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On the 96th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, John Oliver. John is an artist and sense-making facilitator, exploring multidisciplinary practices based on complexity principles and narrative frameworks. Since 2020, he has developed an artistic practice that integrates the arts with complexity principles, working in portraiture film, and experimental installations. Certified in developmental psychology coaching and co-founder of Human-Equity Ltd, he specialised in qualitative metrics for organisational development and human insights in investment portfolio management. Previously, John managed technology transfer projects in Nepal and Ghana for the NGO Intermediate Technology Development Group, spent 15 years in strategy consulting, and was an early team member at the French start-up OneAccess. He holds a BEng from Brunel University and an MBA from EDHEC in France.
In this expansive conversation, John shares his journey towards greater creativity and his explorations of self and no-self. We discuss sense-making through dialectics, revelations through creativity, and the concept of positive disintegration. We also delve into the dissonance experienced during transitions, with John sharing his insights on the arts as a spiritual practice.
If you are currently navigating, or contemplating, major or minor life transitions, this conversation offers many valuable insights and themes that are worthy of your contemplation.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
John's experimental art: www.tyler.world
John's portraiture film: www.interiortruth.com
John's positive disintegration piece: https://www.tyler.world/positive-disintegration
- 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/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 weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
00:00 Introduction
02:50 The path of no self07:50 Sense making through dialectics
12:10 Revelations through creativity
19:05 Positive disintegration
24:55 New paths and intergenerational influence
29:10 Sense of self and connection to collective
33:40 Navigating the dissonance between transitions
39:20 Realisation through suffering or awareness?
48:20 Integrating the whole
53:20 Silence and being enough
58:20 The arts as a spiritual practice
1:04:05 The Soul and the Spirit
1:10:35 Sexuality as a spiritual practice
1:14:00 What is a good life for John?
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On the 95th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Madelaine Ley. Madelaine is a philosopher, spiritual ecologist, and contemplative artist. Her varied work includes lecturing at Delft University of Technology and Lassonde Engineering School in Canada on digital citizenship, responsible AI, intersectional approaches to tech, and robot-ethics; hosting Sacred Sessions, non-religious gatherings that blend philosophy, art, science, contemplative practice and collective reflection; writing and podcasting for Beauty in the Mire; and experimenting with contemplative art. She was named one of the “100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics” by Lighthouse3 in 2022 and has been featured by the BBC, Leidsch Dagblad, Yes! Magazine, and Life Itself, as well as funded by The European Pavilion, Horizon 2020 and the Social Science Research Council of Canada.
In this glorious conversation, Madelaine shares how she is deepening her awareness of her embodied experience of life. We discuss how the birth of her daughter revealed an inner bravery, while also exploring the importance of embracing grief, along with the profound grounding and lessons she received from her spiritual mentor in embodying agenda-free presence and resisting the urge to fix or give advice.
This whole conversation is a wonderful invitation to pay attention to your felt experience of life and to recognise the wisdom our bodies can offer.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Madelaine's Website: https://www.madelaineley.com/
Madelaine's Newsletter: https://madelaineley.substack.com/
Contemplative Art: https://liquidbecomings.eu/28th-september-in-utrecht-liquid-becomings-x-sonnenborgh-museum/
- 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/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 weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
00:00 Introduction
02:50 Intuition & living at the edges of our skin08:10 Breakthroughs from motherhood and meltdowns
13:50 The significance of breakdowns and ruptures
16:35 Listening to energies that visit our bodies
22:08 The value of an awareness of death
27:05 The importance of embracing grief
32:20 Agenda free presence
37:55 The influence of a spiritual mentor
42:12 What is beyond measurement
45:07 The experience of silence
49:20 The feeling of bravery from childbirth
56:50 What is a good life for Madelaine?
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On the 94th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jennifer Murphy. Jennifer is an Irish mythologist, anthropologist, creativity mentor, and the founder of The Celtic Creatives. A Dubliner born and bred, from the time she could talk, Jennifer's grandmother, Frances O'Sullivan, filled her ears with tales from Irish myth and folklore, fuelling a now 40-year fascination with the stories of her lineage. Jennifer's apprenticeship in following her soul’s breadcrumbs over the past twenty years has guided her work and formal studies in Medieval Irish and Celtic Studies, Sociocultural Anthropology, Creativity and Innovation, and Jungian Psychology and Art Therapy. She supports creatives from diverse fields to (re)connect with the mythopoetic imagination of Ireland, using ancient wisdom to inform modern creativity through myth, dreamwork, imagination, and the body. She is currently writing a book on what Irish mythology can teach us about our creativity.
In this glorious conversation, Jennifer shares her journey of listening to her soul’s story—a path which has revealed her Dán (soul’s gift) and includes balancing the masculine and feminine, Sus and Imbas—the scientific and divine inspiration—exploring dreams, other worlds, and Irish mythology, and imbuing everything around us with life.
This whole episode may offer you many new lines of inquiry, as well as ways of perceiving this world, which may be integral to experiencing your own good life.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Jen's Website: https://www.celticcreatives.com/
Jen's Substack: https://celticcreatives.substack.com/
Jen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celticembodiment/
- 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/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 weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
00:00 Introduction
03:00 What is my Dán (Soul’s gift)?09:48 Taking up the path of the soul
15:00 Wisdom: Sus and Imbas
20:00 Balancing masculine and feminine energy
23:30 Exploring the masculine & unconscious
27:30 Mythology - exploring the story of the soul
30:30 Exploring dreams & other worlds
33:30 The land is alive with soul
35:30 Other worlds & connecting with land
39:10 Reconnecting to the divine
45:40 The Irish psyche & mythology
49:48 Connecting with the language and folklore
55:30 What is a good life for Jen?
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On the 93rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Kemo Camara. Kemo is the visionary behind Omek, a community-centric platform whose mission is to amplify the talent, voices, and energy of biculturals of African descent. A social entrepreneur, community influencer, economist, and captivating speaker, Kemo's journey has spanned continents, with impactful engagements across Africa, the United States, and Europe. He has held extensive leadership roles and responsibilities in community organisations and co-founded multiple businesses and non-profit organisations in the United States and Europe. His passion lies in activating our collective human potential, bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to work towards a common goal.
In this wonderful conversation, Kemo shares his journey of building community and realising purpose in his life. He discusses the insights around community that he gained from his upbringing and family in Guinea, the values of trust, dignity, and respect that were instilled in him, and the energy we drain from ourselves by constantly having our guards up.
This entire conversation is a great example of the importance of reflection, understanding who we are, and paying attention to the feedback life provides in order to utilise all aspects of ourselves to realise greater purpose in our lives.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Omek's Website: myomek.com
Kemo's LinkedIn: LinkedIn
- 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/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 weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
00:00 Introduction
02:50 What kind of impact do I want to make?06:20 What do people in my life say about me?
10:30 What is fundamentally important
14:50 Family, elders, and respect
19:50 Giving trust and possibilities
27:20 Building community in other countries
35:00 Realising what matters most
40:50 Paying attention to the life’s feedback
44:50 Speaking to people as humans at work
47:35 The journey to building new leaders & community
54:05 Bringing all of who we are
57:05 What is a good life for Kemo?
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On the 92nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Rachel Donald. Rachel is the creator of Planet: Critical, the podcast and newsletter for a world in crisis with 15,000+ subscribers from 160 countries. Planet: Critical connects the dots of science, art, language, politics, media, philosophy and power to reveal the big picture. Rachel speaks internationally on this ecosystem as an independent researcher and writer. Alongside Planet: Critical, her world exclusive investigations into climate corruption have been published in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Mongabay, The Intercept, Byline Times and the New Republic.
In this wonderful conversation, Rachel takes us on her journey of looking beyond the veil, as for her, the world never seemed the way people said it was. She shares her experiences of questioning what is real and true, letting go of certainty, becoming more aware of and focused on the relationships between everything, and the joy that comes from doing work you love that serves others. She also explores finding ways to engage with the world while staying true to your own nature.
This entire conversation is filled with insights and realisations that deeply connect to experiencing a fulfilling life, while Rachel’s path may inspire you to think more critically and to reflect on what you are actively questioning and choosing in your own life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Rachel's Website: www.planetcritical.com
Rachel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-donald/
- 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/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 weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
00:00 Introduction
02:52 Not holding onto answers or certainty
08:02 The shift towards accepting uncertainty
11:12 Getting out of our way to grow
14:52 No decision is permanent
17:52 Making big decisions with clarity
24:12 Empowered to choose your own struggle
28:22 Sensing something wasn’t true
31:52 Seeing the world differently
36:52 Engaging with the world while remaining who we are
43:02 New ways of lifting the veil
47:22 A network of responses
50:32 Developing empathy for different perspectives
56:22 What is a good life for Rachel? -
On the 91st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to welcome our guest, Andrea Hiott. Andrea is a philosopher and the founder of Making Ways, a private educational consultancy that works with individuals, businesses, and organisations such as EMI to explore the guiding philosophies at the core of our lives and actions. She is also an author and educator, holding degrees in the philosophy of mind, neuroscience, and UNESCO World Heritage. Andrea has authored several books, including Thinking Small, and her work has appeared in renowned publications such as the The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, National Geographic, and the San Francisco Chronicle. In addition, she hosts several podcasts, including Love & Philosophy and Desirable Unknown.
In this captivating conversation, Andrea shares her journey with the question, "What is mind?" We discuss the importance of developing our ability to hold paradox, handle the intensity of our emotions, and navigate the challenges, joys, and fears that love can sometimes bring. We explore how our presence and attention can facilitate change within ourselves and others, and the profound impact of sharing meaningful moments together.
This whole conversation is deeply insightful, offering much to learn from Andrea’s curiosity, wisdom, and reflections. Which may help you to embrace the experience of being human more fully.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Andrea's Website: https://www.andreahiott.net/
Andrea's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@waymaking23/featured
- 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/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 weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
00:00 Introduction
02:50 What is mind?07:16 What can we handle?
11:41 Portals to be present
15:11 More to this than we understand
19:21 The joy and curiosity of deep feelings
23:21 What is mind and what is mine? Holding paradox
27:51 We are always in process
32:21 Being present and the changes it allows
33:41 Acknowledging our own possibility for change
41:46 Time, mind, and memory
46:31 The resonance of meaning through time
50:41 The paradox of our separate and shared lives
56:18 What is a good life for Andrea?
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On the 90th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Seb Randle. Seb is the founder of The Helpful Space, a space dedicated to exploring pragmatic and practical solutions that help individuals to where they want to be. His approach is grounded in warmth, kindness, genuine curiosity, and a deep understanding of what it takes to create lasting change. Seb is also Head of Allyship at Bloom North, and a people focussed consultant and coach.
In this engaging conversation, Seb shares his ongoing journey of exploring his own truth. He shares with us key moments in his own life that encompassed family counselling in his teens, coming out to his mother and family, and developing a more loving relationship with his body. Each experience in life offering him the opportunity to reveal or understand more about himself. Seb also highlights the importance of how he shows up for others, the exploration of who we are at our core, the value of releasing self-judgement, living life with intention, and exploring our blind spots.
If you are feeling unsure of who you are, seeking to connect more deeply with your truth, or feeling daunted by life’s challenges, this conversation offers plenty of thought-provoking insights. Seb’s relatable experiences and lived wisdom may offer new perspectives for whatever you’re currently navigating.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Seb's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seb-randle-2787b412/
The Helpful Space: https://www.instagram.com/thehelpfulspace/
Bloom North: http://www.bloomnorth.org
- 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/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 weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
00:00 Introduction
03:00 A life free from regret07:10 Showing up for ourselves & others
11:10 Building internal trust
15:00 Feelings and judgements
18:00 What you are at your core
21:30 Self-judgement and self-acceptance
25:25 Appreciating our bodies
34:00 Coming out and telling loved ones
40:00 Approaching life intentionally
44:00 Engaging with our blind spots
49:00 Wondering what else is out there
56:38 What is a good life for Seb?
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On the 89th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Manda Scott. Manda trained as a veterinary surgeon but is now an award-winning novelist and host of the Accidental Gods podcast. Best known for the internationally best-selling Boudica: Dreaming series, which The New York Times labelled “a masterpiece in historical fiction,” her latest novel departs from historical fiction in favour of a contemporary Thrutopian narrative, exploring the potential for a future we’d be proud to leave as our legacy. Any Human Power opens doorways we could all walk through, following routes to a paradigm shift we could make happen now.
In this captivating conversation, Manda takes us on her journey of connecting to the living web of life. We explore what the web is asking of us, learning to learn through pain until we can learn through love, the joyful curiosity that arises from the heart-mind connection, dreaming awake, and the magic of co-creation that our relationships with each other can entail. She outlines the role of artists in envisioning a future that lays the foundations for a new way of being and path to follow.
This entire conversation is brimming with hope, connection, curiosity, and considerable wisdom and insight from Manda. I hope it serves as a window into what is possible when we fully sense and connect with all that is around us—the living web of life.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Manda's website / books: https://mandascott.co.uk/
Manda's podcast: https://accidentalgods.life/
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
00:00 Introduction
02:45 Podcast begins04:45 Connecting with the web of life
07:55 Consciously encountering the web of life
12:15 Communicating with time and space
18:03 Learning through pain and love
22:57 Accepting, understanding and healing
26:28 The heart-mind connection
31:45 The power of joyful curiosity
37:15 Feeling the web of life
42:03 Attributing more aliveness to AI and others
45:32 Dreaming awake and the void
55:37 Responding to messages from the web of life
59:45 Inquiries into death
1:03:45 A place outside of space and time and the role of artists
1:09:16 A whole new way of being and path to take
1:18:20 What is a good life for Manda?
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On the 88th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Derek Sivers. Derek is an author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, known for his surprising, quotable insights and pithy, succinct writing style. Formerly a musician, programmer, TED speaker, and circus clown, he sold his first company for $22 million and gave all the money to charity. Derek is the author of Useful Not True, How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, and Anything You Want. All his books, latest projects, and musings can be found on his website: https://sive.rs/
In this insightful and engaging conversation, Derek takes us on a journey through his experiences as a musician, philosopher, circus performer, entrepreneur, and author. A journey spanning several continents that embraces, lets go of, and challenges multiple perspectives, and is underpinned by considerable explorations of growth, curiosity, joy, and play.
If you feel stuck in your way of thinking, stagnant in your current life, or tired of your perspectives, not only will Derek’s life serve as an incredible inspiration, but his thoughts and ideas may guide you to places you never imagined.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Derek's website / books: https://sive.rs/
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people or you'd like to join my weekly silent conversation groups.
00:00 Introduction
02:42 What’s another way to see this?
07:10 Not stopping with the first thought10:10 What could be the benefit of any situation
13:30 Navigating emotion and choices
17:50 Exploring the edges of growth
23:20 Leaving the old for the new
28:10 What is the growth choice?
33:10 Exploration, play, and growth
38:40 The greatest joy in life
44:10 The motivation for the writing
47:40 Not being attached to one perspective
50:40 Realising ideas into existence
53:40 Celebrating our work
59:40 The moment of release
1:02:40 Giving 100% of proceeds to others
1:07:40 Justifying our own actions
1:12:40 The multiplicity of life
1:19:55 What is a good life for Derek?
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On the 87th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to welcome our guest, Dr. Niobe Way. Niobe is Professor of Developmental Psychology at NYU, founder of the Project for the Advancement of Our Common Humanity (PACH; pach.org), and the Principal Investigator of the Listening Project, which fosters curiosity and connection in schools across New York City. Niobe has served as President of the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA), holds a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, a doctorate from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health at Yale University.
With nearly 40 years of experience researching adolescent social and emotional development, Niobe has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles. She is the author of Deep Secrets: Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection and her latest book, Rebels with a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, and Our Culture.
In this illuminating conversation, Niobe explores what it means to be human and how this is shaped by cultural context, the clash between our nature and culture, and the importance of listening to stories as well as examining data. She highlights the dangers of living in a culture that no longer listens and how much of what is needed for greater connection already exists within us.
If your relationships lack the depth and connection you long for, or if you are struggling to cultivate greater intimacy and curiosity in your life, Niobe offers a wealth of insights, anecdotes, and even exercises for you to consider and practise to reveal your innate capacities for connection.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Niobe's book: https://www.brilliant-books.net/book/9780593184264
Niobe's website: https://www.niobe-way.com/
Niobe's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niobe-way-75270534/Photo credit: Daniel Root
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people or you'd like to join my weekly silent conversation groups.
00:00 Introduction
03:00 What it means to be human06:30 Crossing the lines
11:57 What different groups can teach us about ourselves
15:10 Privileging the hard over the soft
20:55 Interpersonal curiosity
24:00 Thin and thick stories
27:00 Breaking stereotypes through stories
32:30 Living in a culture that no longer listens
40:00 Innate intelligence we have forgotten
42:30 The root of our suffering and illness
48:05 The fear of not being seen as we see ourselves
53:17 The natural skills within us to solve our problems
1:01:42 What is a good life for Niobe?
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On the 86th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to introduce Nic Askew as our guest. Nic is a filmmaker who has discovered a powerful way to use the camera to deepen people's awareness. He has been described in various ways—an itinerant confessor, a disruptive influence, a monk independent of any religion, and an explorer of the inner world.
Over two decades of exploring human connection, authenticity, and insight through film, Nic has uncovered a profoundly simple way for us to be together, which he calls Inner View. This method has led to the creation of the acclaimed Soul Biographies Film Series, an experience of human presence that has resonated with millions.
In this enlightening conversation, Nic clearly articulates and points to a deeply felt sense of universal belonging, without the need to do, improve, or follow steps—simply by virtue of our existence and the lack of separation between us. He discusses how he uses the camera, stillness, and nothing to reveal our innate sense of belonging. With an awareness of this belonging, we can move through the world working on behalf of everyone and everything with life living itself through us.
If you're struggling with feelings of unworthiness, a lack of belonging, or the belief that you need to fix or improve yourself, Nic's insights may help you see beyond these barriers to the simple truth of your inherent worth and obvious belonging.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Soul Biographies: https://soulbiographies.com/
Nic's website: https://nicaskew.com/
Nic's newsletter: https://nicaskew.substack.com/
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people or you'd like to join my weekly silent conversation groups.
00:00 Introduction
03:00 What is this work that I do?07:19 Stillness, awareness, and a realisation of belonging
13:40 The power of silence and subtracting
18:07 The challenge of our cultural way of being
20:40 The realisation of our connectedness
26:20 Become aware of what we are capable of
30:50 Stillness and silence tending to our trauma
33:20 Life living itself through you - nothing to do
41:40 An awareness of the dissolving of time and space
46:40 The Girl in the Entrance Hall
51:10 Working on behalf of everyone and everything
58:20 Realising why everyone hurt
1:04:45 It is much more simple than we imagine
1:11:15 An absence of time in our encounters
1:16:20 Could I be doing something else?
1:21:23 What is a good life for Nic?
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On the 85th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jon Alexander. Jon is the author of CITIZENS: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us, a book that seeks to reframe the current moment as one of immense civic opportunity rather than merely a time of crisis and collapse.
In 2014, Jon co-founded the New Citizenship Project, a strategy and innovation consultancy that aims to shift the dominant societal narrative from Consumer to Citizen. He is a Fellow of the Young Foundation, a founding member of the OECD's Innovative Citizen Participation Network, a Strategic Advisor to DemocracyNext, and a member of the Leadership Council of the Democracy and Culture Foundation. Additionally, Jon has represented Great Britain in both rowing and triathlon.
In this inspiring conversation, Jon shares his journey of building greater trust in himself and others, which has shaped his ideas about evolving from a Consumer story to a Citizen story. In this new narrative, we expand our self-interest, connection, and sense of belonging, embracing the uncertainty we collectively face. We discuss the importance of stories over data, becoming who we want to be, reflection, and the immense satisfaction of being part of something bigger than ourselves.
If you feel somewhat stuck and perhaps overwhelmed by the mounting crises, and if you are looking to reengage with a sense of agency and empowerment, this episode, along with Jon’s journey, will give you much to contemplate, as well as inspiration for action.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.
For further content and information check out the following:
Jon's book & website: https://www.jonalexander.net/
Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-alexander-11b66345/
Jon's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonjalex
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
00:00 Introduction
02:55 Consumer Story & Citizen Story05:35 What would you do if you believed in yourself & others
09:15 Self interest and expanded self-interest
13:05 Human and community and connection
16:45 Stories and connection over data
21:55 Collectively becoming who we want to be
25:55 Pretending we have answers and solutions
30:40 Safe uncertainty
34:35 A need for belonging, community, and contribution
38:20 Trusting others
43:55 Time to reflect and portals
50:55 Not something to give up but to gain
55:55 What is a good life for Jon?
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On the 84th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Wakanyi Hoffman. Wakanyi is an artist of life who paints the shades of each day as a storyteller, author, keynote speaker specialising in Ubuntu philosophy, scholar of indigenous knowledge, and narrative weaver of wisdom in AI.
Wakanyi is an Indigenous Knowledge Curator for ServiceSpace AI, a Research Fellow at The New Institute in Hamburg, and the author of Sala, Mountain Warrior. She sits on several boards, including the Kenya Education Fund, and her mission is to help co-create a world founded on continuous, naturally occurring, systemic intellectual and emotional progress that is in harmony with all other forms of emerging intelligence.
In this enlivening episode, Wakanyi considers what it would take to reconnect with ancient wisdom while living in a modern world. She shares Ubuntu values of survival, solidarity, respect, compassion, and dignity—dignity for human life and all of life. She explores the hospicing of the systems we presently live in and what has inhibited us from engaging with the wisdom of the heart. We also discuss resisting the urge to interfere with a natural process and the relief and joy of not being in control.
If you are struggling to integrate more wisdom into your life, if you feel you are holding on too tightly to the way things are, even when you realise they are no longer serving you, this episode will give you plenty of space, fresh air, and optimism to consider our next evolutions as people and as a society.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.
For further content and information check out the following:
Wakanyi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wakanyi-hoffman-77a9671a4/
Wakanyi's website: https://www.wakanyihoffman.com/
Wakanyi's book: https://www.amazon.nl/-/en/Wakanyi-Hoffman/dp/191565906X- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
00:00 Introduction
03:00 Reconnecting with our indigenous roots07:30 Merging Wisdom with Modernity
11:00 The illusion of mutual exclusivity of experiences
17:42 Honouring our material and immaterial experiences
22:45 Ubuntu values
33:00 Creating spaces to allow our values to emerge
37:45 Growing out of old cocoons
42:50 Lessons from the do-nothing farmer
47:05 Lessons from observing a child’s development
51:20 The humility and awe of the human experience
57:44 What is a good life for Wakanyi?
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On the 83rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Tom Morgan. Tom has spent the last 20 years in markets, on both the buy and sell sides. He has worked at several investment banks on Wall Street and his most recent role was with the wealth manager Sapient Capital. He describes himself as a "curiosity sherpa"; he spends his life seeking out the most interesting ideas and thinkers for curious people. He has just co-founded The Leading Edge, a network for curious people focused on their personal evolution, and he is also the writer of The Leading Edge newsletter. He graduated from Oxford University with an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
In this enlightening conversation, Tom muses on whether we realise that the universe loves us. He shares his experiences of struggling with mental and spiritual health, highlights the significance of experiencing flow in a meaningful way, discusses the importance of being honest with ourselves and the world around us, and explores the relationship between disclosing truth and the synchronicity we experience.
Tom shares many insightful anecdotes and experiences throughout this conversation, making this episode ideal for anyone feeling stuck in life, considering career transitions, facing challenges with their well-being, or struggling to see the signs that the world or universe may be offering.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.
For further content and information check out the following:
The Leading Edge Website: https://www.theleading-edge.org/
Tom's Newsletter: https://newsletter.theleading-edge.org/X: @tomowenmorgan
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
00:00 Introduction
02:40 Does the universe love me?06:10 To what degree are we free?
08:25 Flowing in a meaningful way & synchronicity
12:40 The importance of discernment
16:40 Experiencing highly contrasting states & sensitivity
23:05 The power of truth in experiencing reality
28:54 The failing of our language and love
30:50 Sharing with the intention of helping others
34:10 Sharing our inner world
37:40 Flow, earnings, and the value of containers
46:20 Navigating career transition
50:10 Not feeling anything
54:30 Insights from suffering
58:20 What level of suffering is necessary?
1:01:10 What is a good life for Tom?
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On the 82nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Parneet Pal, MBBS, MS. Parneet is a Harvard- and Columbia-trained physician-educator who teaches skills and communicates ideas that advance personal, workplace, and planetary health. She is the founder of Systematically Well Advisory Inc., where she applies her expertise to enhance health and performance and their impact on business leadership. Her goal is to make you fall in love with your biology so that it works for you, your work, and the planet. She works with business teams and global organisations to address workplace stress, burnout, loneliness, and sustainability.
Parneet speaks at global conferences such as Web Summit and TED Countdown and guest lectures at several universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia. She has been a TEDMED scholar, a Harvard Business Review contributor, and has been featured on the cover of Mindful magazine.
In this enlightening conversation, Parneet shares her explorations around what true health is, moving away from siloed approaches to well-being to consider social, economic, ecological, and environmental factors. She shares remarkable insights from what our biology suggests a good life is, as well as major realisations she has made in her own life in relation to nature, community, mindfulness, and compassion.
This whole conversation is full of life-affirming messages around the wonder, design, and miracle of life. Parneet is an absolute fountain of knowledge and embodied compassion, and this episode will fill you with gratitude to simply exist in this world and for the very life we live.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.
For further content and information check out the following:
Parneet's Website: https://www.parneetpal.com/
Parneet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parneetpal/
IG: @pal.parneet
X: @parneet_pal
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
00:01 Introduction
03:17 Exploring what true health actually means05:37 What makes the cells in my body sing
09:57 The connection between health and sustainability
16:47 The impact of meaning and connection on our health
24:02 Recognising the body as part of nature
29:28 Stepping away from clinical practice
34:07 The importance of embodying compassion
40:57 Appreciating the significance of community
49:12 Breathing in the world and the miracle of life
54:07 What is a good life for Parneet?
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On the 81st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Patrick McAndrew. Patrick, a global thought leader on productivity and performance, empowers professionals to escape the "Productivity Paradox" - the illusion that being busy equals progress. As the founder of HARA, an inner circle for exceptional entrepreneurs and leaders, Patrick equips individuals with practical tools to reclaim focus, boost productivity, and achieve extraordinary results in a world of constant distractions. He provides teams with tools to tame distractions, prioritise what matters most, and develop resilience.
In this beautiful conversation, Patrick takes us on his exploration of various cognitive and biological functions to what is now a journey to the heart, moving from fragmentation and mechanistic approaches to life towards greater alignment, embodiment, and a sense of being. He shares beautiful anecdotes and wisdom observed from his mother in her final months and his experience of caring for her, as well as the realisations he has made from his own closely examined life. He touches on various modalities he has explored to live a more connected life, as well as tools and perspectives he shares with his clients to allow greater acceptance and connection to flourish in their own lives.
This episode has a lot to offer. Whether you are seeking greater clarity in life, have implemented many processes for “optimising” your life and still feel something is missing, or knowing that something intangible is within your reach but you feel lost in that process, this episode offers multiple insights for your own contemplation.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.
For further content and information check out the following:
Patrick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmcandrewonline/
Patrick's website: https://www.patrickmcandrew.co
Patrick's newsletter: https://patrickmcandrew.substack.com
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
00:00 Introduction
03:25 Who am I in this moment?06:50 Moving from mental inquiries to the heart
12:55 Lessons from his mother
18:50 Not seeking approval & letting go of constructs
26:50 Connection is much closer than we think
28:30 Contact and awareness of impulses and cravings
33:20 Finding clarity and guidance in life
38:00 The significance of resting within yourself
42:30 Letting go of our judgements and identifying needs
52:40 A reconnection to wild and wisdom
1:02:05 What is a good life for Patrick?
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On the 80th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jonny Thomson. Jonny was a teacher for over a decade before he turned to writing full-time. He is a columnist at Big Think, where he writes primarily about philosophy, theology, and psychology, and is the author of three books. His first book, Mini Philosophy, is an award-winning international bestseller and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Jonny also runs the popular social media account Philosophy Minis, with a quarter of a million followers, where he explains philosophical ideas in short, accessible digests. He lives in a village in North Oxfordshire with his wife and two sons.
In this engaging conversation, Jonny shares his thoughts on contemplating death and how it can guide us in living a good life. We discuss the importance of finding meaning beyond our own lives and moments of feeling part of something bigger. We also explore the potential impact of AI and what it reveals about being human. While Jonny reflects on his shift towards a Daoist perspective and how this has influenced both his path and sense of purpose.
Throughout the conversation, Jonny highlights essential components of contemplation and ways of engaging with life that can bring greater purpose, contentment, and meaning. If you feel that your life needs a change or that it feels somewhat stifled, this episode will provide much to consider.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.
For further content and information check out the following:
Jonny's first book, Mini Philosophy
Jonny's Website: https://miniphilosophy.com/
Jonny's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philosophyminis/
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
00:00 Introduction
03:20 The power of contemplating death06:20 The shift in magnetic poles from having kids
12:25 Something beyond your own life
20:00 The future of humanity and AI
26:25 Human frailty and connection in art
32:40 Our proclivity for convenience
35:20 A Daoist perspective to finding your path
45:20 Hearing a voice and inner guide
51:19 What is a good life for Jonny?
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On the 79th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jen Cohen. Jen is a Co-Founder and Director of Seven Stones Leadership, a leadership journeys company, and the Director of Coaching Education for Mobius Executive Leadership, a global boutique consulting firm serving Fortune 500 companies. She is the co-author, with Gina LaRoche, of The 7 Laws of Enough, and the author of the chapter “From Surviving to Thriving” in the book Being Human at Work, edited by Richard Strozzi Heckler.
Her coaching and training are distinguished by her studies in several communication technologies, along with quantum physics, ontology, neuroscience, psychology, trauma—both individual and collective—somatics, and systems thinking. Jen is a Master Certified Somatic Coach with the Strozzi Institute and holds a master’s degree in Applied Psychology with an emphasis on systems theory.
In this captivating conversation, Jen shares with us her lifelong questioning of what is truth and what is reality. She speaks of her journey from experiencing trauma in her childhood, to continually seeking a sense of truth, and the emergence of her path and experiences with bodywork and healing. We explore the process of transmutation and extracting wisdom from our experiences, the sense of something bigger being at play that is moving us, the process of how purpose synchronistically arises, and living a life that ultimately brings her closer and closer into contact with reality.
Whatever you may be going through in life, this conversation will provide you with considerable inspiration as to what can become of our lives if we do not look away from reality but walk towards it. While Jen shares her considerable wisdom and insights from her own examined life of inquiry, giving us all much to contemplate.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.
For further content and information check out the following:
Seven Stones Leadership website: https://www.sevenstonesleadership.com/
Jen's book: https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Enough-Cultivating-Sustainable-Abundance/dp/1941529909
Jen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifercohen7s/
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
00:00 Introduction
03:45 What is the truth? What is reality?10:30 We are in relationship with everything
13:30 Extracting wisdom from experiences
19:35 Finding truth and reality through the body
27:45 The wisdom of the body
30:45 Trauma of the past becoming present and future
33:45 The desire to seek truth through trauma
36:15 The feeling that something bigger is happening
39:15 Exploring how purpose arises
46:15 Finding the path as a healer
53:35 What is a good life for Jen?
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On the 78th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Simon van der Els, PhD. Simon is a student of the invisible realm. He holds a PhD in the empirical tradition of molecular microbiology and also explores the subjective realm of shamanism as a way of rediscovering the interiority of the living cosmos. He enjoys time in nature, dance, and other sensory embodied experiences. Dialogue is one of the practices in which he can encounter a flow state, and it is one of his favourite activities.
In this glorious conversation, Simon shares his explorations of a greater sense of being in life. He highlights the importance of connection—to ourselves, each other, and the biosphere—in terms of feeling a deeper sense of being and belonging that goes beyond temporary moments of flow or peak experiences. We touch on the grief that is necessary to navigate in order to feel the depths of love and joy that are freely available to us, and that much of the way is more about remembering and resting than turning life into checklists for being and productivity.
If you are struggling to feel a greater sense of being or alignment in life, or if your explorations into being have yielded more processes and things to do in order to be, this conversation will point to fundamental aspects of being that could greatly shift your present perspectives and experience of life.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:
Simon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-van-der-els-phd-66434b231/
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
00:00 Introduction
03:07 How to be in this life between worlds?08:07 Peak experiences and broadening our aperture
14:32 Remembering a way of being and connection
19:17 The grief and love through coming home
24:02 The sense of loneliness in the world
27:22 We need to remember, feel, and sense
33:31 The shift from compulsive thought to sensory experience
39:27 The role of grief and presencing
43:07 It is all about connection
46:27 The experience and challenges of a new sense of being
50:07 The journey of becoming and joy
54:37 Letting go of the checklists in life
59:15 What is a good life for Simon?
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On the 77th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Tom Hirons. Tom is a poet and storyteller based in Devon, UK. He is the director of Feral Angels Press and editor of Clarion poetry magazine. He teaches poetry writing, both online and in person, and runs poetry-focused wilderness fasts. Tom’s piece, Sometimes a Wild God, is a subcultural poetry classic. He has never won a poetry prize or been published in a poetry magazine, yet still makes his living from poetry. He says, "I have heard all the terrible news and I have looked into the inferno of the future, but I am still in love with this life." Tom’s latest collection, The Queen of Heaven, is out this week.
In this glorious conversation, Tom shares his journey of becoming a poet and realising how he can best apply his abilities in the world. We discuss tracking life and threads from other worlds. We muse on balancing our ascending into spirit and descending into soul, while acknowledging the beauty that can be lost if we try too hard. He also notes the significance of wilderness fasting in terms of initiation into adulthood and in knowing and living out his nature and soul image.
If you have a gnawing feeling or aching sense that there is so much more to this life than what you are presently aware of or accepting of, this conversation will point to and suggest where to explore, what there is to discover, and what life can feel like from there.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:
Check out Tom's books here: https://feralangels.com
His newsletter here: https://newsletter.tomhirons.com/bear-speaks-to-the-stars
His website: https://tomhirons.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/hironstom
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bearspeakstothestars
- 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/Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.
04:00 Becoming a poet and who he is
07:00 How to develop for greater benefit to others
10:45 Transcendent experiences when connecting to art
15:15 Tracking life and the threads from other worlds
21:15 The significance of Wilderness fasting and initiation into adulthood
27:00 The balancing of soul and spirit of ascending and descending
31:20 Marking our steps into adulthood
35:00 Cultivating a paying attention to and tracking of life
39:45 Allowing space for the non-sacred in creativity
44:50 The beauty that can be lost if we are trying too hard
50:28 Life force, wildness, and the daemon
56:48 The war against the devourer and claiming our birthright
1:01:30 What is a good life for Tom?
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