Good Life Project || Inspiration | Motivation | Happiness | Meaning | Success

Good Life Riff: Ah, hindsight! As they say, it really is 20-2o. When we look back at some decisions, we think, "wow, that was such a great call, I'm pretty smart." But, then there are those other decisions. You know, the ones where a year or two down the road, you look back and think, "what is wrong with me?! That was a terrible decision. How could I not have seen this terrible outcome coming?"Then, there's THE TRUTH. We did the best we could "at the time." But, we don't see that, because of a quirky cognitive bias known as "Outcome Bias." In this third episode in our series on cognitive bias - aka - the weird things out brains subconsciously do to make us do thing that make no sense - we dive into this one particular quirk that leads up mired in self-doubt and crippled confidence.Incidentally, you can check out the two earlier episodes in the Cognitive Bias series here and here.Well, it turns out, there's funky little cognitive bias thatGood Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're div

Jedidiah Jenkins is a storyteller, adventurer and powerful advocate for intentional living.Leaving behind his training in law to tap a lifelong gift for storytelling and a deep heart of service, Jedidiah joined the team at Invisible Children. They would eventually launch the KONY 2012 campaign, producing a video that went massively viral with more than 100-million views in the first week. This both shined the light on a nation in dire need, but also brought on a fierce backlash that led to a lot of pain and self-exploration.As he neared his 30th birthday, Jedidiah started feeling called to commit to a powerful personal quest. So, he made the frightening decision to leave a job he loved to pursue an untested dream: bicycling to Patagonia and writing a book about it. From the cartels of Mexico, to the mega-churches of the US, to the Amazon in Bolivia, he has seen some crazy things.In this week's episode, we explore his epic journey, and the adventures still yet to come.Rockstar Sponsors:RXBAR Kids is

Good Life Riff: What if everything you knew to be truth and real was subject to complete manipulation?What if there was something anyone could do, in a relatively short matter of time, to lead you to first doubt your certainty and then eventually belief the complete opposite. Even if you'd been right, and there was zero proof to support what this other person was telling you?Turns out, there is something. It's a frighteningly simple cognitive bias or kink in our brain's wiring that is being used to manipulate beliefs in everything from civil discourse to advertising to politics. What it is, how it works and how to "protect" against it is what we're talking about in today's Good Life Project Riff.It's the second installment in our series on Cognitive Bias, aka, the wacky things our brains do to make us think we're rational, but lead us to delusion. And, if you're interested in the first installment in the series on the Anchoring Bias, you can find it here.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science s

In 1986, at the bottom of a ten-year spiral into depression, Byron Katie woke up one morning to a state of constant joy that has never left her.She realized that when she believed her stressful thoughts, she suffered, but that when she questioned them, that suffering gave way to truth and then joy, and that this is true for every human being.Over a period of years, she distilled her simple yet powerful process of inquiry into what is now called The Work; four questions and a set of turnarounds that let you see and step into a new reality that exists beyond suffering. One that allows you to become free.Katie (as she goes by) has been bringing The Work to millions of people for more than thirty years now, publishing the bestselling Loving What Is, I Need Your Love—Is That True? and A Thousand Names for Joy,In this in-depth conversation, Byron Katie is joined by her husband, scholar and bestselling author, Stephen Mitchell, to explore her journey and also dive into their newest collaboration, a bo

In today's GLP Update, we're talking about new research on brain training. And, we're kicking off a series on "cognitive bias," a/k/a the silly ways our minds fool us into thinking we're more rational than we really are.Good Life Riff: In the first of our GLP Riffs on cognitive bias, we're exploring a quirky, hidden tendency known as "anchoring" or "focalism. What is that? It's how we subliminally anchor the value of things to a specific number, often a dollar amount. Why does this matter? Because it can lead us to believe something is worth way more or less than it really is, then pay a ton for something we end up regretting.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on brain training. You've seen the apps, website and programs. Train your brain for better memory, attention, focus, problem-solving. Or, just plain stop it from shrinking as you age. Is it true? Well, a new study out of Johns Hopkins looks at two popular approaches and comes up

Dr. Tererai Trent is an internationally acclaimed voice for women’s empowerment and education.Hailed by Oprah Winfrey as her “all-time favorite guest,” Dr. Trent is an inspiring and dynamic scholar, educator, humanitarian, speaker, author, and the founder of Tererai International.Born in a small village with no electricity or running water in Zimbabwe (then, Rhodesia), she was married in her early teens as was the custom, had four children by age 18 and suffered repeated physical abuse from her husband.Still, she dreamed of a different reality, one that would break the generations-long cycle of poverty, early-marriage, illiteracy and disempowerment. Against all odds, she worked for 8 years to get her GED, and eventually earned a spot in college in the United States, taking her family with her, where some 20 years after beginning her dream of an education, she received her Ph.D..It was her secret additional dream to not only change her life, but to do something for the greater good that turned this into an eve

As the world goes digital, we yearn for more tactile experiences. And, in our Good Life Science news, if you want to be a human emotion detector, don't look...listen.Good Life Riff: As the world has gone digital, we feel pain. Sure, there are benefits to an electronic existence, but truth is, we are wired to experience life in a more tactile, touch-driven way. Pinching, sliding and tapping screens doesn't cut it. We need to touch, create, make and build with our hands, bodies and tools, working with materials in three-dimension. Right now, that need is going largely unfilled. But, there's a counter-movement afoot to take that back. We call it The Touch Economy. That's what we're exploring in today's GLP Riff.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on how we pick up on the emotions of those around us. For years, the emphasis on been on seeing faces, decoding expressions and micro-expressions. Turns out, new research shows our ears may be a

Jordan Harbinger is the co-founder of The Art of Charm, a renowned social dynamics expert and host of the top-rated Art of Charm podcast, where he interviews leading entrepreneurs, celebrities, authors and experts on psychology, human performance, behavioral economics and success..Harbinger helped develop one of the leading self-development programs in the world, co-created the Mastering Social Interaction 30‑day challenge, leveraging his expertise in social capital, relationship-building and authentic rapport.A former U.S. State Department employee and Wall Street attorney who speaks five languages, Jordan has traveled extensively and found himself (on one occasion, not entirely voluntarily) in the employ various government agencies and NGOs overseas, traveled through war zones, led several trips through North Korea, and been kidnapped—twice.Underneath it all is a through-line that took some unraveling during our conversation. Harbinger, it turns out, is obsessed with decoding complex systems.

In today's GLP Update, we're talking about the rarely-explored downside of being a "yes" person, and another study on why eating bigger breakfasts might help save your life.Good Life Riff: We hear it all the time, and in fact we've invited people to explore the idea of saying yes to all sorts of things that, on the one hand scare them, but might also add unforeseen beauty to their lives. But, there's a disconcerting pattern that can emerge from becoming a "yes person," A hidden dark-side that can lead not to growth and purpose and joy, but to overwhelm and paralysis. We're talking about this on today's riff.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on breakfast. In a recent Good Life Update, we shared a study on how front-loading your daily calories and accelerate weight loss, but this new study offer yet another powerful reason to embrace a true, full breakfast. Turns out, it just might save your life! And, as always, for those want to go t

Mark Divine never thought he'd be a Navy SEAL. He was being groomed for the family business. Then, a chance walk by a recruiting office turned his world upside down and offered him a path to claim his warrior calling.Mark graduated as honor-man of his SEAL BUD/s class 170. He served nine years on Active Duty and 11 years as a Reserve SEAL before retiring as Commander in 2011 and stepping into the world of entrepreneurship.He co-founded Coronado Brewing Company, launched the acclaimed SEALFIT program that provides transformational personal and team training experiences, and developed the Unbeatable Mind training, an integrated warrior development academy for the mind, body and spirit.Divine is also a New York Times bestselling author of The Way of the SEAL, 8 Weeks to SEALFit, Unbeatable Mind and Kokoro Yoga. And, he hosts the Unbeatable Mind podcast.Today's episode takes us on a deep dive into his story and also his lifelong commitment to developing not just the ph

Poetry as a tactical device, from a slacker non-poet. And the myth of shiny object syndrome. That's what we're talking about on today's Good Life Update.Good Life Riff: Poetry. Seriously? Yeah, poetry. What if was the secret sauce for sharing ideas in a way that bypassed defenses and made a beeline to the heart? What if information could be "packaged" in writing that awakened your inner slam poet and moved others to receive you, to feel and see and understand you differently? That's what we're talking about in today's GLP Riff. AND, wait for it...there will also be a live-reading of an original piece by JF (aka Mellow-J, reading in his usual Zen-slam style, lol). It's called The Window, and you can find the original text here.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on visual attention. For years, the prevailing theory on what got our visual attention (translation, what made ya look) was something called the "salience" theory. In a sea

In just 72-hours, Vanessa Potter went from sighted to blind, and able-bodied to paralyzed. Nothing would ever be the same.This is the story of brain gone haywire that led to a life transformed.Guest: A married mother of two young kids, Potter spent 16 years as an award-winning broadcast producer in London. Then, in October 2012 fate conspired to turn the lights out on her, and overnight she found herself blind and unable to walk.Vanessa’s response, was anything but usual. She began to document the entire journey on audio. Her curiosity and quest for answers led her to Cambridge University persuading neuroscientists to help her research what was happening in her brain, This led to a powerful collaboration on a brainwave-imaging project that invited members of the public to see and hear their own brainwaves translated into music and art.Potter was invited to give a TEDx talk and recently shared more of her story in her first, Patient H69: The Story of my Second Sight. In today's Good Life Pr

What if melting down after a failure was actually a good thing? Or doing what you love, as a side hustle, was the best way to do it? That's what we're talking about on today's episode.Good Life Riff: Today, we've got a special guest riff, featuring friend-of-the-pod, New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, world-traveler and entrepreneur, Chris Guillebeau. In his new book, Side Hustle, Guillebeau takes a contrarian view of entrepreneurship, arguing many of us are better off doing that thing that blends passion with money not as our day jobs, but on the side. He shares why, along with a few great case-studies, in today's riff. Grab a copy of Side Hustle, and check out his 100-city tour today!Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on how we respond to failure. Turns out, all those people who say, "hey, don't take it personally, don't get all emotional, just let it be a teaching moment and move on" may be giving you bad advice. A new s

What if much of the popular wisdom and even so-called valid research on meditation...was wrong?! According to Daniel Goleman, it's time for a meditation wake-up call.Best known for his worldwide bestseller Emotional Intelligence, Goleman reveals powerful new truths about meditation, what it really is and isn't, and how only about 1% of the 6,000+ studies done on the topic are what might be considered "good science."A lifelong student of meditation and meditative practices, Daniel Goleman spent two years in India, first as a Harvard Predoctoral Traveling Fellow and then again on a Post-Doctoral Fellowship, followed by decades of practice and study. He has moderated several Mind and Life dialogues between the Dalai Lama and scientists, ranging from topics such as Emotions and Health to Environment, Ethics and Interdependence.In his new book, Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body, he pulls back the curtain on this practice, dives into the claims and

In today's GLP Update, we're talking about a hidden reason why a to-do list may be your savior (even if you hate them), and a cool study that reveals how focusing intensely on visual tasks just might just make you momentarily deaf to certain sounds.Ah, the old to-do list. Some people love them. Others outright hate them. Some refuse anything but a paper to-do list or a planner, others need an app. Love or hate, there are a few hidden reasons why exploring both a to-do list and a "to-done" list might make you not only more productive, but way more upbeat and happy.And, on the science side of things, in today's Good Life Science Update, we're diving into some fascinating research on how the bandwidth needed to see fiercely and listen intently sometimes wars with each other. That leads your brain to sometimes have to choose. How and why, and how it might impact you (and give you an excuse for "not hearing certain things or people, lol) is what we're talking about. And, as always, for those want to go to the sour

Guest: Mark Lukach is a teacher and freelance writer. His work has been published in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Pacific Standard, Wired, and other publications.He is currently the ninth grade dean at The Athenian School, where he also teaches history. He lives with his wife, Giulia, and their son in the San Francisco Bay area.His latest book, a heart-wrenching memoir, is called My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward. Mark first wrote about Giulia in a New York Times “Modern Love” column and again in a piece for Pacific Standard Magazine, which was the magazine’s most-read article in 2015.Story: During his freshman year in college, Mark spotted the love of his life across the quad and immediately knew he would spend the rest of his life with her. They became inseparable: they graduated together, married, and began building an exquisite life with dreams, hopes and expectations. Until one day he came home to find his lovely wife living in a radically different world – a state that he now kno

In today's GLP Update, we're talking about how to break out of your lane and keep your career, and how physical activity affects accelerated learning.Good Life Riff: Ever hear the phrase, "stay in your lane?" Yep, us too. It's most often offered as a warning to people who are considering moving away from the thing they've become known for in the quest to do something more interesting. Thing is, there is a way to both build and change lanes that gives you way more freedom than the way most people do it. That's what we're talking about in today's GLP Riff.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on accelerated learning and physical activity. We've known for some time that physical activity "around" exercise can help speed learning. But, what about moving your body "during" learning? Today's Good Life Science Update dives into new research that show something remarkable about accelerated learning, language and physical activity. Something that

Guest: Gretchen Rubin is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including The Four Tendencies, Better Than Before and The Happiness Project.On her weekly podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft.Want to hear more from Gretchen? Listen here to her 2015 conversation with Jonathan.About The Four Tendencies: During her investigation into understanding human nature, Gretchen discovered that when it comes to our ability to start and stick with anything, people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so using this framework allows us to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and succeed in nearly anything meaningful.Big Idea: Gretchen reveals the surprising truth about the four hidden personality types or tendencies that drive everything we do. Learn how to understand yourself better

Good Life Riff: We've talked about happiness before, and it's relationships to a good life. And, we've done a pretty fierce deep-dive into the surprising relationship between money and happiness in a past episode. But, there's something else we've never shared. A little called the ARC of Happiness. Those three letters, A - R - C, are an acronym for three words that will dramatically enhance the happiness and fulfillment you experience in life. What are they? Listen and find out.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into a fascinating bit of research about how it's not just what you eat that controls whether you lose weight, and how much you lose, but also the time of day. The results of this study were, well, how do we put this, rather jaw-dropping. We explore the details in today's Good Life Science Update. And, as always, for those want to go to the source, here's a link to the full study.Rockstar Sponsors: Wondering what's for dinner? Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredi

Glennon Doyle is an author, activist, founder of Momastery.com and co-founder of the Compassion Collective and Together Rising, a non-profit that has raised more five million dollars for women and children in crisis.Her latest book, LOVE WARRIOR is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and the Oprah's Book Club selection.I sat down with Glennon the morning after she had wrapped one of her gatherings at the legendary BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) in New York City, where she was joined by a multi-denominational collective on-stage, including Alicia Keys who was so moved she couldn't help but belt out an impromptu song before leaving.In this conversation, we dip into her memoir. But that's more of a jumping off point that leads us into some very different waters, from leading as an introvert, her feelings about faith and how it informs what she's creating to how she's moving into a season of her life where the line between public and private, art and service, love and leading is shifting in profound and intentio