Good Life Project || Inspiration | Motivation | Happiness | Meaning | Success

Priya Parker is the founder of Thrive Labs, where she helps activists, elected officials, corporate executives, educators, and philanthropists create transformational gatherings.She works with teams and leaders across technology, business, the arts, fashion, and politics to clarify their vision for the future and build meaningful, purpose-driven communities. Her clients have included the Museum of Modern Art, LVMH, the World Economic Forum, meetup.com, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, the Union for Concerned Scientists, and Civitas Public Affairs.Parker is the author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters. In today's conversation, we explore the power and art of gathering, how to turn a hum-drum party or dinner into a life-changing experience. We also dive into her very personal experiences with race, exclusion, activism, resolution, hard conversations and the moments that both shaped who she would become and define the path she would choose in work and life.-------------Have

From the outside-looking-in, Ryan Lee had it all.After 6 years working in a hospital helping physically-disabled and sick kids find more joy and ease, Ryan felt the tug of entrepreneurship. So, he left the job he loved to play in the world of "internet marketing," where he quickly made a name for himself and went on to built numerous, hugely-successful companies in the health and nutrition field. Along the way, Lee married his college sweetheart and was raising four great kids. He owned a beautiful house in Connecticut, worked from cafes and loved life.Then, everything started falling apart...Ryan's body began to betray him to the point where he could barely walk. He'd soon learn that was just a symptom of a much larger reckoning. A wake-up call that would test his health, his business, his closest relationships and lead to a complete reboot of his wellbeing, his living and life. And, as is his pattern, scratching the itch of his own wellbeing, Ryan began to notice a serious gap in the market.

Is your DNA your destiny? Can you swap in better "source code" to save your life, change your appearance, be smarter or more athletic? Can a mother inherit DNA from her fetus? What do you really get when you pay for inexpensive genome-testing? These questions are just part of what we cover in today's deep with acclaimed science-writer, Carl Zimmer. Zimmer writes the Matter column for the New York Times and contributes to The Atlantic, National Geographic, Time, and Scientific American, among others. He has won the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science Journalism Award three times, among a host of other awards and fellowships. He teaches science writing at Yale University. His previous books include Parasite Rex, Evolution, and Microcosm.His new book, She Has Her Mother's Laugh is a stunning, powerfully-researched, eye-opening look at the truth about heredity, DNA, what is truly in our control and the astonishing breakthroughs coming our way in just the next few years.-------------

Susan Piver (http://susanpiver.com/) is the New York Times best-selling author of 9 books, a speaker, and founder of the largest virtual mindfulness community in the world, The Open Heart Project. She has been featured on Oprah, TODAY, CNN, speaks around the world and leads teachings and retreats on Buddhism, meditation, relationships and the essential practices for a life well-lived.In her most recent book, The Four Noble Truths of Love, (https://amzn.to/2laMDxV) she offers a powerful set of tools to reimagine and better navigate long-term, loving relationships in a way that respects each person's individual truth, while making space for a living, evolving container for love.In our podcast conversation this week, Piver shares the eye-opening revelation that brought her to the Four Noble Truths of Love, then walks us through each one. She reveals the genesis of this work, her own 20-year marriage, her struggle with attachment to "what was" and the innately human need to contain and define and preserve it

Artist, poet, activist and author, Cleo Wade, likes to say she has three parents, her mom, her dad and the city of New Orleans.Wade’s new book, Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom For a Better Life, (https://amzn.to/2Ltivce) is a moving collection of poems, provocative thoughts and moments that leave you questioning the status quo and opening your heart and mind to a different set of possibilities. Her artwork includes everything from short, hand-written posts shared with her giant following on Instagram to collaborations with major brands and large-scale public art installations, including a 25-foot love poem in the skyline of the New Orleans French Quarter titled “Respect.”In today’s episode we explore how being raised as a mixed-race kid in the famed New Orleans French Quarter by two fiercely-creative parents influenced her, how hurricane Katrina changed everything, why she moved to New York, how she walked away from a career as a rising star in fashion to rediscover and cultivate a deeper, artistic voice as a

Michael Pollan is the author most recently of mega New York Times bestseller, How to Change Your Mind, and of seven previous books that became global phenomena, including Cooked, Food Rules, and The Omnivore's Dilemma. A longtime contributor to the New York Times Magazine, he also teaches writing at Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley where he is the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Science Journalism. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world.In today's episode, we explore his lens on the writing life, then dive into his year's long investigative journey into the mysterious world of psychedelic molecules, like LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), MDMA and something called "the toad." We talk about the fact, fiction, history, science and revolutionary clinical studies now underway, mostly from the lens of therapeutic outcomes.This conversation is not a permission-slip to experiment with any of what he talks about, nor an endorse

Jen Sincero is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of You are a Badass and You are a Badass at Making Money.But it all started from humble beginnings, playing in a band and living in a garage in Venice Beach, California, Sincero made a decision to change her life, stepping into her true identity, leading with her real, wise, funny, badass voice, and reframing her relationship with money. Money, it turned out, was not the enemy, but rather a conduit for expression and impact.With this shift in intention and action, she set a new course and built a career as an internationally-acclaimed and massively successful writer on her own terms. Still, the story behind what it took to sell her first book, You Are a Badass (which has now sold a bajillion copies and been on the NYT list for years) is pretty amazing. We dive into that and so much more in this week's Best Of conversation.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE&nbs

Sadie Lincoln had a powerhouse career in a global fitness company, where her husband Chris also worked. But deep down, she knew the company she was helping to grow was no longer aligned with who she was and how she wanted to contribute to the world. Her career in wellness was leaving her unwell.So, she and Chris decided to quit their jobs, sell their home and move from the San Francisco area to Portland, Oregon, in the name of pursuing a dream. Together, they founded barre3, a whole-health movement studio and community that has now grown to more than 100 locations worldwide.In today's episode, we explore Sadie's journey growing up in an alternative family with her mom and a small group of friends - her "aunties" - who all raised their kids together. We dive into her love of movement and creativity and teaching, her openness to following serendipity into the world of fitness, and her emerging commitment to helping women cultivate and share their voices.--------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet?

Rich Roll transformed his body and health, losing 50-pounds and becoming an acclaimed plant-powered ultra-endurance athlete. This led to the blockbuster book, Finding Ultra. But, behind the scenes, he was struggling with something else that would eventually bring him, once again, to his knees.While he'd figured out his physical wellbeing, he had also awakened to the fact that his career as a lawyer was deeply unfulfilling. Married, with a wife and four kids, he left the law behind. Now, he had to figure out how to craft a new living. This led to a years-long, often brutally-hard journey that brought him within hours of losing the family home. But, together with his wife, Julie Piatt, they held to their belief that the only way was through.That eventually led to a new vocation as an advocate, speaker, author and podcast producer focusing on healthy-living, plant-powered eating, sustainable food-systems and meaningful living. That journey is still unfolding. And, in today's conversation, we dive into the major

Her ninth-grade teacher changed her life, but the loss of a friend followed by time in service of Tibetan refugees in India would lead Leah Weiss to change the lives of thousands in ways she never saw coming, until they arrived.Leah Weiss, Ph.D., MSW, is a teacher, researcher, and meditation expert at Stanford University specializing in mindfulness and compassion. She teaches a perennially waitlisted course at Stanford, Leading with Mindfulness and Compassion, and is the Principal Teacher and Trainer for Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Training program, founded by the Dalai Lama. She is also the author of How We Work (https://amzn.to/2jxpULU), and a women's rights advocate who strives to bring actionable methods for difficult work situations to women at all levels.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open y

Turns out, perfect timing is less of an art and more of a science than we ever knew. In today's conversation with mega-NYT-bestselling author, Dan Pink (http://www.danpink.com/) we dive into the "secret" science of perfect timing, drawing from his new book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing (https://amzn.to/2HB7Tuw). Prepare to be pretty seriously surprise, you just might discover there is a perfect minute, time of day, day of the week, month or year to finally do that thing you've always wanted to do AND have the highest likelihood of success.And, of course, since we had Dan in the studio, we also dive into his career, his writing life and how, why and when he chooses to commit to a project, book and so much more.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.I

Tyler Wetherall didn't know her dad was a fugitive, until Scotland Yard came knocking. As a child, Wetherall's family was constantly changing countries and homes. But, to her, that was just "how things were. Life was an exciting adventure, until it all came crashing down and she realized the family had been on the run and the dad she loved so deeply was the one they were after.Now, a British writer and journalist living in New York, in her memoir, No Way Home, Tyler shares this journey, how she discovered the truth, navigated the fraught relationship with her father and found a new normal. We dive into her life and also the decision to write a book that would reveal her and her family's secrets and how she created something that was true to her experience, while being respectful of those involved.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, i

Former Gap fashion model, Light Watkins, began yoga and meditation in-between casting calls in New York City during the late nineties. It opened him to a different worldview and set of practices that would change not only the trajectory of his career, but also his path in life. Deepening his practice, traveling and spending time in India and then apprenticing with his Vedic Meditation teacher, Watkins became a full-time Vedic Meditation teacher in 2007. He now travels the world speaking on happiness, mindfulness, inspiration, and meditation. Light’s most recent book, Bliss More: How to Succeed in Meditation Without Really Trying invites people into meditation in a very accessible way. And, he also produces The Shine—a global pop-up inspirational variety show with a mission to inspire that actually started as a local dinner gathering.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minu

Geneen Roth is done trying to fix the messy parts of her life, and she wants you to consider the possibility that a good part of your magnificence lies in your mess. A mega New York Times bestselling author of books like When Food Is Love and Women Food and God, Roth has been teaching groundbreaking workshops for over 30 years. She's been featured everywhere from The Oprah Winfrey Show, to 20/20, the Today show, Good Morning America, The View and beyond.In her new book, This Messy Magnificent Life, she invites us to stand in our own imperfection, to allow space to feel loved and whole and good, even when open questions remain. And, to reclaim a sense of agency and expansion over our bodies, lives, relationships and power at a time when too many feel a lack of control and contraction.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes

Elizabeth Lesser is the co-founder of the legendary Omega Institute, recognized internationally for its workshops and conferences in wellness, spirituality, creativity, and social change. She's presented at TED, was named one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100 and is a New York Times bestselling author. Seeking to help save her younger sister's life after a diagnosis of cancer, Lesser donated her bone marrow. While her efforts, devastatingly, didn't achieve their ultimate goal, they led to a profound transformation in the relationship between the sisters that has become the focus of Elizabeth's latest book, Marrow: Love, Loss & What Matters Most.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super co

Dr. Frank Lipman, (http://howtobewell.com/) a pioneer in both integrative and functional medicine, is the founder and director of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, a New York Times best-selling author and the creator of Be Well, a lifestyle brand that helps people achieve genuine and sustainable life changes. We explored his moving personal journey from South Africa to NYC in a prior episode (http://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/dr-frank-lipman/). Today, drawing from his newest book, How to Be Well, (http://amzn.to/2FZ0OQx) we dive into Lipman's "Good Medicine Mandala" and six pillars of health with specific, often contrarian advice on everything from fasting and fat to sleep and sunshine.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please sh

Melissa Bernstein is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Melissa & Doug, the global toy company committed to igniting imagination and a sense of wonder in all children so they can discover themselves, their passions and their purpose. A mom of six, Bernstein is also leading a movement to Take Back Childhood. For her entire life, though, she's lived with a secret. From her earliest memories, a sense of foreboding, sometimes consuming darkness has followed her and remains to this day. Yet, while working on ways to lift it, she's also learned to harness the energy of this heaviness to create light and laughter for millions of children and families, including her own.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a frien

Ruthie Lindsey escaped paralysis after a car accident in her late teens, but found herself in unrelenting and mysterious pain. A cocktail of medication dulled it a bit, but left her struggling to function. Years later, the pain remains and, in fact, through circumstances revealed in our conversation, has only worsened. Yet, to look at Lindsey's stunningly-joyful instagram feed, you'd think she lives a life of care-free joy, lightness and abundance. In no small way, you'd be right. But, it's not because the pain ever left, it is because she became intentional about how she chose to live with it.-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them

As a young child, Arian Moayed's family fled Iran, taking a years-long journey that split the family, and eventually landed them just outside Chicago, where they set about building a new life in a radically different world. Stumbling into a love of acting, Moayed began to pursue a passion for theater. He was met with a wall of no's. But, to him that just meant, make it happen on your own. And, so he did.Moayed has since become a Tony-nominated actor, co-founder of theater/film production and arts education venture, Waterwell, (http://www.waterwell.org/) and an award-winning writer/director. He's worked alongside legends like Bill Murray, Alfonso Cuaron, Barry Levinson, Spike Lee and Jon Stewart. Arian's groundbreaking thriller TV series, The Accidental Wolf (http://theaccidentalwolf.com/), starring Kelli O’Hara, Laurie Metcalf, Denis O’Hare, and a cast of 36 Tony nominations, is taking the web by storm. And, his heart is most boldly on display in the arts education program he helped develop that off

Dr. Rana Awdish wanted to be a doctor from her earliest memories, and worked to become an ICU physician. But, when she found herself 7-months pregnant, being admitted to the hospital spiraling into multiple organ failure, the near-death experience, followed by a two year medical odyssey would forever change her.Dr. Awdish's understanding of both what is was to be a patient, and how the relationship between doctor and patient could radically affect the experience and even outcome of a patient was transformative. This harrowing journey and her awakening to a profoundly different way to practice medicine is detailed beautifully in her memoir, In Shock.Dr. Awdish is now the Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and a Critical Care Physician. She was recently named Medical Director of Care Experience for the Health System and awarded the Speak-Up Hero award in 2014 for her work on improving communication, as well as the Critical Care Teaching Award in