Episodes
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For Life on Purpose Episode #99, my guest is author, writing, and leadership coach Dave Ursillo. Dave played a major role in my podcasting journey as not only have we talked multiple times on this show, but 10 years ago, he was guest #1 on my first podcast Radio Enso. So I invited him back to talk about where we were then, where we are now, and our respective journeys through the years. “The key to living a full and whole life comes down to how well you know your True Self — and how you express that inner truth in your little corner of our planet.” About Dave Ursillo: "I’m a writer, an 11-time author, and a writing coach and leadership coach. I’m on a mission to help creatives, business owners and professionals share their voices, stories, and messages in our world. I also love to travel, I’m an avid home cook and baker, and I treat my morning coffee like some do fine wines.
Beyond my writing and publishing occasional books, I’m a fully self-employed creative professional and have been working for myself in a small business-of-one called Lead Without Followers, LLC., since 2009.
Once upon a time, I quit my job in politics and left a young career path in public service behind so that I could follow my dream to share my words with others — and to share some good in the world.
Today, I spend my days immersed in clarifying conversations as a writing and creativity coach, a leadership coach to small business owners and creative entrepreneurs, and occasionally as a communications strategist and story consultant.
In between my client work, I write an every-other-weekly newsletter called Chronicles of the Self-Storied Life, which is read by a few thousand readers worldwide, and publish occasional free resources like writing and journaling prompts.
I am always creating new and thoughtful educational content like e-courses, hosting occasional in-person workshops, and putting on digital experiences like webinars to help the creatively-curious, conscientious journeyers, everyday-yogis, self-employed entrepreneurs, bloggers, self-starters, and personal development practitioners express themselves more fully."
To learn more about Dave and his work, visit: https://daveursillo.com. -
For Life on Purpose Episode #98, my guest is international speaker and positive psychology "play coach” Jeff Harry. Jeff shows individuals and companies how to tap into their true selves, to feel their happiest and most fulfilled — all by PLAYING. He's worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day. Jeff joins me to talk about the crucial importance of play in our lives and how we can begin to rediscover that! "I believe that play is as important as breathing, sleeping, and love. It's where so much of our happiness, fulfillment, and creativity comes from.” About Jeff Harry: Jeff Harry shows individuals and companies how to tap into their true selves, to feel their happiest and most fulfilled — all by playing. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.
Jeff is an international speaker who has presented at conferences such as INBOUND, SXSW, and Australia’s Pausefest, showing audiences how major issues in the workplace can be solved using play. Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 for his organizational development work around dealing with toxic people in the workplace. His play work has most recently been featured in the Upworthy, Mashable, Shondaland, and the NY Times. He has also been featured on AJ+, SoulPancake, the SF Chronicle, and CNN.
While we spend most of our time pretending to be important, serious grownups, it's when we let go of that facade and just play, that the real magic happens. Fully embracing your own nerdy genius — whatever that is — gives you the power to make a difference and change lives. Jeff believes that we already have many of the answers we seek, and by simply unleashing our inner child, we can find our purpose and, in turn, help to create a better world.
To learn more about Jeff and his work, visit: https://www.rediscoveryourplay.com -
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Life on Purpose returns for a Spring 2021 Season with Episode #97. My guest is writer, therapist, coach, and founder of the New York Voice Dialogue Institute Bridgit Dengel Gaspard, who joins me to talk about her new book, The Final 8th: Enlist Your Inner Selves to Accomplish Your Goals (New World Library) and powerful techniques she’s developed to help readers/listeners recognize and free themselves from hidden internal conflicts that are blocking their ability to achieve their goals.
Bridgit coined the term “the final 8th” to describe the phenomenon when talented, energetic, motivated individuals have accomplished many steps toward a goal (7/8 of it) but stall in front of their finish line, for no apparent reason.In our inspirational conversation, Bridgit and I discussed:
• The origin story of the term The Final 8th via working with various clients who were getting stuck; • Has she struggled with Final 8ths in her own life, including writing the book? • “Is the reason you’re stuck because you’re not meant to go any further? It’s served it’s purpose.”; • The idea that our healthy personality consists of many aspects, which she calls inner selves; • Voice dialogue, a technique developed by her mentors Dr. Hall and Sidra Stone; • “They each have wisdom and they have concerns. But they don’t have the whole picture.”; • The fact that this is NOT multiple personality disorder or dissociative identity disorder; • The effects of the pandemic on certain selves and what we can do about that; • The fact that for most people, working harder isn’t the problem or the solution; • The power of the questions, “What are the gifts? And what are the stings?”; • A simple technique that allows you to start to identify these inner selves; • How do these selves start? And where do they come from?; • Her chapter on Practice Safe Success: a concept that is silly but real!; • What is the Double Bind and why is it psychologically painful?; • Her Final Takeaway: “Be curious to see what’s there; if in doubt, get rid of the agenda.” • Her upcoming Final 8th 4-Week Masterclass, which runs in May; • Marianne Williamson: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”; • Much more!“My clients were baffled about why they were stuck. They reported feeling frustrated, stressed, sad, and scared. They’d swear to me they yearned for the desired outcome with every fiber of their being,” says Bridgit. “I’d tell them, ‘Believe it or not, some of those fibers just aren’t with the program.’ The truth is, not every part of you wants what you think you want! Some of your inner selves are opposed to your goal.”
Bridgit Dengel Gaspard is a writer, therapist, coach, and master facilitator and trainer of voice dialogue who has led professional workshops for the Omega Institute, the New York Open Center, the International Coach Federation, the Expressive Therapies Summit, Conscious Life Expo, New York University, Columbia University School of Social Work, the National Association of Social Work, the Actors Fund, and other organizations.
About Bridgit Dengel Gaspard:
During her career in acting, improvisation, and comedy, she discovered voice dialogue, a powerful technique of communicating and embodying our inner selves developed by Drs. Hal and Sidra Stone, who would become her mentors.
Bridgit earned a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University, acquiring clinical experience in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT.) She was an inpatient social worker at Bellevue Hospital Center and Creedmoor Psychiatric Center. She also worked as a psychotherapist at the New York University Counseling Center.
She founded the New York Voice Dialogue Institute and has been certified by multiple organizations for continuing education credits for social workers, mental health practitioners, nurses, body workers, psychologists, nurses, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, massage therapists, and life coaches.
Bridgit maintains a private practice in Manhattan specializing in creativity blocks, life transitions, and being stuck in sight of the finish line. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
To learn more about Bridgit and her work, visit: https://www.bridgit-dengel-gaspard.com. -
My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #96 is accomplished coach, speaker, podcaster, and author Angie Swartz, who joins me to talk all about life purpose and why it's so important, even in these uncertain times.
In her work with a wide variety of personal and professional clients, Angie uses a unique combination of coaching methods, business experience, mindfulness practices, and energy tools to help clients realize and awaken their full potential.
As the owner of Life Purpose Advisor, she coaches both in one-on-one and group settings. Her mission is to empower people and companies around the globe to create happy lives and meaningful careers that allow them to contribute to the greater good of the world.
*PERSONAL NOTE: I've worked with Angie for several years and utilize her practices every day, so I can testify as to how impactful her work truly is!
In our inspirational conversation, Angie and I discussed:
Should we even be thinking about Life Purpose in the middle of everything happening around us right now? "We’re here to live joyful lives! And there are lots of ways to find joy right now." Tips for people who are struggling to see the bigger picture/wider perspective; The importance of tools/practices/rituals to lessen the swing of life’s pendulum and bring us back to our center; The crucial importance of answering, “What really brings me joy?” More practices that she believes contribute to living a happier life in higher consciousness; Her belief that life is designed to be getting better, expanding, and improving; Returning to your strengths and what to do if you don’t know them; “I don’t have to do everything that I’m good at.” Three key tips to help us Master Happy and navigate these times; "Our purpose is always unveiling itself as our life progresses along!” Her journey from CPA and working with Fortune 500 companies to Life Purpose Advisor; Her work as a coach combining business experience, esoteric practices, and science-based tools; The concept of “spiritual number cars”; Her belief that there is something bigger than us that is supporting us all; The importance of healing old wounds and uncovering our wholeness by removing “emotional mud”; Her Life Purpose Advisor podcast, public speaking, classes, and other projects she offers; Various ways that she works with people who are ready to do the work; Her “Goal Planning and Intention Setting for a Great 2021" Virtual Retreat; Much more!"Suffering is part of transformation, but we get to choose!" says Angie.
About Angie Swartz:
Angie A. Swartz is a professional coach who uses targeted coaching methods, business experience, and mindfulness practices to help clients grow into their full potential.
With over 25 years of business leadership and coaching experience to call on, she assists clients in one-on-one and group settings.
Angie's background includes a successful career with five different Fortune 500 companies as well as owning a boutique marketing agency.
She is an accomplished speaker and host of the Life Purpose Advisor Podcast.
Angie lives in Carlsbad, CA, and sees clients in person and via zoom.
To learn more about Angie and her work, visit: http://www.lifepurposeadvisor.com.
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My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #95 is award-winning author, speaker, teacher, and researcher Dawson Church.
He joined me to discuss his new book Bliss Brain, the Neuroscience of Remodeling Your Brain for Resilience, Creativity, and Joy (Hay House), in which he digs deep into leading-edge science, and finds stunning evidence that rapid and radical brain change is possible. In just eight weeks of practice, 12 minutes a day, using the right techniques, we can produce measurable changes in our brains that make us calmer, happier, and more resilient. About Bliss Brain: How Quickly Can You Remodel Your Brain For Joy? Stunning new research shows that “flow” states begin changing your brain within hours. With practice, they remodel key brain regions completely. Stress circuits shrink while happiness circuits grow.
This leads to “Bliss Brain.” It’s a state in which joy is natural. It nurtures the personality traits of patience, compassion, creativity, and love.
In this remarkable new book, legendary researcher Dawson Church explains the neuroscience behind these discoveries. He teaches the 7 simple steps that lead to elevated emotional states, and shows how science can take you to Bliss Brain daily.
To learn more about Bliss Brain, visit: blissbrain.com. About Dawson Church: Dawson Church is an award-winning author whose best-selling book The Genie in Your Genes (www.YourGeniusGene.com) has been hailed by reviewers as a breakthrough in our understanding of the link between emotions and genetics. His follow-up title, Mind to Matter (www.MindToMatter. com), reviews the science of peak mental states.
He founded the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare (www. NIIH.org) to study and implement promising evidence-based psycholog- ical and medical techniques. In his undergraduate and graduate work at Baylor University, he became the first student to successfully graduate from the academically rigorous University Scholars program in 1979. He earned a doctorate at Holos University under the mentorship of neurosurgeon Norman Shealy, MD, PhD, founder of the American Holistic Medical Association.
After an early career in book publishing as editor and then president of Aslan Publishing, Church went on to receive a postgraduate PhD in Natural Medicine as well as clinical certification in Energy Psychology. Church’s groundbreaking research has been published in prestigious scientific journals. He is the editor of Energy Psychology: Theory, Research & Treatment, a peer-reviewed professional journal.
He shares how to apply the breakthroughs of energy psychology to health and athletic performance through EFT Universe (www.EFTUniverse.com). EFT Universe was the first organization to have its courses accred- ited for CME (continuing medical education) for all the major professions, including doctors (AMA), psychologists (APA), and nurses (ANCC). He has trained thousands of practitioners in energy psychology techniques and offers the premier certification program in the field (EnergyPsychologyCertification.com). ### -
Can ONE question change your life? My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #94 is award-winning author, yoga therapist, and spiritual coach Jennie Lee, who believes the answer is yes. Jennie is passionate about helping people to create lives filled with purpose and joy.
She joined me to discuss her brand new book Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution (just published by Sounds True), in which she brings her practice home to readers everywhere by providing the tools to strengthen our psychological resilience through the process of conscious, introspective questioning.
"The question is, 'How do I keep the flame of personal evolution toward LOVE alive in my heart?' And 'how do I ignite the spark of spiritual awakening in others?'" says Jennie.
About Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution
Change is on everyone’s mind, but the first step toward any change begins within your own consciousness. In SPARK CHANGE: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution, Jennie Lee provides a 12-phase personal inquiry process to strengthen your vision of what change is needed and how you can accomplish it pro-actively with clarity and courage.
Through 108 introspective questions, you will learn to listen to your soul and determine what life is calling you to learn or express. Whether examining attitudes that hold you back, or investigating your true purpose, these guided inquiries will help build the psychological resilience necessary to accomplish change from the deepest reaches of spiritual consciousness.
Inspired by the source teachings of classical yoga, the principles of spiritual psychology, and her own inner journey, SPARK CHANGE delves into some of the most enduring questions of psychology, self-improvement, and the spiritual path.
In the book, readers will find:
• Self-reflection questions on 12 essential themes for personal transformation
• Strategies to move beyond limitation into potential
• Help identifying authentic purpose and how to put it into action
• Inspiration for implementing conscious change pro-actively
• Prompts to greater clarity, courage, and conviction
• Ideas for meaningful conversations and creative solutionsAbout Jennie Lee:
Jennie Lee is the author of three award-winning books on spiritual living, meditation, and yoga: Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution, Breathing Love: Meditation in Action, and True Yoga: Practicing with the Yoga Sutras for Happiness & Spiritual Fulfillment. Her writing has also been featured internationally in magazines such as Mantra Wellness, Light of Consciousness, Yoga Therapy Today and many more. Her essay on the meaning of life was featured in the book Love by Nicolae Tanase.Jennie is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) who is passionate about helping people to create lives filled with purpose and joy. She has been in private practice for over twenty years.
In her counseling, she blends the universal ideals and practices of Eastern philosophy with the needs and challenges of modern Western living. Her coaching is based on studies in spiritual psychology, yoga philosophy, and body-centered psychotherapy. The diversity of professionals who have entrusted Jennie with their personal growth speaks to her ability to effectively touch a wide range of individuals. Doctors, lawyers, psychologists, celebrity actors, internationally acclaimed authors, military officers, and more have experienced positive change through working with her.
In addition to individual coaching, she has worked with management groups at corporations such as the World Surf League, National Association for Professional Women, Draper Laboratory, Prudential Locations Realty, and the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center and made presentations on yoga, meditation, and mindfulness at studios, schools, and festivals nationwide.
When she is not writing or coaching, you will find Jennie surfing in Hawai’i or doing headstands on the tops of mountains, making her husband very nervous.
Visit her online at www.JennieLeeYogaTherapy.com.
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My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #93 is Sky Nelson-Isaacs. Sky is a physics educator, speaker, author, and musician who has dedicated his life to finding his own sense of purpose, bringing together the connection between synchronicity, physics, and real life using research and his original ideas.
-His book Living in Flow: The Science of Synchronicity and How Your Choices Shape Your World; -The responsiveness of the Universe; -How he believes synchronicities give us the opportunity to heal; -The question: how is my life reflecting my choices and collectively, how are our lives reflecting our choices? -Connecting the dots looking backwards AND forward and how desire plays a part in that; -Authentic power; -Tools he’s created like the LORRAX process that helps us cultivate flow; -His upcoming book Leap to Wholeness; -Grief and connection; -His new album “Stand For Me” featuring 13-original songs; and -Much more! "When we live in ‘flow,' a state of activity in which we align with our purpose and values, balancing our personal good with the greater good, we make choices that invite synchronicity.” says Nelson-Isaacs.
We had a great chat about:
About Sky Nelson-Isaacs: Sky Nelson-Isaacs is a physics educator, speaker, author, and musician. He has a masters degree in physics from San Francisco State University, with a thesis in String Theory, and a BS in physics from UC Berkeley. Nelson-Isaacs has dedicated his life to finding his own sense of purpose, beginning as a student of the Yogic master Sri Swami Satchidananda when he was less than five years old. His writing on topics like flow comes from integrating this experience into his life. He brings together the connection between synchronicity, physics, and real life using research and original ideas. As an active researcher in quantum foundations, his research is supported through grant funding from a private foundation. An educator with nine years of classroom experience, with experience in industry as a software engineer, Nelson-Isaacs is also a multi-instrumentalist and professional performer of award-winning original musical compositions. To learn more about his work, visit: https://skynelson.com About Living in Flow: NEW BOOK LOOKS TO PHYSICS TO EXPLAIN SYNCHRONICTY AND SHOWS HOW OUR CHOICES MAY SHAPE OUR WORLD
Synchronicity or meaningful coincidence has been something philosophers and scientists have wondered about for decades. Most of us have experienced it at least once. You are on a much anticipated road trip and your vehicle breaks down. As you’re waiting by the side of the road a mechanic who specializes in just that type of car drives up and lends a hand.
Is this just chance? Can two events be related in a meaningful way without one causing the other? If so, what does this tell us about the cosmos? Can we live in such a way and make choices that encourage synchronicity? Is that something we should strive for?
In LIVING IN FLOW: THE SCIENCE OF SYNCHRONICITY AND HOW YOUR CHOICES SHAPE YOUR WORLD (North Atlantic Books, March 2019, paperback) physicist Sky Nelson-Isaacs turns to quantum mechanics to seek answers. Adhering to what we know from science, while offering a provocative new hypothesis, Nelson-Isaacs proposes that the cosmos may be designed to bring us meaningful, synchronistic experiences in response to the choices we make.
When we live in “flow,” a state of activity in which we align with our purpose and values, balancing our personal good with the greater good, we make choices that invite synchronicity. In addition to a layperson’s explanation of the possible physics behind synchronicity, Nelson-Isaacs shows how cultivating flow can empower us individually and help make our world a better place.
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My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #92 is Briana MacWilliam, a Love and Relationship Coach with a passion for serving insecurely attached adults who want to experience soul-deep intimacy in their romantic relationships.
She has more than 14 years of clinical experience as a creative arts therapist and is the Founder of CreativeArtsTherapiesOnline.com an online school for continuing education for creative arts therapists and other mental health practitioners.“Using a psycho-spiritual approach to attachment styles (which are four unique blueprints for how you give and receive love), I help insecure lovers go from self-doubting to self-sovereign, and calling in those soul-shaking, passionate partnerships they want, without having to talk in circles around their feelings for hours or even years on end, with no tangible result. And I do this, using my unique service, The MacWilliam Method.” says Briana.
About Briana MacWilliam: Briana MacWilliam has over 14 years of clinical experience as a creative arts therapist, and is the Founder and Director of Briana MacWilliam Inc., which offers continuing education to mental health practitioners, through CreativeArtsTherapiesOnline.com.
About Briana’s Work:
Are you looking for a soul-shaking, passionate partnership, but find yourself trapped in roller-coaster relationships with unhealthy partners that you hate to love?
Perhaps you have acquired a lot of skills, tips, techniques or "red flags," to help you make better decisions in love, but no matter what you do, no amount of insight seems to help you break free from unhealthy patterns, or stop feeling attracted to the "wrong" kind of partner. If this sounds familiar, you are in the right place.
Hi, my name is Briana MacWilliam, and I am a licensed and board certified creative arts therapist, with more than 14 years in the field, working with individuals, just like you.
She has held two directorial positions in community-based and day-treatment settings, and was a research outcomes coordinator for four years, at the Amen Clinics, Inc.—a brain research and diagnostic facility. She edited and co-authored two books on the subjects of attachment and complicated grief, and working with LGBTQ populations. She is also the Director for Continuing Education for Pratt Institute’s Creative Arts Therapies Department.
More About Briana:
Hi, my name is Briana, and I love romance novels and campy science fiction shows (anyone else a die-hard Supernatural fan?). I also like being my own boss. Doing what I want to do, when I want to do it. And treating work like play. Through my education, professional experience, and personal life experiences, I have come to passionately serve insecurely attached adults, who want to experience soul-deep intimacy, in their romantic relationships.
Why Attachment?
My passion for working with attachment wounds and personal development stems from a rocky childhood. As a child of divorce, I bounced back and forth between my parents, across state lines. We lived below the poverty line for much of my young life. In my parents, I had an example of hard work but constant struggle. I became a high achiever to compensate. It served me well professionally, until my struggles with relationships in adulthood tore down everything I had accomplished.
I’ve Been There:
In adulthood, I experienced roller coaster relationships, and ultimately wound up a divorced, single mom.
Then, after losing my job due to budget cuts, within a six-month time frame, one after another, both my parents and my brother were diagnosed with serious, chronic illnesses. And the new partner I had fallen madly in love with– the one all the raw parts of myself wanted so desperately to please and keep – couldn’t prioritize me. When he left, my heart broke anew. I felt my soul was split wide open.
Finding Grace:
As I came face-to-face with my greatest fears. I knew I had to find the grace on the other side, or collapse into a victimized identity. I decided that meant stepping into my own authority, on a spiritual level. And this gave me the motivation to radically change the way I was living, loving, working, and perceiving the world.
New Horizons:
I decided to dive straight down into my demons, while pursuing certification in Reiki (energy healing), building a private practice, and doing research for a book about attachment and grief. Ultimately, I found several other contributors willing to share their stories of grief, and we got it published!
Writing the book emboldened me to shed my shame, and talk about these things in a way I had never thought I would feel safe doing.This led to creating the curriculum for my online courses in personal development, and building an online community for support. Much to my delight, both caught fire, and I have never looked back!
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My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #91 is author, intuitive, and energy medicine practitioner Ellen Meredith. She's served on the faculty of energy medicine pioneer Donna Eden since 2010 and teaches energy healing techniques all over the world.
In her brand new book The Language Your Body Speaks: Self-Healing with Energy Medicine (published on May 5 by New World Library), she helps readers become active participants in the energetic conversations that are constantly happening between their body, mind, and spirit. The book offers a comprehensive guide for using movement, gesture, light, sound, vibration, imagery, actions, and more to dialogue with the body, mind, and spirit.
“If you learn the LANGUAGE of energy, learn to let your body, mind, and spirit communicate to you in THEIR wisdom about what your instrument needs, and then provide that moment by moment, you will heal,” says Ellen.
About Ellen Meredith:
“You have asked to know us, and so we are here.”
With these words, in 1978, Ellen's world cracked open. Her beloved – but dead – grandmother appeared in her mind's eye with an invitation to open to inner guidance and training, offered by seven groups of inner teachers that Ellen came to call her Councils.Though this was definitely an unexpected twist in her plot, Ellen embraced the opportunity to dive deeper and learn. Dialogues with her Councils led her into a rich experiential curriculum, exploring a wide range of topics, including sensing subtle energies, what it means to embody spirit, healing, and the language of energy.
It is a training that continues to this day. And along the way, Ellen has worked with over 10,000 clients and students worldwide, helping them to hear their own inner truth, activate healing, and cultivate awareness and well-being.
Ellen's down to earth, yet inspiring work centers on helping you:
• Tap into your inner guidance
• Recognize your unique gifts and nature
• Learn self-healing
• Cultivate well-beingIn addition to her adventures in the inner realms, Ellen holds a Doctor of Arts in Writing, worked internationally in advocacy work on behalf of children and families living in poverty, and served on the Certification Program faculty of energy medicine pioneer Donna Eden. Ellen lives in San Rafael, California.
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My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #90 is speaker, mindfulness and performance coach, and author George Mumford, a.k.a. The Mindfulness Performance Whisperer. George is a highly acclaimed expert in sports psychology and performance and NBA Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson’s ‘Secret Weapon’ to winning eight NBA Championships.
George’s passion is teaching mindfulness to high profile sports, business and academic teams alike; from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks (he taught Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and many other pro athletes), to senior global executives and systems. He is the author of The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance
In our Life on Purpose chat, we discussed mindfulness itself and what that means; how we can all deal with all the uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic; holding hurt and hope simultaneously; his own inspirational life journey from being one of 13 kids growing up in the rough parts of Boston to heroine addiction to recovery and decades of teaching and speaking about mindfulness; The Last Dance (the new ESPN documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls for which he was interviewed); the importance of a practice; the Cherokee tale of the two wolves; his Five Spiritual Superpowers; the concept of a Masterpiece Within each of us; and so much more!
About George:
Michael Jordan credits George Mumford with transforming his on-court leadership of the Bulls, helping Jordan lead the team to six NBA championships. Mumford also helped Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Lamar Odom and countless other NBA players turn around their games.
A widely respected public speaker and coach, Mumford is sharing his own story and the strategies that have made these athletes into stars in The Mindful Athlete: The Secret to Pure Performance. His proven, gentle but groundbreaking mindfulness techniques can transform the performance of anyone with a goal, be they an Olympian, weekend warrior, executive, hacker, or artist.
With a charismatic teaching style that combines mindfulness techniques with lessons from pop culture icons such as Yoda, Indiana Jones, and Bruce Lee, Mumford tells illuminating stories about his larger than life clients. His writing is down-to-earth and easy to understand.
The Mindful Athlete is an engrossing story and an invaluable resource for anyone looking to elevate their game, no matter the pursuit.
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Life on Purpose returns with Episode #89, the fourth chat in a series I’m calling Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
Taped in April 2020 as people around the world were dealing with the ramifications and massive uncertainty with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Diana joined me for an inspiring conversation on the importance of creativity in uncertain times.
My guest for this episode is creative alchemist Diana Rowan, the founder of the Bright Way Guild, a virtual learning environment dedicated to transforming and inspiring a global community of creatives.
We also discussed her brand new book The Bright Way: Five Steps to Freeing the Creative Within (just published by New World Library), in which she guides readers on every step, giving the tools needed to create a life full of happiness, inspiration, and purpose.
"When we become anxious or afraid, it’s usually because we feel a lack of connection — with ourselves and with our communities. The antidote to fear is creativity. As fear fades, love takes center stage, and we become ourselves once more."
About Diana:
Diana Rowan is a creative alchemist and founder of the Bright Way Guild, a virtual learning environment dedicated to transforming and inspiring a global community of creatives. From her youngest years, the classical inquiry “What makes a good life?” has driven Diana, and sharing her hard-won dis- coveries with others is her mission. Having recovered from a soul-crushing case of stage fright and other challenges, Diana believes that by shining light on the darkness we fear, we can all become courageous purveyors of Bright Knowledge and live the good life.
Diana was born in Dublin, Ireland, to college-student parents, setting the stage for a lifetime of lively learning and seeking. Soon thereafter, her father became a diplomat for the Irish government, taking his family all over the world in a cosmopolitan pilgrimage. Respect for arts and cultures has always been second nature in Diana’s family, along with a deep streak of mysticism, as embodied by her astrologer mother.
This unusual combination of intellectual seeking, cultural bridging, mystical opening, and artistic engagement is the hallmark of Diana’s life, whether that be in composing music, teaching, writing, or choosing a wine. Diana holds an MM in classical piano performance and a PhD in music theory.
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Life on Purpose returns with Episode #88, the third of several informal chats in a series I’m calling Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
We discussed various ways you can do that and stay connected to your deepest purpose via wisdom from a 2,500 year-old Indian text, the Bhagavad Gita, that Eric says is a guidebook for our times. We also talked about concepts like integration and wholeness; dharma and your customized path; how to untangle your life from the illusions/tenuous nature of conditioning; letting go of what no longer serves us; the importance of practices (even starting today); how to build the capacity for/cultivate more wakefulness and loving awareness; seeing the openings/doorways; tools for dealing with these times, and so much more!
My guest for this episode is spiritual teacher, entrepreneur, author, and coach Eric Klein of Wisdom Heart and Dharma Consulting, who returns to the show for the fourth time in the past decade.
Taped in April 2020 as people around the world were dealing with the ramifications and massive uncertainty with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Eric joined me for a wisdom-filled conversation on facing our fears and living free in uncertain times.
About Eric:
Eric Klein is a spiritual teacher, entrepreneur, author, and coach. For the past three decades, he has been a leading voice in the movement to bring greater spirit, mindfulness, and meaning to the workplace through his writing, training, and speaking through his company Dharma Consulting.
He’s worked with over 30,000 leaders from a wide variety of settings: Fortune 500 companies, healthcare, governmental and non-profit organizations as well as mid-size companies.
Eric is also the author of the bestselling books Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the Power of People at Work, To Do or Not To Do: How Successful Leaders Make Better Decisions based on research and experiences with more than 200 companies, and You are the Leader You’ve Been Waiting For which won a 2008 Nautilus Award as a world changing book in the conscious leadership/business category.
His new course is called Face Fear – Live Free: A 40-Day Experience of the Bhagavad Gita, based on the teachings of one of the world’s most precious texts of spiritual wisdom. It answers the question: How can you stay connected to your deepest purpose & wisdom – even in difficult and uncertain times? ### -
Life on Purpose returns with Episode #87, the second of several informal chats in a new series I’m calling Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
My guest for this episode is entrepreneur, speaker, and eternal optimist Elizabeth Shaw, author of The Optimist’s Manifestoand CEO of Davine.
Taped in March 2020 as people around the world were dealing with the ramifications and massive uncertainty with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Elizabeth joined me for a great conversation on Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
We discussed maintaining or cultivating optimism in challenging situations; optimism as a superpower; the importance of honoring where we’re at right now; being open to possibility; obstacles as opportunities; building your uncertainty muscle; and our own beliefs and faith.
About Elizabeth:
Elizabeth Shaw is an eternal optimist, entrepreneur, and speaker. She founded Davine Inc., a strategic consulting firm dedicated to using individual and organizational experiences, events, and engagement to build a world of optimism.
Elizabeth inspires everyone around her to believe in the best for themselves, in each other, and in the unlimited possibilities of the world. She divides her time between Boston and California, but also considers Bologna, Italy and Paris home.
Elizabeth believes that life is best lived with your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground. Optimism is her superpower.
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After a two-year hiatus, Life on Purpose returns with Episode #86, the first of several informal chats in a new series I’m calling Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times.
My guest for this episode is Shelli L Duarte (Shell Luna Love), a creative and catalyst who brings heart-centered wisdom to all of her work and endeavors. Taped in March 2020 as people around the world were dealing with the ramifications and massive uncertainty with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Shelli joined me for a heart-centered conversation on Seeing The Light In Uncertain Times. We discussed keeping an open heart while still having our moments of fear and stepping into our sovereign unity at this time when the world needs each of us to embrace our gifts.
About Shelli: Shelli L. (Duarte), aka Shell Luna Love, believes in magic and mystery and all the in-between spaces. She suggests we all are ‘magicians’ when we go about finding our own inner essence and start unravelling our own riddles and stories through unconditional love and compassion. Creating, in whatever form, is magical and mysterious, and chock-full of love, joy, and beauty. She uses both the practical and mystical to be her most creative ‘alive’ self. “We are creators whether we are purposefully tending to this aspect or not. No matter if we are artists, parents, spouses, accountants, or engineers, etc., we are always creating. It’s our inherent design and we have a responsibility to engage it.”
One part of her work in the world is to spark and catalyze others to access their own heart-full self-leadership to allow an embodied life design. She has a passion and mission to bring tools of inspiration through joy, beauty, and experience. Some of her favourite avenues of experiencing, exploring, and serving in the world are through conversation, image, poetry, writing, and wayfinding with those who want to create and design their most heart-full lives. Her love to inspire and guide people to their edge of self-empowered leadership is a path to the expanded love, joy, and beauty she wishes to see in the world.
Shell Luna came into this world as a ‘seer’ and a seeker. She has known herself as a creative being always, just as she sees all others. She sees and seeks beauty, truth, love, mystery, and possibility in the world through inner self-exploration and outer world explorations. She is proud to call herself a ‘Jill-of-many-trades’ in this lifetime, but her soul essence is an illuminary-mystic-dream weaving-designer, an ‘engineer’, an agent of change, wanting to bring healing ideas and tools to hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits. ###
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For Life on Purpose Episode #85, my guest is world-class facilitator and transformation specialist Oren Harris. Described as "a being who is living as Infinite Self within a finite world", Oren is a real life demonstration of the saying, “be in the world, but not of it”, and is capable of showing up in a vast number of ways to best serve those he is inspired to work with.
He joined me for an inspiring and in-depth conversation on all things related to Flow. We also discussed consciousness, trust, resonance, surrender, perspective, detachment, limitless living, and Oren's own life story/journey.
”Flow is often times perceived as something that is only accessible to spiritual masters, or during 'peak experiences'. This paints a picture of flow as something impractical, reserved for select individuals, select moments, or select areas of life.”
On the contrary, flow is highly practical, accessible to everyone, and applicable to all areas of life."
About Oren Harris:
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put a finger on exactly who Oren Harris is. A being who is living as Infinite Self within a finite world, Oren is a real life demonstration of the saying, “be in the world, but not of it”, and is capable of showing up in a vast number of ways to best serve those he is inspired to work with. There are a couple of things you can put your finger on, however. Oren is a world-class facilitator & transformation specialist, and his clients always reach their next level through working with him. Always.
No matter how far along an individual is in their personal or spiritual development, and no matter how large and impactful their expression has become, Oren has the special ability to clearly see the next level of their infinite potential that is available to them, and is able to masterfully guide them into embodying their next level of potential over and over again. Because of this, those who work with Oren usually become clients for life, as they realize the immeasurable value of having a being by their side who can see, speak to, and draw out all of who they really are every time they connect with him.
Oren’s ultimate “superhero” ability is something that comes naturally to him… so naturally, in fact, that he doesn’t even notice it most of the time, but its impact is very real and frequently life-changing for those who happen to experience it.
His presence activates people. Time and time again, individuals who cross paths with Oren, even if for a brief moment, report back that after their encounter with him, their expansion accelerated and significant shifts almost immediately started taking place in their lives.
Such is the power and consequence of being beheld with Unconditional Love, a rare and priceless gift that Oren has tapped into, consistently embodies, and shares with the world everywhere he goes.
Regardless of where you are on your respective path, if you’re an individual who is fired up about and wholeheartedly committed to fully engaging life and giving it all that you’ve got, then Oren is inspired to connect with, and potentially work with you.
What is Flow?
Flow is a peak state of consciousness where you feel your best and perform your best . Flow is a state of being in which you are in alignment with your true self and the universe. You spontaneously act in the most intelligent and life supporting way. Life becomes more effortless and charming.When you are in Flow:
You perform at your absolute best and beyond You are consistently in the right place at the right time Time disappears and you are fully present Your intentions manifest effortlessly “Miracles” happen more regularly You have access to an infinite well of intelligence that surpasses your own understanding Your levels of efficiency and productivity soar Your true self is awakened Your intuition is off the charts Your creativity becomes unlimited Synchronicity (magical coincidences) are frequent Your individualized sense of “self” disappears and you feel connected to all of life -
For Life on Purpose Episode #84, my guest is internet entrepreneur, coach, traveler, and financial freedom enthusiast Tal Gur. He joined me for a great and in-depth conversation on his new book "The Art of Fully Living-1 Man. 10 Years. 100 Life Goals."
Shortly after turning 30, Tal himself these following questions: "Imagine knowing you had only 10 years to live - Would you change your life? How?"
Inspired by a late-night conversation with friends, and disillusioned with the trappings of "making it", he then drafted a list of 100 goals to achieve in a decade.
Through relentless focus, he traded his daily grind for a life of his own daring design as a location-independent entrepreneur and coach.
He tackled financial, physical, and spiritual dreams one by one: mastering English in pulsing Melbourne, completing Ironman New Zealand, creating financial independence, surfing at the world’s most sought-after beaches, and rebuilding a Peruvian family’s flood-ravaged home, among other adventures.
"What makes a life fully lived? Comfort? Conventional success? For me, it’s all about the thrill and satisfaction that come from a continuous quest for adventure and self-discovery."
About Tal:
My story has been written from many perspectives and been enriched by the people and places I've encountered along the way.
After leaving school, aged 21, I embarked on a long motorcycle trip in Australia & immediately fell in love with this remote, vast and spectacular corner of the world. I went back to my home country to pursue a bachelor's degree but the memory of that epic trip never left me.
In 2003, after several years working in the high-tech world and feeling there was something missing, I decided to change direction and follow a lifelong dream of mine: living and studying in Australia.
In late 2005, being inspired from the sheer enjoyment that came from pursuing my Australian dream, I made a conscious decision to pursue every big dream I have ever had. I started a long life goals list and gave myself 10 years to be completely finished with this project.
After a few blissful years in Melbourne, Australia, I sold everything I had, packed a small backpack, and left on a one way ticket to Nepal. This trip turned to be a fateful encounter, eventually leading me to leave my stable job, become an online entrepreneur, and travel and live abroad in various countries for more than than 6 years.
Ever since I remember myself I was intrigued with the endless possibilities of self-expression. I simply see life as a playground to express our deepest desires and experiment with the perceived limits of the physical world.
Looking at my life, I have come to realize that my life is not just one linear continuous journey but more as a recollection of different journeys and experiences.
I've learnt that it is definitely not all about the destination, but more about the journey. And the greater the challenge, the more satisfying it is.
Since my move to Australia, being inspired from the satisfaction and sense of achievement that came from pursing my Australian dream, I found myself constantly seeking new challenges, overextending myself in all aspects of life, ultimately resulting in very happy and fulfilling journeys.
To learn more about Tal, visit: https://fullylived.com/.
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NOTE FROM GREG: This episode is a very special and emotional one for me. I'm re-publishing a chat I had back in October 2014 with my friend Dr. Alice Bandy, which was the final episode of my first podcast Radio Enso. At the time of this taping, I had just met Alice about a month before, but she's since become a good friend and teacher to me. I'm re-publishing our chat now because Alice was recently diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The cancer has spread to her bones and she's had a series of radiation treatments and surgeries to keep the cancer from moving to other parts of her body. She is also receiving very strong hormone and chemo therapies that are built for her specific type of cancer.
All of this has incapacitated her and she is working to regain her ability to walk. She requires round-the-clock care, the cost of which is very high. Alice’s income is derived from working with students, clients and organizations, which she is unable to do at this time. To help, some friends have set up a GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/AliceBandy. I'm asking all of my listeners, to please consider making a donation to help with Alice’s care through this challenging but important time in her battle. If anyone has a shot to beat this, she does! And through it all, her teaching and wisdom continue to inspire and change lives. So I'd love for you to take a listen. For Life on Purpose Episode #83, my guest is author, teacher and spiritual guide Dr. Alice Bandy, the Spiritual Director of The Heart of Teaching, a nonprofit educational organization. Alice joined me to talk about her book The Wisdom of Money: Listening to the Spiritual Message of your Finances, her online self-study course Consciousness of Wealth, and much more!
"The Wisdom of Money is my book which walks the reader through a very intensive process of releasing old experiences, pains and resentments so that the natural flow of prosperity and well being can flow into their life. These exercise are based upon my counseling practice. I use them here for money issues, but they work equally well in relationship and health issues."
About Alice:
Dr. Alice Bandy is the Spiritual Director of The Heart of Teaching, a nonprofit educational organization. She has been leading transformative spiritual classes for adults since 1996. Alice has taught at many universities and is a favorite instructor at the Holmes Institute School of Consciousness studies. In 2012, Holmes Institute granted her an honorary doctorate for her achievements in authoring, teaching and disseminating powerful spiritual courses throughout the United States. She lives in Encinitas, California.
Her book, The Wisdom of Money: Listening to the Spiritual Message of your Finances was published in 2013. "The Wisdom of Money is my book which walks the reader through a very intensive process of releasing old experiences, pains and resentments so that the natural flow of prosperity and well being can flow into their life. These exercise are based upon my counseling practice. I use them here for money issues, but they work equally well in relationship and health issues."
To learn more about the GoFundMe campaign for Alice or to donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/AliceBandy. -
For Life on Purpose Episode #82, my guest is author, speaker, and workshop leader Scott Stabile. He joined me for a fantastic conversation on his new book, Big Love: The Power of Living with a Wide-Open Heart, which answers the question, "What happens when you fully commit yourself to love?"
Endless good, he insists who found that out by overcoming plenty of bad. His parents were murdered when he was fourteen. Nine years later, his brother died of a heroin overdose. Soon after that, Scott joined a cult that dominated his life for thirteen years before he summoned the courage to walk away.
In Big Love, his insightful and refreshingly honest collection of personal essays, Scott relates these profound experiences as well as everyday struggles and triumphs in ways that are universally applicable, uplifting, and laugh-out-loud funny. Whether silencing shame, rebounding after failure, or moving forward despite fears, Scott shares hard-won insights that consistently return readers to love, both of themselves and others.
"I’d like this book to remind you that you are not alone, not by a long shot. We are all imperfect; we all have busy, fearful minds; and we all struggle. Every single one of us, every single day. I’d like the book to emphasize that you are as worthy of love as anyone who has ever lived, and that nothing you do could ever make you any less worthy. Or more worthy, for that matter."
About Scott:
About fifteen years ago, a friend asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told him I wanted to spread as much love as possible. My answer’s still the same.
I know life isn't always a party. It's often hard, sometimes brutal. My parents were shot to death when I was fourteen. My brother OD'd on heroin nine years later. I grew up around a lot of addiction, dysfunction and tragedy. And with too much shame over the fact that I was gay. I hid my pain, and I hid my truth. Not anymore.
We all have our stories. We all have our pain. I've come to believe the only way to have a chance at healing our wounds is to be honest about them. Brave and willing enough to face them. The healing part may be out of our hands, but the brave and honest part is certainly within our power. And it changes everything.
For me, love supports it all. ALL OF IT. Love is the base note for everything good—compassion, forgiveness, kindness, authenticity—and choices made from love can only serve ourselves and our world positively. Love's got the power.
I've been fortunate enough to publish some books and write a movie and be a part of a supportive and wonderful social media community also committed to looking at their lives honestly and through the all-forgiving lens of love.
I've finally started doing what I want to be doing with my life—as I told my friend, spreading as much love as possible. Any which way I can do it.
I hope you'll join me.
To learn more about Scott and his work, visit: http://www.scottstabile.com/.
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For Life on Purpose Episode #81, my guest is Christopher Plowman, CEO of Insight Timer, the most popular meditation Timer in the world. Home to more than 3 million meditators, Insight Timer is rated as the top free meditation app on the Android and iOS stores.
Christopher joined me for insightful conversation on Insight Timer, the challenges of maintaining his own meditation practice, the value of community to meditation, The Maharishi Effect, his past ventures in the start-up world and how Insight Timer is different, and the crucial importance of keeping the app free for everyone with no monthly subscriptions or lockdowns.
"How do you build a profitable company when you’re committed to a free product which costs millions of dollars a year to run?"
NOTE FROM GREG: I've personally been using Insight Timer nearly every day since early 2014; it's easily my favorite and most valuable app, which is why I was excited to have this conversation with Christopher!
About Insight Timer:
The Timer: Every day our community logs more than 50,000 hours of meditation.
7,461 free Guided Meditations: Every day our community spends more than 6,000 hours listening to guided meditations.
1,609 of the world's best meditation teachers: Every day our community connects with 1609 meditation teachers in 25 languages.
4,937 Groups: 3,000,000 meditators discussing topics from humour and compassion to spirituality and support.
3 million meditators: Every day we welcome more than 2,500 meditators to our community.
To learn more about Insight Timer, visit: https://insighttimer.com/.
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For Life on Purpose Episode #80, my guest is Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, one of the world’s leading authorities on conscious awareness and its transformational impact on the healing process. For over 30 years, she has been empowering people to experience joy in each moment without burning out. The practical tools and skills she teaches have helped people all over the world improve every aspect of their lives, from their health and well-being to their relationships, their careers, their creativity, even the growth of their businesses.
Suzanne joined me for an excellent conversation on her latest book Reclaiming Your Body: Healing from Trauma and Awakening to Your Body’s Wisdom, in which she provides the tools and guidance necessary to reconnect with our body’s inner guidance system of sensation, imagery, and inner knowing.
“While the English language frequently refers to what our bodies know — 'gut feelings,' hearts 'reaching out' to others, etc. — many of us have learned to ignore, deny, or even mistrust our body’s inherent wisdom. Even worse, a lot of people don’t like their bodies very much at all. As a result, we often cut ourselves off from one of our greatest allies."
About: Suzanne Scurlock-Durana is the author of Reclaiming Your Body: Healing From Trauma and Awakening to Your Body’s Wisdom and Full Body Presence: Learning to Listen to Your Body’s Wisdom.
As one of the world’s leading authorities on conscious awareness and its transformational impact on the healing process, she has been empowering people for over 30 years to experience joy in each moment without burning out. The practical tools and skills she teaches have helped people all over the world improve every aspect of their lives, from their health and well-being to their relationships, their careers, their creativity, even the growth of their businesses.
After decades perfecting her methods, Suzanne created the comprehensive Healing From the Core training curriculum in 1994. Today it includes a robust selection of international workshops, webinars, speaking engagements and audio programs. You can visit her online at http://www.healingfromthecore.com.
To learn more about Suzanne's work, visit: http://healingfromthecore.com/.
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