What is a Good Life?

On the 120th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to welcome Mike James Ross. Mike has been a CHRO, author, consultant, investor, lawyer, manager of a peace negotiations project, and a whole host of other things. He is currently advising individuals, teams, and organisations with a focus on meaningful work. The book he co-authored, Intention, is a practical guide to unsticking yourself and infusing purpose, engagement, and fulfilment into your life.In this insightful conversation, Mike shares his explorations and research into finding meaning in work, the importance of connection with others, and the societal implications of disengagement in the workforce. He also emphasises the role of love and intention in living a fulfilling life.This conversation is a wonderful invitation to contemplate the idea of a good life and what is meaningful from the perspective of the collective, beyond simply our own individual perspectives.For more of Mike's work, check out the following:Mike's website and book: https://www.mikejamesross.com/Mike's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejamesross/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 Individual or collectively discerning a good life05:30 Camaraderie at work10:50 Is gratitude seated in guilt?16:14 An abundance within attention23:00 Meaning at work28:40 The cost of not doing meaningful work32:22 Why does the status quo persist?37:20 The significance of the other in meaning44:20 Personally finding meaning at work48:10 Finding meaning and busyness55:30 Reasons for optimism  1:01:00 Summary and what is a good life for Mike?

On the 119th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to welcome Tom Asacker. Often described as a creative force, albeit a wayward one, Asacker has been an artist, CEO, corporate advisor, award-winning inventor, and professional magician. He's a student of the human psyche and the author of several best-selling books on belief, human behaviour, and personal transformation. Since childhood, he's been collecting and deciphering observations about all of the strange ways that people think about and behave in the world. For the past 25 years, he's been endlessly improvising, searching for ways to communicate an art of living that confronts conditioning and embraces freedom. His latest attempt is his new book, Unwinding Want: Using Your Mind to Escape Your Thoughts.In this illuminating conversation, Tom shares the incoherence of his childhood experiences and how they led him to question the nature of beliefs and the human condition. We discuss the role of the thinking mind, the illusion of control, and the significance of feelings over societal conditioning in guiding actions, as well as the prioritisation of relationship over goals.Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation for our inner spirits to emerge and to live the lives we truly want.For more of Tom's work, check out the following:Tom's book and website: https://www.unwindingwant.com/Tom's Newsletter: https://unwindingwant.substack.com/ Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 Why do people believe what they believe?03:41 Seeking stability or something to lean on06:15 The calming of the thinking mind09:35 Feeling what we want and responding to that13:50 Revealing of the illusion 17:55 Dancing with life24:30 Feeling alive and focus of attention 28:38 Allowing an expression of our feelings34:20 We do things for a feeling that doesn't come37:50 The prioritising of relationship47:50 Wants from feelings versus conditioning52:20 The role of suffering and confusion in revealing58:39 Playing with our minds rather than controlling1:04:34 What is a good life for Tom?

On the 118th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to welcome Sue Heatherington. Sue is a contemplative writer, poet, and co-founder of Waterside Voices, which is based on the site of a former Victorian reservoir in South West Wales and works with people globally. Her non-linear journey has included rural development research, a decade as a pioneering NHS Chief Executive, board and leadership coaching, and consulting. Now, her role also includes being an alpaca shepherd and carer. Sue's book Quiet Disruptors: Creating Change Without Shouting was published in 2021, and her podcast, Be More Poet, launched in 2024. Her practice of Pause. See differently. Re-story… is expressed in her short posts published daily since 2018.In this deeply engaging conversation, we explore our roles in the ongoing creation of life — how we shape one another, and the importance of moving beyond labels to truly connect with our shared humanity. We also reflect on the influence of time and space in shaping these experiences.This episode offers a delightful invitation to slow down, to notice, and to reconnect with the felt sense of simply being.For more of Sue's work, check out the following:Writing and podcast: SueHeatherington.comBook and manifesto: QuietDisruptors.comWork: WatersideVoices.comContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- Exploring this question for yourself: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/your-personal-interview- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 What is my role in the ongoing creation?07:20 We are not complete on our own10:20 We are always shaping each other16:00 We need to be more human20:00 Moving beyond labels and change24:26 Sensitivity and the need for time and space30:45 Realising what matters35:50 Slowing down and being immersed in nature44:30 An informal practice of paying attention48:10 The significance of poetry57:30 What is a good life for Sue?

On the 117th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to welcome Jamie Bristow. Jamie is a writer and policy advisor known for his leadership within the emerging field of inner-led systems transformation. He has deepened the dialectic between ancient wisdom, modern science, politics and public policy through a string of influential reports and collaborations with intergovernmental organisations, government agencies and politicians around the world. He currently leads on public narrative and policy development for the Inner Development Goals, and from 2015 to 2023 played an instrumental role in the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mindfulness, acting as its clerk and serving as Director of the associated policy institute, The Mindfulness Initiative. Jamie is a Senior Fellow at Life Itself, Research Associate at the Climate Majority Project, Honorary Associate at Bangor University and a Fellow of Mind & Life. He has also taught on programmes connecting inner and outer transformation at the Universities of California and Oxford.In this enlightening conversation, we explore the question of what we are truly practising—merging mindful practices with our livelihood, the significance of our informal practice, and moving towards greater wholesomeness in our lives.It serves as a wonderful invitation to fully integrate our mindful inquiries with the way we live.For more of Jamie's work, check out the following:Website: jamiebristow.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-bristow-25020b9/Life Guild: https://lifeguild.earth/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- Exploring this question for yourself: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/your-personal-interview- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 What are we practicing?04:55 Realising we want to show up differently07:48 A cause for hope - it just feels good13:00 The merging of livelihood and inquiry19:20 The significance of formal and informal practice23:20 Showing up to life of intention28:00 Mindfulness in public policy31:00 Synchronicity and letting go34:35 The balance between agency and unfolding47:30 Bringing compassion to our reflections50:30 Bringing more wholesomeness to the collective59:00 What is a good life for Jamie?

On the 116th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to welcome Sue McDonnell—an executive coach, psychotherapist, and lifelong student of leadership, transformation, and human systems. With decades of experience guiding senior leaders and teams, Sue helps people break free from old patterns and embrace new possibilities.Her approach is deeply systemic, recognising leadership as an interconnected dance rather than an isolated act. She has worked with executive teams at renowned companies, across several industries, facilitating interventions that honour both the seen and unseen forces shaping leadership.Drawing on a wealth of experience—over 8,000 coaching hours—and influences from a range of great teachers, Sue blends relational intelligence, emotional agility, and adaptive leadership. For her, true leadership isn't about control—it's about presence.Rooted in curiosity about the human experience, the wisdom of her Irish heritage, and a deep commitment to growth, Sue brings a unique perspective to leadership and change.In this wonderfully soulful conversation, we explore what it means to navigate uncertainty, stay open-hearted in difficult times, and a connection with something bigger than ourselves. We also explore eternal ties with ancestors, touching on the unseen threads that weave through our lives.This episode is an invitation to embrace the unknown with curiosity, wisdom, grace, and a deeper sense of connection.For more of Sue's work, check out the following:Website: https://www.suemcdonnell.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-mcdonnell-91b5983/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- Exploring this question for yourself: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/your-personal-interview- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 Our relationship with uncertainty04:00 Reconnecting with the land of your birth09:35 Overwhelming connections with the divine feminine13:10 Curiosity around our lineage and ancestors17:52 Feeling held and protected by ancestors24:00 Feeling the presence of the dead26:40 Allowing our hearts to open30:00 The conversation and connection is eternal34:00 An awareness of the range of this life38:45 The role of expectations in suffering45:31 We are always disappearing and growing48:40 Connecting with the divine54.40 What is a good life for Sue?

On the 115th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Ariane de Bonvoisin. Ariane is a global soul, having lived in a dozen countries on 4 continents. She is a mother to her son Everest, a wife to her beloved, Alfie, and a dog-mom to her golden retriever Waffle. She has worked in venture capital, the music industry, launched her own start up, was a management consultant a very long time ago and now loves coaching CEO's, founders, athletes and being a confidante for their professional and personal journeys. She is also a published author of many books, including her bestseller, The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier, which has been translated in a dozen languages.She has been a keynote at many conferences including Oprah's, been invited to speak at places like Amazon, Google and the World Bank and also co-created a best-selling game called KidQuest with her son. She has been a world class swimmer and a ski instructor. She was also part of an award-winning documentary called The Highest Pass—a motorcycle journey through the highest roads in the Himalayas.In this captivating conversation, we explore how to fully integrate our spiritual lives, paying attention to our intuition, and ultimately embracing self-acceptance and the present moment.For more of Ariane's work, check out the following:Website: https://www.arianedebonvoisin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianed1/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- Exploring this question for yourself: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/your-personal-interview- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 How to live a spiritual life while fully being in this world?08:00 Being allergic to her life choices15:50 My intuition speaks loudest in the morning20:22 Jumping into the void and faith25:00 Exploring change and transition28:10 Asking for guidance 32:00 Conversations with the divine35:30 Accepting what is and retreat in the everyday40:10 Loving and accepting our minds43:19 The journey to self-love49:30 Acceptance of life and ourselves52:30 The universe is the third parent55:00 Recap and what is a good life for Ariane?

On the 114th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Andrew Alexander. Andrew is a husband, father, and grandfather, as well as a teacher, educator, and writer. Writing about intergenerational relationships in learning and the significance of education in a time of uncertainty.For nearly forty years he worked with students in independent, informal, progressive/alternative schools, including Brockwood Park School - founded by the educator and philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti.In this insightful conversation, we delve into the nuanced nature of freedom, exploring its relationship with responsibility and the importance of mutual respect. We discuss how societal narratives often distort the understanding of freedom, leading to an illusion of individualism that neglects the interconnectedness of human relationships.This conversation is an invitation to reconsider what we think about freedom, a theme deeply connected to our sense of a good life.For more of Andrew's work, check out the following:Newsletter: https://andrewalexander.substack.com/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- Exploring this question for yourself: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/your-personal-interview- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 Introduction01:30 How have we not learned?06:20 Questioning our ideas of freedom12:10 Limitations with individualised ideas of freedom18:20 Freedom and responsibility 23:20 A deeper sense of freedom30:45 Why is freedom important?36:31 Freedom and our interconnectivity 44:00 The trap of creating an image of ourselves48:30 The relationship between freedom and fear56:30 Attention, time, and freedom1:04:48 Recap and what is a good life for Andrew?

On the 113th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Minna Salami. Minna is an author and social critic, and currently senior fellow and research chair at The New Institute. She is the author of Sensuous Knowledge and Can Feminism Be African?, and her work appears in the Guardian, Project Syndicate, Al Jazeera, and other outlets.In this incredibly captivating conversation, Minna shares her sense of living an extraordinary life, emphasising the importance of attentiveness and curiosity. We explore childhood and mystical experiences and their impact on her understanding of life. This conversation is an invitation to notice, to really pay attention to life, and to live your own full expression of life.For more of Minna's work, check out the following:Newsletter: https://msafropolitan.com/The New Institute: https://thenew.institute/en/people/minna-salamiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/minnasalami_/?hl=enContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- Exploring this question for yourself: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/your-personal-interview- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 Introduction01:25 Living An Extraordinary Life04:21 Attentiveness and Curiosity07:32 Childhood Reflections and Early Experiences10:22 The Nature of Mystical Experiences13:21 Appreciating Life's Continuity19:15 Reflections on near-death experiences26:00 A Groundedness of Being29:10 The Range of Human Experience32:10 The Intersection of Spiritual and Political Journeys37:43 Navigating Obstacles: The Tension of Growth41:10 Embracing Paradox: Grace and Anger48:55 Spirituality and Feminism: A Symbiotic Relationship58:10 What is a Good Life for Minna?

On the 112th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Anne-Laure Le Cunff, PhD. Anne-Laure is an award-winning neuroscientist and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Ness Labs, where her weekly newsletter is read by more than 100,000 curious minds. Her research at King's College London focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of lifelong learning, curiosity, and adaptability. Her book, Tiny Experiments, is a transformative guide for living a more experimental life, turning uncertainty into curiosity, and carving a path of self-discovery. Her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Financial Times, WIRED, and more.In this wonderful conversation, we explore the themes of curiosity, connection, and the journey from a linear to an experimental approach to life. Anne-Laure shares her personal experiences of feeling lost yet free and of embracing uncertainty and designing playful experiments in various aspects of life. This conversation is an invitation to experiment more with our lives.For more of Anne-Laure's work, check out the following:Tiny Experiments: https://nesslabs.com/bookAnne-Laure's Newsletter: https://nesslabs.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neuranne/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 Introduction01:17 Embracing Curiosity and Connection03:11 The Journey from Linear to Experimental Living06:06 Finding Joy in Uncertainty10:20 Designing Playgrounds for Experimentation12:30 The Structure of Freedom in Experimentation15:09 Redefining Success: Cycles of Learning18:31 The Intimacy of Curiosity and Growth21:08 Quality of Life Through Adventure and Experimentation29:19 The Importance of Play and Time30:28 Understanding Time: Chronos vs. Kairos36:56 Curiosity and Age: The Impact of Time Perception40:17 The Industrial Society's Effect on Curiosity42:53 Finding Joy in the Process46:18 The Emotional Journey of Completing a Book48:27 Reconnecting with Curiosity51:34 The Surprising Connection Between Curiosity and Emotions52:52 What is a good life for Anne-Laure?

On the 111th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Dr. Senem Donatan Mohan. Senem is a storyteller, story practitioner, and author based in Dublin, who is originally from Turkey. She holds a PhD degree in natural sciences and blends creative arts with science. Through her concepts Stories Cure and Aliveness Within she focuses on cultural and individual vitality. Over the past two decades, Senem has touched the lives of thousands of children and adults through her performances and books. In this wonderful conversation, we explore the undercurrents and rhythms of life, balancing masculine and feminine energies, the visible and invisible, the guiding capacities of our inner child, moments of being lost in time, and the transformative powers of storytelling.The whole conversation embodies this rhythm and noticing.For further content and information check out the following:- Senem's website: senemdonatanmohan.com- Senem's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/senem-donatan-mohan/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 Introduction01:11 Exploring the Undercurrents of Life04:02 The Story Behind Valentine's Day07:24 Sensing Rituals and Traditions10:10 The Magic of Daily Life13:09 Creativity and Personal Journey16:09 Finding Vitality in Everyday Moments27:10 Embracing Timelessness and Creativity29:23 The Dance of Science and Art32:49 Navigating the Duality of Speed and Depth37:31 Connecting with the Inner Child39:48 The Transformative Power of Storytelling46:01 Communicating with Ancestral Spirits53:29 What is a Good Life for Senem?

On the 110th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Paul Davis. Paul is an award-winning business growth consultant and speaker, a three-time best-selling author, an intuitive business mentor, and a recognised thought leader. He combines his innate intuitive gifts and years of business growth experience to help guide clients to greater results.In this conversation, Paul shares his lifelong quest to understand what keeps him wanting to live life and how he has navigated through various philosophies and methodologies to find his purpose. We explore his realisation of his intuitive abilities, the significance of our intentions, discovering our soul contracts, and the importance of being your genius you.Paul has a fascinating story and this whole episode is a wonderful invitation to rekindle the power of our intuition. For further content and information check out the following:- Paul's website: https://davisbusinessconsultants.com/- Paul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldavisdublin/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations00:00 Introduction01:37 Exploring the Question of Life's Purpose10:41 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Intuition19:47 Understanding Intuition and Its Impact31:39 Connecting with the Super Conscious32:08 The Concept of Super-Consciousness33:04 Personal Journey to God37:07 Experiencing Unconditional Love39:03 Partnership with the Divine42:13 Understanding Time and Destiny45:48 Exploring Soul Contracts52:59 Transitioning from Accountant to Intuitive Consultant57:20 What is a Good Life for Paul?

On the 109th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Fabrice Desmarescaux. Fabrice is a seasoned partner at McKinsey & Company, on a transformative journey of leadership evolution. With a rich background in integrating Eastern spiritual traditions into Western management, Fabrice works closely with CEOs and teams to elevate performance and consciousness. In a world grappling with complexity, his approach focuses on fundamental human elements—happiness, connection, and purpose. He is the author of The Art of Retreats, a guide for expanding consciousness through short personal retreats, which introduces a groundbreaking approach for business leaders facing the challenges of a fragmented, high-pressure, and complex world. In this insightful conversation, Fabrice shares his journey of self-discovery and reinvention, exploring the evolving questions of meaning, purpose, and fulfilment as we move through life. He reflects on the shift from success to significance, the contrast between commitment and drifting, and the challenges of control and acceptance in our careers. He discusses integrating spirituality into his professional life, emphasising that finding purpose is an experiential journey rather than an intellectual one.This conversation invites you to reflect on what truly matters, experiment with life, and tune into your embodied experience in the search for meaning.For further content and information check out the following:- Fabrice's website & book: https://www.desmarescaux.com/ - Fabrice's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabrice-desmarescaux/ - For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversationsContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:53 Navigating the Second Half of Life08:59 The Shift from Success to Significance12:06 Wisdom and Perspective in Aging14:54 Control and Acceptance in Professional Life17:54 Awakening to Meaning and Fulfilment20:51 The Process of Reinvention23:43 Navigating Change and Loss26:46 The Importance of Reflection and Processing29:47 Spiritual Exploration and Personal Growth37:32 The Journey of Self-Discovery40:20 Integrating Spirituality into Professional Life42:01 The Importance of Purpose and Meaning45:04 Commitment vs. Drifting in Life51:13 Finding Purpose Through Experience01:05:24 What is a good life for Fabrice?

On the 108th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Ruth McCarthy. Reading Nancy Kline's book Time to Think, meeting her in 2008, and experiencing for the first time the power of uninterrupted attention set Ruth on a completely new path in life in her early 50s. Challenging our limiting assumptions takes practice, and listening with the promise of no interruption can transform our relationships and results. Inspired by this, Ruth founded her consultancy, Think It Through, and as Global Faculty at Time to Think, she works with individuals and organisations across corporate, public, and non-profit sectors. Her mission? To listen to inspire deep trust, communication, and the courage to think for yourself in an increasingly polarised and volatile world. In this wonderful conversation, Ruth shares her journey of self-discovery and the liberation that comes from embracing one's true self and observing what we are becoming. She emphasises the importance of attention and self-awareness in navigating life's complexities. We delve into the significance of ease in conversations, the impact of suppressed feelings on our well-being, and the transformative powers of thinking for oneself, curiosity, and listening.This episode invites you to slow down, challenge your assumptions, and truly pay attention—to yourself and those around you. By doing so, you might just open the door to a life of possibility that continually surprises you.For further content and information check out the following:- Ruth's website: www.thinkitthrough.co.uk- Ruth's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthmccarthy100/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversationsContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:00 Who am I becoming?08:10 Increasing self-awareness and big changes12:40 The quality of our thinking and attention 15:25 Ease and letting go of the rush23:49 Draining our energy by suppressing emotions29:12 The experience of major shifts in perspective37:14 The freedom in paying attention to now47:10 A way of being not just a practice55:25 Becoming a good ancestor58:45 What is a good life for Ruth?

On the 107th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Ben Bushill. Ben is a writer, spoken word artist and ceremony holder. His passion is the remembrance and sanctification of our human lives as we try to understand our place and our belonging in the vast unfolding web of existence. In his work as a poet he aims to bring us to the place where we can be grateful and humble before the truth of our undeniable vulnerability and humanity. His ceremonial work with marriages, memorials, ritual and circles of wise love is a way for us to feel and honour the key moments of our lives beyond ideas of religion or alignment. He has been a student of a Sufi mystery school for the last twenty years and is currently setting the foundations for the establishment of a new school. In this enlightening conversation, Ben shares his journey of balancing the divine and the ordinary, alongside his ongoing inquiry into how he will meet each day. We explore the paradox of being deeply connected to life yet alone, the softening of the heart, and the link between vulnerability, the unknown, and aliveness. We also discuss the expression of our essence in shaping our purpose and the challenges of being human, all the while holding onto the hand of love.This conversation feels like a love letter to the human experience, embracing its struggles while celebrating its wonder. I suspect it will leave you feeling more at home in your own life.For further content and information check out the following:- Ben's website: https://www.benbushill.com/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversationsContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:00 How do I meet this day?07:30 Balancing the divine and ordinary sense of life11:58 The paradox of being alone and connected17:40 The tenderising of the human heart24:40 The vulnerability of the unknown28:20 The love of your own essence36:00 The longing of your soul 40:30 Vulnerability and aliveness43:00 Your purpose is your essence51:40 Navigating the paradox58:30 Embracing the symphony of life1:00:40 What is a good life for Ben?

On the 106th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Mona Sobhani, Ph.D. Mona is a cognitive neuroscientist, author, and entrepreneur. A former research scientist at the University of Southern California (USC), she holds a doctorate in neuroscience from USC and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of the Ommie 2022 Best Spiritual Book Proof of Spiritual Phenomena: A Neuroscientist's Discovery of the Ineffable Mysteries of the Universe, which is also a recipient of the 2023 Scientific and Medical Network Book Prize. In her newsletter, Cosmos, Coffee, & Consciousness, she writes about science & spirituality, altered states of consciousness, emergent phenomena, and self-transformation. She is co-founder of The Phoenix Era, a multidisciplinary coaching practice for those seeking deeper meaning and connection. She is also co-founder of Exploring Consciousness, a community of curious scientists seeking to understand consciousness. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, VOX, and other media outlets.In this enlightening conversation, Mona shares her experience of reconnecting with a sense of a meaningful universe and the impact it has had on her life. We discuss how to find inner peace amidst chaos, the role of synchronicity in shaping meaning, the influence of family and tradition, and the exploration of past lives and emotional release.This whole conversation invites you to explore meaning and reconnect with nature and the universe in a way that brings more flow, curiosity, and flexibility to your life experience.For further content and information check out the following:- Mona's website: https://www.monasobhaniphd.com/- Mona's newsletter: https://monasobhaniphd.substack.com/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversationsContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:00 How to find peace & serve others07:00 Finding your centre amidst chaos & life16:00 Unravelling sense of control & understanding 21:40 Realising the Universe is a meaningful place28:00 Noting fortune telling moments in the family31:40 Connecting with yourself and the universe41:00 The significance of synchronicity 45:53 Past life regressions01:02:54 What is a good life for Mona? 

On the 105th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Colin Smith. Colin is a specialist in deep listening, presence, and profound attention, dedicated to creating spaces where individuals unlock their clarity and creativity. Known as The Listener, he brings over two decades of experience in guiding, facilitating, and coaching, helping people connect more deeply with themselves and others.Through his work, Colin empowers individuals and groups to feel truly seen and heard, unlocking insights and cultivating listening skills that lead to meaningful transformation. Colin's approach is informed by extensive personal learning from works on listening, mindfulness, and human development. This depth allows him to craft environments where genuine insights emerge, helping people access new perspectives and deeper understanding.In this engaging conversation, Colin shares his journey towards embodying the art of listening, emphasising the power of being present, agenda-free, and genuinely curious about others. We delve into how quality listening can strengthen relationships, alleviate loneliness, and nurture deeper connections. Together, we explore the subtle dynamics of human interaction and the importance of authenticity in conversations, offering practical insights for cultivating a more compassionate and attentive approach to communication.This episode invites you to embrace the profound potential of truly listening—to honour our shared humanity and recognise how it can deepen our connections and enrich our relationships.For further content and information check out the following: - Colin's website: www.dexteritysolutions.co.uk - Colin's LinkedIn: www.uk.linkedin.com/in/colindsmith1 - For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversationsContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction 03:15 Becoming then being the listener10:55 Understanding the importance of presence18:43 Lack of listening and loss of connection24:58 Moments that make a big difference29:03 Conversations with authenticity and transparency 34:49 The subtlety of listening and self-awareness42:42 Asking each other what we need45:33 The impact of attention in communication53:46 The intention to listen58:15 Sharing our humanity1:00:13 What is a good life for Colin?

On the 104th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Karen (Kaz) Maurice-O'Leary. Kaz is a highly awarded brand storyteller and wellbeing leadership speaker, recognised for promoting human-first environments and their impact on innovation. A New Zealander living in California, she has had an international career in advertising and creative technology with major brands and Fortune 500 companies.Her roles have included Creative Product Lead at Meta LA, Creative Director at TBWA and a co-founder of a successful agency that was acquired. A pivotal moment was inspired by almost, unknowingly missing the last meal of her husband's homemade Bolognese, leading her to create The Bolognese Philosophy, a workplace wellbeing initiative.In this incredibly life-affirming conversation, Kaz shares her journey of processing the grief following her husband's death. She reflects on her realisations from almost missing their last meal together, to the significance of recognising the small moments, being present, and appreciating the privilege of intimately knowing those in our lives. Kaz underscores the importance of embracing life's fragility, not taking anything for granted, and how whole life can feel when we can hold both its beauty and grief simultaneously.This conversation felt like a profound gift, and I believe it will leave you with a deeper awareness of life's uncertainties, along with an invitation to focus on what is here, right now.For further content and information check out the following:- Kaz's company: https://bolognesephilosophy.com/ - Kaz's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmauriceoleary/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversationsContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:00 What do we attach our self worth to?06:20 The sense burnout is coming09:15 How has poor well-being become normal?14:19 Identifying too much with our jobs18:00 Engaging with grief21:36 Almost missing the last meal25:40 Recognising the small moments31:00 The privilege of intimately knowing33:40 The feeling of connection from beyond 40:30 Sharing stories, grief, and connection45:30 The processing of grief51:30 Holding beauty, grief, and the whole56:00 Assuming things last forever1:00:40 What is a good life for Kaz?

On the 103rd episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Nathan (Nate) Kinch. Nate is a sociotechnology ethicist, organisational designer, and trust researcher. His work centres around the question: how might we best design trustworthy organisations, technologies, and systems that support a healthy and dignified life for all, within planetary boundaries? To do this, he draws on many branches of philosophy, systems science, cognitive sciences, and related disciplines.He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of the Arts, co-lead of the Responsible AI Network (RAIN), and Lead of Ethics in Action. He is also the Ethicist in Residence at CoLabs and guest lectures at several universities. Previously, Nate was an angel and impact investor and the founding CEO of a venture capital-backed startup. In everyday life, he's an urban rewilder, community convener, and ‘inner developer,' bringing regenerative thinking, practice, and culture to his corner of Melbourne.In this wonderful conversation, Nathan shares his exploration of expressing and feeling into the whole of himself. We discuss realisations he made through his psycho-physical inquiries, from suppressing emotions to crumbling worldviews, to the relief and healing of crying, and expressing and experiencing more joy and gratitude in life.For anyone on their own path of self-inquiry, this conversation contains many universal themes that I sense we all experience, which may make you feel more at home on your own path. While Nate's beautiful anecdotes, transparency, and reflections make this as grounded and heartfelt as it is insightful.For further content and information check out the following:- Nate's company: https://www.trustworthyby.design/- Nate's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathankinch/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:18 What is the whole of me?09:40 Allowing us to see more of ourselves11:48 Redeploying the soldier archetype20:33 Realisations from a psycho-physical inquiry29:33 Learning how to feel again33:18 Realisations around crying and dancing39:18 The containment of life41:48 When our worldviews crumble47:18 Acknowledging the whole of us55:18 What is a good life for Nate?

On the 102nd episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Nadjeschda (Nadja) Taranczewski. Nadja has a Master of Psychology, is a Master Certified Coach and works as a coach, author, and keynote speaker. She supports leaders who want to reinvent their organisation as Conscious Tribe, i.e. as a thriving community where people invest in inner work, understand the big picture, invest in deep relationships and cultivate conscious rituals. Her company ConsciousU facilitates collective transformation and makes culture change scalable through their blended learning coaching programmes. She is the author of the book Conscious You: Become the Hero of Your Own Story and is currently working on her forthcoming book The Conscious Tribe Playbook.In this illuminating conversation, Nadja shares with us her explorations of building thriving and conscious collectives. We discuss profoundly important components of healthy relating including developing spaces for aloneness in togetherness, creating rituals for sharing more context and our humanity, becoming aware of the transience of our emotions, and welcoming the uncertainty we are often fearing and avoiding.This whole conversation is a wonderful invitation to become alive to what is within us, communicating and sharing our humanity, while Nadja shares so many wonderfully grounded anecdotes to bring alive the concepts we discuss. This conversation gave me further hope of what can be possible within our own communities.For further content and information check out the following:- Nadjeschda's Book: https://herobook.conscious-u.com/- Conscious U website: https://www.conscious-u.com/- Nadjeschda's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadjeschdataranczewski/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:08 How do we build healthy collectives?06:58 Aloneness in togetherness11:33 Separating not meaning rejection14:38 Not making it all about ourselves20:23 Daily rituals for connection and context25:08 Masking and resisting uncertainty28:31 Trusting we can handle discomfort30:57 Noticing the transience of our emotions35:58 Regaining our emotional dexterity39:58 Realising the stories we attach to events44:43 The development of conscious communities51:08 Paying attention to our humanity59:08 What is a good life for Nadja?

On the 101st episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Patrick Boland. Patrick is a leadership consultant, executive coach, psychotherapist, writer, and trainer across several industries and sectors around the world. Patrick's 2024 book, 'The Contemplative Leader', features interviews with world-class leaders on the topics of presence, connection, being non-attached and leading when we're not in control. In 2021, he co-authored a book of reflections, 'Every Thing Is Sacred', with the contemplative teacher Richard Rohr. Patrick founded Conexus in 2013, an organisation that coaches leaders and their teams using a combination of neuroscience; depth psychology; and embodied, experiential learning. In this insightful conversation, Patrick shares his experiences of moving towards a life that is beautifully full rather than persistently busy. We explore the shifting priorities and seasons of life, the significance of resting into the moment, questioning societal scripts as well as the interconnections we've observed between slowing down, being, and self-compassion. This whole conversation is a wonderful invitation to pause, reflect, step into your own life, notice the world around you, let go of control, and embrace whatever season your life is in. I found Patrick to be a rarely attuned individual so I am sure you will take a lot from this episode.For further content and information check out the following:- Patrick's Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735750/the-contemplative-leader-by-patrick-boland/- The book's website: https://www.thecontemplativeleader.com/- Conexus Website: https://www.conexus.ie/about- Patrick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-boland-9546048/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:51 What does it mean to walk beautifully?08:51 Working hard but working less11:51 Life is beautifully full15:21 Resting into the moment 20:21 Questioning society and searching for meaning25:21 The delusion that anyone has it all together28:36 Suffering and letting go of control33:11 Fear and control38:21 Being and learning from life itself41:36 Moving off the script46:00 Contact with the feeling of the moment49:51 Moving into more self-compassion53:21 Slowing down and being59:51 What is a good life for Patrick?

On the 100th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Cormac Russell. Cormac is a social explorer, an author and a much sought-after speaker. He is the Founding Director of Nurture Development and a member of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute, at DePaul University, Chicago. Over the last 25 years, Cormac's work has demonstrated an enduring impact in 35 countries around the world. He has trained communities, agencies, NGOs and governments in ABCD and other community-based approaches in Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe and North America.His most recent books are The Connected Community- Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighborhoods (Coauthor John McKnight) and Rekindling Democracy – A Professional's Guide to Working in Citizen Space. Cormac's TEDx talk is really beautiful and can be viewed here. In this glorious conversation, Cormac shares his journey into community development, marked by a focus on being over doing. We discuss the thresholds and limits of self-help, the problem with trying to fix others, and ways of making sense of the world. Cormac suggests that the world is not getting worse, but becoming clearer, and emphasises how to channel our emotions into meaningful action.I found Cormac to be deeply insightful and rooted in his being. This conversation offers perspectives to help make sense of the world while encouraging us to reflect on our roles—not just in relation to humans, but as members of an interconnected, living, breathing Earth.For further content and information check out the following:- Cormac's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cormacrussell/ - Nurture Development website: https://www.nurturedevelopment.org/who-we-are/cormac-russell/- His most recent book: https://wipfandstock.com/9781725253636/rekindling-democracy/ - For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:45 Exploring vocations08:25 Focus on being rather than doing15:18 Being both rooted and free18:35 Attraction to people helping others22:25 What is help?26:45 Thresholds within self-help and helping31:32 Hidden persuaders37:06 The path of making sense in the world42:15 Doing life together in mutual solidarity47:35 The problem with trying to help or fix52:45 Getting a sense of our intentions57:45 The world is getting clearer not worse1:06:45 What is a good life for Cormac?

On the 99th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Darcia Narvaez. Darcia is Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, and Fellow of the American Psychological Association, American Educational Research Association, Association for Psychological Science, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She uses an interdisciplinary approach to studying evolved morality, child development and human flourishing. Her most recent books include Restoring the Kinship Worldview, and The Evolved Nest: Nature's Way of Raising Children and Creating Connected Communities. Her book, Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture and Wisdom won the 2015 William James Book Award from the American Psychological Association and the 2017 Expanded Reason Award. Her recent short films are Breaking the Cycle, The Evolved Nest, and Reimagining Humanity. She hosts the webpage EvolvedNest.org and serves as president of KindredWorld.org.In this enlightening conversation, Darcia shares her journey to creating The Evolved Nest, a concept that integrates insights from child development, parenting, and adult behaviour. We discuss reconnecting with our natural rhythms, engaging with the world around us, fostering welcoming social environments, embracing play, and allowing the spirit of both children and adults to flow freely.This conversation is a wonderful invitation to reconnect with our primal wisdom, reflect on how we disconnect from it, and learn how to create the nurturing environments we need to thrive.For further content and information check out the following:- Darcia's Newsletter: https://darcianarvaez.substack.com/- The Evolved Nest YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolvedNest- The Evolved Nest website: https://evolvednest.org/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:11 What is wrong with the world?07:51 The path to The Evolved Nest10:26 Soothing Perinatal Experiences 12:41 Disconnecting from our natural rhythms16:41 The wonder of nature and breastfeeding21:51 A welcoming social climate26:10 Embracing joy and wise teachers 30:11 Play and experimenting 33:11 Wisdom and wildness37:13 Punishment and connection to spirit40:11 Minimising babies' needs and work46:31 The need for multiple nurturers and mentors48:51 Nature and immersion with landscape55:13 Restorative healing practices1:01:49 What is a good life for Darcia?

Nora Bateson, is an award-winning filmmaker, research designer, writer, educator, international lecturer, as well as President of the International Bateson Institute based in Sweden. She is the creator of the Warm Data theory and practices. Nora's work brings the fields of biology, cognition, art, anthropology, psychology, and information technology together into a study of the patterns in ecology of living systems. She wrote, directed and produced the award-winning documentary, An Ecology of Mind, a portrait of her father Gregory Bateson.Her first book, Small Arcs of Larger Circles, is a revolutionary personal approach to the study of systems and complexity. In her latest second book Combining, Nora invites us into an ecology of communication where nothing stands alone, and every action sets off a chain of incalculable consequences. She challenges conventional fixes for our problems, highlighting the need to tackle issues at multiple levels, understand interdependence, and embrace ambiguity.She was the recipient of the Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity in 2019.In this engaging conversation, we delve into the dangers of certainty and the pursuit of fixed answers, exploring how moving beyond polarities can lead to mutual learning and understanding. We discuss the weaponisation of language, the impact of divisive discourse, and how more generative and sacred communication can guide us toward deeper connection and shared presence.This conversation invites you to engage more fully with life as it is—its beauty and its horror, its creativity and its destruction. It's a call to hold life's complexity with openness, to embrace it, and to let it go as the flow of life continues to unfold.For further content and information check out the following:- Nora's Warm Data work: https://www.warmdata.life/ - Nora's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nora-bateson-b4a2456/- The International Bateson Institute website: https://batesoninstitute.org/nora-bateson/ - For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Teaser01:43 Introduction04:50 How not to get caught looking for answers09:43 A quest for systems change13:30 Holding possibility open17:50 Taking a stand and taking a stance20:15 The significance of how we communicate 24:50 Belonging, certainty, and polarity30:50 The problem of grabbing answers37:23 Generative and sacred communication42:35 Paying attention to moment and context48:20 Practice of improvisation55:30 The implications of concrete answers01:02:58 What is a good life for Nora?

On the 97th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Diarmuid Lyng. Diarmuid is co-owner of Wild Irish Retreats and Nature of Man. He is a former Wexford hurling captain and a host on Newstalk's flagship sports programme 'Off the Ball'. With Wild Irish Retreats he is part of a team that is focused on the rejuvenation of the Irish language in relation to nature reconnection. With Nature of Man he runs retreats and online programmes with men that creates a space for them to do their own internal spiritual work. He also takes teams/groups of all kinds to the woods for overnight camps that focus on connection; to self, teammate and place. In this enlivening conversation, Diarmuid shares with us his unfolding path of purpose. We explore experiences of being truly listened to, of generosity of spirit, receiving love and developing self-acceptance. All throughout the conversation Diarmuid is pointing to a greater connection with the moment, people, and nature, and we note the significance of consciously leaving space for more aliveness and wildness in our lives. This whole conversation is a wonderful invitation to reconnect with ourselves, nature, and the living, breathing, pulsing experience of life. Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:- Diarmuid's website: https://www.diarmuidlyng.ie/- Diarmuid's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diarmuid-lyng-54931928/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:45 The unfolding nature of purpose06:38 The weaving together of purpose15:15 The power of listening on our speaking19:45 The generosity of spirit27:25 Welcoming everything that happens29:45 Experiencing love and self-acceptance33:15 Engaging with the world, aliveness, and nature40:15 Affirmations and feedback on our path44:08 The difference of ceremony and ritual50:15 The power and support of the group55:05 The work of John Moriarty 1:02:45 Engaging our wildness consciously1:06:19 What is a good life for Diarmuid?

On the 96th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, John Oliver. John is an artist and sense-making facilitator, exploring multidisciplinary practices based on complexity principles and narrative frameworks. Since 2020, he has developed an artistic practice that integrates the arts with complexity principles, working in portraiture film, and experimental installations. Certified in developmental psychology coaching and co-founder of Human-Equity Ltd, he specialised in qualitative metrics for organisational development and human insights in investment portfolio management. Previously, John managed technology transfer projects in Nepal and Ghana for the NGO Intermediate Technology Development Group, spent 15 years in strategy consulting, and was an early team member at the French start-up OneAccess. He holds a BEng from Brunel University and an MBA from EDHEC in France.In this expansive conversation, John shares his journey towards greater creativity and his explorations of self and no-self. We discuss sense-making through dialectics, revelations through creativity, and the concept of positive disintegration. We also delve into the dissonance experienced during transitions, with John sharing his insights on the arts as a spiritual practice.If you are currently navigating, or contemplating, major or minor life transitions, this conversation offers many valuable insights and themes that are worthy of your contemplation.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:John's experimental art: www.tyler.worldJohn's portraiture film: www.interiortruth.comJohn's positive disintegration piece: https://www.tyler.world/positive-disintegration- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:50 The path of no self07:50 Sense making through dialectics 12:10 Revelations through creativity19:05 Positive disintegration24:55 New paths and intergenerational influence29:10 Sense of self and connection to collective33:40 Navigating the dissonance between transitions39:20 Realisation through suffering or awareness?48:20 Integrating the whole 53:20 Silence and being enough58:20 The arts as a spiritual practice 1:04:05 The Soul and the Spirit1:10:35 Sexuality as a spiritual practice1:14:00 What is a good life for John?

On the 95th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Madelaine Ley. Madelaine is a philosopher, spiritual ecologist, and contemplative artist. Her varied work includes lecturing at Delft University of Technology and Lassonde Engineering School in Canada on digital citizenship, responsible AI, intersectional approaches to tech, and robot-ethics; hosting Sacred Sessions, non-religious gatherings that blend philosophy, art, science, contemplative practice and collective reflection; writing and podcasting for Beauty in the Mire; and experimenting with contemplative art. She was named one of the “100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics” by Lighthouse3 in 2022 and has been featured by the BBC, Leidsch Dagblad, Yes! Magazine, and Life Itself, as well as funded by The European Pavilion, Horizon 2020 and the Social Science Research Council of Canada.In this glorious conversation, Madelaine shares how she is deepening her awareness of her embodied experience of life. We discuss how the birth of her daughter revealed an inner bravery, while also exploring the importance of embracing grief, along with the profound grounding and lessons she received from her spiritual mentor in embodying agenda-free presence and resisting the urge to fix or give advice.This whole conversation is a wonderful invitation to pay attention to your felt experience of life and to recognise the wisdom our bodies can offer.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Madelaine's Website: https://www.madelaineley.com/Madelaine's Newsletter: https://madelaineley.substack.com/Contemplative Art: https://liquidbecomings.eu/28th-september-in-utrecht-liquid-becomings-x-sonnenborgh-museum/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:50 Intuition & living at the edges of our skin08:10 Breakthroughs from motherhood and meltdowns13:50 The significance of breakdowns and ruptures16:35 Listening to energies that visit our bodies22:08 The value of an awareness of death27:05 The importance of embracing grief32:20 Agenda free presence37:55 The influence of a spiritual mentor42:12 What is beyond measurement45:07 The experience of silence49:20 The feeling of bravery from childbirth56:50 What is a good life for Madelaine?

On the 94th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jennifer Murphy. Jennifer is an Irish mythologist, anthropologist, creativity mentor, and the founder of The Celtic Creatives. A Dubliner born and bred, from the time she could talk, Jennifer's grandmother, Frances O'Sullivan, filled her ears with tales from Irish myth and folklore, fuelling a now 40-year fascination with the stories of her lineage. Jennifer's apprenticeship in following her soul's breadcrumbs over the past twenty years has guided her work and formal studies in Medieval Irish and Celtic Studies, Sociocultural Anthropology, Creativity and Innovation, and Jungian Psychology and Art Therapy. She supports creatives from diverse fields to (re)connect with the mythopoetic imagination of Ireland, using ancient wisdom to inform modern creativity through myth, dreamwork, imagination, and the body. She is currently writing a book on what Irish mythology can teach us about our creativity.In this glorious conversation, Jennifer shares her journey of listening to her soul's story—a path which has revealed her Dán (soul's gift) and includes balancing the masculine and feminine, Sus and Imbas—the scientific and divine inspiration—exploring dreams, other worlds, and Irish mythology, and imbuing everything around us with life.This whole episode may offer you many new lines of inquiry, as well as ways of perceiving this world, which may be integral to experiencing your own good life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Jen's Website: https://www.celticcreatives.com/Jen's Substack: https://celticcreatives.substack.com/Jen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celticembodiment/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:00 What is my Dán (Soul's gift)?09:48 Taking up the path of the soul15:00 Wisdom: Sus and Imbas20:00 Balancing masculine and feminine energy23:30 Exploring the masculine & unconscious27:30 Mythology - exploring the story of the soul30:30 Exploring dreams & other worlds33:30 The land is alive with soul35:30 Other worlds & connecting with land39:10 Reconnecting to the divine45:40 The Irish psyche & mythology49:48 Connecting with the language and folklore55:30 What is a good life for Jen?

On the 93rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Kemo Camara. Kemo is the visionary behind Omek, a community-centric platform whose mission is to amplify the talent, voices, and energy of biculturals of African descent. A social entrepreneur, community influencer, economist, and captivating speaker, Kemo's journey has spanned continents, with impactful engagements across Africa, the United States, and Europe. He has held extensive leadership roles and responsibilities in community organisations and co-founded multiple businesses and non-profit organisations in the United States and Europe. His passion lies in activating our collective human potential, bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to work towards a common goal.In this wonderful conversation, Kemo shares his journey of building community and realising purpose in his life. He discusses the insights around community that he gained from his upbringing and family in Guinea, the values of trust, dignity, and respect that were instilled in him, and the energy we drain from ourselves by constantly having our guards up.This entire conversation is a great example of the importance of reflection, understanding who we are, and paying attention to the feedback life provides in order to utilise all aspects of ourselves to realise greater purpose in our lives.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Omek's Website: myomek.comKemo's LinkedIn: LinkedIn- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:50 What kind of impact do I want to make?06:20 What do people in my life say about me?10:30 What is fundamentally important14:50 Family, elders, and respect19:50 Giving trust and possibilities27:20 Building community in other countries35:00 Realising what matters most40:50 Paying attention to the life's feedback44:50 Speaking to people as humans at work47:35 The journey to building new leaders & community54:05 Bringing all of who we are57:05 What is a good life for Kemo?

On the 92nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Rachel Donald. Rachel is the creator of Planet: Critical, the podcast and newsletter for a world in crisis with 15,000+ subscribers from 160 countries. Planet: Critical connects the dots of science, art, language, politics, media, philosophy and power to reveal the big picture. Rachel speaks internationally on this ecosystem as an independent researcher and writer. Alongside Planet: Critical, her world exclusive investigations into climate corruption have been published in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Mongabay, The Intercept, Byline Times and the New Republic.In this wonderful conversation, Rachel takes us on her journey of looking beyond the veil, as for her, the world never seemed the way people said it was. She shares her experiences of questioning what is real and true, letting go of certainty, becoming more aware of and focused on the relationships between everything, and the joy that comes from doing work you love that serves others. She also explores finding ways to engage with the world while staying true to your own nature.This entire conversation is filled with insights and realisations that deeply connect to experiencing a fulfilling life, while Rachel's path may inspire you to think more critically and to reflect on what you are actively questioning and choosing in your own life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Rachel's Website: www.planetcritical.comRachel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-donald/- For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:52 Not holding onto answers or certainty08:02 The shift towards accepting uncertainty11:12 Getting out of our way to grow14:52 No decision is permanent17:52 Making big decisions with clarity24:12 Empowered to choose your own struggle28:22 Sensing something wasn't true31:52 Seeing the world differently36:52 Engaging with the world while remaining who we are43:02 New ways of lifting the veil47:22 A network of responses50:32 Developing empathy for different perspectives56:22 What is a good life for Rachel?

On the 91st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to welcome our guest, Andrea Hiott. Andrea is a philosopher and the founder of Making Ways, a private educational consultancy that works with individuals, businesses, and organisations such as EMI to explore the guiding philosophies at the core of our lives and actions. She is also an author and educator, holding degrees in the philosophy of mind, neuroscience, and UNESCO World Heritage. Andrea has authored several books, including Thinking Small, and her work has appeared in renowned publications such as the The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, National Geographic, and the San Francisco Chronicle. In addition, she hosts several podcasts, including Love & Philosophy and Desirable Unknown. In this captivating conversation, Andrea shares her journey with the question, "What is mind?" We discuss the importance of developing our ability to hold paradox, handle the intensity of our emotions, and navigate the challenges, joys, and fears that love can sometimes bring. We explore how our presence and attention can facilitate change within ourselves and others, and the profound impact of sharing meaningful moments together.This whole conversation is deeply insightful, offering much to learn from Andrea's curiosity, wisdom, and reflections. Which may help you to embrace the experience of being human more fully.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Andrea's Website: https://www.andreahiott.net/ Andrea's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@waymaking23/featured - For the What is a Good Life? 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:50 What is mind?07:16 What can we handle?11:41 Portals to be present15:11 More to this than we understand19:21 The joy and curiosity of deep feelings23:21 What is mind and what is mine? Holding paradox27:51 We are always in process32:21 Being present and the changes it allows33:41 Acknowledging our own possibility for change41:46 Time, mind, and memory46:31 The resonance of meaning through time50:41 The paradox of our separate and shared lives56:18 What is a good life for Andrea? 

On the 90th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Seb Randle. Seb is the founder of The Helpful Space, a space dedicated to exploring pragmatic and practical solutions that help individuals to where they want to be. His approach is grounded in warmth, kindness, genuine curiosity, and a deep understanding of what it takes to create lasting change. Seb is also Head of Allyship at Bloom North, and a people focussed consultant and coach. In this engaging conversation, Seb shares his ongoing journey of exploring his own truth. He shares with us key moments in his own life that encompassed family counselling in his teens, coming out to his mother and family, and developing a more loving relationship with his body. Each experience in life offering him the opportunity to reveal or understand more about himself. Seb also highlights the importance of how he shows up for others, the exploration of who we are at our core, the value of releasing self-judgement, living life with intention, and exploring our blind spots.If you are feeling unsure of who you are, seeking to connect more deeply with your truth, or feeling daunted by life's challenges, this conversation offers plenty of thought-provoking insights. Seb's relatable experiences and lived wisdom may offer new perspectives for whatever you're currently navigating.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Seb's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seb-randle-2787b412/The Helpful Space: https://www.instagram.com/thehelpfulspace/Bloom North: http://www.bloomnorth.org- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction03:00 A life free from regret07:10 Showing up for ourselves & others11:10 Building internal trust15:00 Feelings and judgements18:00 What you are at your core21:30 Self-judgement and self-acceptance25:25 Appreciating our bodies34:00 Coming out and telling loved ones40:00 Approaching life intentionally44:00 Engaging with our blind spots49:00 Wondering what else is out there56:38 What is a good life for Seb?

On the 89th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Manda Scott. Manda trained as a veterinary surgeon but is now an award-winning novelist and host of the Accidental Gods podcast. Best known for the internationally best-selling Boudica: Dreaming series, which The New York Times labelled “a masterpiece in historical fiction,” her latest novel departs from historical fiction in favour of a contemporary Thrutopian narrative, exploring the potential for a future we'd be proud to leave as our legacy. Any Human Power opens doorways we could all walk through, following routes to a paradigm shift we could make happen now.In this captivating conversation, Manda takes us on her journey of connecting to the living web of life. We explore what the web is asking of us, learning to learn through pain until we can learn through love, the joyful curiosity that arises from the heart-mind connection, dreaming awake, and the magic of co-creation that our relationships with each other can entail. She outlines the role of artists in envisioning a future that lays the foundations for a new way of being and path to follow.This entire conversation is brimming with hope, connection, curiosity, and considerable wisdom and insight from Manda. I hope it serves as a window into what is possible when we fully sense and connect with all that is around us—the living web of life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Manda's website / books: https://mandascott.co.uk/Manda's podcast: https://accidentalgods.life/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your teams, or you simply want to get in touch.00:00 Introduction02:45 Podcast begins04:45 Connecting with the web of life07:55 Consciously encountering the web of life12:15 Communicating with time and space18:03 Learning through pain and love22:57 Accepting, understanding and healing26:28 The heart-mind connection31:45 The power of joyful curiosity37:15 Feeling the web of life42:03 Attributing more aliveness to AI and others45:32 Dreaming awake and the void55:37 Responding to messages from the web of life59:45 Inquiries into death1:03:45 A place outside of space and time and the role of artists1:09:16 A whole new way of being and path to take1:18:20 What is a good life for Manda?

On the 88th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Derek Sivers. Derek is an author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, known for his surprising, quotable insights and pithy, succinct writing style. Formerly a musician, programmer, TED speaker, and circus clown, he sold his first company for $22 million and gave all the money to charity. Derek is the author of Useful Not True, How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, and Anything You Want. All his books, latest projects, and musings can be found on his website: https://sive.rs/In this insightful and engaging conversation, Derek takes us on a journey through his experiences as a musician, philosopher, circus performer, entrepreneur, and author. A journey spanning several continents that embraces, lets go of, and challenges multiple perspectives, and is underpinned by considerable explorations of growth, curiosity, joy, and play.If you feel stuck in your way of thinking, stagnant in your current life, or tired of your perspectives, not only will Derek's life serve as an incredible inspiration, but his thoughts and ideas may guide you to places you never imagined.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Derek's website / books: https://sive.rs/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people or you'd like to join my weekly silent conversation groups.00:00 Introduction02:42 What's another way to see this?07:10 Not stopping with the first thought10:10 What could be the benefit of any situation13:30 Navigating emotion and choices17:50 Exploring the edges of growth 23:20 Leaving the old for the new28:10 What is the growth choice?33:10 Exploration, play, and growth38:40 The greatest joy in life44:10 The motivation for the writing47:40 Not being attached to one perspective50:40 Realising ideas into existence53:40 Celebrating our work59:40 The moment of release 1:02:40 Giving 100% of proceeds to others1:07:40 Justifying our own actions1:12:40 The multiplicity of life1:19:55 What is a good life for Derek?

On the 87th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to welcome our guest, Dr. Niobe Way. Niobe is Professor of Developmental Psychology at NYU, founder of the Project for the Advancement of Our Common Humanity (PACH; pach.org), and the Principal Investigator of the Listening Project, which fosters curiosity and connection in schools across New York City. Niobe has served as President of the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA), holds a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, a doctorate from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health at Yale University.With nearly 40 years of experience researching adolescent social and emotional development, Niobe has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles. She is the author of Deep Secrets: Boys' Friendships and the Crisis of Connection and her latest book, Rebels with a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, and Our Culture.In this illuminating conversation, Niobe explores what it means to be human and how this is shaped by cultural context, the clash between our nature and culture, and the importance of listening to stories as well as examining data. She highlights the dangers of living in a culture that no longer listens and how much of what is needed for greater connection already exists within us.If your relationships lack the depth and connection you long for, or if you are struggling to cultivate greater intimacy and curiosity in your life, Niobe offers a wealth of insights, anecdotes, and even exercises for you to consider and practise to reveal your innate capacities for connection.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Niobe's book: https://www.brilliant-books.net/book/9780593184264Niobe's website: https://www.niobe-way.com/Niobe's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niobe-way-75270534/Photo credit: Daniel Root- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people or you'd like to join my weekly silent conversation groups.00:00 Introduction03:00 What it means to be human06:30 Crossing the lines11:57 What different groups can teach us about ourselves15:10 Privileging the hard over the soft20:55 Interpersonal curiosity24:00 Thin and thick stories27:00 Breaking stereotypes through stories32:30 Living in a culture that no longer listens40:00 Innate intelligence we have forgotten42:30 The root of our suffering and illness48:05 The fear of not being seen as we see ourselves53:17 The natural skills within us to solve our problems1:01:42 What is a good life for Niobe?

On the 86th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to introduce Nic Askew as our guest. Nic is a filmmaker who has discovered a powerful way to use the camera to deepen people's awareness. He has been described in various ways—an itinerant confessor, a disruptive influence, a monk independent of any religion, and an explorer of the inner world.Over two decades of exploring human connection, authenticity, and insight through film, Nic has uncovered a profoundly simple way for us to be together, which he calls Inner View. This method has led to the creation of the acclaimed Soul Biographies Film Series, an experience of human presence that has resonated with millions.In this enlightening conversation, Nic clearly articulates and points to a deeply felt sense of universal belonging, without the need to do, improve, or follow steps—simply by virtue of our existence and the lack of separation between us. He discusses how he uses the camera, stillness, and nothing to reveal our innate sense of belonging. With an awareness of this belonging, we can move through the world working on behalf of everyone and everything with life living itself through us.If you're struggling with feelings of unworthiness, a lack of belonging, or the belief that you need to fix or improve yourself, Nic's insights may help you see beyond these barriers to the simple truth of your inherent worth and obvious belonging.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.For further content and information check out the following:Soul Biographies: https://soulbiographies.com/Nic's website: https://nicaskew.com/Nic's newsletter: https://nicaskew.substack.com/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people or you'd like to join my weekly silent conversation groups.00:00 Introduction03:00 What is this work that I do?07:19 Stillness, awareness, and a realisation of belonging13:40 The power of silence and subtracting18:07 The challenge of our cultural way of being20:40 The realisation of our connectedness26:20 Become aware of what we are capable of30:50 Stillness and silence tending to our trauma33:20 Life living itself through you - nothing to do41:40 An awareness of the dissolving of time and space46:40 The Girl in the Entrance Hall51:10 Working on behalf of everyone and everything58:20 Realising why everyone hurt1:04:45 It is much more simple than we imagine1:11:15 An absence of time in our encounters1:16:20 Could I be doing something else?1:21:23 What is a good life for Nic?

On the 85th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jon Alexander. Jon is the author of CITIZENS: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us, a book that seeks to reframe the current moment as one of immense civic opportunity rather than merely a time of crisis and collapse.In 2014, Jon co-founded the New Citizenship Project, a strategy and innovation consultancy that aims to shift the dominant societal narrative from Consumer to Citizen. He is a Fellow of the Young Foundation, a founding member of the OECD's Innovative Citizen Participation Network, a Strategic Advisor to DemocracyNext, and a member of the Leadership Council of the Democracy and Culture Foundation. Additionally, Jon has represented Great Britain in both rowing and triathlon.In this inspiring conversation, Jon shares his journey of building greater trust in himself and others, which has shaped his ideas about evolving from a Consumer story to a Citizen story. In this new narrative, we expand our self-interest, connection, and sense of belonging, embracing the uncertainty we collectively face. We discuss the importance of stories over data, becoming who we want to be, reflection, and the immense satisfaction of being part of something bigger than ourselves.If you feel somewhat stuck and perhaps overwhelmed by the mounting crises, and if you are looking to reengage with a sense of agency and empowerment, this episode, along with Jon's journey, will give you much to contemplate, as well as inspiration for action.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Jon's book & website: https://www.jonalexander.net/Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-alexander-11b66345/Jon's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonjalex- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction02:55 Consumer Story & Citizen Story05:35 What would you do if you believed in yourself & others09:15 Self interest and expanded self-interest13:05 Human and community and connection16:45 Stories and connection over data21:55 Collectively becoming who we want to be25:55 Pretending we have answers and solutions30:40 Safe uncertainty34:35 A need for belonging, community, and contribution38:20 Trusting others43:55 Time to reflect and portals50:55 Not something to give up but to gain55:55 What is a good life for Jon?

On the 84th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Wakanyi Hoffman. Wakanyi is an artist of life who paints the shades of each day as a storyteller, author, keynote speaker specialising in Ubuntu philosophy, scholar of indigenous knowledge, and narrative weaver of wisdom in AI.Wakanyi is an Indigenous Knowledge Curator for ServiceSpace AI, a Research Fellow at The New Institute in Hamburg, and the author of Sala, Mountain Warrior. She sits on several boards, including the Kenya Education Fund, and her mission is to help co-create a world founded on continuous, naturally occurring, systemic intellectual and emotional progress that is in harmony with all other forms of emerging intelligence.In this enlivening episode, Wakanyi considers what it would take to reconnect with ancient wisdom while living in a modern world. She shares Ubuntu values of survival, solidarity, respect, compassion, and dignity—dignity for human life and all of life. She explores the hospicing of the systems we presently live in and what has inhibited us from engaging with the wisdom of the heart. We also discuss resisting the urge to interfere with a natural process and the relief and joy of not being in control.If you are struggling to integrate more wisdom into your life, if you feel you are holding on too tightly to the way things are, even when you realise they are no longer serving you, this episode will give you plenty of space, fresh air, and optimism to consider our next evolutions as people and as a society.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Wakanyi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wakanyi-hoffman-77a9671a4/Wakanyi's website: https://www.wakanyihoffman.com/Wakanyi's book: https://www.amazon.nl/-/en/Wakanyi-Hoffman/dp/191565906X- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:00 Reconnecting with our indigenous roots07:30 Merging Wisdom with Modernity11:00 The illusion of mutual exclusivity of experiences17:42 Honouring our material and immaterial experiences22:45 Ubuntu values33:00 Creating spaces to allow our values to emerge37:45 Growing out of old cocoons 42:50 Lessons from the do-nothing farmer47:05 Lessons from observing a child's development51:20 The humility and awe of the human experience57:44 What is a good life for Wakanyi?

On the 83rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Tom Morgan. Tom has spent the last 20 years in markets, on both the buy and sell sides. He has worked at several investment banks on Wall Street and his most recent role was with the wealth manager Sapient Capital. He describes himself as a "curiosity sherpa"; he spends his life seeking out the most interesting ideas and thinkers for curious people. He has just co-founded The Leading Edge, a network for curious people focused on their personal evolution, and he is also the writer of The Leading Edge newsletter. He graduated from Oxford University with an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.In this enlightening conversation, Tom muses on whether we realise that the universe loves us. He shares his experiences of struggling with mental and spiritual health, highlights the significance of experiencing flow in a meaningful way, discusses the importance of being honest with ourselves and the world around us, and explores the relationship between disclosing truth and the synchronicity we experience.Tom shares many insightful anecdotes and experiences throughout this conversation, making this episode ideal for anyone feeling stuck in life, considering career transitions, facing challenges with their well-being, or struggling to see the signs that the world or universe may be offering.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:The Leading Edge Website: https://www.theleading-edge.org/Tom's Newsletter: https://newsletter.theleading-edge.org/X: @tomowenmorgan- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction02:40 Does the universe love me?06:10 To what degree are we free?08:25 Flowing in a meaningful way & synchronicity12:40 The importance of discernment16:40 Experiencing highly contrasting states & sensitivity 23:05 The power of truth in experiencing reality28:54 The failing of our language and love30:50 Sharing with the intention of helping others34:10 Sharing our inner world37:40 Flow, earnings, and the value of containers46:20 Navigating career transition50:10 Not feeling anything 54:30 Insights from suffering58:20 What level of suffering is necessary?1:01:10 What is a good life for Tom?

On the 82nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Parneet Pal, MBBS, MS. Parneet is a Harvard- and Columbia-trained physician-educator who teaches skills and communicates ideas that advance personal, workplace, and planetary health. She is the founder of Systematically Well Advisory Inc., where she applies her expertise to enhance health and performance and their impact on business leadership. Her goal is to make you fall in love with your biology so that it works for you, your work, and the planet. She works with business teams and global organisations to address workplace stress, burnout, loneliness, and sustainability.Parneet speaks at global conferences such as Web Summit and TED Countdown and guest lectures at several universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia. She has been a TEDMED scholar, a Harvard Business Review contributor, and has been featured on the cover of Mindful magazine.In this enlightening conversation, Parneet shares her explorations around what true health is, moving away from siloed approaches to well-being to consider social, economic, ecological, and environmental factors. She shares remarkable insights from what our biology suggests a good life is, as well as major realisations she has made in her own life in relation to nature, community, mindfulness, and compassion. This whole conversation is full of life-affirming messages around the wonder, design, and miracle of life. Parneet is an absolute fountain of knowledge and embodied compassion, and this episode will fill you with gratitude to simply exist in this world and for the very life we live.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Parneet's Website: https://www.parneetpal.com/Parneet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parneetpal/IG: @pal.parneet   X: @parneet_pal  - 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:01 Introduction03:17 Exploring what true health actually means05:37 What makes the cells in my body sing09:57 The connection between health and sustainability 16:47 The impact of meaning and connection on our health24:02 Recognising the body as part of nature29:28 Stepping away from clinical practice 34:07 The importance of embodying compassion40:57 Appreciating the significance of community49:12 Breathing in the world and the miracle of life54:07 What is a good life for Parneet?

On the 81st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Patrick McAndrew. Patrick, a global thought leader on productivity and performance, empowers professionals to escape the "Productivity Paradox" - the illusion that being busy equals progress. As the founder of HARA, an inner circle for exceptional entrepreneurs and leaders, Patrick equips individuals with practical tools to reclaim focus, boost productivity, and achieve extraordinary results in a world of constant distractions. He provides teams with tools to tame distractions, prioritise what matters most, and develop resilience.In this beautiful conversation, Patrick takes us on his exploration of various cognitive and biological functions to what is now a journey to the heart, moving from fragmentation and mechanistic approaches to life towards greater alignment, embodiment, and a sense of being. He shares beautiful anecdotes and wisdom observed from his mother in her final months and his experience of caring for her, as well as the realisations he has made from his own closely examined life. He touches on various modalities he has explored to live a more connected life, as well as tools and perspectives he shares with his clients to allow greater acceptance and connection to flourish in their own lives.This episode has a lot to offer. Whether you are seeking greater clarity in life, have implemented many processes for “optimising” your life and still feel something is missing, or knowing that something intangible is within your reach but you feel lost in that process, this episode offers multiple insights for your own contemplation.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Patrick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmcandrewonline/Patrick's website: https://www.patrickmcandrew.coPatrick's newsletter: https://patrickmcandrew.substack.com- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:25 Who am I in this moment?06:50 Moving from mental inquiries to the heart12:55 Lessons from his mother18:50 Not seeking approval & letting go of constructs26:50 Connection is much closer than we think28:30 Contact and awareness of impulses and cravings33:20 Finding clarity and guidance in life38:00 The significance of resting within yourself42:30 Letting go of our judgements and identifying needs52:40 A reconnection to wild and wisdom1:02:05 What is a good life for Patrick?

On the 80th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jonny Thomson. Jonny was a teacher for over a decade before he turned to writing full-time. He is a columnist at Big Think, where he writes primarily about philosophy, theology, and psychology, and is the author of three books. His first book, Mini Philosophy, is an award-winning international bestseller and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Jonny also runs the popular social media account Philosophy Minis, with a quarter of a million followers, where he explains philosophical ideas in short, accessible digests. He lives in a village in North Oxfordshire with his wife and two sons.In this engaging conversation, Jonny shares his thoughts on contemplating death and how it can guide us in living a good life. We discuss the importance of finding meaning beyond our own lives and moments of feeling part of something bigger. We also explore the potential impact of AI and what it reveals about being human. While Jonny reflects on his shift towards a Daoist perspective and how this has influenced both his path and sense of purpose.Throughout the conversation, Jonny highlights essential components of contemplation and ways of engaging with life that can bring greater purpose, contentment, and meaning. If you feel that your life needs a change or that it feels somewhat stifled, this episode will provide much to consider.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Jonny's first book, Mini PhilosophyJonny's Website: https://miniphilosophy.com/Jonny's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philosophyminis/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:20 The power of contemplating death06:20 The shift in magnetic poles from having kids12:25 Something beyond your own life20:00 The future of humanity and AI26:25 Human frailty and connection in art32:40 Our proclivity for convenience35:20 A Daoist perspective to finding your path45:20 Hearing a voice and inner guide51:19 What is a good life for Jonny?

On the 79th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Jen Cohen. Jen is a Co-Founder and Director of Seven Stones Leadership, a leadership journeys company, and the Director of Coaching Education for Mobius Executive Leadership, a global boutique consulting firm serving Fortune 500 companies. She is the co-author, with Gina LaRoche, of The 7 Laws of Enough, and the author of the chapter “From Surviving to Thriving” in the book Being Human at Work, edited by Richard Strozzi Heckler.Her coaching and training are distinguished by her studies in several communication technologies, along with quantum physics, ontology, neuroscience, psychology, trauma—both individual and collective—somatics, and systems thinking. Jen is a Master Certified Somatic Coach with the Strozzi Institute and holds a master's degree in Applied Psychology with an emphasis on systems theory.In this captivating conversation, Jen shares with us her lifelong questioning of what is truth and what is reality. She speaks of her journey from experiencing trauma in her childhood, to continually seeking a sense of truth, and the emergence of her path and experiences with bodywork and healing. We explore the process of transmutation and extracting wisdom from our experiences, the sense of something bigger being at play that is moving us, the process of how purpose synchronistically arises, and living a life that ultimately brings her closer and closer into contact with reality.Whatever you may be going through in life, this conversation will provide you with considerable inspiration as to what can become of our lives if we do not look away from reality but walk towards it. While Jen shares her considerable wisdom and insights from her own examined life of inquiry, giving us all much to contemplate.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Seven Stones Leadership website: https://www.sevenstonesleadership.com/Jen's book: https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Enough-Cultivating-Sustainable-Abundance/dp/1941529909Jen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifercohen7s/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:45 What is the truth? What is reality?10:30 We are in relationship with everything13:30 Extracting wisdom from experiences19:35 Finding truth and reality through the body27:45 The wisdom of the body30:45 Trauma of the past becoming present and future33:45 The desire to seek truth through trauma36:15 The feeling that something bigger is happening39:15 Exploring how purpose arises46:15 Finding the path as a healer53:35 What is a good life for Jen?

On the 78th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Simon van der Els, PhD. Simon is a student of the invisible realm. He holds a PhD in the empirical tradition of molecular microbiology and also explores the subjective realm of shamanism as a way of rediscovering the interiority of the living cosmos. He enjoys time in nature, dance, and other sensory embodied experiences. Dialogue is one of the practices in which he can encounter a flow state, and it is one of his favourite activities.In this glorious conversation, Simon shares his explorations of a greater sense of being in life. He highlights the importance of connection—to ourselves, each other, and the biosphere—in terms of feeling a deeper sense of being and belonging that goes beyond temporary moments of flow or peak experiences. We touch on the grief that is necessary to navigate in order to feel the depths of love and joy that are freely available to us, and that much of the way is more about remembering and resting than turning life into checklists for being and productivity.If you are struggling to feel a greater sense of being or alignment in life, or if your explorations into being have yielded more processes and things to do in order to be, this conversation will point to fundamental aspects of being that could greatly shift your present perspectives and experience of life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Simon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-van-der-els-phd-66434b231/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.00:00 Introduction03:07 How to be in this life between worlds?08:07 Peak experiences and broadening our aperture 14:32 Remembering a way of being and connection19:17 The grief and love through coming home 24:02 The sense of loneliness in the world27:22 We need to remember, feel, and sense33:31 The shift from compulsive thought to sensory experience39:27 The role of grief and presencing 43:07 It is all about connection46:27 The experience and challenges of a new sense of being50:07 The journey of becoming and joy54:37 Letting go of the checklists in life59:15 What is a good life for Simon?

On the 77th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Tom Hirons. Tom is a poet and storyteller based in Devon, UK. He is the director of Feral Angels Press and editor of Clarion poetry magazine. He teaches poetry writing, both online and in person, and runs poetry-focused wilderness fasts. Tom's piece, Sometimes a Wild God, is a subcultural poetry classic. He has never won a poetry prize or been published in a poetry magazine, yet still makes his living from poetry. He says, "I have heard all the terrible news and I have looked into the inferno of the future, but I am still in love with this life." Tom's latest collection, The Queen of Heaven, is out this week.In this glorious conversation, Tom shares his journey of becoming a poet and realising how he can best apply his abilities in the world. We discuss tracking life and threads from other worlds. We muse on balancing our ascending into spirit and descending into soul, while acknowledging the beauty that can be lost if we try too hard. He also notes the significance of wilderness fasting in terms of initiation into adulthood and in knowing and living out his nature and soul image.If you have a gnawing feeling or aching sense that there is so much more to this life than what you are presently aware of or accepting of, this conversation will point to and suggest where to explore, what there is to discover, and what life can feel like from there.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Check out Tom's books here: https://feralangels.com His newsletter here: https://newsletter.tomhirons.com/bear-speaks-to-the-starsHis website: https://tomhirons.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/hironstomInstagram: https://instagram.com/bearspeakstothestars- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.04:00 Becoming a poet and who he is07:00 How to develop for greater benefit to others10:45 Transcendent experiences when connecting to art15:15 Tracking life and the threads from other worlds21:15 The significance of Wilderness fasting and initiation into adulthood27:00 The balancing of soul and spirit of ascending and descending31:20 Marking our steps into adulthood35:00 Cultivating a paying attention to and tracking of life39:45 Allowing space for the non-sacred in creativity44:50 The beauty that can be lost if we are trying too hard50:28 Life force, wildness, and the daemon56:48 The war against the devourer and claiming our birthright1:01:30 What is a good life for Tom?

On the 76th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Parker J. Palmer. Parker is a writer, speaker, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality, and social change. He is the founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal. He holds a PhD in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley, fourteen honorary doctorates, two Distinguished Achievement Awards from the National Educational Press Association, and an Award of Excellence from the Associated Church Press. He is the author of ten books—including several award-winning titles—that have sold over two million copies and been translated into twelve languages. Among them is Let Your Life Speak, which is comfortably the best book I've read about vocation and purpose.In this glorious conversation, Parker shares his journey of conversing with and listening to life, revealing more of his natural self in the process, his gifts and limitations, choosing the less conventional path, and ultimately guiding him to a life of vocation. He shares his experiences of depression, the significance of coming down to the ground, prioritising being real over being noble, and the need for silence and settling our minds for listening to life and for clarity.This episode offers much wisdom to contemplate and is filled with experiences, anecdotes, and realisations that will present you with many invitations to explore life differently. Parker has a really unique take on finding vocation and purpose and practical ways to track and follow life.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Center for Courage & Renewal: https://couragerenewal.org/Parker's books: https://couragerenewal.org/resource-types/book/Parker's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parkerjpalmer/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.02:45 Interview beings03:15 Listening to your life 09:15 Acknowledging who you are at different times12:15 The refuge of writing15:45 The conversation with life can change daily19:29 The role of silence and listening in a good life23:45 The significance of getting real over being noble32:55 Living in a quaker community and radical equality38:15 Following his vocation and living a good life44:35 Helping each other down to the ground47:45 Getting real with ourselves53:45 Using our limitations as a guide1:00:45 Experiences of depression 1:05:15 What is a good life for Parker?

On the 75th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael is best known for his book The Coaching Habit, which has sold over a million copies. His most recent book, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, shows how to create psychological safety by building the Best Possible Relationship with key people at work. He founded Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that has trained hundreds of thousands of managers to be more coach-like. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and recently won the coaching award from Thinkers50.In this insightful conversation, Michael shares the origin and meaning of his big goal of infecting a billion people with the possibility virus and the significance of feeling deeply defeated by ever greater things. He notes the importance of sharing the spotlight with others, maintaining humility while knowing what we are good at, and amplifying that. Throughout this conversation, he highlights the inherent value and worth of us all as human beings and his desire to embolden people by making them more aware of this truth.If you sense you are playing it too safe or are fearful of what potential failure may say about you or your value as a person, this conversation will offer perspectives, experiences, and anecdotes that may liberate you to live more of the life you are yearning for and that is much more possible than you think.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Michael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbungaystanier/Michael's website: https://www.mbs.works/The Coaching Habit: https://www.mbs.works/coaching-habit-book/#buyHow to Work with (almost) Anyone: https://www.mbs.works/how-to-work-with-almost-anyone-book/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.Running Order:03:02 Wrestling with angels08:41 Infecting a billion people with the possibility virus12:07 Allowing others to take the spot light15:42 Humility in success and our strengths18:45 You're awesome and you're doing great23:17 An awareness of the bigger picture and paradox31:22 Engaging with emotions and men's work34:37 Having a healthy relationship with failure38:07 Reflections on authenticity and amplifying your difference47:37 The gift of feeling worthy51:37 What is a good life for Michael?

On the 74th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Dee Mulrooney. Dee is a multi-disciplinary Irish artist. Inhabiting a female body, mythical imagination and story as medicine are the main preoccupations of her work. Exile, class, displacement, social history, longing, and belonging are some of the themes explored by Dee through painting, drawing, film, storytelling, and performance. Her art is fiercely authentic, and she leaves no stone of her own personal healing journey unturned. Dee works with the alchemical aspect of transmutation in her art, using this process to deal with difficult topics including abuse, death, and loss.In this glorious conversation, Dee shares with us her journey towards greater purpose, self-acceptance, and more wholeness in her being. A path that included joining and leaving a cult, moving her family from Dublin to Berlin, giving birth to herself once more through her experience of menopause, accepting her own nature, and the process of transmuting her pain and torment into art and expression. Throughout this conversation, she never looks away from the pain humans create nor lets go of hope or appreciation for life.Dee is someone who I see as fiercely engaged with both the great joys and depths of sorrow in life. If you are too attached to the light, perhaps this conversation invites you more into the shadow, and vice versa, ultimately giving you a sense of a greater wholeness that is possible within us.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Dee's Website: https://deirdre-mulrooney.com/Socials, FB, Insta, TikTok: @deemulrooney- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.Running Order:03:30 It's about purpose07:50 The realisation of being in a cult10:00 The sense of seeking and God13:30 Giving birth to myself17:45 The changes with empathy and compassion22:00 Exploring shadow28:10 Our ability to transmute 32:30 The denial of the feminine archetype 41:30 The power of art to transmute torment48:00 Making art for herself and sharing it50:20 Coming into acceptance of her anxious nature56:50 What is a good life for Dee?

On the 73rd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Sunil Malhotra. Sunil weaves together Vedic wisdom with the innovations of tomorrow. To unravel the mysteries of the human experience, he stands at the intersection of spirituality, technology, and design. Sunil's latest book, YOGAi: Interplays of Yoga and Artificial Intelligence, demystifies both 'technologies' in a bid to connect them in the context of the exponential times we are witnessing. He is also the founder of Ideafarms, a Design-in-Tech advisory and consulting firm.In this illuminating conversation, Sunil shares his experience of letting go of questions and answers in his life, and feeling and experiencing a much wider sense of life, a letting go of control and consequently a flow to it has emerged he had not previously known existed. He explains how through his latest book he forged profound connections with some of the most esteemed minds in spirituality and science, including luminaries such as Dr. Karan Singh, Ervin Laszlo, and Satish Kumar. While we also discuss the capacity to look at life with fresh eyes, think for ourselves, and recognise how everything around us is communicating with us.If you are overthinking life and sense that you're holding on too tightly, this conversation will offer you plenty of suggestions, anecdotes, and clues on how life can flow more effortlessly.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Sunil's company website: http://www.ideafarms.comSunil's latest book: https://www.amazon.com/YOGAi-Interplays-Yoga-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/B0D1FQ9K2H- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, executive team coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:03:20 The ceasing of questions09:55 Looking at life with fresh eyes14:45 We don't often think for ourselves19:10 Realising that everything is communicating with us24:50 The desire to explore Yoga more fully 30:20 The relationship between science and yoga35:30 The difference between knowledge and knowing42:20 Forging bonds with esteemed minds48:10 The loosening of thinking and a growing awareness58:20 The intention behind the book1:02:50 What is a good life for Sunil?

On the 72nd episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Reuben Christian. Reuben is an award-winning edutainer: a cocktail of event host, motivational speaker, facilitator, TV presenter and comedian. He's the founder and facilitator of Dream Rehab: a live show and curriculum that harnesses the power of community to help people achieve their personal goals. He co-hosts the award winning (GQ & Esquire) What Is This Behaviour podcast, and his work is all about inspiring new possibilities by creating uplifting spaces for people to connect, collaborate, and grow. In this beautiful episode, Reuben shares his journey of feeling true to himself. Whether it's paying attention to what brings fun to his life, embracing responsibility, exploring and excavating through therapy, or following what makes him feel alive and aligned in his work, Reuben highlights several important areas for us to consider in feeling true to ourselves. We also explore our experiences with engaging more with our emotions and feeling more of life.If your life has lost a sense of feeling, engagement with emotion, fun and experimentation, or a sense that it truly is your life, this conversation will provide many themes and areas to explore further. While Reuben's openness and willingness to explore and experiment will offer much inspiration on your own path.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Dream Rehab Website: https://www.dreamrehab.co.uk/Reuben's Podcast: https://whatisthisbehaviourpodcast.com/Reuben's website: https://www.reubenchristian.com/Contact Reuben: reubenchristian@gmail.com - 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, executive team coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:04:12 Does this feel true to who I am now?08:32 The value of knowing who you are13:57 Following the fun16:26 What brings Reuben hope?19:51 Holding a wider lens25:24 Allowing yourself to feel it all33:51 Emotional healing isn't linear38:02 Our relationship with the unknown44:50 Helping other people realise their own possibilities54:51 What is a good life for Reuben?

On the 71st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Mariana Louis M.A. Mariana is a professional tarot counsellor, scholar, and creator of Persephone's Sister, a platform for psycho-spiritual education and guidance. Following her academic study of analytical psychology and Western Intellectual Traditions, Mariana integrated her scholarship into her developing expertise in the tarot and formulated an approach she calls Archetypal Tarot. She teaches this approach, which marries Jungian concepts with the symbolic depth of the tarot, in a host of courses for tarot students of all levels.This glorious conversation touches on many vital themes that contribute to a good life: Mariana's journey of individuation, the interplay between the sacred and the mundane, the tensions of the human experience between zooming in and out, the balance of masculine and feminine energies within us, and the dynamics of order and chaos, growth and structure. Mariana also shares the significant influence that the Tarot and Carl Jung have had on her sense of experiencing more wholeness in her life.If you are seeking more movement in your life, if you feel stuck and are lacking the faith or trust to take a necessary next step, this conversation will provide you with much to contemplate, insight, and inspiration for taking that next step along your own authentic path and embracing uncertainty.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:Mariana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/persephonessister/Mariana's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzNvYREM8s3gLEsYD2DY_3gMariana's website: https://persephonessister.com/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, executive team coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:00:01 Introduction03:11 How does one live side by side with God07:06 The interplay of the sacred and the mundane11:56 A reengagement with the feminine archetype19:21 Embracing love, nature, and the unknown24:06 The exploration and relationship with Tarot31:48 The capacity to see the bigger picture36:09 Finding the right question and faith39:22 Holding the tensions of the opposites45:36 Mystical experiences52:06 Embracing the human experience55:36 Not resisting our nature1:00:46 Letting go of perfection and idols1:07:46 What is a good life for Mariana?

On the 70th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Holly Penalver. Holly is the founder of Indigo Volunteers, a remarkable charity that has made a significant impact on the lives of tens of thousands of refugees. By placing thousands of volunteers with grassroots partners, Indigo provides essential aid, healthcare, education, skills workshops, and vital services to refugees along the European migratory route. Having spent years in the field, working hands-on in places like Greece, Serbia, and Bosnia, she now works for the disaster relief charity ShelterBox as their Volunteer Development Manager.In this conversation, Holly takes us on her journey of supporting and building community, inspired by the support she felt at home, to setting up Indigo Volunteers. She talks about the significance of both being willing to accept and give help, the importance of forgiving ourselves, letting go of right and wrong, the realisation that multiple things can be true at the same time, and how we are not as important as we think. Which can all help release us to do more good in the world.Throughout this conversation, it's clear that Holly is someone who takes action when she notices something missing that could support the community. Whether it's within our communities or even in our own personal lives where we observe a lack of necessary action, there is much inspiration to draw from her energy and the perspectives shared in this episode.Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.For further content and information check out the following:- Indigo Volunteers: https://www.indigovolunteers.org/- 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/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life to book a free consultation (30 minutes) for one-on-one coaching programs, executive team coaching programs to build trust and connection amongst executive teams or silent retreats for executive teams.Running Order:02:55 Podcast begins03:55 What is going wrong with our communities07:50 The importance of accepting help12:25 Connection of upbringing and self-worth18:10 The significance of forgiving ourselves21:58 We are not as important as we think25:38 Letting go of black and white thinking30:01 Realising we all hold different perceptions33:45 Being aware of what others need39:45 The joy of feeling connected with community43:25 Inspiration for establishing a charity47:10 Empathy and desire to help others51:45 Balancing family and helping others54:55 What is a good life for Holly?