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Ever wish you had the courage to try something entirely new? To create something that didn’t exist before? Even if you’re already successful at your career, and you enjoy much of it? Sometimes we just feel this call to try on something new. That’s one of the big ideas we dive into with award-winning journalist and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi. 

• Manoush had success at NPR but later started her own company and podcast, showing it's never too late to try something new.

• Manoush recommends side passions or "garden plots" that let you experiment freely, fueling your main work with energy and excitement.

• We discuss the rapid impact of technology on identity, creativity and relationships, and how to harness change instead of just surviving it.

• Manoush believes in laughing at life's absurdity, being proud of getting older, and taking action instead of waiting on others to live a good life.

• The conversation covers big ideas, passions and perspectives on living well from Manoush's viewpoint as an award-winning journalist.

Join us as we dive into big ideas, passions and living well with award-winning journalist Manoush Zomorodi.

You can find Manoush at: Website | ZigZag Podcast

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Kevin Kelly about excellent advice for living.

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• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit. 
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Beyond money, what truly matters is meaning and purpose - feeling like your work and life make a difference. Studies show significance is key to satisfaction.

Yet workplaces often keep us from these feelings. Seth Godin explores how to transform work into a source of fulfillment and purpose.

Seth has inspired many through his insights on work culture, leadership and spreading ideas. His latest book, The Song of Significance serves as a manifesto for creating a more human-centric workplace.

We discuss:

• Embracing change as the new normal
• Reimagining the workplace to enroll, empower and trust everyone
• How the past few years have trained us to embrace change
• The importance of taking responsibility for meaningful work
• Rediscovering the value of human connection at work

This is a must-listen for anyone seeking a more purpose-driven approach to work. Seth's book can help transform workplaces and create an environment where everyone can do their best work.

You can find Seth at: Website | Instagram

If you LOVED this episode:

• You’ll also love my January episode, featuring the Sparketypes and how to better align your work with who you are, in order to experience more meaning, purpose, and possibility.

Check out our offerings & partners: 

• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED
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Have you ever felt stuck in any part of your life? Trapped in a soul-sucking job, an unfulfilling relationship, a health, fitness or performance plateau, or a creative rut? What if there was a way to tap scientifically-validated principles to get unstuck, break free from the invisible forces holding you back and unleash your full potential? What if you could literally engineer breakthroughs? Turns out, you can.

Adam Alter joins us to discuss his new book Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most, which explores the often unavoidable experience of feeling stuck - whether it's a relationship, career, or health issue - and what we can do to turn stuckness into breakthrough. Adam shares strategies and mindset shifts to get unstuck and how simplifying and experimenting can ultimately help us make progress.

• Stuckness is an inevitable part of the human experience, especially for long-term goals that have a lull period in the middle. We become fixated on the end goal and overlook the journey.
• When stuck, people feel anxious, confused, isolated, and like their struggles are unique even though stuckness is universal. It leads to a flailing response that doesn't help.
• The first step is managing emotions by taking down the pressure and slowing down. Only then can you start to think strategically about how to move forward.
• Hitting plateaus is natural due to the plateau effect - constant methods become less effective over time. Anticipating plateaus and chunking large goals into smaller ones helps navigate through them.
• Failure is also inevitable but we have different cultural baggage around failure depending on the domain. The key is to reframe failure as learning rather than a stain on your character.
• Conducting a "friction audit" - identifying and removing obstacles - can reduce stuckness, especially if done periodically.
• Simplicity trumps complexity when stuck - focus on the 1-2 most important factors that will make the biggest difference now.
• Experimentation, exploration, and luck also play a role in breakthroughs. Being more exploratory increases serendipity.
• Surrounding yourself with different types of people, including those who challenge you, can enrich your life.

You can find Adam at: Website | Twitter

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love my January episode on the power of success scaffolding to achieve incredible visions.

Check out our offerings & partners: 

• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED
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Born in 1989 Ukraine with extensive physical challenges, missing bones and parts of limbs, muscle,s and organ tissue due to in-utero radiation poisoning from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Oksana Masters was left to fend for herself in an orphanage. The world was stacked against her, and the conditions in the three orphanages she endured were, as she described, truly brutal. But, she refused to give up.

Then, at age 7, she’d find herself adopted by a single, American mom, whose own years-long journey to bring Oksana home is its own astonishing story. The simple fact that she survived is remarkable. But, she didn’t just survive, once in her home, enduring multiple additional surgeries and amputations, her indomitable spirit refused to let anyone tell her what she could or could not do. 

And, nearly a decade later, she’d end up stunning not just her mom, and the local community, but the entire world, becoming the United States' most decorated winter Paralympic or Olympic athlete, taking home seventeen medals in four different sports. She has since been featured everywhere from Sports Illustrated to The New York Times and has written a powerful memoir, The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph, that recounts her astonishing journey from the shadow of Chernobyl to the world's biggest stages. 

In today’s deeply moving and inspiring conversation, you'll discover:

1. How an unwavering spirit can conquer the most daunting physical challenges.
2. The power of love, support, and perseverance in overcoming trauma and adversity.
3. The importance of embracing your unique differences and using them to your advantage.
4. What it takes to excel in not just one, but four different sports on the world stage.
5. The life-changing impact of a single decision to never give up.
6. And so much more.

Join us as we explore the extraordinary life of Oksana Masters, and learn how she turned her greatest challenges into her most exceptional victories. How she became unstoppable, and showed the world what was possible. 

You can find Oksana at: Website | Instagram

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Kyle Bryant about how to transform challenges into action.

Check out our offerings & partners: 

• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit. 
• Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

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What if you could transform your sleep in just seven days? What if the key to unlocking your best rest lies within a simple yet powerful prescription, tailored by one of the world's leading sleep experts? What if sleep didn’t have to be something you struggle with and, instead, could become a powerful and friendly ally? Well, that’s exactly where we’re heading into today’s conversation as we open your eyes to the wonders of sleep and help you finally experience the restorative snooze time you've been craving.

My guest today is Dr. Aric Prather, a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. In his new book, The Sleep Prescription: Seven Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest, Aric shares the powerful solutions he uses to help patients at his clinic achieve healing and restorative sleep. In this conversation, you'll discover things like:

• How your internal clock plays a crucial role in your sleep quality
• The importance of sleep transition and the activities that can help you wind down effectively
• The surprising impact of blue light exposure on melatonin production, and the myths around it
• Why it's essential to create a "shrine to sleep" and the consequences of not doing so
• How to retrain your brain for better sleep through innovative techniques
• Why you might want to focus more on wake times than bedtimes
• And so much more.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain insight into the mysteries of sleep and unlock the keys to your best rest. Join us as we explore the groundbreaking work of Dr. Aric Prather and learn how you can transform your sleep in just seven days.

You can find Aric at: Website | Twitter

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Light Watkins about finding calm wherever you are.

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• My New Book Sparked
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These last few years have tested our boundaries on nearly every level. Work, friendship, family, community, geography, politics, religion, social issues, love, and well-being. It’s like we’re being asked to draw lines, all day, every day. Question is, how? How do you create and uphold boundaries that are clear, healthy, and constructive, while also acknowledging the nuance, kindness, and understanding this moment demands? 

Well, my guest today, Nedra Glover Tawwab, can help. A licensed therapist and sought-after relationship expert, she has practiced relationship therapy for 12 years and is the founder and owner of the group therapy practice, Kaleidoscope Counseling. Every day she helps people create healthy relationships by teaching them how to implement boundaries. Her philosophy is that a lack of boundaries and assertiveness underlie most relationship issues, and her gift is helping people create healthy relationships with themselves and others. Nedra is also the author of the New York Times Bestselling book, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself, and The Set Boundaries Workbook: Practical Exercises for Understanding Your Needs and Setting Healthy Limits.

You can find Nedra at: Website | Instagram

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Terri Cole, who brings a beautifully complementary lens to the critical exploration of boundaries.

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• My New Book Sparked
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Could Your Smartphone Be Destroying Your Focus? Have our attention spans, will power, mood and productivity just become hopelessly derailed for life? Answer is, it depends. What we do about our rapidly-diminishing attention and its effect on our work, lives, health, and relationships is mission-critical. 

In today's world, we're constantly bombarded by digital distractions. From emails and social media notifications to the constant buzzing of our smartphones, our attention spans are dwindling to an average of 46 seconds on a screen, before our attention flitters off to something or someone else. But what if the key to regaining control over your focus lies not only in your own habits but also in the way you interact with your devices? 

Our guest today is Gloria Mark whose new book, Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity reveals surprising results from her decades of research into how technology affects our attention and how we can take control, not only to find more success in our careers, but also to find health and wellness in our everyday lives.

In this intriguing conversation, you'll discover:

1. The alarming effect of digital multitasking on our ability to focus and the implications for our mental health.
2. The power of mindfulness practices in helping to combat digital distractions and build a stronger attention muscle.
3. How the "future self" concept can be utilized to motivate ourselves to stay on task and resist the temptation of digital distractions.
4. Simple yet effective environmental changes, such as turning off notifications, can make a significant difference in our ability to concentrate.
5. The importance of deep, meaningful connections with others in living a fulfilling and creative life.

You can find Gloria at: Website | LinkedIn

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Johann Hari on how to reclaim focus.

Check out our offerings & partners: 

• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit. 
• Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

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You’ve heard about it everywhere, but what does AI have to do, if anything, with living a good life? With how you live and work and play? With the choices you get to make, and the choices that might be taken from you? With the ability to do more of what you love and less of everything else? And, beyond AI, what are some of the big levers to live by? The simple bits of wisdom that actually have a giant impact on everything from work to play, love to health and beyond? 

These are just some of the big questions and ideas I’m exploring with none other than truly visionary thinker, Kevin Kelly. Kevin has played a pivotal role in shaping the discourse around technology and its potential impact on society for decades. His latest book, Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier is an ideal companion for anyone seeking to navigate life with grace and creativity.

In today's episode, we dive deep into the fascinating world of emergent technologies, with a focus on AI, and get to some both exciting and unsettling, but important truths (or at least guesses), unearthing some the most groundbreaking ideas and insights that promise to redefine the very fabric of our existence. And we also dive into some of the fun, surprising and wise and, in his words, excellent bits of advice for living. 

You can find Kevin at: Website | Instagram

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Parker Palmer about what really matters in life.

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• My New Book Sparked
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Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have a magical way with words, effortlessly connecting with others, inspiring change, being able to share ideas in a way that seems to bypass defenses, be wildly persuasive and lead to action and impact? What IS it that lets them do it? In today's fund and surprising conversation with Jonah Berger, we delve into the fascinating world of language, persuasion, and ethics, and reveal the secrets to harnessing the power of what my guest calls “magic words” in your everyday life.

Jonah is a world-renowned expert on natural language processing, change, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and why things catch on. His latest book, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way, provides a powerful toolkit and actionable techniques around the science of language and how you can use it to change minds, engage audiences, and drive action.

In today’s conversation, we explore the incredible ways in which language can impact our lives, relationships, and influence, including:

1. The concept of "linguistic chameleons" and how adjusting your language can create stronger connections with others.
2. The power of emotional language to hold attention, evoke curiosity and inspire action.
3. How sharing vulnerabilities and failures can foster a sense of camaraderie, empowering others to persist in their endeavors.
4. The importance of understanding similarities and differences in language, and the potential to drive creativity and cultural shifts.

You can find Jonah at: Website | Twitter

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Zoe Chance about ethical persuasion.

Check out our offerings & partners: 

• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit. 
• Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

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Ever notice how, increasingly, spirituality, and especially, religion, have become these loaded terms? Let alone concepts. But, does that have to be the case? What might a new lens or approach on spirituality and faith look like? One steeped in openness, kindness, inclusivity, service, compassion and beyond? 

That is where we’re headed today in this deep and nuanced conversation with my guest, Rainn Wilson. Now, before you even ask, you may be wondering, “Isn’t he the three-time Emmy-nominated actor who portrayed Dwight Schrute on NBC's The Office?” And, the answer would be yes. But what you may not know is that Rainn has been traveling, examining, and deeply studying both his own Baha'i tradition, as well as nearly every other religious and spiritual tradition for more than 50 years. He is no stranger to deep, meaningful conversations. His latest book, Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution explores the harmony between personal transformation service and the future of religion and spirituality. And, that’s exactly where he headed in today’s deep, rich, wise, and kind conversation.

You can find Rainn at: Instagram | Twitter

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Matthew McConaughey about the pursuit of meaning, joy and expression in life.

Check out our offerings & partners: 

• My New Book Sparked
• My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit. 
• Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

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