Robert Irvine Magazine - Winter 2021 by rirvine

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE Nothing is Impossible

WINTER 2021

GARY LITTRELL

HIS UNBELIEVABLE TRUE STORY THE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT ON HOW TO FIND INNER COURAGE

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Irvine VP, CONTENT & COMMUNICATIONS Matt Tuthill CREATIVE CONSULTANT Sean Otto

BUSINESS and MARKETING CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Justin Leonard VP, FINANCE & MARKETING Joshua Lingenfelter

SENIOR WRITERS Gail Kim-Irvine, SJ McShane, Heather Quinlan, Michael Schutz, MD CULINARY EDITORS Shane Cash, Brian Goodman, Darryl Moiles CONTRIBUTORS Jay Cardiello, Ryan Coyne, Amber Day, Mike Geremia, Leah Jantzen, David Jester, Andy McDermott, Mike Simone, Vanessa Tib For advertising inquiries, contact Matt Tuthill, matt@chefirvine.com For general comments, contact him on Twitter, @MCTuthill

Download Robert Irvine Magazine exclusively at RobertIrvineMagazine.com and stream it on issuu.com. Read it on mobile devices through Apple News, Flipboard, and the Google Play Newsstand. Copyright 2020 by Irvine Products, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in anyanner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Contact the publisher at media@chefirvine.com. The information herein is not intended to replace the servies of trained health professionals. You are advised to consult with your healthcare professional with regard to matters relating to your health, and in particular regarding matters that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Cover photo courtesy of Gary Littrell: TributeToValor.org Robert’s editor’s portrait appears courtesy of Ian Spanier. Gear and product photos appear courtesy of their respective manufacturers. Subject photos appear courtesy of the respective subjects unless otherwise noted. All other photos herein appear courtesy of Shutterstock.com.

inside the issue ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE

WINTER 2021 /// Vol. 6, No. 1 GETTING STARTED

4 ROBERT’S LETTER

Gary Littrell represents the best of us, and I couldn’t be prouder to have him on our cover.

7 IN THE GYM

Strength and conditioning are the main ingredients of a healthy body. Here’s how to build both in equal measure.

12 IN THE KITCHEN

Robert’s classic recipes for creamy polenta and a fire-grilled chicken quesadilla. FEATURES

14 GIFT GUIDE

Our annual holiday gift guide has something for everyone, with the Xbox Series X leading the way.

28 GARY LITTRELL

The Medal of Honor recipient faced certain death and lived to tell the tale. You should listen to what he has to say.

36 WINTER WARMERS

The perfect recipes to warm you up on a cold winter’s night.

41 JOY DUSHEY

She won her battle against PTSD and anxiety. Now she’s sharing the framework that you can use to build your best life.

46 PARTING WORDS

Pearls of wisdom that will never go out of style.

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

ROBERT’S LETTER

THE BEST OF US

Our Medal of Honor recipients should be celebrated not just for their valor on the battlefield, but for what they can teach the rest of us. I consider myself blessed in so many regards. It’s not just that I get to live out the career of my dreams every day, but all the incredible people I get to meet along the way. I’d say in my case—where my philanthropic work has brought me into the orbit so many incredible veterans and first responders, including nearly every living Medal of Honor recipient—this particular perk outstrips any other benefit to doing what I do. It’s not just because I love hearing a good story (I do). Or that each of these incredibly brave men are simply a joy to be around (they are). The main reason I love this part of my job is because the wisdom of the Medal of Honor recipients—the lessons they learned by overcoming the most harrowing of life-and-death circumstances—is vitally important. If you’ve stared death in the face and somehow managed to muster all your courage to overcome horrible odds, then you have more than a story to tell. Years after the heroic feat, it’s not just the comrades you saved or the enemies ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

Follow Robert on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 4

ROBERT’S LETTER

Gary Littrell speaks to a group of students about living with integrity. His pep talk for Robert Irvine Magazine readers begisn on Pg. 28.

you defeated that mark the victory. The real victory is in the lessons learned under immeasurable hardship. Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Gary Littrell (Sgt. Major, US Army, ret.) has come to much the same conclusion. His ordeal—a four-day siege on a hill, which is outlined in our cover story beginning on Pg. 28—marked the beginning of a new mission to teach the youth of today about the six values of the Medal of Honor: courage, sacrifice, patriotism, citizenship, integrity, and commitment. Gary does this through his own charitable foundation: Tribute To Valor, which sees him travel

the country to tell his story and impart the most valuable lessons he learned while defending the last surviving men under his command and guiding them through a series of enemy ambushes to safety. I hope you’ll read his words and take them to heart. As I said, the greatest part of my job is being around men like Gary on a regular basis. They inspire me to go above and beyond for those in my life and to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask if I’m living up to ideals I hold sacred. In short, Gary represents the best of us, and I couldn’t be prouder to have him on the cover. Let’s all fol-

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

low his lead in the new year. Let’s bid 2020 a hearty good riddance, and vow to conduct ourselves in such a way in 2021 that we love the reflection that looks back at us from the mirror. Enjoy the issue, and always remember... Nothing is impossible,

FAMILY TABLE THE NEW COOKBOOK BY ROBERT IRVINE

72 EASY-TO-MAKE FAMILY-STYLE RECIPES 20 ESSAYS OUTLINING ROBERT’S STRATEGIES FOR A HEALTHY FAMILY HARDCOVER WITH BEAUTIFUL FULL COLOR PHOTOS THROUGHOUT

GET YOUR COPY AT FAMILYTABLEBOOK.COM ALSO AVAILABLE AT AMAZON.COM

IN THE GYM: PRO TIPS

EQUAL MEASURE Strength and conditioning. Your body needs both. Here’s how to strike the right balance.

“Strength training is an investment in your future. Cardio is a shortterm rental. Neither is better or worse, and they both have a place.” – Jordan Syatt, Strength Coach Consider them ying and yang; the relationship between strength training and cardiovascular training is one that demands perfect balance. If you’ve read this magazine for any length of time you’ve probably noticed that most of our workouts share a theme of killing two birds with one stone. Or, more specifically, strength

training at a brisk pace so as to derive a significant cardiovascular benefit while you do so. Our New Year, New You Workout on the next page ups the ante on this concept. The circuits you’ll be doing provide just enough volume to build muscle, but you switch body parts often enough that your heart will have to work to keep up the blood supply to all the areas you’re working. Workout I has a lot of chest and back work, with just a touch of legs sending the blood rushing to all areas of your body, whereas Workout II starts off with front

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

squats and barbell thrusters, which deliver a total-body shellacking that will jack up your heart rate and keep it there for the remainder of the workout. The workouts are easily scaleable; if you find that they’re not challenging enough, just add 2-5 reps per exercise, or an extra round or two. Or just add more weight. If you get bored, however, you might need to switch it up. You can check out past workouts from Robert Irvine Magazine by clicking here. Now turn the page and let’s get started. 7

IN THE GYM: WORKOUT

A FRESH START

Start the new year with a balanced approach toward building new muscle and burning off your holiday fat.

DIRECTIONS: Alternate workouts, doing 4-5 workouts per week. Perform each workout like a circuit doing 3-4 total rounds. Don’t rest between exercises and rest only for 1-2 minutes at the end of each round. Give yourself 10 minutes to warm up and stretch before each workout and do a 5-10 minute cooldown and stretch at the end of each workout.

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

WORKOUT I EXERCISE REPS Dumbbell Bench Press 15 Dumbbell Row 15 each side Bodyweight Squat 20 Pushup 10 Inverted Row 10 French Curl* 15 Hammer Curl 15 Cable Triceps Pressdown 10 Cable Biceps Curl 10 Plank 60 seconds 8

IN THE GYM: WORKOUT WORKOUT II EXERCISE REPS Barbell Front Squat 10 Barbell Thruster 10 Arnold Press 15 Lateral Raise 10 Front Raise 10 Upright Row 10 Rear Delt Flye 10 Walking Lunge 20 Side Plank 60 seconds

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS: Lie flat on a bench holding two dumbbells. Engage your pecs and triceps to press them up, arcing slightly from the bottom of your chest to the center. Slowly return to the start and repeat for reps.

Above: the finish position of a barbell thruster. Below: a weightlifter uses a hook grip on a front squat.

DUMBBELL ROW: Place your right knee and hand on a bench. With your back flat, and the dumbbell in your left hand, row the dumbbell to your chest, pulling from your shoulder blade (you should feel most of the work being done by your rhomboids, the muscles of your upper middle back). Pause at the stop and slowly return to the start. After 10 reps, repeat for 10 more with the opposite arm. BODYWEIGHT SQUAT: With your hands straight out in front of you or at your hips, squat low to the ground, keeping your back flat ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

IN THE GYM: WORKOUT

An upright row in motion. In the finish position the bar should be just under your chin.

and driving through your heels to return to the start. Since this is an unloaded movement, reps should be rapid, but under control. PUSHUP: Keep your back flat throughout these, and keep your neck in alignment with the rest of your body, meaning down bend it toward the floor. Do deep, full reps, getting your chest as close to the floor as possible. Like the bodyweight squat, do reps quickly, but under control. INVERTED ROW: Lie in the base of a power rack with the bar resting on safety pins that have been set about 2-3 feet above the ground. Grasp the bar with both hands and pull your chest up to the bar, keeping your back flat and your body in a straight line from your shoulders

to your hips and ankles. Pause for a second at the top of the movement, then slowly return to the start. FRENCH CURL: Hold a single heavy dumbbell behind your head with two hands on the underside of the top plate. Keeping your elbows facing forward, extend your arms to lift the weight overhead. HAMMER CURL: Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your thumbs touching the underside of the top plates. Curl the weight up to your shoulders without rotating your hands (when your arms are moving up and down it will look like you are hammering). CABLE TRICEPS PRESSDOWN: Use an attachment of your choice— rope, v-grip, straight bar, or oth-

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

er—attached to a high cable pulley. Grasp it with both hands and engage your triceps to push the bar down. Hold it for a second, then return to the start under control. CABLE BICEPS CURL: Using the same attachment, adjust the high pulley to the low position. Perform biceps curls under control, squeezing hard in the top position. PLANK: Get down on the floor in a pushup position with your elbows and forearms propping up your body. Keep your shoulders, hips, and ankles in a line and squeeze your abs, breathing behind the brace, as you hold for the allotted time. BARBELL FRONT SQUAT: Load a barbell and rest it just below your 10

IN THE GYM: WORKOUT

A strict textbook plank.

collarbones on the front part of your deltoids (shoulder muscles). Hold it in place with your hands just in front of your shoulders or by crossing your arms over the bar. Perform squats, getting your thighs parallel to the floor at the bottom of the movement. BARBELL THRUSTER: With a loaded barbell across your front delts and under your collarbones, hold the bar with an overhand grip; your hands should be just outside shoulder width. Perform deep squats, then, at the top of the movement—and using some momentum to get the weight up—thrust the bar overhead to a full extension of your arms. Return the bar to your shoulders under control and go right into the next rep. ARNOLD PRESS: Hold a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders with your palms facing your shoulders. Press the weight up, slowly rotating

your palms away from your body so that they are facing the opposite direction at the top of the movement. Reverse the move exactly to start the next rep. LATERAL RAISE: Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Without bending your elbows, raise your arms out to your sides until they are parallel to the floor. Hold the top position for a second, then slowly return to the start. FRONT RAISE: Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Without bending your elbows, raise your arms straight out in front of you until they are parallel to the floor. UPRIGHT ROW: Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of you at your waist. Lift the weights straight up to your shoulders, keeping your hands close to your body. Your elbows should flare up and out as you do this.

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

REAR DELT FLYE: Lie face down on a bench set to a slight incline, holding a pair of dumbbells. Raise the dumbbells straight out to your sides without bending your elbows. Squeeze your delts in the top position then slowly return to the start. WALKING LUNGE: Holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, perform walking lunges, walking forward with a long stride and lowering your back knee to the floor. Drive through your front heel to stand back up and take the next step. Keep good posture throughout the exercise and don’t bend at the waist as you go. SIDE PLANK: Lie on your side and prop up your body on one elbow, keeping your body in a straight line for the duration of the exercise. Switch sides after you’ve hit the allotted time. For an added challenge, raise your top leg up and try to hold it there. 11

IN THE KITCHEN: CLASSIC RECIPE

CREAMY POLENTA The last ingredient elevates this from old standby to a crowd-pleasing favorite. SERVES 2 YOU’LL NEED 2 cups chicken stock 2 cups milk 1 cup stone ground polenta 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp cream cheese Salt

MAKE IT 1. Bring chicken broth, milk, and butter to a simmer. Pull off heat and quickly whisk in polenta. 2. Return to low heat and stir constantly until cooked and smooth. 3. Season with salt to taste and whisk in cream cheese. 4. Hold warm until serving. Add a little more chicken stock if needed.

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

THE MACROS CALORIES: 470 PROTEIN: 14 g FAT: 21 g CARBS: 59 g

IN THE KITCHEN: CLASSIC RECIPE

FIRE-GRILLED CHICKEN QUESADILLA SERVES 2

A timeless classic, made better when kissed by flames.

YOU’LL NEED For the Quesadilla: 3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/3 onion, sliced 1/3 green bell pepper, sliced 1 tbsp grapeseed oil Two 6-inch flour tortillas 2 oz shredded Monterey Jack 2 oz shredded Cheddar For the Salsa: 1/3 onion, diced 1/3 tomato, diced 1/2 lime, juiced 1/3 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp butter 1 oz sour cream

MAKE IT For the Quesadilla: 1. Pre-heat a grill to medium-high. 2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on size. Let cool and then shred the chicken into a bowl. 3. Heat the grapeseed oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers, and cook until caramelized, 8 minutes. Add to the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper. 4. Lay out the tortillas on a work surface. To one, add the Monterey Jack, followed by the chicken mixture. Top with the Cheddar and cover with the second tortilla.

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

For the Salsa: 1. In a bowl, mix together the onions, tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro. 2. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Melt the butter in a skillet. 4. Add the pre-made quesadilla and pan-fry until golden. Flip and cook on the reverse side until golden and the cheese is melted. 5. Remove from the pan, cut into 4 wedges and garnish with salsa and sour cream. THE MACROS CALORIES: 534 PROTEIN: 32 g FAT: 31 g CARBS: 32 g

The RI Mag Gift Guide

Our Picks to Make the Season Merry and Bright ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

FEATURED GIFT

THE XBOX SERIES X

Microsoft’s next-gen behemoth is the most powerful video game console in the world—lightning fast with gorgeous 4K graphics and backward compatibility with every generation of Xbox games. The future of gaming is now. BY MATT TUTHILL ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

XBOX SERIES X

The Xbox Series X, right, and its digital-only (no disc drive) counterpart, the Series S.

Early adoption is typically a hobby fraught with peril. Ripping open the box on launch day and being one of the first to have access to that shiny new thing offers a feeling of euphoria — a feeling often squashed by remorse when the early adopter realizes that shiny new thing just isn’t worth the hype. Indeed, standing on the bleeding edge of technology, one often winds up getting cut—and there are a number of reasons why our love of tech sometimes hurts. First, when a piece of hardware is brand spanking new, it costs a hell of a lot more than it would if you had the patience to wait a year or

so. Second, there are usually some technical glitches that aren’t discovered until millions of people put the machine through the paces. Video game hardware in particular tends to reward those who wait—mainly because there’s usually very few games in the first year of a new console’s life cycle that look markedly different than what gamers can enjoy on the current generation of cheaper, widely available machines. Gorgeous games may abound, but nothing that makes current-gen hardware obsolete on account of graphics alone. When creating the new flagship Xbox Series X and its digital-only

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

(no disc drive) counterpart, the Series S, Microsoft set out to design around all these potential drawbacks, giving early adopters a piece of hardware so advanced that it can offer a brand-new experience even if the next-gen software library is still relatively small. POWER The Series X is unmatched in terms of processing power, boasting 12 full teraflops; the 10.3 on the rival Playstation 5 is nothing to sneeze at, but the clear edge goes to the Series X. For the layman, a teraflop is a computing speed unit of measure, with each teraflop 16

XBOX SERIES X equaling one million floating point operations per second. So, 12 million operations per second means everything you ask the Series X to do happens almost instantaneously. Switching between games and apps is ludicrously fast, and the suspend function lets you pause a video app like Netflix and go back to the last game you were playing and pick up right where you left off in the blink of an eye. Naturally, that processing power also contributes to the visual flair of new games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, plus a host of games coming in 2021—most notably Halo Infinite—which all look jaw-droppingly good. Not to be left out, current-gen titles includ-

ing Gears 5, Dirt 5, and Destiny 2: Beyond Light, all look better and load faster. The Series X effortlessly pumps out games in 4K resolution at 120 frames per second for the best-looking gaming experience the industry has ever been able to produce. BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY The Series X can play thousands of games from all four generations of Xbox, dating back to the original machine that debuted in 2001; this includes digital and hard copies. (Not every game is available. Refer to this LIST to see what’s playable.) While it’s nice to be able to get a little hit of nostalgia from popping in old games, backward compatibility is most worthwhile when

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

you’re talking about the Xbox One because so many gamers who go for the Series X will already have an Xbox One in their home. It seems like a small thing to be able to use a single digital game code to download the same game on your Xbox One and Series X (or Series S), until you realize that the cloud save feature on many games essentially turns your Xbox One and Series X into a multi-room DVR system for gaming. For example, say you’re playing a game of Madden 21 franchise on your Series X; it’s a close one and you’re down by three points with two minutes left, but you suddenly need to shut it off. So long as both your Series X and Xbox One are signed into the same account, you can pick up exactly where you left off on either machine. This feature is crazy cool and it’s hard to overstate the utility for gamers who can’t always block out long chunks of time to play. The seamless convenience for Xbox One owners doesn’t end there; if you had an external hard drive full of games on your old console, just plug it into the back of the Series X and you’re good to go. ENTERTAINMENT As it was in the last console generation, Microsoft still has a 17

XBOX SERIES X lock on the best video game console for entertainment enthusiasts. In addition to the 4K Blu-ray player that also plays standard Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs, the Series X and S both boast access to more streaming apps than most smart TVs or other app interfaces like Roku or Fire TV. For instance, Xbox owners have been blissfully unaware of the corporate spats that have kept HBO Max out of millions of homes, and with the launch of the Series X and S, the lineup of Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and Peacock is now rounded out with Apple TV+. And because the tech specs of the Series X are more akin to a high-powered PC than a Smart TV, its streaming performance shames every other video portal on the market. Seriously, if you ever experience a buffering issue with the Series X, check your router first. It’s virtually impossible this thing is struggling to keep up.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War: Call of Duty has a reputation for pushing graphical limits, making it the perfect series to pair with a new console launch. This year’s COD takes you back to the cold war paranoia of the early 80s

in a fast, fun campaign that shines among the best in the series. The massive, loyal community of online players—plus the online matchmaking that’s the envy of the industry—makes this one a must-buy.

Above: Madden 21. Below: Tetris Effect Connected

KEY GAMES Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The latest entry in the critically-acclaimed series uses the slick game mechanics that made AC a worldwide phenomenon and drops them into an exciting new Viking setting. Welcome to a massive, brutal open world where you’re going to spend a whole lot of time; even if you don’t pursue the side quests, it’s going to take 50 or more hours to finish this bad boy. ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

XBOX SERIES X

Watch Dogs Legion: Fight your way through a dystopian London where your hacker group has been framed for a series of terrorist bombings. A solid story suffused with of-the-moment themes like Big Tech and the surveillance state will pique your interest, but the seamless blend of gameplay elements—computer hacking, shooting, stealth, vehicles, and more— will keep you here.

Madden 21: Smoother, more realistic player mechanics, new X-factor abilities, collectible legendary players, and the ability to design your defensive game plan around otherwise unstoppable superstars like Patrick Mahomes and cover athlete Lamar Jackson make this the best Madden in recent memory.

Tetris Effect Connected: So addictive it should be illegal. Seriously, the combination of light and sound is remarkable, keeping your eyes glued to the screen whether you’re just starting out at a slow, soothing pace, or frantically trying to keep your game alive as things

OVERALL The Series X isn’t just the most powerful video game console in world, it’s as future-proof as an entertainment hub can get. It’s a 10-pound rectangle that bears more than a striking resemblance to a tower computer from the late 90s,

inevitably get out of hand. Easily the best Tetris ever.

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

but maybe that’s a good thing: all the thought and energy was poured into making it the best performing machine around. With a library of thousands of games across four generations of Xbox—powered by the best online server in the industry in Xbox Live—there’s no better way to play right now. And as good as everything looks on this machine, there are still no games that can push it to its considerable limits, meaning the future of gaming— and Xbox—is incredibly bright. Score one for the early adopters. $499 at retailers everywhere, though as of this writing it’s extremely hard to come by. Check THIS PAGE to see who’s getting new stock and when. 19

GIFT GUIDE

For The Audiophile VICTROLA EASTWOOD This compact turntable is a powerhouse in disguise with custom-tuned built-in speakers. With the added ability to use Bluetooth to send that sweet, warm vinyl sound out to other speakers in your house, this isn’t just a pretty new addition to the Victrola family, it’s the most versatile, too. $99, Walmart

SONOS MOVE Good enough to be the best speaker in your living room, but durable enough to take outside. Weatherproof and battery-powered with a Bluetooth connection (Sonos speakers usually connect via the Internet to produce the best possible sound) for when WiFi isn’t available. Blows the doors off other outdoor speakers; anything else sounds thin by comparison. $399, Sonos

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GIFT GUIDE

For The Home Cook IRVINE PRODUCTS

From aprons and coffee mugs to books and casual wear, get everything you need for the Team Irvine member in your life right HERE. Got a hungry fitness enthusiast in you need to shop for? Check out what’s new at FitCrunch HERE (we HIGHLY recommend the new Apple Pie flavor.) Shop with us and you won’t just be sharing impeccably good taste; a portion of the proceeds from all Irvine products benefits the Robert Irvine Foundation to support veterans and first responders.

SUNDAY PROVISION PECAN BUTTER The best nut butter we’ve ever tasted just got an amazing new addition to its flavor lineup: Pumpkin! Tastes so good you won’t believe the short all-natural list of ingredients. Also available: Pecan Smash (original flavor), Pecan Joe (coffee), Pecan Spice (cinnamon), and Pecan Choco (chocolate). Shop at Sunday Provisions

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

GIFT GUIDE

For The Reader EPOCA: THE RIVER OF SAND There are so many reasons that 2020 sucked that you almost forget that before Covid upended our lives, this year had already tragically taken the life of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. In retirement, Bryant had embraced life as a renaissance man, and created the Epoca book series penned by Ivy Claire. The newest entry in the series, The River of Sand, continues the adventures of a group of kids attending a magical sports academy and is out just in time for the holidays. $14, Amazon

INSIGHTS TO LIGHT THE WAY Ryan Farsnworth may have lost his battle with ALS, but his spirit lives on in this remarkably poignant memoir that offers life lessons for us all. Robert was so moved from his meeting with Ryan—and the words in this book—that he offered a quote for the back cover in which he called Insights To Light The Way, “timeless.” $18, Amazon

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GIFT GUIDE

For The Fitness Buff BOWFLEX VELOCORE INDOOR CYCLE Bowflex’s answer to the Peloton bike and subscription service, the Velocore Bike can lock in its upright position for a standard stationary bike experience, or lean from side to side to more closely simulate outdoor riding. The video console connects to Bowflex’s JRNY personal training service (available for a monthly fee) as well other workout apps such as Peloton’s and a host of popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. Starting at $1,699, Bowflex

BOWFLEX SELECT TECH 2080 Like its predecessor, the SelecTech dumbbell, the SelecTech 2080 barbell and curlbar adds or drops weight at the turn of a dial—from 20 pounds up to 80 pounds as the name suggests. An upgrade to 120 pounds is available. Starting at $549, Bowflex

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GIFT GUIDE

Home Upgrades PHOTOSHARE SMART FRAME This handsome 10.1” HD digital picture frame has a reversible border that lets you present your photos in three styles: white matte, black matte, or an ultramodern borderless look. The PhotoShare app lets you send photos to the frame in seconds. Boasts a bevy of features not found in other digital frames, including video and music support, SD card and USB slots, as well as auto-dim and auto-rotate. Can be wall-mounted or used free-standing. With 8 GB of internal memory, there’s room for 5,000+ photos. $105, Amazon

SHOWER POWER A genius invention that marries sustainability and convenience, this Bluetooth speaker easily attaches to any shower head, no plumbing skills required. The pressure from the water flowing through the device spins a motor which powers the speaker so you can listen to your favorite tunes or podcasts while you clean up. Nifty. Back this project at Kickstarter

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GIFT GUIDE

Editors Picks NOZOMI PROJECT JEWELRY The 2011 Tohoku earthquake that rocked the Fukushima nuclear power plant and surrounding areas killed 16,000 people and caused nearly a quarter trillion dollars in damage. Amidst all the destruction: small mountains of shattered pottery, which the Nozomi Project uses to turn into beautiful jewelry. (We originally wrote about the project HERE.) These unique pieces don’t just make perfect gifts, but fund recovery efforts and help employ people directly affected by the disaster. Shop at Nozomi Project

NIC TAILOR UNDERWEAR This custom-fit underwear for men of all sizes—especially athletic types who might be packing a bit more, um, junk in the trunk—is worth the premium price. Check the Dry Fly boxer brief with extra layers of moisture-wicking fabric to keep you dry and well supported no matter how tough the day might get. $49, NicTailor

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GIFT GUIDE

Editors Picks LOTR & HOBBIT IN 4K Peter Jackson personally oversaw these 4K remasters of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies, evening picture tone issues so that both trilogies—filmed more than a decade apart—look as though they were filmed at the same time. Sure, they look more beautiful than ever, but the kicker here is that each box set contains 4K Blu-ray copies of both the theatrical and extended cuts of each film, plus a digital code to get the whole set on VUDU or similar services. Some owners of the HD Blu-ray sets will ask themselves if they really need another copy of these movies… and that’s how you’ll know they’re not real fans. $89 each, Best Buy

LENOVO THINKPAD FOLD X1 The world’s first “foldable” PC, this is no soupedup tablet; it’s got the guts and performance of a full computer with more touch screen than you’ve ever seen in one place. Yes, it’s eye-catching, but it’s not merely fashionable; besides its speed and versatility, it’s rugged enough to take anywhere. $2,500, Lenovo

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GIFT GUIDE

Editors Picks SPROUTED DIAPERS Daniella Monet set out to make a better diaper—one that’s made from natural ingredients, biodegradable, and sustainable, with no harsh chemicals. The result is Sprouted, a plant-based certified Vegan diaper that’s every bit as reliable as the big brands. $12 per pack, Sprouted

GIFT WRAPPING LOVE Give the gift bags and tissue paper a rest. Not only does a hand wrapped gift look a much better, studies show it gets the recipient much more excited about what’s inside. Be sure to subscribe to our new favorite YouTube channel, Gift Wrapping Love, and check out their videos on Japanese pleated-style and kimono-style wrapping techniques. Guaranteed to impress even the cold-hearted misers in your life. Subscribe HERE ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

INTERVIEW:

GARY LITTRELL

Surrounded, out of ammo, and his battalion decimated, Sgt. Major Gary Littrell awaited certain death. He believes he’s still alive so he could teach others what he learned in that moment. By Matt Tuthill ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

INTERVIEW: GARY LITTRELL

Sergeant Major Gary Littrell looked around. Nearly 500 men had gone up the hill with him near the border of Cambodia on April 4, 1970. After four days of siege by about 5,000 Viet Cong, only 41 remained, almost all walking wounded—hungry, exhausted, and completely out of ammunition. It was the literal manifestation of the cliché we use so often to describe such simple, mundane, and ultimately meaningless things— the hill he did not want to die on. And even though he wanted to escape, survive, and one day tell the story to his grandkids, he made peace with the fact that when the VC made one more charge over the hill, that would be the end of everything. Terror, anger, sadness. Any of these emotions would make sense, yet that’s not what Littrell felt. “It was tranquility,” Littrell, now 76, says from his home in Tampa, FL. “I realized my fate was in the hands of God… If you want me, then

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Littrell is the recipient of numerous commendations, including three bronze stars, the purple heart, and the Meritorious Service Award.

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INTERVIEW: GARY LITTRELL naturally you’re going to take me. If not, then you’ve left me here for a reason.” His escape defied all odds. Throughout the four-day siege, he had called in numerous air strikes on the enemy’s position, and had decimated the VC from its original number to a small group that was similarly exhausted and, by his reckoning, probably also out of ammunition or close to it. Knowing Littrell and his remaining men couldn’t stay on the hill much longer, the VC opted not to try to charge the hill, but rather hang back and set up ambushes along the most likely escape route. The only hope of escape: call in air strikes dangerously close to their own position, hoping to

wipe out ambushes all along the way back to safety. It worked. More than 50 years have passed since the siege, and Littrell says he has finally found the reason God left him here on Earth: The Tribute To Valor Foundation, which allows him to share the invaluable lessons learned on the hill with students everywhere. In our interview that follows, Littrell goes into intimate detail about the actions that earned him the Medal of Honor, and what he learned that can help people from all walks of life cope with stress. The man stared death in the face and said it was tranquil. You should probably listen to what he has to say about playing a bad hand.

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE: You said in the past that you didn’t know why God spared you on that hill in Vietnam. Do you know now? Is your foundation the reason? GARY LITTRELL: Exactly. I finally know the reason. And the reason is for me to get in front of as many people—preferably our youth—as possible, talking about character. Adults can use that also, especially our politicians right now. But, yes, to get in front of the youth of America and to help them become better citizens and develop a good character background, that’s my mission. RI: You survived such extraordinary circumstances that

An estimated 60,000 American soldiers died in the Vietnam War. Littrell only narrowly missed having his name on this wall. ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

INTERVIEW: GARY LITTRELL it would seem a small thing to ask you how regular people can deal with everyday stress. But on the other hand, you’re kind of the perfect person to ask this question because you have a perspective that few others have. So when someone says to you they’re stressed about work or kids, what do you say? GL: Everyone has their own unique stress levels and if COVID-19 lockdowns are the most stressful situation that they’ve ever been put in, then that stress level is real for them. And to manage stress, you need to keep a positive attitude, look forward, and then try to help those around you. You can get so much benefit by helping others. Look outside your window. Look at someone that is having rougher times then you and reach down to give them a hand. Giving is a great stress reliever RI: If you can’t do it for altruistic reasons, maybe you should do it for selfish reasons because it really does feel good to give.

We’re wired that way so that we continue as a people, right? GL: Exactly. RI: During your four days on the hill, your job was mostly coordinating air strikes, is that right? GL: Yes, I considered myself a liaison more so than an advisor. The Vietnamese ranger battalion didn’t need much advice on how to fight a war. But we were on top of the hill and we were outnumbered about 5,000 to 473. I had a radio and I was in contact with the forward air controller who was coordinating all of the attacks. And on a second radio—I’d

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gone to language school and I was very, very fluent in Vietnamese at that time—were the Vietnamese platoon leaders that were out on the perimeter and I would tell them, “You mark your position.” And then on the other radio, I would tell the forward air controller, “Okay, you identify the smoke that they have popped. I want you to put those airstrikes 100 meters to the west of that.” A couple of times, I had to move it in to 50 meters because of 100 meters anyway. They don’t like to drop it short of 100. They don’t like to drop it at 100 meters, but they definitely don’t like to drop it at 50 meters. That is serious 31

INTERVIEW: GARY LITTRELL danger. RI: And that is how you escaped as well, if I understand the Medal of Honor citation. GL: Pretty much. We went through numerous ambushes as we were getting off the hill and, because we were third priority at that time, we just had what air support we could get… They said, “We’ll swing by and we’ll help you.” You know the fast movers would blow up ahead of us and then we’d walk into that crater amongst the bodies that were there and they would just blow another one in front of us and we’d repeat that. And the helicopter gunships would be working our sides.

RI: Tactically, why would they choose to approach you on the high ground? Did they just feel that their force was so overwhelming that it was a good idea? GL: My guess is they had us completely surrounded and they knew that we couldn’t get resupply in because we had three choppers that tried to come in and support us—and they had so much fire that they had to pull

RI: You spoke fluent Vietnamese, which allowed you to speak to the battalion that you were embedded with in their native tongue. I’m going to assume that you had great camaraderie with them and that you cared deeply about this cause—and you can stop me if I’m wrong. But I’m very curious how you feel a few years later when the United States does decide to pull out and everything fell apart. GL: That was rough. It was very rough. I went to a year of Vietnamese language school and by the time of this four-day battle, I’d been in country for eight months speaking the language with them and the camaraderie had been built. The group commander—when I was instructor in ranger school—he had come to the United States to go to the U.S. Army Ranger School and I was one of his instructors and he remembered me when I joined the group. For me to be there, walk in his office, have him remember me and then I kick up the conversation in his native language, the camaraderie was just unbreakable. Out of the first 12 mortar rounds to kick off the battle, the battalion commander was killed and the battalion executive officer had a mental issue. He had a mental breakdown. And so the colonel, the group command-

“I found that giving to others is a great stress reliever.”

RI: After being pinned down for four days, at what point do you decide you had to leave? Was there an instigating moment? GL: It was finally directed by our headquarters. I had requested to pull off the hill numerous times during that four days and night stretch, especially when we were getting extremely low on ammunition. On the fifth morning, I sent up a classified radio message and said to them that, “I am completely out of ammunition. If they make one more push over this hill, we will be overrun. We will be killed.” And so they gave us the authorization to withdraw.

off. So the enemy knew, “Okay, we got them on top of that hill and they can’t be resupplied, so if we keep pushing and keep pushing, eventually they’ll run out of ammunition and we’ll just take the hill.” Unbeknownst to them, I had some good air support lined up and when they would attempt to take that hill, with the radio communications that I had, the relationship I had with the Vietnamese company commanders and platoon leaders, I could put air strikes in their hip pocket.

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INTERVIEW: GARY LITTRELL er that I’d put through Ranger school, on the radio he appointed me the battalion commander. He also told me to shoot anyone who didn’t follow orders because Vietnamese commanders had execution authority, and I had to explain Americans don’t do that. All the company commanders, the lieutenants—even though most of their officers spoke English— they would prefer to speak their native language. I could speak Vietnamese better than they could speak English and so that just sealed the bond of the camaraderie. Our battalion was pretty much wiped out in the siege. I had 41 walking wounded after that four days. After that they gave me a stand-down. They thought I’d probably seen enough combat for the last four months there. My friend, the colonel, died in re-patriotism camp… beat to death I understand. He was a strong man, a good man, and a hell of a fighter… and that hurt for me to hear because one of the interpreters in his family got to come to the United States and I met with them and they gave me a report of how they were overrun. It did, it hurt, but now, in reality and looking back, we can’t stay in country like we have in Afghanistan for 20 damn years. There comes a time when we have to say, “We’ve supplied you with the best munitions. We’ve given you the best training. Now you’ve got to stand on your own and defend your country.”

In the end, the North’s will, I think, was stronger than the South’s will and the South fell. You can’t just stay forever. RI: You said that on your fourth night, you had come to a conclusion that you were a goner and that there was no way out of the situation. But that the feeling that came over you was a peaceful one—tranquility. Can you explain why you felt that? I think most readers would only understand terror or sadness in that moment. GL: At that point, I realized my fate was in the hands of God. I had put up the best fight I could. We knew we were completely out of ammunition. We knew we were down to about 40. We knew that that 40 were pretty much walking wounded. We knew if they made one more attempt to come over the hill by the time I could... I couldn’t hold them off long enough because we were out of ammunition. It was just reality. I said, “My God and I have our own understanding.” And I believe at that point, it’s just it’s in your hands, God. If you want me then naturally you’re going to take me. If you don’t, then you’ve left me here for a reason.” And it was just a quiet, peaceful, tranquil feeling. It’s in your hands, Lord, not mine. RI: Though I’ve never experienced anything like that, I think I can understand what you’re talking about. If all I can lay claim to in the whole world is

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the breath that I’m taking right now, then it allows you to release every other burden. GL: Well, I’d given all I had. And I didn’t have any more to give other than hand-to-hand combat, which we would’ve gone into, but we wouldn’t have lasted. I believed that we had beaten them down to the point where they were probably out of ammunition also and they said, “We don’t have the resources to take this hill.” I believe at that point they said, “We know the route that they’ll have to take when they withdraw, so let’s just set up ambushes along that.” Ambushes normally go in favor of the person that establishes the ambush. Charging uphill does not always go to the charger. RI: In that moment, did you extract a tool that you could use for the rest of your life? Because I’d imagine after being through something like that, that you are probably not a guy who spends a lot of time worrying about the future or dwelling on some small mistake from the past. Being that close to death must have sharpened your focus to what’s really important in life. GL: I think it did. I think it made me realize that one of the most important things in the world now is family. It’s my wife. It’s my children. And now it’s my grandchildren. The most important thing is not my life anymore. I’m 76 years old. My life is not that important anymore. My children’s lives, my grandchildren’s lives. Their welfare. Their happi33

INTERVIEW: GARY LITTRELL ness. My welfare is irrelevant. I think I’m a better person from that action. I think I’ve seen reality… People ask me, but I can’t remember being afraid. And that’s concerning that you’re not afraid. I only felt anger instead of fear. I was angered that my troops were getting killed. But maybe anger is a form of fear. I don’t know. RI: Were you up for 100 hours straight during these four days and nights or were you able to get any sleep? Were there ever any lulls? GL: It’s impossible for some-

one to stay awake four days and four nights. I don’t think that’s humanly possible. During that time period, I had to have caught 10- or 15-minute cat naps. I never said, “Okay, there’s a lull in fire, so I’m going to lay down and sleep for a while.” But I had to have, during those lulls of fire, just leaned back in the foxhole or leaned back against a tree, wherever I was, and just pass out for 10 to 15 minutes. You have to. And you know, a 10 to 15-minute cat nap can put you back to work for a few more hours.

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RI: When it’s over, you come home to a country where the soldiers were spat upon and blamed for our involvement there as if they had a choice in the matter. We were horribly divided then. And while we’ve gotten better at the way we treat our soldiers, the citizenry is as divided as it has ever been. What do you say to Americans who—never mind finding common ground with the opposite political party—they actually view them as sworn enemies? GL: Well, when I came back, fortunately for me, I didn’t suffer

INTERVIEW: GARY LITTRELL the abuse that a lot of my friends and fellow recipients and fellow soldiers had. I stayed on active duty, went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and very seldom left the base. I went about my job of training troops for the next battle. Unlike some of my fellow Medal of Honor recipients that got out and tried to go to college, and couldn’t go to college because the students gave them a hard time… I didn’t witness any of this. Our politicians now and our leaders, I don’t understand them. I don’t see why we can’t work together for the common good of our country… I’ve never seen our country politically more divided than it is now. Thank God it’s not over the war like it was in Vietnam. But I will say this: We need to get our troops out of this crazy war, all of them. It is time that we quit being the policeman. Let this country now stand up for its own just like Vietnam had to stand up for its own.

courage to do the right thing under adverse conditions? If it’s hard to do, do I take the easy road or do I have the courage to do the right thing?’ Say you witness bullying, what do you do? Do you just idly stand by or do you take a stance?” Finally I ask them, “How do you want to be perceived by the person to your right and to your left when it comes to integrity? How do you want to be perceived by

One of the teachers came over. She had a big smile on her face and she walked up to me and she says, “After you talked to our kids yesterday afternoon, this morning I had a young lady knock on my door and walk in the classroom with a tear in her eye. And she said to me, ‘After Mr. Littrell talked to us yesterday, I just went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and I saw a cheater looking back at me… I cheated on that exam this morning.’” And I said, “How’d you handle that?” And the teacher said, “I said, ‘Mr. Littrell also talked about courage to do the right thing. You had the courage to come in and admit you cheated and I respect that. But you know you’ve got to take that exam over.’” She said the little girl smiled, quit crying, and said she wanted to take the exam over. This is what makes me feel good. This is what makes me get up in the morning. COVID’s got us shut down right now, but we’re still doing it virtually, and this is what drives me to get in front of these kids and to ask them. If you go onto tribute to Valor, you’ll be able to find me talking to some of the kids and you’ll be able to see what we do.

“Look in the mirror. How do you want to be perceived by the image looking back at you?”

RI: If our readers had the chance to attend one of your speeches, what would they hear you say? GL: I tell the kids, “Look in the mirror and ask yourselves, ‘Who am I? Am I a person of character?’ The six values of the Medal of Honor are: courage, commitment, sacrifice, integrity, citizenship, and patriotism. Ask, ‘Do I have the

your teacher and your parents? But most of all, look in the mirror. How do you want to be perceived by that image looking back at you? If you lie and you look in that mirror, what do you see looking back at you? You see a liar. If you cheat or you steal, that image will say you’re a cheater. An example of some feedback that I got from one of the schools here in Tampa, Florida, last year.

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Learn more or make a donation to Gary Littrell’s foundation at Tribute To Valor. 35

COLD COMFORTS Sweet and savory recipes to make your season bright.

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

COLD COMFORTS

Pumpkin Bread French Toast

SERVES 4 YOU’LL NEED 8 slices pumpkin bread 4 eggs ½ cup whole milk 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp granulated white sugar Nutmeg, grated fresh

3 tbsp butter Confectioner’s sugar MAKE IT 1. In a mixing bowl add eggs, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. 2. Place slices of pumpkin bread in the batter. Allow to sit for approximately 2 minutes.

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3. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, add butter. Allow the butter to cook over medium heat until the butter starts to brown, approximately 4 minutes. 4. Cook bread for approximately 4 minutes on each side, checking frequently to avoid over-browning. 5. Dust with confectionary sugar and serve with maple syrup. 37

COLD COMFORTS

Cider Braised Chicken Thighs SERVES 4

YOU’LL NEED 8 chicken thighs skin on 1 tsp grape seed oil 3 cups apple cider 2 cups vegetable stock 2 apples, medium dice 1 butternut squash, peeled and medium dice 1 bunch sage 1 tbsp walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped MAKE IT 1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them In a medium sauté pan grape seed oil, over medium to high heat. 2. Sear the skin side first, allow to cook for approximately 4 minutes and then turn it over. 3. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the butternut squash and apple allow to cook for approximately 3 minutes, allowing the squash and apple to brown. 4. Add the chicken thighs back to the pan, and add the apple cider and the vegetable stock. 5. Bring to a boil and cover and place in a 325-degree oven for about 1 hour.

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COLD COMFORTS

SERVES 5

Celery & Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

YOU’LL NEED 5 parsnips, peeled and chopped 1 celery root, peeled and medium diced 5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and medium diced 1 cup heavy cream 1 stick butter

MAKE IT 1. Place parsnips and celery root in a pot with 1 tbsp salt and bring to a boil, cook for approximately 20 minutes. 2. In a separate pot, add potatoes and 1 tbsp of salt bring to a boil and cook for approximately 20 minutes. 3. Using a ricer, pass the potatoes, celery root, and parsnips through

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until smooth. 4. In a small sauce pot, add heavy cream and butter. Heat until butter is melted. 5. In a mixing bowl, add butter and cream mixture, and mix with potatoes well and season with salt and pepper.

COLD COMFORTS

SERVES 1

Apple Cider Mimosa

YOU’LL NEED 6 oz champagne 2 oz apple cider Fresh nutmeg, grated with a micro plane 4 times ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

MAKE IT 1. Pour chilled champagne into a flute top with apple cider. 2. Grate nutmeg on top and serve

INTERVIEW:

JOY DUSHEY

She won her battle against PTSD and anxiety, and created a framework—The Joyful Approach—that others can use to live their best life. Here, Joy Dushey gives you the 101 on taking control of your life and developing emotional immunity. Interview By Matt Tuthill ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

INTERVIEW: JOY DUSHEY

ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE: For a total beginner, how would they approach breath work as a way to deal with anxiety? JOY DUSHEY: Anxiety is really rooted in imagined future stories that we create in our mind. What is the world going to look like tomorrow? Are we going to go into lockdown again? What is the state of our country going to look like? All that is what takes us out of the present moment and into the future of these imagined stories. So what we want to do is we need to calm the nervous system, calm the limbic system, get out of the fight or flight, and then just come right back to the calm, relaxed state of the here and now. You’re going start with diaphragmatic breathing: inhale through your nostrils for three to four counts as you balloon your belly out towards that big pregnant belly. Pause at the top for two counts, holding it and then exhaling through the mouth, deflating the belly back towards the spine again for another three to four counts, and then just repeat. The mind is going to be really active. It’s going wild with all these stories and “I can’t do this,” or

“I’m not doing it right.” All these distracting thoughts, that’s very human and normal. That’s okay to have, but what we want to do is we want to just redirect our attention and our awareness back to the breath and keep coaching ourselves. If you need to count, that’s fine. Just notice the sensations in the body.

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Observe all of that, the sounds around you, and then just come back to the breath and keep repeating that. It takes training. Practice. This is how we create different neural pathways. We’re restructuring the architecture of the brain. There’s lots of proof and studies that have 42

INTERVIEW: JOY DUSHEY been done that if we were to look at a scan of a brain before meditating, during meditation, and then about eight weeks later, we can totally change the architecture of the brain, where the amygdala is, which is responsible for the fight or flight, will shrink. The prefrontal cortex, the neocortex, which is responsible for rational thinking or the calm nervous system, the parasympathetic… that begins to enlarge and becomes predominant. I would say the average suggested time is about 10 minutes a day. I like to suggest that people set their timers on their smartphones and turn the phone to airplane mode so that you’re not thinking about the time, and you can totally relax into

your practice. Some people like to do it in the morning because that sets a beautiful tone for the rest of the day of calm and ease. You can also use it also as a little weapon that you have in your tool kit, like at times of high stress. RI: You preach something called emotional immunity. When I hear the term “immunity” to me that means I can’t be affected. I can’t get sick. So is it really possible to develop emotional immunity where no one else can get you sick, where you can’t be affected by what other people are doing? JD: Yes, so, this starts with a question where are you placing your

attention, your energy? What’s your mindset like? When you wake up in the morning, if you’re in a negative mindset, do you choose to stay in that negative mindset? Personally, I wake up and I say thank you for at least five things and why I’m so grateful for those things. Now you’re placing your attention on all the positivity and that attracts more positivity. You’re armoring yourself with all this positive mindset. You’re filling your soul with good things. You’re taking care. You’re setting boundaries for yourself and staying away from things that don’t make you feel good, people that don’t make you feel good. Stay away from the media, the

After tragically losing her brother, Joy Dushey suffered from PTSD and severe anxiety. By adopting the techniques collected under the Joyful Approach, she was able to beat her condition and achieve balance. Learn more, including details about one-on-one coaching, at TheJoyfulApproach.com. ROBERT IRVINE MAGAZINE /// WINTER 2021

INTERVIEW: JOY DUSHEY noise that’s just causing more and more fear and alarm and drama. I think that that all requires intention. These are all components of the Joyful Approach life system. Setting boundaries, living intentionally, self-love. Let’s just face it. It can feel so chaotic, it can really take on so far out of our center, in a way. If we don’t start setting intentions about how we’re going to recreate the design of our life, we are going to be chaotic and we’re going to be all over the place. We’re going to be in anxiety. We’re going to be stressed out. So having a daily practice, I think is essential right now. A time of the day where you’re just committing that time to some form of self-care. For me, meditation, the mindful-

ness, or the breathing practice, whatever you want to call it, is what’s going to take us away from the future-imagined stories and come back to the here and now. RI: Are these concepts good for kids? Because kids now in the pandemic, they are literally required to sit in front of a Zoom meeting for eight hours a day. After two Zoom meetings in a row, I’m done. So I feel like this time, especially for kids, has been just brutal. JD: Absolutely. I think that it’s so important for the kids right now. This digital overload, it’s too much for them. They’re suffering with anxiety, whether they know how to express that or not. So

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they definitely need it. If parents could encourage it, parents have the awareness themselves, it would be wonderful for them to understand how important it is for their children to just take a few breaths. Even if it’s just three minutes of that breathing for them. They actually love it. I’ve worked with kids before, and it’s wonderful to see their response. RI: Do you find mirror work helpful? As in, repeating positive affirmations into the mirror? JD: I love mirror work. Actually, I have some Post-its on my vanity mirror that have all these really nice affirmations. Originally when I first started, it was so awkward. It was the corniest thing ever, just saying

INTERVIEW: JOY DUSHEY these affirmations in the mirror, like “You’re so beautiful” when you’re just not feeling beautiful. “You’re so worthy” when you don’t feel like you’re worthy. But eventually, what happens is it really starts to create these neuro pathways that allow these affirmations to take root. So it’s neurological in how it starts to transcend and resonate on a deeper level. I’m subjecting that to many of my clients and I’ve gotten amazing feedback.

Or, when they’re hurt and they’re suffering, would you say, “Oh, you’re beautiful and you’re so special and you’re worthy.”? That’s how I started. I started to have a lot more compassion with the mirror work, or a tone of compassion, if that makes sense.

people do now is performative. JD: I see so many of us living according to different value systems that aren’t ours. We start to pick up conditioning, whatever’s happening with society, whatever we’re seeing in the media. We start to lose ourselves in all of that. We live according to these value systems that aren’t ours. It totally takes us away from who we truly are. Then we begin living out of alignment. We are living out of our own conduits in a way, and that will make you feel really sad. It’s going to make you feel very disconnected from your truth. So what’s really most important right now in this day and age, is that we take the time to step away from digital, from media, from social media and get back to the basics. I’m always saying take time to be in nature and silence. Just turn everything off for a little bit, go and have a little time for meditation, for journaling. Journaling is another big one. Try stream of consciousness writing— just dumping on the pages without thinking about what you’re going to write. You start to get more in touch with your essence, your authentic self. You start to unravel what’s not yours.

RI: You talk about authenticity in the age of social media. How do you define it? So much of what

Follow Joy on Instagram and learn more at her website: TheJoyfulApproach.com

things that I’d been telling myself, that was so imprinted and programmed. Now I wouldn’t say any of those words to myself, because I started to see myself as this beautiful child. It really stemmed from inner child work ... If you had a beautiful child that you were caring for, would you say such harsh things to them?

“Breath work or mindfulness.... it takes training. We’re restructuring the architecture of the brain.”

RI: How long can one expect it to feel corny? Because I feel like that’s the hardest thing in the beginning. All you can think is, “I really hope no one walks in on me when I’m doing this.” JD: I love that you said that. Absolutely. You want to feel safe. You want to feel like you’re in a place where no one’s going to walk in. Again, this is training. What we’re doing with the meditation, the breathing, and the mirror work, it’s all brain training through these affirmations. So even if you don’t feel it, you don’t buy it, you’re not believing it, this is the weirdest thing ever, just trust in the outcome. Trust that the outcome will then take you to a transformation, a huge shift. Because for me, I’ll just tell you about my own personal experience. My vocabulary has zero inner critics. It used to be horrible. The

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WORDS TO LIVE BY “Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.” - Ray Bradbury “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” - Dale Carnegie “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” - Andre Gide

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The Robert Irvine Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of our military personnel, first responders, and their families. 100% of all funds raised go directly to those who need it most. To learn more about Robert’s commitment to our military and first responders, please visit RobertIrvineFoundation.org