What if there was a game-changing relationship practice or tool or strategy that was capable of not only transforming your personal relationships, even the really tense one, but also your relationship with yourself, and even with the way to respond to others, even complete strangers, and embrace shaping the world to be a better place? Turns out, there just might be. And, this is where we’re headed today with my guest, Rick Hanson. As a psychologist, best-selling author, and expert on positive neuroplasticity, Rick has lectured at some of the world's top institutions and is here to share his insights on how to warm your heart, see the person behind the eyes, and ultimately shape the world to be a better place. TW: brief mention of suicidal thoughts You can find Rick at: Website | Instagram If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Tara Brach about the practice of compassion and acceptance. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you living your best life? It's a question we've all asked ourselves, but have you considered the role that global exploration and cultural immersion can play in answering it? In a world that's more connected than ever before, it's crucial to look beyond the immediate confines of our communities and explore the richness of other cultures. And what better way to do that than by studying abroad? In this special sponsored episode, we partner with the StudyUK campaign which is part of the UK Government's wider Great campaign for Britain and Northern Ireland to explore the benefits of studying in the UK, from finances to application processes and everything in between. Join us as we sit down with Raquel Villanueva, a broadcast journalism veteran who is currently a commentator and video producer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to discover the transformative impact studying abroad can have on our lives and careers. You can find more information on studying abroad in the UK at: British Council - StudyUK website You can find Raquel at: Website | Instagram If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Pico Iyer about the power of travel as a tool for learning and connecting. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My first exposure to Anne Lamott’s work was her iconic book, Bird By Bird, which as a writer, was transformative. Not just because it helped me better understand how and why to write, but also because her wonderfully wise and irreverent voice inspired me to be more real, more honest in both my work and my life. I’ve remained captivated by her writing ever since. The author of too many The New York Times bestsellers, including Almost Everything; Hallelujah Anyway; Small Victories; Stitches; Help, Thanks, Wow; and her most recent Dusk Night Dawn, Anne goes places other fear to tread with such humility, humor and craft, it’s like you’ve been invited into her mind, her life and her ability to draw belly laughs, deep wisdom and hits of awakening from those often tiny moments that touch down in our lives that so many of us miss. She reminds you, it may not be fun while it’s happening, but it’s all part of the beautiful souffle of life and every ingredient matters. So excited to share this best-of conversation with you now. You can find Anne at: Website | Instagram If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Glennon Doyle about living more authentically and untamed. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, you think you’re making good decisions, but are you really? And, what about the hidden scripts and noisy inputs that affect nearly every decision you make, without you being aware of any of it? How do we make better decisions? Today's guest can help. Daniel Kahneman is one of the most influential psychologists and thinkers in modern history, his ideas have literally changed the way we live, work, relate, see the world, make decisions, and build solutions, organizations, industries, societies, and lives.  Best known for his remarkable work with Amos Tversky, which explores how we reason and make decisions, his research was, in no small way, seminal in the creation of the field of behavioral economics. He’s been awarded the Nobel Prize, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His New York Times best-selling book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. And his most recent book, Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment, explores how unrecognized, systemic influences affect our decisions in ways, both rational and not, that remain completely hidden to us and often lead to profound unfairness and inequality.  We talk about key ideas from his research spanning more than 6 decades. But, we also dive deep into the life experiences that shaped him. Fascinatingly, Kahmeman’s curiosity about humans and all our complexities was sparked as a young Jew living with his family in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, and running for years, before fleeing. His sometimes harrowing experiences triggered questions and curiosities that powerfully influenced what would become a lifelong devotion to understand why we do the things we do. We explore those early experiences, and he shares where some of the seeds were first planted that would later grow into the body of research and work that have changed the world.  You can find Daniel at: Princeton University | The Nobel Prize If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Charles Duhigg about how unknown influences and habit and ritual effect our behavior. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you tired of feeling like you’re powerless against your cravings, no matter how much you try to resist them? From unhealthy, yet irresistible snacks to binge-TV, we often feel helpless against the biochemical storm happening inside our bodies and brains that lure us into behaviors we know are not healthy or life-enhancing, yet, still, we keep saying yes to them. Thinking, “I’m better than this,” or trying to tap willpower isn’t enough. We need to understand what’s really happening and learn how to harness our physiology for good. Today's episode is going to change everything you thought you knew about cravings. To help guide us through this exploration, is double board-certified doctor and wellness expert specializing in food allergies, hormones and gut health, Amy Shah, MD. Building on the ideas from her new book, I’m So Effing Hungry: Why We Crave What We Crave – and What to Do About It, Amy takes us deep into the world of cravings, what they really are and are not, how they co-opt your body’s systems, and she even reveals how companies use this knowledge to manipulate our cravings and how we can take back control of our brains, and lives. So get ready to rewire your brain and discover natural ways to get that dopamine fix that will keep you motivated and focused on your goals.  You can find Amy at: Website | Instagram If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Aviva Romm, MD about how to work with our hormones to live better lives. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you hear the term “greatness,” what do you think? For most people, images of world-class athletes, innovators, performers, leaders or industry or arts come to mind. The best of the best in any field. Those who push harder than anyone and everyone else and succeed on a scale most can only dream of. But, what if that’s not actually greatness at all? What if greatness was more about how you show up in your life, and lead with service and humanity? That’s the argument that my dear friend, New York Times best-selling author, keynote speaker, industry-leading show host, and former pro-athlete, Lewis Howes, makes.  "Greatness,” according to Lewis, “is about service to other people in the pursuit of your dreams, making sure that everyone else wins around you while you're winning and empowering people around you while you grow and succeed." He believes that success alone will not bring joy, but we must also fulfill our inner peace, free ourselves emotionally and mentally, and have clarity on what direction we want to go in. Only then can we live our highest version of ourselves and be the best version of ourselves. Many of these ideas are detailed in his new book, The Greatness Mindset: Unlock the Power of Your Mind and Live Your Best Life Today. We dive into key elements in a powerful and revealing way in today’s conversation. You can find Lewis at: Website | The School of Greatness podcast | The Daily Motivation podcast If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Chase Jarvis about reimagining success. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever had a moment or experience, maybe even an entire season of life that was so hard, so filled with struggle and, maybe even, grief, loss and uncertainty, that the very idea of feeling or accessing any kind of big or meaningful or sustained happiness or joy just completely left you? Yeah, we’ve all been there on some level.  But, what if, even in those moments where the big happy, or the big joy just isn’t accessible, there was still a way to dip into fleeting moments of lightness, or what my dear friend and guest today, Cyndie Spiegel, calls microjoys? One that gives you just enough of a glimmer of hope and connection, ease and maybe even laughter, that it keeps you going long enough to begin to emerge back into a state of more sustained spaciousness and possibility? Cyndie is a beloved storyteller-turned-writer and an igniter of power conversation whose new book, Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay, is a revelation. She first began holding on to what she calls microjoys during a devastating season that saw her mom pass from cancer, her nephew murdered, her brother struggling to recover from a stroke, and her own diagnosis of cancer, all while navigating a global pandemic. That’s what we’re diving into today, both the notion of microjoys, along with myriad ways to access these moments and experiences.  You can find Cyndie at: Website | Dear Grown Ass Women | Instagram If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Ocean Vuong about navigating struggle and making peace with his story. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed or helpless in the face of anxiety? Like the more you try to manage it, the more out of control it becomes? Maybe it’s in social situations where you’re surrounded by new people or work situations where it’s so easy to start spinning about everything from how you’ll be perceived to what happens if you stumble. Or, maybe it's just about the state of your life, relationships, family, community, or even the world. If that’s you, you're not alone.  But, what if anxiety was actually just a particular type of energy that could be transformed into something akin to a superpower? This is the bold idea offered by my guest today, Professor Wendy Suzuki. Her latest book, Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion, explores how to use anxiety as a superpower. Wendy is passionate about helping people understand the phenomenon of anxiety and how to reframe it in order to lead a more fulfilling life and offers science-based strategies to help us turn the volume down on our anxiety responses.  You can find Dr. Wendy at: Website | Instagram If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Jud Brewer about unwinding anxiety. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How many times have you said yes to something, started it, gotten halfway through, then either been distracted, run out of time, energy, money, ideas, motivation, or all the above? And, just kind of walk away, leaving something that could’ve been amazing unfinished? Never getting the chance to back in the I DID THAT glow of accomplishment and tell everyone around you, “hey, I DID that!” And, yes, I’m raising my hand here. And, what about being able to do what’s important without it also taking over your life, and leaving you living reactively? Wouldn’t it be cool if there were ways, strategies, tools, processes and technology that could dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to get things done, so you could have so much more free time to do all the other stuff you love to do? Including absolutely nothing at all?  These are the questions we’re diving into in today’s special spotlight conversation featuring conversations with Start Finishing author, Charlie Gilkey, and Free Time author, Jenny Blake. How do I not only choose and start but also finish what really matters? And, while you’re at it, how can I reimagine the way I work to create a ton more free time to do anything that lights me up?  You can find Charlie Gilkey at: Website | Instagram | Listen to Our Full-Length Convo with Charlie You can find Jenny Blake at: Website | Free Time Podcast | Listen to Our Full-Length Convo with Jenny If you LOVED this episode you'll love the conversation we had with Chip Conley about reimagining what you center in your life. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cole Arthur Riley grew up in a house full of loud, funny, and loving personalities, but as a kid, she kept her voice from others, barely speaking at all until she was 7 years old. Still, her dad kept finding ways to, as she described, bribe her to share her voice and nurture her creative impulse, often in writing, from poems to stories and beyond. Over time, as her expressive and creative voice took shape, her lens on spirituality also yearned for a more expansive expression, she began to bring all parts of her life together - the creative impulse, life experience, sense of identity and fairness and spiritual inclination - to write her own blended prayer-meets-poetry, modern liturgies. Then, she started sharing them on Instagram under the moniker, Black Liturgies. Almost immediately, the project took off, growing into a global phenomenon. Her work then led to Cole’s debut book and New York Times bestseller, This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us, which explores some of the most urgent questions of life, identity, and faith: How can spirituality not silence the body, but instead allow it to come alive? How do we honor, lament, and heal from the stories we inherit? How can we find peace in a world overtaken with dislocation, noise, and unrest? In this stunning work, Cole invites us to descend into our own stories, examine our capacity to rest, wonder, joy, rage, and repair, and find that our humanity is not an enemy to faith but evidence of it. And we talk about all of it in today’s conversation. Her journey, her wisdom, the incredible response of the community, and more. You can find Cole at: Website | Instagram If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Alex Elle about how to heal. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you were, unknowingly being controlled by unresolved pain from your past, even minor, or momentary experiences, ones that took root and, from that moment on, without you having any idea, limited everything from your relationships to your health, work, wealth, and life?  We all encounter unresolved pain from our past, or what my guest today, New York therapist and author of the new book The Origins of You: How Breaking Family Patterns Can Liberate the Way We Live and Love, Vienna Pharaon, calls origin wounds. But most of us don't realize they’re even there, so we just keep repeating patterns that lead to unhappiness, having no idea what’s really stopping us from feeling more connected and alive. Even if we do recognize them, understanding and dealing with them can be a difficult and intimidating process. I love how practical, strategic, and tool-oriented Vienna is in her approach. I opened my eyes to such much, maybe it’ll do the same for you. You can find Vienna at: Website | Instagram | “What’s Your Origin Wound” quiz If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Bessel van der Kolk about resolving trauma. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder if entrepreneurship is for you? Whether starting a personal business like coaching or consulting, building around an idea, platform, technology or product, teaching others what you know, either in person or through books, courses and talks, heading out on your own, blazing your own path can be scary. And, this is especially true if you’re walking away from a job with a nice salary, benefits, and some sense of security. Even more so if your resources are limited. But, does it have to be that scary or risky? What can we do to, first, understand if this path is right for us and, second, set ourselves up for success? Not just in building a flourishing business, but also in crafting a life you love? These are the questions we’re exploring today with my long-time friend, Amy Porterfield. Now 14 years in, having helped tens of thousands of people, Amy has built an extraordinarily successful company with a full team and many offerings, and produces a top-ranked podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy. She’s become a true champion, and also a leading voice on how to make the transition into entrepreneurship. In her new book, Two Weeks Notice: Find the Courage to Quit Your Job, Make More Money, Work Where You Want, and Change the World, Amy dives into her journey, then walks you through a detailed process to envision, validate, and build your own, low-risk, easy-on-the-psyche business. And, we dive deep into it all in today’s conversation. You can find Amy at: Website | Instagram | Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield podcast If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Lisa Congdon about transitioning from full-time work to building a successful career in the arts. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if paradise was real? But, instead of searching and traveling a journey to the far ends of the earth to find it, you could touch it at any moment, in any place, no matter how amazing or awful the setting or circumstance.  And what if paradise or peace is something completely different than this all-perfect place or feeling a lot of us believe it to be? What if that feeling we so yearn to experience, is here and now, dead center in our lives of complexity and paradox? And, we just had to know what to do to feel it? Today's guest, Pico Iyer, has spent much of his life searching, living, and listening for insight and answers to life's big questions. A full-time writer and essayist since 1982, Pico's insightfulness and quest for meaning have led him to places and people all across the world. From Iran to North Korea, from the Dalai Lama’s Himalayas to the ghostly temples of Japan. He has shared his travels and lessons learned in his 15 books on subjects ranging from the Dalai Lama to globalism and the Cuban Revolution to Islamic mysticism. In our conversation, Pico and I dive deeper into his story and the events in his life that have led him to some powerful revelations that he shares in his latest book, The Half-Known Life: In Search of Paradise. We talk about some key ideas that make up a good life of peace, happiness and meaning. Pico opens up about the losses, opportunities, and, often, paradoxical feelings and experiences that helped him find paradise here on Earth.  You can find Pico at: Website If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Robert Thurman about meaning, Buddhism, and life. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Peloton: Access high-energy workouts, instantly. Discover Peloton: streaming fitness classes to you live and on-demand. New Members who choose monthly billing get a 30-day free trial, or choose annual billing and get 12 months of Membership for the price of 10. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How might your life be different if you’d gotten comfortable saying no in your earliest days? No to other people’s opinions about everything from education to careers to relationships. No to someone else telling you what to prioritize and how to spend your time. No to people you’ve never met offering their opinion on what you should or shouldn’t do, then tell you how they think your choice worked out. How would your life be different, if you’d gotten okay with choosing for you, and not just for acceptance or obligation? And, how might you reclaim it, if you started getting clear on when and what to say yes or no to from this moment on? And, rid yourself of the need to please? That’s what we’re diving into with today’s guest, Natalie Lue, as a self-proclaimed recovering people pleaser who's spent the past nearly two decades unwinding the need to please and reclaiming freedom and ease.  Natalie is a writer, speaker, podcaster, artist, and founder of one of the longest-running personal-growth websites in the world, Baggage Reclaim and The Baggage Reclaim Sessions podcast, and author of the new book, The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want.  In our conversation, Natalie opens up about her struggles with people-pleasing, something we all know about and have experienced to some degree. We talk about the life events that brought Natalie back to herself, back to reclaiming her boundaries and life, and we get into some of the nitty-gritty of what it looks like to say yes to the life you want and how to embrace the joy of saying no.  You can find Natalie at: Website | Instagram | The Baggage Reclaim Sessions podcast If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Susan Piver about the Enneagram and how it helps us relate to others and also set boundaries. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Peloton: Access high-energy workouts, instantly. Discover Peloton: streaming fitness classes to you live and on-demand. New Members who choose monthly billing get a 30-day free trial, or choose annual billing and get 12 months of Membership for the price of 10. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you didn’t have to keep everything bottled up? Or show up a certain way? Or deny what you’re going through or feeling? What if you could just sit with it, feel it fully, then find a way to not only release it, but turn those feelings, thoughts, and emotions into something that went out into the world and moved people to feel and connect and love and laugh, too? This is the work, the world, and life of New York City designer, illustrator, muralist, and author, Timothy Goodman. Surviving early life trauma, losing himself to drugs, getting arrested, and barely graduating high school, a chance encounter with a boss who’d become a mentor rekindled a passion for art and expression that had been seeded by the example of his grandma decades earlier. He was smitten with design, storytelling, and art and poured himself into it, eventually finding his way to New York City, studying at SVA, and knowing in his bones, this would be his home for life. Over the years, he’s built a stunning career.  His new book, I Always Think It's Forever: A Love Story Set in Paris as Told by an Unreliable but Earnest Narrator, takes us into his exploration of love, blending poignant stories, insights and awakenings with vibrant joyful illustrations. And his body of work openly explores Timothy’s own mental health challenges and concern about the state of the world, sometimes centering both in his work.  You can find Timothy at: Website | Instagram | Twitter If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Jason Naylor about the sweet spot between art, commerce and impact. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Peloton: Access high-energy workouts, instantly. Discover Peloton: streaming fitness classes to you live and on-demand. New Members who choose monthly billing get a 30-day free trial, or choose annual billing and get 12 months of Membership for the price of 10. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you get through each day, let alone build a meaningful, connected and rewarding career when rapid-fire, constant change, groundlessness, unrelenting pace, overwhelm, and even workplace toxicity have become the norm? That’s where we’re headed with my guest today, Gabriella Rosen Kellerman. Her new book, Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work—Now and in an Uncertain Future which was co-authored with renowned psychologist Martin Seligman, also known as the father of positive psychology, offers critical insights for facing a wildly fluctuating, seemingly perpetually unstable future of work. And in our conversation today, we explore a bit of Gabriella's background and her own trajectory in her career before diving into five science-backed strategies or workplace superpowers that can help us all thrive at work. From resilience to building rapid rapport at work, there's a lot of great insight to learn here. You can find Gabriella at: Website | LinkedIn If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with DJ DiDonna about professional sabbaticals. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Peloton: Work out anytime, anywhere with the Peloton App. New Members who choose monthly billing get a 30-day free trial, or choose annual billing and get 12 months of Membership for the price of 10. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world that seems to be constantly in motion, it can be difficult to find calm. Whether it's the never-ending stream of news notifications on our phones or the constant pressure to be doing, it can feel like we're always on the go. But it is possible to find calm amidst the chaos. Here are 7 ways to do just that. You can find the 1-page worksheet HERE. Find All Of The Episodes In This Series: How to Succeed at Anything Worth Doing | 2023 Kickstart A Simple Model for a Really Good Life | 2023 Kickstart What Should I Do With My Life? Start Here | Kickstart 2023 Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you weren’t paying attention to your health before the last few years, you are now. Question is, what should we actually be paying attention to? And, are there major things, early or even real-time indicators that could tell us how our day-to-day choices are affecting everything from our energy to level of pain, inflammation, fatigue, mental health and risk of chronic illness or life-altering disease, but that most of us are missing?  These are the questions I pose to today’s guest, Dr. Casey Means, as we explore the world of metabolic and mitochondrial health and how technology is now becoming available on more of a mass scale that can help us reclaim control over so many aspects of our immediate and long-term wellbeing. And even guide our behavioral choices, from food to movement to meditation in real-time. And, I also share my own experience running my own, personal experiments with this emerging tech. You can find Casey at: Levels Website | Casey's Instagram | Levels Instagram If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Dr. Aviva Romm about hormones, well-being, and the struggles of modern healthcare. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What should I do with my life? How can we actually make different choices that just might let us figure out what to devote our working lives to in a way that is more likely to make us come alive than empty us out in a way that will maybe for the first time ever satisfy our need? Not just for security and stability, which is an important need, but for meaning and purpose and energy and excitement and joy and beyond. And how do we make those choices and take action in a way that also doesn't lead to unwittingly repeating the same patterns that got us here, or even regretting what we've chosen and done? How do we craft our work lives to better reflect who we are and what makes us come alive? That's what we're diving into in today's special Kickstart Your Life episode. Discover The Work That Makes You Come Alive - Take the Sparketype™ Assessment You can find the 1-page worksheet HERE. Find All Of The Episodes In This Series: How to Succeed at Anything Worth Doing | 2023 Kickstart A Simple Model for a Really Good Life | 2023 Kickstart Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the key to living a good life is actually a lot closer than we all realize? Whether you're a long-time listener of the podcast or this is your first time tuning in, I bet some part of you is searching for the answers to living a good, meaningful life. You've probably wondered what the keys to happiness or good health, or fortune are. In our last episode, I shared a simple model for a really good life that I call the Good Life Buckets. If you haven’t listened, be sure to tee that up next.  Today, we’re diving even deeper into the role that relationships and people play in our ability to feel human, to feel alive, and to flourish in all parts of life with a very special guest, someone passionate about uncovering and sharing the keys to living a good life, Dr. Robert Waldinger.  He's a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the longest-running study on human flourishing ever conducted, now spanning over 80 years. The insights that have come out of it are profound, and also, for many, surprising, especially in the context of the importance of relationships on our ability to be happy, no matter what else comes our way. Bob is also the co-author of the book The Good Life: Lessons From the World's Longest Scientific Study on Happiness, and I'm excited to dive deeper today into some of the insights shared in his book. In this conversation, Dr. Waldinger reveals some myths about happiness and living a good life that some of us cling to, what the data says actually matters and what doesn’t, and how to invest more effectively in the pursuit of happiness.  You can find Robert at: Website| LinkedIn | TED Talk If you LOVED this episode: you’ll also love last week’s episode about a simple model for a really good life. Check out our offerings & partners:  My New Book Sparked My New Podcast SPARKED: We’re looking for special guest “wisdom-seekers” to share the moment you’re in, then pose questions to Jonathan and the Sparked Braintrust to be answered, “on air.” To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit.  Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.