Uncomfortable is OK Podcast: Recent Episodes
Chris Desmond
Chris Desmond sits down to conversations with guests to explore those uncomfortable areas we all have. We’ll talk about uncomfortable things that they’ve done or are in the process of doing. We’ll talk about uncomfortable ideas that they’ve had, or ideas that challenge society’s comfortable beliefs. Because everyone has a different comfort zone and different threshold for discomfort we’re going to speak with a wide array of people from a whole lot different walks of life to get their perspectives.
Happy 2023
Expert business consultant, venture capitalist and my good mate James Brummer-Taylor joins the podcast for the first episode of 2023.
It's that time of year when a lot of us are thinking about making change in our lives.
We often do it at this time of year. And research shows us that usually those changes don't tend to stick around longer than a couple of weeks.
James and I have a conversation about getting strategic about the changes we want to make, so that
1- they stick, and
2 - they positively impact our lives in a meaningful way
Hey everyone - I have Covid so no new episode this week
BUT we do have a fantastic past episode for you fro back in 2018. It's with the author of "Atomic Habits", James Clear.
James's work has had a big influence on how I shape my behaviour, and with the work I do with my clients.
It's a great refresher coming into the new year and thinking about change.
The end of the year is fast approaching, as is the time we start thinking about the changes we want to make in 2023.
Change is hard, so once you've figured out the changes you'd like to make, here are some idea to help make them stick.
Brad Dixon, holistic physio, author, and expansive wellness practitioner joins the podcast.
Our conversation centres on the concept of expansive wellness. How we can adopt health practices that are not only good for ourselves but good for our communities, the environments we live in, and the world at large. And they're not as hard to do as you might think.
We talk through Brad's journey to this point, how he has expanded his view of health and wellbeing and get stuck into some strategies you can use today.
Author and behavioural science expert Dr Kris Lee joins the podcast to talk about micro-dosing bravery and the importance of taking strategic risks and building sustainable resilience.
We talk in depth about
- What resilience is - not just the "ability to bounce back"
- The adaptability of the human brain and all our human systems
- Partying at university
- Keg-stand bravery and how to avoid it
- Dealing with insecurity
- Cultivating sustainable meaning
- The stigma of mental health
- A universal precautions approach to mental health
- Moving from a what-if life to a what-is life
- And of course getting uncomfortable
Richard Bowles joins the podcast today. Richard is a multi world record adventurer and founder of Adventure Alchemy which is dedicated to helpingleaders lean into the challenges of the modern world.
Richard takes perverse joy in doing the things he doesn't like, watching his reactions in real time, and synthesising that information into practical learnings for others.
Today we talk about
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The importance of doing things you don't like
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Why you shouldn't rely on positive emotions
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How to embrace the dark side of challenge
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Goal attainment
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Running through war zones
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Getting saved from falling off cliffs
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Having a shot gun placed in his mouth in the Outback
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Running a marathon a day for 5 months
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Moving from reactive to proactive to adaptive
Kane Brisco farmer, father, partner, authour of "Tools from the top paddock", and founder of FarmFit joins the podcast.
Kane is a dude from the 'Naki just trying to inspire others to be better. He is open and real, and has conversations about lots of important stuff that most of us keep hidden. His ability to do this comes firstly from his lived experience of pain and trauma, as well as the self-awareness he has developed and the skillset he has learnt to process and grow from these experiences.
He is a bloody good dude, and we go to some heavy places today. Talking about pain and motivation, the reasons we need problems to solve, taking the power away from negative thoughts, the importance of acceptance, developing emotional literacy, and navigating discomfort.
It's a convo that is a bit rough in places, and a bit raw in others. If it triggers anything then please reach out to Kane or myself or someone you trust.
• FarmFit Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/FarmFitNZ/
• FarmFit Instagram | @farmfit_nz
• FarmFit Online Shop (where you can buy Kane’s book & other merchandise) | https://farmfitnzshop.com
Ant Williams, world record freediver, leadership expert, keynote speaker joins the podcast.
Ant worked as a Sport Psychologist coaching big wave surfers, motoGP riders, rock climbers and other risk takers on how to break through mental barriers when he realised, according to him, he was a fraud. He hadn’t done anything risky in his life. He wanted to know if anyone could learn how to become a risk taker. So, Ant decided to take up freediving and learn firsthand how to perform under pressure.
Ant has pushed through both physical and mental barriers to hold his breath for over 8 minutes, dive to -100m and to swim 240m on one breath. In short, he knows how to overcome some of the most demanding and uncomfortable challenges a person can face. Ant teaches others how to “lean into discomfort” and take positive, calculated risk.
Our conversation is about Ant's journey and the tools he uses and teaches others about performing under pressure, navigating discomfort, and calculated risk taking
This episode is proudly brought to you by www.healthmentors.nz Improving performance through health and wellbeing
Portia Bing, counter fraud advisor and international track and field athlete joins the podcast.
Our conversation explores the complexities of life, of performance, leadership, identity and personal growth with the lens of sportplaced over the top.
We chat through
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Experimentation and refining processes
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Watching for gaps that you can leverage or develop your skillset
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The power of eliminating options
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The joy of improving when you're a beginner
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The value of having multiple areas of focus
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The challenges of missing Olympic selection
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Creating an internal pivot
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Reciprocally providing value in relationships
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The value of diverse backgrounds and experience in creating innovative solutions
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Understanding when to let go
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Creating a ripple effect of impact
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and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
This episode is brought to you by www.healthmentors.nz
Improving performance through health and wellbeing
Recently I put together a short e-book helping people to craft an individualised health plan.
This episode is the audio version of the book plus occasional off script commentary around part of the topic
This episode is proudly brought to you be www.healthmentors.nz
What does the future of work look like? How does it look for organisations? How does it look for you and me?
They way we work is evolving and at times it's butting up against a lot of the social constructs we've previously held tight about what work is.
Belinda Morgan, flexible work expert and author of "Solving the part time puzzle" joins the podcast to help us make sense of this change and how it benefits us as individuals, as well as organisations.
Bel brings her expertise to the conversation and I bring some of my experiences working part time, and spending time as full time Dad for 11 months, plus the unconscious biases I had to face in that journey.
Callum McKirdy joins us un the podcast. Callum is all about amplifying the power of ADHD+ minds. He is a speaker, author, facilitator host of the "You, Me and ADHD podcast" and author of the the upcoming book "Tilt: thinking differently about thinking differently"
This is a conversation about understanding ourselves, and our superpowers and wading through the internal messiness as we do it.
We chat through
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Watching and understanding people
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Watching and understanding ourselves
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The power of people who think differently
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Embracing your quirks and differences
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Questioning "best practice"
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Callum's experience with his ADHD
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Working super hard to be "average" at certain tasks
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Dealing with our internal chaos
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Putting on a face to the rest of the world
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Including diversity in the workplace
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Starting with stupid so we can get to better
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Getting comfortable with looking like a Dick
Wahoo 300 episode's not out
In this special episode I'm joined by James Brummer-Taylor. International business consultant, Venture Capitalist, entreprenuer, and best man at my wedding.
James has spent over a decade inside a multitude of companies helping them to perform better across all aspects of their business. He has seen the themes that drive high performance, and also the things that don't work so well.
More recently James has left his decade long comfort zone in operational and strategic consulting to take on the new challenges of being a venture capitalist and entrepreneur
Today we talk through
- What makes a high performer
- Helpful mindset shifts
- Becoming a business athlete
- The power of practice and repetition
- James' 5 tips for improving your personal performance
- How James looks after his health to support his performance
- And how we can build our capacity to take on challenges
This episode is proudly brought to you by https://www.healthmentors.nz/
Reach out to Chris with questions or topics chris@healthmentors.nz
This week on the podcast I'm joined by an old High School mate, Luke McFarlane.
Luke and a couple of his mates have set up The Lighthouse Project Charitable Trust which aims to raise money for local legends doing their bit to improve men's mental health here in New Zealand.
Earlier this year, Luke and his mates road tripped 6000km around New Zealand in 12 days stopping at 24 prominent Kiwi lighthouses along the way, and catching up with local legends striving to improve wellbeing in their communities.
In this episode we talk through
- Luke's journey with his mental health
- The ins and outs of 4 dudes in a campervan for 12 days on a tight schedule
- Some of the awesome people working to improve the health of Kiwis
- Opening up the conversation around mental health with your mates
- Role modelling honesty in how we are actually doing
- What the Lighthouse Project is striving for
- Challenges of fatherhood
- Some ways that we like to look after ourselves
Connect with the Lightlhouse Project https://www.facebook.com/The-Lighthouse-Project-104248205242011
This episode is proudly brought to you by https://www.healthmentors.nz/
Reach out to Chris with questions or topics chris@healthmentors.nz
This episode flips the usual switch and I'm interviewed by Si Alhir.
Our conversation was recorded back in early 2020 as Covid was ramping up for an event si organised called "Transcending the Crisis"
Our conversation is all about pressure, it's effect on us, and how we can respond.
We talk through
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How we can become overloaded by pressure without even noticing
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The relationship between pressure and performance
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The importance of self-awareness and some practical tips
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Lots of exercise analogies
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Some practical ideas to reduce pressure
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Choosing the right direction to move in
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Putting knowledge into action
This episode is proudly brought to you by https://www.healthmentors.nz/
Reach out to Chris with questions or topics chris@healthmentors.nz
In this episode we're joined by Chase Hughes
Chase Hughes is a leading behavior expert in the United States and the #1 bestselling author of two books on tactical behavior skills. He is the author of the worldwide #1 bestselling book on advanced persuasion, influence and behavior profiling.
Chase teaches elite groups, government agencies and police in behavior science skills including behavior profiling, nonverbal analysis, deception detection, interrogation, and advanced behavioral investigation.
This episode was orginally recorded in 2020, and hasn't seen the light of day until now.
We talk through
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Leading our own behaviour
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The power of persuasion
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Looking after our future self
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Cognitive disonance and how we can get rid of it
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Why we should work on our weaknesses
Connect with Chase
https://www.chasehughes.com/
This episode was proudly brought to you by Health Mentors
https://www.healthmentors.nz/
Get in touch with Chris
chris@healthmentors.nz
Dr David Keane, Founder and CEO at The 10 Behaviours of Successful People joins us for a conversation around increasing positivity and meaning in our lives.
This conversation was originally recorded in 2020 at the kick off of Covid, so contextually we're having this dicussion with all that was going on at the time, AND the points David discusses with us are as valuable today as they were then.
We talk about
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How we define success for ourselves, and the impact it has on how we live our lives
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Hitting pause to take time to reflect
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Simplifying the complexity of our lives
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Intentionally placing our focus
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Doing an information audit on the information we are exposing ourselves to
"Uncomfortable is OK" is brought to you by Health Mentors - helping change makers dial in their health, and improve their performance in the middle of a chaotic world www.healthmentors.nz
Email Chris - chris@healthmentors.nz
It's been a little over two years since the last episode of Uncomfortable is OK went to air. Today it's officially back!
Apologies for the abrupt finish. Hopefully this episode helps to clear some of that up for those of you who are still listening.
Today Chris will talk through
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What was going on two years ago
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What's been happening since
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Why Uncomfotable is OK is back
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What it's going to look like going forward
Email Chris with questions or discussion topics for the show
chris@healthmentors.nz
Check out the health mentors website
www.healthmentors.nz
Thomas Maharaj returns to the podcast for Round two.
We catch up with what Tommie has been up to in the last few years and his exciting new project "I'm in"
We chat through the challenges he is facing, what scares him the most, why he is doing it, and what is the hope that keeps him going.
Tom Ahern returns to the podcast for our annual-ish chat. It doesn't disappoint
We talk through
- Tommy's books
- fatherhood
- self identity
- dealing with overwhelm
- Tools for managing our mental state
- Dogs
- Finding wonder in the world
- self development
- learning
- and getting uncomfortable
JP Tocker joins us on the show today to chat through
- getting started
- going against what others think
- the difficulty of getting over that first hump
- dealing with FOMO
- the power of perspective and mindset
- and of course, getting UNCOMFORTABLE
This one has been on the cards for a while and very happy to get it finally up and going. JP's broadcasting and podcasting skillset comes through at times when he turns the tables and starts asking me questions
Show notes:
- A formative experience
- Getting out of the discomforts
- A new routine to follow
- Coming across the difficulties
- Last and next Uncomfortable situations
- Strategies to approach uncomfortable situations
- Challenge this week
This episode is something a little different. It's the first two episodes of a new show I'm putting out called "Leading through Challenge"
If you want to up your leadership skill levels to better lead your team through adversity then this is the show for you.
Subscribe on
Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/leading-through-challenge/id1508020586?fbclid=iwar0zhxwo0vbs4iqwn7j6sw92gnrphkeu8jcmkkdwvp1e8sa2uu8sfklsk7w
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0raefZiVW0iJz2niG4otsq
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-797YMIQ-Gg9_Q0ftc3QA?view_as=subscriber
I came across Ollie a couple of months ago when he posted on LinkedIn about going bungee jumping, and the fact that he needed to do it because it scared him.
We have a great chat today about what strategic discomfort gives Ollie. How he chooses uncomfortable activities. How he shifts perspective. The duality of life, and much more.
Show notes:
- A formative experience
- The moment of realization that, there is something wrong
- An interesting way of looking at perceptions
- How to stop judging people and arguing
- Identifying things that are positive for him but uncomfortable
- Strategy to approach uncomfortable situations
- Challenge this week
Today I'm chatting with Grant Pritchard, an in-house lawyer, technology enthusiast and workplace mental health advocate at Spark -- New Zealand's leading telecommunications, media, and digital services company.
He leads Spark's thriving workplace mental health community and is working to inspire other Kiwi organizations to take a fresh look at how they do mental health at work.
We chat through mental health, how your workplace plays its part, Grant's path towards passionate advocacy, the duality of discomfort and challenge, and of course getting uncomfortable.
One of my favorites, Cam Calkoen returns to the podcast to chat inspiration, motivation, dreaming big, being hopeful, and dealing with adversity.
We recorded this prior to lockdown, but the messages are ones that we all need to hear at the moment.
Kerene Strochnetter is the Managing Director of Mindful at Work, a business hell-bent on making the M-words cool in the workplace - mindfulness and meditation.
She’s also a sort after public speaker with a clear message is - if busy is the new stupid, then mindful is the new smart!
Kerene wants to get the message out: that mindfulness isn’t just limited to meditating but includes a set of robust well-researched practices, which when implemented, powerfully impact people’s lives and positively change workplace culture.
Her new book ‘Crazy Busy’ targets people suffering from the relentless pace of modern life - people who struggle to switch off and are looking for effective strategies to help to reconnect with what really matters - their lives, their work and the people close to them.
We chat mindfulness, wearing a busy badge of honor, the different paths we walk down. slowing down, focusing, and of course, dealing with discomfort.
Show notes:
- Nursing experiences (9.30)
- The motivation (11.30)
- The tipping point and mindfulness (14.50)
- The start of meditating and benefits (20.00)
- Writing her book (31.40)
- How to stay with good things (39.00)
- Strategy to approach uncomfortable situations (44.00)
Jase Te Patu returns to the podcast. Jase is an award-winning facilitator with more than 25 years of experience in the health and wellness sector. He is co-owner of Awhi Yoga and Wellbeing, a teacher trainer, facilitator, keynote speaker and creator of M3. Jase’s students include the All Blacks, the Hurricanes, the Pulse, the NZ School of Dance contemporary students and many more high-performance athletes.
This conversation covers challenges, self-awareness, and identity, human potential, mindfulness, training to ask for help, and of course, getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Make sure to support Jase in the next phase of his project
https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/6479-m3-mindfulness-for-children-ltd-early-childhood-videos
Show notes:
- The concept
- The differences between kids
- The mindset and the challenges
- Lessons he has learned
- Challange this week
Today I'm joined by Annaliese Arnold. Mum, business owner, mindfulness teacher, who is aiming to live a kick-ass life and help others to do the same
We chat about starting something hard, being mindful, following your curiosity, keeping going when things get tough, and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Lisa Tamati is an ultra runner who has pushed her body and mind to its limits. She has run ultra races in all corners of the world and has raced over 70,000 km.
She returns to the Uncomfortable is OK podcast to talk about mental toughness, and to tell us about the toughest challenge she has faced so far.
Links:
lisatamati.com
Two recent podcast favorites, Gareth Edwards and Paul Watkins return to record an episode together.
These two dudes push the boundaries regularly and consistently get uncomfortable. Today we explore the idea of what it looks like when we decide to take the uncomfortable path and what we didn't realise we were missing out on until we did.
I'm joined by Maya Nova who is all about self-awareness, resilience, agile mindsets, and mindful leadership.
Maya has spent over 25 years practicing mindfulness meditation, including a stint as a Buddhist nun. For over the last decade she has been distilling and teaching the practice of applying these skills to our day to day and work lives.
Show notes:
- Values to her heart (3.36)
- Self-awareness to herself (10.20)
- When did the curiosity strike (14.28)
- Areas to approach first (21.00)
- Identifying the important habits (31.10)
- Challenge this week (46.00)
Gareth Edwards joins me on the podcast today. Together with his mate Tom, he holds the unofficial Tyre flipping world record for 24 hours.
Coming soon Gareth is going to be flipping a Tyre by himself for 60 hours. He is doing this to raise awareness of the 60 men who lose their lives to suicide every hour globally.
It's a frank conversation about the challenge, going to dark places, human potential, mental wellbeing, and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Make sure to follow along with Gareth
Failure is a dirty word in our society. It's something to be avoided at all costs.
BUT failure is inevitable. It happens to everyone at some point even if we're actively avoiding trying things because we're scared to fail.
This conversation turns the tables. It's a recording from the Augmented learning podcast where Carl Condliffe interviews me on how we can get better at failing.
Renee and Jenna from Real Health NZ join me on the podcast to talk starting business, parenting, juggling balls, health, battling doubts, getting excited, and getting uncomfortable.
Show notes:
- The idea (4.00)
- The purpose of doing it (7.00)
- What really drove them to the way (12.15)
- The influences of social media (21.05)
- Things they learned through the process (23.10)
- Worldwide Health awareness (28.00)
- Big challenges they are facing (31.00)
- Challenge this week (36.00)
Life from a polar bear's perspective is how Josiah Pasikale views life. Today I sit down with him on the podcast.
Our conversation covers many bases and Joe tells us heaps of stories but the main theme is around identity. Firstly understanding your own identity, and secondly having the courage to allow your identity to shine through.
Link
www.motivatejoe.com
Show notes:
- A big experience (3.00)
- Being interested in GUYS and the feeling (4.20)
- The start of shifting to the way he is now (11.50)
- The relationship with FAITH and how it has changed things (20.00)
- Strategy to approach UNCOMFORTABLE situations (27.50)
Happy New Year all! Today I'm joined by Blair Mainwaring owner of Ocean Design here in Wellington. Blair has owned and run Ocean for the past 3 decades and talks us through some of the ups and downs of business and life.
Specifically, we discuss
+ Getting Started
+ Navigating change
+ Defining purpose and values
+ Choosing to live by purpose and values even when it is uncomfortable
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Hit me up if you are interested in defining a challenge for yourself in 2020 chris@chrisdesmond.nz
Show notes:
- Why he didn’t succeed the first time (9.10)
- Challenges he has faced in the last 30 years running a business (13.05)
- How did he evolve (18.30)
- The process of Identifying people (26.00)
- Strategies to approach UNCOMFORTABLE situations (33.15)
- Challenge this week (37.10)
I'm joined on the show by Carl Condliffe, Teacher, Learner, Business Owner, Speaker, podcaster and an all-around good dude.
We chat through a raft of topics including; failure, learning, starting a business, purpose, prioritization, working hard, and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Links
Twitter https://twitter.com/NZPEteacher
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AugmentedLearningNZ/
Chris runs through the 4 things that have made him the most uncomfortable this year. What they have been, where he is at with them, and what he has learned.
Cut through the decision fatigue holding you back and take action by asking yourself one simple question.
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Dr Sarah Leberman is a professor of Leadership at Massey University, with has a particular interest in women in sport and academia. Among a myriad of other things she has been a steering group member of New Zealand Woman in Leadership program since its inception in 2006, and co-founded Women in Sport Aotearoa in 2017.
Today our conversation centers around understanding privilege, our own, others, and why we need to be aware of it in our lives. We talk about awareness of privilege in leadership and how to remain in integrity.
Obviously we also talk about the challenge and getting UNCOMFORTABLE
There are 4 common reasons that you give up when faced with a challenge, find out what they are and start to plan to combat them.
chris@chrisdesmond.nz
Paul Watkins Mountain Climber, Adventurer, Entrepreneur, Pharmacist, Speaker, Husband, Father, Son, Brother, Nerd, etc joins me again on the podcast.
Today we talk through defining ourselves, how others define us, and how we go about redefining ourselves. We dive into playing the long game, why it is important and some practical aspects of how to navigate the discomfort of doing it. And of course, we talk about getting UNCOMFORTABLE.
https://www.roguescholar.com.au/
Early this week I attended a Movember fundraiser with a whole lot of dudes and a lot of openness and honesty about the hard stuff that we go through. I thought I would set a challenge for us to share some of our own daily discomfort on social media and go behind the scenes so we can support each other and learn important lessons about discomfort from the community.
Use the hashtag #dailydiscomfort and tag me in your post
LinkedIn || Instagram || Facebook || Twitter
Paul brings 30 years of business experience to the podcast today.
Starting out in the month of the market crash in 1987 to recently exiting his business and the highs and lows and learning of everything in between.
We chat about the gold nuggets he has taken from these experiences
It's hard to ask for help, and sometimes even harder to receive it. Find out how and why you should do this.
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
chris@chrisdesmond.nz
Today I chat with Christine Westbury, founder of Cleanmixes.
We talk about the seed of an idea, turning it into a business, and taking it all the way through to selling. Obviously there is a heap of challenges rolled up in that.
We also manage to chat about, mindset, health, balance, confidence and getting uncomfortable.
Show notes:
- Business things at University
- Non-negotiable exercise and other things
- The launch of her online business
- The hardest process and how she tackled them
- Uncomfortable things
You ARE going to get through this.
Once you understand and accept this you usually do better at getting through it.
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Leave a review at
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncomfortable-is-ok-podcast/id1113456079
One of the uncomfortable things that I've been struggling with recently is the discomfort around what feels like the pull of a whole lot of different responsibilities. The pull of different responsibilities makes me feel like I'm half-arsing a whole lot of things - which isn't nice.
Conceptualizing the important things in my life as buckets that I'm pouring my resources into is a process that I'm finding helpful. Here is how I'm thinking about it at the moment.
chris@chrisdesmond.nz
I'm joined on the show by Michael Fairless, strength and conditioning trainer from Wellington.
Today we chat through.
+ Michael's solo paddle across the Cook Strait
+ Mental Health and Wellbeing
+ Ego
+ The transition from boyhood to manhood
+ The Hero's journey
+ Empathetic problem solving
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Show Notes:
- The point of the direction he is moving now (3.10)
- His working areas (11.13)
- The mindset shifting (14.50)
- Tackling with the depressions (20.20)
- Last and next UNCOMFORTABLE things (33.50)
- Challenge for listeners (37.00)
Paul Watkins is unconventional. Despite being a self-confessed non-athlete and scientist - Paul has managed to compete in and win some of the toughest races in the world, as well as build multi-million dollar businesses - in multiple fields.
Today we talk through a raft of topics including;
+ The buckets of our lives
+ What if I did the opposite?
+ The body whispers before it screams
+ Gratitude
+ Becoming THAT person
+ Why discipline is craft
+ Expectations don't exist
+ Why you need to fail to find your limits
+ Why Paul wants to find his limits
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Link
https://www.roguescholar.com.au
Learn how to strategically have your friends make hard work easier.
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
In this episode, Chris explores how to utilize Hope to not only achieve your goals but also to help train your resilience.
Become your Alter Ego and do that hard stuff you've been scared of
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Taking on a challenge is hard, so hard that we often fall down in the implementation. Use the "Habit Loop" to help get implementing
Links:
http://uncomfortableisok.libsyn.com/uiok-117-atomic-habits
Use the 5-second rule to overcome the discomfort of starting
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Beatrice Thorne is head of product and experience at Eve Health. Today we share a fascinating conversation about hormone health, taking on challenges, curiosity, compassion, and of course, getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Show notes:
- The formative experience of moving in (3.00)
- Where the concept came from (12.30)
- The hard part (21.20)
- Hardest things at the moment (31.40)
- How to train your mind (35.00)
- Strategy to approach Uncomfortable situations (49.50)
Gillian Brookes, social entrepreneur and HR professional who’s passionate about some big, contextual issues. Things like income inequality, the challenge of combining work-life and home-life for many in the workforce, the future of work and mental health. She joins me on the podcast and we talk through
+ What is my purpose
+ How do we set goals
+ Making changes
+ Quitting your job
+ Testing your thinking with people who are different
+ Getting the challenges you need
+ Digby Scott
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Links:
https://www.gillianbrookes.co.nz/
Chris shares a few things he is finding uncomfortable right now and the strategies that are helping him out dealing with them
In this solo episode, Chris recaps 6 lessons that have been reinforced to him 6 weeks after getting plates, screws, and rods taken out of his legs.
Learn how to change your perspective and get unstuck with gratitude.
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Soulaima Gourani returns to the podcast.
One of the most popular guests to have appeared on the show. Soulaima is the proud co- founder of Womenreignite
She shows people around the world that even a school drop-out, a homeless child, and an unwanted immigrant can get to the “top”.
She has had many struggles, and as a result, has written and co-written more than 14 books on all the mistakes, failures and obstacles she has had throughout her life. She was born in Morocco, grew up in Denmark. Her pain transformed into her path in 2007 when she was fired while pregnant.
Today is a conversation about
+ self-awareness
+ values
+ having difficult conversations
+ the arsehole syndrome
+ getting passed all those excuses
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Twitter:
Learn how to live with No More Excuses with @SoulaimaGourani
Links
Website https://soulaima.com/
Women Reignite https://womenreignite.com/home
ebook http://womenreignite.com/takecontrol
Learn to reduce discomfort by contrasting your situation to another one.
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Today I'm chatting with Laura Langman, captain of the World Champion Silver Ferns Netball team.
We go deep today on;
+ mindset
+ understanding who you are
+ operating based on your values
+ stripping back the layers for success
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Show notes:
- When did people come into the picture (9.30)
- Constant comparison with other people (13.30)
- Strategy to stepping into the steps of life (20.20)
- Shifting her mindset (24.30)
- Not being able to play for her country (31.00)
- Challenge this week (38.44)
Jen is the Founder of Sparta Chicks, an online community and coaching business that supports women who participate in endurance sports and outdoor adventures, by sharing experiences, honest conversations and practical tools.
She is a reformed corporate lawyer and is obsessed with the power of sport as a catalyst for change and the way the stories we tell ourselves, and in particular, the Imposter Complex, causes us to diminish our abilities and downplay our achievements.
Today is a deep dive into a mindset in sport and in life and Jen really gets us to confront the uncomfortable.
http://www.spartachicks.com/
Show notes:
- Experience from an early age (2.10)
- The other version of Jen (9.00)
- Maybe I don’t want to be a lawyer anymore (18.48)
- What’s she doing at the moment (23.22)
- Thoughts about the discrepancy between male & female (25.50)
- Fear in different stager (30.28)
- About her podcast (38.41)
- Last and next Uncomfortable things (41.25)
- Challenge this week (48.00)
Christine is a social entrepreneur with a passion for helping people to give simply and do good.
She is the co-founder and Chief of Good at The Good Registry, a community, and website to put the heart back into gift-giving.
Today we discuss;
+ Giving
+ Career change
+ Black humor
+ Socks
+ Self-awareness
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
https://thegoodregistry.com/
Book a complimentary coaching call with Chris, email uncomfortableisok@gmail.com
Chris discusses the 6 pillars integral to building resilience in others, and in coaching resilience in yourself.
To book a complimentary call with Chris email uncomfortableisok@gmail.com
Lying on the couch with my feet up after surgery to remove metalware from my legs I decided to record a podcast about what happened and a couple of short lessons.
We all have the capacity to handle a certain amount of load. It's something we can train to improve. Here is how I think about it.
To book a call with me email uncomfortableisok@gmail.com
How viewing your problem from the perspective of a dog makes you better able to solve it
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
In this episode, Chris explores discomfort, how it shows up, what causes it, and why we can train ourselves to get better at dealing with it.
How to use an If-Then approach to overcome discomfort and successfully complete a challenge
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Navigating your career can be uncomfortable.
Should I take the next step?
What is the next step?
Is that step right for me?
Am I even stepping in the right direction?
Grant Verhoeven helps us unravel it. He loves seeing people take the next step in their career. He equips people to understand and unlock their unique strengths to ensure that the next step is the right one.
Links
https://www.sparked.co.nz/
Show notes:
- The vision (6.00)
- Switching from marketing (10.00)
- The why (13.00)
- Why people seek him (20.00)
- Challenge this week (32.20)
Why gazing off into the distance reduces overwhelm and increases your performance.
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Erez Shek is on a mission to bring awareness to Mental Health and Wellness.
He is the host of the Shek Check podcast which normalizes how we think, feel and behave. Erez has raw conversations about their lived experiences and expertise with mental health and wellness. It's all so we can check ourselves before we wreck ourselves. YO!
Erez opens up to me about his lived experience with Mental Wellbeing and some of the tumultuous experiences he has had on the road to where he is today.
Links:
website || Twitter || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube
Show notes:
- Formative experience from a young age (3.50)
- Seeing himself as a person at an early age (9.40)
- The point of changing the trajectory (18.00)
- The process of starting (24.16)
- Developing empathy and acceptance for himself (31.00)
- Last and Next Uncomfortable things (43.44)
- Challenge this week (49.50)
Turns out those old people who tell themselves exactly what they're doing might not be as crazy as you think.
Find out how keeping a running commentary helps you deal with discomfort
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Mike Campbell is on the podcast today. I've been wanting to have a chat with him for a while, and it's finally arrived.
Mike is a MAN coach who is all about supporting everyday men who are wanting more in life to get their shit together and build a dope life.
Today we talk about
+ Modern masculinity
+ Self-awareness
+ Limiting beliefs
+ Questioning yourself
+ Building a better life
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Links
http://mikecampbell.com.au/
Why does standing like Wonder Woman help you tackle uncomfortable challenges?
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Brady Cervantes is back on the podcast.
This chat kicks off from where we left things a month ago (so make sure you go back and listen to that one too).
Brady is a former Marine sniper with deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is a current professional bull rider.
Today we talk
+ Coming out of a hole
+ Building community
+ Trusting the process
+ Navigating the discomfort of the process
+ and of course, getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Links:
Instagram || Twitter
Sam McIntyre joins me on the podcast today.
Sam is the co-owner of Tall Poppy Real Estate, a Kiwi owned Real Estate company. I thought that we were going to end up talking about the discomfort about sales and business, and we did to some degree.
BUT then the conversation took a turn into self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and mindset, and it got really interesting. This stuff that Sam was talking about not only makes you better in business but also better at life.
Links:
Facebook || LinkedIn || Instagram
Show notes:
- Big formative experiences (4.00)
- What made him so excited (9.00)
- Being a personal coach (14.32)
- Favorite moment (22.30)
- Last and next UNCOMFORTABLE things (36.00)
- Strategy to approach uncomfortable situations (40.10)
When you approach an uncomfortable project - what comfortable framework can you use?
If you're interested in the book I'm writing "Get out of my comfort zone" then head over to www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
We get told not to repeat negative thoughts.
BUT
What if that was the way through them?
Christine is a senior scientist, an Ultra athlete and the Women's Deca-ironman World Record holder.
Today we talk;
+ Pain and suffering
+ Courage
+ Commitment
+ Preparation
+ Patience
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Links
https://www.facebook.com/Kiwi.Decamanusa/
Show notes:
- Her adventure racing experiences (7.30)
- The idea of Ironman (12.40)
- How she kept going in through 700+ laps(26.00)
- 5 magic words to focus on (37.00)
- About her run (45.00)
- It was her goal (55.30)
It's been 3 amazing years of the Uncomfortable is OK podcast. To celebrate I answer some questions provided by the listeners. Topics include
+ What has changed between episode 1 and now
+ Memorable moments
+ Biggest area of growth
+ What blows my mind
+ Self pity and how to deal with it
+ Brain fog
+ Teaching failure
+ What is next
Sign up to keep up to date with the "Get out of my comfort zone" book
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
To work with Chris email uncomfortableisok@gmail.com
Brady Cervantes joins me on the podcast today.
Brady is a former Marine sniper with multiple deployments including campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. These days he spends his time guiding and as a bull rider.
There is a lot to unpack from this conversation and I wouldn't be able to do it justice to try and describe it here. Suffice to say that at times it is heavy, at the time it's confronting, at times it's spiritual, at times it is philosophical, and at times it is humorous.
Brady is a young man who has faced a lot of adversity. Listen with an open mind, and if you need help or just to talk then reach out to us, we're here.
Links:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/t0tanka/
Twitter https://twitter.com/t0tanka
Find out how breathing helps you get out of your comfort zone and do the hard stuff.
Register your interest for the "Get out of my Comfort Zone" book
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Vanderson Pires joins me on the podcast today.
Vanderson is a journalist from Sao Paulo.
He is black belt and professor of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he has seen a massive improvement in the emotional and physical health of his students after incorporating mindfulness and meditation into his lessons.
Having had great success working with local prisoners, Vanderson has been assisting them in developing simple techniques to trigger awareness and to better manage upsetting feelings.
As an instructor, Vanderson believes that a healthy tree needs strong roots. We should consider our minds to be the root of our wellbeing.
Today we talk through
+ Shifting Countries
+ The importance of communication
+ Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
+ Mindfulness
+ Incorporating chaos into organisation
+ Incorporating organisation into chaos
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Vanderson website || Combat room BJJ website
Show notes:
- Why did he decide to move to Sao polo (6.00)
- Why New-Zealand (16.00)
- How did he get through the troubles (24.00)
- What is Brazilian Jiu jitsu (29.00)
- When and how he started training mindfulness (42.00)
- Peoples response to mindfulness and challenges (1.04.40)
- “Learn to control your emotions” (1.10.46)
- Challenge for listeners this week (1.20.40)
We're wired to avoid the uncomfortable. But avoidance is like a drug, it seems like a solution in the short term but long term can be a BIG problem.
Brando is a professional Explorer.
At 25 years old he has started making my mark on the world as an explorer. When he was 19, he became the first person to circumnavigate the coastline of New Zealand on foot. This 600 day, 8700km expedition changed every aspect of his life.
Before, he was an ordinary person doing less than ordinary things. He woke up one day after a big night with his mates and it was like a switch had been flicked in his head. He wanted to do extraordinary things in my life. So he did.
Show notes:
- High School wasn’t a good time for him (6.30)
- Changing his life in New-Zealand (12.20)
- Developing self-confidence and believe (15.00)
- Why and how he chooses the things he does (29.00)
- Last and Next Uncomfortable things and why (33.00)
- Challenge this week (39.00)
Website
How does having a strong WHY help you start out a challenge and keep you going when times get tough?
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Colin and I initially connected on LinkedIn. Colin's positive ambitious attitude struck a cord with me so it was great to get him on to discuss his view of the world. Including;
+ Setting goals
+ Thoughts around challenge
+ Looking after himself
+ Experimenting
+ Helping others
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Links
https://beyondsocialconditioning.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-dingelstad/
Show notes:
- Mindsets at his young age (5.00)
- What took him into the coaching arena (7.30)
- List of things he wants to achieve and why (15.00)
- Reason of changing sleep patterns (25.00)
- Last and next Uncomfortable things for him (28.00)
- Possibilities for the way of thinking (31.00)
- Strategy to approach to Uncomfortable situations (33.50)
- Challenge this week (37.30)
Purging your Brain is a great way to help get past some discomfort. Find out what it is, when to use it, and why it works.
Interested in the "Get Out of My Comfort Zone" Book?
Keep up to date with it's progress at www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
One of the podcast favorites, Digby Scott is back!
If you haven't caught up with Digby before make sure to go back and check out episodes 68 and 100 to get to know him.
Today we're chatting about his new book "Change Makers: Make your mark with more impact and less drama"
Digby is a Thought Leader in this area so if you're in any way involved in or thinking about change so you can have more impact then this is the episode for you.
Links:
Book || 5 Questions
Show notes:
- Why a book now? (3.07)
- Who and what is a change maker (8.00)
- Easy way to begin journal practice (20.00)
- The power of travel (25.00)
- The discomfort around change (30.00)
- Finding peoples (39.00)
- Thoughts about IMPACTS (49.00)
- Challenge this week (58.00)
Te Omeka Morehu is on a journey to help us understand the emotional landscape of the people and youth in our care.
This starts with understanding our own emotional landscape.
In essence, it's a conversation about self-awareness, with some brutally honest parts and some hilarious parts. It's pretty Kiwi in its language so if you need a translation then hit us up.
Simone-Ellen Keller is the founder of GeniusYou.
Her background is in branding where her job is to uncover the essence, the magic, the genius that enables organisations to not only to stand out, but to realise their potential.
GeniusYou was born when she worked out that the same thing applies to people. So now she is a Genius Finder and every day she amazed at the incredible abilities that she sees in people.
Website http://www.geniusyou.co.nz/
Use a Growth Mindset to help you tackle any type of discomfort, the WHY and the HOW
Sign up to get notified about the "Get out of my Comfort Zone" Book
www.getoutofmycomfortzone.com
Hollie Woodhouse is one of the most adventurous people I know. She has run multi-day marathons across the Sahara Desert and through the Amazon Jungle. She makes regular appearances n the Coast to Coast, and most weekends are out adventuring around Canterbury and other parts of New Zealand.
Her latest epic adventure was Trekking/Nordic skiing across Greenland for 29 days pulling a sled heavier than her. We chat through the adventure, but also talk about;
+ The importance of seeking out adventure
+ Resilience
+ Mindset
+ Teamwork
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Links:
Documentary || Inspiring Explorers || Hollie Woodhouse
Learn how to surf those uncomfortable feelings to their end and flip your anxiety into excitement
Not many people have swum across Foveaux Strait. Hannah Morgan tackled this treacherous piece of water a couple of weeks back in order to heighten awareness and understanding of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in New Zealand.
Today we talk through her adventure, covering off topics about
+ mental health
+ swimming as a metaphor for life
+ looking after yourself
+ dealing with disappointment
+ self-awareness
+ getting through the hard stuff
+ and of course getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Show notes:
- Challenges she had growing up her mental health (5.00)
- Questions she asked herself (7.40)
- Her big challenge preparations and motivations (13.10)
- Her team supports (27.10)
- Changes that she feels now (30.00)
- Last and next Uncomfortable situation for her (32.00)
- Strategies to approach Uncomfortable situations (36.30)
- Challenge this week (39.50)
Use this question to get you through those uncomfortable choices.
Future-you will be thanking you for it
Jimi is a mental health changemaker, speaker, author, and adventure seeker.
His passion is encouraging and inspiring everyone to take control & increase their mental health (or mental fitness as we talk about today).
We talk through
+ Happiness
+ Mental fitness
+ Love
+ Ego
+ Changing who you are
+ and getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Links:
www.jimihunt.com
Show notes:
- About lasting happiness(8.00)
- Getting deep into happiness (12.00)
- Dealing with things we don’t want to do (20.14)
- Continuum of Happiness (26.30)
- Mental training (37.30)
- Meaning of love (40.10)
- Last and Next Uncomfortable things (52.20)
- Challenge this week (57.10)
How to use the strategy of a "Forcing Function" to get you out of your comfort zone and putting in the uncomfortable preparation work
The tables are turned. Here I am interviewed by Ryan 'Stag' O'Connor on his show The Stag Roar.
Chatting
+ fatherhood
+ physiotherapy
+ mindset
+ getting UNCOMFORTABLE
Show notes:
- The upcoming workshop (5.50)
- Coming up with UNCOMFORTABLE is OK (14.00)
- Difference between Good pain & Bad pain (26.00)
- Being creative and finding the change (38.00)
- Something for the Audiences (53.15)
Why multiplying your challenge by 10 increases the likelihood of getting started and succeeding.
Today we are talking with Traver. Traver Boehm is building a movement of one million men who express their masculinity by celebrating the primal nature that flows through their veins and ripples across their back, while simultaneously flooding themselves with the deepest levels of consciousness, tearing down the armor around their hearts and loving the world in ways it has never been loved before.
Website: https://www.manuncivilized.com/
The final piece of building your resilience muscles is to go back into your comfort zone.
Find out why it is the most important step this week.
Grab our FREE "How to build your resilience muscles" workbook at www.uncomfortableisok.com
Chris talks through the last few months including
+ being a Dad and the values he wants to bring
+ how he is exercising
+ how the business is progressing
Download the 4 steps to building resilience muscles
www.uncomfortableisok.com
Book an intro coaching call with Chris
https://calendly.com/uncomfortableisok/introcall
Who you surround yourself with matters. Your community is key in helping you build resilience, cultivate them.
The leading military and intelligence behavior expert with 20 years of creating the most advanced behavior skills courses and tactics available worldwide:
Chase Hughes is a leading behavior expert in the United States and the #1 bestselling author of two books on tactical behavior skills. He is the author of the worldwide #1 bestselling book on advanced persuasion, influence and behavior profiling, The Ellipsis Manual.
Chase teaches elite groups, government agencies, and police in behavior science skills including behavior profiling, nonverbal analysis, deception detection, interrogation, and advanced behavioral investigation. His Tactical Behavior Science course is a critical, life-saving course designed for law enforcement, and his Human Tradecraft course is specifically designed for intelligence operations personnel who depend heavily on serious human behavior skills.
He developed the groundbreaking, world-first interrogation behavior analysis tool and the T.F.C.A. cycle that revolutionized law enforcement training in the U.S. He is also the creator of the Pre-Violence Indicators Index, designed to alert personnel to pre-attack behaviors and save lives.
Show notes:
- Developing psychological tactics (4.00)
- 5 different areas of self-development (9.44)
- Tracking progress (20.09)
- Social coherence (21.21)
- Military life vs. Civil life (29.00)
- Workshops and courses he runs (32.24)
- Uncomfortable things he is going to do (37.10)
- Strategies to approach Uncomfortable situations (38.00)
- Challenge this week (40.50)
Links:
Linkedin || Facebook || Blog
If you understand why you are going through hard things, you're much more likely to get through. Find out how to do it.
A philosophical conversation with my favourite mind mate - Tom Ahern. Covering dealing with uncertainty, connection, happiness, and the meaning of life