For the last episode of the year, I decided to do a solo. It's something of a retrospective of 2021 and it's also a tip of the hat to stepping into courage in the face of fear.
Fear is a prerequisite to courage. And since courage is a prerequisite to a life well lived, I openly share some things that scared me in 2021, and how I responded.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year—one filled with happiness, fun, meaningful connection, and one in which you rock your courage!

#92 Reflections on 2021

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One of the most common topics discussed in my office is social anxiety. Really great people say that there’s nothing more painful than going to a party where they know few people or, worse still, no one.How about giving a toast at a wedding? Or, trying to engage in small talk that might lead to bigger talk? Or, how to handle awkward social interactions?If there’s one person on the planet who knows how to handle all of these, it would have to be my new friend, the mingling maven, Susan RoAne (https://www.susanroane.com/)! Susan is the author of the now-classic book, How to Work a Room: The Ultimate Guide to Making Lasting Connections—In Person and Online. I loved the book as have major thought leaders like Dan Pink and many others.So, as it says on Susan’s website, "If you have ever walked into a room full of strangers and felt uncomfortable..." listen in. Susan is here to help!

#216 How to Work a Room | Susan RoAne

I’m a big fan of the English language and, although I make a lot of errors with grammar, I’m always trying to learn the rules.
Yet, as you’ll hear on this episode, a word or phrase might be grammatically incorrect but linguistically correct. And, I cringe as I write this, that includes my most dreaded of non-word words: irregardless.
Ouch. At least my spellcheck caught that so-called word with a red underline!
I was utterly thrilled to talk about language with Dr. Valerie Fridland (https://www.valeriefridland.com/), a professor of linguistics at University of Nevada Reno and the author of a hilarious and highly educational book called, Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English.
So, listen in as Valerie gives a mini-master class on the language we use!

#215 Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English | Valerie Fridland, PhD

There are paradoxes around aging. On the one hand, we are living longer than ever. On the other hand, we live in a youth-worshiping culture. So, while we’re living longer, aging gets a bad rap. Expressions like “I’m dating myself” are commonplace. Sadly, they are also self-shaming and toxic.
What if I told you that with aging can come spectacular and countless benefits? These can include various forms of increased intelligence, deeper experiences of joy, and more profound connections in our relationships.
I’m delighted to share the wisdom of Chip Conley (https://chipconley.com/). Chip is an extremely successful hotelier, a former exec at Airbnb, and the founder and CEO of Modern Elder Academy, the world's first "midlife wisdom school" dedicated to career and life transitions. He’s also the author of multiple books including his latest, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age. I loved this book as did multiple thought leaders including Esther Perel who said, “Read this book to reimagine every stage of midlife.”
So, listen in as Chip gives the lowdown on how and why life gets better with age.

#214 How Things Actually Get Better with Age | Chip Conley

Any regular listener of this show probably knows I care deeply about mentorship. So when SuperPsyched guest and success expert Dr. Ruth Gotian told me she was co-authoring a book on mentorship with Andy Lopata (https://lopata.co.uk/), I jumped at the chance to interview him. The two of them have written The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring: A Complete Guide to Effective Mentoring.
As you’ll hear, Andy is wise, fun, and will provide actionable tips on both providing and receiving mentorship. And you’ll also hear why I love it so much and it will refer back to a solo episode of mine extolling the virtues of mentorship. My mentors Allen Greenberger and Martin Doerner have informed nearly everything I’ve done in my academic, professional, and personal lives.
So, listen in as Andy and I geek out to the importance and the how-to’s of mentorship.

#213 Mentorship: How to Give & Receive | Andy Lopata

The US Constitution became effective 235 years ago. It is a document that was way ahead of its time. Yet, while the document is the same as it was, much of our world has changed since then.
We can talk about what it says and debate aspects about it. But what would it be like to live daily life according to what the document says?
AJ Jacobs (https://ajjacobs.com/) is a New York Times bestselling author. He is also one of the funniest, smartest, and most curious people I have ever known. Each of his books have involved stretching his knowledge through experience and I call him a stuntman driven by his desire to learn. Instead of putting his body in danger, however, his stunts are doing things like bringing the constitution to life by walking through the streets of Manhattan with a tricorn hat and a musket. He does these and other feats while following various aspects of the Constitution to the letter. His latest book, The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning was a total delight to read. The book has received copious praise and the words that resonated most with me came from Andy Borowitz who said, “I didn’t know how I learned so much while laughing so hard.”
This is AJ's fifth interview on the SuperPsyched podcast, and I am so delighted to have him back. His commitment for personal growth, to live life according to his values, and to waving his freak flag fully is utterly inspiring to me. So, listen in as AJ talks about his year of living constitutionally.

#92 Reflections on 2021

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