Most everyone wants to live a good, meaningful life, though we don’t always know what that means and how to do it. Plenty of modern self-improvement programs claim to point people in the right direction, but many of the best answers were already offered more than two thousand years ago.

My guests have gleaned the cream of this orienting, ancient-yet-evergreen advice from history’s philosophers and shared it in their new book, The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning. Their names are Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko, and they’re professors of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. Today on the show Meghan and Paul introduce us to the world of virtue ethics — an approach to philosophy that examines the nature of the good life, the values and habits that lead to excellence, and how to find and fulfill your purpose as a human being. We discuss how to seek truth with other people by asking them three levels of what they call “strong questions” and engaging in civil and fruitful dialogue. We then delve into why your intentions matter and why you should use “morally thick” language. We also examine the role that work and love has to play in pursuing the good life, and how the latter is very much about attention. We end our conversation with how a life of eudaimonia — full human flourishing — requires balancing action with contemplation.

#770: Philosophical Tools for Living the Good Life

Link to preorder How Minds Change: www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome 

Our guest in this episode is A.J. Jacobs, the the four-time New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically, Thanks A Thousand, It’s All Relative, and The Know It All.

His new book, The Puzzler is a fun, weird, refreshingly scientific book all about the human brain's fascination with puzzles. Seriously, there’s all sorts of explorations in the book about neural pathways, behavioral routines, how we learn, what gets us into loops, and - this is true - a few attempts to solve the puzzle of our very existence.

Show Notes at: www.youarenotsosmart.com

Patreon: www.patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

Twitter: www.twitter.com/notsmartblog 

Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

233 - The Puzzler - A. J. Jacobs

Terry Crews, actor, athlete, artist, President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho, star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, host of America’s Got Talent - that Terry Crews joins us to discuss his new book, Tough. In the book, Terry shares the raw story of his quest to find the true meaning of toughness and in so doing fundamentally change his concept of himself by uprooting a deeply ingrained toxic masculinity and finally confronting his insecurities, painful memories, and limiting beliefs.

Link to preorder How Minds Change: https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome





Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

235 - Tough - Terry Crews

In today's episode, Andy & DJ are joined in the studio by Comedian and Libertarian Dave Smith. They discuss the intentional division forced upon us by the world's elites, how the evolution of communication through social media has created more chaos in our societies, and what individual Americans can do to combat these issues.

377. Andy, Dave Smith & DJ CTI: ... Part 1

In today's episode, Andy & DJ are joined in the studio by entrepreneur and former Special Forces SGM Mike Glover. They discuss the decision by the federal court to limit social media companies' power to squash opinions, Gov. DeSantis sending a plane of migrants to Biden's summer home, and Biden signing an executive order giving the government unprecedented control over the U.S. dollar.

380. Andy, Mike Glover & DJ CTI: Federal Court Vs. Big Tech Censorship, DeSantis Sends Plane Of Migrants To Biden's Summer Home & Executive Order 14067 - Part 2

Bilateral Stimulation Music | 2.5 Seconds | The Stargazer | Relaxation, Anxiety Release

Bilateral Stimulation Music | stargaze - Relaxation, Anxiety Release

Dynamic Laws of Prosperity Affirmations by Catherine Ponder
narrated by Lona Reshel Taylor

Connect with me on facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/abundantlifeproject/

Dynamic Laws of Prosperity

Opioid addiction is a national epidemic. According to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, "drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States." In this episode, Nathan, Ed and Brian look at America's long history with opioids - like opium, morphine and heroin. They’ll discuss how late 19th century doctors spurred the nation’s first addiction crisis and how race and class have shaped our perception of addicts and addiction.

VFH Radio at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities

The Habit: Opioid Addiction in America

IT'S TIME TO DIGITALLY DECULTTER.

Very few of us have the courage to be alone.

When we are quiet and don’t distract ourselves, we have to face hard questions. 

It can be scary.

Instead, we reach for our phones. We might be trying to fill a void, or we might just be addicted.

Technology is a lot like processed food. We want more and more, but we’ll never be satisfied.

On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about focus with someone who has famously never owned a social media account: Cal Newport.

Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. In addition to academic research, he writes about the intersection of technology and society. He’s particularly interested in the impact of new technologies on our ability to perform productive work or lead satisfying lives.

Cal recommends building “fences” around our phones so that we’re not using them mindlessly all day.

So get ready to learn more tools to be more focused, present and creative on Episode 770.


Some Questions I Ask:

What do you recommend for people who are always connected to technology? (10:30)

How can we build stronger connections? (18:00)

What’s the void that we are trying to fill with social media? (24:00)

What’s more addictive: social media or smoking? (32:00)

How can you train your children to work at things (54:00)


In This Episode You Will Learn:

How to train your focus (2:00)

The three benefits from being alone (8:00)

Why you need “analog” hobbies (30:00)

Why anxiety has risen in younger generations (32:00)

The reason Cal recommends 30 days away from technology (43:00)

The School of Greatness

On Apple Podcasts

The Power of Digital Detox with Cal Newport

MEDITATION WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. A lot of us are suffering, and we don’t even realize it. We’re always on the move. We’re always doing. We’re balancing so many responsibilities. We don’t take time to quiet our minds so that we can start to understand what’s going on up there. That’s why meditation is so powerful. It allows you to get to the root of your problems instead of constantly fixing the symptoms. It’s like flossing your brain. Meditation will get all “gunk” out. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I’ve combined interviews with experts on meditation: Jay Shetty, Preethaji, Krishnaji, Dan Harris, and Andy Puddacomb. Jay Shetty is a former monk who was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 for being a game-changer and influencer in the world of Media. Jay’s daily show HuffPost Live #FollowTheReader, where he interviewed the likes of Russell Brand, Tim Ferriss and Deepak Chopra reached 1 million people daily. Jay aims to share knowledge at the pace we want entertainment, something he likes to call “making wisdom go viral.” He has created content for and partnered with Snapchat, Facebook, National Geographic, Nasdaq and HuffPost to name a few. Preethaji is a modern day Indian philosopher and sage who has co-founded along with her husband Krishnaji the O&O Academy (school to revolutionize and transform human thought), World Youth Change Makers (an elite community of youth redirecting the future of the world through a revolution in consciousness), and One Humanity Care (a Foundation working with the vision to uplift 10,000 villages in India). Dan Harris is correspondent for ABC News, an anchor for Nightline and co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America. Harris encourages the use of meditation, and his "10% Happier" podcasts are interviews with other meditators. Harris' book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Really Works – a True Story, was published in March 2014. Andy Puddicombe is a meditation and mindfulness expert. An accomplished presenter and writer, Andy is the voice of all things Headspace. In his early twenties, midway through a university degree in Sports Science, Andy made the unexpected decision to travel to The Himalayas to study meditation instead. These masters explain the importance of meditation, the common misconceptions, and the science behind it all. It’s a lot more straightforward than you might think. So get ready to learn all about meditation on Episode 812.

Some Questions I Ask:
What’s the biggest lesson you learned from being a monk (5:45)
What’s the intention you set every morning? (10:45)
Why do we focus so much on suffering when it only hurts us? (21:10)
What’s the importance of a spiritual vision? (22:35)
Why is meditation so powerful? (24:45)
Why is mindfulness meditation healing and how can we know what’s for us? (29:00)

In This Episode You Will Learn:
Why you need to deal with the root of the problem instead of relief of symptoms (7:00)
A three-minute meditation to connect you to your emotions (13:00)
How to end all suffering (20:40)
About “mindfulness meditation” (28:30)
Three tips for meditation (37:00)

Calm Your Mind and Master Meditation

FAMILY ISN’T EVERYTHING. How often have you heard phrases about putting family first? Most of us had a plaque on the wall growing up that said something similar. But if you’re letting family walk all over you, you’re doing a disservice to yourself. We get what we tolerate. If you don’t like something, but you tolerate it, you can’t expect people to change. So how do we have better relationships with our families? We have to create a request. And we have to keep our word. Telling people what you need doesn’t always feel good, but it’s necessary to take care of yourself. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about boundaries and reparenting yourself with an inspirational holistic psychologist: Dr. Nicole Lepera. Dr. Nicole LePera is a Holistic Psychologist who believes that mental wellness is for everyone. She evolved her more traditional training from Cornell University and The New School to one that acknowledges the connection between the mind and body. Dr. LePera founded the Mindful Healing Center in Center City Philadelphia where she works with individuals, couples, and families taking gut health, sleep, movement, cellular health, belief, and mindfulness into treatment. Dr. Nicole Lepera shares her three steps to creating healthy boundaries and how to break cycles in ourselves. So get ready to learn how to be a self healer on Episode 844.

Some Questions I Ask:
What were your biggest limiting beliefs? (9:30)
How do we become unstuck? (17:00)
How do we manage the guilt of our family? (23:00)
How do we regulate our nervous system? (46:00)
What does it mean to “reparent” yourself? (1:0200)
How do we become a self healer every day? (1:16:00)

In This Episode You Will Learn:
How emotion is tied to memory (12:00)
What “interdependence” means (20:00)
The three steps to create a boundary (29:00)
How to “depersonalize” (39:00)
Dr. Nicole’s definition of manifestation (57:00)
About the “Small, Daily Promise” (1:13:00)

If you enjoyed this episode, check out the video, show notes and more at http://www.lewishowes.com/844 and follow at instagram.com/lewishowes

Become a Self-Healer and Break Free of Emotional Cycles with Dr. Nicole LePera

Lewis Howes is a NYT bestselling author, Lifestyle Entrepreneur, former pro athlete and world record holder in football. The goal of the School of Greatness is to share inspiring stories from the most brilliant business minds, world class athletes and influential celebrities on the planet to help you find out what makes great people great.

The Power of Digital Detox with Cal Newport

Lewis Howes

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