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We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network

RWH061: How To Thrive No Matter What w/ Arnold Van Den Berg

with Arnold Vandenberg

Published October 5, 2025
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About This Episode

Host William interviews investor Arnold Vandenberg about his decades-long exploration of the subconscious mind, one-pointed attention, and flow states, drawing on examples from yogic practices, neuroscience, and extreme situations like concentration camps. Arnold explains how he has used focus, breathwork, self-hypnosis, affirmations, and character development to transform his health, athletic performance, investing career, and resilience in the face of adversity. He also shares his current investment positioning in an overvalued market, emphasizing commodities and capital preservation, and concludes with reflections on happiness, love, and overcoming selfishness.

Topics Covered

Investing Personal Development Breathwork Hypnosis Neuroscience Resilience Nazism and World War II Natural gas Nuclear power Quantum computing Happiness

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Arnold believes focused attention, or one-pointedness, can unlock extraordinary mental and physical capacities, as shown in yogic feats, scientific studies, and extreme survival stories.
  • He has used self-hypnosis, visualization, and affirmations throughout his life to overcome early malnutrition, become a champion rope climber, build an investing career, and even remove psychological blocks around having children.
  • Breath control and lung capacity are presented as central to longevity, health, and energy; Arnold adopts simple breathing protocols, tests his lung capacity, and cites research on freedivers and clinical cases.
  • Arnold argues that character-especially truthfulness-is foundational both for life and for investing, because lying erodes the ability to discern truth in oneself and others.
  • He currently views financial markets as highly overvalued and is positioning heavily in commodities (especially natural gas, oil, gold, silver, and uranium) plus short-term bonds and cash for defense and optionality.
  • Affirmations like "every day in every way I'm getting better and better" and "I am a loving, kind person and I'm happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise" are key tools he uses to continually reprogram his subconscious.
  • Stories from Viktor Frankl, Dostoevsky, Solzhenitsyn, and others illustrate that mental framing can create experiences of meaning and even bliss in horrific circumstances.
  • Arnold sees the greatest happiness not in money but in sharing what he has learned and helping others change their lives, which he links to overcoming selfishness and cultivating love.

Podcast Notes

Intro and why Arnold matters to the host and audience

Host frames Arnold as a model of a rich, abundant life

Arnold is described as a central figure in the epilogue of the book "Richer, Wiser, Happier" and as embodying a truly successful, abundant life[0:12]
He has a 50-year record as a self-taught investor at Century Management and is also known for strong family relationships, philanthropy, and helping others[0:35]
Arnold survived extreme early-life adversity as a Jewish child from the same street as Anne Frank in Amsterdam, hidden during WWII while his parents were in Auschwitz[0:59]

Reason for this unexpected episode

Arnold recently spoke to William's masterclass group and shared new insights from the last 6-12 months about controlling the mind, which prompted this unplanned episode[1:37]
William plans to let Arnold speak at length initially, then ask questions to help listeners apply the ideas in investing, business, and life[6:35]

Arnold's 50-year quest to understand the subconscious mind and one-pointedness

Origin of his interest: his father's Auschwitz death march story

Arnold has studied the subconscious mind as a hobby for 50 years, sparked by conversations with his father, who survived Auschwitz and the death marches[7:39]
His father described the death march: sub-zero weather, minimal bread, scraping snow off the man in front for water, and beatings or execution for those who fell[9:39]
To survive, his father focused only on moving his legs and not falling, excluding thoughts of cold, distance, or fatigue[10:24]
His father reported that as he concentrated solely on moving his legs, he somehow gained more energy despite extreme weakness, calling it a power of the mind we don't understand[11:15]

Early exposure to yoga and yogic claims

Arnold did yoga for 20 years, frequently hearing teachers describe extraordinary mental and physical feats of yogis, which intrigued him though he lacked scientific evidence then[12:34]
Recently he found scientific work by the Menninger Foundation and Elmer and Alice Green, who studied yogis like Swami Rama under lab conditions[13:32]
Seeing scientific validation of yogic abilities convinced him to pursue this line of inquiry more intensely[14:04]

Definition and significance of one-pointedness and flow

Yogis use the Sanskrit term "ekagrata" for one-pointedness, meaning focused attention on a single point[12:31]
Yogis view breath as the key to life and use breathing exercises to expand lung capacity and control the mind[13:06]
Arnold notes typical breathing is about 16 breaths per minute, which yogis regard as anxious and unhealthy; they aim to reduce to about 5 breaths per minute and in advanced cases to 1 breath per minute[13:36]
At very slow breath rates, practitioners enter one-pointedness, a deeply focused, relaxed state where they are in a different state of mind[13:47]
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi later called this type of optimal experience "flow", describing states where people can do extraordinary things[14:06]

Scientific evidence from Swami Rama and Menninger Foundation

Brain-wave states are outlined: beta (13-30 Hz) for normal waking, alpha (8-12 Hz) for relaxed creativity, theta (4-7 Hz) for deep creativity and performance, delta (0.5-3 Hz) for deep sleep[17:53]
Swami Rama was able to shift from alpha to delta while remaining fully conscious, verified by EEG, unlike normal people who would be asleep in delta[18:02]
He also demonstrated control of his autonomic nervous system by producing significantly different temperatures in each arm under lab measurement[18:24]
Arnold interprets these findings as evidence that one-pointedness and flow can give a kind of "software" control over the body[18:44]

Concentration levels, samadhi, and flow-related experiences in extreme conditions

Patanjali's gradations of concentration and samadhi

Patanjali describes stages of concentration, starting with holding one object in mind for 12 seconds as basic concentration and progressing to longer periods leading to samadhi[21:04]
Advanced yogis like B.K.S. Iyengar could reportedly stay in deep one-pointedness for hours, requiring total exclusion of all other thoughts[20:33]
Arnold notes that even trying to focus on one object for one minute without distraction is very difficult, illustrating how advanced these practitioners are[21:16]

Viktor Frankl's experience of love and bliss in Auschwitz

Arnold recounts Viktor Frankl's story from "Man's Search for Meaning" where, on a death march, a fellow prisoner mentioned hoping their wives were better off, prompting Frankl to focus intensely on his wife[21:38]
Frankl became so absorbed in thoughts of his wife that he forgot his surroundings and felt her presence, experiencing deep love despite not knowing if she was alive[22:27]
Frankl concluded that the greatest thing a human can strive for is love, and that even in Auschwitz one can experience bliss through contemplation of loved ones[23:01]

Dostoevsky and Solzhenitsyn on character, truth, and bliss in prison camps

Arnold describes how Dostoevsky, in a Russian gulag, observed that those who endured inhumanity best were people of greatest character[24:17]
Dostoevsky vowed to write characters whose thinking and actions would show how their lives turn out, which Arnold's father used as a lesson for him via "The Brothers Karamazov"[25:05]
A passage that struck Arnold: above all, do not lie, because lying erodes the ability to discern truth in oneself and others, destroys self-respect, and ultimately undermines the ability to love[25:39]
• Dostoevsky warns that losing the capacity to love leads to inner emptiness and pursuit of coarse pleasures (gambling, sex, drugs), culminating in moral depravity, all starting from lies
Dostoevsky himself experienced one-pointedness and bliss in camp by becoming fully absorbed in writing in his mind[26:42]
Arnold cites Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who in a Soviet camp sometimes felt both happy and free, mentally "escaping" through his mind while other prisoners only thought of physical escape[28:17]
Solzhenitsyn concluded that most people are only as happy as they make up their minds to be, which amazes Arnold given Solzhenitsyn's eight years in a camp[30:22]

Vietnamese POW golfer and Russian mental training

Arnold tells of a Vietnamese POW pilot who lost 80 pounds in prison yet mentally played 18 holes of golf daily, choosing clubs in his mind; upon release, he played surprisingly well despite not having swung for years[32:15]
He references a book (by Sheila Ostrander) on Soviet experiments and training in mental techniques, similar in spirit to yogic abilities[32:55]

Breathwork, lung capacity, and health/longevity

Lung capacity as key predictor of wellness

Arnold says leading physical-fitness scientists find that lung capacity, more than diet, exercise, or activity alone, is the strongest predictor of wellness, mental and physical function, and longevity[34:11]

Freediver Stig Severinsen and extreme breath-holding

Arnold cites freediver Stig Severinsen, who, using yogic principles and breathing practices, can reportedly hold his breath for 22 minutes, far beyond typical medical expectations of 5-6 minutes[34:52]
He mentions hearing that someone recently extended that record to 24 minutes, highlighting what training can achieve[35:13]

Arnold's systematic study of breathing methods for disease

Because of his interest in breath for physical healing, Arnold reviewed top 10 diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.) and collected about 62 breathing techniques tailored to them[35:55]
He condensed the set into a few simple exercises in a report and offers to share the 62-technique compilation for free with interested people[36:39]

Simple 4-7-8 breathing protocol from Dr. Andrew Weil

Arnold favors Dr. Andrew Weil's 4-7-8 technique: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds, resulting in about 3 breaths per minute[37:15]
He contrasts this with yogis' one breath per minute and typical 16 breaths per minute, noting benefits for anxiety and health[37:26]
Using a spirometer, Arnold measured his lung volume: for people over 85, 2200 ml is considered "very well"; he doubled this to about 4500 ml through breathing practice[37:54]
• He points out that lungs, like muscles, lose elasticity and cells with age if not exercised via proper breathing

James Nestor's healing via breathing and cold exposure

Arnold summarizes James Nestor's story: recurrent pneumonia, multiple health issues, and doctors telling him they could do no more except recommending a yogic breathing course that they did not themselves endorse but saw working[39:40]
Initially bored and skeptical, Nestor stayed to complete the course; in a near-freezing room he followed breathing drills and began to perspire, convincing him of breath's power to control body temperature[39:54]
Nestor then traveled globally studying breathing techniques and wrote a book that Arnold considers worth reading[40:47]

Realization that hypnosis and one-pointedness explain Arnold's life successes

Connecting new research to his own athletic and business achievements

William recaps that Arnold has connected breathwork, hypnosis, and flow states with his past athletic success, business building, and investing, seeing them as a unified method to direct mind and energy[44:24]
Arnold agrees that only by looking back can he appreciate how this mental focus influenced his life[45:41]

Early childhood damage, poor self-image, and rope-climbing success

As a child, Arnold emerged from wartime orphanage extremely malnourished, unable to walk at age seven, with bones protruding, and later struggled with concentration and emotional issues in school[46:24]
A child psychologist suggested malnutrition might have impaired his brain development, which harmed his self-image and made him accept being "dumb"[47:56]
A friend's inscription in his school annual called him cool but "kind of dumb," which he accepted at the time[48:17]
He discovered rope climbing in high school via his stronger brother and a supportive coach who believed he could excel despite no evidence[49:11]
Arnold became obsessively focused on rope climbing, waking at 3:30 a.m. to practice new techniques, training two hours daily, and thinking of little else for six years[50:08]
• He won his league three years in a row, set a school record that stood until the event was discontinued, and placed ninth nationally in AAU competition against college seniors while still in high school

Discovering self-hypnosis to beat fatigue and build his investment career

After a divorce, Arnold suffered five years of depression and severe afternoon exhaustion, feeling wiped out by 3:30 p.m.[51:33]
He read about a "hypno-nap" that could equal three hours of sleep and learned self-hypnosis from a book by Leslie LeCron in about 10 days[52:16]
He began lying on his office floor for 20-30 minutes under self-hypnosis at 3:30 p.m. and then could work productively until 10:30 or 11 p.m.[53:25]
His psychiatrist explained that his intense rope-climbing focus had already been an example of programming the subconscious, suggesting he apply the same approach to business[54:02]
• When the psychiatrist said this, Arnold felt a strong chill on his right arm, a personal signal he associates with hearing a profound truth
Arnold then cleared his studio apartment, lined the walls with investment books, and committed to studying intensively to become an investment counselor despite having no college education[54:48]

Learning from the 1968-1974 bear market and Benjamin Graham

Arnold entered the market in March 1968, near the top, and endured a six-year bear market until 1974 while selling mutual funds[55:35]
Managing 15 funds for clients, he observed that some funds held up admirably in a bad market while others were devastated or failed[56:59]
By talking to managers of the resilient funds and attending their meetings, he discovered they were all disciples of Benjamin Graham[58:03]
This convinced him that Graham's value investing represented a true "science," so he immersed himself in Graham's work and related materials[58:32]

Example of extreme one-pointedness in study and relationships

Arnold set monthly reading quotas, tracking pages per day to get through all his investment books, and refused social invitations that conflicted with his reading schedule[58:09]
He recounts turning down a dinner invitation from a woman he liked because it would interfere with his planned reading, prompting her to ask if he was "studying to be a monk"[1:00:15]

Subconscious programming, hypnosis, and changing life outcomes

Using hypnosis to overcome a block to having children

Despite normal medical tests, Arnold and his wife could not conceive for five or six years, leading him to suspect a subconscious block[1:01:51]
He traced the likely source to his mother's repeated warning not to have children because of the trauma she experienced sending her kids to an orphanage and then being captured and deported to Auschwitz[1:03:34]
Arnold asked his psychiatrist to regress him under hypnosis to find and remove the block; after three sessions, the block was addressed[1:04:13]
Shortly thereafter, he confidently told his wife she would be pregnant that month, and she did become pregnant; they had a daughter, whom he credits to overcoming that subconscious barrier[1:04:24]

Summary of a 50-year expert's view of the subconscious mind

Arnold reads four key conclusions from a psychologist who studied the subconscious for 50 years: we are architects of our destiny; we can blueprint and impress objectives on the subconscious; we radiate power and attract conditions; and mental/emotional processes create and control our experiences[1:05:52]
The psychologist emphasizes that the universe does not "give" things directly but gives power and challenges, and that individuals must pay the price for what they want and accept that all experiences result from their own actions[1:07:01]

Neurochemistry of flow and why hypnosis is a practical entry point

Neurochemicals released in flow/one-pointedness

Arnold lists neurochemicals released in flow: anandamide (bliss chemical), dopamine (reward and motivation), oxytocin (bonding hormone), norepinephrine (alertness and focus), endorphins (pain reduction and pleasure), and serotonin (mood stabilizer)[1:09:01]
• He notes anandamide can create a cannabis-like high but is more powerful and beneficial; dopamine locks attention and fuels persistence; norepinephrine keeps arousal in the sweet spot between calm and energized

Why hypnosis may be the most efficient route to alpha/theta

Arnold argues that breath and focus alone can reach these states but often require long practice, whereas hypnosis can induce alpha and then theta more quickly and reliably[1:11:38]
He explains that beta is 13-30 Hz, alpha 8-12 Hz (relaxed alertness), theta 4-7 Hz (deep relaxation, vivid imagery, creativity), and both alpha and theta are accessible via hypnosis[1:12:22]
Arnold sees his big recent breakthrough as realizing that hypnosis can reliably put someone into the same brain-wave ranges that athletes only occasionally reach spontaneously as "the zone"[1:13:34]

Using hypnosis to enable his son's athletic performance

His son, a relatively small shot putter at 5'9" and ~200 pounds, competed successfully against much larger athletes through intensive mental training and hypnosis[1:14:28]
Arnold hypnotized his son nightly for six years, joking that he was the only 18-year-old whose father tucked him in to train his mind.[1:14:10]
He recounts a championship meet where his son severely sprained his ankle, was put in a cast, and was told by the doctor his season was over nine days before a major competition[1:16:58]
Arnold insisted his son could still compete by having the subconscious adjust for the cast and by hypnotically anesthetizing the pain; the doctor agreed only to put on the cast and let them handle the rest[1:16:56]
At the meet, his son took warm-up spins to feel the cast, then, after entering a focused state Arnold recognized by his expression, proceeded to win the competition, throwing only six inches off his lifetime best despite the cast[1:17:30]
Arnold notes that teammates he hypnotized also broke their personal records, reinforcing his belief in the method[1:19:54]

Practical self-hypnosis methods and autosuggestion

Jose Silva method and counting backwards to reach alpha

Arnold describes Jose Silva, an uneducated Mexican immigrant who taught himself about hypnosis and subconscious training, eventually founding the worldwide Silva Method[1:19:29]
Silva recommended entering alpha by counting backwards from 100 to 1 daily for a week, then 50-1, then 25-1, and finally 5-1, after which a person could reliably reach alpha in seconds[1:21:55]
Arnold personally lies on his bed, arms relaxed, and counts 100, 99, 98, etc.; by around 60 he feels his arms grow heavy, indicating entry into alpha[1:22:34]

Daily self-hypnosis routine and setting intentions

Each morning Arnold counts backwards to enter a hypnotic state, then mentally states, "I am now in a hypnotic state" and performs an induction by relaxing each part of his body[1:24:44]
He relaxes legs, torso, shoulders, facial muscles, and scalp, then tests an arm by lifting and letting it drop, signaling deeper hypnosis when it falls heavily[1:25:06]
Once under, he decides what he wants to accomplish that day and gives himself specific suggestions aligned with those goals[1:26:01]

Autosuggestion and Emil Coué's formula

Arnold admires Emil Coué, a French pharmacist who developed autosuggestion and used the phrase, "Every day and every way, I'm getting better and better" repeated 30 times daily[1:27:36]
Coué realized that the healing effect of his pharmacy remedies often came from suggestion more than from the chemicals, leading him to abandon medicine and focus on mental cures[1:27:32]
Arnold combines Coué's phrase with a cold shower (inspired by Wim Hof) and repeats "Every day and every way I'm getting better and better" 30 times in the shower[1:28:33]

Metaphor of the subconscious as a nonjudgmental servant

Arnold reads a description of the subconscious as an accommodating servant that accepts any input without question, storing and returning it exactly as given, without thinking, arguing, or judging[1:29:36]
Because the subconscious does not distinguish truth from falsehood, repeated self-statements-positive or negative-eventually manifest in attitudes and behavior[1:30:35]
He notes that advertising's power lies in repetition and bypassing conscious skepticism, which directly imprints on the subconscious, even when messages seem ridiculous[1:31:36]

Affirmations, life design, and integrating love into success

Designing his core life affirmations

Once Arnold grasped that he could program his subconscious like a computer, he sat down to decide what he most wanted from life[1:39:03]
He initially chose four aims: to be happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise, and repeated the affirmation "I am happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise" for years[1:40:16]
Later, influenced by thinkers like Viktor Frankl, he realized love was missing and updated his affirmation to "I am a loving, kind person and I'm happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise"[1:40:59]
He recites this affirmation frequently-while in supermarket lines or practicing balance exercises-using repetition to drive it into his subconscious[1:41:04]

Balance test and recovery from strokes using hypnosis

Arnold states that the ability to stand on one leg is a single key indicator of health; at 85 he could stand on one leg for 40 seconds on each side, far above typical 5-10 seconds for his age group[1:42:33]
After suffering four strokes, doctors discovered his condition via MRI, surprising him because he felt only some visual fuzziness at first[1:43:50]
Recalling a hypnotherapist who used hypnosis to recover rapidly from a stroke, Arnold decided to test hypnosis on his own stroke recovery[1:44:57]
Physical therapists were surprised at his hand strength and one-leg balance post-stroke; subsequent tests showed minimal lasting deficits aside from some peripheral vision issues[1:45:51]

Market outlook, portfolio positioning, and contrarian investing

View on current market overvaluation

Arnold tells long-term clients that by multiple metrics the market is about 25% more overvalued than it has ever been, while acknowledging there are some positive factors and historical precedents for extended overvaluation[1:47:16]

Global debt, currency risk, and case for commodities

He cites roughly $38 trillion in U.S. debt and bipartisan fiscal irresponsibility, arguing that history suggests such debt leads to money printing and currency depreciation[1:52:07]
Arnold notes that when currencies lose credibility, their value falls and real assets like commodities rise relative to stock indices[1:51:47]
He observes that commodities (gold, silver, copper, agriculture) are very cheap relative to the S&P 500, and he prefers owning producing companies rather than commodity futures[1:53:01]

Current portfolio structure: commodities, cash, and bonds

Arnold reports significant allocations to gold, silver, oil, natural gas, uranium, and related diversified commodity funds in his clients' portfolios[1:53:32]
Most portfolios hold about 15-20% in cash to seize bargains if markets decline[1:55:05]
In his personal portfolio, he holds about 35% in U.S. Treasury bonds, but only short maturities (no longer than three years), emphasizing capital preservation over further wealth accumulation[1:56:31]

Central bank behavior and rationale for gold

He notes that central banks recently bought more gold than ever before while holding the least U.S. Treasuries in a long time, which he reads as a signal of declining faith in the dollar[1:58:04]
The dollar has fallen 12-15% in a year, and historically, falling currency value tends to drive interest rates higher and support commodity prices[1:58:46]

Natural gas, uranium, and AI-related equities

Arnold explains natural gas pricing relative to oil via BTU equivalence (about 6:1) and argues that current natural gas prices are among the lowest in 50 years relative to oil, indicating a major opportunity[1:59:46]
He believes nuclear energy (uranium) and natural gas will be critical for meeting future electricity demand, especially given power-hungry AI applications[2:01:11]
He owns IBM and Google, seeing them as strong positions in quantum computing and AI, respectively, while also warning about speculative excess in AI-themed stocks[2:02:06]

Simple access for ordinary investors

For investors who do not want to pick individual stocks, Arnold suggests sector funds or ETFs that hold diversified baskets of commodity-related companies[2:03:29]
He mentions one example, the Goering Fund, which invests in a mix of oil, gas, gold, silver, and other commodity producers, as a way to get broad exposure[2:03:53]
He cautions against long-duration bonds (e.g., 30-year Treasuries) given fiscal risks and prefers short-term Treasuries for fixed income exposure[2:05:35]

Character, education, and the role of the subconscious in learning

Character as foundation for surviving hardship and investing well

Arnold reiterates Dostoevsky's observation that people of greatest character survived gulags best and suggests character is equally crucial for investors to discern truth[2:04:57]
He believes young people should focus foremost on developing character, belief, and faith rather than worrying excessively about specific techniques or credentials[2:04:57]

Education, college, and self-teaching through the subconscious

Arnold muses that he might have benefited from formal college education, particularly learning from Benjamin Graham earlier, but stresses that anyone can learn anything by tapping the subconscious[2:06:52]
He likens the subconscious to a far more powerful computer than any physical one, emphasizing the importance of knowing how to program it[2:07:20]
He references astrophysicist Arthur Eddington's view that the mind can affect atoms and potentially alter even universal laws, and Carl Jung's idea that the subconscious contains all accumulated knowledge[2:08:41]

Happiness, love, selfishness, and James Allen's philosophy

Arnold's evolving understanding of what makes him happy

Initially raised in a culture valuing money and achievement, Arnold once believed financial success would make him happy, but later realized money alone does not[2:09:45]
He recalls his son urging him to buy a Mercedes once he was making good money, but Arnold instead valued financial independence and the relief of not "beating his head against the wall" financially[2:10:21]
Over time he found his greatest satisfaction in sharing lessons learned from struggle and seeing those insights change other people's lives[2:10:58]

Love as non-transactional giving and ultimate fulfillment

Arnold emphasizes that unconditional giving-without expectation of return-is what he finds most fulfilling, aligning with Viktor Frankl's and other spiritual teachings on love[2:11:28]
He tells a friend with marital issues that love is not transactional; giving in order to get something back means you have already been paid and miss the deeper experience[2:13:49]
He notes psychological findings that helping others releases a "helping hormone" and produces a natural high, similar in principle to runner's high[2:14:45]

James Allen's "From Poverty to Power" and overcoming selfishness

James Allen's book "From Poverty to Power" is Arnold's favorite; Allen wrote it hoping to give rich and poor alike a philosophy of life that could change them[2:16:40]
Arnold funded a new edition of the book with better typesetting and cover so he could give it to clients and friends, writing in the foreword that it answered problems he had struggled with[2:18:18]
He asserts that any life problem can find its cause and solution somewhere in Allen's book, which concludes that selfishness is the main source of human suffering[2:18:18]
Arnold agrees with Allen that humans are programmed by nature to survive, not to be happy, and that the secret to life is overcoming selfishness and learning to give and love[2:20:15]

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

You can deliberately program your subconscious mind-much like a powerful computer-through focused attention, hypnosis, visualization, and repeated affirmations, and this programming will shape your behavior, energy, and outcomes over time.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What beliefs about yourself or your abilities have you repeated so often that your subconscious now treats them as unquestioned truth?
  • • How could you build a simple daily routine (even 5-10 minutes) to relax, focus, and intentionally feed your subconscious a specific goal or self-concept?
  • • What is one negative mental script you will replace this week with a clear, positive affirmation you repeat multiple times a day?
2

Deep, one-pointed focus (flow) dramatically enhances performance and resilience, whether in sports, business, or crisis, but it rarely happens by accident-you can train it through practices like breath control, structured concentration, and self-hypnosis.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in your work or life do you most need the kind of deep, undistracted focus that flow provides?
  • • How might you redesign part of your day (environment, timing, rituals) to make entering a focused state much more likely instead of leaving it to chance?
  • • What specific focusing technique-breath counting, backward counting, or guided audio-are you willing to experiment with daily for the next two weeks to see its effect on your concentration?
3

Breath and lung capacity are foundational levers for health, energy, and mental clarity, and simple, consistent breathing exercises can measurably improve your physical resilience even late in life.

Reflection Questions:

  • • How often do you consciously notice the pace and depth of your breathing during a typical workday, and what does that reveal about your stress level?
  • • What would change in your energy and mood if you committed to a basic protocol like 4-7-8 breathing for five minutes twice a day for the next month?
  • • When and where could you integrate a spirometer, a breathing app, or a timed breathing practice into your existing routines so it actually becomes a habit rather than a one-off experiment?
4

Character-especially honesty-directly affects your ability to perceive reality accurately; lying gradually erodes your capacity to discern truth in yourself and others, which is catastrophic for both life decisions and investing.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In what areas of your life are you most tempted to exaggerate, hide, or rationalize, and how might that be distorting your judgment?
  • • How would your decision-making improve if you made a non-negotiable rule to tell the truth to yourself first, even when it feels costly or uncomfortable?
  • • What is one concrete situation this week where you can practice radical honesty-either with yourself or someone else-and observe how it changes the outcome?
5

Building resilience and happiness is less about external circumstances and more about how you direct your mind; even in extreme hardship, framing, focus, and meaning-making can create experiences of strength and, at times, genuine joy.

Reflection Questions:

  • • When you look back at a difficult period in your life, how did your inner narrative about it influence how you coped and what you learned?
  • • How can you reframe a current challenge so that it becomes a test of character or an opportunity for growth rather than just an obstacle?
  • • What small daily practice-such as recalling someone you love, journaling on gratitude, or mentally rehearsing a positive future-could help you shift your inner storyline during stress?
6

From an investing standpoint, it is crucial to separate your desire for returns from the reality of valuations and risk, positioning yourself conservatively when markets are stretched and seeking value in unpopular but fundamentally sound assets.

Reflection Questions:

  • • How exposed is your portfolio right now to overvalued broad indices or fashionable themes, and have you honestly assessed the downside if conditions reverse?
  • • What areas of the market (such as cash, short-term bonds, or overlooked real-asset businesses) could provide you with both resilience and future optionality?
  • • What specific portfolio change-however small-can you make this quarter to better align your investments with your true risk tolerance and long-term time horizon?
7

Lasting fulfillment comes less from accumulating more for yourself and more from transcending selfishness-using your skills, resources, and hard-won lessons to benefit others without expecting anything in return.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Whose life have you already had a positive impact on, and what did that experience feel like compared with purely personal achievements?
  • • How might you reorient part of your goals-from "What can I get?" to "What can I contribute?"-in a way that still fits your career and responsibilities?
  • • What is one practical way you could share something valuable you have learned (a skill, a story, a connection) with someone who could benefit from it this month?

Episode Summary - Notes by Blake

RWH061: How To Thrive No Matter What w/ Arnold Van Den Berg
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