Nobody Told Me!

What does it mean to “live a good life”? And how can we do that? We explore those questions on this episode as we talk with two Notre Dame philosophy professors who’ve written a great guide for examining the quality and meaning of one’s own life.  Our guests are Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko whose book is called, "The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith and Meaning". 

If you could use some help simplifying and streamlining your living environment, help is on the way!  Our guest is professional organizer Jen Robin, the founder and CEO of the organizational and lifestyle company known as “Life in Jeneral”.  Jen is the author of the book, "LIFE IN JENERAL: A Joyful Guide to Organizing Your Home and Creating the Space for What Matters Most".  Her website is https://www.lifeinjeneral.com/about

We’re excited to welcome Captain Sandy Yawn to the show.   Captain Sandy is a super-yacht captain with over 30 years of international maritime experience.  Captain Sandy is perhaps best known as the star of the hit reality series, "Below Deck Mediterranean". She’s the author of the book, "Be The Calm or Be The Storm: Leadership Lessons from a Woman at the Helm".  Her website is captainsandyyawn.com.  She is also the co-host of the podcast, "The Captain Sandy and Leah Rae Show".

If you’ve ever felt bad when someone has told you to “just be happy!”, then this episode is for you. We explore the limits of positive thinking with our guest, psychotherapist Whitney Goodman. Whitney is the author of the book, "TOXIC POSITIVITY: Keeping it Real in a World Obsessed with Being Happy", which is described as a powerful guide to owning our emotions—especially the difficult ones.  Her website is https://sitwithwhit.com/

Do you find it tough to set healthy limits in your personal and professional relationships?  On this episode, we’ll find out why some of us have trouble setting boundaries and how we can change. Joining us is psychotherapist and relationship expert Terri Cole who says the most successful and satisfied people on the planet have one thing in common: the ability to create and communicate clear, healthy boundaries. Terri’s latest book is called, "Boundary Boss: The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen and (Finally) Live Free". Her website is https://www.terricole.com/

Did you know that we spend around 70% of our lives sitting or lying completely still?  A sedentary lifestyle is not only bad for your body, it can also result in anxiety, depression and a lower overall IQ. Our guest on this episode is science journalist Caroline Williams, who says simple movement has the power to improve every aspect of our lives. Caroline is the author of the book, "Move: How the New Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free".  Her website is https://www.carolinewilliams.net/

Our guest is Dr. Shefali Tsabary, a renowned clinical psychologist and New York Times Bestselling author. She specializes in family dynamics and personal development integrating Western psychology and Eastern philosophy.  On this episode, she talks about some of the concepts explained in her book, "A Radical Awakening—Turn Pain into Power, Embrace Your Truth, Live Free". Check out her website at drshefali.com

What if you could change an old habit by working on it for just 30 seconds a day? Our guest on this episode, B.J. Fogg, says that making new habits should be fast, easy, and fun -- and the steps are the same for whether you want to floss your teeth more or lose 200 pounds! He has researched human behavior for over twenty years and is the director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University. He's also the author of the book, "Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything".

Joining us once again is Humble the Poet, a Canadian philosopher, blogger and author.  His book, "UNLEARN: 101 Simple Truths for a Better Life" was originally crowd-funded and self-published…and became a bestseller.  Humble’s new book is called, "How to Be Love (d): Simple Truths for Going Easier on Yourself, Embracing Imperfection and Loving Your Way to a Better Life".  His website is https://www.humblethepoet.com/

As we begin 2024, join us in taking a non-denominational look at how you can harness the power of prayer in your life and use it to find connection, peace and gratitude.  Our guest is bestselling author and speaker Agapi Stassinopoulos, who describes prayer as “Your ongoing conversation with something larger than yourself.”  She’s the author of, "SPEAKING WITH SPIRIT: 52 Prayers to Guide, Inspire, and Uplift You”.  Her website is https://community.thriveglobal.com/author/agapi-stassinopoulos/

There are times in life when unforeseen circumstances, like the death of a loved one, a sudden illness, the loss of a job or even a global pandemic, can derail our lives. So, how can we care for, and repair, ourselves when life knocks us down? Our guest on this episode, Katherine May, has written a New York Times bestselling book on that topic. It’s called, "Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times".  Her website is https://katherine-may.co.uk/

Your attention span is our topic as we learn about gaining control of our focus and understanding why we get so easily distracted. Joining us is renowned psychologist Dr. Gloria Mark, who has been called “the definitive expert on distraction and multi-tasking.” She’s the author of the book, "Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity".  Her website is gloriamark.com.

Have you ever heard the term, “emotional labor”?  It's that invisible, unappreciated caring you do for other people.  You’re about to hear a lot about it as we talk with our guest, journalist Gemma Hartley, whose viral article "Women Aren't Nags, We're Just Fed Up" was viewed more than two BILLION times!  She's the author of, "Fed Up:  Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward".  Her website is http://www.gemmahartley.com/

Get an in-depth look at the latest thinking on what causes mental illness and what can be done to treat it. Our guest is Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Christopher Palmer, who’s the author of a book that could change your life or that of a loved one who’s struggling with mental illness. It's called, "Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More".  His website is chrispalmermd.com.

Coping with pain is the topic on this episode.  Joining us is Dr. Saloni Sharma, who is double board-certified in pain management and rehabilitation medicine. Her new book is called, 'The Pain Solution: 5 Steps to Relieve and Prevent Back Pain, Muscle Pain, and Joint Pain without Medication".  Her website is salonisharmamd.com.

Ever since we saw the television show, Hoarders, we’ve wanted to talk with our guest on this episode, extreme cleaning specialist Matt Paxton. Matt has spent decades helping people sort through messes in attics, basements, garages and elsewhere. He’s the host of the PBS television show, "Legacy List with Matt Paxton", which highlights families that are downsizing or settling an estate of a loved one.   Matt is also the author of the book, "Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life".  His website is https://iammattpaxton.com/

Do you procrastinate? Would you like to stop procrastinating?  Our guest, Tim Pychyl, is the one of the world's leading experts on procrastination. He is the author of "Solving the Procrastination Puzzle" and a contributor to publications like Fortune, Psychology Today, and the Washington Post. His website  is https://www.procrastination.ca/

This is holiday shopping episode is with one of our favorite guests ever, nationally known psychologist Dr. April Lane Benson, specialist in the treatment of compulsive buying disorder.  On this show, Dr. Benson shares some great strategies for how to avoid shopping temptations and why 'experience' gifts make for the most memorable presents.  Sadly, Dr. Benson passed away a couple of years ago.  But, her wisdom about compulsive buying is her legacy, and hopefully, you can benefit from hearing what she had to say.

Our guest is Jacqueline Whitmore, one of the foremost experts on etiquette in the world today and author of "Poised for Success: Mastering the Qualities That Distinguish Outstanding Professionals".  In this episode, we talk about business etiquette, how to approach uncomfortable situations, how to make small talk, how social media has impacted our in-person interactions, and much more.  You can learn more about her at https://etiquetteexpert.com/.