What's the value‪?‬ Terry McMullen

These conversations are hard. I've listened back to this one a number of times and the only thing I can keep thinking is "nuance."



These discussions are nuanced, these topics are nuanced, life is nuanced.



On the one hand I feel like this is all we can do, have an open conversation with someone, hear their thoughts, ask questions, and try to understand different perspectives better.



On the other hand I feel like I should have pushed back much harder. Some of the words used weren't OK and I should have addressed that more, not to be combative but to try to get to a better place.



You guys will be the judge on this one. I do thank Tony for being on, sharing his thoughts, and being open to discussing and challenging them.



A more complete bio from Tony is below:



I am like all broken people who come from broken families. I am everyone who longs for family that never was given the chance to be. I am the example of why healthy families are the key to most problems, and the guide to bring young people back to the family. I am the harbinger for those who are actively trying to destroy the family, and the light for those trying to find their way to fight for what is normal. I'm just a regular guy, who see what's wrong, and wrote it down. Link to book is here

"Philosophy is actually the end of abstractions."



Wow, what a statement to think about. How different our approach to life might become if we embrace that thought. How much more reflective and humble we might become.



This conversation with Nikos was full of interesting and insightful thoughts. We talked philosophy, biology, evolution, psychology, and spirituality-- all with the same goal of trying to better understand what the hell we are doing here.



Not because it is interesting to think about, but because it is the realest, most practical question we can ask.



A more complete bio for Nikos below:



Following in the footsteps of Epicurus, Nikos Patedakis works with individuals, groups, and organizations, bringing to bear the most powerful and holistic teachings of the wisdom traditions in relation to our most daunting personal and global challenges.



His training includes earning two master’s degrees and a PhD, as well as a graduating from a 3-year, full-time certification course in specialized educational theory and practice—along with countless hours of spiritual practice and years spent teaching inside and outside of the university system, as well as years spent working as a consulting philosopher and corporate trainer for Fortune 500 companies.

Chad is a successful business person who now works to help coach others on how to be successful. What's super interesting about Chad is that:



1. He has some spiritual and religious values that underpin a lot of his thinking and his goals in life.



2. On the surface, he can seem like a bit of a "finance bro" who overemphasizes his masculinity and his drive to win at life.



As we do on this show, we spent the discussion trying to reconcile that, understand who Chad really is, and why he approaches life the way he does.



We didn't shy away from the controversial areas or the potential contradictions, we leaned into them. The result was a really honest and authentic conversation, where I got to truly understand another person's perspective.



Big thanks to Chad for being game for the discussion and having an honest conversation.



A more complete bio from Chad is below:



Chad Wittfeldt started his entrepreneurial journey at a young age by starting a landscaping company and electronic arbitrage business in his teenage years. He quickly focused on investing in the equities & currency markets. Chad later became a full-time investor and real estate entrepreneur in his twenties. Today, he's partnered on over $30,000,000 in real estate syndications.

Cory is an author and a pastor, who has a deep faith in God. He believes that it is only through God that we can fulfill our inherent cravings and live a happy, peaceful, meaningful life. He has written a book, The Magnetic Heart of God - Understanding the Five Cravings of Your Soul.



We spent this conversation exploring Cory's understanding of those 5 cravings, why he is confident they are spiritual and non-biological, and what it actually means to embrace God to fulfill them.



I always love the chance to talk to someone with deep spiritual beliefs, especially someone as open as Cory to examining and questioning them. It leads to such a rich, productive, and insightful discussion.



A more complete bio from Cory is below:



As an author, pastor, communicator, and a tenacious pursuer of truth, Cory Rosenke is both the concept pioneer and the foremost authority on the cravings of the soul. Through session, song, workshop and manuscript, he is dedicated to the pivotal work of connecting hungry souls to the joy
of their Maker.

In a world where truth and reality have become shrouded in deceptive ambiguity, Cory Rosenke specializes in reasserting the clarity of divine definition and design.

Kamal is a photographer who wanted to capture the essence of what really was happening in America in 2020. He wanted to use photography to let all of the division, hate, fear, anger, sorrow, love, compassion, and humanity show its true self--the true story of what was underneath it all.



As you'll hear, he is also just a really authentic, thoughtful, self-aware person. It was fascinating to hear his stories, how he became so passionate about photography, and what he learned about humanity as he created his book, Black Astronaut.



I love talking to photographers because most of them are natural observers. They feel compelled to look at the world around them and see what is going on. Those are the types of people I want to hear from because very likely they've seen things I haven't, and I can learn from them.



A more complete bio from Kamal is below:

I am Kamal X, a professional photographer that has been documenting my travels throughout the world since 2015. Photography found me at a time in my life where I felt confused and voiceless. I wasn’t sure of where I was internally and what direction I wanted my life to go. I welcomed my challenges and I found myself drawn to creating images that evoke emotions rooted in the many universal elements of the human experience.  My goal is to tell stories from all walks of life and give a raw voice to the world we live in, through compassion and honesty. 

Dana has experienced a lot of trauma and abuse in her life by narcissists. From a young age she dealt with it from her mother and step father and even later in life at the hands of her ex-husband. She spent so much time struggling with this form of physical, verbal, and psychological abuse that it made her question the reality she was living in.



As she explains in her work, narcissistic abusers create so much confusion and conflict in the mind of the abused. She's struggled with this for much of her life and that is why her value of finding the truth is so important to her.



Dana was super open to share her experiences and really examine them in an earnest way. We spent time trying to make sense of what leads someone to abuse someone in this way, how she grappled with her own self doubt, and even if she could/should have empathy for her abusers. Some of these questions are really hard to ask and even harder to answer. But if we want to understand the ugliness in our world, we need to examine it.



I can't thank her enough for engaging in this type of discussion so that others can better understand their own situation.



A more complete bio from Dana is below:



Dana S. Diaz is a wife, mother, and author of the best-selling book GASPING FOR AIR: THE STRANGLEHOLD OF NARCISSISTIC ABUSE. Dana has had life-long experience with narcissistic abuse, beginning in childhood. Her education in journalism and psychology at DePaul University in Chicago gave her the ability to accurately verbalize and express how narcissistic abuse creates confusion and conflict within victims, so that she can help other victims know they are not alone and better understand their own circumstances.

Today, Dana is a proud voice for fellow victims who are unable, afraid, or ashamed to share their experiences. She strives to create awareness
and understanding to ensure victims are given the support they need to first understand their situation and then begin the healing process. Her
first book, chronicling her own abusive marriage that lasted nearly three decades, started as a journal that she hid under the couch cushion in the
basement.