Optimism EPISODES

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message How did an obscure religion from a remote corner of the Roman Empire grow to become the largest faith in the world? Explore the fascinating origins and rapid spread of Christianity with us on the final Catholic Corner podcast of 2024. Engage with the insights of Rodney Stark's compelling work, "The Rise of Christianity," as we unravel the historical factors that fueled this remarkable transformation. Join us for our final Cat...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message Uncover the profound impact of St. Joseph's role in the Nativity story through the insightful lens of Pope Benedict XVI's "Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives." Have you ever considered the courage and righteousness of Joseph, a figure often overshadowed in the Christmas narrative? Join us as we explore Joseph’s internal struggle and his pivotal decision to quietly divorce Mary, a choice that highlights his profound faith...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message Discover the incredible journey of Notre Dame Cathedral's restoration after a catastrophic fire threatened its historic foundation. What does it take to revive an 850-year-old icon of faith and resilience? Join us on this Catholic Corner, as we explore this monumental reconstruction effort and express gratitude to the French government for their unwavering commitment to restoring one of Christianity's heralded landmarks. Tune...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message When the echoes of laughter and the pitter-patter of tiny feet are missing a vital rhythm, the absence of a father leaves a void that resonates through a child's life. This episode peels back the layers of this silent social crisis with the help of Dr. Meg Meeker's profound insights from "Hero: Being the Strong Father Your Children Need," revealing the stark landscape of fatherless homes. Together with Tim Goeglein's analytical...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message Embark on a quest for everyday sanctity as we unwrap the profound insights of Eric Sammons' "Holiness for Everyone," ensuring that your journey isn't just for the pious hermit but is attainable amid the hubbub of daily life. This week's discussion is an eye-opener, reminding us that the path to sainthood is woven into our ordinary moments—from sharpening pencils to shaping futures in board meetings. By examining the lives of exem...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message Why can't you eat just one potato chip? In this MM, we seek the truth where it leads us. and todays author is on the right path, Michael Moss and his excellent book, Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions. It was written in 2021 and can help us along our journey. Key Points from the Episode: The 2002 legal case of Pelman v McDonald's Corp changed the outlook for t...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message The 1952 Summer Olympic games were not a disappointment for Roger Bannister, why? In Joe Manganiello's book Evolution: The Cutting-Edge Guide to Breaking Down Mental Walls and Building the Body You Have Always Wanted. we learn from Joe, how Roger Bannister trained mentally and physically to break the 4 minute mile! Key Points from the Episode: Bannister's training regimeHow do you break down your impossible goal?Put t...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message MOJO Minute #149 brings us one of the most powerful insights we have covered from these books. In 2008, Dr. John Ratey wrote Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Thank you Dr. Ratey for sharing these nuggets with us! It's pretty cool!! Key Points from the Episode: Recap of our earlier MM#54 on this very subject and book, Balancing of the brain is important and ...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message In 2015 Kelly McGonigal authored a fantastic book, The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is Good For You and How To Get Good At It And in todays MOJO Minute, we are going to mine some excellent nuggets of wisdom out of that book Key Points from the Episode: Kelly offers us a great definition of stressThe mindset change around stressHow to use the Challenge Response to gain the upper handOther resources: Want to leave a review?...

In this MOJO Minute, we continue with Marci Shimoff’s excellent work, Happy For No Reason in combination with fmr Navy Seal Mark Divine’s third book, Staring Down the Fear Wolf for a fabulous nugget of wisdom to ponder today.

Key Points from the Episode:
A fascinating Cherokee elder story shared by two great authors

How do you think about your own thinking?

What wolf are you feeding?

Other resources:

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Well if you are tired of the bad news, David dives deep into the MOJO Academy archives to help us find something positive.

Learned Optimism is a wonderful book by a great writer and forerunner in the positive psychology movement, Martin Seligman.

Key Points from the Episode:
Are habits of thinking etched into our DNA from the beginning?

Should we start reviewing fiction books starting with George Orwell's 1984? ha ha!

Start out your day with positive reading? perhaps a MOJO Academy review wi...

In this episode, we explore our feelings and how they correlate to our decisions and choices. Along the way, we check out quotes from Eat that Frog and Learned Optimism finally concluding with Man's Search for Meaning (affiliate links)

Key points:
Brian Tracy explains why we need a personal cheerleader

Martin Seligman helps to understand the choice we have in choosing our feelings

Victor Frankl distills all this knowledge into a powerful nugget of wisdom--No matter how bad our circumstances--...

In this episode, we check out the intersection of Functional optimism and the Obstacle is the way and how both can push us towards a flourishing life.

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Key points:
The Big Picture by Tony Horton

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

How to make functional optimism work for you

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