On the 60th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Matthew Zoltan. Matthew is a former monk, an author, and co-founder of Undo App - an app that helps you rediscover what makes us human through natural meditation.In this conversation, Matthew takes us on his journey from being a monk for much of his 20s before realising his practice and methods weren’t supporting him to fully engage with the felt experience of his body. That for him, certain ideologies led to disassociations from the body and its experience.He shares with us the importance of experiencing life sensorily, how one can perceive the fully felt experience of life. We also discuss the role of our mental reactions in accentuating pain, as well as the problem with starting off from the belief that we are lacking and need to improve, suggesting that you are the perfect expression of everything you have been through.Ultimately, Matthew points to the significance of exploring our pain and resolving our hurt, describing pain as aspects of ourselves we need to give attention to. If you are having trouble with accepting yourself, embracing yourself as you presently are, or engaging with your feelings, this episode will give you a lot to consider. While Matthew may confront a lot of your beliefs, he is really highlighting the importance of connecting with our felt experience.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering to build trust and connection amongst executive teams.Running Order:02:45 Life provides answers not questions06:45 Realisations as a monk, letting go of ideologies, developing sensitivity15:15 Perceiving the felt experience of life20:15 Resistance and disturbance are a part of life28:15 The problem with the belief that we are lacking40:00 Understanding ourselves and relating through feeling rather than thought47:15 The importance of exploring our pain and resolving hurt53:45 The role of our thinking in accentuating pain1:00:20 We have been taught to avoid pain and suffering1:05:45 Embracing who and what we are and how we feel1:16:35 What is a good life for Matthew?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Matthew's Website: https://mattzoltan.com/- Matthew's Company: https://undoapp.com/

On the 59th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Julie Zickefoose. Julie is a writer and artist who illustrates her own books (Saving Jemima, Baby Birds, The Bluebird Effect). She is an Advising Editor for BWD Magazine and a naturalist at home in the Appalachian foothills of Ohio, where every day she roams the 80-acre wildlife sanctuary she lives on—a wellspring for her writing and art.Her contribution to a beautiful movie I watched, In Pursuit of Silence, utterly captivated me, so I was thrilled to have the chance to talk. In this enlivening conversation, Julie shares her journey from just about making ends meet to becoming an author and illustrator living on her own sanctuary. She imparts important lessons along the way, such as gratitude for life, borne out of her observations of the hardship of nature and from the deaths of her father and her husband.We explore the emotional relationships she has cultivated with the birds she has rehabilitated, as well as the importance of relationships with animals in realising more connection in our lives. She also touches on the significance of silence, solitude, and unstructured time and space for her creative process and for following her own nature.This entire conversation was good for my soul; it is inspiring to be in the company of someone who so fully follows and embraces their own nature with such conviction. This episode will reinforce gratitude for simply existing and surviving, and open you up to possibilities for more love and connection in our lives, whether with other animals or humans, as well as what can happen if you simply trust your own nature.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering to build trust and connection amongst executives.Running Order:03:40 Seeking silence and allowing serendipity07:45 Following your own nature and trust12:20 Freedom and not being confined to a structure16:20 Being kind to ourselves as life emerges18:57 The impact and influence of losing loved ones23:25 Gratitude for life and rehabilitating birds28:15 Experiencing emotional and physical connections with birds35:28 The stunning levels of love we can feel with animals41:00 The importance of trusting our feelings, not just what we can measure45:55 What we can learn from animals in seeing our own value48:25 The importance of unstructured time and space53:38 The worst thing that can happen to your career57:40 What is a good life for Julie?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Julie's Website: https://www.juliezickefoose.com/- Julie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliezickefoose/

On the 58th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guests, Dan Lawrence and Johann Botha. Dan is a Jungian Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist and a Social Dreaming Consultant, a former derivatives trader, and a lifelong practitioner of Zen and contemplative traditions.Johann is managing director of GSA Mindworks, a company cultivating a personal, participatory and measured approach to human integrity. A former, filmmaker, storyteller with an enlivening interest in human character. I asked both of them to join me because all three of us have been exploring a sense of soul more closely recently, and I wanted to share those musings with you all to see if these types of conversations resonate with or add to your own explorations in life. In this conversation, we explore what the soul means to us, where we get glimpses or senses of soul in our lives, and how the soul can move or call us to action. We talk about the significance of the soul regarding how we engage and participate in life, our relationships with others, and our work, as well as the places and spaces around us.We also explore how experiences of dread can lead to both a feeling of soullessness and a lack of presence, and how we can cultivate space and awareness for more connection with the soul.If you feel like your existence is lacking soul, whether that is in your work, relationships, or with a sense of mystery, this episode will give you plenty to contemplate, as well as images and metaphors for re-invoking more soul in your life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:03:30 What is Soul?07:10 Getting glimpses of soul12:30 Soul and spirit and movement17:30 Relating and a contact point for life23:00 Soul and a sense of aliveness and engaging uncertainty31:00 The soul of work35:00 Image, metaphor, and mystery42:30 Reanimating our lives47:30 What contributes to a sense of soullessness55:10 Allowing space for soul 1:00:00 How does soul and a good life connect?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Dan's Website: https://www.theunthoughtknown.com/- Dan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-lawrence-1537271b/?originalSubdomain=uk- Johann's company: https://gsamindworks.com/- Johann's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlbotha/

On the 57th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Dr. Bettina Palazzo. Bettina is a business ethics expert, a lecturer at the University of Geneva, and the creator of The Ethics Gym program, demonstrating how leaders can be credible ethical role models.In this conversation, we delve into the question Bettina is presently contemplating in life: how does one balance making an effort and letting go? Bettina shares the challenges this represents and also reflects on the role social media plays in making us believe we have an immediate solution for every problem in life.We explore the role of our natural selves and curiosity, noting how fear and perfectionism affect our capacity to handle uncertainty. Simultaneously, we observe the role that compassion for ourselves and others plays in our ability to handle uncertainty and develop more trust in the unfolding of life, whether this is cultivated through community groups she has created or by being attentive to the stories we tell ourselves about other people’s behaviour towards us.This episode will give you much to contemplate regarding our attempts to control and our relationship with uncertainty. Bettina also shares in such an authentic and relatable manner that her reflections provide really interesting insights and nuance into the challenges we face in our culture with letting go.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:02:45 How do we find the balance of effort and letting go?07:45 Knowing and accepting the limits of your control12:07 Giving space for our nature or consciousness19:15 Realising the fear in perfectionism and accepting risk24:15 Contentment in handling complexity, uncertainty & doubt28:28 Pleasant surprises in what we can’t control33:03 The importance of supporting others & community37:31 Ideas from Aikido in relating42:01 Realising compassion for each other47:06 The connection of compassion and letting go50:15 What is a good life for Bettina?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Bettina's Website: https://bettinapalazzo.com/en/home/- Bettina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettina-palazzo/

On the 56th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Dr. Simon Western. Simon is the author of "Leadership: a Critical Text," Founder of both the Eco-Leadership Institute and Analytic-Network Coaching, and the host of the Edgy Ideas podcast. Simon brings a vast breadth of experience with him having previous roles as a general nurse, psychiatric nurse, family therapist, and psychotherapist. In this episode, Simon shares his journey with his lifelong question, "What is a good life?" From prioritising freedom to exploring other cultures, politics, and music as a teenager, to traveling widely and wandering the deserts, and being with his melancholy, he discusses the profound influence connecting with his sadness and grief has had on his life and career.We question the influence of modernity and our need to label, measure, and put everything in boxes on the quality of our relationships, our sense of dislocation, and separation from each other and the natural world.Finally, we consider how we might re-enchant our culture once more, whether that is connecting to the soul, reengaging with mystery, or creating more awareness of our interconnections and dependencies.If you are feeling a sense of dislocation in your life or are struggling to feel a sense of aliveness and connection to the world around you, Simon’s experiences in life will give you so much to contemplate as well as inspiration to explore areas of life you may well be neglecting.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:01:25 How can I get more freedom?05:40 Getting in touch with your melancholy and grief11:20 Building the capacity to feel our emotions and to feel alive17:00 Realising an enjoyment of and interest in difference23:45 Experiencing other cultures to reflect back on your own27:30 The dangers of social media and seeking like minded people 29:52 The pitfalls of modernity and loss of enchantment / aliveness36:12 We are lacking sacred spaces and connection to soul41:37 Reengaging with mystery45:07 What is a good life for Simon?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Simon's Website: https://www.ecoleadershipinstitute.org/simon-western- Simon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-simon-western-1055b86/

On the 55th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Lauri Poldre. Lauri is an advisor, mentor, and artist, helping people regain clarity and inner peace through sound, meditation, and nature immersion. In 2015, he quit his job to travel for 2 years and study meditation, sound healing, and mindfulness. Since then, he has performed at events and released recordings that have been streamed over 1 million times.In this episode, Lauri shares with us his journey from suffering to seeking to experiencing inner stillness—where we can be at peace with our own unfolding, and where the answers to our many questions naturally emerge without our interference.We explore the distinction between experiencing emotions and identifying with them, the considerable importance of asking questions—particularly ones we can’t presently answer—and the great benefits of resting in stillness and what can emerge from the silence.Whether it is an awareness of what is, an alignment with our true nature, letting go of obsessions with upgrading ourselves, a connection with nature and its abundance, or its impact on our creativity and how we live our lives—there is so much to take from this episode, especially for those of us toiling with our self-development and spiritual paths, suspecting we are fundamentally missing something. The stillness and silence that Lauri points to may offer considerable help.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:02:44 How to find inner stillness07:54 Action still emerges from stillness and silence11:22 From seeking to stillness15:04 Challenging habits to let go of20:34 Where true liberation exists25:24 The importance of asking questions31:44 Finding peace with what is and alignment from stillness39:30 Recognising or realising our own alignment43:29 Recognising abundance in stillness50:38 What is a good life for Lauri?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Lauri's Website: https://lauripoldre.com/- Larui's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauri.poldre/

On the 54th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Gab Ciminelli. Gab is the Founder of the Silent Leadership Institute in Japan, author of Nothing Changes the World: Excerpts and Insights on the Art of Nothing, and speaker on The Art of Nothing.In this illuminating discussion, we explore our capacity not to learn from our mistakes and how we get swept away by our conditioning - be it our upbringing, education, culture, etc.We share our experiences of re-sensitising ourselves to the human beings we naturally are, through silence, space, reflection, and nature, and the experiences of suffering that prompted a departure from the status quo.We delve into navigating our wider sense of disconnection and separation, transcending our ideas of identity and our fixation on measurement and labels, to an awareness of what is, and how we could step into the unknown.This whole conversation with Gab is a breath of fresh air. His open-heartedness and willingness to explore embody much of what he is pointing towards in this conversation. If you are in need of looking at your life and world with a fresh set of eyes, this conversation will give you multiple pointers as to how you can start.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:02:57 Why don’t we change or learn from our past?07:07 Are we aware of our conditioning?12:07 The role of space, nature, and silence17:05 Questioning identification, labels, and division21:07 The influence of measurement, assumptions and comparison26:27 The role of suffering, self-exploration and the liberation of failure34:22 Fear and the interconnectedness of our minds39:07 Hitting a wall and a realisation of Nothing43:07 Our fear of not knowing and curiosity50:32 Could we start afresh?1:02:52 What is a good life for Gab?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Gab's Website: https://art-of-nothing.com/- Gab's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBKPZV3H?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420- Gab's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieleciminelli/

On the 53rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Yvonne Smyth. Yvonne calls herself a Conscious Parenting Adventure Guide, and she's on a mission to change the world by bringing intention to how we love our children. She's launching a course and community in February, This Is How We Change The World, that you can access through this instagram link.In this conversation, Yvonne takes us on her journey from her own frustrations with her experiences as a parent to exploring the unconscious and developing her own model for what’s important in her life: tending to herself, embodying love, and impacting the world through conscious parenting.We touch on many important themes, from exploring the unconscious and the beliefs and stories we tell ourselves based on the behaviour of a child, to interpreting all behaviour as communication, enabling children to fulfil their own blueprint, along with the significance of giving them our time, attention, and presence.While acknowledging our humanity and flaws, we explore the process of rupture and repair within our relationships, the significance of heartfelt apologies, and the importance of empathising with children while taking accountability for our actions.Culminating in a beautiful realisation that conscious parenting is more about growing ourselves up than our children. If you are presently struggling with parenting or other close relationships, this episode will touch on a substantial number of themes that may be ripe for you to explore. Yvonne’s insights and very relatable experiences will help guide you towards the potential of better parenting and relating generally with others in your life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:03:30 How do I tend to myself, embody love, and change the world?07:45 The impact of your relationship style with your children13:15 Nurturing our children’s sense of self17:15 Presence and allowing their unfolding22:15 Empathising with your child27:05 Being invested but not overpowering32:00 Knowing our own values and surrendering43:05 Focussing on our own behaviour first47:15 The importance of tending to ourselves53:00 Handling ruptures and repairs in relationships01:01:28 What is a good life for Yvonne?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Yvonne's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisparentingadventure/- Yvonne's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-smyth-009645a/

On the 52nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am thrilled to introduce our guest, Martin Ebeling. Martin is a philosopher and the co-director of The School of Life Berlin. He is also the co-founder of the Pura Vida Festival Retreat. You can also follow his journey toward and exploration of co-flourishing on The Co-flourishing Project, where he writes under his alias Ocean.In this deeply insightful conversation, we delve into Martin’s exploration of the meaning of life and his shifting from a lone wolf to his fascination with co-flourishing. He shares how his recent insights on co-flourishing unfolded after a personal retreat in nature and silence, shedding light on valuable lessons we can draw from those experiences.We explore what has resonated with him in his research on co-flourishing, encompassing the practices he observed at the Zen monastery, Plum Village. Here, monks consistently share both their wonder in existence and their experiences with difficult emotions. Additionally, we touch on the neuroscience that suggests it takes more than one human brain to create a human mind and we reflect on the interdependent nature of our being.I found this conversation to be highly illuminating. We discuss numerous themes that can guide you toward leading a more connected life—connecting with yourself, fostering meaningful relationships with others, and cultivating a deeper connection with the world around you.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order:03:35 How can we co-flourish?07:34 We are part of an interdependent reality12:30 The lonely wolf and ego17:30 Finding clarity and courage in silence and nature22:30 Viewing other humans as expression of nature and life26:55 What does co-flourishing entail?31:30 The importance of listening and awareness37:45 The need to consistently share our emotions42:45 The neuroscience of co-flourishing49:30 Feeling an aliveness and trust56:10 What is a good life for Martin?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Martin's / Ocean's newsletter: https://coflourishing.substack.com/- Pura Vida Festival Retreat: https://www.puravida-festival.com/- Martin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-ebeling-9322222/

On the 51st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce Richard Merrick as our guest. Richard is a writer, who after decades of working inside the walls of convention, writes about the journey from working for others to finding our own path outside those walls, and supports small groups as they make theirs by walking with them.In this conversation, we explore the conditions that Richard incorporates into conversation groups to heighten connection, authenticity, an engagement with the unknown, and what is. We delve into the importance of letting go of being right, not having set objectives and agendas, disengaging to reengage, and turning up as who we are.We discuss the value of engaging with the unknown for building trust, our ability to make discoveries, for making real human connection, and for the melting of the old to form the new. We also explore the role the artisan plays in ushering in the new.For this project or otherwise, Richard is one of the wisest people I’ve talked to, typified by consistently reading 3 books a week for 50 years and his continued willingness to engage with not knowing in various aspects of life. There is so much to take from this episode regarding how you engage with other people, yourself, and life itself, and it may considerably alter your perspective on how you approach your various relationships, be it at work or in your personal life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order: 02:41 Sacred spaces for us to share our perspective and experiences in groups10:26 The formation of conversation groups in lockdown14:31 Being performative creates boundaries between us18:41 Conversations that leave you energised and play22:16 Taking time to disengage to reengage27:31 Fear of the unknown, rigidly following plans32:58 How did Richard begin to engage with the unknown?36:28 The freedom of being ourselves40:46 Empty spaces and the potential of creation and connection43:16 Not focussing on outcomes47:42 Artisans at the centre of epochal change and disruption52:14 The importance of accepting & acknowledging what is58:26 What is a good life for Richard?For further content and information check out the following:- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Richard's website: https://www.richardmerrick.co.uk/- Richard's newsletter: https://www.newartisans.net/