Life is in the Transitions with Dorian Mintzer and Bruce Feiler

Life is in the Transitions with Dorian Mintzer and Bruce Feiler

14 Jun, 2022

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Episode Guest: Bruce Feiler, one of America's top voices on contemporary life, best-selling author of 15 books, speaker, and TV personality

Episode Description:

Bruce Feiler has long explored the stories that give our lives meaning. Galvanized by a personal crisis, he spent the last few years crisscrossing the country, collecting hundreds of life stories of Americans in all 50 states who'd been through major life changes-from, losing jobs to losing loved ones; changing careers to changing relationships; getting sober to getting healthy to simply looking for a fresh start. He then spent a year coding these stories, identifying patterns and takeaways that can help all of us survive and thrive in times of change.

Feiler discovered a world in which transitions are becoming more plentiful and the skills to manage them more urgent for all of us to master. The idea that we'll have one job, one relationship, and one source of happiness is hopelessly outdated. We all feel unnerved by this upheaval. We're concerned that our lives are not what we expected, that we've veered off course, living life out of order. But we're not alone.

Life Is in the Transitions introduces the fresh, illuminating vision of the nonlinear life in which each of us faces dozens of disruptors. One in ten of those becomes what Feiler calls a lifequake, a massive change that leads to a life transition. The average length of these transitions is five years. The upshot: We all spend half our lives in this unsettled state. You or someone you know is going through one now.

The most exciting thing Feiler identified is a powerful new toolkit for navigating these pivotal times. Drawing on his extraordinary trove of insights, he lays out specific strategies each of us can use to reimagine and rebuild our lives, often stronger than before.

In this episode, you'll discover how to:

  • Start with your transition superpower
  • Identify your emotions
  • Shed something
  • Try something creative
  • Rewrite your life story

About Bruce Feiler:

Bruce Feiler is one of America's most thoughtful voices on contemporary life. He is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers; the presenter of two prime-time series on PBS; and the inspiration for the drama, Council of Dads on NBC. His work combines timeless wisdom with timely knowledge turned into practical, positive messages that allow people to live with more meaning, passion, and joy. His new book, Life is in the Transitions Mastering Change at Any Age, describes his journey across America, collecting hundreds of life stories, and exploring how we can navigate the growing number of life transitions with greater purpose and skill.

Bruce has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and Gourmet, where he won three James Beard Awards. He is a frequent commentator on radio and television. A former circus clown, he has been the subject of a Jay Leno joke and a JEOPARDY! question and his face appear on a postage stamp in the Grenadines.

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Bruce lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Linda Rottenberg, and their identical twin daughters.

Get in touch with Bruce

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