Good Life Project || Inspiration | Motivation | Happiness | Meaning | Success

Traci Ruble is a San Francisco based psychotherapist, clinic director and the founder of Sidewalk Talk, a community listening initiative that is exploding into a global movement.Starting out in the fast-paced San Francisco technology world, Ruble was rising up the ranks quickly, making a fantastic living and also pushing herself to a breaking point. Then, a death in her family sent Traci on a quest that led her out of tech, immersed her in travel, surfing and eventually therapy. These experiences unlocked an entirely new, deeply open and aware part of her, and also led her into therapy as a new career path.After years of education and building a flourishing practice and clinic, yet another profound moment of awakening led her to want to "take her chair out onto the street" and create a listening movement for so many people in pain who needed to be seen and heard, but didn't have the ability to be clients in a practice.What began as a makeshift band of therapists hitting the street to listen to anyone (for fre

Good Life Riff: We've all heard a lot about gratitude, how it's a powerful reset for the mind. Especially at a time of year when many of us find ourselves swept into a whirlwind of stress and social strife.So, today, we're talking about a bit of a different gratitude intervention called the "gratitude visit," which has been researched and proven of have an astonishingly powerful and lasting impact on your state of mind and wellbeing.This moving gratitude experience has the added benefit of filling both your Vitality Bucket (by enhancing your state of mind) and also your Connection Bucket (by deepening your relationship with another person).Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on, well, nuts and your brain. We've all heard that nuts have lots of health benefits, from disease prevention to inflammation reduction and more.But, some cool new research show that eating certain nuts actually generates different brainwaves, which raises the pos

This week, we're bringing you Tim Ferriss like you've never heard him.Ferris has been a man on a mission, driven to deconstruct mastery and excellence, then share what he's learned. It began with his own relentless experimentation and documentation, which yielded #1 New York Times bestsellers The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Chef.In more recent years, though, this yearning has led him to sit down with hundreds of elite-performers, from a vast array of domains, on a quest to reveal what made them them. These conversations are shared weekly on Tim's award-winning podcast, The Tim Ferris Show. We recorded a Good Life Project conversation with Tim earlier this year, which you can listen to here.In today's conversation, we go in a very different direction. Tim actually lost a number of people this year, turned 40 and found himself in a deeply contemplative and emotional space, thinking about who he is, how he wants to create the next 40 years of his life and what matters. Thi

Good Life Riff: Ahhhhh, family! With many people heading into that time of year when gathering with family becomes a "thing," we figured it was a great time to invite our old friend, everyone's cousin and New York Times bestselling author, A.J. Jacobs, to share a very special guest riff about what family really is...and isn't. He's spent the last few years deep-diving into the topic and has come up with some fascinating and fun discoveries, which he shares in his new book, It's All Relative.Good Life Science: Ever notice that the older we get, the more we tend to forget stuff? Turns out, the hippocampus - a part of our brain heavily involved in memory - starts to shrink in our middle years, taking memories with it. In our Good Life Science segment today, we're diving into some fascinating new research on how one very specific type of exercise affects can not only stop the shrinkage, but even reverse this process. And, as always, for those want to go to the source, here's a link to the full

On one level, Mari Andrew never meant to have the life she's now living. On another, it was her destiny.Mari is a writer, illustrator and solo travel enthusiast currently living in New York. She began posting an illustration a day on Instagram in 2015 as a way to share her lens on life and connect with people. In a few short years, her following exploded to more 600,000 people.What's so fascinating is why. These daily posts aren't created by the stroke of a fine artist's brush or trained letterer's steady hand. Instead, she offers simple stick figures and line-drawings. The power in her daily dispatches lies not in the technique, but in the simplicity of expression, the emotion, the honesty and relatability her work conveys.Andrew doesn't share her "shiny, happy, made-for-social-media life," but rather invites you into her meandering and beautifully real mind, flush with everything from grief, heartbreak and career confusion to spiritual journeying, illness, love, friendship, and the pursuit of the perfe

In today's GLP Update, we're talking about a cool new bit of science about how blue light can help when you're stressed out, and we've got a fun second segment where we jam with fellow podcaster, Tsh Oxenreider of The Simple Show.Good Life Science: Ever wonder if the color of light might have an effect on you, your mood and your brain? You've may have heard the recent research about blue light and how it can disrupt melatonin and mess with your sleep. But, it turns out, new research shows that blue light may have a very particular beneficial effect, especially when you're stressed out. It can drop you into the Zen zone up to three-times faster than white light. That's what we're diving into in today's Good Life Science Update. And, as always, for those want to go to the source, here's a link to the full study.Good Life Podcast Friends: Instead of our usual Good Life Riff, we've got a special jam today with our friend and fellow podcaster, Tsh Oxenreider of The Simple Show. We're actually sharin

Good Life Riff: Have you ever been "sparked" by someone? Given permission to do the thing that was in your heart, acknowledged and seen for who you are, even when it seemed everyone else was shutting you down or telling you to take a different and often "safer" option? If so, you know the power of that person who accepted and inspired you in that moment.But, what about the other side of that conversation? What's it like to be person who lights that fire, who sees, heres, feels and acknowledges someone else at a moment that sparks a profound awakening to possibility? That's what we're talking about on today's GLP Riff.Good Life Science: In our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating research on how "visualizing" exercise can potentially deliver similar gains in strength as "doing" the exercise. Hey, it's not permission to be a couch potato, but it has pretty cool implications for everything from rehab to treating muscle disorders or even helping out when you're sick or on the ro

Sheri Salata is the co-founder of STORY salata | hala, a media company producing print, television, film and the “This is Fifty with Sheri and Nancy.”Her new venture into the world of entrepreneurship is the evolution of the "staff job of all staff jobs," a 20-year career with Oprah Winfrey, where Salata became executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show, President of Harpo Studios and then joined forces with Oprah Winfrey in the heralded turn-a-round of the OWN network.In today's conversation, we explore Sheri's early career in advertising and what led her to leave it all behind to explore the entertainment world. We dive into what it was like working at the highest levels with one of the most iconic and influential women in media and business, Oprah Winfrey, and helping run a legendary media empire. We also visit what led Salata to leave it all behind in 2016, shift gears and build something entirely new with her longtime friend, Nancy Hala, on their own terms and in their own time

Good Life Riff: Ah, hindsight! As they say, it really is 20-2o. When we look back at some decisions, we think, "wow, that was such a great call, I'm pretty smart." But, then there are those other decisions. You know, the ones where a year or two down the road, you look back and think, "what is wrong with me?! That was a terrible decision. How could I not have seen this terrible outcome coming?"Then, there's THE TRUTH. We did the best we could "at the time." But, we don't see that, because of a quirky cognitive bias known as "Outcome Bias." In this third episode in our series on cognitive bias - aka - the weird things out brains subconsciously do to make us do thing that make no sense - we dive into this one particular quirk that leads up mired in self-doubt and crippled confidence.Incidentally, you can check out the two earlier episodes in the Cognitive Bias series here and here.Well, it turns out, there's funky little cognitive bias thatGood Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're div

Jedidiah Jenkins is a storyteller, adventurer and powerful advocate for intentional living.Leaving behind his training in law to tap a lifelong gift for storytelling and a deep heart of service, Jedidiah joined the team at Invisible Children. They would eventually launch the KONY 2012 campaign, producing a video that went massively viral with more than 100-million views in the first week. This both shined the light on a nation in dire need, but also brought on a fierce backlash that led to a lot of pain and self-exploration.As he neared his 30th birthday, Jedidiah started feeling called to commit to a powerful personal quest. So, he made the frightening decision to leave a job he loved to pursue an untested dream: bicycling to Patagonia and writing a book about it. From the cartels of Mexico, to the mega-churches of the US, to the Amazon in Bolivia, he has seen some crazy things.In this week's episode, we explore his epic journey, and the adventures still yet to come.Rockstar Sponsors:RXBAR Kids is

Good Life Riff: What if everything you knew to be truth and real was subject to complete manipulation?What if there was something anyone could do, in a relatively short matter of time, to lead you to first doubt your certainty and then eventually belief the complete opposite. Even if you'd been right, and there was zero proof to support what this other person was telling you?Turns out, there is something. It's a frighteningly simple cognitive bias or kink in our brain's wiring that is being used to manipulate beliefs in everything from civil discourse to advertising to politics. What it is, how it works and how to "protect" against it is what we're talking about in today's Good Life Project Riff.It's the second installment in our series on Cognitive Bias, aka, the wacky things our brains do to make us think we're rational, but lead us to delusion. And, if you're interested in the first installment in the series on the Anchoring Bias, you can find it here.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science s

In 1986, at the bottom of a ten-year spiral into depression, Byron Katie woke up one morning to a state of constant joy that has never left her.She realized that when she believed her stressful thoughts, she suffered, but that when she questioned them, that suffering gave way to truth and then joy, and that this is true for every human being.Over a period of years, she distilled her simple yet powerful process of inquiry into what is now called The Work; four questions and a set of turnarounds that let you see and step into a new reality that exists beyond suffering. One that allows you to become free.Katie (as she goes by) has been bringing The Work to millions of people for more than thirty years now, publishing the bestselling Loving What Is, I Need Your Love—Is That True? and A Thousand Names for Joy,In this in-depth conversation, Byron Katie is joined by her husband, scholar and bestselling author, Stephen Mitchell, to explore her journey and also dive into their newest collaboration, a bo

In today's GLP Update, we're talking about new research on brain training. And, we're kicking off a series on "cognitive bias," a/k/a the silly ways our minds fool us into thinking we're more rational than we really are.Good Life Riff: In the first of our GLP Riffs on cognitive bias, we're exploring a quirky, hidden tendency known as "anchoring" or "focalism. What is that? It's how we subliminally anchor the value of things to a specific number, often a dollar amount. Why does this matter? Because it can lead us to believe something is worth way more or less than it really is, then pay a ton for something we end up regretting.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on brain training. You've seen the apps, website and programs. Train your brain for better memory, attention, focus, problem-solving. Or, just plain stop it from shrinking as you age. Is it true? Well, a new study out of Johns Hopkins looks at two popular approaches and comes up

Dr. Tererai Trent is an internationally acclaimed voice for women’s empowerment and education.Hailed by Oprah Winfrey as her “all-time favorite guest,” Dr. Trent is an inspiring and dynamic scholar, educator, humanitarian, speaker, author, and the founder of Tererai International.Born in a small village with no electricity or running water in Zimbabwe (then, Rhodesia), she was married in her early teens as was the custom, had four children by age 18 and suffered repeated physical abuse from her husband.Still, she dreamed of a different reality, one that would break the generations-long cycle of poverty, early-marriage, illiteracy and disempowerment. Against all odds, she worked for 8 years to get her GED, and eventually earned a spot in college in the United States, taking her family with her, where some 20 years after beginning her dream of an education, she received her Ph.D..It was her secret additional dream to not only change her life, but to do something for the greater good that turned this into an eve

As the world goes digital, we yearn for more tactile experiences. And, in our Good Life Science news, if you want to be a human emotion detector, don't look...listen.Good Life Riff: As the world has gone digital, we feel pain. Sure, there are benefits to an electronic existence, but truth is, we are wired to experience life in a more tactile, touch-driven way. Pinching, sliding and tapping screens doesn't cut it. We need to touch, create, make and build with our hands, bodies and tools, working with materials in three-dimension. Right now, that need is going largely unfilled. But, there's a counter-movement afoot to take that back. We call it The Touch Economy. That's what we're exploring in today's GLP Riff.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on how we pick up on the emotions of those around us. For years, the emphasis on been on seeing faces, decoding expressions and micro-expressions. Turns out, new research shows our ears may be a

Jordan Harbinger is the co-founder of The Art of Charm, a renowned social dynamics expert and host of the top-rated Art of Charm podcast, where he interviews leading entrepreneurs, celebrities, authors and experts on psychology, human performance, behavioral economics and success..Harbinger helped develop one of the leading self-development programs in the world, co-created the Mastering Social Interaction 30‑day challenge, leveraging his expertise in social capital, relationship-building and authentic rapport.A former U.S. State Department employee and Wall Street attorney who speaks five languages, Jordan has traveled extensively and found himself (on one occasion, not entirely voluntarily) in the employ various government agencies and NGOs overseas, traveled through war zones, led several trips through North Korea, and been kidnapped—twice.Underneath it all is a through-line that took some unraveling during our conversation. Harbinger, it turns out, is obsessed with decoding complex systems.

In today's GLP Update, we're talking about the rarely-explored downside of being a "yes" person, and another study on why eating bigger breakfasts might help save your life.Good Life Riff: We hear it all the time, and in fact we've invited people to explore the idea of saying yes to all sorts of things that, on the one hand scare them, but might also add unforeseen beauty to their lives. But, there's a disconcerting pattern that can emerge from becoming a "yes person," A hidden dark-side that can lead not to growth and purpose and joy, but to overwhelm and paralysis. We're talking about this on today's riff.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on breakfast. In a recent Good Life Update, we shared a study on how front-loading your daily calories and accelerate weight loss, but this new study offer yet another powerful reason to embrace a true, full breakfast. Turns out, it just might save your life! And, as always, for those want to go t

Mark Divine never thought he'd be a Navy SEAL. He was being groomed for the family business. Then, a chance walk by a recruiting office turned his world upside down and offered him a path to claim his warrior calling.Mark graduated as honor-man of his SEAL BUD/s class 170. He served nine years on Active Duty and 11 years as a Reserve SEAL before retiring as Commander in 2011 and stepping into the world of entrepreneurship.He co-founded Coronado Brewing Company, launched the acclaimed SEALFIT program that provides transformational personal and team training experiences, and developed the Unbeatable Mind training, an integrated warrior development academy for the mind, body and spirit.Divine is also a New York Times bestselling author of The Way of the SEAL, 8 Weeks to SEALFit, Unbeatable Mind and Kokoro Yoga. And, he hosts the Unbeatable Mind podcast.Today's episode takes us on a deep dive into his story and also his lifelong commitment to developing not just the ph

Poetry as a tactical device, from a slacker non-poet. And the myth of shiny object syndrome. That's what we're talking about on today's Good Life Update.Good Life Riff: Poetry. Seriously? Yeah, poetry. What if was the secret sauce for sharing ideas in a way that bypassed defenses and made a beeline to the heart? What if information could be "packaged" in writing that awakened your inner slam poet and moved others to receive you, to feel and see and understand you differently? That's what we're talking about in today's GLP Riff. AND, wait for it...there will also be a live-reading of an original piece by JF (aka Mellow-J, reading in his usual Zen-slam style, lol). It's called The Window, and you can find the original text here.Good Life Science: And, in our Good Life Science segment, we're diving into some fascinating new research on visual attention. For years, the prevailing theory on what got our visual attention (translation, what made ya look) was something called the "salience" theory. In a sea

In just 72-hours, Vanessa Potter went from sighted to blind, and able-bodied to paralyzed. Nothing would ever be the same.This is the story of brain gone haywire that led to a life transformed.Guest: A married mother of two young kids, Potter spent 16 years as an award-winning broadcast producer in London. Then, in October 2012 fate conspired to turn the lights out on her, and overnight she found herself blind and unable to walk.Vanessa’s response, was anything but usual. She began to document the entire journey on audio. Her curiosity and quest for answers led her to Cambridge University persuading neuroscientists to help her research what was happening in her brain, This led to a powerful collaboration on a brainwave-imaging project that invited members of the public to see and hear their own brainwaves translated into music and art.Potter was invited to give a TEDx talk and recently shared more of her story in her first, Patient H69: The Story of my Second Sight. In today's Good Life Pr