//podcastplus.net/feed/bright-spots~69a625d0 We see a world in transition. An old paradigm reveals its flaws and the new begins to rise. The shadows and broken stuff exist. But so do ample reason for hope and optimism. This podcast brings powerful conversations with those committed to advancing wisdom and higher human values through purpose-driven work. May we overcome fear + resistance, make our unique contribution, and keep challenging the frontiers of human endeavor. We’re in this together. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:21:46 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/5a5da7fac8302520d479734e/1516087530601/Bright+Spots+with+Team+Theory+and+Nita.mp3 For the first time ever on the Bright Spots podcast, I welcome multiple guests. Nita Baum of b*free and David Osborne and Michael Weyandt of Team Theory join me in this episode. We are all passionate about how to continue evolving the ways we work. That was front and center in this episode, while the conversation drew in many references beyond that. This was a fascinating 4-way conversation in which we didn't shy away from some of the uncomfortable shadows that have shaped where we are today. And we also didn't shy away from positive visions that attract our imaginations towards what might be possible. We tried through the diversity and unity of our perspectives to grasp the reality driving the way we currently do things in organizations, which includes considerations of individuals and society. And throughout the conversation, we consider and highlight new pathways. I apologize that the sound quality could have been better, though it is more than passable. I did my best in the edits. Themes are wide-spanning... Tue, 16 Jan 2018 07:47:45 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/5a5da7fac8302520d479734e/1516087530601/Bright+Spots+with+Team+Theory+and+Nita.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/5a432dd071c10b3275f3b960/1514352532044/mix_54m52s+%28audio-joiner.com%29.mp3 (Please note this is the 2nd in a 3 part series. I highly recommend starting with episode 12.)David Osborne and Michael Weyandt of Team Theory bring clear, cohesive, constructive insight to how we can evolve and revolutionize hiring. Their numbers speak for themselves. High quality fit of candidates with teams leaps from 20 to 80% where they get involved.When you listen to them, you'll see why they realize such impressive results. Their approach is both systematic and artful. Their clients have said things like, "You guys were able to bring this objective process to the entire equation. At the end of the day we felt so good. We’ve never felt so good about a decision."The stakes are high. Effectiveness at hiring considerably contributes to our effectiveness as teams. And our fulfillment has a ton to do with who we surround ourselves with. As Michael says, it's ultimately about forging unforgettable relationships. What a beautiful, high aspiration to attribute to hiring.As they remind us, what they do is not ... Wed, 27 Dec 2017 05:31:00 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/5a432dd071c10b3275f3b960/1514352532044/mix_54m52s+%28audio-joiner.com%29.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/5a43281ce4966b67c54558d1/1514351118777/mix_51m26s+%28audio-joiner.com%29.mp3 David Osborne and Michael Weyandt of Team Theory bring clear, cohesive, constructive insight to how we can evolve and revolutionize hiring. Their numbers speak for themselves. High quality fit of candidates with teams leaps from 20 to 80% where they get involved.When you listen to them, you'll see why they realize such impressive results. Their approach is both systematic and artful. Their clients have said things like, "You guys were able to bring this objective process to the entire equation. At the end of the day we felt so good. We’ve never felt so good about a decision."The stakes are high. Effectiveness at hiring considerably contributes to our effectiveness as teams. And our fulfillment has a ton to do with who we surround ourselves with. As Michael says, it's ultimately about forging unforgettable relationships. What a beautiful, high aspiration to attribute to hiring.As they remind us, what they do is not rocket science. But this belies how much expertise and insight they have developed. When you t... Wed, 27 Dec 2017 05:17:19 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/5a43281ce4966b67c54558d1/1514351118777/mix_51m26s+%28audio-joiner.com%29.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/599b8e0ce45a7c919d7cce5b/1503366826240/Jody_FINAL.mp3 In response to an article on LinkedIn about major "ubertrends" shaping societal movements, Jody had posted a comment which described succinctly, clearly, and convincingly that the most important trend of all was not mentioned--the massive growth in numbers of people wanting to connect to a deeper dimension of human life. I was impressed and decided to reach out to Jody and see if she would be interested in joining me for a conversation. Fortunately she was happy to share her wisdom with us.I see Jody as an elder who has deepened into the ways of living by the heart, beyond the prevailing norms of rationality and intellectualism. She has understood something about the human experience and that for which we truly long. As a Spiritual Educator, she practices what she shares with others. She has practiced authenticity and courage for a long time now and bears many insights to show for it. She helps us by placing her observations in an informative historical, evolutionary context. Our conversation touches on the f... Tue, 22 Aug 2017 02:01:32 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/599b8e0ce45a7c919d7cce5b/1503366826240/Jody_FINAL.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/598f8732e45a7cf6ebedbcf1/1502578606062/Nita_Grounded_FINAL.mp3 And so, the special 5 part series with the ever-talented, insightful, and generous Nita Baum concludes here. We go out on a high note, while feeling very grounded in the earth. This conversation in my humble opinion carries groundedness within its essence. Nita and I found such a nice flow in our conversations and used our own shared community/friendship as the basis for this 5 part series. In this conversation, I express the value I hold for her friendship and how much it has meant to me. We go deep into the interconnectictivity between healthy practices, fear, self-acceptance, community, and vulnerability. We touch on the following topics: Nita gets us started with a lovely experiential grounding practice Why might everybody be meditating in a century and what does that have to do with dentists? The right and importance of each person discovering and integrating healthy practices for themselves How the healthcare system in the US has its strengths but is also largely reactive How we learn how to systematica... Sat, 12 Aug 2017 23:03:02 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/598f8732e45a7cf6ebedbcf1/1502578606062/Nita_Grounded_FINAL.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/59864a92d7bdce820bbfec51/1501973262957/Nita_Power_Final.mp3 "To be powerful is a possibility to create because nothing can be created without power. It is only when power becomes a means to dominate that power becomes ugly. Unfortunately, as most human beings have not found any sense of deep fulfillment within themselves, they are constantly hankering for dominance.We need to understand that power is not just political or economic power – there are various ways to be powerful. There is the power of love, the power of compassion, the power of meditation, the power of self-absorption, the power of surrender, the power of selflessness, and above all, the power of being human. " ~ SadhguruThe 4th part in the special 5 part series with Nita Baum on the 5 values of b*free continues. This time we speak about being in power. We both have enjoyed this series immensely. The conversation touches on the following themes: How power begins with self-responsibility and the vast difference between responsiveness and reactivity The theme of practice and flexing the muscle of self-re... Sat, 05 Aug 2017 23:04:42 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/59864a92d7bdce820bbfec51/1501973262957/Nita_Power_Final.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/59864318d2b857274d13b1cf/1501971366006/Bryan_FINAL.mp3 "Art is the most intense mode of individualism the world has known." ~Oscar Wilde"The artist is not a special kind of person, rather each person is a special kind of artist." ~Ananda CoomaraswamyElements of the interconnection between art, capitalism, politics, citizenship, society, and individual choice/power is what emerged from this conversation. The conversation between Bryan and I reached into the realm of the current bleak political landscape and direct challenges on capitalism. It was a welcome opportunity. Most forward-thinkers and modern seekers are no strangers to perspectives on cultural and political degradation. I want to keep pushing my own boundaries and I am glad Bryan and I both were up for what emerged organically.It was great to learn about Bryan's path as an artist. It was amazing to see how Bryan's career has been influenced by prevailing norms and has morphed into something self-defined which allows him fulfillment, creative expression in his professional digital media work, and the oppo... Sat, 05 Aug 2017 22:38:59 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/59864318d2b857274d13b1cf/1501971366006/Bryan_FINAL.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/597f8e85b8a79bca8c61c569/1501531885081/Nita_Equal_FINAL.mp3 'I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.' ~Albert Einstein"Equality is not in regarding different things similarly, equality is in regarding different things differently." ~Tom RobbinsAs Nita and I continue this special series, we continue to explore topics almost every thoughtful human being has reflected on. We share our understandings and ideas about how we see equality and how essential it is to good living, good professionalism, and a healthy society. The ultimate message of equality is that our differences are many, but more superficial, while our similarities are infinite and exist at the very essence of being human. This conversation touches on the following themes and ideas: The need for evolving the way we relate What value and pitfalls does the hierarchical model have? How can you be equal to a CEO of a big corporation? What are the touchpoints between equality and leadership How hardship, grief, and struggle are connective and level th... Mon, 31 Jul 2017 20:17:36 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/597f8e85b8a79bca8c61c569/1501531885081/Nita_Equal_FINAL.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/5974e54bbe6594496c705149/1500833191778/Nita_Gifted_FINAL.mp3 "Your contribution is necessary. You are free to define what that contribution is in a way that is an actual reflection of you in a more fully self-expressed way." ~Nita BaumWe arrive in this world with birthright gifts—then we spend the first half of our lives abandoning them or letting others disabuse us of them. As young people, we are surrounded by expectations that may have little to do with who we really are, expectations held by people who are not trying to discern our selfhood but to fit us into slots. In families, schools, workplaces, and religious communities, we are trained away from true self toward images of acceptability; under social pressures like racism and sexism our original shape is deformed beyond recognition; and we ourselves, driven by fear, too often betray true self to gain the approval of others.We are disabused of original giftedness in the first half of our lives. Then—if we are awake, aware, and able to admit our loss—we spend the second half trying to recover and reclaim th... Sun, 23 Jul 2017 18:09:11 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/5974e54bbe6594496c705149/1500833191778/Nita_Gifted_FINAL.mp3 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/59702d86e58c62199a8a9615/1500524120960/Victoria_FINAL_real.mp3 "If struggling were the way, we'd all be there by now."Victoria Castle reveals for us a deep root of one of the main causes of difficulty in our lives as individuals and a society. It is deceptively simple to understand cognitively, but a true master key in changing our lives and our happiness for the better. She makes very clear the difference between facts/reality and the stories, interpretations, perspectives, lenses, and assumptions we bring to those circumstances. She shares warmth, clarity, and humor in describing a phenomenon that easily goes unnoticed -- the Trance of Scarcity. The Trance of Scarcity is the prevailing norm in how we see the world in terms of survival, struggle, stress--that there isn't enough, we aren't good enough, that we don't have enough. It has become so commonplace to our way of thinking that we rarely challenge those thoughts and stories. Our immensely enjoyable and insightful conversation touches on the following: The limitations of struggle The simplicity of using breathing c... Thu, 20 Jul 2017 19:37:48 +0000 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d42f7762cd9444cfd3c170/t/59702d86e58c62199a8a9615/1500524120960/Victoria_FINAL_real.mp3