August 26, 2025 • 19 mins
In this episode, Rick Hanson reflects on the theme of change, exploring its impact on personal growth, relationships, and health. He shares insights from a recent trip to his uncle's cabin, discussing the beauty of nature and the importance of authenticity.
Rick emphasizes the significance of supportive relationships and how they contribute to personal transformation. He also delves into his health journey, highlighting the positive changes he's made and their effects on his well-being.
The conversation encourages listeners to embrace change as a learning opportunity and to engage with their own life experiences.
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Takeaways
- Change is a constant in life and can lead to growth.
- Nature can inspire introspection and appreciation for life.
- Supportive relationships are crucial for personal development.
- Health journeys can significantly impact overall well-being.
- Embracing change can lead to positive transformations.
- Life experiences shape who we are and how we relate to others.
- It's important to reflect on the changes we've experienced.
- Learning from both good and bad experiences is essential.
- Engaging with the community can provide valuable insights.
- Life is what you make it; embrace the journey.
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Rick Hanson
Instagram: @rickhanson24
Facebook: Rick Hanson
Ricky Brule
Instagram: @ricky.brule80
Facebook: Ricky W Brule
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Well, hello, don't die rusty nation.
This week you have me because I didn't have any guests and I'm running behind probably.
Uh, I don't know what the deal is, but you know what?
All right.
Hello, don't die rusty nation.
This week you have me because I don't have any guests this week, but I will next week.
(00:30):
And, but this
This week I'm going to talk about changes, maybe being authentic.
I just got done climbing Crow Peak and to preface this, I had a wonderful weekend in themiddle of the Black Hills and I went to my uncle's cabin and I started looking around
(00:55):
inside the cabin and then we drove around a little bit.
I was with some really good people and
I started looking around.
looked around the cabin.
looked around where we drove around because we were looking for animals and we were hikingand doing other things.
it was a, it was a wonderful weekend, but I was, you know, you look at the places thatyou've been and
(01:24):
It's funny, because I remember the meadows that didn't have the no trespassing signs thatweren't possibly ever going to be developed.
I looked and then I, because that's one thing that bothers me is the fences, the notrespassing signs.
(01:49):
It's like.
All right, you have your land.
And I have no problem with private property.
I really don't.
My problem is all the no trespassing, all we worry about mines in the Black Hills, but wedon't worry about the development, taking up the spaces for where these wild animals used
(02:10):
to live.
The wild flowers, the beauty in itself.
But I mean, we were talking.
as we driving down the road and I said, if I won lottery, I would, some of these placesthat we were looking at, said, I would go find the owner or the developers or whoever this
(02:32):
is, pay cash and let everybody enjoy it and use it and look at it.
I'm not saying you have to drive around on it.
I'm saying just be able to walk on it because Lord knows there's enough
roads in the Black Hills of South Dakota that are from UTB years and it's just amazing,all the places that have changed.
(03:02):
But that was a big one because I love seeing the cows in meadows, I love seeing wildanimals in the meadows, I love seeing the wild flowers and uh beauty without the
development.
But that's...
another something for another time.
And also when I was in the cabin, I saw things that I've been coming out to this cabin.
(03:30):
I call it my uncle's cabin.
It'll always be my Uncle Buster's cabin because he it's just the way it is.
And he's been gone for a long amount of time.
But it's a place that I've always probably
felt the most at peace in the stories that are in that cabin.
(03:52):
wish people would have thought about just tape recording them.
wish, I mean, in this situation, I wish I could have sat and had earphones on people andwe would have sat and chatted and just had the history of these places.
(04:13):
But as I looked around the cabin, I've been going there, like I said, since I was sixmonths old.
Of course, I don't remember that, but I started being introspective and looking at thechanges in my life in that, you know, you go through the guest book and you go, holy
(04:34):
smokes, the changes in my personal life that has been going on for the last 57 yearsand...
you read what you wrote and you're going, oh, life is changing.
And I think it's sometimes it's for the good.
(04:57):
And of course you always have those memories, but changes, I don't know if change isalways good, but change is good because, you know, our phones have changed our world
because we don't have to think as much as we used to.
And when I go to that is, you know, you don't have to write a list.
You don't have to remember where the quote came in a book if you wanted to, or, or youjust don't have to remember much at all.
(05:26):
And because you can always look it up on your phone or, know, in my, our industry, have,you know, it used to be that a contractor would have to call up and have a list and
because they were on a landline and
They were more organized.
These days, they just have a phone and if they forget something, they just keep on textingand it sucks because I think there's less organization.
(06:00):
And...
And then I look inside myself and I look at the things that have happened in my life that
It really changed me.
And like I said, I had, I look at...
(06:21):
divorces because of the ah guest book.
And then I look at, and how the relationships that were then affected me, and how goingthrough a divorce changed you, changed me.
(06:44):
And then I look and I see that I am lucky enough to be married to the woman I am that letsme be me.
That's a pretty tough deal.
And then she supports me like she does and I have to give Cindy kudos for that because thechange is amazing in how I feel about myself and She's given me a confidence that I don't
(07:18):
think I've ever had so Thank You Cindy for that because to be in a relationship that
gives back as much as you give to them.
(07:39):
Now, you know, I've always heard, you know, talking and it says, happy wife, happy life.
Well, it is not that.
It's happy spouse, happy house, because
It takes two and nobody should ever be favored in a relationship.
(08:00):
Nobody.
There should be give and take on both sides.
So in that change, I see what's good.
I see how good life can be in a relationship.
And then after Annie and Dave's episode,
(08:26):
It just reiterates how good marriage is.
And yeah, it's tough at times.
But you keep on moving forward and you keep on seeing the good things and the good peoplein life.
And, you know, the sun always rises and the sun will set.
(08:50):
And you just, when I see that,
I'm just happy that the sun sets in the evening and I can usually look over and see Cindyunless she's on an adventure somewhere too, you know?
I enjoy her going on adventures as well as myself.
(09:11):
So, and that's a good relationship we have.
So thank you, because I see that as a good change.
I see my health journey as
probably one of the biggest changes.
And this journey to better health has made me feel so much better.
(09:34):
It's amazing.
Because I don't think last year, I was telling you I climbed Crow Peak and I usually didit in about, I mean, in my younger days, 20 years ago.
I could do it somewhere between 40 and 45 minutes to the top.
(09:57):
And now I did it.
I thought I'd time myself today because I just thought, you know what, how fast can I getup there?
And it was about, it was a minute and I mean a minute and hour and five minutes roughly.
Right.
I mean, was day gone close to right on the dot hour and five minutes.
(10:18):
And I know I've lost a step and I know I can't run anymore as or as good as I did, but I'mproud of that being 57 and in, but, know, it's also peaceful, but I kept up a good pace
and I did pass two college age males that were Black Hill State is just starting and theywere climbing.
(10:44):
So it makes me feel good that I'm in pretty decent shape.
But my health journey has changed me too because I don't eat like I used to and I don'teat as much as I used to.
But I'm not saying that I can't go to Leon's and have ice cream.
(11:08):
But this journey, health journey, I'm thinking on the way up is like, damn, I feel good.
And all weekend I felt good and...
I was explaining to them, like, you know, about, mean, we've, we've went over this before,but to find a functional doctor in Melissa Aberle and have a great voice or a great person
(11:40):
to go to in Ray Jensen, Dr.
Ray Jensen.
That makes me feel good because they've helped me understand that just because you'regetting older doesn't mean you have to stop.
Doesn't mean that your life is over because I feel good.
(12:06):
You know.
If I would say a year ago, I wouldn't be doing this episode because I would probably havewent and done a jumped in the creek or as some people say, Creek and did my ice bath.
And I was still felt like crap.
(12:27):
But by eating whole foods and by eating more proteins and yes, I'm, I eat
I eat elk, eat deer, I eat beef, I eat pork.
I'm not a big bird eater and I'm not a big fish eater.
(12:49):
But I've learned to eat more of this stuff.
Like, I mean, the meat thing was never a hard thing, of course, but I didn't realize howmany carbs I was eating too and it was just like, holy smokes.
So.
And I'm not telling anybody what to do.
(13:09):
I'm just telling people how I feel.
But I'm not stopping eating carbs.
I do have bread occasionally.
I don't eat it like I used to.
I do have ice cream.
I do have other things that I enjoy.
You know, I don't think you should stop enjoying life.
(13:30):
These changes are making you feel good.
keep on living and keep on enjoying the life that you have.
That's how I feel, you know.
These changes in myself are so good.
know, life is good and it keeps on inspiring me to be way, way better.
(13:55):
So I'm just at that point that I'm excited.
for the changes that have happened to me.
I uh kind of try to tell people what's going on, but I will never preach to you to do thisstuff if you don't want to.
Life is what you make it.
(14:17):
But know that the changes in life, the changes that...
come aren't all bad they
They do things to you that will test you.
(14:40):
They do things to you that...
You know.
might affect your life in the good parts.
Sometimes it's the bad, but always take these changes and look at them as a teachingmoment.
(15:03):
And like I said, not all teaching moments are good.
mean, hopefully they've taught you something good, but not everything.
All these changes are bad either.
So I just want to go, you know,
Learn your chain, tell me, because this is what I'm gonna do.
(15:25):
If I do, and I'm thinking about doing a Rectastics episode, but I'm gonna post this.
And if you're listening to this, please go on my social, on Don't Die Rusty's social mediaor go on my personal social media if you listen to this.
Because I read a deal and it says.
(15:50):
What five books and what five movies?
have changed your life.
And I thought about this and I've got to think a little more because I don't want to justlike jump into the deep end and not know how to swim.
(16:16):
But I want to I want to think about this.
But I want you guys to tell me what five.
movies and what five books have changed your life?
(16:37):
If any, it doesn't have to be five, but what do you think changed your life?
Because
I'm gonna go through it and I'm gonna give it to you either on social media or we willtalk about it in a Rictastics episode.
anyway, keep thinking about change, think about life.
(17:02):
And of course, I think, you know.
I'm, my good life is right now.
I'm feeling better.
The changes I've made in my life, because the changes in health, the changes in, in a lotof things in my life have helped me become a better Rick.
(17:27):
And that has helped my relationship.
Cause I talked about that earlier with Cindy and by feeling better, I don't feel grouchyby not being grouchy.
I'm not.
being a bitch to Cindy.
so think about those things too.
The changes of feeling better can help your relationship, can help your health, and italso can help your, just help your life of course, and make you say, this is something, I
(18:01):
like these changes.
So, anyway.
Keep chasing your dreams, be in the best you, and don't die rusty.
And next week we have a wonderful episode with a wonderful woman.
So I will hopefully talk to you later.
Keep chasing your dreams, be in the best you, and don't die rusty.
Well, hello, don't die rusty nation.
This week you have me because I didn't have any guests and I'm running behind probably.
Uh, I don't know what the deal is, but you know what?
All right.
Hello, don't die rusty nation.
This week you have me because I don't have any guests this week, but I will next week.
(00:30):
And, but this
This week I'm going to talk about changes, maybe being authentic.
I just got done climbing Crow Peak and to preface this, I had a wonderful weekend in themiddle of the Black Hills and I went to my uncle's cabin and I started looking around
(00:55):
inside the cabin and then we drove around a little bit.
I was with some really good people and
I started looking around.
looked around the cabin.
looked around where we drove around because we were looking for animals and we were hikingand doing other things.
it was a, it was a wonderful weekend, but I was, you know, you look at the places thatyou've been and
(01:24):
It's funny, because I remember the meadows that didn't have the no trespassing signs thatweren't possibly ever going to be developed.
I looked and then I, because that's one thing that bothers me is the fences, the notrespassing signs.
(01:49):
It's like.
All right, you have your land.
And I have no problem with private property.
I really don't.
My problem is all the no trespassing, all we worry about mines in the Black Hills, but wedon't worry about the development, taking up the spaces for where these wild animals used
(02:10):
to live.
The wild flowers, the beauty in itself.
But I mean, we were talking.
as we driving down the road and I said, if I won lottery, I would, some of these placesthat we were looking at, said, I would go find the owner or the developers or whoever this
(02:32):
is, pay cash and let everybody enjoy it and use it and look at it.
I'm not saying you have to drive around on it.
I'm saying just be able to walk on it because Lord knows there's enough
roads in the Black Hills of South Dakota that are from UTB years and it's just amazing,all the places that have changed.
(03:02):
But that was a big one because I love seeing the cows in meadows, I love seeing wildanimals in the meadows, I love seeing the wild flowers and uh beauty without the
development.
But that's...
another something for another time.
And also when I was in the cabin, I saw things that I've been coming out to this cabin.
(03:30):
I call it my uncle's cabin.
It'll always be my Uncle Buster's cabin because he it's just the way it is.
And he's been gone for a long amount of time.
But it's a place that I've always probably
felt the most at peace in the stories that are in that cabin.
(03:52):
wish people would have thought about just tape recording them.
wish, I mean, in this situation, I wish I could have sat and had earphones on people andwe would have sat and chatted and just had the history of these places.
(04:13):
But as I looked around the cabin, I've been going there, like I said, since I was sixmonths old.
Of course, I don't remember that, but I started being introspective and looking at thechanges in my life in that, you know, you go through the guest book and you go, holy
(04:34):
smokes, the changes in my personal life that has been going on for the last 57 yearsand...
you read what you wrote and you're going, oh, life is changing.
And I think it's sometimes it's for the good.
(04:57):
And of course you always have those memories, but changes, I don't know if change isalways good, but change is good because, you know, our phones have changed our world
because we don't have to think as much as we used to.
And when I go to that is, you know, you don't have to write a list.
You don't have to remember where the quote came in a book if you wanted to, or, or youjust don't have to remember much at all.
(05:26):
And because you can always look it up on your phone or, know, in my, our industry, have,you know, it used to be that a contractor would have to call up and have a list and
because they were on a landline and
They were more organized.
These days, they just have a phone and if they forget something, they just keep on textingand it sucks because I think there's less organization.
(06:00):
And...
And then I look inside myself and I look at the things that have happened in my life that
It really changed me.
And like I said, I had, I look at...
(06:21):
divorces because of the ah guest book.
And then I look at, and how the relationships that were then affected me, and how goingthrough a divorce changed you, changed me.
(06:44):
And then I look and I see that I am lucky enough to be married to the woman I am that letsme be me.
That's a pretty tough deal.
And then she supports me like she does and I have to give Cindy kudos for that because thechange is amazing in how I feel about myself and She's given me a confidence that I don't
(07:18):
think I've ever had so Thank You Cindy for that because to be in a relationship that
gives back as much as you give to them.
(07:39):
Now, you know, I've always heard, you know, talking and it says, happy wife, happy life.
Well, it is not that.
It's happy spouse, happy house, because
It takes two and nobody should ever be favored in a relationship.
(08:00):
Nobody.
There should be give and take on both sides.
So in that change, I see what's good.
I see how good life can be in a relationship.
And then after Annie and Dave's episode,
(08:26):
It just reiterates how good marriage is.
And yeah, it's tough at times.
But you keep on moving forward and you keep on seeing the good things and the good peoplein life.
And, you know, the sun always rises and the sun will set.
(08:50):
And you just, when I see that,
I'm just happy that the sun sets in the evening and I can usually look over and see Cindyunless she's on an adventure somewhere too, you know?
I enjoy her going on adventures as well as myself.
(09:11):
So, and that's a good relationship we have.
So thank you, because I see that as a good change.
I see my health journey as
probably one of the biggest changes.
And this journey to better health has made me feel so much better.
(09:34):
It's amazing.
Because I don't think last year, I was telling you I climbed Crow Peak and I usually didit in about, I mean, in my younger days, 20 years ago.
I could do it somewhere between 40 and 45 minutes to the top.
(09:57):
And now I did it.
I thought I'd time myself today because I just thought, you know what, how fast can I getup there?
And it was about, it was a minute and I mean a minute and hour and five minutes roughly.
Right.
I mean, was day gone close to right on the dot hour and five minutes.
(10:18):
And I know I've lost a step and I know I can't run anymore as or as good as I did, but I'mproud of that being 57 and in, but, know, it's also peaceful, but I kept up a good pace
and I did pass two college age males that were Black Hill State is just starting and theywere climbing.
(10:44):
So it makes me feel good that I'm in pretty decent shape.
But my health journey has changed me too because I don't eat like I used to and I don'teat as much as I used to.
But I'm not saying that I can't go to Leon's and have ice cream.
(11:08):
But this journey, health journey, I'm thinking on the way up is like, damn, I feel good.
And all weekend I felt good and...
I was explaining to them, like, you know, about, mean, we've, we've went over this before,but to find a functional doctor in Melissa Aberle and have a great voice or a great person
(11:40):
to go to in Ray Jensen, Dr.
Ray Jensen.
That makes me feel good because they've helped me understand that just because you'regetting older doesn't mean you have to stop.
Doesn't mean that your life is over because I feel good.
(12:06):
You know.
If I would say a year ago, I wouldn't be doing this episode because I would probably havewent and done a jumped in the creek or as some people say, Creek and did my ice bath.
And I was still felt like crap.
(12:27):
But by eating whole foods and by eating more proteins and yes, I'm, I eat
I eat elk, eat deer, I eat beef, I eat pork.
I'm not a big bird eater and I'm not a big fish eater.
(12:49):
But I've learned to eat more of this stuff.
Like, I mean, the meat thing was never a hard thing, of course, but I didn't realize howmany carbs I was eating too and it was just like, holy smokes.
So.
And I'm not telling anybody what to do.
(13:09):
I'm just telling people how I feel.
But I'm not stopping eating carbs.
I do have bread occasionally.
I don't eat it like I used to.
I do have ice cream.
I do have other things that I enjoy.
You know, I don't think you should stop enjoying life.
(13:30):
These changes are making you feel good.
keep on living and keep on enjoying the life that you have.
That's how I feel, you know.
These changes in myself are so good.
know, life is good and it keeps on inspiring me to be way, way better.
(13:55):
So I'm just at that point that I'm excited.
for the changes that have happened to me.
I uh kind of try to tell people what's going on, but I will never preach to you to do thisstuff if you don't want to.
Life is what you make it.
(14:17):
But know that the changes in life, the changes that...
come aren't all bad they
They do things to you that will test you.
(14:40):
They do things to you that...
You know.
might affect your life in the good parts.
Sometimes it's the bad, but always take these changes and look at them as a teachingmoment.
(15:03):
And like I said, not all teaching moments are good.
mean, hopefully they've taught you something good, but not everything.
All these changes are bad either.
So I just want to go, you know,
Learn your chain, tell me, because this is what I'm gonna do.
(15:25):
If I do, and I'm thinking about doing a Rectastics episode, but I'm gonna post this.
And if you're listening to this, please go on my social, on Don't Die Rusty's social mediaor go on my personal social media if you listen to this.
Because I read a deal and it says.
(15:50):
What five books and what five movies?
have changed your life.
And I thought about this and I've got to think a little more because I don't want to justlike jump into the deep end and not know how to swim.
(16:16):
But I want to I want to think about this.
But I want you guys to tell me what five.
movies and what five books have changed your life?
(16:37):
If any, it doesn't have to be five, but what do you think changed your life?
Because
I'm gonna go through it and I'm gonna give it to you either on social media or we willtalk about it in a Rictastics episode.
anyway, keep thinking about change, think about life.
(17:02):
And of course, I think, you know.
I'm, my good life is right now.
I'm feeling better.
The changes I've made in my life, because the changes in health, the changes in, in a lotof things in my life have helped me become a better Rick.
(17:27):
And that has helped my relationship.
Cause I talked about that earlier with Cindy and by feeling better, I don't feel grouchyby not being grouchy.
I'm not.
being a bitch to Cindy.
so think about those things too.
The changes of feeling better can help your relationship, can help your health, and italso can help your, just help your life of course, and make you say, this is something, I
(18:01):
like these changes.
So, anyway.
Keep chasing your dreams, be in the best you, and don't die rusty.
And next week we have a wonderful episode with a wonderful woman.
So I will hopefully talk to you later.
Keep chasing your dreams, be in the best you, and don't die rusty.
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