Going Beyond Your Own Expectations with Cody Cerny

Discover the life-changing lessons and mindset shifts that propelled Cody Cerny to the highest levels of elite performance, and learn how you can apply these powerful strategies to shatter your own limits and achieve the extraordinary.

In this transformative episode of the Adam Experiment podcast, you’ll hear from Cody Cerny, a former U.S. Air Force Pararescueman, Aikido blackbelt, and corporate transformation leader. From living with an Aikido master to becoming one of the best combat search and rescue specialists in the world, Cody shares his hard-won wisdom on embracing discomfort, pushing past fear, and harnessing the power of language to shape your reality and results.

00:02:02 - Unleashing your potential through transformative Aikido training 🥋 00:06:02 - Earning a black belt in record time: Insights from intensive training in Japan 🇯🇵 00:09:33 - Pushing past fear: Cody's journey to joining the U.S. Air Force Pararescue 🪂 00:21:35 - Mastering your mind: A pivotal breakthrough during combat dive school 🌊 00:26:16 - Embracing new challenges: Transitioning out of the military and reigniting growth 00:31:52 - Rewriting your reality: Powerful lessons from a philosopher in London 🇬🇧 00:35:52 - Harnessing the power of language to shatter limitations and achieve the extraordinary 00:41:39 - Sustaining elite performance: Cody's top recovery strategies and habits 🧘‍♂️

Gain transformative insights on unlocking your full potential, including:

• Choosing empowering interpretations and reframing limiting beliefs
• Embracing discomfort as a catalyst for massive growth and resilience
• Reinventing yourself to conquer new challenges and expand your potential
• Leveraging the power of language to reshape your reality and results
• Prioritizing self-care, recovery, and supportive habits to sustain peak performance

If you're ready to expand past your perceived limits and unleash your inner warrior, this episode is a must-listen! Tune in now and discover how to apply these elite performance strategies to achieve the extraordinary in your life.

Drop a comment below with your biggest takeaway from this episode and how you plan to implement Cody's strategies in your own life. And if you found this conversation as transformative as we did, be sure to hit that subscribe button and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Never miss and episode, plus get access to deeper dives and a behind-the-scenes view of The Adam Experiment.

Newsletter: www.adamexperiment.com

Transcript

[00:00:00] Cody Cerny: I've never, been say beat up like that before. And it wasn't like he was trying to hurt me, but it was actually being around somebody who expected more from me than I expected from myself. 

[00:00:19] Adam: Welcome back to the Adam experiment, where we explore the skills, stories and science behind unlocking your full potential. Today's a new type of episode where you're going to hear from someone who has inspired me with their own journey of taking on massive challenges. So we get to hear about what he learned while beaten and bloody on the mat of an Akido dojo while pursuing his black belt. You're going to hear stories from when he was in combat search and rescue jumping out of planes into dangerous waters. Including it's training process and training plans. You'll get some of the powerful techniques he learned while working under a philosopher in London. And so much more. 

[00:00:59] Adam: My guest today is Cody Cerny. Cody spent nine years in combat search and rescue in the United States air force, special operations as a pair rescue helicopter team leader. Cody was an advisor to seven countries as a technical rescue and medical instructor. In 2014, Cody was awarded the pair of rescue men of the year for the 48 operations group. 

[00:01:20] Adam: He's also a two time recipient of the air medal, which is awarded by the president of the United States. That was in 2012. And 2013, these are only a few of the awards that Cody got while serving his country and growing as a human. He also graduated. the U S air force dive school for rigorous combat dive operations, the halo military free fall school, intensive combat training and survival school. 

[00:01:44] Adam: And the paramedic EMT program. Seriously, this dude is incredible. Cody also holds his black belt in Aikido. So today Cody works with the world's largest organizations to produce breakthrough results. They previously thought were impossible, but I'll let Cody tell you more about that. So ready to do this. 

[00:02:01] Adam: All right, let's go.

[00:02:02] ​ 

[00:02:02] Adam: All right, Cody, I am so excited to have you on the show today. Thank you so much for being here. Really great to be here, Adam. Thanks. So today we're here to talk about, as always, unlocking potential. And you and I had a really fascinating conversation recently, one on one where you talked about how the beginning part of your career, when you were in combat search and rescue in the air force, special operations that you're.

[00:02:33] Adam: Focus, and you obviously you can describe this, how you'd like is, was to be the best in the world at saving people. Can you talk to us about what that meant to you and means to you today? 

[00:02:44] Cody Cerny: Yeah, and, and that's an idea that actually grew over a number of years. And, and ultimately it's really, you know, how much of an impact can I, you know, have on my, you know, fellow man, you know, how good can I be to, you know, save people, which I, you know, still think and, and thought that was a, a noble endeavor to take on.

[00:03:08] Cody Cerny: But, you know, if, if you really want to hear the full story that it actually starts. You know, I must have just graduated high school and, you know, I was messing around with City College, waiting tables, not really having any clear direction. And I ended up going to Kung Fu on the wrong day. And I, I misread because I want, I had a history of martial arts and I want to get back in, back into it.

[00:03:35] Cody Cerny: And in fact, there was an Aikido dojo open down the street. So, you know, I didn't have anything else to do that afternoon. So I go and walk into the dojo and join the class and I get my ass kicked. It's this little guy, probably five foot three. And he just drills me into the ground over and over and over again.

[00:04:00] Cody Cerny: And I've never been say beat up like that before. And it wasn't like he was trying to hurt me, but it was actually being around somebody who expected more from me than I expected from myself. Almost that, like he thought I could take it. The guy's name is Tatacho and he's also part Native American.

[00:04:29] Cody Cerny: And I ended up moving in with him for about nine months as his private student. He was living in the mountains actually with his family, no electricity or running water at the time. And I was living in like a canvas hunting tent with like a little fireplace for, for heat is in the mountains of California.

[00:04:51] Cody Cerny: So I'd get up in the morning, you know, before the sun would come up and, you know, start my training, you know, the stars would still be up and he would have me, you know, running up and down hills with backpacks full of concrete. I would be, you know, running up this hill and doing. You know, it's Aikido, it's a sword based martial art.

[00:05:13] Cody Cerny: So I'd be doing sword movements and katas. And it was. Kind of during this period of time where I, I really got the sense of how much I can be pushed. It was a sense of that I can take more than what I think I can take or what I've known myself to take. Almost like an expression of like love, like you can become bigger than, than, than you are.

[00:05:43] Cody Cerny: And this, this person become a really big mentor of mine and I'm still really great friends with him. But he. You know, showed me this whole new way of being in the world, this whole new way I could carry myself. I'm like, what's possible out of, you know, what I'm able to accomplish. 

[00:06:02] Adam: Yeah. I mean, that, that's incredible.

[00:06:03] Adam: So you live with him for, and train with him for nine months. Yeah. And then what happens next? 

[00:06:11] Cody Cerny: So, I was, you know, very successful, you know, student he's had students before and they end up being able to take it and not staying, but I was still really hungry in how far I could push myself. And there was this course called, since you say.

[00:06:30] Cody Cerny: Course in Tokyo, Japan, and it's a international course, and it's a year long intensive martial art course, and it's made for international students. So it's 12 months long, and you're actually training with the Japanese riot police. And it's based in, it's called the OceanCon Aikido, a very militaristic, very hard style Aikido, like lots of yelling, lots of strikes, very, very traditional.

[00:07:01] Cody Cerny: And I essentially had a little bit of savings and this opportunity came up within four weeks, the course was going to start. So I essentially shut down my whole life in the States. I emailed a friend of a friend of a friend who lived in Tokyo, who was kind enough to reserve a room, like a shoebox sized room for me just outside the city, and bought a plane ticket and flew out to go, you know, join this course.

[00:07:35] Cody Cerny: Normally in Aikido, it. You know, it takes maybe six, seven years to get your black belt, but at the rate that we were training it was five days a week, seven hours a day, eight hours a day, and absolutely no sick days. Like, I had the flu, I still went and trained. I had mono at one point, I still went and trained.

[00:07:59] Cody Cerny: And You know, lots of bowing, making the tea, the instructors tea in the morning. And after I think it was 10 and a half months, we got our black belt given the exactitude of the standards and given the, the hours that we spent in the dojo, there's a really remarkable. Remarkable time. And it was during that period that I really got, I love working people, working with people who work at a high level and who love what they do.

[00:08:37] Cody Cerny: And. You know, the training was, you know, brutal, like there'd be blood on the mat and we're trying to knock each other out all day long. You know, you know, I fainted a couple of times and you just keep going back.

[00:08:55] Cody Cerny: So that course ended. I flew back to the States and I started going back to city college and I still didn't have a really clear picture of. What I wanted to do you know, school was never a very strong suit for me. You know, I, growing up some learning disabilities, ADHD and dyslexia, it was always difficult and I kind of had a sense school just wasn't in the cards for me going to get my masters or, you know, even, even regular university.

[00:09:33] Cody Cerny: What I did have growing up, with my time studying martial arts in the mountains, and I met a couple other Vietnam veterans. And these guys who had, you know, I've, I've heard some of their stories. They've really seen some terrible, terrible things, and they've had to do some terrible, terrible things all in the name of survival, but what each of them had was this really unique way that they.

[00:10:04] Cody Cerny: Looked at the world that they dealt with problems. It was very action based. There wasn't always a whole lot of like drama, like something would happen. Maybe a flat tire or, you know, the car would break down. They would just get into action and get it fixed or move on or find some other alternative. And I really wanted that view of the world for myself.

[00:10:39] Cody Cerny: I was curious on, you know, what that could be for me. So I was, again, looking into the military. I was pretty sure I didn't want to kill people for a living. So, and then these veterans also said, don't join the Marines, don't join the army. I looked a little bit at the Navy SEALs and then I walked in the Air Force Recruiter's office and literally, like, right there, there's, you know, those fold out flyers.

[00:11:09] Cody Cerny: There's a flyer of pararescue. And what pararescue is, it's the only asset of the department, department of defense, the DOD that is specifically trained for combat search and rescue. You, the other units can do it, you know, special forces, the seals, Rangers. And they do, you know, execute search and rescue missions, but they're not.

[00:11:37] Cody Cerny: Specialized for, for that exact mission set. Ends. You know, once I saw that flyer, like that was it for me. I knew like, that's what I wanted to do. I didn't really know anything else other than they were like a special organization and there were like pictures of guys jumping up the backs of planes and scuba diving and things like that on the flyer.

[00:12:03] Cody Cerny: But that just called, called me the, who I had known myself to be Adam. Like who I related to, who I saw in the mirror was a skinny white kid who did drama and art in high school. And I was curious enough at the time to wonder if kind of almost as an experiment, could I actually transform myself into someone who was one of the best people in the world at saving people.

[00:12:47] Cody Cerny: Someone who could walk shoulder to shoulder with these other, you know, huge monster human beings who can do all this amazing stuff. I don't mean monster like a bad monster, but monster is just like a big human being, someone up to a lot. Yeah. And could I turn myself into someone like that? And so part of that journey of going into the military was.

[00:13:18] Cody Cerny: To experiment and see, you know, Oh, is this possible? Could I actually go do this thing? And I, I also didn't know how to swim Adam. I was actually afraid of the water. And that is a big, big portion of what it takes to go through the pararescue training like a lot, a lot of our work takes place in the water.

[00:13:42] Cody Cerny: You know, those guys, you see the helicopter coming in over the ocean, the little guys with the flippers jump out of the helicopter into the water. Like, that's what you're, that's what I did eventually. So I ended up finding some, you know, adult swim classes at the local pool. I also ended up moving to San Jose and joining an actual underwater hockey league, which is something I'd never heard of, but it is like an international, there's underwater hockey leagues in like many, many different countries.

[00:14:19] Cody Cerny: And for someone who hates holding their breath, hates being underwater, that was a big challenge I had to overcome to, to get used to that. 

[00:14:31] Adam: Okay, so, so far I've picked up on kind of two recurring themes. And, and one of them is certainly that you love to challenge yourself. And That's probably feels like an understatement saying it.

[00:14:44] Adam: The other is the sort of inspiration that you got from. The, the other military guys that you had spent some time with about the way that they, the way that they show up and how they're, they're in action. And, and what really strikes me is that as you've told the story, your story so far, you keep taking on these impossible tasks.

[00:15:06] Adam: And I keep finding myself wondering like, why is he doing this? Like, why get up from the mat bleeding? Why go and do the underwater hockey thing? Like, is what, what is driving you to go do these things? 

[00:15:21] Cody Cerny: Yeah, I, I don't know, I don't know how to answer that, Adam, I can, there are, you know, big things that I'm really curious about and I think that curiosity, you know, drives me to take on these big goals and I think it's these big goals and big commitments and I think it's out of, actually making that big commitment that everything kind of falls out of that.

[00:15:57] Cody Cerny: You know, if I make a big commitment, I'm now up to doing something that's, you know, way larger than who I know myself to be. And and then therefore I'm up to, you know, pushing myself harder than what people may push themselves at. I'm up to, you know, trying things that, you know, normal people probably wouldn't try.

[00:16:24] Cody Cerny: Cause I've got, you know, a big commitment. 

[00:16:28] Adam: Yeah. Yeah, that's what keeps striking me with, with everything that you do is a quote unquote normal person, like goes and makes these commitments, big commitments, maybe, maybe the things that They don't ultimately view them as commitments, but they might say, Hey, I'm going to go set a goal or I'm going to set an intention or I'm going to go, go do something.

[00:16:49] Adam: And then, you know, something else comes along and it's like, Oh, well, I guess I'll, I'll get to that someday. Or like, yeah, you know, just didn't, didn't work out. I'm just, I'll just keep, keep going down, down this path. But then there's you and people like you who are, as you put it, I think curiosity is it for me?

[00:17:06] Adam: I was like, yeah, okay. I buy that. That, that makes sense to me is that it, That curiosity plus your commitment, what I'm hearing almost creates this space for now you to step into and you to grow into to show yourself that, yeah, okay, great. I just did that. So my only choice therefore, after I grow into this space that I just created is to go create more.

[00:17:29] Adam: Space to keep growing. 

[00:17:31] Cody Cerny: Yeah, absolutely. And I would add onto that, it's setting up the environment in which I put myself. So the environment that I put myself in Tokyo for that year, I'm, you know, training with. Primarily with six others. And we really depend upon each other to be there. And if I don't show up, that's a big impact on those people.

[00:17:59] Cody Cerny: So I've got to show up also my, you know, going into, you know, pair rescue into the military. You know, I told everybody. Because, you know, that cut out the exit door for me. Because there was, there was no way I was gonna not make it through and have to go back and tell everybody, Hey, you know, that big thing I said I was gonna do.

[00:18:25] Cody Cerny: Yeah, I didn't do that. There was no way I was going to do that. So kind of being conscious about who I'm hanging out with, kind of the environment I'm getting myself into and being as comfortable as possible in really uncomfortable situations where I might feel like I don't belong, or I'm certainly the least, least educated, least prepared person in the room.

[00:18:54] Cody Cerny: Being in those environments calls, calls one to be bigger than who they know themselves to be. 

[00:19:01] Adam: So are you like the rest of us in that you still have the voice in your head who sometimes is like, Cody, you're crazy, Cody, you can't do this, Cody, you're going to fail, Cody, this is a, this is a terrible idea, or have you just, does that not exist for you?

[00:19:15] Adam: No, that, that person is alive and well, Adam,

[00:19:21] Cody Cerny: I'm, I'm having a conversation with that person right now.

[00:19:24] Adam: Yeah. How, how have you learned to have a productive conversation with that person? It's, 

[00:19:31] Cody Cerny: you know, we,

[00:19:32] Cody Cerny: we live in two, we actually live in two distinct realities. There's the reality of what's happening, you know, these could be thought of like the facts of the matter. Like there's a table in front of me. And I'm speaking to you on a screen. And then there's this other world called the world of interpretation or story that we also interact with.

[00:19:59] Cody Cerny: So, you know, my interpretation of the story of today is the weather is good. And the table I'm working at is, you know, well crafted with table, you know, that is all interpretation. And being able to see those worlds as distinct for yourself, we'll start to give you some leverage against. The, you could say the voices or the interpretations you have going on in your head.

[00:20:30] Cody Cerny: So although there is that voice, there is that, you know, drive to kind of put my head down and not do anything. I am aware that it's an interpretation. It's a story. And there's nothing wrong with interpretation. They're like really, really useful. And not only could we not, not only could we stop having interpretation, I mean, there's no way to stop, but you know, it's part of what makes us unique.

[00:21:02] Cody Cerny: Part of it is what makes us uniquely human. But if it's undistinguished, if you think your interpretation is a fact, then then yeah, you're going to be. You're going to have a hard time getting outside of yourself. You're going to have a hard time breaking down some of your own barriers. 

[00:21:25] Adam: Yeah. Can you think of moments in your military career where you were really faced with those interpretations and that question?

[00:21:35] Adam: And in other words, where I'm trying to go with this is, can you think of moments where you had big breakthroughs in your. The word that's coming up for me is sort of power over that narrative and that story that helped you break through and go do the amazing stuff that you did as you're, as part of the military.

[00:21:54] Cody Cerny: Yeah. It was at a combat dive school. This probably would have been in 2007, maybe 2008. And part of the testing through combat dive school is they would, Strap your ankles together and then strap your wrist together behind your back and then they would push you in a 13 foot pool and the exercise we're doing is called drown proofing.

[00:22:24] Cody Cerny: So you're at the top of the water, you breathe out all your air, you, you know, your weight brings you to the bottom of the pool, land on your feet, you push off the head breaches the surface again, you get a big gulp of air. Breathe out all your air, you go down. So it's an exercise called Bobby and your, your hands are behind your back and your, your ankles are together.

[00:22:49] Cody Cerny: So in my first time down, you know, after I just breathed out all my air, my feet actually slip on the tile at the bottom of the pool and I land on my side. And relaxing underwater has never been something I've been good at, you know, my, cause I've, I've been practicing this for weeks. Yeah. This exercise for weeks and never been successful.

[00:23:16] Cody Cerny: And I'm down there and I've got, you know, I have a, a long conversation with myself in a very short period of time and it's, I essentially make the choice, And it really is a clear choice that I'm just not going to listen to that voice inside my head that's totally freaking out. And I, just through will, make my body relax, get my feet underneath me again, and push off the bottom of the pool.

[00:23:53] Cody Cerny: And I ended up being more relaxed the exercise was much easier, even though they had us doing, you know, other things underwater, we're having to hold our breath and move and do all this stuff, but it was A point in my career where I actually got that I had a choice whether to listen to that voice or not.

[00:24:17] Cody Cerny: And in that exercise, it is possible to pass out underwater. Like guys, it's not uncommon for guys to do that. And you have to choose that, like, that's okay and to continue on anyways, because that's what it takes. 

[00:24:39] Adam: Yeah. This is less related to our conversation today and more just pure curiosity. So a guy passes out underwater, like, logistically, what happens?

[00:24:49] Adam: Is there a point at which they're like, Oh, you know what? We got to go get this guy. 

[00:24:52] Cody Cerny: Yeah. You know, there, there are instructors everywhere. And like, they're, they've, they're wearing snorkels and they're like, They're looking at like every move and if a guy like starts like twitching or, you know, suddenly like stops moving or starts acting like really funny, I mean, they're, they're, they're on them really quick.

[00:25:12] Cody Cerny: They bring them back up to the surface, put them on the side of the pool, give them some rescue breaths. The breathing starts again. It's not that, you know, you pass out under water and like, that's it. You just make sure you pass out and don't, don't try and breathe in because that's, that's a whole other deal.

[00:25:29] Cody Cerny: But everybody in the career field is a paramedic. And so we've got really great medical support and is, as far as I know, no one's died from, from that. They've died in training from other things. But not necessarily from that. 

[00:25:47] Adam: Wow. Incredible. And so we could probably spend, I don't know, a couple hours talking about this and maybe there's a book to write someday.

[00:25:55] Adam: I think I would love to read this book and, but we'll, we'll save that for, for something else. I'm going to fast forward us I guess nine years into the future. And so now you're, you're coming out of saving people professionally. 

[00:26:08] Cody Cerny: Yeah. 

[00:26:08] Adam: Where do you go next? Next. Because I have to imagine that's a, that was just a massive experience to come out of.

[00:26:16] Adam: Yeah.

[00:26:16] Cody Cerny: Yeah, you're leaving a really close brotherhood. You're leaving you know, a really clear purpose. You know, everything's also taking care of you in the military, like your housing, you get money for food and, you know, also clothes and like the mission's great. But I just had this sense. And I, I can't really describe it more than just a sense that there was something else that there was some other opportunity for me to grow into some other way for me to expand.

[00:26:50] Cody Cerny: I was lucky enough to count myself among, you know, the best, the people that have the best in the world at saving people, but I, I had this sense. You know, what does it actually look like to be the best at working in organizations or communities or governments or, you know, systems working with families that are in huge turmoil?

[00:27:20] Cody Cerny: And how can one go into those situations? And, you know, bring the best outcome possible.

[00:27:27] Cody Cerny: And I didn't know necessarily where I was going to do that. I figured going back to university, going back to college, like I got the discipline. Now I can actually go back to school. So I started applying for schools. And then an opportunity came up for me to go work for a philosopher in London. And you know, this person was, you know, very well known for his work with groups and organizations and in creating teams of like really high performing leaders and this opportunity came up, came up and it was a lot like my time in Japan where I just dropped everything.

[00:28:16] Cody Cerny: And so I essentially two months out of the military, you know, dropped everything in my life, got a plane ticket and. There's a little bit more to the story that I'm not going to get into, but I essentially dropped everything and moved out to London to start working for this individual. And it was one of the most difficult challenging things I've ever done.

[00:28:41] Cody Cerny: And I've jumped out the back airplanes in the middle of the night, in the middle of the ocean. And. You know, that was easy, easy compared to working for this individual, you know, whenever I read there's a really great book called the last lines about Winston Churchill. And there's some passages in there on what it was like working for him in world war two.

[00:29:06] Cody Cerny: And I mean, the guy was a genius, but the work was really intense, like really exacting. And whenever I read those passages, my heart rate picks up a little bit because. That was a lot of what my experience was working in London. 

[00:29:24] Adam: Yeah. And so the, in the military, you made some massive commitments, went and did some incredible challenging things.

[00:29:35] Adam: Now you're, you're coming into a different type of experience, but this, the same thing is happening. I want to, I want to talk about some of those experiences just a little bit in terms of the learnings that have come from them, but what I'm also reflecting on right now is. You're the instructor that you met early on in your life that you go and you live with the way that you found yourself going into the military.

[00:30:00] Adam: This opportunity seemingly presents itself. I guess I don't, I don't totally know where I'm going with this to be, to be honest, but it's just fascinating that these events keep showing up for you. And I have a little bit of a belief that in life, these events are showing up for us all the time. The question is, are you open to seeing those, those doors open, if you will?

[00:30:26] Adam: Yeah. And so is this something that you've kind of always been aware of, or have developed? Or like, when they come along, do you get a different feeling? I guess I'm trying, that's what I'm trying to get into, is like, how do you decipher these holy cow, massive growth opportunities from just other stuff that's presenting itself to you on a day to day basis?

[00:30:44] Cody Cerny: Yeah. Adam, I hate speaking in like ethereals, like a wish or and I'm going to say a phrase that I think sounds totally lame, but I just, I don't have, you know, any other words to describe it better, but it's something like my heart is telling me like, this is the right move. And again, I don't like speaking in ethereal terms, but that is.

[00:31:10] Cody Cerny: It really is my experience of what it's like when one of these opportunities comes. It's like, okay, it's, you know, sometimes I don't even want to do it. And it's like, this is just what I got to do now. Like this is, you know, who, you know, where Cody needs to go. 

[00:31:30] Adam: I get it. I totally get that. I get that. Okay.

[00:31:35] Adam: All right. So now, now you go and you're working for this philosopher in London who shows you a whole new world of. Possibility. 

[00:31:43] Cody Cerny: Yeah. 

[00:31:45] Adam: What were, what were some of your biggest learnings that came out of that experience that you still use in your life today? 

[00:31:52] Cody Cerny: A lot. And I'll probably be discovering learnings out of that experience for the rest of my life.

[00:31:59] Cody Cerny: I would say I'm less tied to who I know myself to be. So I'm less tied to, you know, Cody is this particular way. And I certainly do have ways that I prefer, but less tied to having to be that or having that be the end of the story.

[00:32:25] Cody Cerny: Not that that makes things much easier, Adam. Like I've got my, my hands full in, I mean, really I'm in the beginning of my third career here in having to learn that, in having to reinvent myself again into this, you know, new arena into really a whole new way of being, you know, right now who I am is not enough to succeed in what I'm doing.

[00:32:59] Cody Cerny: I'm dead clear on that. And it's going to take me getting out of my own way. It's going to take me doing work. It's going to take me, you know, standing for something big in order to be, to actually succeed and do what I see as possible. 

[00:33:21] Adam: Do you have any sense, do you have any sense of what that big thing is that you're going to stand for next?

[00:33:27] Adam: Has it, has it shown itself yet to your heart? It has not. And 

[00:33:33] Cody Cerny: I've been confronted with that because, you know, once, once I see that, or, you know, once I've got that really clear picture of where I want to go, things really click into place. And right now I don't necessarily have that. And, you know, it is possible that maybe this is just part of the journey.

[00:33:58] Cody Cerny: This is just, you know, what I need to go through in order to, you know, get to where I'm, I need to actually be. 

[00:34:09] Adam: Yeah, it's like the, what just came up for me is the space in between. And, and I, I think on the one hand, A lot of people probably get there and then they just kind of stay there. Whereas you're, you're a guy through the story that you've told us so far about you is one who.

[00:34:30] Adam: That the next thing shows up or you create it, maybe it's a different way to put it. What do you, so you're in maybe in one of those betweens right now where I think you're still up to some pretty big stuff with the way that you work with organizations and and, and things like that. And you still know that there's something else, that next big thing coming.

[00:34:51] Adam: Is that sound right? 

[00:34:53] Adam: I'm suspicious 

[00:34:55] Cody Cerny: that it's coming. I like it. Okay. And you know, I don't want to, I don't want to get trapped in thinking that I, I just need to like, wait for it to reveal itself. I think that's

[00:35:12] Cody Cerny: you know, I just don't think that's the right move. So, you know, I'm still like looking, still being curious on what's out there. You know, seeing where I need to grow to make the biggest contribution that I can make. Yeah. 

[00:35:29] Adam: Okay. I'd love to come back to I was, I was kind of exploring some of the writing that you've done online and one thing that that I came across was where you're talking about.

[00:35:44] Adam: How to use powerful and direct language. Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about what that, that means to you? Yeah, it's

[00:35:52] Cody Cerny: not lying about what, so it's not trying to pretend that things are different than the way they are, you know, a crude way to put that is, you know, call the baby ugly when it's ugly. And own up to what the current circumstances are, own up to, you know, how one can be responsible for those circumstances, you know, being able to use language powerfully you know, our whole world arises from language, you know, that again, like I was sharing earlier, how we make meaning out of everything.

[00:36:31] Cody Cerny: You know, we, we create our world out of language. We create a meaning out of language. And if you're unaware of that, or if you're lazy about that, or if you haven't educated yourself in that, I think you're missing out on something really big. You're missing out on something really powerful. 

[00:36:52] Adam: Yeah. Can you

[00:36:54] Adam: I'd love to maybe give our listeners something that they could try or play with that's sort of in this zone of how we create ourselves or the stories that we tell ourselves or maybe it's about powerful language. Do you have any good exercises or things that people could try to sort of like, get a sense of what, what this stuff means, like, or in other words, can they apply it in their day to day life right now?

[00:37:19] Adam: Yeah, if, if 

[00:37:21] Cody Cerny: there's an area where someone's feeling stuck, or if there's an area where they may have an upset in their life, trying to break down what are the facts of the matter, and What are the interpretations? You could say, what are they making it mean? And, you know, dwelling in that those are actually two distinct areas.

[00:37:52] Cody Cerny: So, dwelling in, you know, I'm really upset right now, but, you know, if I look around, do I actually see any upset? No, I don't see any upset out here. There actually is no upset in the world. Oh, man, I'm really frustrated right now. Oh no, there's no frustrated in the world and be curious about that. Like, Oh, what's that about?

[00:38:14] Adam: That's what I invite people to do. Hmm. I like that. Okay. So, so if also for frustration for me is also like a feeling, like if I feel frustrated, is that different? 

[00:38:28] Cody Cerny: Or is it related? I don't know. Like, look around. Do you see feelings anywhere?

[00:38:31] Cody Cerny: I see a smiling face. You do see a smiling face. 

[00:38:35] Adam: So you must be happy. 

[00:38:38] Cody Cerny: No, what you see is a smiling face. That's the, that's the facts of the matter. My, my lips are in a shape in which you see a certain, you know, pattern of teeth. That's the facts of the matter. And you're not wrong about making the interpretation.

[00:38:55] Cody Cerny: You're not inaccurate about making that interpretation. But if you start confusing that interpretation as it really is that way, you could get yourself in trouble. And I'm not saying you will get yourself in trouble, but you could get yourself in trouble. 

[00:39:15] Adam: Yeah, I, I'm really reflecting on going back to the all the different conversations that are happening at any point in time in our, in our heads or inside of us.

[00:39:24] Adam: And how easy it can be at times to let those conversations become the prevailing story, especially about who we are, right? Like I've told myself the story that I'm not good enough for most, most of my life, you know, and I could probably go back to when I was a little kid. And think back to when I started telling myself that you're not good enough story.

[00:39:50] Adam: Right. And it, and I, then I can, I can use that to, I've used it to motivate me to be better. I've also used it to stay safe and play small, you know, is that, is that kind of what you're getting at with the 

[00:40:07] Cody Cerny: Yeah, it's, and that's a great example of using it to motivate you. So, you know, you've got it distinguished for yourself at a, at a certain level.

[00:40:22] Cody Cerny: And once it's distinguished for yourself, another way to see that is once you can see it, you've got a little bit more of your hands on the levers and dials of what it is. So you can either use it to motivate you or, or at least acknowledge when you're using it to you know, keep you at the level you're currently at.

[00:40:46] Cody Cerny: So it's in this inquiry. Where you can start to get your arms around, you know, what is, what is this meaning? What is this language that I'm using? How does it actually impact that you can start to get access to creating your world, creating, really inventing yourself. 

[00:41:10] Adam: Yeah. So I'm, I'm reflecting on our conversation so far today.

[00:41:14] Adam: And what one story that somebody might tell themselves about you and the conversation so far is, wow, this Cody guy must be always on all the time, always going, always growing. Like how on earth does he have energy to do this? And so what I'd be curious about is like, what role does rest and recovery and self care, whatever you want to label it as, how does that show up in your life?

[00:41:39] Cody Cerny: It shows up a lot in my life and certainly in the last a couple of years, it's kind of taken, you know, front stage for me, you know, I've had to, to, you know, manage depression one way or another for, you know, 20 years or so, you know, I would say, you know, actively realizing that this is something that I have and, you know, getting therapy and medication.

[00:42:08] Cody Cerny: It's something that I've been doing for probably the last 10 years, but. You know, sleep is huge for me getting enough sleep. That makes a big difference. Exercise, you know, I do meditation, I do journaling, I do cold plunges, you know, I throw as much against the wall and see what sticks. And it's also taken me years to build up those practices as well.

[00:42:35] Cody Cerny: It's not just, you know, I started those and they were there to support me. It took like years and years and years to have meditation be like a standard practice for me. You know, it took me years and years and years to have my sleep be effective. So giving myself some grace, giving myself some slack on not taking care of myself is also really beneficial.

[00:43:06] Adam: Yeah. Well, I just want to say thank you for being here today with us and being so generous with sharing your story. And, and your learnings along the way and and everything that you've been through, you're somebody who inspires me tremendously to continue to push the boundaries of who is, who is Adam.

[00:43:28] Adam: And yeah, just thank you so much for being here today. Great. It was my pleasure and I learned a couple of things. Thank you. All 

[00:43:35] Cody Cerny: right, man. We'll talk soon. All right.

[00:43:37] ​ 

[00:43:37] Adam: Thank you so much for tuning in today on this episode of the atom experiment. If you're enjoying this episode and want more, I'm sure you figured out by now how to subscribe to this podcast. We'd love to have you along. Of course, your review would also mean the world to me. If you're interested in hearing more, If more about the topics related to how we can unlock and unleash our ultimate potential, then I definitely recommend you stop by adamexperiment.

[00:44:08] Adam: com to go and sign up. There's a newsletter that goes out multiple times per week. It's also where you'll get the latest and greatest on the podcast and where I share some of my personal stories, my personal experiments and other learnings throughout the week for you to follow along and hopefully find some things that you can experiment with.

[00:44:25] Adam: On your own. Thanks again for tuning in today. I hope you have an incredible day and look forward to having you back next time on the atom experiment.

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