The Best Podcast

Today’s podcast concludes my series on Gandhi. It is focused on a set of paragraphs on the last page of the book which I found to be so deeply moving. In the episode, I read these paragraphs and reflect on them aloud. If you’re going to listen to any episode of mine, this would be one of the ones I’d recommend. I hope you enjoyed this episode and the series as a whole. Gandhi’s thinking and writin...

We’ve finally reached the highlights of Gandhi’s life which are most salient in the history books. His participation and leadership in the Indian independence movement have been lauded and seen in an inspirational light by so many, including leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. This episode breaks down his involvement in the movement and why it is so meaningful in the history...

Today’s podcast focuses on Gandhi’s commentary between his time in South Africa and his return home to India. The topics discussed here - fasting, devotion to truth, humility, and satyagraha - are all crucial pieces of the context around Gandhi’s actions in the independence movement after he returns. They’re also all key topics to reflect on individually, as they have the capacity to inspire a pat...

Today's podcast breaks down the ways in which Gandhi began to blossom into what he would later become known for across the world. His organization of the Indians in South Africa in the final decade of the 19th century was the foundation for his efforts in India upon returning. I detail his efforts and a number of his key learnings which came from them in this episode, which I hope you find to be v...

Today’s podcast follows Gandhi’s experiences in the UK, which brings him back home to India and then to South Africa. It is a key time in his development, as he struggles as a young lawyer and also sees the fierce reality of racism in South Africa. Despite these struggles, he is able to learn a great deal and to access forgiveness deep within himself. I hope you enjoy this episode and find it to b...

Today’s podcast follows the intro to Gandhi from last time and discusses his experiences during his study in England. It was an incredibly impactful time in his life, as he began reflecting more deeply and initially formulating his understanding of himself and the world. So in this episode, I break down the many ways in which this took place and how they relate to the context I’d our current world...

Today’s podcast kicks off my series on Gandhi. To start, I break down some key context around his upbringing and his youth. As he is a figure who is often idolized, I wanted to first establish his humanity and how his youth was immensely similar to yours and mine, while also having its own unique elements to highlight. I hope you enjoy hearing it and that it provides you with some information that...

This was supposed to be about Gandhi. It’s not. A few minutes ago, I told myself it would be fine if I pushed the episode back a day. And then the other voice in my head came out victorious. I hope this mental battle brings some value to you. Maybe you’ll even relate to me. As always, thanks so much for listening. Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Today’s podcast is a reflection on a quote from Noam Chomsky that I heard recently. The quote was, “Be willing to be puzzled by things that seem obvious.” I think this message is quite meaningful, so I took some time to dive into it and discuss it here. I hope you enjoy it and find value in it. Thanks so much for listening. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

I just went to dinner with my parents and a couple of very close family friends. At dinner, I looked out and observed everyone else who was there - how they looked, what they were doing, how they were acting. This episode is a reflection on that experience. To be honest, the strength of the sensations felt in doing this were much greater than I anticipated. Perhaps you’ll perceive that and totally...

Today’s podcast stems from a recent struggle that I’ve been pushing through and improving on. When taking in a lot of information, I can find myself overwhelmed or with a clouded mind if I’m not able to press pause, reflect, and make sense of it all. I talk through what that process has looked like for me here, and I would say that it has been pretty effective thus far. I hope you enjoy it and fin...

Today’s podcast is a reflection on the importance of intentions. It seems pretty intuitive on the face, but it’s something that is so easy to miss and to lose in daily life. I know this because it happens to me quite often and intentions are rarely explicitly discussed. I hope you find this to be valuable and that it perhaps moves you to be more clear with your intentions in your journey through l...

Today’s podcast is a reflection on some current challenges and struggles. To sum it up, I think too much. I haven’t recorded an episode like this in a while, but I hope you find it to be meaningful, valuable, and vulnerable (especially if you resonate with what I’m saying). Thanks for tuning in. It means the world to me. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Today’s podcast is a reflection on the major importance of timing in the way our lives are shaped. I discuss some personal examples, some historical examples, and some general areas of life where timing is so crucial. As you’ll see, it’s importance seems to manifest itself ubiquitously. I hope you enjoy the episode and find it to be valuable. Hopefully it came at the right time for you. As always,...

We frequently hear the mantra “you need to love yourself” in the public sphere. It’s a good mantra with good intentions behind it. But does is it the best way to think and talk about this? Or are there potentially better ways? In this episode, I talk through one way that I think is deeper, more meaningful, and more effective. I hope you find it to fit these adjectives, too. Thanks for tuning in. I...

I recently listened to HG Wells’s book, The Invisible Man, during some long drives. It wasn’t one of the best books I’ve ever read, but it did provide a key lesson to reflect on that I took some time to discuss here in this episode. I hope that you find it to be a valuable lesson and that you enjoy this monologue. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Today’s podcast is a short poem I wrote a few months ago called “Go Forth...”. It was something I wrote for myself, but I think it applies to many of us, hence me sharing it here. I hope you enjoy it and find not to be a valuable listen. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Today’s podcast is about identity. We often hear discussions from varied perspectives in the news and on social media about how we should see ourselves and what our identities are. I offer a different perspective here, which I would venture to say will be new for you in the way I’m articulating it. So please give it a listen and let me know what you think at matt@mattbest.net. I’d love to hear fro...

When I ran the half marathon two weeks ago, I felt a pain in my foot after getting through 11.5 miles. Since then, the pain has persisted and has left me unable to run. When I started running one year ago, I would have called you crazy if you told me that right now I would miss running. But here I am. Missing running. This episode is about why. I hope you enjoy it! As always, Much Love ❤️ and plea...

In today’s podcast, I discuss a quote from Daniel Kahneman’s book - Thinking, Fast and Slow - about cognitive psychology and how important it is to be aware of in today’s world. I find Kahneman’s work to be absolutely revelatory, and I hope that this podcast can serve as a good example of that. I hope you enjoy it and find it to be valuable. Thanks for tuning in! As always, Much Love ❤️ and please...

Today’s podcast is a reflection I had after a conversation with my aunt and uncle about my parents’ upbringings and why they are the way they are. It was an eye-opening conversation, and it seems like similar conversations would be very eye-opening for most people. For that reason, I wanted to expand on it here. I hope you find it to be a valuable exercise. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take...

A few weeks ago, I heard a wonderful quote from a psychologist named Lisa Feldman Barrett. She said, “You can’t change your past, but you can change your present, which becomes your past.” This quote really moved me, so I wanted to take some time to discuss it here and share it with you. Perhaps it will have as much of an impact on you as it did for me. Thanks for tuning in! As always, Much Love ❤...

Humans have struggled with valuing their own opinions of themselves over the opinions of others for millennia. While we have advanced on societal and individuals levels in so many ways, we have not evolved in others. In today’s podcast, I elaborate on why I think that this is a fundamental area in which we have not yet evolved but could tremendously benefit from improving. I hope you find this man...

Today’s podcast is a description of my half marathon run yesterday. It was an incredibly impactful experience for me, both physically and mentally. I used this episode to reflect on the highlights and lowlights, along with it’s meaning to me in the end. I hope you find this to be interesting and valuable, whether you’re a runner or not. Thanks for tuning in as always. I really cannot thank you eno...

Today’s podcast is a reflection on and expansion of a quote that I recorded to myself over just over two years ago, in which I told myself to be conscious of the end of life and to make the most of what is in my hands. Many times, we feel like life is happening to us and that there’s not much we can do about it. I get it. That feeling is real and pervasive. It’s tough to overcome, too. Yet I encou...