What if "happiness" isn’t the goal?

What if mattering the mission?

In this deeply reflective episode of Right Here! Right Now!, we explore how fitting in, belonging, and mattering shape our lives, our relationships, and our resilience.

Because belonging welcomes you…

But mattering changes everything.

Be present

Be mindful

Right Here!

Right Now!

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Change doesn’t just alter our circumstances.

It confronts our identity, challenges our illusion of control, and invites us to evolve from who we believe we are toward why we are.

In this episode, we explore how we can shift our relationship with change — especially the unwanted and unforeseen kind — from resistance to revelation.

Drawing inspiration from Stoic philosophy, modern neuroscience, Adam Grant’s work on belief flexibility, and Maya Shankar’s The Other Side of Change, this conversation examines:

• Why change often feels like a threat rather than an opportunity
• How attachment to identity fuels resistance
• The difference between volunteered change and imposed change
• Why our WHY becomes our compass when life knocks us off course
• The power of curiosity in becoming better agents of change
• The role of moral elevation in expanding who we believe we can become
• Why “we contain multitudes” — and why that matters

This episode re-frames change not as something to endure, but as something to wield.

Because:

As always, the invitation is simple —

return to this moment, and choose consciously who you are becoming.

Right here. Right now.

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Just in time for Valentine's ♥ Day, we are talking love! And we will be talking about a special and perhaps a not so popular type of love...a love that is vital to being able to live a life filled with an abundance of more fulfilling love...a love that we must start to be more comfortable with…a love that, we will come to learn, is critical to being able to love better and more deeply and more genuinely!

The love that we will be talking about is the love we have for …. OURSELVES! SELF-LOVE! We will discuss the emotions of empathy and compassion and how we often consider these elements related to others. We will learn the importance of how practicing empathy and having compassion for ourselves are key to loving ourselves more wholly. We will learn about the concepts of self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness and how we can use these practices to overcome the barriers to self love which include self criticism, self judgment, and self hatred.

So come on this journey of being present and being mindful and how mindfulness can help unleash a more loving version of yourself - to yourself - Right Here! Right Now!

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What are we truly in control of in our lives—and where does real agency begin?

In this episode of Right Here, Right Now, we explore the deeply human tension between control and agency, especially in the face of change, loss, uncertainty, and the thoughts that often feel like they run our lives.

Through reflections on internal and external locus of control, mindfulness, Stoic wisdom, and breath-based presence, this episode invites listeners to loosen their grip on the illusion of control without slipping into resignation. Instead, we re-frame agency as something quieter and more powerful: the ability to choose how we relate to what happens.

This episode asks:

• Where is the line between “I make things happen” and “things happen and I respond”?
• What is the difference between agency and the illusion of control?
• How do internal and external locus of control shape resilience, meaning, and worth?
• Why does agency live in the pause between stimulus and response?
• How can the breath serve as a bridge between surrender and choice?

As the episode unfolds, listeners are gently reminded:

We don’t control the cards we’re dealt.

But we do control how deliberately we play them.

This reflection sets the foundation for next week’s episode on the science of change and how change changes us, offering insight, grounding, and practical wisdom for navigating life as it is—right here, right now.

This episode invites you to revisit an episode from season 3: Amor Fati Episode

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What if real change doesn’t begin with a resolution, but with a decision about who you are becoming?

In this episode of Right Here, Right Now, we step beyond the familiar “New Year, New You” cycle and into something far more sustainable: identity-based change rooted in presence.

Using insights from psychology, mindfulness, and James Clear’s Atomic Habits, this episode explores why so many resolutions fade quickly and how lasting transformation emerges instead from small, deliberate actions aligned with who we wish to be.

Along the way, we reflect on:

• The Fresh Start Effect and why temporal landmarks like New Year’s Day feel so compelling
• Why focusing on what we want to do often fails, while focusing on who we want to become endures
• James Clear’s three layers of behavior change: outcomes, processes, and identity
• The idea that every small action is a vote for the person you are becoming
• How mindful awareness and breath turn ordinary moments into thresholds for renewal

The episode closes with a personal, poetic reflection written on a New Year’s Eve train ride into Brooklyn, weaving memory, nostalgia, and presence into a final invitation: to begin again, not once a year, but moment by moment.

This is an episode for anyone who feels the pull to change, but wants to do so with patience, compassion, and depth.

Right here.

Right now.

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What if purpose isn’t something to chase, but something to remember?

In this episode of Right Here, Right Now, we explore the inner journey from purpose to meaning to mission—and how presence is the bridge that turns intention into lived reality.

Through reflections, neuroscience, philosophy, and lived experience, this episode invites listeners to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what truly matters.

In this moment open up to an exploration of: 

• The difference between purpose, meaning, and mission
• Why purpose is a compass, not our destination
• How meaning is created through reflection and choice
• How mission brings our inner values into everyday action
• The role of presence and attention in shaping our reality
• How challenges can clarify our perspective rather than cloud it
• A guided meditative reflection to reconnect with your inner direction
• How living with intention may lead to arete—excellence of character

This episode is a gentle reminder that your mission isn’t ahead of you.

It’s already within you—waiting to be lived.

Pause. Breathe. Listen.

Your next meaningful step begins right here, right now.

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What if the way you experience the world isn’t determined by what happens to you — but by what your brain allows you to notice?

In this Season 5 premiere of Right Here, Right Now, we explore the Reticular Activating System (RAS) — the powerful attentional filter in the brain that shapes what reaches conscious awareness and what fades into the background.

By weaving together modern neuroscience, Viktor Frankl’s insight on the space between stimulus and response, and mindfulness practice, this episode reveals how attention is not just a mental habit — it is a force that shapes perception, identity, and freedom.

You’ll learn:

• How the RAS filters reality and influences what you notice
• Why repeated attention trains perception (for better or worse)
• How mindfulness helps tune the RAS toward what serves you
• How expanding the pause between stimulus and response gives you agency
• Practical ways to retrain attention and respond more intentionally

This episode is an invitation to slow down, tune your awareness, and recognize that where attention goes, life follows.

As we relaunch Right Here, Right Now for Season 5, this is our shared mission:

to tune our awareness, honor the pause, and respond with intention —

moment by moment.

Right here. Right now.

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Hope part II we dive into the interplay between hope and purpose and how hope fuels our purpose; and purpose sustains hope. Purpose-driven hope helps us navigate life’s challenges and celebrate its triumphs. And we look to learn and have the capacity to embrace the journey over the destination:

• The joy of navigation and the lessons from detours.
• Avoiding rigid expectations to cultivate our resilience.

We look to introduce practical strategies to cultivate hope reflecting on past victories and lessons learned and visualizing possibilities with curiosity and an open heart.

Thank you for joining us! 

Be present...

Be mindful...

Be purposeful in your pursuit of hope...

Right Here!

Right Now!

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Today we will discuss hope and reflect on pivotal questions, such as:

• Can envisioning a better future help us navigate the present?
• What tools can guide us toward a better tomorrow?
• How can hope and mindfulness coexist without compromising present-moment awareness?
• What actions can foster hope and lead to a more fulfilling future?

The Nature of Hope

Hope will be presented as a belief that the future can be better, coupled with the capacity to make it so. Unlike optimism, which is a general positive outlook, hope is action-oriented and includes a plan to achieve a desired outcome. We will emphasize that hope involves acknowledging challenges and preparing for the journey with resilience and intentionality.

Hope as a Cognitive Process

I will introduce the idea of hope as a bridge between challenges and actionable steps. Hope isn’t wishful thinking but a conscientious effort to navigate obstacles and turn them into opportunities and lessons for a better capacity to deal with life's challenges. The episode highlights its practical power, particularly in challenging times, and underscores the necessity of aligning hope with a plan to achieve goals.

Reflection on Hope and its Role in Life

Listen with intention and I encourage you to ponder how hope:

• Motivates us to pursue meaningful change.
• Intersects with mindfulness and resilience.
• Provides guidance during detours in life.

Open up to the transformative power of hope in turning obstacles into paths of growth.

Takeaways

• Hope is essential for envisioning and working toward a better future.
• It is a dynamic, action-oriented process that helps us navigate life’s uncertainties.
• Mindful curiosity and questioning are key to cultivating hope and resilience.

Be present...

Be mindful...

Right Here! Right Now!

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From the inspiration created by The Essence of Mindfulness quote that inspired the last 2 episodes comes a poem that allows us to embrace time and each of our moments in time.

I hope this inspires you to be more mindful and present and aware of the capacity that our moments in time have for each of us...in the present moment awareness of our mindfulness practice.

Click here to check out the poetry on our website!

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