Run Your Life Show With Andy Vasily

Send us a textIn todays’ episode, I sat down to have a face to face conversation with educational consultant and cartoonist, Matt Smith. Matt has a great story and is genuinely a person of the world. He is a third culture kid. If you haven’t heard this term before, this is what the actual definition is:Third culture kids (TCK) are people raised in a culture other than their parents' or the culture of the country named on their passport (where they are legally considered native) for a significant part of their early development years.As a young person, Matt lived in Germany, Thailand, and Malaysia. Having attended international schools, Matt was constantly exposed to a multitude of different cultures and experiences and it is during these very formative years when he began to develop an identify that was deeply rooted in a love of film-making. After graduating from high school in Malaysia, Matt attended the Vancouver Film School then ultimately went on to get a degree in education. Matt jumped right into the world of international teaching at the American International School of Japan which is located in Tokyo. From there he went on to teach in Kuwait as well. What I appreciate about Matt’s story and what you will learn from listening to this episode is his ability to take initiative in his life and to follow his passions. As a very creative person who enjoys writing and story telling, Matt began to develop himself as a cartoonist in order to pass on his love of story-telling and creativity to young people. Although he had a short stint in Cartooning school, he is very much self-taught. You’ll hear about Matt’s journey as a cartoonist and how he uses cartooning as a means to develop student’s literacy skills in the classroom. Matt now travels and presents at many different international schools around the world. He’s a man who continues to take action in his life to not only be his best but to live a life of purpose and meaning through his work. Matt’s BioMatt Smith is a Canadian/British cartoonist, filmmaker and educator. He has lived all over the world in countries like Malaysia, Japan and Kuwait. He currently lives in Glasgow, Scotland where he continues to create comics and facilitate comic workshops. Matt has taken his comics workshops to schools, comic conventions and art galleries in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. In May 2018, Matt facilitated a panel on creating comics at the Vancouver Comics Arts Festival with fellow cartoonist Ryan Howe. He is best known for his humorous autobiographical Smith vs Smith comics, which can be found online at SmithvsSmith.com, on the Tapas app and in the Comixology and ComixCentral online stores. You can also buy Smith vs Smith comics in book stores across Canada and the UK. Matt's comics typically focus on travel, the ups and downs of modern relationships, and the joys and frustrations of cat ownership. Matt also appears at comic conventions across Canada and the Middle East where he sells his books and runs workshops for future cartoonists.While Matt is best known for his humorous autobiographical Smith vs Smith series, Matt has branched out to the horror genre, creating Gruesome Comics, horror stories written by Matt and illustrated by a host of international artists.Connect with MattTwitter: https://twitter.com/SmithvsSmithInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithvssmithcomics/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smithvssmithcomicsEmail: matt@smithvssmith.comWebsite: http://www.smithvssmith.com/aboutThemes Discussed:Creativity, Cartooning, Literacy, Purpose, Culture, Teaching, Gratitude, Initiative

Send us a textIn today’s episode, I sat down with Hamish Brewer. Anybody who has seen Hamish in action can immediately feel his presence, his passion, his zest for life and learning, and his desire to make a genuine difference in the lives of the teachers and the students he serves. Hamish is the principal of Fred Lynn Middle School in Woodbridge, Virginia. One the the very first things you can notice about genuine difference makers in this world is their ability to clearly articulate their purpose in life. Without question, Hamish knows and understands that his purpose in life is to serve others and to bring out the very best in them. Although every decision he makes in his role as an educational leader is about students, Hamish has a very strong commitment to supporting teachers on their autonomous journeys of personal and professional development. Having grown up in New Zealand, Hamish felt, from an early age, that he was meant to use his talents in a way to change the world. It took him some time to figure out what those talents were and how he could use them to make an impact, but he quickly realized that it was going to be through teaching and educational leadership. Hamish is all about creating a deep sense of belonging in the schools that he leads and continually builds a very strong community base that all stakeholders feel a part of. In this episode, we dive into how Hamish was able to overcome the obstacles he experienced as a young person and how he dealt with a dysfunctional family environment. He openly discusses what his hopes and dreams were when he was young and how he was destined to leave New Zealand in order to travel the world and learn about different people and cultures. Hamish has deep gratitude for these experiences.It was this life of travel that ultimately led Hamish to America and to the current path he is on in the field of education. Hamish pours his heart and soul into the work that he does as he feels strongly that serving others is a noble gift that can help to change the world, one person at a time. Through the Dave Burgess Publishing company, Hamish released his first book a couple of months ago which is entitled ‘Relentless’. This book has taken the world of education by storm and is a very honest and open narrative about Hamish’s life and an unpacking of the educational philosophy that guides the amazing work that he is doing with the students and with teachers he is responsible for leading. Although much has been written about Hamish being the skateboarding, tattooed principal, we don’t discuss his tattoos or his skateboarding at all in this episode. Instead we dig deeply into who Hamish is as a person and what continues to drive him forward in his life in order to create his own dent in the universe. I want to thank Hamish for his time and energy. He’s a gem of a person and I’m so happy that our paths crossed. Hamish's BioHamish Brewer, the relentless, tattooed, skateboarding principal in Northern Virginia isn’t your normal principal. Hamish is high octane, constantly calling on his students to “Be Relentless. Mr. Brewer has become known as an educational disrupter and game changer who transcends the status quo and typical educational norms.Known for working with some of the most at risk students in America and getting results! Its not often you find an educational leader who not only inspires the world but does it while getting results and changing the outcomes of entire communities.Hamish was recognized as the 2017 NAESP Nationally Distinguished Principal, the VAESP School Bell Award, and ASCD Virginia Impact Award. In 2018 Hamish was named a Northern Virginian of the year by Northern Virginia Magazine and the 2018 Principal of the year for the national publication Education Dive. He was most recently named the Prince William County Public Schools 2019 Principal of the Year.As a leade

Send us a textIn today’s episode, I had the privilege to interview Shawn Livingston. Shawn is a 10-year military veteran having served in Iraq during his time in the military. Having sustained a serious back injury while serving, he required long term use of narcotic pain killers to get through each day due to the intense pain he was experiencing as a result of the back injury. Over the course of two years, military doctor’s continued to prescribe these meds to Shawn which resulted in him developing a severe opioid addiction. This is when everything began to unravel for Shawn in his life. After finishing his time in this military, Shawn’s life spiraled further downward. Feeling lost and displaced, he turned to heroin to ease his physical and emotional pain. It was this heroin addiction that led to his arrest and landed him in prison for a period of time on drug possession charges.Almost three years ago, Shawn was facing a 15-20 year prison sentence for drug possession charges, but in that very dark and desperate moment, he had the internal strength to turn his life around. You’ll hear about his extraordinary journey and how physical activity, in particular running helped to transform his life. Shawn is now an up and coming ultra marathoner, motivational speaker and has devoted his life to serving others. It’s this service to others that has given him a clear sense of deep purpose in his life. Shawn opens up about his life and his struggles in this episode, but also shares the amazing work he is doing with disadvantaged youth and with other military veterans who also struggle with opioid addictions. Shawn’s struggles with heroin addiction and his transformation through ultra running will be featured in an upcoming documentary which is called Woke the Monster. You can find links to Shawn’s work and the documentary in the show notes of this podcast. It was a genuine honor to interview Shawn. I hope you enjoy this episode with the inspiring Shawn Livingston. Shawn’s BioAfter the tragic events of 9-11, right out of high school, Shawn joined the air force. He felt so young and naïve at the time. After a tour of 4 years, he found himself sliding down a very slippery slope. After receiving several cortisone shots and opioid pain due to a back injury sustained in training, Shawn developed a severe addiction to narcotic pain killers. He knew that these powerful drugs were masking more than the physical pain he was suffering from. After almost bring imprisoned on drug possession charges, Shawn turned his life around through ultra-running and now devotes his time to serving others. Although he doesn’t consider himself to be a motivational speaker, he now finds himself front and center on many stages sharing his story in order to help others. He is passionate about the community of people he has met through running and has found a sense of belonging to this running community.He understands the need to step outside his comfort zone.He understands that addiction doesn’t discriminate.He now lives in Austin, Texas and serves others through his work with disadvantaged youth and other military veterans overcoming addictions of their own. Shawn’s life is being featured in an upcoming documentary entitled Woke the Monster. Connect with ShawnFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawn.livingston.566Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam_shawnlivingston/Website: https://www.wokethemonster.com/Themes Discussed: Addiction, Emotional Trauma, Physical Activity, Purpose, Service to Others, Connection, CommunityA trailer to Shawn’s documentary can be found here: https://vimeo.com/327282863

Send us a textHow habitual is it for you to take out your cell phone when waiting in lines or when in the company of strangers? How often do you strive to stay present and mindful in difficult situations? Is chaos more easily embraced when we practice mindfulness? How does practicing mindfulness help you to produce the best work possible? How does being present and truly listening help to improve the quality of relationships in your life? These are some of the questions that we explore in this installment of 4 X Mindfulness. Neila Steele shares a recent difficult situation that she found herself in, but how employing mindfulness allowed her to diffuse the situation and make a genuine connection with a complete stranger. As well, Neila shares a great mindfulness strategy that can easily be applied in very little time in our own life. This strategy helps us to stay present and focused and to better observe our surroundings. Andy shares a story that he recently learned about the amazing jazz musician Keith Jarret. The story takes place in 1975, but the lessons learned from the story transcend time and place and can easily be applied in the work that we do both personally and professionally. As well, Andy shares how simply rephrasing a common question that we ask can help to spark more meaningful and authentic conversations with other people in our lives. It you are a listener of the 4 X Mindfulness episodes, let us know your thoughts about what might have resonated with you in this episode and your own experiences applying mindfulness in your personal and professional life. Thanks!BiosNeila Steele and Andy Vasily are international educators who have worked at fully authorized IB schools in 5 different countries over the past 18 years (Japan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China and Saudi Arabia). Andy is a pedagogical coordinator, consultant, workshop leader, presenter, and speaker.Neila presents and leads multiple workshops in the area of mindfulness. They have devoted themselves to sharing the powerful effects that mindfulness has on promoting greater mental, social, emotional, and physical well-being.Neila SteeleTwitter: @neilasteeleWebsite: www.mindfulandpresent.comAndy VasilyTwitter: @andyvasilyWebsite: www.pyppewithandy.comThemes Discussed:Habits, Connection, Empathy, Embracing Chaos, Observation, The Power of Questions

Send us a textIn today’s episode, I had a chance to speak with renowned lecturer and author, Alfie Kohn. Alfie writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. He has published 14 different books since the late 1980’s and has been described by Time magazine as being America’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation on grades [and] test scores.”As well, Kohn has been featured on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including the “Today” show and two appearances on “Oprah”; he has been profiled in the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, while his work has been described and debated in many other leading publications.There were so many questions that I wanted to ask and themes that I wanted to discuss with Alfie in this episode, but I mostly focused in on the areas of self-efficacy, agency, feedback and assessment, as well as individualized learning.  Alfie and I also dug into the key factors necessary for teachers to feel empowered in their own professional learning journeys. Alfie is extremely passionate and very knowledgeable in many areas of education. His efforts to make research in human behavior accessible to a general audience have also been published in the New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Parents, and Psychology Today. It was an honor to have Alfie Kohn on my podcast and he left me thinking more deeply not only about the work that I do in regards to coaching teachers around best educational practices, but also the importance of empowering my own children to better drive decision making in their own lives. I hope you find this episode useful and that Alfie’s insight helps you to look at your own teaching a little differently. Alfie’s BioAlfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The most recent of his 14 books are SCHOOLING BEYOND MEASURE…And Other Unorthodox Essays About Education (2015) and THE MYTH OF THE SPOILED CHILD: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom About Children and Parenting (2014).  Of his earlier titles, the best known are PUNISHED BY REWARDS (1993), NO CONTEST: The Case Against Competition (1986), UNCONDITIONAL PARENTING (2005), and THE SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN DESERVE (1999).Kohn has been described in Time magazine as “perhaps the country’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation on grades [and] test scores.” His criticisms of competition and rewards have helped to shape the thinking of educators — as well as parents and managers — across the country and abroad. Kohn has been featured on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including the “Today” show and two appearances on “Oprah”; he has been profiled in the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, while his work has been described and debated in many other leading publications.Kohn lectures widely at universities and to school faculties, parent groups, and corporations. In addition to speaking at staff development seminars and keynoting national education conferences on a regular basis, he conducts workshops for teachers and administrators on various topics. Among them: “Motivation from the Inside Out: Rethinking Rewards, Assessment, and Learning” and “Beyond Bribes and Threats: Realistic Alternatives to Controlling Students’ Behavior.” The latter corresponds to his book BEYOND DISCIPLINE: From Compliance to Community (ASCD, 1996), which he describes as “a modest attempt to overthrow the entire field of classroom management.”Kohn’s various books have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Arabic, Hebrew, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Malaysian. He has also contributed to publications ranging from the Journal of Education to Ladies Home Journal, and from the Nation to the Harvard Business Review (“Why Incentive Plans Cannot Work”). His efforts to make research in human

Send us a textIn today’s episode, I feel very lucky to have sat down in person with Caterina Carna, who has become a good friend of our family here in Saudi Arabia. Caterina is from a small village in southern Italy, but has lived here at KAUST in Saudi Arabia for the past 5 years. Anyone who knows Caterina knows what a kind, caring, and compassionate person she is. What makes Caterina uniquely special is her ability to connect with others in an effort to build community and give people a greater sense of belonging. The reason why I wanted to have Caterina on my podcast is to share her very inspiring journey of transformation within herself over the past year. Caterina has spoken very openly about her struggles with being overweight for most of her life. In this episode, Caterina discusses how her relationship with food impacted her health for many years, especially growing up in a small village in Italy where food was one of the major ways that people in her life connected and came together to celebrate life and friendships. What makes Caterina’s story even more special is that over the past 12 months, she has lost 100 pounds. It has been amazing to see this transformation within her and the main reason for this transformation was her ability to activate an internal strength that she never knew existed within herself. In this episode, Caterina shares how losing both her parents within ten months of one another deeply impacted her in a way that ultimately empowered her to choose life over death.Caterina knew that she needed a complete change in her life in order to confront the fact that the state of her physical health had seriously declined due to her weight. Amazingly, Caterina made a brave and bold decision to change her life and has completely dedicated herself to this greater purpose. I applaud Caterina for her ability to make herself vulnerable and for sharing her authentic self in this episode. Her story is amazing and more people need to know about it. Please connect with Caterina on Instagram and on Facebook to learn more about her story and to see for yourself the transformational journey she is now on. Caterina BioCaterina is from Guardavalle, a small village on the shores of Ionian Sea, in Calabria, Southern Italy.She has a Masters degree in Political and Social Science at the University of Bologna, Italy. She worked as the Provost personal assistant and event organizer at the Magna Graecia University in Catanzaro for almost 10 years, then, when her son was 1-month old, she and her husband moved to Genova, in the north of Italy, where her husband got a job as team leader of a research group at the Italian Institute of Technology. Spent 3 years in Genova being a mum and cooking for parties and events.They arrived at KAUST 5 years ago and fell in love with the place from day one. She works as research assistant for a Professor, who became one of her best friends and an “uncle’ to her son. She considers herself a very lucky person because she has the possibility to live in such an amazing place surrounded by people that love, support and inspire her every day.Something you should know about her: she loves lifting weights, cooking, traveling, reading and taking long walks in the nature. She is stubborn, funny, kind, hot-blooded, passionate, sensitive and even describes herself as being a little crazy!Connect with CaterinaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/caterina.carnaInstagram: @CatecarnaThemes Discussed: Purpose, Hope, Internal Strength, Life vs Death, Physical Well-Being, Weight Loss, Exercise, Relationship with Food

Send us a textToday’s episode is part two of a two-part series devoted to sharing the inspiring journey of professional endurance athlete Adam Campbell. Although this was originally going to be just one episode, there was so much depth to our conversation that I literally lost track of time. I had scheduled in approximately 45 minutes for our podcast but before I knew it, I was asking Adam if we could do a part two in order to dig more deeply into his story. In part 1 you learned that Adam spent the first 17 years of his life growing up on the beaches of Nigeria. Physical activity, movement, and outdoor pursuits had been ingrained in him from an early age but it wasn’t until going to boarding school at Trinity College in Ontario, Canada for his last couple of years of high school that he found a deep love and passion for more endurance-based movement pursuits. This ultimately led to Adam becoming a professional endurance athlete competing in multiple fields of endurance sport before ultimately finding a special niche in different types of mountain and trail running. In part two, we really dive into Adam’s journey of recovery from a near-death fall he had experienced as he and two close friends took on the challenge of completing the grueling the Horseshoe Traverse which consists of 14 different mountain peaks. Adam’s near death experience not only changed his perspective on life, but allowed him to look at his accomplishments and his profession through a completely different lens. We dig into his story of recovery, what he learned about himself and others, and his ultimate return to competitive endurance running which took place nearly a year after his accident as he AMAZINGLY finished one of the hardest ultra marathon races there is, the Hardrock Hundred Mile event. Adam also shares the experience of giving his first Ted Talk soon after his accident and how his very raw and honest talk required great vulnerability to speak his truth. Adam has inspired countless people around the world through his passions and his talks. I hope you enjoy part 2 of this two part series and share this episode with those who you feel will benefit from hearing it. Thanks for listening. Please share this two-part series with anyone who you feel will benefit from hearing it. Adam’s BioAdam Campbell likes to ‘suffer in beautiful places” and loves exploring his backyard and challenging himself on foot, skis, and on rock. He was raised on the beaches of Lagos, Nigeria to Canadian parents, but now calls the Canadian Rockies his home. He has competed in, and regularly placed on the podium at some of the world’s most challenging and competitive mountain running races and trail ultra-marathons. This includes podium finishes at the Ultra Trail Mount Fuji, Hardrock 100, UTMB, Squamish 50 and the Canadian mountain running championships. Adam is a member of Canada’s ski mountaineering team and has the fastest known times on many Canadian mountains and trails. Mount Fuji, Hardrock 100, UTMB, Squamish 50 and the Canadian mountain running championships.Adam is happiest exploring mountain terrain on foot, rope and skis and sharing those moments with close friends. When not running around the mountains, he's an environmental and business lawyer. He is also a co-owner of Canada's largest trail running series and is a vocal advocate for getting people, especially children, to reconnect with nature and explore their own backyards, parks and neighbourhoods through human powered movement.These days Adam is most inspired by "alpinrunning" - taking his fitness and love of human powered movement and combining it with technical mountain skills to approach the mountains in a light and fast way, although a recent accident has caused him to reevaluate his approach to risk and mountain pursuits.Connect With AdamWebsite: http://alpinebureau.com/index.htmlTwitter: @campbelladam

Send us a textToday’s episode is part one of a two-part series devoted to sharing the amazing journey of professional endurance athlete Adam Campbell. It was originally scheduled to be a hour-long podcast, but as I dug more deeply into Adam’s journey, there was so much more that I wanted to talk with him about, so we made a decision to record two separate episodes a week apart. Adam is Canadian but spent the majority of his childhood and teenage years growing up as a third culture kid in Nigeria. It was in Nigeria that he developed a deep love of physical activity and movement which ultimately led to Adam embarking on a career as a professional endurance athlete. Adam has represented Canada on 5 different national teams. You’ll hear about the different teams he represented and more about this journey later in this episode.Part 1 of this two part series really sets the context for a very honest and open discussion that we have in part 2. Adam was almost killed in a serious fall in the Selkirk mountains in 2016. He was running across Rogers Pass, B.C., doing the Horseshoe Traverse, a course of 14 mountain peaks. Normally it takes three to five days. Campbell and his 2 friends, who were also world elite mountain runners, were trying to do it in a single day.The near death experience changed Adam’s life in many ways, but ultimately led to him having a much greater appreciation not only for the people in his life who supported him through this ordeal,  but he also had tremendous gratitude for being given a second chance in life.In this episode we discuss the mini-documentary called In Constant Motion that was made about the accident and his recovery and his return to the competitive endurance running. Adam discusses the fact that his physical self is how he always defined himself and how the accident forced him to change this perspective to focus more holistically on who he was. As his life as an athlete was almost taken from him, Adam shares the struggles he experienced during his recovery and what he had too overcome within himself to push forward in his life in the most positive ways possible. We conclude episode one by agreeing to record a part 2 in order to dig more deeply into Adam’s journey and his return to professional endurance running. I think you will really enjoy this discussion and sincerely hope you will come back to listen to part two.Adam’s BioAdam Campbell likes to ‘suffer in beautiful places” and loves exploring his backyard and challenging himself on foot, skis, and on rock. He was raised on the beaches of Lagos, Nigeria to Canadian parents, but now calls the Canadian Rockies his home. He has competed in, and regularly placed on the podium at some of the world’s most challenging and competitive mountain running races and trail ultra-marathons. This includes podium finishes at the Ultra Trail Mount Fuji, Hardrock 100, UTMB, Squamish 50 and the Canadian mountain running championships. Adam is a member of Canada’s ski mountaineering team and has the fastest known times on many Canadian mountains and trails. Mount Fuji, Hardrock 100, UTMB, Squamish 50 and the Canadian mountain running championships.Adam Campbell is a qualified lawyer and professional ultra marathon runner who likes to spend time in the mountains and exploring new trails. A social media junkie, outdoor and healthy living advocate, coach, race promoter, freelance writer and product tester. Here are just some of his accomplishments.Adam is happiest exploring mountain terrain on foot, rope and skis and sharing those moments with close friends. When not running around the mountains, he's an environmental and business lawyer. He is also a co-owner of Canada's largest trail running series and is a vocal advocate for getting people, especially children, to reconnect with nature and explore their own backyards, parks and neighborhoods through human-powered

Send us a textI feel a great sense of gratitude to have had a chance to interview Leon Logothetis in the episode you are about to hear. Leon is a global adventurer, motivational speaker & philanthropist but It wasn’t always that way. He used to be a broker in the city of London where he felt uninspired and chronically depressed but he gave it all up for a life on the road. This radical life change was sparked by the inspirational movie The Motorcycle DiariesLeon recently returned from filming the second season of his Netflix TV show The Kindness Diaries. In season one he circumnavigated the globe on his vintage yellow motorbike named Kindness One, and in season two he drives a vintage yellow Volkswagen Beetle convertible which he names Kindness 2 all the way from Anchorage, Alaska down to Argentina. Along the way in both season 1 and 2, Leon gives a life changing gift to an unsuspecting good Samaritan in each episode. All of this while relying on the kindness of strangers to get him through each day. Leon is no stranger to adventure. He teamed up with First Book® & drove a car from London to Mongolia raising money to buy 10,000 books for underprivileged children in America. He also drove a vintage London taxi across America, giving free cab rides to the needy and working with Classwish to bring hope back to the schools of America.Leon has documented his travels for numerous media outlets including Good Morning America, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, THE BBC, FOX NEWS, CNN , Psychology Today, and The New York Times.Leon just released his 5th book which is entitled Go Be Kind This book isn’t just a journal or another how-to guide to getting what you want. It’s a series of daily adventures that will help you rediscover the greatest human gift—kindness, ultimately helping you to connect with others in order to create a happier and more magnificent life.In addition, Leon has 4 other books:The Mojo Diaries, The Amazing Adventures of a Nobody, Live, Love & Explore, and the Kindness DiariesIn today’s episode you will get a glimpse into Leon’s journey, what he has learned about himself, and the hope and vision he has for making the world a better place through kindness. Leon has been very busy doing lots of different talks and interviews since finishing up season 2 of the Kindness Diaries. Having seen a lot of his interviews, I’ve seen a lot of the same type of questions asked to him, so I really wanted to focus on asking him some different questions to dig into Leon is an inspiration and I highly recommend bringing him into your school as a guest speaker. You can find all the information you need about Leon in the show notes of this episode.Leon’s BioLeon Logothetis is a TV host, producer, author, traveler and all around good guy. Formerly a London broker, he gave up his comfortable life to travel and find real human connection.Born in London England, of Greek descent, Logothetis now lives in Los Angeles California. He was educated in London and graduated from Babson College in Boston Massachusetts with a Business degree. After graduating college, Logothetis was a successful broker. But his real education started in the school of life—traveling the world. He had a radical life change after stumbling upon an inspirational movie, The Motorcycle Diaries, which chronicled the story of Che Guevara. On Che’s journey, he crossed South America relying solely on the kindness of strangers, and his story lit up Logothetis' mundane existence.At this point, Logothetis felt disconnected and was leading an uninspired life. He felt his life had no purpose and no sense of direction, so he decided to do something about it. Tired of his disconnected life and uninspiring job, Logothetis left it all behind—job, money, home and even his cell phone—and hit the road with nothing but the clothes on his back and five dollars in his pocket. Each

Send us a textThe guest you will hear today, Dr. Scott Kretchmar, has been on my show before and I’m so very happy he took me up on my invitation to come back on the podcast. The first time I had him on the show was about 18 months ago and in that episode, we really dug deeply into the work that he has done in the field of physical education. In particular the importance of helping every young person find joy and delight in their physical education experience.Scott’s work is all about inspiring young people to find joy through movement and when we do this it can change their lives forever. In our first podcast, Scott also emphasized that every person has their own story or narrative when it comes to physical activity. He asks us all to think about what those stories are and how those narratives have change over time. I recorded part two with Scott about a month ago and In part 2, we dive right a discussion about the importance of keeping our playgrounds alive as long as possible in our lives and he uses his own life as an example of this. Scott discusses, in detail, how his own narrative in regards to physical activity has changed. In particular how it has changed over the last 18 months since our last podcast. Although he still strives to be as active as possible, you’ll hear how Scott has had to modify his approach to being active over the last several months. Scott also talks about how an active lifestyle generates hopes and he shares some of the hopes that he has in his ongoing narrative of being someone who has embraced physical activity in his life. It was great to hear Scott reflect on some of his earlier days of teaching. In this episode, he describes some of things he tried out in his own teaching and how he learned the importance of translating mechanical instructions into feel instructions as a teacher and how this allowed him to move away from being strictly focused on the technique side of learning skills to allowing students to feel what it was like to execute certain techniques in different tasks and activities he had designed for them in PE.It was so good to have Scott back on my show and to reconnect with him. I love my conversations with him and it’s my hope that you will find a lot of value in this discussion. Scott is in my thoughts at the moment as he went in for hip replacement surgery last week. Scott, if you are listening to this I wish you the speediest of recoveries and hope that you are back on your bicycle soon and back out there golfing as soon as spring arrives.If you find value in this episode, drop Scott a line by email and let him know. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. His email can be found below in the show notes. Dr. Kretchmar’s BioProfessor R. Scott Kretchmar is one of the leading sports philosophers in the country.  He has taught philosophy of sport for over three decades and played a key role in making it a legitimate field of scholarship and study.  He is one of the founding members of the Philosophic Society for the Study of Sport and served as its president.  He has also served as the president of the Philosophic Academy of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.  He is a retired professor at Pennsylvania State University in the Exercise and Sports Science department, where he has served as department chair. He was elected as the president of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education and is leading the way to making the subject of sports philosophy an important facet of the study of Kinesiology.Scott has received numerous awards over the course of his career and the impact that he has on the field of physical and health has been felt around the world. Connect with ScottScott asked me to share his email address and invited people to reach out to him at:rsk1@psu.eduThemes Discussed: Personal Narratives, Physical Activity, Pedagogy, Hope, Passion, and Pu