On the 144th episode of What is a Good Life?, I’m delighted to welcome George Thompson. George is a filmmaker, teacher, and founder of Balance is Possible!, a movement dedicated to inspiring balance for both people and planet. With over 25 million people impacted by his work and support from changemakers like Louie Schwartzberg, Tara Brach, and Stephen Fry, George weaves together ancient Daoist wisdom and modern science into practical, playful tools for navigating modern life.
In this conversation, we explore what it truly means to live in balance — within ourselves, with others, and with the natural world. George shares insights from his time training under Master Gu in the Wudang Mountains of China, and reflects on how balance extends beyond personal wellbeing into a collective responsibility for the planet.
This is a gentle and profound invitation to slow down, be present, and rediscover harmony amidst the complexities of life.
The weekly clip from the podcast (3 mins), my weekly reflection (3 mins), the full podcast (59 mins), and the weekly questions all follow below.
1. Weekly Clip From The Podcast
2. My Weekly Reflection
Isn’t it remarkable what suffering can move us toward?
In the clip above, George shares how anxiety and a difficult inner critic led him to the Wudang Mountains of China to learn kung fu. With nothing booked on arrival, he found himself instead studying Tai Chi - an experience that totally changed his life.
Last week, Kimbra spoke of burnout and not wanting to perform. With nothing to lose, she proposed a silent concert at the Sydney Opera House — a gesture that stirred a new kind of energy.
When I took my first sabbatical in my early thirties, it followed a period of anxiety and upheaval in London — a breaking down of how I understood myself. I went seeking space to fall apart if needed.
Looking back, I still marvel at that decision. Feeling as I did, I booked a flight to India with nothing planned — not even a phone plan. I walked out of Delhi airport, felt overwhelmed, and simply figured it out from there. There were a few bumps along the way, but I eventually met my wife on that trip.
I’m not trying to put a silver lining on suffering, but to notice how it can pull us beyond the structures we’ve outgrown — the frameworks that once served us but now hold us too tightly.
Like witnessing scaffolding next to a tree that is still growing over time.
George, in speaking of Daoism, referred to the dance of Yin and Yang — the continual movement between order and chaos. Perhaps those energies rise in us whenever life leans too far toward one side.
Recent conversations with friends have me wondering how rigid our culture can be in imposing structure — how hard it can be to live with an expressive soul and still make a living.
I love the neutrality of the word balance — how it favours neither side but holds both in a living tension.
For me, that word has been surfacing again. After a long stretch of waviness and flow — a few too many years delighting in the unknown — I feel the pull toward structure. Toward form. A need to give something roots and clarity. Even the need to simply distill what’s been learned from this project and its 300+ interviews for a book I am writing.
We don’t have to see balance as a yardstick for perfection, but as an invitation — not regretting its absence, but noticing how it moves us from one experience to another. Without too much structure, I might not have gone to India. While I might find my current financial uncertainty unbearable, rather than quietly fascinating, had I not experienced so much looseness.
I continue to find the simple act of paying attention — of noticing where life is asking for response — to be its own kind of reward.
And while balance cannot be a fixed point — it’s always shifting — I suspect many of us would be amazed by how whole life feels when we simply turn our posture back in its direction.
There is something about a good life that’s less about arrival or outcome, and more about the attention and intention we emit along the way.
Our attunement to what life needs in this very moment.
Thanks for reading What is a Good Life?
3. Full Episode - The Quest For Balance In Life with George Thompson - What is a Good Life? #144
4. This Week’s Questions
What part of you is in need of moving towards balance?
Are there structures which govern your life that you have outgrown?
About Me
I am a coach, podcast host, and writer, based in Berlin, via Dublin, Ireland. I started this project in 2021, for which I’ve now interviewed over 300 people. I’m not looking to prescribe universal answers, more that the guests’ lines of inquiry, musings, experiences, and curiosities spark your own inquiry into what the question means to you. I am also trying to share more genuine expressions of the human experience and more meaningful conversations.
If you’re interested in exploring your own self-inquiry through one-on-one coaching, my 5-week group courses, or fostering greater trust, communication, and connection within your leadership teams, feel free to contact me via email or LinkedIn.