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On this episode I talk with Gena Gorlin. Gena is an assistant professor of psychology at Yeshiva University in the Bronx, but she came to my attention via an excellent blog post on meaning and self-actualization during coronavirus (link below). We discuss Maslow’s hierarchy, self-deception, imbuing meaning to primal activities, the problems with evolutionary psychology, the difference between what you want and what’s expected of you, and the importance of studying Classical philosophy.Note: you can listen and subscribe to this podcast on most major podcast platforms by searching “Russell Max Simon” or “What Really Matters.” Show notes include:COVID-19 and the Meaning of Life, Gena’s post on self-actualization during crisisAll for Alice, Gena’s post on motherhood and why she started writing for a general audienceGena’s personal website Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

On this episode I talk with Devon Reehl, and old friend from when we worked together at a Christian Science Summer camp in Maine. Devon and I talk a little about that shared, unique experience, but we also go deep on Devon’s fairly extraordinary life since then, in which he made his living as a professional musician for 10 years, founded a successful marketing agency with his wife, and moved his family to Costa Rica. We talk about how he made that decision to move, what life is like in Costa Rica during coronavirus, what it was like to leave music after 10 years, and much more. Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

If you're not thinking of the current coronavirus pandemic as a wake up call, consider not just how you'll react to this crisis, but the next one as well.  Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

On this episode I talk with Lynne Bundesen. She is the author of several books on women and spirituality, including the memoir So the Woman Went Her Way and most recently The Feminine Spirit at the Heart of the Bible. Across her storied, extraordinary life, she, among other things: unknowingly married into the Chicago mafia; became a correspondent for Time, the Wall Street Journal, and numerous other newspapers; wrote speeches for the Congressional Black Caucus in California; was a staff member on the judiciary committee during the impeachment of Richard Nixon; traveled the world, and much more. Lynne is also, incidentally, my grandmother. It was a pleasure to interview her, and I even learned some new things about her I didn’t know. We talk feminism, spirituality, her first marriage, and her legacy as a journalist, mother and grandparent. As I say: we should all spend much, more more time interviewing our grandparents.Show notes include:The Feminine Spirit at the Heart of the Bible (Lynne’s recently re-published book)So the Woman Went Her Way (Lynne’s excellent memoir)Lynne’s person author website Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

On this solo episode I talk about two great challenges facing society right now: the first is climate change, and the second is the disintegration of tight-knit communities and the support we’ve historically received from having close relationships. Put these two challenges together, and there’s only one choice: go north. I mean that literally.I explain further in the episode. Have a listen, and let me know what you think. Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

On this episode I talk with Paul Millerd. Paul went to grad school at MIT before embarking on a traditional high prestige, high earning career path. He worked for global management consulting firms like BCG and McKinsey - and then it all changed. I’ll let him tell the story, but the short of it is that Paul got off the traditional career track and reassessed what he truly wanted from life. That’s not easy to do, but I think Paul has done it with uncommon thoughtfulness, so I was very pleased he found time from his home in Taiwan to talk it through with me.Show links include:Navigating life without a mapThink Boundless (Paul’s career coaching site)Paul Millerd on Twitter Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

On this episode I talk with the great Nate Murphy. Nate is a rock climber, adventurer, entrepreneur, and van life aficionado with nearly 160,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel. From the moment I started this podcast, I knew I wanted to get Nate on as a guest because he is particularly thoughtful about one of the questions I’m most interested in: how to spend your time according to what you want, and not what society expects. I was super excited to get ahold of him in his van in Catalonia to talk about that and more - enjoy!Show links include:What would happen if you committed to your passion? (One of Nate’s videos, highly recommended)How I changed my life (also recommended) The Nate Murphy Adventure Show Nate’s Life Monitor Planner for downloadArt of Happiness, by Matthieu Ricard Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

For this episode, I talked with Frederique Irwin about her family’s recent year of working and living in New Zealand. We talk about parenting, travel, the challenges and rewards of living abroad, the cultural differences between raising kids in the U.S. vs. New Zealand, and her family’s re-entry to the U.S. earlier this Summer.Show links include:DC2NZ, the blog that Frederique’s family kept throughout the yearWhether to stay in New Zealand, by FrederiqueHer Corner (Frederique’s company): business coaching for womenP.S. What Really Matters is now available on major podcast apps! Be sure to search for “What Really Matters” along with my name, Russell Max Simon. Please subscribe, and share! Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

I had the distinct pleasure of recording a conversation with my friend and creative collaborator Rob Raffety. Almost for as long as I’ve been making movies, I’ve been running ideas by Rob, so I was excited to talk with him about why we do creative work, where we get validation, and how we keep going in the face of uncertainty and doubt.Some of the things we cover:Why do we do creative work?What have we learned from our work in filmmaking, and how have we changed in our approach since we first started?How can artists tell if they’re any good, especially when friends and family tend to be so encouraging?The difference between trying to succeed as an artist vs. trying to succeed as a professional athlete.Does creative work need to be “saying something” about current culture? If you’re not a social change agent, do you still have a place?Mentions:Chernobyl, created by Craig MazinScriptnotes, hosted by John August & Craig MazinMuck, Rob’s short filmTrailer for #humbled, the feature film Rob & I co-producedRob’s personal websiteThe Rosebud Film Festival Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

Hi all - In this episode of What Really Matters, I talk about my recent trip to Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, how it’s changed since the first time I went seven years ago, how I have changed, and how all of that led me to reassess my relationship to a place that had felt like home.- Russell Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe

Hi everyone - Today, I’m introducing the podcast version of What Really Matters.Click above to listen to the introduction (it will launch Substack’s web-based podcast player). I’ve also recorded a first episode about my trip to Cabarete in the Dominican Republic. That’s coming soon.- Russell Get full access to What Really Matters at www.russellmaxsimon.com/subscribe