...We Have a Spiritual Problem is now Centered: Becoming Whole in a Chaotic World.

What is Centered? And what is it not?

In this foundational manifesto episode, Dr. Jeff Armstrong articulates the vision, convictions, and commitments behind Centered: Becoming Whole in a Chaotic World. This is not a reaction to cultural noise. It is a declaration of orientation.

Naming fragmentation as the defining pathology of our age, this episode outlines the architecture of wholeness through the SPIES framework and argues that integration without right orientation cannot produce flourishing. Drawing on theology, philosophy, and the vision of convergence articulated by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, this manifesto defines the standard for future conversations.

This is the constitution of Centered.

For years, we have named the diagnosis: we have a spiritual problem. But what if naming the problem is only the beginning?

In this pivotal transition episode, Dr. Jeff Armstrong introduces the rebranding of the podcast to Centered: Becoming Whole in a Chaotic World. Moving beyond critique and cultural diagnosis, this episode asks a deeper question: What does human flourishing actually require?

Drawing from the SPIES model (Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social wellness), exercise physiology, theology, and the vision of convergence articulated by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, this episode lays the foundation for a new direction — one focused not merely on identifying disorder, but cultivating integration.

This is the shift from problem to formation. From fragmentation to wholeness. From reaction to orientation.

The recent attention on the “Epstein files” has reignited conversations about power, exploitation, secrecy, and moral corruption at the highest levels of society. But what if the real story is not who is in the files—but who is not? In this episode of …We Have a Spiritual Problem, Dr. Jeff Armstrong reflects on ten things you will never find in those files—ten markers of spiritual maturity, humility, and human flourishing. This is not an episode about scandal. It is an episode about transcendence, about the urgent need for Spiritual evolution in a world captivated by darkness, and about who we are becoming when we choose conscience over power.

In this episode of …We Have a Spiritual Problem, Dr. Jeff Armstrong sits down with Ron Kastner—author of A Life Yet to Live: Finding Health, Vitality, and Joy After 60—to explore a spiritual journey still unfolding. After decades of focusing on health, vitality, and longevity, Ron shares a recent religious and philosophical reawakening that has reshaped how he thinks about meaning, community, and purpose.

Together, Jeff and Ron discuss how early religious experiences shape lifelong worldviews, what it means to say we have a “spiritual problem,” and whether today’s crises of meaning and connection are spiritual at their core. They explore universalvalues, practical tools for cultivating purpose, and the role of community in spiritual flourishing—across belief systems and philosophical divides.

Whether you identify with a faith tradition, consider yourself spiritual-but-not-religious, or simply feel a quiet hunger for deeper meaning, this conversation offers thoughtful insights and practical steps for beginning—or continuing—a spiritual life yet to be lived.

BUY A Life Yet to Live: Finding Health, Vitality, and Joy After 60 on Amazon and support this podcast: https://amzn.to/4kFMQWW

Learn more about Ron Kastner at https://ronkastner.com/

Transformation is not a moment; it is a way of living that unfolds slowly across a lifetime. In this episode of …We Have a Spiritual Problem, Dr. Jeff Armstrong revisits ten mantras that have appeared, implicitly and explicitly, across previous conversations and episodes—not as slogans, but as anchors for transformative aging.

These mantras form an informal rule of life, shaping identity, posture, and purpose as we age. Drawing connections between spiritual formation, mortality awareness, humility, gratitude, and discernment, this episode explores how the words we rehearse internally may determine not just how long we live, but how well—and how wisely—we age… as we live with Purpose.

What if the solution to our deepest spiritual crisis isn’t dramatic, mystical, or complicated—but small, ordinary, and human? In this episode of …We Have a Spiritual Problem, Dr. Jeff Armstrong explores how everyday acts of kindness—smiles, listening, gratitude, generosity—quietly repair what isolation, speed, and self-absorption have damaged. Through stories, reflection, and practical insight, we discover how tiny acts of connection create powerful ripples of meaning, belonging, and spiritual renewal in our lives and communities.

Negativity is often treated as a personality flaw or a mental habit—but what if it is, at its core, a spiritual problem? In this episode, Dr. Jeff Armstrong explores how negativity grows when meaning erodes, when suffering goes unanswered, and when the soul quietly concludes that life is no longer trustworthy. Drawing from psychology, spirituality, and lived experience, this conversation invites listeners to see negativity not as a failure of character, but as a wound of the spirit—and to discover how healing begins when we learn to say yes to life again.

What if aging is not decline—but direction? In this episode of …We Have a Spiritual Problem, Dr. Jeff Armstrong explores the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and the idea of Spiritual evolution toward the “Omega Point.” Using the lenses of well-centered fitness, the SPIES model, and transformative aging, this episode argues that aging well is not just physical or psychological—it is spiritual. Not in a religious sense, but in the deepest human sense: growing toward love, connection, community, and purpose. Aging well becomes not something that happens to us, but something we consciously grow toward.

For decades, many evangelical churches have centered the Christian faith on having a “personal relationship with Jesus” and securing one’s own salvation. While often well-intentioned, this framework has quietly reshaped Christianity into something highly individualistic, future-oriented, and disconnected from the way Jesus actually taught people to live.

In this episode of '…We Have a Spiritual Problem', Dr. Jeff Armstrong examines how self-focused salvation theology can undermine discipleship, love of neighbor, and the transformation of the world. Drawing on John 3:17, the teachings of Jesus, spiritual evolution, the Omega Point, and voices like NT Wright, this conversation reframes Christianity not as a rescue plan for individuals, but as a way of life oriented toward love, sacrifice, and participation in God’s ongoing renewal of creation.

What if the real bottleneck in our businesses isn’t strategy, hustle, or even talent — but a spiritual problem? In this conversation, Andrew Grinbaum, founder of the Spirituality in Business Institute and a leader who runs two companies on just one hour a week, reveals why meaning, purpose, and inner alignment are the missing engines of healthy organizations. From working with executives at major firms to guiding hundreds of small business owners, Andrew has witnessed how spiritual clarity transforms productivity, culture, and leadership. This episode explores the deeper forces at play beneath burnout, stagnation, and broken workplace systems — and how reconnecting with our “why” can radically change the way we work and lead.