Chapter X with Michael Kay

Have you always dreamed of expressing yourself through art but felt limited by a lack of creativity?

Today we explore the depths of human potential and creativity. I'm joined by Michaell Magrutsche, a creativity and awareness educator who embodies the spirit of self-discovery and limitless potential. He is a multidisciplinary artist, author, speaker, and advocate for helping understand neurodiversity.

Michaell has lived a life of resilience and perseverance, overcoming the challenges the system has placed upon him. Through his journey, he has found the power of creativity as a tool for survival and growth, and he's here to share his story with us today.

In this episode, we discussed:

• How the system failed Michaell throughout his life until age 30

• The defining moment he realized he was an artist

• Why many men find it difficult to unearth creativity in themselves

• Recognizing the influence of societal beliefs and ideas on our perception

• What steps can help you move closer to finding creativity

https://michaellm.com

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Today we bring you the inspiring journey of Damian White, a 30-something-year-old poet who has triumphed over homelessness twice. From his struggles in San Francisco after graduate school to turning his passion for writing into a published book, Damian's story showcases the resilience of the human spirit.

In this episode, you'll hear the rich and moving poetry of Damian, captured in his debut book I Made A Place For You. Whether you're a poetry enthusiast or not, I guarantee his extraordinary work will leave you thinking.

Listen in for my conversation with an exceptional young man whose work is revelatory, insightful, and thought provoking. His message highlights the lessons we can gain from navigating the difficulties of transitioning into a new stage of life.

We discussed:

• His tumultuous bouts of being homeless in San Francisco after graduate school
• Making the leap from writing as a hobby to publishing a book of poetry
• A behind the scenes look into the day-to-day life of a poet
• Giving ourselves the gift of time and appreciation for moments
• Damian's advice on the power of working hard for yourself

www.damianwhitewrites.com

Life presents us with a wide array of possibilities. Some things we choose, and others are just beyond our control.

My guest today is Clint Hatton. He is an author, motivational speaker, and personal development and leadership coach who recently published his first book, Big Bold Brave: How to Live Courageously in a Risky World. Clint's story includes dealing with a most impossible life event that he has transformed into something greater and beyond himself.

In this episode, you'll hear about his passion to inspire others in the aftermath of great disappointment to give their pain a purpose and breathe new life into relationships, health, business, and finances. I know you'll find our conversation truly meaningful.

Listen in as we discuss:

• How Clint made a courageous decision to leave his double life behind
• His 20-year journey to developing a deeper level of self-awareness
• The tragic day that changed a family forever in the blink of an eye
• What happens when you don't allow yourself to experience emotion
• How a devastating loss inspired Clint to live more intentionally
• What it really means to make courageous decisions

https://bigboldbrave.us/join

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Do you struggle to have difficult conversations with your adult children? These types of conversations are unavoidable, but they don't require you to sit down for a long, in-depth discussion.

It just means that we can't ignore the things we need to talk about to maintain and enhance the harmony of the relationships in our lives, according to Amy D'Aprix. Today we're back with Dr. Amy as she leads the way on essential conversations with adult children.

Dr. Amy provides sound guidance with humor and enthusiasm for navigating Life Transitions to ensure the success of overall life goals and financial plans. In this episode of a special two-part, we tackle how to discuss values, caregiving, and money with your family.

We discussed:

• How we redefine our relationships as we move through life stages
• Light-hearted ways to address essential conversations in the moment
• The problem with assumptions about shared values in your family
• What happens when we avoid difficult conversations with our children
• How to approach conversations about estate planning with family

Life Transitions by Dr. Amy: My Company | LinkedIn

Navigating Life's Changes Together with Dr. Amy (dramy.life)

Whether you're married or partnered, there will be times when you need to have difficult conversations. But retirement is one of those challenging discussions that many couples don't address until the ground is coming up fast.

That's why I invited Amy D'Aprix to join me on today's show. She's an internationally respected expert on lifestyle issues relating to retirement, aging, caregiving and family dynamics. With a Ph.D. in Social Work, Dr. Amy has provided practical guidance on Life Transitions to individuals, professionals, and organizations for over 30 years.

She has authored the book, From Surviving to Thriving: Transforming Your Caregiving Journey, and co-developed an audio coaching session and companion journal, Building the Bonds of Friendship at Midlife and Beyond.

In this episode, Dr. Amy shares her best advice on what conversations couples should have with each other about retirement planning.

We discussed:

• Why we typically dive into retirement conversations unprepared
• The problem with men concentrating social support into their spouses
• How to approach heavy conversations with joy and fun
• Why bucket lists can contribute to depression and poor mental health
• How to start the conversation about retirement with your spouse
• What time frame Dr. Amy recommends for essential conversations

Life Transitions by Dr. Amy: My Company | LinkedIn

Navigating Life's Changes Together with Dr. Amy (dramy.life)

Is it really more difficult to learn new things as we get older or do we just become stuck in our ways? While it's easier to stay comfortable, this doesn't mean we should stop ourselves from growing.

Dr. Orest Komarnyckyj enjoyed a prestigious career as a periodontal regenerative surgeon before moving to a new passion in June 2018. At age 70, Dr. Orest has taken on a new role as an interviewer, podcaster, and government-certified Old Guy who helps mentor men to get what they want.

He's not afraid to tackle uncomfortable topics and very often brings his audience the unexpected. In today's episode, you'll hear from Dr. Orest on reclaiming your masculinity, your future, and your life.

We discussed:

• The turning point when Dr. Orest realized it was time to leave his career
• Why most people struggle to articulate what they want out of life
• Why there's a price to pay for being financially successful
• How Dr. Orest is optimizing his health to live for 50 more years
• What happens when we get too comfortable with the status quo

Podcast: Old Guy Talks To Me

Coaching Program: The Standard. Academy

Free Digital Magazine: The Standard Academy Magazine for High-Performance Men

Dr. Orest on LinkedIn

Dr. Orest on Twitter

Clint Arthur's initial career plan was to become an investment banker after he graduated from Wharton Business School. Instead, he turned down a job offer from an investment bank in New York City and moved to Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming a screenwriter.

As he tried to make it in the entertainment industry, Clint made ends meet by working as a taxi driver for six years. Deeply unsatisfied with his direction in life, he dove into the world of personal development to work on himself.

Today he's an award-winning speaker, serial entrepreneur, and info marketer who has met some of the most influential people in the world. Clint turned his conversations with key figures into the bestselling book Wisdom of The Men, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

He's a powerhouse of experience, energy and wisdom. Tune into this episode to hear our conversation on:

• One way to have a deeper understanding of what your life is all about
• Why Clint decided to stop chasing his dreams on New Year's Eve 1999
• The most powerful (and cheapest) form of marketing people can do daily
• Why stories aren't about facts—and what really matters in good storytelling
• An important lesson Clint learned in not taking things personally

www.Clinttt.com

Wisdom Of The Men: How I Went From Taxi Driver to Working With Global Superstars & 5 US Presidents, Revealing All My Secrets, So You Can Do It Too by Clint Arthur

The Last Year Of Your Life by Clint Arthur

Chapter X isn’t a solo affair for those who are married or partnered. With these transitions, you may be navigating life changes that have been dormant for years, which can unexpectedly strain your relationship.

Dr. Bruce Chalmer is a psychologist in Vermont who has been working with couples for over thirty years. With his wife, educator Judy Alexander, he hosts the "Couples Therapy in Seven Words" podcast.

Through his teaching, consulting, videos, and writing about relationships, his ideas have helped thousands of couples and their therapists. Dr. Chalmer’s latest book It's Not About Communication! Why Everything You Know About Couples Therapy is Wrong helps demystify the couples therapy process—and some of the frequent challenges that couples run into during the transition from work life.

We discussed:

• How retirement leaves us with more choices (and sometimes anxiety)
• Why we're all trying to fulfill two particular sets of needs as a couple
• The most common reasons why couples seek therapy in retirement
• Why communication isn’t the best solution for relationship problems
• How to turn around the death spiral of passion in a marriage

Books by Dr. Chalmer

Couples Therapy in Seven Words with Judy Alexander and Bruce Chalmer

Tom Glaser had his dream job as a Senior Psychologist for seven years. It was a role so fulfilling that it made him excited to get out of bed in the morning. While he planned to stay in that job until retirement, Tom reached a turning point in his career after a dramatic workplace culture shift.

Eventually, he decided to give up his dream job after realizing he was no longer happy. This was one of the hardest moments of his adult life, but it led Tom to his purpose. Today he's known as the Senior Happiness Superhero. 

A Licensed Psychologist and life coach with over 35 years of experience, Tom is also a yoga instructor and the bestselling author of Full Heart Living: Conversations with the Happiest People I Know. Whether counseling, writing, or teaching, his passion for helping people live their best lives flows through.

We discussed:

• Why Tom decided to give up his dream job before he was ready 
• 3 science-backed things happier people do differently
• Simple techniques that can help improve your self-awareness
• How to reframe pre-performance anxiety into a different energy 
• Why happy people embrace their negative emotions

Special Offer for Chapter X listeners: Order Tom’s book through www.fullheartliving.com and enter FULL at checkout to receive 25% off

Full Heart Living Conversation Sparks

Full Heart Living on Facebook

Full Heart Living on Instagram

Tom Glaser on LinkedIn

The older we get, the more afraid we are to try and learn new things. Why is it harder to break out of our comfort zone in retirement? 

When you say goodbye to your career, you leave behind decades of mastery to become a novice at retirement. Everything new is hard at first. It takes a brave person to try something new, knowing they may not be “good” at it.

Bob Benno spent most of his life as a scientist. As a professor at William Paterson University, he was active as a teacher, researcher and program director in Biopsychology. After 35 years, Bob closed the book on that chapter of his life and entered retirement.

Fortunately, he had a lifelong interest in music and was able to open Chapter X in his life with an intensive study of Jazz. In this episode, he shares his honest and unfiltered story with us.

We discussed:

• How playing jazz unexpectedly helped Bob transition careers in science
• The struggles he faced after leaving behind his career in the classroom
• Dealing with the loss of identity in retirement (and discovering a new one) 
• Why perspective is healthy for finding fulfillment and happiness
• The importance of balancing structure and free time in retirement