Give Yourself Some Grace: Episode 14 w/ Ben Seims
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Overview
Ben Seims brings two decades of health and human performance experience, 24 years of Army National Guard service, and a nursing career to a conversation that goes far deeper than his credentials. In the most honest episodes yet, Ben shares a story of homelessness, multiple suicide attempts, and the long road to finding peace.
About Ben Seims
Ben Seims currently works with the Consortium for Health and Military Performance. He has over 20 years of Health and Human Performance coaching, education, and executive experience with a focus on Tactical Performance and Resiliency.
He was career Army National Guard with over 24 years of service. He spent 10 years in the Infantry with a final position of Squad Leader, 14 years in the Nurse Corps, then served as Holistic Health and Fitness Director of Education at the National Guard Professional Education Center.
Ben completed one combat deployment during OIF II, and several training missions to Thailand for Cobra Gold and Hanuman Guardian medical exercise serving as an AMEDD representative for the Washington National Guard's State Partnership Program with the Kingdom of Thailand.
He was also a civilian nurse for over 17 years, with over 23 years of experience in long term care, acute care hospital, and home health settings.
Episode Takeaways
Recognize that dragging a second boat behind you as an escape plan prevents you from fully fixing the one you're on
Understand that clarity — while powerful — is painful, because you can finally see everything you did and can't undo it
Accept that there is no certificate of arrival — health, recovery, and growth are a relentless pursuit with no finish line
Build your merry band — the right people around you will literally save your life
Give yourself grace — veterans carry disproportionate guilt and shame, and grace is not weakness
Feel what happens when you stop doing the work — Ben can feel it when he misses counseling, bike rides, meditation, breath work. The work is the thing.
Share your story — you never know who you're going to impact or whose life you might save
Find your spiritual core — without purpose and vitality at the center, even a physically healthy person is floating alone in space
Engage to disengage — there's more power in choosing not to win an argument than there ever was in winning it
Nature is non-negotiable — some of the best moments of your life have happened outside, and no photo does them justice
