Episode Details

Robert Browne – Stop and think about what you are and who you are through the decisions that you make. 

Sam: One of the hardest things we can do is to look in the mirror and say, who are you? And then know the answer.  Today’s show is about personal growth.  Take a look at your business card or your job title, the role you play in your family, and the things others say about you and get ready to look beneath all that. 

Theme: The Curated Chapter

Sam: Knowing who you are is easy for some people but not everyone. It’ s a difficult question to answer. We spend our lives making decisions, building relationships, and pursuing goals, but we don’t always take the time to consider what those choices say about us.

Robert Browne believes that understanding ourselves is one of life’s most important journeys. He just wrote a book about it. It’s called Understanding U. The title is simple, but it carries a powerful message — before we can strengthen our relationships, grow as individuals, or live with greater purpose, we first need to understand who we are — this was his path. 

Robert – I wanted to find a place where I was at peace with what I felt about my decision to move on with my life. And at the time, I was seriously thinking about entering into another relationship, which could have ended into a marriage with a woman that, although was very attractive, I later came to discover was not the right person for me. My brother really helped me to realign my thinking with who and what I am right now, and to come to grips with myself as an individual, reset myself emotionally and mentally, and use my energies and my time in such a way so I can discover who I am through things that I would now do, such as getting out traveling. Connecting with other people, forming business partnerships in the fitness industry, nonprofit work. All of those things helped me to focus on giving instead of getting, and in the process, I really came to discover who I am as a person, a person who wants to enjoy giving back to those who gave to me through the community, through my affiliations, with my close friends, and with my business partners. They all helped me to understand better who I am as a person moving forward.

Sam: For Robert, self-discovery wasn’t simply an exercise in reflection. It changed the direction of his life. As he focused on giving back, building relationships, and contributing to his community, he found something many people spend a lifetime searching for: a deeper sense of purpose.

Robert – So once I started to really feel the joy that came from giving back and not focusing on the negative experience of having to lose out on the relationship or lose it, I gained something far better, a deeper sense of purpose and meaning with my life as an individual. And that’s what really inspired me to write the book.

Sam: Understanding U is built around the idea that the better we understand ourselves, the better equipped we are to grow as individuals and strengthen our relationships. 

Throughout the book, Robert invites readers to look beneath appearances and examine the thoughts, intentions, and values that guide their actions. Through short reflections on topics like grief, compassion, and assumptions he encourages readers to take a closer look at the person they are becoming.

Robert – The one thing I want them to take away is to understand who they are today. Stop and think about what you are and who you are through the decisions that y