The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall

Are you living a life you really believe in, or are you filling in time until your “real life” begins? Are you waiting on marriage, a better job, a new exercise regime or a beautiful house to create an authentic life?  Humans do need to have goals and plans, but it is also destructive to ignore those inner voices telling us what would bring us individual meaning. Instead of putting off developing an authentic self, it is almost always possible to start planning and creating right now.  Philip Carr-Gomm is an expert in psychosynthesis, an  “awe-inspiring territory that has the power to transform us”. He believes that something magical happens when the worlds of modern psychology and ancient spiritual teachings are brought together. Philip has studied Druidry extensively and from 1988-2020 was the leader of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. He has a degree in Psychology and has trained in psychotherapy, play therapy, Montessori education, yoga nidra, mindfulness meditation and Sophrology. Philip recently created an online school, The Art of Living Well, to offer courses combining psychological and spiritual understanding. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Take a look at Philip Carr-Gomm’s website Find out more about the courses offered at Philip’s online school, The Art of Living Well Follow Philip on Instagram at @philipcarrgomm and on Facebook at @philip.carrgomm Read Andrew’s book Resolve Your Differences: Seven Steps to Dealing with Conflict in Your Relationship Read Andrew’s blog on journaling and find out how writing can help you bring more meaning into your life. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Fenella Hansen brings her own life experiences of grief, loss, mental health and trauma to her counselling work. After losing her mother to cancer, she made a dramatic career change from IT into counselling, and has since worked extensively with survivors of various forms of trauma.  Fenella has herself also suffered medical PTSD and family violence, which she believes gives her a unique perspective and level of empathy in her work with her clients. Fenella worked in mental health for 7 years before moving to work with survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She has worked with complex trauma clients and is also a trained expert in trauma sensitive yoga and mindfulness. Fenella has her own private practice in Melbourne, and is currently training in psychedelic therapy.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Find out more about Fenella’s counselling practice Learn about the course in psychedelic therapy Fenella is currently studying. Follow up on some trauma resources discussed in this episode / recommended by Fenella: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van der Kolk. Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine Psychedelics: Where we are now, why we got here, what we must do by Sean J. Belouin & Jack E. Henningfield. Some useful breathing exercises  Follow Fenella on Instagram @betweenthelinestherapy Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Get Andrew’s advice on dealing with painful feelings: https://andrewgmarshall.com/seven-ways-to-cope-with-painful-feelings/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

We all think of infidelity as something that happens to someone else. When betrayal enters our own safe universe, it comes as a terrible shock. Many couples confronting infidelity end up re-examining just about everything in their lives: not just their marriage, but their work, their relationships with family and friends, and how they find meaning and fulfilment. Sometimes it can even be these couples who end up with the strongest partnerships of all. Dr. Caroline Madden, PhD is a Los Angeles based pro-marriage therapist who specializes in helping marriages recover after infidelity. Caroline is the author of several relationship books including: "Fool Me Once: Should I Take Back My Cheating Husband?" and "After a Good Man Cheats: How to Rebuild Trust & Intimacy With Your Wife” and “Blindsided by His Betrayal”.  In this episode, Caroline and Andrew draw on decades of shared experience working with couples affected by infidelity. They talk through the complex, painful process of rebuilding after the discovery of betrayal.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Listen to Caroline’s book Blindsided by Betrayal on Audible, and take a look at her other books, Fool Me Once: Should I Take Back My Cheating Husband? and After a Good Man Cheats: How to Rebuild Trust & Intimacy With Your Wife Find out more about Caroline’s work with infidelity survivors on her website Follow Caroline on Twitter Read Andrew’s books on infidelity recovery: Why Did I Ever Cheat? Help Your Partner (and Yourself) Recover From Your Affair How Can I Ever Trust You Again? Infidelity: From Discovery to Recovery in Seven Steps I Can’t Get Over My Partner’s Affair: 50 Questions About Recovering from Extreme Betrayal and the Long-Term Impact of Infidelity Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Dena Justice’s lifelong interest in mentoring and coaching began at age seven, when she took her first social-emotional training program. At 15, she taught her first personal development course. She has undertaken years of training in conflict management and mediation, leadership, communication, facilitation, and has two Master’s degrees. Despite loving her career, Dena hit a point where she felt empty - a classic case of a high performer and leader hitting burnout. That led her to choose a powerful pivot out of her J-O-B and into her own business. At the same time, Dena also consciously decided to up-level ALL of her relationships, including spending 3 years intentionally single so she could identify and change the patterns she was repeating that were contributing to relationship dissatisfaction. Now she is in the most amazing relationship with a man she loves more than anything. And all of the other relationships in her life are incredible. Combining all of her experience, Dena now helps other women who are high performers hitting burnout and are scared to admit they’ve hit a plateau or a wall. She helps them get out of their own way and move to the next level to increase their impact so they feel fulfilled and inspired again, as well as helping them create the relationships they want in their lives. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Take a look at Dena’s website and courses: EcstaticCollective.com EcstaticCollective.com/NLP EcstaticCollective.com/anxietycourse  Follow Dena on social media: FB: @denajustice IG: @denajusticepsychedelicministry Clubhouse: @psychedelicNLP Read Help Your Partner Say Yes Andrew’s book on achieving better communication and cooperation with your partner. If you’re struggling to connect with your partner and are labouring under the strain of work and parenting, read Andrew’s blog “Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship” Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

What is it like to step away from individual freedom and enter into a life of submission and domination? This week’s witness is Slave Phil, a writer, blogger and podcaster at Master Slave Lifestyle.  From early childhood, Phil was drawn to being controlled and dominated by others. At the age of eighteen, he began exploring the master slave lifestyle. For Phil, this was “part of his soul”, not just play or an aspect of his personality.  Phil talks with Andrew about the ways in which this lifestyle challenges social norms - why WOULD someone want to be controlled? For Phil and others who live this way, being controlled and shaped by another person brings the freedom of letting go of responsibility. Compared to conventional relationships, the rules of engagement are written down, discussed and regularly reviewed, rather than being invisible, confusing and often outdated. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Visit Pink Therapy to find kink aware therapists and advice.  Take a look at Slave Phil’s website, Master Slave Lifestyle  Follow Slave Phil on Twitter at @Brotherhood_SM Put the spark back in your relationship with Andrew’s book Have The Sex You Want Read Andrew’s advice on what to do if your partner says the passion is gone Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

What does gratitude actually mean? It isn’t just about being nice or saying thank you a lot. According to Chester Elton, who has been called “the apostle of appreciation”, gratitude cuts to the heart of who we really are. Gratitude exists at an emotional level and is about who is in our lives, what we find meaningful and how we live.  If we make time for gratitude, we can find a way to live that makes everything less stressful. In this episode, Chester and Andrew talk through the ways we can build gratitude into everyday life, adding meaning and lightness to our daily routines. Chester has also carried out extensive research into how gratitude can help us lead in the workplace. His books, co-authored with Adrian Gostick,  include Leading With Gratitude and All In: How the Best Managers Create a Culture of Belief and Drive Big Results. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Chester Elton’s Leading with Gratitude Book Sign up for Chester Elton’s free LinkedIn newsletter, The Gratitude Journal Read Chester Elton’s article on Why We Should be Grateful for Hard Times Read Jay Shetty’s book Think Like A Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions. Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw   

You exist at your own centre; so you are the only one who is in the right place to look and understand your individual being. Richard Lang has devoted his life to exploring and teaching “the headless way”: a unique system to answer the question of what life means and who you really are.  Richard met Douglas Harding, author of On Having No Head, as a teenager, and knew immediately that the headless way was what he had been looking for. He now runs workshops on the headless way, produces videos, and has set up the Shollond Trust, which publishes Douglas Harding’s and other books on the subject.  Along the way, Richard has also spent thirty years practising as a psychotherapist, and teaching Tai Chi and dance.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Learn more about the headless way, including free resources and meetings: www.headless.org Find books on the headless way: Seeing Who You Really Are https://www.headless.org/harding-books/seeing-who-you-really-are Open to the Source https://www.headless.org/harding-books/open-to-the-source Celebrating who you are  https://www.headless.org/harding-books/celebrating-who-we-are  The Man With No Head https://www.headless.org/harding-books/the-man-with-no-head Everyday Seeing  https://www.headless.org/harding-books/everyday-seeing Listen to the Headless Way podcast: https://www.headless.org/headless-way-podcasts Find videos on the headless way on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/profile?user=headexchange Listen to Andrew’s interview with Martina Schneider on spiritual therapy: https://themeaningfullife.podbean.com/e/ep11-martina-schneider-spiritual-therapy/  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

How do we find meaning out of a difficult childhood and a troubled mother-daughter relationship? In this episode Nigerian-American writer, mindfulness practitioner and educator Itoro Bassey speaks with Andrew about how to mother the wounded child inside. Itoro now lives in Nigeria (after being born and raised in the USA) and is the founder of the digital course, From Surviving to Thriving: Becoming Your Own Inner Author. This course uses writing and energy work to bring students into the present moment.  Itoro has published on culture, identity, and healing for over ten years and now offers intuitive counselling sessions for those in need of support. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Follow Itoro Bassey on Instagram or contact her at itoro.paula@gmail.com Read some of Itoro’s writing on culture, family and identity: How to let go of your family's expectations. Becoming My Own Woman... The Nigerian and tenderness How I’m Mothering the Wounded Kid Inside Who Just Wanted Love Read about Questions for Ada by Ijeoma Umebinyuo https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26141400-questions-for-ada  Read Andrew’s memoir on the loss of his partner, My Mourning Year https://mymourningyear.com  Get Andrew’s advice on dealing with painful feelings: https://andrewgmarshall.com/seven-ways-to-cope-with-painful-feelings/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

2020 wasn’t the easiest year to feel in control of our lives: a lot of us experienced loss, loneliness, and illness. Yet through my podcast, I feel like I learnt a lot about changing your life in a meaningful way. My guests shared wisdom on so many different aspects of life - sex, love, masculinity, gender, disability, companionship, spirituality, therapy, cynicism, to name just a few - and I feel lucky to have come out of 2020 quite a bit wiser and more at peace, thanks to them. So here are my reflections on the ten most important things I learnt from The Meaningful Life.  If you’re new to the podcast, this should make a great leaping in point, as I talk through what I learnt from each of my 2020 guests.  Thank you to you all for listening, to the guests I’ve been so lucky to have on the show, and to my gifted and enthusiastic producer, Michael Dooney.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Read Andrew’s thoughts on what the “new normal” will look like for you and your partner as more of us are vaccinated and the pandemic hopefully recedes: https://andrewgmarshall.com/marriage-and-the-global-pandemic-will-things-ever-return-to-normal/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Nathanael Garrett Novosel started his quest to understand the meaning of life at the age of six. He is the author of The Meaning of Life: A Guide To Finding Your Life’s Purpose, which sets out 8 concepts key to finding meaning. In his book and in his teachings Nathanael helps people answer questions like “why are you here?”,  “how does life work?” and “what are you supposed to do with your existence?”.   Nathanael has researched psychology, evolutionary biology, organizational best practices, leadership decision making, business, technology, finance, and philosophy to understand the world as we know it. He worked extensively with senior executives, before deciding to devote his skills to helping people to live the best lives possible. In this episode, Nathanael and Andrew discuss the 8 concepts, Nathanael’s own journey of research and insight, and how his autism helped him develop his deep understanding of the meaning of life.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Find out about Nathanael’s book, The Meaning of Life, and the 8 concepts it outlines: https://www.yourmeaninginlife.com and buy the book here https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-meaning-of-life-nathanael-garrett-novosel/1135680135 Follow Nathanael on social media:  Twitter https://twitter.com/LifetheBook Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LifetheBook Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lifethebook/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themeaningoflifebook/ Hear Carol Dweck’s TED talk on growth mindset: https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve?language=en  Find out more about James Hollis’ book, Living an Examined Life https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36165956  Read Andrew’s thoughts on what to do if you or your partner feel like you’re in the throes of what society would call a midlife crisis: https://andrewgmarshall.com/ten-tell-tale-signs-midlife-crisis/  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw