All That Matters: Recent Episodes
Jan Goldstein
Challenged by the rollercoaster world, at times, out of balance, each of us could use a story that lifts us up by reframing pain, problems, and lack of potential, and leading us to the uplift we deserve. I'm sharing brief yet remarkable stories from my life and that of others that allow us to see things just a little differently, and that can make all the difference. This podcast delivers 8-15 minute shots of affirmation that will go straight to the heart.
If we feel we are hearing "NO" from the universe, we just haven't found the question that gets us to that powerful "YES!"
Join me for life stories that connect us to the good stuff. We could all use more of that!
At times, incredible true-lifestories can transform the way we look at ordinary events. Also, extraordianry ones.
Jan shares the true story of an incredible WW 2 British mansion that served one purpose upstairs and quite another down below, all in the name of winning a war.
ALL THAT MATTERS has been chosen one of the *Top One Hundred Life-story podcasts by Millionpodcasts.com, a podcast-first media database that replaces generic PR databases with podcast-specific contact and audience data.
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Jan retells the true personal story of a group of school kids challenging the moral integrity and leadership of a large American city, and the only remarkable historical figure who showed up to see it.
A story to lift us all!
BIG NEWS: All That Matters has been selected as one of MillionPodcasts Top 100 Life Stories!*
https://www.millionpodcasts.com/life-stories-podcasts/
Discover the myth of the little people of Kauai and what they can teach us about liberating ourselves and unleashing our greatest lives.
Jan shares the incredible true story of Team Hoyt and how two legs and a wheelchair taught the world about love, life, and our ability to succeed!
Sometimes we can find ourselves in a world of negativity. IT is time to claim our YES.
Jan shares with you the personal story of Debra Constance, the miracle of life she created in a gang-filled LA neighborhood, and how new CEO, Norayma Cabot, helps continue that dream of making a difference in children's lives, passing on the ability to each claim their own YES.
Sometimes we are caught up in our light and ability to shine, and we forget to make room for others. Jan shares the teaching of TzimTzum, of retracting light, that fulfills the purpose of allowing others to be seen. And in doing so, making all the difference for those we love.
We often feel incomplete, as if something in us is missing. It can be true of others in our circle.
Jan speaks of a chance encounter he had with the great late playwright August Wilson as well as two monologues, one from Wilson, the other from Tony Kushner, that speak to what might be missing and the power of recovering it.
Part of life is love, and part of it is loss. Grief is a process we all encounter, a loss of the physical presence of a loved one due to death, dementia, the end of a relationship, or to an illness that has stripped away health.
Jan shares his own losses and imparts the wisdom of poet Mary Oliver on how to find the gift in grief and a pathway to hope.
This week, Jan is on Nantucket, that island thirty miles out to sea off the coast of Massachusetts.
One of his fondest memories from years back on another visit to the island is his chance encounter with one of the greatest film composers of all time, John Williams; a heart-touching connection that was both personal and truly inspiring. Enjoy!
Sometimes we're driving away, hit a direction signal, and forget to turn it off. Maybe it's not a mistake.
Jan reminds us that at times, we are being reminded to change direction. How? If we pay attention, music, laughter, and the people around us can often provide a much-needed answer.
Just as there are guidelines in our daily lives for school, business, or sports, there can be rules that deepen our souls. Jan shares the true story of a tavern older than America and how its archaic list of regulations gave birth to ways we can each heighten our lives and tap into its blessings.
The Jewish holiday of Shavuot celebrates the first fruits of springtime. Jan shares three poems that open us to the gifts nature gives us, and how we each can find human gifts in our everyday lives, there for the picking.
AI is increasingly being used to mediate loneliness nationally. Jan points out that recent studies clearly show nothing can replace the physical and mental benefits of human interaction. And each of us can do one simple thing this week to feel the power of those benefits and claim the good stuff we each deserve.
From our 80th episode:
Jan introduces you to a priest who one day taught Jan and a group of students a powerful truth on the steps of a Los Angeles cathedral. It made all the difference in the world back then, and has a powerful lesson for each of us today.
During our lives, advice can mean different things depending on where we are in the moment.
Jan shares several pieces of advice others have passed along that can help us bring more light into our lives and the lives of others. If only we are open enough to listen....
Sometimes people do something, sacrifice something, that inspires and elevates us with their humanity.
Jan shares a recent event at the Boston Marathon that uplifts the soul and inspires the heart.
How we greet each day may tell us something about how we might live the rest of it, or...is it the opposite?
Jan shares the personal story of how his children greeted each day when they were babies, and how that turned into a gift that keeps on giving.
IT's National Poetry Month. That is cause for celebration. Poetry can tune us into the simple, profound mysteries and joys we may oftentimes miss.
Jan shares three poems and the personal story of one of the poets, who teaches us how to honor this one precious life we have been given.
Mary Oliver famously asks, " Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life."
Jan explores what is most precious in our lives:
the people, the work, the ideas-- asking--how do we honor them?
Adolescents often seek their place in the world and where to fit in. Adults do, too.
Jan shares a personal story of a single mom and her teenager and their struggle to fit in. He asks us all to flip the question-- not, how can we fit in, but how can we take what is unique about ourselves and make the world more fit?
In the darkest of times, we must turn on the light.
Jan shares findings from the 2026 World Happiness Report, suggesting where in the world people say they are happiest, and why?
"Write what should not be forgotten," says Isabel Allende.
Jan shares his experience working on his new novel and how writing can be a metaphor for living in full our most precious lives.
The Yiddish language shares much wit and wisdom, including how, in some ways, we are all connected: reminding us, "Di gantse velt iz eyn shtot." (The whole world is one town.)"
Jan shares some insights of a language once spoken by close to 13 million Jews before the HOLOCAUST, sayings from which we can still learn.
Learning little known facts about the universe around us can actually help us discover new facets of ourselves.
Doing that, we get to see a bit more of how wonderful a world we can be.
The luminescence of nature's dancing aurora borealis can be manifested in our own lives, if, as Dickinson says, we "dwell in possibility."
There are people we come across, some often, some not, who make human connection an unexpected gift.
Jan shares the story of a wondrous woman and an everyday diner who serves up a positive spin on the mundane, turning it into magic to live by.
On the passing this week of my father-in-law, Matthew Solomon, I return to my first book, Life Can Be This Good, and the exit interview I imagine could take place when we transition from this life. One that tests our AQ-our awareness quotient of the gifts the universe is sending us each and every day.
Matt's was through the roof!
I, and many countless individuals, mourn the passing this week of an inspirational friend, teacher, prosecutor, and seeker of justice, Darren Levine. Here is my tribute to him, and a reminder to treasure those who help model for you a life of meaning and mindfulness, love, and light.
He was, and is, a blessing.
Recently actor Noah Wyle discussed the power of John O'Donahue's Book of Blessings in writing for the hit TV show, The Pitt. He says the verses help tune health workers towards finding strength and small miracles each day.
Jan shares several examples from the poet to help each of us find clarity of light, and uncover the small miracles waiting for us each and every day.
Often to get at what is really going on in our lives, we have to find clarity as to the central conflict with which we are dealing.
Jan shares the true story of how the landmark musical Fiddler On The Roof found its opening song, by finding what the conflict of the story was really all about, "Tradition," and through it, fashioned a musical for the ages.
The news of the world can sometime deaden the spirit. Time to bring ourselves into the sweet darkness, to choose that which brings us alive. Jan shares two poems that do just that, reminding us that boundaries can sometimes be opportunities for self-expansion, and can serve our own souls.
There is good in each of us; values to live by and love by. How do we serve it, find it, tap it for direction that brings optimism and opportunity?
Jan shares 5 power prompts from his book, Sacred Wounds, hailed by Deepak Chopra: "Jan Goldstein helps tune our hearts to the miracles that exist all around us."
Many cultures have created circles of stone that we marvel at, wondering their purpose.
To conclude 2025, Jan shares the story of a personal stone circle, reminding us of the permanence of memories and what matters most in our lives.
Why do some race toward danger in moments of crisis? Recent events underscore the very human reaction to choose "we" over "me."
Jan shares the true story of a hero on Bondi Beach during a recent terror attack against the Jewish community, and how a Moslem helped stand up for them and for humanity, and, in doing so, helped kindle more light.
Each one of us has the ability to discover the positive nuggets inside painful and negative experiences.
Jan shares the true story of his encounter with the late writer, activist, and playwright, Elie Weisel, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and the tears they shared when art turned to palpable hope right there backstage.
Essential to living a life that can be good for us, we must find our way to hope. Studies show that optimism and hope generate healthier, more purposeful lives.
Jan shares the gift of uncovering the hero within each of us.
Up in the air with a missing wheel. Life on the line. And a stranger steps in and helps rescue you.
Jan shares the true story of Taylor Hash and Chris Yates and reveals how each of us both need guardian angels at moments in life, and, maybe more importantly, we can each be one! Enjoy this reprise!
What is a quote other than two that has stayed with you throughout life? What motivates you? Jan shares a handful of quotes that can help retune us to the power in each of us to shape and live our lives.
Each of us has experiences that shape the way we see ourselves and the role we want to play in life.
Jan shares the story of a welding genius, Richard Hunt, whose art has taught the world what freedom can look like when you fashion with your hands the visions of your heart.
We each have someone we know, maybe even went to school with, or perhaps closer to home, who blame themselves for problems they didn't create but lead them to spiral.
Jan shares the true story of a friend who grappled with the same issue and found a way, before it was too late, to let go of that negative energy, save his own life, and claim a future he hadn't dreamed of.
So can we all.
The pain we endure in life can be used to help illuminate a deeper ability to succeed. To do so, we must 'drain the profane' of that wound, the negative energy, to uncover the light.
As Jan shares in the story of his own divorce and the death of his father in the same week, we are then able to find the miracles inside of us that help us heal and encourage us to grow.
IN a reprise, Jan introduces you to the story of Snowflake Bentley who taught us no two snowfall crystals were alike, each original, just like each of us.
Asked as a teen to write the theme song for the local PBS production on Bentley's life, he discovers the inspiring creativity found in nature that definitely leads to more of the good stuff of life.
We need people who can lift us and remind us to believe in ourselves.
In a reprise ATM, Jan shares the story of the day he was contacted by one of the giants of music and creativity, a call that helped shape his life.
Our positivity podcast takes us on a visit to a zen koan, a mini-teaching, at first bewildering until Jan leads us through an understanding that can help us claim the present and the wisdom of wounds we've suffered along the way.
Jan shares the dying words of a "wealthy but poor" man who urged him to share this brief profound lesson he'd learned too late.
Trees can inspire us. Especially the redwood that teaches us about support and interconnection.
Jan shares a bit of the tree magic that can remind each of us how best to grow and thrive and begin again!
Living life means opening ourselves to the wounds that come with it. Jan shares the story of a Japanese artist whose approach to his art carries lessons for how to live life with everything we have.
What does it mean to pull us out of the life cycles that deaden us and into the light that illuminates and warms us?
Jan shares the words of John O'Donahue, a Catholic priest who chose to leave the activity ministry to follow his creative heart in pursuing writing, poetry, and philosophy, falling in love with the natural world and lifting our souls in the process.
When the world's news is filled with ancient hatred and violence towards persons of differing ideologies, we are in need of balancing it all in small, uplifting ways. Jan looks at some unusual facts about nature and life that can help refocus and reconnect us to the wit, wisdom and whimsy of the world in which we live.
Having been wounded in life, one can be broken open in ways that make life deeper. Hidden in these recesses are gifts of light to help us and those with whom we interact. Jan shares his own wounds of wonder that left him weeping on a lake in Scotland and filled him with an understanding that has helped him live a life richer and deeper because of life's pain.
Some of us in life are broken by suffering and loss. Some are broken open, allowing light and healing in.
Jan shares the true story of Yvette, a nun he met as a teen, who not only became a good friend but taught him and others how one might use their life's journey and hardships to rediscover purpose and the most important lessons of love.
Life is filled with the call of adventure. It can lift us to new heights, spiritually and physically.
Jan shares the story of explorer Jacques Cousteau who explored the seas of the world and the personal connection by way of his brother Mark who once crewed for the renowned ocean explorer.
Sometimes we need a little help when the fire of meaning and purpose burn low within us. Jan shares the gifts three poems give us and how they help us resource ourselves to reignite the spark of living.
Jan shares a recent study on global well-being and explores the ways we might raise the level of our well-being through connecting to our values and clarifying our sense of purpose.
In short: walking our talk.
Sometimes it's the wounds we suffer in life that lead us to the greatest enlightenment.
Jan shares a personal story of a loss he suffered, and the weathered rocky perch on the Atlantic that taught him about the power of his own heart.
Life is often governed by questions we put to ourselves: What's in it for me? What's the worst than could happen? Who's it going to hurt?
Jan shares the personal story of a stranger who called him to his death bed to pass on a life lesson of positivity that the man had learned from a life of manipulation, hoping to help others before it was too late.
rRemembering is a privilege and a duty that can elevate our lives. Jan shares a recent visit to Omaha Beach, meeting ghosts of D-Day and discovering the rich gifts of the spirit.
Celebrating the Small Wins is essential in finding the good stuff in life. Jan shares his personal sense of triumph at the 250 episodes recorded for this podcast (and counting) as together we celebrate all that matters!
A world without words would be a poet's nightmare. Jan introduces you to poet m. nourbeSe Phillip, a Canadian poet who challenges us to imagine what we are without life's gifts and, in so doing, helping us to find all that we can be when we realize what we do have.
At times life sends you a NO that we can either accept or turn into an even more powerful YES!
Jan shares a recent meeting with a vivacious young woman, Ella, who did just that and, together with her wonderful partner, Florent, has fashioned an uplifting coffee shop in Paris serving terrific cups and a joyous dose of joie de vivre.
Jan celebrates our roots, the meaning of childhood experiences, and the way your own story can propel your imagination.
Retelling a story of his dad and late brother, Mark, Jan celebrates the incomparable love and gifts that they gave him, and calls on all of us to cherish the possibility of discovering light in the darkness.
Sometimes it is the wisdom of our wounds in life that provides us with a new lens on how to deepen our purpose and passion in living.
Jan shares the parable of the miller and the farmer, and the power of paying it forward.
Sometimes forgiveness can be found in the most unpredictable of place and one is transformed.
Jan shares the incandescent moment when he was wrapped in the wings of an angel, bridging years of injustice.
Many of us witness injustice in the world. Our pain can be real.How do we honor it?
Jan shares his personal encounter with the world famous Nazi hunter, Simon Wiesenthal, when he interviewed him in Vienna years ago and how he taught him it's possible for each of us to bring a bit more justice into the world by 'being the light.'
It's the little things sometimes. Small, seemingly pieces of trivia, that allow us to understand and see things in a richer way.
Jan shares several odd and fascinating facts we might never know about the world, along with a true story of how, with a scratch of a pen, a last minute change of name altered the course of history.
Life brings with it grief and loss that lead us to deepening our purpose and love.
Jan shares the story of a hit musical recently featured on PBS in a new London production that reminds us how essential feeling "all the feels" of life can be to our health and to our hope.
Jan shares with us a recent visit to a dying woman and his interaction with her daughter and how, together, they discovered the best gift each of us has to give another at all times.
Witty, incandescent art that shakes the way you look at the world, that was the gift of composer, theatre artist, William Finn who died recently. Never heard of him? You have now.
Jan celebrates the ways Finn's music and truth lifted his spirit and helped him reframe family, life, and love.
Our days can become so hectic and tension-filled, we need a shot of positivity.
Besides this podcast, Jan shares suggestions from a variety of artists, designers, and writers, small ways we can each find an oasis of uplift in our daily lives.
At times we wrestle with darkness and despair. After all, it's part of life.
Jan shares a personal story of a dying woman with whom he recently spent time and how she found balance and light in the lives she has touched, a hope and positivity expressed in poems he highlights on this week's podcast.
How do we use this element by which we measure life-Time? How we do brings meaning and purpose to our lives.
Jan shares the precious advice his father gave him at the end of his life--a gift of love.
Those with autism can feel pressure differently than others.
Jan shares the true story of two players on TV's reality show SURVIVOR, and how one person taking action to help regulate another can inspire all of us to reach beyond ourselves to help make the world more whole, bringing the healing of the human touch.
Every year several world organizations study the data to find where in the world people are the happiest and why?
Jan shares the newly released latest findings and shows just how poisonous negativity can be and how powerful positivity is in changing the quality of our lives right now, today.
Recently, Monty the Giant Schnauzer won Best In Show at Westminster, the world's most renowned Dog Show. But did you know he could teach you Torah?
Jan shares how one dog can inspire us to be the best version of ourselves!
Each of us wants to discover even more of the good stuff life offers. That good stuff often comes with empowerment born of wisdom gleaned from sacred wounds.
Jan shares the ultimate question posed by Abraham Joshua Heschel, one that helps us see the invisible gifts right in front of us.
This past week the oldest known survivor of the Holocaust died. She was 113 years old.
Jan shares the true story of Rose Girone. Her example of incredible, awe-inspiring fearless living, in the wake of the worst evil mankind can produce, is a gift and inspiration to us all.
How do we find our way when life sends struggle our way? Is there a gift we might find, if we can drain the pain?
Jan shares the true story of a young girl who bravely shared her own gift born of illness and challenge and transformed her pain into a 'sacred wound.'
When we take the time to learn the rest of someone's story, it can make all the difference.
Jan shares his childhood memory of broadcaster Paul Harvey and his story of a young man whose encounter with another musician would help the young boy go on to impact the music of the world.
Tuning out the chaos and madness of our daily lives, we find a tuning fork in poetry. Jan shares how his poet mother set him on a journey blessed with poems. With the words of poet David Whyte, he invites the listener to find the way back to our truest selves and the house of our own belonging.
With fear and rage all around is in social media and news headlines, Jan urges us to reframe our daily lives by asking a simple question: what's good about today? He provides a few keys as to how to find the good stuff and reminds us of key advice from Anne Frank, the Dalai Lama, and Audrey Hepburn.
How to find hope? Remembrance is a powerful tool. Jan shares the story of the creation of International Holocaust Remembrance Day taking place this week the world over, and how the children of Terezin help us remember darkness as a pathway to light.
"Hope is like peace. It is not a gift from God. It is a gift only we can give one another."
Elie Wiesel
In a time of division and the changing of the guard in America, Jan is reminded of a brilliant poem Amanda Gorman wrote for Joe Biden's inauguration four years ago. The words are more powerful tan ever, challenging us to be brave enough to uncover the light in ourselves so needed in difficult times, in our own lives, in that of a country, and of the world.
Are we brave enough to be it?
The devastation of this past week's Southern California wildfires reminds us of the fragility of life. It calls on us to resilience through our compassion and deeds. Jan shares the words of poet Marge Piercy and the power of connectivity and community as a pathway to hope.
Dickinson tells us that,"Hope is a thing with feathers..." As we begin a new year we get to allow this soft bird of hope to take flight within us. How will it manifest? Jan shares a poet's view of new beginnings for 2025.
Louis Armstrong was a true American jazz hero and ambassador of how wonderful life could be. He experienced his share of racism and saw firsthand the inhumanity of antisemitism as well.
Jan shares the personal story of Satchmo's Jewish connection and his choice to wear a Star of David around his neck throughout life.
Did you ever wonder what or who inspired that hit song?
Jan shares the true background behind several popular songs, considering how they grew out of relationships, as well as their aspiration to change. Each one of us is capable of rebuilding ourselves piece by piece, as we end one year and begin another.
Many can feel weighted by pressures, ills, and life's struggles, especially in the darkest time of the year. It is no coincidence that Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa take place at this time with their messages of light.
Jan shares the "rest of the story" of a man, William Ernest Henley who, though ill and struggling much of his life, created a poem of empowerment that has inspired the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson, Nelson Mandela and generations after.
The movie musical has exploded on the scene with its message of how we treat the "other" in society and yet how friends can change us "for good." Jan celebrates the vision of Stephen Schwartz to turn the book into musical before a film, and how each of us can find ourselves, our better selves, in the eyes of a friend.
Four years ago in the midst of the pandemic, Jan started this podcast to share stories that reframe the way we live and look at life. It was a call for positivity in a sea of worries. This is that first podcast, a brief tale of the need to open our eyes and hearts in order to recognize the gifts that are all around us.
Jan's voice has changed ever so slightly, as we all do. But the truth of the tale he shares, remains. Enjoy!
Certain individuals meet the moment and transform a game, an art, a life. We ignore the detractors and focus on the gift of such an athlete to inspire countless individuals, especially young girls.
Jan shares how CC ignited his interest in women's basketball and a celebration of equal opportunity whose reality is as inevitable as this young woman's logo three-pointer.
There are moments following a loss where purpose dwindles and the future seems hazy. Some speak of it after a death, others after an election or a divorce or a heartbreak.
Jan shares the story of a woman who experienced the worst of humanity's evil and personal loss. Impossibly, she was the brightest spirit he ever encountered.
She taught him: "Don't die before you're dead."
Sometimes we need to exhale an old version of ourselves and inhale a new "me."
Jan shares the story of Pharrell Williams meeting singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers in a classroom on music and the unique philosophy of creativity he espouses to the class that makes us all unique.
Robert Frost's poem Nothing Gold Can Stay challenges us to consider what is permanent and what is not in life.
Jan shares his recent personal experience with the new musical The Outsiders on Broadway and how a character's dying words quoting Frost illuminate the ongoing power of finding what truly matters.
Jan shares how his life intersected twice with the Nobel Peace Prize Recipient/noted author, Elie Wiesel, and the lesson Wiesel taught that can inspire each of us to live life as it could be.
The world is in dire need of stories that show how some people have met war and devastation with hope. The folding of origami cranes is said to bring the granting of a wish, for life, for recovery. Jan shares the story of a little girl named Sadako and a lesson of love and art to lift us all.
It is the week of the Jewish holiday, Sukkot, a harvest festival, sending out wishes to the world that all might have enough to eat and a place to live. A time for counting blessings and fostering hope.
Jan shares the remarkable story of his meeting a muslim inside a dwelling built for this Jewish holiday and the power each of us can draw from connection.
This week is the one year anniversary of the terrorist attack on innocent families in kibbutzim and at the Youth Dance Festival in Israel. That violence began a cycle of loss of life on all sides. This year's anniversary is a day of memorial and silence, one that can lead to reclaiming what is most important about our lives and being true to our own values- a time of clarity and healing, of focusing on blessings we possess and those we can yet make real.
At the changing of the seasons we feel change calling us. Jan shares two poems that speak to blessings in front of us if we will simply lift our heads and risk seeing, we will uncover possibility and miracles of humanity.
In the words of Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hirsch, "Hope Is Not Optional."
In moments of tragedy, we are called on to seek light. Jan shares the true story of 24 year-old Gili Adar who perished nearly a year ago, struck down by terrorists in a moment of dance. Her parents show us how essential it is that we remember, but more, they call on us to find 'slivers of joy' each day and to share them with one another. In such a way, we honor memories and create new light.
Being the first at anything, breaking long-held barriers, takes perseverance, audacity, and quiet determination. It also takes an ability NOT to take NO for an answer.
Jan shares the story of Robin Herman, who helped lead a change in the reporting of Sports that helped transform the industry, and open doors for others, and that matters..
As some of you may know, as a young boy Jan met Maria Von Trapp on a visit to Stowe with his grandmother. Over the his formative years, she gave him a gift that has stood the test of time, one that can empower each of us to rediscover wonder and our own authenticity.
We know about Thoreau and Walden. Who knew his writing contained poetic ways of seeing the inner world of the mind and the heart? Jan shares the story of Thoreau's personal relationship with his mentor's wife and how it led him to discover that connecting to another human being can be a way to "splice the heavens?"
Sometimes, like the singer, Pink's, daughter, we feel ugly. We all have days like that. Jan shares with us not only Pink's words to her little girl, but ways to claim the perfect day, and rediscover love, beginning with ourselves.
Jan shares the true story of his involvement as a teenager in an ecumenical summer camp where he learned a lifelong lesson about Judaism from a big bear of a man, an Irish-American priest, Father Bill.
It is a gift we all can share in today if we wish to create bridges of blessing within ourselves and for others..
Success comes in many cycles of life. Perhaps we recognize in the genius of others our own rejected thoughts. Jan shares a view of embracing the first step of our next success and calming the positive first step only we can take.
Part of reframing a world challenged by divisions and disunity is in tapping into our own resilience. Jan shares a long ago recording of his mother whose yahrzeit he and his family commemorate this week. Here, his mom, a celebrated poet in her day, shares one of her poems about reclaiming the possibility of life.
Here's to discovering and rediscovering our own song of resilience!
We are all primed to go far in life, each in our own way, but to do that, at times, we must first find our way home. Jan shares the true story of his mother's Alzheimer's, her poetry, and the inspiration for his LA Times bestselling second novel of a mother and a son and the meaning of art.
Did you know that poetry and painting were once Olympic sports? On the eve of the Olympic Games in Paris this summer of 2024, Jan shares the story of when the games celebrated the arts, lifting the mind as well as the body, and ways we each can "medal" in that every day of our lives.
Jan shares a chance encounter with a talented filmmaker and is reminded of the power of taking a second look, not just at films that make a difference, but at encounters with people and circumstances that can deepen us and lead us to an opportunity to repair and grow.
We often hear people talk about what's wrong with the world. Jan shares the story and words of a photographer who turns that on its ear, focusing on what's right, in our lives and that of others. There is a lift and balance, he suggests, if we follow that positive example.
Recently, Jan was asked to place on a gravestone 13 words to sum up the life of a loved one. It got him thinking, what 13 words would each of us choose for ourselves when that day comes? And, then, another thought...what 13 words would each of us choose to describe ourselves right now, today?
Art can heal and illuminate. This we know. But the recent performance of King Lear by Ukrainian amateur actors in Shakespeare's hometown in England, inspires us all to know that anything is possible!
Retelling a story of his dad and late brother, Mark, Jan celebrates the incomparable love and gifts that they gave him, and calls on all of us to cherish the possibility of discovering light in the darkness.
Dedicated to Mark's daughter, Jan's niece: Happy graduation day, Amanda!
The 80th Anniversary of D-Day. Jan meets 6 veterans flying to Normandy and shares how their story is a reminder to each of us that we can grow into our worthiness of all they did and the gifts they gave us.
Come with Jan to a small village on the Beira Peninsula of Ireland, where he learns the power of community and connection.
See if you hear the ring of a phone during the podcast. Mystically, it was a call from Ireland! Raise a pint!
Poet-Philosopher David Whyte points us to insightful and clarifying questions that can empower the lives we're living, and, as Jan shares with us, those we have yet to live.
Jan shares a reprise of an episode recorded during the pandemic. It's the story of a remarkable couple whose dreams were dashed and then reborn.
Come meet Rick and Sarah and their discovery of hope.
If you could capture any image that represents your life, what would it be?
Jan shares a reprise of the triumphant conclusion to one of the most inspiring individuals he has ever known, a man who experienced the worst that humanity had to offer, and gave back the best.
Torn from his home in Budapest, 17 year-old Kurt would journey from safe house to Bergen-Belsen with family and learn the worst mankind has to offer. Years later, in America, he and his wife would show the world the best of humanity.
Jan reprises and introduces you to a friend and hero whose story will live inside your heart and inspire each of us to be the best we can be. (Part Two next week.)
Jan shares a personal story of his mentor and mother-in-law Marion Solomon who has just died. She lives on in the example of her life, as all we love do.
She taught him and teaches all of us, to swim in the waters of possibility.
There are walls we construct that block hearts and minds from seeing the world, and keep us from being seen in return.
Jan shares words from the Anglo-Irish poet David Whyte, challenging us to be vulnerable enough to walk through the door of life, not stand on the outside looking in.
Many of us meet a moment where it seems our lives and our ability to navigate them hang in the balance.
Jan shares the true story of being at the end of his rope in the midst of two heart-thumping losses, and how the songs of a rocker helped save his soul.
We can be many things in our lifetimes. Sometimes we discover passion at a later age. Jan shares the story of one such woman who was dripping canvases before Jackson Pollock and who is now being rediscovered.
The story of artist Janet Sobol is one that will empower the possibilities in each of us.
There are people we come across, some often, some not, who make human connection an unexpected gift.
Jan shares the story of a wondrous woman and an everyday diner who serves up a positive spin on the mundane, turning it into magic to live by.
Good advice. It comes in many forms. Friends. Strangers. Life events.
Jan shares advice, from Sandra Bullock to Charles Schultz to his own mom, advice that has made a difference. Pointers, humorous and healing, that can take us to the high road of life's journey.
How do we move from complacency to change? To locate the 'daring' within us to grow?
Jan shares some poetic roadmaps that take us inside the important questions and help us find the power to wrap our hands and hearts around radical 'possibility.'
Poets and artists of all stripes remind us that hope is essential to a life of purpose, empowering courage and connection.
Jan shares the true calling card of growing our future by locating the crack created by heartbreak that lets the light in.
Each of us has someone, or ones, who have taught us lessons that last a lifetime, continuing to guide us. Giving thanks annually, if not more often, treasuring their example, lifts us as well.
Jan shares the lessons his own dad taught him by word and example that continue to stand the test of time.
We invest in ourselves when we discover purpose, that each of us has a voice only we can share. Jan celebrates playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who painted worlds with her words that made us laugh, cry, and helped illuminate the power and complexity of modern day women.
New out of Russia is that the great voice of moral clarity, Alexei Navalny, has been silenced. Yet, this news, and his life, underscore the power of conscience to illuminate injustice and inspire us to compassion and courage, in our own way, in our own lives.
When life throws inevitable roadblocks and difficulties, it matters that we show up, for ourselves, and for others. Jan shares the gratitude in having a dad who did just that, and the opportunity we each have to make meaning out of reaching out.
Jan shares quotes and observations from poets, performers, and philosophers to start your week, reminding us of the power in realizing we are 'alive in a broken world', capable of creating our own path of positivity, day by day.
Many cultures have created circles of stone that we marvel at, wondering their purpose. Jan shares the story of a personal stone circle and the powerful mirror to our souls these stones can represent, reminding us of the permanence of memories and what matters most in our lives.
In chaos it is possible we are unsure if we can still shine. We can.
Jan shares the words of a poet who asks the questions our hearts may be asking. More powerfully, suggests the possibility of creating new maps to future light.
Life is often governed by questions we put to ourselves: What's in it for me? What's the worst than could happen? Who's it going to hurt?
Jan shares the personal story of a stranger who called him to his death bed to pass on a life lesson of positivity that the man had learned from a life of manipulation, hoping to help others before it was too late.
Each of us has experiences that shape the way we see ourselves and the role we want to play in life.
Jan shares the story of a welding genius whose art has taught the world what freedom can look like when you fashion with your hands the visions of your heart.
This past year has shaken us and challenged our resolve. It is a time " to come into the peace of wild things..." to renew and tap our resilience. To that end, Jan shares a personal story of an incomparable survivor and friend, Hannah, who taught him the power of purposeful living.
Right now some of us may be feeling abandonment for family, community, friends who don't show up. End of year, it may be part of our unfinished business.
Jan shares the story of a dear friend and her path back from a deep rejection, and the poem he wrote for her about finding our way back home.
In the darkest month of the year, amid the shadows of war and hate, is the exact moment for kindling candles. Jan shares a miracle of a story, and the power of illumination, especially for making human connection.
When the world is upside down and deeply challenging, as it is right now, we do well to revisit the voices of those who impacted us for the better, if only to strengthen our resolve.
Jan shares a personal encounter with one of the world's great maestro's and how the words of that artist have shaped him for the better to this day.
The Yiddish language shares much wit and wisdom, including how, in some ways, we are all connected: reminding us, "Di gantse velt iz eyn shtot." (The whole world is one town.)"
Jan shares some insights of a language once spoken by close to 13 million Jews before the HOLOCAUST, sayings from which we can still learn.
It can feel as if we're at the end of all light at a moment such as we're facing in public discourse, war, and a rise in antisemitism.
Jan shares the meaning of faith in such a time and the powerful search for hope needed to meet the moment.
Now is not the time to shrink but to EXPAND.
Jan shares a story from one of the lowest points of his life, an experience he had on a lake in Scotland that opened him to ways to meet the challenge of sadness and hurt all around him, a feeling he compares to events many of us are experiencing in the world right now.
Being in the midst of war, struggle, and a constant bombardment of hate, one's inner core and wellness is at serious risk. We must seek balance.
Jan shares a true story of the Dalai Lama and a powerful lesson on how to do that every day.
In moments of darkness we must be the light.
Jan shares a powerful poem by Megan Falley about how, in the shadows of horror and conflict, something seemingly small and insignificant can be a giver of life.
The same can be said for words we choose to use this day.
In light of world events, beginning with the evil attacks on Israel by Hamas, people of all backgrounds are shaken. Many feel very alone. The human touch in reaching out with the simple question, "Are you ok?" is essential for sanity and ought to be a hallmark of our own humanity..
In the midst of war, we are bombarded with hate and misinformation that seeks to twist the humanity away from us, leaving us feeling pronounced loneliness. We need to hear something else, if only to balance ourselves. Jan shares the words of a poet who reminds him of an essential component to being human.
There are moments in our lives when we must be able to call evil out. When moral clarity is required in order to forge a world worthy of our ancestors and our children. Calling out barbarism for what it is must be part of that. Jan shares thoughts of recent terrorist attacks in Israel and shares a personal story where hope was formed between him and a Palestinian baker in Jerusalem as they dreamt of better days for their children.
Jan shares the way his mother saw sunsets and brings the crimson gift he has long chased to your ears once again this week.
Sometimes getting to a YES in Life is finding the right question to ask. Jan shares rules he discovered from a pre-revolutionary war era tavern in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
Sometime it takes going "a wee ways beyond" the first impression of someone or some place, to truly find the truth and power right in front of us.
Every once and awhile we encounter an individual whose grace of heart and spirit gift us with remarkable insight. Jan shares the story of reaching out to the late Richard Carlson, author of the international bestselling series of books, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff," and taught the transformative power Richard taught him in reaching back.
On September 11, 2001, like millions the world over, poet, journalist, and activist Kevin Powell stared in stunned horror at the events unfolding at the Twin Towers. That November he wrote a simple, profound poem that, on this anniversary of that day, Jan shares with you here, excavating hope from the mouth of madness.
The folding of origami cranes is said to bring the granting of a wish, for life, for recovery. Jan shares the story of a little girl named Sadako and a lesson of love and art to lift us all.
We often yearn for a world that once was. Meet a boy from Siberia who came to live in New York City's Lower East Side. With his music, he gave hope and connection to millions during a time of devastation, planting seeds of comfort, longing, and belonging. (*Recorded during the pandemic)
This month we have an astounding natural phenomenon in which there is both a super full moon that is also a blue moon. Rare and worthy of notice as to what it might say to us about our own possibilities for growth.
Join Jan and dream a little..
The Unexpected meeting. Traveling the road less taken. Sometime going off the beaten path leads to discoveries that deepen our lives. Jan shares his teenage cross-country detour to West Virginia and the day he was transformed by a family of real McCoys.
Celebrating our 150th podcast, Jan shares the best advice he's received, and two poems that transform our understanding of all that matters.
We can never go back to before but we can celebrate the memory of someone who continues to teach us about authenticity and bravery. Marin Mazzie was such a magical singer/actress and gift to musical theatre who, in battling the challenge of ovarian cancer, taught us about the power of healing therapy and that amid life's ups and down, the world goes round.
Sometimes experiences shape every aspect of who we become and others never know it. Jan shares with you the relatively unknown hidden world of one of Hollywood's iconic actresses, her work with the Dutch Resistance, her connection to Anne Frank, the failed dream of being a ballerina, and ultimate triumph on screen that empowered others.
A young woman attempts suicide. An older woman who lived through the worst evil of humanity seeks to rescue her, sharing how she survived the darkest chapter and found her way back to life. And it's all true. This is Jan's family history as he shares a few pages from his Book-of-the-Month Club, Literary Guild selected novel, ALL THAT MATTERS.
Helen Keller said one should never creep if they want to soar. She was speaking of living fully. Jan shares Albert Einstein's rules of how to get there along with the story of man Jan met who taught him the meaning of pride in what you choose to do in life.
Sometimes lives are all too brief and yet they continue to touch us in surprising and illuminating ways. Jan shares the story of a special young man whose short life brought infectious laughter and joy, one for whom an annual run in the Jerusalem hills is named, the Tani Run, bringing thousands together to be inspired by his example to lift one another as we reach for a deeper life.
Recently back in Vermont, Jan visited the restaurant his dad used to own and where, while working part-time in college, this astounding moment took place, captured in this reprise from this popular episode from Season 1:
Jan shares the uplifting unimaginable moment when, as a young man, he received a startling phone call from the composer/maestro, a human interaction that illuminates the power of connection and living out our dreams.
You ever feel at the end of your rope? Like you must tie a knot at the end of it to simply hold on? Jan celebrates two remarkable poets, Lucille Clifton and Ada Simon, who help us see both our own power in shaping ourselves and how we can join the spring trees who unfurl new leaves of hope as if to say to the world in front of them: "I'll take it all."
Have you ever spoken truth to power? We each would like to think we could, and some of us perhaps have. Jan shares a personal story about a remarkable prosecutor/Krav Maga hero/dear friend, a big time Hollywood producer, and the possibility of making a film with Tom Cruise.
And how saying NO taught Jan, as it teaches all of us, a bit more about what we stand for.
Recently a school injury Miami-Dad moved the fierce and electrifying inauguration poem, The Hill We Climb by then 22-year-old Amanda Gorman, from the eyes of its younger students claiming, as one parent put it, the threat that this poem will "lead to confusion and indoctrination..."
Jan highlights the poem and the power of absolute clarity the poem brings and how each of us can see ourselves as a piece of light if we're "brave enough to be it."
Sometimes forgiveness and music go hand in hand. Jan shares the true story of how his childhood Rabbi forbade music at one of the most important moments of his life, and how that man's grandson has, poetically become one of the gods of contemporary rock n'roll and a fitting tribute to his own grandfather's eventual expansive vision.
Sometimes if we go just a wee ways beyond our comfort zone, we find the real soul of our lives. Jan shares the true story of a stranger's challenge for him to truly see Scotland and the miracle of a panhandler on Skid Row.
Here's to second impressions!
Our family stories are integral to who we are and who we can be!
Jan shares the story of his grandfather, a country doctor, and the remarkable horse that saved his life so he could save others.
Jan shares an interaction with bestselling author Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People , who recently died. Kushner shows a new way to understand the Book of Job and how to more clearly see that unfairness doesn't have to destroy you but can deepen you and lead to good, if you allow it.
Jan revisits an ATM podcast from a year into our broadcast, the message reverberating with a tool of empowerment. With dialogue from the Academy-Award winning, Cher-starring movie Moonstruck he reminds us all the uplifting self-message that comes from reaching for clarity, knowing at who we are and what we really stand for.
Jan's mom, Roberta Goldstein, an award-winning poet, raised him to delight in words. He shares 3 poems from Dickinson, Wordsworth, and Oliver, that empower us with new ways to see light and life through the poetry of Spring.
Where do you want to go today? What if we shared the attitude of A.A. Milne's verse: If you were a bird, and lived on high, You'd lean on the wind when the wind came by, You'd say to the wind when it took you away: "That's where I wanted to go today!”
Jan shares the power of improvisation and meeting the child within you.
The question: Are we the person we hope our child or young people growing up will become? Jan introduces you to the words of a poet who captures the path to humanity and kindness that can elevate life.
Up in the air with a missing wheel. Life on the line. And a stranger steps in and helps rescue you. Jan shares the true story of Taylor Hash and Chris Yates and reveals how each of us both need guardian angels at moments in life, and, maybe more importantly, can be one!
There are moments in life where luck can drop out of the sky and change the way you look at things. If we're open. Jan shares the power of luck in his life and the path to seeing life not as a cup half-empty-but half-full, awaiting us to fill it.
What purpose makes you happy? What about it brings you joy? The power of cheering on ourselves and others, even facing impossible odds, is part of the magic of Sister Jean. Jan shares the story of a 103 year-old nun whose life reminds us to see the miracles in one another.
Speaking truth to power has to be one of the most difficult of ethical challenges, yet essential to who we are and hope to be. Jan shares his personal story when his livelihood was threatened for speaking out and those who've inspired him with their "culture of candor."
Everyday we perform rituals, large and small, that beg the question-why? Our lives may answer, as does the famous milkman from the hit musical, "it's a tradition!" Traditions of all kinds are they so important to us, in small and larger ways. Jan shares a bit of his own Tevye as he celebrates the rituals of our lives.
Jan shares memories of his boyhood tailor and his parents' local business friends as he commemorates the anniversary of his Dad's passing. We recognize that the good stuff from our past, and the people who touch us, are course corrections for negativity. You deserve the positive.
Remember it!
What is the most unusual place you have ever met someone? And what gift, unseen at the time, unfolded in the future from that meeting? Jan shares the personal story of two men who met on a frozen lake long in the past, men he would never meet himself but men who would, without knowing, change his life forever.
How can a soapdish enable us, the latch of our window awaken us to freedom? Jan shares the magical words of the Anglo-Irish poet, David Whyte, who urges us to consider the familiar and the fortuitous nature of our lives.
Trees can inspire us. Especially the redwood that teaches us about support and interconnection. Jan shares a bit of the tree magic that can remind each of us how best to grow and thrive!
Sometimes you end up in a place you didn't expect to be, having an experience that changes you somehow. Jan shares the day he was cast on a national TV drama, the wonderful actress opposite him and the Basketball All-Star boyfriend who made the change uncommonly human. And yes, that's the correct spelling of his name!
What gift have you received that you consider most precious? What gifts have you given that meant the most?
Jan shares the exciting chapter from his novel ALL That Matters (following the 2 chapters from last week), a scene where an opening to life and hope begins.
What do the young and the elderly have to teach one another? Jan shares an excerpt from his novel, ALL THAT MATTERS, featuring a young woman ready to give up and her grandmother's desperate magical race against time to help her fall in love with life.
A player falls and the world holds its collective breath. We make a wish. Jan shares the impact of one of his heroes, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, and a lesson in wishes that has changed lives, one that could lift us all.
Jan shares with us the new year's message from actor Sir Anthony Hopkins who celebrates 47 years of sobriety with a message of hope and empowerment for each of us. Tell others, won't you?
Happy 2023!
Perhaps we forget that the symbol of freedom is a woman as evidenced by the statue atop the US Capitol. Jan celebrates his mom's birthday and the example she set for wisdom and the responsibility from freedom that can empower us all..
Where do you find your own individual light? Tis the season for light-Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, among others. Jan celebrates one such light-Linda Chester, his literary agent who passed this week, and how she saw writers as helping to illuminate the world.
What if someone appeared in your life with a secret from the past that would completely upturn your world and present you with a second chance at the thing you most wanted in life? Jan shares the first chapter of his novel in progress-The One-set at the magical mountain retreat of the Trapp Family in Stowe, Vermont. Come take a journey of colors, poetry, and risking it all for what matters most.
The poet Rilke urges us to live out our inner questions, the answers often reveal themselves down the road. Jan shares the birth of a new novel begun when he was writer in residence at the Von Trapp Family Lodge and the questions that can both upend us and lead us home.
Two years ago this month Jan recorded a podcast in the thick of the pandemic. Listening we realize we've come so far and yet, miracles like the one in South Central Los Angeles (and the question put to Deborah that began it all) are as inspiring for each of us as ever.
Sometimes it takes another to discover miracles at the most painful times of life and remind us by rekindling our inner light. Jan shares retired NBC correspondent Mark Potter's story-the journey shared with his wife during cancer-and the sunrise photographs he took that are producing healing and hope for so many.
What gives you hope? A butterfly? A new moon? A human experience of others that connects us? Jan shares symbols of hope and the remarkable story of his meeting a muslim inside a dwelling built for a Jewish holiday and the power each of us can draw from connection.
What we inherit in our souls, matters. Jan shares how his dad passed that on to him, in part by introducing him to theatre and acting, while exploring the power of playwrights like Tony Kushner and Mathew Lopez to use imagination to elevate our spiritual inheritance.
The Christian All Hallow's Eve, and the secular Halloween, come to us with a history we may not know. Jan introduces us to that story and a modern poem that reflects the emotional ghosts from our past that we have the power to release, renewing our own lives.
Ralph Waldo Emerson urged kindness as a path to a fulfilling life. Jan shares the story of the nuns who taught him about his own father's kindness and the journey to his understanding that kindness can often be the best map to positivity and healing.
Jan introduces you to the story of Snowflake Bentley who taught us no two snowfall crystals were alike, each original, just like each of us. Asked as a teen to write the theme song for the local PBS production on Bentley's life, he discovers the inspiring creativity found in nature that definitely leads to more of the good stuff of life.
Fun. Jan shares stories of how some celebrities do it: Hanks and typewriters, Beyonce and actual Beehives-and introduces us to his simple childhood game of catching autumn leaves: pointing us to the power and balance created when we simply prioritize fun!
Longing vs. Living. Jan shares with you the vital story of a divorced woman sitting on the sidelines of life who discovers the power of getting on its dance floor and creating her own choreography of living!
We are all primed to go far in life, each in our own way, but to do that, at times, we must first find our way home. Jan shares the true story of his mother's Alzheimer's and the inspiration for his LA Times bestselling second novel of a mother and a son and the meaning of art.
Jan continues exploring grief and loss and why they are necessary parts of love and life and happiness. He turns to Toni Morrison and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross to help us understand how to talk to others about grief and loss and all that matters.
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Jan explores the grieving process as he introduces you to an older woman, Ruby, who taught him how to approach loss. As the Queen herself said after the death of her beloved husband last year, "Grief is the price we pay for love." How we pay and the power of that love matters.
Through words of his grandmother, as well as Mrs. Jihan Sadat, and Rachel Naomi Remen, Jan suggests there's a boon to our health by 'acknowledging' and 'letting go'.
There are memorable people we encounter who have the ability to alter our understanding of life itself. Jan introduces you to Hannah, who, in the corridors of a home for the elderly in Jerusalem, showed him what turning darkness into light looks like, and helped inspire the central character of his first novel.
Jan shares with you how his late brother gave the gift of celebration to their father by opening up the world of possibility. Come share life stories that lead us to the good stuff!
Jan shares with you the inspiration for the weekly podcast that began 100 weeks ago and how each of us can lift ourselves and others through marking moments of achievement. He reminds us that If we feel we are hearing "NO" from the universe, we just haven't found the question that gets us to that powerful "YES!" Life stories that connect us to the good stuff. We could all use more of that!
Jan shares the wit and wisdom of America's one-time cowboy-philosopher and the importance of sometimes being "a little dangerous" if we want to lift up ourselves and others.
Some call it "insolence," others "spiritual audacity." Jan shares the meaning and evolution of a word that, when put into practice for the right reasons, can help you make all the difference in your life and others.
Sometimes you rediscover a singer who reveals anew the good stuff in life and all that matters. Jan shares with you his recent evening of rediscovery and how, once and a while, we truly see the shared humanity in an artist and, even more, know that he/she is talking directly to us.
Jan introduces you to his first novel, the inspiration for this podcast, a work that #1 NY Times bestselling novelist, Kristin Hannah calls, "A compelling, deeply moving story of love, friendship, family, and second chances." Come share the roots of Jan's LA Times bestselling novel, All That Matters!
How do we express the hope that our love, in all its forms, is unbreakable? Join Jan as he introduces you to Namsam Mountain and the bridge of lovelocks in Seoul.
If you could capture any image that represents your life, what would it be? Jan shares the triumphant conclusion to one of the most inspiring individuals he has ever known, a man who experienced the worst that humanity had to offer, and gave back the best.
Torn from his home in Budapest, 17 year-old Kurt would journey from safe house to Bergen-Belsen with family and learn the worst mankind has to offer. Years later, in America, he and his wife would show the world the best of humanity. Jan introduces you to a friend and hero whose story will live inside your heart and inspire each of us to be the best we can be. (Part Two next week.)
Jan introduces you to the story of Imi Lichtenfeld, the legendary creator of a heralded self-defense training, Krav Maga, that has taught countless numbers to "walk in peace." He shares with you the astonishing moment when he stood with 8 men with hidden identities at his dear friend's graveside in tribute to her role in bringing Imi's teachings, together with her remarkable son, into their lives, helping them to protect and save thousands across the world. Yes, one can make a difference.
Join Jan as he introduces you to an actor and a dancer who remind us all of the power we have to change the world through our unique gifts.
The Talmud says, "All beginnings are hard." How about endings? What do you think might be there at the Grand Adios? Discover the meaning of your AQ. Join Jan at an ultimate exit interview and how it can impact your life for the better today!
Jan shares a father's day story (celebrating a young woman's dreams of art and theatre) and introduces you to a daddy and daughter moment of the last week that will uplift you. Because turning attention to who matters...really matters!
What do we stand for? As we memorialize and celebrate the men and women who defend us, we strengthen our own sense of gratitude. Jan honors his brothers' service to their country, including his oldest sibling, Michael, who rose to the rank of General, and underscores the power of living with conviction and conscience.
Who are your heroes? They can jolt us, inspire us, and reframe the world for us. Jan introduces you to a remarkable actress and defending angel whose artistry and soul made all the difference and inspires still.
A moment when your breath catches in your throat and you are changed. Jan introduces you to a professor who had that impact on him with a simple poem that upended the way we look at the world around us. Come to the land where 'the ears of your ears awake, and the eyes of your eyes are open.'
The power of memories to lift us, to remind us of pain, yes, but also hope, means that they are essential to who we are. Jan shares a memory from his childhood that has shaped his life and reminds us of the words of Desmond Tutu: without memory there is no healing.
From an early episode that received a lot of appreciative reaction, come with me to meet the remarkable academy-award-winning composer/conductor John Williams and how he helped me find a new soundtrack for my life when I really needed one.
70 episodes ago, early on in the pandemic, I introduced you to a young boy who showed me what grace and light looks like in the darkest of times. Whether for the first time or as a reprise, feel the warmth and remarkable uplift of Geoffrey!
What is the wildest, light-affirming journey you've ever taken? Jan introduces you to 21 year-old Jennifer who has given up on living and the family member, a dying woman who has experienced the worst evil mankind has to offer, who takes her granddaughter on one last journey to help her fall in love with life.
Ever experienced self-blame? In public? Jan shares his own journey to healing after self-doubt along with the story of a best man who badly needed to learn a powerful lesson we all need.
Jan introduces you to a priest who led by example on the steps of the cathedral., teaching both him and a group of children a powerful truth. It made all the difference in the world then as it will for you today.
In brevity can come enlightenment. Jan introduces you to the grace and clarity of this less-is-more form of poetry. Come meet Issa, a lay Buddhist priest and classical writer of the 18th Century, and Sonia Sanchez who teaches us of love from her life in 1943 Harlem.
How do you see your place in the world? Jan shares the story of a woman, a poet who wrote what many consider the world's oldest novel and from a thousand years ago she inspires with her answer to the question!
We are part of an unbroken spirit that stretches ever back and ever forward. Jan shares with you a very special dream his sister had, and how she taught him to not only hold his childhood self but connect with an unending family in a way each of us can.
Another birthday and are we too old to sing rock n'roll? What do we see in the mirror as we grow older? Jan introduces us to a New Zealand-British poet who allows us to discover the incandescent joy of life's 'weathering.'
*LKF-Little Known Facts. Learning more about someone helps us know them more, understand them better. The same works for ourselves. But who knew, as Jan shares in this week's pocast, that the lesson would come from Abe Lincoln?!
Many listeners missed the very start of this now 70+ episodes (and counting) weekly podcast. Here again is the tale of Simon who teaches all of us that answers and gifts we seek may be right in front of us waiting to be recognized and celebrated!
Revisiting the story of Hawaii's magical 'menehune, we discover the path to positivity. Every day! A reprise from our earliest podcasts!
From the UK, Jan shares a story about Albert Einstein and his relationship with a son whose illness he could not comprehend. How this story relates to the practice of compassion and standing up for what's right, given the rise of incidents of hatred, especially recent antisemitism, carries a message essential to a more balanced life.
With all that's going on in the world and in our lives, we could use a daily shot of wonder. Enjoy this reprise of an episode to which many have responded.
Jan takes us inside James Taylor's actual reason for writing his first hit song and the power and importance of reaching out today to those important to us, rediscovering you've got a friend by being one.
A new year calls for a poet and a poem to remind us of how to use our time, how to breathe more deeply. Come with Jan as he shares the uplifting message of Mary Oliver.
Our emotional wounds can be painful yet also powerfully illuminating. Jan shares the experience of one of his lowest moments and how a weathered rock taught him about the resilience and rebirth of his own heart.
We can take ourselves so seriously at times. Even the advice we live by is innately funny. Jan shares advice and observations that remind us we human beings are both funny and "such stuff as dreams are made on."
We often yearn these days for a world that once was. Meet a boy from Siberia and the Lower East Side who gave hope and connection to millions during a time of devastation, planting seeds of comfort, longing, and belonging.
Are we true to ourselves? Can we choose again in life? Jan shares the true story of Yvette, a woman who became a nun only to discover she needed to leave her vows for a higher purpose.
A folktale leads to deeper understanding of how pain we've experienced can lead to wisdom. Jan shares with you a meditation of light for fostering a season of hope.
Embracing the artist within each of us means welcoming the healing power produced by art. Join Jan in witnessing the magic of a live performance by Sir Ian McKellen, and explore what the ancient Greeks knew about catharsis as a means of tending inner wounds.
Jan shares the power of Olympia Dukakis' words in a 1987 film that reverberate for each of us and create a path to having more patience and more self-love.
How do we use giving thanks to become more fully human and how gratitude ushers purpose into our lives? Jan introduces you to the grandmother who accidentally invited a complete stranger to her Thanksgiving meal and created true gratitude.
Join Jan as he introduces you to several artists who see music in color and/or taste in shapes. Discover what Van Gogh, Duke Ellington, and Billie Eilish can teach us about "gifts" we all possess and find bit more "happy."
Who or what inspires you? Join Jan as he introduces you to an incredible woman who put the quest for freedom on her back in 1781 and whose example lifts each of us.
Join Jan as he introduces you to a remarkable woman in Maine who carries on the traditions of her dad, roasting coffee and fostering human connections through a hundred year-old roaster that illuminates the power of a daily cup of positivity.
Jan is traveling in the Berkshires as this comes to you. Join him here for a reprise visit to the Berkshires Red Lion Inn where American revolutionaries gathered in a tavern with a set of unique rules you're going to love.
Did you ever give up on a dream? Come meet a man who gave up his dream to pursue justice. Discover the meaning of a sacred wound as Jan shares with us his personal interview with the famed Nazi-hunter.
The folding of origami cranes is said to bring the granting of a wish, for life, for recovery. Jan shares the story of a little girl named Sadako and a lesson of love and art to lift us all.
Jan introduces you to the first person he ever met who was, as he was told, physically-challenged. Join him as he introduces you to the woman who would appear from behind a rising garage door in a chair that was magical and a smile that taught him a lesson about those who are "super-abled."
Come with Jan to a small village on the Beira Peninsula of Ireland, where he learns the power of community and connection. See if you hear the ring of a phone during the podcast. Mystically, it was a call from Ireland! Raise a pint!
Jan shares the story of a remarkable couple whose dreams were dashed and then reborn. Come meet Rick and Sarah and their discovery of hope.
Where did Jan get the title for this podcast from? Join him as he introduces you to a remarkable former student and the book novel he fashioned around her story, including creating the character of the grandmother he never met.
This is our 50th episode. Jan gives thanks for a life-affirming author-friend, a daughter's health milestone, and leads us to the power of an act that is simple, profound, and transcendent.
Jan shares the story of a girl asked to leave a school because she didn't "fit" the elite image they were fostering. As adults, some still are trying to fit in when what we need and want is so much more.
We each are magical creatures, made of darkness and light. Join Jan as he shares his parent's powerful lesson of love and explores the empowering sign in Ted Lasso's locker room.
Jan shares the story of a man who reinvented himself and found his deepest place in the world, a famed playwright he encountered years later who inspired an important question for all of our lives.
Jan shares a tale of a little girl and her impossibly wondrous gift and the true story of his encounter in Congress that can lift us, especially in challenging times.
Jan shares the true story of Deborah and a confrontation that changed everyone's lives, illuminating the poetry and power of falling down in life and getting up again!
Jan shares the uplifting unimaginable moment as a young man when he received a surprise phone call from the composer/maestro, a human interaction that illuminates the power of connection and living out our dreams.
Join Jan as he revisits a unique moment of loss and the rebirth of love in a new form. Discover along the way an extraordinary act of human connection between a young girl and the famed Czech novelist.
Sometimes we think about the people we never got to meet and they live on within us. Join Jan as he visits a miraculous night in which his country doctor grandfather is taught the power of loyal friends, both animal and human.
Little things. Big Meaning. Jan introduces you to his driving instructor's advice and the possible meaning of direction signals we absentmindedly might be missing.
Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in life are the day you born and the day you discover the reason why.” Join Jan on the magnificent journey of discovering (or rediscovering) our life's WHY as we celebrate our 40th episode!
Just as we do in life, writers face rejection and struggle. Join Jan as he discovers in their stories of resilience a template for our own growth as artists of living.
How do we greet each day? How does the way we live our lives affect the way we wake up? Come share Jan's journey back to his baby's morning smile as a means to a better life. It can be THIS good!
Come along with Jan on a brief journey into his Irish roots, the gift of a Celtic poem, and a power seldom if ever used that can change your tomorrows.
Join Jan as we meet Shakespearean minstrels, the star of Grease, and a simple and powerful life lesson for the ages!
Some 4 letter words shock. Others lift us, like LOVE and HOPE. Jan meets up with nuns who have a powerful secret about his late dad that filled them with hope. And can lift you.
Come to Dingle, Ireland with Jan and meet Margaret, a local woman who dresses her breakfast eggs in tiny sweaters and teaches him how to read the clouds and life.
What experience raises you to a new level of living? Join Jan in meeting Amadeus, Joe Turner, and the Angels in America who fill his soul.
Join Jan as he recalls 10 years ago being in London the day of the big fairy tale royal wedding. How stories we tell the child in us can empower us to better lives.
Considering Robin Williams, Dead Poets, and the joy of contributing our verse to Life's Poem.
A middle eastern baker teaches Jan about the power of hope, a positivity that can be ours if, as poet Amanda Gorman says, "...we are brave enough to see it, if only we are brave enough to be it."
Waking up to a day without lists or reminders. We've spent a lot of days like that and. yet, there have been limits. As we move back into the world in the coming months let's not forget the joy and gift of allowing our inner child to roam free.
The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly has lessons for us all, especially as we shed one "skin" to move into our new one as the world opens up.
Come with Jan to encounter a man who, just when he thought life was over, found a way to teach others about wondrous beginnings.
Jan shares how his life intersected twice with the Nobel Peace Prize Recipient/noted author, and the lesson Wiesel taught that can inspire each of us to live life as it could be.
Jan's visit to Scotland and a friend's interaction on Skid Row both reveal the affirmation of sometimes giving life and people a second chance.
Jan meets an international figure who tells him the personal story of her husband's historic sacrifice for peace, and teaching the power of passing on the stories that matter.
Jan discovers through a friend that in getting closure for past regrets we can find our way home.
· The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands · but seeing with new eyes. ~Marcel Proust
Jan learns a secret of art and life in the most common (and uncommonly wondrous) of interactions.
Jan shares selected quotes from poets that embrace, celebrate, and inform the promise of living in this very moment. Try one today!
Jan shares a personal story of how schoolchildren marching on City Hall, and their interaction with a famous Mayor, helped forge hopeful news that can vaccinate each of us from negativity.
The luminescence of nature's dancing aurora borealis can be manifested in our own lives, if, as Dickinson says, we "dwell in possibility."
Sometimes people we never really knew early in life reveal the greatest gifts of love later on. How Jan's late brother Mark, a renowned scientist, taught him poetry and grace.
Painting on the canvas of our souls. Opportunities to meet our younger selves and renew the art of living!
At this time of year the darkness calls us to light fires, to warm ourselves to memories of home . To remind us, we have powerful roots and can plant new ones and there find the good stuff!
A 15 year-old boy teaches Jan about the power of attitude, fortitude, and the awesomeness of a smile in the midst of life's greatest challenge.
A question at a vulnerable moment in life leads Deborah to create a life-saving oasis that can inspire all of us.
Discover the myth of the little people of Kauai. How they can inspire us to self-liberation in just over 10 minutes!
Jan learns the transformative uplift of connecting with another human being-in this case a renowned musician-at a low point in his life.
The story of 1773's Samuel Pepoon and how rules we choose to follow or break impact our happiness.
Connecting to those real voices from our past propels us to recognize and celebrate authenticity all around us, and within us, right now-when we need it most!
Do we refuse service to ourselves? Do we surround ourselves with thoughts or people that hold us back? We can do something about that! As poet David Whyte says, "...anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you."
Welcome to All That Matters, a podcast that takes the power of personal life stories and connects you to the good stuff life has to offer, especially now in this what-the-blank is going on world!
life stories that connect us to the good stuff