Life, Examined Podcast

023: “Reason for the Season”

The guys discuss the meanings and values behind the holidays and holiday traditions. How do we navigate the anxiety and expectations of the holiday season? What do we teach our children about the holidays, Santa, and gifts? How can we be more proactive in aligning our holiday traditions with our values?

021: “Spiritual Journeys, Episode 3.” Interview with Pastor Kyle Jackson

Kyle shares how his personal spirituality has guided him through the traumatic events in his youth and his adult life. Kyle and Dave discuss attending the same church as teenagers but having dramatically different experiences of the same institution. What elements of Christianity are necessary beliefs for a Christian as opposed to just Christian ideas that can vary? What should our motivation(s) be for our personal spirituality and beliefs? How do we teach our children about spirituality, religion, meditation, etc.? And how can we make our religious institutions more welcoming to those exploring faith?

020: “Engaging In Political Discourse”

Dave makes Mike talk about politics. How invested should Americans be in political figures and political parties? How do we recognize and contend with our own biases? How can we have better conversations about politics instead of just giving in to tribalism and polarized opinions? What unites us as Americans regardless of political allegiances?

017: Spiritual Journeys Ep 1 w/ Bill Kerley

Interview with psychotherapist and “Ordinary Life” spiritual teacher Dr. Bill Kerley, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church

Bill talks with the guys about spiritual development & practice, as well as reconciling Christian spirituality with a modern worldview. What’s the benefit of being part of a particular religion? How can people within the same religious institution better support each other even when they’re in different places in their spiritual journey? How can we better integrate divergent points of view? What are good meditative practices for beginners? How can people pray when they’re not sure what they believe about God? How can we teach our children about God without oversimplifying important truths?

016: “How Kids Change You”

Dave’s daughter starts her first day of kindergarten and the guys discuss differences in their lives since having children: scheduling, time, responsibilities, etc. as well as all of the benefits. How can we find routines where we can be happy as a family? How does having kids impact your marriage? Does your attitude toward “marriage maintenance” and marital satisfaction have to shift after having kids? Is there anything you wish someone would have told you before you became a parent?

015: “Stress”

Do we all define stress the same way? How does stress impact each domain of our lives? What can we do in each domain to guard against the negative impacts of stress, especially in the spiritual and physical domains? What’s the relationship between stress and happiness?

014: “Why do we work?”

Mike confesses to reading extensively on entrepreneurship but never acting on that interest. Should each of us attempt to monetize our hobbies, interests, skills, etc.? How do we decide on the best use of our professional time, knowing that it’s a finite resource? How can we be more efficient during the day to create more professional time for the tasks that matter most? The guys discuss ideas about work from Tim Ferriss and Derek Thompson: Is the very nature of work going to change during our lifetime?

013: “Utilizing Personality Tests for Personal Growth”

How can personality tests help us make better sense of the world around us? The guys break down and compare the NEO PI-R with the Myers Briggs and the four temperaments. Mike & Dave share how knowing your personality type as well as your spouse and children’s personality types can help you better understand each other. To what extent can we personalize our parenting to each of our children’s unique personality? The guys take a deep dive into the NEO PI-R and discuss how knowing more about ourselves in each component can help us grow in all four domains. How can it show us which personal pitfalls to watch out for as a parent, spouse, professional, etc.?

012: “Purpose and Peace”

Dave grapples with the implications of his finite nature and what it means for how he should live his life. How do we find the deepest levels of purpose and meaning, and how do they relate to achievement? Is there a universality to meaning and purpose, and how do we get there? Are religious answers to these questions oversimplified, especially in our post-Enlightenment world? How does this relate to meditation/prayer and the way we choose to conceptualize God?

011: “Social Media, Smartphones, and the Attention Economy”

Mike outs Dave for not using social media, and the guys discuss the best ways to use Facebook and other apps. How do we best navigate our social relationships and social situations using current technology? Is technology keeping us from being fully present? How is our technology use affecting us emotionally? When and how should we refrain from smartphones use?