Grow the Good

Latest Episodes:

The Danger of Comparison | Crush It Mondays May 13, 2019

Show notes

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays. Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation in 5 minutes or less to get your week off to a powerful start.

This week, I want to talk about comparison. It's normal to compare yourself to other people, but with the rise of social media over the last decade, we compare ourselves on a much larger scale. We can get the play by play of other people's highlight reels. There are filters that can make us look more attractive. The things we read, see, post all can affect our happiness, our feelings of being "enough" - fast enough, hot enough, smart enough, successful enough, busy enough and it can be really overwhelming. As athletes, event and race results are based on comparison to others. Comparison to others can be good if it inspires you to be better, but if it leaves you feeling like you're not enough, you might want to change what you are comparing yourself to.

We can't control what other people are doing, what people are showing us online, or even necessarily if someone IS actually better than us at something. But we can control our own actions - as podcast guest Brad Stulberg so eloquently put it - our only true possessions in this world are our actions. So if you want to compare something, compare yourself to a previous version of yourself. Or even better- compare yourself to where you were a week or a month ago. We can even get caught up comparing ourselves to the best version of something we did like 10 years ago. The reality is that our lives change, our priorities change- so try to compare yourself to a more recent version of yourself. Are you committed to showing up to be better than you were yesterday? Are you trending in the right direction of improvement?

This week, I challenge you to simply be aware of when you are comparing yourself to someone else. Are you feeling less than or are you feeling inspired? When was the last time you sat down, zoomed out, and looked at how you've changed to a previous version of yourself? I'll leave you with that. Have an awesome week.

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Get Just 1% Better | Crush It Mondays May 06, 2019

Show notes

Welcome to Crush It Mondays. Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation in 5 minutes or less to get your week off to a powerful start.

It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the things you feel like you should be doing. How many times have you skipped working towards a goal altogether because riding for an hour, writing an entire article, doing 10 minutes of meditation, or going to the gym seemed like too much?

I am obsessed with the idea of Kaizen or continuous improvement. It's not about being perfect, it's about getting better. So what if you committed to doing just 1% more every day? For example, if you don't have time to ride your bike for an hour, do 20 minutes. If you don't want to meditate, take just 5 deep breaths with your eyes closed. If you don't want to go to the gym, commit to 5 push-ups today.

Even small steps forward compound into bigger gains. So how can you get 1% better this week?

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Is Passion a Bad Thing? The Passion Paradox with Brad Stulberg Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

Brad Stulberg is no stranger to my podcast. This is actually the third time I've had him on the show! He's the co-author of two books: The Passion Paradox and also Peak Performance., a consultant and coach on topics like burnout, resilience, self-awareness, long term goal setting strategies, the linkage between mental health, wellbeing, and performance and so much more. He also write about human performance in his regular column in Outside Magazine, or in publications like the New York Times, Thrive, Sports Illustrated, and more. He is my favorite person to follow on Twitter because he always has insightful and actionable information.

In this episode, we got to go deep into his new book with co-author Steve Magness. The book is called The Passion Paradox and it is right up our alley you guys. We are told that a life of passion is important - that we need to find our passion and pursue it at all costs. But passion can become a curse, leading to endlessly chasing achievement or the next thing. This book is about how to harness your passion in a healthy, sustainable way so that it leads to fulfillment. It's a great read and its backed by research and inspiring stories about people who have both had healthy relationships with passion and also people who have suffered from it.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

Obsessive versus Harmonious Passion
How to define your core values
How to have a healthy relationship with numbers & results
Why our efforts never feel like they are enough
How do you know if your passion is positive or negative
What is contentment?
Why do we need to keep seeking more and more?

Listen Now

Links/Books Mentioned

Our Podcast Sponosor: Kuat Racks

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on. Patreon. The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowd

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Demystifying Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture with Dr. Paula Woodward Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

Paula Woodward is a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition to her impactful life experiences, she has also spent time China with rotations in many medical departments, a lot of educational experience in Psychology, and a passion for personal development. I first found Paula when my friend who was suffering from a "hard to treat" skin condition started drinking some Chinese herbs and was seemingly cured. Another friend was struggling with Post-Partum depression and was using acupuncture to help her symptoms. Both friends had experienced amazing life improvements and had been seeing the same Chinese Medicine Doc: Dr. Paula. I'm a generally curious person and love trying new ways of self-care, so I went to see Paula for no symptom in particular. What I did notice after my first treatment was that I was able to fall asleep on the table (daytime sleeping never happens for me) and I felt more calm for days up to weeks post treatment. I got curious about acupuncture for some of my more frustrating issues like major decreases in race performance from jet lag. I tried acupuncture for jet lag last year and had also NO symptoms of it. It wasn't a fluke and is part of my travel.

Acupuncture was a little hard for me to get behind because my brain was so ingrained in Western medicine and western science, but I did my best to have an open mind. Low and behold, Dr. Paula is now a part of my village that keeps me going!

"Life is as fascinating as it is magical. What has continued to reveal itself through 10 years of practice, is that we are in a constant relationship with nature. How we move through our life is a response to our past experiences, and it dictates our future. We are often unaware of what is creating our experience and if we are aware we don’t always know how to shift our current circumstance to create a new future."

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

what does an acupuncturist actually do
the many different (heart) pulses in Chinese medicine
Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture fundamentals and elements
how Chinese medicine and Western medicine differ
yin and yang
acupuncture points and meridians

Listen Now

Links/Books Mentioned

Paula Woodward's website
Paula's online course

Support the Show

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!

Leave a review or share on social media

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

**Tackling the Cape Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race** Apr 10, 2019
Show notes

The Cape Epic is an 8-day Mountain Bike Stage Race across the terrain surrounding Capetown’s greater mountains. The Cape Epic is touted as the “World’s Premier Stage Race,” attracted around 2000 people each year. There are several distances of stage races, and the Cape Epic certainly focuses on endurance with most stages taking 5+ hours. This was my second trip to South Africa and my first time racing the Cape Epic. I raced the UCI Women’s Category with teammate and fellow stage racing veteran, Catherine Williamson. Catherine has raced 60+ stage races and 2019 was her 7^th Cape Epic. She and I knew each other from previous stage races, but this was our first time teaming up. Image: Sportograf Image: Sportograf I was really happy with my experience, and also happy with my fitness despite sub-optimal preparation. The heat training I did (if you missed the podcasts, we did a 2 part series on it) worked like a charm. I also got stronger as the race went on which is always a great feeling. I don’t always feel stronger later in stage races- sometimes I totally melt down. Catherine and I had a really fun time both on and off the bike. It is one of the most enjoyable team races I’ve done because we had no pressure, we have a similar sense of humor, and we had similar goals and communication. I hope you enjoy this episode! Image: Sportograf

**Topics Discussed in the Podcast**

The mental space of showing up to a race feeling like you aren’t as physically prepared as you’d like to be

How to choose a teammate and race well together for success

Logistics of how we traveled, race nutrition, where we stayed

Packing, set-up, what I carried in the race

My impressions of the Cape Epic

What it was like NOT racing for the podium

Savoring & “Don’t Wish It Away'

**Listen Now**

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on. Patreon. The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!
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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

**Level Up Your Life & Exploit Your Brokenness with Dan Waldschmidt** Apr 03, 2019
Show notes

Dan Waldschmidt is about action. From a young age, he believed in extreme effort. So much so that he pushed himself over the edge and found himself holding a gun to his own head. Contemplating suicide got Dan to turn his life around and focus on what really mattered. Dan is an accomplished speaker, best selling author of the book Edgy Conversations, an ultra-runner, and a podcast host. His goal is to help people get unstuck, make decisions, and take extreme action. He has been published in places like *Business Insider, Forbes, Vanity Fair, and CNBC.*

**Topics Discussed in the Podcast**

How to stay motivated to exercise on business trips

Having Accountability

The Power of Choice

How to make the right decision for you

What Extreme Behavior means

Finding Your Brokenness

Turn your thoughts into action and stop making excuses

“The Difference Between Success And Failure Is Usually Just An Excuse You Are Making Right Now.”

**-Dan Waldschmidt**

**Listen Now**

Links

Get his book for free: Edgy Conversations: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Outrageous Success

Dan on Twitter

Dan's Website

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on. Patreon. The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!

Leave a review or share on social media

**Don’t forget to subscribe!**

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Lung Transplant and Blindness Avoided with a Plant-Based Diet: Kate McGoey-Smith Mar 20, 2019

Show notes

What would you do if you went from being known as the energizer bunny to having declining health, so much so that you are diagnosed as terminally ill, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, heart failure, sleep apnea, lung failure, and blindness? That was the reality for Kate McGoey-Smith. It wasn't until she watched the popular documentary, Forks Over Knives that she realized there was another way out. She attended a five-day intensive program at Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center.

15 months later of a whole foods, plant-based diet, her vision was fully restored, she no longer needed a lung transplant, her heart failure was gone, and she only needed oxygen at night.

Passionate about her new lifestyle, Kate founded Forksmart.org where she offers coaching, consulting, and speaking. With her background in social services and nursing, Kate is a really interesting person with compassionate insight. I loved this episode because we talked about not only how she healed herself with a whole foods plant-based diet, but also the emotional side of being sick and how to support others.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

How to have empathy for the sick
Kate's decline
How she used diet to heal herself
How to overcome self-limiting beliefs
getting from the "why should I do this" to "how should I do this" for lifestyle change