Today we talk about some recent events and what they mean for us individuals. While events that are best sorted into the circle of concern are generally not worth a lot of our time and energy, they often hold lessons and guidance for the average person. Happy Friday!

Today we talk about the economy and how things are looking as of the end of August 2026. We go into several metrics and data points indicating high valuations in certain areas of the market, talk about the "run it hot" playbook, and discuss some consumer related data that indicates some, perhaps increasing, stress. As always, not financial advice, but a high level overview of the economy. While many people despise economics, developing our ability to look at data improves self-reliance and strong decision making.

There is a lot going on in the work these days, and it is quite difficult to keep up. Today we talk about a few recent events that have significant ramifications. While most media is worth ignoring, some stories are important to consider for their implications in our lives.

We have talked a lot in recent episodes about personal finance. A lot of information, tools and tips have been reviewed. But we all know how life throws us curveballs. So we must learn to expect setbacks, anticipate them, and develop a system that promotes consistency in the pursuit of our goals. Willpower is a fantastic muscle to continually exercise, and building a system that allows us to maintain a course with minimal willpower needed will ultimately support success. With that, here is to your financial empowerment!

In this installment of the financial empowerment series we talk about debt and credit. Having good credit can be a powerful ally in your journey toward your financial goals. While debt is like carrying a backpack full of bricks on that journey. Tune in for this high level analysis of using credit well, and eliminating debt that holds you back. As always, not financial advice, just the opinions of this podcaster.

Our mindset, psychology and emotions inform the lens that we see the world through. There are a lot of emotions involved when it comes to money. Are your emotions and psychology holding you back from financial empowerment? Today we unpack some of the adverse mental models in personal finance and how to counteract them. As always, not financial advice, just relevant tips for everyone in their financial journey.

In this episode we talk about the benefits of keeping a simple budget. How it helps you dial in your expenses related to your income, and what are some factors to consider if you are feeling money-stressed. Money issues are very common and can be quite difficult and impactful. So taking charge of your financial wellbeing is a key step the the journey of the Lifestyle Artist. And budgeting is a simple and powerful too to support your financial success.

The poor state of American's financial literacy is something everyone should take into account. How financially literate are you? What are your good and bad habits? Taking a look at our own finances is commonly a dreary task filled with uncertainty. It is also very important to your present and future to take control of your finances, address issues, and plan for success. This first episode in my series on financial empowerment provides an overview of the issue that we will dive into.

All over the internet you hear people talking about how AI is going to change the world and anticipate the mass unemployment of humans. In this episode we talk about one skill that is uniquely human: creativity. Somehow in the process of growing up it seems that many of us lose our creative edge, which is unfortunate. Not only does creativity enrich our daily live life in many ways other than overt art forms, but the skill of creative thinking is relevant and potentially transformative in all walks of life.

Can YOU handle the truth? Be truthful now... Haha! If truth were an animal it would be an endangered species. This time in the evolution of humanity is marked by a distinct lack of truth. The internet, which most humans interact with daily, has algorithms that sort people into bias-dominated echo chambers. The past several years has witness the emergence and preeminence in public discourse of terms like misinformation, disinformation, mal-information... and there are surely more. And political polarization that almost seems to idealize segmenting society into tribal groups unable to consider compromise.

The good news is, it is not your fault. The bad news is, it is your job to navigate the world that exists, and finding truth has gotten ever harder. In this episode we provide tools and insight to help you see the effects of our post-truth world in your daily life and become repellant to the singleminded-ness that results. Your relationships and human interactions will benefit from this conversation!

Every day we interact with people. Whether they be casual interactions with strangers, professional interactions in our work lives, or intimate interactions in our personal lives. Interactions are so ubiquitous learning how to do them better can bring huge jumps in life satisfaction. In this show we talk about closed-mindedness, how it inhibits personal growth and development, and can lead to prejudice and denial of reality, which will hold you back in life. By increasing awareness of rigidity in your thinking process, you can learn to become more open-minded, improve your experience in daily life, and become that person that everyone is interested in.

Today we check in on global stories that are dominating the air time. Tune in, put on your thinking cap, and lets try to expand on the conventional narratives that people are engaging with.

When I began this podcast months ago I presented a fitness challenge. That was to be active for 20min daily. After months of adhering to that plan myself (as best I could) I have learned some things. In this episode I talk about what I have learned, the purpose of the challenge, and some new considerations a person should be aware of when participating in the challenge.

When I launched this podcast I challenged listeners to join me in a daily fitness activity. It has now been months since that day and I want to update some things that have been illuminated over the course of this challenge. In this first section of a 2 part update we will talk about things that are not well understood by people engaging in a fitness program.

Apparently composting is something that causes many people confusion. So, in this episode we will go in depth.... or maybe survey for a high level the details.... on this confusing and consequential to the home gardener topic. Enjoy!

Decisions are a part of everyday life. Some people avoid decision making, some make poor decisions and some seem to always know what the right decisions is.... but are they right? In this episode we introduce a decision making process intended to improve your decisions and help you avoid some of the typical, and less than helpful, processes people use.

Well, folks are saying this weather pattern is going to yield a strong El Niño which means much of the world is contending with somewhat challenging environmental conditions. Today we talk about adapting to things outside of our control, specifically in the garden, though with lots of relevance for life as a whole.

Did you know your brain is constantly reorganizing itself? Did you know there are ways you can harness that reorganization to optimize brain function? Well both of those are true. And, developing a few practices can help you optimize this neural process to enhance your ability to achieve your dreams. Lets dive in...

How does a person improve their critical thinking skills? In this episode we talk about habits of the critical thinker. Developing these skills and applying them to your life situations is a strong step toward building the skills.

Critical thinking is a really important skill that we all.... should.... use in daily life. Unfortunately, critical thinking skills seem in relatively short supply. And considering all the tools we have in the contemporary world, including AI, it is easy to get through the day-to-day without doing much thinking, critical or otherwise. But here we are about developing skills that help us to live a good life, rather than accepting skill atrophy. Onward!