Jocko Podcast - Jocko Underground: What to do When Life Seems To Be Unsatisfying.

Episode Date: July 6, 2026

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This is the Jocco Underground podcast number 220 sitting here with Echo Charles. We have questions from the front lines from where the rubber meets the road from the troopers in the field right now. Sure. And we are going to give you some answers, some recommendations, and at a minimum, some courses of action for you to take. So let's get into it. Yep. So if any of these scenarios applies to you in principle, not in detail, but in principle, boom, might help you out. That's the way I see it.

Mm-hmm. Okay, first question. Thank you for that, Jocko, thank you for everything you do. In general, I'd say I got my life figured out. I'm 39, 6 foot, 200 pounds. I do not do Jiu-Jitsu, but I work out five days a week focusing on strength and cardio. My core routine is based around pull-ups, dips, kettlebells, bike, run, and row. I train for 45 to 90 minutes, usually starting at 4.45 a.m. I also stretch every night.

Okay. I've been married for 16 years and have five kids. It's 18, 13, 8, 6, and 3. The kids are progressing well in school, soccer, and baseball. I have a job I wanted. I have the job I wanted, a house, cars, and generally I feel like I have it all. However, somehow it doesn't feel like enough or satisfying. It's rather conflicting.

I'm feeling the inklings of burnout, and at the same time, the desire to do more. Obviously, I need to keep grinding for the family. I'm in the new product development world engineering. I have considered becoming a game warden, but the salary transition would put my family in unnecessary stress and no guaranteed that will scratch the satisfaction itch. Please don't take my comments as being unhappy with family.

They are what keeps me going. I also want to mention that I served in the Marines with one pump to Iraq as a logistical convoy security 50 gunner. Even with all the accomplishments and accolades, do you ever feel that it's not enough? And is Jiu-Jitsu really the answer? Leading question. First of all, thanks to your service, Devil Dog,

Semperfy. Being a convoy security machine gunner, 50 cow in Iraq was a freaking dangerous job. And thank you for what you did. Okay, so is Jiu-Jitsu enough? Well, look, it's a good start. It's definitely fun. Engage your body and mind.

You get to compete aggressively against other humans, which I think sometimes is a animal instinct that we have. Like we want to, we are driven to compete against other humans. Look, we wouldn't be here if our ancestors didn't crush the other tribes, right? We wouldn't be here. We wouldn't make it. But our ancestors, they made shit happen. So there's got to be some instinct that we have, that we want to fight against aggressively,

against other humans. And that feels good. And it feels good even when you lose because you know that you're figuring stuff out, you're getting better. And when you win, you feel good. When you lose, you know you need to do more. Jiu-Jitsu requires, you know, focus.

It requires creativity. There's even a creative spark that gets to ignite in Jiu-Jitsu. Jitsu and it requires discipline. So it's gratifying in each of those little categories. So Jiu-Jitsu definitely you start training it. Now that being said, Jiu-Too doesn't scratch every itch for every category for every person.

Obviously. There are other arenas of achievement that people sometimes want to gratify. And again, I think these are intrinsic feelings that people have. service and sacrifice. Some people feel like they need to serve. They feel like they need to sacrifice. Some people they are chasing money. Some people are chasing fame.

Some people are chasing position. Some people are chasing position. Some people are chasing different fancy cars or fancy houses or some title. And these are all things that, you know, you're not going to get, Jiu Jitsu may not satisfy those. Jiu Jitsu might be like, oh, I really don't really don't care about, you know, money anymore because I get to train. I enjoy, you know, might satisfy your fame.

Like, oh, I don't know you'd be famous. I like, you know, it's so, can't. But if you have those holes and they're not filled that are outside of the realm of Jiu-Jitsu, then it is possible that you, it might not be enough. So I think you need to figure out what it is you're missing. You need to figure out, you know, when you say it's not enough, we need to figure out what the enough is. What is it that you need?

Is it? Making service and sacrifice is it money is it fame is it position is it rank is it cars at the house titles? I don't know It might be for you service Because you're in the Marine Corps and you you indicated that you want to become a game warden which is sort of like service and sacrifice Because you're putting on a uniform and you're out there doing in the field and so that could be a thing You're missing the ability to serve in that capacity other people and make sacrifices for other people now we'd tell you that there's plenty of options that you could fulfill that desire joining the

Army Reserves which listen there's plenty of people that were in the Marine Corps that join the Army Reserves not that big of a deal volunteer firefighter volunteer police officer like there's a bunch of things that you could do as side projects and still maintain your job in product development or at least they wouldn't interfere much. Look, if you join the Army Reserves, you can have some downtime. You're going to have to go on, what do they call those things?

Exercises and whatnot. Drill weekends with the reserves. If you're a volunteer firefighter, they might cut into your job a little bit, but it's not going to be a big deal. But I think that would be a good place to start because if you have that desire to serve, those things should quench that desire,

at least at some point. If you figure out that you're missing something else, like the other, the thing that you're missing is something else. Maybe it's money or car or title or position. It sounds like you're satisfied with those things, but figure out what that thing is. You know, like figure out what it is. What is it that you want? What is it that you want? What title do you want?

What position do you want? What car do you want? Figure out and then come up with a plan to get that thing and go execute on it. That's not that big of a deal. You know, you really want the super. nice car you want a super car get one of those new corvettes they're 120 grand they're freaking badass you know i'm saying you can get one you can you can you're you have a house you can figure out how to get a one of those cars now you say that you already have what you want you have the job

you wanted the house you wanted the cars you want it you feel like you're there but if there's something that you're missing figure out what it is now all that being said here's what here's my probably my strongest answer for you and the most critical piece of this answer is bro you got five kids healthy kids I'm assuming you got a solid job you're healthy you have a house you have cars you have a wife that's pretty much what everybody wants and I'm not saying you might not want more but dude it reminds me of a story I've told before which is being out surfing with my buddy Seth Stone my brother, Seth Stone.

And he's getting all philosophical and crazy out there in the water with me. And he's going crazy and talking all this emotional stuff. And he goes, dude, and we're out there surfing. It's like an afternoon. Occasionally in San Diego, when the sun's going down and there's no wind and the waves they kind of glow when you're riding the waves, they glow from the back to amazing color. And it contrasts with the sky. And it's just one of those days.

There's no wind. We're just out there. It's, and for whatever reason, there's not. There's no one out surfing. There's like two other, three other guys. They don't, they might as well not even be there. And it's chest high. Offshore breeze, just a slight offshore breeze.

Just a slight. And this MFer is out there and he goes, bro. You know how? I don't know how I'm ever going to find happiness. And I'm like, dude, this is it. This is it. This is it. This is what it's all about.

What we're doing right now? This is it. And you're always, so happiness was sitting right. He was in happiness, bathed in happiness, surrounded in happiness. And he couldn't see it right there. So that's an indication to me that we can all be in a position where we're surrounded by happiness. It's everywhere around us, but we don't recognize it. And I kind of feel like you might be in that zone, brother.

So look around Breathe it in Relish what you have And make the best of it And start training in Jiu-Jitsu That's what I got Yeah at first At first the Jiu-Jitsu thing

Like seemed kind of like a funny thing And I'm like you know how can you just start taking Jiu-Jitsu And then all of a sudden life has meaning right Or you know I'm exaggerating you know Being dramatic about it but that's kind of it That was the that was what I was asking myself but I've found myself in little mental ruts or whatever and I go train Jiu-jitsu and magically life does have meaning and then I've had the same thing

with just working out like I do a hard workout I'm like oh my gosh life has meaning again kind of a thing and I just did a workout which I've been literally doing for decades and so it's not necessarily the Jiu-Jitsu or the working out or whatever it's it's more like something internal that you you maybe feel like, and I'm talking about myself, where I don't have like chronic bouts of this or nothing like that, I'm just saying at these small things, you know, you get this small.

I feel like I got so used to like the routine of what you do. You know, and that's how you can miss like, probably where you're sitting in it. You're sitting in the, bro, I remember, you know, when I was working at the bar, the nightclubs or whatever or even, even in college or whatever. I remember thinking like, oh man, wouldn't it be cool to, you know, have X, Y, Y,

and I have this picture in my mind of like, wouldn't it be cool to end up being doing this and doing, you know, all this stuff. And if I flash back to what I was thinking, I have literally 100% of the things that I would quote unquote dream about and more 100%. No exception. And I have the audacity to have those thoughts.

So it's like it must be something internal like, okay, that isn't like, I don't know, isn't stimulating, clicking, you know, and it's probably just a small thing, but since it's internal, it's affecting everything. You know? And that's what it felt like. So then when I worked out or went to Jiu-Jitsu or did, you know, did something,

I don't know if it's because it's hard. I don't know because it's endorphine. I don't know. Whatever it is, it kind of satisfies that one little thing that happened to be affecting every, all the good stuff in my life in front of my face, you know? But just for that moment, it's like it's not as shiny anymore or whatever. But that internal thing, they get satisfied just basically re, you know, brings back the luster in, I don't know, your everyday life, I guess.

I don't know. It was kind of like that feeling. So I'm thinking, you just do very well could be the answer. 100%. Like could be. I'm not saying it is, but could be. Yeah. And at the same time, kind of what I said before,

where we get used to, everything like the luster loose gets worn off. You get a brand new car. You're excited. And then after all, it's just a car, you know. Or you, you know, even I'm sure, even if you do some kind of a body transformation. You're like, oh my gosh, I'm so good. And even that wears off.

You get used to the feeling of it, right? So yeah, you can have a perfect life. I believe that you can have a quote-unquote perfect life by your own standard. And even that luster can wear off and maybe seem like, oh, I feel like there's more or whatever. But more so than there's more, you're just not seeing and feeling your full bucket right now. You're over here wanting a bigger bucket. Meanwhile, your bucket is full.

Yeah. You look around. No one else's bucket full. you know, kind of a thing. So I can kind of do like that. Not quite complaining that the gold is heavy. Like, you know what I mean? Not quite complaining the gold is heavy,

but not appreciating the fact that you. So that is a little excerpt of what we are doing on the Jocko Underground podcast. So if you want to continue to listen, go to jaco underground.com and subscribe. And we're doing this. We're doing this to mitigate our reliance on external platforms. so we are not subject to their control and we are doing this so that we can support the jocco podcast which will remain as is free for all as long as we can keep it that way

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