The Courageous Life

Dr. Jud Brewer is an addiction psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center. Jud is passionate about understanding how our brains work, and how to use that knowledge to help people make deep, permanent change in their lives — With the goal of reducing suffering in the world at large.This conversation, which we originally recorded and released during the Pandemic in 2021,Looked at the deepening division in our society, the patterns of 'othering', judgment, and blame, Through the lens of habit formation. The hypothesis that Jud and I exploredWhich was informed by his novel approaches to using mindfulness for habit change, was: If othering, us and them thinking, and judgment are in fact habitsThan it's not only possible to break them,It’s also possible to develop habits that counteract division and nurture connection and community. The key question though, which just happens to be at the heart of Jud’s work,Is How? In this episode we’ll explore some ideas for answering that question including:Insights about how our brains learnAnd Practices developed in Jud’s lab that leverage mindfulness and the power of curiosityPractices that offer hope, and a potential path for both individual and collective healing.We chose to re-release this episode now,not only because it’s a unique lens to look at these challenges, But because recognizing our common humanity, and nurturing connection with each other is needed perhaps now more than ever. For more on Jud, his NYT bestselling books, trainings, and groundbreaking work using novel mindfulness programs for habit change, please visit: drjud.comEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On Awe, Wonder, and Everyday Miracles | Jonah PaquetteOn Wisdom and Love in Troubling Times | Mark Nepo & Elizabeth LesserThanks for listening!Support the show

Americans today are leaving religion in record numbers. For many, the faith, practices, and institutions that once provided comfort and guidance no longer fit their beliefs and values. Today’s guest, Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren, a psychologist scientist who engages big existential questions to promote human flourishing, And author of the powerful book: Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religioncalls this departure ‘The Great Disillusionment.’ His research and writing brings attention to several important, but often difficult questions that arise when people are no longer served by traditional religion: How do they find new meaning and purpose? How do they process the grief that often accompanies religious or spiritual change? And how can they navigate challenging relationships with people who do not support or understand? Today we’ll explore this complex terrain as we discuss: The changing landscape of religion in the US and beyond, Why leaving religion can be so hard, which Darryl will reflect on through the lens of his research, but also through sharing the tragic story of losing his brother. A loss that left him questioning, and wrestling with his own relationship to the religion he was brought up in and had built his life around for many years. And finally, the possibility that Daryl writes about so beautifully.In his words:If you are rethinking your religious beliefs, have experienced religious loss or struggle, or have undergone a significant religious change, you are not alone. By understanding how people before us have left or transformed their religion, And using their wisdom as a guide,we can discover new ways of finding peace, engaging with the transcendent, And ultimately crafting a flourishing and meaningful life.For more on Daryl, his books, research, and other offerings please visit darylvantongeren.comEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On Awe, Wonder, and Everyday Miracles | Jonah PaquetteOn Listening and Attending to the Soul | James HollisThe Transformative Power of Humility | Dr. Daryl Van TongerenThanks for listening!Support the show

Lee Johnson likes to say that he’s as ordinary as dirt but as complex as soil. A former Course Director for the Colorado Outward Bound School and Certified Holistic Management Teacher, Lee has also managed ranches in Nebraska, Tennessee, and New Mexico. I first met him on a retreat at the Modern Elder Academy in Santa Fe.The Academy, which has been called "The World’s First Midlife Wisdom School"Sits on the beautiful Rising Circle Ranch where Lee serves as steward, and facilitates various experiences for guests. Much of his work is to translate nature’s teachings into insights that encourage us to tune into our inner landscapes as much as the outer landscape.And while I was deeply moved by Lee’s presence, wisdom, and artful storytelling, What struck me most was that he was someone who has spent most of his life following his heart.Today, we’ll talk in depth about his journey, The courage to walk the unconventional path, And what he describes as the quiet inner knowing that can arise when we learn to listen deeply to our lives.Lee will also share more about what may support us to act on that knowing. Particularly in the face of fear, and the often strong pull of other’s expectations for our lives.This was one of the most beautiful conversations I’ve ever hadAnd feels like an appropriate close to this 4 part mini series on the power of mystery and wonder. Lee’s holistic approach to life and spirituality serving as an invitation to step into a deeper relationship with ourselves, nature, and each other.An invitation to embrace the mystery of being human, And to discover the wonder of living a life that brings us truly alive.For more on Lee please check out MEAwisdom.comDid you enjoy this episode? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On Ordinary Mysticism, Wonder, and Love | Mirabai StarrOn Work, Friendship, and Embracing Impermanence | Parker Palmer and Jerry ColonnaJoin Joshua on a NEW 6-month journey in uncovering how we can open our hearts and minds to live a more expansive life. A life that brings us alive. A life that is driven primarily by curiosity, wonder, and love (vs. certainty, control, and fear).Learn more about and register for "From Fear to Love: A 6 Month Journey" here. Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, take in a beautiful sunset, stand at the base of a mountain that seems impossibly high, or witness an extraordinary act of courage, kindness, or love?Often, it's a profound sense of awe - the overwhelming feeling we experience when we encounter something vast that transcends our understanding. In his book Awestruck,  clinician, researcher, and multi-time author, Dr. Jonah Paquette, reminds us that awe-inspiring moments are all around us.Ranging from the grand to the commonplace, its these moments that hold part of the key to living a deeply fulfilling life.In today’s conversation, which we are re releasing as part of our current mini series On the power of mystery and wonderJonah and I will explore the life-changing potential of awe.How this powerful emotion can help alleviate some of the struggles in our daily lives, from stress, to social isolation.Why awe can be a catalyst for empathy, curiosity, and compassion,And that as we reclaim space for moments of reverence for the ordinary, everyday miracles, We open up the possibility a deeper and more profound experience of life.A life marked by greater joy and fulfillment.For more on Jonah please, his books, podcast, and live events, please visit jonahpaquette.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On the Power of Wonder | Monica ParkerOn Ordinary Mysticism, Wonder, and Love | Mirabai StarrJoin Joshua on a NEW 6-month journey in uncovering how we can open our hearts and minds to live a more expansive life. A life that brings us alive. A life that is driven primarily by curiosity, wonder, and love (vs. certainty, control, and fear).Learn more about and register for "From Fear to Love: A 6 Month Journey" here. Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

In her beautiful book: Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground, Bestselling author, translator, and celebrated spiritual teacher, Mirabai Starr Invites us to let go of the limiting belief that spiritual life exists only in traditional places of worship. She shares:You can visit an ashram in the Himalayas,Or kneel in a church pew to connect to the spirit or examine life’s big questions—but these aren’t the only opportunities to discover the sacred. Life itself, is holy ground. When we choose to embrace Ordinary Mysticism We begin to find magic in the mundane -from weeding in our humble gardens, to a slow evening walk with a friend, to a full kitchen table surrounded by family.Our everyday lives become an encounter with the sacred. In this second conversation in our mini series on the power of mystery and wonder,Mirabai, who has been honored as one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people,Will share much more about Ordinary Mysticism. Including: More of her story, Favorite practices, and powerful insights she’s gained from decades of spiritual practice, teaching, and writing.And because it’s foundational in creating the conditions for mystical experiences to unfold,We’ll explore the power of presence. Mirabai reminding us that when we slow down, When we pay closer attention to our lives,And when we open our hearts and minds to what is -The ordinary starts to show up as miraculous, the boring becomes fascinating, our own shortcomings can turn out to be our greatest gifts. And, we ultimately discover the possibility of being more alive as we awaken to the interconnectedness between all things.For more on Mirabai, Ordinary Mysticism, her books, other writing, teaching and live events, please visit mirabaistarr.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On the Power of Wonder | Monica ParkerMeditation, Awakening, and Original Love | Henry ShukmanJoin Joshua on a NEW 6-month journey in uncovering how we can open our hearts and minds to live a more expansive life. A life that brings us alive. A life that is driven primarily by curiosity, wonder, and love (vs. certainty, control, and fear).Learn more about and register for "From Fear to Love: A 6 Month Journey" here. Looking for part one in the trilogy? You can find the impermanence series here:Impermanence, Letting Go, and Finding Freedom | Sharon Salzberg and Sunita PuriOn Work, Friendship, and Embracing Impermanence | Parker Palmer & Jerry ColonnaOn Love, Death, And Embracing Our Humanity | Roshi Joan Halifax & Frank OstaseskiEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

In her beautiful book, The Power of Wonder, Monica Parker, writes:“Wonder purls its way through our lives from first cry to last gasp - Moments that engage us, surprise us, take our breath away,And give us the gift of viewing the world, and our place in it,In an entirely different way.But something happens as we move from the wonder-filled days of childhood to obligation laden days of adulthood. We become increasingly jaded. Like the sun that continues to shine on a cloudy day, wonder is still there,But we just can’t seem to see it anymore. And then one day we stop looking.” A world renowned speaker, author, and leading authority on the future of work, Monica has spent decades helping people discover how to lead and live wonderfully. Much of her work, which lies at the intersection of research and practice, Explores how, and why, wonder holds the potential to transform: the way we learn, develop new ideas, drive social change, and ultimately become better humans.Today’s conversation is a beautiful beginning. A doorway into a mini series on the power of mystery and wonder.Themes that will make up the second part in a trilogy, which began with conversations focused on impermanence, and that will end with an exploration of love. Monica is here to kick things off. Inviting us to step into possibility. The possibility of looking again - Opening our eyes like we did as children and reconnecting with a reverence for the world, and all the magic in it. For More on Monica, her book: The Power of Wonder, her speaking, and her fascinating career which has included roles as diverse as being an opera singer, founder of a global human analytics and change consultancy, and a homicide investigator defending death row inmates please visit Monica-Parker.comEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Join Joshua on a NEW 6-month journey in uncovering how we can open our hearts and minds to live a more expansive life. A life that brings us alive. A life that is driven primarily by curiosity, wonder, and love (vs. certainty, control, and fear).Learn more about and register for "From Fear to Love: A 6 Month Journey" here. You can find part one of the trilogy below. These 3 conversations dive deep into the topic of impermanence and how we can relate to the changing nature of our lives in ways that lead to living well. Impermanence, Letting Go, and Finding Freedom | Sharon Salzberg & Sunita PuriOn Work, Friendship, and Embracing Impermanence | Parker J. Palmer & Jerry ColonnaOn Love, Death, and Embracing Our Humanity | Roshi Joan Halifax & Frank OstaseskiThanks for listening!Support the show

Success in virtually every aspect of life―career, friendship, love, and family―is determined mainly by one thing: how we deal with emotions. In your most challenging moments, how did you respond? Did you fly off the handle? Were you paralyzed by indecision? Did you engage in behaviors that undermined your best intentions? Or did you exhibit grace under pressure and flourish? How you responded likely shaped what happened next. The good news? We all have the power to decide how we will respond to what life throws at us. Marc Brackett, Founding Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and author of the new book Dealing With Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want is back on the show today.Together we’ll explore how can begin to harness this power.The first step being the practice of acceptance.A message that in many ways is at the heart of Marc’s work.It's a move that recognizes there are no bad emotions―only emotions we don’t understand or know how to direct in positive, intentional ways.And secondly,That we must go beyond acceptance. Dealing with our feelings involves a set of skills and strategies that must belearned, practiced, and refined over a lifetime.When we do,We open the door to becoming the best version of ourselves and lifting others up around us.For more on Marc, his books, research, live events, and other work please visit marcbrackett.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:To Feel is to Be Human | Marc BrackettOn the Science, and Magic, of Great Conversations | Alison Wood BrooksEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

When Sean Brosnan arrived at Newbury Park High School in 2016, their cross country team hadn’t so much as qualified for a California state championship in twenty-five years. Brosnan himself had never coached high schoolers, though he was no stranger to the sport. A collegiate All-American, he had spent years trying to chase his ambitions of becoming a professional runner, along the way learning from some of the most successful coaches in the country.From day one at Newbury Park, Sean made a promise: "Give me your total commitment and I’ll give you a state championship in four years."Brosnan’s runners ended up:Taking an unprecedented three consecutive national championships,smashing records,winning Division I scholarships, and ultimately representing their country in the Olympics.Today Sean is on the show to share more of his incredible story,And some of the key insights he’s gained about unlocking human potential,None of which may be more important than his steadfast belief that:The only limits that matter are the ones you set for yourself.For more on Sean you can follow him on IG and X @realseanbrosnanand for the full story of his high school cross country team that went from obscurity to becoming the fastest squad the country, and perhaps the world, has ever seen check out his inspiring new book: Beyond Fast: How a Renegade Coach and His Unlikely High School Team Revolutionized Distance Running.Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On Finding Peace and Confidence Under Pressure | Jim MurphyLimitless Mind: Learn, Live, & Lead Without Barriers | Jo BoalerEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts! Thanks for listening!Support the show

How do you define “growing up”? Does it mean achieving certain cultural benchmarks—a steady income, paying taxes, marriage, and children? Or does it mean leaving behind the expectations of others and growing into the person you were meant to be? When we find ourselves in a career, place, relationship, or crisis we never foresaw, or that seems at odds with our beliefs about who we are, it often means our soul is calling on us to reexamine our path.Today, with Jungian Psychoanalyst, therapist, and bestselling author James HollisWe’ll explore the practice of listening to that call.The call that invites us to step into a more purposeful life. As we navigate what James calls the collision between our “False Self,” created from the expectations of others, and our instinctive “True Self.”During our conversation James draw upon his life’s work, his 20+ books, and his experiences with hundreds of clients, as he offers up: A map for traversing the frontier we call our inner life, The steps (as he sees them) that we must take on our road to true maturity, meaning, and fulfillment,And how we ultimately can find the courage to step into the depth, dignity, and dangers of this journey.For more on James Hollis, his books, and other work please visit jameshollis.netEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On Honoring the Soul (pt. 1) | Parker J. PalmerOn Choosing Love | Mark NepoThanks for listening!Support the show

How are some people so much smarter than the rest of us? Where do visionary creatives and savvy decision-makers like Vincent Van Gogh, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, Warren Buffet, and William Shakespeare,get their extraordinary mental abilities?In 2021, researchers at Ohio State’s Project Narrative, the world’s leading academic think-tank for the study of how stories work, and a place renowned for collaborations with NASA, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley, announced they had the answer. They named it Primal Intelligence. And they published scientific proof that Primal Intelligence was impossible for computers—but could be strengthened in humans.Intrigued, U.S. Army Special Operations developed Primal training for its most classified units. The training succeeded. The Operators saw the future faster. They healed quicker from trauma. In life-and-death situations, they chose wiser.From there the Army authorized training for civilian entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers, managers, coaches, teachers, investors, and NFL players. Their leadership and innovation improved significantly. They coped better with change and uncertainty. They experienced less anger and anxiety. And when they offered the training to college and K-12 classrooms it produced substantial effects in students as young as eight.In today’s conversation with Angus Fletcher who serves as Professor of story science at Project Narrative,holds dual degrees in neuroscience and literature, a PhD in Shakespeare, and is author of the powerful new book: Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter than You know.We’ll take a deep dive into the groundbreaking research and training they’ve been developing at Project Narrative over the past 4 years. And Angus will share his often surprising and unexpected journey into this work. Including some of the most potent insights and practices he gained from collaborating with U.S. Special Operations along the way.To learn more about Primal Intelligence, including the inspiring new book, Angus’s work, and Primal trainings please visit operationhuman.comEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On How the Arts Transform Us | Susan Magsamen & Ivy RossUnwinding Anxiety | Dr. Jud BrewerThanks for listening!Support the show