How would people who live the longest celebrate the holidays? My guest this week visited in 2025 all five traditional Blue Zones in the world. It got me thinking about all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and how things could be different if we were focusing squarely on our health, joy, vitality, relationships and loved ones. Elvis sang about a Blue Christmas that was lonely without those we love … I’m imaginging a Blue Zone Christmas that is focused on being with those we love, and truly being present with them. I promise I won’t try to sing any Elvis songs!

Is it wealth, success, stamina, fitness, relationships or health that men chase after in the middle of their lives, but which still elude them? Perhaps a combination? Stretch Rayner looked amazingly fit and successful early in his life, as part-owner in a busy gym. But his energy levels kept declining and he felt awful. It took a move back to his home country of Australia and work with a functional doctor to figure out what was really going on with him. Today, Stretch is the founder of Midlife Mavericks, a community of men working together to support their health, fitness and each other. Ramsey and Stretch spoke about the common traps that guys fall into in midlife, where to look for real improvements, and how men can reclaim their vitality and health. Learn more at https://www.thesustainabletrainingmethod.com/midlife-mavericks.

There’s so many boxes, things to accomplish, presents to purchase, people to spend time with, right here and now. But are we checking off the right boxes? My guest this week made the point that lots of us find refuge at work, because we have clear objectives and can check off the boxes in order to feel accomplishment. The problem may be that we end up prioritizing the wrong things or losing touch with the people in our lives that are most important to us. It occurred to me that as we are in the holiday gift box purchasing and giving season, this insight is ironic and even more relevant. How about you … have you got the right boxes?

What am I grateful for this year? So many things! It’s good to take some time each day and think about and express what you are grateful for. Feeling gratitude signals to the body that everything is okay, and it is safe to rest and digest. Which is important for Thanksgiving meals, am I right?! So I tried something different this week, I spoke off the cuff, with just a few notes instead of a prepared message. It’s genuine and from the heart. I love you guys! Have a listen, and I hope you are grateful too, even though things are never perfect. Have a great holiday! No Thursday interview this week, but we’ve got a great one tee’d for next week.

Why are those love handles the hardest and last to drop? We go to the gym, we do the sit-ups, we eat well (mostly), but no matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to drop those last few pounds, and that spare tire around our midsections! Andres Ayesta, founder of Planos Nutrition, Registered Dietician and Sports Nutritionist knows why. Ramsey and Andres talk about his experiences, perspectives and approaches to fitness, weight loss and fat burning. Andres firmly believes that everyone should work on their strength and mobility to improve their quality of life, especially for age 30 and beyond. Listen in to learn the real answer and what’s actually required to lose that spare tire for good. Learn more at www.planosnutrition.com.

Ever feel brain dead and incapable of stringing two thoughts together? Recovering from that is such a relief. Last week I was toast (I hate being sick, even with a head cold), but this week I feel like myself again, and I’m fired up about not only sharing what I’ve learned from my journey, but inviting folks onto their own journeys to get better before burnout sets in. I lay out the foundations of health that we can use for recovery, but that’s only the half of it … there’s a lot more that we need, in order to get the right things to stick in our everyday lives.

The driveway ... and my work. Ever have one of those days? When you just don’t have the motivation to do your big project, your most important work. I do. But my friend recently taught me about “leveraging procrastination.” So while blowing off my work, I blew the leaves off of the driveway and still managed to get some (other) work done. And I remembered one of life’s great lessons: you can always begin again, and the only way to fail is to stop trying. If you’re struggling with motivation, take a few minutes [procrastinate!] to listen to this message and rebuild your attitude around motivation.

What makes a C-Suite Executive healthy and successful, day to day and in the long term? Barbara Palmer, CEO/Owner of BP Life Coaching Services, LLC, located in the Houston, Texas area is a registered and licensed Occupational Therapist, Certified MAP (Make Anything Possible) Practitioner, and Executive Coach. She has education and practical experience regarding the neuroscience, psychology, and spiritual factors related to human thinking, feelings, behavior, and habits. Ramsey and Barbara discuss the challenges to personal health that leaders face, the importance of understanding oneself, and the benefits to both the individual leaders and their organizations when they show up authentically. Barbara explains the MAP method, where she addresses and connects with a client’s superconscious in order to get a more complete view and understanding of what’s happening in their mind, body and spirit. This is a great episode for leaders, aspiring leaders, and those who would like to better understand what makes a leader healthy. To learn more, visit www.bplifecoachingservices.com.