#35 - Designing Your New Work Life | Dave Evans

#35 - Designing Your New Work Life | Dave Evans

Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that steer the social stream of consciousness….Truly a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior. Each episode is a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Dave Evans, the Codirector of the Stanford Life Design Lab and a co-founder of Electronic Arts, one of the world's largest interactive entertainment companies. He also led the design of Apple's first mouse and laser printer and has a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford.

Recently, Dave and his colleague, Bill Burnett, coauthored the #1 New York Times bestseller Designing Your New Work Life....and it served as the foundation of our conversation. It's a job-changing, outlook-changing, life-changing book that shows us how to transform our new uncharted work lives and create a meaningful dream job. With new insights on making our way through disruption- large and small, personal or global-the book helps us navigate during these times of fear and anxiety about the unknown and through our post-COVID work lives and beyond.

Specifically, we discuss their Disruption Design with a focus on curiosity, reframing, radical collaboration, awareness, bias to action, and storytelling. We also learn how to make possibilities available even when our lives have been disrupted, examine the tools to enjoy the moment, and begin to prototype our future.

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To learn more about Dave Evans and his new book, visit https://designingyour.life.

The Elements of Being Podcast with Michael Moody featuring Dave Evans

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In this episode, we specifically discussed:

-How to redesign our professional lives with unknown disruptions in mind when we've already invested in a specific path.
-How to break the chain of working endlessly without satisfaction and "doing whatever it takes" modeled by our parents and society.
-How to approach the dilemma of serving life of purpose for less pay or settling for a higher wage at a less satisfying job.
-Design thinking and the benefit of applying this mode of thinking to our professional lives.
-The importance of curiosity in our professional lives.
-Prototyping new positions and experiences while serving a current position.
-How we can reframe our current position to change our work experience or career trajectory.
-A distinction between reframing and renaming our work experiences.
-The benefits of radical collaboration.
-The foundation of great storytelling.
-The best exit strategies.

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#34 - The Lens of a Positive Psychologist During a Crisis | Dr. Itai Ivtzan

#34 - The Lens of a Positive Psychologist During a Crisis | Dr. Itai Ivtzan

Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that steer the social stream of consciousness….Truly a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior. Each episode is a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Itai Ivtzan, a positive psychologist, a Professor at Naropa University, and the School of Positive Transformation Director. Over the past 20 years, he has run seminars, lectures, workshops, and retreats in the USA, UK, and worldwide at various educational institutions and private events. In addition, Dr. Itzvan is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and has published five books and more than 50 journal papers and book chapters. His main areas of research and teaching are positive psychology, mindfulness, and spirituality.

Accordingly, Dr. Itzvan has invested much time in studying mindfulness academically, writing books about it, teaching it, and training mindfulness teachers. As part of his work, he established the School of Positive Transformation, offering practical well-being courses for practitioners, teaching them how to transform themselves and their clients and students.

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To learn more about Dr. Itai Ivtzan, visit https://schoolofpositivetransformation.com.

The Elements of Being Podcast with Michael Moody featuring Dr. Itai Ivtzan

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In our interview, we examine the lens of a positive psychologist during a period of crisis. Dr. Ivtzan shared his personal struggles during the onset of the pandemic, and we discussed how to practice empathy when in conflict with family and friends and compassion for loved ones who hurt us. We also dive into the meaning we assign to such disruptions like the recent pandemic and destructive wildfires in Colorado, as well as the role of meditation and mindfulness in our well-being.

In this episode, we specifically discussed:

-The lens of a positive psychologist during a crisis.
-Making sense of crisis.
-Sitting with ourselves when our physical states are threatened.
-The dialogue regarding collective trauma in the positive psychology community.
-Feeling compassion for others when we've been hurt by even those who love us.
-Practicing empathy when experiencing fiery divisions between family, friends, and people we don't know.
-The role of mindfulness in building resiliency.
-The reasons why solitude is vital to our mindfulness.

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#33 - Systematically Building a Regenerative Future | Brenna Simmons-St. Onge`

#33 - Systematically Building a Regenerative Future | Brenna Simmons-St. Onge

Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that steer the social stream of consciousness….Truly a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior. Each episode is a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Brenna Simmons-St. Onge, the Executive Director of The Alliance Center. She is a pragmatic visionary with over 15 years of leadership experience, including a decade in corporate social responsibility. During the pandemic, Brenna launched the Regenerative Recovery Coalition-a coalition with over 335 members working together to build Colorado towards a regenerative future. Through large public-private partnerships, Brenna is leading the Coalition to create equitable social structures that will foster shared prosperity on a healthy planet. As a dynamic change agent, Brenna leads with a nonprofit heart and a business mind leveraging holistic approaches to implement and scale solutions to some of the largest issues humanity faces.

In our interview, we break down the concept of a regenerative future and the individual and social efforts required for systems-level change, as well as the gap between idealism and pragmatism. We also examine how to secure the attention of policymakers and corporations and how they should rethink and measure success and growth within a capitalist system.

The Elements of Being Podcast with Michael Moody featuring Brenna Simmons-St. Onge

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In this episode, we specifically discussed:

-How to personally balance living in our modern capitalist system while recognizing the significant challenges upon us.
-Transition from a corporate career to a values-driven professional path.
-The definition of the concept "regenerative future."
-How the Alliance Center has drawn the attention of governors and other politicians in Colorado.
-How Brenna and the Alliance Center choose the most appropriate focuses at a given time for driving systems-level change with regenerative business in mind.
-How we can bridge the gap between idealism and pragmatism.
-What's required in the "regenerative future" message to secure the attention of policymakers and corporations.
-How corporations and smaller businesses should rethink and measure success and growth within a capitalist system.

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To learn more about Brenna Simmons-St. Onge, visit https://www.thealliancecenter.org/.

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Listen to all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, Castbox, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast platform!

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#32 - Growing a New Future of Farming and Food Equity | Dr. Damien Thompson

#32 - Growing a New Future of Farming and Food Equity | Dr. Damien Thompson

Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that steer the social stream of consciousness….Truly a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior. Each episode is a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Damien Thompson, the co-founder of the organization, Frontline Farming, and director of the Center for Food Justice and Healthy Communities.

In addition to his training in anthropology, Dr. Thompson holds a certification in Permaculture Design and a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teaching Certification. His interests center on the building of community food systems, small-scale urban food production, developing community, and cultural practices related to food and medicine, teaching and learning in education and permaculture. Dr. Thompson has a keen interest in how communities can utilize traditional and modern information and practices to build food systems that uplift marginalized and oppressed peoples, restore ecosystems, build biodiversity, support cultural diversity as well as provide individuals and families with the highest level of access to the means to support their own health (and we talk quite a bit about these topics today). I should mention that Dr. Thompson is also a mayor-appointed member of the Sustainable Food Council for the City of Denver, and a co-chair for the city’s Good Food Purchasing policy group. No doubt, he plays a significant role in the necessary trend of regenerative agriculture and our future connection to food.

The Elements of Being Podcast with Michael Moody featuring Dr. Damien Thompson

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In our interview, we bridge his education in anthropology to his farming practice and social work as the co-founder of Frontline Farming. Specifically, we geek out on the fundamentals of farming and the benefits of permaculture and a regenerative agriculture focus. We further dissected the social challenges surrounding food security, justice, and sovereignty as well as the equitable changes needed in our food system.

In this episode, we specifically discuss:

-Frontline Farming's mission.
-Advantages and disadvantages of regenerative agriculture practices with a focus on no-tilling/conservation tilling, water conservation, terracing, and cover crops.
-Inequality in our present food systems and the need for changes in food security, food justice, and food sovereignty.
-The connection between big data, food systems, and racial equity.
-The importance and repercussions of the language we use in our discussion about food systems and the policy that supports them.

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To learn more about Dr. Thompson, visit https://www.frontlinefarming.org/.

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Listen to all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, Castbox, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast platform!

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#31 - Understanding our Emotional Regulation (and Self-Injury in Adolescence) | Research Scientist Dr. Whitlock

#31 - Understanding our Emotional Regulation (and Self-Injury in Adolescence) | Research Scientist Dr. Whitlock

Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that steer the social stream of consciousness….Truly a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior. Each episode is a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.

After reaching listenership in 101 countries last fall, I was pushed to examine my role in the world and the power of all of our voices as people climb out of nearly two years of pandemic uncertainty and amplified political states. It's fitting that this new season of The Elements of Being will continue to serve as an advocacy tool for mental health. What will be different is s higher level of dedication to environmental advocacy and the examination of climate change and environmental policy and its effects on our "being" globally.

This fight can no longer be ignored....and I argue that our social efforts to bring global warming to a drawdown will have a greater effect on all of our well-being more than any other action right now. By prioritizing our focus on climate change and instituting a multiprong slate of solutions, we will improve our physical health with cleaner water and air and minimize diseases and disorders while minimizing our dependence on healthcare. We will also retune our connection with nature and steer a new consciousness that elevates our emotional and mental well-being and bring new acceptance and appreciation for our diverse cultures and lands. Greater equity no matter race, gender, and income level is a heck of a byproduct of this agenda, as well. Our voices and efforts have never been more important. So, stay tuned for future episodes on these topics and more!

In today's episode, I examine emotional regulation and self-injury in adolescence with research scientist, Dr. Janis Whitlock. She has worked in the area of adolescent and young adult mental health, resilience, and wellbeing for over 30 years. She is dedicated to bridging science, practice, and lived experience wisdom in ways that inform, enhance and support the human capacity to thrive. She has experience as a frontline provider and program developer and, for the past two decades, as a researcher, educator, author, and public speaker in these and related areas.

The Elements of Being Podcast with Michael Moody featuring Dr. Janis Whitlock

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As the founder and director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery and the co-founder of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury, she has deep expertise in areas of self-injury and related mental health challenges, including suicide, depression, and anxiety. She has also studied and written about connectedness, resilience, the role of social media in mental health and prevention, and sexual health. She earned a doctorate in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University, a Masters of Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill, and a BA from the University of California at Berkeley.

In this episode, we discuss:

-The call to understand our emotional selves.
-Common emotional regulation strategies.
-Learning the value of awareness and detachment when appropriate.
-The concept of emotional dysregulation and how it contributes to the cycles in our lives.
-Rethinking the role of controlling our thoughts and emotions.
-How emotional regulation strategies can vary among populations.
-Connection between emotional regulation and adolescent and young adult mental health challenges.
-Emotion as an allowable part of your life.
-Reasons for the classification of non-suicidal self-injury and suicide cases.
-Assumptions and reasons for self-injury among adolescents
-Patterns of adolescent self-injury and the likelihood of the same patterns in adulthood.
-The role of social media and other technological affordances in mental health and development.

To learn more about Dr. Whitlock, visit https://www.human.cornell.edu/people/jlw43 and check out her book “Healing Self-Injury: A Compassionate Guide for Parents and Other Loved Ones.”

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