On the 20th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Pejman (PJ) Milani, who is the Content Creator at Milani Creative and the Media Arts Director, and a Teacher, at Episcopal High School.I follow PJ's daily content (@milanicreative) where he shares visual metaphors that simplify complex ideas, so I was intrigued to hear his thoughts on this question and the role creativity plays within that.In this episode we discuss the significance of creativity in terms of fulfilment, flow, connection, empathy, and self-expression. PJ also outlines how a daily creative practice enables us to handle ambiguity and develops greater problem solving capacities.While he takes us through his journey and motivation for all of his work - inspiring more people to a life of creativity, that leads to a more connected and creative world.If you don’t presently have a regular creative practice in your life, this episode will give you plenty to ponder, while for those that do, it will give you further inspiration to maintain and deepen that practice.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and reflections.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free 30 minute consultation for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order: 01:27 Podcast Begins01:56 Navigating the tension between ambition and contentment05:26 Overcoming resistance11:20 Taking your vessel out to sea14:51 Finding Balance17:48 Avoiding an autopilot existence21:44 The importance of a daily creative practice 28:26 Life is not a journey31:26 If we could all just be a little more creative…35:26 Colouring outside of the lines39:09 Creativity and empathy43:56 Creativity is good for the soul47:11 Thought, action, and experimenting50:37 Top tip for more creativity in your life 55:11 The beauty of creating just for ourselves58:25 What is a good life for PJ?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/- PJ's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pejmanmilani/- PJ's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milanicreative/

On the 19th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Dan Lawrence, who is Head of Consultancy at Dallington Associates, a Jungian Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, and a Social Dreaming Consultant.In this episode Dan takes us on a journey from questioning where thoughts come from as a child, to his investigations and work around dreams and social dreaming. While he also shares what he has learnt from his Zen practice, silent meditation retreats, mat surfing, and his recent intensive care unit experience in Malaysia. Dan’s life path to date includes being a Derivatives Trader for a decade, studying Theology, briefly considering priesthood, becoming a Jungian psychotherapist, offering Psychedelic integration therapy, all while practicing Zen for 25 years. His unique life experiences and perspectives make him one of the most insightful people I know. Through listening to this episode I am sure you’ll widen the scope of your investigation, and awareness, in contemplating what contributes to your own good life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and reflections.Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free 30 minute consultation for one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about corporate workshops I am offering around this question.Running Order: 01:40 Podcast begins02:00 where do thoughts come from?04:15 The nature of dreams09:10 Social Dreaming12:50 Waking and sleeping dreams16:37 Infant Observation21:40 A Social Unconscious25:20 Another language31:15 Facilitating mobility and spaciousness35:26 Importance of dreaming in understanding40:47 The trouble with dismissing dreams43:55 The compensatory nature of dream46:48 Not knowing is most intimate50:07 An intensive care unit experience56:32 Connection with aliveness1:01:25 Can you handle joy and awe1:06:15 What is a good life for Dan?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 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-lawrence-1537271b/- Dan's company website: https://www.theunthoughtknown.com/

On the 18th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Hannah Genton, who is a Co-Founder at CGL LLP, a law firm she established, a speaker on Innovation in the Law and Work Models for Mental Health, and a Death Doula.I contacted Hannah for this conversation after reading an amazing viral post of hers that very authentically depicted the challenge of juggling the big law career and raising a baby. This experience proved to be the inspiration for setting up a law firm that accommodated other approaches to working in this industry (“I had the sense that work should adapt to life, not the other way around”- from the post).In this episode we discuss Hannah’s approach to developing authenticity and truly living her values, setting up the law firm, her self-reflection practices and how they have affected her approach to life, her experiences of working with the dying, and what she is learning from parenting with regards play, curiosity, and letting go of fixed plans and outcomes.Hannah provides a great example of someone consciously constructing their life around their values, so I took a lot from this conversation as I am sure you will too.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and reflections.Running Order:01:37 Podcast begins02:35 How can I be authentically me?05:52 Setting up her own law firm09:51 The feeling of aligning with values13:07 When your values are clear decisions are easy14:20 Journey of self-reflection18:51 Experiencing death early in life and working with the dying22:04 Common threads of conversations with the dying25:53 Finding meaning28:35 The importance of curiosity in relating to people32:25 Journey with Authenticity36:02 Fun and creativity42:02 Lessons from kids and curiosity46:30 What is a good life for Hannah?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/- Hannah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahgenton/- Hannah's company website: https://cgl-llp.com/

On the 17th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Bayo Akomolafe, who is a widely celebrated international speaker, posthumanist thinker, poet, professor, public intellectual, essayist, and author. Bayo is the Founder of The Emergence Network, he currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California, and the University of Vermont, and was appointed the inaugural Global Senior Fellow of the University of California’s (Berkeley) Othering and Belonging Institute. He has also been appointed Senior Fellow for The New Institute in Hamburg, Germany.In this episode, Bayo shares with us his journey of moving beyond the confines of final statements, final destinations, and boundaries, to an ongoing emergence, or flow. This conversation delves into the abstract, the philosophical, and the practical, as well as Bayo’s personal experiences of what his son with Autism is teaching him about wisdom.We discuss the importance of cultivating bewilderment, wonder and inquiry, and disrupting the logic of continuity, for new ideas and solutions to emerge - to break the cycle of problems and solutions feeding each other. This episode will challenge your thinking and perhaps inspire you to new ways of problem solving and understanding, while it may also require you to listen with more than your ears and your mind.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and reflections.Running Order: 01:44 Podcast begins02:42 Is there pain in Heaven?05:12 Is there another colour?08:02 A problem with a "perfect" city12:44 Creating the space for observing the emergent17:13 The role of the monster / questioning stability21:36 Holding fixed views when everything is in flux23:29 There isn’t an originary point to return to31:44 His son becomes his teacher and coach40:14 Shifting perspectives to navigate the world42:59 Communicating from a different dimension of thought45:39 Rejecting walls49:17 What’s more than a solution?55:04 What’s required beyond information?59:09 What is a good life for Bayo?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/- Bayo's Website: https://www.emergencenetwork.org/- Bayo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayoakomolafe/

On the 16th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Diane Button, who is the author of the bestselling book, Dear Death: Finding Meaning in Life, Peace in Death, and Joy in an Ordinary Day. She holds a Master's in Counselling Psychology, is a practicing end-of-life doula and a lead instructor at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s EOL Doula Certificate Program. In this episode Diane shares the 4 pillars of a meaningful life that she identified through interviewing people over the age of 75 who were fully content with how they lived. We discuss what she has learned about relationships, forgiveness, self-acceptance, and self-reflection, through working with people at the end of their lives.While the conversation further reinforces for me the importance of regularly contemplating life through the lens of death in building my own good life. As it is filled with heartfelt insights, wisdom, and practical tools for living a life of greater reflection, connection, less regret, and for finding meaning.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and weekly reflections.Running Order: 01:28 Podcast Begins04:48 Developing an acceptance of death08:58 The journey towards working with the dying11:18 Identifying 4 pillars of a meaningful life 15:48 Developing Self-acceptance 19:38 Seeing the beauty in yourself20:27 The power of authentic conversations 23:39 Relieving fear and bringing more ease to the dying27:42 Doing Life Reviews 30:03 There is life until the end32:18 Forgiveness 37:00 Not everyone wants to address death when dying39:38 How often do we give someone 100% of our attention?42:40 How can we embrace and not fear death so much?46:30 Beautiful experiences when people near death48:50 The journey inward at the end of life50:16 Observing the end of life53:33 What is a good life for Diane?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/- Diane's Website: https://www.dianebutton.com/

On the 15th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Benjamin Western, who is the Founder at The Shining Light Project, a trustee at Hope & Aid Direct, and Head of Sustainability at LRQA.This episode is different from the others, as this is more a conversation than an interview, and we are focussing on the teachings of Anthony De Mello.Anthony De Mello was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher and author of several spiritual books, two of which, Awareness and The Way to Love, have had a huge impact on both mine and Benjamin's lives.In this episode we explore and reflect on the core teachings of De Mello, essentially that our attachments in life are making us suffer. We explore where we as humans are most attached, to possessions, caring what people think of us, achievement, habits, our beliefs, and our proclivity to chase thrills and excitement rather than what brings us real happiness.I loved discussing these themes with Benjamin, who is a wise and thoughtful soul, and it will give you plenty to contemplate in terms of your present attachments in life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and weekly reflections.Running Order: 01:34 Podcast begins02:09 Discovering the work of Anthony De Mello07:07 Attachments are the source of our misery10:04 Our happiness is contingent on so many things12:19 Do you realise what you are attached to?15:14 The hardest thing to accept in his teachings20:24 Exploring an attachment to life25:22 Unhealthy attachments that are normalised28:34 Awareness of attachments 31:34 Letting go doesn’t mean renunciation33:46 Do you accept yourself or others as they are?37:54 Being who you were meant to be41:04 What lens do you view the world through?44:34 Be wary of the labels you apply to others46:18 World feelings v Soul feelings52:14 Joy in difficult circumstances55:34 Explore your attachments playfully58:49 Humour in the human predicament1:02:04 What is a good life for Benjamin?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/- Benjamin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwestern/

On the 14th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Charlotte Wiedemann, who is a Journalist and a Death Doula. Through her journalism work, she is creating greater awareness of death, funeral, and grief issues, and at Ahorn Gruppe, where she currently works, she has helped to amass a following of almost 200k people on TikTok through discussing these themes.In this episode we discuss our societal difficulties in talking about death, our repression of emotions, beautiful moments within suffering, how we can support people experiencing loss, the aliveness and gratitude for life Charlotte experiences through working with the dead, and how birth, life and death are so deeply intertwined. Charlotte also shares some profound exercises and thoughts with regards contemplating death to create a better life.Paradoxically, I found this discussion around death to be extremely enlivening, and it further enhances my perspective that the more we avoid acknowledging death, the more we fear fully living. This conversation left me with A LOT to contemplate, as I’m sure it will for you too.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and weekly reflections.Running Order: 01:23 Podcast Begins02:16 Inquiry with death begins04:46 Difficulties with talking about death08:14 Repression of emotions09:45 Picturing yourself on your own death bed11:38 It’s ok to have regrets with the dying16:21 Moments of beauty in sadness20:23 You can’t fix death or make it better, just be there for people22:55 There are many moments of loss in life25:43 Prolonging of life28:55 Magical moments in death34:00 How the experience of birth led to deathcare39:25 The effect of working with a dead body42:07 Bringing the conservation around death to a wider audience45:28 What is a good death?48:42 What is a good life for Charlotte?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/- Charlotte's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-wiedemann-71614b17/

On the 13th episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by David McQueen. David is an Executive Coach, a Keynote Speaker, and an executive and non-executive director for several businesses.In this episode David takes us through the role compassion plays in his life - for himself, for others, in reconnecting with nature, in building community, and in contributing to others. While we also discuss anything from the supernatural, imposter syndrome, the importance of knowing when enough is enough materially and to ultimately following your own path.This conversation resonated with me a lot, and David provides a great example of someone who is consciously carving out his own version of a good life. The episode is filled with insights and reflections that will give you plenty to ponder in terms of experiencing more compassion for yourself and those around you.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and weekly reflections.Running Order: 01:15 Podcast begins02:18 What would it take for us to have more compassion?05:32 Convenience over compassion?12:20 Humans are selfish15:18 Community and self-connection18:45 We are all connected22:50 The void of religion26:58 Wrestling in my mind between the skeptic & the spiritual29:30 Reconnecting with Nature34:10 Switching off38:15 Moving from surviving to thriving40:15 Regrets of the dying42:38 Giving back45:45 What really brings us happiness49:00 Time alone & balance50:40 Seeing life as an adventure54:45 What is a good life for David?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/- David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrdavidmcqueen/- David's website: https://www.davidmcqueen.co.uk/ 

On the 12th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am joined by Alison Taylor, who is a Clinical Professor at NYU Stern School of Business, Executive Director at Ethical Systems, and is writing a book for the Harvard Business Review Press on how business can do the right thing in a turbulent world.In this episode Alison describes how curiosity has been her main driving force in life, taking her on a journey from investigating corporate corruption on several continents to teaching at NYU. She talks about embracing adventure, playing to your strengths, loving your work, and the importance of contributing to what you care about to remain optimistic in the face of a tumultuous world.Given both our proclivities for jumping continents and careers at various points in life, I took a lot of inspiration from her story, and success, of backing herself and going her own way - as I’m sure you will too.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and weekly reflections.Running Order: 01:08 Podcast begins02:30 Stories versus Facts06:09 What does it take for society's values to shift?07:40 Optimism for humans?12:30 Playing to your strengths / contributing to what you care about15:10 Curiosity & Humility19:50 Not having a long term plan23:50 Trust and developing a sense of self26:07 I know who I am / what I want27:50 The power of humility & experimenting33:40 Loving your work37:20 Being yourself in a world telling you to be something else40:55 Summary of themes in the conversation43:22 What is a good life for Alison?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/- Alison's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/followalisont/

On the eleventh episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Darragh Power, who is researching and writing a book on wisdom.If you are feeling stuck, are being too hard on yourself, and are in need of some inspiration and tools to progress, this episode will be for you.In this conversation we talk about the importance of quests and curiosity in unlocking our potential and motivation, seeing wisdom in the everyday and ourselves, feeling alive in one’s life, how to presently see ourselves as being enough, as well as holding wider philosophical views to help us feel more ease with the constant chatter and reactions of the mind.While Darragh has a wonderfully grounded and practical wisdom to listen along to, where he is as likely to draw from Shakespeare or Socrates in one sentence, as he is from his Granny or a friend in the next. Darragh is a lifelong learner, having completed 3 Masters to date, he lectures part-time at DCU, and is a Senior Director at SAP, in learning design and coaching roles.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and weekly reflections.Running Order: 01:36 What is a wise being?07:21 Observing wisdom in the everyday 09:09 Asking questions to unlock your motivation/potential/future12:51 Engaging with the unknown16:11 Finding balance between your soul and your responsibility21:11 Deficiency in our senses and education26:11 Feeling alive29:11 The Universal nature of aliveness and wisdom30:41 Grounded wisdom35:21 Seeing the opportunity in adversity39:16 Seeing ourselves as enough43:11 Being ok with your thinking and its fluctuations47:41 The peace of the present moment49:41 Getting ok with the mind’s fluctuations52:31 Compassion for ourselves and others54:51 Everyone is wise1:01:31 What is a good life for Darragh?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/- Darragh's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darraghpower/