If you are not having an existential crisis, well, you are not looking hard enough.

In this episode, Hari Prasada, Michael, and Rasanath do a deep dive into existential crises, their causes, and how to deal with them. They discuss the link between existential crises and the fear of death, how the fear of not being my ego and the fear of death is essentially the same thing, the importance of spirituality, and how their own existential crises led them to having this conversation.

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

We all have a need for validation, and yet most of us don’t like to acknowledge that we need it.

In this episode, Rasanath and Vipin explore the definition of validation, why most of us have a difficult relationship with our need for validation, and why it is essential to our identities. They share personal examples and examples from their experience as coaches to illustrate how to move from an unhealthy to a healthy pursuit of validation. 

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

What is one thing you are judgmental of others about? How is this also true about you? In what way does knowing it is true about you bring up shame?
Michael and Hari, building off of Michael’s piece, I Dislike in You What I Dislike in Me, explore how our judgments of other people are often a mirror for what we don’t like about ourselves. They look at how this hypocrisy disconnects us from other people, why we sometimes feel the need to knock others down, the role of envy, and how we can use judgments as opportunities for personal growth.

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

What is anger? Where does it come from? What can we do about it?
For many people, no matter how destructive anger can be, it’s all too easy to fall prey to its temptation. As a follow-up to The Seduction of Anger podcast, Michael and Rasanath explore the nuances of this emotion from fresh perspectives. They dive into their personal lives and give examples to break down why, even after having worked on their self-awareness for many years, anger still comes up. They explain the physical origins of anger, the different types of anger responses, the deeper emotions that are often underneath anger, and the dangers of living with unresolved anger. Rasanath closes by sharing how we can gain understanding even if we can’t get it from the person we wish we could receive it from.

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

Mary and Vipin dive into the topic of asking powerful questions, in coaching and everyday life. Through personal examples, they talk about what constitutes a powerful question, why it’s important to get curious, the value of being mindful about the things we are asking, how to create conscious relationships, and the impact of asking open-ended questions.

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

How do you peel an apple? How do you brush your teeth? How do you soap yourself in the shower? We all have a set of “rules for achieving an outcome” that underlie absolutely everything we do, and yet, we are rarely conscious of those rules. By bringing consciousness to our rules, we have the freedom to embrace them or change them in a way that will better serve us and the people in our lives. In this episode, Vipin, Michael, and Hari Prasada share their learnings from Dave Parke’s ”rules for achieving an outcome” framework, which has been instrumental in their coaching and for their own growth. They share personal examples of how they apply the framework and how the ego fits into the story. They give us actionable steps for how we can become more aware of our rules to better our relationships, follow through on our goals, and find more satisfaction in our lives.

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

Listening is a skill that is foundational to life and to relationships, which is also why it has become the foundational skill for the Upbuild Coaching Training program. In this episode, Mary, our new co-host who designed and helped launch the coaching training program, along with Vipin, explore the importance of listening and introduce us to the concept of the “four listening channels.” They give tips on how to become a better listener, what’s at stake if we don’t work on our listening skills, and how to use our innate curiosity to drive connection and help develop other people. 

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

In order to be our best selves and get to the root of who we are, we need to take both an “outside-in” and “inside-out” approach. In this episode, Hari and Michael dive into Hari’s inspiration and key insights from his piece, The Two Sides of Working on Yourself. They explore how a superiority complex comes from the same place as an inferiority complex, the costs of working on the ego without working on the self (and vice-versa), and the challenges that we experience when working on each. Hari also shares four key steps in working on the ego and the critical practices to work on the self.

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

Do you work on problems that are comfortable to work on? Are you aware that your focus on these problems might be getting in the way of working on problems that will make a real difference in your life? Michael, Vipin, and Hari Prasada introduce us to safe vs. quality problems, a framework that was introduced to the Upbuild team ten years ago by a coach named Dave Parke and has become central to our work at Upbuild. The team shares how to differentiate safe from quality problems, examples from their personal and professional lives, and the key questions we need to ask ourselves in order to be our best selves.  

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

What does it take to make the decision to live in a monastery and dedicate your life to service? What happens inside a monastery? What is the daily schedule? In this episode, Rasanath shares the intimate details of what it was like during his years as a monk in NYC. He gives insight into the challenges that came with relinquishing his identities, why he chose to give up everything to be fully committed to a life of service, what his daily schedule looked like, the experience of living with 20 other monks, and much more. 

Links

Enneagram Certification Program (starts in May)

Upbuild Coaching Certification Training (starts in October 19th)

Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild