Episode 27: Musings with Sarah Matyko

What if the secret to lasting wellbeing isn’t discipline, guilt, or fear—but pleasure? In this episode of Musings on Wellbeing, host Charlie Bresler explores how joy, purpose, and connection can be more powerful motivators for healthy behavior than the traditional messages of restriction and willpower.  Joining the conversation is Dr. Sarah Matyko, Vice President of Well Being Strategy at Premise Health and Sonic Boom Wellness. With deep expertise in workplace wellness and behavior change, Dr. Matyko sheds light on how societal structures shape our health habits—poorly— and how we can shift our focus toward what truly matters.  In this episode, you’ll discover key insights into the science of wellbeing, including the power of strength training as we age, the role of social connection in longevity, and how we can learn to find joy in behaviors we now regard as burdens. Take the first step toward redefining your approach to well-being. Don’t forget to subscribe to Musings on Wellbeing for more insightful discussions, share this episode with friends who could use a fresh perspective on health, and leave a review to let us know what resonated with you! Musing on Wellbeing is sponsored by EH Walkers. Discover more and join EH Walkers at www.ehwalkers.org.

Welcome to the new season of Musings. As you've likely noticed from the artwork, Musings is taking a new direction — we're broadening our horizons to consider the idea of "wellbeing" as a whole. What does it mean to be truly "well," physically, mentally, and emotionally?  In this first episode, Charlie Bresler swaps his host chair for the guest chair, and long-time friend and colleague Stacey Black is asking the questions.  Stacey and Charlie discuss the new direction for Musings — the idea of pursuing wellbeing as a whole — and how what Charlie has termed "effective hedonism" plays into his sense of wellness. Also self-confidence, self-efficacy, ideals, pleasure, and conscience all can have roles to play in our ultimate sense of wellbeing. Stacey and Charlie also discuss Charlie’s new project, EH Walkers, and how it's a great example of marrying personal pleasure with your values to truly get the most wellbeing bang for your buck.  Musing on Wellbeing is sponsored by EH Walkers. Discover more and join EH Walkers at www.ehwalkers.org.    

How important is hope and a feeling of agency over your own life? I think we’d say those are crucial to anyone. But if you’re born into a consistent cycle of poverty, if your family and community have struggled for generations, hope and agency can seem as fantastical as unicorns. Welcome to part 2 of Charlie Bresler’s discussion with Shameran Abed, Executive Director of BRAC International, and Scott MacMillan, Director of Learning and Effectiveness and author of Hope Over Fate. In part 1, the show delved into BRAC’s history and the evolving vision of its founder, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. In this new segment, Charlie and his guests look into the necessity of hope and agency in breaking the cycle of poverty. BRAC takes this notion very seriously. BRAC supplies funding, but also skills training, health care, education, and microloans for entrepreneurial efforts.  Listen to the conversation to find out how BRAC is truly moving the needle on extreme poverty, then go to BRAC’s website, bracusa.org, to learn more and to give. You can also order a copy of Scott’s book, Hope Over Fate: Fazle Hasan Abed and the Science of Ending Global Poverty: bracusa.org/hope-over-fate. Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes as well as our website for ideas on how you too can extend your impact for good in the world: www.thelifeyoucansave.org.

“When people ask me now what BRAC stands for, I like to say that we stand for an idea – an idea of a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to realize their potential."   --Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, BRAC Founder For Shameran Abed, BRAC was basically an elder sibling. The organization, formed in 1972, preceded Shameran’s birth by about a decade and was founded by his father, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. BRAC was born from the devastation that occurred as Bangladesh fought for its independence and also faced a disastrous cyclone. What began as a modest, local relief effort quickly grew into a movement that reaches more than 100 million people in need across Asia and Africa. The organization and Shameran basically grew together, making his perspective on philanthropy both unique and life long. Welcome to part 1 of the discussion among host and co-founder of The Life You Can Save, Charlie Bresler and his guests Shameran Abed, Executive Director of BRAC International and Scott MacMillan, author of Hope Over Fate: Fazle Hasan Abed and the Science of Ending Global Poverty. In this discussion, they discuss the history of BRAC and its founder, the evolution of BRAC’s mission, what it’s like to grow up in a mission-centered household, and the state of philanthropy today. We hope you’ll also join us for part 2, publishing December 5, 2024, on the importance of hope and agency in overcoming poverty in a lasting and sustainable way.  Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes as well as our website for ideas on how you too can extend your impact for good in the world: www.thelifeyoucansave.org.  

“I was instilled with this idea that I come from a lot of privilege and lot of ease in my own life, and to use that as power to clear the barriers for others to exercise their own privilege and power.” Rena Greifinger has used her power and privilege to help some of the most underrepresented and marginalized people in the world. Director of Individual Philanthropy and Managing Director of the Maverick Collective by Population Services International or PSI, Rena joined PSI twelve years ago with a mission of working for the dignity of people affected by stigmatized issues. Whether that’s HIV/AIDS or helping women get access to contraception and family planning or helping communities upgrade sanitation, Rena puts people at the center. What you’ll hear in this episode: 00:00 Rena's background and passion for social justice 08:00 Introduction to Population Services International (PSI) 13:27 The Maverick Collective: investing in women and girls 18:21 Addressing gender-based violence 23:03 Including men and boys in the conversation for gender equality 24:56 Challenges and rewards of working in different countries and cultures 25:37 The power of individual philanthropy and innovation 28:40 Engaging high-net-worth women donors through Maverick Collective 45:18 The interconnectedness of social issues 49:04 Taking action and recognizing privilege in living a moral life Find out more about the Maverick Collective and PSI on their websites: www.psi.org and maverickcollective.org. Get to know Rena Greifinger on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/renagreifinger. Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes as well as our website for ideas on how you too can extend your impact for good in the world: www.thelifeyoucansave.org.

Musings host Charlie Bresler wrote a piece called “You Don’t Have to Be Brave to Save Lives,” (www.thelifeyoucansave.org/you-dont-have-to-be-brave-to-save-lives) about how us ordinary humans can do good from the comfort of our living rooms. Someone should probably send that URL to Vincent “Vin” van der Holst.  Founder of BOAS, a company that both saves denim from landfills and donates profits to charitable organizations, Vin is already doing the hard work to help save lives. But in June of 2024, he decided to do more: on June 7, he undertook to break a world record and cycle at least 130 kilometers (about 81 miles) no-handed. Every kilometer he rode brought more money to the Against Malaria Foundation.  Did he make it? Listen and find out! In this conversation, Vin and Charlie discuss philanthropy and sustainability, but also the impacts of mental health on our behavior and choices in life. What drives us to do the things we do, believe the things we believe, act according to our beliefs or in contradiction to them? To learn more about Vin’s world record attempt, read the article on The Life You Can Save website: donorbox.org/tlycs-us-against-malaria-foundation/fundraiser/vincent-van-der-holst-1. Also, check out BOAS and buy their products to help reduce our impact on our natural environment and donate to worthy causes: boas.co And donate to help prevent the spread of malaria through the Against Malaria Foundation, either via The Life You Can Save (www.thelifeyoucansave.org/best-charities/against-malaria-foundation) or directly on their website (www.againstmalaria.com). Connect with Vincent: Instagram - @vintagedenim LinkedIn - @invincentvanderholst Website -  boas.co Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes as well as our website for ideas on how you too can extend your impact for good in the world: www.thelifeyoucansave.org.

In 2008, Australian entrepreneurs Annabelle Chauncy and David Everett founded School for Life. The mission statement tells it all, really: “To educate poverty out of existence.” The co-founders met in Kenya where they were working as volunteers, and they saw in real time how education changes lives for the better, for individuals and their communities. They returned to Australia determined to build a school in rural Uganda. In partnership with Rotary, they raised over a half-million Australian dollars, and in 2011, Katuuso Primary and Vocational School opened its doors for the first time. Since that day, Annabelle and her team have continued helping developing communities transform, making these communities more successful and sustainable by making education more accessible. In this fascinating conversation, host Charlie Bresler and Annabelle Chauncy muse over a wide range of topics, including the importance of education, how families and communities influence the adults we become, how parents — and parenting — impact our lives and perspectives, and how we can stay positive and motivated in the face of overwhelming obstacles.  Learn more about Annabelle and The School for Life on their website, www.schoolforlife.org.au. You can donate there or at The Life You Can Save (www.thelifeyoucansave.org).  Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes as well as our website for ideas on how you too can extend your impact for good in the world: www.thelifeyoucansave.org.

Born on a dairy farm in West Sussex, Dr. Wendy Harrison has been around animals and agriculture her entire life. In fact, she stated her desire to be a vet at the ripe old age of six. While doing post-doc research and study at the University of Georgia, Dr. Harrison took a volunteer position at the non-profit Heifer International. She describes having a “Eureka moment” during this time, when she fully realized the linkage between animals and humans and how the health of all are “woven together.” One key part of her research has been in the attempt to end schistosomiasis, a waterborne parasite that can cause organ failure and cancer in its host. Because so many diseases such as this occur in neglected areas among marginalized populations, the diseases — and their victims — have been largely ignored by Western society.  To help combat parasitic diseases, Dr. Harrison joined up with the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) in 2009. She became CEO of Unlimit Health (formerly SCI Foundation) in 2019. In this interview, Charlie Bresler hosts Dr. Harrison and Matias Nestore, Senior Associate in Research and Evaluation at The Life You Can Save, in a conversation about tropical diseases, mass treatment and prevention interventions, and how health systems can be strengthened through collaboration. To support Unlimit Health’s work, you can donate via The Life You Can Save website or directly at unlimithealth.org. Links: unlimithealth.org Heifer International - ​​www.heifer.org Unlimit Health Ending Parasitic Diseases Together - Strategy 2023-2028 A Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030 from World Health Organization  

Starvation isn’t only a deficit of calories, it’s also a deficit of nutrients. Children especially suffer when the food they do get doesn’t meet all their nutritional needs. Felix Brooks-church has some big ideas to end the “hidden hunger” of micronutrient deficiency, and in 2013, he and David Dodson co-founded the non-profit organization Sanku to help close the gap.  One of Felix’s biggest ideas is the dosifier. In many places in Africa, a starchy flour is the staple food people consume. A dosifier adds critical nutrients to the flour, providing key vitamins and minerals the flour alone lacks.  Coupled with smart technology from Vodafone, Sanku is able to reach millions, and the organization is on track to assist more than 30 million people in getting the nutrients they need by 2026.  We hope you’ll enjoy this encouraging conversation. After you’ve listened, please consider making a donation to Sanku either via thelifeyoucansave.org or directly at projecthealthychildren.org. Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes at thelifeyoucansave.org/musings/.

What do concert tickets and philanthropy have in common? Generally, not much, but a couple of friends of The Life You Can Save are working very hard to change that. Tech entrepreneurs Joshua Ross and Adam McCurdie could have made a fortune building their ticketing platform start up, but a trip to war-torn Sri Lanka fueled their desires to do work that was truly meaningful. It took a few years to get all the pieces aligned, but in 2016, Humanitix launched with a mission to be "The home of tickets for good, not greed." And in less than a decade, they've transformed more than $10 million (Australian) dollars to healthcare, housing, education, and more — including a donation of $4M AUD to The Life You Can Save! In this episode, Charlie talks with co-founders Josh and Adam about the history of Humanitix, the good it's done so far, and their mission to do even more in the years to come. Find more about Humanitix and founders Josh and Adam at their website, humanitix.com/us. Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes as well as our website for ideas on how you too can extend your impact for good in the world: www.thelifeyoucansave.org.