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Debra Orenstein is an author, lecturer, and actor. Her many accomplishments are catalogued on her bio page at Congregation Bnai Israel in Emerson, New Jersey, where she serves as pulpit rabbi.

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Debra Orenstein is an author, lecturer, and actor. Her many accomplishments are catalogued on her bio page at Congregation Bnai Israel in Emerson, New Jersey, where she serves as pulpit rabbi.

Plus, a wise and compassionate and hilarious human being.

Plus plus, the sister of my best friend whom I met in 1977 at summer camp.

Plus plus plus, a thoughtful and inspiring teacher of one of life’s most powerful emotional choices: gratitude.

This call from the archives – originally broadcast in March, 2013 for my marketing audience – is one of my all-time favorite interviews.

Since it’s been a while, I don’t have the bullet points top of mind. So let’s try a little crowdsourcing – as you listen, jot down ideas and stories that you find compelling in comments, and I’ll collate them into a description of the interview.

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that’s how we spread our roots and spread the message.

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Peter Bregman consults with CEOs and their leadership teams to achieve high performance. He's been doing this work in a deep way since 1989, and I've been fortunate enough to observe and sometimes assist him as he's developed and delivered his methodology.

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Peter Bregman consults with CEOs and their leadership teams to achieve high performance. He’s been doing this work in a deep way since 1989, and I’ve been fortunate enough to observe and sometimes assist him as he’s developed and delivered his methodology.

Over the last five or six years, he’s been spiraling in on a single profound concept utterly central to effective leadership: courage.

Time and time again, Peter saw that leaders weren’t making the tough decisions, conducting difficult conversations, hearing unpleasant feedback, and connecting empathetically with colleagues, not because they didn’t know what to do, but because doing it felt scary.

Or, even more typically, they avoided the tough, “leaderly” approach without even realizing that fear was motivating them to dodge or bluster or disengage from a conversation.

His latest book, 4 Seconds, deals head-on with that dynamic. I got him on the podcast because we’re all leaders, or more precisely, we all can be if we will only step up and allow ourselves to be vulnerable in the service of our values.

The book doesn’t come out until February 24, 2015, but in this episode you can get a good dose of Peter to carry you over until then. (And by all means feel free to preorder now!)

In our conversation, we cover:

* how 4 seconds can change your life

* the fundamental difference between productive and unproductive habits – and how we can tell

* why a focus on positivity often backfires

* how meditation trains us to be more productive

* how we hijack what we want most

* a simple practice for becoming present at any moment

* what Peter learned about life as his wedding rehearsal was unraveling in the most uncomfortable way

* and much more…

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that’s how we spread our roots and spread our message.

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know.

When John Bruna was 10 years old, he was already stealing from liquor stores. Born into an environment of poverty, violence, and substance abuse, John began to turn his life around at the age of 22.

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When John Bruna was 10 years old, he was already stealing from liquor stores. Born into an environment of poverty, violence, and substance abuse, John began to turn his life around at the age of 22.

Along the way to his current leadership of the Mindful Life Program and Way of Compassion Foundation, John served as a dishwasher, auto mechanic, school teacher, substance abuse counselor, corporate manager, graduate student, and spiritual practitioner.

From 2005 to 2011 John became a practicing Buddhist monk, robes and all. There’s even a photo of him with the Dalai Lama!

His journey has included great highs and epic lows; that alone qualifies him as something of an expert on what sorts of things, situations, and experiences make us happy and which ones make us unhappy.

In our conversation, which instantly and permanently made me a little kinder and happier, we discussed:

* the three elements of mindfulness

* the “bumper sticker test” of whether we’re living in reality or a fantasy world

* the one thing everyone is addicted to

* how to recover from OCDD (obsessive compulsive delusional disorder)

* the two questions that can help us attain true and reliable happiness

* the difference between real happiness and stimulus-driven pleasure

* the two requirements for a happy life

* “where did I put my keys” – a litmus test of free will

* John’s credo: “Today is a good day to die”

* the single thought that is the cause of all suffering

* John’s prescription for three morning thoughts that can help up live according to our dearest values and desires

* and much more…

Enjoy, please add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share (that’s how we grow).

Links

The Mindful Life Program

The Mindful Life Program Online Course – Tuesdays 8-10pm EST from November 18 through December 9 – $125 (scholarships available)

The Way of Compassion Foundation

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Patrick Sherwin was decommissioning a solar hot water system on someone's roof when he had a crazy idea.

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Patrick Sherwin was decommissioning a solar hot water system on someone’s roof when he had a crazy idea.

Picking up one of the vaccuum tubes used to insulate and heat the water, he thought, “I wonder if I could cook a bunch of hot dogs in this thing?”

Ten years later, Patrick’s startup, GoSunStove, is cranking out the world’s most efficient solar cooker. Not only does the SunStove make tailgating cool as anything, it’s also a potential lifesaver around the globe, where accidental smoke inhalation from indoor cooking with dirty fuels is the second leading cause of death worldwide.

In our conversation, Patrick and I discuss:

* the current state of the solar energy industry

* how he got the idea for the GoSunStove – and why it took almost 10 years to become viable

* the world’s largest hidden health epidemic, and how clean cooking technology can save millions of lives a year

* his decision to spread this technology through a market-driven approach, and the problem with international development handouts

* the specs, features, and limitations of the GoSunStove

*  and much more…

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation in the comments section below, and please share!

Links

Buy Your Very Own SunStove! (via an affiliate link that helps support this podcast)

GoSunStove introductory video

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know.

Sparked by a situation in my own family, I devoted this episode to supporting parents who send their kids to daycare and still want to feed them well. I reached out to my network of "Here's how to do it" genius educators and collated the short interviews into this comprehensive and hopefully valuable resource.

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Sparked by a situation in my own family, I devoted this episode to supporting parents who send their kids to daycare and still want to feed them well. I reached out to my network of “Here’s how to do it” genius educators and collated the short interviews into this comprehensive and hopefully valuable resource.

First I spoke to Dr. Ana Negron of Greens on a Budget. She revealed:

* how to know how much food to give your child each day

* easy 1-ingredient “make-ahead” meals that will make your mouth water while they’re cooking

* how to choose healthy foods your child will love by categorizing their preferences

* how to get your infant or toddler to tell you what they want to eat

* three surprising ways to stuff medjool dates

* the one beverage our kids can’t do without

Next up was Chef AJ of Eat Unprocessed, who shared:

* ninja travel tips that apply directly to feeding children in day care

* how to plan a week’s worth of meals

* a powerful book to share with daycare directors

* the obvious question: “What did you feed your kid before daycare?”

* how to make things easier by ignoring social norms about food

* the three soups Chef AJ makes on a regular basis

* HealthyGirlsKitchen.com

* FatFreeVegan.com

* DrMcDougall.com

Third was plant-based food coach Sharon McRae of Eat Well Stay Well, who explained:

* how she gets her kids’ friends to eat black beans and kale (and shocks their parents)

* the importance of the parents as role models

* the “bulk cooking” strategy

* how to use a pressure cooker to stock your fridge and freezer with lots of healthy food

* items for the well-stocked healthy pantry

* the “muffin pan technique” that goes way beyond muffins for approximating the unhealthy finger foods that other kids are eating

* the non-apologetic mindset and approach that works with daycare staff and directors

Links

Dr Ana Negron

From Dr Negron’s website: Snacks and meals for young children

Leakproof Bento-style Lunchbox (for room temperature foods)

Bento Lunch Jar (for hot or cold foods)

Organic Medjool dates

Chef AJ

Book by Dr. Joel Fuhrman: Disease-Proof Your Child