The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall

We spend a lot of time feeling very serious about seeking meaning in our lives; but is it possible that the secret lies in making the search more fun? Can we say a creative, mutually affirming “yes” more often? And when do we need a self-protective “no”? This week Andrew and improv comedy star Pippa Evans have lots of fun together as they compare the strategies of improvisational comedy with those of therapy. Perhaps the most interesting lesson from improv: “be in the moment that is, not the one you thought would come along”.  Pippa Evans is a comedian and writer known for her skills in improvisational comedy. She was a core member of the improv team behind the award-winning stage show Showstopper: The Improvised Musical which toured the UK and abroad, and has regularly appeared on BBC radio.  Pippa likes to “use jokes to find connection”, and teaches courses on improvisation and the ways it can help improve our relationships with ourselves and with others. She has recently written a book called Improv Your Life: An Improviser’s Guide To Working With Whatever Life Throws At You. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 This week supporters will hear: Three Things Pippa Evans knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s men’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Read Pippa Evans’ book Improv Your Life: An Improviser’s Guide to Working With Whatever Life Throws At You Take a look at Pippa’s website  Find out more about the Sunday Assembly, a church for non-believers co-founded by Pippa and fellow comedian Sanderson Jones. Follow Pippa on Twitter and Instagram @IAmPippaEvans Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

There is a coherent and meaningful map for our lives and we are given it one step at a time with the occasional glimpse into the whole picture. That’s the key idea of my witness today... Sometimes the messages come from bodily instincts – you visit somewhere and you know it is going to be important for you – or your intuition telling something is true or resonates deeply within. At other times, the glimppses come from synchronicity (meaningful coincidences) But most importantly and most consistently the messages come, through our dreams. Toko-pa Turner is the author of ‘The Dreaming Way: Courting the Wisdom of Dreams. She is a teacher and dreamworker who blends a Sufi Spiritual with a Jungian Psychological approach. In 2001, she founded Dream School from which thousands of students have graduated. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Three things Toko-Pa Turner knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Toko-pa's website: toko-pa.com Substack: tokopa.substack.com Facebook: @TokopaTurner Instagram: @tokopa Dream Drops (self-study course): https://toko-pa.com/dream-drops/ Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home (belongingbook.com)  The Dreaming Way: Courting the Wisdom of Dreams (thedreamingway.com) Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Who is your favourite literary character? According to Dr Josh Cohen, an academic working in literary theory and also a psychoanalyst, this can be a very important question. Josh Cohen’s new book is How to Live. What To Do: In search of ourselves in life and literature. He believes that there are major similarities between psychoanalysis and great literature. For one thing, neither offers simple answers to complex questions.  With books, you have the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of someone else, understand what makes them click and why they do what they do. With analysis, which is generally over several years, you do something similar with your unconscious, and come to understand yourself better. In this episode Josh and Andrew discuss the books that have stayed with them throughout their lives. They also touch on the essential quality of imagination in childhood, and why we all need to “be more Alice”.  Josh Cohen is a professor of modern literary theory at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a psychoanalyst in private practice. He is the author of many books on aspects of modern life. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 This week supporters will hear: Three Things Josh Cohen knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Read Josh Cohen’s new book How to Live. What To Do: In search of ourselves in life and literature  Read Josh Cohen’s book Not Working: Why We Have To Stop  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Andrew’s book reviews on Goodreads Get Andrew’s advice on creating change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How do we live knowing that we will die? How can we face death, and how should we prepare for it? Dr Kathryn Mannix has spent her professional life working in palliative care, and the teams she has worked on have been involved in 10-15 thousand deaths. In this classic episode, Kathryn shares her insights into what it’s like to die and how we can love and support someone approaching the end of their life. If you struggle with thoughts of death - be it from a generalised fear, a terminal diagnosis, or the loss of loved ones - Kathryn’s calm and honest approach will help.  As well as working as a consultant in palliative care medicine, Kathryn is the author of With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well, a collection of powerful human stories of life and death. The book draws on a lifetime of clinical experience to offer advice on facing death and living life in its shadow. Subscriber Content This Week  If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing:  Three Things Kathryn Mannix knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Read Kathryn’s book With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well   Follow Kathryn on Twitter Find Oliver Sacks’ book Gratitude written at the end of his life. Read Andrew’s book on grieving the loss of his partner My Mourning Year Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

We’re often told we’re in the midst of a post-Covid “loneliness epidemic”, but what exactly does that mean? Loneliness is a profound condition that goes right to the heart of being human - it’s certainly more than just being alone, and often it isn’t something that can be addressed by just “getting out more” or volunteering at the local hospital.  This week’s guest Dr Sam Carr became interested in attachment theory, and was then drawn to seek a deeper understanding of people who lacked attachment. He embarked on a study of loneliness that will be shared in his forthcoming book, All the Lonely People.  Andrew and Sam discuss types of loneliness - existential, the loneliness of a difficult relationship, objective vs subjective loneliness - and look at different ways to address it, including the Jungian path of finding solace and direction in our dreams. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How internet porn affects romantic life ⭐️Three things Sam Carr knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Sam Carr’s book All the Lonely People can be preordered here.  Read some of Sam Carr’s articles for theconversation.com: Loneliness, loss and regret: what getting old really feels like – new study Parenting practices around the world are diverse and not all about attachment  How internet porn affects romantic life Why mourning a pet can be harder than grieving for a person Are you a shark or a teddy? How understanding conflict styles can help you overcome fights with friends and family  Andrew and Sam discuss The Men on My Couch by Brandy Engler. You can find it here. Andrew also mentions other episodes of this podcast, including How to be Resilient with James Hollis and Being a Mother with Lisa Marchiano. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

"What are you looking for in a relationship?” It’s something we ask and are asked right at the beginning of a relationship – when we are dating. Perhaps even sitting in a restaurant sharing a first meal together. It comes up again, in the background, when we ask: is this the right person to marry. Do they have the qualities I want? At life review points and perhaps when a marriage is at a sticky point, we return to the same basic question: What do I need to be happy. So today, I am going to try and answer the BIG question. What do women want, what do men need? Because we THINK we know what our partner really, really wants, but are we listening to what they actually say? Claudia Loewen is a practitioner in somatic body work and a couple’s coach with a particular interest in helping women rebalance. Ignacio Jarquin is a Men’s Group Leader, a Singing Teacher with an interest in archetypal psychology and how creativity can unlock personal growth. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 This week supporters will hear: How to get out of your head and into your body Three Things Claudia and Ignacio know to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Author and therapist KATE KING joins Andrew this week to discuss the question of whether to “Mend or Move On”. Kate challenges the assumption that family loyalty and social harmony should come at the expense of personal well-being. Not every connection is worth saving - but how do you know whether your relationship is worth healing, or whether it’s time for an honest goodbye? Andrew and Kate discuss: What differentiates a truly toxic relationship from one that is merely misaligned or has expired beyond its purpose.  Why constructing walls—physical, emotional, and/or energetic barriers that keep people out—actually strengthens relationships. The critical difference between being needy vs having needs in relationships The importance of staying curious in healthy relationships.  Kate King is the author of Mend or Move On: A Guide to Healing or Leaving Toxic Relationships. She trained as a licensed professional counselor, art therapist, and clinical psychotherapist, and now works as a depth and creativity coach offering Radiant Life Coaching. She lives in Colorado in the US, where she offers both in-person and online support for individuals, groups, and audiences of many kinds in various parts of the world. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 This week supporters will hear: What is the difference between codependence and interdependence? Three Things Kate King knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Read Kate King’s book, Mend or Move On: A Guide to Healing or Leaving Toxic Relationships  Visit Kate King’s website  Follow Kate King on Instagram and Facebook @theradiantlifeproject Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Is it possible to decide to be happier, and then to go out there and make it happen? Hypnotherapist, author and podcaster Richard Nicholls believes that happiness is, at least in part, a skill to be learned. The more you practise, the easier it becomes.  Of course, each individual’s notion of happiness and their genetic capacity to achieve it easily will be very different. That doesn’t mean, though, that we can’t decide to influence those aspects of happiness that are inside our control. In this classic reissued episode, Andrew and Richard discuss the nature of happiness, and the things we can do to make it more a part of our everyday lives. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 This week supporters will hear: Dealing with Comparison Culture Three Things Richard Nicholls knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s Men's Retreat near Berlin in April 2026 (details here) or his Couples Retreat in June 2026 (details here)  Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Read Richard Nicholls’ book 15 Minutes to Happiness  Visit Richard Nicholls’ website  Listen to the Therapy Natters podcast Richard Nicholls co-hosts with Fiona Biddle. Follow Richard Nicholls on Twitter @richardnicholls, on Facebook @RichardNichollsAuthor and on Instagram @RichardNichollsReal. Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

At work and at home, we tend to avoid difficult conversations for as long as we can. So it’s not surprising that when we are forced to face conflict, it quickly escalates to a fever pitch. Many of us are also guilty of treating relationship conflict as a winner-takes-all debate, rather than an opportunity for connection and change.  Conflict expert, academic and author ROBERT BORDONE has developed an approach to help: conflict resilience. This mindset allows us to sit with and grow from disagreement, and to communicate with authority and confidence while not leaving others feeling unheard.  In the episode, Andrew and Bob cover: Getting out of your own way as a communicator The importance of timing Embracing disagreement as an advantage Anticipating and coping with defensiveness Bob Bordone is an internationally recognized expert, author, speaker, and teacher in negotiation, conflict resolution, mediation, facilitation, and conflict resilience. As the Founder and Principal of The Cambridge Negotiation Institute, Bob consults with C-suite executives, government officials and leaders at universities and across a wide range of industries to help them navigate their toughest conflicts and negotiations. He is a Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School, and teaches at Harvard and at Georgetown University Law Center. His latest book, co-authored with Joel Salinas, is Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 This week supporters will hear: Getting away from ‘I'm right and you're wrong’. Three Things Bob Bordone knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s men’s retreat near Berlin in April 2026: details here  Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Read Bob Bordone and Joel Salinas’ new book: Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In.  Visit Bob Bordone’s website  Follow Bob Bordone on YouTube Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

It often feels like the modern world values and rewards people who remain psychologically suspended in adolescence. Many people, particularly men, prolong and enjoy their adolescence for decades.  Conroy Harris, CEO of the charity A Band of Brothers, discovered through his own life experiences that this wasn’t a healthy way to live. He believes that everyone seeks a meaningful identity and a purpose into which to channel the energies of early adulthood.  In this classic reissued episode, Andrew and Conroy discuss the importance of rites of passage and mentoring, and how men can support one another to live authentic lives. Conroy shares some of his own difficult experiences as a young man, including periods of homelessness, and explains how mentoring and service to his community helped him find his way.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 This week supporters will hear: Where Do I Fit In? Three Things Conroy Harris knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s men’s retreat near Berlin in April 2026: details here  Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Visit the A Band of Brothers website  Follow A Band of Brothers on X @band_brothersuk Read Iron John: a Book About Men by Robert Bly  Andrew also mentions his interview with Dr Connie Zweig on being an elder, From Role to Soul  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall