Andrew Taggart: A Fellow Philosopher Bringing Wisdom to Every Day Life
In this episode of Art of Authenticity, I had a thoughtful conversation with Andrew Taggart, practical philosopher, which involves speaking with entrepreneurs, business executives, artists, and spiritual seekers about the nature of a good life.
On today’s show we are joined by Andrew Taggart. Andrew is a practical philosopher and entrepreneur who I happened to discover in an article in Quartz Magazine. Andrew teaches executives, leaders, artists and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, and around the world, to bring philosophy to business and to their lives. Andrew teaches individuals and organizations how to inquire into the things that matter most: like how to live life and how to find that deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose? In this episode, we learn more about the unique approach Andrew has cultivated into what he calls practical philosophy. With a Ph.D. in philosophy Andrew is able to bring all sorts of different philosophical schools of thought to the table but most of all, he’s just really interested in helping people live the greatest life that they can. What is a good life, how do you cultivate that, what does it mean to have a life with inquiry, what does that mean for each and every person? These are the questions of questions and if you’re interested to know how we can incorporate philosophy into our modern, every day lives, take a listen!
Thanks for Listening
Again, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already!
Show Notes
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From PhD to practical philosophy: Andrew’s academic odyssey. [2:34]
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Ideas versus Ego in institutionalized philosophy and how that has shaped the study. [6:14]
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Philosophy in the modern world: How does it apply to our lives today and how do we make
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sense of the changes? [7:45]
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What is philosophy, really? Hear Andrew’s definition and what he is truly committed to.
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[10:35]
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What Andrew does as a practical philosopher, carrying out his beliefs and studies. [13:23]
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The three elements that make up a philosophical conversation, and how to use them
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effectively. [15:42]
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The limits of a philosophical conversation, and why it is important to be aware of them.
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[16:17]
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The Zen Buddhist element as it applies to philosophy today. [18:37]
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The Socratic element. [19:45]
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Are philosophers today sophists? Andrew tells us about his Silicon Valley clients. [20:48]
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The answer to life: Is there just one answer or do we have to continue searching? [26:31]
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The concepts of incarnating ideas and manifesting happiness in your life. [32:33]
More About Andrew
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Andrew Taggart’s Website — https://andrewjtaggart.com/
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Andrew Taggart in Quartz Magazine — https://qz.com/956682/philosopher-andrew-taggart-is- helping-silicon-valley-executives-define-success
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Andrew on Twitter — https://twitter.com/andrewjtaggart
Episode Resources
Mark Lukach: My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward
In this episode of Art of Authenticity, I had a thoughtful conversation with Mark Lukach, author of My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward.Today on the show we have Mark Lukach. Mark is the author of international bestseller, My Lovely Wife in the Psyche Ward: a vulnerable personal story inspired by his wife Julia. Mark and Julia fell madly in love at 18, they got married and started living their dream in San Francisco. But some years later, Julia unexpectedly had a psychotic break, which landed her in a psyche ward for nearly a month and over the next few years, they both struggled with what was bipolar, depression, suicide and a lot of uncertainty and difficulty in their life and in their marriage.Mark managed his feelings by writing this book, My Lovely Wife in the Psyche Ward and above all, it is a conversation about loyalty, love, commitment and how to handle the challenges of mental illness, which many people struggle to talk about. In today’s episode, Mark shares his authentic story; delving deep into the gift of vulnerability, the resentments of caregiving, and ultimately the perseverance of love. Take a listen to this compelling conversation.
Thanks for Listening
Again, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already!
Show Notes
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The back story: What led Mark to write his book My Lovely Wife in the Psyche Ward. [3:30]
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Discover what allowed Mark to open up and share his pain. [6:13]
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Hear Marks thoughts on the gift of vulnerability. [9:19]
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Understand the difference between negativity and vulnerability. [10:33]
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Find out how Mark consistently brought himself out of fear and anxiety. [12:42]
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How Mark and his wife had to re-negotiate the terms of their relationship. [16:32]
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Mark opens up about the resentments of caregiving. [20:46]
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Discover how writing this book enabled Mark to find his own truth again. [22:52]
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In today’s world of instant gratification, how does Mark define love now? [25:57]
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Find out what an authentic life means to Mark. [29:16]
Mark's Book
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My Lovely Wife in the Psyche Ward at Barnes and Noble — https://www.barnesandnoble.com
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My Lovely Wife in the Psyche Ward on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com
More About Mark
Mark Lukach’s Website — http://www.marklukach.com/Mark on Twitter — https://twitter.com/marklukachMark on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/marklukach/Mark on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/writermarklukach
Episode Resources
Pema Chodron: On How to Drop Negative Thoughts
Pema Chödrön explains that one of the essential challenges in finding peace is dropping negative thoughts.
Can you drop a negative thought?
Can you drop a thought about something small that is currently bothering you? More importantly, can you notice when a negative thought is on your mind? Or do you wait until the thought has consumed your day, week, even a month before you drop it?
Bring your attention to something new
Drop your current negative thought by bringing your attention to something new!
Frequently asked questions
How do you drop a negative thought?
Notice it first, then bring your attention to something new.
Related episodes
JP Sears: How To Be Ultra-Spiritual
In this episode of The Art of Authenticity, Laura Coe talks with JP Sears, author of How to Be Ultra Spiritual: 12½ Steps to Spiritual Superiority.
Humor with depth
JP is an emotional healing coach, YouTuber, author and speaker who uses humor and satire to poke fun at “being spiritual” in the modern world. But don’t be too quick to judge: he is thoughtful, perceptive and has a sincere depth of understanding of these topics.
What the conversation covers
Fear, failure, embracing shame and, ultimately, living a more authentic spiritual life.
Show Notes
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From fitness to healing: Discover how JP got into coaching. [3:47]
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How JP’s desire to feel life again got him into the world of emotional healing. [7:06]
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Where does the body end and the mind begin? [08:07]
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Understand how to let go and embody the idea of surrender. [10:15]
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Why JP started making comedy videos and the benefits of taking a big risk. [14:34]
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Turning fear into action; How to use fear to your advantage instead of letting it debilitate you. [18:55]
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The importance of not letting failure define us. [22:23]
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Comedy isn’t the goal: The deeper meaning behind JP’s videos. [24:53]
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Why we shouldn’t be hiding our judgments. [27:00]
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Embracing shame. [29:27]
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How JP moved from making videos to writing a book. [34:44]
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Getting into the raw sewage of human life. [38:08]
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Find out what living an authentic life means to JP. [40:50]
More About JP Sears
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JP Sears on Twitter —https://twitter.com/AwakenWithJP
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JP on Youtube —https://www.youtube.com/user/AwakenWithJP
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JP on Facebook —https://www.facebook.com/awakenwithjp/
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How To Be Ultra-Spiritual Website —http://howtobeultraspiritual.com/
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How To Be Ultra-Spiritual Book on Amazon —https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Ultra-Spiritual-Superiority/dp/1622038215/
Frequently asked questions
What does JP Sears say about fear?
He talks about turning fear into action and using it to your advantage instead of letting it debilitate you.
Related episodes
Olivia Goldhill: Existentialism and Authenticity
In this episode of Art of Authenticity, I chatted with Olivia Goldhill, Harvard educated philosophy student and writer for Quartz.
Today on the podcast we have Olivia Goldhill joining us. Olivia is a weekend writer for Quartz, with a focus on philosophy and psychology. Quartz is a digitally native news outlet, for business people in the new global economy. Quartz’s founding team includes veterans of some of the world’s highest-quality news organizations who have reported in 115 countries and speak 19 languages. Quartz publishes bracingly creative and intelligent journalism with a broad worldview, creating a really well rounded new site. It’s not just your average story and from there, I discovered Olivia.Olivia is a Harvard educated philosophy student and is interested in several subjects but one of them is authenticity, which is exactly what this podcast is all about. Olivia previously worked at The Daily Telegraph in the UK, first as part of their graduate scheme — which sent her to Media Wales and Press Association — then as a business reporter, and finally as a features writer. She reached out to me to come onto the show and we did more of a deep dive into authenticity from a philosophy as essentialism and what it means. Hope you like today’s show.
Show Notes
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Capturing the essence of stoicism and meditation philosophies, and what they mean for our lives. [4:58]
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Learn how to find the balance between the philosophy and the practical value of meditation. [9:11]
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Understand why people today have become mistrustful of the word “authenticity”. [11:18]
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Find out how Maslow’s Hierarchy and self-actualization play a role in your authenticity. [12:48]
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Why the act of deciding who you are and what you do, makes you that person in the end.[18:01]
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Knowing how to align your acts with your authenticity, doing everything in good faith. [25:26]
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Learn how to grapple with competing realities and the anxieties that come along with them. [27:25]
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Understand how to articulate your emotions and the importance of grounding them in something value. [29:21]
More About Olivia
Olivia Goldhill — https://qz.com/author/ogoldhillqz/
Olivia on Twitter — https://twitter.com/oliviagoldhill
Quartz — https://qz.com/
Downloads:
Can A Single Act of Compassion Make a Difference? The Answer is Yes
Do you ever hear about this idea that each one of us matters in our everyday life, that each one of us is like a droplet in the ocean, a part of a wave and there's a universal energy? I think about these things and it sounds so nice and so abstract, but in the real world you wonder how is that possible. Can my actions actually impact others? Is there a ripple effect or do my actions make very little difference?
Jason Silva, host of Brain Games, explains how our brains respond to a single act of compassion when we are angry and desire revenge.
Jaimal Yogis: All Our Water Are Water
In this episode of Art of Authenticity, I chatted with Jaimal Yogis, award-winning author, teacher, and outdoorsman.
Today on the show we have Jaimal Yogis. Jaimal is an outdoorsman, award-winning writer, and frequent teacher. He is the author of
, a humorous coming-of-age memoir about running away to Hawaii at sixteen to surf, nearly becoming a Zen monk, and eventually winding up at Columbia Journalism School. The book was named a Best Summer Read by E! and turned into a
. Jaimal’s follow up to that book,
All Our Waves Are Water
, comes out this July from Harper Collins and it’s about the risks we’re willing to take in our journey to get there. Jaimal’s writing has also appeared in
The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Men
’
s Health, ESPN Magazine, The Surfers Journal, The Daily Beast
, and many others. His journalism has won a Maggie Award for Best Feature and he is also the author of
In today’s episode, he shares with us his story, how this new book is really a memoir, how it is based on his journey, a very compelling story with lots of life lessons that we go through in this just really deep, interesting and personal conversation.Check out Jaimal live on his book tour! http://www.jaimalyogis.com/events-2/
Show Notes
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Jaimal tells us what the title of his book, All our Waves are Water, means to him. [2:55]
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Hear why Jaimal wrote a memoir, Saltwater Budha, at this point in his life. [5:52]
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Find out whether the book was a journey to Jaimal finding himself. [10:27]
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Learn what theory Jaimal tested through All our Waves are Water.[13:48]
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Understand why Jaimal equates joy and struggle. [18:20]
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Discover why surfing is such an obsession. [20:29]
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Hear Jaimal’s story of his visit to Bali and how he had to change his approach. [22:34]
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Learn in what context Jaimal talks about celebrating. [26:50]
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Jaimal talks about never giving up but at the same time questioning your approach. [29:33]
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Understand what an authentic life means to Jaimal. [35:12]
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Discover how you need to unplug to be able to listen. [37:40]
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And much more!
More About Jaimal
Jaimal Yogis — http://www.jaimalyogis.com/
Jaimal on Twitter — https://twitter.com/jaimalyogisJaimal’s book, All our Waves Are Water —https://www.amazon.com/All-Our-Waves-Water-Enlightenment/dp/0062405179/Jaimal’s book, Saltwater Buddha —https://www.amazon.com/Saltwater-Buddha-Surfers-Quest-Find/dp/0861715357/Jaimal’s book, The Fear Project — https://www.amazon.com/Fear-Project-Emotion-Survival-Success/dp/1609611756The Lion’s Roar Magazine — https://www.lionsroar.com/
Louis CK Netflix — https://www.netflix.com/za/title/80161109
Downloads:
Replace the Highs and Lows of Life with More Joy
Today I wanted to chat with you about a conversation I was having with a client. He was telling me that he was feeling really good. Here's what happened:He's said, "I just feel really good." And I said, "Great! Why?" And I was excited to hear the news, and he said, "Well, I'm not suffering anymore. I don't know what to tell you." And I thought, Hmm? I'm not sure that that's what I was hoping to hear. I was hoping to hear about maybe a breakthrough or just that his week had gone well.He began to describe that by letting go of pain and pleasure, he was able to start to even out, lose the highs and lows of life and live a lot more in a space of contentment. With that change, he felt his suffering diminished. But he found himself feeling at odds with this sense of calm because it wasn't the norm.Re-establishing a baseline of contentment as the norm is work when you've live in a state of overwhelm or chasing pleasure, running from pain and seeking approvals.
Emily Ann Peterson on Bravery
In this episode of Art of Authenticity, I chatted with Emily Ann Peterson on Bravery.
On today’s show, we welcome singer/songwriter, teaching artist, creative entrepreneur, host of the podcast Bare Naked Bravery, and cellist, Emily Ann Peterson. At the age of 17, Emily was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological hand tremor, the very thing she needed to continue doing what she loved. When this happened, Emily decided to focus on what does it take to overcome these insurmountable obstacles in the face of something that keeps you from doing what you are really passionate about. She talks about the idea of bravery.
So tune in today to find out about this other side of the conversation that we rarely talk about. What happens if you follow your dream and something real happens that gets in the way, like a hand tremor when you are playing the cello, right? It does not get more real than that. So how do you overcome a topic like that? Emily turned this obstacle into an amazing transformation of character, and in-depth discussion about bravery. She shares with us about the three layers that she believes helps a person move from insurmountable difficulties to finding meaning in your life in a whole new way.
Show Notes
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Hear how Emily fosters a persons innovation, growth, and progress by not deleting them as a person but guiding their worth in the right direction. [4:01]
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Find out what how Emily’s diagnosis and journey brought her to be really curious about bravery. [07:25]
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Learn how it took Emily years of different iterations of that same realization that her success can look different from other people’s. [09:56]
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Understand how Emily values her success based on connection and resonance. [10:58]
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Hear as Emily explains bravery occurring on three different levels with three different ingredients involved, namely internal, external and resonant bravery. [14:23]
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How vulnerability, imagination, and improvisation are the three ingredients that set the line between bravery and false pride. [15:56]
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Learn how bravery is when vulnerability and imagination and improvisation which includes your power of choice, overlap. [18:37]
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Emily shares her story of what she went through and how everyone’s version of bravery requires a different ratio of those three ingredients. [20:07]
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Find out why vulnerability is a necessary ingredient and how it can make it different from being an asshole versus just doing something that is meaningful and has integrity to it. [20:47]
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Hear how Imagination as the second ingredient, is the thing that helps you see beyond the possibility of rejection. [22:26]
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Understand why Emily advocates to feel the fear and don’t just do it anyways, but feel the fear and use the fear. [25:08]
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How bravery is definitely a core part of what Emily is doing in the world. [26:30]
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Hear how Emily defines an authentic life as knowing how you define your success, being tuned into your unique definition of it, your values and your bravery. [28:30]
More About Emily
Emily Ann Peterson - http://emilyannpeterson.com/
Bare Naked Bravery - https://www.barenakedbravery.com/
Emily on Twitter - https://twitter.com/emilyapeterson
Downloads:
Feeling Behind? Wonderwoman May Have the Answer
Have you seen the movie Wonder Woman? In the movie, Wonder Woman has lived on an island without any clocks, watches, or even the use of time. When introduced to the concept, she finds it funny that we bind ourselves to it so tightly.
Most of us feel behind
Most of us feel behind. This was a great opportunity to visit the idea of time.
Your relationship with time
In this episode, Laura Coe looks at what our relationship with time looks like and how we can get a better handle on it.
Frequently asked questions
What does Wonder Woman have to do with time?
She grew up on an island without clocks or watches, and found it funny how tightly we bind ourselves to time.
What is this episode about?
Our relationship with time, why most of us feel behind, and how to get a better handle on it.