Reconsidering

John Maeda would rather be curious than afraid, despite the tectonic shifts in our world. AI—artificial intelligence—is reaching new milestones that foreshadow big changes in many careers. Some ignore what’s on the horizon, others acknowledge what’s to come but are paralyzed by fear. John Maeda takes a different approach: he just keeps reinventing himself. John jumped from MIT where he was a professor deeply invested in technology to the Rhode Island School of Design where he shook up the traditional notions of creativity. He then went on to Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers where he brought design and venture capital closer together. In this episode, John shares why he’s always starting over and reconsidering his assumptions and he lays out some of his principles for embracing career and life changes. Show notes and links: http://reconsidering.org/episodes/24 This episode is proudly sponsored by Indeed.design.

Life is hard. We want to think that isn’t the case but again and again, the universe shows us we’re wrong. We face loss, periods of illness and infirmity, and failure. Such is the human condition and there is no escaping these essential truths. Where better to turn for comfort, insight, and wisdom than the great minds of philosophy that came before us? Our guest, Kieren Setiya, professor of philosophy at MIT, has been on the show before and he's back to share what he's learned writing his most recent book, Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find our Way. Kieren’s writings have appeared in London Review of Books, The New York Times, Aeon, and elsewhere. Kieren’s unique and thoughtful writings and teaching won’t necessarily make life any less hard but they will give you some tools, frameworks, and perspective to think differently about the challenges of life and in the end, what other kind of comfort is there? Show notes and links: http://reconsidering.org/episodes/23

“No regrets.” You’ve heard people proclaim it as a philosophy of life. That’s nonsense, even dangerous, says Dan Pink in his latest book The Power of Regret. Everybody has regrets. They’re a fundamental part of our lives. And if we reckon with them in fresh and imaginative ways, we can enlist our regrets to make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and deepen our sense of meaning and purpose. In this episode, NYTimes best selling author Dan Pink shares what he learned from his World Regret Survey that collected data from more than 16,000 people in 105 countries. Four core regrets emerged that most people have, and Dan breaks each one down. He also tells us how we can make better life decisions to avoid the most unforgiving of regrets. Show notes and resources mentioned in this episode: http://reconsidering.org/episodes/22

Now that season 2 has wrapped, the Reconsidering team is taking a break. Season 3 is already coming together with exciting new interviews that will further illuminate the elements of a satisfying life. Kieran Setiya will be back to talk about his new book, Life is hard, which explores philosophical insights that can set us on the right path. Dan Pink will share the power of regret and how it can actually help us live a more fulfilling life. And we’re working on a special 5 episode series in partnership with our friends at Indeed that will feature inspiring people like Leslie Witt of Headspace and John Maeda. It’s going to be an epic season and we’re launching September 20. If you have any feedback that will help us improve the show or you just want to say hi, shoot us a message at http://reconsidering.org/contact. We’ll be back on September 20 with season 3 of Reconsidering.

In this episode, Ed Batista discusses the benefits of self-coaching in professional development, shifting from a warrior to a sage mindset for personal growth. The conversation explores coaching methodologies, mindful decision-making, embracing growth through self-trust, and cultivating deliberate habits for success.

In this engaging discussion, Kaushik Panchal, a designer, writer, and creative director, challenges the notion that creativity is reserved for the elite. He emphasizes creativity as a journey and a learning tool, advocating for embracing mistakes and curiosity. The conversation dives into how vulnerability enhances creativity and the importance of community connection through art, especially during the pandemic. With anecdotes on fostering a growth mindset and the joy of tackling challenges, Kaushik inspires listeners to rediscover and embrace their creative potential.

If the past few years have taught us anything it is this: don’t get too attached to your plans. Or as Patricia Ryan Madson might put it, “Life is something we all make up as we go along.” For many of us, the improvisational life can feel awkward, uncomfortable, and even frightening. But with some practice, reflection, and a slight shift in attitude, it can lead us to a life filled with YES! One where opportunities and adventures flow naturally into our lives—ones that we willingly embrace and follow just to see where they might lead us next. In this episode we’re going to learn about the practice of improv from Patricia Ryan Madson, author of “Improve Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up”. Over a career that spans some four decades, Patricia has taught improv to thousands of students at Stanford, online, and at the storied Esalen Institute in Northern California. It’s going to be a great conversation…wherever it might go. Show notes and transcripts can be found at: https://reconsidering.org/episodes/19

In this special rewind episode, we re-air one of our most popular interviews that guests on the show have often cited as a favorite. In it Brad Stulberg shares practical guidance to get out of the grind and build a more grounded life. Hustle culture keeps us grinding, busy, overcommitted, rushed, and subsequently ungrounded. It’s a phenomenon Brad Stulberg calls “heroic individualism” and it’s something he knows all too well from his own life and his performance coaching work with people doing their best to reach their peak. Brad wants to shake us out of the hustle mindset and help us find a more grounded, sustainable existence. His book The Practice of Groundedness provides the framework. In our conversation with Brad he shows us how to neutralize negative talk, be present in the moment, and recognize that how we spend our time day to day is ultimately how we spend our life. Transcript, links, and show notes: https://reconsidering.org/episodes/7

At some point we all struggle with stress, anxiety, and incessant overthinking. Meredith Arthur, author of Get Out of My Head, is on a mission to help us find strategies for defusing these emotional bombs. Meredith founded Beautiful Voyager, an online community where people discuss mental health challenges and support one another on their journey. In this episode we talk with Meredith about her own struggles with mental health and how to muster the courage to admit to our own limitations so we can find a more peaceful path. You'll find a transcript and links to all resources mentioned at http://reconsidering.org/episodes/18

In his New York Times bestselling book Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman writes, “The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short. But that isn’t a reason for unremitting despair, or for living in an anxiety-fueled panic about making the most of your limited time. It’s a cause for relief. You get to give up on something that was always impossible – the quest to become the optimized, infinitely capable, emotionally invincible, fully independent person you’re officially supposed to be. Then you get to roll up your sleeves and start work on what’s gloriously possible instead.” In this episode Burkeman presents us with an entirely different way of thinking about time management and our futile attempt to squeeze every ounce of productivity from our already short lives – telling us instead to relax and embrace what is possible, acknowledging and accepting the fact that doing it all was never really an option anyway. You'll find the show notes and a transcript of our conversation at https://reconsidering.org/episodes/16