How to Do You

Jim Kwik's mission: No brain left behind.⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ After a childhood brain injury left him learning challenged, Kwik created strategies to dramatically enhance⁠ his mental performance. He has since dedicated his life to helping others unleash their true genius and brainpower. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ This week, Jim shares with me his incredible journey from being known as 'the boy with the broken brain' to becoming the widely recognized world expert in memory improvement, brain optimization and accelerated learning.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ABOUT JIM: Jim is host of the top education training podcast Kwik Brain and author of the new New York Times bestseller, “Limitless-Upgrade Your Brain, Learn anything Faster, Unlock Your Exceptional Life.” ⁠

Do you have someone in your life who you just can't forgive?  Today Kirsten discusses the power of forgiveness with Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt. (Yes, this includes forgiving people who haven't even said they are sorry). Katherine’s latest book, "The Gift of Forgiveness," was an instant New York Times bestseller. It features her interviews with more than 20 people who have worked hard, and are still working hard, to overcome unforgivable and unimaginable experiences. Katherine is the author of four books, an animal advocate, daughter, sister, wife and step-mom.

Today Kirsten talks to Kaitlin B. Curtice, a writer, storyteller, poet and truth teller. They discuss her new book, "Native: Identity, Belonging and Discovering God." Native is about identity, soul-searching, and being on the never-ending journey of finding ourselves and finding God. As both a member of the Potawatomi Nation and a Christian, Kaitlin demonstrates how reconnecting with her Native American roots both informs and challenges her Christian faith. Kaitlin travels around the country speaking on faith and justice within the church as it relates to Indigenous peoples and has been a featured speaker at Why Christian, Evolving Faith, Wild Goose Festival, The Festival of Faith & Writing, The Revolutionary Love Conference, and more. She is a monthly columnist for Sojourners, has contributed to On Being and Religion News Service, and has been featured on CBS and in USA Today and the New Yorker for her work on having difficult conversations within the church about colonization. She is also the author of Glory Happening: Finding the Divine in Everyday Places.

This week Kirsten has an intimate conversation with therapist and educator Miyuki Yamamoto. Find out what happened when Kirsten attended her retreats, how we learn from an early age to 'fake' it to receive praise, and the mind/body connection with chronic pain.⁠ ⁠ Miyuki has been leading transformational women's work for 15 years in Japan, USA and Australia. She offers women's retreats, one-on-one personal work, and a 3 year transformational program in Japan and USA. Additionally, she's a Certified Facilitator of the Daring Way ™, Brene Brown’s shame resilience work in Japan.⁠

This week Kirsten talks with the incredible Tara Brach about  how to love yourself into healing with meditation.⁠ ⁠ ⁠If you ever feel that you're falling short⁠, you need to be fixed⁠ ⁠or you're missing out on life⁠ you need to hear from Tara. ⁠She explains in this episode how to let go of the trance of unworthiness and she shares key insights from her most recent book, "Radical Compassion," which is a roadmap for learning to care for yourself. Dr. Tara Brach is a clinical psychologist, meditation expert, teacher, and best selling author. Tara is a guiding teacher and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. Additionally, her weekly meditation podcast is downloaded by 2.5 million people a month.

Today we have a bonus episode from Ian Morgan Cron discussing how each Enneagram type is likely experiencing the pandemic that has caused so much fear, uncertainty and isolation. Ian also offers tips specific to each type on how to cope during this time, or any stressful period. Ian Morgan Cron is a psychotherapist, Enneagram teacher, host of the popular Typology podcast and bestselling author of The Road Back to You.

Whether you are new to the Enneagram or are as obsessed with it as Kirsten, there is something for everyone in this conversation with Ian Morgan Cron about this ancient personality typing system. Kirsten and Ian discuss how familiarizing yourself the different Enneagram types can help you understand yourself and others better and lead to some major "aha" moments. Ian Morgan Cron is a psychotherapist, Enneagram teacher, Episcopal priest, host of the popular podcast Typology, and bestselling author of The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self Discovery.

Kirsten talks this week with Marie Forleo--an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and host of MarieTV--about her #1 New York Times bestseller, "Everything is Figureoutable."   Oprah has called Marie a thought leader for the next generation, and in today's episode you will see why. Marie is self-made and her story of overcoming obstacles as she built her dream career and dream life is incredibly inspiring. Her advice is wise, funny, and  practical. She gives you tools you can use right away to reframe whatever you facing. That includes her thoughtful perspective on how we all should be navigating this unprecedented time in our lives with the Cornonavirus. 

The coronavirus has overwhelmed our world, putting many of us on a rollercoaster of emotions. It turns out that a primary emotion many of us are experiencing is in fact grief.  In today's episode Kirsten talks with one of the world's leading grief experts, David Kessler about how to process grief, including the specific kind brought on by the pandemic sweeping the globe. Kessler worked closely with Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, who developed the five stages of grief, and in his recent book, "Meaning: the Sixth Stage of Grief," he expands on their work together and shares his own personal experience with grieving the unexpected loss of his son. 

As the world faces down COVID-19 and all the uncertainty and fear that comes with it, Van Jones' story of resilience is especially timely.  Van candidly discusses a childhood facing down bullies,  the public harassment he experienced which forced him to resign from his dream job in the Obama White House, leading to a debilitating depression, as well as his evolution from a young radical to a bridge builder. A sought after thought leader, Van is a bestselling author, a CNN contributor and the host of CNN's "The Van Jones Show" and "The Redemption Project." 

Glennon Doyle is the Oprah-endorsed author of the #1 New York Times bestseller "Love Warrior" and an activist who has raised more than $25 million dollars through her nonprofit Together Rising. Today we discuss her new memoir, "Untamed," which chronicles her path to living authentically, or as she calls it, releasing her "true wild self." "Untamed" is a call to arms for anyone who is tired of living life according to a script dictated by cultural conditioning and the expectations of others. 

Do you believe that the only thing standing between you and blissful happiness is that "one thing" that you need to get or achieve? Perhaps it's a job, or a spouse or the perfect body. Today Kirsten sat down with Josh Radnor, best known for his starring role on the long-running CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” which brought him all the recognition, fame and fortune he believed would solve all his problems. Spoiler alert: it didn't. That experience sent him on a fascinating journey. He shares the insights and wisdom he picked up along the way in today's episode of How To Do You. 

Shauna was the writer behind the enormously successful blog Gluten Free Girl and was the author of multiple award winning cookbooks.  But behind the scenes she was financially stressed and physically and emotionally exhausted. After temporarily losing control of the left side of her body and losing the ability to speak, Shauna realized it was time to change her life. In today's episode we discuss the journey she undertook, which she chronicles in her wonderful book, “Enough: Notes from A Woman Who Has Finally Found It.”

Kirsten sits down with Miles Adcox, CEO of Onsite, an emotional health center that has changed untold lives, including Kirsten's! They discuss how experiential therapy can bring change when nothing else works, whether it be emotional or physical health issues, insomnia or trauma. 

Sheri Salata had her dream job working for Oprah Winfrey for two decades when she realized at age 56 she had created her dream job but not her dream life. The former co-president of OWN and president of Harpo Productions started a massive reboot of her life which started with quitting her job. She discusses everything  she discovered on her incredible journey on today's How To Do You.

How do you find inner calm when it feels like the world is on fire? Jonathan Foust, a wonderful and wise meditation teacher sits down with Kirsten in today's episode to explain how he went from being a ball of anxiety to a teacher so mellow he's been accused of having "valium voice."  He also shares why we why we need to get comfortable with discomfort, why you should “bow to your obstacles," and how his “body-centered inquiry process” can help you achieve more peace.

Happiness. What is it and how do you find it? Is it the same for everyone? Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale psychology professor and creator of the school’s most popular course, “Psychology and the Good Life,” sits down with Kirsten for a discussion about the loneliness epidemic, the importance of human connection and scientifically proven ways you can increase your happiness. 

Acceptance, self-love and inner peace. Things we all desire but are not sure how to obtain. Actress and author, Tina Lifford, believes it’s the lies we’re taught at a young age that hold us back from finding it all. Today, Tina sits down with Kirsten and shares how her faith and an "inward glance" helped her stop believing those lies and how to developing "inner fitness" changes everything. 

Author and activist Marianne Williamson could have played it safe by sticking to the speaking circuit and writing books, but then she wouldn’t have been her authentic self. In today's How To Do You, Marianne talks about what she learned from her run for the presidency, why she feels now is the perfect time for her brand of politics, and how she stumbled into the unlikely career of becoming a spiritual teacher.

How do you stay focused on your goals when everyone and everything around you is telling you to quit? Emmy-award winning late night host, Jimmy Kimmel, sits down with Kirsten to discuss his unlikely path from college dropout to network late night host, how he stayed focused on his goals and never even entertained the thought of a “Plan B” despite his friends and family telling him he needed one.