179. 110 Days Through Antarctica: Akshay Nanavati on Fearvana & the Sacred Path of Suffering

Akshay Nanavati is a former Marine, polar explorer, and the author of Fearvana—a book that’s been praised by the Dalai Lama, no less. After battling addiction, PTSD, and depression post-deployment in Iraq, Akshay didn’t just survive he alchemized his pain into purpose. He’s since skied solo across Antarctica for 110 days and built a movement around the idea that fear isn’t the enemy, it’s the doorway. This conversation is a deep dive into what it really means to embrace adversity and transmute suffering into service.

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We grew up in a world we didn’t create. And one idea after the next—whether it was culture or society—we were told how to look, how to feel, and who to be. We were told that if we checked off the “right” boxes (think: career, car, money), we’d feel good, we’d be whole, and—naturally—we’d be set. But, turns out, there’s more to the story. On The Great Unlearn, Cal dives into unlearning and questioning what the world taught us, and—in the process—how to be the truest version of yourself, minus the bullshit. Whether it’s figuring out how to navigate a relationship, dealing with your emotions, diving into spirituality, or just feeling comfortable in your own skin, Cal and friends navigate the choppy waters of what it really takes to unlearn all the ideas we took for granted, and how to be the best version of what, sometimes, can be so hard to be: yourself.