Mark Divine

By the time we got to hell week, we were probably down to like 120 or something like that. And then, By the end of 50 hours a hella week, we're down to like 60. They're just dropping like flies. And I was just telling myself, can't quit. Just keep going one front in front of the other, you know, words to that effect. My body started to get stronger.

By the time we got to hell week, we were probably down to like 120 or something like that. And then, By the end of 50 hours a hella week, we're down to like 60. They're just dropping like flies. And I was just telling myself, can't quit. Just keep going one front in front of the other, you know, words to that effect. My body started to get stronger.

So, you know, after days without sleep, you know, around the clock physical training, most people conventional wisdom would be that you'd be breaking down and, you know, you'd be almost catatonic. And my body started to build muscle mass. And it started to get stronger and I started to get more alert.

So, you know, after days without sleep, you know, around the clock physical training, most people conventional wisdom would be that you'd be breaking down and, you know, you'd be almost catatonic. And my body started to build muscle mass. And it started to get stronger and I started to get more alert.

And I was still probably, you know, if you were to give me some sort of test, I would probably have, you know, failed any higher cognitive functions or skills, you know. But I was able to stay focused on the tasks that they were giving to me and to stay focused on my team and to, you know, to drive through. And I was getting stronger and feeling stronger.

And I was still probably, you know, if you were to give me some sort of test, I would probably have, you know, failed any higher cognitive functions or skills, you know. But I was able to stay focused on the tasks that they were giving to me and to stay focused on my team and to, you know, to drive through. And I was getting stronger and feeling stronger.

And so, that was really profound to me because I realized, you know, afterwards that that instructor was right. Like I truly was... capable 20 times more than I thought and how we proved it to me.

And so, that was really profound to me because I realized, you know, afterwards that that instructor was right. Like I truly was... capable 20 times more than I thought and how we proved it to me.

And so that's become kind of a central tenet of my teaching today is that, you know, you are capable 20 times more and then 20 times again, but you got to prove it to yourself in order to believe it at a really gut heart level. You know, I mean, it's not a cognitive thing. You can't just think yourself that you're capable that much more because that's not enough.

And so that's become kind of a central tenet of my teaching today is that, you know, you are capable 20 times more and then 20 times again, but you got to prove it to yourself in order to believe it at a really gut heart level. You know, I mean, it's not a cognitive thing. You can't just think yourself that you're capable that much more because that's not enough.

You know, you've got to know it deeply. Yeah.

You know, you've got to know it deeply. Yeah.

You know, the evolutions, they call every event an evolution. The evolutions range from anywhere from, you know, a couple hours to like six or eight hours long. And they had us doing, you know, seal-like stuff, but not super complicated. Like we weren't... Jumping out of helicopters with, you know, live ammunition and bursting down doors because this, you know, wasn't the purpose of the training.

You know, the evolutions, they call every event an evolution. The evolutions range from anywhere from, you know, a couple hours to like six or eight hours long. And they had us doing, you know, seal-like stuff, but not super complicated. Like we weren't... Jumping out of helicopters with, you know, live ammunition and bursting down doors because this, you know, wasn't the purpose of the training.

Training was to attrite those people who weren't mentally tough or emotionally resilient and couldn't be good teammates and to prove those of us who were mentally tough, emotionally resilient and good teammates that we were capable of freaking anything.

Training was to attrite those people who weren't mentally tough or emotionally resilient and couldn't be good teammates and to prove those of us who were mentally tough, emotionally resilient and good teammates that we were capable of freaking anything.

So the types of things we were doing, like one evolution was to take our 350-pound logs and, you know, to take them on like a 10-mile journey, right? Carrying them over our heads and on our shoulders without putting them down. And so that was, you know, interesting challenge to say the least in the soft sand. Another was to paddle our little rubber boats. They're called IBS.

So the types of things we were doing, like one evolution was to take our 350-pound logs and, you know, to take them on like a 10-mile journey, right? Carrying them over our heads and on our shoulders without putting them down. And so that was, you know, interesting challenge to say the least in the soft sand. Another was to paddle our little rubber boats. They're called IBS.

I'm not even sure what that acronym was, but we called it Itty Bitty Ship. Okay. Yeah. Little rubber bows. And there were seven of us and we had to paddle these itty bitty ships around Coronado Island in San Diego at night. And that was, I think, on like Wednesday night or something of Hell Week and everybody was hallucinating, including myself.

I'm not even sure what that acronym was, but we called it Itty Bitty Ship. Okay. Yeah. Little rubber bows. And there were seven of us and we had to paddle these itty bitty ships around Coronado Island in San Diego at night. And that was, I think, on like Wednesday night or something of Hell Week and everybody was hallucinating, including myself.