Encore Living

What if the labels you put on your experiences are actually shaping how you respond to them?

We do it all the time. Something happens, and we immediately label it as annoying, scary, a problem, or even a crisis. Then we react as though that label is an undeniable fact. But here's the thing: we're the ones who created the label in the first place!

In today's episode of Encore Living, I share how a simple label maker offers a powerful reminder about mindfulness, detachment, and the freedom to choose how we interpret our experiences.

Maybe it's time to retire your internal label maker and approach life with a little more curiosity.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

Who decided what we're supposed to eat for dinner anyway?

When I realized I didn't have my usual dinner ingredients, I started wondering if I could just have cereal instead. That simple question got me thinking about all the unwritten rules we follow without even realizing it.

From the route we take to the store to which leg goes into our pants first, our lives are full of routines we rarely question.

With just two months left in 2026, why wait until January to start examining your habits? Maybe it's time to experiment a little, question the familiar, and discover where you could be having breakfast for dinner.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

Apparently, I've reached the age where someone thinks I should be considering my cremation options. And they even invited me to lunch to discuss them!

But this unexpected piece of mail got me thinking about something much bigger: How often do we let the outside world tell us who we are?

In today's episode of Encore Living, I explore how other people's perceptions and the circumstances around us can influence the way we see ourselves—and why we don't have to accept those perceptions as truth.

Because you can notice a thought without agreeing with it. And ultimately, you get to decide who you are and what's possible for your life.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

The New York City Marathon brought out something extraordinary in people, and it wasn't just the runners crossing the finish line.

It was the strangers cheering until nightfall, the runners helping each other, and the thousands of spectators who came together to celebrate people they'd never met.

In this episode of Encore Living, Dr. Thor reflects on what these moments reveal about the beauty of humanity, the power of community, and how we can create more happiness simply by participating in life.

Because sometimes, the best way to experience more joy is to help create it for someone else.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

What happens when things are finally going your way, but you can't quite enjoy it?

After watching UCLA's remarkable football turnaround, I noticed something interesting about how fans react to success. Some are still haunted by past disappointments. Others are already worrying about what happens next.

And it got me thinking about how often we do the same thing in our own lives.

In this episode of Encore Living, I explore why we keep moving the goalposts on our happiness, and how we can learn to appreciate the good things happening right now without giving up our dreams for the future.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

Ever feel like you're running out of ideas? What if the problem isn't a shortage of ideas, but the belief that ideas are scarce?

In this episode of Encore Living, I share a realization that came while preparing to record the podcast on a busy Friday evening. Drawing inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic and my own experience creating a daily show, I explore what happens when we stop trying to manufacture creativity and start making ourselves available to receive it.

You'll discover how shifting from scarcity to abundance, creating a regular outlet for creativity, and setting a simple daily intention can help you recognize ideas that may already be all around you.

A question to take into your weekend: What wants to come through me today?

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

What if you were the CEO of your own life?

Imagine your life is a corporation called You, Inc. As CEO, you're responsible for deciding how to invest its most valuable resources: your time, energy, creativity, skills, and talents.

In this episode of Encore Living, I explore how thinking like the CEO of your life can help you step back, gain perspective, and make better decisions about where to focus your attention.

Because just because you can do something doesn't mean it's the best use of you.

Today's question: If you were the CEO of You, Inc., would you assign yourself the work you're doing right now?

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

What would an archaeologist 100 years from now think about the things you're worried about today?

Inspired by comedian Jake Lambert's hilarious take on modern life, Dr. Thor explores what happens when we imagine looking back at our lives from the year 2126.

Would someone in the future understand why we spent so much time worrying about unanswered messages, awkward conversations, or what strangers thought of us?

And what about the things we never got around to doing?

In this episode of Encore Living, discover how a little perspective can help you distinguish between what feels urgent today and what really matters over the course of a lifetime.

Here's Jake Lambert's IG, where you can find some of his "future historian" bits: https://www.instagram.com/jakelambertcomedy/

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

What if the thing you think requires two hours could actually be accomplished in one minute?

During a recent workshop, I was given just 60 seconds to come up with a personal story. My first reaction was resistance. How could I possibly create something meaningful in such a short time?

But something surprising happened when I stopped overthinking and simply trusted that the answer would come.

In today's episode of Encore Living, I share what that experience taught me about time, resistance, and the possibility that the answers we're searching for may already be within us.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do is get out of our own way.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

What might you discover if someone followed you around for a day, observing your behavior and asking why you do the things you do?

After watching the new documentary You Can See Everything, featuring filmmaker Nathan Fielder and former Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, I found myself thinking about an intriguing possibility: What if we became documentarians of our own lives?

Not to criticize ourselves. Not to catch ourselves doing something wrong. But simply to become curious about our thoughts, reactions, and everyday choices.

In this episode of Encore Living, I explore the difference between being critical and being curious, how observing our behavior can reveal underlying beliefs, and why we don't necessarily need to change anything to benefit from greater self-awareness.

Sometimes, simply noticing what we do can open the door to new possibilities.

Today's invitation: Imagine you're making a documentary about your own life. What questions would you ask the main character?

And remember, that character is you.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com