The Adopted Kid Who Built His Own Tribe | Chris Burns

"It's less about what goal can I conquer and it's more about what makes me feel right in being alive."

This conversation starts with jiu-jitsu but quickly moves into much bigger territory. Chris and I talk about adoption, belonging, depression, fatherhood, purpose, service, and what it means to build a life that feels meaningful rather than merely successful. If you've ever felt like an outsider or wondered what actually makes life worth living, there's a lot here to think about.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/chrisburns240/

Chris 'Bones' Burns is a Rickson Gracie black belt, educator and founder of Academy Jiu-Jitsu in Sydney. Known for his obsession with fundamentals and his refreshingly honest take on life, Chris helps people think more deeply about self-defence, purpose, belonging and becoming more fully themselves.

Most people will look at Chris Burns and see a jiu-jitsu black belt. What they might miss is the deeper question that has driven much of his life: what actually makes being alive feel worthwhile? In a world obsessed with status, followers, achievement and constant optimisation, Chris offers a different perspective. One built around belonging, service, presence, family and finding the things that make you feel right in yourself. This conversation explores what happens when you stop chasing what looks impressive and start paying attention to what feels meaningful. The answer may be simpler than most of us expect.

• This episode is for you if you've achieved things in life but still feel like something important is missing.

• This episode is for you if you're tired of chasing what looks impressive and want to figure out what actually matters to you.

• This episode is for you if you've ever struggled to feel like you belong, even when you're surrounded by other people.

#chrisburns #bjj #adoption #findyourself #belonging #depression #fatherhood #purpose #service #grappling #ricksongracie #academyjiujitsu #betruetoyourself

"You can't outrun yourself, but you can choose a different direction."

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/tomjenkins239/

What if the habits ruining your life aren't the real problem?

For years, Tom Jenkins blamed the drinking, gambling, porn, failed relationships and reckless behaviour.

But underneath it all was something far deeper:

A man who didn't believe he was enough.

The uncomfortable truth?

Tom knew something wasn't right for years.

He knew he wasn't happy.
He knew the behaviours weren't helping.
He knew he wanted more from life.

But awareness alone wasn't enough to change.

🎙️ Meet Tom Jenkins — author of The Drunk Gambler with Erectile Dysfunction, entrepreneur, traveller, conservationist, and a man who spent years searching for meaning in all the wrong places.

After decades of alcohol, gambling, pornography, failed relationships, self-sabotage and chasing the next escape, Tom eventually discovered that the thing he was really searching for wasn't out there — it was within himself.

In this brutally honest conversation, Tom shares the mistakes, regrets, lessons and turning points that helped him stop running from himself and finally build a life worth living.

We explore self-worth, loneliness, addiction, intimacy, masculinity, purpose, and why so many men spend years searching for answers everywhere except within themselves.

This isn't a story about addiction.

It's a story about self-worth.

It's a story about facing yourself.

And it's a story about discovering that no amount of success, pleasure, travel, or distraction can fix a problem you refuse to confront.

#TheNextLevelGuyShow #MensMentalHealth #SelfWorth #PersonalGrowth #MensWork #MentalHealthAwareness #SelfImprovement #PurposeDrivenLife #Masculinity #Confidence #MindsetShift #OvercomingAddiction #GrowthMindset
#PodcastLife #TomJenkins #podcast

He looked fine on the outside — but was writing "I want to die" on his school papers.

🎙️ Meet Sam Eaton — once battling depression in silence, now helping thousands of men take their first step back into life.

This episode will help you realise you're not broken — you've just never been shown how to deal with what's in your head.

You'll finally understand why you feel stuck, flat, or disconnected — even when life looks fine on paper.

This will help you name what's actually going on inside you — instead of just calling it "stress" or ignoring it.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/sameaton238/

You'll walk away with a way to start again — without needing to fix your entire life first.

You'll feel less alone, less ashamed, and more capable of taking your first step forward — even if you've been stuck for years.

Sam Eaton is an author, speaker, and founder of Recklessly Alive, a suicide prevention organization sprinting toward a world with zero deaths by suicide. Sam has spoken at over two hundred and fifty events throughout the U.S. sharing his story of battling depression and suicidal thoughts. Sam holds a master's degree in educational leadership which he utilized to create the Recklessly Alive Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to bringing mental health awareness to young people.

Sam's first book, Recklessly Alive, was released in January 2021 and reached the top 200 best-selling books on Amazon. He has amassed more than 175,000 followers on Instagram and over 90,000 followers on TikTok. His newest book, You Can Do This: Daily Affirmations to Live Recklessly Alive published by Harper Collins is available now. Sam currently resides in Minneapolis, MN, where he enjoys collecting vinyl records, lifting moderately heavy weights, and trying every flavor of Oreos.

#podcast #nextlevelguy #sameaton #recklesslyalive #newbook #author #youcandothis #suicide #changeyourlife #itsworthit #mentalhealth #depression