Futurist and Behavioral Scientist Chris Marshall on ”Decoding Change”

07/19/23 • 51 min

Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning

“With change comes uncertainty, fear, and anxiety, and the tendency to cling to the status quo—perhaps the last thing we want to do in a fast-changing world.”

Watch this episode on YouTube here https://youtu.be/Bru26OZnlmI

Chris Marshall, from his book, Decoding Change, Understanding what the heck is going on, and why we should be optimistic about our future.

We will cover:

✔ Do we ALL feel intuitively that the world is going through radical change?

✔ What happens to our creative and decision-making ability during times of change?

✔ Strategies and mechanisms to help us to prepare for a better future.

✔ Current trends and mega-trends.

✔ The mindset needed to achieve quantum leaps with our results.

Welcome back to Season 10 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.

For today’s EPISODE #296, we meet up with Chris Marshall[i], a Professional Futurist, Behavioral Scientist, and author of "Decoding Change: Understanding what the heck is going on, and why we should be optimistic about our future.”[ii]

The title of his book should give you an idea of the direction of this conversation. A bit about Chris. He’s the

[iii]

Let’s get right to this conversation, where I’m looking forward to what we can learn together about the world from Chris’s point of view: the point of view of a behavioral scientist, and futurist, who looks at “how the world is changing, not just from the visible elements, but the things below the surface.”[iv] Let’s meet Chris Marshall and look at the trends and mega-trends, that he says are the drivers of change around us.

INTRO:

Welcome Chris!! Thank you for joining me today, all the way from Wales (is this right?) Now, you’ll understand this as a fellow podcast host, but what I enjoy the most about this medium is how far a reach we can have with our content. While we are now in 182 countries/193 I like looking to see where people are tuning into the podcast from around the world, and I noticed we’ve only had 3 downloads in Wales this month. Maybe after today’s episode we can get this number higher, especially since I was born in the UK (Worthing, Sussex). Our numbers in England are much higher. Tell me something I might not know about Wales[v] (other than what I can see on my map here—it’s a country in Southwest Great Britain known for its rugged coastline and mountainous national parks”

Do you look at your podcast stats? What do you notice as you look at your work around the world?

Q1: So Chris, I watched your keynote introduction on YouTube[vi], and I think your book Decoding Change[vii] should be required reading for anyone who wants to plan for the future, which is pretty much everyone on the planet. You ask your audiences all around the world one question, and I was captivated to learn more. Can we start with this one question, but I’d like to know what YOU see?

“Do YOU intuitively feel like the world is going through radical change?”

Q2: We focus a lot on this podcast on ways to strengthen our mind, through healthy lifestyle choices, understanding how our brain health impacts our mental and physical health...all building us towards creating stronger, 2.0 versions of ourselves. You talk about it as our superpower, or ability to be creative. But what happens to our creative ability in times of change, stress or uncertainty?

Q2B: What does uncertainty do to our decision-making ability and our brain?

Q3: I listened to your podcas...

“With change comes uncertainty, fear, and anxiety, and the tendency to cling to the status quo—perhaps the last thing we want to do in a fast-changing world.”

Watch this episode on YouTube here https://youtu.be/Bru26OZnlmI

Chris Marshall, from his book, Decoding Change, Understanding what the heck is going on, and why we should be optimistic about our future.

We will cover:

✔ Do we ALL feel intuitively that the world is going through radical change?

✔ What happens to our creative and decision-making ability during times of change?

✔ Strategies and mechanisms to help us to prepare for a better future.

✔ Current trends and mega-trends.

✔ The mindset needed to achieve quantum leaps with our results.

The title of his book should give you an idea of the direction of this conversation. A bit about Chris. He’s the

[iii]

INTRO:

Do you look at your podcast stats? What do you notice as you look at your work around the world?

“Do YOU intuitively feel like the world is going through radical change?”

Q2B: What does uncertainty do to our decision-making ability and our brain?

Q3: I listened to your podcas...

Previous Episode

Former MLB Player and Chairman of The League of Dreams, Mike Bordick on ”Connecting Neuroscience and Sports for Our Next Generation”

“Teaching our next generation the drive, desire, work ethic and character, that will take them to new heights, using neuroscience.”

Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/oXfQPEJWwbM

On this episode you will learn:

✔ How Former MLB Player is taking the mental and physical skills he learned over his 14 year MLB career, connected to neuroscience to help our next generation of youth.

✔ The leadership ingredients that Mike Bordick thinks made some players stand out over the rest with their results.

✔ Why Mike Piazza (NY Mets) was such an outstanding and unique team player.

✔ How Mike Bordick's childhood contributed to his success in MLB and beyond, and why he thinks it's important to give these skills back to our next generation.

✔ What sport Mike chose to unwind after a busy season, to enjoy the "solitude of nature."

✔ His vision for League of Dreams www.leagueofdreams.org (that's just celebrated it's 20th year).

For today’s EPISODE #295 we are going to speak with someone who I feel connected to with where he is going, but for many others, like my husband, he’s formed a huge connection to where he has come from.

We will be speaking with Mike Bordick, a former MLB player, whose 14 year career included time with the A’s, Orioles, Blue Jays and Mets. I came to meet him when he contacted me, brainstorming ideas for ways he can continue to give back to youth in his retirement, with the organization he has formed www.leagueofdreams.org, that is celebrating their 20th year and is now looking at including content that links neuroscience to learning and physical education.

When I saw his email to me, I wondered “what is a former baseball player emailing me about” and then when I got to what he was looking for, I thought that he definitively found the right person, as this is what the podcast Neuroscience Meets SEL is all about. I wrote back to him with ideas, and resources from the podcast, with episodes that tied back to PE and the brain, and connected him to everyone I knew that’s focused on PE and neuroscience. I can’t wait to meet with Mike and learn more about his vision for neuroscience, (that stems from his college degree in PE and kinesiology) and see what he does with this new program that he’s working on, that links brain health, physical activity and nutrition. I also knew I couldn’t ignore the path the led him to where he is today with his vision, so we will dive a bit into his past on today’s interview.

If you know me well, you’ll know that I’m not really a sports fan, (while I love being physically active myself, I haven’t spent much time watching sports, since I was around twelve, and my Dad took me to hockey games in Toronto. I think I’ve been to one baseball game, but never went back because it just wasn’t my thing sitting in the stands and watching the fans spitting on the ground. So, when Mike’s email came in, I asked my husband, Majid Samadi, who is a huge baseball fan, “Have you ever heard of Mike Bordick” and the answer was a definite “Yes, and why do you ask?”

Before learning more about Mike’s vision, you can go to his About Us page on his website and see where his path that led him to baseball began. Majid filled in some of the blanks that I had, from the point on view of an avid Mets baseball fan.

I learned that:

Mike Bordick, while on the Orioles, was so highly regarded that they shifted Hall of Famer Cal Ripkin Jr to 3rd base, so that Mike Bordick could play short stop. In 2000, he was traded to the NY Mets during the Pennant Race, where he went onto the World Series and most importantly, he was a part of the first Subway Series between the NY Mets and the NY Yankees in the 2000 World Series.

Hearing this, made me see a different side to Mike Bordick and his vision for youth. He brings all the attributes he learned and developed in leadership with his 14-year career in the MLB. What I’m interested in learning more ab...

Next Episode

Scientist and Activist Dr. Wallace J. Nichols on ”Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Connects Our Brain to Water”

“Now it’s time to update my grandfather’s words by explaining them, and, by doing so, changing our understanding of our place on the planet, who we are, and what goes on inside and between us. It’s about reconnecting our sense of self and soul with our waterways and oceans. It’s about finding our creativity, clarity, and confidence in our deep Blue Minds.” Celine Cousteau, who opens up Wallace J. Nichols’ Blue Mind book, with a fascinating look into the depths of the ocean, reminding us of the words that meant the most to her from her grandfather, the great, Jacques Cousteau, that “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. People protect what they love.”

Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/wwx1jrHj33c

On today's EPISODE #297 "Blue-Mind: The Surprising Science That Connects Our Brain to Water" we will cover:

✔ What made Dr. Wallace J. Nichols connect the mysteries of the ocean, to our brain.

✔ How he gathered research for this book, and made real world connections between neuroscience and the water, never explored before.

✔ Why we are often more connected, emotional and happier around water.

✔ What Dr. Nichols noticed when he wore a waterproof EEC cap and measured his brain while swimming in the ocean.

✔ How Blue Mind can help us to become more self-aware, and move us towards freedom, possibility, wonder and hope.

✔ Easy ways we can all access and practice Blue Mind, especially on World Blue Mind Day, this Sunday July 23rd.

Welcome back to Season 10 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional

Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.

For today’s episode #297, we are diving into the depths of the ocean, and learning about some concepts that Dr. Wallace J Nichols[i] has discovered that he calls “Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, or Under Water, Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected and Better at What You Do.”

When I was first introduced to Dr. Nichols, I was on a summer vacation with the family and just packing up our trip next to the clearest, bluest water I have ever seen on Grace Bay, in Turks and Caicos. My friend and Performance Coach Luke DePron, from EP 90[ii] sent me an introduction to Dr. Nichols for our podcast, and when I saw his book, I couldn’t have been more excited. I always want to understand the “why” behind certain things, and the ocean (and water in general) is something I’ve always been fascinated with. I took one look at Dr. Nichols’ book, Blue Mind, and I was instantly captivated. He asks some of the questions I’ve always wondered:

What is water, and Why are we as humans so enthralled by it?

Then I looked at the cover of the book, and the tagline got me thinking more:

What happens to me when I’m swimming in water? Why do I suddenly feel more creative than I do when I’m sitting at my desk? Or more connected to others? What happens to me when I dive down to the bottom of the ocean?

Now I’m reading Dr. Nichols’ book, hoping to answer these questions, and also a bit surprised that I never thought of the brain/water connection. If you’ve been following this podcast for some time, you’ll know that I’ve been working on the brain/and learning connection and neuroscience is helping the field of education to make huge strides as we know so much more about how the brain learns best today, than we did 20 years ago. What we are doing essentially, is expanding our level of awareness.

Then I read about awareness from the late author David Foster Wallace, who said in a commencement speech in 2005 that “education should be based on awareness. Awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time.” (location 175, Blue Mind).

Now my mind is wide open, my level of awareness has expanded, as he says “this is water” and I’m now making the Mind/Brain connection.

This is just the beginning. I’ve got some questions for Dr. Nichols that I hope will expand ALL of our levels of awareness around this thing called water, and how this unders...