On the 129th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Neale Donald Walsch. Neale has written 40 books on contemporary spirituality and its practical application in everyday life, including his new book GodTalk: Experiences of Humanity’s Connections with a Higher Power. Neale is the bestselling author of the Conversations with God series, of which seven of the nine books made the New York Times bestseller list. Book One remained on that list for 134 weeks. His titles have been translated into 37 languages and have been read by millions of people around the world.

In this conversation, Neale discusses his journey in exploring humanity’s relationship with God, emphasising that neither God nor love is transactional. He also shares the experiences that led to his first bestselling book and the life mission that emerged from those dialogues.

This conversation invites us to engage with life in a way that contrasts with many cultural norms—by embracing love, deep understanding, and meaningful connection with others.

For more of Neale's work, check out the following:
Website: http://www.nealedonaldwalsch.com/
Books: http://www.nealedonaldwalsch.com/Store/Books

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, my 5-week group courses, or to discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 How we are misunderstanding God

04:20 A theologically revolutionary idea

10:10 God’s love demands nothing in return

13:40 Questioning religion but not a belief in God

22:15 Conversing with God

29:00 Not a case of right & wrong but what works & doesn’t

33:22 The importance of our imagination

41:10 God is speaking to us all the time

44:45 The bias against a possibility

48:30 Sharing conversations with God

53:10 Reflecting on the success of the first book

56:30 Discovering his life mission

1:03:10 What is a good life for Neale?

On the 128th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Shai Tubali, Ph.D. Shai is a philosopher, author, and teacher whose work bridges mysticism and academic philosophy. He explores how expanded states of consciousness can transform individual lives and influence our collective future.

Shai holds a doctorate in the philosophy of religion and his academic publications include The Transformative Philosophical Dialogue (Springer, 2023) and Cosmos and Camus: Science Fiction Film and the Absurd. As the author of numerous books on inner transformation, his writings have reached readers in 14 languages. He has also developed several original, meditation-based methods for psychological transformation, including the medically researched Expansion Method.

In this conversation, we explore profound questions about the nature of existence, the power of inquiry, and the tension between knowing and not knowing. Shai reflects on his journey of self-discovery, the absurdity of life, and the importance of embracing both reflective self-consciousness and the interconnectedness of all beings.

This episode emphasises the significance of living an examined life, where questions lead to deeper insights and a more profound understanding of what it means to be human.

For more of Shai's work, check out the following:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaitubali/
Website: https://shaitubali.com/
Books: https://shaitubali.com/books/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaiTubali/featured

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 The energy and tension of the question

03:00 What is it to be human?

05:15 The aliveness of not knowing

09:20 Being a distant observer of life

16:30 Embracing life fully from nowhere

21:30 Exploring absurdity, meaning & transcendence 

32:55 The beginning of a spiritual path

38:20 Longing for reality

43:55 The interplay of absurdity and transcendence 

50:53 The existential suffering of personalised existence

55:45 The grand feeling of universality through science

59:00 Summary of the conversation

1:02:00 What is a good life for Shai?

On the 127th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Andrew B Brown. Former Commander, Chief Inspector (retd.) Andrew is an internationally renowned negotiator with specialist knowledge and experience in dealing with kidnap for ransom and hostage/crisis incidents, particularly in humanitarian environments; in designing conflict de-escalation skills for field operations and acting as an expert witness to judicial inquiries on the response to hostage taking.

A Fellow of the Chartered Management and Security Institutes, he has developed advanced negotiation and crisis leadership skills for major corporations, public bodies, and Olympic sports coaches. His doctoral studies and experience in Afghan & African kidnappings have led him to research, critique and advise INGOs on how to prepare, prevent and respond to the threat of international kidnap. As a Fulbright Alumnus, he continues to teach advanced negotiation tactics to many law enforcement agencies including NYPD, USMS and the FBI. Published in his field, he remains an Advisor to the Editorial Board of the Crisis Response Journal.

In this episode, we explore Andrew’s journey toward finding purpose through helping others. He shares pivotal moments that shaped his path, from working with NGOs in crisis zones like Afghanistan to exploring the power of authentic human connection. Andrew reflects on the importance of listening, vulnerability, and sharing our common humanity. He also discusses how spirituality supports his work and the vital role of grounding stress in high-pressure environments.

This conversation is a wonderful invitation to find balance and perspective throughout the various chapters of our lives and the full range of life.

For more of Andrew's work, check out the following:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-b-brown-00148024/
Website: https://www.the-right-path.com/

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 Finding Purpose in Helping Others

04:45 Prioritising listening and humanity

09:11 Navigating Health Issues

12:05 Transitioning from Policing to Humanitarian Work

14:50 Negotiation and Crisis Management

18:00 A Defining Moment in life and purpose

22:15 The power of heartache or pain in connecting

27:45 Finding balance with work and family

31:50 Moving between negotiations and ordinary life

33:43 The level of responsibility for others

36:30 The range of this life & prioritising humanity

40:50 Grounding processes for stress

45:15 A pivotal moment for realising his calling

50:00 Continuing to help and guide others 

53:10 The importance of vulnerability

59:53 The power of listening and presence

1:07:14 What is a good life for Andy?

On the 126th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Geneen Marie Haugen, PhD. Geneen grew up a little wild, with a run amok imagination, and has lived at the wild edge for most of her life. Once upon a time, she was a whitewater river guide and a tipi dweller who loved knowing that only thin canvas separated her from the the world. In her wild wanderings, she’s been amazed to have had dozens or maybe hundreds of close encounters with creatures such as moose, elk, grizzlies, wolves, black bears, cougars, bison, and more. For her, the sulpher-scented hot springs of Yellowstone smell like home. A content creator and guide to the intertwined mysteries of nature and psyche with the Animas Valley Institute, she has been on the faculty of the Esalen Institute and Schumacher College. Her writing has appeared in Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth; Thomas Berry: Dreamer of the Earth; Parabola; Kosmos Journal; Ecopsychology; The Artist’s Field Guide to Yellowstone, and many others. She believes in the world-shifting potential of the human imagination allied with the planetary psyche.

In this glorious conversation, we explore the nature of reality and the role of imagination in shaping it. We discuss the current suppression of imagination, the vast possibilities that remain, and how imagination has profoundly influenced Geneen’s life. She shares captivating stories of connection with the world around us and moments of shimmering aliveness.

This conversation is a powerful invitation back to our imaginations—to a world rich with possibility, connection, and aliveness.

To find more of Geneen Marie Haugen's work:
Wild Pilgrimage Essay: https://starborne.substack.com/p/wild-pilgrimage

Animas Valley Institute Guide: https://www.animas.org/guides/22/geneen-marie-haugen-ph-d/
Kosmos Journal: https://www.kosmosjournal.org/kj_article/reemergence-of-animate-world-experiences/
Perceptual Portal: https://greatturning.net/perceptual-portal-by-geneen-marie-haugen/
Wild Imagination: https://www.dailygood.org/story/2359/wild-imagination-geneen-marie-haugen/
Participatory Consciousness: https://participatorystudies.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/thomas-berry-and-the-evocation-of-participatory-consciousness/

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss ways to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 What is the nature of reality?

05:45 Our childhood connection to imagination

09:50 A sense of shimmering aliveness

15:00 Awareness of intelligent presence in others

19:45 Why are we here? 

25:45 The disturbance and suppressing of our imagination

30:00 Disconnection with our imagination

35:45 Imagination shaping a life

39:55 Imagination as a way of knowing the world

44:00 A magical experience of nature speaking 

50:00 Being in states where our imaginations are activated

56:55 The source of our ideas and possibility

1:01:45 Summary and what is a good life for Geneen?

On the 125th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Nikki Trott. Nikki is a renowned author, speaker, strategist, CEO adviser and podcaster dedicated to empowering business to thrive in harmony with humanity and the Earth. Her book, Sacred Business, is a manifesto for the transformation of ourselves woven with strategic action to create a new era of life-affirming business. As the host of the acclaimed Going Conscious podcast, she explores journeys of visionary entrepreneurs creating prosperity from purpose. Nikki has advised over 100 iconic brands and startup founders and is redesigning capital for regeneration as founding partner of Barefoot Ventures.

In this conversation, Nikki explores her journey toward authenticity and purpose, discussing the profound impact of writing her book, and the interplay between personal and spiritual growth, and business transformation. She emphasises the importance of intuition, feminine energy, and the balance between surrender and action in both life and work.

The conversation touches on the need for a shift from traditional, fear-driven practices to a more holistic, sacred approach to work, drawing on the lessons of Sacred Business.

To find more of Nikki's work:
Website: nikkitrott.com.

Connect on Instagram @nikkitrott and LinkedIn /nikkitrott.

Get your copy of Sacred Business from all good bookshops and as a audiobook.

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 Coming into authenticity & purpose

03:15 The serendipity when on our path

06:15 Following the energy and authenticity

10:30 The experience of serendipity 

13:30 Moving into the feminine energy

18:30 The profound impact of childbirth

23:00 Proactive surrender

28:00 Sacred business

33:30 Moving from fear to love in business

37:30 Treating people well and profits align

40:45 Managing our energy and its cyclical nature

43:35 Letting go of control

46:40 Shifting from short term focus to evergreen

53:00 What is a good life for Nikki?

On the 124th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Glenn Behenna. Glenn is a recently retired Senior Lecturer at Carmarthen Business School and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He held a varied range of roles throughout his career, including steelworker, police officer, consultant, and facilitator, alongside more than 20 years of experience lecturing and managing university programmes. He was also an invited speaker at the House of Lords on topics related to education. Glenn’s path has been driven by a deep interest in people and how we communicate. 

In this conversation, Glenn shares his insights on the power of making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. We delve into the value of listening, paying attention, and fostering relationships within learning environments. Our discussion highlights how curiosity can drive personal growth and deepen our understanding of both ourselves and others.

We also reflect on the need to create space for our feelings and intuition, as well as the necessity of preserving our humanity in an increasingly automated world.

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 Making a difference to people’s lives

05:00 Helping people build confidence  

09:10 Encouraging people to know they are enough

12:30 Being vulnerable and available to people

15:30 The power of listening to open up others

18:40 Attention and relationship in learning

23:00 The unpredictable unfolding path of life

26:30 Curiosity & becoming at ease with ourselves

35:15 Leaving space for intuition & feeling

40:22 Reflections on AI in education

43:00 We are dehumanising ourselves

49:13 Students wary of AI marking their work

53:53 Conversation summary

56:26 What is a good life for Glenn?

On the 123rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Jessica Böhme. Jessica is a professor and academic director of technology management at FHM Berlin, and she is the founder of the Institute for Practical ekoPhilosophy (IPeP). She writes a weekly newsletter "wild:philosophy," where she explores how to live life in a collapsing world. Her expertise lies in utilising philosophy as a meta-technology for individual, social, and ecological transformations.

In this episode, we delve into the profound question of how to live this life—particularly in the context of sustainability and personal responsibility. We discuss the concept of 'messy disturbance' in navigating life's complexities, the paralysis that can come from heightened awareness, and reflect on the experiments Jessica undertook to align her actions with her values—including her remarkable "one dress" experiment, in which she wore the same dress every day for over a year.

This conversation celebrates curiosity, the wisdom gained through lived experience, paying attention to life’s feedback and how philosophy can be practiced in everyday life, offering a grounding force amidst uncertainty.

Ultimately, this episode points to a richness of life that can be experienced when we allow ourselves to be seen.

For more of Jessica's work, check out the following:
Website: https://www.jessicaboehme.com/
IPeP: https://www.institute-pep.com/
Newsletter: https://jessicaboehme.substack.com/
Books: https://www.jessicaboehme.com/books/

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 How do I live this life? What principles?

04:10 Living in the messy disturbance of life

07:10 We are more resilient than we think

11:00 Engaging with the difficulty of our choices

13:30 The importance of living our theories

18:05 Wearing the same dress for a year

23:00 People don’t notice as much as you think

26:30 The connection with items through familiarity

30:00 The relationship between scarcity and care

32:05 The friction between long term and a world in flux

37:05 Standing by and living in our choices 

42:35 Integrating more than rejecting ways of life

46:17 Seeing Philosophy as a daily practice

49:00 Life’s feedback and responding to it

51:30 Summary and what is a good life for Jessica?

On the 122nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Felicity Reed. Felicity is a Psychotherapist and expert in leadership, who, alongside a private practice and consultancy, has worked as a clinical lead across the NHS, local authorities and the voluntary sector, working at the sharpest edges of trauma and health inequalities, supporting people facing life’s toughest circumstances to turn their pain into power.

She first came into therapy because of her own difficulties and ADHD, and uses this lived experience of messiness to bring humour, joy and humanity to the trickiest places of the human soul. She is the founder of Mic Drops: tiny pops of tools, techniques and training that highlight health inequalities, and demonstrate tiny but powerful actions each of us can take to improve social justice. She also shares tiny and powerful daily tips on Instagram to de-mystify therapy and make mental wellbeing easier.

In this wonderful conversation, we explore the themes of connection, soul, vulnerability, and embracing and sharing our messiness. We explore what type of relating is possible on the other side of this openness.

Ultimately, this episode points to a richness of life that can be experienced when we allow ourselves to be seen.

For more of Felicity's work, check out the following:
Felicity's website: https://www.felicityreed.co.uk/

Felicity's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felicitypsychotherapy/

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 How do I be true to myself?

03:30 How we can lose ourselves

07:00 The shame we feel when not ourselves

10:00 When our stories and reality don’t align

15:00 The response to withholding our truth

21:00 Soothing ourselves

24:30 When two humans meet in presence

29:30 We simply need each other

34:15 The gift of our sharing our humanity

38:20 Moving from opinions to soulful connection

43:25 Words that we feel

47:00 Love and creating space for our being

52:00 Summary and what is a good life for Felicity?

On the 121st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Dave Gribben. Dave is a performance coach who works with strategic decision-makers, ambitious leaders, and teams, helping them engage the best of their humanity to realise more of their potential and achieve goals that matter.

Based in Dublin, he enjoys life as an empty nester with his wife, staying close to their three children and four grandchildren. Dave partners with organisations of all sizes across Europe, helping them build cultures they’re proud of and leadership teams that inspire. He also contributes to MBA programmes on High Performing Teams at UCD, DIT, and as Associate Faculty at the Irish Management Institute. Dave has held leadership roles in nonprofits tackling homelessness and poverty, serving as Director and Chairman of Stepping Stone and as a founder of Seachange.

In this conversation, we discuss profound questions about life, self-discovery, and the delicate balancing of the ego and the soul. We also talk about self-acceptance and the ongoing journey of personal growth. This conversation highlights the significance of family, the joy of connection, and the idea that a good life is one where we enable others regain their dignity.

For more of Dave's work, check out the following:
Dave's website: https://enableconsulting.ie/

Dave's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegribben/

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course

00:00 What have I left behind of myself?

06:30 Approaching our inquiry more playfully

11:30 Getting bored of busyness

16:20 Space for awareness without our phones

19:00 Trying to balance the needs of our ego and soul

24:20 Being attentive to life and our nature

30:20 A journey to self-acceptance

36:55 What brings a feeling of abundance

43:10 The security of love and family

48:35 The importance of each other

57:34 What is a good life for Dave? 

On the 120th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome Mike James Ross. Mike has been a CHRO, author, consultant, investor, lawyer, manager of a peace negotiations project, and a whole host of other things. He is currently advising individuals, teams, and organisations with a focus on meaningful work. The book he co-authored, Intention, is a practical guide to unsticking yourself and infusing purpose, engagement, and fulfilment into your life.

In this insightful conversation, Mike shares his explorations and research into finding meaning in work, the importance of connection with others, and the societal implications of disengagement in the workforce. He also emphasises the role of love and intention in living a fulfilling life.

This conversation is a wonderful invitation to contemplate the idea of a good life and what is meaningful from the perspective of the collective, beyond simply our own individual perspectives.

For more of Mike's work, check out the following:
Mike’s website and book: https://www.mikejamesross.com/

Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejamesross/

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

- For the What is a Good Life? 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/
- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching
- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations

00:00 Individual or collectively discerning a good life

05:30 Camaraderie at work

10:50 Is gratitude seated in guilt?

16:14 An abundance within attention

23:00 Meaning at work

28:40 The cost of not doing meaningful work

32:22 Why does the status quo persist?

37:20 The significance of the other in meaning

44:20 Personally finding meaning at work

48:10 Finding meaning and busyness

55:30 Reasons for optimism  

1:01:00 Summary and what is a good life for Mike?