Smart and Simple Matters: Creating Community, Simplicity, and Authenticity with You

This episode features Carl Honore on how to prevent social obesity while gorging on meaningful connections, how to make your smartphone your servant instead of your master, and who wins the parenting race: the tortoise … or the hare?

What does it mean to be alive? And not in some mysterious way. I'm talking about – actually, my guest for this episode, Colin Beavan – is talking about how to be alive in a day-to-day, “What's my moral and ethical compass” kind of way. Colin is near the top of folks I know with the vibrant life experience and humble confidence to take on giant quality of life issues like our environmental impact and consumer-focused culture. And perhaps that why he's often known as No Impact Man – the guy from the popular documentary and book of the same name. To me, he's an inspiring multi-media creator with an upcoming book, How to Be Alive: A Guide to the Kind of Happiness that Helps the World, which I'm stoked to see get into the world. His new book and our conversation explored what it takes to have a successful and satisfying life. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you ask me), the 21st Century is no longer about the American Dream and a formulaic path to get there. Instead, there's a huge amount of joy, fulfillment, and impact waiting for anyone willing to become what Colin calls a “life-quester.” And he's about to help you start or continue this wild quest to find the best communities to support you, remove the limits of your potential impact, and make choices that really matter. It's not just me who thinks Colin can deliver the goods and is a dynamite all-around guy. He's been featured in places like The Colbert Report, lives with his daughter in and around New York City, and is a Dharma teacher in the Kwan Um School of Zen. Maybe these experiences are how he knows the right buttons to push when he powerfully challenges us like this: “How do you build relationships with the world that connect who you are and your passions with the problems that concern you?” – Colin Beavan And as you'll hear him say, it's the path of the good life – and how we define it – that brings what's good for you and me together. Note: This is the last Smart and Simple Matters podcast under the Value of Simple banner. The show will have a new home on January 11, 2016 at JoelZaslofsky.com, so listen in for the details and get ready for some groovy changes in 2016! You're about to Learn … * How to help people wake the heck up to their personal power (and what happens when we do). * How the “monk and the merchant” paradox applies to you. * How to participate in an eco-Sabbath – No Impact Project style. * The false separation between being self-centered and other-oriented. * How to save yourself to save the world, and save the world to save yourself. * Why some people can't be at peace until everyone has a good life. * Why social security can be more important than Social Security. * How to teach third-graders (or anyone, really) how to recycle. * What a life-quester is and how to become one. * Two major blocks that stop us from making positive change in the world.     Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode: * Websites: * ColinBeavan.com * No Impact Project * Resources: * How to Be Alive Companion Workbook * Redraw the Line * Self-Determination Theory * Books: * No Impact Man * How to Be Alive: A Guide to the Kind of Happiness That Helps the World *

Tell me how you'd play this scenario: You're at the greatest event you've ever been to – let's call it “World Domination Summit” – and you sit down next to a stranger who's radiating warmth. You tell him you're into simple-living and community-building, which causes him to ask you about village-building conferences he knows of and his concept of trickle-down enlightenment. Although the conversation is only ten minutes long, you exchange contact information and, a week later, you get an email from the guy with a link to a brief video he made – just for you. He tells you he loves your website, asks you about your manifesto, and wonders how he can best support you. The dude is eloquent, funny, and magnetic. So … what do you do now? Well, if you're me – and if the fascinating fella is Toku McCree of Unexecutive.com – you get to know each other over a casual Skype conversation and you invite him to talk on your podcast for as long as you can. A little more about Toku: he lives in Portland, Oregon and is an executive coach who works with some of the world most influential leaders (e.g., Leo Babauta of Zen Habits). He's wildly and refreshingly vulnerable, service-oriented, and drives his cat crazy with a laser pointer. In other words, this is all adding up to one of the best SASM episodes yet. Here's just a taste of the wisdom coming from Toku when you press play: We want to draw a circle around the people that we love. And sometimes we forget to include ourselves in that circle. – Toku McCree And … [If you want to be self-aware and mindful], you have to decide that you're worth getting to know. – Toku McCree Whether you crank us up or bang a bong before we get it on, be ready for some quick and consistent mindfulness. Oh, and maybe even a float in a stream of trickle-down enlightenment. You're about to Learn … * The five secrets of super-fast mindfulness. * Why self-awareness is the most powerful catalyst for change. * What Toku's one universal truth is. * When different types of meditation work (and the thread between them all). * If trickle-down enlightenment works better than trickle-down economics. * Why a life of privilege can cause major personal suffering. * How selflessly serving others gets us more than greedily taking all the time. * Why we all have the same base level of wisdom. * Why Toku doesn't take credit for the insight he spouts. * Why the people with you are always more wise than your gadget. * How to see the texture on the canvas of your mind. * The key difference between meta-mindfulness and micro-mindfulness.     Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode Websites * Unexecutive Resources * Pat Flynn's Smart Passive Income Podcast * Nathan Berry's Email Service Provider, ConvertKit * Fizzle: Honest Video Training for Online Business Builders Books * The Prosperous Coach * We Are in a Book (affiliate link) * Caterpillar & Snail: Go on a BIG Adventure (affiliate link) Podcast Episodes * The Productivity Show 062: The Secrets of Mindfulness w/ Toku McCree Videos * Toku's TEDx, Picking Role Models That Matter *

It was only a matter of time before The Art of Simple collided with the Value of Simple. And here we are with Tsh Oxenreider, Mrs. The Art of Simple, and me, Mr. Value of Simple, making verbal magic happen for you. Tsh has been a prominent voice for simple-living, gratitude, and generosity for years – meaning she's been interviewed by lots of folks already. So I wanted to ask her some questions that she hasn't fielded before … and we have some dandies for you! She's too humble to try and impress you, but I have a feeling you'll feel mighty impressed after this stellar chat. Here's just one pearl of wisdom from this NPR-featured, Compassion International and podcasting super-star: “Having a simple life isn't the absence of stuff. It's the stuff in my life that's pointed towards my purpose.” – Tsh Oxenreider Find your play icon and click it fast so you can slow down, get grateful, and enjoy some chuckles right now. You're about to Learn … * How pretending to move overseas can help you deeply declutter. * Why simple-living can be as simple as living holistically with your life's purpose. * Where to find freedom when you're tethered to your town. * Some surprising preparations for global travel and “world schooling” your kids. * The poems that help Tsh slow down and be most grateful. * Why the original Winnie The Pooh book deserves to be read (even by adults). * The strange correlation between online time and gratitude time. * How Tsh has upgraded her smells from hot cabbage to pine trees.     Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode: Websites * The Art of Simple * Compassion International Resources * Upstream Field Guide Books * Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World * Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living * One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler * The Complete Tales of Winnie-The-Pooh * Toys Go Out Podcast Stuff * The Simple Show (Tsh's podcast) * Slow Travel and Why You’re Never Really Ready – SHP029 (Tsh's interview with Brooke McAlary) Blog Posts * What Is “Simple Living,” Anyway? * An Intentional Life Where to find Tsh on social media * Twitter * Instagram * Facebook * Pinterest Timestamps and Topics * [06:07] Tsh's seeds of awesomeness * [11:49] What simple-living means to Tsh * [17:03] Exploring life's purpose (mine, Tsh's, and probably yours, too) * [23:11] Preparations for a global family tour and “world schooling” * [25:53] Details on Tsh's family and individual gratitude rituals * [29:47] Tsh's non-negotiables * [34:54] What's making Tsh happy right now (as of Nove...

It started five years ago with a simple book review. I was innocently browsing the archives of a new blog I found called Reading for Your Success and I came across a golden review of Keith Ferrazzi's Never Eat Alone. So I instantly requested the book from my public library and wrote this comment on the blog post: If the book is half as useful as the review, it will be a game-changer for me! Never Eat Alone did change the game for me and it's in my top five books of all-time. But it didn't have a fraction of the impact as the guy who wrote up the review: Scott Dinsmore. He and I eventually became friends, but it was the world of passionate work and deep connections that mattered even more to us. Sadly (a serious understatement), Scott was killed in mid-September 2015 in a freak accident near the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, which he was climbing with his wife, Chelsea. With a smile on my face and a tear in my eye, I intentionally waited two months to record this podcast episode tribute to him. I needed more context. More time to reflect and clarify the legacy of a mentor and true world-changer. It's been amazing to see his local and global Live Your Legend communities come together even stronger after his death. And it's been incredible to see how people have honored his character, spirit, and work … and will keep doing it, just like I am. I want you to know what's possible with a guiding force like him in your life. If you get nothing else out of this episode though, take the challenge to find your own version of Scott Dinsmore. As Scott made abundantly clear, who you surround yourself with and how you bring people together makes all the difference. It's often 100% in your control. So will you have transparent, community-driven, risk-taking, generous, and undeniably good people in your corner? Or will you settle for less than you deserve? Press play and discover what one wild adventurer did and means to the world … and how he changed my work, relationships, and life forever. You're about to Learn … * How to change the world by doing work you love. * Where to find the most amazing people in your local community. * The fastest way to do things you don't think can be done. * Why life sometimes comes down to this: bring people together. * A near certainty when you pursue a shallow life and career. * How to “brainwash the impossible” and achieve goals that seem crazy-pants.     Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode: * Websites: * Live Your Legend * I Simply Am * Resources: * Live Your Legend's Free Toolkit for Email Subscribers * Live Your Legend Local * Live Off Your Passion Course * How to Connect with Anyone Course * Scott Dinsmore Tribute Facebook Group * How to Create Your Ultimate Mastermind Team Workbook * Books: * Never Eat Alone (affiliate link) * Experience Curating * Think and Grow Rich * Podcast Episodes: * SASM 012 – Remarkable Relationships and Doing the ...

How meaningful or fun would an experience have to be that you risk your bladder exploding for it? What's it like to plan, organize, and host a bootstrapped, non-commercial, sponsor-free event for fifty-five amazing simple-living enthusiasts from across North America? I'm giving you the behind-the-scenes tour of the SimpleREV 2015 event, so c'mon inside! You won't just get my perspective as the event co-organizer and co-host, though. You'll hear about the amazing team of volunteers who brought us together for a truly transformational two days. Even if you don't attend, organize, or host events, I'll recap some universal benefits to finding your people and meaningfully connecting with them in this episode. Here's what I have in store for you from our SimpleREV team: * Insight about the fantastic participants and the kinds of conversations authentic “weirdos” have. * The what, why, and how of our event activities – including workshops, talks, and peer-driven action like our Personal Introspective. * What it means – and what it takes – to run an event at the crossroads of community and simplicity. * How people are transformed when they intimately connect with their right people. * Some simple ways that you can get involved with SimpleREV. We’re still processing what the event meant to each of us and our entire community. But the early results are in from two participants: I left SimpleREV 2015 stronger, more informed, and more excited about life than I ever have been before! Honestly, the best weekend of my life so far. I am not exaggerating. – Michelle Here's another: SimpleREV 2015 was the truest sense of community I’ve ever felt and it was beautiful to experience. I hope you have the opportunity to experience something like this in your lifetime. It changes everything. – Magnus You’re about to hear all about the stories, resources, and hugs during October 2-3, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN. Press play now and get ready for a whole lotta simple! You're about to Learn … * Why we loved sticking 241 Post It Notes on a wall (and what we did with them). * How one small clothes donation quickly changed a family's life. * Why you can't get a positive answer from a negative question. * The #1 thing that our participants wanted at SimpleREV 2015. * How to rock a bootstrapped, non-commercial, sponsor-free event. * Why we messed with a winning 2014 formula and made 2015 way different. * One big way we short-changed our participants (even though they didn't know it). * How to run an event where every participant is equal and everyone contributes big-time. * Why we closed with a “Personal Introspective” and what people gained from it. * How SimpleREV helps if you feel like you've been shot out of a cannon. * How to build a community around a community event. * Why I'm proud that fourteen people didn't pee for four hours. * How we dominated Huggr once again. * Two problems that one participant would love to have all the time. * Great ways for you to get involved with SimpleREV.     Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode: * Websites: * Parents Who * Break the Twitch * The Give Away Life * Productive Flourishing * The Hope Effect * Conferences That Work * Prolific Living *

You probably fall into the same trap I do. Over, and over, and over … It's the siren call of priorities. The thought that you can have more than one priority – a foreign concept for centuries that has somehow made its way into the mainstream. Can you create the space you need to discern what's most important when your daily to-do list has ten ranked items? Can you make your highest contribution, the one only you can make, when you're juggling more than a circus clown? The answer to these questions is a resounding no according to my guest for this episode, Greg McKeown, the respected author of Essentialism. Here's a person and a philosophy that does more than take it back to the basics. Greg and the way of the Essentialist intentionally moves things forward so you discern what's most important. Bigger, faster, and busier has been a long-time mistaken path to fulfillment and it's not working for you and me. How about less, but better instead? What would you do if you could do anything, but not everything? – Greg McKeown If Greg can be a pastor, best-selling author, renowned public speaker, social innovation investor, and the father of four – well, then you can certainly enjoy the benefits of Essentialism, too. Just press play and enjoy this fascinating chat with a fascinating fella. You're about to Learn … * Why you need to create s-p-a-c-e in your life to discern what's essential. * How a “personal quarterly offsite” helps you find consistent clarity. * What the best way is to become an Essentialist. * Why Greg relies on inter-generational planning to build a legacy. * How an Essentialist creates and manages to-do lists. * Why we should stop talking about priorities and go back to the priority. * How opinion overload can be worse than information overload. * Why you need time, energy, and relationship buffers in your life. * How to know the most important thing you could do in any moment. * Why limiting your sleep is a guaranteed limiter of a great life. * What happens when a gratitude journal and intentional trade-offs collide.     Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode: * Websites: * GregMcKeown.com * Resources: * Apply Essential (Greg's Deep Dive Offsite) * Designing Life Essentially (Stanford D School Class) * Books: * Essentialism (affiliate link) * Give and Take * Podcast Episodes: * The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (This Is Your Life) * Where to find Greg on social media: * Twitter * LinkedIn Topics * [06:44] Greg's seeds of awesomeness * [11:04] Views on your highest form of contribution * [15:11] The three parts of Essentialism and what comes first * [17:10] How to conduct a personal quarterly offsite * [23:10] Daily rituals to maintain a simple life * [28:02] Our collective inability to adapt to the Internet * [32:00] The principle of buffers and how Greg uses them * [40:10] Trade-offs and techniques of becoming an Essentialist Extra Gratitude and Special Mentions First of all, a big ol' thanks to Richard for being a new Patreon supporter

Q: What's groovier than a pair of hot pink suede roller skates? A: My guest for this episode, Alex Jamieson. She's the best-selling author of Women, Food & Desire, a functional nutrition and life coach, a trained chef, the host of The Crave Cast podcast, and a straight-up “cravings whisperer.” She's been seen on Oprah, The Today Show, Dr. Oz, and, if you don't recognize her from those places, you may know her as the co-star and co-creator of the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me. Note: Although you may consider challenging her to a ukulele-playing contest, do not compete against her at the roller skating rink. I enjoyed chatting with Alex because her silliness is nicely offset by some serious science. Plus, she's not afraid to break our cultural topic taboos in the name of authenticity and wellness. You can't beat the crap out of yourself to have a good relationship with your body. – Alex Jamieson From crunchy West Coast hippie child to (slightly) less crunchy East Coast classy mama, her stories are as vivid as they are insightful. Just press play and join us for a lively and revealing conversation. You're about to Learn … * How to have cravings that empower you instead of enslave you. * The four root causes of cravings – and what to do about each one. * Why eating food is the most intimate thing we do with others (in public). * How to turn restrictive paradigms into “freedom within a framework.” * Why so many people are over-fed and under-nourished. * What Alex did to lose half her online community overnight. * Why coding sex as “dangerous” has huge health and cultural ripple effects. * Why Alex turns to coloring books or bird watching when she wants more nothing. * Some counter-intuitive ways that NYC is stellar for nature-lovers. * The origins of “The Dirt Diet” and how to benefit from more dirt in our lives (and mouths). * How to change the world by redirecting our negative self-talk.     Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode: * Websites: * AlexandraJamieson.com * Alex's Podcast, The Crave Cast * Resources: * Alex's Cravings Quiz * Xeriscaping * The Million Tree Initiative * Alex's Chart: What To Do When You Have A Craving * Books: * Women, Food, and Desire * Podcast Episodes: * SASM 047: How to Reclaim the Commons (and Your Attention) with Howard Rheingold * Videos: * Super Size Me * Indulging Your Cravings for Health and Joy: Alex Jamieson at TEDxHobokenWomen * Where to find Alex on social media: * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest Topics * [06:41] Alex's seeds of awesomeness * [11:17] A shift from eating crap to living well * [15:31] Empowering cravings vs. enslaving cravings