#Clockedin with Jordan Edwards

From Broken Neck To Unbreakable Mindset

• Jordan Edwards • Season 5 • Episode 272

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A bluebird training day turned into a life-altering crash, and that’s where Mike Shaw’s second story really begins. One moment he was a coach skiing at his peak; minutes later he was face down in the snow, breath crushed, limbs silent, and doctors warning he might never walk again. What came next is a masterclass in identity, belief, and the kind of gratitude that changes your chemistry.

We go deep into how Mike separated who he is from what he does, crossing out labels until only values remained. He explains the subtle art of challenging limiting beliefs—those sneaky thoughts inherited from parents, bosses, or culture—and how to gather real evidence for your capability. You’ll learn why mindset and physical healing aren’t rivals, how hope fuels adherence, and how adherence drives outcomes over months and years. Mike shares his “feel-it” approach to gratitude that actually calms the nervous system, plus a practical problem scale that shrinks overreactions and validates real pain when it’s present.

We also unpack “recharge to charge forward,” reframing self-care as a responsibility to the people who rely on you. From setting physical goals that persist beyond comfort to embracing presence with family and the perspective of mortality, Mike shows how to live with urgency where it matters and ease where it doesn’t. Service becomes an antidote to helplessness, and faith—religious or not—aligns hope with trust so optimism becomes a daily practice rather than a poster on the wall.

If you’ve ever felt trapped by a label, crushed by a setback, or wired for urgency at the expense of meaning, this conversation is your reset. Tap play, take the problem scale for a spin, try gratitude you can feel, and let a longer horizon soften today’s turbulence. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the show.

To Learn more about Mike Shaw: 

Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mike-shaw-9b20b439

To Reach Jordan:

Email: Jordan@Edwards.Consulting

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ejFXH1_BjdnxG4J8u93Zw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordan.edwards.7503

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanfedwards/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanedwards5/



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Complimentary Edwards Consulting Session: https://calendly.com/jordan-edwardsconsulting/30min

SPEAKER_01:

Hey, what's going on, guys? I got a special guest here today. It's Mike Shaw. He's a former pro skier who turned a life-changing spinal cord injury to a story of grit, resilience, and triumph. He's now a counselor, speaker, and author, helping people thrive through life's toughest challenges. From Red Bull TV to TEDx to his book, Never Part of the Plan. His story has inspired millions. And today he's here to inspire you. Mike, thank you so much for coming on hashtag clocked in. I want you to take us back to that moment. What was going through your mind the day of your accident, and how has that moment shaped who you are today?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, Jordan, thanks for having me and sending an amazing question right off the bat. Um, the day of my injury, like prior to the actual incident, was just like any other day on a trip with my team. I walk out the front door of the house. We were staying at a rental place in Summit County, Colorado, near Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, and Keystone, all those mountains, and there was cold and crisp, you know, the kind that wakes you up even if you're not ready for it. And I walked out of the shaded side of the house into the sun, and I could feel its heat. And my mind, I had this visceral moment looking around, seeing the snow sparkling in the trees, like a little bit of steam rising off the road in front of the house. And I was like, this is a perfect day for half pipe skiing. And it was. We set off to the mountain with uh four of my top athletes that were competing in a World Cup just the next day or two. And um, we had official training, it went well. Vibes were good in the afternoon. I got to go free skiing with the athletes because the half pipe was close to us. So a couple of guys wanted to keep skiing, and I was having like as much fun skiing as I probably ever had, honestly, like skiing as well as I ever did. I was 26 years old, coaching the Canadian Olympic development team, living out my dreams, and that moment I was like, this is perfect, and it all came crashing down, physically and figuratively speaking, like um a momentary lapse of judgment and just not going through my proper routine. I was demonstrating a trick called a 720. It's two full rotations, you take off forwards and land forwards, and I landed in the wrong spot on the hill off this like snow roller feature. It wasn't even a difficult jump. And I landed on my feet in soft snow, which pitched me like onto my face, and my feet scorpioned over my body, and all the pressure went to my neck, and then bang, I felt it. This brief but sharp pain in my neck, and I lost all my wind. Like I didn't know, it was a bit confusing. Like I hit so hard on my face when I thought I was landing on my feet, but that mechanism, that action of pitching forwards onto my head and neck happened so fast, and my spinal cord injury got crushed so quickly and abruptly that it didn't even register that I'd landed on my feet first. Oh my god, it just felt like my face hit the snow, and so I was like, Oh, like, what is going on? And I'm tumbling downhill, and it's not like any other crash I've ever had before. Freestyle skiing, like any of the extreme sports, but any of the things that um you have to pick yourself back up from repeatedly over and over again to succeed, it builds resilience. And in that moment, I couldn't bounce back or up to my feet and self-wreck like I had done countless times before. And I slid to a stop face down in the snow, and I just let out this resounding like, no, like, no, no, God, no. I was like, no, oh no, I was like a brief but sharp pain in my neck, and then nothing, I couldn't roll over or move or feel anything in my body. And in that moment, I knew everything had changed. I was paralyzed and not just like waste, like I couldn't move my arms, nothing below my neck. No. And my world, like physically and figuratively, came crashing down. Every every single dream that I had for my future was all of a sudden up in smoke, like whatever kids, a family, like relationships, whatever ski again, whatever walk, like all of these things, and it all went through my mind like in a flash. And then one of my athletes who was there came to my side and popped my ski off, and my body slid on the snow. I felt my face drag, and then it was like a moment of fight, flight, or freeze. Yeah, and I guess I chose fight, but I said, Whoa, as much as I could. I'd paralyzed my diaphragm a little bit, so I had about like 60% of my lung capacity. So at the top of the lungs that I had at that time, like I just said, whoa, did you move me? Don't roll me over, don't move me, hold me in C spine, like go get help, like all these things. I just went into action because I was like, you know, if if you suspect a spinal cord injury, the main thing is like, don't move the person, don't roll them over, turn them around because you might actually make it worse. And I said, Don't move me, just leave me exactly as you found me. And I was face down. My friend Colin, who was actually filming, I got the whole thing on camera. Um, that's how I know all of this, like a lot of it. Like, I was present for it, but I've watched it over and over again. And um, he came in and held me in C spine, and where he just held my neck still until the first responders got there, and they like athletes went and got help, and and it was it was devastating. In that yeah, anyway, a lot a lot right there, but um it was wild.

SPEAKER_01:

That's a lot to handle. I appreciate you sharing that because it can be real, it's just terrifying. And the biggest challenge for you is that like one, it's like your identity, you know what I mean? Your identity skiing, and this is just like so it's this idea of the body loss, but then it's also like the dreams and the things that you're going through. And how how did you kind of rediscover yourself? And how did you think about this in a different way?

SPEAKER_00:

I love that you brought identity into the conversation because this was like a hit to my identity. If I wasn't a skier, what was I? And that was a huge grief experience and a growth experience that I had to go through after my accident. Because literally everything that I thought defined me was ripped away in an instant, instant. And we think our identities are like what we do, and or we unintentionally give like our actions and our job titles and our roles and our families, even like big picture things, like um, but it's all based on what we do. But what we do isn't who we are, and who we are. My definition of identity is your identity is who you are in all situations, regardless of what you're doing. And if you like anchoring, like I had to, I was stripped of everything that I thought made me me. And then guess what? I was just left with, as it turns out, me and my core values and principles and characteristics and beliefs that were unchanged. Literally, the only things that were still there was actually me. But that was a long like it took me a while to get there. Um, and as a matter of fact, like I was never more confident and I didn't I hadn't like really got to know myself and developed any kind of self-love before that. I if I like in skiing, it's like if you could hit the jump, you could hang out, you know. You didn't even need to be personal, like, and I was pretty awkward, I didn't even talk. Now I speak for a living. It's bonkers. Like, I I was um more introverted, like all of it. It was um, it was it was a big shift.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, a lot of the audience listening, they're they're so I mean, COVID slowed us down a little bit, but we have such a fast lifestyle where we're going from thing to thing to thing to the next thing that we never take inventory of like what do we actually value? Who are we? What is our identity? So, what are some of these ways that people can really like learn about who they are and find these ways? Because I mean, like you said, you're like, if I didn't readjust the label of I'm introverted to I'm a speaker, like I've had multiple coaching calls just yesterday and today, where people identify themselves as something that they're like, I don't agree with. So why are you still labeling yourself that way? So that's why I know this is going to be so powerful.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and you're getting into like limiting beliefs because we don't have to believe everything we think. And oftentimes the things we think about ourselves aren't even our thoughts, you know, they're like implants or introduced by a parent or a boss or a friend or someone, a mentor, someone you respect. And it's like, oh, this is what I am. And it's like, well, if we start the process of questioning our thinking or just being aware of like, do I actually believe what I think, especially if it comes to negativity and limiting beliefs? Um it's an it's an absolute game changer. But I'll I'll I'll back it up a little bit, like um, because there's more more to that story, and then I'm gonna get into the identity thing real quick. But um, after getting taken off the snow, I was taken by helicopter to Denver into a tier one trauma center where they surgically installed two titanium rods and 10 screws in my neck, they stabilized my spinal cord and gave me a shot at it. The doctors told me with in no uncertain terms, like, you should prepare yourself because you're probably never gonna walk again. In fact, in fact, you will be lucky if you get back the use of your arms. And I was like, whoa. I was like, man, I was like, how do you know? And I probably didn't say it like exactly like that, or not with any any kind of undertone, but I was just like, how do you know? And why are why are you telling me this? And they said, Well, this is our best estimate based based on what you've got, how you present your scans, your imaging, the surgery. That's what we think is gonna be happening. I was like, Okay, well, I don't know if you're right. And here's a good example of how you should never let someone else define your impossibility, like those guys were trying to do for me. And not that they were doing it out of a place of you know malice or it wasn't malicious, it was just this is what we see. And I was like, okay, but that's not what I see. And I held on to just left the door of opportunity open a crack, having hope that this might one day get better and I might actually walk this thing off. And something in me, this belief that because I'd bounced back so many times in my life up until that point, I was like, actually, I've I've been hurt so many times and recovered that I was like, I don't know if this is what you're telling me. And it's a spinal cord injury, dude. Like I was told, like, you know, people don't get better from these, and I understand, like, and I'm cognizant and and um sensitive to the fact because most people do not get better from a spinal cord injury, I am very lucky. It's not lost on me. I'm grateful every day for the opportunity I've had to heal. But when someone asks me, was it your mindset or was it physical? I'm like, I don't know. But what I do know, it's not one or the other. Like my mindset fueled physical recovery and potentially was the thing that made it possible in the first place. And it was all based on a belief and challenging a limiting idea or a limiting thought that had been presented to me. And that process unfolds for people all the time where we just every single day our subconscious, we just like literally let these underlying assumptions about ourselves and our situation, these beliefs um influence how we're thinking. And so when you notice like negativity or you notice yourself having a like a limiter, you gotta go, well, why? Why am I thinking that? Do I actually believe it? And in so many cases, you go, I actually don't believe that. Like, I don't have what it takes. It's like, do you actually believe that you don't have what it takes to achieve whatever it is you're setting out to do? Yeah, you might have evidence that makes you think that way, but challenge the evidence. Where's the evidence that shows you that you do? Like me, I bounced back so many times that I was like, Oh, I've done this before, I could do it again.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, uh a hundred percent. And the more we start to see it, it's so important for us. Because we've gone through this so many times, where someone might say, like a teacher, the teacher was saying you'll never amount to anything. The parent says you're not good enough, the this says that. Like you, as the audience, get to decide whatever your identity is, and Mike's just giving an example of that.

SPEAKER_00:

And it's a matter of reps, like you can re-pattern your thinking so that it becomes the default program. And I'm glad you looked back to identity. I had it in mind the whole time, but the um like I discovered more about who I was in those moments when everything was stripped away because that like my my mind and my consciousness were all I was left with, essentially. Like for for three, the first time I did anything for myself in terms of my personal care routine, and that includes everything, but I couldn't even reach my hands high enough to like scratch an inch on my face, and above my neck, I still had sensation on my skin, but my arms had started started to work a little bit, but it took me three weeks to be able to lift my arm to have the strength to actually get it up to my face, and that I didn't have finger dexterity, so it's like I still wasn't picking my own nose, you know. Like it was um, it was crazy. So I was like stripped of all of that, and I learned this um the the power of like like locking in on your core values, characteristics, and traits and the things that make you you, the things that make you impressive in a roundabout way. Like I had everything else stripped away that that was all I was left with, but I only really started talking about it. I was doing a presentation once in front of a group of fourth graders, these are 10-year-olds, and we'd watch my Red Bull TV documentary, The Healing Agent, which there's a title or a label that I didn't choose, but was apropos in the long run. Now I'm like definitely a healer, but um Red Bull came back with this thing like the healing agent. That's what we want it to be called. I was like, How's that for an identity that you need to take on? But um, we just watched that film, and um, we in the in the like lead up to it, I was talking with a teacher. She said, What do you want to talk? Or she's I asked her, What do you want me to talk about? She said, identity. I said, Okay, didn't know what I was gonna do. Went up to the front of the room, wrote on the board before and after, up on the board. And um, I asked the kids, who was I before the incident, the accident, skier, athlete, coach. One kid said adrenaline junkie. I like that adventurer, but then they said things like responsible, capable, a good friend, family member. And I was like, okay, good. What about after? I was they said injured, wheelchair, quadriplegic, but then they went to some things like gracious, um, trustworthy, loyal, and they started listing all of these values and like traits and things that I'm like, okay. And I was like, what about now? And am I like right after the accident? I wasn't the skier, the coach, crossing out adrenaline junkie was hard. Adventurer. I said, What about now? Am I any of the things on the afterside? Like, do I look injured? No, because I'm standing at the front of the room, thankfully. Crossout um quadriplegic wheelchair. What am I left with? That is what makes you impressive. That is what makes you you when you strip away your labels or these identifiers. That not everybody, we don't even choose all of these. But that's who you are. And it gave me a lot of strength and and self-worth knowing that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. It should because you start to realize that we're so much more. And I know people who are listening to this might lose jobs and they feel like their identity is squandered, or they might not be producing money and they feel like their identity squandered, or they might not be able to do the things they used to do, and their identity squandered, but your identity is really authentically who you are, and I think that's why it's so important. And the other big thing is Mike, how did how did you feel that your mindset was? Like, obviously, you've done the reps, and I I appreciate the fact that you brought up reps because I like to think about every single idea mentally as a muscle, right? So it's like the positive thinking that's a muscle that we're working out. Like, because you know what I mean. You go to the gym, you work out, you get the reps, you get better at it. So, even with gratitude, even with all these things, it's all practice. But how powerful is our mindset? Like, is it really possible that anyone can do anything?

SPEAKER_00:

Good question. I believe that you're capable of as much as you think you are. You've all heard like you can do more than you think you can do, or you're capable of more than you think you are, which may be true, but more accurately, you're capable of as much as you think you are. And so your mindset matters so much more than skill or talent or a cue or any of those things. It's like, um, how do I handle adversity? And where do I choose to put my focus? And so for me, mindset was paramount. And I leaned on gratitude a ton. Gratitude, I can't put it into words, how valuable it's been for me. It's a it's in the most authentic and powerful reframe for a situation that you can find because it can't be faked. And when you feel grateful, you can't feel stressed at the same time. The neuroscience, it the chemistry cancels the other one out. So it's like shifts your physiology, which inadvertently was putting me into homeostasis, which is a great place to heal from, but it was giving my my mindset the the boost it needed to be like see the silver linings in a situation, look for the positive. And so I have learned over the years through reps to cut out negativity. Because if I were gonna ask you, what would you get more benefit from? Having more positive thoughts or fewer negative ones? What do you think is the answer?

SPEAKER_01:

Probably fewer negative.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, why?

SPEAKER_01:

Because then you're not fighting yourself so much.

SPEAKER_00:

Negative thinking is the only kind that limits you, holds you back, or keeps you stuck. And so you can layer on, you need to layer on like 10 positives also to outweigh one negative because the negativity bias.

SPEAKER_01:

I have I've seen this with top traders as well. Like when you're a really top trader, you you actually have an ability to take on more negatives than most people are capable of. Because usually after it's like a seven of one where they have seven negatives and then kind of one positive and they'll keep going. But when there's too many negatives in a row, people will just give up. They're just like, I'm not doing that anymore. I don't like this activity. That's why it's so hard to do anything really challenging because we're constantly facing adversity. But you're absolutely right that that space of gratitude and realizing, like, hey, this is gonna make a difference. Because I remember a moment for me where like we it's not even comparable to what you shared. It was just about um my wedding last year. We were gonna do it on the beach, hurricane comes in. Literally, I drive through and I'm like, this is the the venue's got a foot and a half of water. All the residents, the local residents are staying at the hotel like that we were gonna stay at for the event. And I have like 30 people flying in. And so I go, I look at my fiance at the moment, now future wife, but I I go, Madison, what what do you think? And she's like, We already got our w like, we already got your ring engraved, we already got the watch engraved, we're getting married on that day. And I go, Okay, if that's the case, then I will solve this. Then I just started calling people in the local vicinity around me, not all the way by the beach. And I actually got the problem solved in like an hour and a half, and I was like, Go, Jordan. Like, I'm just sat there in that gratitude of like, hey, this isn't over. We can still solve this issue. Like, we're not the only ones who have this problem, we'll figure this out. And like, that's and I'm just sharing a different example because some people might relate to that, some people might relate to the other one. It doesn't really matter, but everyone's got their own story of like, hey, stuff happens, and you got to be able to take that, or you gotta be like, oh man, like you, you're not gonna go well with me, like the audience. Like, you guys can build yourself into this person who accepts the challenges and goes good, like Jocko Willock. He goes, Good. I'm excited for it.

SPEAKER_00:

Like, I know there is no bad, it's either you win or learn, you know. Um, gratitude is is so powerful, and it doesn't have to be it doesn't have to be like cliff edge, like my experience, like where you fall off to rock bottom, but um to realize what you were taking for granted. But most people miss the most an essential part of a gratitude practice, is which is where you feel it. Like you need to feel thankful for the silver linings or your good fortune, or the like focus on the positive and then feel it because that's what changes your chemistry, and that's what those neurotransmitters actually permit more positive, authentic feeling. It like derails stress and locks in your mindset gratitude all day.

SPEAKER_01:

So, what can the audience do to get that feel it moment? Like, because if I ask you, like, hey, what is gratitude? And you're like, or what are you grateful for? And you're like, Well, I have my body, like, is that it, or is there more to like just let them know?

SPEAKER_00:

How do you can you can list off like people have tried gratitude journaling and it doesn't work? They've like, you know, like woken up, and these are the three things, and it stays in the mind, but you gotta bring it into the heart, like, and it's a really subtle thing, and there's no like like you know, recipe for everyone that's like you follow this, but it's like, all right, like you know, I'm grateful for my family. It's like, well, why? Like, what is it about like your relationship or your kids or your siblings that you actually care about? And what and like what is that thing? And feel that and be like, imagine if you didn't have them or that in your life. Like, can you feel it? Like, you know, like it's just different when you bring it into your heart and think, like, man, I'm so lucky that I have them in my life, and like even your your wife to be like, We've got this, we're doing it, and that's like, all right, like to have that steadfast, like in that moment, you can think about it, and then you can be like, Man, that's one of the reasons why I love her so much. You know, it's a different. Can you do you feel that a hundred percent?

SPEAKER_01:

And the other part is where I feel this um, and this has happened to me where you feel like it's some people you have them for a long time, so you don't take them for granted. Like, for example, where we are right now, we ended up my parents are in town, and there was a two-hour window, and we were able to grab dinner. And I thought to myself, and I was like, is this dinner gonna make a difference? We've had dinner with them for the past like five days because we're hanging out each day. And I thought to myself, I'm like, Well, what if this was the last dinner? What if this was the only dinner? And I was like, we gotta try to make this dinner happen. Like, it's not and then you have this gratitude of like, wow, I really enjoyed that moment. Like, and even if it was just one moment during the dinner, like it doesn't matter. It's this idea of like that feeling of that loss and feeling of like, hey, it's not possible, like, because when you have that, most people are like, Oh, you're healthy, it's fine, and then death. And you're like, What? Like, I didn't expect that, I wasn't ready for that. And it's like, no, if that's constantly at the top of your mind, then it's like, how do we make the most of this? Like, we literally I that's what both of us do. How do we optimize our life? We only have so little time. Like, how do we make the most of this? And literally, a meeting got moved, and I'm like, guys, I know it's a short minute, but do you want to come? And they're like, Yes, and I'm like, Okay, cool. And we had an hour together, and it was nice.

SPEAKER_00:

And when you it's yeah, when you realize that life isn't infinite, it's finite, actually. And you like literally lock in on the gift of the moment, which is a perspective anchored in gratitude. It makes you live more meaningfully and with more fulfillment and more connection and better relationships because you're not taking that for granted. It's like yeah, this morning I was out for a run, and I'm I'm a runner now, I'm a marathon runner.

SPEAKER_01:

It's insane for a couple weeks, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I got a I got a half marathon in a couple weeks. I was at training this morning and I'm going, and it's like, you know, I was up before the sun, so I'm out getting after it. And uh, I'm like, man, if I got mauled by a bear right now or a mountain lion jumped on me, what would I want to? And I was thinking, I'm like, would I have the ability to talk to Siri on my phone and record a voice memo to my wife? And if I did, what would I say? This is literally how my mind works when I'm running because it's my moving meditation. My mind goes all over the butt um I'm like, what would I say? And I was like, Well, I'd probably tell her that you and our new son, who's six months old, who is by the way, someone who I didn't know if that was going to be a part of my life in that moment, way back 11 years ago when I broke my neck. It's been a while now. But um I thought I was like, you are the you and Charlie are the the single most important and significant gift in my life. And I am I I I love you to the end and whether whatever, and I'm like thinking I'm getting attacked by a bear, right? So it's all over. But um I was like, why don't I why would I just tell her that then? So I got home from my run this morning. She and Charlie were waking up, and I was like, hey, this is what happened. Told her the bear story. And I was like, if I had to say anything, I'd say that you're my you and you and him are like the biggest gift in my life. That was a nice way, that was a nice way to start the day today for her, exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

And it's even better for you because as you give it, you receive it back. And it's these things of like we just have so much to offer, and we don't and we waste it on, hey, the weather's tough today. And it's like, come on, like there's so many better things you could talk about. It's just and I think that's why I try to implement gratitude as much as possible. Where it's like even at meals, I'll sit down and go, What are you grateful for? What are you grateful for? And some people are like, it's annoying, and I'm like, I don't care. Like, I don't care. I just it makes me feel better and I enjoy the activity and it's fun. So for you, I know great things come from recharge to charge forward. So, what does that even mean? Because most people think if I just go, go, go, I'm gonna get to where I need to go. Does it actually recharge?

SPEAKER_00:

I like that I like that you pulled that quote. But um, yeah, I've been saying like recharge to charge forward. Yes, self-care isn't selfish, it's it's selfless, especially if the people you love or the people you lead rely on you to show up as your best. And so you need to charge your batteries. And for me, like gratitude practices, um physical self-care, getting out and doing things like I still ski miraculously. I'm so grateful when I'm out there in the mountains. But like, I may be the only incomplete quadriplegic on planet earth who's like a marathon runner and a backcountry skier mountaineer guy, but um, so that's one way that I recharge. But whatever it is for you, it's like making sure that you you take that time and self-care. Give it a Google. There's like a million different things you can do, it works for you. And but this we have a sense of urgency, yes, nowadays, like hustle culture, being being clocked in, like literally locking in on what your goals are and being so motivated. Like, one thing my child, my new son, has taught me is I'm like, this is going by fast. And if I don't make an effort to slow it down and stay present with him, I'm gonna miss it. And I've got huge goals, like I'm very ambitious and motivated that way, and I charge forward, but I'm being even more cognizant now of that need to like be okay slowing down and taking away the sense of urgency. That's been a huge shift for me lately. And I'm it's it's phenomenal. A lot more like ease, like mental peace of mind and ease and a stress. It's uh it's been a cool shift.

SPEAKER_01:

The funny thing is when you take a step back, it actually opens up all these ideas and opportunities, and you realize that you're it's okay. The world moves on, things happen. We don't need to do everything super urgently. And and I just think it's really important for us to take that time. And the big thing was that you brought up is like you had three or four things that you're like, hey, this is what I do. And if you don't have that, I'm now talking to the audience. If you don't have that, go try out different things and take inventory on yourself. Hey, this helped me. I didn't like this. This worked. I didn't like that. Whatever it is. But figure out what helps you become the best version of yourself. And whatever that mental recovery is, that physical recovery, whatever that is for you. Like right now, we're traveling right now. So we we've been going for like three weeks. We haven't been to the gym. I haven't been doing my Muay Thai. I don't feel so. What I do, I got up the other day and I went on a run. Today they have a swimming area out in the water. So I'm like, I'm swimming. I'm like, I'm doing more like natural stuff, which is cool. But it's just like I woke up the other day and I'm like, I'm tired, but I gotta do something. Like the body needs to move. Like, I don't know. Everyone's got their own thing. But it's really, really important for us to do that. Because otherwise, where are we going? What are we doing? Like, who are we going to become? So, like, for you, what is the biggest thing for you? Like, what allowed you to actually break through that barrier of like, I'm not listening to what the doctors say, I'm deciding my own life. Because I know a lot of us have been labeled and broken down, and you you went through this thing of like, wait, I can move my body. I'm not listening to these people. What was that recovery like?

SPEAKER_00:

It's funny, you know, when the the surgeon and the specialist were standing at the end of my bed and I heard those words. I had there was every reason why I should believe them. Um at the time it looked really bleak and it was dark, man. I've been through like you have to, you know, truly seeing the dark to really appreciate the life, the light sometimes, you know. And it's like that's why we can get excited about the uphill parts of life. Like our hardships make the the light even brighter. Um but um and everybody goes through it, everybody goes through struggle. But in that moment, when I heard those words, I was like, I don't, I just don't know if you're right. And so something in me said, like, my belief was that like, no, I don't think that's it for me. And I think there's also something to be said about like the reverse psychology of challenging a 26-year-old male who's just been knocked down, like and say you can't do this. I was like, because I know that they're not instilling false hope, they're also coming from a place of like liability, not wanting to make the wrong call and have you know, I I understand they're cautious in Western in Western medicine, it's a common practice, but um, but they also challenged me, which was valuable. And sometimes we just need a challenge, whether it's from external source or we need to challenge ourselves to reach a higher level, but that stimulus was enough um to get me, you know, at least motivated at some level, but really it comes down to the belief and how you believe in yourself, and that's where I the majority of my work now and is in showing people how to believe in themselves and like um so much of counseling and therapy, which is incredibly valuable and exciting exploration. But it's like it's about figuring out what is blocking me, what beliefs support those limiting thoughts. Yeah, and how do I ground and find like extraordinary self-worth and a belief in myself that I have it within myself? I am worthy and enough and capable of all the things I set my mind to. And it's such a shift when you get there. And in that moment, for me, I was like, I believe that for me it's gonna look like this, and that was it, man.

SPEAKER_01:

It's so such a that was just in the long in the long term, or you're saying like in the day-to-day, or like in the long term, in the long term, but then I had to fall back to that day-to-day, and that's the part that's really challenging for a lot of us because we don't have a descriptive five-year vision, we don't have something, but if we have that aspirational, like, I know my life will look like this, and then you get glimmers of it where it's like, I know I'm gonna be doing this activity, I know I'm gonna be doing that. It's so powerful for us because I know it's missed so many times in our life. So it's how do we step into that long-term vision and really make it something special? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think some of the most successful people uh in the world focus on longer-term time horizons because it diminishes the impact of small setbacks. Yes, and so if you give yourself 10 years to succeed at whatever goal it is you're doing, if you give your 10 years yourself 10 years to do anything, you can achieve mastery, you can do it. Like, but we get so caught up day to day.

SPEAKER_01:

This is it, it's truly funny because I I work with a lot of uh people in uh the insurance space, and what they tend to do is they tend to buy these leads, and then they'll sit there and go, Well, the leads didn't work that time. And I'm like, Well, what about over the month? They're like, Over the month I made money, and I'm like, Okay, that's a good one. And then they're like, What about over the three months? And they're like, Okay, over the three months I made a lot of money, and I'm like, Okay, and then why did you feel so aligned with this one that you're like, okay, this one didn't work, so now it doesn't work? When over the past nine three months it's proved to you that it works, it's this it's this sense of urgency and instant gratification that we're all conditioned for nowadays.

SPEAKER_00:

It's like if you release from that, and even like the day-to-day stressors, like I have this, like I learned it from Jamie Lee Ward, who was a um terminal cancer um, she didn't survive, she passed away, but and she documented her journey and she said, if you're not gonna worry about it for five or in five years, why worry about it for five minutes? Yes, and because of the negativity bias in us, and because we're all emotional beings, like and failure is a good thing cognitively, we know it's required for growth, but how does it feel? It sucks, and so like our emotional body is like impacting our mind, and like when you're that stressed out or fixated on the negative or feeling low mood because of something that happened, it's like take a step back for a moment and just be like, Okay, how bad is this really? How big is my problem right now? I even have a problem scale to help quantify these things.

SPEAKER_01:

I was literally gonna just ask about that because I know we talked about that in the pre-call, and the problem scale is super valuable. So I let's hop into it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, this is a really functional tool or strategy to come back to for people listening to. But it's like if you ask yourself, like, how bad is this problem really? On a scale of one to 10, how bad is it? And here's my ratings for the scale. 10 is death. 10 is like either your demise or someone very close to you. Um, and that's the top of the scale. You no one wants to be at 10. Um, nine is like disabling injury or even like maybe a terminal illness diagnosis, which is pretty close to 10. Like that's that's really serious. Um, eight is still like hospitalization or an injury or ailment that alters your life for an extended period of time. The top three points on the scale are all related to health. Take note of that. But below that, you go, like, okay, what's a seven? That's like financial insolvency, losing your house, your security, divorce, like big relationship, like uprooting, changing your whole life. A six might be like legal problems or or financial issues that are not gonna like, you know, fix themselves overnight. Like these are real stressors in business and life, um, relationship problems, partnership disputes, customers, you name it. But getting lower on the scale, like a five, it gets so diverse that you can't like put it in those little um little categories. So you go by time. It's like, okay, if this is gonna affect my life for six months to a year, it's a five. If it's a month to six months, that's a four. If it's up to a month where I'm still gonna be thinking about this, maybe it's a three. If it's a bad week, that's a two. If it's a bad day, that's a one, which is basically a zero. Because in the grand scheme, if you're connected to a long-term vision, a bad day is like a blip on the radar, like it's not even, you know, and and you go, if I'm not gonna worry about whatever it is that I'm spinning my wheels on and losing sleep over at night in five years, why worry about it for five minutes? And just by by quantifying the pain. And and sometimes if you're at the top end of the scale, because some people listen to this might be, if you're near that end, it validates your pain. And it's okay to experience that stress or to feel through the pain. You gotta you gotta feel that and you gotta let it flow. You can't just ignore it or cognitively push it away. Um, yeah, that's essential, and so it validates where you're at. But if you're at the bottom end of the scale or near, like below a five, reconsider how much attention you're giving that problem and release and then move like lock back in on the goal and like keep moving forward. A step backwards is still a step forwards if you never stop moving towards your goal. Because you never stop moving towards the goal, it's just the next step you need it to take, and it's just a reframe on the exact situation you're in, and you can spiral down or up. And I choose to spiral up, and that's that's uh anyway, it's a really practical tool.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I love that because it forces you to think about like, okay, I go out to dinner and I order something and it's just completely terrible. And it's like, well, that was about 30 minutes of my time. I will get another dinner tomorrow. Like, it's not a big deal, and you start to realize that instead of blowing things out of proportion where you're like, I didn't love that, that wasn't fun, that wasn't it, and you start to realize where the real importance lies, and it's more about like, hey, we still all have our health, hey, we're still financially good. Cool, like worry about the meal later, like worry about the meal later.

SPEAKER_00:

So it's just really really good. Like, so often, um, bad days are only bad for like one thing that happened, and it could be trivial. It's like so funny. People will see the waiter waitress wasn't on it tonight, and it ruins their whole day.

SPEAKER_01:

And I'm like, dude, that is not healthy, no good, no bueno. Um, but let's get into it really quick. So I want to do the five pillars with you, and I know we're running uh a little bit close on time, so I just want to get through these really quick, and then we'll get uh then we'll have people learn more about you and how they can find you. But so the five pillars are mental health, physical health, community service, philanthropy, spirituality, and relationships. And I want to see with mental health, I'm gonna ask you where you're at today. Just today, 9:30, um, September 30th, where you're at today, doesn't matter, good or bad, but what on a one to 10, what do you think you are on mental health? And I know we didn't go through a scale, so it's not really a fair assumption, but how do you feel about it?

SPEAKER_00:

Everybody gets scaling though, because it's the pain scale. Everybody knows because when you go to the hospital, they ask how bad is your pain, and that is your frame of reference.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

So how good is your mental health? That is your frame as my frame. I'm probably like a seven or an eight today. Like today's a today's a good day, but it changes, man. Like it changes day to day.

SPEAKER_01:

And what keeps it at a seven or eight for the day? And the only reason I ask is because, or if you want to go on the lower side, like what brings a three, what is because just so that the audience can hear, so that they can humanize who you are, because people sit there and go, Yo, Mike's Superman, like I'm not comparing myself to my like I couldn't do what Mike did. He literally went quadrupegic, started getting back into health, and now he's back here. Now he's skiing. I don't even ski. Like, how can I be like Mike? And it's just that's what happens in people's minds. So it's just going through this activity humanizes you and it shows us wait, this actually really helps, or this really doesn't help.

SPEAKER_00:

So yeah, fair, so fair. And I put out a lot of like positivity, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Like this year, I've had like one or two out of ten mental health at different points because I chose to start a new business in a new career, like a new professional, like you know, professional designation and counseling. Um, move my family across my state, the province I live in in BC, in Canada, and and I had a child, like I had a son. I like did three of the most stressful things a guy can do in his life all in one year. And there were times where it was like I was feeling the pressure, like the you know, it it was really, really difficult. And in those times, I just go, okay, go easy on myself and feel through this, like experience this. Focusing on the long game helped, but in those moments, like like it's all right to experience frustration, despair, hopelessness, like stress, um, anxiety, like all those things are like it's okay, they're part of the human experience. And everybody has mental health, just like we have physical health, though. If you feel like you're getting out of shape for a while, it's normal. Just need to get back in the gym. And for me, it was like, all right, I just need to get back on practicing what I preach in the mindset stuff, which is some of what we've included here today. But yeah, your mental health changes, and it's important to just like go easy and give yourself space for grace when you're in a bit of a low spot for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. So we can't be so hard on ourselves. That's really important, and then physical health. How do you feel like that on a zero to ten?

SPEAKER_00:

Right now, I feel pretty good. I've uh dealt with a few setbacks and injuries, but like probably uh seven out of ten, six or seven out of ten. Like I'm training for um you know half marathon and a couple weeks. I'm feeling pretty strong and good going into that. So, and honestly, from where I've been to where I am now, like it's all bonus around. Like, I was supposed to not have a physically working body for my life. So my contrast and perspective is such that like my days are pretty good, but um not a ton of pain right now, still a bit, but um my relationship with that is is pretty good as well. Like, yeah, six or seven.

SPEAKER_01:

How do you feel like the the challenges help you? And by challenges, I mean like I'm gonna run a half marathon or I'm gonna go do this competition or just I want to see if I can do this every day or whatever it is. Do you think they help you?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, a hundred percent. If I I suspect that a lot of the people listening to this are goal-oriented, and if you like to crush goals in you know your professional part of your life or your personal life, um set physical goals, like set targets. Like, if you don't know what the target is, how do you know where to aim? How the heck do you expect to hit it? And so I I choose like events, I choose races and running has been one of the things that's got me there. Getting back to the mountains was a huge motivator for me, but big, big on on goals and uh and physical health, but also just get up and move. It's feels good.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely, absolutely, and it all depends. Like, some people choose weight, some people choose body fat, some people choose events, some people choose the gym, numbers lifting. So it's just figure out your parameters, and then you can really work towards that because that's helpful because after a while, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Like choose longevity, choose a goal that you can move towards continuously, whether you're in discomfort or not. Because most people set physical goals to get out of pain, like I want to lose weight, or I want to gain weight, or I want to change my body in some way because I'm not how happy with how it is now. Yeah, and the problem with those goals is as soon as you're out of pain or you're comfortable, the goal ceases to exist. It no longer keeps you motivated because you're just comfortable. But that's not optimizing your health, and that's why, like setting ambitious like races or mountain peaks for me, um, to try to try to get to the top of like those are ones that can motivate you regardless of whether you're you know, yeah, they keep they keep you on it.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely, or the other one that's kind of interesting is when people are like, like, say someone's like 5'10, like a certain weight, and maybe they're like 30 pounds overweight, but in college they were at that weight. So it's like, okay, you've been there before. Let's go back to how that feels, and how do we get back there? And like you start to realize like this is someone nothing's changed, just time has gone by and you didn't put in the deposits in the positive direction. That's not anyone's fault, but you can change that at any moment, which is the exciting thing. The third pillar is community service and philanthropy. So, how do you think about community service or philanthropy?

SPEAKER_00:

I I give a lot, like um, and I know that sounds it's not from a place of like ego or anything, but like I have recognized and just been cognizant of like I've paid it forward so much because I had lots of support. I've helped people uh mentoring people with spinal cord injuries to get better, and two of the people I've mentored have actually healed better than I did. They're the only two incomplete quads in the world that I know that are better off than me, and um and I got to support them. So that's like a form of philanthropy. Like, if you're here's a big one for you, and it's a great one-liner. If you're ever feeling helpless, start being helpful. One is less and one is full. It is awfully fulfilling to help other people, and it doesn't have to be like I have to donate a bunch of money, it can be um if that makes you feel good and if you have those resources, but it's like literally just going out of your way to do something for someone else. And I choose to support charities as well. Like I do a lot of um work with the Wings for Life World Run and that foundation to help try to cure spinal cord injuries or find a better treatment for them. So I I fund a lot of um or help raise money to fund research projects all over the world.

SPEAKER_01:

Um but the thing um the thing I liked about what you said is like, hey, we all have it in us, and it's not always, hey, we're mentoring this person or we're doing this. Sometimes it's just do you know how many older people just want to be heard? Do you know how many people just want to be listened to? Do you know how many people appreciate that? And it's not that hard, it's just focusing on them and being genuinely interested. That's philanthropy in its own regard, so like it doesn't have to be this big thing, and sometimes we blow it out of proportion, and that's why I was like, I really enjoyed how you shared it. And you're like, Yeah, dude, I mentor people, I help people, so like it can be all in alignment with what you're doing, but it's also like, hey, you've done something, and someone probably wants to learn it through that. How do you gonna help them?

SPEAKER_00:

It's incredibly gratifying, it's never completely selfless because you you gain from it as well when you're helping other people, even if it's just in one-on-ones. But if you can figure out ways to help groups or have a greater impact, whatever that is, it's a creative and fun um exploration. But if you know that giving and being a little bit um, you know, charitable, like prioritizing philanthropy in your life, like if you start at an early phase, even in like your career, right? I know some entrepreneurs listening to this want to be like, I know I want that to be part of my business, you know, I want to have a social good element, and it's like, well, start now and start small, and it will always be part of it. Absolutely. And when your capacity grows, your capacity for support will too.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely, absolutely. I love that. And what what do you think about your relationships? And I know this is a vague one because sometimes it's like a uh wife relationship, sometimes it's a husband, sometimes it's friends, sometimes it's family. You can interpret it however you choose. What do you think about your relationships, or what are maybe some tips or tricks that you might use?

SPEAKER_00:

Connection matters. Um, all of the like um all of the psychology on these deathbed testimonials, or these like, you know, um people that are at the end of life say, you know, it's the relationships, and it's quality over quantity. We collect people these days through like social media and things like that and connection, but it's it really matters, like the people closest to you invest in them, give to them. Um, if there's someone in your life that you're at odds with right now who's so that you're you know, you've had to set a boundary with that is so important to you that it might be worth like you know, having that conversation and trying to trying to get get back together, or do you know, like get back to a level where you're you're thriving together. Like it's life is short in the grand scheme, like you know, in Canada and the US, you make it to 84 is a is a male, that's average 88 for women. But we don't have a ton of time, so like the time that we spend with the people that we love doing the things we love to do the most is what matters, and it really makes you reconsider the sense of urgency too, and all of it. Like nothing like work will always be there. The people you care about, kids, things like that. They what like you know?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, that's literally what happened today, dude. I'd be literally the media got moved. I look out and I'm like, oh my god, we're in this Montenegro, and I'm like looking at the view, and I'm like, this is so sick. Like, we we should just capitalize on this, and we have to like go out to dinner, or it's we're just gonna sit at home and eat dinner, and I'm like, let's go. Like, this is we have one hour, let's go make the most of it and let's go. It'll be fun. Um, because you're absolutely right. It it takes a moment that could be like a three excitement or a two and make it like an eight because it's fun and it's creative and it's cool, um, which I love. And for you, spirituality. How do you think about spirituality and how do you how do you see yourself with that? Because everyone's got different versions of it, and it's not always what you think.

SPEAKER_00:

So I believe in higher powers. I'm a theist, and it's part of probably my training as a clinical counselor, like acknowledging and respecting and appreciating everybody's spirituality because there's so there's so many options, you know. And um, but like there are parts of me that lean into Christianity. I understand the the value of indigenous culture. I like Buddhist concepts, like karma. I I feel like some people that are just connected to a greater force, like the universe or energies, and but God, or whether it's a number of gods, and whether it's like from like Middle Eastern, like Islamic culture, like whatever it is. Um my biggest thing with spirituality and faith in something is that it generates real optimism. Yes, because it's one thing to be hopeful that things will work out for you, it's a whole different like arena when you trust that it will. And so, my definition for real optimism is when hope and trust align, or hope and faith and the belief that things are gonna work out for you, wherever it is, whatever stage of adversity you're in right now. Like if things aren't working out for you right now, it just means you're not finished yet because things will always work out, always, yeah, and that last little bit is where the trust piece or where the faith-based belief comes into the comes into the picture. And so for me, I'm like I honor and respect everybody's spirituality and believe in the power of it big time. It's um it's huge.

SPEAKER_01:

So yeah, absolutely. Mike, you have been amazing. Where can people reach you, learn about you, connect with you?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, I'm on Instagram as Mike Shaw Ski. So Mike Shaw Ski uh is all one word. It's pretty easy to find me there. My clinical work is all based out of gratishealth.com. So g-a-t-u-s h dot com. Gratis with a U is the Latin origin for grateful. Go figure, hey, uh grateful health, gratis. So yeah, that's my my biggest thing now is is supporting people, and uh, and it's funny how you take on some identities that you weren't even chosen for, like the healing agent.

SPEAKER_01:

It's it's wild, man. Thank you so much, Mike. I really appreciate the time.

SPEAKER_00:

Man, it has been an absolute pleasure, Jordan. Thank you so much for having me, and I hope this was something valuable for anyone that listened out there today. Thanks a lot. Absolutely.

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Jordan Edwards

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