Perennial Meditations

Welcome to In Search of Wisdom, a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project. In this episode, I welcome back to the show Dr. Kai Whiting the co-author of Being Better: Stoicism for a World Worth Living In . Kai Whiting is a researcher and lecturer in sustainability and Stoicism. His main research interests are how to better account for resource use and the practical application of Stoic philosophy t...

Are the cardinal virtues of courage, temperance, wisdom, and justice enough to live our highest good? Is there a need for the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love? These are just two of the questions we explore in this wide-ranging conversation of In Search of Wisdom. In this episode, I welcome to the show two friends from The Walled Garden , Sharon Lebell (author of The Art of Living ) an...

On today’s episode, my guest is Prof. Emily Austin, the author of the new book Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life . Living for Pleasure is part of the Guides to the Good Life series by Oxford University Press. As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of the series. It is dedicated to the idea that philosophy can, as it was for hundreds of years in the ancient world – be a way of life. Prof...

📩 Want daily wisdom? Sign up for Perennial Meditations to receive ancient lessons for modern life: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe In the episode, you’ll hear clips from some of my favorite conversations on Buddhist wisdom. The first portion of the episode comes from my conversation with Kevin Griffin (the author of Living Kindness ), followed by my interview with Shaila Catherine (the a...

In today’s episode, my guest is Stephen Cope, the author of many books, including The Great Work of Your Life , Deep Human Connection , and, most recently, Dharma in Difficult Times . Stephen is a psychotherapist, Scholar-in-Residence at the renowned Kripalu Center, and the founder and former Director of Kripalu’s Institute for Extraordinary Living. In the conversation, Stephen and I discuss, The...

In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Prof. Wendy K. Smith, the co-author of Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems . Prof. Smith is the Dana J. Johnson professor of management and faculty director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the  University of Delaware. She earned her Ph. D. in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, wh...

In this episode, my guest is Donald Robertson, the author of the new graphic novel Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius . Donald is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist and the founder and president of the Plato’s Academy Centre, a nonprofit in Athens, Greece (which you’ll hear more about in the episode). He is also the author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor and many others....

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Brian Russell, the author of Centering Prayer . Brian is a return guest to the show. I’m grateful he agreed to come back on to have a conversation on The Discipline of Discernment. Brian is a professor of biblical studies and a transformational coach for pastors and spiritually-minded professionals. In the conversation, Brian and I discuss: What is discernment The...

On today’s episode, my guest is Kieran Setiya, the author of the new book Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way . Kieran teaches philosophy at MIT, working mainly in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. He is also the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide and has a philosophy podcast called Five Questions . In the conversation, Kieran and I discuss: Finding Our Way...

📩 Want daily wisdom? Sign up for Perennial Meditations to receive ancient lessons for modern life: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe In this episode, my guest is David Alexander, the co-host of the Between Two Ravens podcast and creator of the Prosoche Project. David is a psychotherapist, a founding member of the Walled Garden, and someone with a deep interest in practical wisdom. Learn mo...

In this episode, my guest is Karen Stohr, the author of Choosing Freedom: A Kantian Guide to Life . Prof. Stohr joined the philosophy department at Georgetown in 2002, where she is the Ryan Family Professor of Metaphysics and Moral Philosophy. In 2011, she also became a senior research scholar at Georgetown’s Kennedy Institute of Ethics. Learn more about Karen Stohr’s work and background. In the c...

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Sunil Raheja, the author of Dancing with Wisdom . Dr. Sunil is a psychiatrist, coach, and wisdom seeker. He works with senior leaders and clients who feel stuck – empowering them to re-engage with a deeper purpose. You can learn more about his work in the world at Dr. Sunil.com . In the conversation, we discuss, The Examined Life The Role of Responsibility How to F...

In this episode, my guest is Jonathan Robinson the author of The Enlightenment Project . Jonathan is the author of 14 books, a psychotherapist, a spiritual coach, and a professional speaker. His first book, The Experience of God , includes interviews with the late Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and several other spiritual masters. You can learn more about Jonathan's work in the world at theenlight...

📩 Want ancient lessons for modern life delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the Perennial Meditations newsletter. In this episode, my guest is Stephen Angle, the author of Growing Moral: A Confucian Guide to Life . Stephen is a philosophy writer and researcher specializing in Chinese Philosophy, Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, and comparative philosophy. His research focuses on philosophy’s...

In this episode, my guest is Vitaliy Katsenelson the author of Soul in the Game: The Art of a Meaningful Life . Vitaliy’s book draws from the lives of classical composers, ancient Stoics, and contemporary thinkers. I found his book to be a beautiful collection of life lessons and wisdom for modern life. Vitaliy Katsenelson was born in Murmansk, USSR, and immigrated to the United States with his fa...

In this episode, my guest is Massimo Pigliucci, the author of the new book, The Quest for Character . Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and a PhD in Philosophy. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York . His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism. You c...

In this episode, my guest is Kevin Griffin, the author of Living Kindness: Metta Practice for the Whole of Our Lives . Kevin is a longtime Buddhist practitioner, author, teacher, and leader in the mindful recovery movement. He is also the author of One Breathe at a Time , Buddhism and the Twelve Steps Daily Reflections , and many others. You can learn more about Kevin’s work and background at Kevi...

In this episode, my guest is Bryan Van Norden the author of Taking Back Philosophy: A Multicultural Manifesto . Prof. Van Norden is the James Monroe Taylor Chair in Philosophy at Vassar College and Chair Professor in Philosophy in the School of Philosophy at Wuhan University (China).  He has published numerous books on Chinese and comparative philosophy. You can learn more about his work at BryanV...

📩 Want ancient lessons for modern life delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the Perennial Meditations newsletter. In this episode, my guest is Shaila Catherine, the author of Beyond Distraction: Five Practical Ways to Focus the Mind . Shaila is a renowned meditation teacher and author of three books on concentration and insight meditation. She teaches meditation retreats worldwide and found...

📩 Sign up for Perennial Meditations to receive philosophical and spiritual lessons for daily life right to your inbox.  In this episode, my guest is Scott Hershovitz, the author of Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids . Scott is the Thomas G. and Mabel Long Professor of Law and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Michigan. As you’ll hear in the episode, Scott...

📩 Want more ancient lessons for modern life? Sign up for Perennial Meditations to receive timeless principles and practices delivered right to your inbox.   In this episode, my guest is Eric Zimmer, the host of the award-winning podcast The One You Feed . Eric is a behavior coach, spiritual director, and someone inspired by the quest for a greater understanding of how our mind works and how to in...

📩 Sign up for Perennial Meditations to receive philosophical and spiritual lessons for daily life right to your inbox. Welcome to In Search of Wisdom by the Perennial Leader Project .  In this episode, my guest is Dr. Kevin Vost, the author of more than twenty books. Today we discuss his new book Humble Strength . Kevin is a clinical psychologist, professor, and speaker. His work covers a wide ar...

Welcome to In Search of Wisdom, a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project .  In this episode, my guest is Skye Cleary, the author of the new book How to Be Authentic . Skye is a philosopher and writer. She teaches at Columbia University and the City University of New York and is also the author of Existentialism and Romantic Love . Learn more about Skye at skyecleary.com . In the conversation, Sky...

📩 Sign up for Perennial Meditations to receive philosophical and spiritual lessons for daily life right to your inbox.  In this episode, my guest is Jason Merchey, the author of Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue That Cannot Be Bought . Jason is the founder of Values of the Wise, author of five books, and someone with a deep interest in ancient philosophy, virtue ethics, and human nature. Connect wit...

In this episode, my guest is Mark Vernon, the author of the new boo k Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey . Mark is a psychotherapist and writer interested in spirituality and inner life. He has a Ph. D. in ancient philosophy, as well as degrees in physics and theology. You can learn more about Mark’s work at markvernon.com . In the conversation, Mark and I discuss:  Psychothe...