MMA Legend Conan Silveira Reveals the Fighter’s Mindset for Life | Ep. 149

Introduction to Conan Silvera 0:00

It's not that you want to become a fighter, you are born fighter. The difference then people sees the MMA fighter but in reality we are fighters. We are made for chaos because chaos is going to make you move. Tony, do you think modern society has made people mentally soft? One billion percent. That goes to what I always say because the internet is so bad. Internet is not bad, we make that bad Today we have Conan Silvera. Conan is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, MMA pioneer, former heavyweight fighter, co-founder of American Top Team and author of Master of You.

Today, his message brings the fighter's mindset beyond the cage, helping people face life, health and adversity one round at a time. Let me ask you this, man. What makes a champion? I'm gonna give you my formula. So I leave my life thinking about the students. Doesn't matter what a billion people think about me. I am never gonna compare myself with the other one's journey because that is the others' journey, not mine. So what are the top three things you do to take care of your health? I keep myself who I am because I think the body responds to your mind the way you think.

Physically, I kept myself working. I have been an athlete since I was a kid. Why did you put this book together? So, what is Master of You? Number one, you are your own master. Not that other one's opinion is not important, but you make the decision. So I bring that mindset using Welcome to another episode of a Healthy Point of View podcast. I'm your host, Sam Tahata. And as usual, we're bringing experts from all over the world to talk about health, wellness, beauty, and mindset.

Early Life and Move to the United States 1:35

Today's guest, this is a dear friend of mine. Have known him for over 15 years. You guys probably have seen him all the over world. We're gonna be talking about the fighter's mindset, We are going to be going deep and understanding what does 24 rounds look like every single day. This guy here is one of the founding forces behind American Top Team, one the most recognizable facilities that's out there that trains a lot of these professional MMA fighters, a lotta the top names in the UFC that you can think of.

I've been working very closely with them for the last 15 years. We're gonna tap in into what that true fighter mindset means. Now the fighter mindset is not just for fighters. That fighter mind set is also utilized for people for their health, for the wellness, the people that are fighting chronic disease, things like cancer, autoimmune issues. It's all about what's here, right? Today we have Conan Silvera. Conan, all right. All right. My brother, thanks for having me. I appreciate that. So this is a well overdue.

We've talked about it for years about coming on the podcast. And, you know, we're both always busy moving around. You travel more than anybody I know. Like crazy. So, and Conan, first I want to say thank you for coming here on a Healthy Point of View podcast. It's always a pleasure, my brother. Because your message that you're going to give today is a message many, many people can use. Many people in the health and wellness industry, a lot of the doctors that listen to what we talk about, A lot the patients that are trying to take control of their health.

That fighter mindset is something, but Before we get into any of that, I want people to get to know who Conan truly is, right? And I'm not talking about the Conan of American Top Team and, you know, the fighting Conan. I wanna go way back. Way back from when you were like about five years old. What was your upbringing that brought you to where you're at today? Definitely, I believe I don't see myself special in the way of I have some extra gift or some kind of divine power or anything like that.

I just think that I always deal with things in life in a better way. Of course, one of the things that got mentioned was for me to come to the United States. You know, I always thought about it even when I was a little kid. That was one of the things that really made me was just a uncontrollable desire. I believe it. And I've always been like that. You I do believe then the mind drives you. It is the relationship that you have with the universe. And I've always been like that since I was a kid. Anything that I went through in life, and it's not I'll come over here and tell you a bad experience.

I believe that every experience was good, depends the way you see it.

Born a Fighter and the Champion Mindset 4:45

And think that most people really, they try to change the learning, the process that life brings to you. and I think I have a good relationship with life. Where are you originally from? From Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I don't look like a typical Brazilian. Nobody says that. You look a Russian, then Brazilian, like I was born in Rio. So yeah, I came to the States when I 20 to 21. okay so you're already an adult so yes did you even speak the language when you came here no i didn't do nothing zero actually was a um what is funny because uh through my um my my days in school in brazil I always opt to learn French.

I don't speak nothing French, I didn't even speak English at all, even if they offered, but my desire, my dream was to come to the States. And when I came, I was laughing when everybody was. So I could not feel like I'm part of the group, but I didn't know anything. I learned like, you know, after I got my green card, and went to the school, But I read in 1993, so I learn everything after that. Amen. And you did it. You know, it's a learning learning. Listen, we all are. Right. So I remember, you know my parents when they brought us here from Dominican Republic.

My parents were in their mid thirties. I was a kid. A year old. At my oldest brother. He was older. Seven years older, But, you know, my parents had to learn everything from scratch as well. So, fortunately for me, I learned in school and I learnt Spanish at home. But my parent, it was always a bit of a struggle for them to, learn English and learn the language. They did it for the bigger purpose, the big opportunities that the United States was here to offer us. Right. So what brought you to the States besides that desire to wanting to be here?

Was it fighting? No, it wasn't fighting. I mean, fighting has always been with me since I remember, you know, but it was just then it's kind of if you translate towards doesn't sound really good, I would try. Then I had the need to come back home. And we're like, but you've never been here. You don't speak the language. How do you feel then you going back to home? Some of the things, some feelings in having life is really not for you to understand. It's just for your to feel. And I have that feeling for a long, long time.

Then I had that need, you know, when you're feeling that is the place. I didn't choose any other country.I want to go back. When I thought about the United States, I felt that it was going home. And I feel like that to today. Every time I travel, you know, I want to go back home. Wow. So there's a level of determination that you had to have to get you to where you finally came here to the United States. Right. You know, when we look at your journey coming here to the U.S., where was it where the fighting really just came and took over your life as as a not just as professional fighter, but as an actual career?

I do believe, Sam, that fighting it is a natural way to be then is not then you want to become a fighter, you are born fighter. The difference then people sees the fighter in the sports, the MMA fighter but in reality, we are fighters, and I can't answer that in a better way telling you a story. Imagine then in your first, second, not your second second, not after you're born, but in your first second of life, then you have no intellectual, you don't have any conscious, anything. You just have a little head and a very small tail.

And why do I bring this to make people understand? Because it's so hard for people to understand and they look so much up to the other person or the whatever. They try to understanding other people's life and how did you ended up getting what you have? How did do? how are you so different from me than what I don't have it? And it goes like, oh, the guy is lucky. The guy's taller. the guys is skinner. And goes on. In reality, no, in reality we all have exactly the same divine touch. So imagine then, like I said before, and that is proved by science, it's not me telling you, anybody.

It's just you. Everybody here was exactly and it is exactly in the way. in your first second of life, you compete. That is a competition because it's not only you, it is you against 300 million people. Imagine, proved by science then, a young, healthy man can bring it out, ejaculate from 300 to 1.2 billion billion sperm cells so that's so yeah imagine imagine when you see the 300 you cannot see a sperm cell you'll see 300 people because they are people eventually you know they was 300 million 300 millions so when do you think about that you have to understand that is not that happen with Peter, Louis, or just any other.

No, everybody is no exception for that. And as you know, complete against the odds because it is a long distance, you choose your style, swimming, flying, running, whatever you want to do. And just one gets the first place. Just one guys the gold medal. You, me, everybody here, is not second place, it's not third place So now, you cannot refuse to accept that because it's a fact,

Sacrifice, Consistency, and the Price of Success 11:30

it is a scientific fact. Then we are like that. When you look at that from a different angle, and you say, man, I was a champion before anything. So, now it seems to me that people want to destroy that, they want be somebody else. They want build something. And you can, because there's no other way. So when you look really deep inside, say, I won from my first second. How can I dare my capacity? How could I do my desire, my drive? Yeah. Yeah, man. Well, you really think about that. Three hundred million other people were competing.

Minimum 300 million. That's and that's a real championship. Because there's no only then you have you know you're not you don't prepare for that and you just you. Just go. You just start going flying, swimming, running, whatever you decide to do, or whatever is your choice. and goes against the odds is about 60 centimeters. If I'm not wrong, it's about sixty kilometers for you to get in the dark against The Flow. Oh, my God. Wow. I think you have better odds on winning the lottery. Yes, you do. That's a really good thing for people to kind of think of is that everyone was a champion at first place champion right from the beginning.

So, Conan, I want to tap into about fighters. You worked very closely with a lot of fighters and you work with understanding what they go through mentally, physically. When it comes to fighters, what about the fighters have taught you about human suffering that most people will never understand? It is two types of fighters. We're talking about fighting MMA, the sport, everything. And it's kind of a, we're going to talk about MMA fighter, but we in general got to bring everybody. is a price for everything.

When we say price or everything, we kind of feel then is not being fair. You should have for free. I'm sorry to be the one to say it's never gonna happen. And the difference between fighters that make it and fighters they don't make, it has nothing to do with the talent. It has to nothing with ability. Has nothing do to with special strength or whatever it is. No, has do do the passion for surfing. To suffer and you say oh my god, that's so bad. That's not bad It is the fighter then avoids the process the preparation, but he wants so much the result He wants some much of the end of It's never gonna happen.

So is you against you going to nowhere stay in the same place and Now, on the other hand, you see the fighters then say, bring me more because that's not enough. I will do more if I have to. Nothing is bad. Everything is very conscious and very open-eyed than what I'm going through. It's very acceptable for what or what. The dream and the reality then brings them to what they want to do is not questionable. They're not going to negotiate with life. That's exactly, listen, life comes to you and you say, Sam, for you to have what you have today, it is this price.

Some people are gonna say Sam don't do it, that's too much. Sam's gonna to say I do not care, I paid double. But how are you gonna pay double for something you don' know if it's going to be worth it or not? I don''t care. What do you think, is that part of the sacrifice that people have to commit to? It is part a mentality more than sacrifice. If you look to every single person that we know, choose from business, from sports, anywhere. If look not to the results, not what have they got, but what are the preparation, what do they have to pay for, and what they've got to give to.

I'll give a good example, it's in my book, I used some examples in the book. Michael Phelps, an amazing instrument. Everybody knows Michael phelpes. He doesn't have big hands. You didn't big food. he didn' have three lungs.He didn have anything that me and you and anybody else had. So what was the result? Why did he get more than, I don't know, 80 medals in three Olympic games? More than anybody. I dont think anybody is going to beat his record. love for what he wants from Sunday through Sunday, water.

So imagine then, what do you do with New Year's, Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, et cetera, No, I don't. I'm going to be in the water. So when he had all the numbers from the year that he was training, preparing himself for the games, it was more than 300 hours, more that anybody that was going compete against. What is lucky on that? What's the divine? what is the gift? No. Price is 300 or more paid. Another year, another year. And you say, but he probably didn't need you in the first year to come back again.

I'm not trying to be better than you, I am trying be to better that myself. He goes back on the third time. Oh my God, you kidding me? You don't have enough? No, one more. But are you ready far away from, you know, whatever generation will come? I don't care. I'm doing for myself. That is the perfect example of being the champion on the 300 million. It's not because the other one. It is not that I have to prove anything to anybody. I need to feel good about myself. At the end of the day, they have their own opinion, their life, and their journey.

This is about me feeling. When you went to ATT, we have probably 40 244 belts from every major league. PFL, UFC, Bellator, 1FC, Ryzen. It's about 42, 46. And you get over there and you say, you guys are so far away from anything in the universe, because I don't know anybody besides us, but not being cocky, not be... No, no, Yes, you could stop right now and say, that's it, we don't want to compete anymore. We got so much of, so many belts, then we never, nobody's going to catch up. Nobody's gonna get close.

Second place, third place. Forget about it. Why you continue doing it? Because it's not about anybody else. It's about us. Is about always to get better than who you are yesterday. So it's about competing against yourself. So I love the fact that you brought up Michael Phelps, right? You said it in your book. Because it is not about, you know, we're talking about the fighter's mindset, but it isn't about just fighting. This is any sport. It is anything in life. Is who behind the MMA fighter who's behind?

The swimmer who is behind The runner who was behind them and they achieved what he wants Now, we try, you have a tendency of just to see the first layer, just see what we want to say. Because it makes us feel good to the reason why he got, because Sam was in the right place and the time, and he has so much luck. Wait a second. Lucky? Coincidence of what? Overnight success. Oh, yeah. You know, like Gina, you blink your eyes in the next day. Done. It's not going to happen, but still people don't believe that.

And I do believe what we talked about is what people need to understand. What I say they need understand is because not trying to impose that, But it is the best way. it Is the way when you know who you are.

Self-Discovery, Faith, and Being Yourself 20:30

You have the key. And you've seen that with so many people. a lot of professionals, a lotta business. I mean, you've seen it even with me. 15 years ago, I didn't have what I had today. You were part of that journey. We've see it. Do you remember when I was the one starting the IVs? All the way back then. Yes, yes, yeah. Now I don't think I've started an IV yet. Maybe I hope I haven't forgot how to do it, but I have started and IV in years. Yeah, we'll never forget. Conan, let me ask you this, man.

What makes a champion? I'm going to give you my formula, my, what I use for me, where I repeat to myself every single day. And I'll explain to you after that. I believe in myself, even when I am wrong. What do you mean by that? I believed in my self even. When I was wrong, because it's easy to believe yourself when you're right. The sense and the feeling of believing myself never stops. When I say I believe in myself, even if I'm wrong, so that means it's not the fact that I mean wrong. It's just because I believed in my self.

Doesn't matter why. The second one is the same as the first one. Life gives you a guarantee of nothing. You have guarantee on nothing, you don't have any guarantee over the next five minutes. So I leave my life thinking about these two things. I believe in myself. It doesn't matter what a billion people think about me. Not that I look at myself and say, you're such a superior human being. No, it's nothing to do with that. Has to with, I believed in my self. Maybe things for you is gonna be better or more clear and for me is going to be difficult and very dark.

I'm okay with that. All fine my way. Right. Never gonna compare myself with the other one's journey because that is the one journey not mine. Keep on my lane. And I know that guarantee that everybody looks for starting a business, starting training, studying anything they want to do in life. I wanted the guarantee then it's going to work for me. Oh, my friend, you do not have that guaranteed. Can you imagine if we do? I don't think you'd be cool. I think it would be nice, Sam. It would so boring.

Because what makes you sit today here and all this thing you built was that no guarantee. You didn't know? You say, hey, I'm trying my business. So what are you doing? Because you, you more than anybody had the drive, had that vision, then you believe more then anybody. Honestly, that's like the fun part. I don't want to know that. The process is the front part, even the process comes with the pain, comes in with a suffering, come with deception, it comes up with everything that we're tired to, you know, but that is fun.

Part I asked myself and I ask the fighters, the people that I train and the, people then I talk and say, what is after the you get the belt? What is, after you really become who you want? That is enough. Kind of lose a little bit there. that, you know, the sweet. The sweet is not in the end. When you cross the line, that finish line it is good. Everybody wants that. But don't you feel then, I want to go back and do it again. I wanna do more. It's like when you climb to the mountain and you get to there after, falling, hoodie, bleeding, et cetera, etc.

You get the top. It is over. So let me ask you, you have the destination, and you the journey. Which one's most important? The journey? Always. Always, because the destinations are the consequence of the process. What do you want, to wean or prepare yourself? Can you ween without preparing yourself, comes that? No, of course not. Most of people are going to say, no, Okay? Can preparing yourself give you a guarantee that you're gonna win? No. Never. You can have an amazing camp, you can amazing plant.

Can you really, really 100% believe it's gonna work or not? We don't know. So what makes you do it? The process, the passion for the, again, for consistency. Oh my god, consistency. You have to have such a passion. you have repeat that every single day. Consistency. So when you say passion, how would you describe what passion looks like? is something that becomes uncontrollable, something you have no control of. You're sleeping, you eat, your shower, You do everything thinking about that, what you want.

And especially because we live in a such of an exposed world and everybody has something to say, everybody shows what they are not, they live life thinking, posting, Things on Instagram, that's the life you want, et cetera, do not care about that. So would you say passion looks like an addiction or an obsession? You gotta be obsessed with that, but it's one thing that we need to understand. You see, we think then we have control of people's ideas or people drives or even what do they think about you.

We don't, but it doesn't stop over there. The way I see, the way deal with that is even when you say something or you have something as your opinion, then you just like about me. I don' think that it's bad because it is your I understand, Dane, what else anybody feels. Is that right? I don't have control of that. I have control of what I think, I control what see, the way I see. And the drive, that obsession, because obsession is such a term used for something bad. But if you just change sides, put it in a positive way.

Be obsessed by a dream, be obsessed with a goal. Just you, nobody else. Because dreams and goals are very private. Because I have two signatures, I has one. When you did all this, it was about Sam signing on, not anybody else. You could not tell me 15, 18 years ago when you met and say, Conan, I can see exactly what I want to do. It's like, Sam, 20 years, or I don't know how many years I go. I'm going to have 46 belts and I'll be going in a very humble way, be one of the best gyms on the planet.

But I cannot say that. But I didn't care about thinking what is going to be the result. I was thinking about the process. How do I make my process? How can I have more passion for what I do? And, man, you know, going way back to those early years when we met, I mean, a lot has changed. A lot changed with the American Top Team. I remember you guys used to be on Johnson Road, close to Lions, the older facility, and now you have this beautiful state-of-the-art facility. Forty thousand square feet. Yeah.

Beautiful. gym and everything. Let me make a correction. You're going to think it's funny, but it is not a facility. It is a anniversary. A university. I call it the anniversary of MMA because it IS a university, you know. The structure we have then was through a lot of pain, a lots of mistakes, lot's of deception, et cetera, was to get to a point then you say, okay, now you're going to get better. But wait a second, you already did. No, no, I'm not. You and I have talked and one of the things that you put a lot of emphasis on is about people being able to discover who they are.

A lot people go through life not even understanding who they're competing and fighting towards something that is not even for them, right? So I want to go into some details of how do people go through that process to truly tap in and figure out who they are? How do you discover who you are. I'm going to give you my conor's opinion, of course. It is about choice. It's about choosing. You see, one of the things that I, when I talk to people, I bring that as, and the majority say I never thought about it like that.

Everybody has a best friend. Best friend, what is your best friends? He's the one that knew you can find everything. He knows you really well. Even, he can read your mind. And most of people they have one. In my opinion, most of the people that has a best friend, not that there's anything wrong with that. The best friends knows about the person more than the personal knows himself. Think about it. And then at the day, Sam, me and you, you're not going to sleep with anybody. Of course, the wife's, whatever it is, but you're gonna sleep with yourself.

You don't want to close your eyes and you don' want then open your eye. At the end of the day, you are your best friend. But people choose not to, and when they not choose, when I say that, it's not that you wanna, I wanna become my best friends because becoming my friend is gonna make life easier. That's nothing to do with that. But realize then who you are. Bring the questions then when you look yourself in the mirror and say, what are you thinking? What you know? How many times do you have a five-minute conversation with yourself?

You do have with your best friend hours on the phone, hours over here, physically there, but you never have it with yourselves. And friendly conversation is not about criticizing, judging, no. Like you talking to yourself. No, we all have the voice inside. when you stop, when do you listen to the voice? When you start listening to outside voice and you started talking to that inside voice, the inner city voice. The ones right inside. How do, because people, they relay knowing themselves, know the outer knowledge as, am I gonna judge?

Am I going to criticize? And my ugly, and my beautiful, or my skinny, what I'm strong, on my fat, it isn't. It's not about that. Authenticity is something then you just want to find If you know who you are And it's not about my name is sam. I was born that day that date dot. You know what i'm talking about It's now about your social security number. It is about Who am I? What I want How does um having a spiritual belief? Go along with what we're talking Again, we are a spirit passing through a school of here.

I don't think, in my opinion, and I completely respect anybody who believes whatever religion, whatever they do, it's okay. You know, I see it. It's funny because when people ask me that and they say, imagine then I have T-Mobile and you have Verizon. When you call that place the creator, it really doesn't matter what company you're using, go straight to the same place. T-Mobile, Verizon, whatever is another one, AT&T, the one that answers the call is always the the person. So when I see that, when think about that As much as I don't like too much, because I believe that we are in a kind of a heavy level, you know, all this material, this kind takes away, but it is the way that have to go through.

Because, imagine if you're going to do the exam, or you want to the test in the school, and you already know the answers. You didn't have study. We study, we're just passing to a different level. Whatever we doing here. You believe in God? Of course. I say that I don't have the word to describe how much I believe it, but I do believe, really. What were you raised? What religion? I pretty much went through everything with my mom. You know, I had a mother. Mom is a better way to say it. And I went through every single religion and she fell at the time.

Then she was fine, something so. But in my it is I'm more to the spiritual study, you know, is a doctrine of you learn about what are we doing here? It has the questions and the answers, because you at least the way I see it, things got to make sense.

24 Rounds a Day and Learning Through Pain 35:00

Everything has to make sense. Yes, everything has make senses. You see, one thing that we, at least in Brazil, when I was a kid, and I think that was passed from generation to generation, we have a saying, I don't know if I have it in Spanish, then, no leaf of the tree will fall without the creator's permission. Have you heard that before? I have it. I haven't. So we do. It is true. Nothing happens from the good to the worse, to bad to amazing. Can not happen without his permission. So when you think like that, you have to use that for everything.

You just use it for what is good. Because it's not that he allows the bad, but sometimes it is not bad. It is, I got to keep you moving. I've got get you out of the couch. I got to say, you're not going to make it if you stay in there watching the games on Sunday and drink a cold beer. You've got get out. And these are the fundamentals when we're talking about having that winner's mindset. Because, when it comes to religion, with what you have been doing for so many years, working with fighters, they're bringing fighters from all over the world that are part of every culture, different religions.

It doesn't matter what religion you are a part. That winner's mindset requires a whole different type of foundation that yes can connect with the religion and the spiritual belief But that foundation is what's needed and that's going back to what we're talking about is people discovering who they are themselves now when someone discovers who They are is that when you would say because we were talking religion. We're talk about God We were talkin about discovering oneself. Is that one someone has the ability to now live life through their God given purpose?

Um, when they discover themselves, of course, in reality, Sam, how do we know what is your mission here? You, we don't have a script. You don' have, a, We don''t have nothing to read. We have no guide. What is our mission? you know, what I see is this. In my, my understand. Being religion is being good. Being good with yourself, number one. Be good without the people, Number one too. That is what God wants from you. You don't need to go, again, my opinion aside for that. you don' have to to the church.

There's nothing wrong going to. Don't you think then it is people still on the level of just being a good person on Sundays? Oh Sunday today Sunday, I gotta be I got to go to that place I gonna go from time to time I have to do this and have you do that but after that one hour some people act a little funny and after That I choose I step out whatever place. I went Everything is back to the to normal and when they say everything's back is not in action actions is a consequence parts Do I wanna that good for that person?

Because the person has something that I want? Do want to be in that place? That place that the the personal has in our life? I wanted that please. But it's not about using that as example, comparing. You say, if he did, I can do that too. It's just, i want take that personal from that chair that i wanna sit on that But what happened with being a good person, you just on the Sundays from two to four, from four to six, or six to eight, when it goes back to the normal life, the everyday, You're not good.

So I believe then, I truly believe that you have to be good It's not such a thing, in my opinion, Sam. Love somebody that will love yourself. And it has nothing to do with narcissism. It has to nothing do to yourself, nothing. Be us. You have to respect yourself to expect somebody. you have you love somebody, you to understand that your space, it is yours, that the person has their own space. That is being good. We don't need that much. There's no a lot of requirement. to be good. That's true, that's very true.

You just gotta be, good! I wish you the best, even if you don't ask for my wish, I'll wish the you best. When I look at you and say, man, That is my boy, the guy I met 18 years ago. Look at that. I'm happy for you, but I am not happy in front of you. That has been good. How will we deal with this every single day in life? Because we look to the other one. It's like I say, especially nowadays with the media, you know, oh, I wanted that life on the boat and the yacht and their cars. Sometimes it's just AI doing that.

There's a picture behind the guy. The guy is going through hell. You wanted their life. Right, right. Conan, what would you say is your, um, What's your God given purpose? I think I believe this every day. It's every a new page. I'm going to answer that with another story. And I love the stories. When you say, oh my God, that has something to do with that. It is a story about a Jewish, how you call the Jewish priest? Rabbi? His name was Moshe. Mosher was pretty much... dying. And he was well-respected rabbi in his city, in this community, and he had a bunch of students.

Very close to the day that he died, or passing, whatever it was, his student came to him and said, Rabbi Moshe, now that you're dying, you're going to see the Creator. You're gonna see, you gonna meet the creator. And it's like, Rabbi, if the create asked you, why you didn't do this way? Why you did not follow the steps? You didn not followed any other messiahs, whatever it was. He listened to the student, And with a very nice and comfortable face, he goes to him and say, I'm not afraid of the Creator asking me that question.

I am afraid if the creator asks me why I was not shot. So when you ask me, what is my... I want to be myself. That's who I I don't wanna be anybody else. I wanna, of course, I look up to people that has done, got you a place, and I'd like to say, oh my God, if he did, kind of motivates me, pulls me to do it, go ahead. It's not gonna be easy, but you can do. But I want to be myself. That is the purpose of to Be Here. Be yourself with the mistakes, with winnings, losses, Be yourself, be cool with yourself.

Be your self. So when you say be yourself one of the things that comes to mind a lot of times is when I see someone, even if it's on social media, someone that I know, I who they truly are. Someone that is close with me, have grown up with them. And I a whole different version of this person where I just know they're not being themselves, they are being pretentious. What's the true problem when people are becoming pretentious to try to achieve some kind of goal? I would say the first part for the answer, they want to be somebody else because they are afraid to do themselves.

Why are they afraid of being themselves? Because they have no idea who they We're looking for something to grab, to justify, I'm here. It's not a question about if it's good or bad. You know when people say if you have no directions, any direction is good? Exactly the same way. People want to blame the media because the medium drives you to a fantasy planet, fantasy world, whatever it is. It's us. We are the ones building what we are not. Because how am I going to present myself to you if I'm afraid that your opinion about me is more important than my opinion of myself?

Wow. I don't know if Sam is going to like me if he really sees who I am, but wait a second. Being yourself is the gold is, the treasure is. The diamonds you have on you, right? Not being somebody else. Yeah. Conan. There's something that you say all the time. Are you digesting it? I could go for days and talk about that topic. Me too. Because it's one of the things that, especially as a business owner, as an entrepreneur, you're always working on yourself. You're wanting to personally develop yourself, tap into yourself talk to yourself Live that God-given purpose.

You know, what is it that I need to do and It's a lot, you know sometimes you question it, yeah I'm a Christian. I am a believer and I want to make sure that i'm doing things God's way as well too, which is how you said before you got to be nice You gotta be next to your neighbor. Yeah, just being good being. Good, right? But teaching is also something on my behalf. I think it's important for us that are leading the way, being able to take the younger generation and be able teach them a lot of these things, which that's something that you do a Not everyone can teach, not everyone has the wisdom that you have.

Those are things throughout years of learning and learning oneself that can get there. But once you do have that certain mindset, I think it's an obligation, it is a universal obligation. that we should teach the next generation to be able to tap into these things, to understand these. And you've done that. You've put the book together, you're on podcasts talking about it, and you work with your fighters on this. Now you have expanded to beyond fighters, right? We're talking dealing with very sick patients and making sure that they have that mindset as well too.

We talk about the 24 rounds every single day. What is this 24 round that were fighting every day? is the time that you have in your hands. Like I said, I see 24 rounds as from the timing you get up, from that time you go back to sleep. It is even when you're sleeping, because you never know if you gonna get out the next day.

Modern Society, Responsibility, and Mental Toughness 47:30

You don't have control of that, you know? And, oh, it can be you healthy, or whatever. When it's time, is time. Anyway, Life it is, and when I say life here, I mean this time, this level, then what do we find ourselves? It's to learn. or is a big school with the different levels. And you have to do the most you can to learn. Of course, you're not gonna get A plus in everything you do. That's not the case. I'm not planning, I am not pertaining. Or I like it, of course. But I liked it when I do for, But sometimes you're going to get C minor.

You're gonna get D, but that's okay. I do believe, I believe that is the intention. That is exactly to understand that the time you have in your hands, it is about learning. And I keep myself in a very, very alert all the times. I don't see myself as a teacher because I bring to people, I'm trying to share with you what I learned. It's exchange. I know Sam has a lot to tell me and I have something to say to Sam, so we exchange knowledge. That is the beauty of life. You know, it is about being a student all the time.

I went to a high school, now I'm in an anniversary. Example, what am I going to learn? Eventually, I am going share with the guys in high schools. Eventually I will share it with other people. I think that is so amazing. to share what the things you have been through and what affect you. How did you see that situation? How do you pass through the situation, how they affect to you? What did it learn for? what is something you can say about something that hurts you, you know, when you look back. You see, that's one good question.

If you could, if you give back, a problem or a situation that really brought a lot of pain on you, but brought alot of experience. could give you will give back. I would never give it back any other because if you give them back the pain, you've got to give the experience experience. They are part of each other. Crazy. You bring that up because every single some of the hardest, most stressful in business or in life, those are the moments that I've learned the most. because you're not sitting on the couch watching the game on Sunday drinking a cold beer.

You are on motion. you are in the 24 rounds. Sunday, Monday, I don't care. Every single day is exactly the same. Yeah, and you know, this actually takes me way back. When you say something like that, my mind starts going. And I remember the first lawsuit that we, we actually put the lawsuit against a franchisee. It was a West Boca location that had out there. Very successful location. We're making a lot of money off the royalties. But the franchise owner that sold the franchises to was doing some illegal stuff, right?

With Medicare, Medicaid. I believe you mentioned to me at some point. Yeah. And we got to a point where we said, you know, it doesn't matter how much money we're making. We have to terminate this franchise. If not, they could just ruin everything that we are building. And that was a very stressful process because they did a counter lawsuit against us with a bunch of fake stuff that they made up. But now we were filing a lawsuit, but we are also now defending a law suit, and it was in federal court.

And this is my early years into Liquor Vita. I know nothing about lawsuits. But the one thing I learned throughout that process was the whole legal process, how it works, going through the discovery process. Depositions, discovery, cross-examination, and how the court system works. And I embraced it. I had friends that were coming out of college and becoming attorneys that didn't understand the legal system as well as I did. from just going through it. And now it's made every other step growing the business on the legal side so much easier for me, because I understand it, so I'm with you.

I wouldn't trade any of that pain or suffering that I've had in life, I want to trade it I wanna give it back. How good would it be for you not to have any problems, any issues, no bad circumstances, pain, nothing? People are probably gonna say, oh that would be perfect, makes life perfect. We don't have perfection here. We just have the word, but we don' have actually perfection. It's not supposed to be perfect. If it was perfect, we'd be in a different planet, different level. Different level than anything.

You're supposed be a chaos. Right. we are made for chaos, because chaos of course in the good sense is gonna make you move. He's gonna push you. Yep. Conan, do you think modern society has made people mentally soft? One hundred. Actually, I take back one billion percent, one million percent. One billion per cent. I think that, you see, that goes to what I always say, all because the Internet is so bad. Internet's not bad, Internet is good. Who doesn't like to have this high speed internet, you know, where you just barely touch that and it's right there?

We make that bad. We use wrong. we have a tendency, and especially nowadays, it is so easy and seems to me that is normal. Let's blame the other person. Our time, when I was a kid, it's not because we didn't have the internet, but you're more responsible for your actions. You know, this new generation seems to me, Dane, I don't know if I create the excuses or whatever, but everything seems be justified. Everything is like, no, it's not my responsibility. That is not, you know. It is. I do believe, then, all the, The evolution then we're going through, you know, I, we, at least I don't know.

How old are you Sam? Uh, 39. Yeah. I'm a little bit older than you. Okay. It came from a no cell phone, no internet. And I love it. Love the evolution. Just hate when people not use it in the right way. That creates. So I was still around when there was no self phones and internet I remember when I was in middle school, late middle-school when it started coming, the AOL and all that stuff. But it was definitely different. I feel like people were more present. Yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about.

It's not because it's back then, it just because still the same people, but with different values. Right. Because we choose to a different values, not because old people, young people and old generation, a young generation. It's not about that. But I want people to find the cure for the cancer and actually I believe it's very close or the other things that we wanna find too. I love the communication. You know, I loved the FaceTime. you know I was then from the letter way and say, okay, my letter is gonna get there in another week.

I got to wait for the answer. I love that. But we have to have more responsibility how to use it, how you allow that to evolve in our lives. And I think that is what makes it weak. Especially, you see, anything that you do wrong today is somebody with the phone. Everybody has a phone, everybody's monitored the other one. So are you doing because somebody's watching or you're doing it because it's wrong or is right? You need somebody to tell you don't do it. Because I'm filming and about the values of not doing, because.

It's not right. Right. Yeah. Cody, you know, obviously you work with a lot of athletes and you are involved in sports. You know, when we talk about modern society, I want Conan's opinion on this. You see a lot of these sports with kids growing up where everyone gets a trophy. Everyone's a winner. Do you believe in this? No. I kind of thought you would give me that. Yeah, no, I don't. I believe then everything has to be built. Everything has should be put together step by step. Like we're going back to the values, you know.

You do nothing and you got compensated. What do you mean? With a guy that did everything, prepared himself. So it is a equal position. It is the part that I deal with the process, with pain, the suffering, and the sacrifice. And you do nothing and you have exactly the same. I believe that, again, it's so funny because when you talk about the competition, I talk the fighters, we talk life. Because life is all about fighting. You know, could you have everything here without doing one single sacrifice, one, single fuel in my, oh, he's going to be right.

He's gonna be wrong, but what's, what gonna happen? How many times did they cross your mind? If you choosing the right thing, you had to go through that. You have to, it's part of, so when you ask me this, Let me let me have just to make you happy. My friend, you got to do you gotta earn. If you do not earn, You have nothing. So you know, these this type of mindset that we're talking about. You know, obviously this is a healthy point of view. So we're talking about that mindset. Um, how does this relate to someone's health?

Someone, uh, fighting, let's say cancer, this mindset, huh? How does it really, someone tapping into this mind set, How Does It Help Someone Like That? I said, we, We're going to get in a deep, you know? Deep, deep thing. Remember when I say about the leaf that doesn't fall without the creator? How can we make How you can have a vision of comparing people with people, places with places, lives with lives. How can you do that without being mean? I'm going to give an example. We have water, we drink water.

If I finish this one, I have another one over here. And the people in Africa and the little tribes, the kids, have nothing to eat, nothing, to drink. Dying is the same God. So. And God is bad because he gave us water, good water and give them no water. No food that makes God bad. How can he be fair in a such of a I can translate or find a way to, you know, because he doesn't compare to anything.

Health, MAHA, and the Fighter's Approach to Wellness 1:00:00

He's everything. How we see that, how you deal having with people, they don't have it. They have nothing. It's hard for us to see. But let me ask you something. And I don't know, I'm using that as directions for us to go. If the people born in that places or any other places, then not going through a bad, uh, that situation right now, or even that is not even bad. It's really bad that it's not a reason why, because he could be born here. We could have been born there. That's true. So when you start seeing life without trying to change, because we don't know the needs, we do not know what he wants from you, he doesn't what does he want from me, I don´t know.

The only thing that I know is that it has to be me. I have to myself. Of course I feel that hurts me inside. All the water I could get together and put over there, all the food and save everybody. But that is just a very small fractions of resolving the problem. The question is why you, the person was born there, why he's going through that moment that, you know, need of everything. That's the way I see life. Of course hurts me, but I believe so much in then you are supposed to be in that place doing what you're doing.

That's it. So you would say someone that's undergoing some kind of chronic illness that that. It's part of your lesson, it's a part. Of your life. Yes, you have to be because. You know what? What are the things that before before you go? Just sorry to interrupt you, but. Hurts me when I see and I mean, I, see a kid, we know five years old, six years, old whatever years You're going through a cancer. Why the other kids running in the school at the same age? Why that kid? That child was going to that.

How do how can I see a? How can they see explanation? What I need to see, what what is what I'm looking for is why? there's no way that I'm going to find out why. Because some are, some not. The only thing that can take me is just, it is a lesson, even if it's a hard lesson to go through to the kids, to parents. But there is no other way, Sam. So, stepping into that mindset, would you say Tapping into that mindset is important because if you don't, you're losing your battle towards cancer before you even start any treatment for cancer.

You know what I'm saying? If you get stuck in that mind set of, oh why me, why this not happen to everybody else, but you haven't even started any of your treatments, I feel like people, if you don't have that right mindset, you're gonna die from that mindset before the cancer even kills you. What I said is this. It's not why. Is not the question of why, it is what is it for? It is not about why What is this for? What does this situation then hurt me, then brings me that harm? Why is that for me to learn?

Because without that, why me? Imagine if you live life and why, me. Why me why is it happening to me because as much as it's hard to say it, hard you see it. What's happening? What you gonna do? How many times we find ourselves in situations, Sam, then we don't think about why, we think, about what am I gonna to do. Why does it matter anymore? It really doesn't matter. It's like, why am we gonna? The person, like you said, what is the mindset of somebody going through that? what are we going to to get better?

What is the faith that I have in this? And say, but a faith is not a pill. No, sometimes faiths is much more than a pillow, much than any treatment. And that's something that you see about people that are facing a lot of adversity, just in life in general, where it's like if you don't get out of that mindset, you're just going to become a victim of the adversity. We can use ourselves as an example. Imagine if you, oh, I don't know. I'm not going to do it because I know it's just going be right. Am I doing the right step?

Am i going in the Right directions? When do you find the GPS on that? It's not such a thing. Right. Yeah. We have faith. Hey, i know is going To be raining. iKnow is gonna be sun, sunshine days, raining days storm days. Hurricane days to going. Conan, what do you believe is the true definition of winning in life? I believe that 300 million is one that can really put you in a bad spot when you don't believe it. You know, it's not a book. It's no a creation by any human being. It is God's creation, is a divine creation.

When you look back, even if we don't have any memory from that time, of course not, you know that happened to me. I know then I am a winner, I'm a champion. Doesn't matter what anybody says. You cannot refuse that. And you cannot take away from you. It's your DNA and your body, whatever you want to. Doesn't matter how you apply is there the choice to believe is yours So coding You know to talk about a few health and wellness things man Just so people can kind of get to know you because mindset is one of them But what are the top three things you do to take care of your health?

I I think then I believe that the three things are going to be completely in mind. I keep myself who I am. Because I think then the body responds to your mind, the way you think. I don't think anything to the heart. Don't have anybody that I can say I hate that person or hate this. No, I believe then everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens just because it happens. And like I said, as physically, I keep myself working, my routine with weights. I don't eat crazy, you know, anything bad. Just very basic, simple.

You know? I have been a fighter forever, but actually since I was a kid. So sometimes I do have some fun. Everybody has to have fun, But I think it has to do more in mind. Not that I'm 100% sure, but if you give more importance to your mind, the relation with life, with the creator, whatever you call, you'll be fine, healthy. You know, right now there's a big movement happening. It's called the MAHA movement, Make America Healthy Again. Or RFK Jr. is leading the way. I want to hear your thoughts about this movement.

I do love it because it's really masking a lot of the things that people just try to do because money and they really, they don't want to really know what's going on with you. They just want a salary, whatever they want, what it makes them making money. Love the idea then you people be exposed. I love that I think then we need that we needed somebody to say that's a lie That's not supposed to be like that We're not gonna try to make my money. We need to try it to me people more healthy healthy That what we mean accountability.

Yes, but I'm more importantly I see I believe then they'll bring a will bring attention to people's mindset You know what I mean? I think that I, I believe we're going to get there. I believed in we more than we understand the way we function, the we, we should be healthy.

Writing Master of You 1:10:00

And it's not what it works for Sam works, for me. No, find what works. For you in preserve that and work on that. Not physically only, but a mentally, spiritually, really. It is a composition. Everything is connected with each other. Right. I love that. Thank you. Thanks for that, Cody. Cody, now to switch gears here. The book. You put the book together, you published a book, Master of You. Why did you put this book there? Different reasons. Every time I had a conversation with people for many years, you know, and I'm just being me, just sharing the way I see things, the I believe, I think.

And people always ended up saying, man, we've got to put this in the book. We have to write a book, You have you share with the people like, no, not going to. I don't want to sit down and write book and not want do that. Never. So I heard so many times and kind of I felt then I want to share, I wanna bring a heart, shake it up, attention on you and say, hey, it's about you. It's all about your responsibility. You make choices. And you are the one deciding. This is not about anybody else. So I got you a, of course I never sat down and I've never put in computer writing and nothing like that.

I found a ghostwriter. But what is funny then, Every time I was trying to get a ghost writer, and I I very specific, that was my only requirement was, you're going to do and write specifically my words, the way I'm saying, with that feeling. And it got to the point that he was inclining to what he thinks. I said, no, stop it. Long story short, I win like four or five Ghost Riders. So one day, Little Nog, you know, Minotauro, and I trained both. You know who it is. Mino Tauaro was a former chairman from Pride and UFC.

He sent me a link to, hey, just launched a book. I want you to read it. And I'm like, man, badly speak Portuguese. How did you do that book? So I say, oh, my God, a Ghost Rider. Say, let me talk to the Ghost Ryder. So I called him, you know, five minutes, let's, make a zoom call. And I say, listen, his name is Carlos. I said, Carlos, I want to write a book. He said okay, Conan, do you have any voice recorder, any notes, reference, paper, anything? And he went through a list of ten things. Carlos said I do not have anything.

And he looked at me like, what do you mean you don't have anything? And I say, I have nothing in writing, recording, nothing. And say how are you going to write a book? I said, Carlos, have the book in my head. It's like Conan, that's hard to do it. You know, how you have a booking that say Carlos let's do this. My patience, but I like to go straight to the point. I mean, you know straight shooter. send you an email with the name of the book, the chapters I want to have the names and give a little idea of what I wanna say in the books, I ended up sending to him.

And that came pandemic, came the COVID. I'm like, okay, that is a good time. Long story short, when I did the booking six months, Master of you. So what is master of view? Number one, from the title, you understand that you are your own master. You are the one that should be following. Not that other one's opinion is not important, but you make the decision. What is important for you? What are you saying then is good for me? Not what you're saying is for good me because you imposing and I'm taking.

It's like, let me select. Let me see it. So I bring that mentality, I'm bringing the mindset and using my own experience and people's experience, but not as, oh, that guy is so-so and I brought you the book. No. It's 100% by Conan Silvera. Six months, and then I finished the books. And right by the end of my last correction, because it's a back and forth, he writes the chapter, and he says to me, I make the corrections and we go back to the meeting. It's not a long process, it is just a different process.

I go to Carlos and I say, Carlos I have a second book. And he's like, he looked me like I mean, six months speaking to somebody twice a week for two or three hours, you end up knowing the person. So he goes like. I do not believe you have a second book. They say call us. And say, let's give a space from two to three months. So you don't repeat the book in the same colors. I'm not going to repeat. The book is a different book. It can be a continuation, but you can read separate separately and say okay, Let's wait.

And two, three weeks later, Sam, I called him and said, can't wait, need to start the new book again. so I haven't launched the books yet. He made me two interviews. before I start the book, the second one. I have questions, I want to make sure that we're not going to repeat a copy, paste, and they say, no, but let's do the interview. So I made the two interviews, in another six months I did the 2nd book. On the end of the Second Book, he told me that he had so many, because I can't go weeks talking about.

You know like you I can't see it over here. Just bring a new clothes. I don't need to take a shower. We can keep talking And um, i'm in the third book right now finish the Third book because he had so many things left for things that we talk about it and I say That is the last book.I don' know if it's going to be the Last but it is The book i mean finishing right? No. It's amazing. Amazing Conan i ii'm gonna Have a little fun here I have these um Mm-hmm Came up with these conversation cards. So if you grab that, okay, go ahead and take that sleeve off pick a random card Let's see what is waiting for me random cart And then you got to take it read it and answer it When you are near to the end of your life and looking back over it, what do you be proudest of and what will you regret the most?

Closing Thoughts on Love, Respect, and Legacy 1:17:00

You want me to read again or was enough? No, no, that was good. Okay. I do believe And you can see, I don't use the word I guess, or I do believe or don t believe. Guess is for people in the middle, and the mirror is to divide the two groups, not for you to stay. Just to mention. I don't think I'm going to regret anything. I believe that I won't regret it. Even I'll be super proud just to be myself with the big mistakes, with big winners, wins, losses. still, you know, enjoying life, I do not believe in regret.

The regret happens when you are afraid to be yourself and to take a risk, because that moment is never going to come back again, ever. And you have to carry that weight on your back for the rest of your life. Who knows after that? whatever I did, whatever situation I have been through, what have a mistake I dead, there was something for me to learn from. I love that you own it. You own that mistake. Can't take all the cards of you. No, no, that was good. That was I loved that. Yeah. Conan. So as we wrap up here, if there's someone listening or viewing the podcast that truly resonates with today's message, What is the last thing you can I do believe that love and respect are the feelings that drives you.

But I know starting on the next person has to start on you, loving yourself, respecting yourself. It is your way to understand life. I like that. Awesome. Conan, if people want to find you, where can they find? You definitely can find the book on amazon.com. I have in Portuguese and English. Just got to look at me in the Instagram message, you know, inbox, whatever. My email is konaett at yahoo. com. Pretty much that. Awesome, which we'll have all the links down below. Yes. Amazing. Koni, let's say that it was a pleasure having you on a healthy point of view podcast.

This was very informative. this is what people need to hear that really take control of their life. Elevate and be that champion. Thank you. Exactly. thank you, thank, you thank. You very grateful for the opportunity to be here with you not only because the talking, but the friendship, You know, we always being we've always been together. I'm so proud of you. You know, I want you not having this. I don't want to having thousand billions more what you have. Thank you, man. And I'll be right here.

Anything you need. Thanks, Sam. Hey, brother. Guys, you heard coding love and respect. Live through love and respect. But it's not about just loving and respecting other people. It's about loving. And respecting yourself first. These are the steps we take to be champions. So these are. The steps. We take. To have that winner's mindset. That fighter's. Mindset. Make sure you take this podcast. Share it. With friends. Family. Everyone can benefit from this. Podcast.