The Mac Frazier Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mac Frazier
Mac Frazier is a writer, pastor, and YouTuber who talks about life, and the big ideas in philosophy, religion, spirituality, psychology and culture that can make it more worth living. This podcast is the audio from the YouTube channel, "The Big Idea, with Mac Frazier".
Four and a half years ago, I was thinking about someone I loved very deeply, who was suffering terrible pain that I felt I couldn't do anything to ease. And I was thinking about my own pain, past and present. I was thinking of losses I had experienced, and some of my darkest moments of doubt and despair. And I was thinking about many others I knew or had known, who struggled. And some who lost the struggle. Not knowing what else to do with my thoughts and my feelings, I wrote a letter to everyone in the world.
I keep meeting new people who need this message. I keep discovering I need to hear it again myself. So here it is, in the hopes that it reaches one more person who needs it.
I'm doing fine, by the way. But life is pretty rough sometimes, isn't it?
This one is short. Just a page or so of interchapter material from the novel. It's more an excuse for me to play with some editing techniques I'm learning, most (but not all!) of which will probably be lost on a listener who has no access to the original raw files.
And I'm ready to go forward.
Thoughts on hope, despair, laughter, living in the present, and planting gardens. (Also a tiny bit about Jeremiah 29:5-7.)
For those who actually DO read these notes, here is the cat reference as first seen on the wall in Act One:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxlPGPupdd8
This week's episode I take a break from fiction in order to bounce some ideas off of y'all. I've been wondering about the post-pandemic world we are currently building, and I've got some hopes and some concerns.
For a shortened, text-only version of today's musings, check out my blog: http://macfrazier.com/2021/02/the-centre-cannot-hold-but-perhaps-thats-good/
To watch Justin McElroy's TEDx talk, "Bridging the gap between the job you want and where you are", go to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErdVm8p6GA8
And to read Derek Thompson's article, "Superstar Cities Are in Trouble", go to The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/remote-work-revolution/617842/
Having met two viewpoint characters and only killing off one of them, we now introduce a third character. A Noodle to our Bloom.
After last week's sudden and bloody murder of a viewpoint character, this week's chapter of the as-yet-untitled novel introduces our protagonist, James.
Objective vs. Personal Truth: are some people right and some people just wrong? Or are all viewpoints always valid? Why does this question matter? Is there anything wrong with judging people based on the correctness of their "truth"?
Original video at https://youtu.be/95aBzKjnY3U.
As a rare (so far) and weird (unless you were somehow expecting this) "treat", this week's episode of the podcast features the opening chapter of a novel I've been slowly writing for a REALLY long time. If you aren't interested in listening to fiction on this podcast, then go ahead and skip this ep. In a week or two I'll have something more "normal" for content, I'm sure.
Odds are, many unnecessary conflicts are happening in your life because of two things: your tendency to get stuck on being "right" at the expense of being "good", and the difficulty everyone has in understanding the perspective of others. In this video, I share some insights and some practices that will help you overcome these sources of conflict and improve your relationships with others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flhouDZYgg4
In this ep, Pearse and I discuss the history of esoteric writing as presented by Arthur Melzer in Philosophy Between the Lines. We discussed the Bible, Swedenborg, Gnosticism, philosophy, and why hidden meanings in texts are sometimes appealing, sometimes annoying. We also spoke on the utility of deriving social value systems from The Simpsons, The Office, and Star Wars.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcHNlMqbwuk
Well, we're living in a pandemic, and that means social distancing, self isolation and, for some, quarantine. How are you dealing with feelings of worry, anxiety, and concern? Here are five tips on things you can do to manage your spiritual health as we all get through this together.
Original video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INKbgjS-fEI
Once again, my brother and I talked about whatever was on our mind. In this case, coronavirus, covid, pandemics, and social distancing were definitely on our minds. We discussed ways to maintain and strengthen social connections while following social distancing recommendations, using technology for fun and for church, and the general importance of human beings being in community with one another.
Original video here.
In this episode of the Mac and Pearse Thing ("The Mapt"?), brothers Pearse and Mac Frazier spoke about board games, the Assyrian siege of King Hezekiah's Jerusalem, old Lassie episodes, interactive preaching, and the evil that is Daylight Savings Time.
To get in on the next live show, follow the official Mac Frazier page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MacFrazier.
Sometimes you get into a conflict with someone and want to forgive them and move on, but it’s hard. How do you do it? In this video, I’ll give you a three step checklist to help you be a more forgiving person, even when forgiveness is difficult. This is the audio from the YouTube video, "How to Forgive When It's Difficult", at The Big Idea, with Mac Frazier.
On this week's Mac and Pearse Show, I spoke with my brother about being an emergency backup goalie for my wife's hockey team, how Flyers goalie Carter Hart uses mindfulness to be a better goalie, how meditation helps my life, why worshiping and praying with others is valuable, and other stuff.
The original video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuIQntUlxfY
Forgiveness is important if you want to live a happy life. Inevitably you will have times in your life in which either seeking someone's forgiveness or offering forgiveness to someone who has wronged you will be a key to healing and peace. I have been studying and speaking on the subject for a number of years, and this is the first of several videos I am offering on the topic.
In the first episode of our (sorta) weekly live show, my brother Pearse Frazier and I talk about all sorts of things, including the subject of forgiveness. This originally appeared as a live video stream on Facebook, and is also available on my YouTube Channel, The Big Idea, with Mac Frazier.