The never-ending chase after a better self
Former UFC fighter and book aficionado, Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman reveals that inner doubt has always been the source of motivation behind his many initiatives. Whether through wrestling, MMA or academics, the former UFC fighter and Division 1 wrestler constantly sought after opportunities that could produce a better version of himself.
Host of the The Spaniard Show podcast, Brenneman confesses having an inner dialogue influencing him to constantly compete against himself. As an active MMA fighter, he was motivated by the world-class competitors he practiced with daily. Now retired from cage fighting, The Spaniard thought about an intuitive way to stay in touch with the inspirational elite. As a result, he started reading books written by world-class authors from a variety of fields.
“I got in a habit of being around world-classers on a daily basis. And when I stopped fighting, I just wasn’t. […] Wait a minute… I can read books written by world-classers. Now, I’m around world-classers every day.”
– Charlie Brenneman
Lifelong learning toughens up
Author of Driven, autobiography telling his transition from teaching to MMA, Charlie Brenneman recalls developing a passion for reading at a very young age. In fact, the Pros vs Joes reality series champion (season 1) remembers being the target of bullying in school. He reveals getting picked on just for being dedicated to his academic and athletic performances. Proudly, the former AMA Fight Club athlete now devotes himself to empower people and help them pursue their goals despite adversity.
Veteran mixed martial artist, The Spaniard states that any endeavour should be undertaken with perfectionism in mind. Just like a good martial artist vying for daily improvement, one should tackle any entreprise with the intention to practice, learn and grow. Consequently, Brenneman states that the progress made through one’s initiatives correlates with the improvement of one’s resilience.
The Theory of Happiness
Inspired by the Progress Principle in the book The Happiness Hypothesis (Jonathan Haidt), Charlie Brenneman proposes that being happy is to appreciate the process in any undertaking. In fact, he indicates that the pursuit of a goal is a prime source of personal happiness.
3 key benefits of lifelong learning
#1 | Sensei says: Perspective.
Listening to Charlie, I understand that reading books from successful personalities in a particular field of interest, improves my perspective on said subject. Additionally, the knowledge stemming from reading can be applied to the resolution of personal situations, as well.
#2 | Sensei says: Empathy.
Motivated by The Spaniard’s inspirational discourse, I recognize that seeking erudition from authors of different backgrounds improves one’s empathy. Indeed, the more we know about people, the broader our comprehension of society and the better we become at understanding others.
#3 | Sensei says: Know How To
A wealth of technical knowledge and know-how is found in literature. I agree with Charlie Brenneman that, whatever one’s interest in doing is, relevant readings contribute to one’s success. Consequently, the former UFC fighter wrote a business-oriented book titled Becoming the World’s Toughest Lifelong Learner to help entrepreneurs realize their objectives.
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