Ben Greenfield's Paleo (f)x Speech: The Call for Heroes

June 4, 2022

Listen on:

There's a revolution on the horizon…

…led by a collective of people who are willing to speak up for what they believe in. I call these people heroes.

And today, more than ever, the world needs heroes. Now, I'm not talking about Rambo- or Terminator-type heroes. I'm talking about heroes who, like the greatest hero Jesus Christ, have the meekness and humility of a gentle lamb and the courage and ferocity of a mighty lion. We need heroes who can admit when they're wrong, and who tend lovingly to the garden of their spirit and their soul.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to an audience about why it's imperative to surround ourselves with a community of individuals who know how to surrender, sacrifice, and serve. I was asked to give a keynote speech at Paleo f(x), the world's premier wellness event, covering the 7 pillars of health–physical, mental, emotional, relational, spiritual, financial, and tribal. Over three days, there were 100+ speakers and 8,000+ attendees focusing on optimizing their health and elevating their consciousness. It's one of the most fun, inspiring, and educational events I attend all year long. From the stellar speakers to the amazing networking, to the killer parties and food, nothing like it exists, period.

I could have spoken on any topic related to biohacks, gear, and fitness—as you know, I've spent plenty of time on those subjects in the past. What I felt called to reflect on, though, was the concept of heroism and the Hero's Journey. The theme of this year's Paleo f(x) was Primal Uprising, which felt like the perfect forum to delve into something a little more important. My inspiration for the speech was the article “The Humility Of The Hero: A Call To Action (& 4 Ways To Be The Hero The World Needs Right Now).“

It's scary crossing over from your ordinary world, but nothing can replace the feeling of when you reach deep down and speak up for what you believe in. Here, I share the entire keynote speech from Paleo f(x), during which I talk about the Hero's Journey, overcoming addictions, the importance of serving others, and much more. I hope you find it uplifting and motivating.

In this episode, you'll discover:

-Why this generation needs heroes…07:01

We're constantly bombarded with info via media
Have meekness and gentleness
Sabbath Ramblings: Evil
Sabbath Ramblings: Hubris
Uphill battle against people who fear death

-The Hero's Journey defined…11:03

The Writer's Journey by Christopher Volger
Steps of the Hero's Journey:
- Living in an ordinary world
- Call to adventure
- Refusal of the call
- Meeting the mentor
- Approach the innermost cave
- The ordeal
- The reward
- The road back
- The resurrection
- Return with the elixir

-Why we're wired to embrace the Hero's Journey…17:25

Jesus lived out the Hero's Journey
Live a healthy life, unschooling, do things out of the norm

-4 ways to be a hero…20:37

Surrender your attachments and addictions…21:00
- Podcast with Ronnie Landis on addictions:
  - The Addiction Free Lifestyle: How To Break Free From Nicotine, Caffeine, Drugs, Porn, Masturbation, Alcohol, Serial Relationships & Much More With Ronnie Landis.
- Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill
- Hypnotic trance
- Awareness by Anthony De Mello
- From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks
Sacrifice…25:56

- A real hero often defies the romanticized stereotypes
- Humble approach
- Rocky Balboa, Bilbo Baggins, Peter Parker
- We wait for someone else to be the hero, but the world is waiting on us
- Sacrifice your ego and your self (career, ambitions)

Service is the foundation of the hero's journey…35:13

- The pandemic opened Ben's eyes to the need for service to family and community
- Most impactful moments are with family and neighbors
- The hero must have the heart of a servant

Put on your spiritual armor…38:48

- Fit Soul
- Endure
- Ephesians 6:11-17
- Ben's practices for spiritual fitness
  - Spiritual Disciplines Journal
  - Meditate on a scripture
  - Write down one thing you are grateful for
  - Write down one person to serve
  - Family dinners
  - Write down: what good did I do today, what did I learn, where was I purposeful?
- Sabbath Ramblings: The 4 Spiritual Disciplines I Practice Every Day (& Why).
- All this is calendared, intentional
- Soaking Worship Spotify playlist

-What to do when you feel the call to the Hero's Journey…46:23

Scary is where impact happens
Read stories reflecting the hero's journey
There's something you're doing now you could be doing differently
Restitution – setting things right
The Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

-How do you identify your mission and purpose in life?…56:13

Thinking about what you did as a child
What makes time fly by so quickly
Ikigai 2.0
Podcast with Mike Bledsoe:
- Tattooed Crossfitter To Bearded Monk: How Mushrooms Rewire Your Brain, Yoga Tune-Up Balls & More With Mike Bledsoe
Claim Your Power by Mastin Kipp
Fit Soul
You don't need a “scorched earth” experience

-And much more…

-Upcoming Events:

World Vision's Global 6K for Water on June 14. Click here to join the BGL team virtually from wherever you are for this year's Walk for Water.
Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldlife.com/calendar

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

– Podcasts And Articles:

– Books:

Fit Soul by Ben Greenfield
Endure by Ben Greenfield
The Writer's Journey by Christopher Volger
Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill
Awareness by Anthony De Mello
From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
Claim Your Power by Mastin Kipp

– Other Resources:

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