The Radical Brilliance Podcast

Today's episode of the Radical Brilliance podcast is with Dr. Vlatko Vedral, professor of quantum technology at Oxford University. I hope that it will blow your mind as much as it did mine. The more that I explore the cutting edge of quantum physics, the more new insight I have about what is happening in our world. We all get locked in the echo chambers of mutually exclusive narratives of meaning, which we defend literally as if we were under physical attack. The shift in how we understand reality, which Dr. Vedral explains in this video, may be what we need to move collectively from defending singular points of view to the capacity to easily embrace opposite narratives in a relaxed way.

So often when we listen to conversations with “experts,” they are people who have written the books, mapped out the landscape, and created a lifetime of credentials. Often, of course, these experts are baby boomers, now in their 50s 60s or beyond. Eric Hoffer once said, “In times of rapid change, it is the learners who will inherit the earth, while the knowers will be well-equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” We are in times of rapid change. Our very survival hangs in the balance. Things are changing so quickly, that it is the young and malleable minds who will determine the future of human life on this planet. For this reason, I really loved having this conversation with Raj. He displays a very mature and balanced perspective on everything from the economy, to the environment, to social and political systems. Please enjoy this conversation, and get us your feedback at radicalbrilliance.com/ podcast. 5:46 -- The world through the eyes of a millennial 14:16 -- The skill of filtering information 21:30 -- Who can you trust? 30:20 -- Finding common humanity 37:00 -- Trends in the new world / “You are your most valuable asset”

The latest episode of the Radical Brilliance podcast is with Joe Mechlinski, the author of "Shift the Work," and the founder of Shift. His organization has a long track record of supporting organizations, from tens to thousands of employees, to change the work environment. Most of us find ourselves in unprecedented times of uncertainty. Just a few months ago, the economy was booming, unemployment rates were low, and everyone was busy hopping on and off planes to exotic destinations, eating in restaurants, dancing and going to parties. When the COVID19 pandemic hit, all of that went into stasis. Suddenly, we found ourselves staying at home, many businesses were forced to close or experienced great struggle, and millions of people are out of work. Now, we wonder what comes next. Whenever there is a time like this of great disruption, we never go back. What comes after never looks like what came before. The same was true for both World Wars, for the Great Depression, and for the Spanish Flu. Times of great calamity also bring opportunity for great innovation and evolution. In this conversation with Joe Mechlinski we explore how to ride times of turbulent change in a business environment, and how to thrive -- not only financially, but by becoming an agent of evolution. 4:30 -- Why go back when you can go forward? 15:12 -- Life without our costumes on -- the value of authenticity 20:51 -- What to do with the vacuum of clear vision of leadership? 30:12 -- Rethinking life and work 42:28 -- The perils of outsourcing 49:12 -- Agents of evolution

Welcome back to the Radical Brilliance Podcast. This week our guests are Bill Kauth and Zoe Alowan, talking about the power of tribe. Us homo sapiens have always done better when we collaborate. Truth is… we need each other, whether we're willing to admit it or not. Historically, we all used to live tribally just in order to survive. But, over time, tribal ways were largely abandoned or actively destroyed, especially with the rise of urban development, systems of governance, religion, industrialization and colonization. Though many indigenous tribes have survived, most of global society drifted (or was forced) away from the land and the ways of living with one another and the earth. Our social support units shifted then to the extended family… which narrowed down to the nuclear family… and then to the American dream where each individual has the opportunity to strive and become successful… but alone. We can't wind the clock backwards. And - even if we could - there are many aspects of those ancient tribes we wouldn't wish to emulate. But we DO have an opportunity to learn from those who came before and consider how we, in this individuated/post-industrialized society, can return to what really matters. And we have an opportunity to consciously and deliberately create a sense of tribe that works for us now. Bill Kauth and Zoe Alowan have done some brave work in forging the path for the rest of us. Please enjoy this podcast with two visionaries and trailblazers. 3:23 -- Historical precedence, current need 13:07 -- The role of leadership 21:09 -- Intentional communities and commitment 32:24 -- A few best practices and learnings 47:43 -- Importance of transparency, connection and intimacy

"No one really knows why they're alive until they know what they would die for." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Death plays an essential role in the cycle of creativity. There's no light without darkness and there's no life without death. The most beautiful gardens grow from rich and dirty compost. As a society, we regularly try to cheat death and avoid discomfort but we're really just cheating ourselves of the opportunity to feel, grieve, fear, rage, fall, fail, learn, and eventually grow -- all necessary steps along the path to creating something meaningful. Alex Ebert is constantly creating. He makes music and art, designs apps, writes books, founded a nonprofit, and even made a film, which we'll discuss in this episode. He's also pretty comfortable with discomfort and facing his own mortality. Find out about how these things are all related in our conversation here. And enjoy. 3:01 -- Creation and mortality, the role of gratitude 12:00 -- Truth, raw humanity, and the crucible 25:04 -- Different understandings of death, rites of passage, ritual and society 40:49 -- "Losing is learning", the initiation of parenthood

As an expert in personal transformation, I thought I had seen it all. Tried hundreds of modalities, and developed some as well. Read and written countless books, and coached thousands of people on how to be their best. So imagine my surprise when I stepped onto a Fusion dance floor and found myself completely blown away by the deep life lessons being offered to me in such an unassuming form. Dance is a metaphor for life. Everything we need to work on in our personal and professional lives (e.g., leadership style, communication skills, ability to collaborate with others, ease of innovation) will be revealed as we learn to partner dance. This is especially true in Fusion Dance — which implicitly invites a certain level of mindfulness in its practice. Justin Riley, one of the founders of Fusion Dance, has no qualms about linking the lessons he’s learned in dance to inform and improve every aspect of his life. In this episode we talk about dance as a surprisingly powerful tool for personal and even global transformation. Enjoy. 3:07 -- Dance: More transformative than coaching? 22:22 -- History of Fusion Dance 33:53 -- Why dance is good for entrepreneurs?

What conditions enable our highest creative states? What's the role of skill in creativity? Is the creative impulse emotional or intellectual? Please enjoy this provocative conversation about the what, where, and how of ideas with brilliant mind, Forrest Landry. 4:00 -- Conditions that enable creativity 21:06 -- Creativity to what end? 35:21 -- Creation versus discovery 44:15 -- “The process that allows the light to emerge”

How do the words, "Anything is Possible" make you feel? Maybe you feel relief when you read them. Maybe excitement. Maybe something that previously seemed inaccessible just opened its doors for you. Or maybe you're a skeptic. "Surely they don't mean 'anything is possible,'" you think. Does it seem ridiculous? Consider this: If you look for proof that an idea, a project, some future scenario is totally impossible -- you won't find it. There's not enough data to support your hypothesis. That's because everything is constantly changing. 100 years ago there's no way we could have predicted what our world would look like now. Not only is the belief that "anything is possible" true (or at least possible!), it's also USEFUL. When we practice incorporating the belief into our lives as a mantra or motto, things begin to change. We take more risks, we see more payoffs. We try new things, we live bigger and bolder. Joe Vitale is an expert in the Law of Attraction. He's overcome incredible hurdles in his life, achieved a ridiculous amount of success, and it's all because he allowed himself to believe that "Anything is Possible." Obviously this theory has implications not only for our personal lives but for the future of humanity. Enjoy this conversation. 3:20 -- What are the principles underlying the idea, “Anything is Possible”? 14:21 -- How can we apply these principles of, “Anything is Possible” for humanity? 25:54 -- The best possible future 35:35 -- “Who says?” Question it all

The words "private enterprise" and "social change" haven't always gone hand in hand. From tobacco companies, to big banks, to the military industrial complex -- the examples of harm done in an attempt to make money are numerous. Numerous, but waning. In this week's episode we will discover how companies with values and a mission actually do better financially. We'll talk about how organizations (for-profit and non-for-profit) do better when they have a thriving revenue model to support their activities, and how significant change is possible when the money-driven companies get on board with beneficial products and policies to keep up with the marketplace. After all, it's not just producers that make positive change through business in our world: consumers, voting with dollars, keep good companies accountable and have the power to convince baddies to do better. Please enjoy this conversation with one of the most skilled and insightful leaders in conscious business, Rinaldo Brutoco. 5:07 -- What’s the highest expression of business? 20:48 -- How to get businesses to be of greater service to society? 31:32 -- What’s the best possible future of business?

There are so many good reasons to write a book: Writing can help organize our thoughts or come to new understandings about the material we're presenting once we go through the process of putting it all on paper; writing can be emotionally gratifying -- cathartic and/or joyful; writing can help uplift and preserve diverse perspectives and cultures that deserve representation. If you have something to contribute to the world (and, by the way, everyone does), then consider writing a book. Bill Gladstone, renowned literary agent behind some of the greatest books of the last century, shares his thoughts in this episode. Enjoy. 4:57 -- The State of the Book 15:32 -- When you have something important to contribute… 23:31 -- How to increase the chances of your book being discovered? 31:38 -- Writing for a better world 37:43 -- How to start your book 44:22 -- Tips to overcome writing challenges

More or less everyone alive today agrees that this is a very pivotal time, not only in human history, but equally in the history of the earth itself. Never before have we faced so many unresolved problems. Not only is our survival threatened as a species, but so is the survival of many other species we impact, and even the biosphere in which we all live. Equally, this is a time of great promise. The quality of life has never been so great: the possibility to live in good health and to devote our attention to the pursuit of things we love and feel passionate about, instead of simply physical survival. The contemplation of different possible future scenarios has been called “futurism.” Barbara Marx Hubbard was a famed futurist, as is Peter Russell. David Houle gave up his career in mainstream media to devote his life to the informed study of potential future scenarios. This is a longer episode and packed with very useful information. 3:22 -- Why is the future more important now than ever? 12:22 -- The role of the American Dream in climate change 27:23 -- Steps to overcoming denial 41:27 -- Starting a revolution 54:18 -- How to expand the “We” consciousness 64:41 -- The best possible future

Caring about what other people think of us isn't just societally conditioned, it's biologically programmed thanks to the way humans have evolved over time. We feel we need to fit in, we need to be accepted, in order to be successful. But arguably the most creative people on our planet have done just the opposite: they come up with original ideas totally independent of what other people may think. They face (or disregard) fears of critique and rejection in order to bring forward something truly inspired. Inspiration may come from within, or from the great and mysterious beyond, but -- as Alex Ebert describes here -- GREAT works of art or science NEVER come from following the herd. Please enjoy this brilliant interview about the courage to create. 4:00 — Review of Celestial Archeology 7:30 — Search for truth and authenticity 14:02 — Driven by meaning 26:26 — The role of social anxiety in keeping us small and divided 34:25 — Facing the fear to create something great 43:33 — Away from social anxiety towards social care and trust in humanity

Are good ideas born among the stars? Do they get transmitted to us through some mysterious satellite of the heavens? Or do good ideas come from within us, from our brain making connections across the billions of data points we actively and passively collect throughout our lives? Is there such thing as an original idea that borrows from previously-shared ideas? Are ideas exclusive to individuals or can groups come together to ideate? Join us in conversation with Daniel Schmachtenberger as we explore answers to these questions and more. As you will hear, an examination of where ideas come from develops into a discussion about how to develop good ideas — for ourselves and for the benefit of the wider world. 2:50 -- Where do good ideas come from: Downloading vs uploading? 22:03 -- Can combining existing ideas produce an original idea? 30:00 -- Taking different perspectives to arrive at good insights… and create the best possible future 41:26 -- The potential of multi-perspectives in collaboration 48:26 -- Conscious evolution: Letting go of what you think you know

Many entrepreneurs start businesses with a vision on how to improve the quality of life. Pretty soon, the founder of a company discovers that he or she cannot perform every function alone. You need an accountant, customer support, project management, a sales team... and then an executive to manage the whole operation. After a while, the founder of the company discovers that what began as an avenue for creative expression has become a kind of prison. Instead of the business serving the original inspiration, the visionary is now in service to the business. At that point, many leaders complain that their life is no longer their own, and as a result, relationships, family, health, recreation, and spiritual connection all suffer. Eric Edmeades is a great proponent of making a business work for your vision, instead of giving up your vision to work for a business. Please enjoy a very practical roadmap for creating "business freedom." 3:24 -- Premise of Business Freedom 23:03 -- “Freedom to” vs “freedom from” 36:00 -- How to move away from the kind of work you dislike 48:18 -- How to train staff effectively 59:04 -- Delegation 73:14 -- What to do once you’re free?

In chapter two of the book Radical Brilliance, we distinguish between two kinds of thought. "Horizontal thoughts," with which we are mostly familiar, are simply regurgitations of what we have heard or thought before. Almost everything that passes through the mind during the day is a repetition of something from the past. "Vertical thought," which is much more unusual, arises from the depths, out of stillness. It means thinking a thought that has never been thought before, which becomes speech that has never been spoken before, and actions which have never been taken before. Many people become confused about how to distinguish between these two different kinds of thought. How do you know the difference? What is your worried mind, overthinking as usual? What are your reactive feelings, responding to the world in desire or fear? And when is it inner knowing speaking, which is connected to a greater intelligence, beyond the mind. Sonia Choquette is one of the greatest experts alive on harnessing this kind of intuition. Her book, "Trust Your Vibes" has become the go-to reference on how to trust your knowing without thinking. 3:00 -- How to begin working with intuition 9:44 -- Accessing intuition through play 14:46 -- How do I know what’s true intuition?

If you've become at all familiar by now with the Brilliance Cycle, you'll know that true originality and contribution requires the coexistence of four very different phases of activity. 12 to 3 is the spontaneous arising of fresh creative energy out of stillness. 3 to 6 is the realization of intentions into measurable results. 6 to 9 is where we fully integrate and learn from our mistakes to develop humility. 9 to 12 is where we recognize the limitations of our humanity, and turn to something beyond ourselves. Today's podcast is useful in the 6 to 9 quadrant. In order to shift from fight or flight, sympathetic nervous system activity, into the parasympathetic activity where learning can happen, we need to be able to slow down. Sometimes pausing, going slower, produces greater results. Dr. Srini Pillay, an associate professor at Harvard University, will share with us the importance of taking frequent pauses between phases of focused activity in order to create more brilliant results. 3:11 -- Early experiments in focus and productivity 12:50 -- 5 disadvantages of focusing 22:22 -- Benefits of unfocused time 27:35 -- Strategies for balancing focused and unfocused time 48:30 -- A role-playing game

Have you ever had an amazing idea that never really went anywhere? Maybe you tried to share your amazing idea with others but they just looked back at you with blank stares. How many brilliant innovations never launch, how many books never get written, how many start-ups fail -- just because a strong enough case wasn't made for them? Just because the creators couldn't get investors, customers, audiences to care? Sam Horn has mastery in condensing complex ideas and understandings down into bite-size chunks. Often, this is a dilemma for people who want to make a great contribution. Ideas may seem complex and multidimensional. But today people have very short attention spans so we have to find ways to express complex ideas in few words. No one does this better than Sam Horn. She ran the Maui Writers Conference for many years, and she’s a master of creating a powerful impact skillfully with language. Enjoy the podcast. 3:12 How to have a great idea that reaches people 12:00 The role of imagination in explaining an idea 19:33 The empathy telescope 29:02 “Who am I?” Syndrome

Everybody wants more money, more new shiny objects. Everybody needs food and clothing and shelter and relationships. But the one thing most people in Western culture feel they don't have enough of is time. We often view time as a limited commodity, a little like the money in your bank account. If you have $300, spend $100, you've only got $200 left. What if time itself was actually expanding and contracting? What if “an hour” sometimes passed very quickly and sometimes went very slowly? If time was speeding up and slowing down uniformly all over the planet, an hour would still be a full revolution of the big hand from 12 back to 12 again, but how long it takes to do that could vary. When we shift from a Newtonian to a Quantum experience of time we realize that it is created out of a unified field. Gay Hendricks pointed out in his book, The Big Leap, you are that out of which time is created. Please enjoy this fascinating conversation with Roger Hamilton about how we can deliberately affect the speed at which time moves. 5:28 -- Ripping the fabric of established reality 18:21 -- Controlling time in your business 22:54 -- Slowing down consciousness, speeding up time; slowing down time, speeding up consciousness 32:58 -- Slowing down time technique 39:49 -- Our natural ability to recall the future 43:50 -- About Roger Hamilton 51:10 -- The value of time and how it relates to wealth 59:15 -- Achieving more success by being in the flow

Particularly among baby boomers, many people have had relationships to a spiritual teacher, joined a community (or Sangha) and subscribed to a particular philosophical orientation. A relationship with a teacher can be many things. It can lead to dependency on things outside yourself. It can lead to a craving for approval, fitting in, and a fear of missing out. A relationship with a teacher can easily become a way to make up for what we didn't get with mommy and daddy. Also (sadly, not always) a relationship with a great teacher can become a catalyst for real freedom. Until his death in 1997, thousands of people came into contact with H.W.L. Poonja. Many met a sweet old man (or sometimes a very abrupt and confronting lion), and then moved on. Many had strong peak spiritual experiences which then dissipated, and they also moved on. A few people, experienced a deep and abiding shift into freedom: into knowing their true nature beyond discursive thought and reactive feeling. Please enjoy this very warmhearted conversation with Isaac Shapiro. 5:35 -- New ways of seeing, new ways of being (Isaac meets Papaji) 18:03 -- New ways of seeing, new ways of being (Arjuna meets Papaji) 30:25 -- The service of being present -- the journey of teaching 39:31 -- How discomfort leads evolution and the importance of leaning in 60:15 -- Keys to awakening for the sake of contribution

There are approximately 2.3 million species on this planet. Only one of them accumulates possessions beyond their immediate needs for survival. Only one species uses the earth's resources in a non-renewable way, and only one species has developed a complex system initially generated by the bartering of goods and services. This is us. Money is such a complex topic because it doesn't really exist. It is created by group consensus. Babies don't understand money, nor do indigenous people, nor do cats, or dogs, or any other animals. Because it doesn't really exist, we each develop a unique and personal relationship to money. Some of us are afraid of the money monster. Some of us despise the money fiend. Some of us lust for the money seductress. But very few of us have money as our friend. We are delighted this week to welcome Ken Honda, who has developed a way, based on his own experience, to have a friendly, happy relationship to money which fully supports the desire to do good in the world. 17:18 -- How can money change the world? 23:18 - Future of money 29:32 -- Practical steps for making more money 34:25 -- Success stories