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Education
Karel Vredenburg & Paige Heron
This is the series that helps you learn new habits to optimize your life and embrace an enlightened, healthy, and prosperous lifestyle.
LH106 — Check-in - Working from Home
With the overall series tagline for all these years being “staying sane in a crazy world”, Karel was inspired to start record episodes again with a collection of Check-in episodes to help listeners deal with and cope during the Coronavirus pandemic. This, the first in the collection, provides advice on working from home.
19:2121/01/2024
LH105 — Exploring the World
Karel continues his occasional series of episodes on major life changes, this time focusing on exploring the world. His guest is Kate Paddison who is currently in Melbourne, Australia. She describes her decision to buy a one-way ticket and explore the world.
21:5221/01/2024
LH104 — Innovation by Design
Karel devotes this episode to the design methods and tools now available to everyone in order to innovate on products, services, and really anything anyone wants to improve. He summarizes his seven habits of highly effective design thinkers.
20:3521/01/2024
LH103 — Career Pivots
Here’s another in the occasional series of episodes on major life changes. This episode focusses on career pivots, that is major career changes, and discusses insights, lessons learned, and advice from someone who has recently gone through this. Karel is joined by Lendy Krantz who is currently Director of Operations and Strategy at WeWork in New York City.
31:0721/01/2024
LH102 — All You Need is Love
Karel is again joined by Marie-Josée Shaar as they both explore an extension to Marie-Josée's Sleep, Food, Mood, and Exercise theme by focusing on mood and the quality of relationships yielding love, caring, and connectedness.
42:0721/01/2024
LH101 — Creating Your Own Job
This is the first of an occasional series of episodes on major life changes. This episode Karel deals with the topic of creating your own job and he's joined by Chui Chui Tan from Bristol, England who details her story of quitting her job of many years to start her own company.
39:2321/01/2024
LH100 — Celebration & Review
Karel celebrates the 100th episode of the podcast series by thanking his listeners and his guests and then reviewing briefly each of the episodes in the series.
01:07:0921/01/2024
LH99 — Diversity & Inclusion
Karel's back with a podcast episode dealing with the important topic of diversity and inclusion. In addition to reviewing previous episodes related to the topic and providing some inspirational quotes, Karel focuses on three habits: Recognizing and eliminating bias, understanding and empathizing, and championing and celebrating. He finishes up the episode talking about the episodes to come which will focus on insights from people who have gone through significant life changes.
28:5821/01/2024
LH98 — Career Workouts
Karel expands on his previous episodes dealing with career advice to make the case for approaching career health much like we know how to deal with physical health by doing workouts, journals, and checkups.
19:0721/01/2024
LH97 — Having Personal Impact
Many parts of the world are experiencing unprecedented levels of uncertainty due to political, economic, and religious types of instability. This episode will give you ways of dealing with uncertainty, becoming an agent of change, and having personal impact.
22:0021/01/2024
LH96 — Mindful Meditation
The results of a listener poll led to a request for an episode on Mindful Meditation and Karel delivered on that request in this episode. Karel talks about the research evidence for the benefits and then provides guidance of practicing mindfulness and meditation.
21:3121/01/2024
LH95 — Escaping Average
Karel is joined by Cynthia Tripathi to talk about her first book "Escaping Average". Karel and Cynthia discuss ways of upping your game in the areas of mental state, health, career, finance, and social life.
36:4921/01/2024
LH94 — Fixing Unhelpful Thinking Habits
Karel is again joined by UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers to discuss recognizing and then fixing common errors in thinking.
30:0921/01/2024
LH93 — Social Intelligence for Success
In response to listener suggestions, Karel devotes this episode to three themes for developing and applying social intelligence to entrepreneurial, intrepreneurial, and self-improvement initiatives.
27:1121/01/2024
LH92 — Optimizing Happiness
After conducting a poll with listeners via social media as to what topic to focus on next, Karel determined that Optimizing Happiness was far and away the most asked for. Karel builds on the foundation that was built in LH84 - Being Happier to provide additional advice in this episode to further hone particular habits to achieve even greater levels of happiness in life.
19:0221/01/2024
LH91 — Optimizing Travel
Karel hasn't recorded episodes lately because he's been traveling a lot so he thought he'd dedicate his first new episode to the topic of providing advice to optimize travel.
33:2521/01/2024
LH90 — Gender Equality
Inspired by Emma Watson's UN speech, Karel devotes this episode to providing advice for woman and men to promote gender equality.
25:4021/01/2024
LH89 — Developing Empathy
Karel devotes this episode to the critically important habit of developing empathy.
23:2121/01/2024
LH88 — Life as a Sport
Karel is back after a hiatus and devotes this episode to understanding what insights and lessons sports can provide in improving our life skills.
25:5521/01/2024
LH87 — Thinking Errors that Hurt Your Health
Karel is joined again by Marie-Josée Shaar this time to address the errors in thinking that can hurt your health and what you can do to prevent them from doing so.
28:3521/01/2024
LH86 — Profit from the Positive
Want to apply the power of Positive Psychology to business and to your working life? Karel is joined by Margaret Greenberg for this episode discussing the book she wrote with Senia Maymin, "Profit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business".
30:0321/01/2024
LH85 — Affirmations & Mindfulness
Karel addresses listener questions and introduces affirmations and mindfulness together with guest UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers.
28:1621/01/2024
LH84 — Being Happier
Karel devotes this episode to the topic of being happier and summarizes a list of ten items from Positive Psychology that you can start to do right away to be happier. He also recommends a new social network focused on increasing happiness in the world, called Happier.com.
23:3321/01/2024
LH83 — Communication Challenges
Karel devotes this episode to listener questions on the topic of communication challenges.
25:1021/01/2024
LH82 — Dealing with Change
Karel is again joined by UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers as they address a listener question asking for advice on dealing with change.
27:1621/01/2024
LH81 — Becoming More Productive
Karel devotes this episode to a listener suggestion to address becoming more productive using technology. Karel discusses four major themes 1) doing things more efficiently, doing more things at once sensibly, doing fewer things at once sensibly, and doing nothing.
23:5721/01/2024
LH80 — Cultures of Wellness
Karel is again joined by Marie-Josée Shaar this time to discuss four approaches to creating cultures of wellness. Make sure to visit Marie-Josée's website smartsandstamina.com which also includes a link to her book. For further information on this topic, make sure to visit positivepychologynews.com.
29:4821/01/2024
LH79 — Impression Management
In response to a listener suggestion, Karel devotes this episode to various ways of improving your personal impression management using the techniques and approaches from product marketing.
28:0121/01/2024
LH78 — Staying True to Yourself
Karel devotes this episode to listener requests along the theme of staying true to yourself. He addresses awareness, consistency, and strength.
16:1421/01/2024
LH77 — Workplace Challenges
Karel addresses five questions listeners submitted on the topic of workplaces challenges. The questions deal with communicating across age and experience level differences, knowing who to trust, workplace bullying, managing anger outbursts, and working effectively with a world-wide team.
31:5121/01/2024
LH76 — Mom's Life Lessons
This episode is a tribute to Karel's mother who passed away recently and reflects on seven of the life lessons she taught, lived, and modeled, and will serve as her gift and legacy.
23:0921/01/2024
LH75 — Bullying
Would you like to be more aware of bullying of various types and what can be done about it? This was a topic that rose to the top of our Facebook poll of listeners. Karel has university student, George Janeteas, as his guest on bullying in general and cyber-bullying in particular. You can find more about George at his website at georgejaneteas.ca. George also provided the following additional resources: the Trevor Project, Youth Line, Kids Help Phone, and Prevnet.
43:0921/01/2024
LH74 — Covey’s 7 Habits
This episode is a tribute to the late Stephen Covey, the author of the seminal book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". Karel discusses the influence Covey has had on listeners, himself, and the world. He then provides a few quotes and briefly summarizes Covey's seven habits.
32:1521/01/2024
LH73 — Questions about Relationships
Karel dedicates this episode to a set of questions submitted by listeners on the theme of relationships and is again joined by UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers. The questions address how to deal with infidelity, getting over a failed relationship, and dealing with parents as they are progressing through a divorce. Mandy has also written further on these topics on her blog, specifically "infidelity" and "end of a relationship".
32:2621/01/2024
LH72 — Growth Mindset
After having heard Carol Dweck being interviewed on the Harvard Business Review podcast and checking with the Life Habits listeners on the Facebook page, Karel decided to read Carol's book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" and to dedicate this episode to its major insights and recommendations. Learn how to transition your thinking from a fixed mindset to one leading to growth in all aspects of your life.
20:0321/01/2024
LH71 — Doing the Right Thing
At the suggestion of a listener, Karel devotes this episode to the topic of "Doing the Right Thing" and provides some practical advice on what to consider in weighing options when needing to make an ethical/moral decision.
19:3321/01/2024
LH70 — Managing Money
Would you like a broader perspective on managing your money? At the suggestion of a listener, Karel provides both a conceptual perspective and some practical advice on managing money in this episode.
22:1921/01/2024
LH69 — Stop Worrying
In response to a listener question, Karel provides advice on the process to use to stop worrying, including the identification of your degree of control and taking action on the basis of this.
18:4821/01/2024
LH68 — Type I Personally
Karel summarizes key insights from Daniel H. Pink's book "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us", on the recommendation of a podcast listener. He summarizes the alternatives to "carrot and stick" approaches which include a focus on Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. Find out more about Dan Pink and how to get a copy of his book.
18:0721/01/2024
LH67 — Types of Help
Karel is again joined by guest UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers to address a listener request about professional help. Mandy outlines when you seek help, what types of help are available, and what to expect so that you can get the most out of any professional help you seek. More information and advice on a number of topics from Mandy can be found on her YouTube channel and on her website.
34:1421/01/2024
LH66 — 5 Lazy Ways to Get in Shape
Karel is joined again by guest Marie-Josée Shaar who describes five simple, lazy, ways to get in shape based on the content in her great new book Smarts and Stamina: The Busy Person's Guide to Optimal Health and Performance, which she authored with occasional guest on the podcast, Kathryn Britton.
25:2421/01/2024
LH65 — Life Lessons
Karel reflects on the life of Steve Jobs and discusses his life lessons as conveyed through Walter Isaacson's authorized biography "Steve Jobs" and Steve's 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. You may also want to check out Karel's blog post on Steve Jobs's contributions to design.
19:4021/01/2024
LH64 — Visualizing Progress
Are you still getting stuck and lacking sufficient motivation? Karel devotes this episode to using visualization of the goal and progress toward the goal as additional means of increasing your motivation and being successful. These techniques are applicable to virtually all the areas of focus and topics covered in this podcast series.
16:5021/01/2024
LH63 — Taking Time for Yourself
Many people either don't take time off or do so only with others. Karel devotes this episode to advice for taking time for yourself via five Rs.
14:0621/01/2024
LH62 — Making a Difference
Want to make a difference in life, at home, at work, or throughout all society? Karel devotes this episode to an approach to plan and make progress on this topic.
21:1521/01/2024
LH61 — Mastering Gratitude
Want to improve your overall sense of well-being? Master gratitude. Karel is joined on this episode by guest Kathryn Britton who is the author of "Gratitude: How to Appreciate Life's Gifts". You can reach Kathryn by sending her email at [email protected].
41:5321/01/2024
LH60 — Complaining Effectively
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Guy Winch joins Karel on this episode to provide a set of quotes and top 10 tips for learning to complain effectively. Guy is the author of a great book on the topic called "The Squeaky Wheel: Complaining the right way to get results, improve your relationships, and enhance self-esteem". Learn more about Guy at his website, Facebook page, or on Twitter.
31:2921/01/2024
LH59 — Listener Questions
At the suggestion of an Australian listener, Karel solicited questions from listeners and devotes this episode to providing answers to three listener questions.
31:4021/01/2024
LH58 — Authentic Listening
Want to improve your interpersonal communication? Learn how to listen authentically. In this episode, Karel provides 10 ideas for developing the habit of authentic listening.
20:5821/01/2024
LH57 — Vegetarianism
Whether you're interested for health, the environment, ethics, or just to eat tasty food, this episode will help you with moving toward a plant-based diet and provide you with 10 practical progressive steps to get there. Karel has long-time vegetarian advocate Dilip Barman as his guest on this episode. Dilip makes reference to two websites during the session: the first is an article on FAO and the second is an article on the Guardian website. For more information, you can visit Dilip's own website, his cooking site, his photography site, and the International Vegetarian Union site, and also the Triangle Vegetarian Society site. Please note that there is a knocking sound during parts of the podcast which we've done the best to try to edit out but still is able to be heard in certain places. Apologies for any annoyance this may cause you while listening to this episode.
49:4421/01/2024