Michael Diamond sits down with Alok Appadurai to unpack real-world rites of passage, the power of acknowledgment, nervous system regulation, and upgrading the "invisible operating system" that silently runs a man's life. You'll learn a simple, powerful rite of passage you can run this month, the three A's (Awareness, Acknowledgment, Action), how to "repeat to imprint" so your words land deep, why asking for help is strength not weakness, nervous system regulation for fathers, partners, and leaders, and how to upgrade your Invisible OS across spiritual, emotional, physical, financial, and relational mastery. Expect practical frameworks you can apply with your son, your partner, your team, and yourself.

- 00:00:00 – Welcome

- 00:07:35 – The backstory: sobriety as a father's first rite of passage

- 00:10:10 – Designing a rite of passage with AI… then trusting presence

- 00:21:37 – The ceremony: chairs, sage, sunlight, acknowledgment

- 00:22:10 – Pouring in without pumping ego: "repeat to imprint"

- 00:25:00 – Say what your father didn't: sex, body, money, women, power

- 00:29:20 – Men are parched for acknowledgment: how to water the soul

- 00:34:00 – Taming ego while building a sturdy core self

- 00:40:50 – Invisible Operating System: finding and removing malware

- 00:47:30 – Asking for help fast: rewiring the lone-wolf myth

• Alok Appadurai -Founder of The Uplift Millions School
• IgKnight the King - Next Immersion November 13-16

In this solo episode, host Michael Diamond takes listeners deep into the Shadow Warrior archetype, the most destructive of the four masculine archetypes. Exploring both poles—the bully fueled by rage, control, and workaholism, and the coward marked by avoidance, passivity, and self-betrayal—Michael challenges men to reflect on where these patterns show up in their lives. Through raw prompts and powerful reframes, he reveals how intensity is often used to avoid intimacy, how control shrinks freedom, and why betraying one’s truth erodes personal power. By confronting these shadows and stepping into the Sacred Warrior, men can transform rage into strength, control into discipline, and avoidance into authentic leadership.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction: The Shadow Warrior Archetype
• 00:01:58 - The Destructive Power of the Shadow Warrior
• 00:02:25 - The Two Poles: The Bully and The Coward
• 00:03:19 - Deep Dive: The Bully Archetype (Positive Pole)
• 00:04:52 - Bully Question 1: Using Intensity to Avoid Intimacy
• 00:07:09 - Bully Question 2: Addiction to Control
• 00:08:26 - Bully Question 3: Bulldozing Emotions for Productivity
• 00:10:01 - Key Lesson: Emotions as Verbs, Not Identity
• 00:11:25 - Deep Dive: The Coward Archetype (Negative Pole)
• 00:12:50 - Coward Question 1: Avoiding Confrontation
• 00:13:12 - Coward Question 2: Lacking Clear Boundaries
• 00:14:07 - Coward Question 3: Betraying Your Truth for Acceptance
• 00:16:19 - The Ideal: Accessing the Sacred Warrior
• 00:17:15 - Committing to a Mission
• 00:18:21 - Becoming the "Chain Breaker" in Your Family
• 00:19:10 - The Power of Brotherhood and Vulnerability
• 00:20:07 - Conclusion and Final Prompts for Self-Inquiry
• 00:20:41 - Doing the Inner Work for the Next Generation

Links And Resources:

• ALIVE Quantum Chiropractic Care
• Wild Rose Membership
• IgKnight the King
• Book a Call with Dr. Michael Diamond
• IgKnight the King on Facebook
• Dr. Michael Diamond on Instagram
• Dr. NaniLea Diamond on Instagram

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to IgKnight the King? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Dr. Michael Diamond provides a guide for men to embody the modern-day warrior archetype. He challenges the common cultural view of the warrior as "toxic" or "devoid of feeling," asserting that the modern warrior is, in fact, fully connected to his love. The episode outlines four essential pillars that men must master to show up for themselves, their families, and their businesses. These pillars consist of having a transpersonal commitment, practicing discipline and accountability, understanding the warrior's relationship to other archetypes, and embodying the core roles of the warrior.

The episode is framed with a sense of urgency, referencing the crisis of men taking their own lives and leaving behind "trails of pain". Dr. Diamond concludes that a man's "number one job... is to be alive" and that by asking better questions, men can enter a state of growth and show up more fully in their lives.

Chapters:

• 00:01:00 - Welcome to IgKnight King Podcast
• 00:02:15 - The Four Pillars of the Warrior
• 00:03:45 - Pillar 1: Transpersonal Commitment to a Mission
• 00:05:30 - Pre-Deciding What You're Willing to Die For
• 00:07:20 - Pillar 2: The Strategy of Discipline and Accountability
• 00:09:25 - Radical Ownership and the 'AAA' Framework
• 00:10:40 - Why Pain is an Essential Signal for Growth
• 00:12:10 - Pillar 3: Integrating the Four Masculine Archetypes
• 00:13:45 - The Roles of the Lover, Magician, and King
• 00:15:45 - Pillar 4: The Three Core Roles of the Warrior
• 00:16:30 - The First Role: The Provider
• 00:17:30 - The Second Role: The Protector
• 00:19:40 - The Third Role: The Procreator
• 00:20:30 - Recap and Actionable Self-Reflection
• 00:22:30 - The Power of Asking Better Questions
• 00:23:40 - The Crisis of Men's Suicide and the Mandate to Live

Links And Resources:

• ALIVE Quantum Chiropractic Care
• Wild Rose Membership
• IgKnight the King
• Book a Call with Dr. Michael Diamond
• IgKnight the King on Facebook
• Dr. Michael Diamond on Instagram
• Dr. NaniLea Diamond on Instagram

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to IgKnight the King? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!