Think Act Be Podcast

My guest this week is Bridgit Dengel Gaspard, therapist and author of the forthcoming book, The Final Eighth (affiliate link). We discussed something that I’m guessing all of us can relate to at some point in our lives: Why is it that we often make a lot of progress toward our goals, and then we stall out in the home stretch? Maybe it's buying a house, starting a business, starting a family, writing that book—whatever it is, we might even get seven-eighths of the way there. And then we hit a wall. The insights Bridgit offers might surprise you. To me they were new ways of looking at things, especially at our multiple inner selves and the various roles they play as we move toward our biggest goals. I think you’ll also find our discussion on our Inner Critic helpful, including a demonstration Bridgit gave, with me as her willing subject. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Michael Lovell, president of Marquette University. Michael is deeply committed to trauma-informed care in the city of Milwaukee (where Marquette is located), and to addressing the persistent racial disparities in our society. He’s been outspoken about his own history of childhood trauma, and is using the pain of his past in his efforts to serve others. That’s something I see so often in my clinical work—that our own struggles can be transformed into a way to help those who are suffering. I’ve certainly found that in my own life, too. Sometimes we might think, “I can’t help others, because I have so much pain myself.” But it’s for exactly that reason that we’re prepared to make a difference in someone else’s life. The pain we experience seems to carve a deeper well in us, and gives us more we can draw from and offer to others. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Sarah McCafferty. As you’ll hear, Sarah is passionate about issues of justice and equality. We focused on issues of race, in light of the developments in our society in recent weeks. I don’t know about you but I was really reluctant to talk about race, because I was afraid I would say the wrong things, as I mentioned on a recent episode. Sarah has some really helpful things to say about moving through that fear, and why joining the conversation is so important—and no less so for White people. If you can relate to the fear that keeps us silent, I hope you find this discussion helpful. As we hear others taking a risk and speaking up, it might get easier to do the same ourselves. I was grateful to be talking in this episode with someone who’s comfortable around issues of race, racism, and the ongoing legacy of slavery and inequality in the US. I also appreciated how frankly Sarah spoke about love—the kind of love that moves us through fear, to something better on the other side. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Worthy Stokes, author of The Daily Meditation Book of Healing: 365 Reflections for Positivity, Peace, and Prosperity. I got so much out of this discussion with Worthy. She had a near-death experience a few years ago that opened her eyes to the full reality of who she is. A lot of what I love about her perspective is that she fully values all parts of our experience—our bodies, our minds, our spirits, our souls—the full range of what it means to be a human. We talked about allowing ourselves to be deeply human. We explored ways to manage anxiety. And we thought a lot together about what it means to heal. Does it mean that we have to regain complete physical functioning? Or is there a kind of full healing available even when we continue to struggle with symptoms? Toward the end of our conversation, she offered a simple but powerful listening exercise. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Ashley James. We had planned to focus on anxiety in this episode, which we did spend a good bit of time talking about. But we also talked a lot about general health and nutrition, and the important role of diet in our physical and mental health. This is a topic that’s gotten a lot more attention in recent years. For some reason it was quite controversial for a long time to suggest that what we put in our mouths could affect our minds and spirits, and could contribute to conditions like anxiety and depression. But now that the research studies are being done, we’re starting to realize how important diet can be—not just for our physical health, but for our overall well-being. We also talked a lot about the body’s stress response and the release of cortisol through the HPA axis, and of adrenaline through our sympathetic nervous system (our body’s fight-or-flight stress system). And in the second half of our discussion, Ashley offers a simple technique that can lower anxiety and turn down the stress response. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Robert Dilenschneider, author of the recent book Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Changed the World (affiliate link). Bob had some really important things to say about this moment we find ourselves in, with the many problems we’re facing. A global pandemic, economic turmoil, and now the pain and upheaval following the deaths of George Floyd and other Black men and women in the US at the hands of the police. These events have compelled all of us to take a closer look at the inequality and racism we may have taken for granted. So what Bob says here is really important. He asserts that each of us needs to take responsibility for the good and the bad in society. And we need to take personal responsibility for addressing societal problems. I hope you get a lot out of this episode. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is business and career coach Nick Davies. As you’ll hear, Nick is from England, though he’s currently living in the States. I really enjoyed talking with Nick, not only because he’s easy to listen to, but because he speaks very clearly about principles that we find in cognitive behavioral therapy. He and I talked about things like how to develop better habits, learning to recognize the stories we tell ourselves, and the importance of a compelling Why for our goals. I’m sure you’ll find a lot of value in this conversation. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is psychiatrist Dr. Adam Meadows, author of the recent book, A Prescription for Living with Purpose: Maintaining Hope, Healing, & Connection as You Create the Life You Were Destined to Live (affiliate link). It was great to catch up with Adam and hear his passion for changing lives, including his own. I’ve known Adam for about 10 years, and I've enjoyed seeing the direction he’s pursued since leaving Penn, where we met. In this episode we talked about faith, trust, the importance of daily habits, and how to tell the divine voice of intuition from the voice of self or ego. I hope you get a lot out of this discussion. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Kevin Hancock, author of the recent book, The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership (affiliate link). I loved this conversation with Kevin. There were so many profound points that emerged as we explored what it means to find our voice, and to be heard. This topic is close to my heart for several reasons, including my own history of vocal difficulties and throat surgery. As you’ll hear, Kevin has dealt with a rare neurological condition that affects his voice, and now he completely embraces and owns his unique voice as he encourages others to embrace their own voice. I know you’ll get a lot out of this discussion. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is author and content creator Lorraine Ladish. We talked about the value of mind-body work, Lorraine’s favorite self-care activities, the importance of daily practices in caring for our minds and bodies, and spirituality as letting go of the illusion of control, among other topics. Lorraine has been through a lot in her lifetime, and she describes where she has found strength and grace along the way. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe