Friday 26 September 2014

A Shiny Surface

When was the last time you connected with someone you find truly inspiring?

Earlier this year I stumbled upon The Osher Günsberg Podcast and it has really got me thinking about the link between reflection and what it means to be inspired.

Hosted by the aforementioned Osher Günsberg, the podcast follows the same basic format for each episode: Introduction by Günsberg detailing his week, perhaps a personal anecdote, a plug to share the podcast and a brief introduction to his guest and occasionally the manner in which the conversation was recorded. This is followed by the conversation with the guest. The episode then concludes with closing remarks from Günsberg reflecting briefly on the conversation, his upcoming plans and other personal anecdotes.

Listening to the podcast is a thoroughly engaging experience. The tone of the conversation is relaxed enough to make you feel like a silent participant, with the potential to lean over at any point, introduce yourself and join in. It is a testament to Günsberg's preparation and skill as an interviewer and broadcaster that he makes something that both he and the guest know is going to be published worldwide feel so intimate.

I haven't listened to all of the episodes, but that is one of the great things about this type of format in a podcast; you can choose whose stories you want to listen to. Having said that, I have found myself just as engaged by the names previously unknown to me (but who are often very well-known in their field) as those who are a household names.

As I've been listening to the conversations and how they unfold I have been struck by the level of introspection Günsberg is able to facilitate in his guests and also his openness to reflect on his own understanding and experience of the world, both during and after the recording.

At the start of most of the episodes I've listened to, Günsberg opens with:
"This is a weekly conversation with someone that I find truly inspiring and it'll hopefully leave you truly inspired as well. My goal on this show is to talk with guests that have a great story to tell or who have achieved something remarkable in their lives, through their story hopefully get inspired myself and perhaps inspire you too."
Osher Günsberg

Great stories, remarkable achievement and inspiration.

The concept that has crystallised in my mind since I began listening to this podcast is the importance of 'shiny surfaces' in our lives. People or processes that facilitate reflection. This provides an opportunity to look deeper within ourselves and be inspired.

Over the coming weeks I will be publishing a series of posts exploring some of my highlights from selected episodes of The Osher Günsberg Podcast. My intention is to simply explore why certain quotes from the conversations resonate with me and, in some cases, how I think they might link to teaching.

If you've made it this far, thank you for your time. If you feel so inclined, it would be great to find out what or who you are inspired by and why.