Episodes

Life currently is pretty uncomfortable for most of us. Yet, we continually should challenge ourselves and expose ourselves to just a bit more discomfort. I realized than a new challenge, even a small one, distracts me from my worries and makes me feel more alive. Listen to this replay episode originally published as in Episode 467 and see if you can tackle something new that will help you grow.

Somehow we all adopted the new catchy phrase The New Normal, as if it were that easy to just jump from old to new. I think letting go is easier said than done. We grief over what we lost, especially if it mattered. Lets talk about the importance of a transition and allowing our feelings to be present for that.

Hope can sometimes feel overly optimistic. But total negativity on the other hand also doesn't seem right. Whats a hope that is active and engaged? Lets learn about wise hope. Wise hope encourages us to stay aware and involved, while recognizing our limitations. Wise hope is a good middle ground that keeps is mindful and present.

All this alone time has taught me how to have more conversations with myself. These are more than just self talk. They are actual inquiries into my heart. I seek stillness in nature, and then I ask questions. And quite surprisingly, after a dialog with myself, I obtain answers. These then give me more clarity and direction for my life.

Looking for the positives in a tough situation can be hard. When there is sadness, we need to allow it to be. And then we can look for meaning in the circumstance. We can look at what we have available to us, and what we can do with that. The search for meaning requires asking questions, having a conversation with ourselves, and some experimentation. But that keeps us engaged. And that will take us somewhere and not keep us stuck.

Join me for a deep and mindful conversation with Charlie Rebich, creator of Beyond Polarization, a project that aims to help us communicate better despite opposing viewpoints. In this interview you will learn that conflict does't have to polarize us. Instead we can learn how to dance with it and thereby improve our relationships. Charlie shares simple mindfulness tools such as breathing and journaling that can help us stay centered when things heat up around us. We talk about hope, how to remain...

When we face a negative situation, its natural to deem it as something bad. Equally, a pleasant surprise is often considered great news. But these are judgements in the moment and we don't really know what this event turns into in the long-term. Right now we are all facing adverse circumstances, but can we know for sure what happens down the road? An ancient Chinese parable can help us shift our thinking.

Sometimes we find friends in unique and unexpected ways. In this interview with my friends Bharat Nain and Mallory Whitfield, you can learn about importance of being open-minded, compassionate and vulnerable. And you will also notice how this has helped us become friends, even though we are all very different.

We all desire more inner peace but we think the search for it is complicated and time-consuming. In this episode I share the most basic tool we all have at our disposal to access that peace, which doesn't have to be found. Its already within us. It just needs to be drawn out.

Getting up early, earlier than everyone else, and earlier than your normally would, is the most important routine you can have. The answer to the tasks you're currently not tackling, and the goals you are currently not reaching lies in the early hours of the day. When everyone is asleep, you can get ahead. In this episode I share a strategy that works for me when I am determined to establish a new routine.

This is a unique time in our life and instead of asking what it is teaching us, we need to look for the lessons we are learning. These will be different for everyone. But it usually the things we struggle with that teach us the most. Take some time for reflection on the things you are learning during this time.

Have you observed a trend towards more kindness and generosity in your community? People are stepping up by sharing their content more freely and being more available. There might be a correlation between peace and love. While we are forced into peace, we are reaching out and extending more love. We are seeking connection with others and I believe we are (finally) more proactive about it and more compassionate with each other. Its a good trend.

Is life good when I am happy, or am I happy when life is good? Life is who you are. We are our life and we are responsible how it plays it.We can't control what happens in the world around us, but we can control our inner world. This is an important consideration especially during the current pandemic where many of us are at a loss and looking for answers and certainty on the outside.

Part 2 of my interview with the amazing Dre, where he shares important life wisdom. Dre not only got himself out of trouble, but now lives a prosperous life which he continually improves upon. And - he helps others to do the same. He runs a barbershop in one of the poorest parts of Oakland, not to make money, but to make a difference. Listen to learn from Dre on how achieve a life true that is aligned with your values.

My friend Dre shares his very personal story that began in the poorest neighborhoods in Oakland. He still works in that area but now has a much different life. The streets have taught him principles he still uses and applies. He is a successful entrepreneur and in this first part of the interview, we meet Dre at his Barbershop where he talks about his journey. The lessons from his life can serve us today as we are trying to adjust to change and adversity.

Just as if a long-term relationship just ended, I have a hard time accepting my new reality. Yet, I realized that this is exactly what I need to do in order to move forward. Wishing for my old life to return keeps me hanging on to a past that will not come back. Without accepting, I can't move forward. And most importantly, I will miss the opportunity that lies in this moment.

It may feel as though we are a victim in this current pandemic because so much is out of our hands. Stuck at home, all we can do is worry and wait. The Stoics would disagree. Worry is an unproductive emotion that only hinders how we show up for ourselves and others every day. Lets go over some of the ancient Stoic advise and apply it. We can control more than we think.

Our worries take us into the future. While worrying, we miss the beauty of the current moment. Right now, right here, our worries haven't yet materialized. While the world definitely is NOT ok at the moment, we can find small joys in every day. Lets focus on those.

Breathing well is the most basic form of self care that we can all do in these challenging times. Worry and stress can cause us to hold our breath more than we realize. Combine your conscious inhales with conscious thoughts of peace. What you breathe is also what you breathe out. By taking in more peace, more love will be able to emerge.

Our vision has become very blurry. We had goals, we had resolutions, we had plans. And now? Everything is on hold. This is a pause. It does not mean everything is lost. But it may look different than we thought. Now is the time to reflect, to meditate, to become still and to clear our vision so we can see better again. 2020 is a year of clear vision - but it will require more effort to see. Lets come together and help each other see. I created a Meetup group called Vision 2020. Join me! https://...

Especially in difficult situations, we like to find someone to blame. We are in a pandemic, and yes, its easy to look east and just blame a country or a group of people. But that does not help us get out of the situation we are in. We are in this together. We are all connected. We are all part of the problem and the solution. Its our opportunity to contribute to this solution.

In this uncertain time, we look for any signal from the outside that can give us some peace. We read news, hoping it will get better. Sadly, there are very few lights at the end of what appears to be a long tunnel. We cannot find peace on the outside - peace always come from within. And when we find it within us, we can then carry it outward.

During these challenging times, where we all try to make sense of our life, Monk has a message for us. Its about coming home, not just physically, as we are all forced to do right now, but also in our heart. Come home to yourself, sit with yourself, and in the stillness, discover yourself. Your strength, your wisdom, and love for yourself and the world - its all within you. Allow Monk to teach to you a very critical lesson that can decide how you will overcome the current obstacle.

Every day these days I wake up feeling like its a brand new day. In absence of my regular routine, my plans and my appointments, I need to gather strength and courage to get my days moving along in a productive way. But I can also look at it as a new opportunity to do something different. To use the time I have in a new way. To change my approach, and come out of my routine-driven thinking and think in different, more creative ways.