The Quest4Life Podcast

Human motivation is multifaceted and multilayered. That is obvious. What is less obvious are the reasons why. One primary reason is the idea of self-reinforcing behavior, which is the process by which people control their own behavior by rewarding themselves when they achieve a certain standard or meet or exceed a goal. This reward is born out of the desire to maximize real or perceived "payoffs" and minimize real or perceived "costs." In romantic relationships, people constantly evaluate the "cost-to-benefit" ratio of the relationship. This informs them as to whether they choose to stay or leave. This episode takes a closer look at this relational dynamic and how it fits within the context of self-reinforcing behavior. Enjoy...and THANK YOU for joining the conversation!

David Hollenbach's story is one of heroism and tragedy. He knows what it's like to save lives and help others through unimaginable struggle and also knows the pain that comes with not being able to save everyone. As a veteran of the United States Navy, and having served 23 years in the fire service holding numerous leadership positions, David is the definition of what it means to be a hero and knows that there is a cost to such heroism. As a sufferer of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and despite the adversity, David found a way to channel his experience and passion for helping others through becoming a motivational speaker, coach, mentor, and international best-selling author. I had a chance to spend some time with him to learn more about PTSD, his leadership philosophy, and the role of women in historically male-dominated organizations. You don't want to miss it. Thank you for joining the conversation!

How open minded are you? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10. If you're like most people, the rating will be fairly high. After all, who wants to consider themselves or be considered closed-minded. This is a fascinating perspective with regard to the echo chambers in which we live our lives, particularly when we take an honest look at why it is so challenging to spend time in the discomfort of alternate thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. Ironically, it is the ability and willingness to sit in the discomfort that allows us to "round out" our perspectives even without having to adopt or advocating for the differences. And moving outside of our respective echo chambers allows us, at least in part, to expand our views and enhance our lives. Thank you for joining the conversation!

If you've ever been the victim of gaslighting from a romantic partner, friend, parent, co-worker, or boss, this episode with strike a chord. If not, consider yourself lucky. The term and expression, "gaslighting," is a colloquialism that is loosely defined as a form of psychological manipulation designed to have someone question their reality, sow self-doubt, and deferring their own decision making. "Gaslighters" engage in this type of psychological manipulation as a way to control the relationship and it can be emotionally damaging to the victim. In this episode, learn ways to spot gaslighting, questions you should ask yourself to determine whether you are a victim of gaslighting, and strategies to help move beyond such toxic relationships. Thank you for joining the conversation!

We all put things off. Does that mean we are procrastinators? Not necessarily. Technically speaking, procrastination is the CHRONIC avoidance of unpleasant tasks and/or the active pursuit of distractions that are more enjoyable than the tasks we must complete. As with anything, procrastination takes various forms and has psychological roots grounded in low self-confidence, anxiety, and/or a lack of structure. And despite the reality that there may be short-term benefit - in the form of emotional protection - habitual procrastination brings a whole host of physical, emotional, and practical costs. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome and beat procrastination. While each approach isn't revelatory, there is no doubt you or someone you know will be better for making different decisions and taking new actions. Thank you for joining the conversation!

Imagine you go to bed one evening with full use of your body and wake up the next morning and you can't move your left arm. Now imagine that persisting for the next 5 years. That's what Brian Clate experienced until he was able to go inward to discover how his own self-limiting beliefs were leading his body to "keep score." It turns out, Brian's life was all about "winning" - at sports, career, status, money. But it wasn't until he decided to stop externalizing his life and focused on his inner self that his life transformed...and for the better. His story is powerful, and his journey is inspiring. Be sure to check out my visit with Brian and THANK YOU for joining the conversation!

It's been said that where your eyes go, you go. Whether you are a driver, motorcyclist, bike rider, skier, or the like, our vehicles and our bodies go where our eyes are focused. And where our attention and focus goes, so goes our energy, which can go one of two ways: 1) paying attention to and focusing on the negative leads to negative energy; or 2) paying attention to and focusing on the positive leads to, more often than not, positive energy and, ultimately, better outcomes in life. We all can shift our attention, focus, and energy by reassessing our beliefs, learning how our brains work (neuroplasticity), and "rewiring" our brains to bring about more, to bring about better. Doing so will bring each of us closer to the loving energy of God, Source, the Universe, or whatever you want to call it, and it will bring about transformative, rewarding experiences in your life...and there is no downside! Thank you for joining the conversation!

Think about a time when you thought you "arrived." This could be a significant event or achievement, such as graduating high school or college, getting a job or promotion, or getting married. What you likely realized shortly after accomplishing each of those goals is that there was something next. And while there are "arrivals," there is no such thing at "arriving," and in order to prepare yourself to achieve the next thing, you must build a strong psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual foundation that must be tended to continuously. In effect, our lives are "under construction" constantly because our lives are "unfinished." There is always something else to strive for, something else to excel at, more to try to perfect even though perfection is elusive. Doing so is the start or continuation of doing more to live out our purpose. Thank you for joining the conversation!

If you're the type of person that is passionate about personal growth, transforming your life and the lives of others, and living out your purpose, you've come to the right place. Season #2 of The Quest4Life Podcast will pick up where Season #1 left off, by focusing on ways in which you, me, everyone can go about looking at our lives differently to bring about better both for ourselves and the people we let into our worlds. Not only will the content get you thinking, it will be full of useful, practical insights you can apply to your life right away. We're going to dig deeper, have more thoughtful discussions, interview guests with amazing stories, and much, much more. Are you ready? Thank you for joining the conversation!

For those of you that know me, and, now, for those of you that don't know me, I am not an overly sentimental or "touchy-feely" person. While the intensity of my love for others runs deep, I tend NOT to do a good job communicating...or, at least, communicating it often enough. That's what this episode - the Season #1 Finale - is about. It's about me making myself vulnerable in a public forum communicating my feelings to those I love the most. And if any of my words or intention strikes a cord with you to tell someone in your life that you love them, PLEASE TELL THEM. I love you all. Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout Season #1 and...THANK YOU for joining the conversation!