On the 90th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Seb Randle. Seb is the founder of The Helpful Space, a space dedicated to exploring pragmatic and practical solutions that help individuals to where they want to be. His approach is grounded in warmth, kindness, genuine curiosity, and a deep understanding of what it takes to create lasting change. Seb is also Head of Allyship at Bloom North, and a people focussed consultant and coach.

In this engaging conversation, Seb shares his ongoing journey of exploring his own truth. He shares with us key moments in his own life that encompassed family counselling in his teens, coming out to his mother and family, and developing a more loving relationship with his body. Each experience in life offering him the opportunity to reveal or understand more about himself. Seb also highlights the importance of how he shows up for others, the exploration of who we are at our core, the value of releasing self-judgement, living life with intention, and exploring our blind spots.

If you are feeling unsure of who you are, seeking to connect more deeply with your truth, or feeling daunted by life’s challenges, this conversation offers plenty of thought-provoking insights. Seb’s relatable experiences and lived wisdom may offer new perspectives for whatever you’re currently navigating.

Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.

For further content and information check out the following:

Seb's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seb-randle-2787b412/
The Helpful Space: https://www.instagram.com/thehelpfulspace/
Bloom North: http://www.bloomnorth.org

- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos
- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/

Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

00:00 Introduction
03:00 A life free from regret

07:10 Showing up for ourselves & others

11:10 Building internal trust

15:00 Feelings and judgements

18:00 What you are at your core

21:30 Self-judgement and self-acceptance

25:25 Appreciating our bodies

34:00 Coming out and telling loved ones

40:00 Approaching life intentionally

44:00 Engaging with our blind spots

49:00 Wondering what else is out there

56:38 What is a good life for Seb?

On the 89th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Manda Scott. Manda trained as a veterinary surgeon but is now an award-winning novelist and host of the Accidental Gods podcast. Best known for the internationally best-selling Boudica: Dreaming series, which The New York Times labelled “a masterpiece in historical fiction,” her latest novel departs from historical fiction in favour of a contemporary Thrutopian narrative, exploring the potential for a future we’d be proud to leave as our legacy. Any Human Power opens doorways we could all walk through, following routes to a paradigm shift we could make happen now.

In this captivating conversation, Manda takes us on her journey of connecting to the living web of life. We explore what the web is asking of us, learning to learn through pain until we can learn through love, the joyful curiosity that arises from the heart-mind connection, dreaming awake, and the magic of co-creation that our relationships with each other can entail. She outlines the role of artists in envisioning a future that lays the foundations for a new way of being and path to follow.

This entire conversation is brimming with hope, connection, curiosity, and considerable wisdom and insight from Manda. I hope it serves as a window into what is possible when we fully sense and connect with all that is around us—the living web of life.

Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.

For further content and information check out the following:

Manda's website / books: https://mandascott.co.uk/
Manda's podcast: https://accidentalgods.life/

- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos
- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/

Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry, take part in my weekly free silent conversations, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your teams, or you simply want to get in touch.

00:00 Introduction
02:45 Podcast begins

04:45 Connecting with the web of life

07:55 Consciously encountering the web of life

12:15 Communicating with time and space

18:03 Learning through pain and love

22:57 Accepting, understanding and healing

26:28 The heart-mind connection

31:45 The power of joyful curiosity

37:15 Feeling the web of life

42:03 Attributing more aliveness to AI and others

45:32 Dreaming awake and the void

55:37 Responding to messages from the web of life

59:45 Inquiries into death

1:03:45 A place outside of space and time and the role of artists

1:09:16 A whole new way of being and path to take

1:18:20 What is a good life for Manda?

On the 88th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Derek Sivers. Derek is an author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, known for his surprising, quotable insights and pithy, succinct writing style. Formerly a musician, programmer, TED speaker, and circus clown, he sold his first company for $22 million and gave all the money to charity. Derek is the author of Useful Not True, How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, and Anything You Want. All his books, latest projects, and musings can be found on his website: https://sive.rs/

In this insightful and engaging conversation, Derek takes us on a journey through his experiences as a musician, philosopher, circus performer, entrepreneur, and author. A journey spanning several continents that embraces, lets go of, and challenges multiple perspectives, and is underpinned by considerable explorations of growth, curiosity, joy, and play.

If you feel stuck in your way of thinking, stagnant in your current life, or tired of your perspectives, not only will Derek’s life serve as an incredible inspiration, but his thoughts and ideas may guide you to places you never imagined.

Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.

For further content and information check out the following:

Derek's website / books: https://sive.rs/

- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos
- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/

Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people or you'd like to join my weekly silent conversation groups.

00:00 Introduction
02:42 What’s another way to see this?
07:10 Not stopping with the first thought

10:10 What could be the benefit of any situation

13:30 Navigating emotion and choices

17:50 Exploring the edges of growth

23:20 Leaving the old for the new

28:10 What is the growth choice?

33:10 Exploration, play, and growth

38:40 The greatest joy in life

44:10 The motivation for the writing

47:40 Not being attached to one perspective

50:40 Realising ideas into existence

53:40 Celebrating our work

59:40 The moment of release

1:02:40 Giving 100% of proceeds to others

1:07:40 Justifying our own actions

1:12:40 The multiplicity of life

1:19:55 What is a good life for Derek?