Reviving Excellence: The Return of Live Well and Flourish
The revival of *Live Well and Flourish* is predicated upon the profound realization that the pursuit of an excellent life is not merely a matter of planning, but rather an emergent process that unfolds organically. I have returned to this podcast after a hiatus, motivated by a rekindled desire to engage deeply with the concept of living a life imbued with meaning and purpose. This revival seeks not only to reflect on my own journey but also to assist listeners in navigating their paths toward flourishing. I acknowledge that the essence of an excellent life transcends material success, emphasizing a life of virtue and fulfillment that arises in response to life's inherent unpredictability. As we embark on this renewed exploration, I am committed to providing insights that resonate with your own quest for excellence, fostering a collective journey toward a more meaningful existence.
The inaugural episode of the revitalized Live Well and Flourish podcast delves into the profound motivations behind its return, as articulated by host Craig Van Slyke. He reflects on a period of personal disillusionment that led to the podcast's hiatus, revealing a deep-seated yearning for a more meaningful engagement with the concept of an excellent life. Van Slyke's candid exploration of his own struggles with purpose and fulfillment resonates with listeners who may have encountered similar challenges in their own lives. The episode sets a contemplative tone, inviting the audience to join him in a quest for deeper understanding and personal growth.
A pivotal theme in this discourse is the concept of the ‘emergent life,’ which stands in stark contrast to the rigid structures often associated with conventional success. Van Slyke posits that true excellence arises from fostering conditions that allow for organic growth and self-discovery. This philosophy encourages listeners to abandon the constraints of a preordained life plan and to embrace the unfolding nature of their own journeys. By prioritizing virtue and purpose, the podcast aims to equip individuals with the practical wisdom necessary to navigate the complexities of modern existence.
In addition to philosophical reflections, the episode introduces structural changes to the podcast format, including the incorporation of dialogues with ChatGPT, an AI entity that will serve as a conversational partner in select episodes. This innovative approach aims to foster richer discussions and provide listeners with diverse perspectives on the topics at hand. Van Slyke expresses his commitment to delivering insightful content that not only informs but also inspires listeners to actively engage in their own pursuits of an excellent life, thereby reinforcing the podcast's mission of using practical wisdom to cultivate personal excellence.
Takeaways:
- The revival of Live Well and Flourish aims to assist individuals in their quest for an excellent life by providing reflective and insightful content.
- This podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding that an excellent life is not merely planned, but rather emerges organically through lived experiences.
- The host expresses a personal journey of rediscovering purpose through the podcast, highlighting the significance of meaningful engagement in living well.
- Future episodes will feature dialogues with an AI co-host, fostering dynamic conversations that explore various topics related to flourishing in life.
- A central theme of the podcast is that living an excellent life involves setting conditions rather than adhering to rigid plans, especially relevant in tumultuous times.
- Listeners are encouraged to actively engage with the content, as the podcast seeks to provide valuable insights that contribute to a fulfilling life.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- ChatGPT
Welcome to the first episode of the revival of Live well and Flourish.
Speaker AIn this episode, I'll share why I'm bringing back the podcast after its hiatus, explain some exciting changes to the format, and most importantly, talk about how this revival will help you on your journey to living an excellent life.
Speaker BWelcome to Live well and Flourish, where I help you understand what it means to live a flourishing life.
Speaker BI'm your host, Craig Van Slyke.
Speaker BIf you're ready to think beyond material.
Speaker AAnd external success, if you're ready to.
Speaker BTake control of who you are and the kind of life you live, if you're ready to flourish, this is the podcast for you.
Speaker AWelcome to the revival of Live well and Flourish.
Speaker AI put the podcast on hiatus a few months ago because I kind of felt burned out.
Speaker AProducing the podcast just wasn't fulfilling anymore.
Speaker AOver time, however, I found that I missed thinking about how to live an excellent life.
Speaker ABut bringing back Live well and Flourish adds about more than an excuse to think deep thoughts.
Speaker AI realized that I wasn't fulfilling my purpose anymore.
Speaker AAt least not sufficiently.
Speaker AMy purpose in life is to help others live excellent lives of meaning and purpose.
Speaker AAlthough I pursued that purpose in a variety of ways for several years, Live well and Flourish was a huge part of living my purpose.
Speaker ABecause I wasn't sufficiently pursuing my purpose anymore.
Speaker AI felt an odd sense of.
Speaker AI'm not even sure how I can express the feeling.
Speaker AIt was this weird sense of something being off deep in my soul.
Speaker AYeah, I know how that sounds, but that's really the best way I can express it.
Speaker ASomething just wasn't being nourished in my soul.
Speaker ASomething fundamental in my life was off.
Speaker AThe only big change I could identify was Live well and Flourish, no longer being a part of my life.
Speaker ASo Live well and Flourish is returning driven by two underlying motivations.
Speaker AMy desire to reflect more deeply on living an excellent life and my fundamental need to fulfill my purpose.
Speaker AWhile these motivations might seem a little self focused, I'm not sure that matters because I am 100% convinced that you and others will benefit by listening.
Speaker AYeah, maybe some episodes won't resonate with you, but I'd be willing to bet that you'll get something out of each episode, even if it's just confirmation of what you already know.
Speaker AThere are going to be a few changes to Live well and Flourish, but nothing that fundamentally alters its purpose.
Speaker AOne thing that will change is that I'm taking the perspective that an excellent life, a life of virtue, purpose and fulfillment, isn't planned.
Speaker AIt emerges.
Speaker AI'll talk more about this idea in the next episode, but for now I'll just say that the emergent life is the polar opposite of the grind culture.
Speaker AThe emergent life focuses on setting conditions for living an excellent life rather than planning one out, and that can be especially useful in turbulent times like now.
Speaker AThis second change is going to sound odd, but stay with me.
Speaker ADoing a solo podcast is kind of tough in some ways.
Speaker AThe host me?
Speaker AI have to carry the whole load.
Speaker AIt's easy to fall into the trap of being preachy, which is something I think happened to Live well and Flourish.
Speaker AI started to feel like I was lecturing to you rather than talking with you.
Speaker AThat's not great, unless the host is incredibly talented, which I am not.
Speaker ABut having a co host or bringing on guests, well, that has its own set of challenges and editing, unpredictability in a bad way, scheduling and production complexity.
Speaker AI do two other podcasts, one with a co host and one with a co host and guests.
Speaker AThose podcasts serve their purposes pretty well, but Live well and Flourish is ultimately an intimate peek into my brain, or maybe my soul.
Speaker AIt is intently personal, so co hosts and guests don't really work.
Speaker AAlthough I may invite some people to join me from time to time.
Speaker AI was faced with a dilemma.
Speaker ANeither solo nor co hosted, nor guests quite work for Live well and Flourish.
Speaker ASo what should I do?
Speaker AHere's where it gets weird again.
Speaker APlease stay with me.
Speaker AThis is going to sound like a tangent, but there's a point.
Speaker AIn the last couple of years, I've become enamored or maybe obsessed with generative AI like ChatGPT.
Speaker AIn fact, I write a newsletter and co host a podcast on AI in higher education called AI Goes to College.
Speaker AWhat does this have to do with Live well and Flourish's revival?
Speaker AWell, I think I'm going to have an occasional co host.
Speaker AChatGPT.
Speaker AChatGPT has a very cool capability called Advanced Voice that lets you have very realistic conversations with the AI Chatbot.
Speaker AI swear, it seems real sometimes.
Speaker AFor some episodes, ChatGPT, who I'm going to call CG and I will talk about topics that require some back and forth to nail down.
Speaker ASolo episodes will be straightforward.
Speaker AGet to the point.
Speaker AGet out.
Speaker AConversations with CG will be less structured.
Speaker AThe discussions will flow naturally, going back and forth, sometimes following twisty paths to get to something important.
Speaker AAfter each of these conversations, I'll do a recap at the end to try to pull everything together.
Speaker AMy conversations with CG aren't going to be some parlor trick that lets me show off.
Speaker AThey're a way to show how ideas can emerge through dialogue.
Speaker AMore importantly, they're a way to make you a part of the journey in a little bit different way, even if it's just listening in on our conversations.
Speaker AI think of these conversations as kind of coffee shop chats with someone who's really well read, thoughtful, smart, and perhaps most importantly, tolerant of my meandering thought processes as I try to figure things out.
Speaker AFrankly, I really don't know how any of this will play out.
Speaker AI just know that it will be interesting and I'm confident that the right path will emerge over time.
Speaker ASo here's what you can expect Live well and flourish is returning with some changes, but its heart remains the same, helping you live an excellent life.
Speaker AThe underlying philosophy is that an excellent life of virtue, purpose and fulfillment emerges.
Speaker AIt cannot be planned out and forced.
Speaker AFinally, sometimes it'll just be me, and sometimes I'll have conversations with ChatGPT CG here's my promise to you.
Speaker AI'll do my very best to provide insights that will help you live an excellent life.
Speaker AI'll do my part, but you'll need to do yours as well.
Speaker AWe'll talk more about that in the future.
Speaker AFor now, I very much hope you'll join me on the path to living a life in which excellence emerges naturally and and beautifully.