Good Life Project

As busy, productive humans living in the 21st century, one of our most common responses to the question "How are you?" is "Fine. Busy."

Especially if you're a New Yorker.

And it's true. We are.

But have you stopped to think about what you fill your time with that makes it slip through your fingers so quickly?

Today's guest, journalist and author, Laura Vanderkam, analyzed peoples' time diaries recorded over 1001 days and came up with some startling discoveries. You may not be nearly as "at the will of life's demands" as you think you are.

In our conversation, we start out exploring the truths of the writer's life, then dive right into the truth about time, how to really harness it, how we lie to ourselves about sleep and so much more. In, the end, we find more hope than anything else.

How we spend our time, it turns out, is not a matter of fate, it's a matter of choice.

Some questions I ask:

• When did you decide that being a writer was your thing?
• Are you okay with not having much time to write for yourself anymore?
• Do you believe no one is a natural at writing?
• What surprised you from your time diary studies?
• Can you have it all?

Links we mention:

• How to Make Work Feel More Like Summer Camp
• The Artist's Way - morning pages
• Fast Company
• IRSA
• Gretchen Reynolds - HIIT
• Pareto Principle
• JoAnne Wilson
• I Know How She Does It - out June 9th

Follow Laura:

Blog | Twitter | LinkedIn

"The reality is rosier than the glasses."

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"Someone who is stressed out needs mental health as much as someone who has bipolar disorder."

There are few subjects as delicate as mental disorders and the best way to treat them.

I'm guessing most of us tend to avoid the topic in general, we're pretty ignorant about what is involved.

Until it affects us or someone we're close to it.

That's why I was so interested in learning from today's guest.

Ross Szabo is living proof that living with a mental disorder, in his case bipolar, does not have to define or isolate you.

Through extreme mood swings, substance-abuse, denial, secrecy and erratic, sometimes harmful behavior and thoughts (as well as see his brother go through the same), Ross eventually found his way back to a dynamic peace with bipolar, and devoted his life to becoming a national advocate for better mental health education.

His story is powerful and raw and he shares an honest look into what it's like to "feel the tentacles" of your disorder creeping up on you.

We discuss his process of working through self-hatred as an adult after years of coping through alcohol abuse. He shares his viewpoint on the terminology we use around mental illness and we talk about the alarming trend in schools to cut programs like physical education and art (which are key in supporting mental health for kids).

Fundamentally, Ross is about hope and education, building and sharing his curriculum with thousands of schools through his Human Power Project and speaking on the topic globally.

Some questions I ask:

• Do you remember your first manic episode?
• What's the connection between anxiety and bipolar disorder?
• How did you get into the Peace Corps since you were exposing yourself to change, loss, and lack of sleep?
• What is it like to feel the tentacles of the disorder coming at you?
• How do you publicize a brand about mental disorders?

Links we mention:

• The Human Power Project
• Joseph Campbell
• Behind Happy Faces
• Scott Harrison

Follow Ross:

Website | Twitter

"I was a functional mess-up."

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• My New Book Sparked
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Do you remember being a kid and loving to draw? But at some point early on you learned that your art wasn't good enough? So you stopped.

What if you had learned a different story? That your art WAS good, that your ideas WERE valid, that your perspective WAS valued?

Today's guest is a master of cultivating and allowing for creativity in the art world. Children's animated films to be exact.

Ed Catmull is the founder of Pixar, the world-renowned animation studio that has transformed the film world by creating the standard for computer graphics.

In his recent book, Creativity Inc., Ed discusses how creativity is cultivated, what is required, and his own journey from studying physics in college to founding Pixar (which he still heads today).

Our conversation goes down many fascinating avenues, including the misconceptions we have about what art teaches us, the connection between artistic thinking and entrepreneurship, and his long-standing friendship with giants like George Lucas and Steve Jobs.

He explains what it was like to be on the frontier of computer science in the 70s and how he has learned to navigate the fear of failure.

At the core of Ed's genius though, is what makes a good story, and throughout the interview he shares his wisdom on this topic.

Get excited for a dive into the brilliant mind of the artist and visionary Ed Catmull.

Some questions I ask:

• What made you talk yourself out of studying animation in college?
• How did you evolve from working in physics to technology?
• How important do you think it was for you to have an end goal of what you wanted to create?
• Who was the Steve Jobs you knew and how was he different than the general public's viewpoint?

Follow Ed:

Twitter | Website

"The creative act is acting and responding in the face of change."

Check out our offerings & partners: 

• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED
• Visit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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"PTSD is less of a brain event than an existential event."

We've all heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but we may not realize that we probably all know someone who suffers from it.

While it is typically associated with war and soldiers coming home after combat, trauma is a big part of civilian life.

Today's guest has a fascinating perspective on this as he served for four years on active Marine duty, in the most peaceful of times, but then voluntarily went into war zones as a war reporter after his service.

What he learned from his own experiences with PTSD, as well as his subsequent digging into the research and experiences around it, resulted in his new book, The Evil Hours.

In our conversation, we cover all facets of trauma, David's experiences, and the underlying psychology behind the behaviors we are seeing more of in this country.

He explains the fantasy soldiers create in their minds about coming home (and how difficult it is to reconcile reality with that once they are back), why Americans especially struggle with PTSD, and the idea of coming home as a Joseph Campbell-esque heroic journey that many never finish.

One of the most helpful points he makes, which each of us can apply, is the idea that you have to re-invent yourself after trauma, and creating community around that new identity is essential.

Whether you've experienced trauma yourself or are close to someone who has, David Morris shares a powerful story to better understand what trauma can teach us about ourselves.

Contact David and learn more about his work

Website

"What you arrive with in the war is as important as what happens to you."

Check out our offerings & partners: 

• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED
• Visit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"People who are not listened to need those who are listened to to fight like hell for them."

How many times have you heard an inspiring story of incredible service and heart and then thought, "How does that even get started?"

Probably a lot.

Because the truth is, most of us would love to create an impactful, service-oriented mission in our lives, but we're overwhelmed with the sheer logistics, let alone cost.

Danielle Butin was no different, except that she didn't let those obstacles deter her.

After decades of a highly successful career in occupational therapy and geriatric care, she found herself at a personal and professional crisis.

So she took a trip to Tanzania.

And what she experienced there left a mark so deep on her heart, she couldn't ignore it. Even though she tried.

In this conversation, we get to hear the raw, unfiltered truth about how Danielle had to do the work of "undoing" her professional habits and mindset in order to get her non-profit, Afya Foundation, going.

She opens up about the toll it took on her family, how she found funding and supplies, and how to be direct in communicating what you need to happen (even across the world with a translator).

She peels back the covers on how people react to you when you park a semi-truck full of medical supplies in front of your house, when you dumpster dive in the city, and when you stand up to corrupt systems.

Danielle's story is so full of vision and passion, it will have you changing your entire perspective on what's possible when your heart calls you to do something you've never done before.

It's my honor and delight to introduce you to the extraordinary heart and mind of Danielle Butin.

Some questions I ask:

• How old were you when you started to notice your love of elderly people?
• Why would a corporation not preserve a model that is successful both financially and functionally?
• How do you cover the financial needs of a growing non-profit?

Links we mention:

Afya Foundation

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Partners in Health

Pencils of Promise

Follow Afya Foundation:

Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

"It was about creating a new reality and listening to other people and not just what I knew."

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Chris Kresser is a leading voice in functional and integrative medicine and a New York Times bestselling author of The Paleo Cure.

He maintains a wildly popular, research-driven website and a clinical practice in Berkeley, CA that has been largely closed to new clients for the last 3 years, because he just can't handle the demand.

He's also a bit of a raging introvert, a total science nerd, research fanatic and a humble guy. Chris loves to go deep down the science rabbit hole. And he loves to be with, and make a real difference in the lives of the people he serves.

Funny thing is, none of this was ever supposed to happen...

CChris' entire career was triggered by an intractable illness caught in a small surfing village in Indonesia, during what was supposed to be a year-long surf safari.

That led to a 10 year, brutal health odyssey, where he traveled the world to seek the help of more than 30 different doctors, tried every one-size-fits-all approach to diet, a mountain of meds, amassed what he now calls his supplement graveyard, all in vain. Until, finally, he decided to take matters into his own hands, start to listen to his own body, do his own research and learn to heal himself.

As he began to make progress, he decided to return to school to train in the field that has now become his vocation.

This week's episode takes us deeper into Chris' journey, his recovery and how it became his vocation. We also talk about his book and how, oddly enough, it may have been misnamed and have less to do with paleo than the title implies. And we talk about some incredibly exciting developments in the next wave of medicine.

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It's sooo wonderful to be back from our holiday season hiatus!

And, do I have a powerhouse conversation to share with you today...

By the time she got out of high-school, Terri Cole described her liver as being "pickled" by mass amounts of black-out inducing alcohol.

But it would be a few more years until a brief conversation at an AA meeting would send her reeling, and become the catalyst for her to stop drinking and start down a radically different path.

Sober and focused, she'd soon build a career as a super-agent and confidant to the world's biggest super-models, but the nature of the business and the potential it had to destroy her clients led her to take a giant step further.

She went back to school to become a therapist, then returned to the very same celebs whose careers she'd been making, to help them understand how to better embrace a more balanced, sane and holistic approach to a career all too often defined by excess and extremes.

Over the last 20 years, she's built a powerhouse practice and reputation not just in the celebrity community, but as a respected and deeply intuitive therapist with game-changing and provocative insights on love and personal relationships.

Join us as we trace her remarkable and raw journey. This is a conversation where you'll want to have a pen and paper handy, especially in the later parts of the conversation when Terri begins dropping insights and strategies that just might save or deepen your most precious relationships. You may also want to check out Terri's guided meditations to help get your own practice started.

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I'm rarely stunned. But this was one of those times...

Lewis Howes is a radiant, towering hulk of a human being. Driven, energized, magnetic and successful. I've known Lewis for a number of years now and consider him a good friend.

When he came to me earlier this year to share a dark, incredibly-painful secret from his childhood, I was floored. Did not see it coming. He'd been living with the pain and deep trauma of sexual abuse for decades. At the hands of another man, though he was just a boy.

When he told me, a few months after, that he wanted to "go public" in an effort to help others who'd been through the same thing, I was hesitant.

I didn't know how people might take it, or mis-attribute any unfounded motivations. But he was determined to make it happen and asking me to help guide the conversation. I knew how important it would be to create a "safe container," so I said yes.

The conversation that unfolded was incredibly raw, real, vulnerable and powerful on so many levels. He recently shared it with his community, and now I'm sharing it with you.

Please feel free to share this heartfelt conversation with anyone you think might find support or connection. Please also visit Lewis website and original post, where you can share your thoughts with him directly.

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