Dancing With Wisdom: Recent Episodes
Dr Sunil Raheja
S3 E11
What does it mean to grow old gracefully?
Welcome to a serious, but light-hearted conversation between two ‘old men’ who at the time of recording were only 69 and 56 years young!
Western culture celebrates and idolises youth. At the same time there is a nagging fear of the process of dying and losing control at the end of life. We anaesthetise and distract that fear with amusement. Indeed the word ‘amusement’ itself means ‘without thinking’.
https://youtu.be/ylArfKOvpok
In this 31 minute conversation Professor John Wyatt and myself joyfully explore what it means:
– to not look to the future with anxiety or even terror.
– the dangers of nostalgia and living in the past.
– from an ancient proverb how light overcomes darkness.
– how to not live in regret
– the importance of not just physical pain at the end of life, but also relational and psychological pain.
– why the fact you are alive means there is more for you to learn and more to give.
– finding confidence in how the good cannot be lost, the evil will be redeemed and the best is yet to come.
S3 E10
Is it possible to enjoy lasting friendship – friendship so good that it lasts forever?
In a cynical, complex and challenging world, we might wonder at the idea. Cultural forces of individualism, loneliness and suspicion question the ideal. And personal stories of betrayal and disappointment plague our ability to try or trust again.
https://youtu.be/Bsd4VvitXIc
And yet a model of friendship exists that runs counter to our doubts. It’s a friendship that’s crafted out of the heart of the gospel – meaning that it brings ‘good news’ for friendship.
So in this final episode of our 3-part series we ask …
‘What is it about the good news of Jesus that makes real friendship possible?’
‘What does it look like?’
‘How do we put it into practice?’
The answers unveil the ultimate model for friendship in God HImself. And He makes it possible for us to live lives that celebrate lasting friendships.
Joining us again to help us explore this ‘good news’ is John Wyatt – doctor, author, speaker and research scientist – who brings key insights from his book on friendship.
In the course of the conversation, John paints a picture of gospel-crafted friendships in practical terms. He reveals how modern variants such as ‘mentoring’ and ‘discipling’ pale in comparison. And he helps us see how friendship with God and others can last for eternity.
This is friendship with wisdom.
Do join the conversation.
S3 E09
There is a dark side to friendship that destroys relationships and damages people.
In this 2nd episode of our 3-part series on friendship, we look at how we can apply wisdom to guard against friendship’s dark side.
Joining us again to help unpack this critical issue is John Wyatt – doctor, author, speaker and research scientist – who brings key insights from his book on friendship.
https://youtu.be/XOSb8ENMMLs
John gives context to the ways our ideas of friendship are shaped. He lays out several warning signs of unhealthy friendships. And he provides 3 boundaries to safeguard healthy friendships.
This helps us to:
- Recognise the warning signs
- Read them in context
- Find the right way forward
As a result, we learn how to apply wisdom and strengthen our friendships as a force for good rather than evil.
Do join us for this important conversation.
S3 E08 Friendship allows us to be the best of ourselves. It confirms what we know to be true – that we were made for relationships. Yet many people lack friendship in their lives.
The path to a fulfilling life isn’t always what it seems. Our culture tells us that:
You can be successful and relax You’re important You can do what you want You can have control The world’s your oyster
But how well do these messages measure up to reality? Are we dancing with wisdom or with danger when we adopt them for ourselves?
https://youtu.be/2lt9291dThg
In this podcast we look at 5 key truths that challenge the cultural messages we can so easily absorb – the types of messages that often lead to bad or unintended outcomes.
These truths may be ‘uncomfortable’ but they hold the seeds of wisdom for our lives. They state that:
Life is hard You are not important Your life is not about you You are not in control You are going to die
When we learn to face these truths, we are on the path towards greater joy, encouragement and fulfilment. Indeed, it turns out there’s power in embracing what’s uncomfortable.
Do join the conversation and discover how to live a more fruitful life with these seeds of wisdom.
S3 E6 How do you define success? This is our third and final conversation with Mark Greene, author of “Thank God It’s Monday: Flourishing in Your Workplace”. God is interested in all of our life including the work we are doing. Our work can be an opportunity to bless and serve others in the midst of our more mundane responsibilities.
S3 E5
We continue our conversation with Mark Greene, author of the book “Thank God It’s Monday: Flourishing in Your Workplace”. Mark is passionate about whole life integration so that our faith and work are not separate from each other, but a continuation of who I am.. This is the second of a three-part interview with him.
S3 E4
How can the work I do better reflect the person I am and aspire to be?
To help us answer that question we have the privilege of interviewing Mark Greene. Mark is currently Mission Champion at the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity. He is also author of the book "Thank God It's Monday: Flourishing in Your Workplace".
https://youtu.be/3fPgJlLfplI
Here is some more background on Mark from his bio that we unpack:
"Mark grew up Jewish and joyous in North-West London. In his last month at university God wooed him not his kingdom and he went on to work for ten years in advertising in London and in New York. Gripped by a desire to dig into God's word, he took a career break to study at the London School of Theology. The career break turned into a career change and he ended up on the staff, teaching Communications and Engaging with Contemporary Culture, and serving as Vice Principal. He joined the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity in 1999, eager to focus on the call to see all God's people empowered to live their whole lives - Monday to Saturday as well as Sunday - in dynamic and fruitful relationship with Christ. His other books include Probably the Best Idea in the World, Fruitfulness on the Front Line, Adventure and the million-copy selling The Servant Queen and the King She Serves which explores the faith of Queen Elizabeth II. Mark's married to Katriina, a Finn, and they have three splendidly different adult children. He enjoys films and fiction (a lot) and does a passable imitation of Mr Bean and a terrible one of Sean Connery. His wife wishes it were the other way round. His children wish he wouldn't do either."
Do join us in this fascinating conversation on Mark's life as we unpack what it means to live life as an integrated whole encompassing body, mind and spirit.
The quote from L P Jacks we mention is:
"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labour and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both."
S3 E3
The way we look at the world and ourselves profoundly impacts the way we live our lives.
In a world of so much cynicism, complexity and confusion, wisdom can help us move forward with less emotional baggage and more hope, awe and wonder with the daily decisions we have to make. How can we unpack what we mean by wonder?
In this podcast conversation we explore the following quotation from Proverbs 30:18-19. This carefully crafted saying has been described as a testimony to wonder and an exercise in wondering:
"Three things are too wonderful for me; four things I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a woman."
https://youtu.be/1fqFa-VJscw
Can you grasp something of this wonder by the four examples poetically described in nature around us? Here is how one Bible commentator, William Brown describes it:
"How are they possible, these baffling means of movement? What do they share in common: soaring eagles, slithering snakes, floating ships and love-making couples? Each example by itself arrests the attention but together they conjure a world of wonder. The proverb's appeal derives from its power to elicit bewildered curiosity. To presume that a tidy solution lies behind these four disparate images would run counter to the sage's own confession of befuddled awe. These 'four things,' the sage testifies will always retain an element of mystery regardless of how much is known about them, no matter how well each 'way' can be explained. Such is the sage's testimony: there is nothing quite like ships, snakes and sex (not to mentions soaring raptors) to provoke a sense of wonder."
On one level so ordinary, but if we pause to consider each they are profoundly mysterious and deeply curious, stirring inner longings in a way that can be hard to express.
Exploring wisdom is also like observing different facets of a diamond.
In our conversation we also unpack the three Biblical books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job that each give a different perspective on wisdom. The bright young teacher of Proverbs wants to show us that there is wise order to the way the world runs. The middle aged cynic of Ecclesiastes tries to explore wisdom 'under the sun' without an eternal perspective and becomes increasingly confused by what seem to be the simple answers of Proverbs. Job, the seasoned old man who has gone through the good, bad and ugly of life reminds us how wisdom is often hidden. To be wise we need to grasp all three perspectives from this endlessly fascinating diamond.
Do join us in our conversation to learn how wonder can help you overcome a cynical world.
We are arguably the most overstimulated and under-reflective generation in all of world history. Do join us in this 30 minute conversation as we explore timeless truths about what it means to live with awe and wonder in a cynical world.
S3 E01
We have an exciting and fascinating series of conversations in store for you in this new series of the Dancing With Wisdom Podcast!
In this first episode of series 3 we discuss: - How wisdom is much more than dealing with the complex problems of life - The promise of wisdom being the key to the whole universe - Unpack the proverb "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." - Fear as awe, reverence and wonder. - Wonder as bewildered curiosity.
These are more than mere words. I believe they hold the key to combatting the deep cynicism and mistrust of our age.
You can listen to or watch this 28 minute conversation below:
https://youtu.be/NRGPFildnxI
Do let me know what in our conversation particularly resonated with you.
S2 E15 Silence, solitude, and a deep relationship with God though His word are often in competition with an inner restlessness, worry and anxiety. How do we tap into the wisdom of silence? In this podcast, Sunil and Elliot discuss the power of solitude, and what we can find when we can comfortably sit in silence.
S2 E14 The legacy I leave in the lives of others. Do join us in this conversation as we seek to live with confidence, joy, and the responsibility of knowing our life has consequences.
S2 E12 Who matters to me? In case you're wondering the picture is of me around early 1968 with the friends from the street where we lived at the time in Allahabad, India. I am the one on the lower step at the front. We have no idea of what lies in store for each of us in the future! Life only makes sense in the context of relationships. That is the conclusion I have come to after many years of questioning and searching. When relationships are going well there can be no greater sense of joy and fulfilment. On the other hand, when relationships are going badly there can be no more painful frustration or headache. That's certainly been my experience.
S2 E11: The problems of basing my identity on my performance. We are, after all human beings and not human doings!
S2 E10 Exploring the subject of wisdom is like looking at different facets of a diamond and even more so when we add an infinite reference point. As my co-host Elliott Frisby and I continue our conversation on what it means to define wisdom with respect to the Divine, we face the insight that our secular world conditions us to believe this life is all there is and that is all that matters. S2 E10 Exploring the subject of wisdom is like looking at different facets of a diamond and even more so when we add an infinite reference point.
S2 E09 Getting to the heart of wisdom brings us to the most fundamental questions of life
S2 E08: How the path to wisdom begins with being honest about where you are emotionally and psychologically.
S2 E06. An idol is something we look to give us ultimate meaning, significance and power. In our world the main 3 idols are money, sex and power, but there are countless more.
04 Dancing With Wisdom: A path to learn and grow past the sorrow, sadness, suffering and sickness we see around us.
03 Dancing With Wisdom: How do we create the space in our lives to remain focussed on what is truly important and not be distracted by the latest and loudest?
02 Dancing With Wisdom Podcast: Understanding wisdom is not a one-off event, but the quest of a lifetime.
01 Dancing With Wisdom: We explore the question of Why Wisdom? Do come and join my new podcast host, Elliott Frisby and I as we explore this question in detail.
What makes this interview particularly fascinating is that it was recorded in January 2020 before the start of the global pandemic that has turned all of our lives upside down. In that time churches have had to go from being based in buildings to being forced to present their services online as there has been no other option. When we recorded this interview we had little idea how much our world was going to change in such a short span of time. While this has created significant challenges it has also led to unprecedented opportunities to present the unchanging message of the Gospel to the world.
Peter and I discuss how technology is becoming more and more an integral part of our lives. Indeed we are just seeing the beginning of a huge revolution in digital technology, which the pandemic has only accelerated at a faster pace than we had imagined. That uneven distribution around the world is becoming rapidly less uneven. We are entering the age of "The Internet of Things" where there is a greater blurring between the physical and virtual worlds. We are going to see a lot of the things previously done by humans replaced by artificial intelligence. Moore's Law that says the power of the microchip doubles and its size halves every 18 months is creating at an ever increasing rate unprecedented changes in the ways that we live. COVID has only further accelerated those changes.
Before the COVID pandemic Premier Christian Radio, of which Peter is CEO since 1995 had grown to over 1.2 million listeners and 8 million website visitors. Since the pandemic that has grown even further and faster.
How does this changing world impact the unchanging truths of the Biblical Gospel message? Do join us in this conversation as Peter and I discuss:
How technology can be a tool to ensure that faith stays at the heart of a disciple's life to bring Christ to others. How churches are going to need to grow in confidence in the use of technology to bring timeless truths to the world. How Premier has used its reach to galvanise Christian disciples to engage with pressing issues of our time. How mobile devices are the tools by which the unchanging truths of the Christian Gospel can spread far and wide With people generally reading less and auditory communication through technology more prevalent the opportunity that is growing to bring more personalised content tailored to the needs of individuals through their mobile phones. Premier's Leap of Faith to expand the vision of a clear, confident voice for the Christian faith in the UK and around the world.
You can connect directly with Peter at peter.kerridge@premier.org.uk
For a 4 minute video on how Premier has pivoted its influence and outreach during 2020 with the pandemic see this 4 minute video here
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #064: Peter Kerridge and the story behind Premier Christian Radio
Podcast #065: Leadership lessons from Peter Kerridge
Podcast #036: Virtually Human
Podcast #037: Making Sense of Technology
Podcast #038 How technology impacts time and sex
Podcast #048: Finding meaning and direction
As we continue our conversation with Peter Kerridge, chief executive of Premier Christian Communications, we ask him a variety of questions around his life and leadership. Peter is well qualified to answer such questions as he has guided the development over the last 25 years of Premier Christian Radio from its humble beginnings to become the largest Christian Radio station in the world.
In particular we explore:
How God has guided Peter as a continual worrier about where he is supposed to be and what he is supposed to do. The greatest lessons he has has learnt in his life. His greatest successes and why. How failure has shaped his life. What he sees as his greatest strengths. His mentors and role models. What these days makes his heart beat faster. What he enjoys reading. Specific life shaping experiences. How his understanding of God has grown. What he would want to do if he had unlimited time and money with no responsibilities.
The link to Premier Christian Radio is here
You may also find of interest Podcast #015: Why your leadership matters.
Our previous interview with Peter is at Podcast #064: Peter Kerridge and the story behind Premier Christian Radio
How does God guide an insurance salesman, self-confessed worrier and part time radio commentator to start what would become one of the largest Christian radio stations in the world?
Do join us on the first of three conversations with Peter Kerridge, CEO of what has become Premier Christian Communications, Europe's largest Christian multimedia group. It works with a wide range of Christian churches and organisations across the UK through radio, Internet, video and magazine platforms. Its mission is to help the UK by enabling people to put their faith at the heart of daily life and to bring Christ to their communities.
It is an impressive vision, but what is even more impressive is how over 25 years that vision has been implemented and brought to life.
Peter's leadership has been a pivotal factor in getting the vision off the ground to become reality and then to grow and develop in a sustainable way over more than two decades.
As the UK's largest Christian media organisation its reach is significant. In 2019 (before the impact of COVID which will have dramatically increased even these figures), there have been: - over 8 million website visits per year - 6.6 million YouTube video views in 2018 - over 1.5 million tune into Premier Christian radio programmes every week - over 1.2 million calls are received each year into Premier Lifeline, the National Christian Helpline - 560,000 copies of Christianity magazine, Voice of Hope and Premier Hope and Premier Youth and Children's Work were published in 2019.
2020 has been a challenging year for us all, but it is also remarkable as the 25th year anniversary of Premier Christian Radio.
Peter is married to Karen, has two sons and enjoys reading, following Newcastle United football club and sleeping!
On this podcast we delve into Peter's life including:
Coming to faith as a 7 year old boy Learning about being a football commentator Working as an insurance salesmen and night club DJ Resisting the call to full time Christian work, but also experiencing the clear guidance of God Going to Oxford University to study theology and training for the baptist ministry Becoming associate minister at Avenue Baptist Church in Southend-on-Sea while at the same time doing freelance presenting at Essex Radio Station Peter's ongoing fascination with radio programmes as a way of bringing spiritual truth and encouragement to others.
We also explore Peter's growing vision for a Christian radio station at a time in the mid 1980s when the mainstream media was beginning to sideline and ignore religious programming. This was at a time when there were only four main TV stations and as many as 16 million people watched religious programmes. Peter discusses:
Campaigning during 1989 for the law to change to allow a Christian radio station The lonely journey this was with very few within the church having a vision for the potential How when a proposed change in the law was debated it was opposed by every bishop in the House of Lords The 1990 Broadcasting Act allowing specialist radio and TV licenses for niche areas, including pornography The launch of Christian radio in 1995 with no money, no church leadership support, no clear management structure and no identifiable presenters A very different form of technology to contend with at the time and Premier being given the worst frequency and lowest reach of any radio station To keep tuned to the radio station at the time you would need to keep changing the medium wave channel as you drove around the M25 that circles London! Keeping the business sustainable over 25 years with every year presenting financial challenges. Peter's vision of using radio to meet the spiritual needs of the vast majority of the UK population who would be unlikely to ever enter a church, as well as the 90% of those who went to church but also confessed to not having an inner devotional life.
On this podcast we continue our conversation with Amanda Clegg about her book co-written with Victoria Byrne, “Hope and Spice: Authentic recipes and stories of transformation from the slums of Delhi.”
Its one thing to have a good idea, but its another to see that idea through to completion. That is even more so for a cook book that combines not only authentic recipes, but inspiring stories of the slum dwellers themselves.
Do join us in this conversation with Amanda as we explore:
Why she could have the audacity to write an Indian cook book! The logistical challenges of visiting 100 homes in 12 slum communities over 17 days to sample recipes, listen with the help of an interpreter and collate the stories of some remarkable men and women. The power of food to bring down barriers of race and caste. The story of Rajwati who in 2010 overnight lost her slum dwelling to make way for building for the Commonwealth Games. How lobbying by the charity Asha eventually led after 3 months to Rajwati and the rest of her community being found new homes. The story of Gyanwati who twenty years ago lost her son from dehydration at the age of two years old. Since then she has trained as a community health visitor and is determined that no other family will lose a child through dehydration. Secrets and surprises of Indian cooking that Amanda has learnt.
If you have not listened to my previous conversation with Amanda that can be accessed here at Podcast #62: Much more than your average cookbook! Hope & Spice has been named a double Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2020 winner, winning Best Indian Charity Cookbook, and gaining a second award for People Cuisine (India)!
The Hope and Spice website is here
The Asha charity that works in Delhi's website is here
You can order the book from the link below:
The podcast is below or can be accessed at Making Sense of Life on iTunes
After you have listened to the podcast do let me know by telling me what you found helpful or inspiring or any feedback you have.
Cook books are hugely popular the world over. Amanda Clegg and Victoria Byrne have together written a cook book that is unique in so many ways to the vast number that are out there.
On this podcast I have the privilege of interviewing Amanda about her book "Hope and Spice: Authentic recipes and stories of transformation from the slums of Delhi." Here is a short video recorded with Amanda and Victoria at the launch of the book back in November 2018:
Do come and join us on the podcast for this fascinating conversation with Amanda as we explore:
How Amanda's passion for India, food and encouraging those in slum communities in Delhi came together with an idea of an Indian cookbook. The work of the charity Asha started by Dr Kiran Martin in a slum in Delhi in 1988 has dramatically grown and multiplied to bring holistic health and wellbeing to greatly disadvantaged individuals and famillies. The story of Samina who has been empowered to be a community health volunteer to other women in her slum. Chandan who not only has been able to complete a degree in Mathematics, but has also been granted a scholarship to do a Masters degree in the UK. The evolution of the idea of a cookbook to combine recipes with inspiring stories of changed lives from the Delhi slums.
Hope & Spice has been named a double Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2020 winner, winning Best Indian Charity Cookbook, and gaining a second award for People Cuisine (India)!
The Hope and Spice website is here
The Asha charity that works in Delhi's website is here
You can order the book from the link below:
The podcast is below or can be accessed at Making Sense of Life on iTunes
After you have listened to the podcast do let me know by telling me what you found helpful or inspiring or any feedback you have.
Thank you!
Welcome to a new year and a new decade! What will 2020 hold in store for you? While there are many unanswered questions, and the year before us is at this point a somewhat blank slate, what we are most definitely going to need is wisdom.
Do join my co-host Andrew Horton and I on this third and final podcast as we continue to unpack this subject of wisdom. Also my book on wisdom is scheduled to release in 2020!
Wisdom comes from a daily discipline but not in a day. It does not come through a quick fix or by microwave! In particular we will be exploring:
How developing wisdom can be compared to becoming healthy and fit as well as growing a beautiful garden. The dangers of over-control and why I am tempted to so often be a control freak! How wisdom is ultimately found in the person of Christ and what He has done for us. The lessons and warnings when it comes to wisdom from the life of Solomon.
Whatever 2020 has in store for us, we are going to need wisdom at every level of our lives - personal, family, community, national and international.
As the writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky said: “Every ant knows the formula of its ant-hill, every bee knows the formula of its beehive. They know it in their own way, not in our way. Only humankind does not know its own formula.” Where are you looking for wisdom in 2020?
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #060: Why you should hunger for wisdom.
Podcast #059: How is Sunil’s book on wisdom going?
Podcast #001: Wisdom
You can access the latest podcast below or also at Making Sense of Life on iTunes
Happy New Year again and let's make 2020 our best year yet!
Wisdom. What is it? Why do you and I really need it? What do we mean by the word wisdom?
Do join my cohost Andrew Horton and I on this podcast as we unpack some of the ideas from the book on wisdom I am currently working on.
In our conversation we unpack the following draft quote from the book:
"Wisdom comes not to the most fortunate or intelligent, but to those who are most determined to find it. We should hunger and thirst for wisdom above everything else and what that can mean for your life. My challenge to you is that what you need first and foremost in your life is wisdom. I want to demonstrate to you why that is the case."
We also explore how wisdom:
is much more than the stereotype figures of Gandalf from The Lord of The Rings or Yoda in Star Wars! how wisdom starts from an awareness of who and where I am with regard to where I intend to be. can be defined as capability in the complexities of life where the rules don't help. provides a way through the deceptions, discouragements, disappointments and distractions of modern life without giving in to cynicism and regret. comes from living in reverential relationship with the living God who can show us the principles, path and power to a well lived life. is a the path by which we grow out of our natural self-centredness. provides a clue to the answer G K Chesterton is reported to have given to a question posed by The Times newspaper in the early part of the 20th century.
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #059: How is Sunil's book on wisdom going?
Podcast #001: Wisdom
If you have any questions, comments or ideas on the subject of wisdom do let us know!
"Don't wish it was easier. Wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems. Wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom." If you have been a regular follower of the blog and podcast you will be aware that over the last year I have significantly reduced my online activity. The main reason is to find more time to write the book on wisdom that I have been developing. So how is it going? While it is certainly not yet finished I am pleased to say I'm making good progress.
On this podcast Andrew and I reconnect after a gap of 20 podcast episodes Do come and join our conversation as we discuss:
The need for wisdom in our increasingly challenging and complex world that is overflowing with unprecedented and overwhelming levels of information. How wisdom is about capability in the complexity of life when the rules don't help. How much of life impacts on the need for wisdom. Why I am writing this book. Why I have dedicated this book to the memory of Abhishek Banerjee (Bunty) who died in 2014.
Proverbs 4:7-8 "The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honour you."
You may also find of interest:
Andrew's book that he mentions on the podcast about how to commission better videos is here.
Podcast #001: Wisdom
Podcast #039: Overcoming Failure
A tribute to my dear friend Abhishek Banerjee (12 October 1981 - 17 March 2014)
Also I am setting up a Facebook support page to help me keep focussed on getting this book done as I know how easy it is for me to let this project slip!
Thank you for your suggestions, encouragement and support!
You can also connect with me on my Facebook book writing support page that is here
The podcast link is below. Do feel free to share any thoughts and comments you have about our conversation or on the subject of wisdom .
You rarely hear it mentioned in the mainstream media, but it is those who profess allegiance to Jesus Christ who are the world's single most persecuted religious group . In face more Christians have died for their faith in the last 100 years than in the previous 2000 years combined!
In our third and final conversation with Patrick Sookhdeo we discuss:
The origins of the charity Barnabas Fund which Patrick helped to start. How even though Western nations like to regard themselves as secular they are still perceived as Christian by the rest of the world. How Western foreign policy has inadvertently led to the increased persecution of Christian minorities in the Middle East and around the world. How in spite of this the church outside the West is growing faster than at any other time in world history. Why it is through weakness and suffering that the church grows. Patrick's motivation to keep going in spite of many setbacks in his life. The importance of the Christian community being a place of genuine love for one another.
You can access the podcast below or at Making Sense of Life on iTunes here.
Our previous conversations with Patrick are: Podcast #056: Patrick Sookhdeo - An Immigrant Story
Podcast #057: Patrick Soohdeo and Understanding Islam
The Barnabas Fund website is here.
Patrick’s latest book, “Hated Without A Reason: The Remarkable Story of Christian Persecution Over The Centuries” is a history of persecution from the first century to the present day.
On this podcast we continue our conversation with Patrick Sookhdeo and his journey with Christ in a hostile British environment in the 1960s and 1970s.
Patrick is currently Director of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity as well as the International Director of Barnabas Fund. The latter is an interdenominational Christian charity that supports Christians who face discrimination because of their faith. It was established in 1993 and channels aid through national Christians to more than 60 countries around the world. He campaigns for the abolition of Islamic apostasy laws around the world and has written to date 33 books.
Do join us in our ongoing conversation with Patrick as we discuss:
Planting a church in one of the most violent parts of the UK. The importance of incarnational ministry and being present with others in their suffering. How his interest in Islam was awakened by the first international conference on mission to Muslims in 1976. Being an advisor to the Police in the UK on Islam until 1999 when his views were felt to be too controversial. How that all changed after 9/11 Patrick's helpful three points on understanding Muslims and Islam that comprises:
Muslims like all people are made in the image of God and so we are called to love all Muslims. Because we live in a liberal democratic society we must learn to accept one other regardless our personal views and opinions. This includes the freedom to criticise. While people are equally valuable not all ideas and opinions need to be equally valued. We must accept that there is a politicised form of Islam that seeks to dominate the world through violence and this must be rejected as it challenges the very basis of a democratic society.
Patrick's role as a military advisor to the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
You can access the podcast below or at Making Sense of Life on iTunes here.
Our previous conversation is Podcast #056: Patrick Sookhdeo - An Immigrant Story
The Barnabas Fund website is here.
Patrick’s latest book, “Hated Without A Reason: The Remarkable Story of Christian Persecution Over The Centuries” is a history of persecution from the first century to the present day.
The 1960s in Britain are popularly associated with black and white television, The Beatles, a sexual revolution and England winning the football World Cup in 1966. But what was it like for those who came as outsiders to England at that time?
One such person who came in 1959 at the age of 12 with his family was Patrick Soohdeo.
Patrick is Director of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity as well as the International Director of Barnabas Fund. The latter is an interdenominational Christian charity that supports Christians who face discrimination because of their faith. It was established in 1993 and channels aid through national Christians to more than 60 countries around the world. He campaigns for the abolition of Islamic apostasy laws around the world and has written to date 33 books.
Patrick is married to Rosemary, who is from New Zealand, and they have three grown-up daughters.
Do join us on this podcast interview with Patrick where we discuss:
His upbringing in British Guyana with a Hindu father and Muslim mother in an environment of remarkable religious harmony and tolerance. How he came to have the name Patrick. The violence and racism he and his family experienced coming to Hoxton in East London in 1959. His initial impression of Christianity as a racist, barbaric religion of white people. How that radically changed in 1964 when he started to hear teaching from and began to read the Bible for himself. How his faith in Christ led to him having to leave home and become a vagrant because "the Christians who loved me into the kingdom then disappeared." Rejection from many Christian organisations before eventually going to London Bible College. Hostility and lack of understanding of him from indigenous Christians in the UK when he met Rosemary and they decided to get married. His motivation and faith to keep going in spite of all the challenges of his life.
Much of Patrick's experiences make for disturbing listening, but it is a story that needs to be told. Indeed it is remarkable how much the UK and the church has changed for the better in terms of race relations since the 1960s.
You can access the podcast below or at Making Sense of Life on iTunes here.
The Barnabas Fund website is here.
Patrick's latest book, "Hated Without A Reason: The Remarkable Story of Christian Persecution Over The Centuries" is a history of persecution from the first century to the present day.
Now that sounds like a difficult subject! We all shy away from talking about it and yet what could actually be more important?
On this podcast we return to our conversation with the author John Wyatt and explore the subject of what it means to die well.
Do join us in this 35 minute conversation when we explore:
How to prepare the space to talk The importance of asking open-ended questions such as ‘What is your understanding of what is going on medically?’... ‘What are you afraid of?’.....’What are your dreams and goals for the remainder of the time you have left?’ The four kinds of pain - physical, psychological, relational and spiritual How do we help those with a different faith to our own? The meaning of the poem ‘Between the saddle and the ground, he mercy sought and mercy found.’ Dealing with the fear of abandonment. Understanding the importance of physical presence with loved ones The importance of advanced care planning.
We close with the ancient Old Testament blessing that has been given over many centuries:
”The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you, The LORD turn His face towards you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
You may also find of interest the following podcasts and related articles
Podcast #017: The Last Taboo Subject
Podcast #049: The Strange Adventure We Must All Take
Podcast #050: More About The Strange Adventure We Must All Take
Podcast #029: The Literal End Of The World?
Podcast #042: What Does It Take To Live A Meaningful Life? An interview with Dr John Geater who has pancreatic cancer.
A Tribute To My Dear Friend Abhishek Banerjee (12 October 1981 -17 March 2014h
Podcast #031: How Do I Live With Hope Today?
We live in a world that celebrates success, achievement and strength. Crowds flock to watch or hear about the fastest, strongest, most beautiful and accomplished men and women of the world. However, there is another deeper and more lasting perspective.
https://youtu.be/eojeiQDvxGY
I was recently at a conference for Christian doctors and had the unexpected privilege of meeting Rebekah Domer. She is the author of the book, "Broken but Blessed: Journeying from Pain to Peace with Unlikely Guides."
Rebekah is a hospice chaplain who currently works at St. Michael's Hospice in East Sussex. She is a part of the Bruderhof which is a church whose members live in intentional community, seeking to follow Jesus' command to love God and neighbour. Like the early disciples described in the New Testament, they share all their possessions, work and worship together so as to put their beliefs into practice in their daily lives.
On the podcast Rebekah opens up for us answers to the timeless question of why does a loving God allow us to suffer. She takes the Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and in her book unpacks what that looks like in different people's lives.
In our conversation we learn:
How Rebekah was an accomplished medical laboratory technician who had studied at Harvard and been to Nigeria to set up a tropical laboratory. Then at the age of 28 she suddenly developed a paralysis of her left leg that led to her having a permanent disability and being in constant pain. From the life of her father who was a high ranking naval officer in World War 2. He was someone who was very knowledgeable on history and world affairs, but at the age of 70 developed Alzheimer's Disease. Rebekah describes to us how he allowed his memory loss to transform him into a more loving and caring person. About Rebekah's sister Louisa who had Down syndrome and because of a heart condition had 13 years of extreme physical suffering. However, Louisa was able to say as she came to the end of her days, "I am for life!" and "My task is to bring joy!"
From Rebekah's book:
"The Beatitudes say that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are poor in spirit and know their need for God. Louisa possessed these qualities naturally and radiated Christ unawares. She showed me how to live, through love that suffers and is kind.... Modern society touts a different Gospel: Blessed are you who achieve. Blessed are the prosperous, the politically successful, the powerful. Blessed are you who are beautiful and athletic. Blessed are those who win scholarships to prestigious universities. Most of us strive for perfection. But wha of people like Louisa? why do they exist? Vulnerable and dependent, people with Down syndrome are easily dismissed as "defective" and often aborted. And yet Louisa and the many like her are truly our teachers - for didn't Jesus admonish us to 'change and become like little children?"
What can we learn about what Jesus means to become like little children to enter the kingdom of God? When Jesus speaks of treasures in heaven how this points to encounters with others, and especially those who are suffering.
This is just a taste of our rich and powerful conversation! Do join us to learn more. A link to the book is below.
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #028: The God I Don't Understand
Podcast #049: The Strange Adventure We Must All Take
Podcast #050: More about the strange adventure we must all take
That is certainly a deep question to ask! Most people spend more time planning a two week holiday than the purpose of their one precious life. In our third and final conversation with Kary Oberbrunner we explore this rich and fascinating subject from his book 'The Deeper Path'. For a 2 minute preview see the video below:
https://youtu.be/HigCN7CUm00
On the podcast we unpack the following inspiring quote:
"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play; his labour and his leisure; his mind and his body; his information and his recreation; his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both."
The full title of Kary's book is "The Deeper Path: A Simple Method For Finding Clarity, Mastering Life, And Doing Your Purpose Every Day." It provides a framework within which to look at your life not as a drudge or form of labour, but rather a masterpiece or opus.
The word OPUS helpfully spells out what that means:
Overarching vision involving a someone (who), something (what) and somewhere (where) Purpose or the defining statement or melody line of your life. Unifying strategies to not just be busy but to be intentional and focussed. Scorecard for significance. It is surprising how much score keeping goes on in our favourite book!
Do join us on this packed 20 minute conversation that goes into so much more detail and practical application for your own life.
The podcast conversation is also available at Making Sense of Life on iTunes
For Kary's opus do see here
Links to our previous two conversations are at:
Podcast #051: Living Life To The Full With Kary Oberbrunner
Podcast #052: What Is Your Secret Name?
Kary's book is also available below:
That may well seem a strange question to ask. It comes from my conversation with Kary Oberbrunner (who I introduced in Podcast #051). Kary has released the second edition of his book, "Your Secret Name: An Uncommon Quest To Stop Pretending, Shed The Labels and Discover Your True Identity."
You can get a flavour of our conversation from the 2 minute video conversation with Kary below (apologies for the lighting changes towards the end and yes I do need to tidy up my office!):
https://youtu.be/OLrwO1oe7jE
On the podcast we learn about this uncommon quest that begins with an ancient story of envy and concludes with a fresh vision of yourself. Kary introduces to us what it means to:
Reinterpret your past so you can stop hiding behind performance and pain. Reconnect with your Creator, core, and community so you can live bigger and bolder without fear and self-judgment. Reimagine a new future so you can experience life without limits, borders, or boundaries.
I also get Kary to reveal more about his own life story and struggles in a way he wasn't expecting along with the new freedom he has found in his life. The book has powerfully influenced me in understanding my own secret name.
Do listen to the podcast below and let us know how our conversation impacted you.
The link to the book is also below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1640852654/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=timeleswisdom-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1640852654&linkId=64a047168110a76be9ab3fbc345be190
What does it take to live a full life? Rather than think about that in an abstract or theoretical sense, on today's podcast I interview someone who I am proud to say has become a mentor and good friend, Kary Oberbrunner. The 2 minute video below will give you a flavour of our podcast conversation:
Kary lives in Columbus, Ohio, is married to Kelly and together they have three children. He is an author of ten books, a coach and public speaker. He helps individuals and organisations clarify who they are, why they are here and where they are going so, as he says, "they can become souls on fire, experience unhackability and share their message with the world."
While that is an exciting and inspiring message, Kary has certainly faced significant life challenges. That has included as a child having a speech impediment, being labelled with a learning disability and as a young adult a secret addiction to self-injury.
With that kind of background you could never have guessed what would happen in Kary's life:
Earning a doctorate degree in transformational leadership Through the Internet reaching over one million people with his content. Training over 150,000 authors, coaches , speakers and entrepreneurs. Published 10 books in the areas of business, fiction, personal growth and success. Through his company Author Academy Elite he has helped over 600 people to write and publish their books. (I am writing my book through his company!)
Do join Kary and I on this podcast as we discuss:
Why the most powerful weapon on earth is a human soul on fire. The power of finding clarity in your life. Kary's struggles with perfectionism and the toll that had on his early life. The pivotal change that occurred when, as a church pastor, he began to turn his anger away from himself to being real in his relationship with God. Why God can handle it when we are angry with Him Kary's transition from church pastor after 12 years to entrepreneurship.
If you want to find out more about Author Academy Elite please visit here.
As we continue our conversation with John Wyatt on his book ‘Dying Well’ on this podcast we look at the specific temptations and fears that can come to occupy our minds at the end of life.
In podcast #049 we looked at the positive opportunities and expectation that dying well can bring. On this podcast discussion with John we unpack the following challenges at the end of life:
Doubt and questioning the presence of God. How the antidote to doubt is honesty which can lead to a deeper more honest trust A picture of faith as holding our hands out to God and asking Him to feed us. The temptation of despair and loss of hope How an important key to dealing with despair is understanding the suffering of Christ through the suffering I am going through. The temptation to deny death How the antidote to this is being real about our frailty Jesus’ transition in the Gospel accounts from being active and in control to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus hands Himself over to the will of God The temptation of self-reliance Why dependency is not the terrible thing we instinctively think it is. How God becoming a dependent baby does not demean His dignity or status. The comfort of Psalm 23 that “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” it is “goodness and love that will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
You may also find of interest the following podcasts and related articles Podcast #017: The Last Taboo Subject Podcast #029: The Literal End Of The World? Podcast #042: What Does It Take To Live A Meaningful Life? An interview with Dr John Geater who has pancreatic cancer. A Tribute To My Dear Friend Abhishek Banerjee (12 October 1981 -17 March 2014h Podcast #031: How Do I Live With Hope Today?
Its not the subject of polite conversation and yet it is relevant to us all. What does it mean to not only live life well, but also to die and end this life well?
On this podcast we welcome back John Wyatt. John is Professor of Neonatal Paediatrics at University College, London and a Senior Research Fellow at the Faraday Institute, Cambridge University. He is married to Celia and and they have three grown-up sons.
John has written extensively on the subject of medical ethics and his latest book is simply called 'Dying Well'.
From the back cover, I quote:
"We need to talk about death. Are we in danger of over-medicalising it? Can we see death as a time of opportunity, both for us and our loved ones? What do we mean by resurrection hope?
The author focuses on the art moriedni -quite simply the art of dying well and dying faithfully. He offers clear direction, warm reassurance and rock-solid confidence in the One who has conquered death."
Do join us in this podcast as we explore:
How rather than being a topic of doom and gloom the subject of death can actually become something transforming and positive.Why for hundreds of years it was thought the worst possible way to die would be to go suddenly without warning. Our own personal experiences of losing loved ones suddenly and the pain that has caused in our own lives.Why to die well actually means to live wellThe opportunities dying well can bring including: -Internal spiritual growthBeing thankfulHealing, building, celebrating and completing relationshipsFinding forgivenessLetting goPreparing to meet our Lord and Saviour.
You may also find of interest the following related podcasts and articles:
Podcast #017: The Last Taboo Subject?
Podcast #029: The Literal End Of The World?
Podcast #042: What Does It Take To Live A Meaningful Life? An interview with Dr John Geater who has pancreatic cancer.
A Tribute To My Dear Friend Abhishek Banerjee (12 October 1981 -17 March 2014
The pace and rate of technological change over the last few decades has been extraordinary. We have the potential to be and do things faster, better and more efficiently in ways previous generations could never have dreamed possible.
But there is also a sense that there has to be something more than just what we see around us. One writer, Tom Wright puts it in terms of four areas of concern in our culture. In these areas just being or doing faster, better or more efficiently is inadequate: - the quest for spirituality - the longing for justice - the hunger for relationships - a delight in beauty. There is a way in which all of them point beyond themselves and we hear them as if they are echoes of a voice coming from just around the corner out of sight.
On this podcast we have our final conversation with Andy Parnham on his book “Lasting Happiness: In Search Of Deeper Meaning and Fulfilment.”
Do join us as we explore:
The limitations of a materialistic worldview when we have such deep longings for meaning.
Why secular health experts like Allan McNaught come to the conclusion that trying to define wellbeing is "fruitless. frustrating and ultimately impossible."
The hunger for meaning in our lives. As the writer Dostoyevsky poetically said, “Every ant knows the formula of its anthill, Every bee knows the formula of its beehive. They know it in their way, not in our way. Only humankind does not know its own formula.”
Our thirst for story. (Also see Podcast #022: The Stories We Tell Ourselves)
The power of understanding the Hebrew concept of shalom as "wholeness for the whole person in the whole of life extending to the whole of the cosmos!"
After listening to our conversation what questions, comments and reflections on finding meaning and purpose do you have?
You may also find of interest:
We Are All Materialists Now!
As we continue in our conversation with the author Andy Parnham we come to the subject of healthy relationships. How do they work and how do we restore them when they go wrong? We know from our own experience that relationships are important, but the research of the psychiatrist Robert Waldinger goes as far as to say it is the number one strongest predictor of good health.
Do come and join Andy Parnham and I as we look at: The following 5 principles for healthy relationships: 1. Prioritising people over things 2. Becoming the kind of person other people want to be with. 3. Finding someone you can trust you can share yourself with. 4. Being willing to let go and not to be simply grasping of relationships. 5. Finding a place and a people to belong to.
We unpack Andy’s conclusion of the reaseach: ”It appears that the capacity to relate to other people is hard-wired into our brains and that such relating is at the heart of human flourishing. Relationships are primarily a function of the right brain, with its emphasis on implicit, unconscious, non-verbal processes. Emotions are essential to the development and nurture of all healthy relationships.” (P.127)
”Anyone who has achieved lasting happiness and contentment has acquired the capacity to spend time both alone and with others without a sense of insecurity and inadequacy.” (P. 133)
How we can only relate to others in a healthy manner when we have learnt to live in our own skin in a healthy way. Psychologists refer to this as differentiation. Someone who has successfully differentiated themself is able to: 1. Be clear about who you are (‘define’ yourself) and yet stay in touch with others. 2. Take responsibility for yourself, yet.... Be responsive to others. 3. Maintain your integrity and wellbeing without..... Intruding on that of others. 4. Allow the enhancement of another person’s integrity and wellbeing without ....... Feeling abandonment,inferior or less of a self. 5. Have an ‘I’ and enter a relationship with another ‘I’ without losing yourself and diminishing the other person’s self.
The importance and power of learning to forgive.
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #025: Is there a difficult person in your life?
Podcast #026: The search for happiness
What is the ONE essential ingredient for life-long health and happiness?
Podcast #044: Lasting Happiness
Podcast #045: Do you want to be happy?
Podcast #046: The problem of longing and wanting more
After listening to our conversation what questions, comments and reflections on relationships do you have?
Longing. Its something we all experience at one time or another, but find so hard to explain or define. On this podcast Andy Parnham and I discuss this "reaching out towards or yearning for something that you can't describe but which draws you very powerfully with a mixture of joy and sadness."
The writer C. S. Lewis put it even more potently when he called this longing 'joy' and described it as 'an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction...... anyone who has experienced it will want it again.' As you can see these are deep areas we don't often discuss!
Do come and join Andy and I as we explore
How a want for something (usually in the areas of wealth, health or happiness) tends to be clear, purposeful, driven by the will often with a sense of urgency. By contrast with a longing the focus is not on ourselves, but someone or something that occupies our view and yet lies beyond our grasp or control (usually in the areas of relationships, meaning and fulfilment). Our age-old quest for beauty vividly described by Lewis:
”The books or music in which we thought the beauty were located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them,it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things - the beauty, the memory of our own past - are good images of what we really desire, but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.”
Examples of this in longing for a person, place or people. How homesickness and nostalgia as forms of longing combine very powerful emotions of loss and disappointment combined with hope and desire. How these experiences are also understandable through neuroscience and the two sides of the brain. Understanding the difference between what Henri Nouwen called ‘first loneliness’ (the emotional need for family, friends and home) and the need for a deeper life, which he called a ‘second loneliness.’ Here is how Nouwen described it:
”A deep personal intimacy and it is an intimacy that is very demanding. It requires letting go of many things that are emotionally, intellectually and affectively very satisfying. You must grow to realise and to trust that the deeper loneliness is not to be overcome, but lived. You must live it with trust, standing tall. You must try to say, ‘Yes I am lonely, but this particular loneliness sets me on the road to intimacy...It brings me closer to the source of love in the depths of my being.”
While this conversation may seem rather deep and esoteric, I do assure you we talk about practical implications for all of us in how we live our lives on a day-to-day basis!
You may also find of interest:
The Master And His Emissary: How the left brain has come to dominate Western culture
What Is It Like To Have A Stroke: How the two sides of the brain function so differently
Discovering Silence and Solitude: the gift we struggle to receive.
A video on my own personal longing for my true home.
That seems an almost ridiculous question. Of course you want to be happy! Our world is obsessed with wanting to be happy. But what do we actually mean by happiness? Especially in our complex, challenging and chaotic world where we have so many things that promise happiness, but often fail to deliver what they promise.
Do join Andrew Parnham and I as we continue to unpack this important subject from his book, "Lasting Happiness: In Search of Deeper Meaning and Fulfilment."
Together we explore:
Health and wellbeing as a means to happiness, but those terms that are not as simple to explain as they might first appear. The World Health Organisation's definition of health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." How health is a means to happiness, but not an end in itself. We need some higher purpose, especially as health is so often dependent on fate, fortune or luck. How wellbeing, while hard to define, is much wider and deeper when you consider it is possible to have wellbeing without apparent health. For a challenging and inspiring example of that do watch this 4 minute video of Nick Vujicic,a man born without arms or legs and an incredibly positive sense of wellbeing. How the research shows relationships, meaning and fulfilment are more lasting paths to happiness than health, wealth or pleasure seeking. Lessons from the longest study on happiness (a TED talk on that is here) that show how relationships are so fundamental to what it means to be a human being. The work of Jean Varnier, the founder of a community in France for people with learning disabilities, who powerfully articulates this:
"What is it to be a human being? Is it power? If it's power, then we would kill each other! You see, the wise and powerful lead us to ideologies, whereas the weak are in the dirt. They're not seeking power, they're seeking friendship. It's a message for all of us. It's about all of us."
Understanding the importance of finding meaning to lead us to lasting happiness. How a happy person is similar to an animal, whereas meaningfulness is human and is all about expressing the self and thinking integratively about the past and future. Some practical implications for us as we seek to be happy in life
Our previous conversation is at Podcast #044: Lasting Happiness.
You may also find of interest:
Why is joy more important than happiness?
Podcast #032: How to know joy when life feels tough
Podcast #033: Practical ways to find joy through disappointment
Happiness! Who doesn't want it? A recent google search on 'how to be happy' turned up 626 million results. Compare that to typing in 'Donald Trump' and you get 237 million items or 'Brexit news' where there is just 90 million! We all want to be happy. But what do we mean by happiness? I can be happy eating an ice cream and I can be happy meeting a long lost friend. But those two experiences are clearly very different. How can I find a happiness that leads to deeper meaning and fulfilment?
On this podcast we interview Andy Parnham, author of the book, "Lasting Happiness: In Search of Deeper Meaning and Fulfilment." Do come and join us in this opening 30 minute conversation as we explore:
Andy's fascination with exploring this important subject. Western's society obsession with defining the good life only in terms of health, wealth and the pursuit of pleasure while at the same time avoiding pain. How the research and our own personal experience shows lasting happiness is ultimately found in relationships, meaning and fulfilment. How the research shows the most significant factor in overall wellness is the presence of strong relationships. The two problems of material pleasure being they fade with time and need ever increasing consumerism to produce the same 'buzz'. How this is not just a Western issue, as the examples of Qatar (the richest country in the world), Japan and Bhutan illustrate. A psychological understanding of happiness as 'subjective wellbeing' with the three components of pleasure, engagement and meaning. Understanding the what, how, who and why of lasting happiness.
We will be talking with Andy more in future podcasts, but for now if you would like to explore this further also see:
Podcast #026: The Search For Happiness
Podcast #006: Rediscovering Joy
Why I am working at becoming a happier person.
Why is joy more important than happiness?
The search for joy.
The lies we tell ourselves about joy.
Moving from disappointment to joy.
Podcast #042: What Does It Take To Live A Meaningful Life?
Podcast #035: What Is Life Really All About?
If your mother, father, brother or sister was rushed into hospital what kind of doctor or nurse would you want them to see? The answer to that question has been a passion 0f Dr John Geater for many years. So much so in fact that it led him to, with others, set up the organisation PRIME - Partnerships in International Medical Education. In 2006 John received an MBE for his contribution.
Do join John and I as we discuss:
How the foundation of his relationship with God, his wife Jane and family makes everything else possible. The importance of the values of integrity, compassion, altruism, excellence, continuous self-improvement and teamwork in underpinning all medical training. The question John likes to ask his students of "Is it right to smile at a patient?" and the responses he gets. Understanding the mind-body-spirit connection of human beings Seeing God at the intersection of science and humanity. How losing the humanity of our patients is so often a root of burnout and cynicism in the medical profession around the world. Understanding the person of Jesus as healer. How a lack of connection with others is one of the biggest predictors of mental health problems. Unpacking the Hebrew concept of 'shalom' to understand complete flourishing in body, mind and spirit and relationships. The legacy of PRIME to "inspire those who inspire others who go onto inspire others alongside developing their medical skills."
You may also find of interest:
An Incredibly Brief History of Medicine.
What Does It Actually Take To Be A More Caring Person?
What If You Could Read Other People's Minds?
Podcast #042: What Does It Take To Live A Meaningful Life?
The Royal College of Physicians Report Doctors in Society: Medical Professionalism In A Changing World that emphasises the importance of professional values to all medical training.
To find out more about PRIME click here.
Dr John Geater is at the time of writing aged 73. He is married to Jane and has three adult children. He is a medical doctor and has worked in Bhutan, New Zealand and in England. In 2006 he received an MBE from the Queen for his work in setting up the postgraduate medical education charity, PRIME (Partnerships in International Medical Education). He has taught holistic medical education in 26 different countries around the world. Just before Christmas 2017 he was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Do join us in this fascinating podcast conversation as we discuss John's life and explore questions such as:
How do you respond when bad things happen to you?
How do you make sense of being diagnosed with cancer three times in your life?
How to embrace life's mysteries when things don't go the way you want or expect.
We also ask John:
What was it like running a leprosy hospital in Bhutan at the age of 25?
What would you say to someone who has a terminal illness and is scared?
To explore with us from Bronnie Ware's book the five regrets of the dying: I wish I lived a life true to myself and not what was expected of me. I wish I had not worked so hard. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. I wish I had let myself be happier.
What he is looking forward to in the life to come?
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #017: The Last Taboo Subject?
Podcast #028: The God I Don't Understand
Podcast #029: The Literal End Of The World?
Podcast #032: How To Know Joy When Life Feels Tough
Podcast #033: Practical Ways To Find Joy Through Disappointment
How Would You Define Success Part 3
I was recently pleasantly surprised to be invited by a prestigious financial institution to speak on the subject of how prayer and faith can enhance mental health. It was a wonderful privilege.
On this podcast I unpack the main elements of my talk along with exploring how money is such a helpful analogy in pointing to understanding spiritual treasure.
In particular we explore:
How faith and prayer enhance mental health as I am able to delight in God for who He is rather than what I can get out of Him.
The key to this is understanding and experiencing grace in my life.
How faith rather than being a vague and nebulous concept is actually incredibly specific. Indeed our entire global financial system is based on faith.
Why faith can only enhance mental health if it is based on something specific and reliable.
How the highest form of prayer is delight.
The problems with defining mental health.
How the Hebrew word 'shalom' conveys the highest form of mental health as complete wellbeing or multi-dimensional thriving and fulfilment.
For more on this also see:
How can faith and prayer enhance mental health?
Podcast #033: Practical ways to find joy through disappointment.
Podcast#032: How to know joy when life feels tough.
Podcast #013: How to grow in resilience.
Podcast #011 Money.
Why does a loving God allow pain and suffering?
Podcast #007 Religion
Podcast #018: Spiritual Maturity.
How far have we come! We have reached 40 episodes on this journey at the Making Sense of Life Podcast! Its time to celebrate and give thanks.
On this special episode I especially want to thank:
You the listener for entrusting me with your time and attention. In a world of such overwhelming choice and distraction I trust these episodes have truly helped you to make sense of life in an increasingly challenging and complex world. My co-host Andrew Horton for his work both back stage and front stage. This has been behind the scenes with the technical aspects of the podcast and then publically in interviewing me with insightful questions as we have discussed such a wide range of topics. Jeff Brown of the Read To Lead Podcast who inspired and taught me back in 2014 how to make podcasting not just a nice idea, but an actual reality.
In a world that focuses so much on the externals , the Making Sense of Life Podcast is a reminder that a meaningful life is actually an inside-out adventure. Inward change precedes outer transformation. Being bigger on the inside rather than the outside is the path to true success and impact. If we get that reversed and are actually greater on the outside than we are on the inside then disappointment, frustration and failure will not be far away.
One important aspect of focussing on the inside before the outside is being real and authentic about our internal struggles and challenges.
Our journey started back in 2012 with this blog, particularly around the subject of depression and negative thinking that appears to be reaching epidemic proportions around the world. For more on this see:
A 15 minute video called Just As I Am that gives my personal journey through depression and negative thinking.
Podcast #004 Combatting Depression where I interview the author Jo Swinney who has written about her own personal journey in her book 'Through The Dark Woods'.
Podcast #003 Stress where Andrew and I discuss the challenges of stress and how to not just survive, but actually thrive. (Also see the video How To Make Stress Your Friend).
Podcast #027: Beating Burnout where we look at not just the cost to ourselves of burnout, but how we can set up safeguards and protective measures in our lives.
Over time we have shifted our emphasis in looking not just at the negative, but understanding how to positively flourish in the world through resilience (Podcast #013) and develop grit (passion and perseverance for long term goals at Podcast #021). How do we do that with all the other challenges in our lives so we can live in some form of balance? (Podcast #034).
At the same time I have become convinced that it is not possible to authentically make sense of life without reference the Infinite Creator God of the Universe. As we have advanced in our understanding and grasp of the world what has become increasingly evident is that in spite of all our achievements and technology, the amount we know and understand is not getting any less. Indeed with an infinite reference point it is inevitable that no matter how much we know we have to come to realise the less we actually know!
On Podcast #007 we discussed how religion has significant limitations when it comes to grasping the world in all its complexity. What our hearts long for is relationship. In Podcast #018 we looked at spiritual maturity as being about getting to know God through silence. solitude and the Biblical scripture.
Another wonderful privilege of the podcast has been the opportunity to interview book authors and those who have lived inspiring lives. A small selection of those interviews include:
A grandson of Steven R. Covey, author of the classic bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th Habit. It was reading a quote from p.308 of that book in 1995 in Delhi, India that had a profound impact of my life. Little did I realise it would become a recurring theme of my life:
"Everyone has their own Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb." (Seth Godin)
Failure. How do you handle it? The 2 minute video below by Will Smith is an encouragement to view failure in a positive way. As he says - fail early, fail often and fail forward.
In this podcast my co-host Andrew Horton and I discuss how failure is not something to be feared, but actually an opportunity to grow and learn.
https://youtu.be/vEhoc_zGeN0
Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball play of all time has said:
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been entrusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
Do join us on this podcast as we discuss:
How everyone has their own story of failure along with our own personal examples.
What is the relationship between failure and guilt or shame? Is failure necessarily a bad thing?
What can we learn from some famous examples of failure such as Abraham Lincoln and J K Rowling?
Why it is not as simple as just saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
What is the secret to turning failure around?
How can we see our failures through the eyes of faith?
How understanding failure is part of inside-out transformation?
You may also find of interest:
What Can J K Rowling Teach Us About Failure?
Failure and Depression: The Other Side of Lincoln's Life
9 Ways To Look At Your Failures With The Eyes Of Faith. Especially #7
How To Fail And Lose Well Part 1
How To Fail And Lose Well Part 2
Podcast #021: Grit
Podcast #013 How To Grow In Resilience
Podcast #030 Do You Need More Sleep?
Podcast #031: How Can I Live With Hope Today?
"The new is always better than the old." Do you agree? Disagree? As the impact of technology on our lives has accelerated this assumption has become increasingly taken for granted. In our third and final conversation with Pete Nicholas about his book 'Virtually Human: Flourishing In A Digital World' we explore the powerful messages that come to us through technology around the subjects of time and sexuality.
While technology presents a narrative of never-ending progress when it comes to new devices and software , the impact on us as human beings grappling with its ramifications is far from straight-forward.
C.S. Lewis wrote about this in terms of what he called "Chronological snobbery." That is 'the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate of our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of of date is on that count discredited.' Pete in his book (p.114) shows us how this leads to the following kind of thinking:
We think we are the most technologically developed culture on earth. Since time is an arrow to the future, that means we are at the head of the curve. Therefore, our decisions (about morality, society, technology) are the most 'progressive'. So, if other people/countries/cultures disagree, it is because they are lagging behind (but in time they will catch up and probably agree with us).
We tend to think of time as linear with a beginning and definite end, ultimately when the universe at some point in the future will come to a grinding halt. Here are some challenges to these assumptions we discuss from the book:
"Time is not a straight line heading for a finish. God is taking the cosmos towards its goal. In one sense this goal is the end of time; in another sense it is just the beginning. The timeline is God's and not ours. We are graciously part of His story, but we need to watch out for the ways technology can be used to write Him out and put us centre stage." Time is not a commodity, but a gift to be stewarded. As technology gives me such a variety of choices with what to do with my time, I need to become discerning about what I should do today and what can be left for tomorrow or another time.
For more on this also see Podcast #024: Making Sense of Time.
Technology has also had a huge influence on our view of sex an sexuality. On this podcast we go on to discuss:
How the digital story of sex is linked to the sexual revolution of the 20th century with its desire to liberate from previous norms and taboos. How my sexual identity cannot be separated from my psychology and spirituality. The dangers of pornography in objectifying women and men. How the male editor of a pornographic magazine radically changed his views following the birth of his daughter. How pornography while promising satisfaction and fulfilment actually leads to a growing addiction and enslavement with significant problems in relating to others. How the Bible is able to be both open about sex without being crude and objectifying. There is emphasis on restraint without being oppressive while emphasising the beauty of sexual love within the marriage covenant.
In conclusion, the challenges technology brings into our lives are about living in wisdom. Tomorrow's problems from technology are going to be very different from today's problems. The key is becoming the right kind of person who can learn to cope and flourish while living by grace. In other words we need to live in wisdom.
Details on Covenant Eyes and more resources on sexual addiction we mention in our discussion is here.
Our previous discussions on the book are at Podcast #036 and #037
More details on the book are available at the Virtually Human website here.
What questions and comments does our discussion raise for you?
Technology impacts and influences our lives in increasingly powerful and profound ways. How do I make sense of technology in a way that truly enhances and enriches my life? This podcast is a continuation of my conversation with author Pete Nicholas on the book he has co-authored with Ed Brooks called "Virtually Human: Flourishing In a Digital World".
In our earlier discussion (Podcast #036: Virtually Human Part 1) we looked at while new technologies hold awesome potential for good there is another side to them. Surprisingly the essence of technology is not technological, but what it truly means to be human. When we engage unthinkingly with the online world there is a danger we begin to become like the technologies we use, relating and thinking without human connection. We fall short of what we were made to be and become virtually human.
So technology is much more than just a tool by which we engage with the world. It also changes us in both subtle and profound ways. Those who uncritically promote technology are keen to tell a story of never ending human flourishing and progress (For an example see the short Facebook video: The Things That Connect Us). However, this is far too simplistic. We need to both affirm the good that technology provides us while at the same time being realistic about its limitations to change basic human nature.
On this podcast we particularly focus on how technology impacts our identity and relationships. Do join us as we discuss:
How digital technologies like Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram enable us to re-imagine and re-create who we are. What kind of online identity am I going to create and how much is it in integrity with who I am offline? How Rene Descartes from 1639 has deeply affected our understanding of identity and the way we think of ourselves in the online world. We find ourselves caught between two conflicting narratives of 'be true to yourself' and at the same time 'shape yourself as you have no ultimate identity'. While there is a very positive outworking of this in empowering someone like Malala Yousafzai to have a global voice in influencing and challenging the oppression of women there is another side in terms of raising questions around what ultimately is identity that can lead to loss of a sense of belonging anywhere. How John Calvin from 1589 gives us a framework for understanding identity. We are made for worship - that is to find our ultimate identity and fulfilment in someone, something or some idea. We cannot stop ourselves from worshipping and the implications that has for us. How social media has affected our relationships. There has been huge benefits in being able to connect with people from around the world and find out what friends and family are doing. At the same time, quoting psychologist Sherry Turkle, "we have moved from conversation to connection, from talking to texting, from solitude to isolation, from interdependent to interconnected". (p.104) How big business and huge amounts of investment and research is undertaken to make sure we stay connected to technology as much as possible. The seriousness of these challenges when you consider how many Silicon Valley executives send their children to schools with a no device policy. How technology makes it so easy to separate ourselves from people we don't like or whose views we disagree with. We lose the ability to work through problems we have with others and instead take the path of least resistance by dismissing them from our lives. Why we need to learn how to dialogue with people who hold views different to our own without getting abusive or dismissive or demonising them.
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #025: Is there a difficult person in your life?
Discovering Silence and Solitude
More details on the book are available at the Virtually Human website here.
What questions and comments does our discussion raise for you?
Technology is now such a fundamental part of our lives that we so often take it completely for granted. From the moment we wake up to to check our clocks, or more likely our smartphones, to then often seamlessly go onto the Internet, social media and email, we hardly give a moment's thought to the incredible power we have available to us. Today's teenagers have never known a time when the Internet was not there. But how do we navigate with discernment and wisdom through the vast plethora of information and choices technology makes available to us?
https://youtu.be/-6XhxXjX-tw
Someone who has given a lot of thought to this is Pete Nicholas, who with co-author Ed Brooks, has written about the impact of technology on our lives in their book Virtually Human. The short 1 minute video above gives an introduction to the book.
Do come and join Pete Nicholas and I on this podcast as we discuss the implications of technology on our lives.
In particular on this podcast we explore how:
While technologies hold awesome potential for good, when we engage unthinkingly with the online world , there is a danger we become increasingly like the technologies we use, relating and thinking without human connection. Technology should cause us to think about what does it actually mean to be human and how technology is changing us. What do we actually mean by technology? Why technology is not a neutral tool but actually a frame through which we see the world that in turn then becomes the world in which we live. We like to think we are in control of technology and creating a bold new future for ourselves of never ending progress. That is far too simplistic, or as C. S. Lewis put it:
"Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man."
How we need to both affirm the good that technology provides us while at the same time being realistic about its limitations in changing basic human nature. We may have smart phones with amazing potential, but we are still the same greedy, self-centred and self-absorbed human beings we have always been. What does the Biblical narrative have to say about how fulfilling the hope technology seeks to give us really comes from challenging and redeeming the failures and problems technology causes?
But perhaps most surprisingly and most importantly of all discussing technology is really about discussing what does it mean to be human.
We will carry on our discussion with Pete Nicholas in future podcasts, particularly looking at practical implications of how we handle technology in our challenging and complex world.
After listening to this podcast you may also find of interest:
Podcast #017: The Last Taboo Subject?
Podcast #029: The Literal End Of The World?
More details on the book are available at the Virtually Human website here.
What questions and comments does our discussion raise for you?
P.S. There is still time to take my reader survey!
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Rico Tice is a senior minister at the church my family and I attend at All Souls, Langham Place in Central London. Rico is married to Lucy and they have three children. He is a Bible teacher and founder of the Christianity Explored course. This is a seven week study through the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament. At any one time there are 10,000 courses running around the world in over 100 countries with 122 official translations.
More recently Rico has helped to develop two further courses, Discipleship Explored which looks through the New Testament book of Philippians what it means to find joy in Christ and Life Explored which is an overview of the Bible as a whole.
On this podcast Rico and I explore:
Why being responsible for evangelism at All Soul's Church is much more than a job role, but something he is deeply passionate about.
His formative experiences growing up, including how the death of his godfather in 1982 had a profound impact on Rico's life.
Continual reminders of the brevity of life.
The importance of crossing the pain line when talking to others of the important issues around death and judgement.
In a world of different religions why it is not arrogant to say Jesus is the only way to God.
The importance of reading the Bible for yourself and doing so in community with others.
How Christ's death rescues us from the penalty, power and the presence of sin.
How the qualification to be a Christian disciple is not are you good enough, but are you bad enough.
The importance of a right understanding of hell and judgement.
Lessons in life Rico has learnt from his failures and mistakes.
Two books that have profoundly influenced Rico's life.
Why he also has a collection of over 300 books on rugby!
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #029: The literal end of the world?
Podcast #017: The last taboo subject?
Podcast #007: Religion
A tribute to my dear friend Abhishek Banerjee (12 October 1981 -17 March 2014)
How does our conversation speak into your own life?
We hear a lot about balancing life and work in our day and age. Wherever you look and whoever you talk to, getting the right balance in life is something many people are hungry for. With so many priorities and responsibilities in our lives this is becoming for many of us increasingly important and relevant.
But what do we actually mean when we say we want balance in our lives?
Do come and join my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we unpack this important subject. In particular we discuss:
How balance is grossly over-rated as a concept. Why balance is more of a tension to be managed than a problem to be solved. How work-life integration can be more helpful than balance. The power of looking at my life as symphony The relevance of seasons to life. Counter-intutitive reflections and examples from my favourite hero and book when it comes to balance.
You may also find of interest:
Work-life balance. Is it possible?
It it work-life balance or integration?
Are you in the right season?
Podcast #030: Do you need more sleep?
Podcast #010: Stephen R. Covey
What questions and thoughts on life-work balance does this topic and podcast raise for you?
Disappointment. We all experience it. We all know what if feels like. We have all at some time or other said and done things when disappointed with our circumstances or other people that we have later regretted. But what are healthy ways to handle disappointment in our lives?
On this podcast I continue my conversation with the author John Hindley on his book, "Dealing With Disappointment: How To Know Joy When Life Doesn't Feel Great". (Our earlier conversation at Podcast #032 is here).
Disappointment can so easily come to dominate life - the nagging thought in the back of our minds and the constant "yes, but..." colouring all our pleasures.
Do join us as we discuss practical ways to find joy through disappointment. In particular we discuss:
Disappointment with my circumstances. The power of a different perspective rather than relying on the stoicism that we tend to default to. Or, in other words, how to defeat those painful things that are true by looking at things that are more true. Finding a balance between working too much or too little. Disappointment with people. How do I decide if it is something I should forgive and move on from or something I should forgive and then talk with the person concerned about? For more on this also see: Podcast #025 Is There A Difficult Person In Your Life? Disappointment with my success. John and I confess personal examples of how easy it is to tie up our meaning and identity with things that are actually quite trivial. How the good things of life are a signpost to a far greater work and person we should be enamoured by. How "the fuel for living a truly successful life is to know that you will one day live it perfectly, and with perfect satisfaction." For more on this also see Podcast #002 Success.
Disappointment with myself. How facing up to the painful reality that I am not the person I wish was can be not the last word in our lives, but part of our story to greater wholeness. The freedom that comes from understanding, as John writes, "Your purpose in life is not to be perfect. Your purpose in life is to showcase God's grace to the imperfect." Balancing in my life God's gift of forgiveness with the gift of integrity. Disappointment with God. For people of faith, this is probably the hardest disappointment to face up to. As John says, "If God is in control - and He is- then behind all your disappointments with your relationships, your circumstances, your ministry and yourself must lie disappointment with God......God could have, should have, might have....and didn't. So often, in so many small and serious ways, it feels as if God doesn't come through." For more on this also see Podcast #028 The God I Don't Understand.
If your life isn't perfect..... you need to listen to this podcast!
Life can certainly be challenging at times. There are the unexpected setbacks that occur, but more than that there are also the general frustrations of day to day living. What do we mean?
When we talk about disappointment we are not referring to major calamities or disasters, but things maybe not going the way we expected or success not bringing the fulfilment we thought we might achieve.
How do you handle life when things don't go the way you expect? How can we develop healthy ways to handle disappointment? How can we know joy when life doesn't feel great?
Someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about this is the author John Hindley. On this podcast we have the privilege of interviewing John about his book titled "Dealing With Disappointment: How To Know Joy When Life Doesn't Feel Great."
John defines disappointment as "what we experience when we expect satisfaction and that satisfaction is denied."
Do join us as we discuss:
How in life there are lots of little disappointments that can give us a sense of vague discomfort, which we have a tendency to push away and ignore.
How at times our experiences resonate with that of King Solomon from the 9th century BC in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes as he cried out, "Meaningless! Meaningless! .....Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
Why if we want to live life to the full then we should expect at times to be disappointed.
Understanding disappointment as what we experience when we expect satisfaction and that satisfaction is denied.
The disappointment that can come with success. How this can push us to long for more.
Ways to break through disappointment and which involve: - finding hope that destroys despair - purpose that cuts off escape - perspective that shrinks disappointment.
What John means when he says, "There is more satisfaction in the smile of Jesus than there is disappointment in a thousand lifetimes. "
Also see How To Rise Stronger When Life Takes You Down
Psychologists, psychiatrists, politicians and theologians may differ in their opinion on many things, But one thing they would all seem to agree on is the importance of hope.
“Human beings can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air…but only for one second without hope.”
Do join my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we discuss:
Why hope in the true sense of the word is much more than wishful thinking, but instead a joyful expectation about the future. How we can view hope as "not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." (Vaclav Havel) The dangers of basing my hope on a particular outcome that I want. How the attempted suicide of a friend taught me the dangers of a secular hope. 4 core beliefs in developing hope A Biblical perspective on hope. The forgotten part of the serenity prayer and what that teaches about hope. What to say to someone who is struggling to have hope about the future.
What questions, thoughts and comments does our discussion raise for you?
You may also find of interest:
How Can I Find Hope In My Darkest Days?
Do You Need Hope Today?
Why Understanding Easter Brings Hope.
Podcast #003 Stress
Podcast#007 Religion
Podcast #013 How To Grow In Resilience
Podcast #017 The Last Taboo Subject?
Podcast #020 Baroness Caroline Cox
Podcast #021 Grit
Podcast #022 The Stories We Tell Ourselves
“If you want to be a billionaire, sleep as little as possible.” Donald Trump.
“Sleep is a criminal waste of time. A heritage from our cave days.” Thomas Edison.
“Every important mistake I’ve made in my life, I’ve made because I was too tired.” Bill Clinton
Sleep. So easy to take for granted, but so essential – especially if you are not getting enough. And yet there is so much bravado and neglect when we think about sleep. Whatever you may think of Donald Trump and Thomas Edison, their opinions on sleep are way off the mark when it comes to what the research and even what common sense shows. And whatever your opinion of Bill Clinton there is much wisdom in his reflection on sleep and making errors of judgement.
On this podcast my co-host Andrew Horton and I discuss:
The importance of prioritising sleep in our lives.
The dangerous consequences of not having enough sleep.
How do I know I am getting enough sleep?
An embarrassing example in my life of not getting enough sleep.
How much are people in positions of authority making decisions from a place of inadequate sleep?
A Biblical perspective on sleep.
Three suggestions for those struggling to get to sleep.
You may also find of interest:
Do You Need More Sleep?
The Importance Of A Good Night's Sleep
What questions, reflections and comments on sleep do you have?
What will happen at the end of time? How will the world end? How will our lives end? Where is history heading to? Is there any sense or coherence in this increasingly complex and challenging world that we live in? That is the subject of Hollywood movies and popular science fiction novels down the ages. Popular movies and novels can be great fun and escapism, but then you have to get on with the rest of life with all of its predictability and mundaneness.
Could there be another narrative? Indeed, what does the world's best selling, and also arguably often least read and understood book actually say about the end of the world?
On this podcast I have a fascinating conversation with Bible scholar Chris Wright on a subject that is often not given much serious consideration, at least not in popular culture. Is it a subject we can give sustained deliberate thought to in a world of such diverse views and opinions? There is certainly much mystery, but understanding 'The End Times' has profound implications on the way we live our lives today in the here and now.
Do join us on this podcast as we discuss the seven last things, according to the Bible, of this life and universe:
Death and resurrection: how the end of the world is actually a new beginning and how Jesus' bodily and physical resurrection points to a new level of life and existence.
How the metaphor of sleep describes the interim state between the physical death of our bodies and the end of the world.
The return of Christ at the end of history as an integral part of the Bible narrative and its implications for us.
The resurrection of the dead and what that actually means for our earthly bodies. Do listen out for the analogy of twins in their mother's womb!
Why the day of judgement and hell is actually a good thing in a world where so much evil and wrong-doing appears to go unpunished and unresolved.
What the Bible actually reveals about what heaven and the new creation will be like. It is so much more than sitting on a cloud, playing a harp, endless singing or even one long holiday! Heaven is not even my final destination when I die! It is only, as it were, a transit lounge for the new creation. In fact, the Bible makes clear that we don't even go up to heaven! The new creation is actually heaven, at the end of time, coming down to earth.
Quoting from Chris' book, 'The God I Don't Understand':
"The new creation will start with the unimaginable reservoir of all that human civilisation has accomplished in the old creation - but purged, cleansed, disinfected, sanctified and blessed...... Think of the prospect! all human language, literature, art, music, science, business, sport, technological achievement - actual and potential - all available to us. All of it with the poison of evil and sin sucked out of it forever...... Whatever it may be like, we can rest assured that, for those who are in Christ, anything that has enriched and blessed us in this life will not be lost, but infinitely enhanced in the resurrection and anything that we have not been able to enjoy in this life (because of disability, disease or premature death - or simply through the natural limitations of time and space) will be amply restored or compensated for in resurrection life."
So how should we then live?
"We are to live then as people who not only have a future, but know the future we have and go out and live in the light of that future, in preparation for it and characterised by its values."
What questions, thoughts and comments does our discussion raise for you?
The link to Chris' book is below.
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #028: The God I Don't Understand
Podcast #007: Religion
Religious faith. That is certainly a subject that can polarise and divide opinion between different people!
We live in a world where it seems as though the more committed someone is to their particular faith view, then the more certain they seem to be about life and what others should or should not do. That is often the impression that comes through much of the popular media's analysis of faith and life issues. But does that really help to make sense of life in all its mystery and complexity?
Why do terrible things happen in our world and why does it so often appear God is silent and not involved?
Chris Wright is a scholar of the Old Testament of the Bible who has written a number of books on knowing and understanding God. He is someone who has a life long passion for knowing God through the Bible scriptures and communicating that clearly to others.
It is somewhat surprising then that Chris has also written a book called "The God I Don't Understand". Here is what he writes in the introduction:
"It seems to me that the older I get the less I think I really understand God. Which is not to say that I don't love and trust Him. On the contrary, as life goes on my love and trust grow deeper, but my struggle with what God does or allows grows deeper too."
On this podcast we have the privilege of interviewing Chris about the book he has written and exploring this tension between living a life of faith, loving and trusting God, while at the same time being honest enough to admit there is often mystery and much we do not understand about life.
Do join us in this fascinating conversation as we explore:
How anger and frustration with what God allows and does not allow in our world is nothing new. Indeed an author like Richard Dawkins writes in his book 'The God Delusion':
"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser, a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filiacidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.
How Psalm 73 written 2,700 years ago by someone called Asaph dealt with similar anger and frustration with God's dealings with the world, but came to a very different conclusion.
Why the question of evil and suffering is a specific problem for people who have a Biblical faith, compared to those of other religions.
Why the Bible says we should not bottle up our feelings and be stoical when suffering and evil comes into our lives, but actually to be angry, lament and protest.
Why Chris surprisingly says, "Of all the things that lead me to speak of the God I don't understand, the cross is top of the list."
Why was the death of Christ necessary?
What did God actually accomplish through the death of His Son?
How did it all work? Or to be even more specific: How did one man's bleeding body stretched on two pieces of wood for six hours of torture and death on a particular Friday one spring outside a city in a remote province of the Roman Empire change everything in the universe?
How can it be possible for God to be both loving and angry?
What comments and questions does this discussion raise for you?
You may also find of interest:
What Is So Good About Good Friday?
How Can I Find Hope In My Darkest Days?
Why Understanding Easter Brings Hope
Is This The Best News You Have Ever Heard?
4 Personal Implications Of The Resurrection
A Day That Changed The World
It's not necessarily a comfortable subject to talk about, but it is increasingly relevant in the complex and challenging world we live in. Burnout is a state of chronic stress that has profound effects on many aspects of our lives. It covers a wide range of emotions that include physical and emotional exhaustion; cynicism and detachment from others as ell as an overall reduction in performance and levels of effectiveness.
In this podcast conversation, my co-host Andrew Horton and I discuss our own personal experiences of burnout.
We also explore just how pervasive burnout is. Statistics from organisations like the Boston Consulting Group state for 2016 it affects:
31% of doctors in the United States.
69% of male financial professionals
87% of Hong Kong financial professionals in institutional asset management.
In the UK it it has been reported that 90% of general practice consultations have some degree of stress related to them.
These are staggeringly high figures and yet we do not hear much about burnout.
Do join us in this discussion as we look at practical steps you can take to protect yourself during times of stress and find ways to not just survive, but actually thrive.
For additional resources on this subject do see:
5 Lessons I've Learnt From Burnout
Podcast #022 The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Podcast #013 How To Grow In Resilience
Podcast #003 Stress
What thoughts, comments and strategies do you have about preventing burnout in your own life?
I like to cheekily describe my friend Andy Parnham as a happiness guru. He works part of the week for the charity Livability, that serves people with disabilities, while the rest of the time he acts as an independent wellbeing advisor and coach, running amongst other things, The Happiness Course. This is in a variety of settings, including schools, health centres, companies and the voluntary sector.
Do join us on this podcast as Andy and I discuss a subject of relevance to every one of us. We discuss and explore:
How happiness is not the same as wellness.
The over-emphasis on physical health when we talk about wellness.
The need to also include emotional, psychological, spiritual, relational and community aspects to fully understand wellness.
How and why Andy developed The Happiness Course.
How positive psychology research emphasises health is not just the absence of illness.
What the research shows are the factors that contribute to a flourishing life - living lives of appreciation and gratitude. - nurturing healthy relationships. - forgiveness - practising acts of kindness - savouring experiences
Some hard bottom line results that result from happy employees:
- spend twice as long in their jobs as their least happy colleagues.
- believe they are achieving their potential twice as much.
- spend 65% more time feeling energised.
- are 58% more likely to go out of the way to help their colleagues.
- identify 98% more strongly with the values of their organisation.
- are 186% more likely to recommend their organisation to a friend.
What do we mean by the word happy or subjective well-being.
The three dimensions of subjective well-being - pleasure, engagement and meaning.
Distinguishing between happiness and joy.
The four areas covered in the happiness course - the happy life, the successful life, the relational life and the meaningful life.
Going on a journey from what makes me happy to what makes me fulfilled.
A corporate view of happiness.
The Jewish concept of 'shalom' that brings together the idea of overall wellbeing.
For more on Andy's work and The Happiness Course see his and his wife Jill's website here.
Andy has also written a guest posts for me: We're all materialists now!
You may also find of interest
Podcast #006: Rediscovering Joy
Why I am working at becoming a happier person.
Why is joy more important than happiness?
The search for joy.
The lies we tell ourselves about joy.
Moving from disappointment to joy.
What questions, thoughts and reflections does the search for happiness raise for you?
To be human is to have conflict with other people. You cannot avoid it. Conflict can cause stress, as well as a host of other consequences, such as loss of sleep and even physical illness. But if you've had a difficult relationship, you come to realise that just ignoring it is often not the best way to handle it. So how can conflict be a means to growth and getting closer to others rather than being driven further apart? Is that even a possiblity for the difficult relationship in your own life?
On this podcast I have the privilege of talking to Linda Outka about her book, "Pebbles In My Shoe- Three Steps For Breaking Through Interpersonal Conflict."
The 4 minute video below gives a flavour of why this is such an important subject for all of us.
https://youtu.be/GUQngR4WqF0
Linda Outka is a certified coach, speaker and trainer. She has over 20 years experience in helping people resolve conflicts. She is also the founder of Breakthrough Solutions Inc, which creates a space where people can feel safe to be real and discover new insights that open doors to their potential.
Do join Linda and I as we discuss:
How relational hurts are like pebbles in our shoes How strained relationships, failed conversations and unresolved conflicts drain our energy and sabotage our success. Why trying to just ignore the conflict does not mean it necessarily will go away. The metaphor of mountain climbing as a simple model for dealing with conflict. What it means to move from basecamp (the preparation) to ascent (the conversation) and reach the summit (the gratification of a more fulfilled relationship). The importance of preparing both your heart and you mind for dealing with that difficult conversation. What is at stake by not resolving the conflict? Distinguishing between fact and story in the conflict. Or as Linda likes to say, "When someone spits on you, they don't make you mad, but they do make you wet!" How at the root of every conflict is the assumption of negative intention. But what the other person did made sense to them. Acknowledging the role I may have played in the conflict situation and why that is so important in order to move forward. Accepting it may not always be possible to satisfactorily resolve the conflict if the other person does not want to engage. How to keep defences low so as to have a productive non-blame conversation. Examples from Linda's 20 years' experience in working with a large variety of conflict situations and much more.....
For more on Linda Outka and her work see here.
You may also find of interest Podcast #022: The Stories We Tell Ourselves and the blog post Is It Really That Person's Fault They Are Irritating You So Much?
What questions, thoughts and comments does the issue of conflict raise for you?
To find out more you can also order the book from the link below.
Time. Such an important part of our lives and yet so hard to get a grasp of! We all have the same amount - 168 hours or 10,080 minutes a week or 86, 400 seconds a day. But we all struggle and wrestle with it.
On top of that time is such a strange concept to grasp. What do we exactly mean by time and why does it seem to go at such a varying pace during different periods of our life? As someone once said:
If you want to know the value of one year, just ask a student who failed a course. If you want to know the value of one month, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby. If you want to know the value of one hour, ask two lovers waiting to meet. If you want to know the value of one minute, ask the person who just missed the bus. If you want to know the value of one second, ask the person who just escaped death in a car accident. And if you want to know the value of one-hundredth of a second, ask the athlete who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Do join my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we discuss:
How do we make best use of the limited time we have? How the fundamental issue is not managing time, but handling the explosion of choices that we are constantly confronted with. The dangers of partial attention and inner restlessness when it comes to time. Thinking about energy management rather than time management The significant role of rest and recuperation for living in the knowledge worker age. Self-identity and time. A spiritual view of time that enables me to be fully engaged in the here and now while at the same time having a heart fixed on eternity.
You may also find of interest:
Is it Work-Life Balance or Integration?
Podcast #001 Wisdom
Podcast #003 Stress
Podcast #010 Stephen R. Covey
Time Management Part 1
Time Management Part 2
Time Management Part 3
What thoughts, comments and reflections does this discussion on time raise for you?
According to the futurist and philosopher Alvin Toffler, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn."
The subject of education evokes strong views from all sorts of people. It is multi-billion dollar industry.
In this podcast with my co-host Andrew Horton we give our personal reflections on education and learning.
Do join us as we discuss:
What do we actually mean by education?
How doing well at school so often has little correlation with being successful later in life.
The importance of developing much more than technical skills - there are two other attributes that can either enormously enhance your life or completely derail you.
The dangers of measuring everybody by the same standard.
How so often education systems over time can drain the creative abilities of so many people.
Developing a universal and holistic view of education.
How learning is much more than what we learn at school.
Or in a quote attributed to Mark Twain, "I never let schooling interfere with my education."
You may also find of interest:
Do You Still Believe Your Old School Report?
What Do We Mean By Education?
How Schools Kill Creativity Part 1
How Schools Kill Creativity Part 2
Over to you: What are your thoughts and reflections on the podcast and on what makes for a good education?
Everyone loves a good story. Stories are part of what make us human. But I am not talking about the novels and classics many of us love to read.
There is already a story going on in each of our minds. It is those stories that we tell ourselves about what happens to us that can have huge implications for our lives. How do those stories come from the way we see the world?
Do come and join my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we discuss:
The see-do-get model of human behaviour. How the way you see the world profoundly affects what you will do. How stories create our paradigm (or mental map) of the world. The power of changing your story by changing your paradigm. Why we resist listening to other people's stories. The part of the podcast Andrew was tempted to delete about our own personal stories (don't worry its not that scandalous!) Stories and paradigms of how to approach God and the implications in our own lives.
You may also find of interest the following related posts and podcasts:
What Is The Story You Are Telling Yourself?
Podcast #010 Stephen R. Covey
Podcast #007 Religion
In a world that is becoming increasingly volatile, unpredictable, challenging and complex, the development of grit has arguably never been more necessary. On the one hand, especially in the more prosperous parts of the world, we have never had more access to technology and labour saving devices. At the same time it is incredibly easy to become overwhelmed and exhausted by the never ending demands on our time and the things that need to be done at what seems to be greater and greater speed.
Do come and join my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we discuss on this podcast:
What grit actually is and why it is so important.
Examples of grit in the lives of people like JK Rowling, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Steve Jobs.
Dissecting grit into 5 key components.
7 simple ways to develop grit in your own life.
The Jewish carpenter and His development of grit.
You may also find of interest:
The difference grit can make to you.
Do you need more grit?
Should living in a VUCA world matter to you?
An interview with Baroness Caroline Cox, a lady of remarkable grit.
What thoughts, questions and reflections does grit raise for you?
Baroness Caroline Cox founded Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) in 2004. In the video and podcast below we find out about the inspiration behind the charity and its work in making a difference. HART seeks to reach those who are off the radar screen of the mainstream media and cannot be supported by major aid agencies.
https://youtu.be/KdzqRIWXWJQ
Do join us on the podcast as we discuss with Baroness Caroline Cox how HART was founded to fill a need to support and encourage those in desperate need and without a voice.
On the podcast we find out about:
How and why Caroline was initially inspired in the 1980s to travel by truck to Poland when it was under martial law and control by the Soviet Union. The power of ideas and the dangers of taking blank computer paper into a totalitarian state. Caroline's calling to "share the darkness" A 12 year old Polish boy's words, "I believe in the sun even when I cannot see it. I believe in love even when I cannot feel it." The literal translation of enthusiasm as 'God in us'. Making a difference with the freedom and plenty that many of us have. The sacrament of the present moment. Why Caroline has visited Nagorno Karabakh 83 times so far - a place that in 1991 was subject to ruthless ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan Caroline feeling overwhelmed after walking through destroyed churches in India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Sudan, and saying "I've done this too often." The incompleteness of the Western view of Christmas that ignores the suffering after Jesus' birth Having a world view and theology that can deal with modern Herods and contemporary evil.
Baroness Cox writes:
"During my work with the persecuted church I have met many people who are suffering for their faith and I always return from my travels humbled and inspired by their courage, faith, dignity and miracles of grace. Many stories of those living on the front lines of faith illustrate spiritual blessings such as joy, peace and love in ways which are far from depressing."
If you haven't listened to the life story of Baroness Cox do also go to Podcast #019 and find out about this extraordinary grandmother. In both these podcasts she talks openly of her own battle with depressive thinking and what she insightfully calls 'faithless fearful dread.'
You can find out more about the work of HART at their website which is linked here.
We also refer to Baroness Cox's work in challenging religiously sanctioned gender discrimination in the UK via the Equal and Free website that can be accessed here.
In summary she reminds us, "I cannot do everything, but I must not do nothing."
What thoughts and reflections does this raise for you?
Caroline Cox is a remarkable lady. 6 July 2016 is her 79th Birthday. She is mother to 2 sons and a daughter as well as grandmother to 10 children. But she is no ordinary grandmother who likes to sit at home knitting, baking cakes and watching television.
She has been accused by some of being a secret agent because of her ability to enter countries whose oppressive governments are intent on keeping her out. Her work in protecting the rights of Muslim women from oppression through Sharia courts in the UK has bizarrely also led to her being called Islamophobic.
She was created a Life Peer in 1982 for her contributions to education and has served as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords from 1985 to 2005. Lady Cox now sits in the Lords as a crossbencher and is a frequent contributor to Lords debates on Sudan, India, Nigeria, Uganda, and Burma.
In 2003 she founded the relief organisation HART. Her humanitarian aid work has taken her on many missions to conflict zones, allowing her to obtain first hand evidence of the human rights violations and humanitarian needs. Areas travelled include the Armenian enclave of Nagorno Karabakh (where she has been so far 83 times); Sudan; Nigeria; Uganda; the Karen; Karenni; Shan and Chin peoples in the jungles of Burma; and communities suffering from conflict in Indonesia. She has also visited North Korea helping to promote Parliamentary initiatives and medical programmes. Additionally Caroline has been instrumental in helping to change the former Soviet Union policies for orphaned and abandoned children from institutional to foster family care.
In recognition of her work in the international humanitarian and human rights arenas she has received a huge number of awards. She had been awarded the Commander Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland; the prestigious Wilberforce Award; the International Mother Teresa Award from the All India Christian Council; the Mkhitar Gosh Medal conferred by the President of the Republic of Armenia; and the anniversary medal presented by Lech Walesa, the former President of Poland, at the 25th anniversary of the Polish Solidarity Movement. Lady Cox has also been awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Honorary Doctorates by universities in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Russian Federation and Armenia.
Do join us on this podcast as we discuss with Baroness Cox her fascinating life:
The influence of her father , Robert McNeill Love, an internationally renown surgeon. Her life long battle with shyness, depression and what she calls 'faithless fearful dread'. Her 40 year marriage to Dr Murray Newall Cox until his death in 1997. He was a renown psychiatrist who applied insights from Shakespeare to his forensic patients. Her unexpected transition from nursing to sociology. A 5 year crucible of fire in becoming a lecturer at the Polytechnic of North London in 1972 when it was infiltrated by Marxists and Communists. The serialisation in 1975 of these experiences in 'The Times' newspaper by the journalist Bernard Levin of a book she co-authored called 'The Rape of Reason'. His description of the Polytechnic of North London at the time as "In All It's Brutality, The Making Of An Intellectual Concentration Camp." Coming to the attention of the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1982 to become a life peer in the House of Lords. The important work she is currently doing in the UK to ensure that Muslim women are not discriminated against by Sharia courts. Her remarkable journey of being a nurse and social scientist by intention and a baroness by astonishment. Where she finds the courage and passion to show grit as well as be so determined and resilient. Her message to those who look ahead to what to do in the second half of their lives. How God looks no so much to our ability, but our availability.
For more on work with the suffering of vulnerable wo...
When many people think of those who are religious, it seems to me they go to one of two extremes. Either they think of someone who is arrogant and opinionated in their beliefs (especially to those who believe or think differently) or someone who is so nebulous and abstract in their thinking about God that they appear to accept anything and everything.
On this podcast interview my co-host Andrew Horton and I attempt to go beyond these stereotypes to something we call spiritual maturity.
We discuss what does a spiritually mature person look like in the most positive sense?
Whether you are of no faith or any faith tradition, do join us in this fascinating discussion.
Here is a taster of our discussion (but to really benefit you will have to listen to the full 33 minute conversation):
We define spiritual maturity in terms of:
Who am I becoming as a person? How do I look at my weaknesses and failings? What kind of person am I like to be around others?
We also unpack the following characteristics of spiritual maturity, or as Gordon Macdonald describes them, 'deep people':
Demonstrating a consistent loyalty to Jesus: His life, His teachings, His challenges. Have a hunger to keep on growing in every aspect of their lives regardless of age. Love to inspire and lead others to grow in their personal faith. Are people you love to be with because they love life and seem to know the best ways to live it.
Gordon Macdonald describes much more than this, but we summarise with an observation from the theologian Chris Wright in his observation of the late John Stott (1921-2011), former minister of the church my family and I attend at All Souls Langham Place in London:
"There are (three) characteristics I have observed (in John Stott) that I will emulate for the rest of my life. The three are rigorous self-discipline, absolute humility, and a prayerful spirit. Perhaps the most important thing I've learned is that faithfulness to God is a combination of these three things."
A helpful practical understanding of this from Chris Goswami is how prayer concerns how I relate to God; self-discipline is about how I relate to myself and humility is about how I should relate to others.
What questions and thoughts does this discussion raise for you?
You may also find of interest the following posts:
What Does A Spiritually Mature Person Look Like?
Spiritual Maturity
Podcast #007: Religion
Discovering Silence and Solitude
Why I Struggle With Religion
Death may well be the last taboo subject in modern Western society. The comedian Woody Allen is humorously quoted as saying, "I'm not afraid of dying. I just don't want to be there when it happens!" And yet while we try to put the topic out of our minds, a clear understanding of our mortality is so important in bringing clarity to our complex and at times challenging lives. As Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, said two years before he died, "Remembering I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life."
And how true that is! The death rate the last scientists checked was 100%!
In the great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, one of the characters Yamaraja asks, "What is the most wonder-full thing in the world?" The answer he is given:
“Hundreds and thousands of living entities meet death at every moment, but a foolish living being nonetheless thinks himself deathless and does not prepare for death. This is the most wonder-full thing in this world.”
On today's podcast we have the privilege of speaking to Professor John Wyatt. John is Professor of Neonatal Paediatrics at University College, London and a Senior Research Fellow at the Faraday Institute, Cambridge University. He is married to Celia and and they have three grown-up sons.
John has written extensively on the subject of medical ethics and his latest book is entitled, "Right To Die? Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and End of Life Care."
It is an important book that sensitively explores this difficult subject with both compassion and intellectual rigour.
Do join us for this discussion where we explore:
Why dying well is something we all need to think about, even though we instinctively want to avoid the subject. How valuable is a human life, especially a life that cannot reach its full potential? Are some people's lives so painful and full of suffering that they are not worth living? We naturally assume that doctors, nurses and health professionals are caring and compassionate, and have our best interests at heart when it comes to these complex issues. Why is it not as straight forward as that? What are lessons we learn from history about assisted suicide, assisted dying, eugenics and euthanasia? Those who advocate for euthanasia and assisted dying talk less about pain reduction and more about choice and control. Why is that? Why is it important to talk about these issues not just in a theoretical way, but with tears in our eyes? How the United Kingdom is a world leader in end of life and palliative care. How contrary to popular perception, becoming dependent on others and getting old are not necessarily evil or bad things. Why, as is commonly expressed, dying suddenly in your sleep with no warning may not be the best way to die at all. How does the Bible look at suicide and suffering that reaches the point of despair? How does the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ speak to these issues? In the light of all this what does it mean to die well?
What thoughts, comments and reflections does this important subject raise for you?
They say truth is stranger than fiction. In many ways the life story of Rahil Patel illustrates that. To read about it in a novel would sound implausible, even fantastically impossible. And yet here is his life story with such surprising and unexpected twists and turns. But what has this to do with Harry Potter? You will have to keep reading and listening!
Rahil is of East African Kenyan Gujarati origin. He was brought up in North West London from the age of 5. At the age of 16 he gave a speech in a Hindu temple in London to 3,000 people that won him great acclaim. So much acclaim in fact that the head of the denomination, the Guru, who was there, encouraged him to become a Hindu priest.
And that is what Rahil became. A Hindu priest in a 200 year old denomination with 8,000 centres around the world and 1 million dedicated loyal followers. For 20 years he travelled first class around the world, clocking up 70,000 miles a year and speaking to crowds of thousands.
But at the same time there was a growing sense of inner restlessness and unease. He found himself struggling with doubts and questions. He searched through literature and devoured the Harry Potter series, unpacking for him a fantasy world of friendships and relationships that he previously never knew existed.
It was in 2016 that Rahil did meet J K Rowling and was able to tell her how her Harry Potter books were part of the journey to his spiritual awakening.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves! On this podcast I have the privilege of interviewing Rahil about his life and search for spiritual fulfilment. Do join us in this fascinating discussion that really shows how truth can be stranger than fiction.
After you have listened to the interview with Rahil you may well be interested in his book 'Found By Love' that is available below.
How does Rahil's life story speak to you?
Leadership. What is it? Why does it matter? How should it matter to you and me? And also why whoever you are and whatever you do, you owe it to yourself and the world to see yourself as a leader.
These are some of the questions my co-host Andrew Horton and I discuss on this podcast. We unravel some of the confusion around leadership. We also look at why it is not pompous or grandiose to think of yourself as a leader.
We unpack the following definitions:
"Leadership is influence. Nothing more. Nothing less." (John Maxwell).
"Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly they come to see it in themselves." (Stephen R. Covey).
Do join us as we also discuss some examples of great leadership (Lincoln, Churchill, Gandhi, the Jewish carpenter) and how service is what underpins true greatness. The greatest leaders have this paradoxical blend of personal humility alongside a ferocious resolve (a professional will).
You may also find of interest the following blog posts linked to this podcast:
Why I Am So Passionate About Leadership
Who Precisely Is A Leader?
Lincoln: How Depression Moulded A Great Leader
Did Churchill's Depression Make Him A Great War-Time Leader?
Growing In Service And Level 5 Leadership
The Art Of The Basin And Towel
What thoughts and questions does this podcast discussion on leadership raise for you?
Manoj Raithatha is a man who does not live life in small measures. He has been an English teacher, a BAFTA award winning and Emmy-nominated TV writer and a successful property entrepreneur - so successful in fact that his business at its height in 2007 was turning over £70 million a year and in 2005 he was able to buy 220 off plan appartments for £30 million. However, his life changed dramatically after the financial crisis of 2008. Also in that same year his 2 year old son became critically ill.
Manoj has written an autobiography entitled "Filthy Rich: The Property Tycoon Who Struck Real Gold."
Do join us on this podcast conversation with Manoj as we discuss his life along with the consequences that led to - the good, the bad and the ugly.
It is a story that spans generations; British, African and Asian cultures as well as radically changing world views.
We look at how financial success and spirituality have been competing areas of focus in his life. It was coming to the end of his own resources, financial, emotional and spiritual that opened him up to what really matters in life.
Manoj's publishing community at Instant Apostle is here.
A podcast and further articles on money are here.
A podcast and articles on finding true success are here.
What questions, thoughts and reflections does Manoj's life story raise for you?
"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger," so said the German philosopher Frederick Nietsche. Its a great quote, but I have to say that it is not necessarily automatic! As I have got older I have found my need for resilience has grown greater. And I am convinced that experience is not unique to me. Developing resilience in a world that is getting increasingly volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous is an important life skill for anyone anywhere at any age.
The need to master change, thrive under pressure and bounce back from setbacks is something we all need to continue to develop and grow in to handle the ever increasing complexity life can throw at us.
On this podcast do join my co-host Andrew Horton and myself as we discuss:
What do we mean by the word resilience and why do we really need it. The dangers of a lack of resilience. 8 principles that can affect your level of resiliency.
For more articles and blog posts on the subject of resilience do look here.
Andrew and I also discuss personal challenges and setbacks, as well as strategies and thinking patterns we have found helpful and unhelpful.
What have you found helpful in your own life in developing your own resilience?
2015 was the year I turned 50. On this podcast discussion with my co-host Andrew Horton we think about ageing in a world and culture that tends to celebrate youth and ignore wisdom. Having said that getting older per see is not the issue. Its not experience alone that counts, but rather evaluated experience. Or as someone has eloquently put it, "There is a world of difference between 50 years of experience and 1 year of experience repeated 50 times!"
As we explore these life lessons, we have been able to crystallise our discussion down to 6 main statements on life. Having turned 50 I very much doubt whether I would change any of these. No matter how much the world changes I believe these principles will be timeless.My purpose in sharing them is to hopefully spare you some of the pain and discomfort I experienced in not getting them earlier:
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I’ve been learning to be comfortable in my own skin and context.
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While being content with who I am, there is a place to appropriately strive and grow into all who I am called to be.
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Life only really makes sense in the context of love and friendship.
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Remember the video is playing and you are never really alone (even if it feels like it!)
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The importance of right thinking and what we say to ourselves.
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your life is a whole movie and not just a single scene.
You may also enjoy the following blog posts that build on this theme:
Life Lessons On Turning 50
3 More Life Lessons On Turning 50
What thoughts and questions do the principles and discussion raise for you?
How do we make sense of money? How much money do we actually need? Don't worry I am not trying to sell you anything!
They say money can't buy happiness - and there are many examples of that. But are there ways money can actually buy happiness?
In this podcast with my co-host Andrew Horton we explore the fascinating and complex subject of money. I'm afraid I don't think we can solve your money worries and problems, but we do explore ways that our attitude to money can lead to a healthy and lasting happiness in our lives.
Do join us as we discuss 5 ways that money can buy happiness:
By buying experiences rather than things. (Those experiences need to fulfil 4 specific criteria). By creating treats for yourself. Those treats should specifically be linked to something. By using money to buy time. We say time is money, but how can our thinking about money and time help us? By paying first and consuming later. Neurologically there is a particular pleasure and reward centre in your brain that is activated when this happens. By investing in others in 3 specific ways.
We also look at how surprisingly money and our attitude to it is actually a spiritual subject.
The link to the podcast is below.
You may also be interested in the following blog posts this podcast is linked to:
How Much Money Do You Actually Need?
3 Ways That Money Can Buy Happiness
2 Further Ways That Money Can Buy Happiness
The Surprising Connection Between God, Money and Happiness
Making Sense of God, Money and Happiness
What questions and comments does the subject of money and happiness raise for you?
Stephen Richards Covey (24 October 1932 - 16 July 2012) was an American educator, author, business man and keynote speaker. His most popular book was "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" that sold 25 million copies and was translated into 28 languages. His Covey Leadership Centre has 3/4 of Fortune 500 companies as clients.
The 5 minute video below gives a small glimpse of his wisdom, personality and genuine warmth: ›‹›
https://youtu.be/YjxpyaOX3dE
On this podcast I have the privilege of interviewing Stephen Hutchins Covey the 4th grandchild of this remarkable man's 52 grandchildren.
I was introduced to Stephen R. Covey's 7 Habits book in 1995. I was immediately gripped by its depth and breadth of wisdom and insight. it has had a profound influence on my own thinking, life and choices to this day.
Do join us as we pay tribute to and celebrate the legacy of a truly remarkable man who has positively inspired and influenced literally millions of people around the world. If you have not heard of him before then we we hope this can be of great encouragement to you in your own life journey.
We discuss:
His impact on our own lives The essence and message of the Seven Habits book How the opening paragraph of page 309 powerfully influenced me personally. Insights into the man himself behind the public persona. Something of the legacy he has left to the world
Here is how The Economist magazine of 21 July 2012 remembered him at the end of a full page article about his life:
Work second, family first "Perhaps Mr Covey's most appealing principle was that people should balance life and work. A father of nine and grandfather of fifty-two, he reserved one distraction-free weekday evening to bond with his family. He wrote a book on "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families," which urged them to set mission statements and hold regular meetings to discuss progress. Really. He hated the idea of retirement, He worked until the end, which came after he fell off his bicycle at the age of 79. He was writing several books, including one on how to reduce crime, which will be published posthumously. He will be remembered as a man who as, Schumpter once put it: Tried to rescue the notion of 'character' from both the simple minded purveyors of self-help (who imply that you can change your character as easily as your underpants) and the social service establishment (which ignores questions of character by blaming everything on 'the system'). He died peacefully, surrounded by his family."
The Covey Leadership Centre is now a part of the Franklin Covey organisation. Details of that can be found here.
Stephen Hutchins Covey works with the SMCOV organisation whose details are here.
Please do feel free to add your own thoughts, comments and reflections.
On this podcast we have the privilege of interviewing Simon Prince about the subject of mindset . Simon is a director of MDN Fusion based in New Delhi, India.
MDN Fusion is a global leadership development and assessment consultancy that seeks to develop people to their full potential through a combination of coaching and training. They have offices in the UK and India.
Do join us on this podcast as we discuss:
Why technical education is not enough to grow as a fully developed leader. What mindset is and why it is so essential in a complex and challenging world. 3 ways people naturally react to challenges. 3 alternative ways that the highly successful think.
For more details on MDN Fusion and the World Class Leader Programme see here.
You may also find of interest the following posts related to the podcast:
What do we mean by education?
Do you still believe your old school report?
Do schools kill creativity? (Along with a fascinating TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson, an advisor to governments on education about the limitations of much formalised learning).
For more details on the Stockdale Paradox that is discussed on the podcast see Could This Be The Real James Bond?
Should Living In A VUCA world matter to you?
Lessons On Life From Steve Jobs
A video on the life of Nick Vujicic
The power of the human brain at What Is The Most Complex Object In The Universe?
For more on the importance of character see What Are The Ingredients For Lasting Success In Your Life And Career? Part 1 and Part 2
Do feel free to add your thoughts and comments about mindset.
In the Khan Market area of Delhi is a thriving and busy bookshop called Bahrisons. It has been running since 1953 and is now based in the most expensive retail location in India (and in the top 30 for the world). But it has certainly not always been like that.
On this podcast I have the privilege of interviewing Anuj Bahari (pictured above) about his father Balraj Bahari Malhotra and the story behind the bookshop. Its a story that goes all the way back to the partition of India in 1947. It's also a story about the importance of relationships of trust, entrepreneurship and calculated risk taking.
Do join us as we discuss the story behind the bookshop and life lessons in handling the challenges of starting and maintaining a business in a city that has evolved and changed dramatically over the last 70 years.
The following is a quote from the book, "Bahrisons: Chronicle of a Bookshop" by Anuj Bahri and Debbie Smith that traces Balraj Bahri's journey. Writing about 1947 and the partition of India:
"Within 24 hours the fate of millions had altered and there was no way back. Friends, those we thought of as brothers, life long neighbours refused to look us in the eyes and ask us to stay and live together as we had always done.
I was not a bookseller then, just a young man of 19 who had thoughts of doing something a little different with my life, if only in a small way. I wanted to try something other than working the land or going into service, the traditional occupations of my family in the past. An engineer perhaps or a school teacher, but the owner of a successful bookshop in an alien city - not in my wildest dreams."
The story reminds me of a quote from Thoreau that describes in a mysterious way how Providence can work in someone's life:
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will pass an invisible boundary; new universal and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; and he will live within the licence of a higher order of beings."
You may also find of interest:
Podcast #005 Delhi. Capital: A Portrait of 21st century Delhi
Do you work to live or live to work?
7 Lessons from a passport.
4 simple questions to ask yourself to develop confidence.
Religious thinking. What exactly is it? Is it something we need more of or less of in our world? It often comes as a surprise when I say that I struggle with religious thinking. A clue is in the bell-shaped curve below:
Do come and join the podcast discussion with my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we discuss:
What do we exactly mean by religious thinking? The problem that this creates some semi-humourous examples that illustrate this. religious thinking and mental health The alternative to religious thinking The implications for how we should then live.
If you would like to explore this subject further please also see the following blog posts:
Why I struggle with religion
What is so good about Good Friday?
Is this the best news you have ever heard?
4 personal implications of the resurrection.
Do add your comments, thoughts and ideas on this provocative subject.
Joy. Its a great subject, but why is it important and so fundamental to your life and my life? In this podcast we try to make sense of joy and distinguish it from happiness.
Do join my cohost Andrew Horton and myself as we discuss the following:
How as a psychiatrist practically all my training has been on the negative rather than the positive in life. The dangers of the "if only....." mindset Why personal circumstances only account for 10% of your overall level of happiness. The importance of training yourself to be a happier person The difference between happiness and joy Joy as "an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. Anyone who has experienced it will want it again.” The hunger for joy as a desire for spiritual experience. Naive primary strategies for joy such as do your duty, follow your dream or be successful. Secondary precarious strategies for joy such as switching track, being busier and cynicism. What the hunger for joy points to.
If you want to understand this subject more then please look at the following blog post:
Why I am working at becoming a happier person.
Why is joy more important than happiness?
The search for joy.
The lies we tell ourselves about joy.
Moving from disappointment to joy.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please do comment below.
I have been travelling to Delhi on a regular basis since I was a child. In the last 25 years or so I have gone almost yearly, sometimes even more often. During that time I have personally seen the city go through enormous transformation, some of it welcome but a lot of it disturbing. It was for these reasons I was fascinated when the book "Capital: A Portrait of 21st Century Delhi" was released in 2014. The 5 minute video below gives a glimpse of the book with the author Rana Dasgupta.
https://youtu.be/UKDfKJ44szk
In this podcast I have the privilege of interviewing Rana about his book and the changes that Delhi has experienced and is continuing to go through.
Rana is a globally acclaimed author:
"Rana Dasgupta is the most unexpected and original Indian writer of his generation." (Salman Rushdie)
"An astonishing tour de force by a major writer at the peak of his powers." (William Dalrymple)
"Lyrical and haunting." (International New York Times)
What is unique about the book is how Rana weaves together the history of Delhi with conversations with such a variety of people. In many ways it is quite a bleak book showing how greed and rampant materialism is tearing away at the heart of society. But it is a story that needs to be told, not least because, as Rana assets, 'Delhi is a prophecy of the world we may well find ourselves living in the coming years'.
Do join us as we discuss:
Rana's Asian-British- American identity. How Delhi for centuries, from the time of the Moguls, has been discarding its past and continually keeps moving on. The exponential acceleration of change since the liberalisation of the economy in 1991. How the title of the book refers both to the political status of the city it chronicles and to the avalanche of money changing its character. The rise of decadence, drug abuse, sexual licentiousness, marital breakdown and the impact on the extended family system
The 2015 edition the book has been renamed "Capital: The Eruption of Delhi".
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the book are those of the author. Also the language and stories used in parts of the book some may find disturbing and offensive.
You also might be interested in:
The Power of Connecting with Your Past (for a lighter feel-good video and discussion of the impact of globalisation in India and Pakistan)
A Long Way Home (how technology re-united a family)
The Power of Human Connection
Joanna Swinney is a remarkable young lady. She is a writer, speaker and editor. She is married to Shawn, an associate vicar and is the mother of two young girls.
She also has a life-long battle with depression.
Jo is author of the book "Through The Dark Woods: A Young Woman's Journey Out of Depression."
On this podcast I interview Jo about her life and the lessons she has learnt and is learning about the dreaded D word.
Jo is refreshingly frank and honest about her life. Quoting from James Jones (previously Bishop of Liverpool 1998-2013) in the foreword to the book:
"Jo is fun, she's serious, she's open yet protective of her own identity, she's an adventurer but doesn't forget where the safe places are, like a strong swimmer always with an eye on the beach. She writes engagingly and takes you to places that are familiar to every human being. Herein lies the importance of her story. Depressive feelings, as well as moments of elation, are the emotions of being alive and form the experience of us all, and clinical depression affects one in five of us. All of us will in our lifetime either experience depression or be intimately affected by someone who is depressed. This honest testimony of a young woman will help you identify and name these episodes and to know with a little more wisdom how to be and what to do when they happen."
So do come and join us as we explore some answers on to how to combat depression in our lives. We are looking at:
What depression can personally feel like
The importance of the right support and relationships
The tragedy of suicide
Specific survival ideas and tips that really do make a difference
A spiritual perspective to depression
For all this and much more do listen to the podcast!
Also it would be great if you felt able to rate the programme on iTunes as well as pass it on to those who you think would benefit from listening.
If you would like to understand this subject more, please see the following previous blog posts:
Is the rate of depression actually increasing or not?
Lincoln: How depression moulded a great leader
Did Churchill's depression make him a great war-time leader?
Facing up to depression
Why I am working on becoming a happier person
9 Reasons why you could be feeling down. Particularly #4
Could your lifestyle be what is getting you down?
What are the forms of Major Depressive Disorder?
Rick Warren and the secret anguish of Major Depressive Disorder
Why has there been a 400% increase in the prescribing of antidepressants?
I had a black dog
The search for joy
The transcript of the podcast is here..
You can order Jo's book below. Her website is here.
Stressed out? Exhausted? Overwhelmed? You are certainly not alone in feeling like that at times. No matter where you go or who you talk to the subject of feeling stressed will often quickly come up.
Do come and join my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we explore some answers on to how to cope with stress in our lives. We are looking at:
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How the word stress itself is both a confusing and ambiguous term.
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Some myths or lies we tell ourselves when it comes to stress
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5 factors that can help us cope better with stress in our lives.
For all this and much more do listen to the podcast!
The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Also it would be great if you felt able to rate the programme on iTunes as well as pass it on to those who you think would benefit from listening.
If you would like to understand this subject more, please see the following previous blog posts:
How Do I Cope With Stress In My Life Part 1
How Do I Cope With Stress In My Life Part 2
How Do I Cope With Stress In My Life Part 3
How Do I Cope With Stress In My Life Part 4
How Do I Cope With Stress In My Life Part 5
Success! We are all looking for it in some way or other. How do we make sense of success in an increasingly challenging and complex world?
Do come and join my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we explore:
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cultural ideas of success
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linking success to excellence and fulfilment
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why success is first an inside job
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distinguishing between process and outcome goals
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timeless measures of success
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success as "having those who know me the best, love and respect me the most, and finishing well."
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how my friend Bunty's sudden death in 2014 has affected my understanding of success.
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the top 5 regrets of the dying
For all this and much more do listen to the podcast!
The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Also it would be great if you felt able to rate the programme on iTunes as well as pass it on to those who you think would benefit from listening.
If you would like to understand this subject more, please see the following previous blog posts:
How Would You Define Success? Part 1
How Would You Define Success? Part 2
How Would You Define Success? Part 3
What Are The Ingredients For Lasting Success In Your Life And Career? Part 1
What Are The Ingredients For lasting Success In Your Life And Career? Part 2
The word wisdom appears not to be used that much in our modern 21st century world. Don't let that fool you.
As we find ourselves surrounded by exponentially increasing choice and change, the need for wisdom has never been greater.
Wherever you go and wherever you look we need wisdom. Be that on a personal level or with our family and friends or at work, we all need wisdom. Societies and governments need wisdom.
In this episode my co-host Andrew Horton and I explore answers to the following questions:
What do we mean by the word wisdom and what can we practically do to make ourselves wiser?
How does information overload make wisdom harder to find?
What is the relationship between emotional intelligence and wisdom?
What are the 4 components of emotional intelligence?
What are some 3,000 year old tweets of wisdom?
How can the fear of God have anything to do with wisdom?
How can boldness and humility co-exist?
For all this and much more do listen to the podcast!
The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Also it would be great if you felt able to rate the programme on iTunes as well as pass it on to those who you think would benefit from listening.
If you would like to understand this subject more, please see the following previous blog posts:
Wisdom and Emotional Intelligence Part 1 and Part 2
Wisdom, emotional intelligence and an appropriate godly fear
Wonder-filled bold humility Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
What questions and thoughts does this discussion on wisdom raise in your mind?
Its been quite some time in preparation, but finally we are launching the podcast that goes with this blog!
I very much hope it will widen and deepen the conversations and connection with you the reader.
We are expanding on the theme of Making Sense of Life in A Challenging and Complex World.
We have called this episode zero. Do listen to hear me being interviewed by my co-host Andrew Horton on the thinking and philosophy behind the website along with what we plan to bring you.
Specific questions in this episode that we explore include:
The difference between depression and general unhappiness in life. Why is the latter so much on the rise and what can we do to protect ourselves?
The importance of life long learning.
3 keys to living a truly healthy life both inwardly and outwardly.
Is there enough hope in the world today and what can we do about that?
What does it mean to be compassionate towards oneself?
Why is this both the best and worst time to be alive?
The transcript of this episode is available here.
Also it would be great if you felt able to rate the programme on iTunes as well as pass it on to those who you think would benefit from listening.
Thank you for joining me on this journey of making sense of life in what is an increasingly challenging and complex world!