Health, Wealth and the Pursuit of Happiness

Season 2 is gaining some great momentum!

Our first episode set the framework for how we are tackling the subject of health and well-being. In our second episode we are doing the same for the subject of wealth and abundance. Now our third episode we do the same for happiness and prosperity.

We start with a historical look at happiness from some of the great minds our world has delivered on the subject of happiness. They provide some pretty cool insights and parallels around meaning, purpose, relationships and generosity.

In the spirit of “the unexamined life is not worth living,” where is your happiness level today? In this moment? Are you happy? Are you living a happy life? An inspired life with meaning and purpose? Where ever you find yourself on the happiness scale, I can tell you there is more for you!

Begin exploring your happiness now and defining that for yourself. Join the conversation with Aries and me. And thanks for listening!

To your happy and inspired life!

Mark Dale Mazur, RLP®

Registered Life Planner

What We Discuss:

• An overview of happiness from the wisdom of the sages before us

• Happiness as the meaning and purpose of life.

• Buddha: “The meaning of true happiness is the end of all suffering” and “if one thinks pure thoughts, happiness follows…”and “meditation is the medicine for the pain derived from “impure” thoughts.”

• Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living” and “happiness is attained through human effort” and “all people desire happiness” and happiness does not depend of extern things for

• Aristotle: “Happiness depends on ourselves and is measured at the end of one’s life.”

• John Locke: Coined the term: “pursuit of happiness” and “happiness motivates everything we do.”

• Victor Frankl: Happiness as an outcome of “looking for and finding the meaning of life.”

• Martin Seligman: On the scientific research: “The most satisfied people are those that are using their signature strengths,” and that “happiness can be learned.” His three dimensions that be cultivated: the pleasant life, the good life and the meaningful life.

• Abraham Maslow: “The story of the human race is selling themselves short.” He alludes to a relationship to happiness and self-actualization and discovering who we are.

• The seven habits of happy people

1. Relationships

2. Acts of kindness

3. Exercising and physical well-being

4. Finding your flow

5. Spiritual engagement and meaning

6. Discovering and using your strengths

7. Positive mindset, optimism and gratitude

• The outward expression of happiness reflected in acts of charity and kindness with others

• Elizabeth Dunn, “Those that give to others are generally happier.”

• Mark’s most recent experience of an act of kindness with others

• The importance of small acts of kindness, like opening a door for someone

• Sharing our hearts with others as relational beings

• A long-term life study that showed the those with close relationships throughout their lives lived happier lives than those that did not

• The relationship between health and close meaningful relationships

• Spiritual engagement and the impact knowing your higher-self has on your happiness

• Finding meaning and purpose is not a fleeting pleasure, but a real knowing of happiness

Supporting Resources:

• Pursuit of Happiness website

We’re off to the races for Season 2!

Our previous episode set the framework for how we’re tackling the subject of health and well-being. In this episode we’re doing the same for the subject of wealth and abundance.

We make a case that our collective definition for wealth is one that’s been shaped by society, culture and industry. Many are the actors, and each has contributed towards influencing our thinking about how we value and define wealth.

Capitalism driven by human behavior has its virtues. But it also has its “dark” side such as greed, dishonesty and manipulation. Take it from a marketing guy; don’t underestimate the power of advertising and marketing to sway our behavior and thinking regarding money and wealth.

As we like to quote Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

We invite you to listen to this episode and examine your definition of wealth. Is it best supporting the essence of who you are at your heart’s core? Are you taking a balanced view? Is the amount of time, energy and focus you spend on the money side of wealth-building better used towards those things near and dear to your heart?

Listen here and please don’t forget to check out the links to all the resources shared in this podcast from your podcast app or from our website at www.hwph.org.

In support of living your inspired life!

Mark Dale Mazur, RLP®

Registered Life Planner

What We Discuss:

• A traditional definition of wealth

• Wealth as physical assets of monetary value

• Redefining and expanding the definition around wealth

• Are we spending too much time and energy dealing with money

• Net worth statement vs self worth statement

• Why are we so focused on wealth?

• The link to insecurity, status seeking and social acceptance and seeking wealth

• Shifting from an external focus on life to an inner focus

• The influence of the financial industry marketing machine on our focus on money

• What was the original American dream? Freedom.

• The American dream today is more about the external things of the affluent

• Is it still relevant and does it hold true for all of us today?

• The role of your unique ability and in a more expanded definition of wealth

• What is unique ability for each of us? Expressed through why we are here.

• Your unique ability is a big part of your self worth statement

• Prosperity as a more expanded and comprehensive definition of true wealth

• Prosperity as the anchor word true wealth

• Prosperity as a state of flourishing, thriving and good fortune

• Abundance of the things we love as a part of understanding true wealth

• Knowing and being thankful for what you have an abundance of

• What is enough money and the things it buys enough for you?

• Mark’s feeling of prosperity from the questions posed by his granddaughter

• Focusing the “Big Five” on what gives you a feeling of prosperity and abundance

• The importance of defining what true wealth means to you

• Explore embracing this wider view of wealth that can lead to greater freedom

Supporting Resources:

• Unique ability by Strategic Coach

• Unique ability the book

• HWPH Unique Ability Podcast Episode

Now we get down to the business of health, wealth and happiness for you.

We open this season with an overview of how we define health. It’s really about answering the question of what’s the framework for living a life in good health with an ongoing sense of well-being. What does that really mean? Is it achievable? And if so, how?

It’s actually simple. Simple in that it’s not hard to understand and grasp. Simple in that it’s not rocket science, but it is the science of the how the human mind and body work. The good news is we are also not required to understand at a deep and complex level how it all works.

The requirements of the mind body connection to operate at an optimum level is simply a matter of how to practice the basics of living. That is to eat, to drink, to move, to rest, and most importantly to be, in a way that fully supports the wiring and operating system of our bodies.

This season is dedicated to bring to you the subject experts that will share the ideas, knowledge and best practices that will create a strong foundation for experiencing good health and a state of well-being.

With appreciation for the opportunity to help you fully live into your inspired life!

What We Discuss:

• Our intentions for Season 2

• Living healthy, wealthy and happy

• Broadening the subject on healthy living

• Why thinking more globally about your health is important

• The Wheel of Health:

- Physical

- Mental

- Emotional

- intellectual

- Environmental

- Social

- Vocational

- Spiritual

• Defining health as an overall state of well-being

• Defining well-being as a state of existence with an overall combination of health, happiness and prosperity

• Pathways to disease and pathways to well-being

• Feeling good is not the ultimate marker for a healthy body

• How do we approach maintaining a state of well-being?

• Developing best practices of preventative care

• Taking personal responsibility for our health. What does that really mean?

• Top three precursors to health issues:

1. Eating the wrong foods

2. Not managing stress well

3. Not getting enough sleep

• A balanced life is important for maintaining a life of well-being

• Practicing and how we live our lives when we get off track and getting back on

• The 80-20 rule

• The 14 Constructs of Great Health and using it as a barometer of one’s well-being

• Mark’s suffering experience with headaches in his 20s as a teacher about health

• The power of moving your body on a regular basis

• Mind body routines: The key to good health and well-being

• Stress and how we handle change impacting one’s energy and diet

• The master of dealing with change leading to good health and longevity

• Living a simple life and the power of environment for well-being

• Define what health and well-being is for you and “take the right action!”

• Being aware and viewing health on the broadest holistic level

Supporting Resources:

• Jim Reese and The Reese Wellness System

• Alina Sepeda and Pivotal Acupuncture

We have come to the end of Season 1 with Episode 14. For both of us it’s been one of the most engaging growth experiences either of us have ever experienced.

Our intention was to bring thoughtful and soul-stirring content to help others along their journey. It has also been a catalyst for us which has led to a deeper understanding of each of our lives and our place in the world. That is to say, awakening to who we are and why we are here.

In this final episode we summarize and reframe our process for you to discover your soulful, higher-self, leading to an inspired big and true vision through the art of asking the key questions of yourself.

May this listening continue to bring it all together for you.

With appreciation to have shared… and to your inspired life!

What We Discuss:

• Are you living intentionally?

• Are you discovering your inspiration?

• Are you listening to your inner being?

• Are you seeing a big and true, authentic vision for yourself?

• Are you using the Wheel of Life to begin an assessment of your life’s score?

• Are you using the Three Questions and Heart’s Core Grid to discover more about yourself?

• Are you able to take the right action forward towards your vision?

• Are you reallocating how you are spending your time?

• Are managing your energy more closely?

• Are you aware of and leveraging your unique abilities?

• Are you managing your resources and money effectively?

• Are you in the relationships that fully support you and your vision?

• Are you accessing the wisdom of others in support of your inspired life?

Supporting Resources:

• The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer

• Lighting the Torch by George Kinder

• Listening to Your Inner Voice by Douglas Boch

• Life Visioning by Michael Bernard Beckwith

• Wheel of Life by Money Quotient

• Three Questions and Heart’s Core Grid by Life Planning for You from Kinder Institute

• The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

• Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

• Manage Your Energy by Chuck Marunde, J.D.

• Unique Ability 2.0 Discovery by Catherine Nomura, Julia Waller and Shannon Waller

• Seven Stage of Money Maturity by George Kinder

• Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan

The penultimate episode of Season One features the father of life planning, George Kinder.

When one wants to master a skill, one should learn from a master.

If you want to understand what living a life of real freedom is all about, do yourself a favor and listen to this interview from someone who walks the talk and lives the words he speaks. George is such a person and master of the art of life planning.

He has personally been an inspiration to me and the myriad others that have known or been taught by him.

In this interview George takes us through his early life, when the seeds of freedom were sown, and the early stages of the life planning movement. You will learn more about the most important skill we can bring to others: Being fully present and listening with unconditional positive regard for the one who is sharing with us.

Enjoy and please don’t forget to check out the links to all the resources shared in this podcast.

In love and appreciation… and to your inspired life!

What We Discuss:

A brief recap of Mark’s and Aries’ intentions for this season

Both of them hoped for “one thing” this first season. Learn what it was.

George’s young life growing up on the foothills of the Appalachians

The best year of George’s life at the young age of three

Being conscious of vitality and inspiration at this early age

Growing up in a small “salt of the earth” town

Harvard in the 60s with students “ruling the campus”

Valuing our democratic freedoms and how he can live and make it accessible to others

Came out of Harvard wanting to live a life of poetry, painting and meditation

Inspired by the work of Christo as a sculpture

Became an accountant providing tax planning part time to support his life as an artist

How George evolved from taxes to financial planning in the 70s

Learning about empathy and listening skills from his niche building with therapists

How listening was and has always been at the heart of planning

Viewing money as simply a means of facilitating our dream of freedom

Why he shifted from service to the public consumer to industry professionals

When you live a life of freedom and vitality you gain greater self-knowledge

A bit about George’s spiritual journey

How just living a life of freedom, vitality and vigor can propel the client forward

We were born to be authentic and bring something extraordinary into the world

Finding our authenticity, self-knowledge and wisdom to model integrity and freedom

The Three Questions, Heart’s Core Grid and living your Ideal Day, Week and Year

Being awake and present in every moment of our life

George’s latest book: A Golden Civilization & The Map of Mindfulness

Resources:

Websites

A Golden Civilization

Life Planning for You

The Kinder Institute

Books by George Kinder

A Golden Civilization & The Map of Mindfulness

Seven Stages of Money Maturity

Life Planning for You

Lighting the Torch

Transforming Suffering into Wisdom: Mindfulness and the Art of Inner Listening

When we are moving towards a Big and True Vision of who we are and what we want to be in the world, everyone around us plays a vital role in our ability to fulfill that Vision.

We are social creatures and, ultimately, none of us can do it alone. We need the energy and support of key people in our lives.

If we want to be a more authentic version of ourselves and/or do something more inspiring, it’s important to surround ourselves with those who understand and can support us in achieving our Vision. But how do we do that? What are the obstacles and challenges? How do we evaluate our current relationships? What’s our risk to change or not to change them?

Listen to some straight talk on this interesting and somewhat touchy subject.

What We Discuss:

• Why should we examine our relationships?

• We are the average of our five closest relationships.

• The importance of who we surround ourselves with.

• Let’s explore our current relationships.

• Are our people in support of our Big, True Vision?

• How to examine and evaluate our relationships.

• Taking inventory.

• Mentor and mentee relationships.

• Exercises we can undertake to help with this shift.

• The use of the Wheel of Life to evaluate relationships in each key area of your life.

• Knowing the unique abilities of those relationships in our lives.

• Setting the intention to find the right team support in our lives.

• Building blocks of relationship skill building:

- Trust

- Listening

- Quality time

- Physical touch

- Deep understanding

- Right action following your words

- Knowing the other’s language of love

• Understanding ourselves and what’s important.

• Where do we draw the line? Who goes? Who stays, but in a different way?

• Trusting your inner being and soul.

• Always keeping a view of the big picture and what’s really important.

• Planning a wedding and planning your best life.

• Taking an inventory of the relationships in your life.

Resources:

• Reese Wellness by James Reese, L. Ac., OMD

• Alina Sepeda, L. Ac., MSOM, Pivotal Acupuncture

• The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People® by Stephen Covey

• The Five Love Languages®

• Jacobson Coaching and Consulting

Money, money, money…

Money, money, money…

What is it about money? For some it’s an obsession. For others it holds the electrical charge of politics and religion. Some loathe it. Some build their entire life around it. There are those that are uncomfortable with it, and there are those who are true masters of it.

In this episode we begin the process of deconstructing the dynamics of money in our culture and how it affects how we live. Money touches so many parts of our lives. We interface with it regularly and are forever finding ourselves at financial crossroads, often making life decisions based on money.

I have personally been fascinated with people’s experience, beliefs, and emotions around money. When it comes to living your most inspired and meaningful life, your relationship, attitude and understanding around it will have a lot to do with how that life will unfold for you.

What We Cover:

• A brief exploration of the history of money

• “Money skills are the survival skills of the 21st century,” Dick Wagner

• How the culture around money has developed

• The distortion of net worth equaling self-worth

• An imbalance around the importance of money

• How money buys us freedom but can keep us from real freedom

• Our significance of our relationship with money

• The role money plays in decision fatigue

• Money memories at a young age

• The influencers that formed our beliefs around money during our “little” life

• Understanding the role that money plays in holding us back from living from our soul

• Being aware of our beliefs and habits around money

• Money personalities: One primary and one secondary

• Our relationship with money affects our relationships with people

• Making mistakes with money and the power of understanding and forgiveness

• How money opposites attract as couples

• Aries’ experience with money and shifting from old money beliefs

• Do you own money or does money own you?

• Mark’s relationship with money today and working through his early negative beliefs

• Grappling with the discrepancies between how much money people earn and why

• The beginning of Mark’s healing around money

• Energy and the movement of money

• How money plays into Mark’s life plan and my heart’s core grid

• Aligning all our financial resources to support our values and heart’s core desires

• Accessing your skills with money and taking right action to improve them

• Awareness of our money spending and earning habits

• Mastering money through opening up the blind spots

The Resources:

• The Seven Stages of Money Maturity by George Kinder

• Relationship Advice Podcast E63: Love and Money by Scott and Bethany Palmer

• Your Money Map by Howard Dayton

• Money Personality Discovery Assessment by The Money Couple

Imagine knowing what your unique abilities are and spending 80% of your time doing it!

Central to your persona in this life are characteristics and values entirely unique to you. When you create a picture of the type of inspiring future you want to live, you’ve connected to your deepest self. From your deepest self lies the power to make your dream a reality.

Often times, coming from that space of your deepest self lies a code unlocking your purpose in life. Within that code are the insights to your unique abilities. These unique abilities are the “tools” and will provide the leverage for you to build your vision. Do you know what these unique abilities are for you?

You can find out through The Strategic Coach’s Unique Ability® Discovery 2.0.

This guide will be the stepping stone to becoming the very best version of you. When you define your Unique Ability you obtain a wealth of self-knowledge, clarity, and confidence that powers you to live the life you’ve always envisioned.

Listen to this Podcast and Start your journey now.

What We Cover:

• Mark’s experience with determining his unique ability through the Strategic Coach Program

• A brief review of the opening exercise for discovering unique abilities

• Realizing the essence of who you are

• Examples of unique abilities played out in life

• Superior skills and playing that out in your life

• Passion and energy reflected in living your unique abilities

• Why is unique ability important?

• Unique ability tied to one’s bigger purpose in life

• Life planning and unique ability

• Looking at unique ability from a team standpoint

The Resources:

• Unique Ability 2.0 Discovery by Catherine Nomura, Julia Waller, and Shannon Waller

• CliftonStrenghts by Gallup

• Cognitive Connection by Kathy Kolbe

The entire world spins on energy. It is the life force of the Universe and it’s the life force that will play a major role in delivering your big, true vision.

The first step when you become clear on this grand dream is to live into it!

Living into it means seeing it, fully feeling it and connecting with the power and energy of your excitement and joy experiencing it. You should feel inspired and alive! Really energized, so your vibrational energy is spinning at a very high level.

This is important because here, like in physics, your energy is “the capacity to do the work.” In other words, it’s what you need to move forward through those obstacles and challenges that stand in your way!

For you, the “action” starts with the intention, inspiration and inner listening required to effect shifts in your consciousness. It’s that shift in consciousness that is the “movement of something (your vision) against something else (your obstacles) that will begin to make your vision a reality. This is the “physics” of what’s going to the move the mountains for you!

In this episode, we explore best practices that will support your vibrational energy levels, along with best practices in support of your shift of consciousness to create your expanded vision.

What We Cover:

The four major “holders” and “channels” of energy for human beings:

1. Physical

2. Mental

3. Emotional

4. Spiritual

How Kundalini yoga awakening your physical and spiritual energy

What are you doing with your time to keep your vibrational energy level high?

What energizes you? What drains your energy?

Methods of better managing your energy

Identifying the people that raise your energy level and transfer positive energy to you

Aries and Mark share the steps they’ve taken to better manage their energy

Mark’s routines to awaken his energy: Walking, meditation, yoga, and weight training

Bad thoughts will drain your energy and how to deal with that?

Mark’s shares his experience with the “stop, drop and roll” technique

Consider the “BEAR” acronym: Belief leads to an Energy which leads to an Action which leads to Results.

Stay away from this formula: Negative beliefs = negative results

Being aware of our natural tendencies that lean towards a positive or negative reaction

Habits and energy make up a part of an interrelated web of contributing factors that help you realize your vision or keep you from attaining it

We all have the power to make changes

Focus, tenacity and commitment are required to change

Mark’s tops three game-changer habits

1. Daily Meditation

2. Daily Movement

3. Consciously Eating Clean

Mark and Aries share how they deal with the struggle of eating or doing those things you love but don’t serve you.

Starting change one item at a time

What’s required for most people to move forward on their big, true vision?

For most, if not all, it will require change and a recalibration in the use and management of your time, energy, money, relationships and unique abilities. In this episode, Mark and Aries take the deep dive on the subject of time and why is it so important?

Time is limited, but it’s something you actually have control over. Once it’s spent you can never get it back. Time is money in conventional economics. It comprises every single moment of your life. It’s a gift but we must master it, to master life.

How are you spending your time? Are you intention with your time? Are YOU owning your time or do others? Are you aware of how much time you spend doing for others vs caring for yourself? Do you know what an ideal day is for you?

Can you answer this question? If you had total freedom to choose to do anything you wanted on a given day, would you know what to do?

What We Cover:

• How time is finite

• Understanding what time means for you in support of your big, true vision

• Getting empowered over your time, how you are using and managing it

• The relationship between happiness and a regular focus on time management

• Helpful tools to help you measure time

• Being intentional with your time

• Increments of time that we should focus on

• Going from illusion to reality with your concept of time

• Deconstructing time and building your ideal week

• Doing a time diary. Noting your hour by hour activities

• Why we do things we know we don’t really enjoy doing?

• How we need structure to help us best plan our time for those things that count

• The important skill and exercise of prioritizing

• Obstacles to managing your time

• Opportunities to better leverage time

• Awareness is the key to making changes with your time

• Example of a wild crazy exercise and study on life expectancy in terms of hours and days

• Creating more of a sense of urgency around time

• What’s one change you can make in the area of time that fully supports your life plan?

• Being more strategic about your time

• Make your ideal week exercise intentional and authentic

The Resources:

• Blueprint Income

• The Focused Daily Planner by Michael Hyatt

Future Bonus:

• The Ideal Week Worksheet