The Thriveology Podcast For Thrive Nation

Let me just say, I am a bit weary.  How about you? This has been a wearying time for so many of us.  Nobody is unaffected by this pandemic.  And we can't even point to an end to the crisis.  Take a guess, and your guess is probably as good as any other. What do we do?  Everything seems to be upside-down, inside-out, and topsy-turvy.  It's hard to figure out what happens next and what to do next. W...

Did you hear about the guy who had been on a meditation retreat for a couple of weeks?  He went in with "life as usual."  And he emerged into a whole new world.  One where people are practicing social distance, sheltering at home, and scared.  One where restaurants, coffee shops, and bars are closed or limited.  One where every cough is scary. And one where we are trying to figure out the "new nor...

When I recorded this episode of the Thriveology Podcast, it was almost another world.  Many people were still minimizing the novel coronavirus.  Even politicians were downplaying the severity and impact. So much has changed.  Many, if not most, schools are closed to face-to-face instruction.  Many workers are working from home, where possible.  Lots of restaurants are only serving by delivery or t...

Happiness is a funny thing, isn't it?  One day, it's right there... right in front of you.  Then, just as quickly... it's gone.  Why is it so hard to hold onto happiness? Maybe more importantly, is there a way to shift into happiness, nearly at will? I am always concerned about how lightly we take happiness.  Our culture makes it THE goal, and not a part of your goal.  But worse, happiness often e...

What happens when you feel hollow and lost in life, even when you are surrounded by people? What happens when you find success... only to discover it wasn't really the success you wanted? What happens when you realize that you've been hiding and pretending... not being yourself... even when you are with friends and loved ones? You may just keep on pushing forward. Or you might get real.  My guest...

Most people tell me that they want something more out of life.  Sometimes, they want LOTS more out of life.  Usually, though, there is something else... some new point of success. Yet, many people find themselves stuck in a cycle of "inaction" or "any action."  They are taking no action toward a change.  Or they randomly take action after action, with little to show for it. Others seem to find a d...

Have you ever noticed what happens when it is just a few days before you head out for vacation?  If you are like most people, you go into "clear the desk" mode.  Things get done.  You become hyper-efficient. Why does that happen right before a vacation?  Because it HAS to get done.  You want to leave with nothing hanging.  So, nothing gets in your way. What if there was a "hack" that could get you...

Just a little over 2 years ago (exactly 2 years ago, as I recorded this episode of my Thriveology Podcast), I started studying jiu jitsu.  At that point, I had no idea where it would go.  I have a life-long interest in martial arts, but had not practiced since being a teenager (tae kwon do at that time). I knew I wanted to try something out, to take on a challenge.  And it was winter... so maybe a...

Are you in alignment? I had a friend whose hips were out of alignment.  It was no big deal for a long time.  Just simply a matter of one leg being a bit longer than the other.  But every day, she just kept on going.  She walked and ran... and just lived life.  Then... her back started hurting... her hips started hurting... her knees started hurting... even her ankles started hurting!  The doctor w...

Mindfulness is such a buzzword these days that you may find yourself "tuning out" when you hear the term.  Ironic, since that is quite the opposite of being mindful! Simply put, mindfulness is the state of being present with your body in the present moment.  In other words, you are aware of your bodily experience of this immediate moment. The nice thing about mindfulness is that it is easy to prac...

Feeling stressed out?  Wondering what your doctor would say? Surprisingly, doctors get very little training on stress, both in how it affects the body and how to deal with it.  Got an injury?  Great.  The doctor has you covered.  Got an infection?  The doctor has you covered. But stressed out?  Not so much. That was the experience of my guest, Elizabeth Hughes, MD.  A practicing physician, Elizabe...

Do you journal?  It is a great tool for reflecting on life, processing events and emotions, and finding new perspectives. Some people think journaling is just "adult diary-ing."  And for some, a journal really is just a place to put down the events of the day (really, that is your perceptions of the events of the day).  It is just a way to record what happened and move forward. Then, others use th...

We all face obstacles in our lives.  No matter how successful, no matter how determined we are, we will have tough moments.  Soul moments.  Times when we have to stop, collect ourselves, let go of who we have been, and step into a new space. Sometimes, those moments are full of tragedy. That was the case for my guest on this episode of Thriveology Podcast.  Aaron Walker, author of View From The To...

January 1.  Just another day. And yet... there is something else about that day.  Sure, it starts a new month.  Yes, it starts a new year. Psychologically, that new start... it matters. We all need new starts.  That is what I loved about being in school.  When the semester ended, no matter how well (or poorly) I had done, it was over.  The grade was locked in.  Sure, I could consider what I could...

In the hustle and bustle, people lose sight of the Holidays.  Sure, we go through the motions, show up to the events, and try to put on our holiday joy.  But many times, internally, its a flat-line.  Nothing.  Nada. Or worse... stressful. Over the years, I have given a number of presentations about this, with title, "Merry Stress-ness and Happy Blue Year."  Stressed out and depressed. That's not a...

Have you ever noticed how some people just seem to succeed at everything they do?  They enjoy success in different areas of life... including financially. Then, others seem to struggle over and over, making little progress toward their goal.  Noah St. John refers to this as "success anorexia," people starving themselves from success -- because they don't know better! In fact, my guest on this epis...

What happens when one day, you wake up and realize you are overweight, deep in debt, and desperately holding onto a crumbling relationship? If you are Adam Schaeuble, PhD ("Previously Heavy Dude"), you finally decide to make a change. On that day, Adam finally took action... the same actions he had been putting off.  This time, though, something had shifted. Many have that moment when they are "si...

What do you expect from life?  Sometimes, our expectations can get us into trouble.  Maybe you expect things to go badly.  Or maybe you expect something beyond your control.  Either way, your expectations trip you up. Yet every action you take is based on expectation.  Sure, you want to "live in the present moment."  But present moments are often moving toward something.  For example, as I sit her...

In the States, this Thursday is Thanksgiving Day.  What's the point, right?  Let's just jump on into Christmas season!  The stores are already bustling and everything seems to be bursting with green and red. I have nothing against Christmas.  But I do think there is an important pause, a moment.  A time to be thankful.  Not to just say a quick word of thanks, then dive into a gut-busting meal.  Bu...

Most people want to be in better health.  In fact, I have yet to run into anyone telling me, "I just wish I was in worse health."  We all want to be in better health! But for many, that is confusing.  There is so much conficting information.  One day, you eat one thing or drink one thing, and it seems that just a few days later, that is detrimental for your health.  Or vice versa! How confusing it...

If you are alive, you will feel pain.  For some, it is just a little here and a little there.  For others, pain is chronic and constant.  Maybe just a little or maybe a lot. Since I tend to be on the active side, I tend to have lots of bumps and bruises.  And at one point in my life, when I was suffering from an illness, I had significant pain.  Which means I am on the lookout for how to find pain...

What prison holds you? We ALL have some prison in our lives.  Maybe there aren't any real bars and locked doors.  But it still keeps us stuck, trapped and unable to grow.  It might be a way of thinking, a relationship, a job.  It may be just your own view of yourself and your capacities.  But something keeps us stuck. Is it possible to break free?  To escape the prisons in our lives? According to...

Tough conversations are, well, tough.  You know, those conversations you know you need to have... but avoid having them.  Maybe you aren't comfortable with the topic.  Or maybe it feels risky to have that conversation. Here is the problem:  when we avoid tough conversations, we also avoid real engagement.  And we miss the opportunity for deeper connection, more intimacy... and importantly, the opp...

Have you been to the Self-Help area of a bookstore lately?  We are awash with books on happiness.  There are lots of articles on happiness.  And lots of trainings and courses on happiness.  Heck, I have even addressed it many times before. So, why aren't we happy?  Why haven't we made a shift, as a culture, to higher levels of happiness? Many times, people keep looking "out there" for what will fi...

Long ago, way back in one of my college classes on death and dying, the professor told us that our death rituals -- the funeral, visitation, etc. -- were our ways of "reweaving the cloth of our community" after a loss. Grief has a process.  It is our internal response to loss, that is about how we move through and beyond that loss. Yet in our culture, we tend to have an impatience with grief and t...