Podcast 347: Apocalypse Not with John Michael Greer

John Michael GreerI recently interviewed author John Michael Greer about his new book entitled ” Apocalypse Not“.

John is a very fascinating and intriguing author and has a perspective about the apocalypse which will put every one at ease.

John states that a thousand years ago, the astronomers and mathematicians of another accent people worked out this same date in their own calendar, and set in motion a chain of events that made their calculations a topic of fear and fascination across most of the world today. They were the Mayans, and to them the date in questions was 4 Ahau 3 Kankin 13.0.0.0.0—the end fo the world.

John, claims that on 12/21/21 nothing is going to happen, no end of the world, no rapture– things will carry on as usual.

As for their “disappearance”, the great Mayan city-states of the southern lowlands when through a period of severe decline in the tenth century CE, involving warfare, famine, and the abandonment of most of the large urban centers, but the villagers of the countryside remained, and their descendants sill live in the same area today.  Elsewhere in the Mayan world, city-states on the classic model continued to flourish until the Spanish conquest of the Yucatan and Central America in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and their are sill plenty of people descended from the accent Mayans, and who speak Mayan languages, throughout that part of the world. John points out that in times of severe social stress people start to focus on the possibility of an apocalypse, and that we have gone through these cycles before in history.

The first secular forms of the apocalypse meme actually began to take shape well back in the Middle Ages, with the earliest stirrings of what radicals of a later age would call “class consciousness”.  John states that throughout history we have been enamored with and apocalypse and the anti-christ, and during recorded history we have never experienced the apocalypse.

If you are interested in learning more about the history and our fascination with an apocalypse then I recommend that you read ” Apocalypse Not“.  Author John Michael Greer throughly documents why he believes that we are not going to experience the coming of the anti-christ or an apocalypse.  He states that on 12/22/12 those who are believers in the dooms day prophecy will wake up the next day and wonder why it did not occur.

 

If you would like more information about John Michael Greer please click here to be directed to his website.  I hope you enjoy my interview with John Michael Greer.

Podcast 346: Brain Power, Improve Your Mind as You Age with Michael Gelb and Kelly Howell

Kelly HowellThere has been lots of discussion about the importance of exercising our minds so that we stay sharp and astute as we age.  I recently had the pleasure of interviewing both Michale Gelb and Kelly Howell the authors of a great new book entitled “Brain Power, Improve Your Mind as You Age.”

What Michael and Kelly reveal in our interview together is that what we previously thought  about aging and our brain is faulty.  That current science and the studies being conducted on how our brains work, connect  and  stay sharp are revealing amazing findings.

As discussed in “Brain Power” their are many factors that attribute to good mental acuity, some of them are optimism, forgiveness, being a life long learner not to mention that nutrition and exercise play a significant role in our minds ability to stay sharp.   As a matter of fact, exercise and nutrition the most important factors in our brains health.

I recently conducted an interview with Dr. John Ratey MD and professor of psychiatry at Harvard about his book entitled “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain”, and he explains that in addition to promoting better muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness, exercise is “one of the best treatments we have for most psychiatric problems.” Ratey presents compelling research demonstrating the efficacy of exercise in sharpening cognition and memory, and in overcoming anxiety, stress and depression.

As Kelly and Michael explain, our environment is another important factor for good brain health.  Every aspect of our environment stimulates our brain for better or for worse. The sights, sounds, textures, aromas, tastes, and other sensations that you experience every day serve as nourishment for your mind and spirit.  They also state in “Brain Power” that the people that we hang around with and the communities of support we develop are a very big factor on staying brain healthy.  Study after study has shown that the bigger or community of support and connect to others is a significant factor in the reduction of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

 

If you are looking to stay mentally sharp today and well into your advanced years, then I highly recommend that you read and study the techniques discussed and taught in “Brain Power“.  This book could have a meaningful impact on how you decide to treat your body as well as exercise you mind.

 

I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with Michael Gelb and Kelly Howell.  For more information about Michael Gelb please click here to be directed to his website, or click here to be directed to Kelly Howell’s website.

Podcast 345: What Great Salespeople Do with Michael Bosworth

Michael BosworthI had the pleasure of interviewing Mike Bosworth, a personal friend and someone who is always on the cutting edge innovating around sales and selling.  His new book “What Great Salespeople Do” really hits at the heart of selling as far as I am concerned.  It is about the emotional connection and the power of story.

I know that many of you who are in sales might think that you are really good at connecting with your customer or prospect, but what Mike and Ben reveal in their new book really can transform the way you sell and connect with your clients.

As long as I can remember we have been using stories to convey wisdom from generation to generation.  And in some respect, that is what great salespeople do.  They know how and when to use compelling stories to connect with their clients and prospects.

In “What Great Salespeople Do” you will learn how to : 1) relax a buyer’s skepticism while activating the part of his or her brain where trust is formed and connectons are forged. 2) use the power of story to influence buyers to change 3) make your ideas, beliefs and experiences “storiable” using a proven story structure 4) build a personal inventory of stories to use throughout your sales cycle 5) tell your stories with authenticity and real passion.

This new book is truly groundbreaking and will help the experienced storyteller as well as the novice, begin to convey their stories with convection and authenticity which is the foundation of making a deep emotional and personal connection with their clients and prospects.  You will also learn the importance of empathic listening which embodies, awareness, encouragement and reflection which is a big key in getting the agreement of the buyer.

When I say this is a hugh leap for the sales industry, that is an understatement.  Gone are the days of programmed selling and thank God for the wonderful heartfelt approach that Mike and Ben are teaching in “What Great Salespeople Do“.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with Mike Bosworth—if you want to learn more about his company Story Leaders please click here to learn more.

Podcast 344: This Is The Moment with Walter Green

Walter GreenHow many of you have really thought about the importance that being grateful plays in your life?  I recently interviewed Walter Green the author of a new book entitled ” This Is The Moment-How One Man’s Yearlong Journey Captured the Power of Extraordinary Gratitude“, and was throughly impressed at the lengths Walter took to express his gratitude to 44 of the most influential people in his life.

In my interview with Walter we discussed the impact this experience had on his life.  He wanted to tell these men and women how much they mattered to him before anyone’s health or life was compromised and the opportunity was missed.  Walter mentions that you might think of his life as as rags to riches story, but that it is anything but that.  He realized that significant contributions to his learning and success these  44 individuals played .

As Joseph Campbell articulates in his book “The Hero’s Journey” we go on the departure, then have the initiation and ultimately the return.  I think in the case  Walter departed  on his own spiritual journey and through the beauty of gratitude  was able to experience the freedom  upon his return as a result of his profound gratitude.

Walter experienced mastery which leads to the freedom from the fear of death.  You see, Walters father died he was a very young age, and his death made a significant impact on the journey that he embarked upon to recognize and express his gratitude to the people that had a deep heartfelt role in the molding of his life.

As Walter states in ” This Is The Moment“, ” Their pieces of input allowed me a unique opportunity to answer the question; ” Who am I?”  What an empowering gift! . I never set out with an agenda of learning about myself; doing so was parenthetical and incidental, but not inconsequential.  Not only that it started me thinking about my personal legacy.  We all have a perception of ourselves, and everything we do is consistant with that vision—our integrity, our energy, or performance, our giving to others.  This leads us to keep an internal scorecard and wonder how we’re doing. Am I doing the right things? Am I doing enough?

But the scorecard get buried with us.  When we’re gone, only the perceptions other have of us live on.”   If you have at ever thought about expressing your gratitude to someone one you love or who has made an impact on your life, what is stopping you?  Go do it!

Walter’s experience and the stories he tells in “This Is The Moment” will certainly move you to want to express your gratitude.  I encourage you to read this book and  also share your stories of gratitude with Walter by visiting his website by clicking here.  You will also want to watch a video by clicking here about the book.

Walter will be speaking at an upcoming event in San Diego for Renaissance Executive Forums you can register for the March 20th event by clicking here.

 

Enjoy this great interview with author Walter Green.

Podcast 343: Living Fully with Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche

Shyalpa Tenzin RinpocheWhat an amazing interview with Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche about his new book entitled “Living Fully“.  The essence of the Rinpoche’s book is the importance of each breath and the life force and joy in each breath.

Now I am aware that at the pace we move in the Western world, understanding the importance of our breath is so essential; but really how many of us pay attention to our breath or are aware of the gift of each breath.  When you distill the message of this book into these terms and the simplicity of what we all take for granted you begin to see the beauty and transformational power within the message of “Living Fully”.

As Rinpoche state in “Living Fully” “Whether we realize it or not, our deepest aspiration is to experience the richness and fullness of our being in every moment. Each of us has the capacity to live fully, but how do we recognize our potential? ”  In my interview with Rinpoche we discuss the many desires and attachment we have to the physical world and how these desires and attachments really are not bringing us happiness and joy and distract us from “Living Fully“.

Happiness and joy are fulfilled when we look deep inside and content with who we are regardless of all of our worldly possessions.  As Rinpoche mentions in “Living Fully” instant pleasure is not the true way to enjoy our freedom.  When we know how to surrender, we can truly appreciate our freedom. This ability to surrender comes from a disciplined approach to life.  Surrender is not submitting to a higher authority, like an army recruit saluting a drill sergeant.  Rather, we surrender when we give up trying to satisfy all of our hopes and expectations.

If we abandon our efforts to fabricate a “perfect” world, we all experience genuine freedom that is not corrupted by endless craving or something better.  Understanding the philosophy and practice of the Buddhist way is quite simple.  Finding our essence of our precious human nature is learning how to live in the moment, enjoying each and every breath and the joy that it brings.

While this might sound like utopia, because we are all aware the plethora of distractions our material world brings, it  would certainly be nice to not just capture these moments but to become one with them permanently without programming our brains to remember how to remember what it feels like.

So if you are so inclined and want to learn from a master then I would recommend that you read and emerse yourself in the teaching of Rinpoche.  His new book is delightful, and something all of us in the Western world need to become more aware of how important the aspect of something as automatic as our breath teaches us about the joys of life.

 

If you would like to learn more about the book click here to be directed to the Rinpoche’s website or listen to a YouTube interview with the publisher Marc Allen at New World Library by clicking. here. Enjoy this great and inspirational interview with a wonderfully compassionate man.

Podcast 342: Smart Trust with Greg Link

Greg LinkI recently interviewed my good friend and co-author of “Smart Trust“, Greg Link.  Yet another great book from the Covey Link team.

Many of you may remember a book entitled ” The Speed of Trust” which sold more than 1 million copies in 2006  in which Stephen M.R. Covey wrote about the importance of preserving and restoring trust was one of the most important elements in business today..

In “Smart Trust” Greg and Stephen provide a lens to see how trust issues impact every situation, and how you can cut through traditional either/or thinking to extend what they call Smart Trust, enabling you to operate with hight trust in a low trust world.

Greg speaks with me during this interview about how high trust organization time and time again outperform low-trust organizations by nearly three times.  Moving from a low-trust organization has hugh implications and opportunity abounds.   Organization that can embrace “Smart Trust” have the benefit of having employees, customers and communities that support their organizations thus , employee engagement, profitability and innovation are just a few of the benefits of operating with “Smart Trust“.

Greg and I discuss what they refer to in the book at the “ 5 Actions of Smart Trust“, and how Smart Trust Leaders consistently take these actions.  1) Choose to Believe in Trust–this creates the foundational paradigm out of which all other trust-building behaviors flow. 2) Start with Self–focus first on developing the character and competence that enables them to trust themselves and to also give others a person–or a team, organization or country–they can trust 3) Declare their intent…and assume positive intent in others–they signal goals and intended actions—both what and why–clearly in advance, and generally assume that others also have good intent and want to be worthy of trust. 4) Do what they say they’re going to do–they follow through and act to carry out their declared intent; walk their talk. 5) Lead out in extended trust to others–they are the first to extend trust an initiate the upward virtuos cycle that leads to prosperity, energy and joy.

One thing that I know for certain is that “trust” and “fear” can not co-exist.  If we can move our people, businesses and planet to to understanding the importance of embracing “Smart Trust” we will certainly move toward more equanimity. We would have a world where we work in cooperation with one another without the conflict that fear creates.  Competition would be replaced with collaboration and wonderful synergies would emerge  benefiting humanity as a whole.

 

If you would like to learn more about Greg Link and Stephen Covey please click here to be directed to their website.

You can also check out this YouTube Video about the 13 behaviors of high trust people. I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with Greg Link from the Covey Link Team.

Podcast 341: Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond with Nancy Anderson

Nancy AndersonAuthor Nancy Anderson is probably the best career coach that I have every interviewed.  She not only seems to have a special intuition about what one’s career path should be, she has an amazing wise insight into our current career marketplace.  What I love about her book ” Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond” is that it is easy to read and more importantly full of great advice and guidance.

What she conveys in our interview together is that when one reaches midlife the desire to have a vocation that is meaningful and on purpose is heightened.  As she states we have gone through our years of  raising kids, growing our bank accounts and now we want to focus on a vocation that will make a difference.

I would concur with her, for me personally this happened when I turned age 50.  I also have spoken with many of my friends and their seems to be a stirring and uncomfortable feeling that we don’t have much time and we need to change career course with more meaningful work.

Nancy states that change for the better takes place in three (3) stages.  The first stage is when you admit that what your’re doing is not working, and you ask for help if you need it.  Then comes the second and most difficult state, stopping what your’re doing that is not working.  If you persist in your efforts, you reach the third and final state, making choices that work for your.  Now this may all sound simple, but when you are in the middle of a career and considering a choice this can be scary.

Nancy says that identifying and facing our fears is the crucial step in the first stage of change.  She states that in the book “Think and Grow Rich” Napoleon Hill discribes six basic fears that keep you stuck in the past. These fears are as follows: 1) the fear of poverty 2) the fear of criticism, 3) the fear of loss of love 4) the fear of illness 5) the fear of old age 6) the fear of death.  I would say that about covers them all.

Nancy also recommends that when we are ready to take the next step that we rewrite our life story.  Now this is probably the best advice for anyone wanting to explore their authentic self and the core of their personality.  Going through this exercise is very revealing, and can be life altering–I know for I have completed this exercise and it is extremely empowering.  You see that once you do this exercise this much if revealed from your past, and frequently we are carrying emotional baggage forward into our life today and it is not serving us.

So, if you want to work with passion and live the life you want I think that Nancy Anderson book “Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond” is the perfect reference.  She also is the author of “Work with Passion” which is also a great book on career coaching.  If you want to learn more about Nancy and how she can help you specifically please click here to be directed to her website.

 

I hope you enjoy my interview with this wonderfully insightful career and life coach–Nancy Anderson.  You can also watch a wonderful video at YouTube by clicking here.

Podcast 340: Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living with Allan Lokos

Allan LokosIn a recent interview with author Allan Lokos we discussed his new book entitled ” Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living“.

Allan’s book was born one summer evening when a dear friend made a comment “Just about every mistake I have every made and every unkind word I have ever spoken might have been avoided if I had been more patient.”  Allan thought that this was a stunning statement revealing remarkable insight, and it was the birth of this book.

The development of genuine, open-minded patience may very well lead one to also examine one’s experience of anger and its root causes.  Although impatience and anger are not the same, they live in the same neighborhood states Allan.  In fact, it is as if they live in the same house with barely a flimsy curtain between them, anger ready to join in when impatience shows the slightest interest in emerging from its thin-shelled cocoon.  Not coincidentally, the journey that develops patience is traveled along a path similar to that which undermines the deceiving appeal of anger and what at times can appear to be anger’s uncontrollable nature.

The development of patience requires an understanding of the  root causes of our stress, anxiety, and frustration.  Then we must be willing to relinquish the type of thinking that leads to the loss of patience.  Although anger and patience are not opposites, they can be thought of as two side of the same coin.  When one side is visible the other is hard to see.  When one side is active the other is unlikely to emerge.

Allan is a teacher of Buddhist practices and his approach is not to get attached to the emotions that anger and frustration stur up within one.  To become more mindful from moment to moment which includes being nonjudgmental.  Because of anger’s enormous potential for danger, it would be an exaggeration to say we call on patience to come to the rescue, to save the day, perhaps even to save a life.  The courageous act of starting to address one’s anger and develop greater patience is, to me , a sacred act.  The simple act of pausing invites the mind and body to stop, to allow fiery thoughts to cool and subside before giving them expression.

 

If you want to cultivate more patience and reduce the dangers of anger and frustration, then you ought to read and take in the very important message of “Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living“.  This is a book worth the read, and especially in the complex world we are living in today that frequently tests our patience.

If you would like more information about Allan Lokos and his new book please click here to be directed to his YouTube video.

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