All That Matters

Who are the people you remember who have touched your life? And keep on doing so? Sometimes we keep returning to the lessons they taught us because they are that unforgettable. Jan shares the true story of one such man.

Sometimes looking at the world with a poet's eyes allow us to renew our connection to beauty. Jan shares two poems from Mary Oliver that remind us the gifts that nature has to share and, just maybe, how we can fall in love with more than we thought we ever might.

Who inspires you? People from the past and today can alter the way we see the world by changing what we beleive can be possible. Jan shares the story of a woman whose gravestone he encountered in a small New England town. She is someone we all should know, by the name she chose!

As we begin Season 10 I share the original trailer and first episode (back in the pandemic) with my listeners because how we start things in life, including this podcast, matters.

They say there are only 2 things that are absolute in life--death and taxes. They are wrong. Each of us wiil experience pain. Jan shares one of his most shattering life experiences and how he came to find the light inside the pain that can help each of us power hurt into meaning and meaning into success.

When the world makes you weary, sometimes a good poem can get inside what's bothering you, define yo, and lift you home. Two poems that inspire Jan to reconnect in moments of defining oneself and times of weariness.

Each of us has experiences that shape the way we see ourselves and the role we want to play in life. Jan shares the story of Richard Hunt, a welding genius, whose art has taught the world what freedom can look like when you fashion with your hands the visions of your heart.

At the heart of life is love and laughter and loss, especially shared with our friends. Jan shares the eprsonal story of what he learned about the power of friendship from one of the most unlikely of characters on Broadway played by a friend of his daughter's.

Renowned singer/composer/entertainer Dolly Parton has just died. Shining a light on the incredible lesser known parts of her life connects us to the beauty of her soul. And that gift, and what it says about how we might live our lives, is a legacy that keeps on giving.

Think of the way people can change you forever. Jan shares the personal story of his late brother Mark on the occasion of his birthday...highlighting the unique ways he lifted the power and possibilities of living a full life. Happy Birthday, Mark!

We are each shaped by the roots of our lives-our families, surroundings, our life experiences. Jan shares a look back at the roots that have shaped him and challenges us all to do the same, suggesting how, even now, we can learn from them and create new roots that can elevate our lives.

At times, incredible true-lifestories can transform the way we look at ordinary events. Also, extraordianry ones. Jan shares the true story of an incredible WW 2 British mansion that served one purpose upstairs and quite another down below, all in the name of winning a war. ***ALL THAT MATTERS has been chosen one of the Top One Hundred Life-story podcasts by Millionpodcasts.com, a podcast-first me...

Jan retells the true personal story of a group of school kids challenging the moral integrity and leadership of a large American city, and the only remarkable historical figure who showed up to see it. A story to lift us all! *BIG NEWS: All That Matters has been selected as one of MillionPodcasts Top 100 Life Stories! https://www.millionpodcasts.com/life-stories-podcasts/

Discover the myth of the little people of Kauai and what they can teach us about liberating ourselves and unleashing our greatest lives.

Jan shares the incredible true story of Team Hoyt and how two legs and a wheelchair taught the world about love, life, and our ability to succeed!

Sometimes we can find ourselves in a world of negativity. IT is time to claim our YES. Jan shares with you the personal story of Debra Constance, the miracle of life she created in a gang-filled LA neighborhood, and how new CEO, Norayma Cabot, helps continue that dream of making a difference in children's lives, passing on the ability to each claim their own YES.

Sometimes we are caught up in our light and ability to shine, and we forget to make room for others. Jan shares the teaching of TzimTzum , of retracting light, that fulfills the purpose of allowing others to be seen. And in doing so, making all the difference for those we love.

We often feel incomplete, as if something in us is missing. It can be true of others in our circle. Jan speaks of a chance encounter he had with the great late playwright August Wilson as well as two monologues, one from Wilson, the other from Tony Kushner, that speak to what might be missing and the power of recovering it.

Part of life is love, and part of it is loss. Grief is a process we all encounter, a loss of the physical presence of a loved one due to death, dementia, the end of a relationship, or to an illness that has stripped away health. Jan shares his own losses and imparts the wisdom of poet Mary Oliver on how to find the gift in grief and a pathway to hope.

This week, Jan is on Nantucket, that island thirty miles out to sea off the coast of Massachusetts. One of his fondest memories from years back on another visit to the island is his chance encounter with one of the greatest film composers of all time, John Williams; a heart-touching connection that was both personal and truly inspiring. Enjoy!

Sometimes we're driving away, hit a direction signal, and forget to turn it off. Maybe it's not a mistake. Jan reminds us that at times, we are being reminded to change direction. How? If we pay attention, music, laughter, and the people around us can often provide a much-needed answer.

Just as there are guidelines in our daily lives for school, business, or sports, there can be rules that deepen our souls. Jan shares the true story of a tavern older than America and how its archaic list of regulations gave birth to ways we can each heighten our lives and tap into its blessings.

The Jewish holiday of Shavuot celebrates the first fruits of springtime. Jan shares three poems that open us to the gifts nature gives us, and how we each can find human gifts in our everyday lives, there for the picking.

AI is increasingly being used to mediate loneliness nationally. Jan points out that recent studies clearly show nothing can replace the physical and mental benefits of human interaction. And each of us can do one simple thing this week to feel the power of those benefits and claim the good stuff we each deserve.

From our 80th episode: Jan introduces you to a priest who one day taught Jan and a group of students a powerful truth on the steps of a Los Angeles cathedral. It made all the difference in the world back then, and has a powerful lesson for each of us today.