Episodes

The current climate of incivility not only hurts your individual flourishing, it is also detrimental to our collective flourishing. In this episode, Craig discusses why this is so, and provides one simple way that you can make a difference. --- Human Flourishing - Living the Excellent Life https://www.livewellandflourish.com/human-flourishing-living-the/ Live Well and Flourish website: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/ --- The theme music for Live Well and Flourish was written by Hazel Crossl...

Incivility is harmful to your flourishing, whether you're the one acting with incivility or just exposed to excess incivility. In this episode, Craig discusses why this is so, and offers some insights on how to reduce incivility's harmful effect on your flourishing. The Problem with Generalizations: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/the-problem-with-generalizations/ The Cage of Your Assumptions: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/the-cage-of-your-assumptions/ Live Well and Flourish website: h...

Incivility abounds in today's social media, sound bite driven world. Recently, Craig attended a major conference during which a controversy erupted, which led to an unfortunate, but predictable Twitter storm of incivility. In this episode, Craig discusses the causes of incivility and how incivility can affect our individual and collective flourishing. He also provides some suggestions for reducing the effects of incivility. Links and acknowledgements Olberding, Amy. (2019). The Wrong of Rudeness...

Moral dilemmas are an inevitable part of life ... you're going to face decisions that offer no fully satisfying alternatives. In this episode, Craig is joined by practical philosopher, Dr. Andrea Christelle, to discuss how we can deal with moral dilemmas. If you haven't already, you may want to listen to our earlier episode in which Craig and Dr. Christelle discussed what makes some situations moral dilemmas and how they can affect your flourishing. That episode is available at: https://www.liv...

Sometimes life brings us a decision for which there is no clear moral choice. In this episode of Live Well and Flourish, practical philosopher Dr. Andrea Christelle, co-founder of Sedona Philosophy Experience and I discuss moral dilemmas -- what makes them dilemmas, the consequences of dealing with such decisions, and why they’re so hard to resolve. You will face moral dilemmas … they’re part of life. So, the discussion in this episode can help you when you have to make difficult moral choices. ...

COVID finally caught up to Craig. But, there's knowledge to be had in every experience. In this episode of Live Well and Flourish, Craig discusses what he learned from his thankfully brief bout with COVID-19. Links Live Well and Flourish website: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/ In Times of Trouble: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/in-times-of-trouble/ The Power of Small Things: The Small Wins Strategy of Change: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/the-power-of-small-things-the-small-wins...

Difficult times are an inevitable part of life; you are going to face times of trouble. In this episode, Craig discusses how applying a simple idea from Stoicism helped him get through an especially troubling time, the illness and loss of a loved one. He also describes how using reason, and your knowledge of what is and is not within your control, can help you reduce worry, anxiety, unhappiness and other negative emotions. Links : Epictetus, The Enchiridion (Handbook) : https://www.gutenberg.org...

When you have a low sense of personal control, you suffer increased stress, anxiety, depression and negative mood. Your physical health also suffers. In this episode of Live Well and Flourish, Craig discusses the effects of personal control and provides some insights into how to increase your sense of personal control to improve your mental and physical health, and to help you flourish. The Small Wins Strategy of Change - https://www.livewellandflourish.com/the-power-of-small-things-the-small-wi...

Generalizations help us make sense of a complex world; generalizing is a fundamental human function. Most of the time, our generalizations serve us well. But, when we make generalizations errors, bad things happen, such as stereotypes that lead to prejudice. In this episode, Craig discusses how we make generalizations, why they're necessary, and how generalization errors and overgeneralizing can harm us, and those around us. When to use a generalization flowchart: https://www.neogaf.com/threads/...

Assumptions are necessary for getting through the complexity of life. However, some of our assumptions, when untested, can hinder flourishing. In this episode, Craig discusses assumptions, how they're formed, why they're so persistent, and what you can do to free yourself from the cage of your assumptions. Living Well Through Mindfulness: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/living-well-through-mindfulness/ Live Well and Flourish website: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/ The theme music for L...

Being able to control your emotions to minimize unnecessary suffering, and to maximize positive feelings is important to your flourishing. In this episode, Craig discusses emotional regulation and provides some strategies for taking control of your emotions and emotional responses. There's also a goat story! Notes Five Families of Emotional Regulation Strategies S trategy family Example strategies Situation selection Avoidance Situation modification Direct...

Emotions, like viruses, can be contagious. In this episode, Craig discusses emotional contagion and its effects, and offers some advice on how to use emotional contagion to make the world a little better. Live Well and Flourish website: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/ Episode on mindfulness: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/living-well-through-mindfulness/ The theme music for Live Well and Flourish was written by Hazel Crossler, hazel.crossler@gmail.com. Production assistant - Paul Rober...

In this episode of Live Well and Flourish, Craig discusses the small wins strategy of change, which involves breaking big changes into a series of smaller changes such that each of the small changes has its own value. This is the last of a three part mini-series of episodes on the power of small things. Weick, K. (1984). Small wins: Redefining the scale of social problems, American Psychologist, 39 (1), 40-49. https://homepages.se.edu/cvonbergen/files/2013/01/Small-Wins_Redefining-the-Scale-of-S...

We mark the progress of our lives through big events, but most of life occurs in the between times, the times that lie between the big events. In this episode, Craig discusses the importance of the small events that occur between the big events, and how recognizing the value of the small events can help with your flourishing. As usual, he offers three things you can do this week to better appreciate the between times, and to move forward on your journey towards living a flourishing life. Live We...

Do you want to make the world a better place? Try a little kindness. In this episode, Craig discusses the power of micro-kindness, small acts of kindness, which are small sincere and voluntary acts and attitudes, intentional or unintentional, that communicate compassion, generosity and service towards others, and that signal that we recognize the value and dignity of other people. Practicing micro-kindness not only has benefits for others, you benefit as well. Not only will small acts of kindnes...

In the final episode of the mini-series on Self-Leadership, Craig discusses Aristotle's practice-habit-being method of developing virtue. He focuses on the role of habit, and describes how habits are built and broken. Listen and learn how the power of habit can help you become the person you want to be, and how intentional practice can move you towards flourishing. Erratum: Craig referred to habit as a sort of "useful mindfulness" but meant to say "useful mindlessness." Mini-Series on Self-Leade...

The world is often a chaotic, puzzling place. Reflection is how we can make sense of the world and our place in it. As the Jesuits at Boston College put it, “Reflection is the way we discover and compose the meaning of our experience.” In this episode, Craig discusses critical self-reflection and its many benefits. He also describes a systematic method for reflection and offers three things you can put into practice that will help you build a practice of reflection in order to take control of yo...

Do you ever feel like you’re going through life on autopilot? Most of us have, but life doesn’t have to be that way. Join Craig as he discusses mindfulness and its benefits. Mindfulness is an active, conscious process where you’re more open to the present as well as more attentive and aware of the moment. According to Dr. Ellen Langer there are three specific behaviors related to mindfulness: engagement, seeking novelty and producing novelty. Listen to the episode to learn what to do to practic...

Do you have a purpose in life? And do you know the difference between purpose and goals? In this episode you’ll learn how purpose is an elemental foundation to guiding your life and flourishing, as well as a means for having more focus and resilience when faced with the challenges of life. It’s also important to understand that you already have purpose, it’s already in you, and it is not something that you can find, but rather discover. By following the steps covered in this episode, you’ll be a...

How much would your life improve if you could take more control over yourself and your behaviors? In this episode you’ll learn how to take charge of your life through self-leadership. Despite the influence of others, you and you alone are responsible for your life. Join Craig as he explores some of the principles of Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory to increase your wellbeing. Discover how autonomy, competence and strong relationships are basic psychological needs that drive our wellbein...

Whether you realize it or not, who you are is under your control. You get to decide the sort of person you are and the virtues you exhibit. In this episode, I discuss Benjamin Franklin's "... bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection." Franklin's method is elegant in it's simplicity and powerful in its ability to transform lives. Learn about the history of how he created this technique and apply a simple but effective and proven method for becoming the sort of person you want to b...

The Rational Ignorance Podcast is now Live Well & Flourish. If you're already subscribed to the podcast, you shouldn't have to do anything at all to keep listening, although you might notice our new artwork. Thank you! ------ Live Well and Flourish website: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/ The theme music for Live Well and Flourish was written by Hazel Crossler, hazel.crossler@gmail.com. Production assistant - Paul Robert

Cicero called gratitude not only the greatest, but also the parent of all other virtues. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, a leading researcher on happiness, notes that gratitude can act as an antidote for negative emotions. Across millennia great thinkers have noted the benefits of gratitude. In this episode, I explore gratitude and its many benefits and how gratitude can be an important element of living well. Essentially, flourishing requires happiness (in fact, one could argue that flourishing...

Grief comes from loss. But gratitude should accompany grief. Listen as Craig reflects on the puzzling relationship between grief and gratitude, and how a deeper understanding of how they interact can help you deal with grief, and prepare for future grief. ------ Live Well and Flourish website: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/ The theme music for Live Well and Flourish was written by Hazel Crossler, hazel.crossler@gmail.com. Production assistant - Paul Robert