1 Giant Mind Podcast with Jonni Pollard

How do we reconcile our disappointment with people that may be great at marketing a life of wellbeing and kindness but not living it in real life? Liz, a marketing and communications strategist in the wellness space shares how she sometimes finds herself confronted by the inauthenticity and contradictions she sees in the wellness world. The question leads Jonni to help open up our minds to how we respond to situations when we feel disdain for someone because we believe they are being inauthentic or misleading. His practical advice provides tangible steps toward avoiding the trappings of being righteous while applying a constructive approach to how we can help elevate ourselves and others in the most loving way.

As meditators, do we have a responsibility to investigate the origins and history of meditation? Joey, a creative professional who discovered meditating after working on 1 Giant Mind's Teacher Training Programs, poses this question to Jonni as he seeks to have a deeper understanding of the practice. The question inspires Jonni's perspective on not mistaking the map for the terrain but also honoring our innate desire to understand the source of things.

How does meditation cultivate creativity, and how do we become intimately connected with how it works? Sofia, a Columbian-born brand strategist and designer now living in New York, seeks to understand the relationship between meditation and creativity. The conversation not only answers this question but goes deeper into the source of our primal creative instinct to innovate, and how our suffering is rooted in our resistance to this instinct. Jonni presents a new way of looking at creativity and also challenges the notion that some people are creative and others are not. The conversation continues with a practical look at exactly how some meditation techniques help us access and cultivate our own creative instinct.

How do we live a more meaningful and holistic life without disregarding or judging the rest of world? There's a growing movement towards minimalism and away from materialism but with this lifestyle shift comes its own challenges. In this episode, Rita, a stylist in the fashion world, shares her experience of weening herself off the addiction of status and possessions. Living in New York, she is confronted with how to co-exist in a world so consumed by so many of the things she rejects. Jonni reveals an entirely new, and a surprising perspective on how to reconcile this conflict while remaining true to yourself and your beliefs - yet still participating in society.

Is the ego a good thing or a bad thing? And what is the ego's role in meditating? Our guest Kenny returns for more deep questions around topics we don't always talk about. In this episode, Jonni shares his view on the ego's role in our pursuit for living our deepest truth. The discussion challenges some of the conventional thinking about our ego as it's often demonized and misunderstood. The exchange takes some unexpected detours and what results is a memorable podcast that gives some new insights on a very misunderstood subject.

How do we navigate the hyperstimulation of a data-driven world and reconnect with ourselves and humanity? Jonni provides a powerful case for meditation as the foundational practice for combating information fatigue and discerning what information we really need in order to flourish and connect with the world around us.

How can we truly know when we are living from a place of deeper truth? And, what role does faith play in accepting the present moment for what it is? Our podcast guest Kenny poses these questions to Jonni in front of a small live audience in New York City. Jonni responds to Kenny's inquiry with a not-so-expected perspective on trust, faith, and its relationship to consciousness.

Now that we have a vision of what true leadership is, Andrea asks Jonni how we develop this ability to be embodied and the role of meditation plays in connecting us to the place where our personal power is.

What does it mean to have power and how does that translate into leadership? Guest Andrea Stern poses this and many questions about power, leadership, and what to do in the face of misguided power. Jonni responds with a new definition of leadership and reveals how all of us are leading in every moment as we interact in our daily lives. He proposes that if we want to see our world change, we must first recognize that we are all leading, and with that comes an immense responsibility to serve the good of all.

Our Guest Nick Dimattina, a senior recruiter for Pandora asks Jonni the question so many of us are asking, "Do we have to leave our jobs, develop new skills and let go of our salaries to find our purpose and experience fulfillment?" Jonni proposes a paradigm-shifting perspective on purpose and fulfillment and where it comes from that enables us to re-envision our current roles, and make them the most relevant and important thing we can be doing right now.

Justine Bloome, a leading marketing strategist in NYC, asks Jonni his view on the kind of impact the rapidly emerging wellness industry is having in the world right now and where it might need to grow to have a greater impact. His response is both unexpected and revealing of something that we can all embrace right now to increase the power and impact of the wellbeing movement.

Our guest Andrea Stern asks Jonni how we strike a balance between who we know ourselves to be and what the can demands us to be. Jonni reveals that at the heart of the our struggle for balance is the ignorance of the power of our attention. He explains the role meditation plays in developing the foundation of self-awareness that enables us to be artfull in navigating the push and pull of life that can make us lose touch with what is most important.

One of our guests Lauren, a successful PR executive in NYC, asks a personal question about how she can bridge the gap or take the leap into what she knows she needs to do to start living a happier and more fulfilled life. Jonni cuts to the heart of her challenge by revealing that in fact she has already arrived at where she thought she needed to be. This revelation immediately elevated her perspective to see exactly what she needs to do right now.

Andrea Stern has invited 12 friends to ask Jonni some hard questions about the relevance of meditation in the face of the challenges that we each face day to day. Andrea kicks off by asking Jonni to share a little about his journey of reclaiming his power by living life from what he describes as his 'deepest nature of love'. He shares how meditation plays the leading role in his success in stabilizing a deep and sustained connection to his truest self. He also shares how the knowledge he's gained through his personal studies and practice have enabled him to empower so many others to awaken self-awareness and reclaim their personal power to have an impact in the world.