The Antony Gordon Show | Lessons for life I did not learn at Harvard

I’m excited to share with you today my interview with my friend and kindred spirit, Rabbi Shmuel Reichman, who is an author, educator, and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. His new bestselling book, The Journey to Your Ultimate Self, serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course based on the principles of Torah, high-performance psychology, and leadership. “What social media does is it creates an identity that is a mirror of something outside of yourself. So you become something other than you are because your sense of identity is harnessed from something outside of yourself.”

When Shmuel started gaining more clarity of his journey 2:32
What’s unique about what Shmuel is saying 10:43
What transformative experience Shmuel hopes his students gain 19:00
How technology and social media has influenced his business 26:29
Success is often defined in financial terms 39:42
The greatest gift you can give to your children 51:56

“So many people, their worst nightmare is being alone in a room by themselves because they can’t stand themselves. It’s the emptiness within themselves because they’re not fully alive. When you are fully alive, you love it. Great people love being by themselves. They love people too, but they love being by themselves. Why? Because they’re full. There is just so much content, and thought, and vibrancy within them because they’ve invested.” 20:21

www.shmuelreichman.com

Today I have a very special guest on the podcast, Rabbi Reuven Epstein, who is known and respected as an authority on building great marriages. Backed by rabbis worldwide, he and his wife, Gitty, have helped hundreds of individuals and couples create mutual understanding, healthy communication, deep connection, and growing intimacy in their marriage. Many couples are in a state of coexistence where they are both living together, but are in their own worlds and are often out of sync with the individual needs of one another. Marriage is where you’re not only doing the day to day things to keep things function, but you’re tuning into the other person, their needs, wants, and desires, and you’re giving it to them without expecting anything in return, but it’s a direct giving, meaning you’re there by their side and spending your own time with them and for them.

The main themes and problems Reuven sees today 5:46
The 5 Love Languages and achieving a good marriage 14:56
Where to start 17:21
Using I language 27:00
The difference of men and women with role play 29:16
What most people do in a relationship 36:09
How he wants to be remembered 45:07
Learn more about Reuven 51:51

“It’s them vs you, or you vs them and as long as it’s 2 units, the marriage has not yet fulfilled its potential. So just with that basic understanding, most couples start to realize, ‘Oh wow, I never really understood what marriage is.’ Marriage is a lifelong journey of two people slowly meshing and becoming a totally new unit. So when you recognize that, now you at least have your goal, and then you need the steps to make it happen.” 10:05

https://marriagepro.co/

My guest, Sean Callagy, is not only a phenomenal warrior entrepreneur, who speaks on stage with Tony Robbins and got his own massive law firm, but he’s also legally blind as well. This is a guy with tremendous perspective energy. Sean Callagy grew up with the idea that ordinary people could do remarkable things. He hoped to be a professional athlete, but his eye condition degenerated to the point that when he graduated college, it hampered him from getting drafted to play professionally. Today, Sean is an entrepreneur, national speaker, philanthropist, one of America’s top trial attorneys, online personality, and the creator of various peak performance technologies. He’s a legally blind warrior and adventurer. He joins me to talk about his passion and share his journey to creating the UNBLINDED Mastery Program, a multi-month professional development process that transforms clients’ lives and businesses in ways beyond their imagination.
Sean Callagy is the Founder and President of the 100 Plus Team of Callagy Law, which is now in 4 states. He is one of only 2 attorneys in America to have Two Top 100 National Jury Verdicts between 2014-2016. Sean is the leader of a medical revenue recovery team that has recovered over 50 million dollars in 2017 and more than 300 million dollars for healthcare providers in unpaid and underpaid claims from insurance carriers.

Some context into Sean’s life and business journey 5:21
The content that will help you navigate through the landmines of life 18:10
A role play of influencing President Putin 24:45
Doing a role play with Sean and Antony modeling a conversation with Putin 40:44
If Putin were dismissive and didn’t care about nuclear war 54:45
Role playing as MrBeast 73:48

“What I did is shift the vibrational energy from drinking, women, drugs–not perfectly, but created an accessible road with a path so they didn’t think that drinking, women, and drugs was super fun. But climbing mountains, skiing, chasing dolphins in the ocean. There was a pattern break where they still felt adventurous, testosterone filled, and super cool, but it created their pathway from negative vibrational entertainment to higher vibrational entertainment, and they never knew it happened … never, EVER, do you say what not to do. You just create the power of choice.” 84:17

https://callagylaw.com/
Twitter: @SeanRCallagy

In this episode I had the privilege to speak with my friend and minimalist speaker, coach, author, mentor, and now a fellow TEDx talker, Chris Lovett. Coming from a background of accumulating stuff and living life with the purpose of acquiring more “things,” Chris found himself lacking in meaning and purpose. He began learning to let go, creating a new path and direction in life to actually do the things he wanted to do, and now Chris helps support individuals, families, and teams to be more successful with less, providing them with inspiration so they can unlock their potential by ditching the stuff. “That coziness is amazing, but nothing really grows there. To step away from the comfort is when you’re gonna get the most growth and the magic will happen.”

His journey and what it means to be minimalist 5:03
Providing tools for people 14:37
Why are most folks miserable? 18:57
Phrases to live by 28:21
Working less but doing more 36:51
What Chris wants people to say about him 47:33

“I kind of feel content in where I am now, but not comfortable, whereas before I was super comfortable, but not very content. I don’t really need to go out and buy another suit, I’ve got a couple and that’s fine. I don’t need any more. I think where people kind of get caught up is the bombardment of information, of advertisements, and comparisonitis, which I don’t think is a word, but I think it should be.” 22:04

Visit his website to learn more:
https://www.lessisprogress.com/
@ChristoLovett

I got to speak with Jillian Richardson, who is a loneliness expert, professional facilitator, and bestselling author. She’s also the founder of The Joy List, a weekly newsletter of community-centered events in NYC. Jillian helps people learn the skills to connect more deeply to themselves and others, and has inspired thousands through her workshops, interviews, and public speaking engagements. She’s presented at global conferences like Startup Grind and CMX Summit, as well as hosted workshops for names like Meetup and Original Thinkers. Throughout her career, Jillian has advised evangelical pastors, summer camp leaders, and tech founders about fostering community in an era of disconnection. Join us for some great insights into loneliness and how Jillian is helping many people overcome the isolation they experience in life.

Becoming a loneliness expert 2:03
Helping people connect more deeply 9:48
When people are self conscious 19:45
Eating disorders and people who could use advice 25:37
Some life lessons 34:05

“I also have the gift of every day, one, ironically on social media, but also by email and in coaching conversations with people hearing like, this is a real need. People need to be seen. People need to know that it’s possible to have a deeper connection with themselves and other people and that they’re not broken for feeling like they want something more.” 14:00

https://www.thatjillian.com/
@thatjillian

I had the privilege of speaking with special guest Darren Margolias, the Executive Director of Beast Philanthropy, the prominent YouTube channel known for its charitable donations and generosity. Darren tells of his path from big business and money to trying to find more meaning in life and purpose in what he was doing, finally landing himself in a position at Beast Philanthropy and dedicating himself to helping others and doing what he can to better the lives of those who don’t have much. “Is not the fear of thirst, when your well is full, a thirst that is unquenchable?” 9:50. Darren has been a part of some amazing experiences and has helped many people through the YouTube channel and has learned that even though it’s all blasted across the internet, there truly is a desire to help and improve the lives of those in need. This has changed Darren’s life and brought him immense joy that he never thought he would experience previously.

Darren’s history 4:18
The fallout and the next pieces of the puzzle 12:48
Joining MrBeast 17:29
Is giving and donating to charity a sacrifice? 20:48
Influencing the younger generation 26:48
Inspiring and changing others’ desires 36:03

“Another brilliant way that I’ve heard it said before is, a wealthy man is not a man who has a lot. He is a man that needs little, because the man who has a lot doesn’t necessarily ever have enough, but that man who has little will always have enough.” 10:17

Today I speak with Joel Wolh who is the co-founder of Bizfluence, an alternative business networking platform to Linkedin that has a greater focus on small businesses and the little guy. He noticed that small businesses do not have the same results as the large fortune 500 companies, and he will post something on Twitter, for example, that gets no traction, but then he’ll comment on someone else’s post and it’ll get 10,000 likes, but he gets almost no new following or traction from that comment. So he wanted to create a space where the little guy could thrive and succeed. Sometimes the greatest impact we can have is not when we’re going around and yelling it from the rooftops, but instead by positively affecting people’s lives quietly and sincerely.

Joel’s entrepreneurial journey 4:06
Bizfluence and why it’s gathering traction 12:07
Ensuring all roads lead to value 18:33
Legacy and being authentic 26:06
Merging both worlds of humility and success 35:18

“They’re out there telling you, like Gary Vaynerchuck, who is a genius, but he’s out there telling you, you gotta be posting 218 times a day, and it’s like, ‘I’m a plumber, dude. That’s what I do. I’m really good at plumbing. I’m not really good at posting content and I’m not interested in learning.’ So we’re providing that platform for the average Joe, and really we should just call it averagejoe.com.” 13:55

Instagram
@jw_amazonking
Twitter
@joelwolh
@BizfluenceApp

I had the pleasure of speaking with Naveen K. Jain, who is an Indian-American business executive, entrepreneur, and the founder and former CEO of InfoSpace. We had an amazing conversation about dreaming big and going after that dream no matter how crazy it may seem. So many people, especially young people, are afraid of failing, but failing is just part of the process and is just part of finding that one way that does work. Naveen tells me all about the amazing things he’s been doing in the business world and how he’s influencing the innovations in health and many other areas of people’s lives. “Your self worth doesn’t come from what you own. Your self worth comes from what you create and if you haven’t created anything of your own, you’re still a parasite on humanity. So just do me a favor and don’t be a parasite. Go out and do something amazing.” 5:14 

• Having self love 6:39
• Does Naveen learn more from his successes or failures? 8:48
• What limits people from achieving greatness 11:38
• Diagnosing disease/cancer with saliva. Curing disease 22:02
• What is a Moon Shot? 27:30
• Why people struggle to be happy about others’ success 34:04

“I think you and I have always talked about that. Our success is never going to be measured by how much money we have in the bank. It will always be measured by how many people’s lives you actually improve, and that is a sign of success.” 4:48

The Ambassador of Joy, Barry Shore, is a mental health activist, change maker, and life transformer whose profound message of joy is being embraced globally. He has experienced various setbacks in life such as a nasty car crash from which he had to take 2 years to recover, and then was completely paralyzed overnight from a rare disease that still affects him today, but he went on to build a system to enable people around the world to live in joy daily. “Choice, not chance, determines your destiny.” 9:27 We talk about the importance of expressing gratitude and approaching life, seeing the positive side of difficult situations and how it can change your life. You get to choose whether you see the good in life or if you want to be unhappy. Barry gives 3 tools to experience a shift in your life, which he calls breathe, appreciation, and dog poop.

Understanding that things can change 5:13
3 principles to be happier, healthier, and wealthier 10:16
What about those for whom things just won’t go right? 15:33
3 tips and tools to experience “shift” in your life 20:06
Focusing on others 29:43
Check out Barry 34:16

“I was asking, “OK God, I’m a regular guy. What do you want? I’m not superman. What am I supposed to do?” And Antony, at that moment I was 55 years on this planet. At that moment, I had the most calm, aware, mind that I’ve experienced in decades.” 13:59

https://www.barryshore.com/ 

David Caldwell AKA Dac, is an American football safety who is currently a free agent, He played college football at William & Mary. He grew up in a home with a mom and a dad who took care of him and taught him respect, and he always saw and respected his dad as his hero. We discuss the importance of parenting and establishing respect in the parent-child relationship rather than this friendly relationship that doesn’t always command respect. We discuss the importance of mindset and how much your expectations will set the stage for how happy you will be through your own goals and achievements. The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people will really determine where you end up, which is something you have to put effort into because those people won’t just show up out of nowhere.

Dac’s early journey and the importance of parents 2:56
The problem with parents today 8:03
Happiness 14:34
Don’t let football define you 21:26
Advice for kids wanting to follow a similar route 24:36
What Dac wants to be in 5-7 years 28:20
Surround yourself with people who have your best interests at heart 33:45
Learn the rules 40:56
NOGAS 45:36
Meeting the younger versions of his parents 53:09

“My parents never tried to be my friends. My parents were my parents and now they’re my best friends, now that I’m an adult. So I feel like too many times parents try to be friends to their kids when you just need to be a parent.” 7:0 

Solly Krok is arguably one of South Africa’s greatest and most colorful entrepreneurs. He founded Twins Pharmaceuticals and Gold Reef City Resorts amongst many other great businesses. His philanthropic actions helped transform the Jewish community and South Africa, but he didn’t start out with money. In fact, he started out quite poor and had to work hard with his brother to build the wealth and prosperity that he has now. He has seen it all, done it all, and today we discuss his life and listen to him share some valuable wisdom that many in our day could use.

A bit about Solly 3:49
The black population trying to be lighter 12:21
Trying to beat the competition 13:51
Learning from failure 22:39
Finalizing the auction 35:44
Losing focus 39:00
The apartheid museum 42:00
Living a long life and making a difference 45:06
How we can help 49:45

“There are so many people that have made a fortune of money from cell phones. They make add-ons, or other things. They don’t own the cell phone, but they’re piggybacking, so my lesson to people that are listening to me is piggyback on a successful product, find an angle, and create your own version.” 17:28 

The misuse of and addiction to opioids--including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and fentanyl -- is the worst public health disaster in American history. My guest, Harry Nelson, author of the much acclaimed book “The United States of Opioids: A Prescription For Liberating A Nation In Pain” explores the deeper root causes that provide fertile ground for the worst public health crisis in our nation’s history and suggests some solutions.

https://harrynelson.com/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NSCZRVX/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 https://twitter.com/nelsonh?lang=en

In this episode I talk with filmmaker, Disney animation artist, and voice actor, Saul Blinkoff, who tells us his story of how he discovered his dream of working in the entertainment industry and the many roadblocks he ran into on his journey to achieving his dream. He worked extremely hard to become a Disney animator, but when it came time for recruitment, he was not selected. Little did he know though, he was only 3 spots away out of three thousand portfolios to being picked. Saul attributes much of his success to a friend he made named Andy who had an amazing work ethic, which influenced Saul’s own work ethic. “Who we choose to be friends with actually affects who we become.” 15:23 “If nobody really wakes up great at anything, why would you not try for everything?” 34:01

Saul Intro 3:36
Work ethic and peer group 14:36
Profound lesson in perseverance 21:01
Michael Jordan story 23:54
Recipe for greatness 34:01
Two movies of hope Saul recommends 37:26
What greatness is 42:57

“This piece of paper was a list of 8 schools. 8 art schools that Disney recruits their artists from. She says, ‘If you want to be a Disney animator, you need to go to one of these schools.’ Well in my hand was the recipe and I saw it as an equation. Saul plus one of these schools will equal dream of becoming a Disney animator. That was the moment where I figured out ‘oh this is what I want, now this is the how,’ and that’s something I urge your listeners to keep in mind. Whatever your goal is in life, it’s so important to figure out the how.” 10:12
Life of Awesome
http://www.saulblinkoff.com/
Find his podcast on his website, or listen on Streaming platforms, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Life of Awesome
http://www.saulblinkoff.com/
Find his podcast on his website, or listen on Streaming platforms, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Today I speak to Jeffrey Flamm, the CEO of Infinite Mind, and we discuss the concept of success, which is much broader than just the financial side of things. We discuss the moment when Jeff saw a very large sum of money come into his life and how that affected it, especially in ways some might not think. A lot of people that come into big money forget about the things that matter and often will start focusing on temporal pursuits, causing a string of unhappiness in their lives. We talk about finding the greater meaning in life and how to achieve more happiness, whether you have money or not, and the benefits and lessons learned in Jeff’s mastermind group.

Jeff’s history 4:06
How money and liquidity affected Jeff’s life 8:25
Zenith mastermind group 15:12
Faith questions 28:51
Zenith Mastermind details 44:39

“When I share this with some folks, the reason why there was a tremendous response is that I think deep down, as you said, clearly folks realize that financial success is terrific, but it’s a little bit of a hollow victory if you have no one to share it with and if you squander your life, and there’s no meaning and purpose of it.” 19:43

https://infinitemind.io/
zenithmastermind.com

Today I meet with the founder of marijuanadoctors.com, a company focused and dedicated to legitimizing the process for the booking and selection of medical marijuana doctors by standardizing the criteria and selection process for doctors allowed to join their trusted network of quality physicians. We discuss the benefits and controversies of the uses of cannabis in today’s society and touch on why and how this medicine can be of use to many people struggling with various illnesses. One of the hurdles Jason’s company runs into are pharmaceutical companies, who have blocks in place to keep cannabis from coming to light or being prescribed in the medical world. We discuss how Jason is working with these issues, and then get into his goals and what he plans to do in the future.

Where it all started 2:11
Is Cannabis a gateway drug? 4:57
Correlation between pandemic and people turning to cannabis 13:49
Why Jason got involved in this business 16:57
What keeps Jason going 28:41
If Jason had to give a TED Talk 36:30
Personal questions for Jason 44:25

“Now the most interesting thing is the highest marijuana consumers in general are 18 to 21 and recreational weed doesn’t start until over the age of 21, so for that reason again we find that even a place like Colorado the largest consumers aren’t medical consumers with purple cards because they’re 18 to 21 years old.” 24:52

https://www.marijuanadoctors.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondraizin/

In today’s episode I have on the show Rabbi Frankfurter, the Editor in Chief of Ami Magazine, one of the leading publications, which is focused primarily on the orthodox Jewish community. We discuss a bit about the current state of our society and how its values have evolved, which in some ways has been a good thing, but in others not so good. We talk about how recent changes in society have influenced people to either grow closer to religion and religious morals while at the same time driving others further away. The importance of dialogue is seemingly uncomprehended today and when you shut down the other voice, the dialogue becomes monologue and you cease to learn because you’re only hearing what you’ve already heard.

Yitzchok’s background 2:42
Ami Magazine’s mission 11:38
Have these times caused more or less soul searching? 20:42
The importance of dialogue 24:10
The degradation of morality 27:00
His proudest achievements 39:54
What he wants people to be saying about him 45:57

“Debate runs in our blood, and to suppress debate, to suppress the other vote is not only something that I find against the United States Constitution, but against my own constitution. What I’m made of is to have debates and if you disagree with me, hey you know what? You may disagree with me, but don’t try to silence me. That’s one thing that drives me crazy is someone that tries to silence the other person.” 23:32

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabbi-yitzchok-frankfurter-8a283a8a/

Share-ables: 6:52-7:52; 19:56-20:41;

Today I meet with American professional volleyball player, sports announcer, fashion model and actress, Gabby Reece, and we talk about her career and the life lessons she has learned throughout her career. Gabby tells about her upbringing and the opportunities that came to her having the height and athleticism that she did, and then we go into how things have translated into parenting. “Success is when your external life reflects who you are internally” Arnold Schwarzenegger, 17:17. We discuss where younger people are at these days with their values and the different approaches we of an older generation might have compared to those of the modern generation. Gabby tells me about her diet and what she believes has helped her in success, and then we discuss having a dream, which goes together with developing a skill.

Gabby’s beginning 1:43
How height impacted her 7:24
Parenting 10:25
Definition of success 19:21
How she would help her children become professional athletes 29:08
How Gabby wants to give back 33:01
The family unit 36:12
Her food/diet 48:11
Having a dream 54:14

“I’m Gabby and one of the things I have done is I was a volleyball player. I’m not a volleyball player, right? And I think it’s important for all people to be like, ‘Oh I used to run that company and now I do this.’ And I tell athletes that all the time, I say, ‘Listen, you’re a loaded gun. What’s your next target?’” 33:24

In this episode I talk with host Joe Ryan of the “It’s Not You, It’s Your Trauma” podcast about life and the various things people have to deal with that they tend not to talk about. Joe tells about trauma he experienced in his own life and what his unmatured brain at the time did to deal with it, which subconsciously he has spent years trying to suppress, and then finally was able to bring back to memory and resolve that conflict.

Welcome to Joe 3:41
Trauma recall 5:50
Start facing your trauma 12:00
Victimhood 21:42
Why he does the podcast 35:52
How Joe’s kids view him 42:32
What his Ted Talk would be 49:40
What he wants people to say about him when he’s gone 54:07

“We’re all taught that if we obtain this, whatever this picture, social media is telling us what we should become, if we fall short of that we’re a failure, and it kept me running towards something for so long. My business was successful. I made a lot of money at one point. I wasn’t happy because it wasn’t enough.” 23:34

Listen to Joe’s show:
“It’s Not You, It’s Your Trauma”
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-not-you-its-your-trauma-trauma-ptsd-abuse-anxiety/id1493141613

Today I speak with president of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, podcast and talk show host, Jesse Lee Peterson. We discuss the large issue of today being that many people are claiming to be a victim of what has happened to them and have turned away from God, causing them to have a very selfish view of the world and those around them. Jesse grew up working on a plantation during the Jim Crow laws, but his parents and grandparents never taught him to see himself as a victim, but to work hard and believe in God. The main thing being pushed under the rug is the family, which is being attacked at every angle and is the major cause of problems in our society today. Overcoming fear and putting God first is the one way to fix what is happening right now.

Jesse’s mission statement 3:41
What has happened to Millennials 6:18
The pushback Jesse receives 9:51
Being alone in your beliefs 13:25
The big problem today 15:00
Jesse’s solution 18:21

“We have been speaking to different young people around the world really, pointing them back to the fathers, teaching them to forgive their mothers and fathers for not guiding them in the right way and turning them back to morality, because once you return to morality, you can be guided.” 6:44

https://rebuildingtheman.com/
https://jesseleepeterson.com/
https://thefallenstate.tv/

In this episode I interview love and life coach Terri Cole, whose mission and dharma is teaching women how to attract and sustain healthy, vibrant, Real Love into their lives and how to establish and maintain effective boundaries with ease and grace. We discuss relationships and how Terri has got to where she is in life, what she has learned, and life lessons we can all apply into our own lives. When she was young, she was skeptical about getting help with her alcohol problem until a woman from the 12 step program told her the reasons he was there, which was because she killed a 6 year old boy in a drunk driving accident. We discuss therapy and the benefits it provides for anyone struggling in life and that often people hold themselves back by denying the positive benefits it can produce.

Terri’s journey and how she got to where she is 3:15
The turning point/when she decided to change 12:26
About Boundary Boss and how it can also apply to men 23:54
Double standards about sex 30:03
Present moment consciousness and the negative effects of being observed online 37:22
Meditation 44:54
Pearls of wisdom from Terri 56:18

“We have such a fear of being rejected. I mean the highest value for women, some of them, ‘I just don’t wanna have a hard conversation. I just don’t wanna have conflict. I just don’t want someone to be mad.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, you’re not that fragile, and neither are the people in your life.’” 29:31

https://www.terricole.com/
terricole.com/boss
Her book: Boundary Boss

Today I meet with prolific attorney, Harry Rothenberg, who has reached multiple seven to eight million dollar verdicts and settlements for his firm’s clients, and we discuss being Jewish and religion. We discuss life and the various experiences and lessons we’ve garnered throughout, and Harry tells various stories of his own life and things he’s learned from his own family and the clients with whom he has worked. Harry tells a couple of stories that illustrate how vital it is to make sure you’re being kind and loving to those around you because you never know how your actions are going to affect people, or how much longer people you love will be around.

Reaching a tipping point in life 4:09
Trying to reach a balance between professional life and who Harry is 7:32
Remaining grounded 13:57
A rough story from his practice 22:37
Story #2 28:30
Seeing things that affect Harry 33:46
Life lessons from the Bible 41:44

“So you’re gonna hit traffic. You’re gonna hit speed bumps in your relationship, but it’s in your relationships and it’s so important to make sure that if that ever happens, even if it means you being the big person, you know, you’re 100% right, reach out. Reach out, apologize, reach across the divide because just stop and think. Imagine if I don’t get the chance. So that’s a constant reminder.” 25:43

https://injurylawyer.com/attorneys/harry-rothenberg-esq/

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with my great South African friend, Larry Linton, someone I’ve worked with and known throughout my career and also who has suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. The typical diagnosis age for PD is 65 years old, but Larry was diagnosed at 49 and explains what he experiences, and then how he has approached this disease with life. Coming to accept the disease instead of trying to hide it has helped him feel much more free and we discuss how his positivity and sense of humor has sustained him throughout this journey. Some advice Larry likes to give people is not to wait for a diagnosis before living your life. Everybody should live their life like they just received bad news.

A little bit about Larry’s journey 3:56
Handling Parkinson’s Disease with work and family 10:52
Approaching the disease in a positive light 15:15
What he would do if money wasn’t every an issue 21:30
Medication 29:51
Stats and information on PD 31:25
How his role as a father changed 34:27
How you should handle hardship 37:58
What Larry would like people to say about him at the end of his life 42:42
Learn more about Larry 45:27

“As soon as I was in a good position where my symptoms were under control, where I could function, and maintain my job, was at the time that I started talking about it. And when I started talking about it my thought process became a lot more positive. I was no longer living in denial. I could live with the condition and my career progressed.” 11:58

https://www.parkinson.org/get-involved/my-pd-story/Larry-Linton
Book: SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED: Living with Parkinson’s Disease
larry.linton5@gmail.com 

In this episode I meet with the host of the Adult Child Podcast, Andrea Ashley, who has taken a very courageous journey and will be telling us her story. She learned a family secret at a young age that her mom was an alcoholic, which had a large impact on her, and then affected her development as she grew up. She got into alcoholism and struggled with being an alcoholic from middle school until she was 19 years old when she was finally able to break free from the addiction. Honestly what I really feel like it boils down to is really not a disease of alcoholism, it’s really not the disease of addiction, but I truly believe that it’s the disease of family dysfunction, and that this stuff gets passed from generation to generation and it manifests in different ways.” 24:39

A context of Andrea’s journey and Adult Child 2:39
How her journey can provide life tools for you 8:59
Trying to get away with narcotics 17:42
The underlying issue 24:34
Avoiding blame 31:03
The main goal of her podcast 39:54
What her TED Talk would be 48:45

“So I think in a way that with those personality traits coming out, and that’s what I’m talking about with the toxic shame, I think a lot of it was, I’m going to lean into this role. I’m the girl that nobody likes, and also as a protective measure of like, ‘I’m gonna make you not like me so that you can’t then decide that you don’t like me. Just kind of leaning into that role.” 19:48

https://www.adultchildpodcast.com/episodes
@adultchildpod

Today I had the opportunity to speak with podcast host, life coach, writer, and musician, Simon Drew. Our culture is heavily influenced by the various voices which dominate social and mainstream media, and when someone like Jordan Peterson speaks or says something that questions or even goes against the mainstream “gospel” so to speak, people lose their minds and all hell breaks loose. “You should conceptualize the highest possible good that you can conceive of that would be good for you, your family, your community, your country, your world. And then you should aim at that highest possible good because what have you got to do that’s better than that?” 14:44. We talk about why someone might still choose to do good even after leaving religion or the idea of God/an afterlife.

Looking at Simon’s journey 5:07
The great thing about this culture 10:42
Something Jordan Peterson said that set Simon on a different course 14:44
Purpose 20:21
What keeps people good 34:46
Being at peace 39:23
Helping people to pay attention and ask the right questions 45:58
What Simon wants people to remember about him 51:31
Simon’s podcast 56:20

“I find it very comforting to constantly have that reassurance that I might also be on the wrong path and am likely on the wrong path, but that’s OK because the wrong path becomes the right path as long as we persist in seeking whatever is best.” 11:41

https://dailystoic.com/
https://www.simonjedrew.com/