The Unplug Podcast: Activated Living for Truth Seekers and Critical Thinkers in a Collapsing World

A few months ago, I received a link to a TEDx talk by a friend who knew the message would resonate. It did. So much so that I immediately reached out to the speaker to invite her on to the show. After numerous email exchanges, we finally connected for a powerful conversation about walking out of the dominant culture and walking on to the truth that lives in our hearts—a truth that lives for the present moment in community and service.

Deborah Frieze is this week’s guest. She’s an author, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and activist committed to strengthening local economies. Her award-winning book, co-authored with Margaret Wheatley, Walk Out Walk On: A Learning Journey into Communities Daring to Live the Future Now, profiles pioneering leaders who walked out of organizations failing to contribute to the common good—and walked on to build resilient communities. She is a founding partner of the Boston Impact Initiative and founder of the Old Oak Dojo, an urban learning center in Jamaica Plain where neighbors gather to rediscover how to create healthy and resilient communities.

What struck me most about Deborah’s TEDx talk is how bold she was about telling it like it is, meaning how our dominant systems—education, healthcare, government, business, etc.—are failing communities, the Earth and ourselves. Deborah clearly articulates how it’s not possible to change big systems and how we can only abandon them and start over, or offer hospice to what’s dying. Her talk and her work explores the underlying cultural beliefs that prop up the global mindset of separation. She also shares a radical theory of change that reveals how localism has a critical role to play in whatever future we may have.

In this week’s conversation, we also go into great depths about a number of topics including:

* Walking out of the status quo and into our heart’s calling.

* How the world is made of living systems.

* Seeing beyond the dominant culture.

* How systems thinking reconnects us to life.

* The difference between the linear Newtonian worldview and quantum physics.

* How the human worldview is based on machines, not life.

* How rugged individualism isolates us from our community nature.

* How community nurtures our sense of belonging.

* The amplification of collapsing energies in today’s world.

* Doing our work in the face of uncertainty.

* Beyond hope and hopelessness.

* How we cannot change the system because of how deeply entrenched it is within the human psyche.

* Why most activism and non-violent actions don’t work and why play is more effective.

* Fostering critical connections over critical mass.

This is a powerful conversation that I know will activate, inspire and elicit deep thought.

SHOW NOTES:

* Deborah Frieze’s main website.

* Walk Out Walk On book website.

If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate:

“This is a dark time, filled with suffering and uncertainty. Like living cells in a larger body, it is natural that we feel the trauma of our world. So don’t be afraid of the anguish you feel, or the anger or fear, because these responses arise from the depth of your caring and the truth of your interconnectedness with all beings.” —Joanna Macy

It’s becoming glaringly evident that we’re living in increasingly frightening and uncertain times.

Despite that fact, many people either fail to comprehend, sluff-off with indifference, or downright deny the fact that our planet is being altered at a pace and magnitude that is rapidly steering us into uncharted territory.

With what’s playing out environmentally with unprecedented wildfires, droughts, tropical storms, heatwaves, floods, sinkholes, red tides, coral bleaching, epidemic animal die-offs, and the accelerating speed at which the Arctic sea ice is melting, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay grounded as everything unravels around us.

Our oceans now contain more spilled oil and plastic than sea life. One of the great natural wonders of the world that fascinated me as a child, The Great Barrier Reef, is rapidly dying.

Profound economic collapse is unfolding in Venezuela, with South Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Russia in hot pursuit. Closer to home, areas of northern British Columbia are also in free fall.

Planet-wide toxification, rampant overpopulation, rapacious consumption, and staggering willful ignorance are driving the crisis that much deeper.

Discussions about collapse wouldn’t be complete without speaking of Donald Trump and his penchant for inciting hatred, xenophobia, sexism, bigotry, aggression, violence, narcissism, and fear in the lowest common denominator in the United States. One man has single-handedly inspired the emergence of the ugliest parts of humanity by giving permission to the remorseless expression of a violent shadow.

With the US presidential election only months away, the candidate choices for the most domineering country in the world are bleak: Patriarchy from a megalomaniac blowhard, or patriarchy in a conniving pantsuit.

Sad, sad, sad.

Of course we can’t forget the violent shooting rampage in Orlando that destroyed the lives of 49 innocent people and also brought to light (yet again) the entitled lunacy of the National Rifle Association and the American right to bear arms.

And if that’s not enough, Britain regressed into the dark ages with the recent Brexit vote—a vote that ensures the burgeoning far right psychosis that has gripped the collective psyche.

Sadly, this brief synopsis barely scratches the surface of our dire global predicament.

To quote Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

The world I once knew is now a distant memory—a memory that I cherish, and one I am deeply grateful for. The future however, brings a knot to my stomach that refuses to leave.

There’s no doubt that the entire world is in collapse in every aspect of our lives—from the micro stresses of our personal lives to the macro stresses of our collective lives. We’re living in dire times of great crisis, and no amount of denial, ignorance, or new-age magical thinking will make it go away. The consciousness of humanity is at an all-time low. Yes, there are wonderful people doing wonderful things to make the world a better place. I’ve brought the voices and hearts of many of these people to you over the past few years. But it’s no longer enough as darkness rapidly envelops the planet.

The word, apocolypse means, “a lifting of the veil” or a “revelation”. While ‘business as usual’ creaks and groans under the weight of its own lies, many are choosing to no longer wear the blinders of denial, drink the kool-aid of hopium, or choke down the blue pill of ignorance. This makes for an apocolyptic reality check,

“Follow your dreams, believe in yourself and don’t give up.” —Rachel Corrie

Sarah Smith is a full-time independent musician based in London, Ontario with a voice that’s often compared to Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin. Her songs are based on personal experiences about triumphing over tragedy and claiming your best self. She firmly believes that our vulnerabilities are what strengthen us.

Her story is one of growing up in a small town as a “farm girl”, as she puts it. Growing up naive to the world, she set off at a young age to find herself. Her path was a circuitous one that led her to places and spaces that would eventually take their toll on her psyche. Music was a gateway to her soul and the healing salve required to liberate herself from the addiction that led her astray.

Because of her past personal experiences, Sarah has a strong connection to mental health issues and she uses her voice to create awareness about mental health and addictions. She readily admits to the struggles of her own own inner demons, but with conscious awareness, she’s always striving to be better. She works diligently on her body, mind and soul to keep herself grounded in solidarity for her true self.

Sarah is a person who follows her heart and listens to her inner voice. This is a topic we speak about in great detail in this week’s show.

As an independent musician, it takes a lot of courage to do what she’s doing by running her own career without an agent, manager, or record label. She’s a true inspiration for anyone willing to follow their dreams.

In this week’s conversation we explore:

* The hunger to find yourself.

* Music as a gateway to the soul.

* Breaking free from the lone wolf syndrome and asking for help.

* Reawakening the community mindset.

* How spirituality keeps us grounded in ourselves.

* The powerful force of creative energy.

* Expressing our vulnerabilities through our creative outlets and claiming  our inner power.

* How our heart never leads us astray.

* The importance of self-care to remain grounded.

* Living label-free as your authentic self.

* Coming out without the stigma.

* Redefining love.

* Consciously working through triggers.

* Navigating the inner critic.

Enjoy this week’s conversation with one of the hardest working people in music.

SHOW NOTES:

* Sarah Smith’s website.

* A Course in Miracles on Amazon.

If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate:

“Healthy plants and trees yield abundant flowers and fruits. Similarly, from a healthy person, smiles and happiness shine forth like the rays of the sun.” —B. K. S. Iyengar

There are many things that keeps me grounded in sanity in today’s increasingly insane world. Time in nature, time with like-hearted community, creative expression, service to the Earth, and the physical movement of swimming, cycling, kayaking and hiking are lifelines to my soul. The main philosophy that encompasses all of this for me, is yoga. Although I confess to an irregular asana practice, I live the essence of yoga on a daily basis through my conscious choices, intentional actions and deep connection to ahimsa. As is the case with most of us however, I’m an ongoing work in progress with some days better than others. The bottom line for me though, is an aspiration and a hunger to live as close to my essence as possible at every given moment.

This week’s guest is no different in his hunger for “better”. Maurice McCann is a devoted yogi living on the Gold Coast of Australia where he practices and teaches the yogic philosophy of B.K.S. Iyengar, otherwise known as the Iyengar method. If you’re familiar with the physical aspect of yoga, you’re most likely familiar with the practice of Hatha, which is taught in most mainstream yoga centers.

Although the Iyengar method is yoga in the traditional sense, Iyengar asana differs in that it emphasizes precision and alignment in all postures. Because of this, the Iyengar method relies heavily on the use of props such as wooden gadgets, blocks, pillows and cushions, chairs, belts ropes and other props to aid the body in proper alignment. Although my experience with the Iyengar method is limited, what strikes me the most is how we place limits on our mobility, but with the proper use of props, those limitations can quickly dissolve. This can then facilitate greater self confidence.

My conversation this week with Maurice delves into a deeper explanation of what Iyengar yoga is all about … and so much more.

This week we explore:

* Yoga as a connection to spirituality.

* How disembodied we are as a culture and how this contributes to our disconnect from the Earth and ourselves.

* How yoga brings us back into an embodied state.

* How the best teachers are also the best students.

* How yoga fills us from the inside out.

* What is the Iyengar yoga method?

* How asana can be a gateway into the deeper philosophy of yoga.

* What is yoga?

* The commoditization of yoga.

* A conversation about ahimsa and how it relates to body acceptance.

* Personal growth through yoga.

* How yoga can expand our compassion and kindness and connect us to our deepest essence.

One of the many things that struck me about Maurice is his gentle joy. You can easily hear it in his voice as we chat. He exudes tremendous passion for his chosen work as a yoga instructor after leaving a high paying corporate position at a mining company—a profound paradigm shift!

Maurice has been on the yoga path long before it was cool, so he not only practices it, he lives it, and today’s conversation delves deeply into what it is to live yoga and practice life.

Without further adieu, I give to you my conversation with passionate yogi from down under, Maurice McCann.

NOTE: Maurice is putting on a yoga retreat in Bali from June 13-25. If you live in that part of the world or you’re into last minute adventure, you can find out more at this link.

SHOW NOTES:

* The Yoga Room website.

* Yoga Room Bali retreat.

* Official Iyengar

Everywhere we look, we see trash. It’s ugly, ubiquitous, and overwhelming. We overuse, abuse, and discard our world without a care, and our consumptive ways are hurting the Earth in every possible way. The problem is so immense that it’s easy to fall into the pit of despair.

But there’s a pinprick of light shining in an endless sea of garbage. Martin Smyzcek is a reuse artist who utilizes used, discarded, and un-recyclable items normally considered “trash”. In his work, trash is the medium for artistic expression. Martin transforms ugliness into beauty by highlighting the idea that nothing created should be wasted or discarded after use. As he states on his website, “Putting something in a bag, a can, or a hole in the ground, and walking away, is not an answer. It simply creates a whole new set of problems.” By reusing what others unconsciously discard, he is reframing trash.

Martin also inspires us to live fully and creatively right now. His battle with advanced glaucoma and the threat of immanent blindness, is one of his main driving forces. The disease has been with him since birth and there is no cure. As he writes on his website, “For me, being an artist and observing my progressing vision loss is frightening, and sometimes it gets the best of me. However, the drive it instills into me to push farther, go faster, be better — not just in art, but in everyday life — and create, create, create… is powerful.

This week we chat about:

* What is reuse art?

* Reframing trash.

* Critical thinking skills: want or need?

* The power of example.

* Reclaiming simplicity.

* How our collective consumption is like a widespread mental illness.

* We don’t need to change the world, we need to change ourselves to inspire others.

* How our culture is set up for consumption and destruction, not for life.

* Keep moving in the direction of “better”.

* Living with glaucoma.

Ultimately, Martin’s work is about inspiring us to re-think how we live, use, and reuse; and through his art and the power of example, he’s doing just that.

SHOW NOTES:

* Martin’s website website.

If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate:

Cultural rebel, fellow creative and podcast host, Rebekah Nemethy joins me this week for a conversation about … life. Unlike most episodes, this one flows with no initial theme in mind. What emerged was a transparent conversation about finding yourself within the cultural maze, stumbling along the way, and opening yourself to life, love and truth. Its a raw conversation that exposes insecurities, passions, fears, and a desire for ongoing self exploration.

This week I speak with my partner, Deb Gleason and my paradigm-altering mentor and friend, Louise LeBrun about reclaiming wholeness, expanding consciousness and reconnecting to our deepest core essence through the food choices that can become a portal to our soul. Beyond vegan is an exploration of consciousness through food by making the invisible, visible so that we can make choices that align with our inherent compassion for life.

Alice Forrest is a passionate about healing our world. She has a Bachelor of Science in biodiversity and conservation and is involved in a wide range of organizations and conservation activities dealing with the plight of our oceans. She combines her education with her activism uniting head with heart in the most engaged way.

“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.” —Alice Walker

This week, we explore the burgeoning new world of animal law.

As old patriarchal systems continue to collapse, its becoming increasingly evident that legal systems worldwide are designed to protect the perpetrators of the destruction of life. We only need to look at how frequently those who perpetuate violence and destruction against animals, women and the earth either get off scott-free or with a token slap on the wrist. This is no longer cutting it!

It takes someone with an immense amount of integrity to immerse themselves into a corrupt system to create change. This week’s conversation is with an amazing truth-seeker who is courageously venturing into the dysfunctional abyss of today’s legal system to create transformation from the inside out.

Camille Labchuk is a warrior of truth on the front lines of change who is working diligently to hold old systems accountable to truth and life.

Camille is the executive director of Canada’s legal voice for animals, Animal Justice. She’s worked to advance the interests of animals for well over a decade. As a lawyer, Camille represents individuals and organizations in animal law cases, defends animal advocates, and seeks out litigation that enhances the interests of animals. As an advocate, Camille’s work includes documenting the commercial seal kill on Canada’s East Coast, exposing cruelty in farming, and campaigns against trophy hunting, circuses, zoos, aquariums, shark finning, puppy mills, and more. She is a frequent lecturer and media commentator on animal issues.

In this week’s show we explore:

• What is animal law?

• Species discrimination within the legal system.

• How society is more compassionate than our system will acknowledge.

• Exposing Canada’s annual seal slaughter.

• Inspiring critical thought for cultural transformation.

• How law doesn’t lead society, society leads law.

• Bringing darkness into the light with animal agriculture.

• Ag-gag laws: silencing truth and criminalizing compassion.

• The accelerating momentum of animal law.

Many of the conversations on this podcast are with change-makers who are creating a better world from outside of the cultural system. Few are with change-makers working within the cultural system. But we need it all.

I’m honoured to bring to you this week’s conversation with my inspirational friend, Camille Labchuck.

SHOW NOTES:

• Animal Justice website.

• Animal charter website.

If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate:

“If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” —Vincent van Gogh

This week’s podcast shines a light on one of the dark corners of our mind—the inner critic, whose lone purpose is to keep us “safe”…at the expense of our soul. In this engaging, inspiring, spontaneous, and fun conversation with Sunshine Coast musician and keynote speaker, Lowry Olafson, we also explore the creative impulse within and how to honor our inner muse.

In this week’s show we cover a lot of ground including:

• The internal judgement that often flares up when we finally accomplish our dreams.

• How to navigate the voice of the inner critic.

• How action and movement is often the spark for creative flow.

• The non-linear aspects of creativity and inspiration.

• How comparison diminishes our self-worth.

• What is the essence of courage.

• The power of gratitude.

• What is true success?

• Finishing what you start.

• How creativity fills us from the inside.

Lowry is all about living your truth. His stories, songs and beautiful voice take us by the hand as we accompany him on a journey of overcoming obstacles. He inspires each of us to live as though we mean it.

Enjoy this week’s conversation with Lowry Olafson about navigating the inner critic, honoring your creative muse, and living a deeply authentic life.

SHOW NOTES:

• Lowry Olafson’s website for his music, keynote presentations and workshops.

• Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way on Amazon.

• Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott on Amazon.

• War of Art by Steven Pressfield on Amazon.

• Walking in This World by Julia Cameron on Amazon.

• Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert on Amazon.

If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate: