So you want to learn how to handle tough challenges in life, both those you encounter while playing outside and those you find just going about your day-to-day, indoor life and job. But how do you make it happen?

Steve Magness, a world-famous coach, human performance expert and author of the new book Do Hard Thing: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness says part of the reason toughness against life’s challenges is so create is that we are going about it wrong.

In this episode, Steve walks us through what the research shows about building a lifestyle around getting and staying tough, why that matters and what heading outside has to do with it.

[2:52] Steve Magness’s favorite outdoor space

[3:48] How Steve became someone who likes to go outside

[6:00] Why going outside is so important to him now

[9:18] What’s the difference between toughness and resilience?

[10:41] Examples of awareness

[15:28] What’s wrong with how we tend to think about toughness

[18:06] How do you build toughness?

[21:40] The difference between thoughtful response and reaction

[28:10] How this applies to everyday life

[29:35] Creating a strong why — and why it matters

[35:41] What this has to do with setting incremental goals

[38:07] Why the Humans Outside 365 challenge is great for this

[41:48] Is toughness a muscle you have to maintain or something you only have to learn once?

[46:44] Steve’s favorite outdoor moment

What happens when you head outside way past your comfort zone into a risky area like staying up after bedtime? You might just see what Amy got to see in the early morning light on Resurrection Pass, Alaska during the Resurrection Pass 100 race. Amy recently presented a version of this story at Trail Tales in Anchorage and had such a good time doing so, she decided to share it here, too.

[:46] Invited to Trail Tales and it was oh so fun

[1:30] What this story is about

[1:40] The first thing you need to know

[2:02] The next thing you need to know

[2:22] An entirely different kind of risk I don’t like

[2:38] Why that made me try to run 100 miles, which is crazy

[3:00] Your Resurrection Pass briefing

[4:15] What I found thanks to the risk

[4:30] And so the run begins + snacks

[5:00] The thing we saw worth seeing

[6:10] Why it was worth the risk

[6:33] What I’ve been seeing recently

Dubbed “the real-life most interesting man alive” by The Chive, Ira Edwards isn’t just out there living an active outdoor lifestyle in Alaska, he’s doing so from a wheelchair. After creating a wildly adventurous and outdoor-centric life, Ira was struck by a falling tree about 10 years ago and paralyzed from the waist down. Today he continues many of his adventures despite the physical barriers, inspires others to do the same and advocates for creating and maintaining accessibility for all users.

In this episode Ira talks about what it takes to stay positive and active despite a life-altering disability and guides us through what everyone can do to make sure nature is as accessible as possible for all types of users.

[2:41] Ira Edward’s favorite outdoor space

[3:53] How Ira became someone who likes to go outside

[4:45] The story of Ira’s injury

[7:36] The challenge of recovery

[9:12] Moving forward mentally

[12:44] The crazy expenses

[16:08] Why modeling the possible matters

[20:28] The role of heading outside in staying positive

[22:00] Staying warm while doing it

[26:12] The biggest challenge of heading outside

[28:12] Why this crazy thing that I didn’t think of is the real barrier (literally)

[30:14] It’s all about money and policy

[31:26] The easy things we can all do to help

[35:00] Did you ask a person with a disability?

[36:50] Ira’s favorite outdoor gear

[40:45] Ira’s favorite outdoor moment

Time management can be used to make you more productive — or it can be used to simply make your life better. Dr. Cassie Holmes, a happiness researcher, author and professor, shared how to make that happen in a recent episode of Humans Outside. But what does that mean on a practical, day-to-day level in Amy’s life? In this episode Amy talks about the small yet important changes Cassie’s advice and research has prompted in her own life. Listen now.

[:45] What I’ve always focused on for time management

[1:00] A shift in how I thought about it

[1:22] My conversation with Dr. Cassie Holmes about this

[1:40] A little bit about “Happier Hour”

[2:35] Here’s how I reframed it and the resulting action

[3:10] The secret sauce is this (yet again)

[3:35] What I did about it this week

Authenticity is one of those whole-life emotional skills that makes a big difference. In a world that rewards us for putting our best foot forward every day and presenting that social media ready life, living authentically can be really hard. Learn how to align what’s really going on with you with good boundaries, and you might feel more settled and successful.

But can heading outside help you build an authentic and aligned life? Congruency coach Lori Halliday says it can, and leans on equine therapy to help her clients build those skills. In this episode Lori gives us a framework for understanding why authentic living matters and how spending time in nature can offer a gentle on ramp to learning how to do it.

[3:02] Lori Halliday’s favorite outdoor space

[6:18] How Lori became someone who likes to go outside

[8:24] What is “congruency?”

[9:45] Why horses are perfect for learning this

[14:01] The link between heading outside and self-care

[17:09] The release brought by nature

[21:03] Why equine therapy helps build alignment

[31:04] Do you have to get this from a horse?

[39:00] Can you build a congruency muscle?

[41:00] Tips for doing this now

[45:00] Lori’s favorite outdoor gear

[49:14] Lori’s favorite outdoor moment

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