Question Mark – Oh how the tables have turned

Question Mark – Oh how the tables have turned

The normal format for this show is to introduce you to something and raise your perception. Then we discuss it and you typically leave with homework. This time you are giving me homework. Let’s talk about the importance of feedback and how each and every one of...
The Anatomy of Ghosting

The Anatomy of Ghosting

We all know what it is. We have all done it. We’ve all had it done to us. Let’s talk about when it’s appropriate when it’s not, and why it can be so frustrating. https://alchemyfor.life/podcasts/ghost.mp3Podcast: Play in new window |...
Time is sometimes money but is always Energy

Time is sometimes money but is always Energy

Time is money You’ve heard that phrase and it is often accompanied by someone clapping, tapping their foot, or some other show of impatience. Chop chop, time is money. In our world of Time, Energy and Resources as separate entities, they are saying time is...
Your Catalog and Your Facets

Your Catalog and Your Facets

A while back we talked about the importance of a catalog and your awareness of that. By revisiting that we are demonstrating (in a rather meta way) the importance of revisiting it. And let’s add how that affects your facets too. Catalog A catalog covers anything...
Intellectual Injury—what the heck is that?

Intellectual Injury—what the heck is that?

I like to apply analogical reasoning, You can call it conceptual metaphors. And if both of those are confusing, how about applying the concept of one domain to another. Still confused? For example, we talked about liminal spaces which don’t look or sound right....
Old Photos and Robots

Old Photos and Robots

You are living in an era that is coming to an end. There was a time when all pictures were in black-and-white because that was the technology we had. Most people were fit, and men typically wore suits even at baseball games. Then pictures, had color, but it was of a...
The pleasure principle and a new book

The pleasure principle and a new book

I have a new book coming out. it’s my 10th, and it’s based on my take on the pleasure principle and what I believe is a layer just above it. It’s what allows us to accomplish things that others do not. It’s what prevents us from doing things...
What I learned writing a screenplay

What I learned writing a screenplay

(and how it might help you tell your own story) Telling a story in an unfamiliar medium with constraints you’re not accustomed to is a common theme in business. You may be the best story teller in your circle/medium/genre but if you need to tell your story...
Teacher, Teach Thyself

Teacher, Teach Thyself

Q&A and the answer (That’s so meta) Have you ever helped a friend who has a question or a conundrum, and the answer was so obvious to you that you easily spelled it out for them? You felt pretty smart. You noticed at some point that when you’ve had...
Do you experience Disconnected Happiness?

Do you experience Disconnected Happiness?

A tale of disconnected happiness or Benign Violation Theory. Allow me to tell you a tale of disconnected happiness. Perhaps you can relate? Helpful related (or referenced) episodes: The holy Grail of positivity bias Throwing away the container Benign Violation Theory...
Dramaturgy, Role Theory and Modes

Dramaturgy, Role Theory and Modes

Modes What mode are you in right now? You may intuitively know exactly what I’m talking about. Ever interrupt a conversation and the person changes their conversation style/demeanor? That’s an example of someone switching modes. Are modes just putting a...
Most useful and helpful episodes of 2024!

Most useful and helpful episodes of 2024!

Welcome to 2025. As with last year, we are selecting the most helpful and useful episodes of the previous year. Of course I feel that all of the episodes are useful and helpful. Each one has a use, a point, and a tangible takeaway. Each one is a unique perspective on...
Resolutions—what works and what doesn’t

Resolutions—what works and what doesn’t

Resolutions—what works and what doesn’t and why. It’s really important that you don’t repeat the same things that didn’t work last time. You want to make this time to be different. Levels As we mentioned in the Labels episode, we like to label...
Depression and throwing away the container

Depression and throwing away the container

This is a separate article that goes with this podcast episode. it is not a transcript but rather an alternate summary of what the episode is about. NOTE: Depression, and worse (the meaning of “throwing away the container”) is a delicate subject. The truth...
Am I a systems thinker?

Am I a systems thinker?

Guess who has this one? 🙂 NOTE: As I’ve said before, these thirteen ‘states of being’ are not being looked at as an ‘ailment’ or a ‘disease’ or a disadvantage. Just as there are upsides to what some would consider a...
The Silence of Success

The Silence of Success

Social Media and You If you’re on social media, whether it’s the Boomers Gone Wild of Facebook, the Graphic (in many ways) Instagram, the Millennial-Controlled Tiktok or the ‘business-oriented’ Linkedin, you will see the kind of posts I’m...
Deferred Gratitude and Exotic Cars

Deferred Gratitude and Exotic Cars

Exotic Cars When people purchase exotic cars, they are sometimes hit with something called deferred maintenance. As with many car buyers, they see the value of purchasing a car used. The positive of that is that they get a car they want at a dramatically reduced...
Time and energy = space

Time and energy = space

A new formula Here’s an interesting concept for you, just when you thought you understood that life is made of three things: Time, Energy and Resources. But after ll, this is alchemy. Time, Energy and Resources Alchemy for Life™ has always been about life being...
Is Positivity just oblivious contentment?

Is Positivity just oblivious contentment?

What is Positivity? You may think that ‘positivity’ doesn’t belong with such states of being as OCD, Anxiety, ADHD and the others featured in this 13-part series, but I think it does because it is markedly different than the average person....
Don’t speak that into existence!

Don’t speak that into existence!

Toddlers with chainsaws Are chainsaws bad? No. Should toddlers use them? No. We use chainsaws to perform a task, we don’t give them to toddlers because it is dangerous to do so and the toddlers don’t understand the balance of danger and functionality....
Psych Charm: ADHD

Psych Charm: ADHD

ADHD – Also known as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. What is ADHD? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. People with ADHD typically struggle with finding it difficult to focus. They are easily distracted in pursuit of stimulus. Sometimes the...
Psych Charm: Anxiety

Psych Charm: Anxiety

Anxiety – The feeling of stress, the activation of a fight-or-flight mode. Anxiety for some can be a fairly dull but constant sensation of having to attend to a problem—a nagging feeling that you need to take care of something. This can be from the demands of...
Gamification, Iconization and Tangibility.

Gamification, Iconization and Tangibility.

Gamification, Iconization and Tangibility Those are some crazy words. They’re fun and I like saying them. But what do they mean? My history I have always enjoyed looking at things as a system. It was only relatively recently that I realized that was what I was...
Creativity as a skill

Creativity as a skill

Are you creative? No matter what your job, career or calling is, no matter what hobbies you have or do not, you have creativity. What if we treat it as a separate skill? What happens then? You’ll be amazed. Join our free community at patreon to talk about it....
If you don’t see the system…

If you don’t see the system…

“I see systems” This is something I have said for a very long time. Once I learned that this was one of my core directives it all made sense. But what does that mean, and how can that help you? Let’s talk about the systems in your life. If you...
It’s Time for Something Different

It’s Time for Something Different

It’s time. After all these episodes, books, coaching, and articles, it’s time to approach this differently and give us a better way to connect with each other. We both deserve it. https://alchemyfor.life/podcasts/patreon.mp3Podcast: Play in new window |...
Guaranteed Great Day if You do This…

Guaranteed Great Day if You do This…

I guarantee you will have a great day if you do this. And you might get a huge laugh out of it as well. Believe it or not this episode touches on and doubt, more experimental, psychology, and the holy Grail of positivity bias. All because your friend wants you to help...
Engagement Fiction for Your Type A Brain

Engagement Fiction for Your Type A Brain

A New Genre You are now part of the birth of a new genre—engagement fiction. I know it’s new because I just made it up. If you’re a type a personality*, then you probably enjoy your brain being fully engaged for your work. But when it comes time for play,...
Selfishness demystified

Selfishness demystified

You’re probably selfish for a good reason. If not, your definition of selfishness is what’s stopping you from taking care of yourself properly. This is not about self-care and self-love. It’s about something entirely different....
Too much power to something via label

Too much power to something via label

You might be giving too much power to something in your life, just because you gave it a LABEL. See labels for more on labels in: If you use them you’ll get smarter (or dumber) https://alchemyfor.life/podcasts/news.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe:...
Three Phrases to Improve the Quality of Your Life

Three Phrases to Improve the Quality of Your Life

Phrases and mantras We all have phrases we can readily repeat. Some of us have important phrases that have made an impact on us. Some of us (like me) even have a mantra we live by. The most impactful Doing an inventory, I came up with three phrases that have had the...
Meat Puppets handing you mailing list data

Meat Puppets handing you mailing list data

The right and the wrong way to approach a networking event Most of my episodes are about experimental psychology, how to deal with and manage time, energy and resources, or a unique concept I’d like you to consider. Sometimes the episode is a purely...
If I were you…

If I were you…

Advice Who doesn’t like giving advice? Who doesn’t like receiving it? Wait, put your hands down, that was rhetorical. In all seriousness sometimes we need to ask for advice (we can’t all be in a bubble) and we are lucky that someone values our wisdom...
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