#47: What Are You At Heart? with Pat Thompson
Sean Howard & Eric Portelance
Attention Surplus
18 plays
One of the best episodes of Attention Surplus yet. A discussion about vocation and purpose. What are you at heart? What do you want to be when you grow up?
“What do I want to be when I grow up?” That’s the question on the cover of the little book that first drew our attention to this week’s guest. Pat Thompson is a leadership consultant, Metcalf Foundation Innovation Fellow and Visiting Scholar at Massey College.
She visited our living room studio to talk about vocation and good work, the value of being stuck, and the vital importance of reflection and good conversation.
The notebook, available at Dark Horse Espresso in Toronto, contains other deep questions and thought-provoking quotes — and, of course, plenty of space to reflect.
Links for this episode:
- Pat’s website One Alpha Avenue
- Frederick Buechner, writer and theologian
- Wendell Berry’s essay “Conservation is Good Work” (PDF)
- Parker Palmer, author and activist
- “Is Your Job Your Calling” (Fast Company)
- “The Way It Is” by William Stafford (“There’s a thread you follow”)
New week, new episode of North America’s favourite podcast about shame, doubt, and regret. ;)
This is as close as you’ll get to New Year’s resolutions from us: Eric talks about how he came to write a self-critical personal manifesto for 2012, and Sean offers his theory of a “threshold of distasteful actions” as one of the roots of procrastination.
Next week, we dig into Eric’s manifesto.
We mention:
- Sean’s New Year’s Eve exercise for recognizing your accomplishments
- Episode 42, with Jon Crowley
- Episode 38: Valuing What You Do
- the Inbox Zero method
#38: Valuing What You Do
Sean Howard & Eric Portelance
Attention Surplus
12 plays
A brand new episode of Attention Surplus, with the triumphant return of “Junk Sean.” And, announcing our first contest. You could win signed photo printed from me, Sean, and our mystery guest.
It’s easy to judge ourselves by what we haven’t finished or aren’t getting done. What if we were to look instead at all the things we have accomplished?
Plus: how and when to say no, and the return of Junk Sean.
Announcing our first contest! Leave a comment and guess the name of our special guest (who will join us for next week’s episode) and win not one but three signed photo prints – one each from Sean, Eric and our mystery guest!
We mention:
- #9, The Decade List, and #10, Measuring Your Life with Douglas Reid
- David Allen’s Getting Things Done
FourCast 95: We’ll archive our brains, defy gravity, and colonize planets with SimCity Arcologies.
I was a guest on Tom Merritt and Scott Johnson’s FourCast podcast last night on the TWiT network. I had a great time chatting about my predictions for the future.
#33: An Ethic of Kindness
Sean Howard & Eric Portelance
Attention Surplus
20 plays
We’re back with another episode of Attention Surplus after taking a week off for Canadian Thanksgiving. For long time listeners of the show, you’ll be interested to know this one includes a special update on my favourite subway musician. ;)
In the midst of a crazy month, we talk about feeling stretched too thin, as well as the idea of supporting people and organizations that pursue an “ethic of kindness”.
Plus: an update on Eric’s favourite subway musician!
We mention:
We gathered the old Mac Dose cast together to record a very special episode of the podcast last night. I’m really proud of this one and hope you’ll take some time to listen and provide some feedback.
Mac Dose - Special Live Episode →
We’re getting the old Mac Dose crew back together for a very special live epsiode tonight to celebrate Steve Jobs and his influence on us. You can tune in live at 7pm EST/
#30: Ready, Fire, Aim with Steve St. Pierre
Sean Howard & Eric Portelance
Attention Surplus
33 plays
Pretty good episode of Attention Surplus this week, if I do say so myself.
Designer, artist, musician, public speaker and Ottawa Creative Collective co-founder Steve St. Pierre joins Eric via Skype to talk about seat-of-the-pants creativity and making things happen.
#24: Have You Thought This Through?
Sean Howard & Eric Portelance
Attention Surplus
20 plays
So I do this whole podcast thing called Attention Surplus. If you’ve never taken the time to listen, now’s as good a time as any. Great episode this week.
Making a big change in your life – where you live, who you’re with or the career you choose – can be unsettling for the people around you. How do you break it to them, and how do you keep them from derailing you?
We mention:
- Attention Surplus, Episode 7: The Network
- Painter Agnes Martin
- Full Frame podcast
I’m still alive and well and podcasting on a weekly basis over at Attention Surplus. I think this week’s episode about Capacity is a pretty good one if you haven’t checked out the show. Last week’s episode about Perspective, following my two week trip in Thailand, is also worth checking out.
Do we all have the capacity to be passionate, creative, and curious? Is capacity programmed within us or is it an ability that we can learn?
We mention:
