The Thriveology Podcast For Thrive Nation

Good intentions pave a road to nowhere good… right?  But why is it that even our best of intentions, our best plans, do not get us the results we want?  Why is it that we stall out (assuming we even get a good start)? It turns out that success (and thriving) takes far more than just the desire to get there.  It takes far more than simply starting. And yet, we humans seem to just get our own selves...

One of my favorite things about doing this podcast is meeting some very cool guests.  And on this episode, I had the chance to talk with Dr. Colin Zhu, a holistic doctor and chef extraordinaire.  Why the chef part?  Because Colin sees so many areas of health and wholeness that is touched by a good diet… along with the consequences of poor dietary choices. A life-long advocate for healing and holis...

Have you failed? Did that failure stop you from moving forward?  Did it get you stuck? Failure is a part of life.  Ever watched a child learn to walk?  Success only comes after repeated failures.  Yet that same child keeps on trying, until the child gets it right. What happens in adulthood?  Why does a fear of failing keep us from acting? When we don't take action for fear of failing, we have pre-...

Days have a rhythm.  All day long, it is a huge inhale, trying to get that energy in you and into your efforts. But at the end of the day, it is a big exhale, a moment of relaxing and calming. Or more accurately, it should be. In our natural rhythm, evenings are a time to wind-down, calm down, and move toward rest. In fact, our ancestors had no choice but to do that.  No lights to keep on.  No scr...

One of my favorite sayings is "Not my circus, not my monkey." Evidently, this is a Polish proverb: Not my circus, not my monkey. Maybe it is because I have an affinity for monkeys, but I love the meaning of that. Am I caught up trying to deal with someone else's circus or monkey?  Am I trying to deal with an issue over which I have no control, and maybe not even a stake? We do that. Friends are fi...

Let's just say it and get it out of the way.  You, I, and everyone else, is going to die.  An inescapable fact of life.  We will die. A morbid thought?  I don't think it has to be a morbid thought, as much as an organizing thought. Reality. It brings things into focus. Years ago, I met a man who was dying from cancer.  He was focused, determined.  His prognosis was terminal, so that was not his de...

It's just human nature.  We like things finished And when they're not, they can often tug at us, pulling energy and focus away.  When things are left hanging, we feel (oh, by the way, the last word from that first line is "finished") incomplete, unfinished, unsatisfied.  Did you feel that sensation when you realized a word was missing… and it bugged you?  Unfinished loop. So, what is a "Loop?"  Gr...

My coaching client was wanting to thrive.  He told me he was constantly studying about self-growth.  But he wanted to really transform his life.  And, he told me, so much of what he was reading was, to quote him, "woo-woo stuff."  He used that term as a reference to ideas he thought were "out there." So first, let me just say, what is "out there" to one person is commonplace and sensible to anothe...

Are you up for a challenge? In the last episode of my podcast, I discussed how to hold on when life is tough.  That's when life is challenging you. But what about when life isn't so challenging... where life is copacetic?  Just cruising. It's my observation that we work hard to keep life flat.  We work hard to keep things smooth.  Is it cold outside?  Turn on the heater.  Is it hot outside?  Turn...

Have you heard of Kaizen?  It is the principle of continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is a great model for change.  It is based on constant changes toward a better outcome.  No need for sudden upheaval or change (although that is sometimes necessary).  Instead, course corrections are made along the way, nudging something toward improvement. That "something"?  It might be a product (like...

I’m always looking for the life lessons, no matter what I am doing.  If things go well, what’s the lesson?  If things don’t go so well, what’s the lesson?  If something is fun, what’s the lesson?  If things are not so fun… well, there is a lesson there, too. A few years back, I did several podcast episodes about the lessons I learned in jiu jitsu.  But since then, for a number of reasons, I hung m...

What's your WHY?  Your BIG WHY?  Why you are here.  The WHY that is your life purpose? I think we all have one... even if we haven't found it yet.  It's there.  Within us.  Your first task is to find it.  That's important.  But finding it isn't enough.  Second, you have to move toward it, work toward it... try to fulfill it.  If it is big enough, it may just take you the rest of your life! But wha...

Life is tough. Not always.  But along the way.  And even after you get past one struggle, that doesn't mean there isn't another one up ahead.  That's just the nature of life. It doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong or that the world, God, or the Universe is out to teach you a lesson.  It's just the nature of life. You may notice 2 crowds.  First is the "Grind Culture" that just says to suck i...

Blame is rampant in today's world.  We all quickly point the finger at someone/something else, proclaiming, "It's not my fault!" Interestingly, I also notice how rampant it is for people to take the credit for successes. They/we claim credit for what goes right but refuse blame for anything that goes wrong. We live in a "culture of blame." Which is what often keeps us from growing.  From changing....

Maybe it’s just me… but I don’t think so!  Sometimes, we get so stuck in win/lose mentality that we defeat ourselves.  We struggle, wear ourselves out, and never get to the point of something else. What else? Learning.  Nelson Mandela said, “I don’t lose.  I either win or I learn.”  What I have realized is, I either learn or learn.  Sure, there may be an outcome… I win the game or lose the game. B...

Here we go!  The old year has passed, and the new year stretches before us… full of possibility and potential.  Let’s talk about how to Thrive in ’25! In this episode, I’ll tell you where I have been, and where the podcast is headed.  I’ve got lots of great stuff coming your way, and am excited to share it with you. Also in this episode, I tell you the 3 A’s of what you can control, so you can sta...

Just a little rant here:  philosophy classes turn off many college students for a simple reason — they never get around to saying how philosophy can shake your living.  Some classes might teach more on “how to think philosophically,” or “here are the old philosophers.”  Some may speak to ethics or arguments, logic or some other esoteric area.  But how to live, day-to-day?  That is often lost to th...

I’ve had a few people who have noticed that the Thriveology Podcast has been on a bit of a hiatus for a couple of months.  They asked where I have been. Well, since the question was about my podcast, I thought I would respond in… my podcast! So, listen in for what I’ve been up to, where we are headed, and how you can learn more about thriving — along with me! And we will be back with a great inter...

Do you ever do something that breaks a rule (or even a law), thinking to yourself that it doesn’t apply to you? I do. Sometimes, I use that speed limit sign as a suggestion.  I’m a good driver, I tell myself.  What harm could +5mph do?  Except the sign is a law, not a guideline or suggestion. But I explain it away.  I decide it is ok. I dare to venture that very close to 100% of people do somethin...

Do you micro-quit?  I sure do.  And I need to quit micro-quitting!  Maybe you do, too. It undermines my goals (and likely, your goals too).  And it keeps you from thriving. What is micro-quitting?  Well, if you quit something (an activity, a job, a sport, a hobby, etc.), you stop doing it.  You step away from it. But when you micro-quit, you don’t follow through on the smaller building blocks of t...

All around the news, we are hearing about algorithms built into our social media.  It directs what we see and hear. It is how all social media decides what to feed you next.  If you like this video, then you might like this one.  If you know this person, then you may know this person.  If you respond to this ad, then you might respond to this one.  The task?  To keep you on the app or the website....

"Where should I start?", my client asked. Lots of times, we want to make changes, we want things to be different.  And sometimes, we want things to be different before we make any changes. We want a different starting point. If you've ever been at a park or mall, looking at the map to figure out where to go, you might notice that one very important feature, "You Are Here."  It points to the spot w...

"Why don't they treat me the way I want to be treated?", my client asked me. So, I asked, "Have you taught them how to treat you?" The silence let me know.  But after a pause, my client said, "I guess it never crossed my mind I needed to do that." The fact is that people do not know how we want to be treated... unless we are clear about how we are to be treated.  Otherwise, we get treated the way...

A few weeks ago, a coaching client noted her resistance to forgiving for fear that she would be vulnerable to being hurt.  I told her that was not at all true.  In fact, being alive leaves you open to hurt! But not forgiving?  It offers no protection.  It does, however, prolong the pain caused by some person or event. This client was not the only one who told me about her concern of forgiving.  I...

Have you seen the meme that caught my eye?: I really wish I weren't living through a major historical event right now! I feel that!  But here is the thing I am realizing — historic events are happening on a very regular basis.  We aren’t living through the first pandemic (nor will it be the last).  This isn’t the first time we have had political upheaval and polarization (nor will it be the last)....