The Courageous Life

Failure is an experience that is deeply embedded into our lives. As we learn to walk we fall. As we learn to ride a bike we (usually) fall again. And yet even though it is so familiar, so intertwined with our journey through life, not all failure is created equal. Which brings up important questions:How do we fail well? What are the crucial distinctions that might help us separate good failure from bad?How do we learn to identify when failure is our friend, and prevent most of it when it is not? These bigger questions about failing wisely are at the core of the conversation today. Dr. Amy Edmondson is back on the show and together we’ll explore:How we can stay open to learning from failure at the individual and team levelHow leaders can create the conditions for learning in the face of failures. The importance of curiosity before blame - and a simple way to practice itThe reasons why most failures are not blameworthy and yet that is often the knee jerk reaction in organizationsThe three types of failure and how diagnosing failure type can lead to learning and preventing further failure.Painful emotions that can arise in the face of failure, and the importance of compassion, vulnerability, and giving ourselves permission to be human. Why failure is not an equal opportunity proposition, and her vision for a world where everyone has equal license to fail intelligently. Some of Amy's reflections on the importance of play, having fun, experimenting, taking risks, trying new things, and why practicing in low stakes situations has tremendous upside when it comes to getting better at failing. Interested in diving deeper into Amy’s work around failure? Check out her new book: Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Giving Everyone Permission to Feel | Dr. Marc BrackettCreating Fearless Organizations | Dr. Amy EdmondsonMore about Amy Edmondson:Ranked #1 on the latest Thinkers50 ranking of the world’s most influential management thinkers Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She is the author of 7 books and over 60 scholarly papers. She is a sought-after keynote speaker with a worldwide following. For more visit amycedmondson.comEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen! Thanks!For more information about coaching, mentoring, and the latest events with Joshua please visit: joshuasteinfeldt.comSupport the show

In my most recent interview with Dr. Nate Klemp,  who is author of the new book Open: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World, we got the opportunity to talk deeply about opening more to life. Are you familiar with this feeling of openness? Perhaps for you it’s a sense of curiosity? Or a feeling of expansion in the mind, or in the body? Maybe it's being interested, receptive to learning, being open to new ideas, or even experiencing a sense of spaciousness.As part of this exploration with Nate we also talked about practices that support these qualities. And how this practice, of opening the mind (and the heart) is becoming more timely, and more important as many of us find ourselves  living in a world that seems to present an increasing number of opportunities to close down.So today I will share a practice for opening. Traditionally this practice has been called big sky meditatio, and it's aim is simple:To open, to expand awareness, and to observe what’s here, allowing whatever it is to just be here as it is. Holding the different aspects of your present moment experience in a spacious awareness. Letting them flow. Almost like clouds floating through a big blue sky. If you want to dive deeper into this topic I would encourage you to check out the interview with Nate Klemp (if you haven't already):Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World | Dr. Nate KlempOr  pick up a copy of his book: OpenThank you for your practice. I look forward to continuing together next Thursday!-JoshuaWant these practices delivered via text? If you are located in the U.S. text the word courage to 805-430-6801 to join Joshua's text community and you'll get a text once/week with a link directly to the practice. Looking for more practice opportunities? Check out:Free Meditation Events - 60 minute community gatherings with Joshua held 2x a month over zoom.The Practice Pass - An annual membership that gives you on-demand access to robust practice experiences including the 28-Day Practicing Courage Challenge and The 5-Day Transforming Stress Challenge. Past Practicing Courage episodes in the podcast feedThe FREE Practice LibrarySupport the show

With the avalanche of information we get every day, closing down our minds and hearts seems to be the only way to survive. We close to ourselves by compulsively checking our devices. We close to each other by getting caught in echo chambers of outrage. But what if there’s another way? In this climate of distraction and division, what if there’s a path back to a way of living that is expansive, creative, and filled with wonder.These are the big questions that today's guest, Dr. Nate Klemp, addresses in his new book: Open: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World. They're also the questions at the heart of our conversation today. In the first part of today’s episode Nate and I will explore why we close:Including his insights around two of the most pervasive forces driving closure in our society - our rampant addiction to technology and our devices, and growing political polarizationWe’ll also unpack how meditation practices can be used to work with technology addiction, and the incessant craving to check your phoneIn the second half of the interview we’ll take a deep dive into insights, practices, and benefits around opening our minds and hearts to live a more expansive life. Along the way, Nate will share some engaging and profound stories about his personal experiments in opening, particularly when it’s difficult - some of which include:Attending a training with the National Rifle AssociationAnd undergoing gum surgery while awakeOne part of this interview which was a lot of fun involves the time Nate and I  spent trading meditation stories, particularly how we have taken meditation off the cushion - what he calls street opening - you’ll hear stories about:Meditating in CostcoOn trainsIn mallsRaising kids etc. We explore how these practices have been instrumental in opening to more of life. Nate will also share a moving story of his grandma Hilda, and what she taught him about letting go, opening, and meeting life from a place of loveDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity | Mark NepoIs Curiosity a Superpower? | Dr. Jud BrewerMore about Nate:Nate Klemp, PhD, is a philosopher, writer, and mindfulness entrepreneur. He is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Start Here and the New York Times critics’ pick The 80/80 Marriage. His work has been featured in the LA Times, Psychology Today, the Times of London, and more, and his appearances include Good Morning America and Talks at Google. He’s a cofounder of LifeXT and founding partner at Mindful. For more, visit nateklemp.com or @Nate_Klemp on Instagram.Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts and share with friends you feel might benefit from tuning in. Thanks for listening! Support the show

Yesterday I released a conversation with Dr. Vanessa Patrick. Vanessa is a professor of marketing and the associate dean for research at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. Among other things, Vanessa researches what she calls the empowered refusal - A way of saying no that stems from your identity. This empowered form of saying no becomes possible when you have clarity about who are, who you want to be, and what matters to you. For me this was one of the more practical conversations I ’ve ever had on the showLargely because saying no can be hard at times. Some of the reasons why saying no can be challenging include:You might feel if you say no it could damage to your reputationYou may have a fear that saying no will feel bad. More specifically that saying no will feel worse than saying yes (and at some level you may want to avoid the discomfort).You may be afraid saying no will upset someone or that saying no may create a rift in a relationshipAdditionally within the context of organizations (which is an area of expertise for Vanessa) saying no can bring on additional layers of complexity.There are power dynamics at playThere is added pressure to performThere may be a desire to move up, receive recognition, The list goes on…So like I said it was quite valuable to talk with Vanessa. Not only because of her expertise on the topic, but also because her work truly lies at the intersection of art and science.Her research has revealed the ingredients that lead to an effective no, but like most recipes…there is also an art involved, and Vanessa’s deep experience working with leaders has offered further insight into that art - offering really practical ways of communicating no effectively in the work environment. For today’s practice I will offer a few practical takeaways from the conversation with Vanessa that you can take and experiment with in your own life. I  hope you find it useful and if you want to dive deep into this topic though I would encourage you to check out our interview (if you haven't already):The Life Changing Power of Saying No | Dr. Vanessa PatrickOr  pick up a copy of her book: The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No That Puts You In Charge of Your LifeThank you for your practice. I look forward to continuing together next Thursday!-JoshuaWant these practices delivered via text? If you are located in the U.S. text the word courage to 805-430-6801 to join Joshua's text community and you'll get a text once/week with a link directly to the practice. Looking for more practice opportunities? Check out:Free Meditation Events - 60 minute community gatherings with Joshua held 2x a month over zoom.The FREE Practice LibraryThe Practice Pass - An annual membership that gives you on-demand access to robust practice experiences including the 28-Day Practicing Courage Challenge and The 5-Day Transforming Stress Challenge. Support the show

Have you ever said yes when you really wanted to say no?Has saying no ever been a challenge for you?These are such common experiences that today’s guest, Dr. Vanessa Patrick has written a powerful new book that addresses them head on: The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life. Dr. Patrick researches what she calls the empowered refusal, which is a way of saying no that stems from your identity, who you are, what you care about, and how you want to show up in the world. Today we'll unpack the art and science of the empowered refusal. Or put more simply - how to say no effectively.In this episode Vanessa will share: More insight from her research about why so many people say yes, when they really want to say noCommon fears and obstacles that get in the way of saying no effectivelyHow to get clarity about what really matters to you and leveraging to say no from an empowered placeThe importance of how you say no, including powerful insights about the importance of aligning body language, facial expression, and tone to communicate a more effective no.How the empowered refusal can actually strengthen your reputation. Vanessa will also share language that can be helpful for saying no, including her practice of creating what she calls personal policies.And we'll get into a conversation about good work, and why learning to say no effectively creates the opportunity for work that leads to greater meaning and fulfillment. Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Gentle Power: Shifting the Way we Define True Strength | Dr. Elisabet LahtiLetting Go of Perfectionism and Finding Happiness | Tal Ben-ShaharEnjoying the show? Please rate it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Thanks!More about Vanessa:Dr. Vanessa Patrick is a Professor of Marketing and the Associate Dean for Research at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. She has a PhD in Business from the University of Southern California and an MBA in marketing from Bombay University in India. Patrick has published dozens of research articles in top-tier academic journals in psychology, marketing, and management, and popular accounts of her work have appeared in the New York Times, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, LA Times, Business Week, Forbes and others. In her research, she investigates strategies to achieve personal mastery and inspire everyday excellence in oneself and others. You can learn more about Vanessa at vanessapatrick.netSupport the show

How can we meet the storms in our lives (both big and small) with greater balance, courage, wisdom, and love?It’s a huge question, I know. And the list of practices and answers is long, varied, and personal. I certainly don’t have "the answer" for you. What I do have are some observations and practices I’ve found to be particularly useful. Today I will offer 3 simple practices that can increase our innate capacity to meet storms in these ways. As always, the invitation would be to try on whichever practices seem like they may be useful for you. To test them, exploring how they might work in your own life, and to leave behind whatever is not useful.Thank you for your practice. I look forward to continuing together next Thursday!-JoshuaLooking for more practice opportunities? Check out:Free Meditation Events - 60 minute community gatherings with Joshua held 2x a month over zoom.The FREE Practice LibraryThe Practice Pass - An annual membership that gives you on-demand access to robust practice experiences including the 28-Day Practicing Courage Challenge and The 5-Day Transforming Stress Challenge. And for more on meeting storms from a place of balance, calm, courage, and love, check out this conversation with Mark Nepo: Finding the Strength to Meet AdversitySupport the show

Today’s conversation has been 5 years in the making. In 2018 I sat down with Mark Nepo, one of the great spiritual teachers, authors, and poets of our time. During our conversation he posed a question to walk with. Inviting me (and those tuning in) to live into the answers over time.When my heart begins to close, how do I open it again?For 5 years I've been exploring this question with some of the world's leading thinkers, and doers. And today Mark and I will dive deeper into this theme, as we discuss the practice of opening the heart, in the midst of some of the storms we are facing: political polarization, climate change, gun violence, etc. How do we open the heart in the face of a storm? How do we follow our heart and engage in the practice of being real as we make the courageous journey toward wholeness? And, how do we meet adversity, and challenge from a place of love vs. fear? These are the three chapters of our conversation, and the big questions we will engage together. If this conversation sparks your curiosity and you’d like to explore these themes further, I would highly encourage you to pick up a copy of Mark’s book Surviving Storms: Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity. About Mark Nepo:With over a million copies sold, Mark Nepo has moved and inspired readers and seekers all over the world with his #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening.  Beloved as a poet, teacher, and storyteller, Mark has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time," A bestselling author, he has published twenty-five books and recorded sixteen audio projects.  Mark was part of Oprah Winfrey's The Life You Want Tour in 2014, has appeared several times with Oprah on Super Soul Sunday and was also chosen as one of OWN's SuperSoul 100, a group of inspired leaders using their gifts and voices to elevate humanity. He has also been interviewed by Robin Roberts on Good Morning America and In 2017 Mark became a regular columnist for Spirituality & Health Magazine. Mark devotes his writing and teaching to the journey of inner transformation and the life of relationship.  He continues to offer readings, lectures, and retreats. For more on Mark, please visit marknepo.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Reflections on Living With an Open Heart | Parker PalmerFinding the Courage to Live Without Regrets | Dr. Sunita PuriIntroducing - The Practice PassInterested in practices that support the art of living well? Check out The Practice Pass. Joshua's annual membership that features robust on demand guided practice experiences. Learn more at joshuasteinfeldt.comEnjoying the show? Support the show

Dr. David Treleaven is a a writer, educator, and trauma professional whose work lies at the intersection of mindfulness and trauma. At the heart of David’s work is the notion that mindfulness is more powerful when combined with an understanding of trauma.Part of what’s behind this is the growing realization over the years that mindfulness meditation isn’t all good. There are a number of potential pitfalls that have been increasingly documented over time. One of which is that mindfulness can exacerbate symptoms of traumatic stress. As a result David has focused on offering mindfulness providers the knowledge and tools they require to meet the needs of those struggling with trauma.In today’s conversation David and I will explore a few big questions:What is the relationship between increasing our capacity to be with discomfort and a meaningful and fulfilling life?How can we increase our capacity to tolerate distress and discomfort while staying regulated, and responsive in the process?When we are working at the edge of our comfort zone, or are working with the more difficult aspects of our experience how do we know when to keep going, and when to back off?This is one of my favorite conversations on the show over the years. Partly because David is such a skilled teacher, and partly because the framework we'll discuss together (called the window of tolerance) is one of the most practical I  have come across for answering these big and nuanced questions about how to meet life from a more responsive and regulated place. Quick note: This conversation is a “long lost episode” of sorts. David and I originally sat down and recorded in 2021 during COVID, but due to a number of challenges during that time, I  didn’t get around to publishing it till this year, and I  am so happy to be sharing it with you now. Interested in taking David's flagship Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness Course? As a listener of The Courageous Life you can get $400 off. To receive the discount: 1. Head to: https://davidtreleaven.com/trauma-sensitive-mindfulness-complete/2. Upon checkout enter the coupon code: courage400More about David Treleaven:David is the author of the acclaimed book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness and founder of the Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness (TSM) Community—a group of practitioners committed to setting a standard of care through mindfulness-based practices, interventions, and programs. For more visit: davidtreleaven.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are more conversations we think you'll love:Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love | Oren Jay SoferTrauma-Sensitive Mindfulness | Dr. David TreleavenEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening! Support the show

In her new book, Seeing Others: How Recognition Works, and How it Can Heal a Divided World, author and acclaimed Harvard sociologist, Michèle Lamont, makes the case for reexamining what we value to prioritize recognition—the quest for respect and dignity—in an age that has been defined by growing inequality and the obsolescence of the American dream.  In today's conversation we'll explore themes from Michèle's new book, and powerful insights from her nearly 40 year career as a researcher, including:An overview of the landscape of recognition including how, and why, the American Dream has become out of reach for most people. How younger generations, including Gen Z, have begun to create a new dream that centers around a more inclusive society. Inspiring stories of change agents, young adults, and cultural icons who are creating new narratives that have helped contribute to a greater sense of dignity and inclusion for groups that have been historically stigmatized. Narratives: what they are, how they work, and the power they hold to shape our culture and societal views . Why working with implicit bias - a well-intentioned strategy that corporations often focus on to foster more inclusion, often fails.  Why focusing on reducing stigma may be a more effective path (than focusing on implicit bias) to creating inclusive cultures at work, and beyond. The power of shifting our focus to what we have in common, while also actively working to recognize the diverse ways one can live a life, can be catalysts for  healing a divided world. More about Michèle:Michèle Lamont is a Professor of Sociology and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, where she is also the Robert I. Goldman Professor of European studies. She served as the 108th President of the American Sociological Association and her research has received numerous awards, including honorary doctorates from six countries. The author or coauthor of over a dozen books, she can be found on MicheleLamont.org.   Enjoying 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:The Future of Work: Love, Safety, and Belonging | Leah Weiss and Jerry ColonnaFinding Our Way Home to Belonging | Jerry ColonnaThanks for listening!Support the show

We all want to belong. But to do so, we must first face our own need for belonging and how that need is often thwarted. In his new book Reunion, Leadership and the Longing to Belong, today's guest Jerry Colonna argues that only through radical self-inquiry can we come home to ourselves and others and, in doing so, create systemic belonging—homes—for everyone.In today’s conversation Jerry and I will dive deep into themes from Reunion as we explore how reunification with the disowned parts of ourselves, the myths and truths of our ancestors, as well as a deeper connection with those most affected by systems of exclusion can foster greater belonging and inclusion for all.  Our conversation will include 3 chapters (or parts): Chapter one is about LookingJerry and I  will explore the ways in which he invites those he works with to look unflinchingly at the full picture of their current reality (individually and collectively), what we casually refer to during our time together as the “the full mess” of our experience as humans. The good, the bad, the ugly, all of it.  And how this looking is a prerequisite for meaningful change and positive transformation at an individual and collective level. Also as part of our exploration of Looking, we will talk about how Jerry leverages a process he calls radical self-inquiry - inviting challenging and important questions for us to grapple with. Questions like: “How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don’t want?”And then broadening that question to: “How have I been complicit in, and benefited from, the conditions in the world I say I don’t want?” And, more importantly:“What do I need to give up that I love in order to have the systems of belonging that I want?”Jerry will share openly about how he has grappled with these questions for himself, and how in part that led to him writing Reunion.Chapter two of the conversation is about RememberingJerry and I will explore the work of remembering our ancestors, both the myths and the truths of their experience (something he focuses on in Reunion). He will share more about what he’s learned about his own ancestors, and how this process of remembering can help transform our ancestors from ghosts that may haunt us, into wise elders - whom we can learn from.Chapter three is about WholenessWe will discuss the topic of wholeness, the difference between wholeness and authenticity, and the importance of integrating all aspects of who we are so that we might become better people, and better leaders. Did you find this conversation inspiring? Check out other conversations with Jerry:The Future of Work: Love, Safety, and Belonging Leadership and the Art of Growing UpAbout Jerry:Jerry Colonna is the CEO and co-founder of Reboot.io, an executive coaching and leadership development firm dedicated to the notion that better humans make better leaders. For nearly 20 years, he has used the knowledge gained as an investor, an executive, and a board member for more than 100 organizations to help entrepreneurs and others to lead with humanity, resilience, and equanimity. Prior to his career as a coach, he was a partner with JPMorgan Partners (JPMP), the private equity arm of JP Morgan Chase.  To pick up a copy of Jerry's books or to learn more about his work visit Support the show