Guest: Rich Roll — bestselling author, endurance athlete, and host of The Rich Roll Podcast

Topics Covered:

Dave’s intro: Katz’s Deli, Jeff Ross, Marcus Aurelius, parenting chaos

Listener comments and Dopey Nation correspondence

Sponsors: Oro Recovery, Mountainside, Recovery Unplugged

Tom’s Vietnam dope story voicemail

Bailey’s Chicago recovery email

Rich Roll returns: psychedelics, ego, trauma, identity, and surrender

Psilocybin + MDMA therapy and confronting fear

Childhood wounds and transactional love

Time, relapse shame, and identity in recovery

Authenticity in podcasting and media

Music talk: R.E.M., Radiohead, The Smiths

Connection, gratitude, and the importance of showing up

Quotes:

“Are there coincidences, or aren’t there coincidences?”

“Pain is the universe knocking.”

“Love was something I thought I had to earn.”

“Every obstacle is an opportunity — if you can stand still long enough to see it.”

“I’m not someone who walks around grateful naturally — I’m a crabby self-obsessed motherfucker.”

“I’m in it for the relationships.”
Identity loss and transformation after injury

Spinal fusion surgery and learning to sit still

Attachment, ego, and the fear of irrelevance

Emotional eating and food as addiction

Plant-based pitfalls and vulnerability in body image

Ozempic, habits, and shortcuts vs real change

Finding joy and gratitude in success

Sacred mornings and creative process

Writing discipline and not talking about unfinished work

Dopey Nation art, DopeyWood, and DopeyCon reflections

Harm reduction, drug use stigma, and community inclusion

Voicemails, listener love, and fan cover of “Good So Bad”

Highlights:

“Pain is always asking us to ask ourselves questions.”

“Every obstacle is an opportunity — if you can stand still long enough to see it.”

“I should be enjoying my life more than I do. That’s the real work.”

“Food is like any other drug — a way to regulate emotion.”

“Don’t talk about the book. Just write it.”

Outro:

Voicemail from a harm reductionist listener

Shoutouts to Dopey admins, Facebook group, Zoom hosts, and Dopey Nation

Tribute to Dave’s dad, “Papa Smurf,” and the late Dopey fans remembered through art

Banjo cover of “Good So Bad” by Jake from West Virginia

🎧 Title Ideas

Rich Roll on Pain, Purpose, and Letting Go

The Contrary Action: Stillness, Sobriety, and Spinal Fusion with Rich Roll

Rich Roll: Running, Recovery, and the Addiction to Achievement

From Endurance to Surrender — A Conversation with Rich Roll

Pain, Presence, and Plant-Based Life: Rich Roll Returns to Dopey

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