The Middle Way with Dr. Matthew Goodman

What does it mean to do "good" as a human being? Is there such a thing as something that is fundamentally "good" or is that purely subjective? Should we follow our feelings and desires, or adhere to a set of rules or laws – like religion – that have been around for millennia? Today's episode features a conversation with Caleb Crutchfield, founder of Collaborate Good, an org...

Is there inherent meaning to the universe, or is it meaningless? Are ethics simply a matter of "matter " —the result of a bunch of firing neurons and the relativistic musings of the mind? Is our current paradigm of what is "true" beginning to be updated? In this episode, we are joined by philosopher and author Zak Stein, who elucidates what it means to acknowledge the “first principles” of the uni...

"The Work" of Byron Katie is a method of inquiry that helps us get in touch with reality instead getting caught up in the stories in our mind. It is a powerful practice for improving our relationship to ourselves, others, and the world. Sarah Climenhaga is a dedicated facilitator of The Work. She began her career as an environmental advocate in the nonprofit sector before later running for mayor o...

Wishing you a peaceful, joyful, meaningful New Year : )

Luis Mojica is a somatic therapist, trauma nutritionist, and founder of  Holistic Life Navigation , where he teaches thousands of people around the world how to recover from stress and trauma. He uses whole foods, self-inquiry, and Somatic Experiencing as tools to find safety within yourself. Through Holistic Life Navigation, Luis offers online courses and webinars, in-person workshops and retreat...

Dr. Vikram Mansharamani is a global trend-watcher who shows people how to anticipate the future, manage risk, and spot opportunities. He is the author of "The Making of a Generalist," "Think For Yourself," and "Boombustology." He has been a frequent commentator on issues driving disruption in the global business environment. Vikram’s ideas and writings have also appea...

Did you hear?! LOVE is "in." And hate... so 2000-and-late. That's my prediction, anyway, for the next 10-20 years. Or maybe it's simply a necessity. We are approaching the two year anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war. It seems like conflict in the world continues to ratchet up, the possibility of a global conflict becoming ever more realistic and sadly palatable. Is there anoth...

The psychologist Carl Rogers famously wrote, "The curious paradox is that when I accept myself, just as I am, then I can change.” The same is often true on a collective level. The more we use shame, blame, and "othering" as tactics to inspire behavior change, the more resistant and defensive people tend to be. This has hardly been more on display than in the highly charged area of c...

There's one certainty in life: life is uncertain. Especially in our rapidly changing world, individuals and organizations are forced to adapt to constant challenges and change. The ability to improvise - the respond to each moment with openness, flexibility, and grace - is pivotal to thriving in a complex and constantly changing world. In this episode, I speak with entrepreneur Mary Lemmer abo...

Hello beautiful souls! In this episode, I flip the script and share an interview I did on my friend Rachael Bonetti's podcast, " What It Means To Be Well. " In it, Rachael and I discuss the art of "conscious communication," including the power of deep listening, building trust, showing up authentically, and taking "radical responsibility" in relationships and as a...

Kristen Ulmer is a thought leader, master facilitator and fear/anxiety expert. Her education comes from practical, real- world experience, starting with being a mogul specialist on the US Ski Team. Kristen then became more notoriously recognized as the best female big mountain extreme skier in the world, a status she kept for 12 years. Known for big cliff jumps and you-fall-you die descents, she b...

Sarah Marshank has lived many lives: college student, lover, Orthodox Jew, escort, celibate monk, truth-seeker, recluse. As we all do in some fashion, Sarah embarked on a hero's journey to answer her deepest call: to be a teacher. Through these diverse and rich experiences, Sarah now shares what she's found to be the most helpful principles and practices for being a "self" in the...

Welcome to Season 3! Thank you for being a listener over the last two years 🙏. Your support is deeply appreciated! Polarization continues to grow on issues such gender-affirming care, abortion rights, anti-racism, climate solutions, and other political topics. It seems as though the more one side pulls in one direction, the harder the other side pulls back; we are in a political tug-of-war where...

Dr. Karin Tamerius is a political psychiatrist and the founder of Smart Politics, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching progressives how to communicate more persuasively with people who hold different views. Since the 2016 election, she has worked to introduce psychotherapy skills to the political realm, pioneering the development of new tools to help individuals have constructive conversations online...

Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent who has covered more than 50 countries on five continents. His articles and books have led the  Washington Post  to place him “among the best in popular foreign policy storytelling.” Kinzer spent more than 20 years working for the  New York Times , most of it as a foreign correspondent. His foreign postings placed him at the center of histor...

Technology has propelled society forward in so many ways. We have cured diseases, reduced famine, and increased access to education for billions. Yet, despite the growing list of scientific and technological achievements and the material benefits these have afforded, there is one question that is seemingly ignored in our march towards progress: Are human beings happier today? As technology reaches...

My guest today is Dr. Nick Fadoir. Aside from being a talented psychotherapist and all around wonderful human, Nick has been one of my best friends since we were 5 years old! I am joined by Nick on this special episode to discuss therapy, mindfulness, friendship, parenthood, and more.  Dr. Nick Fadoir is a clinical psychologist at the Lee County VA Healthcare Center. He works with individuals...

Mindfulness has grown increasingly popular over the past two decades. Yet there are legitimate questions about how, and whether, this practice is appropriate for the modern Western mind. Can mindfulness be extracted from its original Buddhist cultural/philosophical context? How can this practice best be adapted to modern, Western, capitalist life... especially when so many of us are prone to...

What does a politics of "being" look like? My guest on this episode, Thomas Legrand, spent the last 10 years researching and writing on this vision of humanity's future —a future that seems almost inevitable given the unsustainability of our faltering social, economic, and ecological systems. A shift from serving the "gods" of endless economic growth, ecological exploitation, and social disconnect...

There has been an epidemic of burnout unfolding over the last few years. Rates of burnout and job dissatisfaction have skyrocketed; employees report exhaustion, lower motivation, and feeling a lack of purpose in their work. This has pervaded more than just the workplace: people broadly report feeling more fatigued, anxious, depressed, and lonely than perhaps ever before.  The need to tend to...

Cold exposure helps to reset our autonomic nervous system. It can enhance our physiological resilience and ability to deal with stress. These practices have been popularized by Wim Hoff  and have become somewhat of a global sensation. I was skeptical initially... but now cold exposure is an almost daily ritual for me.  Ways to practice: -Take a cold shower. Start slow: maybe introduce 5...

We have, and continue, to make strides towards racial equality in the U.S. and beyond. Yet a debate has been growing in recent years - especially since 2020 in the wake of protests sparked by George Floyd's death - about how to best achieve the equality, justice, and equanimity we long for. Are our current approaches working... or have we created more polarization and division? Alongside changes i...

This is a super simple but powerful practice to ground us in the present moment! Helpful for dealing with intense emotions such as anger.  1. Feel your feet on the floor. Notice sensations of being connected to the ground. 2. Let you attention hang out there for a few seconds!  Use this in moments of stress alone or in the context of others.  Enjoying the podcast?? Leave a rating or...

Kwame Christian is the founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, where he conducts training that helps make difficult conversations easier. He’s the host of the world’s most popular negotiation podcast, Negotiate Anything. The show has over 5 million downloads and listeners in +180 countries. His book, Finding Confidence in Conflict, has helped countless individuals navigate difficult...

This is a great practice to support parasympathetic activity; balance left/right hemisphere activity in the brain; and is my go-to practice for supporting sleep!  1. Take your left thumb and cover your left nostril. Breathe in deeply through your right nostril. Briefly hold your breath at the top of your inhale. 2. Now close your right nostril with one of your fingers, and release your left t...