Mind the Gap
Episodes
Shut Up. Let It Land.
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes the most intelligent thing in the room is the thing left unsaid. We had a friend called Bob. When someone was being foolish — not malicio...
The Good Student Leaves
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a railway station in Ireland that exists for one purpose only, not to arrive, not to stay, but to move on. In this episode of Mind the Gap,...
When Conversation Stops Being Shared- When bores bore each other.
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all met them. The person who can hold the floor without drawing breath. The one who doesn’t quite notice when someone else is trying to spe...
When did we stop looking?
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
You walk into a café. The coffee is perfect. The service is efficient. And not once does anyone look at you. This episode starts with that small abs...
You Know What You Should Do!
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Before offering advice, ask a quieter question “You know what you should do.” Five familiar words, usually offered with kindness, sometimes w...
Contentment in a Burning World
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn explores a quiet but uncomfortable question. Is it acceptable to feel content while the world around u...
The Smile That Isn’t Yours
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In 1954, Smile became an anthem of quiet endurance. The melody was written by Charlie Chaplin for the closing scene of Modern Times, with lyrics later...
When the System Decides You’re Old
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mind the Age Gap | Retirement Age, Identity and the Psychology of Ageing What does retirement age really mean in modern life? In this episode of Min...
Whatever the Mistake, It’s the Lie Afterwards That Hurts More
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, during a leadership course, a participant shared a line from her father that stopped the room: “Whatever the mistake, it’s the lie aft...
Living with Fewer Filters
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Here’s the thing. Most of us spend our lives editing ourselves in real time. Softening opinions. Swallowing reactions. Running everything through an...
How We Heal in Ordinary Ways
24 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do people really heal? Not through dramatic breakthroughs, but through small, ordinary moments. In this episode, Michael Comyn reflects on person...
Stoicism Is Not a Weapon
17 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn returns to Stoic philosophy to address how Stoicism is being simplified and misused in some online spac...
Living in Permanent Alert Mode
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Why do so many people feel exhausted even when nothing obvious is wrong? In this opening episode of Season 4 of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn explores ...
Coming Soon Season 4
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Season Four moves beyond reaction and into reflection. It explores what sits beneath our emotions, how we make sense of experience, and why understand...
The Pause Between Years
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special December episode of Mind the Gap, Michael reflects on the emotional landscape of the holiday season. For many, December is joyful and ...
The Emotional Recession
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael reflects on a small moment in a bank queue that reveals a much larger shift in how we connect. As more organi...
The Stories Others Tell About Us
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael explores how the stories others place on us can quietly shape the direction of our lives. A simple comment, a...
Hearing What Is Never Said
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael explores the hidden layers of communication that sit beneath the words we speak. Tone, timing, silence and po...
Hanlon’s Razor: It’s Probably Not About You
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all done it — assumed the worst about someone else’s actions. The colleague who doesn’t reply, the driver who cuts across, the friend w...
The Barriers in the Tunnel: How Limiting Beliefs Hide the Light Ahead
02 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is a moment on every journey when the light fades and the world outside disappears. The train slips into a tunnel, and for a few seconds, it fee...
The Faces We Wear
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn continues the journey through his book The Next Station Is… — turning from the tickets we carry to ...
Season 3, Episode 1: “The Ticket We Carry”
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the opening episode of Season 3, Michael Comyn introduces The Next Station Is… — a new season of Mind the Gap inspired by his latest book. Sta...
From Half-Arsed to Whole-Hearted
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do so many people start their working lives with energy and enthusiasm, only to end up doing the bare minimum? Cabin crew once said they loved mee...
“When Trust Becomes a Trap”
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even the sharpest minds can be fooled — not because we are careless, but because con artists know how to pull the emotional levers that make us huma...
When the Centre Doesn’t Hold: Finding Steadiness in a Divided World
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world that demands you choose sides, what happens when you no longer recognise the middle ground? In this month’s Echoes from the Margins, the...
Faithful or Traitor? Understanding Betrayal in Work and Life
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Betrayal cuts deep, whether it’s a colleague taking credit for your work, a promised promotion that never arrives, or the quiet exclusion from a tea...
Bonus Episode: Michael Comyn on The Late Lunch with Gerry Kelly
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus edition of Mind the Gap, you’ll hear Michael Comyn in conversation with Gerry Kelly on LMFM’s The Late Lunch. Together, they...
Why We Slow for Blue Lights but Stop for Our Values
30 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we ease off the accelerator when we spot a Garda car, but never dream of driving home after a few pints? One is the fear of punishment. The oth...
The Mask We Wear at Work
23 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Summary: Every workplace has its masks. For some, it’s the “work face” we put on each morning to look confident or composed. For others...
You’re Not the Weather
16 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your emotions are real, but they are not you. In this episode, Michael Comyn explores the difference between what we feel and who we are, and how to n...
Mind the Gap – A Minor Mood
09 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Summary: There’s a certain kind of silence that lives in a classical music studio — not the absence of sound, but the presence of feeling...
Kindness Is a Leadership Skill
02 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn explores the often misunderstood virtue of kindness, not as a soft option but as a core leadership skil...
Season Two Begins: From the Stoics to Emotional Intelligence
26 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this pivotal episode of Mind the Gap, host Michael Comyn marks the beginning of Season Two with a thoughtful shift in focus, from the ancient wisdo...
Stoic Portraits: Musonius Rufus, the Practical Philosopher
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Known as the teacher of Epictetus, Musonius Rufus was much more than a footnote in Stoic history. In this bonus Stoic Portrait, we meet a voice of qui...
Stoic Portraits: Cleanthes, the Boxer Philosopher
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He carried water by night and wisdom by day. In this bonus Stoic Portrait, we meet Cleanthes, the second head of the Stoic school and a man who believ...
Bonus Episode: Letters to the Living – Seneca
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you live wisely in a world that rewards ambition but punishes honesty? In this five-minute reflection, Michael Comyn explores the contradictio...
The Case for Stoicism: Beyond the Stereotypes
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Stoicism just a cold refusal to feel? A productivity trend for tech bros? A philosophy of passive acceptance? In this thoughtful and personal episo...
Bonus Episode: The Emperor’s Journal – Marcus Aurelius
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mind the Gap: Stoic Portraits – Season One What does a Roman emperor write to himself when no one else is meant to read it? In this five-minute ep...
Bonus Episode: Stillness in Shackles – Who was Epictetus?
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mind the Gap: Stoic Portraits – Season One What can a man born into slavery teach us about inner freedom? In this five-minute reflection, Michael ...
Contact Isn’t Connection
12 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a world of constant pings, notifications, and endless scrolls. Yet for many, the phone doesn’t ring, the inbox is quiet, and the silence ...
The Power Beneath the Silence
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode, we share the debut of Echoes from the Margin here on Mind the Gap. We turn down the noise to tune in more deeply, expl...
“Always On: The Tyranny of Instant Response”
05 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever felt chained to your phone, answering every message, every call, every ping—immediately? Michael shares a personal revelation on how t...
Letters Never Sent
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Mind the Gap bonus episode, we share a reflective conversation from our companion series, Echoes from the Margins. Have you ever drafted a me...
Quiet Pride: The Cost of Belonging
29 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Mind the Gap bonus episode, we step into the reflective space of our companion series Echoes from the Margins to explore Pride—not just as a...
The Myth of Balance: Why Life Is Never in Perfect Equilibrium
28 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world full of stress management workshops and resilience toolkits, are we missing the point of what it truly means to endure? In this episode of...
"Shadowed by Insecurity: Navigating a Boss Who Fears Your Talent"
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever worked under a boss who micromanages, takes credit for your work, and treats your talents as threats? In this insightful episode of Mind...
The Fear of Being Ordinary
14 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a culture obsessed with legacy, status, and standing out, what happens when we begin to question whether being seen is the same as being fulfilled?...
When Life Pauses Without Our Permission
31 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do we learn about ourselves when life brings everything to a stop, not by choice, but by circumstance? In this reflective episode of Mind the Ga...
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Praise of the Slow Song: Finding Meaning in Sadness In this reflective episode of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn explores the quiet, necessary role o...
“Best Of: Wisdom That Stuck”
03 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Best Of edition of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn reflects on the journey through the first 33 episodes — revisiting the ideas, quotes,...
Delegated or Dumped On? The Fine Line of Responsibility
26 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Description: Have you ever found yourself solving a crisis you didn’t create? Taking on tasks you never agreed to? You’re not alone. In this epi...
“Your Call Is Important to Us”
19 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rethinking Time in a World That Wastes It “You’re on hold—the music loops. The voice says your call is important. But is your time?” In this...
The Confident Fool and the Quiet Expert: How the World Rewards the Wrong Kind of Certainty
12 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do the loudest voices so often rise—while the most capable hesitate in the shadows? In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn explores the...
When Knowledge Threatens: The Paradox of Being Judged
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever felt judged—not for your mistakes or flaws—but for your strengths, education, or even how you speak? In this thoughtful and introspe...
Talking to Yourself, Wisely...
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You know that voice in your head that won’t stop replaying awkward conversations or predicting disaster before you’ve even begun? We all have it. ...
Procrastination: Why We Delay and How to Start Moving
22 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, we dig deep into the human habit of procrastination—what it is, why we do it, and how we can finally move from dela...
The Propaganda Playbook: How to Spot It and Resist It
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do we separate truth from manipulation in a world where information moves faster than ever? Propaganda isn’t just a relic of history—it’s ...
Gatekeepers and Champions: The Leadership Dilemma
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Not all leaders are created equal. Some open doors, while others keep them firmly shut. In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn explores the tw...
The Value of a Hug: Physical or Virtual, Recognition in the Digital Age
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world where connection is just a click away, why do so many of us still feel alone? We send messages, react with emojis, and even say “virtual ...
The Deference Trap – When Respect Becomes Submission
22 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Respect for institutions and leadership is essential in a republic. But when does deference cross the line into blind submission? In this episode, we ...
No, Without Guilt: The Philosophy and Psychology of Refusal
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is saying no so hard? From childhood conditioning to cultural expectations, many struggle to refuse requests without feeling guilt, fear, or press...
The Good Old Days Were Complicated: A Truthful Look at Nostalgia
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all love to reminisce—simpler times, kinder people, and a world that made more sense. But were the “good old days” really as good as we remem...
Ubuntu, Confucius, and Brehon Law: Redefining Leadership
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership isn't just about power and strategy but values, wisdom, and connection. However, Western corporate and military traditions have shaped le...
The Myth of Certainty: How to Navigate Life’s Unpredictability
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all crave certainty—it makes life feel safe, predictable, and in control. But what if our need for certainty is limiting us? What if embracing th...
No Regrets, Just Lessons: Rethinking Our Biggest Mistakes
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all make mistakes—some small, some life-changing. But what if we stopped seeing them as failures and started viewing them as lessons? In this e...
The Noble Trap: Rethinking Goals That Aren’t Truly Ours
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we approach 2025, the pressure to set new goals and resolutions begins to build. But how often are those goals indeed ours? In this episode of Mi...
Building Inner Strength: The Role of Parents, Teachers, and Society
14 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all need resilience, but who is responsible for building it? In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael explores the shared responsibility of fosteri...
The Courage to Be You: Beyond the Illusion of Safety
07 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Conformity often feels like a safe choice—it promises comfort, belonging, and ease. But is that safety real, or is it an illusion? In this episode...
Emotion in the Machine: AI Meets Emotional Intelligence
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, I welcome Jack, an advanced AI developed by OpenAI, as our special guest. Together, we explore the fascinating in...
The Weight of Pride, the Sting of Humiliation
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do pride and humiliation shape how we see ourselves and interact with the world? In this episode of Mind the Gap, we delve into the complex interp...
Losing the Role, Not Yourself: Navigating Life Transitions
16 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When a job ends, whether through redundancy, retirement, or another life change, it can feel like you’re losing more than just a role—you’re los...
The Pendulum of Power: Why We Seek Strength in Times of Uncertainty
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, we explore a powerful question: Why do we so often gravitate toward strong, polarising leaders in times of crisis, ev...
Facing Regret: Lessons from Sinatra and the Stoics
02 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, we delve into the powerful, timeless themes of Frank Sinatra’s classic “My Way,” uncovering the hidden conversa...
"The Eternal Child at Work: A Guide to Handling Immature Leaders"
26 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, we tackle a workplace challenge that many face but few talk about: handling the “Eternal Child” in leadership. Ba...
Righteous Anger: Finding Your Temper in a World of Self-Censorship"
19 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Description: In this episode of Mind the Gap, we explore righteous anger—a form of anger that isn't destructive but constructive, thoughtful...
Forgiveness Unlocked: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Psychology
12 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Overview: In this episode of Mind the Gap, host Michael Comyn unlocks the transformative power of forgiveness by exploring its roots in ancien...
"From Intention to Action: Why We Fall Short and How to Change That"
05 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore why we often need help to follow through on our goals. Using insights from Robert Keegan’s Immunity to Change, Daniel Go...
The Ethics of Joy: Why It's Okay to Be Happy Now
28 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever feel guilty for being happy when the world seems upside down? You’re not alone. In this episode, we dive into the complex emotions of joy and g...
"Rage and Reflection: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Outbursts."
21 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, we explore the nature of anger and its impact on our lives, drawing connections between the ancient wisdom of the Stoics and our...
Anxious on a 'plane and it wasn't the flying!
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Mind the Gap, we dive into the unexpected sources of anxiety that creep up in the most unlikely places. Using the story of feeling ...
"Beyond Resilience Cupcakes: How Joy Fuels our well-being"
31 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores why quick fixes like "Resilience Pizza" and boxes of fruit fall short regarding employee wellness and why a more thoughtful appr...
"The Allure of Rumors: Why We Prefer Gossip Over Truth"
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Show Summary: This thought-provoking episode explores the fascinating and sometimes troubling world of rumours. Why are we often drawn to gossip and ...
Mind that Gap!
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Hello, and welcome to ‘Mind the Gap’—the podcast where ancient wisdom meets modern emotional intelligence. I’m Michael Comyn, and with 38 y...