Service to Life – Episode 1
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Conversations about meaning, responsibility, culture, nature and the forces reshaping our world. Hosted by Christian Nikolajsen and Mik Aidt, Service to Life explores how people, business and society can place life at the centre of what they do.
Christian and Mik introduce Service to Life, an English-language podcast exploring curiosity, nature, science, relationships, creativity, technology, personal growth and the things that help life flourish.
They discuss awe walks, morning erections, oxytocin, happiness, financial uncertainty, the intelligence of the human body and artificial intelligence, universal basic income, purpose, and the value of living with curiosity, humility and humour.
00:00 – Opening and introduction
Welcome to the podcast, beginning with a quote from Steve Jobs about following your heart, followed by reflections on what it means to live in service to life.
02:35 – From Grib Dagen to Service to Life
The story of the Danish podcast from which Service to Life has grown as a new English-language extension. Christian and Mik explain why they are now moving into English and what listeners can expect from the new format.
06:40 – Awe walks and learning to notice more
A walk through the Brisbane Ranges, a single drop of red kino on a eucalyptus tree, and research into how awe can change the way we see ourselves and our place in the world.
11:33 – Harrison Ford on caring for the planet
A reflection on the brevity of human life and our responsibility to future generations.
12:04 – What Service to Life means to Christian
Being part of the living world and helping life flourish within ourselves, in others and throughout nature.
13:05 – Podcast manifesto
Three simple principles that will guide the Service to Life podcast: be yourself, remain humble and use humour.
16:10 – Joey, animals and connection
What a relationship with a pet can teach us about trust, belonging, love and our connection with nature.
20:19 – There is always an experience hidden in the unexpected
Christian explains the personal mantra that helps him remain curious, present and open to surprise.
22:55 – The Cigar Parlour
Christian and Mik are welcomed into The Cigar Parlour by the waiter, Alistair – a place where anything shared privately, man to man, remains behind its walls.
25:03 – Morning glory: what is really happening?
Why do men sometimes wake with an erection? Christian explains the connections between REM sleep, blood flow, health, oxytocin, intimacy and the body’s overnight maintenance system.
33:09 – Resurgam: ‘I shall rise again’
A scene from Poldark – season 1, episode 5, available on ABC iview – about uncertainty, loss, renewal and the preciousness of life.
34:01 – Living in service to life
Christian and Mik reflect on humility, contribution, connection, generosity and being part of something larger than ourselves.
36:20 – Service to Life theme song
A song that introduces the spirit and story behind the podcast.
39:44 – Mik becomes an author
Mik talks about financial uncertainty, writing his first book and discovering new opportunities during an unexpected period of change.
43:42 – AI, universal basic income and the future of work
What happens when AI begins replacing jobs on a large scale? Christian and Mik discuss the need for AI taxation and universal basic income, along with the challenges of identity and purpose – and the possibility of creating a different kind of society.
47:00 – What gives a person value?
If our jobs no longer define us, where will we find our identity and sense of self-worth?
49:35 – Relationships and human happiness
Long-running research suggests that strong relationships are among the most important predictors of health, happiness and a meaningful life.
51:41 – Closing reflections
Christian and Mik bring the first episode to a close and invite listeners to return for the next conversation in Episode 2.
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