For Life on Purpose Episode #74, my guest is writer, artist, career coach and community leader Emilie Wapnick, the Founder and Creative Director at Puttylike, where she helps multipotentialites (people with many passions, skills, and creative pursuits) integrate all of their interests to create dynamic, fulfilling and fruitful careers and lives.
In this inspiring conversation, we discussed her brand new book, How To Be Everything, A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don't Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up (Harper Collins), in which she flips the script on conventional career advice. Instead of suggesting that you specialize, choose a niche, or accumulate 10,000 hours of practice in a single area, she provides a practical framework for building a sustainable life around ALL of your passions.
“You don't have to choose one thing! That's the big secret no one tells you. "
About: Emilie Wapnick is a writer, career coach, blogger, and community leader. She is the founder and creative director at Puttylike.com, where she helps multipotentialites (people with many passions and creative pursuits) integrate all of their interests to create dynamic, fulfilling, and fruitful careers and lives. Unable to settle on one path herself, Emilie studied music, art, film production and law, graduating from the Law Faculty at McGill University.
Emilie’s TED talk has been viewed over 3.7 million times, and has been translated into 36 languages. She’s been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Financial Times, The Huffington Post, BBC, and Lifehacker. Her book How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don’t Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up, came out with HarperCollins in May 2017.
To learn more about Emilie's work, visit: http://puttylike.com/ or http://howtobeeverything.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #73, my guest is the pioneering therapist Dr. Judith Orloff, a New York Times best-selling author and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA who has helped patients find emotional freedom for more than 20 years. Dr. Orloff synthesizes the pearls of traditional medicine with cutting edge knowledge of intuition, energy, and spirituality to achieve physical and emotional healing.
In this enlightening conversation, we discussed her brand new book, The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People (Sounds True), in which she offers an invaluable resource to help EMPATHIC people survive in an often insensitive world, plus her life and career as "the positive energy guru."
“Empaths feel things first, then think, which is the opposite of how most people function in our over- intellectualized society,” says Dr. Orloff. "The key to self-care is to recognize when you’re experiencing the first signs of sensory overload or when you start absorbing negativity or stress from others. The sooner you can act to reduce stimulation and to center yourself, the more balanced and protected you will be."
About: Transforming the face of psychiatry, Judith Orloff MD asserts that we are keepers of an innate intuitive intelligence so perceptive that it can tell us how to heal -- and prevent -- illness. Yet intuition and spirituality are the very aspects of our wisdom usually disenfranchised from traditional health care.
Dr. Orloff is accomplishing for psychiatry what physicians like Dean Ornish and Mehmet Oz have done for mainstream medicine -- she is proving that the links between physical, emotional, and spiritual health can't be ignored. Dr. Orloff is a New York Times bestselling author and is on the UCLA psychiatric clinical faculty. She specializes in treating empaths and sensitive people in her Los Angeles based private practice.
She has spoken at medical schools, hospitals, the American Psychiatric Association, Fortune Magazine's Most Powerful Women Summit, and alternative and traditional health forums -- venues where she presents practical intuitive tools to doctors, patients, and everyday people. In response to her work, The Los Angeles Times calls Dr. Orloff "a prominent energy-based healer."
Dr. Orloff's latest book “The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People” (Sounds True, 2017) is an invaluable resource to help sensitive people of all kinds develop healthy coping mechanisms in our high-stimulus world without experiencing compassion fatigue or burnout. Then empaths can fully embody their gifts of intuition, creativity, and compassion.
In Dr. Orloff’s first book, "Second Sight" she chronicles her struggles acknowledging and then finally embracing her gift of intuition. Her second book, "Dr. Orloff's: Guide to Intuitive Healing" shows how breakthroughs in healing our body, emotions, and sexuality can be accomplished by listening to intuition.
"Positive Energy," which has been translated into 25 languages, takes a probing look at the American epidemic of exhaustion and how we can reverse it using specific strategies to build energy and combat draining people. Her New York Times Bestseller, "Emotional Freedom" describes how to transform negative emotions into positive ones with specific techniques.
Finally, "The Power of Surrender" describes the power of letting go in everyday life, health, and wellness--an enlivening and sane alternative to pushing, forcing, and over controlling people and situations.
Dr. Orloff's work has been featured in O Magazine, Forbes, Newsweek, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Self, Cosmo, The Washington Times, Teen Vogue, Scientific American, and the New York Post. She has appeared on The Today Show, The Dr. Oz Show, CBS Early Show, CNN, PBS, BBC5, and NPR. Dr. Orloff is also an Elephant Journal, Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, blogger.
To learn more about Dr. Orloff's work, visit: http://www.drjudithorloff.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #72, another "Soul Series" interview, my guest is author and minister Maria Felipe, who joined me for a fantastic conversation that can change lives. We discussed her unique story going from a successful (but ultimately unfulfilling) career as an actress, model, and Latina boxing announcer to spiritual teacher and motivational speaker.
And we talked about her brand new book, Live Your Happy: Get Out of Your Own Way and Find the Love Within (New World Library), in which she shares more than twenty years of experience studying and living the principles from A Course in Miracles (ACIM). Live Your Happy is not a philosophic explanation of the Course; it is a practical guide for living it.
The book includes real-world examples from the author’s life and from her students’ experiences. In nine crystal-clear chapters, she shows readers how to get the “cuckoo voice of the ego” out of the way, connect with their “inner teacher,” and access personal power and strength.
“This book is a simple but not necessarily easy guide to learning to live your happy. I will share practical spiritual tools to get you there, along with stories of my own journey and of people I’ve counseled. I empower my clients not by telling them what to do but by helping them understand that they have the answer within,” she writes. “I ask that you trust me and be gentle with yourself. Step by step, I will train you to listen to your right mind. In turn, you will become free to live in happiness consistently. You will even be happy when you have so-called ‘problems.’ How’s that for a miracle?”
About: a Cuban-American born in Miami, Maria Felipe stands at 5’9" tall with a towering personality to match. Her charisma has captivated thousands of viewers across the United States and beyond, as her pursuit of an acting career resulted in dozens of appearances in national commercials, hosting successful TV shows (including World Wrestling Federation shows with live audiences of 20,000), and traveling the world as a model.
After success in her field she felt called inward, and studied to become a Reverend with Pathways of Light, an accredited religious school inspired by A Course in Miracles.
Maria is a dynamic speaker in both Spanish and English. She leads services monthly at Unity Church in Burbank, where she created the church's first regular Spanish service, as well as performing services in English. Her talks now draw both Spanish and English speakers from all over Southern California. She also leads workshops.
Maria has created her own channel on You Tube by hosting MariaCoconut TV, a show designed to share and expand the message of love by interviewing other spiritual leaders. In 2013, Maria been a regular guest on Unity Radio, Awakening Together Radio and Center Of Light Radio.
She’s also recently appeared as a motivational speaker on TV shows and news programs for Univison, Telemundo and CNN. She has also spoken alongside prominent teachers David Hoffmeister and Gary Renard in Los Angeles, Mexico, and Greece.
People magazine once referred to Maria Felipe as ’’Una Campeona Sin Rival,’’ which means a champion without rival. This is an apt label for this young, vivacious and talented actress, host, and minister. And the gifts she can share with countless others continue to multiply as she allows the expression of her talents to be guided by the inner light of God.
To learn more about Maria's work, visit: https://www.mariafelipe.org/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #71, my guest is psychologist Rachel Harris, PhD, who joined me for an enlightening and hope-filled conversation about her new book Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD and Anxiety (New World Library).
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew from the Amazon rainforest, is entering the Western lexicon through the popular media, the internet, and first-person reports. Considered a medicine by practitioners, the tea has great therapeutic potential that is just beginning to be studied. As a result of her own personal experience with ayahuasca, Dr. Harris was inspired to research how this medicine was being used in North America in the largest study of this kind to date. Listening to Ayahuasca describes her findings, including miracle cures of depression and addiction, therapeutic breakthroughs, spiritual revelations, and challenging or bad trips.
“This book is intended for people considering ayahuasca and for people drinking the medicine. I hope it will help them integrate their insights and visions into their daily lives. There is much work people can do on their own to maximize the healing that ayahuasca offers,” writes Dr. Harris. “I also hope this book will inform psychotherapists about the process of integration after ayahuasca ceremonies, so they can provide a supportive and respectful container for the unfolding of healing.”
About: Psychologist Rachel Harris, PhD is the author of Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD and Anxiety. She was in private practice for thirty-five years working with people interested in psychospiritual development. During a decade working in research, Rachel received a National Institutes of Health New Investigator’s Award and published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals. She has also consulted to Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations.
Rachel was in the 1968 Esalen Residential Program, Big Sur, CA. This intensive six-month program focused on meditation and body work. In the early seventies, Rachel studied with Dorothy Nolte in the movement system, Structural Awareness, based on Dr. Ida Rolf’s Structural Integration (Rolfing). Rachel also co-edited the Journal of the American Dance Therapy Association for three years. Awareness of how people live and move in their bodies has always been an aspect of Rachel’s approach to psychotherapy.
During the mid-eighties into the early aughts, Rachel led workshops at Omega Institute, NY and Esalen Institute, CA. She wrote Twenty Minute Retreats: Revive Your Spirit in Just Minutes a Day with Simple, Self-Led Practices (NY: Holt, 2000). This book describes many of the psychological, meditative and body awareness exercises she taught in her workshops.
In 2005 Rachel traveled to a retreat center in Costa Rica and serendipitously found herself with the opportunity to drink ayahuasca with Ecuadorian shamans. The morning after her first ceremony, Rachel began asking questions about the therapeutic potential of this medicine. She conducted a three-year research project with Lee Gurel, PhD that resulted in “A Study of Ayahuasca Use in North America,” published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (Summer, 2012).
Rachel has a married daughter, Ashley Mason, who sings in the chorus at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. Rachel is the co-author with Dorothy Nolte of Children Learn What They Live and Teenagers Learn What They Live (NY: Workman, 1998 and 2002) and the author of 20 Minute Retreats (Holt, 2000). Rachel spends eight months of the year on a remote island in Penobscot Bay, ME and winters in Napa, CA.
To learn more about Dr. Harris' work, visit: https://www.listeningtoayahuasca.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #70, my guest is transformational photographer and coach Robyn Ivy, who has 20 years of experience helping clients transform themselves by shifting their focus and learning to see their world through a new lens.
Robyn joined me for an inspiring conversation about photography as a tool for transformation (a conviction I share), her life and work, and PROJECT 3.8, the compelling campaign she started to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. Robyn brings a deep understanding of what holds people back and brings it into the light so it can be seen and overcome.
"Have you ever stopped to consider that the way we look at and experience our world is often done by default? Did you know that our vision can be strengthened, like a muscle, and when we exercise it, it transforms, changing the way we view our world and ourselves?"
About Robyn: Much like the world around us, I am constantly evolving—driven by an intense passion to help businesses and individuals transform themselves by learning to see their world through a new lens. As a professional photographer, visual brand strategist, creative director, speaker and coach, I explore opportunities from a variety of perspectives that help my clients see the possibilities, truths and solutions to problem that remain invisible others.
For nearly two decades, I have encouraged others to step outside the box, shifting their focus to tell a different story about themselves; one in which the heart of who they are and what they stand for shines through for all to see. The impact of storytelling is very real, and I pride myself on uncovering the deeper message behind my clients’ brands and communicating it to the world through powerful imagery.
In 2016, I created Project 3.8, a compelling visual campaign to raise awareness for pediatric cancer, born from the heartache of a close friend losing her 8-year-old son to Rhabdomyosarcoma. I produced a traveling gallery of 20 large scale metal portraits of children ages 3-18 who were either active in their fight against cancer or celebrated survivors.
The show’s inspiration, Dorian J. Murray, was our only angel. While I learned much from this experience, my mission was simple: to teach people to “see” childhood cancer in a different light and the impact is has on far too many families. Project 3.8 moved thousands of people and, I’m happy to say, will be an annual event.
I share this with you because of how passionate I am about helping people see themselves and their cause from new and unexpected vantage points. When you understand what holds people back and bring it to the forefront so it may be overcome, there’s truly no limit to what you can accomplish.
Whether you’re looking to create new pathways to growth, increase ROI, find innovative solutions to difficult problems, or guide others in the direction of our true purpose to make a difference in this world, I want to be part of that journey. I want to be part of your journey.
Through my photography, I shoot for a wide range of commercial, corporate and editorial clients, as well as entrepreneurs and those who want to change the world. I also offer workshops and speaking presentations on how to transform your business, your brand or your life by changing your viewpoint.
Now that I’ve told you about what I do, I’d like to tell you a bit about who I am. Though I’m a native New Englander, in my heart, I am a citizen of the world. At 15, I spent a year in Germany as an exchange student and it changed my life! Traveling became embedded in my DNA and I spent my youth finding ways to see more of the world. A free spirit by nature, I love a great road trip and the kindred spirits you meet along the way.
Long before I was a professional photographer, I worked with baby chimpanzees in Africa, led German tourists on adventure camping trips in Alaska and beyond, taught English to folks in Europe, and spent a year working my tail off with an anti-hunger coalition in Vermont.
In 2001, I became a mom and began life’s most valuable journey: raising my two boys, who have quickly (yet not quietly) become teenagers. I'm pretty obsessed with Instagram and I’ve promised myself that one day, I will learn how to knit!
To learn more about Robyn's work, visit: http://www.robynivy.com/.
Do you believe in life after death? Does consciousness exist outside our bodies? Does the language of the dying points the way to a transcendent world beyond our own?
For this special Soul Series episode of Life on Purpose, my guest is author, linguist, educator, and poet Lisa Smartt who founded the Final Words Project, an ongoing study devoted to collecting and interpreting the mysterious language at the end of lives.
Lisa joined me for an inspiring conversation about her new book, Words at the Threshold: What We Say as We’re Nearing Death (New World Library), in which she decodes the symbolism of those last words, showing how the language of the dying points the way to a transcendent world beyond our own.
She shares the compelling language she has heard and the coherency that emerges in even the most puzzling phrases. She also provides tools for more meaningful communication with loved ones who are at the end of life. And we discuss her work with Dr. Raymond Moody, the pioneering researcher who coined the term Near Death Experience (NDE) in the 1970s.
“Words at the Threshold marks a new era in the understanding of the process of dying. Lisa Smartt’s work has profound psychological, spiritual, and clinical implications for the care of terminally ill patients and their families. And I believe that her work also opens unexplored pathways for the genuinely rational investigation of human kind’s deepest mystery: the prospect of life after death.”
— from the foreword by Raymond Moody Jr., MD, PhD, author of Life After Life
About: Lisa Smartt, MA, is a linguist, educator, and poet. She is the author of Words at the Threshold: What We Say When We’re Nearing Death (New World Library 2017). The book is based on data collected through The Final Words Project, wwwfinalwordsproject.org, an ongoing study devoted to gathering and interpreting the mysterious language at end of life. She has worked closely with Raymond Moody, guided by his research into language, particularly unintelligible speech. They have co-facilitated presentations about language and consciousness at universities, hospices and conferences.
About Words at the Threshold: A person’s last words can often be enigmatic, confusing or powerfully meaningful; they can also offer tantalizing clues about the ultimate fate of the human soul. Until now, no author has systematically studied end-of-life communication by collecting and analyzing the final utterances of the terminally ill. When her father faced his final weeks, linguist Lisa Smartt began transcribing his conversations and noticed that both his language and personality underwent inexplicable changes.
Smartt’s father, a skeptical man with a secular worldview, developed a deeply spiritual outlook in his final days — a change reflected in his last words. Baffled and intrigued, Smartt began to investigate the near-death utterances of others, collecting over a hundred case studies with interviews and transcripts. In Words at the Threshold, Smartt decodes the symbolism of those last words, showing how the language of the dying points the way to a transcendent world beyond our own
To learn more about Lisa's work, visit: http://www.finalwordsproject.org/.
Have you ever asked yourself what is your life purpose? Have you considered what you are doing here and whether you are on the right track to being fulfilled?
For Life on Purpose Episode #68, my guests are world-renowned Human Design experts Chetan Parkyn & Carola Eastwood. They joined me for a fascinating and timely conversation about a tool that can help answer those questions: Human Design and their brand new book The Book of Destinies: Discover the Life You Were Born to Live (New World Library). The book offers readers the opportunity to use the place, date, and time of their births to reveal their Life Theme, which offers a portrait of their true nature and allows them the peace of knowing who they really are.
“Just like the storyline of a book, or the theme music to a movie, there is a unique, consistent, and recognizable undercurrent to your whole lifetime. It is your Life Theme, which is your melody, your part in the symphony of life, and only you can play it,” say Chetan and Carola. “Knowing and accepting your particular Life Theme is truly transformative. Embodying this awareness gives you reassurance and clarification about your life purpose.”
About Chetan Parkyn: Chetan Parkyn has been giving Readings to people of all walks of life and all nationalities for over 35 years. He has spent the past 23 years mastering Human Design. He is more than a leading practitioner of the system. As the author of the first major book on the subject, which has been translated into eleven different language versions, he has made it his mission to bring Human Design to the whole world.
An entrepreneur’s son by upbringing and an engineer by training, Chetan has fully explored both the mystical and the technological worlds. He’s been a deep-sea dive engineer and a devoted student of meditation. Travels in India and time spent in the company of the enlightened mystic, Osho, finally opened Chetan to his own purpose — helping people develop self-knowledge.
The details of how Chetan discovered his abilities came about through a reading he experienced from a Chayyashastri (Shadow Reader) in Bombay, now Mumbai, in 1979. Finding himself no longer satisfied with everything he had understood about himself especially in the field of engineering, Chetan was guided to have a session to find some personal clarification. Chetan was given a transfixing view of himself in all aspects of his life. He was told things about himself that he had long forgotten, barely imagined, or never considered important. At the end of the session, the Shadow Reader asked Chetan to come and work with him : ".......because you know how to do this kind of work."
Completely startled by the depth of the information he had just received, Chetan declined the invitation. The Shadow Reader laughed in response and told Chetan that it did not really matter .... "because you are going to do this work anyway," he said. "There is a system that is going to come into your life, and you are going to write books about it, and introduce it to many thousands of people all over the world, and you are going to transform their lives.....and my advice to you is to find a way of reading for people that you like and practice it so you are ready."
A week later, Chetan met a Psychic Palm Reader who for 10 minutes showed Chetan about many of the lines and markings in a hand. At the end of the 10 minutes, the Psychic Palmist closed up Chetan’s hands and said : "That's enough! Now go practice!" And for the next 14 years, Chetan gave Readings for everyone who held their hands out to him. He also studied numerous systems of divination and ways of revealing people to themselves.....all the time wondering what this "system" the Shadow Reader had been talking about could be.
In 1993, Chetan met a man called Ra Uru Hu, who had been given Human Design and who first introduced it to the world. Chetan worked with Ra over the next 7 years, beginning his journey towards fully mastering the system. Chetan’s unique gifts include a balance of technical skill and pure intuition. In addition, Chetan is a compelling speaker — fun, inspiring, down-to-earth and personal. Simply through hearing him, many experience the beginnings of deep inner change.
As Chetan studied Human Design over many years, gave thousands of personal and partnership Readings, he began to realize how few people had access to its extraordinary riches. In 2000, he felt called to make the system accessible to a far wider audience. Chetan began offering Trainings and Seminars along with his life-partner Carola Eastwood. The couple also started training Practitioners in the art of giving wholesome Human Design Readings. But this was not enough.
In 2009 Chetan wrote the first major book on Human Design, published by Harper Collins UK, and in 2010 by New World Library in the US, and subsequently in many other languages. Combined with powerful free software, the book makes it easy for everyone to create and interpret his or her own Life Chart. Recently, he and his wife, Carola created the first On-Line Human Design Comprehensive Report. Thanks to Chetan Parkyn, Human Design today is becoming available to the whole planet. And as more and more individuals live in alignment with their unique design, the quality of life on Earth will change!
About Carola Eastwood: Carola Eastwood has been a Human Design consultant, teacher and coach since 1999.
Prior to that she had an established counseling practice and an Astrology clientele in Santa Fe, NM and in San Diego, CA. She has been author of the monthly column, “Planetary Cycles” published by the Life Connection since 1988, and is a highly acclaimed astrological consultant and intuitive counselor. Carola has appeared on national TV, hosted radio shows, and spoken at national conventions.
As a young woman, Carola discovered her passion to help others awaken to a richer view of themselves and their world, by finding their inner essence, that core of being within each person that is the Spirit expressing in form.
She undertook years of post graduate training in a variety of human development disciplines, including psychology, psychosynthesis, past life healing therapy, intuitive reading arts, and the science of spirituality. When she discovered Human Design, she realized that this was the missing piece of the puzzle in helping others to change their consciousness and create their own destiny.
Today, she co-presents Human Design seminars and trainings alongside her husband and partner, Chetan Parkyn. Carola created the experiential seminars as a tool that quickly puts one in touch with one’s own Human Design, and with the Designs of others. She also assists Chetan in presenting Human Design Consultant Trainings.
Her passion is to assist others to awaken to their own power to create the life they have always dreamed of.
To learn more about Chetan and Carola's work, visit: http://humandesignforusall.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #67, my guest is tailor made careerist Julian Mather, who says he wasn’t at school the day they taught conventional career planning. A chronic truant, he self-educated and read between the lines to find the secrets to turning his obsession into his profession. From high school failure to Army sniper to globe trotting TV cameraman to kids entertainer to online entrepreneur he really hasn’t felt he has a worked a day in his life. And at 55 he says he’s only just beginning to hit his straps.
Julian joined me for a high-energy chat about realizing your career potential after age 40; how to use your own life experience/journey to create content that others can benefit from; shifting from an hourly rate model to charging for value; and tales from his own unique life story.
"The day and age of the massive corporations that take care of us from beginning to end are over. That’s just a reality. Workforce change is upon us. It is time to look for alternatives. As a 40+ worker, you must expand your options. Allow me to show you the way.
In the decade or so that I've been earning income online something struck me along the way. The 20 to 30 year olds are taking the lead with this but they have relatively little experience to impart. 40,50,60 year olds don’t even know about this and they have rich experience that is going to waste."
About Julian: This is the best time ever to be over 40. Never has it been so easy to leverage your life experience, your hard won knowledge, your relative financial stability, your wits and your deep down belief that you have more to say, more to give, more to ‘be’, than just a cog in the big post industrial workforce.
Your guide Julian Mather wasn’t at school the day they taught conventional career planning.
A chronic truant he self educated and read between the lines to find the secrets to turning his obsession into his profession. From high school failure to Army sniper to globe trotting TV cameraman to kids entertainer to online entrepreneur he really hasn’t felt he has a worked a day in his life. And at 55 he says he’s only just beginning to hit his straps.
And he wants you to realise your potential too.
Whether for income or just for fun, creating your own career is possible, it’s very real and it’s the best time history to do this.
350,000 hours in the making, Tailor Made Career gives you tools, resources and roadmaps so you don’t go to the grave regretting the job choices you made.
To learn more about Julian and his work, visit: https://www.tailormadecareer.com/.
Life on Purpose Episode #66 is the long-promised return of the LoP Round-Table! For my third RT, I was joined by Marsha Shandur, Charles Gupton, and Rick Charlie. They are each storytellers and creatives who work in a variety of different mediums (podcasts, storytelling, blogs, photos, video) and each use prompts on social media to examine the human condition and show that "I Don't Have It All Together", as Marsha's weekly Tuesday post proves!
They joined me for an in-depth conversation on the topic of "pretending" — both online and in-person — including examining why we do it, what's actually behind the "look how cool I am" postings many of us make, and what purpose is pretending serving? We also discussed practical tips for being more authentic, intentional, and vulnerable in both your online and IRL interactions.
This discussion was prompted by the following Facebook post from Rick Charlie, based on a question originally asked by author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek:
Something to think about: How much of your time and energy is put into pretending?
Pretending things are okay, when they are not.
Pretending there is not pain, when inside you hurt so much. Pretending that you know what you are doing, yet are actually terrified of the next step.
Pretending you have a really good life, but you are totally unsatisfied in it.
Pretending that all those past things don't affect you, yet they really continue to plague you like an addiction you can't shake.
Pretending that you have it all together when you don't even have a clue what it all is in the first place.
How.Much.Energy?
About LoP Round-Table #3 Guests:
Marsha Shandur is a Storytelling Coach, Memory Scavenger, and Networking Mentor at Yes Yes Marsha as well as the Benevolent Dictator at True Stories Told Live Toronto.
To learn more about Marsha and her work, visit: http://www.yesyesmarsha.com/.
Charles Gupton is a photographer, videographer, and visual storyteller at Charles Gupton Productions. He also produces the The Creator's Journey podcast, on which I'm honored to have been a guest.
To learn more about Charles and his work, visit: http://www.charlesgupton.com/.
Rick Charlie is a computer forensics expert who knows how to ask probing questions about life, including the prompt that was the inspiration for this discussion.
To learn more about Rick and his work, visit: http://rickcharlie.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #65, my guest is award-winning author Linda Johnsen, a long-time student of religious philosophy. Linda holds degrees in Eastern and Western Psychology, and has post-graduate training in theology and Sanskrit. She is the award-winning author of eight books on spirituality including Daughters of the Goddess: The Women Saints of India, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hinduism.
Linda joined me for an enlightening chat about her new book Lost Masters: Rediscovering The Mysticism of the Ancient Greek Philosophers, in which she offers a fascinating opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the ancient Greek masters, revealing a side of Western philosophy that has been almost completely ignored by traditional academia.
"Ashrams in Europe twenty-five hundred years ago? Greek philosophers studying in India? Meditation classes in ancient Rome? It sounds unbelievable, but it’s historically true. Alexander the Great had an Indian guru. Pythagoras encouraged their students to meditate. Apollonius, the most famous Western sage of the first century c.e., visited both India and Egypt."
About Linda Johnsen: I'm a writer who shuttles back and forth between two universes: the modern Western world and India! I've published over 200 articles on topics related to yoga and Hindu spirituality in many magazines including Yoga Plus, Yoga International, Yoga Journal, Himalayan Path, The Mountain Astrologer, and Light of Consciousness.
I'm also author of eight books so farincluding Daughters of the Goddess: The Women Saints of India, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hinduism.
My essays have appeared in a half dozen anthologies including The Divine Mosaic, Uncoiling the Snake, Science of Breath, Shree Maa: The Story of a Saint, Hindu Astrology Lessons, Yoga Abenteuer Meditation (in German), and In the Footsteps of the Goddess.
I've lectured throughout the U.S. on Goddess spirituality, yoga, Hinduism, and Vedic Astrology. I've suffered through numerous radio and cable TV interviews. I have a Master's degree in Eastern Studies.
For four years I was Manager of the Center for Holistic Medicine in Glenview, Illinois. Later I served as Administrator of the Program in Eastern Studies, in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. This was a fully accredited Master’s degree program which focused on the many facets of the yoga tradition: hatha yoga postures, stress reduction and breathing exercises, diet, physiology, ethics, philosophy, Sanskrit studies, meditation and research.
These days I'm still writing, teaching, and introducing people to their Vedic horoscope. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area where my husband, Johnathan Brown, shares my passion for the Vedic tradition.
To learn more about Linda and her work, visit: http://thousandsuns.users.sonic.net/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #64, my guest is Zen priest and teacher Richard Diedrichs, whose work presents basic Buddhist teachings that keep you on the wholesome path of self-realization toward a happy life.
Richard joined me for an inspiring chat about his new book Living in Blue Sky Mind: Basic Buddhist Teachings for a Happy Life, in which he offers simple lessons, anecdotes of personal transformation, and reflective questions to guide us along Buddha’s enlightened way.
We also discussed the opportunity to learn, grow, and practice these principles when host Greg mistakenly lost the audio file of the original interview that was taped and had to admit his mistake and request a second interview.
Says Richard about the book: “Living in Blue Sky Mind began as short talks that I gave to children, parents, and grandparents at Daifukuji Zen Buddhist temple in Kona, Hawaii. (For the youngest among us in the family gatherings, I read a children's picture book.) To further spread the Dharma, I had the idea of publishing the talks in a blog that I called, "I Can See Clearly Now."
By the time I published about a hundred talks as posts, the blog had amassed nearly twelve thousand views. Like myself, I think people are searching for ways in which they can think, say, and do things that bring caring and wisdom into their lives and into the lives of everyone around them. We all want to be happy!”
About: We live with minds as open and spacious as the deep blue sky. Living in Blue Sky Mind presents basic Buddhist teachings that keep us on the wholesome path of self-realization and oriented toward a happy life. Zen priest and teacher, Richard Gentei Diedrichs, offers simple lessons, anecdotes of personal transformation, and reflective questions to guide us along Buddha’s enlightened way.
Richard Gentei Diedrichs grew up in Los Angeles. He edited travel and health magazines in Seattle, worked as an editor at the schools of Engineering and Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, and then taught in public elementary schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The author of four books, Richard was fully ordained a Zen priest in 1990 by Genki Takabayashi Roshi. Currently, he is a Dharma teacher at Daifukuji Zen Temple in Hawaii.
To learn more about Richard and his work, visit: https://richardgenteidiedrichs.wordpress.com/ or https://livinginblueskymind.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #63, my guest is author, actor, teacher, and creativity/productivity specialist Samantha Bennett, who has counseled thousands of artists in all disciplines on their way to success.
Sam is the creator of The Organized Artist Company – a multi-six figure business she has built by hand, from scratch. Her previous book, the bestselling “Get It Done: From Procrastination to Creative Genius in 15 Minutes a Day” received rave reviews, including Seth Godin, who called it, "An instant classic."
Sam joined me for a high-energy chat about her new book Start Right Where You Are: How Little Changes Can Make a Big Difference for Overwhelmed Procrastinators, Frustrated Overachievers, and Recovering Perfectionists (New World Library), which is based on the premise that small shifts in the right direction can yield big results in the realization of our creative dreams.
Start Right Where You Are offers 66 small, doable changes that will help readers:
• Complete projects that are dear to their hearts
• Change their relationship with their bodies and improve their physical health
• Transform their relationships with people who are important to them
• Get their work out in the world
“When you decide that you want something and you move toward it physically, emotionally, or spiritually, then your movement opens up new pathways by which things can appear in your life. Even a very small step can cause a radical change in your relationship to the thing you want. Even a small shift in perspective can allow you to see new opportunities.”
About: Originally from Chicago, Samantha Bennett is an author, actor, teacher and creativity/productivity specialist who has counseled thousands of artists in all disciplines on their way to success. She is the creator of The Organized Artist Company – a multi-six figure business she has built by hand, from scratch.
Her bestselling book, “Get It Done: From Procrastination to Creative Genius in 15 Minutes a Day” (New World Library) has received rave reviews, including from than the great Seth Godin, who called it, "An instant classic."
She is an an email marketing and small business automation expert and was named the 2010 Ultimate Marketer Finalist by Infusionsoft, and she is an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant, Reseller and Partner.
Sam has self-published four books: “By The Way, You Look Really Great Today,” "An Artist Talks to God," “365 Reasons To Write” and "Less Crazy, More Money: 52 Secrets to Running a Serene, Profitable Business."
Her latest book is the critically- acclaimed, "Start Right Where You Are: How Little Changes Can Make a Big Difference for Overwhelmed Procrastinators, Frustrated Overachievers and Recovering Perfectionists" - the book that emerged from this workshop.
Still a working actor (Modern Family, Drew Carey Show, Strong Medicine) Samantha has also written several plays, including, “Kiss The Monster,” “Miss Millicent’s Fall Recital” and “In A Booth At Chasen’s.” As an alumni of The Second City in Chicago, ComedySportz LA, The Open Fist Theatre Company and LA TheatreWorks, Samantha is known for her quick wit and warm heart.
Her 12 years as a professional Personal Branding Specialist with Sam Christensen Studios has given her an uncanny ability to help people recognize and capitalize on their own brilliance.
Sam abides in a quiet little beach town outside of Los Angeles, where she hangs out with the dolphins and the seals, living the life of her dreams.
To learn more about Sam and her work, visit: http://www.startrightwhereyouare.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #62, my guest is Thomas Sterner, the founder and CEO of The Practicing Mind Institute. As a successful entrepreneur, he is considered an expert in Present Moment Functioning or PMF. He is a popular and in-demand speaker who works with high-performance individuals including, athletes, industry groups and individuals, helping them to operate effectively within high-stress situations so that they can break through to new levels of mastery.
As an expert Present Moment Functioning Coach, Tom has brought clarity to thousands regarding how they can accomplish more with less effort, in the least amount of time and with greatly reduced stress. Top media outlets such as NPR, Fox News, and Forbes have sought his advice.
Tom joined me for an inspirational chat about his new book Fully Engaged: Using the Practicing Mind in Daily Life (New World Library) in which he expands on the concepts from his previous book The Practicing Mind by helping readers apply them to daily life. He shows readers how simple shifts in perspective — such as learning to center their attention on the process of what they are doing instead of what they are trying to achieve; using goals as rudders instead of reminders of what is left to be done; and learning to work without judgment about the process — can completely transform the experience of going through each day.
“To be fully engaged in an activity means to be present in this moment with whatever you are doing. It also means to be completely content in that experience. There is no anxiousness about or sense of longing for the future, and there is no regret about the past.”
About: Thomas M. Sterner is the author of Fully Engaged and The Practicing Mind. He is accomplished as a musician, composer, and technician in various fields of music; as a recording and audio engineer; and in athletic pursuits from archery to golf. He speaks around the world on developing focus and discipline and lives in Wilmington, Delaware. Visit him online at http://www.practicingmind.com.
Thomas M. Sterner is the founder and CEO of The Practicing Mind Institute. As a successful entrepreneur, he is considered an expert in Present Moment Functioning or PMF tm. He is a popular and in-demand speaker who works with high-performance individuals including, athletes, industry groups and individuals, helping them to operate effectively within high-stress situations so that they can break through to new levels of mastery.
As an expert Present Moment Functioning Coach, Thomas has brought clarity to thousands regarding how they can accomplish more with less effort, in the least amount of time and with greatly reduced stress. Top media outlets such as NPR, Fox News, and Forbes have sought his advice. He is the author of the best seller The Practicing Mind (New World Library 2012).
Prior to founding The Practicing Mind Institute he served as the Chief Concert Piano Technician for a major performing arts center preparing instruments for the most demanding performances. During his 25 year tenure as a high-level technician, he personally worked for industry giants such as Van Cliburn, Pavarotti, Andre Watts, Ray Charles, Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt, Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsalis and many more. An accomplished musician and composer he has also worked in the visual arts and as a recording studio engineer.
In his down time, Tom is an accomplished musician, private pilot, an avid sailor and proficient golfer. He lives in Wilmington Delaware and enjoys spending time with his two daughters and in his recording studio.
To learn more about Tom and his work, visit: http://tomsterner.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #61, my guest is speaker, professional coach and mentor, trained licensed therapist and tenured associate professor of counseling Dr. Tiffany Stewart.
Dr. Tiffany joined me for an inspirational chat about her L.E.A.P. Success System and how it helps others shift their mindset and create the lives they want. We also discussed her own life story — how she went from being a single parent who had been fired from four jobs in two years with very little money ("failing at life") to building a successful business and life lived on her own terms in just a few short years.
“Failure is a part of the process. You can ALWAYS recover from it. And the transformation that I have been through in a few short years is not because I am a lucky person. You do not need lady luck on your side to create the life you want. I went from literally losing everything I had to creating the life I want.”
About: Dr. Tiffany is national speaker, professional coach and mentor, trained licensed therapist and tenured associate professor of counseling. She works with individuals teaching step-by-step how to actually create the very life they want and desire.
Dr. Tiffany is a trained licensed therapist with years of training in the counseling profession and as a tenured associate professor of counseling. Soon after entering the world of academia, Dr. Tiffany recognized it fostered an environment of constant criticism, people telling you what you could not do and how good you were not. She then made it her mission to do the opposite by empowering people, helping realize their gifts and showing them how to obtain them.
Through working with a mentor and learning the best methods to use, Dr. Tiffany created a formula to teach others who feed into the belief of not being good enough or not knowing the next steps to take to create a life they love.
Her passion is to help individuals who may be stuck in some area of life, tap into their power and give themselves permission to step into their purpose and create the create life they want to live. She is the creator of the L.E.A.P. Success System.
To learn more about Dr. Tiffany and her work, visit: http://www.tiffanystewartphd.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #60, my guest is certified life coach, mindfulness meditation teacher, author, and blogger Ora Nadrich.
Ora joined me for a great chat about her new book, Says Who? How One Simple Question Can Change the Way You Think Forever, how her own life story — including her sister's nervous breakdown when Ora was 14 years old influenced her work, and the Says Who? Method she developed.
In the book, she vividly illustrates and breaks down her simple yet highly effective method, based on the principle that while we all face obstacles and negative thoughts in our lives, it is not enough to simply examine and be aware of them — we must question and challenge them in order to bring about true change.
“We think 60,000–70,000 thoughts a day, and sadly, it’s the negative ones we tend to hear the loudest. But using a set of daily, simple questions, we can stop them the instant they pop up to sabotage us. It’s as simple a practice as brushing your teeth.”
About: Ora Nadrich is a certified Life Coach, and Mindfulness Meditation teacher. She is a frequent blogger for the Huffington Post on Mindfulness, and leads workshops on “Living a Mindful Life.”
Ora was an actress and screenwriter, where she worked in film, episodic television, and commercials for more than a decade, which she feels provided her vast experience in exploring motivation and the process of self-discovery. During that time, she simultaneously embarked on a two-decade psychological and spiritual journey towards self-awareness and transformation.
Ora retired from acting, and devoted her time to studying the workings of the mind. On her psychological and spiritual journey she explored Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and a multi-year, intensive study of various disciplines and techniques, including the Technology of Change with Robert Lorenz, and extensive Jungian analysis.
She studied Kabbalah and Buddhism, and met some of the finest spiritual teachers and leaders like, Gurumayi of Siddha Yoga, Sonam Kazi, the Dalai Lama’s interpreter, and, ultimately, His Holiness himself, the Dalai Lama. Her exploration of self-realization continues today.
Ora lives with her husband, Jeff, and two sons, Jake and Benjamin in Los Angeles.
To learn more about Ora and her work, visit: http://www.oranadrich.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #59, my guest is serial entrepreneur, growth strategist, and award-winning author Jonathan Fields.
Jonathan joined me for a fantastic chat about his new book, How To Live a Good Life, Soulful Stories, Surprising Science, and Practical Wisdom, in which he steps out from under the entrepreneurship umbrella and into the realm of the subject that truly fuels him, a broader exploration of human potential. The book is a practical and provocative modern-day manual for the pursuit of a life well lived.
We also talked about human potential; the incident at age 17 that planted the seeds for his work with the Good Life Project; the art of a great interview; vulnerability; Elizabeth Gilbert's "secret"; Camp GLP; the concept of the three buckets; teaching that thing we each need to learn most; how 9-11 motivated him to live life NOW; and MUCH more!
“If I'm asking people to be open to ideas, I need to model that same state myself.”
About: A dad, husband, serial entrepreneur, growth strategist and award-winning author, Jonathan Fields inspires possibility.
He currently runs mission-driven media and education venture, Good Life Project®, where he and his team lead a global community in the quest to live more meaningful, connected and vital lives. They produce a top-rated podcast and video-series with millions of listens and views in more than 150 countries, where Jonathan regularly shares conversations with the world’s leading voices, like Sir Ken Robinson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Milton Glaser, Brene Brown, Grethcen Rubin and hundreds more.
Along the way, Jonathan has built a number of community-driven ventures or, as he calls them, Businesses of Belonging™, taught everything from yoga and mindfulness to entrepreneurship, branding and innovation to thousands. Along with his world-class faculty, he now offers a growing catalog of events, trainings and courses that range from mission-driven entrepreneurship to building innovative cultures and living good lives. He begins with cracking open the often long-closed window to possibility, then offers strategies and tools for action and progress.
Jonathan is regularly featured in the media, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, FastCompany, Inc., Entrepreneur, USA Today, Real Simple, HOW, O Magazine, Self, Outside, Slate, Vogue, Elle, Allure, SELF, Yoga Journal, CNBC, Fox News, Today Show, PBS Nightly Business Report and thousands of other places that sound cool, but don’t impress his daughter all that much.
He also speaks globally for organizations and events of all sizes, from keynoting private meetings for clients like Paypal, GE, Novartis and twitter to taking the stage at mega-events like SXSW, World Domination Summit and many others.
When not building ventures, writing and producing, he can be found dancing around his living room with his wife and daughter, writing in the third person and listening to “real music.” #AirSupply. #KissFanClub.
To learn more about Jonathan and his work, visit: http://www.jonathanfields.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #58, my guest is artist, executive coach, author, actor and filmmaker Aaron Anastasi.
Aaron joined me for an inspirational chat about his new book, The Voice of Your Dreams, a practical guide about silencing the voices of limitation that may be impeding your progress and living a life full of greater possibility.
We also talked about his own unique life journey (surfer, singer, theological student, actor, and more!), overcoming fear, the "Rackets" that can limit us in life and how to shift those, "the Work" of Byron Katie, and MUCH more!
“All fear comes from contemplating the future. Action eradicates fear, as does shifting the focus from self to the end user—those being served by you.”
About: Aaron Anastasi is a Southern California native who graduated with a master’s degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he studied philosophy, psychology, and theology.
He’s also a serial entrepreneur with online businesses such as Superior Songwriting Method, Signing Success, and the internationally recognized, Superior Singing Method, an online singing lesson program that grosses seven-figures annually.
Aaron has the #1 singing/life lesson channel on YouTube and has over 11.5 million organic views and over 130 thousand subscribers total on his three channels.
Having a love for adventure, he was a pro snowboarder in Vail, Colorado, scaled Glacier Lake mountains in Bolivia, and cut pathways through the jungles of Contagem, Brazil.
Along with being a Los Angeles based actor and filmmaker, Aaron is also a prominent success coach for clients in industry-leading roles, ranging from film directors to marine biologists to TEDx speakers.
His new book, The Voice of Your Dreams, was released in April 2016, and reached Amazon's top 100 best sellers within the first week of release.
To learn more about Aaron and his work, visit: https://thevoiceofyourdreams.com/home-a.
For Life on Purpose Episode #57, my guest is author and psychotherapist Susan Anderson, who has devoted more than 30 years of clinical experience and research to working with the victims of abandonment trauma, grief, and loss and teaches people around the world how to overcome abandonment and its aftermath of self-sabotaging patterns.
Susan joined me for a powerful chat about her new book, The Abandonment Recovery Workbook: Guidance through the Five Stages of Healing from Abandonment, Heartbreak, and Loss, as well as how her own life journey paved the way for her most powerful work, and MUCH more!
“Learning the steps to take after surviving a great loss is a hopeful process. You discover your ability to benefit from the experience rather than be diminished by it,” says Anderson. “Many of you are going through heartbreak, getting separated or divorced, or feel isolated and alone. Many of you are grieving over someone close to you who has died. Some seek recovery from childhood wounds that impinge on the quality of your current life. But our journey will take us beyond the specifics of your loss, all the way to the underlying source of the fear and despair —abandonment — the crux of the human condition.”
About: Susan Anderson is a psychotherapist who has devoted over 30 years of clinical experience and research to working with the victims of abandonment trauma, grief, and loss. Author of Taming your Outer Child: Overcoming your Self Defeating Patterns; Journey from Abandonment to Healing; Black Swan: Twelve Lessons of Abandonment Recovery; and The Abandonment Recovery Workbook, she is founder of the Abandonment Recovery movement, a worldwide program of techniques and support groups that help people heal their abandonment wounds past and present, overcome their self-defeating “Outer Child” patterns, and find greater life and love.
Through extensive clinical research, group work, and scientific study, she has developed a treatment protocol specific to overcoming the impact of abandonment trauma in adults and children. Her five universal stages of abandonment recovery (Shattering, Withdrawal, Internalizing, Rage, and Lifting) are based upon scientific findings related to the psychobiology of separation and attachment. Through her books and public appearances, she shares her own experiences with abandonment, grief, and recovery, speaking passionately from personal and professional experience.
In addition to her national tours to promote abandonment recovery, she continues in private practice in Manhattan and Long Island.
To learn more about Susan and her work, visit: http://www.abandonment.net/.
This week on Life on Purpose, we celebrate a momentous occasion: my five-year podcast anniversary — during which time I've produced 56 LoP episodes and nearly 200 hour-long conversations overall!
To help commemorate my journey, I'm joined by the man whose work and community inspired me to start my first podcast (Radio Enso) back in the summer of 2011: author and world-changer Chris Guillebeau.
Chris joined me for a wide-ranging, inspirational, and personal conversation centered around his work and philosophy ("There's more than one way to live your life."); making deliberate and intentional choices in your life; asking, "How can I use my power for good?"; the changes and challenges he's faced since our previous conversation in 2012 including the loss of his brother; the annual gathering of world-changers and "non-conformists" that he hosts each summer in Portland (WDS); his new book Born for This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do; and MUCH more!
About: Chris Guillebeau is a New York Times bestselling author and modern-day explorer. During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. Since then he has modeled the proven definition of an entrepreneur: “Someone who will work 24 hours a day for themselves to avoid working one hour a day for someone else.”
His first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, was translated into more than twenty languages. His second book, The $100 Startup, was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, selling more than 300,000 copies worldwide. That was followed by The Happiness of Pursuit — published in September 2014 and also a New York Times bestseller.
And in his latest book Born for This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do, he's created a practical guide for how to find the perfect job — whether within a traditional company or business, or by striking out on your own.
Plus every summer in Portland, Oregon, Chris hosts the World Domination Summit, a gathering of creative, remarkable people with thousands in attendance. He's also the founder of Pioneer Nation, Unconventional Guides, the Travel Hacking Cartel, and numerous other projects.
To learn more about Chris and his work, visit: http://chrisguillebeau.com/.
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For Life on Purpose Episode #55, a special "Soul Series" interview, my guest is preeminent theologian and bestselling author Matthew Fox, a popularizer of Western mysticism.
Matthew joined me for an enlightening chat about his new book A WAY TO GOD: Thomas Merton's Creation Spirituality Journey, the Cosmic Christ, the divine feminine, eco-justice, and MUCH more!
“A WAY TO GOD is a powerful book about Merton’s pioneering work in deep ecumenism and interfaith; about his essential teachings on mixing contemplation and action; and about how the vision of thirteenth century mystic Meister Eckhart profoundly influenced both Merton and Creation Spirituality, which Fox has long espoused and written about.”
“Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.” —Pope Francis
About: Matthew Fox is a preeminent scholar and popularizer of Western mysticism, who became an Episcopal priest after being expelled from the Catholic Dominican Order by Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict.
He holds a doctorate in spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris and has authored 32 books on spirituality and contemporary culture that have been translated into 60 languages.
He's devoted 45 years to developing and teaching the tradition of Creation Spirituality and in doing so has reinvented forms of education and worship. His work is inclusive of today’s science and world spiritual traditions and has awakened millions to the much neglected earth-based mystical tradition of the West.
He has helped to rediscover Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, and Thomas Aquinas. Among his books are Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, The Reinvention of Work, A Spirituality Named Compassion and Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times.
In his latest book A WAY TO GOD: Thomas Merton's Creation Spirituality Journey, he reimmersed himself in Merton’s journals, poetry, and religious writings, finding that Merton’s marriage of mysticism and prophecy, contemplation and action closely paralleled that of Meister Eckhart, the thirteenth-century mystic who inspired Fox’s own Creation Spirituality.
To learn more about Matthew and his work, visit: http://www.matthewfox.org.
For Life on Purpose Episode #54, my guest is author, speaker, blogger, coach, and social entrepreneur Arvind Devalia.
Arvind joined me for a great chat about about making an impact in the world, increasing your own ripple effect, getting clarity on what your life is about, asking for help, and MUCH more!
“I am committed to opening you to the possibility of discovering your deepest purpose, living a fully expressed life filled with peace, love, well-being, courage and integrity.”
About: Arvind Devalia is an author, speaker, blogger, coach, and social entrepreneur who extols the virtues of a life of contribution by making a positive and powerful impact on the world.
His Amazon best-selling book “Get the Life you Love & Live It” is the complete self help manual for your life with anecdotes and examples from his own life.
And he has been interviewed and quoted in The Mail, The Daily Express and various mainstream magazines in the UK, USA, India and other countries around the world.
To learn more about Arvind and his work, visit: http://www.arvinddevalia.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #53, my guest is internationally renowned teacher, speaker, and coach Zen Cryar DeBrücke.
Zen joined me for a fascinating conversation about her new book Your Inner GPS: Follow Your Internal Guidance to Optimal Health, Happiness, and Satisfaction, what that is, and how to use it.
“You were born with a factory-installed guidance system. It is like the GPS in a car. This system is called your Internal Guidance System, or IGS,” writes Zen. “The guidance it gives you has many different purposes. The most important one is to get you from one end of your life to the other with as much joy, ease, and fulfillment as possible.”
We began the interview with a short interactive exercise that listeners can use to better understand what we're talking about. We also discuss the concepts of opening, closing, and some simple, straightforward techniques for accessing this powerful source of inner wisdom on a daily basis.
About: Zen Cryar DeBrücke is an internationally renowned teacher, speaker, and coach whose programs have helped people all over the world transform their personal and business lives for the better.
As a Master intuitive coach and stress expert, she teaches about the physical sensations in your body that are called anxiety, worry and fear. She uncovered their relationship to one's thoughts and how to manage them for optimal health and happiness.
Zen is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council with experts such as Marianne Williamson and Jack Canfield, who said "Zen Cryar DeBrücke us a master who takes us by the hand and shows us that we all have deep wisdom within.”
In her brand new book Your Inner GPS: Follow Your Internal Guidance to Optimal Health, Happiness, and Satisfaction (New World Library), she says that each of us is born with access to a powerful tool called an Internal Guidance System (IGS). Not unlike the GPS system that is built into cars, its purpose is to guide us through our lives by letting us know whether our thoughts and actions are moving us closer to, or further away from, the things we most want to create in our lives.
To learn more about Zen and her work, visit: http://zeninamoment.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #52, my guest is author, yoga teacher, mental strength coach, former pro-skater, and entrepreneur Cara Bradley.
Cara joined me for an inspirational conversation about her new book On the Verge: Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine and what it means to be "On the Verge": to show up in THIS exact moment and meet our potential to shine in all aspects of our lives. She empowers listeners to live from that place through practices and strategies designed to shift them out of their heads and fully into the present moment.
“When you show up in this moment — when you are 100 percent engaged right here and right now — you arrive in a space where you are fully aware,” says Cara. “In this space, beyond your busy mind, you glimpse your naturally occurring state of being awake and fully alive. In this natural state your mind is clear, your body bright, and your heart open.”
We also discuss the life-changing epiphany she had at her final college track race and how the question she asked then has shaped her life and work since.
About: Cara Bradley is an author, yoga teacher, mental strength coach, former pro-skater for Team Rollerblade® and entrepreneur having devoted more than three decades to movement disciplines and personal transformation. She is the founder of Verge Yoga in Philadelphia and the cofounder of a non-profit Mindfulness Through Movement, providing full year mindfulness programs to more than a dozen schools in urban Philadelphia. She is the host of a podcast series for Women for One called Real Women, Courageous Wisdom. Her upcoming book, On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine (New World Library) will be available in April 2016.
Cara reaches a nationwide audience through her Verge On-Demand Classes, workshops and retreats, and talks on human potential and presents at national conferences, corporations and universities.
Known as a mental strength coach to athletes, she has been training teams and elite athletes, including professional athletes, for over ten years with her unique Fierce Focus Mental Strength Training Program. Teams include Villanova Football, Lacrosse, Soccer and Basketball, Penn State Basketball, University of Pennsylvania Soccer, St. Joseph’s Soccer and Field Hockey, and the USYSA Olympic Development Program.
Cara competed as a figure skater and turned professional at the age of fifteen when she began teaching. As a pro skater for Team Rollerblade, a performance group for Rollerblade Inc., she performed shows in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. She created and starred in SkateFit: The Complete In-Line Skating Workout (ABA Productions, 1994) and co-authored In-Line Skate New England: The Complete Guide to 101 Tours (Countryman Press, 2003) with Cindy Copeland Lewis and Tom Lewis.
She graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University, B.S. International Business and Economics and has started a dozen successful businesses including Blade Skatewear and Camp Rollerblade. She is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher ERYT with Yoga Alliance.
To learn more about Cara and her work, visit: http://www.carabradley.net/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #51, my guest is bestselling novelist and "striving yogi" Karan Bajaj. Born and raised in the Indian Himalayas, Karan now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Via his website and thriving online community, he shares his attempts to live a Yogic life in the heart of the material world.
Karan joined me for a great conversation about his new book The Yoga of Max's Discontent, which was published by Random House on May 3rd 2016. The book, called "The greatest adventure of our Generation" by The Daily Telegraph was inspired by his one year sabbatical traveling from Europe to India by road and learning yoga and meditation in the Himalayas.
"Growing up in the Indian Himalayas, I saw a steady stream of professionals — doctors, engineers, lawyers — leave their careers and live in ashrams and caves near my village. I never fully understood their motives. But 20 years later, I had the same strong urge to spend an extended time in silence and find a deep center of stillness within me after my mother’s untimely death from cancer."
About: Karan Bajaj is a bestselling novelist and striving yogi. Born and raised in India, he has trained as a Hatha Yoga teacher in the Sivananda ashram in South India and learned meditation in the Himalayas. He is the author of the novels Johnny Gone Down and Keep off the Grass, both of which were No. 1 bestsellers in India.
His first worldwide novel, The Yoga of Max's Discontent, was published by Random House on May 3rd 2016. The book, called "The greatest adventure of our Generation" by The Daily Telegraph was inspired by his one year sabbatical traveling from Europe to India by road and learning yoga and meditation in the Himalayas.
He's has also worked in senior executive roles at companies like Procter & Gamble and the Boston Consulting Group and was named among Ad Age's "Top 40 Under 40 executives" in the US.
About The Yoga of Max's Discontent: A violent encounter on the streets of Manhattan forces Wall Street banker Maximus Pzoras to confront questions about suffering and mortality that have dogged him since his mother’s death. His search for a mentor takes him to the farthest reaches of India, where he encounters a mysterious night market, almost freezes to death on a hike up the Himalayas and finally, finds himself in an ashram in a small drought stricken village in South India where strange things begin to happen to him.
But are Yogis who walk on water, do impossible poses, and live agelessly for 200 years the stuff of fiction or fact? Can a flesh and blood man ever truly achieve nirvana? Max struggles to overcome his rational skepticism and the pull of family tugging him back home. In a final bid for answers, he embarks on dangerous solitary meditation in a freezing Himalayan cave. Will Max penetrate the truth of human suffering, or is enlightenment just a new age illusion?
To learn more about Karan and his work, visit: http://www.karanbajaj.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #50, my guest is psychotherapist, award-winning writer, former Buddhist monk, and teacher Donald Altman.
Donald joined me for a excellent conversation about his new book Clearing Emotional Clutter: Mindfulness Practices for Letting Go of What’s Blocking Your Fulfillment and Transformation (New World Library). In the book, he offers readers easy-to-use daily practices designed to dissolve emotional clutter, whether it is old emotional wreckage from their childhood or new emotional clutter that they take on every day.
“The purpose of Clearing Emotional Clutter is to help you heal and move on from pains, insults, traumas, toxic stressors, and emotional clutter from the past and the present — without blaming, shaming, or punishing yourself,” says Altman. “I like to think of it as a mindful lifestyle reboot — a way of clearing out the old, habitual methods of living and thinking that keep us stuck in emotional clutter to the point that we can’t imagine a way out.”
About: Donald Altman is a prolific writer and expert on mindful eating whose career spans more than twenty-five years. He's authored several pioneering books on mindfulness, beginning with his 1998 Art of the Inner Meal. His book The Mindfulness Toolbox is the winner of two 2015 Ben Franklin National Gold Awards,
Another book, The Mindfulness Code, was named as "One of the Best Spiritual Books of 2010." He has also authored Living Kindness, Meal by Meal, The Joy Compass, and a personal guide to developing a mindfulness pratice, A Course in Mindfulness.
In addition to his books, he was a staff writer for an EMMY-Award winning children's television show (The Magic Door, CBS Chicago), he won an American Medical Writer's Association Award, he co-created the first interactive comic strip on America Online, and has had articles appear in New Age Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and Independent Business Magazine, among others.
Donald is also a practicing psychotherapist and former Buddhist monk who teaches in the neurobiology program at Portland State University.
To learn more about Donald and his work, visit: http://www.mindfulpractices.com/.