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Abscondo Podcast - 30 - Life Changes (with Patti McCracken)

Sometimes even if we get everything we want in life, we find out that it isn't what we want.  Sometimes that great job isn't so great.  That big house is so big that we feel isolated inside of it.  Maybe that coveted lifestyle can only be maintained at the expense of dealing with too many responsibilities and pressures.  Then comes that nagging feeling inside.  Years can go by and yet that feeling doesn't really go away no matter how hard we try.

When this happens, it's not as if anything is wrong with us.  It's also not as if anything is inherently wrong with the lifestyle, itself.  But when we allow that internal voice of intuition to drown out all of those external voices of conventional wisdom and normalcy, some of us simply reach the point at which the only solution is to change.  Sometimes that change is drastic.  Sometimes not so much.

But when we listen to that internal voice, we say "yes" to things like travel or to adventure.  We may start a new hobby or become more creative in some way.  We may change cities or change countries.  We may leave a job or negotiate a work situation that is more tolerable.  We may say "yes" to a new friendship, yes to love, or we may walk away from relationships that aren't working.

Today, Sofia and I interview a guest who will talk about some of this as she shares her fascinating life story.   Read more about our guest, Patti McCracken.

 You can also check out the new part of my site dedicated to the book.

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Abscondo Podcast - 29 - Erase Your Debt in 3 Years

Sometimes the most obvious truths are the hardest to hear.  Sometimes what everyone knows to be true is almost never said. 

When this happens, we're left looking around at a world that is turned upside-down.  That which is obvious, good, and simply true becomes that which is unspoken.  Behavior that is destructive, foolish, and harmful suddenly becomes the norm.  Good ideas are dismissed as old-fashioned.  Even the wisdom of our parents and grandparents gets crushed under the weight of our own naivety and arrogance. 

But there are some truths that are so fundamental they they will eventually confront us one day whether we like it or not.  The topic of this week's podcast is money.  Money certainly isn't everything, but a complete lack of it can sure make it seem that way. 

Then there's debt, which is nothing other than slavery.  As we slide into debt, we are selling our tomorrows in exchange for something we want today.  Each time we sell off that freedom, we better be doing it for a damn good reason and there better be a solid plan to pay off that debt.

Today we talk to David Weliver, who runs the website moneyunder30.com.  The interview was recorded on David's 30th birthday.  Listen to the show to find out how he paid off $80,000 of personal debt in just 3 years.

We have decided to release new episodes of the podcast on Tuesdays, rather than Fridays.  The next episode will come out on February 15th, and then on each Tuesday thereafter.

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Abscondo Podcast - 28 - Changing the World is Simple

On this first podcast of the 2011 season, we discuss that fundamental human desire to want to change the world.  Some of us are artists, musician, scientists, or professors.  Some of us are good friends, loyal members of a loving family, or dedicated parents.  Some of us proudly wear many of these hats.  Few of us make it look simple.  Our guest this week does.

Julia Bailey is an accomplished and generous woman who does something to change the world each day.  Listen to the interview, then check out her blog "How I Changed the World Today".  Also visit Kiva.org (which we discuss in the show).

In the last season of the Abscondo podcast, we did a show called "Music in our Lives".  During the show, I promised to write up a blog entry to list all of the bands and musicians who have influenced my life and my music.  Well, I never got around to writing that up because I realized there are simple too many artists to mention and to editorialize! 

However, I have received a few emails since that episode from people asking for these music recommendations.  So, this week I updated my Facebook account with all of my favorite artists (65 of them to be exact).  If you want to check this out, just click over to my Facebook page and send a friend request.  I will also be using this Mark Manney Facebook profile to update you on new blog posts, podcasts, and information about the upcoming book.