What is a Good Life?

On the 70th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Holly Penalver. Holly is the founder of Indigo Volunteers, a remarkable charity that has made a significant impact on the lives of tens of thousands of refugees. By placing thousands of volunteers with grassroots partners, Indigo provides essential aid, healthcare, education, skills workshops, and vital services to refugees along the European migratory route. Having spent years in the field, working hands-on in places like Greece, Serbia, and Bosnia, she now works for the disaster relief charity ShelterBox as their Volunteer Development Manager.In this conversation, Holly takes us on her journey of supporting and building community, inspired by the support she felt at home, to setting up Indigo Volunteers. She talks about the significance of both being willing to accept and give help, the importance of forgiving ourselves, letting go of right and wrong, the realisation that multiple things can be true at the same time, and how we are not as important as we think. Which can all help release us to do more good in the world.Throughout this conversation, it's clear that Holly is someone who takes action when she notices something missing that could support the community. Whether it's within our communities or even in our own personal lives where we observe a lack of necessary action, there is much inspiration to draw from her energy and the perspectives shared in this episode.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- Indigo Volunteers: https://www.indigovolunteers.org/- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, executive team coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:02:55 Podcast begins03:55 What is going wrong with our communities07:50 The importance of accepting help12:25 Connection of upbringing and self-worth18:10 The significance of forgiving ourselves21:58 We are not as important as we think25:38 Letting go of black and white thinking30:01 Realising we all hold different perceptions33:45 Being aware of what others need39:45 The joy of feeling connected with community43:25 Inspiration for establishing a charity47:10 Empathy and desire to help others51:45 Balancing family and helping others54:55 What is a good life for Holly? 

On the 69th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Dave Gray. Dave is the author of Gamestorming, Liminal Thinking: Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think, and The Connected Company. He is also an artist, an entrepreneur, and a possibilitarian. After selling his company, XPlane, in 2022, Dave established The School of the Possible, an experimental learning community through which he helps people create work that is meaningful and matters to them.In this episode, Dave shares with us his journey of finding purpose and meaning in his life, from the sense of belonging he felt at art school, to identifying and honouring his true nature, and noticing moments in life where he felt he was in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. He emphasises the importance of relationships and community in identifying our own uniqueness and the energy he experiences when in creative communities. Dave also underscores the significance of possibility and supporting others with their creativity.This episode will give you much to consider regarding finding more purpose, meaning, and cultivating greater awareness around your own true nature. While Dave's breadth of experience, creativity, and curiosity, are wonderful examples of what is possible when we fully engage with our true nature.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- Dave's website: https://xplaner.com/- Dave's Newsletter: https://schoolofthepossible.substack.com/- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, executive team coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:02:25 Podcast begins03:55 Finding meaning in life07:15 Identifying and honouring our true nature13:09 The significance of creativity 17:56 Exploring meaning in the journey20:49 Purpose and our true nature23:55 Possibility, producing and possibility27:15 Community and energy32:00 Using our relationships to identify our uniqueness34:55 The significance of relationships40:25 Beauty in everything44:25 The role of meaning52:25 What is a good life for Dave?

On the 68th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Amy Elizabeth Fox. Amy is one of the founders and CEO of Mobius Executive Leadership, a global transformational leadership firm. She has served as a leadership and culture change advisor to Fortune 500 companies. Amy is considered an expert in healing individual, family, and collective trauma and has been a pioneer in introducing trauma-informed development and psycho-spiritual principles into leadership programs. She is also on the faculty of the African Leadership Institute's Desmond Tutu Fellows program at Oxford.In this glorious conversation, Amy shares with us her journey towards a life of inquiry, contemplation, healing, and a more mystical engagement with life. She talks of the deeper unity that exists between us all beyond the fractures on the surface, ways we can connect more deeply with ourselves and each other, and ultimately ways to keep our hearts open to all the suffering and beauty that exists in the world.If you are not satisfied with the level of connection and intimacy in your life, this episode will give you so much to contemplate and reconsider regarding the societal norms we follow when relating to each other. Amy is a well of wisdom and this whole episode serves as an invitation to opening our hearts to the world and those around us.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- Amy's company: www.mobiusleadership.com- Thomas Hübl's Website: www.thomashuebl.com - For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, executive team coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:03:15 How does one keep one’s heart open?06:45 The unity of life and lack of intimacy09:25 The problems with formality and routinised communication12:30 The invitation to intimacy17:11 The yearning and various sources of intimacy23:15 The art of subtlety, intimacy, and collaboration26:45 Silence and pause in feeling what is said31:45 We don’t need to problem solve each other’s pain35:45 The mystical and contemplative path40:19 Moving from frozen assumptions to emergence45:10 Bringing Mental Health to the workplace50:10 How do we keep our hearts open in times like these?55:45 What is a good life for Amy?

On the 67th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, David Haskell. David is a writer and a biologist. His latest book, Sounds Wild and Broken, is a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction. His previous books, The Forest Unseen and The Songs of Trees are acclaimed for their integration of science, poetry, and rich attention to the living world. Among their honours include the National Academies’ Best Book Award, John Burroughs Medal, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and many more. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and Professor at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.In this captivating episode, David shares his journey of celebrating all living life, experiencing life as much through his senses as possible, while becoming aware of the connections between himself and whatever he is engaging with, and the multiplicity of connections that exist behind that. Throughout this conversation, he impresses the importance of experiencing real life beyond the screens we often stare at for much of the day, and seeing life as it truly is, whether pleasant or not. He also suggests the importance of stepping out of ourselves to become more in tune with how we perceive and connect with other life forms.This episode will give you much to contemplate regarding how, where, and with what we spend our time, how we sense life, the importance of not always putting humans at the centre of the universe, and the humility and changes that can occur within us when making that shift.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- David's latest book: Sounds Wild and Broken- David's Website: https://dghaskell.com/- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, leadership coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:02:45 Podcast begins03:05 Celebrating all living life07:40 Echoes and connections with the past and creativity11:45 Being in touch with the real world not our screens18:05 Anxiety levels increasing with the youth20:20 Coming back to our senses and curiosity of connection24:35 Ambiguity of simultaneous beauty and brokenness29:35 The rewiring of us as we engage with nature33:06 Resistance to the open ended nature of change38:35 Developing empathy with our environment & other beings42:35 Interconnection not individuality50:15 Realising once more how essential relationships are55:30 What is a good life for David?

On the 66th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Thomas Moore. Thomas is the author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller, Care of the Soul. Since then, he has written thirty books on matters of soul and spirit. His most recent book is The Eloquence of Silence. He lectures in many parts of the world and is also a psychotherapist influenced mainly by C. G. Jung and James Hillman, his close friend for four decades. He has won many awards, including an honorary doctorate from Lesley University and the 2003 Humanitarian Award from Einstein Medical School.In this episode, Thomas shares his journey from spending 13 years studying to be a priest, to being a lecturer and professor before becoming a psychotherapist and a prolific and bestselling author. At each moment he made a significant life change, he felt fully led by his daemon (an inner, guiding spirit or urge) to help him make considerable decisions with unwavering conviction. Throughout this conversation, Thomas shares many important insights and anecdotes for living a more connected and aligned life with our inner wisdom and soul.There is so much to glean from this episode regarding how we live our lives, how we make significant decisions, embrace pivotal moments, and perhaps it suggests a life philosophy that could steer you away from trying to figure out every conceivable scenario before committing to your next major change.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- Thomas' latest book: The Eloquence of Silence- Thomas' Website: https://www.thomasmooresoul.com/- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, leadership coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:02:37 Podcast begins04:27 Responding to big urges and opportunities 09:50 A feeling of certainty beyond our logic14:52 Practicing engagement with our daemon19:57 Seeing life more poetically25:42 Thomas’ friendship with Hillman28:39 Leaving life as a lecturer32:02 Starting life as a therapist and writer35:05 Experiencing the success of Care of the Soul38:57 The influence of Samuel Beckett and silence43:47 The role of image in a life of soul48:47 Humour and not holding it all too tightly53:02 The lack of emptiness in our society58:13 What is a good life for Thomas?

On the 65th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guests, George and Linda Pransky. In 1976, George and Linda stumbled upon a new way of helping people that was radically different from the traditional counselling methods they had been using in their work. The new principles they were learning had a huge impact on their personal lives, their relationship, and the way they worked with their clients. Through teaching these principles to their clients, they became pioneers in a new field of psychology, both serving as Partners of Pransky & Associates and on the executive committee of the Three Principles Global Community. Dr. George Pransky is also the author of The Relationship Handbook, Life is a Metaphor, and The Secret to Mental Health, as well as over fifty audio recordings. In this episode, George and Linda share their understandings around how people really change, through realisations rather than intellect and willpower. We discuss the importance of gratitude, patience, quiet, accountability, and faith in further realisations occurring. While we also explore how our thinking is often broken and how they both have moved from reacting to life to living life. This whole conversation is incredibly enlightening. George and Linda have so much wisdom to share, and in highlighting where our problems reside and sharing several anecdotes and insights, the whole conversation serves as an invitation to be drawn into your life rather than simply reacting to it.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- George's latest book: The Secret to Mental Health- George & Linda's Website: https://www.pranskyandassociates.com/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or click here to read about a leadership coaching program to build trust and connection amongst executive teams.Running Order:03:34 How do people really change?07:04 How we experience realisations10:30 The problem with our desire for change13:34 The role of faith - allowing answers to come19:30 Not seeking answers and slowing down24:47 Patience with our reactions31:00 Reacting to life, not living life35:39 The problem is our thinking around our problems40:34 Accountability for our thinking and experience44:24 Throwing away right and wrong46:15 What is a good life for George and Linda?

On the 64th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Johnnie Moore. Johnnie is the Founder of Unhurried, a movement to support deeper conversations and connections in work and life, the author of the book Unhurried At Work, a visiting tutor at the Saïd Business School at Oxford University, and a guest columnist for Fast Company magazine. In this insightful conversation, we explore our desire to hold onto stories and perspectives that no longer serve us over engaging with the unknown. Johnnie shares a number of experiences and processes that help him see and seek more possibilities. We discuss shifting from overthinking to experimenting and playing more often, and finally, we explore realisations around awareness of emotions and healthier and more connecting expressions of them. This episode will give you plenty to contemplate regarding experimenting and playing more often, and the wonderful shifts that can occur if we open up to what else is possible in this life. I've spoken with Johnnie several times before, and he consistently leaves me with new perspectives to consider or inspires fresh realisations, and I suspect he’ll do the same for you.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Johnnie's book: Unhurried- Johnnie's Website: https://www.johnniemoore.com/- Johnnie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnie-moore-2323/ Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or click here to read about a leadership coaching program to build trust and connection amongst executive teams.Running Order:02:47 What else is possible here? Our minds and reality07:47 Our attachments to stories or perspectives10:47 Clinging to unpleasant certainties rather than exploring unknowns16:07 Making sense of this life21:17 Creating new possibilities 25:47 Our reluctance to experiment and our overthinking31:47 We know a lot less about each other than we think38:17 Realisations of understanding and of emotions44:17 Becoming more present with and expressing emotions49:17 Experiencing loneliness and enjoyment of solitude55:47 What is a good life for Johnnie?

On the 63rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Adah Parris. Adah is a futurist, artist, keynote speaker, and a visionary in the fields of technology, ecology, innovation, and art. She chairs Mental Health First Aid England and is a Fellow at The Royal Society of the Arts. She is recognised as a TED Talks Global Emerging Innovator and celebrated by Forbes Brazil as one of the top futurists in the world. In this episode, Adah shares with us her journey to being herself, how curiosity and not following convention influence her life, the lessons she has learned about honesty and transparency in relationships, and meeting the human in each other before anything else. She notes the significance of seeing life as a series of experiments and shares what contributes to being both a good ancestor and being in kinship with the world around us. If you find yourself stuck in life and are unsure of what to do next, or feel your present ways of relating to others are causing you difficulty, Adah’s perspectives will give you so much to contemplate across a wide breadth of themes and topics that may help you see the world a little differently.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- Adah's leadership program: https://www.weareseeds.xyz/- Adah's Website: https://www.adahparris.art/- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or click here to read about a leadership coaching program to build trust and connection amongst executive teams.Running Order:03:00 What type of ancestor do you want to be?08:00 How values and curiosity shape Adah’s life12:30 The journey to Adah being herself18:40 Seeing life as a series of experiments25:15 Letting go of how life should be30:30 Lessons from authentic relating36:15 The value and importance of difference42:25 The importance of presence 49:30 Technology, busyness, and relating54:48 Distorting Time1:02:10 Being a good ancestor and kinship1:07:52 Summary and what is a good life for Adah?

On the 62nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Julia Duthie. Julia is a partner at PEPCO LLP, the bestselling author of The House on Dogbone St, and the former CEO of both the Academy of Contemporary Music and The True School of Music.Simply put, I find Julia’s life story incredibly inspiring. She left home and school at the age of 16 after a troubling and challenging childhood, as we discuss in this episode.She takes us on her journey from working in vegetable market stalls for food in her teens and living in highly neglected conditions to being a managing director of an IT firm in her mid-twenties.From her experiences and realisations in therapy to opening up about her past, letting go of shame, and the death of her father sparking her own desire to connect more fully with who she really is, prompting her to accept her sexuality at the age of 50, connect with her creativity, and write a best-selling book.While she is also completely frank about what presently troubles her and where she suspects she has more to explore in terms of her childhood.This episode will offer plenty of inspiration regarding how Julia has lived such a vibrant life in the face of difficult beginnings. Her willingness to explore and be herself more fully, as well as the meaning and sense of belonging she is discovering along the way, will give you much to contemplate.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching around your own self-inquiry or to hear about executive team coaching experiences I am offering to build trust, communication, and connection amongst leadership teams.Running Order:03:00 What is a the real you?07:15 Mortality and authenticity11:15 Reflections on sexuality and honesty16:30 The effects of being yourself21:30 The feeling of belonging and creativity26:20 The motivation for sharing her story33:45 The path from market stalls to managing director38:30 The shadow side and struggle of life46:50 What happens after healing?50:30 External successes to meaning and belonging55:00 What is a good life for Julia?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Julia's book: on Amazon - Julia's substack: https://juliaduthie.substack.com/- Julia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-duthie-607b4254/

On the 61st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Duncan Moss. Duncan is a Clinical Psychologist, and Honorary Research Fellow at Plymouth University, whose approach draws from long-standing psychological perspectives and also from the methods of meditation and the traditions of contemplation and awareness. He has been a student in the Tibetan Tradition for many years.Simply put, this was the exact type of conversation I was hoping to capture when starting this podcast project. Duncan has a wonderful mix of wisdom, experience, and humility to explore what is here now for him while sharing valuable insights from his own research and personal inquiries.This entire conversation is a beautiful exploration of the disturbances we can feel in life, accepting their inevitable appearances, befriending what is here right now, and a nod to the correlation between slowing down and experiencing kindness towards ourselves.We discuss Duncan’s present explorations into the work of Eckhart Tolle and our resistance to suffering, letting go, and surrendering. We also explore themes like our ‘monkey minds,’ suffering as a teacher, and the timelessness of the present moment.If you are presently suffering from any discontent in your life, this episode will be highly illuminating and soothing to listen along to. It won’t magically fix whatever you are perceiving, but perhaps it will give you space to observe and accept it and befriend whatever experience you are presently going through.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching around your own self-inquiry or to hear about executive team coaching experiences I am offering to build trust, communication, and connection amongst leadership teams.Running Order:02:49 Why am I suffering right now?07:19 The resistance to letting go of suffering11:19 What does surrendering entail?16:19 The helpfulness of uncomfortable teachings20:54 The surprising effect of rest after trying so hard24:54 Befriending ourselves and grandmotherly energy29:04 Suffering is our greatest teacher35:04 Compassion for ourselves is always there38:49 A stepping into timelessness45:04 Contemplating mortality and absurdity of life52:09 What is a good life for Duncan?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/

On the 60th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Matthew Zoltan. Matthew is a former monk, an author, and co-founder of Undo App - an app that helps you rediscover what makes us human through natural meditation.In this conversation, Matthew takes us on his journey from being a monk for much of his 20s before realising his practice and methods weren’t supporting him to fully engage with the felt experience of his body. That for him, certain ideologies led to disassociations from the body and its experience.He shares with us the importance of experiencing life sensorily, how one can perceive the fully felt experience of life. We also discuss the role of our mental reactions in accentuating pain, as well as the problem with starting off from the belief that we are lacking and need to improve, suggesting that you are the perfect expression of everything you have been through.Ultimately, Matthew points to the significance of exploring our pain and resolving our hurt, describing pain as aspects of ourselves we need to give attention to. If you are having trouble with accepting yourself, embracing yourself as you presently are, or engaging with your feelings, this episode will give you a lot to consider. While Matthew may confront a lot of your beliefs, he is really highlighting the importance of connecting with our felt experience.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering to build trust and connection amongst executive teams.Running Order:02:45 Life provides answers not questions06:45 Realisations as a monk, letting go of ideologies, developing sensitivity15:15 Perceiving the felt experience of life20:15 Resistance and disturbance are a part of life28:15 The problem with the belief that we are lacking40:00 Understanding ourselves and relating through feeling rather than thought47:15 The importance of exploring our pain and resolving hurt53:45 The role of our thinking in accentuating pain1:00:20 We have been taught to avoid pain and suffering1:05:45 Embracing who and what we are and how we feel1:16:35 What is a good life for Matthew?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Matthew's Website: https://mattzoltan.com/- Matthew's Company: https://undoapp.com/

On the 59th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Julie Zickefoose. Julie is a writer and artist who illustrates her own books (Saving Jemima, Baby Birds, The Bluebird Effect). She is an Advising Editor for BWD Magazine and a naturalist at home in the Appalachian foothills of Ohio, where every day she roams the 80-acre wildlife sanctuary she lives on—a wellspring for her writing and art.Her contribution to a beautiful movie I watched, In Pursuit of Silence, utterly captivated me, so I was thrilled to have the chance to talk. In this enlivening conversation, Julie shares her journey from just about making ends meet to becoming an author and illustrator living on her own sanctuary. She imparts important lessons along the way, such as gratitude for life, borne out of her observations of the hardship of nature and from the deaths of her father and her husband.We explore the emotional relationships she has cultivated with the birds she has rehabilitated, as well as the importance of relationships with animals in realising more connection in our lives. She also touches on the significance of silence, solitude, and unstructured time and space for her creative process and for following her own nature.This entire conversation was good for my soul; it is inspiring to be in the company of someone who so fully follows and embraces their own nature with such conviction. This episode will reinforce gratitude for simply existing and surviving, and open you up to possibilities for more love and connection in our lives, whether with other animals or humans, as well as what can happen if you simply trust your own nature.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering to build trust and connection amongst executives.Running Order:03:40 Seeking silence and allowing serendipity07:45 Following your own nature and trust12:20 Freedom and not being confined to a structure16:20 Being kind to ourselves as life emerges18:57 The impact and influence of losing loved ones23:25 Gratitude for life and rehabilitating birds28:15 Experiencing emotional and physical connections with birds35:28 The stunning levels of love we can feel with animals41:00 The importance of trusting our feelings, not just what we can measure45:55 What we can learn from animals in seeing our own value48:25 The importance of unstructured time and space53:38 The worst thing that can happen to your career57:40 What is a good life for Julie?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Julie's Website: https://www.juliezickefoose.com/- Julie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliezickefoose/

On the 58th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guests, Dan Lawrence and Johann Botha. Dan is a Jungian Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist and a Social Dreaming Consultant, a former derivatives trader, and a lifelong practitioner of Zen and contemplative traditions.Johann is managing director of GSA Mindworks, a company cultivating a personal, participatory and measured approach to human integrity. A former, filmmaker, storyteller with an enlivening interest in human character. I asked both of them to join me because all three of us have been exploring a sense of soul more closely recently, and I wanted to share those musings with you all to see if these types of conversations resonate with or add to your own explorations in life. In this conversation, we explore what the soul means to us, where we get glimpses or senses of soul in our lives, and how the soul can move or call us to action. We talk about the significance of the soul regarding how we engage and participate in life, our relationships with others, and our work, as well as the places and spaces around us.We also explore how experiences of dread can lead to both a feeling of soullessness and a lack of presence, and how we can cultivate space and awareness for more connection with the soul.If you feel like your existence is lacking soul, whether that is in your work, relationships, or with a sense of mystery, this episode will give you plenty to contemplate, as well as images and metaphors for re-invoking more soul in your life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:03:30 What is Soul?07:10 Getting glimpses of soul12:30 Soul and spirit and movement17:30 Relating and a contact point for life23:00 Soul and a sense of aliveness and engaging uncertainty31:00 The soul of work35:00 Image, metaphor, and mystery42:30 Reanimating our lives47:30 What contributes to a sense of soullessness55:10 Allowing space for soul 1:00:00 How does soul and a good life connect?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Dan's Website: https://www.theunthoughtknown.com/- Dan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-lawrence-1537271b/?originalSubdomain=uk- Johann's company: https://gsamindworks.com/- Johann's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlbotha/

On the 57th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Dr. Bettina Palazzo. Bettina is a business ethics expert, a lecturer at the University of Geneva, and the creator of The Ethics Gym program, demonstrating how leaders can be credible ethical role models.In this conversation, we delve into the question Bettina is presently contemplating in life: how does one balance making an effort and letting go? Bettina shares the challenges this represents and also reflects on the role social media plays in making us believe we have an immediate solution for every problem in life.We explore the role of our natural selves and curiosity, noting how fear and perfectionism affect our capacity to handle uncertainty. Simultaneously, we observe the role that compassion for ourselves and others plays in our ability to handle uncertainty and develop more trust in the unfolding of life, whether this is cultivated through community groups she has created or by being attentive to the stories we tell ourselves about other people’s behaviour towards us.This episode will give you much to contemplate regarding our attempts to control and our relationship with uncertainty. Bettina also shares in such an authentic and relatable manner that her reflections provide really interesting insights and nuance into the challenges we face in our culture with letting go.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:02:45 How do we find the balance of effort and letting go?07:45 Knowing and accepting the limits of your control12:07 Giving space for our nature or consciousness19:15 Realising the fear in perfectionism and accepting risk24:15 Contentment in handling complexity, uncertainty & doubt28:28 Pleasant surprises in what we can’t control33:03 The importance of supporting others & community37:31 Ideas from Aikido in relating42:01 Realising compassion for each other47:06 The connection of compassion and letting go50:15 What is a good life for Bettina?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Bettina's Website: https://bettinapalazzo.com/en/home/- Bettina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettina-palazzo/

On the 56th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Dr. Simon Western. Simon is the author of "Leadership: a Critical Text," Founder of both the Eco-Leadership Institute and Analytic-Network Coaching, and the host of the Edgy Ideas podcast. Simon brings a vast breadth of experience with him having previous roles as a general nurse, psychiatric nurse, family therapist, and psychotherapist. In this episode, Simon shares his journey with his lifelong question, "What is a good life?" From prioritising freedom to exploring other cultures, politics, and music as a teenager, to traveling widely and wandering the deserts, and being with his melancholy, he discusses the profound influence connecting with his sadness and grief has had on his life and career.We question the influence of modernity and our need to label, measure, and put everything in boxes on the quality of our relationships, our sense of dislocation, and separation from each other and the natural world.Finally, we consider how we might re-enchant our culture once more, whether that is connecting to the soul, reengaging with mystery, or creating more awareness of our interconnections and dependencies.If you are feeling a sense of dislocation in your life or are struggling to feel a sense of aliveness and connection to the world around you, Simon’s experiences in life will give you so much to contemplate as well as inspiration to explore areas of life you may well be neglecting.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:01:25 How can I get more freedom?05:40 Getting in touch with your melancholy and grief11:20 Building the capacity to feel our emotions and to feel alive17:00 Realising an enjoyment of and interest in difference23:45 Experiencing other cultures to reflect back on your own27:30 The dangers of social media and seeking like minded people 29:52 The pitfalls of modernity and loss of enchantment / aliveness36:12 We are lacking sacred spaces and connection to soul41:37 Reengaging with mystery45:07 What is a good life for Simon?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Simon's Website: https://www.ecoleadershipinstitute.org/simon-western- Simon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-simon-western-1055b86/

On the 55th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Lauri Poldre. Lauri is an advisor, mentor, and artist, helping people regain clarity and inner peace through sound, meditation, and nature immersion. In 2015, he quit his job to travel for 2 years and study meditation, sound healing, and mindfulness. Since then, he has performed at events and released recordings that have been streamed over 1 million times.In this episode, Lauri shares with us his journey from suffering to seeking to experiencing inner stillness—where we can be at peace with our own unfolding, and where the answers to our many questions naturally emerge without our interference.We explore the distinction between experiencing emotions and identifying with them, the considerable importance of asking questions—particularly ones we can’t presently answer—and the great benefits of resting in stillness and what can emerge from the silence.Whether it is an awareness of what is, an alignment with our true nature, letting go of obsessions with upgrading ourselves, a connection with nature and its abundance, or its impact on our creativity and how we live our lives—there is so much to take from this episode, especially for those of us toiling with our self-development and spiritual paths, suspecting we are fundamentally missing something. The stillness and silence that Lauri points to may offer considerable help.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:02:44 How to find inner stillness07:54 Action still emerges from stillness and silence11:22 From seeking to stillness15:04 Challenging habits to let go of20:34 Where true liberation exists25:24 The importance of asking questions31:44 Finding peace with what is and alignment from stillness39:30 Recognising or realising our own alignment43:29 Recognising abundance in stillness50:38 What is a good life for Lauri?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Lauri's Website: https://lauripoldre.com/- Larui's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauri.poldre/

On the 54th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Gab Ciminelli. Gab is the Founder of the Silent Leadership Institute in Japan, author of Nothing Changes the World: Excerpts and Insights on the Art of Nothing, and speaker on The Art of Nothing.In this illuminating discussion, we explore our capacity not to learn from our mistakes and how we get swept away by our conditioning - be it our upbringing, education, culture, etc.We share our experiences of re-sensitising ourselves to the human beings we naturally are, through silence, space, reflection, and nature, and the experiences of suffering that prompted a departure from the status quo.We delve into navigating our wider sense of disconnection and separation, transcending our ideas of identity and our fixation on measurement and labels, to an awareness of what is, and how we could step into the unknown.This whole conversation with Gab is a breath of fresh air. His open-heartedness and willingness to explore embody much of what he is pointing towards in this conversation. If you are in need of looking at your life and world with a fresh set of eyes, this conversation will give you multiple pointers as to how you can start.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:02:57 Why don’t we change or learn from our past?07:07 Are we aware of our conditioning?12:07 The role of space, nature, and silence17:05 Questioning identification, labels, and division21:07 The influence of measurement, assumptions and comparison26:27 The role of suffering, self-exploration and the liberation of failure34:22 Fear and the interconnectedness of our minds39:07 Hitting a wall and a realisation of Nothing43:07 Our fear of not knowing and curiosity50:32 Could we start afresh?1:02:52 What is a good life for Gab?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Gab's Website: https://art-of-nothing.com/- Gab's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBKPZV3H?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420- Gab's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieleciminelli/

On the 53rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Yvonne Smyth. Yvonne calls herself a Conscious Parenting Adventure Guide, and she's on a mission to change the world by bringing intention to how we love our children. She's launching a course and community in February, This Is How We Change The World, that you can access through this instagram link.In this conversation, Yvonne takes us on her journey from her own frustrations with her experiences as a parent to exploring the unconscious and developing her own model for what’s important in her life: tending to herself, embodying love, and impacting the world through conscious parenting.We touch on many important themes, from exploring the unconscious and the beliefs and stories we tell ourselves based on the behaviour of a child, to interpreting all behaviour as communication, enabling children to fulfil their own blueprint, along with the significance of giving them our time, attention, and presence.While acknowledging our humanity and flaws, we explore the process of rupture and repair within our relationships, the significance of heartfelt apologies, and the importance of empathising with children while taking accountability for our actions.Culminating in a beautiful realisation that conscious parenting is more about growing ourselves up than our children. If you are presently struggling with parenting or other close relationships, this episode will touch on a substantial number of themes that may be ripe for you to explore. Yvonne’s insights and very relatable experiences will help guide you towards the potential of better parenting and relating generally with others in your life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:03:30 How do I tend to myself, embody love, and change the world?07:45 The impact of your relationship style with your children13:15 Nurturing our children’s sense of self17:15 Presence and allowing their unfolding22:15 Empathising with your child27:05 Being invested but not overpowering32:00 Knowing our own values and surrendering43:05 Focussing on our own behaviour first47:15 The importance of tending to ourselves53:00 Handling ruptures and repairs in relationships01:01:28 What is a good life for Yvonne?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Yvonne's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisparentingadventure/- Yvonne's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-smyth-009645a/

On the 52nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am thrilled to introduce our guest, Martin Ebeling. Martin is a philosopher and the co-director of The School of Life Berlin. He is also the co-founder of the Pura Vida Festival Retreat. You can also follow his journey toward and exploration of co-flourishing on The Co-flourishing Project, where he writes under his alias Ocean.In this deeply insightful conversation, we delve into Martin’s exploration of the meaning of life and his shifting from a lone wolf to his fascination with co-flourishing. He shares how his recent insights on co-flourishing unfolded after a personal retreat in nature and silence, shedding light on valuable lessons we can draw from those experiences.We explore what has resonated with him in his research on co-flourishing, encompassing the practices he observed at the Zen monastery, Plum Village. Here, monks consistently share both their wonder in existence and their experiences with difficult emotions. Additionally, we touch on the neuroscience that suggests it takes more than one human brain to create a human mind and we reflect on the interdependent nature of our being.I found this conversation to be highly illuminating. We discuss numerous themes that can guide you toward leading a more connected life—connecting with yourself, fostering meaningful relationships with others, and cultivating a deeper connection with the world around you.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:03:35 How can we co-flourish?07:34 We are part of an interdependent reality12:30 The lonely wolf and ego17:30 Finding clarity and courage in silence and nature22:30 Viewing other humans as expression of nature and life26:55 What does co-flourishing entail?31:30 The importance of listening and awareness37:45 The need to consistently share our emotions42:45 The neuroscience of co-flourishing49:30 Feeling an aliveness and trust56:10 What is a good life for Martin?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Martin's / Ocean's newsletter: https://coflourishing.substack.com/- Pura Vida Festival Retreat: https://www.puravida-festival.com/- Martin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-ebeling-9322222/

On the 51st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce Richard Merrick as our guest. Richard is a writer, who after decades of working inside the walls of convention, writes about the journey from working for others to finding our own path outside those walls, and supports small groups as they make theirs by walking with them.In this conversation, we explore the conditions that Richard incorporates into conversation groups to heighten connection, authenticity, an engagement with the unknown, and what is. We delve into the importance of letting go of being right, not having set objectives and agendas, disengaging to reengage, and turning up as who we are.We discuss the value of engaging with the unknown for building trust, our ability to make discoveries, for making real human connection, and for the melting of the old to form the new. We also explore the role the artisan plays in ushering in the new.For this project or otherwise, Richard is one of the wisest people I’ve talked to, typified by consistently reading 3 books a week for 50 years and his continued willingness to engage with not knowing in various aspects of life. There is so much to take from this episode regarding how you engage with other people, yourself, and life itself, and it may considerably alter your perspective on how you approach your various relationships, be it at work or in your personal life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order: 02:41 Sacred spaces for us to share our perspective and experiences in groups10:26 The formation of conversation groups in lockdown14:31 Being performative creates boundaries between us18:41 Conversations that leave you energised and play22:16 Taking time to disengage to reengage27:31 Fear of the unknown, rigidly following plans32:58 How did Richard begin to engage with the unknown?36:28 The freedom of being ourselves40:46 Empty spaces and the potential of creation and connection43:16 Not focussing on outcomes47:42 Artisans at the centre of epochal change and disruption52:14 The importance of accepting & acknowledging what is58:26 What is a good life for Richard?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Richard's website: https://www.richardmerrick.co.uk/- Richard's newsletter: https://www.newartisans.net/