Pulse December 2018 | Page 50

CONVERSATIONS WITH JOSH RITCHER JOSH RITCHER is an author, speaker and mental empowerment trainer who helps people rewire their thinking patterns, resulting in a more joyful, healthy and successful life. In addition to speaking and coaching, Ritcher volunteers at recovery centers to help people overcome addiction. His e-book, Ship for Brains, is a favorite of ISPA keynote speaker and business guru Daymond John. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A COPY OF HIS E-BOOK AT JOSHRITCHER.COM/ BOOK/ Pulse: In your book, you list quite a number of self-help practices you’ve tried over the course of your life. What drove you repeatedly to seek self-improvement and self-help? Josh Ritcher: I’ve been into self-improvement from the first time I bought some Tony Robbins tapes from a garage sale when I was 17. The thought of figuring out how to make massive positive change in your life sounded pretty awesome at the time. That curiosity continued throughout my life. I’ve always sought out a deeper understanding of the human condition and human potential. I love the movies and TV shows where people beat the odds— the kinds where they survive horrific conditions on a mountain or live through what medical understanding said they shouldn’t. P: Your book’s title, Ship for Brains, is funny, but it’s also related to your key metaphor for understanding the brain. Can you explain that metaphor to our readers? R: I was watching a show about cruise ships a few years back. Cruise ships are such large objects in the ocean that they are extremely susceptible to outside conditions, like the wind and waves. These outside forces push the ship off 48 PULSE ■ December 2018