The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall

Why are so many working parents exhausted? Why does it often feel so unfulfilling switching between a demanding job and doing our best as parents? Anita Cleare’s new book, The Work/Parent Switch, explores the challenge of moving between driven, goal-oriented professional mode, and the looser, more mindful state needed to parent. Anita talks with Andrew about creative ways to switch between the two states, and about how modern parents can benefit from doing less for their children. Anita Cleare (MA AdvDip) is a parenting expert, writer and coach. She is the co-founder of the Positive Parenting Project, a social enterprise which aims to bring the benefits of proven evidence-based parenting strategies to as many parents (and children) as possible. 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 Anita Cleare’s new book, The Work/Parent Switch https://www.anitacleare.co.uk/get-support/the-work-parent-switch/ Read Anita’s blog, Thinking Parenting, and find out about her parenting webinars and private parenting coaching here: https://www.anitacleare.co.uk/ Read Andrew’s book I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How To Child-Proof Your Marriage https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/i-love-you-but-you-always-put-me-last-how-to-child-proof-your-marriage/  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” https://andrewgmarshall.com/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   

Please note - this episode of The Meaningful Life podcast contains references to gender based violence which may be distressing for some listeners In 2000, Susie Kalich survived a violent attack by a stranger in her home in Los Angeles. As part of her recovery, she sought martial arts training to learn self defense basics. She enrolled in Ninpo Tai Jutsu with Sensei Chad Minge at Studio City Martial Arts in the San Fernando Valley. Eight years later, she became the first woman in the history of the school to reach the rank Shodan Menkyu under her teacher’s system, and earn her instructor’s license.  In this episode, Susie talks to Andrew about rebuilding physically and emotionally after a severe trauma. She describes her pioneering work on making self defensible accessible and usable for women, culminating in her program and app, Pretty Deadly Self Defense. Pretty Deadly is based on Susie’s own experiences and recovery as a violent crime survivor, and on her day-to-day encounters in the real world.  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  Download Susie’s Pretty Deadly App for self defense https://prettydeadlyselfdefense.com/app Take a look at Susie’s programmes and courses on the Pretty Deadly website https://prettydeadlyselfdefense.com or learn more about her life and experiences here http://susiekahlich.com Listen to the Pretty Deadly Podcast: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:710830558/sounds.rss Read articles by Susie on Medium: https://susiekahlich.medium.com/ Follow Susie on social media:  Facebook https://facebook.com/prettydeadlyselfdefense Twitter: https://twitter.com/susiekahlich Instagram (Pretty Deadly): https://instagram.com/prettydeadlyofficial Instagram (Susie Kahlich): https://instagram.com/susiekahlich Read Andrew’s blog “Seven Ways to Cope with Painful Feelings” https://andrewgmarshall.com/seven-ways-to-cope-with-painful-feelings/  Get Andrew’s 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 

Too many men struggle to be happy in their intimate relationships, and fail to find a healthy version of masculinity that works for them. Disconnected males, without a strong sense of inner guidance, can behave destructively and even abusively towards those around them.  In the fourth episode of The Meaningful Life With Andrew G. Marshall, Andrew talks to Jed Diamond PhD, founder of MenAlive, about his own journey. Jed explains how he came to heal his “family father wound” and how he has helped thousands of men to do the same.  A big part of this is investigating our “personal creation myth”: unearthing the trauma of our origins, dealing with the truth, and moving forward with honesty and love. Also crucial is learning to be in the company of other men. It is only when a man can be comfortable in his own skin, with other men, that he can build successful intimate relations.  Jed Diamond PhD has a Masters degree in Social Work and a PhD in International Health. He founded MenAlive in 1968 as a resource for men to build healthy lives and eliminate the stresses that undermine their health and wreck their relationships. He is the author of many well-received books on men’s health and masculinity.  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 more about Jed Diamond’s book My Distant Dad: Healing the Family Father Wound https://menalive.com/my-distant-dad/  Read about Jed Diamond’s book 12 Rules for Good Men https://menalive.com/12-rules-for-good-men/  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 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/  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 life like if you don’t fit into any of mainstream society’s ideas of gender or sexuality? Do any of us really fit those ideas, anyway?  In this episode, Finn Ballard talks about life as a transgender man, and his experiences growing up as a trans child in a traditional town in Northern Ireland. Finn talks about his search for an authentic life in a world that is so often hostile to trans people, and the empowerment and joy that has come from being open about who he really is.  Finn Ballard is a historian and tour guide based in Berlin, and also teaches Gender Studies and Media Studies at the Council on International Educational Exchange, an English-speaking institute in Berlin.  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  If you can make it to the glorious city that is Berlin, be sure to take one of Finn’s guided tours: http://www.finn-ballard-tours.com  Get Andrew’s advice on creating the positive change you’ve dreamed of making in your own life: 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 

Have you ever felt so defeated and frustrated that you want to just throw in the towel and run away? Author Kay Hutchison did exactly that, fleeing her annual holiday to the Cote d’Azur, moving out of her home, and leaving behind her marriage and a well-established career.  In seeking to understand what forced this huge rupture in a previously smooth existence, Kay tried a range of mainstream and alternative therapies. In the end, she took part in 37 different forms of therapy to explore her particular midlife crisis and experience of the menopause. From colonic irrigation through to Shamanic therapy, Kay found solace and insight that she was able to share in her powerful book, My Life in 37 Therapies.  In this second episode of The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall, Kay and Andrew explore the many different ways in which therapy can help us cope with midlife and its tendency to throw at us so many of the unresolved issues of early 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  Buy My Life in 37 Therapies by Kay Hutchison https://kayhutchison.com  Find out more about dealing with midlife and the relationship issues it can cause in Andrew’s book It’s Not a Midlife Crisis, It’s an Opportunity. https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/its-not-a-midlife-crisis-its-an-opportunity-how-to-be-forty-or-fifty-something-without-going-off-the-rails/  Read Andrew’s advice on some of the common issues faced inside long-term marriages in his article on avoiding the “silver divorce”: https://andrewgmarshall.com/are-you-facing-long-term-marriage-problems-how-to-avoid-the-silver-divorce/  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 

No-one would deny sex is important to a meaningful life, but what that looks like changes as we age. In this first episode of the new self-help podcast The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall, international sex therapist and Daily Mail columnist Tracey Cox discusses her new book Great Sex Starts at 50: How to Age-Proof Your Libido. While wild, lustful sex can certainly be a unique and special life experience, the sex that brings us meaning is different. It’s the sex that lasts past the orgasm, to include that afterglow as you lie together or even just make each other a post-coital cup of tea. It’s about building a sexual relationship that is not solely focused on orgasm. Meaningful sex is also sex that the two of you work on - after twenty years you probably won’t want to rip each other’s clothes off, but you CAN plan time to devote to each other, to try new things and create desire. Trying new things is something the majority of couples never do - but it’s a simple recipe for exciting, meaningful sex, and Tracey and Andrew have plenty of tips on where to start. 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 Buy Great Sex Starts at 50: How to Age-Proof Your Libido by Tracey Cox https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-sex-starts-50-age-proof/dp/1922351059 Get the advice you need on your sex life from Tracey Cox https://www.traceycox.com Put the spark back in your relationship with Andrew’s book Have The Sex You Want https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/have-the-sex-you-want-a-couples-guide-to-getting-back-the-spark/ Read Andrew’s advice on what to do if your partner says the passion is gone https://andrewgmarshall.com/my-husband-says-he-never-felt-that-spark-of-passion/ 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

So what is the meaningful life? Why do we so easily lose our way and get lost in depression, anxiety, doubt, addictions and obsessions: the swamplands of the soul? One thing I know for sure is that there is not one answer. Each of us has to find out for ourselves what makes our life meaningful. But we can learn from each other, share our experiences of how to navigate the journey, how to endure and learn from the swamp, and finally how to find solid ground.