Alchemy For Life - How to's, observations, and tangible doable solutions to reduce stress, get control, have more fun.

I've done two podcast episodes on large language models. I recently spun up and installed a large language model locally on my computer and built a project around it. I'm an avid user of echoes from Amazon. I have had Grammarly kick in to spellcheck for me. I tell my phone to add an appointment […] The post A Dire Warning: the MIT study and ChatGPT first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Helpful episodes Every year I create a list of the top, most useful and helpful episodes of the previous year. This year because there has been a lot of interaction on current episodes. I've decided to do a midyear pause and reflect if you will. Here are the top episodes in 2025 so far Manuel […] The post What episodes are notable in 2025 so far? first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Speaking to the manager I want to speak to the manager. Rather, I want to speak to your manager. What do you think of when I say that? Do you think of the structure of your current employer? Do you make a joke that it's your cat? Is there a spouse joke in there for […] The post Hypnosis and speaking to your manager. first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

A philosophical question for you. Don't forget you can pause the episode to consider the question(s) as you move forward. How would you answer? Alchemy for Life™ podcast explores themes of experimental psychology, relationships, cognitive science, human behavior, mental models, consciousness, and psychological insights. We uncover hidden truths and ways to improve your life and […] The post Good or Evil? first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Let's talk about non-local consciousness, who you're really talking to when you're on the phone, what happens to me and possibly you when something is put on the back burner, and wish a Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the United States, Brazil, Germany, India, China and Japan. The post Non-Local Consciousness first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Getting energy and giving energy One of the things I've said from the very beginning is that a thing can give one person energy and take energy from another. in other words, one person's activity that energizes them could also really be draining for another. But that giving of energy is also taking energy. Nobody […] The post Meaningful Exhaustion and the energy transfer first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

The normal format for this show is to introduce you to something and raise your perception. Then we discuss it and you typically leave with homework. This time you are giving me homework. Let's talk about the importance of feedback and how each and every one of us has a struggle. What's yours? The post Question Mark – Oh how the tables have turned first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

We all know what it is. We have all done it. We've all had it done to us. Let's talk about when it's appropriate when it's not, and why it can be so frustrating. The post The Anatomy of Ghosting first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Time is money You've heard that phrase and it is often accompanied by someone clapping, tapping their foot, or some other show of impatience. Chop chop, time is money. In our world of Time, Energy and Resources as separate entities, they are saying time is resources, aren't they? But it's actually more accurate to same […] The post Time is sometimes money but is always Energy first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Fair & Square Here are the rules of the square and triangle universe. There are other rules but these are the most obvious. Listen to the podcast and tell me what you would do as a square. I'm looking for an answer… So what would you do? Are you a Square or a Triangle? The post The amazing, frustrating, daunting world of squares and triangles first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

A while back we talked about the importance of a catalog and your awareness of that. By revisiting that we are demonstrating (in a rather meta way) the importance of revisiting it. And let's add how that affects your facets too. Catalog A catalog covers anything and everything you do. This then gets distilled down […] The post Your Catalog and Your Facets first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

I like to apply analogical reasoning, You can call it conceptual metaphors. And if both of those are confusing, how about applying the concept of one domain to another. Still confused? For example, we talked about liminal spaces which don't look or sound right. But you can then take that into the emotional domain and […] The post Intellectual Injury—what the heck is that? first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

You are living in an era that is coming to an end. There was a time when all pictures were in black-and-white because that was the technology we had. Most people were fit, and men typically wore suits even at baseball games. Then pictures, had color, but it was of a not true to life […] The post Old Photos and Robots first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

I have a new book coming out. it's my 10th, and it's based on my take on the pleasure principle and what I believe is a layer just above it. It's what allows us to accomplish things that others do not. It's what prevents us from doing things that we think we should be able […] The post The pleasure principle and a new book first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

(and how it might help you tell your own story) Telling a story in an unfamiliar medium with constraints you're not accustomed to is a common theme in business. You may be the best story teller in your circle/medium/genre but if you need to tell your story outside of that it can be a challenge, […] The post What I learned writing a screenplay first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Q&A and the answer (That's so meta) Have you ever helped a friend who has a question or a conundrum, and the answer was so obvious to you that you easily spelled it out for them? You felt pretty smart. You noticed at some point that when you've had issues you turn to others for […] The post Teacher, Teach Thyself first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

A tale of disconnected happiness or Benign Violation Theory. Allow me to tell you a tale of disconnected happiness. Perhaps you can relate? Helpful related (or referenced) episodes: Have something to say? Come talk about it on Patreon. The post Do you experience Disconnected Happiness? first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Modes What mode are you in right now? You may intuitively know exactly what I'm talking about. Ever interrupt a conversation and the person changes their conversation style/demeanor? That's an example of someone switching modes. Are modes just putting a mask on, or being disingenuous? No, like so many things in experimental psychology, I look […] The post Dramaturgy, Role Theory and Modes first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Meet Manuel Rendon, certified polymer science inventor and CEO of Timeplast, Inc. My first interview episode of 2025. Manuel joins the ranks of Scott Adams, the late John McAfee and others. 4d matter In the world of plastics, everything pretty much repels water. But what if you could create a plastic that truly dissolves in […] The post Manuel Rendon of Timeplast and 4d programmable matter first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Welcome to 2025. As with last year, we are selecting the most helpful and useful episodes of the previous year. Of course I feel that all of the episodes are useful and helpful. Each one has a use, a point, and a tangible takeaway. Each one is a unique perspective on something you're familiar with […] The post Most useful and helpful episodes of 2024! first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Resolutions—what works and what doesn't and why. It's really important that you don't repeat the same things that didn't work last time. You want to make this time to be different. Levels As we mentioned in the Labels episode, we like to label things because it's a shortcut. And that can make you dumber or […] The post Resolutions—what works and what doesn't first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

This is a separate article that goes with this podcast episode. it is not a transcript but rather an alternate summary of what the episode is about. NOTE: Depression, and worse (the meaning of “throwing away the container”) is a delicate subject. The truth is that all mental health is a delicate subject, as is […] The post Depression and throwing away the container first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Guess who has this one?

Social Media and You If you're on social media, whether it's the Boomers Gone Wild of Facebook, the Graphic (in many ways) Instagram, the Millennial-Controlled Tiktok or the ‘business-oriented' Linkedin, you will see the kind of posts I'm about to talk about. Drawing a line in the sand… in your face Some people post things […] The post The Silence of Success first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Exotic Cars When people purchase exotic cars, they are sometimes hit with something called deferred maintenance. As with many car buyers, they see the value of purchasing a car used. The positive of that is that they get a car they want at a dramatically reduced price. The downside is sometimes that they hadn't considered […] The post Deferred Gratitude and Exotic Cars first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

A new formula Here's an interesting concept for you, just when you thought you understood that life is made of three things: Time, Energy and Resources. But after ll, this is alchemy. Time, Energy and Resources Alchemy for Life™ has always been about life being three things. And we spend those three things on five […] The post Time and energy = space first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

What is Positivity? You may think that ‘positivity' doesn't belong with such states of being as OCD, Anxiety, ADHD and the others featured in this 13-part series, but I think it does because it is markedly different than the average person. Positivity isn't just being nice. Positivity isn't being positive blindly. It is a state […] The post Is Positivity just oblivious contentment? first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Forced Emergency Responders and “Love Bombing.” Emergency Responders and the 2:00am call for a wooden spoon When we think of emergency responders, we think of paramedics and ambulances and firefighters and police. If you make widgets, no one is going to call you at three in the morning to tell you they desperately need a […] The post Forced to be an Emergency Responder and Love Bombing first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

What is OCD? Do I have OCD? OCD stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder. It shares a symptom with ADHD in which you can be caught in a repetitive loop because of anxiety and stimulus.  But it is different than ADHD. The reality of OCD  The reality of OCD often involves constant, intrusive thoughts and the need […] The post What is OCD? Do I have OCD? The Reality of coping with OCD. first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Toddlers with chainsaws Are chainsaws bad? No. Should toddlers use them? No. We use chainsaws to perform a task, we don't give them to toddlers because it is dangerous to do so and the toddlers don't understand the balance of danger and functionality. Airbags, insurance and fire extinguishers, oh my! Does your car have airbags? […] The post Don't speak that into existence! first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

ADHD – Also known as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. What is ADHD? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. People with ADHD typically struggle with finding it difficult to focus. They are easily distracted in pursuit of stimulus. Sometimes the stimulus leads them to hyper-focus.  The reality of ADHD  The reality for many people is that ADHD is […] The post Psych Charm: ADHD first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Anxiety – The feeling of stress, the activation of a fight-or-flight mode. Anxiety for some can be a fairly dull but constant sensation of having to attend to a problem—a nagging feeling that you need to take care of something. This can be from the demands of your job, your responsibilities as a parent, a […] The post Psych Charm: Anxiety first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Gamification, Iconization and Tangibility Those are some crazy words. They're fun and I like saying them. But what do they mean? My history I have always enjoyed looking at things as a system. It was only relatively recently that I realized that was what I was doing. it was so natural and innate that I […] The post Gamification, Iconization and Tangibility. first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Are you creative? No matter what your job, career or calling is, no matter what hobbies you have or do not, you have creativity. What if we treat it as a separate skill? What happens then? You'll be amazed. Join our free community at patreon to talk about it. The post Creativity as a skill first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

“I see systems” This is something I have said for a very long time. Once I learned that this was one of my core directives it all made sense. But what does that mean, and how can that help you? Let's talk about the systems in your life. If you don't see the system you […] The post If you don't see the system… first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

It's time. After all these episodes, books, coaching, and articles, it's time to approach this differently and give us a better way to connect with each other. We both deserve it. The post It's Time for Something Different first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

I guarantee you will have a great day if you do this. And you might get a huge laugh out of it as well. Believe it or not this episode touches on and doubt, more experimental, psychology, and the holy Grail of positivity bias. All because your friend wants you to help him move a […] The post Guaranteed Great Day if You do This… first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

A New Genre You are now part of the birth of a new genre—engagement fiction. I know it's new because I just made it up. If you're a type a personality*, then you probably enjoy your brain being fully engaged for your work. But when it comes time for play, you may not really be […] The post Engagement Fiction for Your Type A Brain first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

You're probably selfish for a good reason. If not, your definition of selfishness is what's stopping you from taking care of yourself properly. This is not about self-care and self-love. It's about something entirely different. The post Selfishness demystified first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

You might be giving too much power to something in your life, just because you gave it a LABEL. See labels for more on labels in: If you use them you'll get smarter (or dumber) The post Too much power to something via label first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

How much real estate do you own? A fascinating way to look at one of The Big Three…. The post How Much Real Estate do You Own…in the 4th Dimension? first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

We all have phrases we can readily repeat. Some of us have important phrases that have made an impact on us. The post Three Phrases to Improve the Quality of Your Life first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Have you ever been stood up? The origin of the term has many folksy definitions. I encourage you to look it up as many are sort of saucy, But we recognize this meaning someone did not show up as planned for a meeting, and usually includes them not reaching out or responding to queries. We've […] The post Stood up – Switching Gears and the Element No One Talks About. first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

The right and the wrong way to approach a networking event Most of my episodes are about experimental psychology, how to deal with and manage time, energy and resources, or a unique concept I'd like you to consider. Sometimes the episode is a purely business-related show. This is one of them. The excruciatingly hilariously wrong […] The post Meat Puppets handing you mailing list data first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Advice Who doesn't like giving advice? Who doesn't like receiving it? Wait, put your hands down, that was rhetorical. In all seriousness sometimes we need to ask for advice (we can't all be in a bubble) and we are lucky that someone values our wisdom enough to ask us for our advice. I certainly am […] The post If I were you… first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

The olden days of voice only In the olden days when people wanted to collaborate they would jump on a conference call vs. jumping on a video call. It was extremely common to have a number of calls during any given week, and the larger the business the more conference calls there were. How many […] The post Conf Calls, Promises and Who is Actually Talking first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Sometimes you get the chance to see something from two perspectives. Sometimes both perspectives come from the same person. Sometimes that person is you. The post The Challenge of Perspective first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

If someone gives you a certain amount of time to do a thing, the first thing your brain does is assess the amount of energy it takes to do that. And that's how you assess if you have been given enough time. The post Protecting Your Energy first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Parasympathetic Nervous System The network of nerves that creates the system that's known for the ‘rest and digest' feelings is the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is what aids in digestion, slows your heart rate and give you general feelings of well being. I want that. I want a lot of that. I bet you […] The post Feeling Safe & Relaxed – Parasympathetic Nervous System first appeared on Alchemy For Life.

Stroke support Group Recently, I sat in on a stroke support group. The group was for both the individuals who experienced strokes as well as their caretakers/family members. I had the blessing of the admin staff to do so. Was it uncomfortable? Yes did I feel out of place? Sort of. Did I learn something […] The post Too Many Words first appeared on Alchemy For Life.