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Good Life Project

Jonathan Fields / Wondery


Podcast Overview

Inspirational, intimate and disarmingly-unfiltered conversations about living a fully-engaged, fiercely-connected and meaning-drenched life. From iconic world-shakers like Elizabeth Gilbert, Brene Brown, Sir Ken Robinson, Seth Godin and Gretchen Rubin to everyday guests, every story matters.

Podcast Episodes

Good Life Jam: Just Be Kind. Smart Phone Dumb Life.

What if we didn't have to wait for tragedy in order to be kind?

What if there was no WAY to kindness, but rather, kindness WAS the way? That's what we're talking about in today's GLP Riff, inspired by an awakening during a Broadway show about a powerful true-life story from the town of Gander, Newfoundland.

And, be sure to tune in for today's Good Life Science Update, too.

We're diving into some new research that shows something just a tiny bit terrifying about how even having a silent smartphone in the room with you might affect your ability to think and perform at the top of your game. For those who want to go deeper, here's a link to the research cited.

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Julie Piatt aka SriMati: On Sacred Moments (and Vegan Cheese).

Guest: Julie Piatt aka SriMati is a plant-based chef, meditation guide, yoga teacher, musician, and author of This Cheese is Nuts!: Delicious Vegan Cheese at Home.

Story: In the midst of a successful career as a designer and business owner, Julie and her husband made radical changes in career. While this set in motion a powerful new path for both, it also led them into a financial collapse that took nearly 7 years to emerge from, all which navigating both their own individual evolutions and parenting four kids.

This challenging time, or as Julie calls it “The Sacred Moment,” has not only defined she as a person but also allowed her to become the highest version of her true self and informed her journey as a teacher, creator, life-partner and parent.

Big idea(s): Times in our lives that are filled with struggle and pain that bring us to our knees are Sacred Moments that strip us of anything false, show our true nature, and forge us into our highest selves

You’d never guess: How receiving her spiritual name, SriMati, has impacted Julie’s journey of discovering her life purpose.

Current passion project: Facilitating intimate retreats of yoga, meditation, exploration, and transformation and building a community of like-minded people around the globe. And developing a line of in-store cheese.

Want more? Listen in on Jonathan's 2015 conversation with Julie: Fueling Vibrant Health the Plantpower Way and you can watch the video of Jonathan's 2013 conversation with Rich Roll: How One Man Kicked Addiction, Dropped 50 Pounds And Became Ultra-Fit.

Riff + Science: Burn the Ships; Carrots and Curiosity.

We're excited to premiere a new segment on today's episode. Along with our weekly Riffs, we'll be bringing you a new weekly Good Life Science Update™ where we share interesting research on a specific topic designed to help you live a better life.

And, we'll also be bringing in other fun segments and maybe even a few new voices. So, stay tuned!

Today's riff topic.

When does it makes sense to go all-in on a new career, business or idea and "burn the ships" so you have to succeed, OR do it on the side and take the "safer" and less-disruptive approach? Hint - anyone who tells you to do one or the other without asking a critical question first...is very likely wrong!

Today's Good Life Science Update.

We all know that fruits and veggies can make us healthier, improve energy and reduce risk of disease. But, did you know that they also may make you more curious, creative, upbeat and cultivate a deeper sense of purpose? Some very interesting research suggests that veggies just might be power tools in ways we never imagined! And, we're breaking it down for you in today's GL Science Update.

Rockstar sponsors:

Get paid online, on-time with Freshbooks! Today's show is supported by FreshBooks, cloud accounting software that makes it insanely easy for freelancers and professionals to get paid online, track expenses and do more of what you love. Get your 1-month free trial, no credit card required, at FreshBooks.com/goodlife (enter The Good Life Project in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section).

Agapi Stassinopoulos: In the Presence of Love.

Guest: When Agapi Stassinopoulos walks into a room, you know you're in the presence of love. Her name, in fact, translates to "love." She is a sought-after speaker, teacher and a best-selling author of multiple books, the latest being Wake Up to the Joy of You: 52 Meditations and Practices for a Calmer, Happier Life.

Story: Training at the Royal Academy of London, Agapi wanted to build a career in performing arts. But it seems the universe conspired to create a different path. Struggling to find her way on the stage and screen, she changed direction and instead pursued a Masters in psychology, seeking to inspire and elevate people not by taking on the persona of other characters, but by taking the stage as herself and sharing her own, very personal stories, ideas and wisdom.

Big idea(s): If you’re stuck and you can’t seem to break out of it, help someone else get what they need and you’ll automatically be empowered.

You’d never guess: How spontaneously performing Joan of Arc to a stranger on a NYC bus kick-started her career.

Current passion project: Speaking and facilitating workshops around the world on changing the way people work, helping them reclaim their lives and move from merely surviving to thriving.

Please enjoy this guided meditation, titled, Let Love In, from Chapter 13 of Wake Up to the Joy of You.

Rockstar sponsors:

Get paid online, on-time with Freshbooks! Today's show is supported by FreshBooks, cloud accounting software that makes it insanely easy for freelancers and professionals to get paid online, track expenses and do more of what you love. Get your 1-month free trial, no credit card required, at FreshBooks.com/goodlife (enter The Good Life Project in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section).

Today's show is supported Camp GLP. Come spend 3 1/2 days with "your people," make amazing friendships, drop the facade, reignite your vitality and learn powerful strategies and breakthrough business ideas. Learn more now.

In It Together: Nobody Opts Out of the Human Condition

We tend to think that once we get to a certain place in life, everything just gets all dreamy.

And, that makes us sometimes hold those who we look to as teachers and leaders to a different standard. But, what if we're all just in it together? What if life happens, humanity and all of its stumbles and struggles, highs and lows, grace and grind, no matter how far we get into a path of discovery?

Nobody gets to opt out of the human condition.

What if leading and living a good life wasn't about learning and practicing our way out of the realities of day-to-day existence, but rather owning the fact that, no matter what may come our way, the essential ingredients for a meaningful existence are here, in front of us, in each moment? Even the hard ones. What if a good life is not a place at which we arrive, but a lens through which we see and create our world?

That's what we're talking about in today's GLP Riff. And, as part of that discussion, we offer a question to ask that just might guide better decisions as we tell the story of our lives.

Rockstar sponsors:

Today's show is supported Camp GLP. Come spend 3 1/2 days with "your people," make amazing friendships, drop the facade, reignite your vitality and learn powerful strategies and breakthrough business ideas. Learn more now.

Robert Thurman: Living Buddhist Ideals in a Western World.

Guest: Robert Thurman is one of the world's foremost Buddhist scholars, a long-time friend of the Dalai Lama, the father of actress Uma Thurman, and a teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and related cultures.

He is an eloquent advocate of the relevance of Eastern ideas to our daily lives. In doing so, he has become a leading voice of the value of reason, peace, and compassion. Thurman was named one of TIME magazine’s 25 most influential Americans and has been profiled by The New York Times Magazine and People magazine. He is the author of many books, and played a central role in the new graphic biography, Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet.


Story: After losing an eye in an accident at a young age, Thurman was suddenly confronted with impermanence and death. Shortly after, he embarked on a life-changing journey and exploration of Tibetan Buddhism and culture, building a close relationship with the Dalai Lama, and becoming a prominent Buddhist teacher and scholar.

Big idea(s): A lot of spirituality is skewed into an idea of escaping from relationship and transcending into some vastness. What if that vastness existed already in the life you were already living, but you just didn't see it?

Every relative thing is empty of any non-relative element.

By knowing reality, you transcend the idea that you’re more special than others, and their heartbeat becomes as important to you as your own.

You’d never guess: 

Why Bob abandoned his education in the spring of his senior year of high school.

Current passion project:

A graphic novel biography of Dalai Lama – story of one man taking on an empire, calling for truth, peace, and justice for his Tibetan people.

Rockstar sponsors/supporters:

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CAMP GLP - Final $100 early bird discount ends June 28th. Grab your spot now, save $100, then forward this to a few friends so you can all rock the bunks (or private rooms, we only have a handful left) together! Oh, also, we’re getting very close to our cap, and when we hit it, there’ll be no spots left at any price! So, lock-in your spot now for only $995, that’s $100 discount from full-price. 

Why Stories Work Better Than Advice.

Ever have something really important to say to someone? Something you know will help? Some bit of wisdom or advice that can make a big difference. Could be at work, at home, in your personal life.

So, what's the best way to "get your point across?" How do you share your idea in a way where the person you most want to get it...gets it? Then, acts on it. Instead of rejecting it out of hand.

Turns out, framing your wisdom in the form of a well-told story, rather than a point or moral or bit of advice, demand, order or imperative, can work wonders. It can bypass all the automatic defenses that lead us to reject being "told what to do."

That's what today's Good Life Project Riff is all about.

Rockstar sponsors:

Camp GLP - Register by June 28, 2017 and lock in your $100 discount. After that registration returns to full-price. And, more important, we don't have a lot of spots left, so there is a decent chance we will sell soon and have no spots left at any price. So, come grab your spot now!

Susan David, Ph.D.: Cultivating Resilience and Emotional Agility

Guest: Susan David, Ph.D. is a Psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School; resilience expert, co-founder and co-director of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, CEO of Evidence Based Psychology, and author of Emotional Agility. Story: Growing up in South Africa, Susan lost her father at a young age. During this pivotal time, everyday heroes emerged in her life, helping to guide her through her grief as an experience of resilience and emotional agility. This became the foundation of her quest to understand and improve the human condition. Susan David resilienceBig idea(s): Instead of simply "pushing through" to positivity, there are practical ways that we can be with ourselves and our emotions that begin to activate our readiness potential, goal setting, and capability to make real change in our lives. Our emotions have evolved to help us survive in the world. If we push them aside, we lose our ability to respond effectively. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is being able to notice your fear and your disquiet and chose the right thing to do, in alignment with your values. You’d never guess: How Susan’s teacher’s "intervention" sparked her entire career and ultimately helped form her view of herself as resilient and capable in the world. Current passion project: Researching and teaching others about our emotions, hidden drivers, and below-the-radar impulses, and how they Ȋcontrolȋ us when we interact with the world and others around us. Rockstar sponsors/supporters: Camp GLP - Register by June 28, 2017 and lock in your $100 discount. After that registration returns to full-price. And, more important, we don't have a lot of spots left, so there is a decent change we will sell soon and have no spots left at any price. So, come grab your spot now! http://goodlifeproject.com/camp/

How Do You Know When to Take a Leap of Faith?

A lot of the decisions we make are about tiny tweaks that, in some way, make things better. But, on occasion, life hands us a seeming opportunity to "do something BIG!" Something that holds the potential to profoundly change our lives, the lives of others and maybe even bring into existence a new paradigm, profession, body of work or worldview. Thing about these moments, the always include giant leaps of faith. There is no way to know or prove you'll succeed at something big and new, before you actually do it. In fact, if you could prove it's success in advance, that tells you it's not actually big or new. Because, the only way to do that is if you've already done it before, or if someone else has. Then, it's no longer the revolution you'd hoped it might be. So, when you are faced with the decision to say yes or no, to allocate time, money, energy or resources to something potentially game-changing, where you don't know how it's going to end, how do you make THOSE decisions? On THAT level? Do you trust others? Do you look for data? Do you trust your intuition? That's what today's GLP Riff is all about. Rockstar sponsors & supporters: Camp GLP - Come spend 3 1/2 days with "your people," make amazing friendships, drop the facade, reignite your vitality and learn powerful strategies and breakthrough business ideas. Learn more & grab your spot now. http://goodlifeproject.com/camp/ 90-day year - Check out the free online video masterclasses on hyper-productivity now and 90 Day Year program. https://www.90dayyear.com/p/?p=omcitykid&w=90dysp

Erik Wahl: On Art, Money, Creativity and Power

Guest: Erik Wahl is a tech-executive turned renowned artist, speaker, author and entrepreneur. He is internationally recognized as a thought-provoking graffiti artist and one of the most sought-after presenters on the corporate keynote circuit, where he travels the world opening people's minds with a blend of cinematic stage theatrics, high-speed live-painting and deep wisdom. His latest book is The Spark and the Grind: Ignite the Power of Disciplined Creativity Story: Erik lost everything when the early dot-com bubble burst, then turned to art as a form of healing, expression and a new way to share ideas, with a focus on street art and graffiti. He then taught himself how to paint large-scale street art style images at high-speed and transformed the process into riveting live shows with a powerful message. Big idea: Redefining what it means to be a successful artist. You'd never guess: Why he competed in the world series of poker to enhance creativity and experiential learning, and how he uses game theory as a way to grow emotional intelligence. Current passion project: Extreme biohacking for creativity (cryotherapy, fasting, ballistic exercise). Rockstar sponsors & supporters: 90-day year - Check out the free online video masterclasses on hyper-productivity now and 90 Day Year program. https://www.90dayyear.com/p/?p=omcitykid&w=90dysp Camp GLP. Come spend 3 1/2 days with "your people," make amazing friendships, drop the facade, reignite your vitality and learn powerful strategies and breakthrough business ideas. Grab your spot before the final $100 discount expires on June 28, 2017 (and we sell out). http://goodlifeproject.com/camp/ photo credit: Sean Sheridan & Erik Wahl

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