"Write Your Best Chapter"

There are no trophies for working ourselves to death. Yet, we keep showing up, working harder than the day before as opposed to pausing and pivoting to focus on our own well being and mental health. My guest today is a poster child of someone who turned his life around after not one by 2 near death experiences. Host of the podcast "Burnout to Leadership", Dex Randall is a brilliant and compassiona...

Welcome to a Masterclass in parenting. More importantly, welcome to an episode to answer all of your questions around adoption: what to say, what not to say, who should adopt, who shoudn't, and if you are considering adoption what are some advanced planning you should consider before getting started. Join my truly dear friend and an execptional psychotherapist Kristine Altwies, who is a mother of...

In a special episode, I share my message of hope about what you CAN do in times of war and disaster. I reach out to my regular listeners in Ukraine, Russia and Poland to extend my love. I also reach out to the audience about what you can do at this moment to take some actions so that you are able to take away some level of human suffering, the best way you know how. Please email the support person...

Sexual health is a very important part of our overall health. What happens when we are struck by an illness? Does sex have to take the back seat or do we get a chance to enjoy a meaningful pleasure filled sexual existence no matter how old or how ill? You may already know the answer to this, but listen to this week's episode to learn more about this topic based on my discussion with a dear colleag...

You don't have to do anything you don't want to be doing. Financial independence that comes from a place of intentional relationship with how we save and spend money allows us a freedom unlike any other. If you have this one life, how would you spend it? What is a purpose driven life look like? Would you stay in a job if it was not aligned with your values and goals? What would you do instead? How...

One of my favorite artists is a Rwandan/Belgian singer named Stromae. He has a song called "Quand c'est?" In French it means when is it, but it pronounced as: Cancer. I have clients who are cancer survivors who keep thinking that they are about to have cancer again. I have patients who have cancer who are in denial that they are dying from it. In this episode, on the World Cancer Day, I am taking...

Not only did Deborah decide to honor her son's life by donating his organs while he was alive. But she was able to have the clarity of mind to write a letter to his organ donor recepients letting them know they should not feel guilty. This type of love and generosity is almost unheard of. Listen to her story as she shares more details about what she went through. To learn more about her check her...

In this very special episode, I invite back my dear friend and previous guest on this show, Dr. Deborah Butzbach, a radiation oncologist and a grieving mother who lost her 13 year old son due to an accident. Her decision to donate Miles's organs as he was in the ICU touched me deeply and I believe it is a story worth telling.  I hope you enjoy this two part series.

Have you had any close calls? Car crash, massive heart attack, near drowning, the list can go on an on? What about an urgent text that you were going to get hit by a missile? What would you do? What goes through your mind? Then, right after that... Do you shift gears and decide to live your life with a bit more purpose? I wonder if this makes you hold onto or let go of life easier. I hope this wee...

The truth is we don't want anything to change. We don't want to be getting older. We don't want to lose the ones we love. We certainly don't want to be grieving the loss of those we love. Unfortunately, life has other plans in store for us. In the beginning of a year that follows a very difficult year for us all, it's my pleasure to share with a resource and a vision about growth through loss and...

It's the New Year's Eve in the US. Some people are anxious. They had set some goals and aspirations for themselves and here's one more year that nothing panned out, truly. So where do we go from here? If you think about it, end of the year is actually an arbitrary assignment. In my part of the world, the year ends the day before the spring solstice. So, if it helps you, you have until March 20th o...

It's Christmas Eve. Where do you live? Do you have a white Christmas? If you don't, does it even matter to you? We all have ideas about what life should and should not be like. It turns out, we think the same thoughts about end of life. When we should and should not be dying. It has been my experience that if people had a say in their last days, no one wants to die this time of the year. They don'...

When it's your birthday, do you get a cake with a candle on top to make a wish? If you don't, what happened? How is that no longer a special day for you? I have learned that as we get older, we start taking our days and even amazing celebrations for granted. When the end of the year comes around, we start looking at how the year didn't go so well. How we fell short and didn't accomplish so much. H...

This holiday season, people are going to drive you mad. They will say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, behave in a way that you want to come undone. In this episode I will teach you how to feel instant love NO MATTER how people behave. If you make your experience of feeling love "conditional" on how others behave, you are the one who will suffer. In this special episode, I will share one of my...

Stranger than science fiction: In 1951 a new cell line were discovered that seemed to be immortal. These cells became the mainstay of scientific research, leading to more than 110,000 published studies as well as 3 Nobel Prizes. They were simply known as HeLa Cells. Her name was Henrietta Lacks; a 31 year old mother of 5 from Baltimore, Maryland who later died of an aggressive form of cervical can...

I call him LOML: Love of My Life. Others know him as my husband, Anthony Michaud MD, PhD. He's a Radiation Oncologist, but I think he's mostly a Windsurfer. You have heard me talk about him on and off on this podcast. On Thanksgiving Day, I decided to interview him for this special episode. Right after he beat me in a game of Scrabble by 20 points or so. He's an amazing human being. I love that he...

Eckhart Tolle once said: "Tell me what is the problem in your life this very moment?". My podcast was created for you to ponder that very question. Whether you are struck by an illness or you are just overwhelmed with the weight of the world at this very second, ask yourself: "How is my life perfect this very moment?". I had set out to create that sense of awareness and peace when I started this p...

Ready for the most amazing story? When a 35 year old professional woman, who is not in a relationship, decides to adopt her own children, she makes a plan. She will contact men on a dating service every single day, and go on 3 dates a week to meet the potential father of her children. Can you imagine it? You have to hear my friend's story. If you are stuck or are wondering if there is anyone out t...

Everytime someone young dies, we wonder how life could be so unfair. For every child who dies of terrible cancer, there are people who question their faith or meaning of life altogether. The truth is, life does not owe us anything. It does not owe us a happy ending. It does not owe us a long and healthy stretch. In this very special episode, as I actively mourn the loss of a very dear friend who w...

Do you feel like you're about to snap? Leave your relationship, leave your job, or leave your profession altogether? You are not alone. Many people are walking in your shoes at this very moment. In this week's episode, I want to teach a lesson that will provide you peace of mind whether you decide to stay or leave. On my 16th Anniversary, let me give you the gift of perspective so you live your li...

My favorite episode is right here. My own sister is my best friend. In December of 2020, Dr. Kim Kaffenbarger decided to sign up for my program. She asked her sister, who happens to be her best friend, to follow along with her. 9 months later, they remain the best of friends and share their journey of self transformation with us all. You do not want to miss this episode. For more information about...

We all need help. No matter what your mission in life is, we can all get better at things we don't know much about. Even the best of the best athletes have their own coaches. Creating a vision and then learning how to make it a reality requires some outside help. In this week's special BONUS episode, meet my outside help. Bobby Klinck is a breath of fresh air: A Harvard Lawyer turned into a coach...

One of my favorite learnings I have picked up by having Jewish friends is the concept of Tikkun Olam. I am sure many other religions and belief systems have a similar teaching. It is the idea that we were born to not simply go through life. We were born with an intention to "Repair This World". If you were to look at your life like that, what would be your purpose? How would YOU repair this world?...

If you could only focus on what matters, what would that be? Do you even know? Sometimes we don't know because the outside noise is too loud. Remember getting interrupted in the middle of dinner by a telemarketer when we had landlines? Now that we don't have landlines, what interrupts your peace of mind? Could it be the constant uninvited but ever present social media? For the month of October, I...

This week's episode is a very special one. When you think about grief and loss, are you thinking human loss? Have you ever lost a pet? Do you know someone who has lost a pet? How did it feel? We are just as speechless when a loved pet dies, but I think it's even harder to find the words. Sometimes, what we say is wrong. Join my dear guest Dr. Pegah Mehdizadeh as she mourns the loss of her precious...