Boztime Podcast

Saloua, a young woman from Morocco, has managed to become fluent in English and traveled to interesting places in the world. Today, we get into her English learning journey, which involves Mariah Carey, Metal music, and talking to old people. We also get into some interesting subjects like how to find internship opportunities around the world and we talk about artificial intelligence. Some English words/phrases you may learn in this episode include: CD Booklet Detail-oriented Vividly Articulated Gibberish Frustrating Over-arching Check-in with myself Nitty gritty Choosy

Ollie has been studying English for about 5 years and is now attending law school IN ENGLISH. He is an inspiration in the way he studies and takes risks in life to get where he wants to be, which in his is practicing environmental law in China. Ollie shares his English study tactics. He also tells his life lessons and immigration experience of moving from China to the United States.

Kat is a lecturer at University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, and among her lesson plans are trips to the beach and telling students to break social norms. As a positive psychology lecturer and researcher it's Kat's job to explore the science and practice of happiness and mindfulness. How does somebody get into that field? How does that study express itself in parenthood and how does it apply to "extreme" psychological crises such as being suicidal or struggling with addiction? Kat shares a lot with us in this episode and there are definitely some actionable takeaways.

Kevin Matthews is spearheading the decriminalization of psilocybin mushrooms in Denver, Colorado. He is in the process of drafting a referendum to be voted upon by the citizens of Denver later this year. Kevin’s perspective is that of a military veteran and a modern American who sees the need for better therapy for PTSD, depression, death anxiety for the terminally ill, and many more mental challenges. Kevin makes the case that better therapy includes the controlled, clinical use of substances, such as psilocybin, that have previously been feared or misunderstood by the mainstream. In this podcast, we explore Kevin’s unique path from West Point Military Academy to the forefront of The Denver Psilocybin Initiative. The info page and link to the petition is located at Dpi2018.org And for more info on the issue here is an article about Kevin and the movement in the Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/first-marijuana-are-magic-mushrooms-next and https://prohbtd.com/join-the-campaign-to-legalize-medical-shrooms

Lessons on bouncing back, disease, coping with losing a spouse, and the process of aging with personal trainer and author, Lisa Torch. I refer to Lisa as a renaissance woman. The term fits in multiple ways. She does many things, first of all, she’s been an entrepreneur, an author, a songwriter, a ballerina, a pilates teacher (before it was cool) and most recently, a certified personal trainer and health coach who is ready to support anybody in coming out of whatever deep valley they’ve found themselves in. The other definition of renaissance applies too. She’s been in the gutters of life before, maybe even considered throwing in the towel and accepting a less than inspiring fizzle of aging, sickness, and boredom. But no… that is not how her story is ending. Check her out at womanwarriorfitness.com or on Twitter @womanwarriorfit

It's safe to say Aydin Mohseni is a genius. He works and studies in the field of mathematical philosophy. It's not his lofty intellectual pursuits though that I most admire - rather it is his ability to converse about these topics with non-academics, his compassion for other people, and his love of life. He was brought up during a time of war in Iran, and has since been through many character changes and gained wisdom along the way. It's this wisdom about life, love and people that we explore today. Learn more about Aydin at http://aydinmohseni.com

In the second part of the interview Lamar and I get into his funny experiences working at Madam Tusseaud's wax museum in Hollywood and JCPenney and finally starting off his comedy career at an improv theatre. We also go into his thoughts on activism and how it relates to buddhism and how we're all connected and all that - AND what all of it means in terms of the art he creates and the life he lives.

Meet Sharon, a visionary landscape architect who sees this world as a place that can be improved as a healing, creative space for all. She has had a tough road to a stable life with purpose, though. She left her church, which for her particular case, seemed more of a cult. When she left her religion behind, she also left her parents. From a foster kid, to an immigrant with uncertain legal status, Sharon found her own spirituality and purpose and now shares that wisdom and strength today with her community and her two daughters. This is a real story of being broken down to nothing, being built back up to a place of purpose, and sharing that purpose with others - Sharon is a real example of a hero's journey.

Meet Lamar Woods - comedy writer, actor, and proud producer of his first feature length Comedy, "It's a Party," about up and coming rappers in Atlanta hilariously fighting over a cake made of money - that's my description not theirs. This is one of three podcasts about people who found their hero's journey by leaving a religious institution. We get into Lamar's Buddhism, identity as a rapper, a Jehovah's Witness, and being a man dedicated to being famous, being funny yet meaningful, and much much more. Enjoy one of my favorite people and take a deeper look behind the curtain of a very funny entertainer.