Run Your Life Show With Andy Vasily

Send us a textMy guest today is the brilliant and inspiring Ila Edgar, a leadership development coach and trust-builder for organizations and businesses. Ila's story is a testament to the resilience we all require when challenged by  life’s mental and emotional obstacles. She deeply believes that who we are is how we lead and that being great leaders starts with us. It also requires honesty, looking inside of ourselves and committing to making real changes in our lives. In our conversation today, we talk about early days in her life, the strengths she developed and the challenges she had to overcome that ultimately led her on to the path of leadership coaching. In addition to this, we also cover the themes of resilience, self-compassion, knowing our own boundaries, and embracing vulnerability as keys to our own growth and learning. Most importantly, Ila opens up about serious health struggles she is currently going through and not only what this has taught her about herself, but how it has helped to shape her journey as a wife, mother and coach. As you listen to this episode today, you will see that there is no doubt that Ila is meant to do the work she is doing to serve the world. She is one of a kind and I feel so very fortunate to have had this time with her on the podcast. This was a really touching episode for me. I hope you find the same value in it as I did. Thanks for listening and please connect with Ila and let her know what you learned from our discussion. She would love to hear from you. Connect With Ila: WebsiteLinkedInInstagramTrust on Purpose PodcastEmail: ila@bigchangeinc.comSpecial Credit to Patrick Watson for his beautiful song To Build a HomeYou can purchase Patrick's music here. As well, Patrick's YouTube channel can be found here

Send us a textToday’s episode was recorded in the studio of American Community School of Amman in Jordan which is located on the boarders of Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Palestine. A big shoutout and very special thanks to my inspirational friend Mo Hourani and his team at the American Community School of Amman for hosting the Compassion Summit, an event devoted to promoting peace.What ACS in Jordan believes is that "When there is no compassion there can be no peace, and that when we know compassion, we then might know peace."I was honored to have been invited to be a keynote speaker alongside 2 inspiringly, compassionate humans doing amazing work to make a difference in the world in their own unique ways, Kathy Kelly and LeeAnne Lavender.This chat covers a lot of ground, but in particular what it is that both Kathy and Leanne feel compelled to share through their work, what being self-compassion means, and how we can all take action on being more compassionate in a world that needs people to step up and be more kind and caring. Kathy will share the real story behind the beautiful short song you heard in the introduction to this podcast which was sung by two students at the school here in Jordan. Special thanks to Dunia and Faye for taking the time to record this song and share it with me. You are brilliant humans and ACSA is lucky to have you both as their students.Kathy is an international peace activist from the United States. She is an author and one of the founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and is currently a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. As part of peace teamwork in several countries, she has traveled to Iraq twenty-six times, notably remaining in combat zones during the early days of both U.S.-Iraq wars. Her recent travel has focused on Afghanistan and Gaza, along with domestic protests against U.S. drone policy. She has been arrested more than 60 times at home and abroad, and has written of her experiences among targets of U.S. military bombardment and inmates of U.S. prisons. LeeAnne cares a lot about compassion, storytelling and service. She is a storyteller and poet, as well as a coach and facilitator for international educators; she spends a lot of time exploring the power of stories to connect people in ways that promote peace, empathy and kindness. She’s committed to helping educators and students build changemaker/changeseeker cultures so we can all engage in positive, purposeful action. You can learn more about LeeAnne at https://www.leeannelavender.com/ This conversation covers a lot of ground but in particular what it is that both Kathy and Leanne feel compelled to share through their work, what being self-compassion means, and how we can all take action on being more compassionate in a world that needs people to step up and be more kind and caring. Kathy will also share the real story behind the beautiful short song you heard in the introduction to this podcast which was sung by Dunia and Faye who are both students at  ACSA. Hope you enjoy this podcast.  Connect With Kathy and LeeAnneKathy KellyTwiiterLinkedInWebsiteLeeAnne LavenderTwitter

Send us a textIn today's episode, I sit down with Jean-Paul Circelli, head football coach at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. This episode is a special one for me as I once played 5 seasons on this football team back in the 1990’s as a quarterback and punter. It was through this experience that I not only developed myself as a student athlete, but was also able to build a supportive network of close friends that stands strongly to this day. Jean-Paul and his dedicated coaching team have been instrumental in the Lancer football team's resurgence, emphasizing a holistic approach to player development. Beyond wins and losses, they focus on nurturing personal excellence and character growth in their student-athletes help best prepare them for life after football one day.In a world where young athletes face mounting pressures exacerbated by social media and academic demands, in our conversation, Jean-Paul offers insights into addressing the mental health crisis that is currently plaguing many young athletes. Through fostering vulnerability, learning from failure, and deepening connection, he cultivates a supportive environment where his athletes and fellow coaches can thrive.We also explore the importance of feedback, highlighting Jean-Paul's approach to constructive criticism and the growth-oriented coaching framework that he and his fellow coaches embrace. Whether you're a leader in business, a parent, or simply striving for excellence in your pursuits, this episode offers invaluable lessons applicable to any journey of personal growth, development and achievement.Tune in as we uncover wisdom and learning that transcends the field of play. Please share this episode with anyone you know who may be seeking inspiration and guidance on finding their own path to excellence. Thank you. Connect with Coach Jean-PaulTwitterInstagramLinkedInUniversity of Windsor Football Team WebsiteReferences for this episode: Dr. Martin Seligman: Positive PsychologyBrene BrownSimon SinekCharles Feltman: Thin Book of Trust15 Commitments to Conscious Leadership Book

Send us a textHow many times have you asked yourself, “what’s my purpose”?  If you’re like most of us, probably too many times to count.  As we get older, the question seems to get a little louder.  Today’s guests on the Run Your Life Podcast are just the dynamic duo you need to provide you with proactive, intentional tools to help you along that journey.  Charles Feltman and Ila Edgar are both executive and leadership coaches offering a distinctive twist on finding your purpose and creating meaning in your personal and professional life.   They achieve this through Charles’ trademarked model described in his book, The Thin Book of Trust and their growing podcast, Trust on Purpose. In today’s episode, expect to hear many things that are sure to provide you with a fresh perspective that you probably haven’t considered before.  This fresh perspective allows you to look at your current situation differently and thus move you in the right direction.  Both readily admit they don’t have all the answers and they are by no means perfect.  They are human just like the rest of us.  What they have is experience, expertise, empathy, and the courage to confront!Mind shifting truths to listen for in today’s episode:1.     Trust is foundationalWhen your team or family is built upon trust, you will outperform your wildest dreams and performance objectives.2.     Boundaries and self-expression are okayMany of us learn from our families of origin to suppress feelings, not express our needs, or not set boundaries.  Charles and Ila help us realize that all of this is okay and is vital in establishing trust in our homes and workplaces.3.     Life knocksWhen we fail to do what’s mentioned above, it can have damaging repercussions later in life.  Learn how to develop resiliency and better manage adversity when it occurs.4.     WAIT“Why Am I Talking?”  We all have heard that the “good Lord gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason”.  However, using Charles’ WAIT model is the master’s level for listening.5.     You DO have a choiceOftentimes in life we tell ourselves we don’t have a choice.  Charles fundamentally disagrees and believes you can unleash incredible personal power by simply recognizing that you always have a choice.6.     Perception is reality.  But is it really?Ila stresses that we need to withhold our personal judgements when we interact with our world.  Or examine why we are judging and how we got there.  Many times, it’s not what people are doing to us, it’s simply how they are behaving that is worth exploring more.  7.     Who we are is how we leadSelf-awareness and authenticity are keys to great leadership.  We as humans, all bring our own unique life experiences to everything we do.  Those who excel as leaders recognize this and invest great amounts of time and effort in better understanding that so they can maximize their own effectiveness as well as the effectiveness of those around them.  Find more at LinkedIn:Charles FeltmanIda Edgar

Send us a textToday's episode features one of the greatest, most respected, and beloved commentators in Canadian sport broadcast history, Mr. Rod Black. As soon as you hear Rod’s voice, you will know immediately that he was destined for a career in broadcasting.Sportsnet president Scott Moore met with and told all the on-air talent, “You don’t have to be a jerk to be a star. Just look at Rod Black.”One of Rod’s favorite quotes is something his father used to tell him often. He would tell Rod, “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work another day in your life”. Rod took that to heart and dropped out of college at the age of 19 to pursue his career in broadcasting and the rest, as they say, is history. More than 40 years later, Rod has reached the pinnacle of his profession and continues to fearlessly reinvent himself. In this episode, Rod shares pearls of wisdom hehas collected along his journey that have helped him in both his professional and personal life. Rod’s enthusiasm and endless supply of positivity and energy are sure to inspire you to greatness.Some themes covered in this podcast include: 1. Community: Many people throughout Rod’s personal and professional life provided him with “nudges” to discover and pursue his life’s purpose. He is a firm believer in the need to have the right people around you.2. Resilience: You need to treat your lowest bottom as a trampoline and let it propel you to get back up and continue to move forward.3. Inner Voice: Pay attention to it. Whereas many people have a negative inner voice, Rod provides insight on how to foster a positive inner voice. Trust your own script.4. Acronyms for success: ABC, ICE, WIN, BED: Probably the foundation of Rod’s personal belief system and something he learned very early from a coach. Listen for them in the podcast and write them down and keep them where you can see them every day.5. Feedback: Be willing to seek and accept criticism and feedback.6. Patterns: Your life is full of patterns. Invest the time to study, learn, and act based on what you learn from them.7. Service: Play it forward! Live a life of service to others. You may not have money to donate but there are many ways to invest in the lives of others. Connect With Rod: TwitterInstagram

Send us a textIn today’s episode, Andy connects with former professional baseball player and current Toronto Blue Jays’ TV analyst and commentator Joe Siddall. A quote that comes to mind with this episode is this: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free” This quote attributed to Michaelangelo in reference to one of his sculptures. However, it also applies to Joe Siddall. He is a walking monument to what it means to have an attitude of gratitude. So much so that his daughter MacKenzie created her own brand to encourage the practice of 'gratitude' in order to help others live up to their potential.One of the special things that Joe demonstrates for us is that many of his core beliefs and codes of conduct are actually well-established mindfulness and optimal performance concepts that each of us has inside of us. We just need to learn to look for them. And just like Michaelangelo, if we can simply continue to carve until we set our own talents free, we, too, can create a life that is a beautiful work of art.As you listen to this podcast, see how many of Joe’s “Kevinism’s” come through. These “Kevinism’s” are the inspiration behind many of Joe’s expressed beliefs. You’ll learn why from the interview and will definitely want to hear it from Joe himself.Some of the concepts and themes Joe has practiced and lived himself are listed below. You are sure to hear others as you listen to this interview with Andy.1. Live life with an attitude of gratitude2. Keep moving forward3. We have to take action to realize the opportunities we are given4. Be adaptable5. Be present6. Competence leads to confidence which leads to performance7. You can quiet your inner critic8. Lean on others for support and guidanceJoe has a professional baseball career that spans 13 years playing in the big leagues for three teams; the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and the Detroit Tigers. Known as a defensive specialist, his skills were excellent and this is the one of the main reasons why he was able to rise the ranks he did in professional sport. This episode is about so much more than his playing days as a professional athlete, but more so how one lives a life rooted in the things that matter most. Through love, life, death and grief, Joe and his family have learned that gratitude and appreciation are the keys to finding meaning and purpose in this one life that we are offered. Hoping you find some takeaway value in this discussion with the inspiring Joe Siddall. Connect With JoeTwitterCheck out Joe's daughter Mackenzie's "Attitude with Gratitude' website.  

Send us a text“Does that own me, or do I own it?” In today’s episode, Andy is talking with Herb Thompson, retired Army Green Beret. And they cover a lot of ground. Herb has had the deck stacked against him many times throughout his life. Any one of them could have easily overtaken him and changed the trajectory of his life. However, that very quote at the beginning has allowed him to keep things in perspective and keep them in order.Herb grew up living a life of poverty in a trailer park. However, instead of allowing his humble beginnings to keep him down, he used it to drive him. He saw many people living around him in the trailer park who had given up and were living defeated lives. When thinking back about those days, Herb sees examples of his core value of positivity throughout.Another mantra he adopted during his special forces training was to “keep stepping, one more step, one more step.” He has applied that to his daily life and shares what it means with Andy.Herb has written a book to help military men and women successfully transfer out of the military and into civilian life. It’s called the Transition Mission: A Green Beret’s approach to transition from military service. After spending 20 years in the military, Herb found himself at another one of those crossroads. He joined the military at 17 and it’s the only job he ever had. What do I do now? How do I get a civilian job? For that matter, what job am I qualified to get? How do I find my calling into a new career. As you might imagine, Herb’s advice and mantra is “Own your journey!” He relied on the skills he learned in the Army and applied them to help him in his career transition. The first thing he did was to get an MBA from Cornell. He knew he was lacking the business language and experience, so he kept taking one more step, one more step. He also intentionally engaged in informational interviews with people in many different professions so he could get a better understanding of those careers. It really served two purposes. First, he learned a lot about business and careers. Second, he met a lot of people. He built an amazing network that has served him well in many ways.Herb admits that his life is as fulfilling today in his new ventures as he was in the military. The last thing I’ll encourage you to listen for in the interview is Herb’s strong sense of who he is. He knows that if he is happy with himself, he’ll be able to help those around him and make them happy as well. Herb is constantly reminded of this concept by his 18-year-old son. When Herb mentions him in the interview, you can almost hear him smiling. His son has Aspergers and marches to the beat of his own drum and Herb couldn’t be prouder. He presents his true, authentic, vulnerable self to the world and if you like him. Great. And if you don’t like him? That’s okay too. You can’t make everyone happy, so you might as well make yourself happy. Good advice from Herb. Hope you find value in this discussion. Please share with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Thanks!Connect With HerbLinkedInWebsiteFind Herb's book hereRead about Herb's harrowing combat experience here

Send us a textThis week, Andy interviews Professor Thomas Curran, Department of Psychological and Behavioral Science at the London School of Economics. His writings have appeared in TIME magazine, the Harvard Business Review, the New Scientist, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times just to name a few. He is fresh off launching his debut book, The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough. He also delivered a TedMed talk on the subject which has garnered more than 3 million views. Not surprisingly, he is widely regarded as the world’s leading expert on perfectionism.Society seems to value the concept of perfectionism, but Professor Curran has a much different take on the subject. Not only does he identify the havoc-wreaking cause underlying perfectionism, he also provides healthy strategies to recognize, overcome, and manage it. Professor Curran even shares what his own battle with perfectionism looks like and how it could have prevented him from rising to his place of prominence on the subject.Hear how perfectionism almost prevented him from delivering his Ted Talk on the subject and how it almost prevented him from writing one of the most powerful and groundbreaking chapters of his new book.Maybe…just maybe, if even a world-renowned psychologist, author, and professor struggles with the ill effects of perfectionism, we can learn to treat ourselves with more kindness in our efforts to deal with it as well.Professor Curran says one of his primary purposes in life is to “bust myths” related to perfectionism, chiefly that it is good for us. Rather than benefit us, it actually blocks us from success and happiness and can result in many adverse psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.He also discusses three dimensions of perfectionism that you will find fascinating; 1) self-oriented perfectionism 2) Socially prescribed perfectionism and 3) Other-oriented perfectionism.In probably his most controversial assertion, Professor Curran highlights the societal and systemic causes of perfectionism. He argues that individual solutions don’t work when it’s a societal/systemic problem to begin with. When you consider that US students take more than 112 standardized tests from kindergarten to twelfth grade, it’s no wonder that our students focus on these scores and derive self-value (or lack of) from them. Then you add in the influence of social media, and the fact that everyone else seems to have a perfect life leaving us all to wonder why ours is not.Hopefully, you will be so intrigued and have so many “ah-ha!” moments while listening to this conversation, that you’ll wonder where the hour went. You’ll love Thomas’ affable, humble approach to life and living and buy his book so that you can learn more about how perfectionism may be impacting your life.Connect With Thomas: TwitterLinkedInWebsiteAs well, you can find Thomas' Ted Talk here. Please check it out. 

Send us a textEver wonder about the meaning of life? In this episode, Andy and Patrick explore this very question from a truly unique and emotional perspective that is certain to encourage you to reexamine your own thoughts on the matter. Patrick shares his power list of 5 things he believes every human is searching for.Patrick’s list is not a cliched list based on formal scientific research. Instead, it’s based on his personal journey that began as an “unsupervised” child in Brooklyn, New York, in the early 60s and is still ongoing at 60 years of age, shaping him into the luminary he is today. Patrick’s list is based on hard-earned life lessons as a homeless alcoholic at his lowest point to his soaring success of becoming a recording artist with the likes of Sade, Chuck D (Public Enemy) and Dan Zanes with many other stops in between. With 23 years of sobriety behind him, Patrick puts his philosophy of life on full display through one very poignant story of having his bicycle stolen in this episode. You get the full range of his process in this one story.  You see that he experiences the full range of human emotion but ultimately returns to his place of equilibrium due to the embeddedness of his own personal philosophy. He has the same initial response that any of the rest of us would have upon learning that something had been taken from us. That we have been violated or disrespected. However, he processes that experience, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously and returns back to his place of gratitude to get back on track. A key thread throughout Patrick’s story, whether in childhood or adulthood, is the idea of the inner voice or critic. This voice often tells us we aren’t good enough, nobody loves us, or we can’t overcome this. And in many cases, we accept it at face value. However, Patrick’s response is to take it under advisement and consciously make his own decision. Patrick shows us that we do not have to accept the inner critic’s assessment. He also makes the point that “the mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master.” He believes we have much to unlearn from what the inner critic has convinced us over time. The beauty is that we can!Today, Patrick has many roles: philosopher, musician, artist, author, and grandfather, to name a few. However, after this interview, I would like to recognize one more role for him. He is a “spiritual being having a human experience.” His understanding of the human condition is uncanny and is derived from the full range of experiences he has hadthroughout his journey with people from all walks of life. He has taken that lifetime of experience and formulated an incredibly resilient and awe-inspiring perspective that works for him. After listening to this podcast, I hope it works for you as well. For additional insight into Patrick’s life, check out the inspiring video featuring him and produced by Green Renaissance (now called Reflections of Life) entitled Am I Worthy? After only a couple of weeks of availability, it has racked up more than 55,000 views and is generating an enormous amount of buzz with more almost 1,400 comments -- a true testament to the power of Patrick's message. Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with others. Connect With Patrick: WebsiteInstagramEmailPlease connect with Justine and Michael from Reflections of Life to see their wonderful short films.Very special thanks to my friend Kevin Nall for his work helping me to produce this e

Send us a textMy guest in today’s podcast exemplifies what it means to take the risks needed to find his passion and true calling in life. His name is Obert Jongwe and he is a Zimbabwean artist who has devoted his life to the craft of painting. When I think of Obert and his life, there is a great quote that comes to mind that truly represents what it means to take the risks needed to thrive in life both personally and professionally. The quote is from Dr. Carl Jung, a world renowned Swiss psychologist who passed away in 1961. "The cave we fear to enter holds the treasure we seek."When you think of your own life, what comes up for you when you think about times in the past that you either took the risk needed to succeed at something that mattered to you or you failed to take the risk needed to pursue something that mattered to you. Obert's ability to take risk and believe in himself is a beautiful story of finding purpose in life. I first came across Obert’s story in an amazing short documentary that was created by the South African filmmakers Michael and Justine from the Green Renaissance project. I released a podcast I recorded with Michael Raimundo last month and in our conversation, he spoke and the work he and his partner Justine are doing with their Green Renaissance project.They  are a passionate team on a journey to inspire change by Creating beautiful, meaningful stories. They’ve done over 250 short films featuring amazingly ordinary people doing wonderful things in the world. I highly encourage you to check out their YouTube channel which you can find by searching for Green Renaissance. I will be doing free promotional work for them as I truly believe in their cause and hope that the listeners of my podcast can tune into their films which are sure to inspire you and provoke you to think differently about your life. When I watched their film featuring Obert Jongwe, I was inspired to reach out to him to invite him on my podcast to share his amazing story of resilience, meaning, and purpose. His work, as a painter, led him from Zimbabwe to South Africa. He has had his work featured in renowned art galleries in South Africa and Zimbabwe. His story is sure to move you to think about your true calling whatever that calling might be. I hope that my listeners will check out Obert’s work and maybe even one day buy one of his beautiful paintings. He is a wonderful person with a kind, caring heart who is hoping to impact the world in his own unique ways. It was an honor to interview him and share his life story. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening. Connect With ObertTwitterRoussouw Modern Gallery InstagramFacebookPlease follow Michael and Justine's work at Green Renaissance and consider donating to their cause. Michael and Justine's video about Obert can be found here