What is a Good Life?

On the 85th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jon Alexander. Jon is the author of CITIZENS: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us, a book that seeks to reframe the current moment as one of immense civic opportunity rather than merely a time of crisis and collapse.In 2014, Jon co-founded the New Citizenship Project, a strategy and innovation consultancy that aims to shift the dominant societal narrative from Consumer to Citizen. He is a Fellow of the Young Foundation, a founding member of the OECD's Innovative Citizen Participation Network, a Strategic Advisor to DemocracyNext, and a member of the Leadership Council of the Democracy and Culture Foundation. Additionally, Jon has represented Great Britain in both rowing and triathlon.In this inspiring conversation, Jon shares his journey of building greater trust in himself and others, which has shaped his ideas about evolving from a Consumer story to a Citizen story. In this new narrative, we expand our self-interest, connection, and sense of belonging, embracing the uncertainty we collectively face. We discuss the importance of stories over data, becoming who we want to be, reflection, and the immense satisfaction of being part of something bigger than ourselves.If you feel somewhat stuck and perhaps overwhelmed by the mounting crises, and if you are looking to reengage with a sense of agency and empowerment, this episode, along with Jon’s journey, will give you much to contemplate, as well as inspiration for action.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Jon's book & website: https://www.jonalexander.net/Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-alexander-11b66345/Jon's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonjalex- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction02:55 Consumer Story & Citizen Story05:35 What would you do if you believed in yourself & others09:15 Self interest and expanded self-interest13:05 Human and community and connection16:45 Stories and connection over data21:55 Collectively becoming who we want to be25:55 Pretending we have answers and solutions30:40 Safe uncertainty34:35 A need for belonging, community, and contribution38:20 Trusting others43:55 Time to reflect and portals50:55 Not something to give up but to gain55:55 What is a good life for Jon?

Wakanyi Hoffman, an artist of life and Ubuntu philosopher, shares her insights on integrating ancient wisdom into modern life. She explores themes of solidarity, compassion, and dignity, advocating for a relinquishing of control to foster personal and societal growth. Reflecting on the pandemic's impact, she emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with cultural roots. The discussion also touches on the evolution beyond capitalism towards community values and the joy of embracing life’s natural flow, encouraging a more connected and aware humanity.

On the 83rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Tom Morgan. Tom has spent the last 20 years in markets, on both the buy and sell sides. He has worked at several investment banks on Wall Street and his most recent role was with the wealth manager Sapient Capital. He describes himself as a "curiosity sherpa"; he spends his life seeking out the most interesting ideas and thinkers for curious people. He has just co-founded The Leading Edge, a network for curious people focused on their personal evolution, and he is also the writer of The Leading Edge newsletter. He graduated from Oxford University with an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.In this enlightening conversation, Tom muses on whether we realise that the universe loves us. He shares his experiences of struggling with mental and spiritual health, highlights the significance of experiencing flow in a meaningful way, discusses the importance of being honest with ourselves and the world around us, and explores the relationship between disclosing truth and the synchronicity we experience.Tom shares many insightful anecdotes and experiences throughout this conversation, making this episode ideal for anyone feeling stuck in life, considering career transitions, facing challenges with their well-being, or struggling to see the signs that the world or universe may be offering.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:The Leading Edge Website: https://www.theleading-edge.org/Tom's Newsletter: https://newsletter.theleading-edge.org/X: @tomowenmorgan- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction02:40 Does the universe love me?06:10 To what degree are we free?08:25 Flowing in a meaningful way & synchronicity12:40 The importance of discernment16:40 Experiencing highly contrasting states & sensitivity 23:05 The power of truth in experiencing reality28:54 The failing of our language and love30:50 Sharing with the intention of helping others34:10 Sharing our inner world37:40 Flow, earnings, and the value of containers46:20 Navigating career transition50:10 Not feeling anything 54:30 Insights from suffering58:20 What level of suffering is necessary?1:01:10 What is a good life for Tom?

On the 82nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Parneet Pal, MBBS, MS. Parneet is a Harvard- and Columbia-trained physician-educator who teaches skills and communicates ideas that advance personal, workplace, and planetary health. She is the founder of Systematically Well Advisory Inc., where she applies her expertise to enhance health and performance and their impact on business leadership. Her goal is to make you fall in love with your biology so that it works for you, your work, and the planet. She works with business teams and global organisations to address workplace stress, burnout, loneliness, and sustainability.Parneet speaks at global conferences such as Web Summit and TED Countdown and guest lectures at several universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia. She has been a TEDMED scholar, a Harvard Business Review contributor, and has been featured on the cover of Mindful magazine.In this enlightening conversation, Parneet shares her explorations around what true health is, moving away from siloed approaches to well-being to consider social, economic, ecological, and environmental factors. She shares remarkable insights from what our biology suggests a good life is, as well as major realisations she has made in her own life in relation to nature, community, mindfulness, and compassion. This whole conversation is full of life-affirming messages around the wonder, design, and miracle of life. Parneet is an absolute fountain of knowledge and embodied compassion, and this episode will fill you with gratitude to simply exist in this world and for the very life we live.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Parneet's Website: https://www.parneetpal.com/Parneet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parneetpal/IG: @pal.parneet   X: @parneet_pal  - 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:01 Introduction03:17 Exploring what true health actually means05:37 What makes the cells in my body sing09:57 The connection between health and sustainability 16:47 The impact of meaning and connection on our health24:02 Recognising the body as part of nature29:28 Stepping away from clinical practice 34:07 The importance of embodying compassion40:57 Appreciating the significance of community49:12 Breathing in the world and the miracle of life54:07 What is a good life for Parneet?

On the 81st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Patrick McAndrew. Patrick, a global thought leader on productivity and performance, empowers professionals to escape the "Productivity Paradox" - the illusion that being busy equals progress. As the founder of HARA, an inner circle for exceptional entrepreneurs and leaders, Patrick equips individuals with practical tools to reclaim focus, boost productivity, and achieve extraordinary results in a world of constant distractions. He provides teams with tools to tame distractions, prioritise what matters most, and develop resilience.In this beautiful conversation, Patrick takes us on his exploration of various cognitive and biological functions to what is now a journey to the heart, moving from fragmentation and mechanistic approaches to life towards greater alignment, embodiment, and a sense of being. He shares beautiful anecdotes and wisdom observed from his mother in her final months and his experience of caring for her, as well as the realisations he has made from his own closely examined life. He touches on various modalities he has explored to live a more connected life, as well as tools and perspectives he shares with his clients to allow greater acceptance and connection to flourish in their own lives.This episode has a lot to offer. Whether you are seeking greater clarity in life, have implemented many processes for “optimising” your life and still feel something is missing, or knowing that something intangible is within your reach but you feel lost in that process, this episode offers multiple insights for your own contemplation.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Patrick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmcandrewonline/Patrick's website: https://www.patrickmcandrew.coPatrick's newsletter: https://patrickmcandrew.substack.com- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:25 Who am I in this moment?06:50 Moving from mental inquiries to the heart12:55 Lessons from his mother18:50 Not seeking approval & letting go of constructs26:50 Connection is much closer than we think28:30 Contact and awareness of impulses and cravings33:20 Finding clarity and guidance in life38:00 The significance of resting within yourself42:30 Letting go of our judgements and identifying needs52:40 A reconnection to wild and wisdom1:02:05 What is a good life for Patrick?

On the 80th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jonny Thomson. Jonny was a teacher for over a decade before he turned to writing full-time. He is a columnist at Big Think, where he writes primarily about philosophy, theology, and psychology, and is the author of three books. His first book, Mini Philosophy, is an award-winning international bestseller and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Jonny also runs the popular social media account Philosophy Minis, with a quarter of a million followers, where he explains philosophical ideas in short, accessible digests. He lives in a village in North Oxfordshire with his wife and two sons.In this engaging conversation, Jonny shares his thoughts on contemplating death and how it can guide us in living a good life. We discuss the importance of finding meaning beyond our own lives and moments of feeling part of something bigger. We also explore the potential impact of AI and what it reveals about being human. While Jonny reflects on his shift towards a Daoist perspective and how this has influenced both his path and sense of purpose.Throughout the conversation, Jonny highlights essential components of contemplation and ways of engaging with life that can bring greater purpose, contentment, and meaning. If you feel that your life needs a change or that it feels somewhat stifled, this episode will provide much to consider.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Jonny's first book, Mini PhilosophyJonny's Website: https://miniphilosophy.com/Jonny's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philosophyminis/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:20 The power of contemplating death06:20 The shift in magnetic poles from having kids12:25 Something beyond your own life20:00 The future of humanity and AI26:25 Human frailty and connection in art32:40 Our proclivity for convenience35:20 A Daoist perspective to finding your path45:20 Hearing a voice and inner guide51:19 What is a good life for Jonny?

On the 79th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jen Cohen. Jen is a Co-Founder and Director of Seven Stones Leadership, a leadership journeys company, and the Director of Coaching Education for Mobius Executive Leadership, a global boutique consulting firm serving Fortune 500 companies. She is the co-author, with Gina LaRoche, of The 7 Laws of Enough, and the author of the chapter “From Surviving to Thriving” in the book Being Human at Work, edited by Richard Strozzi Heckler.Her coaching and training are distinguished by her studies in several communication technologies, along with quantum physics, ontology, neuroscience, psychology, trauma—both individual and collective—somatics, and systems thinking. Jen is a Master Certified Somatic Coach with the Strozzi Institute and holds a master’s degree in Applied Psychology with an emphasis on systems theory.In this captivating conversation, Jen shares with us her lifelong questioning of what is truth and what is reality. She speaks of her journey from experiencing trauma in her childhood, to continually seeking a sense of truth, and the emergence of her path and experiences with bodywork and healing. We explore the process of transmutation and extracting wisdom from our experiences, the sense of something bigger being at play that is moving us, the process of how purpose synchronistically arises, and living a life that ultimately brings her closer and closer into contact with reality.Whatever you may be going through in life, this conversation will provide you with considerable inspiration as to what can become of our lives if we do not look away from reality but walk towards it. While Jen shares her considerable wisdom and insights from her own examined life of inquiry, giving us all much to contemplate.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Seven Stones Leadership website: https://www.sevenstonesleadership.com/Jen's book: https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Enough-Cultivating-Sustainable-Abundance/dp/1941529909Jen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifercohen7s/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:45 What is the truth? What is reality?10:30 We are in relationship with everything13:30 Extracting wisdom from experiences19:35 Finding truth and reality through the body27:45 The wisdom of the body30:45 Trauma of the past becoming present and future33:45 The desire to seek truth through trauma36:15 The feeling that something bigger is happening39:15 Exploring how purpose arises46:15 Finding the path as a healer53:35 What is a good life for Jen?

On the 78th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Simon van der Els, PhD. Simon is a student of the invisible realm. He holds a PhD in the empirical tradition of molecular microbiology and also explores the subjective realm of shamanism as a way of rediscovering the interiority of the living cosmos. He enjoys time in nature, dance, and other sensory embodied experiences. Dialogue is one of the practices in which he can encounter a flow state, and it is one of his favourite activities.In this glorious conversation, Simon shares his explorations of a greater sense of being in life. He highlights the importance of connection—to ourselves, each other, and the biosphere—in terms of feeling a deeper sense of being and belonging that goes beyond temporary moments of flow or peak experiences. We touch on the grief that is necessary to navigate in order to feel the depths of love and joy that are freely available to us, and that much of the way is more about remembering and resting than turning life into checklists for being and productivity.If you are struggling to feel a greater sense of being or alignment in life, or if your explorations into being have yielded more processes and things to do in order to be, this conversation will point to fundamental aspects of being that could greatly shift your present perspectives and experience of life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Simon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-van-der-els-phd-66434b231/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:07 How to be in this life between worlds?08:07 Peak experiences and broadening our aperture 14:32 Remembering a way of being and connection19:17 The grief and love through coming home 24:02 The sense of loneliness in the world27:22 We need to remember, feel, and sense33:31 The shift from compulsive thought to sensory experience39:27 The role of grief and presencing 43:07 It is all about connection46:27 The experience and challenges of a new sense of being50:07 The journey of becoming and joy54:37 Letting go of the checklists in life59:15 What is a good life for Simon?

Tom Hirons, a poet and storyteller, discusses his poetic journey, wilderness fasting for self-discovery, balancing spirit and soul, and the importance of living out his nature and soul image. The podcast explores poetry as a passport, transformative experiences, embracing imperfection, and the significance of culture in living authentically.

Writer, speaker, and activist Parker J. Palmer discusses his journey of listening to life, prioritizing authenticity over nobility, and finding clarity through silence. He shares experiences of depression, embracing limitations, and the transformative power of solitude. The episode delves into themes of vocation, self-discovery, and living a good life through gratitude and generosity.