At minimum, you will leave this interview feeling confident and optimistic about yourself, your world, and the prospects in it, as Christmas Hutchinson convincingly reminds each of us that we’re worth more than we give ourselves credit for. Not a little more…way more.
Continue readingPsychology/Mental Health/Self-Esteem
Ideas, stories, experiences, and other content related to self-esteem, mental health, and happiness. To live and flourish, one must first be convinced that one is worthy of living, worthy of happiness. This is self-esteem, and it is a crucial value we all must earn.
Why do some thrive while others are crushed by hardship? (Listener question on Podcast ep. 55)
Why do some people thrive in the face of hardship while others are crushed? To this challenging listener question, Matthew answers essentially that it’s about building resilience through the method of optimism versus the default of passive pessimistic resignation. On a deeper level, it’s about free will (optimistic) versus determinism (pessimistic).
Continue readingThere’s nothing wrong with you: Podcast ep. 54 now released
Are we basically good or evil? How can we transcend our culture of “blame and shame”? Why do we give away our power to others? How can we be less reactive and more proactively responsible for our own actions and well-being? What does it mean to take full ownership for our circumstances, and why is this empowering? What are the physical benefits to mindfulness training, on top of the obvious mental and emotional benefits?
Continue readingDepression: The “silent thief”: Podcast ep. 53 now released
Whether you’re depressed or not, none of us are operating in perfect mental health. And in any case, we all need to be better educated for those around us who may be struggling and for whom we might make a difference. Lewis Page, successful and respected soccer coach, loved father, husband, friend, and all-around popular and healthy guy, does not fit one’s typical image of what depression looks like. Yet he lives with it.
Continue readingKnow thyself: 50th episode of Mr. Bright Side now released
No, it’s nothing to do with The Killers.
In this early milestone 50th episode, Matthew reflects a bit by sharing a brief history as to why he proceeded to call the show “Mr. Bright Side,” knowing full well that it would always be confused with the 2004 mega-hit Killers song. He also shares a few personal stories over the years which have reflected back to him his natural tendency to optimism and enthusiasm, long before he ever developed his mature and formal philosophy. Listeners can take a lesson in self-awareness from these reminiscences.
Continue readingI’m so happy to be over forty: Podcast ep. 49 now released
At what age does one become a fully-formed individual? One modern-day comedian and one sage character from a short story published in 1939 have both offered a similar magic number. How is that two people from distinctly separate eras and experience have both identified the same thing?
Continue reading“Celebrations should only be for those who have something to celebrate”: Podcast ep. 48 now released
Free time gets old quick.
Retired people know this. So what’s the cause of that antsy, anxious feeling that makes it so that you just can’t enjoy your leisure time anymore? And how can we remedy this?
Continue readingWhat does good charity look like?: Podcast ep. 47 now released
How does charity fit into a life dedicated to gaining—not surrendering—values? If healthy human relationships are about win-wins, and charity is about gaining nothing for oneself, then is it good? And why do many of us feel so unfulfilled after engaging in sacrificial charity, if it’s the right thing to do?
Continue readingOnly win-wins are moral: Podcast ep. 44 now released
If win-win relationships are possible, why should we want any part of a win-lose or lose-win? Yet lose-win is what conventional morality offers us explicitly if we take it seriously. And we ought to take it seriously. Our self-esteem and mental health depend on it.
Continue readingThanks, Bob Dylan: Podcast ep. 43 now released
What is a personal “culture” or identity? And is it ours to shape as we like, or is it determined by factors beyond our control?
How did a Bob Dylan quote from an interview in Netflix’s Rolling Thunder Revue encapsulate an answer to this idea that gave Matthew to cheer?
Continue readingWhat happened when I dropped Facebook?: Podcast ep. 42 now released
Matthew had been feeling less than optimal for the past several months, but with one small change, his world has brightened again. The change was dramatic and almost immediate.
Continue readingAct with more conviction: Podcast ep.41 now released
Who is the imposter who grows inside us all, trying to evict us from our own bodies and lives? Why and how do we empower him?
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