Most Alive

What if I told you that you and some friends could get together, invent characters, and go on an imaginary adventure together? Don't know about you, but I'm sold - and Brittany's getting the commission.

Make stuff fun.

What makes you feel like a kid having fun again? Maëlis Thibon is great at embodying that; follow her fun, smart, kind lead to your own way of playing. And living.

What's your personal mission statement? What's a "People Engineer"? How can we address people in a productive way, even when the conversation is hard? I know I've stomped all over these topics in my life, but Tyré Robinson gracefully dances through them with her hand extended to come along.

Any lexophiles out here? Fans of Shakespearean contemporaries killing everyone because religion is terrible, then being killed in real life, possibly because of it? Can a religious debate be fun? ONE of these has to intrigue you enough to listen, doesn't it?

What if we could use what advertisers know about appealing to people to help them, not just to sell to them?

Ever thought of filling your house with plants? How much do you know about tea? What's Swedish Fit? Is Paris really full of snobs? We're all over the map - in the most intriguing of ways - with Alain Nguyen.

What the heck is going on with the Internet? Who knows, but it was fun to talk through some of the questions with someone as sharp and funny as Abby Vlosky.

What if the world of college football was home to a unique way to see the country, meet people, and generate memorable experiences? I've never been a fan of the sport, but talking with Scott Nutty opened my eyes to new details of what seem now like obvious possibilities.

What if there were a community oriented around something you loved that was as simple as sneakers (that themselves were anything but simple)? Or vinyls? Or other collectibles? Andy Moskalik helps teach me that art doesn't have to mean centuries-old paintings in a museum, but the allure, inspiration, and connection to something bigger than ourselves are often constants. Where do you find those?

What if you could meet and communicate with people anywhere in the world, who wanted to meet you, too? You could learn each other's language and culture and compare perspectives, while also just building an actual friendship. This is exactly how I met Joued Boussetta, and here we discuss some of the simple yet alluring topics available to discover together as language-learning partners.

What if it mattered how everyday Americans play a part in crafting and implementing our nation's policies around the world? What if we could discuss this stuff pleasantly? It does and we can, and Lou Feaman shows us the way.

What if you could insert a game into any ordinary situation to bring life, laughs, and joy to those around you? Danny Stephan's done this as long as I've known him, so naturally in this day and age he's doing it with podcasts. See who guesses the most cereal-milks correctly! We cover a lot, laugh a lot, and I think show a lot about ourselves in this marathon of a chat. And if you like this one, check out more of Danny's "Podder Fodder" episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.

What would a lifestyle based on family, community, love of nature, conservation, adventure, and providing for loved ones look like? Billy Harvey from Log Talk with Pertnear Outdoors does a marvelous job outlining this, as he shows me how much more there is to being an outdoorsman than camouflage and dead animals. Glad I had those and other stereotypes blown away. And check out Pertnear Outdoors at linktr.ee/pertnearoutdoors, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PertnrOutdoors/, or on Instagram @pertnearoutdoors.

What if there were a cultural movement that meant the world to others but you'd never heard about it? If you're like me, you'd have to explore it, especially if it's known by a unique conglomeration of seemingly disparate terms like "underground punk rock feminist movement." I'm so glad to have had one more previously-dark corner of the world lit up for me by Jaime Dombrowski, whose story of the camaraderie she found in this movement highlights the shared humanity I think we're all seeking.

What if it were easy? If you loved red, couldn't you paint your house red? and buy red decorations, clothes, foods? and surround yourself with others who loved red? Surely, red isn't this important to you. What is?

What if you could amuse and inspire others at the same time, building leadership, resilience, and meaningful relationships across generations of people? Angelo Sciandra embodies all this, and his stories as a teacher, coach, and passionately good human being might make you laugh...and feel ready to run through a wall.

What if there were a simple approach to achieving grandiose things that you could feel good about? What if doing what you feel good about, and empowering others to do the same, *were* the approach? Kristen Cronyn's open-hearted story brings this seemingly mystic notion into the realm of the tangible.

What if there were a drug that made you smarter while giving you a consciousness-altering high? Mark Manley shows that there is such a thing; he's my dealer for this, and delivers something special for us here.

What if you could experience the awe this Earth has to offer while meeting people like you who could show you their culture's soul? Mark Manley gives us a map for exactly this, one radiating with fervor for enriching our awareness so we can dance to the full range of the music of life.