that they would produce babies who had a higher
:chance of becoming excellent soldiers.
:Men were supposed
:to stay inside the military barracks until they reached the age
:of 30, which means that they would be separated from their
:wives if they married young.
:Marriage, giving birth, and child-
:rearing were strictly monitored by the Spartan government.
:If
:a male Spartan could not make his wife pregnant, he had to
:allow his wife to be impregnated by a virile male so that they
:would have children.
:Male Spartans who were at the right age
:to get married but had not yet tied the knot would be subject to
:mockery and ridicule because it was seen as shirking from their
:responsibilities.
:• Surrendering was not an option
:Surrendering to their enemies was considered cowardice.
:It was
:seen as a disgrace, and soldiers who surrendered despite putting
:up a good fight were shamed by their peers that most of them just
:ended up killing themselves.
:Spartan soldiers were expected to
:fight to the death.
:It was either winning or die fighting.
:Soldiers
:who surrendered could only redeem themselves by later on dying
:in battle, if they did not commit suicide first.
:If you think their wives or mothers would take their husbands’
:or sons’ sides, you are wrong because Spartan women also had
:a do-or-die approach when it came to wars or battles.
:It was
:said that they would tell the line “return with your shield or on
:it” to their husbands or sons when sending them to war, which
:means that they should only come back home as a successful
:combatant or a dead soldier who dies fighting.
:Both of these
:scenarios were considered as soldiers fulfilling their duties to
:the state.
:In Sparta, only soldiers who died fighting in war and
:women who died in childbirth were the only ones who could
:have their names on their tombstones.
:Who Are The Special Operations Forces?
:The Special Operations Forces are probably the closest counter-
:part of the Spartans in modern times.
:They are military units
:that conduct special operations such as anti-terrorism activities,
:sabotage, hostage rescue, counter-insurgency, unconventional
:warfare, and scouting or reconnaissance.
:These operations
:require speed, stealth, special tactics, and quick thinking which
:is why people who belong to the Special Operations Forces
:require intensive training of the body and mind.
:Some of the most famous Special Operations Forces in the
:United States are the Navy SEALS, Force RECON, Marine Raiders,
:Green Berets, Rangers, Night Stalkers, and Air Force Special
:Tactics, to name a few.
:These are groups inside the Army,
:Navy,Marines and Air Force but they undergo more advanced
:and rigorous to be able to perform Special Operations tasks.
:Other countries also have their elite forces such as SAS or
:the British Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service which
:is the Navy SEAL counterpart in the U.K., SayeretMatkal in
:Israel, National Gendarmerie Intervention Group in France, the
:Russian Alpha Group, and the Unidad de OperacionesEspeciales
:in Spain.
:How do the Special Operations Forces train?
:The training of these groups of soldiers is different from the
:training of the Spartans but the principle is more or less the
:same—developing stamina, fearlessness, and mental strength
:to be able to succeed in military activities.
:• Physical training
:1.
:One of the most important skills to master as a Special
:Operations soldier is running.
:You should run at least 25 to
:30 miles per week if you want to avoid injuries such as knee
:tendonitis or shin splints.
:You will not only be running
:fast but you will be running with a heavy load on your back.
:Your lungs and legs must be always prepared to run.
:2.
:A Special Operations soldier will be carrying heavy loads
:on his back such as backpacks with all his supplies, logs,
:or even an injured comrade.
:It is important to main-
:tain a strong lower back.
:There are special exercises to
:strengthen the lower back such as body drags, dead lift,
:fireman carries, farmer walks, and hang clean.
:If you are
:not carrying a heavy load on your back while walking, you
:will be standing all day, which also puts a strain on the
:back.
:3.
:You might be required to swim in a body of water as part
:of the Special Operations that you have to participate in.
:Normal swimming activity is a great aerobic exercise but
:you should also practice survival swimming, wherein you
:have to swim in the water with your full military uniform
:and combat boots on.
:While in battle or doing some other
:Special Operations tasks, you will not have the luxury to
:change to proper swimming attire.
:You have to swim in the
:water with your clothes and boots on.
:You might want to
:improve your swimming skills first by doing regular lapses
:in the pool before training for survival swimming.
:These are just some examples of physical training that an elite
:soldier has to undergo.
:There are many more types of exercises
:that focus on different parts of the body and are more difficult
:to execute but these are better left explained at the boot camp,
:if you ever decide to become a Special Operations soldier.
:• Land navigation
:Being able to read the map and the compass is a must if you want
:to pass the Special Operations training with flying colors.
:You
:will not always be assigned to a familiar location.
:More often
:than not, Special Operations soldiers are sent overseas or to
:an unfamiliar territory, and they must know how to go to their
:intended destination or to lead their troops back to their camp.
:• Combatives
:The Elite Forces also have to train different forms of hand-to-
:hand combat such as Jiujitsu.
:This teaches soldiers how to
:fight without using advanced weapons and at the same time
:the training instills in them the values of a great warrior and the
:confidence of knowing that their own body is enough to win a
:fight against the enemy.
:• Sniper training
:This is not just about hitting your target from afar.
:Sniper train-
:ing also involves surveillance and the use of ballistic computers.
:Digital photography is also taught because some situations
:require taking photos of subjects or areas.
:This may sound
:morbid but they are also taught the proper use of a semi-
:automatic rifle to hollow out the skull of the target.
:The main
:purpose of learning how to shoot is to ensure that you do it
:properly.
:If the command is to shoot to kill, then the enemy has
:to be killed in one shot.
:There is another form of sniper shooting called aerial platform
:support where the sniper has to shoot the target while in a
:moving helicopter.
:This is a more advanced sniper skill because
:the shooter is moving and the target can be either stationary or
:in motion.
:• Explosive breaching
:This is when they have to enter an enemy structure or compound
:by destroying an entrance.
:You have probably seen this done
:in movies where the soldiers blow down a metal door or other
:blockages to enter an enemy building.
:Doing this is not only a
:quick and efficient way to gain entry but it also adds an element
:of shock and surprise to the bad guys.
:This is a lot more than
:bombing a door because it requires technical skill when it comes
:to deciding the kind of explosive to use.
:Moreover, they are not
:allowed to fail the first attempt because it gives the enemy a
:warning that someone is trying to break in.
:• Helocasting and fast-roping
:This is another infiltration technique that the elite forces have
:to train for before they go to their mission.
:This is when the
:helicopter flies low over a body of water and the soldier is
:expected to jump and swim to shore.
:This is of course done
:when the place being infiltrated is surrounded by a body of water.
:These days, this is not commonly being used because most of the
:operations and missions are done in the desert or mountains.
:Another similar technique is fast-roping where the soldiers have
:to slide down or climb up a braided rope attached to a moving
:helicopter for insertion or extraction purposes.
:This can be
:tricky because soldiers usually carry heavy combat equipment
:which is why proper training is necessary.
:• Mobility
:Soldiers have to drive different kinds of special operation ve-
:hicles such as armored gun trucks, ATVs, and dirt bikes.
:The
:last two are highly utilized in Afghanistan because of the kind
:of terrain in the area.
:Another type of vehicle is a tactical
:vehicle that looks normal from the outside but carries combat
:equipment such as rocket launchers, hand grenades, and bullets.
:Special Operations soldiers are also taught how to shoot while
:driving at the same time.
:• Combat diving
:Maritime special operations require proper training which
:includes aquatic and subsurface infiltration.
:Special scuba
:diving equipment and re-breathers are used so that the soldiers
:underwater will not produce bubbles or other indications that
:someone is underwater just waiting to resurface.
:The kind of
:training that they have to go through is now only about diving
:but also about drown-proofing, physics, navigation underwater,
:physiology, operation of small boats, use of kayak and inflatable
:boats, and many more.
:• Military free-fall
:You have seen in the movies how elite soldiers jump off an
:airplane with their parachutes on.
:This is a real-life skill
:that special operations soldiers have to learn.
:There are two
:types of parachuting—high-altitude high-opening and high-
:altitude low-opening.
:The high altitude makes it difficult for the
:jumpers to breathe, that is why they have to be on oxygen during
:the process.
:The difference between the two is the distance of
:the soldier from the ground before deploying the parachute.
:The
:first type is when the parachute is deployed at 30,000 feet above
:ground or immediately after jumping off the plane while the
:second type is when the parachute is deployed at only 4,000 feet
:above ground.
:This is difficult because the soldiers have to wear
:full combat uniform and are expected to fight almost as soon as
:they touch the ground.
:• Rapport-building
:So what is rapport-building exactly?
:Are the Special Operations
:Forces expected to be friends with their enemies?
:This is about
:building a strong relationship with an ally—this could be a host
:country or a counterpart unit whom you have to work with side
:by side.
:It is important that you get along with these people and
:you have trust and good communication if you want your special
:operation mission to succeed.
:You might have excellent combat
:skills, technical know-how, and advanced military equipment
:but knowing how to handle people, especially potential allies is
:equally, if not more important.
:These are the things that the Spartans of old, and modern Special
:Operations Forces have to go through to complete their training.
:The difficulty of these training exercises and completing them
:are a huge factor in the self-confidence of these warriors and
:soldiers.
:This does not mean, however, that you need to undergo the
:same training.
:What is important is that you focus on the things
:that made the Spartans and Special Operations Forces confident
:in what they do.
:And the major common factor is courage or
:fearlessness.
:But first, you have to understand the psychology of confidence
:by reading the next few chapters.
:Welcome back listeners!
:Thank you so much for tuning into Voice Over Work.
:Today we had an incredible discussion diving deep into Ryan Hunt’s book, 'Self-Confidence: The Spartan and Special Operations Way to Overcoming Fear & Building An Elite Mindset.'
:Today's conversation focused mainly around building self-confidence, courage, fearlessness and understanding how these traits were ingrained in ancient Spartan warriors as well as modern Special Operations Forces (SOF).
:We explored that the key to unlocking our inner strength lies not just within us but also through embracing challenges head on.
:Throughout this journey, we have discussed essential factors for building self-confidence and resilience in high-stress situations without having undergone any similar training as Spartans or SOF members did – though I'm not saying it isn’t beneficial to learn from their mindset.
:It is quite evident that these warriors possess a unique sense of confidence, which they have cultivated through constant hardship and challenges over the years - something we can all aspire towards in our own lives!
:Now it's time to take action and implement these valuable lessons in your life!
:Start by picking up a copy of Ryan Hunt’s book, 'Self-Confidence: The Spartan And Special Operations Way To Overcoming Fear & Building An Elite Mindset.'
:Then challenge yourself today with something uncomfortable – maybe public speaking or trying out that new exercise routine - and remember to listen back on previous episodes of Voice over Work for further inspiration.
:Until next time, stay courageous!