The Courageous Life

It’s here and then it’s gone. In so many ways this is the through line of our experience. From the sunny day,To a common cold,To time spent with loved ones,Or the experience of our wedding day.Joy, love, heartbreak, and ultimately Life itself - All by nature impermanent. To walk through this lifeIs to walk hand-in-hand with change. It is simply part of what it means to be human -  Part of what connects us all. This season on the podcast we wanted to make these shared experiences a focal point of our larger conversation. So for 3 episodes we have brought together some of the great teachers, physicians, writers, and leaders of our time.To reflect on how we might embrace impermanence,Relax into uncertainty, Loosen our grip of control,And open up the possibility of appreciating, and taking in, the preciousness and beauty of this one life which we are given. Two weeks ago we kicked off this seriesWith world renowned meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg and palliative care physician and author, Dr. Sunita Puri. Last week we continued unpacking these themes with CEO Coach Jerry Colonna and legendary teacher, activist, and author, Parker Palmer.Today we close this epic 3 part mini series by inviting two pioneers in end-of-life care to engage two of the great mysteries of human life:Love and Death. Legendary Buddhist teacher, activist, author, and founder of Upaya Zen Center, Roshi Joan HalifaxAnd Buddhist teacher, best-selling author, and founder of the Zen Hospice Project, Frank OstaseskiWill explore themes related to:How we might embrace the experiences of loving and dying in ways that lead to living as fully as we can.And the possibility of meeting impermanence with greater wisdom, compassion, and courage. During our time together they will offer reflections on: Mindfulness as a practice of intimacyLearning to let goSurrenderThe joy of discoveryAnd how we might meet all that life gives us with loving awareness. For more on Roshi please visit: joanhalifax.org or upaya.orgAnd for more on Frank please visit: frankostaseski.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On Work, Friendship, and Embracing Impermanence | Parker Palmer & Jerry ColonnaImpermanence, Letting Go, and Finding Freedom | Sharon Salzberg & Sunita PuriEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

Parker Palmer, a legendary teacher and activist, joins Jerry Colonna, a CEO coach and co-founder of Reboot, for an insightful discussion on embracing impermanence. They explore how accepting change enriches our lives and fosters community. Personal stories highlight the beauty of vulnerability and the importance of deep connections amidst uncertainty. They advocate for letting go of control and finding genuine purpose, emphasizing growth through our shared experiences of loss and the transformative power of supportive relationships.

There are certain threads inescapably woven into our experience of being alive.Simple but profound truths which make up the tapestry of what it means to be human. One of these is impermanence. The fact that everything, by nature, changes. From the seasons, to the weather, our emotions, and our relationships.We are born, we grow old, and ultimately we die. The flow of life is inherently dynamic as things are coming together, and falling apart. All the time. And while at times impermanence can be viewed in a grim light (endings, and death),Change also means new beginnings, rejuvenation, and possibility. After Winter ends, the sun comes out, flowers bloom, and the natural landscape comes to life.  And if change is truly just a part of being alive, Then the pragmatic question is:How can we relate to this shared experience in ways that lead to living well? Over the next 3 weeks we are going to explore this question (and versions of it) in depth,With some of the great teachers, physicians, writers, and leaders of our time. Together we'll discuss themes like:Learning to relax into uncertainty, Loosening our grip of control as we aspire toward long term goals with less attachment to outcomes,The possibility of appreciating the preciousness and taking in the beauty of being alive.To kick things off today you’ll hear a beautiful and often moving conversation between:World renowned meditation teacher, co founder of the Insight Meditation Society and NYT Bestselling author Sharon Salzberg, And Physician, author, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine where she is also the Director of Inpatient Palliative Care Services, Dr. Sunita Puri.Both of whom have been the show before, but never in conversation together in this way - exploring how we might make the most of the short time we are here. For more on Sharon check out sharonsalzberg.comFor more on Sunita, including her beautiful memoir: That Good night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour please visit https://sunitapuri.com/Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Finding the Courage to Live Without Regrets | Dr. Sunita PuriThe Power of Compassion (pt 1) | Sharon Salzberg & Barbara FredricksonEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

In his new book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground,Neuroscientist and Moral psychologist Dr. Kurt Gray argues that for the majority of our evolutionary history, humans were more hunted than hunter. Which might just be the game changing perspective we need for these times.Kurt reminds us that in contrast to predators,Prey animals are hard-wired to scan for threats, and to do everything in our power to protect ourselves from being harmed. Fast forward to the present and it becomes a bit easier to understand what’s driving the division, and moral outrage we see each day.Our shared collective DNA (as a prey species) offering a compelling reminder that we are more alike than we might think.Rather than intending to destroy each other, most of us are actually just trying to protect ourselves, our families, and members of our communities.Drawing on groundbreaking research, Dr. Gray doesn’t just offer us a captivating new explanation for our moral outrage, He offers us hope. As well as some incredibly insightful practices for increasing understanding, and ultimately for finding common ground. Perhaps the most basic of these being: If you want to understand the morals of the “other side,” you can begin by asking yourself a simple question—what harms do they see?Today we’ll take a deep dive into these themes as we unpack some of Kurt’s greatest insights about:What leads to moral outrage, What can help diffuse it, And how we can find our way back to eachother. For more on Kurt, his incredible work at both the Center for the science of Moral Understanding and the Deepest Beliefs Lab, as well as his new book Outraged, check out kurtjgray.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Finding Solutions to Seemingly Intractable Problems | Rob Fersh and Mariah LevisonRediscovering the Art of Constructive Dialogue | Dr. Mylien DuongAbout Dr. Kurt Gray:A social psychologist and an award-winning researcher and teacher, Kurt Gray uses interdisciplinary methods to study our deepest held beliefs and how to bridge moral divides.Dr. Gray is a Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. He is also an Adjunct Professor in Organizational Behavior at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC, where he teaches about organizational ethics and team processes. Dr. Gray received his PhD from Harvard University.Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

In his new book, Original Love, Zen meditation master, award winning author and poet, and renowned spiritual teacher Henry Shukman offers a tantalizing proposition. At any moment there is a powerful possibility available to us.A possibility of piercing the illusion of separateness,And experiencing a profound sense of connection.In these moments which are deemed by some as ‘awakening', it can seem almost as if a spell is broken. That we are waking up from a sort of dream.As we see, feel, and know (in our bones) that there is in fact no separation. That at some level everything and everyone are connected. Henry argues that these experiences can be the single most healing, positively life-transforming events that can happen to us. Well documented for centuries, across different wisdom traditions, and now explored through scientific inquiry,Experiences of waking up to our interconnected nature often lead to large positive shifts in our priorities.We tend to move from self-protection and self-promotion toward a natural flow of compassion and concern for others and the world.This boundless interconnected experience is what Henry calls Original Love. In today's conversation Henry and I will explore this possibility in depth,As we unpack what might lead us back to Original Love. Including practices we can bring into our lives, our work, and our relationships.Practices like :Letting goAllowing what’s here to be here as it isLoosening the grip of control and learning to relax into uncertainty. And Henry will share some of his hard earned insight about meditation as a path toward greater wellbeing, connection, and awakening. For more on Henry, including his new book Original Love, please visit henryshukman.com or check out The Way, his popular meditation app - which you can find at thewayapp.comEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts.Did you find this conversation inspiring? Here are other episodes we think you'll love:On Imperfectionism and the Art of Living Well with Oliver BurkemanStrong Back, Soft Front: The Practice of a Lifetime with Elizabeth LesserAbout Henry Shukman:Henry Shukman (IG: @henryshukman) is an authorized Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage, and is spiritual director emeritus of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is the co-founder and lead meditation teacher for The Way, a meditation app that provides a modern update to the ancient path of meditation training. He also leads meditation courses and retreats. Henry is an award-winning poet and author, whose memoir One Blade of Grass recounts his own journey through meditation practice. His new book Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening is a manual and map describing the four key zones of meditation practice. Thanks for listening!For Joshua's live events, coaching, and offerings please visit: practicingcourage.comFor more about Executive Producer Matthew Donner visit: matthewpatrickdonner.comSupport the show

Today is our final Heroes and Helpers episode for Season 4 on The Courageous Life.This series launched earlier in 2024 and throughout the year we’ve shined a light on stories of everyday heroes,Ordinary people who are navigating life’s challenges and adversities with hope, courage, resilience, and love. These are the remarkable stories of:Our neighbors, Our friends, Our colleagues, And members of our communities. And because no one does it alone - We’ve also focused on elevating the work of the mentors, the coaches, and the guides.Those we call the helpers .They are the ones who walk beside the heroes on their journey. Helping the hero to strengthen themselves, and transform in ways that allow them to meet their life from a wiser, more skillful, and often more responsive place.Today’s episode invites you into another one of these uplifting conversations with Lizi Oceransky.Lizi holds an MA in Counseling and is a Master Certified Coach.She’s a gifted helper who creates space for those she works with to: connect with their true selves, feel accepted for who they really are, and explore new possibilities for growth and fulfillment.During our conversation Lizi will share more about: Her journey to discovering belonging and self-acceptance, A deep knowing from the time she was young about what the work she was here to do.A helper who challenged her to step fully into that work. And more about her passion for offering spaces where people feel a deep sense of belonging as they pursue what matters to them. To learn more about Lizi please visit lizi4u.comDid you find this conversation inspiring? Here are other episodes we think you'll love:Embracing the journey from 'doing' to 'being' with Amy DongThe power of presence with Vicky Furlan  Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts.     Thanks for listening!Support the show

As we get ready to close out the 4th season of The Courageous Life  we are revisiting inspiring stories of everyday heroes and the helpers who walk beside them.These Conversations, which launched this year, shine a light on ordinary people,Our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and members of our communities, who rise up to meet challenges, And navigate their journey through the messy middle parts of life with hope, courage, compassion, love, and resilience.And because no one does it alone (not even heroes) this series also features conversations with helpers:The mentors, The coaches, The sagesand the guides. The people who help heroes to strengthen themselves and ultimately transform in ways that allow them to meet their lives from a wiser, more skillful, and often more responsive (vs. reactive) place. Today, we are highlighting Vicky Furlan.Vicky is an HR leader, a psychologist, and a coach who believes that leaders are grown not born.For the past 8 years, Vicky been helping people in software organizations make the leap from being high-performing individual contributors to becoming high-performing managers. She helps those she coaches, and works with, to grow and create more fulfilling careers and lives. To learn more about Vicky, and the wonderful work she is doing please visit vickyfurlan.comDuring our conversation Vicky will share more about her own journey, how she walks beside people, and her steadfast belief in the importance of giving people the permission to be human at work. Did you find this conversation inspiring? Here are other episodes we think you'll love:Acceptance and unconditional positive regard with Liliana ÖğünEmbracing the journey from 'doing' to 'being' with Amy Dong  Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts.     Thanks for listening!Support the show

What does it mean to live a 'good life'?For centuries philosophers, theologians, and psychologists have explored this question.Arguing primarily that there are two distinct paths to living well.The first might be casually thought of as sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Choosing pleasure as our primary pursuit - building our life around a simple equation:The more pleasant experiences we have, the better life is. The second path is the pursuit of a meaningful life. Choosing to craft our lives, and our work in ways that lead to a greater sense of purpose, and fulfillment. The reality is, there are strong arguments behind the benefits of taking either path,And when you combine the two it may be an even more potent recipe for a life well lived. But what if these answers are incomplete? If all we need is more happiness or meaning, why aren’t more of us achieving that truly “good” life? Today's guest, Philosopher and popular Middlebury professor Dr. Lorraine Besser is shedding light on the missing third piece in our search for the Good Life—what researchers refer to as psychological richness. And what Lorraine calls The Interesting.In today’s conversation we will take a deep dive into Lorraine’s work and her beautiful new book - The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It,We’ll explore how interesting experiences captivate our minds, engage our thoughts and emotions, and often change our perspective.   And how ultimately when we choose to take the path of interesting experiences we live a fuller and more satisfying life. For more on Lorraine, and The Art of the Interesting, please visit Lorrainebesser.comDid you find today's episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Neuroscience, Spirituality, and the Quest for an Inspired Life | Dr. Lisa MillerPride: Is the Deadliest Sin the Secret to Success? | Dr. Jessica TracyEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

What if the time is never coming when you’re ‘on top of things’, or finally feel like you know what you’re doing?For years, New York Times Bestselling author Oliver Burkeman has dared to ask provocative questions like these.The sort of questions that invite us to examine popular cultural views about what it means to work and live well.In his beautiful and brilliant books, his longtime column in the Guardian, and other writings, Oliver has been a leading voice helping to unravel myths about the often celebrated idea that we can 'do it all'. Rather than chasing perfectionism he invites us to embrace our imperfections, To confront our mortality,and to explore deeper questions about what matters, and what will bring us fully alive in the brief time we’re here.In today's conversation we’ll thoroughly explore how and why imperfectionism may actually be the path to experiencing a more meaningful, productive, absorbing and energizing life – not later, but right here in the midst of the overwhelm, the distraction, and the anxiety-inducing news headlines. For more on today's themes be sure to check out Oliver's profound new book, Meditations for Mortals, which you can pick up wherever books are sold. Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:The Life-Changing Power of Saying No | Dr. Vanessa PatrickLetting Go of Perfectionism and Finding Happiness | Tal Ben-ShaharMore about Oliver:Oliver Burkeman is a best-selling author and keynote speaker. His books include Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts, Four Thousand Weeks, as well as The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. For many years Oliver wrote a popular weekly column on psychology for the Guardian. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychologies and New Philosopher. For more please visit: Oliverburkeman.comEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts. Thanks for listening!Support the show

Dr. Jonathan Fisher, is a Harvard educated cardiologist, a mindfulness teacher, and an outspoken leader passionate about helping to end the epidemic of clinician burnout in healthcare.  In sharing his own story he writes:  "I took care of 20,000 hearts before taking care of my own.  For years, I hid my anxiety, depression, and burnout behind the facade of being a “perfect” doctor.  That effort took a toll.  So, I began a journey to understand true healing, health, and happiness.  Along the way, I realized others were also seeking the same timeless practices that helped me thrive." Today, Jonathan is on the show, and will generously share some of that journey through:His expertise as a heart doctor, His depth of insight gained both as a student and teacher of ancient wisdom practices like mindfulness and self-compassion,And his experiences of working through the process of burnout recovery and healing his own heart. This conversation sheds a light not only on the transformative power of opening the heart (on our health, our relationships, our work, and our lives broadly)  But also on the courage it takes to do so.   Particularly when the world we find ourselves in can feel cold, and scary.   Jonathan is one of those courageous leaders who engages in the practice of opening the heart and invites us to do the same,   But, importantly, to do with skillful discernment.   Offering a reminder that courage and wisdom are two virtues that are often best paired together. I hope you enjoy the time with Jonathan as much as I did.  Did you find this conversation inspiring? Here are other episodes we think you'll love:The Art of Being Human at Work | Ali SchultzStrong Back, Soft Front - The Practice of a Lifetime | Elizabeth Lesser Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!  About Jonathan: Dr. Jonathan Fisher is a cardiologist who focuses on healing the heart in the broadest sense, encompassing both the physical and emotional aspects of cardiac care. Educated at Harvard and Mt. Sinai, he is a mindfulness meditation teacher and organizational well-being leader. Dr. Fisher has designed programs for an organization with 38,000 team members, reducing stress and enhancing well-being. He is the author of Just One Heart: A Cardiologist's Guide to Healing, Health, and Happiness. He has delivered keynotes, workshops, and retreats for organizations globally across various industries. His efforts in addressing burnout in healthcare, including co-hosting the Ending Clinician Burnout Global Summit, have garnered international attention. For more, please visit: drjonathanfisher.comSupport the show