TODAY's GUEST IS ...
“You’re not broken — you’ve just never been shown how to handle what’s in your head.”
He looked fine on the outside — but was writing “I want to die” on his school papers.
🎙️ Meet Sam Eaton — once battling depression in silence, now helping thousands of men take their first step back into life.
This episode will help you realise you’re not broken — you’ve just never been shown how to deal with what’s in your head.
You’ll finally understand why you feel stuck, flat, or disconnected — even when life looks fine on paper.
This will help you name what’s actually going on inside you — instead of just calling it “stress” or ignoring it.
You’ll walk away with a way to start again — without needing to fix your entire life first.
You’ll feel less alone, less ashamed, and more capable of taking your first step forward — even if you’ve been stuck for years.
Sam Eaton is an author, speaker, and founder of Recklessly Alive, a suicide prevention organization sprinting toward a world with zero deaths by suicide. Sam has spoken at over two hundred and fifty events throughout the U.S. sharing his story of battling depression and suicidal thoughts. Sam holds a master’s degree in educational leadership which he utilized to create the Recklessly Alive Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to bringing mental health awareness to young people.
Sam’s first book, Recklessly Alive, was released in January 2021 and reached the top 200 best-selling books on Amazon. He has amassed more than 175,000 followers on Instagram and over 90,000 followers on TikTok. His newest book, You Can Do This: Daily Affirmations to Live Recklessly Alive published by Harper Collins is available now. Sam currently resides in Minneapolis, MN, where he enjoys collecting vinyl records, lifting moderately heavy weights, and trying every flavor of Oreos.
Support The Show & Share This Episode!
Subscribe to the Next Level Guy Newsletter!
- Support the show by subscribing to the Next Level Brotherhood on Patreon.
Share this episode with someone who wants to level up their life!
Tag us with your takeaways: #NextLevelGuyPodcast
Leave a rating or review on Spotify / Apple — it really helps spread the message
Thank you for listening, and for being someone who chooses to go deeper.
GUEST SOCIAL LINKS
🔗 Key Links
Read the transcripts here:
Book Link
https://www.amazon.com/Recklessly-Alive-Suicide-Attempt-Fullest/dp/1735585467
https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-This-Affirmations-Recklessly-ebook/
🧠 Tools & Approaches Mentioned
- 🧩 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) → ***
- 🧠 Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) → ***
- 🔄 EMDR Therapy → ***
Listen Here
Watch Here
KEY POINTS, Links & Actions
Episode Summary
In this episode, we break down what’s really going on when you feel stuck, flat, or like you’re slowly drifting away from your own life — and what to actually do about it.
⚠️ Why men struggle in silence
How we’re conditioned early to hide emotion, suppress struggle, and “tough it out” — and why that eventually catches up with you.
🧠 The thoughts that quietly wreck you
From “I’m not good enough” to “I’ll never change” — how these patterns form, and how to interrupt them before they take over.
🔍 Spotting the red flags early
Isolation, low energy, loss of interest, messy environment — the subtle signs your mental health is slipping (and most men ignore).
🔁 Why thinking won’t fix your life
The trap of over-analysing vs the power of taking one small action — even when you don’t feel ready.
🏃♂️ The “just start” principle
How one uncomfortable decision (walking into a gym, showing up, trying something new) can change your entire trajectory.
⚙️ Building momentum when you feel stuck
Simple tools like the 10-minute rule, stacking small wins, and removing friction so progress actually sticks.
🧍♂️ Why environment beats willpower
The impact of being around the right people — and how borrowed belief can replace self-doubt.
🔥 Rewriting the story you tell yourself
Moving from “this is just how I am” to “this is something I can change” — and why that shift changes everything.
This isn’t about fixing your whole life overnight.
It’s about doing one thing differently — and letting that build.
This episode is for men who are:
• Struggling with their mental health but don’t talk about it
• Feeling stuck, flat, or disconnected — even when life looks “fine”
• Questioning why they can’t seem to get moving again
• Trying to build momentum but keep slipping back into old patterns
You stop seeing yourself as someone who’s stuck — and start seeing yourself as someone who takes action, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Guest Story –
🔥 Sam Eaton — Full Arc
Sam didn’t start as a voice for mental health.
He was the guy keeping everything inside — doing “fine” on the outside while quietly falling apart.
🔻 Before → After
Before:
Trying to hold it together, hiding everything, not even understanding what he was going through.
After:
Building a life around action, honesty, and helping others take their first step out of the same place.
💥 What Broke
- Years of suppressed emotion finally catching up
- Loss of focus, motivation, and identity
- Writing things like “I want to die” without knowing why
- Realising something was seriously wrong — but having no language for it
❌ What Didn’t Work
- Ignoring it and “toughing it out”
- Telling himself he was the problem (“I’m stupid”, “I’m broken”)
- Trying to function normally while internally struggling
- Believing success or achievement would fix how he felt
✅ What Finally Worked
- Learning what he was experiencing had a name (depression)
- Taking small, uncomfortable actions instead of waiting to feel ready
- Replacing destructive self-talk with intentional thoughts
- Putting himself in environments that forced growth (gym, community, challenges)
- Stacking small wins instead of trying to fix everything at once
🧠 Emotional Cost
- Feeling like a mistake
- Shame, isolation, and not wanting to exist
- Constant internal battle with his own thoughts
👥 Social Cost
- Pulling away from people
- Hiding struggles instead of asking for help
- Feeling alone even around others
🧍♂️ Identity Cost
- Believing he was “not capable”
- Losing trust in himself
- Letting past voices define who he was
⚡ The Shift
Not one big breakthrough.
Just a decision:
Stop waiting to feel ready — and start doing something anyway.
That’s where everything changed.
Key Takeaways
- 🧠 Catch the “always/never” thoughts early
The moment your brain says “I’ll never change” — interrupt it with “not yet.” - ⚡ Action beats clarity
You don’t need to feel ready. You need to move. - ⏱️ Use the 10-minute rule
Set a timer. Do the thing. Stop if you want — but start first. - 🚪 Your life changes at the door you almost didn’t walk through
Gym, class, event — that’s the moment that matters. - 🧍♂️ Isolation is a warning sign, not a personality trait
If you’re withdrawing, don’t justify it — interrupt it. - 🧹 Your environment reflects your state
Messy space → cluttered mind. Clean one thing, not everything. - 🔁 Stack small wins, don’t chase big transformations
Momentum comes from repetition, not intensity. - 🗣️ Replace the voice in your head deliberately
If it’s negative by default, you must override it on purpose. - 🧱 You’re not broken — you’re untrained
No one taught you how to handle this. Now you learn. - 🏃♂️ Move your body when your mind is stuck
Thinking won’t shift your state — movement will. - 🤝 Borrow belief from better environments
If you don’t believe in yourself yet, be around people who do. - 🎯 Lower the bar to get started
Make it so easy you can’t avoid it. - 📉 Stop trying to fix everything at once
Pick one habit. Win there. Then build. - 🧍 Do one thing your old self wouldn’t do
That’s how identity shifts actually happen. - 📵 Remove inputs that reinforce old stories
People, content, environments — cut what keeps you stuck. - 🧩 You don’t need the full plan — just the next move
Overplanning is often disguised avoidance. - 🧠 Name what you’re feeling properly
“Stressed” isn’t enough. Get specific, get control. - 🔥 Embarrassment is part of the upgrade
If you’re not risking looking stupid, you’re not growing. - 🛠️ Build systems, not reliance on motivation
Motivation fades. Systems carry you through. - ⛓️ Your past explains you — it doesn’t define you
Understand it, then act anyway.
⚡ 5-Minute Actions (Start immediately)
- ⏱️ Set a 5-minute timer and do the thing you’ve been avoiding
No overthinking. Just start. - 🧠 Catch and rewrite one negative thought
Change “I can’t do this” → “I can’t do this yet.” - 🚶♂️ Step outside and walk for 5 minutes
No phone. Just movement and air. - 🧹 Clean one small area
Desk, sink, floor — one visible win. - 📵 Remove one negative input
Unfollow, mute, or block something that drags you down. - 📞 Send one message you’ve been avoiding
Doesn’t need to be perfect. Just sent.
🛠️ 1-Hour Actions (Build momentum)
- 🏋️♂️ Go to a gym/class/event — even if you leave early
Showing up is the win. - 🧾 Write out what’s actually bothering you
No filters. Get it out of your head. - 🗂️ Reset one area of your life
Finances, room, inbox — pick one. - 🍳 Prepare one proper meal
Act like someone who takes care of themselves. - 📚 Read 10–15 pages of something useful
Replace scrolling with input that builds you. - 🤝 Go somewhere social and speak to one person
That’s it. One. - 🚗 Drive to the place you’ve been avoiding
You don’t even need to go in — break the avoidance loop.
🧬 Identity Shifts (This is the real change)
- 🧍♂️ Act like someone who keeps promises to themselves
Even if it’s a tiny promise. - 🔁 Stop saying “this is just how I am”
Replace it with: “This is something I’m working on.” - ⚔️ Do one thing your old self would avoid
That’s your upgrade point. - 🧠 Speak to yourself like someone you respect
Not like someone you’re trying to tear down. - 🚪 Become the person who walks in the room anyway
Even when it’s uncomfortable. - 🔥 Accept that discomfort is part of your identity now
Not something to avoid — something you use. - 🧱 Build trust with yourself daily
Small actions > big intentions.
🎯 The One Key Action
If you only do one thing:
Do one thing today that you’ve been avoiding — even badly.
Not perfectly.
Not fully.
Just do it.
The Uncomfortable Truth
e)
Best – Responsibility Shift
No one is coming to fix your mental health — and thinking about it won’t change it.
Action vs Avoidance
You don’t stay stuck because you don’t know what to do — you stay stuck because you’re avoiding doing it.
Identity Hit
The voice telling you “this is just who I am” is the same voice keeping you exactly where you are.
Hard Reality
You can understand your problems perfectly… and still never change your life.
Brutal but Fair
Waiting to feel ready is the reason you’re not moving.
Why this works
From what came up:
- Overthinking vs action →
- Avoidance patterns →
- “Just start” principle →
- Momentum > theory →
This truth cuts through the noise: You already know enough — you’re just not acting.
INFOGRAPHIC
“You can understand your problems perfectly… and still never change your life.”
“Waiting to feel ready is the reason you’re still stuck.”
“You’re not broken — you’ve just never been shown how to deal with what’s in your head.”
“Your life changes the moment you do the thing you’ve been avoiding.”
“Small actions don’t feel powerful — until they change everything.”
LEVEL UP WITH THESE KEY PRODUCTS!
There are millions of potential products to buy, so how do you know which ones are worth your hard earned money? Simple! Click here and visit my AFFILIATES HIGHLIGHTS page to explore the products and services I recommend that will transform, improve and evolve your life.
There is a wide range of companies showcased on the page, companies that will make you a better athlete, a better lover, a better man, better in all areas of your life.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
LEVEL UP Time WITH THIS KEY LESSON!
🔥 Core Lesson
You don’t get unstuck by thinking harder — you get unstuck by moving.
Most of what keeps you where you are isn’t lack of knowledge. It’s hesitation, avoidance, and waiting to feel ready. But that moment doesn’t come. The shift happens when you act anyway — when you clean one thing, send one message, walk into one room, take one uncomfortable step. That’s how momentum starts. And once it starts, everything begins to change.
You’re not broken. You’ve just never been shown how to deal with what’s in your head — and now you’re learning. One action at a time.
🎯 CALL TO ACTION
Pick one thing you’ve been avoiding — and do it today.
Not perfectly. Not fully. Just start.
Then come back tomorrow and do it again.
🎯 Why this works
- Action > overthinking →
- Momentum > perfection →
- Identity built through behaviour →
Everything leads here:
👉 One action. Repeated.
JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD
Occasional notes, ideas, and things worth sharing
— sent by email.
This newsletter is where I share ideas I’m thinking about between episodes — lessons that stuck, tools I’m testing, and links I’d send to a mate anyway.
There’s no fixed schedule, and no filler. If it’s not useful, it doesn’t get sent.
I don’t email often, and I don’t share addresses.
Join the list ✅
Affiliate Products to level up with
There are millions of potential products to buy, so how do you know which ones are worth your hard earned money? Simple! Click here and visit my AFFILIATES HIGHLIGHTS page to explore the products and services I recommend that will transform, improve and evolve your life.
There is a wide range of companies showcased on the page, companies that will make you a better athlete, a better lover, a better man, better in all areas of your life.
Find YOUR NEXT Episode to listen to!
If you enjoyed the podcast, please help me by posting a review on iTunes or your podcast provider.
Also, please ensure that you click my social media buttons to stay in touch for updates on the latest posts, affiliate deals, virtual hugs and what not!
To see all current episodes, simply click here or select another episode from the random generating carousel!
Why Burnout Isn’t a Work Problem — It’s a System Problem
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
How Breath Control Improves Focus, Calm, and Performance
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
What Living by High Standards Actually Looks Like
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
How Older Grapplers Get Better Without Breaking Down
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Why You Keep Repeating the Same Patterns — and How to Actually Change Them
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Why BJJ Athletes Get Injured — and How to Reduce the Risk
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Why Your Brain Is Holding You Back — and How to Fix It
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
How Jiu-Jitsu Builds Confidence, Discipline & a Life That Lasts
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
What Nurses Know About Staying Healthy Long Term
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Why Mental Training Matters More Than Motivation
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Why Social Skills Are Really About Presence, Not Tricks
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
What Music Teaches About Energy, Discipline & High Performance
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Why the Credit Score Game Keeps You Broke — and What to Build Instead
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
The One Word That Brings Clarity to Your Life and Work
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
How to Learn Hard Skills Faster Without Cutting Corners
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
How One Word Can Create Connection and Change
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
What It Actually Takes to Scale a Business Beyond 7 Figures
How to Think Clearly in a World Full of Bullshit
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Why Elite Performers Don’t Train Like You Think (And What Actually Works)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Gary Vaynerchuk Said This in 2013. It’s More True Now Than It’s Ever Been.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
What Great Coaching Teaches About Handling Pressure in Life
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
How to Act Calmly When Fear Is Real
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
Fighting Through Doubt: Lessons From Elite MMA Competition
How Taking Responsibility Breaks the Cycle of Addiction
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More
The Man Who Made The Rock, Oprah and Tom Cruise Open Up — Here’s His Secret
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Email | RSS | More