The Obvious Question

The simplicity of life and how it all starts and ends with one breath.

Is there someone (or something) looking out for us when we need them? I say it in the intro, I don’t believe in guardian angels or old men with white beards in the sky, but when I was really despairing, I asked the air for help, and dammit if it doesn’t seem to me that something answered the call. Was this just coincidence? A story I’m making up? What if I’ve noticed it happen a bunch of times in my life? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at...

What would life look like if we treated the people in our lives who we perceive as bad people - the villains, and those who we place on pedestals (our heroes) the same. What if we were able to even-out our approach - giving the villains the benefit of the doubt and some empathy, and the heroes a sense of appreciation but without fawning or pressure - would the world shift in some way? Would it make a difference? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at...

Humanity, our species, is facing severe threats - climate change and ever intensifying weather, antibiotic resistant diseases, political instability and disconnection, the list goes on and on, and all the while, our own population is expected to grow to 8 billion by 2024. Is there any hope that we’ll be able to align and confront our problems before they overcome us? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page...

As we grow older, do we remain the same person, or are we somehow someone else? Certainly we change - our looks, opinions, personalities - sometimes these things change drastically...but that doesn’t make us different people? If we're the same, then what is the thing that remains the same? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious Question podcast here or wherever you get...

How would life be different if we didn’t have news at all? How much of what happens in the world is created or influenced by how events preceding it are reported? To some extent, we know from the media, that mass shooters are encouraged by the coverage of previous mass shooters. What role does the media play in uncovering topics that people need to learn about, and how much do they exploit events, for ratings and advertising, that are better left uncovered? Check out the conversation and...

This week, we explore if it is better to live life with a strong aspiration towards the future - trying to build something, achieve something, or leave a lasting legacy, or if it is enough to simply be deeply connected to the present moment. Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious Question podcast here, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.

We find, in our culture, that men can freely engage in any emotion, as long as it doesn’t involve crying. Why is this? When did we learn that we have to give up crying as a way we express ourselves? Are we cool with it? Are we missing out on something if we hold it back? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious Question podcast here, iTunes, or wherever you get your...

So often on our show, we’re asking questions that are really just circling the one big question that we all have - “What is it all about?”, or “Why am I here?” This week, we get closer to that big question by asking about our purpose - over and above everything else, is there something that we’re meant to do? If so, what is it? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious...

How do you teach a kid to be OK with who they are - to feel good, to be confident, to do what they want to do? All too often, kids are driven into certain activities, behaviors, or even career paths based on what adults think is best, but may not be what the kid wants. How do you guide a kid into a life that they would say, “I’m happy with this.”? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe...

Somedays, you wake up, take one bleary-eyed look at the day, and say, “No thanks. I’m going back to bed.” Can you do this? What if you can’t - is there something I can do to turn this feeling around? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious Question podcast here, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Why do we, as humans, think we’re so special? It may be easy to look at our place among other species on earth and pat ourselves on the back for being so great, but a simple glance upward at night reminds us how very small we are compared to the vastness and wonder of what is out there. Furthermore, we adapted to our environment in the exact same way as everything else did - we all evolved to fit our environment, so why do we think that places us above everything else? Check out the...

This week we talk about death, and specifically, why don’t we talk about it, or why do we put it off until we are at the very end and have no other choice? What keeps us from talking about the one thing that we all share? Surely fear plays a part of it, but wouldn’t it do us some wonderful good to share those fears instead of burying them? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The...

How do you handle conflict with your neighbors - or anyone who you’re not super close to. After all, you have to live with them - maybe for a long time. Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious Question podcast here, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Given the vast differences in the kinds of pitfalls and threats that kids (teens)face today versus even what they were just 10 or 15 years ago, what can we do now to help them to be safe. Even the way kids use social media is much different than the way parents use it (as my cousin told me, “We stopped using Facebook as soon as we realized you guys started), so our toolset for how to help our children navigate life is uncharted and unfamiliar. Check out the conversation and then let us know...

When does artificial intelligence become real? Inspired by a recent news story about an artificially intelligent system that can paint like some of the great masters, at what point does AI cross the threshold to real intelligence - what would define that? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious Question podcast here, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.

When you’re gone, when you’ve shuffled off this mortal coil, how do you want to be remembered? What is the legacy that you’d like to leave in the hearts and minds of the people who remain? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious Question podcast here, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.

We are all familiar with how life can test us - family members (or ourselves) get really sick or a big change in life that we have to manage, and to get through them, we rely on our support systems, our beliefs, our spirituality, etc, but sometimes, life comes out of nowhere and forces you to act “in the moment” - there is no time to plan or examine options. It is like a ‘pop quiz’ - you don’t know it’s coming, you have to act, and depending on what you do, you can fail it. Is there a way to...

How much stuff do we need? What things matter the most to us, and at what point do they become a burden? It feels timely to ask ourselves about the things we own, because we all know that we’re going to have to give it up someday, so are we OK leaving our friends and family members to deal with it? Check out the conversation and then let us know what you think at obviousquestion.wordpress.com or on our FaceBook page @obviousquestion Subscribe to The Obvious Question podcast here, iTunes, or...

Many of us grow up with the notion that you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it, that, through perseverance, grit, and hard work, you can achieve whatever you want. In parallel, many of us learned (and feel) that life has a flow to it all of its own, and your ability to align yourself with this flow can directly relate to how happy and at peace you are, and we wonder this week, are these two at odds with each other? Can you do both - can you achieve objectives and be one the...