What if the most powerful thing you can do for your health isn’t diet or exercise — but investing in the people you love?

Today’s episode is from the Finding Mastery Vault — a timeless conversation with Dr. Robert Waldinger, psychiatrist, Harvard professor, Zen master, and Director of the world’s longest-running scientific study on happiness.

In this conversation, we explore the science of connection — how relationships literally get into our bodies, lower stress, improve our health, and expand our capacity to live well. We also discuss why loneliness can be as dangerous as smoking, and how small acts of social fitness, paired with the courage to be vulnerable, can change the trajectory of your life.

You’ll learn:

• How to build “social fitness” and maintain meaningful relationships over time
• Why relationships get into our bodies and improve long-term health
• The science behind loneliness, stress, and emotional regulation
• What it means to live a psychologically rich and purposeful life
• How leaders can foster connection and belonging at work

This episode is timeless — and a powerful reminder: no one does it alone.

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Links & Resources

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What if the key to becoming a champion isn’t about chasing wins—but knowing when to pause, prioritize the inner work, and trust that the rest will follow?

On today’s episode, filmed in front of a live audience at California Surf Club, we sit down with Caroline Marks — the 2023 World Surf League Women’s Champion and 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist. By 23, Caroline has already reached the pinnacle of her sport, becoming one of the most dominant surfers of her generation. But what makes her story remarkable isn’t just the medals—it’s the emotional and psychological work behind them.

In this conversation, Caroline opens up about rebuilding after the heartbreak of Tokyo, the self-doubt that almost sidelined her, and how therapy, family, and faith in herself helped her rediscover her love for surfing. Dr. Mike and Caroline unpack what it means to train not just the body, but the mind—to develop emotional awareness, to redefine success, and to keep the joy alive in high-stakes environments.

You’ll learn:

• How to rebuild confidence and purpose after a major setback
• Why emotional awareness is the foundation for high performance
• The key to balancing ambition with inner peace
• How to strengthen trust—in yourself and in others
• What it means to find motivation after reaching the top
• Why mastering your emotions is a major competitive advantage

This is a powerful look into the mindset of a young champion who’s rewriting what it means to win...inside and out. Tune in to hear how Caroline Marks is defining mastery on her own terms.

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Links & Resources

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and wellbeing: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

Location: Thanks to California Surf Club, 239 N Harbor Dr, Redondo Beach, CA.

Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors!

Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/

Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter

Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine: findingmastery.com/morningmindset!

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What if real success is measured not by what you achieve, but by how deeply you give?

On today’s episode, we sit down with Gary Sinise—Emmy Award–winning actor and director best known for his roles in Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, and CSI: New York, and founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation—to explore his lifelong arc from self to service.

Gary takes us back to the accidental spark of belonging he found in high school theater, the early days building Steppenwolf, and the quiet battle with inadequacy that forged a bias for action and leadership. We trace how portraying Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump became an inflection point—culminating in a life-altering moment on stage with 2,000 wounded veterans—and how 9/11 transformed his work into a full-fledged mission to support service members and their families.

Gary also opens a tender window into his home front: his wife’s battle with breast cancer and his late son Mac’s courageous 5½-year fight with chordoma. He shares how showing up—again and again—became a practice, a purpose, and a way through grief.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• How to turn inadequacy into action—and why a bias toward doing builds real confidence
• The key to shifting from achievement to contribution without losing your drive
• How to lead with presence when others seem steps ahead
• Why purpose expands through loss—and how faith, family, and service hold the line
• What it means to show up as a caregiver and “battle buddy” through life’s hardest seasons
• How to transform creativity into service—and why art can be an act of healing

If you’re craving a reminder that meaning is made in the moments we choose to serve, especially when it’s hard, then this conversation will move you.

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Links & Resources

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and wellbeing: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/

Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter

Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine: findingmastery.com/morningmindset!

Follow on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X

Links: http://garysinisefoundation.org

YT: @macsinise7489

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.