Mr. Bright Side
Never has there been a better time to be alive in human history. If you’re not feeling it, it’s essential that you discover why. Health, wealth, happiness, and other components of successful living are not achieved by accident. Everything has a cause. This is the weekly show that seeks and discusses impactful ideas, systems, and inspiration---the thinking---to fuel your pursuit of a flourishing, thriving life. Learn more at: https://matthewboulton.ca/ or https://www.facebook.com/matthewboulton.ca/
Episodes
February 21, 2021 • 77 min
Whether you’re depressed or not, none of us are operating in perfect mental health. And in any case, we all need to be better educated for those around us who may be struggling and for whom we might make a difference. Lewis Page, successful and respected soccer coach, loved father, husband, friend, and all-around popular and healthy guy, does not fit one’s typical image of what depression looks like. Yet he lives with it.
Hear how s...
Hear how s...
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February 7, 2021 • 69 min
Most personal finance perspectives focus on savings and investment, and offer advice such as “don’t buy coffee every day.” But such practices are not conducive to living a liberated and happy life, and it’s not what moves the needle in one’s financial well-being besides.
“The goal is to enjoy your life,” says guest David Veklser, “not to die sitting on a big stash of cash.” Listen to learn more about David’s integrated philosophical...
“The goal is to enjoy your life,” says guest David Veklser, “not to die sitting on a big stash of cash.” Listen to learn more about David’s integrated philosophical...
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January 24, 2021 • 79 min
It’s weird to me that anyone is ever against capitalism.”
Hear why Tim thinks it’s weird, and hear loads of other inspiring stories and ideas in this packed episode. Let us just lay it on you in points. Tim goes off entertainingly on:
-his lifelong obsessions with persuasion as leading him to a career in marketing
-dropping out of uni to the devastation of his parents without any real plan, and the pressure that put on him to make goo...
Hear why Tim thinks it’s weird, and hear loads of other inspiring stories and ideas in this packed episode. Let us just lay it on you in points. Tim goes off entertainingly on:
-his lifelong obsessions with persuasion as leading him to a career in marketing
-dropping out of uni to the devastation of his parents without any real plan, and the pressure that put on him to make goo...
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January 10, 2021 • 28 min
No, it’s nothing to do with The Killers.
In this early milestone 50th episode, Matthew reflects a bit by sharing a brief history as to why he proceeded to call the show “Mr. Bright Side,” knowing full well that it would always be confused with the 2004 mega-hit Killers song. He also shares a few personal stories over the years which have reflected back to him his natural tendency to optimism and enthusiasm, long before he ever devel...
In this early milestone 50th episode, Matthew reflects a bit by sharing a brief history as to why he proceeded to call the show “Mr. Bright Side,” knowing full well that it would always be confused with the 2004 mega-hit Killers song. He also shares a few personal stories over the years which have reflected back to him his natural tendency to optimism and enthusiasm, long before he ever devel...
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January 3, 2021 • 17 min
At what age does one become a fully-formed individual? One modern-day comedian and one sage character from a short story published in 1939 have both offered a similar magic number. How is that two people from distinctly separate eras and experience have both identified the same thing?
In this episode, learn where Matthew heard Ricky Gervais and Parker Pyne, respectively, how he recognized in his own life the truth of what they say, ...
In this episode, learn where Matthew heard Ricky Gervais and Parker Pyne, respectively, how he recognized in his own life the truth of what they say, ...
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December 27, 2020 • 18 min
Free time gets old quick.
Retired people know this. So what’s the cause of that antsy, anxious feeling that makes it so that you just can’t enjoy your leisure time anymore? And how can we remedy this?
Planning endless celebrations and leisure activities are like using sugar for energy. They seem to extend the good feeling for a moment but are not long-lived or give us anything authentic. In this episode, Matthew shares his recent exp...
Retired people know this. So what’s the cause of that antsy, anxious feeling that makes it so that you just can’t enjoy your leisure time anymore? And how can we remedy this?
Planning endless celebrations and leisure activities are like using sugar for energy. They seem to extend the good feeling for a moment but are not long-lived or give us anything authentic. In this episode, Matthew shares his recent exp...
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December 20, 2020 • 20 min
How does charity fit into a life dedicated to gaining—not surrendering—values? If healthy human relationships are about win-wins, and charity is about gaining nothing for oneself, then is it good? And why do many of us feel so unfulfilled after engaging in sacrificial charity, if it’s the right thing to do?
Matthew answers all this and more on this week’s episode, as he outlines a positive image of what non-sacrificial charity can a...
Matthew answers all this and more on this week’s episode, as he outlines a positive image of what non-sacrificial charity can a...
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December 13, 2020 • 32 min
There is a war on against Christmas. And it’s coming from all directions. From one point, it is attacked for being too “commercial” and “material.” From another, and right in step with the general cancel culture that’s pervaded our society, Christmas is maligned for being “exclusive,” as it is taken as the purview of a single religion (and a majority one in the West, which is an even graver sin today): Christianity.
But what if we s...
But what if we s...
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Ep. 45: Grateful to be commensal with giants (Moral lessons from a children's science textbook Pt.2)
December 6, 2020 • 20 min
How are billionaires and trillionaires regarded in our culture, and what does it say about us?
Last week, Matthew referred to a children’s science textbook outlining three symbiotic relationships in nature: mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism, and argued that only win-wins (mutualism) are good while win-lose/lose-wins (parasitism) are immoral.
This week, he shows how commensalism (win-neutral) as defined in that text reflects the...
Last week, Matthew referred to a children’s science textbook outlining three symbiotic relationships in nature: mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism, and argued that only win-wins (mutualism) are good while win-lose/lose-wins (parasitism) are immoral.
This week, he shows how commensalism (win-neutral) as defined in that text reflects the...
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November 29, 2020 • 14 min
If win-win relationships are possible, why should we want any part of a win-lose or lose-win? Yet lose-win is what conventional morality offers us explicitly if we take it seriously. And we ought to take it seriously. Our self-esteem and mental health depend on it.
Hear how an elementary school science textbook made this issue clear to Matthew during a private lesson with a Korean junior high school student, as the text discussed th...
Hear how an elementary school science textbook made this issue clear to Matthew during a private lesson with a Korean junior high school student, as the text discussed th...
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November 22, 2020 • 28 min
What is a personal “culture” or identity? And is it ours to shape as we like, or is it determined by factors beyond our control?
How did a Bob Dylan quote from an interview in Netflix’s Rolling Thunder Revue encapsulate an answer to this idea that gave Matthew to cheer?
In this episode, Matthew gives a (revised) talk from his English conversation course at Hansin University in Korea, “Defining and Developing Your Own Personal Culture...
How did a Bob Dylan quote from an interview in Netflix’s Rolling Thunder Revue encapsulate an answer to this idea that gave Matthew to cheer?
In this episode, Matthew gives a (revised) talk from his English conversation course at Hansin University in Korea, “Defining and Developing Your Own Personal Culture...
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November 15, 2020 • 33 min
Matthew had been feeling less than optimal for the past several months, but with one small change, his world has brightened again. The change was dramatic and almost immediate.
Hear how revisiting the powerful ideas of a couple outstanding thinkers prompted Matthew to drop Facebook (almost entirely), and hear about the positive change in his life since.
Learn what power there is in the question, “Does this promote my agenda?” and qui...
Hear how revisiting the powerful ideas of a couple outstanding thinkers prompted Matthew to drop Facebook (almost entirely), and hear about the positive change in his life since.
Learn what power there is in the question, “Does this promote my agenda?” and qui...
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November 8, 2020 • 22 min
Who is the imposter who grows inside us all, trying to evict us from our own bodies and lives? Why and how do we empower him?
In the previous episode, Matthew discussed the importance of conviction in achieving health goals (and in all aspects of human flourishing). Here, he highlights and dissects a verse from Andrew Bird’s “Masterswarm” which encapsulates the issue and motivates Matthew when he’s on the road running.
Hear why we mu...
In the previous episode, Matthew discussed the importance of conviction in achieving health goals (and in all aspects of human flourishing). Here, he highlights and dissects a verse from Andrew Bird’s “Masterswarm” which encapsulates the issue and motivates Matthew when he’s on the road running.
Hear why we mu...
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November 1, 2020 • 38 min
You can make your unwanted cravings disappear. Matthew has. And he’s here to describe how.
The process requires regular introspection and reflection, and it is all about conviction. One negative: that you are convinced that the unwanted thing really is toxic to your agenda, and one positive: that you are convinced of the good of your agenda.
In physical health, this means understanding clearly how and why the foods and behaviors that...
The process requires regular introspection and reflection, and it is all about conviction. One negative: that you are convinced that the unwanted thing really is toxic to your agenda, and one positive: that you are convinced of the good of your agenda.
In physical health, this means understanding clearly how and why the foods and behaviors that...
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October 25, 2020 • 31 min
We don’t want to see our kids hurting. We certainly don’t want to be the cause of their pain or the object of their hatred. This is the fear that keeps parents and teachers from showing their disappointment, anger, or indignation to kids, instead attempting to explain things to them in a gentler way with no expression of how their actions have made us feel.
But kids need to feel some emotional pain in the form of guilt or shame when...
But kids need to feel some emotional pain in the form of guilt or shame when...
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October 18, 2020 • 34 min
What would embolden you to take on a suicide mission against a terrifying and colossal evil? What makes a leader? How can a leader be convincing and motivate those he proposes to lead? Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King shows us the answers.
Using his famous speech at the Black Gate of Mordor for illustration, Matthew explains how a real leader “walks the walk” and motivates his troops by an appeal—not to sacri...
Using his famous speech at the Black Gate of Mordor for illustration, Matthew explains how a real leader “walks the walk” and motivates his troops by an appeal—not to sacri...
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October 11, 2020 • 36 min
We must sacrifice a lot for love, right? That's just common knowledge.
Matthew disagrees. He would never sacrifice anything to anyone. And neither should you, he argues. But would he die for that which he loves? Sure. What the wha'???
With the help of some lyrics from the song "I'll Fight" by Chicago alt-country band Wilco to concretize the issue (and calling upon a key scene from Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugg...
Matthew disagrees. He would never sacrifice anything to anyone. And neither should you, he argues. But would he die for that which he loves? Sure. What the wha'???
With the help of some lyrics from the song "I'll Fight" by Chicago alt-country band Wilco to concretize the issue (and calling upon a key scene from Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugg...
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October 4, 2020 • 25 min
What is the source of value and production: brain, brawn, or both? How does Disney/Pixar’s ‘Ratatouille’ dramatize the answer? What does intellectual independence look like? What is Anton Ego’s motivation in being a food critic?
Join Matthew in revisiting this delightful movie, as he highlights some of the moral, economic, and philosophical themes of this fun family film, focusing on three in particular. While hopefully gaining some...
Join Matthew in revisiting this delightful movie, as he highlights some of the moral, economic, and philosophical themes of this fun family film, focusing on three in particular. While hopefully gaining some...
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September 27, 2020 • 59 min
It's not about effort. It's about mindset. We're already working hard. Our ideas make sense, else we wouldn't be doing them. What most of us need---and are missing---is a breakthrough in our thinking. Yet that breakthrough at first won't make sense...
Want to know more? Listen to mindset coach Jarrod Haning, as he and Matthew discuss the following and much more in this interview full of powerful ideas leading tow...
Want to know more? Listen to mindset coach Jarrod Haning, as he and Matthew discuss the following and much more in this interview full of powerful ideas leading tow...
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September 20, 2020 • 60 min
Does good etiquette lead to self-esteem? Or is etiquette just a social convention imposed upon us and a show put on for others?
Learn the "meaning behind the manners," as Nita Patel distinguishes traditional and modern etiquette, defining the latter as "where outer actions and your inner awareness come together to achieve your best self."
Nita always shares her passion for her artwork and why it is healing for her and...
Learn the "meaning behind the manners," as Nita Patel distinguishes traditional and modern etiquette, defining the latter as "where outer actions and your inner awareness come together to achieve your best self."
Nita always shares her passion for her artwork and why it is healing for her and...
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