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“Psssst, you’re on watch” Those dreaded words.I wake up and think: “Can´t be…….no way.” 😃
My sleeping bag is nice and warm.Outside, the desert is freezing cold.Pitch-black. No moon tonight. No light pollution. Nothing but a gazillion stars and vague contours of our vehicles. I sleep with my clothes and boots on. Always Ready for Action. All my gear is cold.I put it on by touch and feel the cold…
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10 Years ago today, I woke up in a prison cell with a hangover.Not my proudest moment.
December 28, 2014 started perfectly:• Epic enduro riding with fast friends• Sunny lunch, quick change at home• ‘Sundowner’ with a friend that turned into heavy drinking and many, many laughs Then I made that one stupid decision to drive home. Blue lights. Police stop. Car impounded. And there I was – in a Spanish jail…
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There is one book I keep re-reading.It helped me become a Special Forces Operator.
It’s “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz, and it reveals how our brain works like a target-seeking missile. Maltz called it our “servo-mechanism” – an automatic goal-striving device in our brain that:• Works 24/7• Finds paths you never consciously considered• Operates below our conscious awareness However: It doesn’t know the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ targets. So…
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In combat, Special Forces move with ruthless efficiency:
– Water: Calculated to mission length– Medical: Compact lifesaving gear– Communications: Mission-critical only – And as much ammo as possible 😉 Everything else? Left behind. Because when contact hits, speed equals survival. Yet here you are, going into 2025, carrying:• Toxic relationships draining your energy• Meetings that add no value• Projects that don’t serve your…
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I skipped leg day at the gym. For 50 years.Now? I train my legs 4 times a week. I have to.
“Squats” might as well have been a dirty word.And lunges? Let’s just say I preferred lunches. In every fitness program I’ve ever followed, leg exercises mysteriously disappeared from my routine.Entire chapters of workout books remained unopened. Why?Simple: I didn’t like the movements, wasn’t good at them, and my knees complained. Besides, I never thought I…
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Christmas in the Iraqi Desert – 20 Years AgoWith the best crew in the world, I gave a small speech.
5,000 kilometers from home. From family. From comfort. The desert stretched endlessly around us. Sand found its way everywhere – every cavity. Carrying plastic bags to shxt in. Leave no trace. No showering for weeks. Nights were bitter cold as we kept watch. But we had a mission. I gathered my elite SF team around…