#310 Walking through fire: The transformative power of firewalking, with Tony Robbins’ firewalk captain, Dave Albin.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION

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Dave Albin  0:00  
If you want to change your life, change your story. Everything has ever happened to you, you created a story, whether it was good or bad or indifferent, I don't care if it was horrendous or it was off the top. Hi, you we all create a story about everything that happens to us. And you're the creator of your own story. So I would encourage you to create a masterpiece.

Agi Keramidas  0:22  
You're listening to personal development mastery podcast, helping you take the simple actions to master personal development and create the life you gain for. I am your host, Aggie Keramidas. And my mission is simple to inspire you to take action towards a purposeful and fulfilling life. In this podcast, I invite myself inside the minds of remarkable entrepreneurs, authors, thought leaders, spiritual teachers. So if you're ready to find practical insights that you can implement right now, make sure you follow the podcast and get the episodes as soon as they are released. Today, I'm delighted to speak with Dave Albin. Dave, you are the number one firewalk instructor in America and you have worked with Tony Robbins for almost 20 years as his firework captain. Your success had a scary and violent path, though you had a challenging childhood with adoption, drinking and hard drugs from your early teenage years. reaching a point in 1988, where you put a gun to your head. You have fired walked hundreds of 1000s of people and even Tony Robbins set the world record in London in 2005. Working over to 12,000 people, Dave, welcome to the show. It's such a pleasure to speak with you.

Dave Albin  1:48  
I'm really, really stoked to be here. Really cool.

Agi Keramidas  1:52  
You know, the topic of fire walk and we were just having a chat before we started recording because of my own personal experience with being at Tony Robbins event and doing the firework myself twice. It was something that is find very intriguing. And I would like to speak a bit later on about what transformational power firewall has over someone and some things like that. Before we go there, I would like to ask you a little bit of your background, and especially, you know, share the little snippet of your story. I would like to ask you to take us back to that really major incident in your life when you went from wanting to commit suicide to really changing and then discovering personal development and so on. So

Dave Albin  2:47  
yeah, so so you know how it kind of all started is, you know, I was I was born to a single mom, and in Hollywood, California. And she was a server in the, in a hotel in Hollywood, the Fremont hotel, very famous. And the bottom line was is that she had two other sons, both of which were my step brothers. And she couldn't afford me. So by the time I was five years old, what she did, she put me up for adoption to her sister, who would who would have been my aunt and uncle. So Bob and Pat Albin raised me. And by the time I was 11 years old, they decided that was going to be the date the first day of summer, in 1964, they decided to tell me that I was adopted, and that they weren't my parents. And so that, you know, that kind of, you know, when you're a young kid, right, I'm like nine years old, something like that. It was like, what, what do you what are you telling me? Of course, you're my parents, right? So it was very confusing. Well, shortly after that, where this starts to take a turn was they both started drinking. Now, I don't know if they started drinking, because of the pressure of them having to tell me or whatever. There was a lot going on in America at the time with the Bay of Pigs, and, you know, the missiles with Russia and America, and we're going at it during the Kennedy era. But my dad was a military officer, the man that raised me, and so he was under a lot of stress and a lot of pressure and bottom line, he started drinking. And so I followed them, right. I saw them drink iced decided I want I saw my parents, these two wonderful people turn into these just crazy humans when they started drinking. So I was, I was curious. So I started drinking. And that led to drugs. And before I was, you know, much of even of a teenager, I was already into hard drugs. Well, to bring that forward in June, on June 8 of 1988, all of that caught up with me. And I was just, I was in so much pain, it it was just like, it was emotional pain. It was excruciating. There was physical pain. That was hard. And you know, that particular day I said, I'm done. That's it, where I'm this is over. I'm not doing this anymore. So the quick out for me, I knew if I put a bullet in my head, I knew the pain would stop immediately. And so when To get to that threshold, it's really hard not to put a bullet in your head. Because again, I'm dealing with alcohol and heroin and cocaine and other drugs. And so it's just it's, again, it's excruciating. It's the only real word. Well, in the last minute, part of compassion, if you will, I was married to a woman at the time that had three kids, they were my three step kids. And I remember thinking, you know, what, if you pull this trigger, they're gonna see that they're gonna have to live with that. And that's wrong, and you cannot do that to them. And that's what turned my head. And the next thing I know, I called an organisation here in America called Alcoholics Anonymous. I know it's global. I know, it's in Europe as well. And I went to a meeting on June 8, at eight, I went to four meetings that day, actually, I went to a 1230 to 436 30 and 830. And guess what? It worked. It stuck. I had one day of sobriety and went to it to three a week, a month. And when I got to a month, they gave me a chip. And it said, one month, then I got one and two months, three months, six months, nine months. And then I got the one year chip, right. It's called the blue chip that we're also proud of, if you will, and that was, you know, this year, I will have 35 years. And so, you know, here's my chip, this one here says 34 years, and it has the Lord's Prayer, or excuse me, yeah, the Serenity Prayer on the back. And it says to thine own self be true and recovery. So it has a lot of messages on it, that that remind us every day that our struggle is one day at a time. So what happened from there was, I got introduced to the personal development industry. And the reason I did that is because I had insomnia. And you're coming off drugs and alcohol, it's, it's pretty rough. I'm gonna tell you, it was horrible. Because every day is a struggle. You want to drink or use drugs every day, every single day. And I did that for almost three years wanting to use something to help, you know, go back to that, that horrible lifestyle, you know, every day. So anyway, I'm up late one night, and there he is. Tony Robbins in the infomercial days back, you know, back in the 80s, young Tony Robbins all enthusiastic and he was selling a programme called personal power. So 30 Day programme. And I jokingly say he came on little

Dave Albin  7:19  
cassette tapes, IG that cassette, you know, little white thing, right? Because that day, you know, I jokingly tell my audios, yeah. If you want to know what they are, Google it or go to the Smithsonian Institution, you can see them there. And so they sent me the programme, I opened it, I went through it. And I did exactly what what Tony taught me to do. And guess what? It worked. And so that was like an opening for me to go. Not only was I using AAA, the 12 steps, right? Because the 12 steps are in AAA to help change your life. The 12 traditions support the group. So that's how a works well, now I also had the personal development industry, helping me to become, you know who I am today. Because, you know, I learned a long time ago that I think the two most important times of your life is the moment you were born. And the moment you figure out why. So that started to open my eyes up to Why am I here? What's this about? Is there a greater purpose to my life? The answer was, absolutely. And so once I got with Tony's you know, involved with the personal development industry, I loan that tape programme, I also read his book, unlimited power. I loaned them both to a friend of mine in AAA. Well, seven years later, in 1995, he calls me on the phone. He goes, Dave, Tony Robbins is coming to town. Dude, come on, let's go see him. And I went, Yeah, well, you know, when and so we looked at our schedules, everything match it, he goes, dude, I'm going to handle it. He goes, I'll take care of everything. I'll call you back. Once I said I'd go he said, I'll take care of everything. So he calls me back like an hour later it and he goes, Hey, this man, everything's done. We pick up the tickets that will call and here's what they told us to do. Number one, drink a lot of water. Stay hydrated. Number Number two, bring snacks because you're going to spend a lot of time in the room. Number three, bring a good attitude. And number four, be ready to play full out. And I said Dan, how much was your ticket? He said 700 bucks. I will. Okay, well, don't worry. I'll play full out. And so just as he's getting ready to get off the phone, I said, Alright, see you Daniel. Oh, wait, wait, I forgot to tell you something. He goes, we're gonna be doing a fire truck. And you know what? I didn't even know what that was. I didn't even know what it meant. And I remember thinking immediately No, I'm not saying anything to my buddy Dan on the phone. I'm just thinking, Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, that's a hard no for me. We are not doing that. Forget it. I mean, I still want to go and I'm sure that's what the crazy people I don't have to do it. So I was okay with that. Right. So So here comes the event. And Dan and I get there and and Tony takes the stage at like two o'clock in the afternoon. Now I know you notice, because you attended, but as you know, 10 hours later, what is Tony do? He says, Take your shoes off? And I'm like, and I'm struggling with that one, right? Because I'm not going to do the firewalk. So I'm like, well, so why am I going to take my shoes off? And then the thought I had was, yeah, but if you don't take your shoes off 3000 people that you're here with are going to know that you're whistling out. So I don't want them to think that. So I'll just take them off. And I'll fake it. Right? So when they get out there, right, and you know, this right, he gets you going out there. And now you're with how many 1000 people I know when you were limited. It was probably 10,000 12,000 1000. But here in the States, it was 10,000. Yeah. Okay. So back in back in 1995. We were in Reston, Virginia, just out of Washington, DC there were 3000. Right. But still 3000 people's a lot. And then once you have you do any, it gets you to start chanting. Right. You're clapping? Yes. Yes, yes. And you're walking out there with 1000 people feeling the intensity of everybody clapping and saying yes. And then as you know, when you get out there, he's got African drummers. Right. So it's good. Dun, dun, dun. It's your, your whole body is just, you're in it. And you know what I mean, you're in this group. He's asked you for 10 hours, he's prepped you, you're chanting. There's drummers. There's a giant fire built over there in the parking lot. I'm sure you saw it. And you know what they do with that, right? They start that fire early in the day. They let it burn all day. And then it burns all the way down and it renders the calls. And then they load those coals and wheelbarrows. And then they bring a wheelbarrow into a into a section where there's two lanes of side of grass. I think in Europe, they call it turf on both sides. That's about three feet wide. And it's about 18 feet long. And then they take a flathead shovel, they just shovel those coals onto that grass. And that's what you walk on. Well, I hid out in the back because I'm not doing it. Well, that's a bad strategy. And it's bad because Tony's people know where all the cowards are. All right. And Tony sends us people to go find you. He doesn't want you to not do this. He wants you to do it, because it's going to change your life. So sure enough, I'm back there. I'm hiding out here because one of Tony's people, and he locks eyes with me. And I guess IG what happens is, Tony must train those guys. Listen, when you make eye contact with them. Don't take your eyes off, because this guy wouldn't take his eyes off me. And all sudden, he gets to a certain proximity for me. He's probably 20 feet away from me. And he kind of looks at me like, you know, a strange look. He's like, are you okay? And of course, when we're not okay, what do we say? I'm fine. I'm good, right? And I'm not. I'm out of my mind. I'm freaking out at the moment. And he said, he goes, Oh, he says, Well, when I say I'm okay. He said, Well, hey, let me ask you, are you gonna walk tonight? And I said, I kind of leaned into him. And I said, Absolutely not. And he goes, Oh, okay. That's not a problem. He goes, we don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. And I thought, Okay, I like this guy. He's gonna get me out of here. I don't have to do this. There it is. And then he asked me a question that changed my life. And to this day, I don't know what the guy was. I have no idea. None zero. He said to me, he said, Well, wouldn't you at least like to watch? And I thought for a second. I'm like, Yeah, I like to watch these people burn their feet off. This should be real interesting evening. Right? And so he said, Well, you're not going to be able to see the thing from way back here. I'm 100 yards from other actually walking, right? So he said, well, listen, you're gonna be free to be able to see it, you're gonna have to get up there closer. So just get in line. And when you get up there, you'll actually be able to see it.

Dave Albin  13:58  
He kind of kind of baited me. But in his defence, he was telling me the truth. I couldn't see anything from where I was situated at that moment. So I got in line, and I'm kind of waiting there. And I'm walking along and I can't see anything. And all of a sudden, this guy comes up to me and he says, He knows when you're ready. You're whispering this in my ear. Right? He goes, he knows when you're ready. When he says go, you go. And I'm like, What? What? I'm like you didn't get the memo, pal. I'm not doing this. I'm just watching. And I'm kind of moving in the line right? And next thing I know I look at an angle I can't see in front of you, but I can see in an angle. And I'm now seeing people walk on fire for the first time. And my brain is going what in the hell is going on here? What are they doing? What what is this? This is insane. Right because your brain I got no reference for this as I mean, I know nothing. Right? And, and I've kind of watched it and now I'm mesmerised. I'm just kind of like staring looking over here. And the next thing I know in front of me, boom, I get to the front of the line. And now I'm there Right, and I'm looking down. And I'm you know, the coals are bright red and the wheelbarrows air and I'm feeling the heat coming off, and I'm freaking out, and I'm staring into the abyss. Well, the trainer standing there, all of a sudden he goes eyes up. And I'm like, oh, yeah, that's right. I was in a room for 10 hours with Tony Robbins, and what he teaches you to do, keep your eyes up. Look to the future. Don't stare at what you fear. That's what that's what paralyses people don't do that. We're going to teach you how to not do that. So now my eyes are up and the trainer goes, squeeze your fist and say yes. And I went, Yes. And he went stronger. Now what? Yes. Right. He screams out he goes stronger. Now, he screamed at me that final time because you could tell. I wasn't all when I wasn't fully engaged, right? And when he screamed at me to to go stronger. I threw my hands in the air and I screamed at the top of my lungs. Yeah, it goes, go, go go. And I took off. And so here's where the fun began, right? Because the first thing I learned about firewalk. And and I'm sure you would agree, and that is when you take that first step. Oh, you'll take the second, third, fourth, and fifth, for sure. Right. And so like it like you said, you know, if you got involved, there's two, there's anchors at the end, there's two people that interlock arms to catch you. And they're like, Stop, wipe your feet and celebrate life and my feet, I'm celebrating and that girl reached me the second anchor and pulled me out of the way you get it, you did it. And so at that point, at the firewalk it's exhilarating. Or at least it was for me, it was probably one of the most transformational transformational moments of my life. I remember looking back and looking at the calls and going, Dude, you just walked on fire. And the coals were 1000 degrees and you didn't burn yourself. And I did it. I was successful. But I didn't know how I did. I just did. Right. So the question came to me immediately was okay, if you could do that, what else can you do? How is fear stopped you in the past from living the life that you want and or deserve? Right? So all of this stuff was going through your head after that? firewalk? Right. And again, I know, I know, you went through it. So you can relate right? Well, here's where it got interesting for me and tell me what you think. And that is, was the next day. So I come to the firewalk the next day right? Here we are same 3000 people the night before, but I never saw or witnessed anything like it in my life. These people were connected. Because of that firewalk at a level humanistically that I'd never experienced. They were laughing and they were hugging and they were crying. And they were telling each other story. And you know what I mean? They were just connected at a human level. And I'm like, You got to be kidding me. This is freaking awesome. You know, again, it was just so wonderful to be in that staging area as we were getting ready to go into the room, right? Because we're coming back. It's a four day event. We do the firewalk on day one. And then day two, the fun starts with Tony, as you know, right? And so to be there in that morning with that it was just so magical for me. And that's what got me well, if it's both right, it was the night before and then the next day, and I was hooked. And that just led me to you know, wanting to know more, learn more become part of Tony's organisation. As you know, they he uses, you know, three 400 volunteers for every event. I became part of the volunteer team just like you. And then I became a subcontractor in 1996.

Agi Keramidas  18:32  
Can I pose you Dave said before we drift to another direction because your your description? First of all, it really brought me back. I mean, I can remember the what you said about the African drums and all this walking barefoot, towards the you know where the coals were where we didn't know at that time, what exactly would happen all we knew that we were working. And it was that feeling like a trance. That's how I remembered it being you know, we were working. I didn't personally I didn't have so much fear, I had fear. But there was more excitement, that fear. So I really went without the same hesitation. But thank you for bringing this experience back to my memory and how transformational aid was. And I will add, because I've been you mentioned the second ankle who was the person who would celebrate with you once you had completed those steps over the hot coals. So when I went to the second time as a crew member as a volunteer, I was that person, the second ankle so I think I had around two or 300 people I don't know but I couldn't really count them after the point that I jumped around with and said yes, you've done it. I was that person that told you you know, did you realise what you've just done? So it was such an incredible feeling to see See the the energy of two or 300 people at that time. So I'm only saying that again, because I thank you, I appreciate you bringing me back in three leaving that event. There is one one thing in particular, I think you that I wanted to ask you about the firework, I think you touched upon it in terms of, you know, overcoming a fear and seeing what else you can overcome. But I would like your thoughts on it because you have done so many 1000s of referrals with with people. What is it? Why is it the most transformative experience so much that Tony Robbins chose to put fire walking instead of I'm sure he could have done something else for one to overcome their fears. But he did this show? Would you like to explain that, to me what is so unique about the the firewall itself as an experience that leads you to the other side really empowered? And transformed?

Dave Albin  21:08  
Yeah. Well, you know, that's, that's such a great empowering question, because a lot of people don't realise that, you know, a lot of people associate firewalk you with Tony Robbins or T Harv Eker. Right, because they're the guys in the West that brought it brought it to the, to the forefront. However, firewalking has been around hundreds, probably over 1000 years. And it's been used by cultures all around the world. And that's, that's in fact, for me, that's where I got into it. I started researching the the history of firewalking. So if you look at the Phoenicians, if you look at the Polynesians, the Hawaiians, the Indo Europeans, for example, the Indo Europeans, back in the day, when they're warriors, what would go to war, right with a battle wouldn't would incur, they would all do a firelock before they went into battle. And if you were a warrior, and you didn't do the firewalk, you weren't allowed to go so you kind of dishonoured your your tribe, the people of India, oh my gosh, you want to see them? They they over there, it's a rite of passage. It's a ceremonial, very spiritual connection with the fire the element and everything that goes with it, right. So I in fact, I got a picture on my website. You love it, man. So here's what they do. They dug it like a trench, right? And, and in this trench, it's about I don't know, maybe about a foot deep, right. And so standing around the trench, or all these people, and their family and their friends, and they're all the people of India love. So colours, really, really bright pastels are beautiful, beautiful garments, and they wrap up, it's a celebration. And so in the pit, right? There's a woman and she's the same way she's got all the silk colours, and she looks absolutely stunning. She's I think she's got something she's got something in her mouth. And I think it's a flower to represent something. I don't know, the the, you know, the backside of that, of that. I'm gonna I'll find out though. And then she's holding three newborns. three triplets. That you know, they don't look like they're probably over a week old. And she's in the pit. Now remember, right? It you We lay coals on grass, you walked on top of them, right? She's in the coals, because the coals are probably a couple of inches thick. Right? And she's in it down in the pit. Now she's coming back out. And she's got three newborns, she can't get out. You can't jump out. Right, or you drop, you drop a child into that pit, they die. So your questions, you know, sparked that with me is that you know what's going on. And that's what's going on. We're carrying on a history and a heritage that has been around for again, hundreds. I know, I know, for a fact hundreds and hundreds of years. And so that's that's what it does. People go Why do you firewalk and I go because it's going to change your life. Guaranteed 100%. And if you've got a company, and you've got dissension going on, or you got stumped, something's happening, whatever. That's why corporate America hires me like crazy. You know that they find me that and they bring me in to help resolve the issue going on with their people. And especially now, right mask wearing vaccines, boosters, political, you know, everything out all of it was all it's all it did was tear us apart and separate. So if you've got a company, right, and that's going on in your company, it's going to it's going to affect your bottom line. It's going to affect your profitability because if you and I are working together as a team, and we love we appreciate each other and we respect each other and work together as a unit. We're going to produce more. It's not rocket science. But if you and I can't stand each other because I'm looking at God, he ain't wearing a mask or he's not wearing they are he is what He didn't get vaccinated. And you know what I mean? If all that dissension is going on, and that's not good, that's gonna cut into your profit, it's gonna it'll tear your company and your people apart. So Tony, right, he's on the other end of this, he used the firewalk because he knew it would connect them. And that's what he wanted. Number one, break through your fear. Number one, number two, reestablish a belief system that says, If I can firewalk What else can I do? And then that way, on day two, when they come in, they're open to like, alright, Robert, you rocked our world. What else? Are you going to teach us? Where are you going to take our lives from here. And so that's really the reason he uses a firewalk, and not maybe other another type of team building experience, if you will, because there's lots of other things he could have done. However, he knew the firewalk would work.

Agi Keramidas  25:55  
I wondered, take a short break from this episode and quickly let you know about something I'm sure you will find useful. We are drowning in information but starving in wisdom. This podcast, for example, has almost 300 episodes, and as you can imagine, there is ample wisdom in them. But who has the time to listen to 300 podcasts. My mission as a knowledge broker is to convert this vastness of knowledge and distil it into wisdom and to implementable insights. So I have created a free special resource for you, I have chosen the top 10 podcast episodes that offer the greatest value in three main categories of life. First, the top 10 episodes about money. Second, the top 10 episodes about health. And third, the top 10 episodes on mastering your personal development. This free ebook is a curated catalogue of those top 10 podcast episodes in each category that will offer you the greatest value, and in the shortest time to get it go to personal development, mastery. podcast.com/top 10. And you will also find the link in the show notes. Alright, let's get back to the episode. Thank you I got there were a couple of words that you used in your answer that I really made the impression it was you said something about ceremonial and spiritual as with the fire that connection with a fire. And I took that very intensely from from your answer. So thank you for that. Let me ask you also, even though it's probably you know, a very broad question, but you know, having worked with Tony Robbins for all these years, tell me some things that you have learned that you have gained by being in the proximity of of this person that maybe you never,

Dave Albin  27:56  
yeah. I'm laughing because it's like, you know, you spend, right, you spend that kind of time with a man for almost 20 years, right? Just a little shy of 22 decades, and you're gonna learn some stuff. But yes, there's, you know, the first one that comes to mind. State Management. Okay, let me let me start with statement. It really comes down to managing your state. And, and and you know, what you think about and proximity and you know, your friends, right, another thing. So if we start with state management, managing your state every day, right? And that can come from consistency and having rituals, and you get up every morning and you do this, and then you do that, and you have you and then you just create this beautiful life in and around those consistencies doesn't mean, you're not going to have problems. It just means how I show up to that problem, right? It's like Tony used to say, he says, Listen, we're all going to have problems. But if you maintain a good attitude, and you and you earn money, and you do all that at least you can arrive at your problems in style, right. And then I think the other part of that is, you know, I learned early on, why don't people get what they want in life. And they don't get what they want in life, because there's a story they tell themselves a why or why they can have it. So in America, Henry Ford, who developed the automobile, the Ford Motor Company, I love what he said. He said, If you think you can or you think you can't guess what, you're right. So you got to be very, very careful who you who what you're telling yourself every day. Tony also teaches proximity. You are who you spend time with. And you know, he says Love your family, choose your friends. And you better choose wisely because you will become who you spend time with. For me back in the day when I was you know, drinking a drug and I was hanging around pimps and prostitutes and drug dealers and drug addicts and me nasty people that, you know, they will hurt you, they will kill you. You can die in the streets out there. And so but that was my peer group. And then the next thing you know, boom, I'm over here with a bunch of people with an AAA so I can I immediately because they told me early on look, you got to change your play places play things in play friends. And so again, Tony's, you know, in around all his teachings, and the other kind of a thing that he kind of taught me that led me to understand that it's kind of a generational thing. Right? CARDONE talks about this Gary Vee talks about this. Wayne Dyer talked about this, you know, if you go back in your, in your in your ancestry, if you go back 12 generations, right? That's 4094 people that got you to hear right now you and I communicated. And those 4094 people went through all of life, the pain, the suffering, the love 4094 People were spread out all over this world. Well, without all 4094 of them for you. And for me, we're not having this conversation. So from my perspective, again, it goes back to what I said earlier, the most important time I was born, was you know, was it and then when I figured out why. I remember Tony talking about one time he said, you know, all humans have two lives IG and the second one starts when we realise we have only one. So for me, that was groundbreaking. I'm like, Oh my gosh, that's it. That's it. Right? So, you know, I had breakthroughs and epiphanies all along my way along the career. You know, Tony, nice, awesome, cool. It's awesome stuff. Like we were in Tampa one time and there was a young man down there. High school student, you got hit by a drunk driver lost both legs. Next thing I know, he's at a firewalk he's there. I'm on Tony's lane. I'm shovelling, right, Tony looks at me, like, oh my gosh, I think we're gonna see something pretty amazing here in a minute. And he looks right. And we're both looking at it, here comes that kid in that wheelbarrow, or excuse me on that wheelchair. I meant by wheelbarrow. And all of a sudden, next, you know, he moves himself. And without any help, he goes into a handstand, and he walked across the fire in his hand. And Tony and I looked at each other, and tears coming down our face. And you know, it's so it's moments like that. And that's why that environment is so critical is like, when you and I were talking earlier, I'm like, Yeah, immerse yourself in it, man. Because there's, you're gonna see and be part of things that you're not gonna see anywhere else in life, typically not not, I don't think exactly at that level level, you know what I mean, in that environment in four days. So, yeah, you know, state management from Tony, be aware of who you are, and what you're doing right now and focus on, you know, all those kinds of things, and also help others. If you help, if you help enough people get what they want in life, we always get what we want in life. And then there's one last thing that I think is critical that Tony teaches that he brought to my attention years ago, and that was pay attention to your achievement, okay, you can achieve at a high level, you can make lots of money, you can buy all the toys, you can have all this stuff. However, if it's not balanced with fulfilment, it's failure. Because I in his environment, I've met a lot of wealthy people, you know, lots of actors and actresses and professional athletes and Olympians and rock and roll stars and MMA fighters, you name it, cross the board, all the athletes out there, and here's the thing, it from my perspective, you know, you can achieve at a high level but if you don't learn to balance fulfilment with it, you're gonna get into your into your life go, that wasn't the way to do it. Right. Yeah. So yeah, he says,

Agi Keramidas  33:37  
success without fulfilment is the is the ultimate failure. That's how he I remember him saying it. So thank you for that. Wonderful reminder, he talks about, you know, the, the, the science of achievement and the art of fulfilment. So it's beautiful to hear you say these things and bringing it not only to you, but you know, they are so important. Life Skills, especially you said, the first one you said was state management, how more how important, the most important they are, where it's been a fascinating conversation, and I want to ask you, just to start wrapping things up. The first thing is, where is the best place for people to find you and connect with you?

Dave Albin  34:30  
Well, sure, well, thank you for asking for that. For your audience, you can go to firewalk adventures.com. So you just spell out both words. firewalk adventures.com. We're there. Now the downside of that and I need to disclose. I sent out a memo in at the end of December and 22 to all my clients that this is going to be my last year. I do have an academy the Dave Alvin firewalk Academy. That's coming in October. are. So what I'm doing with that is that anybody out there, you're an entrepreneur, you're a business owner, your HR department in a large corporation, or you just wanted to come learn all this, right, you can come to my academy, I teach all of it, I teach firewalking board breaking brick breaking, arrow, break, rebar bending, all the sales and marketing how to the storytelling. I teach it all at the Academy. And that'll be coming up the last week of October. And you can find out the information on my website, there as well.

Agi Keramidas  35:32  
That's brilliant. Thank you. And let me ask you a couple of quick fire questions as well just I have two of them, which I always ask. And my first one is, what does personal development mean to you?

Dave Albin  35:45  
Well, it's really, it's opened me up to everything, you know, when you when you go out there and you start studying as many of these, you know, these stages, if you will, these personal development, so called gurus, you know, there's a lot of brilliant information out there. And it's interesting, because from my perspective, the first thing I do when I get up in the morning, and I learned this number one from the military, and number two from the personal development industry, first thing I do was make my bed. And I do that because no matter how good or bad my day was, when I come home, I come home to a bed that's made. And then the second thing I do is I drink water. I live in here in the state of North Carolina, I live in the Appalachian Mountains, and I have mountain spring water coming into my cabin. So it's pure, it's alive, I drink water. You know, the third thing I do is I get into my meditation and my sound therapy. The fourth thing I do is I read 10 pages out of a good book every morning. And so that programmes your brain, it moves you in, you know, you're setting the intention for your day. And so that came to me all every so much of what I've learned and what I talked about. Today, IG has all come from the personal development industry. So it's made a massive, massive difference in my life and my family's life. Because I don't know if you know this, but my kids travelled with me on the road. When Tony offered me the job of taking over all the firewalls in 1990, excuse me in 2003. He paid to have my kids too. So my kids, my my daughter was six the first time she firewalk Devi was nine, and they went on the road with me. So they've been immersed in the personal development industry as well.

Agi Keramidas  37:28  
One quick hypothetical question as well. Dave, if you could go back in time and meet your 18 year old, old self, what's one piece of advice you would give him?

Dave Albin  37:39  
Don't change the thing. Just be just hang in there. Right? Because this too will pass. Right? And I learned this today. Really? Well, right, because it's that's how life is right? Because I say all the time. Look, life's not as bad as it seems. Life's not as good as it seems either. Reality is probably somewhere in the middle. Right? And again, if you're going along in life was really good things are great. And you know, you're you know, you're in a new relationship and you bought a new house or whatever. And everything's great. Here's what I can tell you. This too will pass. Right? Things are bad people treat you unfairly, you don't like the way people are talking to you and your treat you and you're going through a rough time with the people around you. This too will pass. Right? So just hang in there. And never give up.

Agi Keramidas  38:32  
Thank you. Thank you, David. That's, as I said, it's one of the probably the most profound pieces of advice that this will pass. I want to thank you very much for this amazing conversation. I really enjoyed it. Dave, I will leave it to you for your quick last parting words.

Dave Albin  38:53  
If you want to change your life, change your story. Everything that's ever happened to you, you created a story. But it was good or bad or indifferent. I don't care if it was horrendous or it was off the top. Hi, you we all create a story about everything that happens to us. So you're the master and you're the creator of your own story. So I would encourage you to create a masterpiece. Don't over tell it don't over embellish it. But if you really want to change something in your life, change your story. Change your life, my friends.

Agi Keramidas  39:23  
Thank you for listening and I hope you got valuable insights from today's episode. For your free ebook with the top 10 podcast episodes that offer the greatest value in three main categories of life. Go to personal development mastery podcast.com/top 10 Until next time, stand out don't fit in