#9 - Shane Niemeyer’s Journey from Suicidal Junkie to Ironman to Dedicated Family Man & Entrepreneur

I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Shane Niemeyer. By the time Shane was 28 years old, he was a heroin addict and had been arrested 25 times. After a failed attempt to take his life by suicide, he transformed himself. Today, Shane is a motivational speaker, elite triathlete racing ironman and 70.3 distances, full-time strength and endurance coach, and author of The Hurt Artist: My Journey from Suicidal Junkie to Ironman. He has interacted with hundreds of parents and thousands of adolescents on topics related to substance abuse, wellness, fitness, criminal justice and mental/emotional well-being. We all have a lot to learn from Shane. At the heart of his message is the importance of respect for yourself and others, generosity, grit, and importance of constantly growing and learning to be a better steward of humanity. In this podcast, Shane shares the life experiences, challenges, transformative moments, and ongoing personal growth that has made him who he is today. We dive deep into: What life was like for him growing up and into young adulthood Factors that led to his ability to heal and develop after prison Strategies for providing a healthy environment for your children can grow and develop Going beyond the disease model of mental disorders Identity development Handling your inner critic Having an authentic relationship with your child Being true to yourself The benefits of exercise to health and wellbeing The importance of learning and growing as a person so that you can give back Resources Book: The Hurt Artist: My Journey from Suicidal Junkie to Ironman Jean Twenge: iGen: The Smartphone Generation Jonathon Haidt: The Dark Psychology of Social Networks Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl Book: The Gulag of the Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Book: Flow: They Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Book: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche Book: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor Author: Thich Nhat Hanh Podcast: The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish Podcast: Making Sense Podcast with Sam Harris Podcast: The Jordan B Peterson Podcast