In our inspirational conversation, Bridgit and I discussed:
“My clients were baffled about why they were stuck. They reported feeling frustrated, stressed, sad, and scared. They’d swear to me they yearned for the desired outcome with every fiber of their being,” says Bridgit. “I’d tell them, ‘Believe it or not, some of those fibers just aren’t with the program.’ The truth is, not every part of you wants what you think you want! Some of your inner selves are opposed to your goal.”
About Bridgit Dengel Gaspard:
My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #96 is accomplished coach, speaker, podcaster, and author Angie Swartz, who joins me to talk all about life purpose and why it's so important, even in these uncertain times.
In her work with a wide variety of personal and professional clients, Angie uses a unique combination of coaching methods, business experience, mindfulness practices, and energy tools to help clients realize and awaken their full potential.
As the owner of Life Purpose Advisor, she coaches both in one-on-one and group settings. Her mission is to empower people and companies around the globe to create happy lives and meaningful careers that allow them to contribute to the greater good of the world.
*PERSONAL NOTE: I've worked with Angie for several years and utilize her practices every day, so I can testify as to how impactful her work truly is!
In our inspirational conversation, Angie and I discussed:
"Suffering is part of transformation, but we get to choose!" says Angie.
About Angie Swartz:
Angie A. Swartz is a professional coach who uses targeted coaching methods, business experience, and mindfulness practices to help clients grow into their full potential.
With over 25 years of business leadership and coaching experience to call on, she assists clients in one-on-one and group settings.
Angie's background includes a successful career with five different Fortune 500 companies as well as owning a boutique marketing agency.
She is an accomplished speaker and host of the Life Purpose Advisor Podcast.
Angie lives in Carlsbad, CA, and sees clients in person and via zoom.
To learn more about Angie and her work, visit: http://www.lifepurposeadvisor.com.
Can ONE question change your life? My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #94 is award-winning author, yoga therapist, and spiritual coach Jennie Lee, who believes the answer is yes. Jennie is passionate about helping people to create lives filled with purpose and joy.
She joined me to discuss her brand new book Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution (just published by Sounds True), in which she brings her practice home to readers everywhere by providing the tools to strengthen our psychological resilience through the process of conscious, introspective questioning.
"The question is, 'How do I keep the flame of personal evolution toward LOVE alive in my heart?' And 'how do I ignite the spark of spiritual awakening in others?'" says Jennie.
About Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution
Change is on everyone’s mind, but the first step toward any change begins within your own consciousness. In SPARK CHANGE: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution, Jennie Lee provides a 12-phase personal inquiry process to strengthen your vision of what change is needed and how you can accomplish it pro-actively with clarity and courage.
Through 108 introspective questions, you will learn to listen to your soul and determine what life is calling you to learn or express. Whether examining attitudes that hold you back, or investigating your true purpose, these guided inquiries will help build the psychological resilience necessary to accomplish change from the deepest reaches of spiritual consciousness.
Inspired by the source teachings of classical yoga, the principles of spiritual psychology, and her own inner journey, SPARK CHANGE delves into some of the most enduring questions of psychology, self-improvement, and the spiritual path.
In the book, readers will find:
• Self-reflection questions on 12 essential themes for personal transformation
• Strategies to move beyond limitation into potential
• Help identifying authentic purpose and how to put it into action
• Inspiration for implementing conscious change pro-actively
• Prompts to greater clarity, courage, and conviction
• Ideas for meaningful conversations and creative solutions
About Jennie Lee:
Jennie Lee is the author of three award-winning books on spiritual living, meditation, and yoga: Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution, Breathing Love: Meditation in Action, and True Yoga: Practicing with the Yoga Sutras for Happiness & Spiritual Fulfillment. Her writing has also been featured internationally in magazines such as Mantra Wellness, Light of Consciousness, Yoga Therapy Today and many more. Her essay on the meaning of life was featured in the book Love by Nicolae Tanase.
Jennie is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) who is passionate about helping people to create lives filled with purpose and joy. She has been in private practice for over twenty years.
In her counseling, she blends the universal ideals and practices of Eastern philosophy with the needs and challenges of modern Western living. Her coaching is based on studies in spiritual psychology, yoga philosophy, and body-centered psychotherapy. The diversity of professionals who have entrusted Jennie with their personal growth speaks to her ability to effectively touch a wide range of individuals. Doctors, lawyers, psychologists, celebrity actors, internationally acclaimed authors, military officers, and more have experienced positive change through working with her.
In addition to individual coaching, she has worked with management groups at corporations such as the World Surf League, National Association for Professional Women, Draper Laboratory, Prudential Locations Realty, and the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center and made presentations on yoga, meditation, and mindfulness at studios, schools, and festivals nationwide.
When she is not writing or coaching, you will find Jennie surfing in Hawai’i or doing headstands on the tops of mountains, making her husband very nervous.
Visit her online at www.JennieLeeYogaTherapy.com.
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My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #93 is Sky Nelson-Isaacs. Sky is a physics educator, speaker, author, and musician who has dedicated his life to finding his own sense of purpose, bringing together the connection between synchronicity, physics, and real life using research and his original ideas.
We had a great chat about:
My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #92 is Briana MacWilliam, a Love and Relationship Coach with a passion for serving insecurely attached adults who want to experience soul-deep intimacy in their romantic relationships.
She has more than 14 years of clinical experience as a creative arts therapist and is the Founder of CreativeArtsTherapiesOnline.com an online school for continuing education for creative arts therapists and other mental health practitioners.
“Using a psycho-spiritual approach to attachment styles (which are four unique blueprints for how you give and receive love), I help insecure lovers go from self-doubting to self-sovereign, and calling in those soul-shaking, passionate partnerships they want, without having to talk in circles around their feelings for hours or even years on end, with no tangible result. And I do this, using my unique service, The MacWilliam Method.” says Briana.
About Briana’s Work:
Are you looking for a soul-shaking, passionate partnership, but find yourself trapped in roller-coaster relationships with unhealthy partners that you hate to love?
Perhaps you have acquired a lot of skills, tips, techniques or "red flags," to help you make better decisions in love, but no matter what you do, no amount of insight seems to help you break free from unhealthy patterns, or stop feeling attracted to the "wrong" kind of partner. If this sounds familiar, you are in the right place.
Hi, my name is Briana MacWilliam, and I am a licensed and board certified creative arts therapist, with more than 14 years in the field, working with individuals, just like you.
My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #91 is author, intuitive, and energy medicine practitioner Ellen Meredith. She's served on the faculty of energy medicine pioneer Donna Eden since 2010 and teaches energy healing techniques all over the world.
In her brand new book The Language Your Body Speaks: Self-Healing with Energy Medicine (published on May 5 by New World Library), she helps readers become active participants in the energetic conversations that are constantly happening between their body, mind, and spirit. The book offers a comprehensive guide for using movement, gesture, light, sound, vibration, imagery, actions, and more to dialogue with the body, mind, and spirit.
“If you learn the LANGUAGE of energy, learn to let your body, mind, and spirit communicate to you in THEIR wisdom about what your instrument needs, and then provide that moment by moment, you will heal,” says Ellen.
About Ellen Meredith:
“You have asked to know us, and so we are here.”
With these words, in 1978, Ellen's world cracked open. Her beloved – but dead – grandmother appeared in her mind's eye with an invitation to open to inner guidance and training, offered by seven groups of inner teachers that Ellen came to call her Councils.
Though this was definitely an unexpected twist in her plot, Ellen embraced the opportunity to dive deeper and learn. Dialogues with her Councils led her into a rich experiential curriculum, exploring a wide range of topics, including sensing subtle energies, what it means to embody spirit, healing, and the language of energy.
It is a training that continues to this day. And along the way, Ellen has worked with over 10,000 clients and students worldwide, helping them to hear their own inner truth, activate healing, and cultivate awareness and well-being.
Ellen's down to earth, yet inspiring work centers on helping you:
• Tap into your inner guidance
• Recognize your unique gifts and nature
• Learn self-healing
• Cultivate well-being
In addition to her adventures in the inner realms, Ellen holds a Doctor of Arts in Writing, worked internationally in advocacy work on behalf of children and families living in poverty, and served on the Certification Program faculty of energy medicine pioneer Donna Eden. Ellen lives in San Rafael, California.
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My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #90 is speaker, mindfulness and performance coach, and author George Mumford, a.k.a. The Mindfulness Performance Whisperer. George is a highly acclaimed expert in sports psychology and performance and NBA Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson’s ‘Secret Weapon’ to winning eight NBA Championships.
George’s passion is teaching mindfulness to high profile sports, business and academic teams alike; from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks (he taught Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and many other pro athletes), to senior global executives and systems. He is the author of The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance
In our Life on Purpose chat, we discussed mindfulness itself and what that means; how we can all deal with all the uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic; holding hurt and hope simultaneously; his own inspirational life journey from being one of 13 kids growing up in the rough parts of Boston to heroine addiction to recovery and decades of teaching and speaking about mindfulness; The Last Dance (the new ESPN documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls for which he was interviewed); the importance of a practice; the Cherokee tale of the two wolves; his Five Spiritual Superpowers; the concept of a Masterpiece Within each of us; and so much more!
About George:
Michael Jordan credits George Mumford with transforming his on-court leadership of the Bulls, helping Jordan lead the team to six NBA championships. Mumford also helped Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Lamar Odom and countless other NBA players turn around their games.
A widely respected public speaker and coach, Mumford is sharing his own story and the strategies that have made these athletes into stars in The Mindful Athlete: The Secret to Pure Performance. His proven, gentle but groundbreaking mindfulness techniques can transform the performance of anyone with a goal, be they an Olympian, weekend warrior, executive, hacker, or artist.
With a charismatic teaching style that combines mindfulness techniques with lessons from pop culture icons such as Yoda, Indiana Jones, and Bruce Lee, Mumford tells illuminating stories about his larger than life clients. His writing is down-to-earth and easy to understand.
The Mindful Athlete is an engrossing story and an invaluable resource for anyone looking to elevate their game, no matter the pursuit.
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Life on Purpose returns with Episode #89, the fourth chat in a series I’m calling Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
My guest for this episode is creative alchemist Diana Rowan, the founder of the Bright Way Guild, a virtual learning environment dedicated to transforming and inspiring a global community of creatives.
Life on Purpose returns with Episode #88, the third of several informal chats in a series I’m calling Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
My guest for this episode is spiritual teacher, entrepreneur, author, and coach Eric Klein of Wisdom Heart and Dharma Consulting, who returns to the show for the fourth time in the past decade.
Taped in April 2020 as people around the world were dealing with the ramifications and massive uncertainty with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Eric joined me for a wisdom-filled conversation on facing our fears and living free in uncertain times.
Life on Purpose returns with Episode #87, the second of several informal chats in a new series I’m calling Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
My guest for this episode is entrepreneur, speaker, and eternal optimist Elizabeth Shaw, author of The Optimist’s Manifestoand CEO of Davine.
Taped in March 2020 as people around the world were dealing with the ramifications and massive uncertainty with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Elizabeth joined me for a great conversation on Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
We discussed maintaining or cultivating optimism in challenging situations; optimism as a superpower; the importance of honoring where we’re at right now; being open to possibility; obstacles as opportunities; building your uncertainty muscle; and our own beliefs and faith.
About Elizabeth:
Elizabeth Shaw is an eternal optimist, entrepreneur, and speaker. She founded Davine Inc., a strategic consulting firm dedicated to using individual and organizational experiences, events, and engagement to build a world of optimism.
Elizabeth inspires everyone around her to believe in the best for themselves, in each other, and in the unlimited possibilities of the world. She divides her time between Boston and California, but also considers Bologna, Italy and Paris home.
Elizabeth believes that life is best lived with your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground. Optimism is her superpower.
After a two-year hiatus, Life on Purpose returns with Episode #86, the first of several informal chats in a new series I’m calling Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
For Life on Purpose Episode #85, my guest is world-class facilitator and transformation specialist Oren Harris. Described as "a being who is living as Infinite Self within a finite world", Oren is a real life demonstration of the saying, “be in the world, but not of it”, and is capable of showing up in a vast number of ways to best serve those he is inspired to work with.
He joined me for an inspiring and in-depth conversation on all things related to Flow. We also discussed consciousness, trust, resonance, surrender, perspective, detachment, limitless living, and Oren's own life story/journey.
”Flow is often times perceived as something that is only accessible to spiritual masters, or during 'peak experiences'. This paints a picture of flow as something impractical, reserved for select individuals, select moments, or select areas of life.”
On the contrary, flow is highly practical, accessible to everyone, and applicable to all areas of life."
About Oren Harris:
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put a finger on exactly who Oren Harris is. A being who is living as Infinite Self within a finite world, Oren is a real life demonstration of the saying, “be in the world, but not of it”, and is capable of showing up in a vast number of ways to best serve those he is inspired to work with. There are a couple of things you can put your finger on, however. Oren is a world-class facilitator & transformation specialist, and his clients always reach their next level through working with him. Always.
No matter how far along an individual is in their personal or spiritual development, and no matter how large and impactful their expression has become, Oren has the special ability to clearly see the next level of their infinite potential that is available to them, and is able to masterfully guide them into embodying their next level of potential over and over again. Because of this, those who work with Oren usually become clients for life, as they realize the immeasurable value of having a being by their side who can see, speak to, and draw out all of who they really are every time they connect with him.
Oren’s ultimate “superhero” ability is something that comes naturally to him… so naturally, in fact, that he doesn’t even notice it most of the time, but its impact is very real and frequently life-changing for those who happen to experience it.
His presence activates people. Time and time again, individuals who cross paths with Oren, even if for a brief moment, report back that after their encounter with him, their expansion accelerated and significant shifts almost immediately started taking place in their lives.
Such is the power and consequence of being beheld with Unconditional Love, a rare and priceless gift that Oren has tapped into, consistently embodies, and shares with the world everywhere he goes.
Regardless of where you are on your respective path, if you’re an individual who is fired up about and wholeheartedly committed to fully engaging life and giving it all that you’ve got, then Oren is inspired to connect with, and potentially work with you.
What is Flow?
When you are in Flow:
For Life on Purpose Episode #84, my guest is internet entrepreneur, coach, traveler, and financial freedom enthusiast Tal Gur. He joined me for a great and in-depth conversation on his new book "The Art of Fully Living-1 Man. 10 Years. 100 Life Goals."
Shortly after turning 30, Tal himself these following questions: "Imagine knowing you had only 10 years to live - Would you change your life? How?"
Inspired by a late-night conversation with friends, and disillusioned with the trappings of "making it", he then drafted a list of 100 goals to achieve in a decade.
Through relentless focus, he traded his daily grind for a life of his own daring design as a location-independent entrepreneur and coach.
He tackled financial, physical, and spiritual dreams one by one: mastering English in pulsing Melbourne, completing Ironman New Zealand, creating financial independence, surfing at the world’s most sought-after beaches, and rebuilding a Peruvian family’s flood-ravaged home, among other adventures.
"What makes a life fully lived? Comfort? Conventional success? For me, it’s all about the thrill and satisfaction that come from a continuous quest for adventure and self-discovery."
About Tal:
My story has been written from many perspectives and been enriched by the people and places I've encountered along the way.
After leaving school, aged 21, I embarked on a long motorcycle trip in Australia & immediately fell in love with this remote, vast and spectacular corner of the world. I went back to my home country to pursue a bachelor's degree but the memory of that epic trip never left me.
In 2003, after several years working in the high-tech world and feeling there was something missing, I decided to change direction and follow a lifelong dream of mine: living and studying in Australia.
In late 2005, being inspired from the sheer enjoyment that came from pursuing my Australian dream, I made a conscious decision to pursue every big dream I have ever had. I started a long life goals list and gave myself 10 years to be completely finished with this project.
After a few blissful years in Melbourne, Australia, I sold everything I had, packed a small backpack, and left on a one way ticket to Nepal. This trip turned to be a fateful encounter, eventually leading me to leave my stable job, become an online entrepreneur, and travel and live abroad in various countries for more than than 6 years.
Ever since I remember myself I was intrigued with the endless possibilities of self-expression. I simply see life as a playground to express our deepest desires and experiment with the perceived limits of the physical world.
Looking at my life, I have come to realize that my life is not just one linear continuous journey but more as a recollection of different journeys and experiences.
I've learnt that it is definitely not all about the destination, but more about the journey. And the greater the challenge, the more satisfying it is.
Since my move to Australia, being inspired from the satisfaction and sense of achievement that came from pursing my Australian dream, I found myself constantly seeking new challenges, overextending myself in all aspects of life, ultimately resulting in very happy and fulfilling journeys.
To learn more about Tal, visit: https://fullylived.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #82, my guest is author, speaker, and workshop leader Scott Stabile. He joined me for a fantastic conversation on his new book, Big Love: The Power of Living with a Wide-Open Heart, which answers the question, "What happens when you fully commit yourself to love?"
Endless good, he insists who found that out by overcoming plenty of bad. His parents were murdered when he was fourteen. Nine years later, his brother died of a heroin overdose. Soon after that, Scott joined a cult that dominated his life for thirteen years before he summoned the courage to walk away.
In Big Love, his insightful and refreshingly honest collection of personal essays, Scott relates these profound experiences as well as everyday struggles and triumphs in ways that are universally applicable, uplifting, and laugh-out-loud funny. Whether silencing shame, rebounding after failure, or moving forward despite fears, Scott shares hard-won insights that consistently return readers to love, both of themselves and others.
"I’d like this book to remind you that you are not alone, not by a long shot. We are all imperfect; we all have busy, fearful minds; and we all struggle. Every single one of us, every single day. I’d like the book to emphasize that you are as worthy of love as anyone who has ever lived, and that nothing you do could ever make you any less worthy. Or more worthy, for that matter."
About Scott:
About fifteen years ago, a friend asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told him I wanted to spread as much love as possible. My answer’s still the same.
I know life isn't always a party. It's often hard, sometimes brutal. My parents were shot to death when I was fourteen. My brother OD'd on heroin nine years later. I grew up around a lot of addiction, dysfunction and tragedy. And with too much shame over the fact that I was gay. I hid my pain, and I hid my truth. Not anymore.
We all have our stories. We all have our pain. I've come to believe the only way to have a chance at healing our wounds is to be honest about them. Brave and willing enough to face them. The healing part may be out of our hands, but the brave and honest part is certainly within our power. And it changes everything.
For me, love supports it all. ALL OF IT. Love is the base note for everything good—compassion, forgiveness, kindness, authenticity—and choices made from love can only serve ourselves and our world positively. Love's got the power.
I've been fortunate enough to publish some books and write a movie and be a part of a supportive and wonderful social media community also committed to looking at their lives honestly and through the all-forgiving lens of love.
I've finally started doing what I want to be doing with my life—as I told my friend, spreading as much love as possible. Any which way I can do it.
I hope you'll join me.
To learn more about Scott and his work, visit: http://www.scottstabile.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #81, my guest is Christopher Plowman, CEO of Insight Timer, the most popular meditation Timer in the world. Home to more than 3 million meditators, Insight Timer is rated as the top free meditation app on the Android and iOS stores.
Christopher joined me for insightful conversation on Insight Timer, the challenges of maintaining his own meditation practice, the value of community to meditation, The Maharishi Effect, his past ventures in the start-up world and how Insight Timer is different, and the crucial importance of keeping the app free for everyone with no monthly subscriptions or lockdowns.
"How do you build a profitable company when you’re committed to a free product which costs millions of dollars a year to run?"
NOTE FROM GREG: I've personally been using Insight Timer nearly every day since early 2014; it's easily my favorite and most valuable app, which is why I was excited to have this conversation with Christopher!
About Insight Timer:
The Timer: Every day our community logs more than 50,000 hours of meditation.
7,461 free Guided Meditations: Every day our community spends more than 6,000 hours listening to guided meditations.
1,609 of the world's best meditation teachers: Every day our community connects with 1609 meditation teachers in 25 languages.
4,937 Groups: 3,000,000 meditators discussing topics from humour and compassion to spirituality and support.
3 million meditators: Every day we welcome more than 2,500 meditators to our community.
To learn more about Insight Timer, visit: https://insighttimer.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #80, my guest is Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, one of the world’s leading authorities on conscious awareness and its transformational impact on the healing process. For over 30 years, she has been empowering people to experience joy in each moment without burning out. The practical tools and skills she teaches have helped people all over the world improve every aspect of their lives, from their health and well-being to their relationships, their careers, their creativity, even the growth of their businesses.
Suzanne joined me for an excellent conversation on her latest book Reclaiming Your Body: Healing from Trauma and Awakening to Your Body’s Wisdom, in which she provides the tools and guidance necessary to reconnect with our body’s inner guidance system of sensation, imagery, and inner knowing.
“While the English language frequently refers to what our bodies know — 'gut feelings,' hearts 'reaching out' to others, etc. — many of us have learned to ignore, deny, or even mistrust our body’s inherent wisdom. Even worse, a lot of people don’t like their bodies very much at all. As a result, we often cut ourselves off from one of our greatest allies."
About: Suzanne Scurlock-Durana is the author of Reclaiming Your Body: Healing From Trauma and Awakening to Your Body’s Wisdom and Full Body Presence: Learning to Listen to Your Body’s Wisdom.
As one of the world’s leading authorities on conscious awareness and its transformational impact on the healing process, she has been empowering people for over 30 years to experience joy in each moment without burning out. The practical tools and skills she teaches have helped people all over the world improve every aspect of their lives, from their health and well-being to their relationships, their careers, their creativity, even the growth of their businesses.
After decades perfecting her methods, Suzanne created the comprehensive Healing From the Core training curriculum in 1994. Today it includes a robust selection of international workshops, webinars, speaking engagements and audio programs. You can visit her online at http://www.healingfromthecore.com.
To learn more about Suzanne's work, visit: http://healingfromthecore.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #79, my guest is author and women’s leadership expert Tara Mohr, who gives women (and the men in her audience/community) the practical skills to voice and implement the changes they want to see—in themselves and in the world.
Tara joined me for a great conversation on her new book Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead, which was named a best book of the year by Apple’s iBooks. It provides real, practical tools to help women quiet self-doubt, identify their callings, “unhook” from praise and criticism, unlearn counterproductive "good girl" habits, and begin taking bold action.
“How did Playing Big come to be? I felt like all around me, I saw women playing small. Brilliant women with fabulous ideas, provocative questions, visions for how the world could be different and better. But those ideas and visions and questions weren't being voiced. And I was very attuned to that because I was struggling with that myself.
I sent out a survey and asked my readers and asked them, 'What's the biggest challenge in your life?' and I listed a bunch of the challenges that we typically think loom so large in women's lives. But because of what I'd seen again and again, I added one more challenge to the list, 'I'm playing small.' When the survey responses came back, 'I'm playing small' was what the most women deemed the biggest challenge in their lives."
About: Tara Mohr is an expert on women’s leadership and well-being. She helps women play bigger in sharing their voices and bringing forward their ideas in work and in life.
Tara is the author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead, named a best book of the year by Apple’s iBooks and now in paperback. In the book, she shares her pioneering model for making the journey from playing small–being held back by fear and self-doubt–to playing big, taking bold action to pursue what you see as your callings.
Tara is the creator of the Playing Big leadership program for women, which now has more than 1,500 graduates from around the world, and creator of the global Playing Big Facilitators Training for coaches, therapists, leadership development professionals and other practitioners supporting women in their personal and professional growth.
A Coaches Training Institute-certified coach with an MBA from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree in English literature from Yale, Tara takes a unique approach that blends inner work and practical skills training.
Her work has been featured on national media from the New York Times to Today Show to Harvard Business Review, and has captivated women from all walks of life.
To learn more about Tara's work, visit: http://www.taramohr.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #78, my guest is spiritual teacher, entrepreneur, author, and coach Eric Klein, who for the past three decades has been a leading voice in the movement to bring greater spirit, mindfulness, and meaning to the workplace through his writing, training, and speaking via his company Dharma Consulting.
Eric joined me for a very timely conversation on his new course Sacred Sanity for Crazy Times: Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita, based on the teachings of one of the world’s most precious texts of spiritual wisdom, which Eric calls a guidebook for out times. We attempt to answer the question: "How can you stay connected to your deepest purpose and wisdom – even in difficult and uncertain times?"
We also discussed the concept of dharma; the difference between knowledge and wisdom; how to re-engage with the lantern of illumination; the benefits of a meditation; practice vs. non-attachment; and the three levels of awakening to our deeper purpose.
“The challenges of stress, struggle, and spiritual confusion aren’t new. People have been wrestling with how to live an awakened life for millenia. One of the clearest, deepest, and most practical answers to this profoundly human question is a yogic text that is over 2,500 years old. It’s called the Bhagavad Gita."
About: Eric Klein & Devi Bliss are ordained lineage holders in the Kriya Yoga lineage. As a couple, they’ve been practicing and teaching this path for over 40 years, integrating the deepest spiritual principles into a full life of marriage, children, entrepreneurship, and creativity.
Along with being a spiritual teacher, for the past three decades, Eric has been a leading voice in the movement to bring greater spirit, mindfulness, and meaning to the workplace through his writing, training, and speaking via his company Dharma Consulting.
He’s worked with over 30,000 leaders from a wide variety of settings: Fortune 500 companies, healthcare, governmental and non-profit organizations as well as mid-size companies.
Eric is the author of the bestselling book Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the Power of People at Work (over 200,000 copies sold) and To Do or Not To Do: How Successful Leaders Make Better Decisions based on research and experiences with more than 200 companies.
His book You are the Leader You’ve Been Waiting For won a 2008 Nautilus Award as a world changing book in the conscious leadership/business category.
To learn more about Eric's work and community, visit: http://wisdomheart.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #77, my guest is CEO and author Mary Shores, who joined me for a fantastic conversation on her groundbreaking Conscious Communications system, which produces positive results through positive action.
We also discussed her unique life story (including her work as founder of Midstate Collection Solutions, Inc., one of the most unique collection agencies in the country!), as well as how to get your thoughts, words, and actions in "Alignment"; our words as a mirror to our subconscious beliefs; probabilities vs. possibilities; cleanse or clog;;the power of "now"; and her brand new book Conscious Communications: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Harnessing the Power of Your Words to Change Your Mind, Your Choices, and Your Life.
“Whether we realize it or not, the words we use dictate and control our lives. The messages we repeat can frame our thoughts and trap us into a mindset that is difficult to break. It often manifests itself with statements like 'I can’t,' and 'I’m not good enough.' This is a common mindset, and many times we do not stop to consider the profound impact that these limiting words have on our mentality, life choices, and the path of possibility that we manifest."
About: Mary Shores is a business owner, CEO, thought leader and communications specialist. Like all accomplished people, Mary has created a principle that she lives by: Words That Work.
Mary is the owner and founder of Midstate Collection Solutions, Inc., one of the most unique collection agencies in the country. Mary has spent her entire career listening to problems and getting positive results under the most stressful conditions possible.
What makes her business successful is what makes her life successful: her three-step Words That Work system of communicating. The principle behind Words That Work is to recognize the importance of effective communication and problem solving skills in the service of leading a more results-oriented and happier life.
Unlike others who have tackled the subject of effective communication from the vantage point of psychology, philosophy, linguistics or negotiation, Mary Shores’ Words That Work is based on experience.
She has had the great pleasure of seeing her own successes echoed in the lives of her employees, customers and clients once they are taught, understand and implement her Words That Work method of creating dialogue.
Mary Shores’ communication system, Words That Work, will take you, and any part of your life, from chaos to being a well-oiled machine.
To learn more about Mary's work, visit: http://maryshores.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #76, my guest is Dr. Eric Maisel, a retired family therapist, active life coach, and the author of more than fifty books.
Eric was one of my first guests on Life on Purpose and returns to the show for a wide-ranging conversation on meaning, life purpose, and the epidemic of phantom "mental disorders" in children. And we focus on his new book, Your Difficult Family: 8 Skills for Thriving in Any Family Situation, in which he shows how to stay sane when family isn’t, providing practical strategies that can be implemented immediately.
This empowering book is a “field guide” to common types of dysfunctional families, and a big helping of real life success stories that are dinner table tested and approved. Readers will learn to maintain inner peace in the midst of family chaos and maybe even create a better life for their whole family.
“There is no pill that can make family life easy. There is no pill that can spare you pain if one of your parents is alcoholic, one of your children is troubled, or your mate is cheating on you. M. Scott Peck begins The Road Less Traveled with a simple, eloquent announcement: “Life is difficult.” Tolstoy famously begins Anna Karenina in an equally eloquent way: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”"
About: Eric Maisel was born in the Bronx, New York, where he lived until the age of 5. He grew up in Brooklyn, attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, and briefly attended Brooklyn College. After serving in the Army from 1965 – 1968 he attended Oregon State University and the University of Oregon, where he received a B.S. in philosophy.
Dr. Maisel subsequently lived in Boston, New York and San Francisco and traveled extensively in Europe, spending time in London, Dublin and Budapest. He earned a master’s degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University while ghostwriting mysteries and nonfiction and self-publishing fiction. In the ’80s he returned to school and earned a second bachelor’s degree in psychology, a second master’s degree in counseling, and a doctorate in counseling psychology.
After completing training, Dr. Maisel became a California licensed family therapist and worked exclusively with creative and performing artists. In time he moved from therapy and the medical model to coaching, where he founded the profession of creativity coaching.
Dr. Maisel has a son, David Maisel, by his first marriage, and two daughters, Natalya Maisel and Kira Maisel, with his wife Ann Mathesius Maisel. In 2012 Eric and Ann celebrated 35 years together. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Dr. Maisel served as adjunct faculty at St. Mary’s College (Moraga, California) for ten years and created and wrote Callboard Magazine’s Staying Sane in the Theater column. He has presented lectures and workshops for the American Psychological Association, the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, the Paris Writers Workshop, the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Savannah College of Arts and Crafts, the U. C. Berkeley Counseling Center, and many other venues.
Dr. Maisel has been a guest on, quoted in, or interviewed by Redbook, Glamour, Cosmo Teen, Men’s Health, Body and Soul, KRON television news, Martha Stewart Living, Self, Marin Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Daily News, The Arizona Republic, Common Boundary, and has provided hundreds of radio, television, and print interviews.
Dr. Maisel has been the keynote speaker at the Jack London Writer’s Conference, Pikes Peak Writer’s Conference, William Saroyan Writer’s Conference, Indiana Arts’ Administrators Conference, Mendocino Writer’s Conference, Santa Fe Conference on Creative Tourism, Arizona State University Arts & Letters Convocation, and many other conferences.
He presents workshops at the Omega Institute, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, the Esalen Institute, The Hollyhock Centre (in Canada), the Open Center, and Rowe; and at locations worldwide, including in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Antwerp, Prague, and Berlin.
Dr. Maisel writes the Rethinking Mental Health blog for Psychology Today online, a monthly print column for Professional Artist Magazine, and occasional pieces for the Huffington Post. He hosted a hundred episodes of The Joy of Living Creatively and Your Purpose-Centered Life with the Personal Life Media Network and provides core trainings for the Creativity Coaching Association.
To learn more about Dr. Maisel's work, visit: http://ericmaisel.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #75, Peaceful Warrior's Dan Millman returns to the show! Dan is a former world champion athlete, university coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor. After an intensive twenty-year spiritual quest, Dan's teaching found its form as the Peaceful Warrior’s Way, expressed fully in his seventeen books — including the seminal Way of the Peaceful Warrior — and lectures. His work continues to evolve over time, to meet the needs of a changing world.
In this inspiring conversation, we discussed his brand new book, The Hidden School (Simon and Schuster), the long-awaited conclusion to the Peaceful Warrior saga. Dan takes readers on an epic spiritual quest across the world as he searches for the link between everyday life and transcendent possibility. Along the way, he uncovers lessons of life hidden in plain sight—insights pointing the way to an inspired life in the eternal present.
“In Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman established himself as a master of teaching through story. Now, in this exciting adventure, he reveals how deep learning can be found in unexpected places. The wisdom he shares will illuminate many lives."
don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements
About: Dan Millman is a former world champion athlete, university coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor.
After an intensive, twenty-year spiritual quest, Dan’s teaching found its form as the Peaceful Warrior’s Way, expressed fully in his books and lectures. His work continues to evolve over time, to meet the needs of a changing world.
Dan’s seventeen books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, have inspired and informed millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide. The feature film, “Peaceful Warrior,” starring Nick Nolte, was adapted from Dan’s first book, based upon incidents from his life.
Much of Dan’s time is devoted to writing and speaking. His keynotes, seminars, and workshops span the generations to influence men and women from all walks of life, including leaders in the fields of health, psychology, education, business, politics, sports, entertainment, and the arts.
Dan and his wife Joy live in Brooklyn, NY. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren.
To learn more about Dan's work, visit: http://www.peacefulwarrior.com/.