A Congruent Life Andy Gray

Derek "Deek" Diedricksen is a builder of tiny homes, a musician, an artist - and exemplifies not putting people into boxes. He is a host of HGTV's "Tiny House Builders" and the author of Microshelters: 59 Creative Cabins, Tiny Houses, Tree Houses, and Other Small Structures.



In this episode of A Congruent Life, Deek shares about:

building a multi-faceted life composed of the things he loves;
creation in many forms: building, writing, music;
dealing with the fact that people will inevitably complain and criticize;
following your instincts about how to invest your time and energy;
choosing "Option B."


Links from the Show

Relax Shacks on YouTube
Relax Shacks website
Facebook: Tiny House Hub
Tiny House Builders on HGTV
Microshelters: 59 Creative Cabins, Tiny Houses, Tree Houses, and Other Small Structures
Humble Homes, Simple Shacks, Cozy Cottages, Ramshackle Retreats, Funky Forts: And Whatever The Heck Else We Could Squeeze In Here

Tara Byrne is a serial entrepreneur who had some unique "unschooling" educational experiences, and is the founder of Under 30 Changemakers, a support network for young entrepreneurs.



In this episode of A Congruent Life, Tara shares about:

how breaking into a church led to an unexpected change of plans for her life;
how unschooling taught her that failure itself was a great instructor;
engaging in non-traditional education that set her on a path for social entrepreneurship and making business meaningful;
learning to accept personal responsibility and become the artist of her own life;
the paradox that the things that "should" have been successful weren't, and vice versa;
developing a sense of detachment and learning that quitting was different from giving up;
understanding that people are a business' greatest asset, and focusing on self care.


Links from the Show

Under 30 Changemakers
Facebook: Under 30 Changemakers
Twitter: @Under30change
Mycelium
Ryan Holiday: The Obstacle is the Way
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder


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Jacob Sokol had all the trappings of a successful life in New York City but longed for passion and purpose. So he set off to find it, and deliberately and consciously designed the kind of life he was enthusiastic about. He ended up creating Sensophy, a blog that chronicled his journey and evolved into a business helping others live extraordinary lives.



In this episode of A Congruent Life, Jacob shares about:

the meaning and mission behind Sensophy;
a sense of disbelief in first grade in the rules of success in the world;
going through the motions of his career, but feeling shame about not being enough;
recognizing that the pain of staying the same was worse than the fear of the unknown;
a "ladder of consciousness," the dangerous place in the middle, and taking ownership of our lives;
the essential scaffolding of taking care of ourselves;
when we feel at our best, we perform at our best;
being willing to be "more you than is socially acceptable."
challenging that voice saying "Who am I to do this?"


Links from the Show

Jacob's story on Sensophy
12 Things Happy People Do Differently
Twitter: @JacobSokol
Facebook: Sensophy

Katrin Macmillan is the founder of a human rights organization called Projects for All. An innovative project called "Project Hello World" is helping to connect and bring education to millions of children without traditional resources.



In this episode of A Congruent Life, Katrin shares about:

the goals of Projects for All, and specifically what her organization is trying to accomplish with Project Hello World;
deficits that she sees in traditional education models, and how Project Hello World is addressing them;
how her original training in theatre became an ideal fit for working in the non-profit sector;
wrestling up the confidence to shift the trajectory of her life;
pushing up against a "fictional sense of meritocracy" and embracing the "joy of being useful"
seeking balance between her work and other parts of her life, particularly with respect to her family; and
discovering that the most authentic times of her life have actually been the times when she encountered the most resistance.


Links from the Show

Projects for All
Project Hello World
YouTube video introducing "Hello Hubs"

Jason Zook personifies reinvention and unconventional thinking: he has worn T-shirts for a living, sold his last name twice, and is now literally selling his future. The author of Creativity for Sale, Jason helps people see beyond boundaries, chart their own life paths, and turn unique talents into opportunities.



In this episode of A Congruent Life, Jason shares about:

trusting your gut about the path you're on,
creating your own luck,
his recurring mantras about hard work and consistency,
giving ourselves permission to take a step forward without hiding behind research,
the challenge of consumption versus creation, and realigning our values,
how his own core values that guide the life and business decisions he makes,
behind the scenes of his latest project, detailing the process he has taken from concept to launch, and
focusing on delivering value, and being aware of what brings you value.


Links from the Show

BuyMyFuture
Jason Does Stuff
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable by Seth Godin
Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together by Pamela Slim
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday


Related Episode
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Belden Lane is a teacher, author, storyteller, and theologian who explores the deep connection between nature and spirituality, and in particular the threads between those topics and men's spirituality work.



In this episode of A Congruent Life, Belden shares about:

discovering his love of nature as a young child,
the yearning for wilderness in the middle part of life,
getting out of your own head, and embracing being a "recovering scholar,"
the many different lessons that nature has to teach us,
his own "calling story" that led him to accepting the mantle of being a storyteller,
reflections about accepting the names we are given,
dealing with "false self" issues of impression management, the letters behind our name, and tiring of the masks we wear,
the "true self" disciplines that now bring him joy in this stage of his life.


Links from the Show

Belden's website
Illuman
Soularize conference for men: November 2015


Belden's books:

Backpacking with the Saints: Wilderness Hiking as Spiritual Practice
Ravished by Beauty: The Surprising Legacy of Reformed Spirituality
The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality
Landscapes of the Sacred: Geography and Narrative in American Spirituality


Belden's "Last Lecture" presentation at Saint Louis University:
https://vimeo.com/17897411