Mountaineer, entrepreneur, extreme sports athlete, husband and father, Eric Plantenberg knows the power of breakthrough and living a free and abundant life.  He’s summited Mt. Everest.  He’s a four-time IRONMAN competitor.  He’s launched multiple businesses and done something else not many have done—spent time in a federal prison.  But he didn’t let that stop him from living his best life.  In fact, he used it to his advantage.

At the tender age of 17, as a college freshman, Eric decided he was going to live the life he wanted, not the one others wanted for him.  His choice, and his experience, led him to define freedom as the capacity to choose.  Yet, through trials, he also saw the difference between who people perceived him to be on the outside, and how he felt on the inside.  “I felt like I had arrived and was sucking at the same time,” he says of those early years.

If freedom is the capacity to choose, abundance comes in being present.  Even when things aren’t going well, take comfort in knowing that right here, right now, you are everything and have everything you need.  Don’t compare yourself to someone who looks like they have it all figured out.  Everyone is imperfect.

Eric defines breakthrough as the state of the mind, body and spirit being aligned.  Breakthrough, which can be physical or emotional, is growth over time with persistence.  Whether you’re learning a new skill or entering a new relationship, breakthrough takes work.  He recalls a powerful moment, a gift really, that his wife gave him—permission to be himself.  Despite all his success in business, up to that point he still didn’t know that he didn’t need to earn love.

Finally, Eric teaches that gratitude is a choice.  His challenge?  Make a list of what’s NOT going well in your life.  Make another list of all that your grateful for.  Now you can choose where to focus and your gratitude will be authentic because you aren’t ignoring what’s wrong.

Experiencing these four concepts of freedom, abundance, breakthrough and gratitude, Eric climbs all of life’s mountains, and you can too!

Connect with Eric Plantenberg on YouTube, Linkedin and on Twitter @ericplantenberg.  We’re always Tougher Together! Please tune in to other episodes of our Breakthrough podcast and explore the human connection between us.

Rebeccah Silence, is a speaker, coach and international media personality, who survived cancer while pregnant and has impacted hundreds of thousands of listeners through her radio programs and appearances.  She is the Creator of the HEALING IS POSSIBLE movement and courses and is committed to helping others heal their traumas.  As a certified world-class Emotional Healing Coach, Rebeccah is uniquely qualified to facilitate breakthroughs to wellness and transformation while she inspires hope and possibility in even the most challenging times. She is best known for healing heartbreak, and her clients frequently tell her that she brought them “back to life”! www.rebeccahsilence.com

To learn more about all our inspiring podcasts visit https://www.lifestough.com/.