Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais – Details, episodes & analysis

There's an age-old question: Are humans fundamentally good or evil? Are we hardwired towards greed and cynicism... or towards compassion and goodness?

Our guest today, Dr. Jamil Zaki, is a leading psychologist and empathy researcher who has dedicated his career to exploring this question. He believes that humans are fundamentally good – and he has the science to back it up.

Jamil is at the forefront of research at Stanford's Social Neuroscience Lab, where he's exploring how we understand emotions, conform to social norms, and choose to do good.

Cynicism is on the rise in the United States, and Jamil refers to this rising tide as a disease. But the good news? There is hope for a cure.

His latest book, Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, lays out a practical roadmap to transform cynicism into hopeful skepticism—an approach that could make our world a better place.

In this conversation, we dive deep into actionable strategies to build trust and empathy, like "social savoring" and "positive gossip." If you’re looking to create lasting positive change in your life and those around you, this episode is for you.

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When was the last time you felt completely free? Not just “happy”.. but you felt a profound sense of clarity and calm from within?

Dr. Emma Seppälä has spent over a decade proving that this state of inner freedom – which she refers to as “sovereignty” – is not only achievable but essential for our wellbeing.

Emma is a psychologist, best-selling author, and leading researcher in the science of happiness and social connection. As the director of the Women's Leadership Program at the Yale School of Management, she's guided thousands of individuals towards greater emotional intelligence and resilience. 

In this episode, we dive deep into Emma's groundbreaking research from her new book, "Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power." She reveals how cultivating moments of clarity and calm can unlock a powerful state of being that goes beyond happiness.

Get ready for an enlightening discussion that challenges our approach to wellbeing. Whether you're aiming to enhance your work, relationships, or personal growth, Emma's insights offer a fresh perspective on thriving in our complex world.

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Rejection, resilience, and unexpected glory: a tale that proves it's never too late to rewrite your story.

On Day 9 of The Game Inside The Games, Nastia Liukin and Dr. Michael Gervais sit down with Alev Kelter, a remarkable athlete who not only just won the first medal in USA Women’s Rugby history, but has represented the U.S. in three different sports.

Alev shares her journey from facing the heartbreak of being cut from the U.S. Ice Hockey team to discovering a new passion in rugby, competing in three consecutive Olympic games, and ultimately winning The United States’ first ever women’s rugby medal, in one of the most electric finishes in Paris so far.

In this conversation, you’ll hear a behind-the-scenes perspective on pivotal moments, the power of a culture built by its players, and a play-by-play the stunning finish in the weening seconds of the bronze medal match. 

Alev is a treasure trove of insights – she beautifully highlights the resilience required to overcome setbacks, the courage to pursue new opportunities in the face of adversity, and the ability to use sport as a canvas for self-expression. 

This episode is brought to you by Accenture, Avanade, and Microsoft.

Accenture and Avanade are reimagining the workplace with Copilot for Microsoft 365.

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This episode of Finding Mastery features the one and only, Apolo Ohno. A 2019 inductee into the Olympic Hall of Fame, Apolo still holds the title for most decorated American at the Winter Olympics with 8 medals as a short track speed skater. However, after hanging up his skates in 2010, Apolo found himself struggling with purpose, and confused about how he was going to navigate his transition from sport.

His bestselling book, Hard Pivot: Embrace Change, Find Purpose, Show Up Fully, details this journey while offering up five golden principles for practical and psychological steps toward success.

Apolo has walked the walk and I can’t wait to share his insights around navigating transitions, the constant pursuit of new goals, and how managing energy and attitude are integral to high performance.

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This week’s conversation is with Phil Kornachuk, a highly-trained military expert with 22 years of service in the U.S. Army Special Ops Command. After serving with both the 2nd Battalion Rangers and the Green Berets, being deployed 12 times, and receiving a Silver Star – the 3rd highest award for valor in combat – Phil decided to leave his military career behind and channel his experience into a new kind of mission: helping people and businesses forge high performance leadership skills. 

Indexing on self-mastery, mindset training and resilience, Phil’s passion for developing purpose-driven leaders and high performing teams has taken the form of executive coaching, 1-on-1 training, hands-on workshops and even back-country expeditions through his company StoneWater Training. 

Phil and I share the belief that there are no shortcuts, and you’ll hear all about how this high school dropout who grew up on a dairy farm in Ontario, Canada cultivated a mental toughness and leadership acumen that’s even more impressive than his physical fortitude. 

In this conversation, you’ll hear how Phil exemplifies true grit, a detailed story of how he earned his Silver Star, and how his philosophy came to be “know yourself, lead yourself, lead others.”

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We're back! And on a Monday! Volume 7 of our Ask Me Anything series... let's do this.

High performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais jumps into the Mastery Lab to answer YOUR questions about the art of listening, flow state, how (and when) to be vulnerable, navigating conflict in intimate relationships, the major problems with the self-help industry, and so much more.

We’re stoked to announce that we’re going to be splitting the Ask Me Anything (AMA) series off from our regular Wednesday podcasts to its own spot—once-a-month on Mondays now.

This means you’ll see the AMA show up on your podcast feeds on a Monday and the regular podcast programming will continue on Wednesdays!

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What sets humans apart? Technology and healthcare futurist Jamie Metzl dives into the intersection of artificial intelligence and humanity, why learning and creativity are crucial, and what it really means to be optimistic.

This week’s conversation is with leading geopolitical expert and technology futurist, Jamie Metzl, a returning guest to the podcast we’re so happy to welcome back. 

Jamie boasts degrees from Brown (undergrad), Harvard (law), and Oxford (Ph.D), but that may just be the least interesting thing about him. He’s served in the U.S. State Department, and on the National Security Council, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the World Health Organization expert advisory committee on human genome editing. He’s also been called “the original COVID-19 whistleblower” as a leading advocate for a full investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

His bestselling book, Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity, is a groundbreaking exploration of the future of our species. Jamie’s profound and provocative inquiry suggests humankind is about to start evolving by new rules as genetic engineering begins to alter the core foundations of our lives - sex, love, war and death.

This conversation proves that Jamie has so much more to offer than his resume and I’m so grateful to have had him back on the podcast for this insightful and important discussion.

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Called the “Einsteins of Love,” Drs. John and Julie Gottman share their insights and strategies for building love and long-lasting relationships, offering a deep dive into the science of what makes relationships work - and thrive.

John and Julie have been studying love for over five decades; they’ve compiled data on thousands of couples, all in service of one goal: to identify the building blocks of a good relationship. Their latest book, The Love Prescription, is a New York Times bestseller, detailing a simple but powerful 7-day plan to transform your relationship. There’s a reason they’ve been called “The Einstein of Love” and “the dean of marriage experts.” 

John was named one of the Top 10 Most Influential Therapists of the past quarter-century by the Psychotherapy Networker. Julie was named Washington State Psychologist of the Year and received the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from Psychotherapy Networker. Together they’ve co-authored many bestselling books and founded The Gottman Institute and Affective Software, Inc. – all to further their commitment to research-based approaches to relationship. 

Whether you’re a skeptic or a romantic; no matter if you’re married, pursuing romantic relationship or longing for a way to expand your perspective on either, I trust you’ll find this conversation truly enlightening.

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This week’s conversation is with Steven Kotler, a best-selling author, journalist, and one of the world’s leading experts on flow and human performance. 

Steven has spent three decades teaching people how to achieve peak performance, and of late, putting his own advice into practice as documented in his newest book, Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad. In it, Steven challenges us to test our own limits as he himself sets out to become an expert skier at age 53. 

Using his understanding of embodied cognition and flow science, he puts theories and his own body to the test in order to challenge the perceived limitations of peak performance as we get older. 

He’s authored fourteen books, eleven of which are New York Times bestsellers. He’s been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize twice, appeared in over 100 publications, and his work is translated into over 50 languages; and yet, Steven’s appeal comes from far more than a list of very impressive accolades. While endeavoring to help others be at their best, he puts his own teaching into practice so his perspective isn’t simply scientific, it’s personal. 

As you’ll find out in this conversation, Steven embodies true grit and refuses to allow getting older to hold him back from achieving his highest potential. I think we can all find inspiration in these insights from a real badass who’s living life to the fullest and inviting you to do the same.

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Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

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There is power in your pain, but how do you use it? Is narcissism required to be successful? Why is vulnerability seen as a weakness?

This week, we’re really excited to share the sixth installment of our Ask Me Anything (AMA) series. It’s such a blast filming these and answering your questions. 

On AMA #6, we dive into some very real topics like the power of pain as it ignites both purpose and growth, if narcissism is necessary for success, how underdogs make for good company, and why a simple question like “how are you?” helps us explore our relationship to our own authenticity.  

For this AMA, I’m stoked to welcome back a dear friend of Finding Mastery’s — actor, improv artist, and host of his own podcast, O’Neil Cespedes. O’Neil dropped by to bring his curiosity and candor to a really awesome conversation. 

It’s an incredible honor to answer the questions you’re all sending in, and they continue to lead us to some extremely rich and insightful places. As always, feel free to email [email protected] with feedback or any questions you may have for future AMAs.

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Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/

Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter 

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