How to Live

“I’m my own harshest critic”, many high achievers admit. Are they successful because of this or despite this? Research reveals a compelling answer. While self-criticism can be a driving force, studies show that self-compassion is even more effective. It doesn't mean letting ourselves off the hook but offers clear, honest feedback with kindness. On the other hand, harsh self-judgement leads to...

How do we make it to CEO? And how do we succeed as a CEO? That’s the focus of this podcast episode. We have with us Brenda Bence, a top ranked executive coach, member of the professional speaker hall of fame, and an award winning author. With offices in the US and Asia, Brenda has coached 1000 senior leaders from 60 nationalities across 70 industries. She’s coached CEOs and board chairs of compani...

What exactly is brain health, and how can we shield our precious minds from harm? How can we supercharge our brains, enabling us to achieve extraordinary feats? These are the questions we will explore today. To discuss this fascinating topic, we're joined by a true expert in the field, clinical and sports psychologist Santiago Brand. Hailing from Colombia, Santiago is the founder of MinLab Ne...

Imagine being offered a lucrative expat role with all the perks, but then feeling an irresistible pull towards a purpose-driven project. What would you do in that moment of choice? Well, that's the very quandary our special guest, Jaideep Bansal, faced years ago during his tenure at Procter & Gamble. As you might have guessed, he chose the path less traveled, the one leading to social ent...

In this special 50th episode we dive deep into the very question that kick-started this podcast journey: How do we live? What's the key to leading a good meaningful life? To tackle this age-old question, we've gathered insights from the various incredible guests who've appeared on our podcast. These include world renowned yoga and meditation expert Travis Eliot, the man who populari...

Did you know that 220 million people live in a country different from their passport country? Many of us are raising Third Culture Kids – individuals who grow up in a unique way with both gifts and challenges. Today, we delve deep into the fascinating world of Third Culture Kids, as I sit down with a true authority in the field, Nikki Muller. Nikki is not only an expert but also a Third Culture Ki...

Over 3500 years ago in Ancient India, the Vedas were created as guidelines on how to live a good meaningful life. These have been passed on orally over centuries and are probably even more useful today.  In today’s episode we look at how ancient Vedic wisdom can be applied in the modern world.  We have with us Anand Mehrotra - a renowned spiritual teacher, yogi, and entrepreneur, and one of the yo...

Nostalgia is not just a sentimental journey; it's a powerful mental health tool that can help us find certainty and security in an ever-changing world. Recently, I watched this movie "Air" - the story of how Nike created the Air Jordans.  Not only did it have a captivating story, talented actors, and gripping drama, but what I loved most was that warm, fuzzy feeling of being transpo...

With advancements in healthcare, our lifespans are increasing to an additional 25 years. With this in mind, we must reshape our understanding of life, work, relationships, and how we choose to live. To help us navigate, we are joined by the remarkable Avivah Wittenberg Cox - a respected entrepreneur and advisor to global CEOs and leaders in over 40 countries. Avivah challenges us to view life thro...

Today, we have the immense pleasure of hosting a true luminary who has played a pivotal role in the revival of Stoicism over the past decade - William Irvine. William is a world renowned philosopher, author, and professor who has been credited as a key figure in popularising Stoicism through his lectures, writing and interviews. His groundbreaking book "A Guide to a Good Life: The ancient art...

Today, we're going to dive into a topic that might make you consider leaving this podcast: death. But let me assure you, this is not going to be sad or morose. In fact, by the end of this episode, you might feel energised. Like many, I used to think talking about death was taboo. I held superstitious beliefs, fearing discussing death would bring misfortune or harm to someone I love. However,...

Burnout has been top of mind lately. Searches for burnout are at an all time high. But what exactly is burnout beyond just a buzzword? How can we differentiate it from exhaustion or stress?  And most importantly,  how can we recognise the signs of burnout and effectively deal with it as well as prevented in the future? That's the focus of this episode. We speak with Aparna Dubey as she descri...

Have you ever wondered why some people emerge from adversity with a deeper sense of purpose and go on to achieve remarkable things? Our focus for today's podcast is on this very topic, and we have the pleasure of speaking with Michaela Haas, PhD. Michaela is an accomplished solutions reporter and author of multiple non-fiction books. Her work has been featured in renowned publications such as...

It's natural to compare ourselves to others, especially when we see our colleagues and friends sharing about their accomplishments, life milestones, and happiness in social media. Even though its a natural emotion, jealousy feels yucky and can linger for a days, weeks and months. It can be destructive making us do unreasonable things, pushing us into aggression or depression.  However, by und...

How do we build resilience in our kids? How do we support emotional development? How much should we push our kids?  We discuss this and more with Australia’s leading parenting expert Maggie Dent. Maggie has been working with children teenagers and families for 30 years. She’s authored 9 books on parenting, many of which became bestsellers.  She hosts the award winning parenting podcast “Parental a...

What life principles can we learn from the ancient art of yoga. That's the topic for this episode. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or new to the practice, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration on how to live a good life.  We have a conversation with world renowned yoga and meditation teacher, Travis Eliot. Travis, based in LA,  works with the world’s top athletes, celebriti...

Millennials and Gen Z  often get a bad rap for being entitled and rude. But what can we learn from them? That’s the focus of this episode.  To talk through this, our guest today is Millennial specialist & Entrepreneur, Vivek Iyyani. Vivek is the founder of Millennial Minds, author of 3 books on millennials and a creator of highly engaging useful content.  Vivek works with a range of companies...

Many of us spend Monday to Friday waiting for the weekend. We’ve normalised this way of living - 2 days of happiness. 5 days of drudgery. How can we reverse this and make work more meaningful? That’s the focus of this episode.  We have with us Banker, ex- BCG Partner. Dean Tong. Dean is the MD and Head of Group HR & Transformation at UOB Bank Singapore. Prior to this, he was Partner & MD a...

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese concept of beauty which emphasises simplicity, imperfection, impermanence. It’s become popular recently as a response to excess materialism in modern lives. Beyond beauty, the wisdom from wabi sabi is a lens through which one can make all aspects of life meaningful.  Most Japanese instinctively know what Wabi Sabi is - but it’s difficult to put into words. That’s what we at...

This Valentine’s day would you like a 15 mins summary on how to spark up your relationship by the best in the business?  (It’s not me:) I’m just the messenger). Julie & John Gottman, considered the best relationship therapists in the world, changed the game by bringing in data to track relationships. They studied thousands of couples over 40 years, coded hours and hours of interactions, and cr...

What’s the difference between champions like Djokovic/Nadal/Federer and winners like Andy Roddick? What life lesson can we learn from this? In a landmark study done in the late 1980s, Sports Illustrated identified the biggest factor that separates champions from winners as “the sense for the historic”. No one can be at their best all the time. Nor is every match equally important. Some contests ar...

Did you know that a bad diet causes stress? Many of us think only externals cause stress - hectic work, relationship challenges, money.  But diet, which is internal and something we have complete control over can cause physiological stress. We feel it in the form of low energy, bad mood, anxiety, and other symptoms. No amount of meditation, exercising, or journaling can effectively tackle this phy...

Isn’t it a great way to start the year by Forgiving? Working through and letting go of that grudge we hold so tightly. When we vow not to forgive - it usually does us more harm. The grudge sits inside us as stuck energy - resentment, anger, vengeance.   Forgiveness is not only relevant to big fall-outs where we stop talking to someone for years. It’s equally, if not more important, to small hurtfu...

Thinking of entrepreneurship? How do you take that leap of faith? If you manage to jump, how do you thrive as an entrepreneur? We discuss this with Telco founder Rameez Ansar. Rameez is the Co-Founder of Circles. Life, one of the most successful companies in South East Asia and a leading one in the Telco space. Despite a stellar career with the Boston Consulting Group and Temasek, an MBA from Harv...

How should we re-invent ourselves? This is more relevant than ever with so many of us are changing career tracks, starting businesses, and taking time-off.  We discuss this with business owner, CEO, and co-creator of this podcast Sarah Lal. She’s successfully reinvented herself many times in different roles, industries and countries.  From starting her first business in university to a corporate c...