Podcast 276: The Four Purposes of Life with Dan Millman

 

Dan Millman I first interviewed Dan Millman over three years ago when I started Inside Personal Growth.  As a matter of fact when my son Sean and I were in the Bay area we had the opportunity to meet Dan, and it was quite a treat.

His new book entitled ” The Four Purposes of Life” sets out to help the reader find meaning and direction in our ever changing world.   Dan states in the introduction ” With the pace of life accelerating, in a world of change, it’s not easy to maintain our balance and sense of direction.  Yet we strive to do so, because a sense of direction, toward a meaningful goal, may be a better part of happiness.

The Four Purposes Of Life  as Dan state are–learning life’s lessons, finding your career and calling, discovering your life path, and attending to this arising moment.  We are reminded that “lessons repeat themselves until we learn them.  If we don’t learn the easier lessons, they get harder. We learn and grow through challenges, and every adversity has hidden gifts.  Now if you believe this bit of advice that Dan is doling out is just a little to simple, I highly recommend that you read and take note of “life’s lessons” they are truly one of the areas where you can propel you life forward in a positive way if you are “learning daily from the lessons”

Dan make a distinction in the book between our career and our calling.  I like this, because our career is not our calling.  His distinction reminds us that our calling refers to a personal interest, attraction, inclination, drive or passion that is usually of higher order.  It isn’t  just something you want to do, but rather something you need to do, something that captures your imagination, touches you deeply and absorbs you, whether or not you can explain why.

So if you are seeking more clarity about your purpose and passion in life, then Dan Millman’s new book ” The Four Purposes of Life” is for you.  He has done an excellent job of guiding the reader understanding of the four purposes of life.  Also I highly recommend that you visit his website and enter you birthdate into the  “Life Purpose Caculator“.  Please look at the results, they were quite revealing for me and probably will be for you as well.
Enjoy my interview with a wonderful author and teacher, Dan Millman.

Podcast 273: No Ordinary Time with Jan Phillips

Jan PhillipsI love how author Jan Phillips writes, she is articulate and always has something inspirational to say.  Her new book entitled “No Ordinary Time-The Rise of Spiritual Intelligence and Evolutionary Creativity“.  Is about awakening and honoring the creator within all of us. It is a calling to stop, listen and take the necessary time to reconnect with a higher spiritual power that exist and is in service to us all.

These are “No Ordinary Times”  as Jan states. We are are witnessing and participating in an evolutionary leap unlike anything in our history.  There is evidence in the human family of an upward shift in consciousness, and maturing spirituality, a connectedness that grows more intimate and global by the day.  And that uplift is countered by the dissolution of myths that no longer serve us and demise of institutions that have under-pinned our culture since the beginning of history.

This book is a call to mindfulness, a reminder that evolutionary action begins with stillness, that visionary ideas arise from spiritual practice.  It is a book for people conscious in their power and ready to co-create new sacraments and ceremonies to celebrate the Divine dwelling within us.

The books form is based on the medieval “Book of Hours” and is designed to get the reader to read, reflect and make a deep spiritual connection to the higher power.  There are stories, poems and contemplative questions to ponder as one journeys through the text.  This truly is a book that will wake you up, and start you thinking about your patterns and thinking that have gotten where you are, as well as help you rise above your current beliefs and test new ground for conscious evolution.
I hope you enjoy my interview with author and thought leader Jan Phillips.  Her new book “No Ordinary Times” is a wonderful read and hopefully a book that will help you to see your life in a whole new light.  If you would like to learn more about author Jan Phillips please click here to be directed to her website.

Podcast 272: Tell Them That I Love Them with John Di Battista

John Di BattistaI had the pleasure of meeting John DiBattista at a weekend retreat that my good friend Larry Wilson was conducting.  I immediately was taken by John’s presence and his wonderful demeanor and gravitated toward wanting to get to know him better.   I received a call from him some months later as a result of our mutual friend recommending that John be interviewed for Inside Personal Growth.

John’s new book entitled ” Tell Them That I Love Them” is truly about an amazing personal spiritual experience that changed his life forever.  John believes that each of us has come into this world with a purpose, and that we were given the tools to fulfill that purpose.  We are created in God’s image as John states and gifted by our creator to represent him in some manner, small or great.

While on our life’s journey our true life’s purpose unfolds–the rebirthing process allows us to rediscover our individual purpose.  Our lives gets reoriented through the process of belief, faith, repentance, baptism and the receipt of the Holy Spirit as John states in his statement of philosophy in the book.

If you are interested in learning how the personal experience of John giving his life to Christ absolutely changed him forever,  and the message that Jesus told him to share with the world then I recommend that you listen to this amazing interview with author John DiBattista.  His encounter and epiphany as a result of an encounter with Jesus during an out of body experience is quite compelling and very heartfelt.  It does not matter what religion you embrace or how spiritual you are t
his story is for anyone who has a belief in a higher power.

Enjoy this wonderful interview with an inspiring and God centered author, who truly just wants to share a wonderful message “Tell Them That I Love Them”.

Podcast 269: The Oz Principle with Roger Connors

Roger ConnorsI recently interviewed author Roger Conners, and was so intrigued with the message that I invited him back to discuss another one of his other successful books entitled ” The Oz Principle“.

Many of us who are involved in the personal growth and human potential fields know that one of the first things we learn is personal responsibility.  This concept is at the cornerstone of being in integrety, and living a life of authenticy.  In my interview with Roger we discuss the “Oz Principle”  which by the way is borrowed from the characters in the Wizard of Oz.   I know everyone remembers the journey of Dorothy and her cast, the Tin Man, The Scarecrow, and the Lion.  And if you remember all of them were seeking something to make them whole, and they all were victims.

One of the most challenging situations for individuals and organizations is when they get into the cycle of being a victim as Roger explains it.   In this book Roger explains how the attitude of victimization has captured businesses everywhere in a chocking stranglehold.   In the book Roger explains why people in organizations must avoid the debilitating effects of the victim cycle in order to achieve results.  Also revealed are the “Steps to Accountability” as the key to obtaining what you desire, or yourself, your team and your organization.

If you are at all interested in creating personal accountability in conjunction with organizational accountability, then I highly recommend that you obtain a copy of “The Oz Principle“.  It is a must read for any person in management seeking to improve the performance of their organization, and create a happier, healthier and more creative organizational culture.  If you would like more information about the “The Oz Principle” please click here to be directed to the Partners In Leadership website.
I hope you enjoy this interview with a very knowledgeable change agent Roger Conners.

Podcast 268: The Last Year of Your Life with Clint Arthur

 

Clint ArthurI was listening to an interview on Fox 5 San Diego with author Clint Arthur and was intrigued by his message about his new book “The Last Year of Your Life“.   Unlike many personal growth authors Clint’s approach to living your life is to look at life as if it is the “Last Year of Your Life”.  I can really appreciate this way of looking at life, for I believe we would all find new ways to live our lives if we knew this was our last year of life.

Clint’s book is designed as a workbook with lots of thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter.  They are designed to engage the reader in creating concrete results and question the things in life that are really important.  There is a chapter for each week of the year with very simple and easy to do exercises.  If the reader completes the whole 52 weeks the objective is that they will have completed some very deep personal reflection and discovery, thus transforming their life.  This can be some of the most difficult work, but the most rewarding.

I speak from experience, if one does the work and really applies themselves to any personal growth and transformational work they will see results.  The key here is to stick to the work and do the lessons.  I know that it is frequently tough, and life seems to get in the way but I encourage you to do the work first!!!.

In my interview with author Clint Arthur we discuss not only some of his personal life experiences, but we discuss some of the master teachers he has admired throughout his life and the important roles they played in shaping the person he has become today.
Clint has a quote in his book from the by the Buddha “All that we are is the result of what we have thought”  Just remember, put good thoughts in and get positive results out.

If you are looking for a book will become your 52 week guide then I would recommend that you pick up a copy of Clint Arthur’s book “The Last Year of Your Life“.  Please click here to be directed to Clint’s website for more information.

Podcast 267: The Art of Convening with Craig Neal

 

Craig NealI have known Craig Neal for a number of years, as a matter of fact I attended one of his “The Art of Convening” meetings at the Gap in Northern California several years ago.   I recently reconnected with Craig and had the opportunity to discuss his newly released book entitled “The Art Of Convening-Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations“.

If you are like me, you have attended lots of meetings during your career and frequently walk away wondering “why” did I attend?  If you have ever asked this questions, then Craig’s new book “The Art of Convening” is a must read.

In my interview with Craig we discuss what he refers to as “authentic engagement”.  Authentic engagement is , simply, a genuine expression of what is true for us, and an attentive listening to what is true for another, or others.  Why this simple human interaction often eludes us can be a matter of habit, distrust, faulty modeling, lack of attention, or fear.

Craig has created a wonderful model in the book that assists “the convener” in understanding the art associated with creating a gathering.  The model is referred to as the “convening wheel” and at the center is “The Heart of the Matter” with eight adjacent spokes:  Clarifying Intent , The Invitation, Setting Context, Creating the Container, Hearing all the Voices, Essential Conversations, Creation, Commitment to Action.   Craig states that there is a lot of pressure in our lives to go, go, go all the time–to drive to results and spring into action, often before the actions’s optimal time has come.  It’s counterintuitive to take the time to reflect on how we ill be in relationship with others. In a way, we have to slow down and do the internal due diligence to know what results we really want to drive and when it is time to take the action.
If you are at all interested in better understanding how to hold meeting with meaning, purpose and aligned outcomes then I highly recommend that you obtain a copy of “The Art Of Convening“.  This book will instruct you with essential questions to better understand your purpose, your meetings purpose and the associated actions you really would like to achieve from meetings, gatherings and most importantly conversations.  I hope you enjoy this interview with one of the masters in the business of “authentic engagement”.

You can learn more about Craig and Patricia Neal the authors by clicking here to be directed to their website.