Life in HD

Pulizter Prize winning author, David Zucchino, discusses his book Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy. It's the true account of the overthrow of the elected government of a Black-majority Wilmington, NC after Reconstruction and the city's failed attempts to heal and reconcile.

Masculinity is learned and reinforced behavior and traits.  What does it mean to be "man enough" in contemporary society?  How does popular culture reinforce what it means to be a man?  Is our idea of masculinity still relevant in a changing world? Actor Justin Baldoni decided that living up to our society's idea of masculinity prevented him from reaching his full potential as a human being.  He joined me on this episode of Life in HD to talk about his book, MAN ENOUGH: UNDEFINING MY MASCULINITY. He wrote this book for readers who may find themselves in some of his stories, for men who are hurting and need to be reassured that they are not alone, that there is help, connection, and joy.

This is an incredible story of one woman's quest to find the truth about the identity of her biological father.  It is journey that is full of hurt, regret, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

The 4th story in the DNA series deals with belonging.  A young woman overcomes the adoption barrier blocking her path to deeper understanding of her complete cultural background and discovers a cultural identity that makes her feel whole.  Enjoy Rachel's DNA story.

Charles had an interest in learning more about his Irish heritage.  What he discovered was a first cousin he didn't know he had and a family history that added new context for his existing relationship.

The DNA stories continue with Kalia's Journey.  What started out as a test to assist with research on Crohn's disease turned into a spiritual journey to connect with her ancestors and a trip across the Atlantic ocean to visit the birth land of her forefathers and mothers.

DNA testing growing more and more popular as interest in genealogy increases.  Along the way, people are discovering things about themselves, their families, and heritage that challenge how they view themselves in the world.  This 4-part series features people sharing their discoveries in their own words.  The series starts with my own story.

The beginning of 2021 offers us an opportunity to reflect on the year that passed.  For many, 2020 was a year of loss.  Loss of jobs, loss of freedom to move about, and loss of friends and loved ones.  Dealing with loss provides a moment of reflection on the importance of life itself. Life in HD, the personal development show, kicks off 2021 with an episode that teaches us the importance of embracing life even when someone we love is passing.  Author and Rabbi Steve Leder share important lessons outlined in his book The Beauty of What Remains: How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift. In it he uses personal reflections and heart-warming stories to bring the reader into a conversation about what is important and urges us to live more meaningful, more beautiful lives that are less anxious and less frenetic. This book is a reminder of what truly matters especially in this uncertain time.

We could all use a little wisdom in our lives right now.  But what does it mean to be wise and apply it to everyday life?  This episode of the personal development show explores using wisdom to help us transform how we approach a variety of life's problems.  We welcome back to the show personal development expert and best selling author Gary John Bishop to talk about his new book Wise As...

An alarming number of today's kids leave home without knowing certain basic life skills. From how to calculate a tip to the importance of writing a thank-you note, their are things that our kids will need to know in order to move through the world with a certain amount of confidence and grace.  Catherine Newman's humorous book How To Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn Before You're Grown Up helps guide us through a ton of useful life skills.  We speak with her about the book and get a better understanding of the challenges of helping our kids transition to personhood.

Dr Michelle Braun, author of High-Octane Brain: 5 Science-Based Steps to Sharpen Your Memory & Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer's, shares tips on improving your memory and cognitive ability.

Four months into Covid-19 self-isolation and social distancing impacts, health and wellness coach Elizabeth Sherman shares tips on self-care and stress management as we cope with our post-pandemic lifestyles.

Language Advisory You are the only person standing in the way of what you want to achieve.  Personal development expert Gary John Bishop says that your success in anything can be measured by how successful you are when you are least motivated. In his audio book Ask Gary F'ing Anything, Gary says that you must develop a no-bullshit relationship between you and what you said you were going to do in order to eliminate constant patterns of self-sabotaging.  His "urban philosophy" approach represents a new wave of personal empowerment and life mastery that has helped thousand achieve results in the quality and performance of their lives.  I hope you enjoy our conversation.

In this episode of Life in HD, the personal development podcast, we explore how everyday activities like walking or working out can be a way for you to make more meaningful connections to self, others, and the world around us.  Author Casper Ter Kuile talks to us about his new book, The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices.  He explains that these rituals can help us heal our increasing crisis of isolation and help us feel more connected.

Despite what we read in greeting cards, dad's are far from perfect. Fathers should strive to be better parents and grow from our mistakes.  In this episode of the personal growth podcast, I reflect on my relationship with my daughters and my own father.  They provide insight to help me be a better dad and a better son.

Being confined to home has its advantages.  We can isolate ourselves from the dangerous novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19; we are discovering new methods of work productivity; and it's creating new opportunities to strengthen relationships with friends and family. But on the downside, being confined to home can lead to a sedentary life style.  Our movements are restricted, we aren't burning the calories that we would under normal circumstances, and we have access to food and snacks all day long.  So how can we stay fit when we are forced to practice social distancing?  This episode of Life In HD (part 3 of our COVID-19 series) tells you how to incorporate exercise routines (without the use of fancy gym equipment) into your daily life to stay fit and healthy while you are confined to home. Joining me today is Elizabeth Sherman, owner of Total Health by Elizabeth. She is a certified health coach, personal trainer, and certified nutritionist.  You can find more information on Elizabeth at www.elizabethsherman.com

It's human to feel stress, especially when our day-to-day lives don't look of feel the same as they used to.  Sometimes stress can lead us to respond in unhelpful ways - like turning to food or alcohol for comfort.  And with Covid-19, stress and anxiety go hand-in-hand.  So how do we manage it all?  For starters, everyone needs to look after one's own basic needs to stay mentally healthy in a stressful time. To help us explore ways to manage stress and practice self-care we turned to Licensed Professional Counselor Katherine Jansen-Byrkit, author of the book River to Ocean: Living in the Flow of Wakefulness. Her book reflects the human voyage of finding your way to an awakened self.

You've been ordered to shelter in place. But for how long? Days? Weeks? Months? Welcome to Life in HD, the personal development podcast that shines a spotlight on how we live our lives. I'm Joe Lee.   So you've followed the herd, bum-rushed the grocery story, gobbled up all the toilet paper, food and snacks that you could get your hands on in preparation for the long haul. My guess is, you didn't have time to thoughtfully plan out your meals, right? Not that the other shoppers in the store left you many options. The memes and jokes all over social media show American's concerns with being sedentary for the immediate future, over-eating and mindless munching to help pass the time of day. So we're offering some tips on how to survive the COVID19 shelter in place dilemma and come out on the other side healthy, happy, and ready to resume your normal life when things finally get back to normal. On this episode, it's all about making food choices that are good for you. My guest today is Sophie Egan, the Director of Health and Sustainability Leadership for the Strategic Initiatives Group at the Culinary Institute of America... And author of the book How to be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet.

Ever been in a relationship that hit a dry patch?  One that feels routine and mundane?  No matter how much you love your partner or how wonderful you think your relationship is, things can often get a little boring.  Today's guest on the personal growth podcast, Life in HD, author and filmmaker Boaz Frankel talks about adding a little weirdness to your relationship to rev things up.  Together with his wife Brooke Barker (author of New York Times bestselling book Sad Animal Facts), Boaz writes about the quirky aspects of their relationship and the inspiration for the couple's new book, Let's Be Weird Together.

Has your New Year resolution to lose weight hit a snag already?  Well our next show will explain how you can get back on track...for the rest of your life.  2 of the top 10 resolutions for 2020 include "exercise more" and "lose weight".  Often that goal falls short for thousands of us because the goal (to lose weight) is a short-term goal.  Making a change in lifestyle can not only help you with your short-term weight-loss goal, but also help you live strong and fit well into your 80's by turning back your biological clock. Authors Chris Crowley and Dr Henry Lodge give us the blueprint for living healthier, longer lives in their book Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, Sexy, and Smart Until You're 80 and Beyond.  Chris Crowley speaks with us on this episode about keys to developing healthier habits that can help you live a longer, fit life.