Think Act Be Podcast

My guest this week is Dr. Stephen Schueller, who’s been working in the field of digital interventions for the past fifteen years. I’ve been really interested in this area because of my own work with a mental health app called Bloom, so I was excited to talk with Stephen about his experience and perspective. One of the coolest things from our conversation was thinking about how to really get the most out of digital interventions—not just trying to recreate the standard therapy experience through a phone, but taking advantage of the unique possibilities that come with the digital world, like being able to find help no matter where we are, exactly when we need it.

My guest this week is empath and author Signe Myers Hovem, who recently wrote The Space in Between: An Empath’s Field Guide (affiliate link). I was familiar with what it meant to be an empath before this conversation, but Signe does a lot to explain what the experience is actually like. Interestingly there are many people who don’t realize that they have empathic sensitivities, as well as people who think they’re empaths but really haven’t developed those abilities. We also discussed how to distinguish empathic intuition from other things like projection, anxiety, or bias. Toward the end of our conversation I was blown away by Signe’s response when I asked her if she thought Jesus was an empath.

My guest this week is Gary Pilarchik, author of the excellent new book The Modern Homestead Garden (affiliate link). Gary hosts The Rusted Garden channel on YouTube which guides viewers through all the steps in growing your own food. I love Gary’s no-nonsense, low-stress approach to gardening, and wasn’t surprised to learn that he had a background as a mental health therapist. His understanding of human psychology really comes across in his gardening videos, and in our discussion. I know you’ll get a lot out of it.

My guest this week is Dr. Ilia Delio. We had a great conversation based around her fascinating new book, The Hours of the Universe: Reflections on God, Science, and the Human Journey (affiliate link). Ilia has such an interesting background as both a scientist and a theologian, and she’s integrating these disciplines in ways that can breathe new life into issues of both science and faith. As you’ll hear, this is much deeper than trying to “reconcile” science and religion. I loved this discussion and I know you’ll get a lot out of it.

My guest this week is Dr. Alice Boyes, author of the forthcoming book Stress-Free Productivity (affiliate link; available March 2022). Alice was a guest on the podcast all the way back in episode 11, and as always she shares some great ways to improve your life. Alice has a powerful way of bringing together things that we might think of as opposites—especially self-care and productivity. She shares a lot of the practices that she finds most helpful herself, and she also explains why self-compassion is so important for motivation and self-improvement.

My guest this week is Jennifer Shannon, author of the new book, The Monkey Mind Workout for Perfectionism (affiliate link). Jennifer and I explored what perfectionism is, which may be different from what you think. It includes all the ways we rigidly hold ourselves to unrealistic standards. Jennifer offers many simple and effective ways to let go of perfectionism, which you’ll hear about in this episode. When we’re able to let go of our perfectionistic impulses, we can experience less stress and anxiety, which is the natural result of treating ourselves more kindly.

My guest this week is Pamela Seelig, author of the recent book Threads of Yoga: Themes, Reflections, & Meditations to Weave into Your Practice (affiliate link). Pam and I talked a lot about the healing and stress relief we can find through yoga, and also about the deeper spiritual elements that are available through the practice. I appreciated thinking with her about the intersections between yoga and religion, especially the Christianity I grew up in. We also discussed why savasana, or the corpse pose we usually do at the end of a yoga session, is the most important pose.

My guest this week is Shelly Tygielski, author of the recent book, Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World. Shelly is doing some really remarkable things, though she insists that anyone can do the things she does if we’re just willing to show up as ourselves and take some risks. What she’s doing is even more remarkable when you hear about the illness that she’s had to deal with for the past twenty years or so. But then again, our struggles often make us who we are, and lead us to places we hadn’t imagined, as Shelly as I discuss. I also enjoyed talking with her about how mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can work together.

My guest this week is Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of a recent book called Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. We explored the definition of an “evangelical,” which apparently I was for the first half of my life (without realizing it), and themes of a patriarchal, male-centered, even toxic masculinity that pervades many evangelical circles. We also considered how it is that evangelical Christianity became so wrapped up in notions of patriotism, military strength, and other things that don’t necessarily come from the life and message of Jesus Christ. Even if a person comes to reject the teachings from their evangelical upbringing, it can be a real challenge to let go of the attitudes and assumptions that have been instilled in us from a young age, as I know from personal experience. Kristin and I shared openly about our understanding of Christ, and the sadness that I certainly feel from the realization that we so often miss the central message of the Gospel—like somehow we just lost our way. And there’s a lot to grieve when we realize how much we squander when we pattern our identity as religious followers after the worldly way of doing things, and how it doesn’t seem to lead to something transcendent, like it could.

Guest Amanda Gilbert discusses the power of kindness in everyday life, introducing heart practices to enhance resilience. She explores self-acceptance through mindfulness, navigating challenges with compassion, and the significance of asking 'What is my deepest wish?' Kindness is emphasized as a vital virtue in a divided world, promoting inner healing and connection with others.