Many of us have been raised to think that men have to act in a certain way. You know the story - be tough, invulnerable, in control, unemotional etc. This has led to an epidemic of loneliness, depression, dysfunction and suicide. This podcast explores some of my experiences and hopefully catalyses a new way of thinking about modern masculinity.

Emiliana Simon-Thomas Phd is the Science Director at the Greater Good Science Centre at the University of California Berkeley. She is one of the leading authorities uncovering the deep roots of human goodness and she specialises in the biological underpinnings of prosocial states like compassion, kindness and empathy and how they benefit well-being and psychosocial functioning. Her programs are hugely popular and offered in online formats for over 400,000 students. During this wide ranging conversation, Emiliana shares how modern science all points to human beings being wired for compassion and connection. At one point, Emiliana said "Biologically, we're built to dedicate ourselves to each other." Emiliana also shares how the "achievement model of success" is letting so many people down and the perils of misunderstanding the word "happiness". Instead, Emiliana speaks of the importance of experiencing our rich and diverse emotions like anger and sadness while also learning how to foster more resilience, connection and meaning.

In this episode, I share some recent experiences of sadness and death. From these experiences, three valuable insights have emerged for me. My hope is that these insights may lead you to a deeper appreciation for life.

Danielle LaPorte is an invited member of Oprah's Super Soul 100, a group who, in Oprah Winfrey's words, "is uniquely connecting the world together with a spiritual energy that matters." She is author of White Hot Truth: Clarity for Keeping It Real on Your Spiritual Path—from One Seeker to Another, The Fire Starter Sessions and The Desire Map: A Guide To Creating Goals With Soul—the book that has been translated into eight languages, evolved into a yearly day planner system, a top 10 iTunes app, and an international workshop program with licensed facilitators in 15 countries. Her website has been named one of the "Top 100 Websites for Women" by Forbes. During this very nourishing conversation we explore topics such as discipline as a path to liberation, how the "lie of inadequacy" drives so many poor decisions and how softness and tenderness could be one of the signs of genuine spiritual maturity.

Marc Lesser co-founded the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI) with Google engineer and author of the New York Times bestseller, Chade-Meng Tan. He is the CEO of SIYLI taking Google's #1 training program to thousands of senior executives, entrepreneurs and professionals around the world. Previously, Marc founded a multi-million dollar publishing company, managed a Zen monastery for 10 years and has written three books including ZBA: Zen of Business Administration. He now sits on the SIYLI board with the likes of Arianna Huffington and the VP of Google's People Development, Karen May. During this very personal conversation, Marc shares his fascinating story from childhood to living in a Zen centre, founding a multi-million dollar publishing company and then teaming up with a Google engineer to create the hugely successful Search Inside Yourself Program. Moved by the pain of loss and the love of psychology and literature, Marc shares what what influenced his path to Zen, entrepreneurship and being part of a vision to create a more peaceful world.

Welcome to this "Mini-Podcast" - short reflections (around 5-10 mins long) with ideas, tools and resources to help you live a more mindful, brave and kind life. In this episode, I reflect on the power of staying focused on small things. In a world that glorifies the large and the flashy, it can be hard to see the value in the everyday actions. However, by learning how to calm our minds and be of service in this moment, we begin to create a meaningful living. Keep it simple. Focus on the small. This way you will take care of your soul, your relationships, and everything.

Elena Brower is one of the leading yoga teachers in the world having risen to acclaim on the New York yoga scene. She is also a mum and artist who is devoted to helping people live more meaningful and loving lives. Elena is a graduate from Cornell University and has studied with several master yoga teachers for over a decade. She is the author of "Art of Attention: A Yoga Practice Workbook for Movement as Meditation" that guides us into an exploration of presence, elegance and deeper life purpose. During this conversation, Elena shares how for a long time, she wasn't proud of who she was. In fact she felt a discrepancy between her public and private life that led her to carry around the weight of shame. It was her journey to sobriety and telling the truth that allowed her life to more fully open up. We speak about the power of integrity and telling the truth and how shame can impact creativity, immunity and parenting. Elena also shares her daily rituals that she utilises in her daily life and during her parenting.

In this episode I share the practice of "loving kindness". This practice is thousands of years old and more recently scientists are discovering its observable impact on emotional, physical and social wellbeing. By pairing breath with emotion and wishes we begin to generate more warmth for ourselves that naturally radiates out to others. I'd suggest experimenting with this practice for 5 minutes a day - and may it be of benefit to you and those around you. Welcome to this "Mini-Podcast" - short reflections (around 5-10 mins long) with ideas, tools and resources to help you live a more mindful, brave and kind life.

Marianne Williamson has written four #1 New York Times Bestsellers and her teachings have influenced millions around the world. Newsweek magazine named Marianne as one of the "50 most influential baby boomers" and she has been a popular speaker at Google and regularly appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live and Good Morning America. In 2014, Marianne ran for US Congress in an attempt to start a bold new conversation in politics. She is the founder of Project Angel Food that serves over 1,000 meals per day for people suffering with AIDS in Los Angeles. Marianne co-founded the Peace Alliance and sits on the board of RESULTS that works to end hunger and poverty throughout the world.