On the 45th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to introduce our guest, Teresa Quinlan - an Emotional Intelligence Coach and co-author of the book You Belong Here.

In this episode, we dive into Teresa's lifelong exploration of the question "is that me?" We explore practical aspects like expanding our emotional vocabulary, the importance of paying attention to our emotions by observing and naming them, and discuss accountability for our actions and emotional responses. Furthermore, we tackle the significant topic of knowing and communicating our boundaries, emphasising the balance needed to prevent emotions from running wild.

We also take a moment to reflect on the compassion and importance of acknowledging and accepting the changes in each other over time, instead of clinging to outdated models of ourselves and others.

Teresa also shares a personal example of applying these insights to bring about a profound shift in her relationship with her mother - a story that will hold relevance for many listeners.

If you're grappling with understanding and managing your emotions or find yourself continuously caught up in emotional reactions, this episode provides plenty of insights, thoughtful ideas to ponder, and practical exercises to experiment with towards crafting your own version of a good life.

Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.

Contact me at [email protected] to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.

Running Order:

03:00 Is that me? Or something I’ve learned to be

06:20 Can we be more malleable and compassionate with ourselves

12:00 The benefits of being selfish

16:50 Cultivating self-love and self-worth

21:50 The importance of emotional vocabulary

27:03 Developing greater emotional awareness

35:23 The challenge of cultivating change

40:29 Developing autonomy and support for our emotional reactions

43:30 Profound emotional shifts with her mother

49:05 Defending our boundaries with a firmness

55:41 Inspiring or evoking change in others with our own change

59:34 Acknowledging change in others

1:04:40 Summary of the key themes discussed

1:05:50 What is a good life for Teresa?

For further content and information check out the following: 

- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos

- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/

- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/

- Teresa's website: https://www.iqeqtq.com/

- Teresa's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresaquinlan12/

Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​