The Courageous Life

Today's guest is Shane O'Sullivan – an Executive, Leadership and Performance Coach at Inspiring Excellence, a company that focuses on empowering organizations and their people to achieve sustainable high performance. Shane has worked with some of the best in the world, training high performance principles and mindset skills essential to revealing one’s potential. Some of Shane’s clients include Fortune 50 Leaders, Multinational Corporations, CEO’s and Professional Athletes. In addition to his work as a performance coach he competed at the highest level of Ireland's national sport of Hurling for 20 years. Throughout his storied career he won numerous national honors and competed in Ireland’s most iconic sporting events, the All-Ireland Hurling Finals.  Today we’ll dive into some of the things he’s learned about performance, excellence, and success both on and off the field. In this wide ranging and heartfelt conversation Shane will share:Key insights for performing at a high levelSome of his favorite coaching techniques for unlocking the potential of his clientsThe types of mindsets and beliefs that can foster success and fulfillmentWhat he learned from his dad during the time he was alive, and in his death, about living well and what really mattersThe role of compassion and kindness in high performance environmentsKeys to resilience in the face of challenges and adversityFinding the courage to live an authentic life, true to one's selfAnd more!More about Shane O'SullivanShane’s work as a coach focuses on the principles of high performance and mindset training with Inspiring Excellence, the organization he leads. Inspiring Excellence has conducted work across 5 continents, in over 30 of the worlds major cities and with some of the worlds leading organizations. You can learn more about Shane’s work at inspiringexcellence.ie or you can connect by following him on LinkedIn.Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are more conversations we think you'll love:Steph Labbé - The Courage to Become Your Best SelfDr. E. Elisbaet Lahti - Shifting the Way We Define True StrengthEnjoying the show! Please rate it on Apple Podcasts!Interested in joining the Practicing Courage Community? You can learn more and join for free here!Thanks for listening!Support the show

When your heart begins to close, how can you find ways to open it again? First offered by Mark Nepo in our conversation from 2018, this has become a central question I've been exploring on the Courageous Life for years. Today's practice will invite you to pause, reflect, and explore this question as you move forward through your week and beyond.As you listen you'll be invited to engage in a brief guided practice, and you'll be exposed to intriguing findings from neuroscientists and leading emotion researchers. Additionally, you'll gain insights that I've distilled from the podcast for opening the heart and mind, and ultimately moving from contracted states to more expansive ones. Some of which include:Opening to learning, possibility, and growth (vs. closing off or shutting down)Responding from a place of choice (vs. reactivity)And moving from fear to loveThanks for practicing with us!And remember, courage is contagious. If you know someone who would benefit from today’s practice or the FREE practice library please share. The practice library is here: https://www.practicingcourage.com/join-librarySupport the show

Welcome back to the Practicing Courage Community - a space where we are dedicated to exploring what it means to live well, and engaging in practices that support finding the courage to do so. To support your own exploration of these deep and personal questions, once-a-week I will be offering you a brief practice that will infuse storytelling, research, and tips for making the most of whatever tool or practice may be offered. Today's practice: The Keys to ResiliencePart of the journey of living well is gaining clarity about what really matters to you, and then pursuing a life that is in greater alignment with whatever that may look like.In that pursuit there will inevitably be times where one stumbles, falls, or fails.Today’s practice is about these moments, and how we can meet them in ways that give rise to resilience, and the courage to keep going.You'll be be invited to explore a multi-step process of bringing awareness, curiosity, reframing, and compassion to moments where you may fall short, stumble, or fail.When meeting moments in these ways, you may notice more energy to push forward, more courage to get up and try again, and greater satisfaction when you succeed.Ready to dive in? Let's begin. Thanks for practicing with us!Did you find today's practice valuable? Remember, courage is contagious. If you know someone who would benefit from today’s practice please share. All practices can be found for free in our Practice Library. Access the library here: https://www.practicingcourage.com/join-libraryInterested in taking a deeper dive into practices that support greater calm, clarity, courage, and meaningful connection?In an effort to create a delightful and seamless on-demand practice experience we created The Practice Pass, an annual membership that gives you access to all of this dynamic original content including both live and on-demand learning experiences.If you sign up up for the Practice Pass you’ll receive:Existing on-demand meditation challenges: The Practicing Courage ChallengeThe 5-Day Transforming Stress Challenge3 NEW live challenges each year. Future topics may include: finding purpose, building new habits, courageous conversations, authentic living, navigating transitions, letting go, and finding ease in challenging times. Any LIVE challenge during a year will be made available on-demand afterward which you will have access to as a Practice Pass member.Learn more and register for the pass here: https://www.practicingcourage.com/signup-practice-pass-JoshuaSupport the show

Today’s guest is Kelli Harding - a medical and public health doctor based in New York City whose goal is to make the world a kinder and healthier place for everybody. She wrote a critically acclaimed book about social connection and health, The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness. As a medical doctor Kelli believes everybody deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and kindness while receiving the best evidence-based medical care. She is Board-certified in Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, and trained in psychiatry and research at Columbia University, where she continues to teach. She also has a degree in public health from Columbia University.  Kelli's work has been featured across media outlets including on Today, Good Morning America, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Medscape, BBC World, Oprah.com, The World Economic Forum, LA Times, Parents Magazine, and Prevention. She’s also the co-founder of Our Kind of Club, a global, inclusive, action-oriented kindness movement—you can learn more and sign up at kellihardingmd.comKelli shares:  "All my years of education and research have taught me that the best care comes down to treating every person with kindness."In today’s episode we dive deep into Kelli's work around kindness, including: Kelli’s journey in medicine, how she found kindness, and why it’s become a central focus in her work, and everything she doesThe health implications of kindnessPractices for incorporating kindness into the busyness of everyday lifeKelli’s incredible story of meeting a Nobel Peace Prize winner and what she learned from her about kindness and compassionKelli’s thoughts about kindness as a form of courage, including responding to harsh circumstances and adversity with an open heartKelli’s views on whether kindness has a role in high performance cultures in healthcare and beyondThe role of kindness in a life well lived and why kindness may be what matters most at the end of lifeDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you’ll love:Kelly McGonigal: Finding the Hope, Courage, and Connection to TransformShauna Shapiro: How Mindfulness Rewires Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and JoyThe Practicing Courage Community launched last week. This is a free space where we are dedicated to exploring what it means to live well, and engaging in practices that support finding the courage to do so. In less than a week hundreds of people around the world have already joined the community. If you’re a part of it, thank you for joining. If you haven’t joined yet, but are curious about it you can find all the details and sign up for free at practicing courage.com/join-communityPlease rate the show on iTunes!Thanks for listening!Support the show

Welcome to Practicing Courage - a space where we are dedicated to exploring what it means to live well, and engaging in practices that support finding the courage to do so. To support your own exploration of these deep and personal questions, once-a-week I will be offering you a brief practice that will infuse storytelling, research, and tips for making the most of whatever tool or practice may be offered. You’ll be able to find all of these recordings here on the Courageous Life podcast feed under the mini episodes that have “Practicing Courage” in the title, or at https://www.practicingcourage.com/join-library, which is a free space where we are housing all of the practices over time. The hope being that are able to choose to access them in whatever way is easiest and most preferable for you.The micro-practices will vary widely in content coming from my own experiences of exploring these questions over my career - including conversations on The Courageous Life, teaching positive psychology and mindfulness, and my work as a coach.Today, we are kicking things off with:An introduction to this communityThe intention of offering a space like thisHighlights from the science of courageAn inspiring clip from a conversation with Amy EdmondsonAnd a simple 3-part practice for finding more courage in the midst of our busy day-to-day experiences as well as tips for how to make the most of it.Thanks for practicing with us!Find out more at https://www.practicingcourage.com/join-libraryAnd remember, courage is contagious. If you know someone who would benefit from today’s practice please share!Support the show

There is a metaphor that comes out of ancient wisdom traditions of a bird. One wing of the bird represents wisdom and the other represents compassion. In order to fly the bird needs both wings. Like the bird, as people and leaders, cultivating wisdom and compassion in our lives, and in our organizations may help us to realize our potential. This metaphor serves as the centerpiece of our conversation today as Dr. Leah Weiss and Jerry Colonna dive deep into the power of compassion at work.This episode is the third installment of a 4-part series showcasing leading researchers and practitioners who are exploring themes related to compassion, courage, and living with a more open, kind, and loving stance toward the world. The first two episodes featured Sharon Salzberg and Barbara Fredrickson, as well as James Doty and Jacinta Jiménez. In this deep and inspiring conversation Leah and Jerry share: Why they have infused compassion and mindfulness so centrally in their work with leaders and organizationsWhy empathy, safety, love, and belonging may be the most important qualities for leaders to focus onThe role of suffering and a broken heart in compassionate leadershipUsing work as a crucible for realizing our potentialThe power of asking open questions, slowing down, and listening deeplyHow to navigate anger in organizationsReflections and insights on opening the heart in difficult conversationsThe importance of kinship and recognizing our shared common humanity**Please note: In this conversation Jerry and Leah share past experiences related to acute mental health issues and suicide. There is a possibility that some may find parts of this episode triggering. Please listen at your own discretion and in a caring and supportive way for you. Additionally, if you or someone you know is experiencing mental health issues, including those related to suicide please reach out for help. The International Association for Suicide Prevention is one organization that offers lots of free support, helplines, and resources globally. You can find them at https://www.iasp.info/ **More about Jerry:Jerry Colonna is the CEO, and co-founder, of Reboot.io, an executive coaching and leadership development firm whose coaches and facilitators are committed 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. Previous to his career as a coach he was a partner with JPMorgan Partners (JPMP), the private equity arm of JP Morgan Chase. He joined JPMP from Flatiron Partners. For more on Jerry please visit reboot.ioMore about Leah:Dr. Leah Weiss is a researcher, lecturer, consultant, and author. She teaches Compassionate Leadership at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is a founding faculty member of Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Program. In 2019, she co-founded Skylyte, a company that specializes in using the latest neuroscience and behavior change to empower high-performing leaders and managers to prevent burnout for themselves and their teams. Leah has taught and spoken in over 75 organizations across sectors. Her work has been covered by news outlets around the world, including BBC, the New York Times, TED, the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, and countless others. For more about Leah visit: https://leahweissphd.com/Support the show

For some time The Courageous Life has featured conversations with people who are leading the way when it comes to researching, practicing, and teaching about ancient virtues like courage, kindness, empathy, compassion, humility, and love. Together we have explored the intersection between ancient wisdom traditions and modern science; discussing insights, tools, and practices that can be used to help people live well in the reality of our busy everyday experience. Today’s guest, Dr. Stephen G. Post, is a trailblazer in this space. He has helped to push so much of this work forward through his leadership in the fields of medicine, positive psychology, and spirituality.  As part of his groundbreaking work, Stephen founded the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, which researches and distributes knowledge on kindness, giving, and spirituality. We'll dive into this and much more in today's episode!In this deep and wide-ranging conversation we explore a variety of highlights from Stephen's pioneering career including:A variety of stories that offer a glimpse into some of the key moments that helped to shape the work he is doing today, including the amazing origin story of how, with the help of Sir John Templeton, he founded the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love. Why we lose access to compassion and empathy in busy environments, and a simple 3-step process for counteracting this, which he uses with healthcare workers and medical students.Practices to develop our ability to listen more fully and deeply. Highlights from his work on giving - including why How much you give isn’t as important as how much kindness you put into the giving.Some of the most intriguing research findings on giving, kindness, and love.The backstory on how the field of positive psychology was founded, and how an evidence-based book of character strengths and virtues came to be.Insights from his work on forgiveness and compassionate caregiving.More about Stephen: Stephen G. Post, PhD is an international speaker, and best selling author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People. He is also a frequent contributor to major magazines and newspapers including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine. He has also been interviewed on major broadcasts, including ABC 20/20, Nightline, The Daily Show, John Stossel, “Talk of the Nation,” and The Mehmet Oz Show. He is the founder and director of the Stony Brook Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics. A leader in medicine, research and religion. Visit him online at StephenGPost.com and UnlimitedLoveInstitute.org.Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love!Dr. James Doty - Into the Magic ShopDr. Daryl Van Tongeren - The Transformative Power of HumilityEnjoying the show? Please rate it on iTunes!Thanks for listening!Support the show

Marc Lesser is a speaker, workshop leader, and executive coach. He is the CEO of ZBA Associates, an executive development and leadership consulting company and has led mindfulness and emotional intelligence programs at many of the world’s leading businesses and organizations including Google, SAP, Genentech, and Kaiser Permanente. Marc helped develop the world-renowned Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program within Google - a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training for leaders. He was also the founder and CEO of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI). He has authored 5 books. His most recent is: Finding Clarity (which we explore in depth in this conversation). Prior to his successful business and coaching career, he was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the Western world. For more on Marc please visit marclesser.netIn this episode:Marc’s inspiring story about his somewhat non-traditional career path, and how he found the clarity and courage to pursue itThe importance of finding time to get quiet, and the practice of listening to our inner voice that may offer insight into what will contribute to deeper meaningThe role of compassion and an open heart when it comes to performance and accountabilityHow to receive feedback more skillfullyInsights from helping to build the world renowned Search Inside Yourself mindfulness and emotional intelligence at GoogleMarc’s answer to the age old question, what’s the least amount of meditation I  can do to get the most benefit?How to turn breakdowns, failures, and missteps into breakthroughsMoving from reactivity to responsiveness and how this can contribute to vibrant relationshipsSome of Marc’s favorite practices for cultivating an open heart and greater compassion in life and leadership Please rate the show on iTunes!Did you enjoy this episode? Here are two others we think you will find inspiring:Parker Palmer Part Two: Reflections on the Power of Living With an Open HeartTal Ben-Shahar: Letting go of Perfection and Finding HappinessThanks for listening! Support the show

Today we're continuing our four-part series on the power of compassion with a deep, insightful, and moving conversation between Dr. Jacinta Jiménez and Dr. James Doty. Each episode in the series will showcase a powerful duo made up of a leading researcher and practitioner who will explore themes related to compassion, courage, and living with a more open, kind, and loving stance toward the world. If you happened to miss the first installment in the series with Barbara Fredrickson and Sharon Salzberg you can go back and listen to it now. It's become one of the most popular conversations in the show's history and we hope you enjoy this part two conversation just as much! In today’s episode Jacinta and James will explore: How moving from fear to love can be a powerful catalyst for wellbeing, performance, and flourishing in life and workA personal story from Jacinta about the power of having someone who sees you, and creates spaces for belongingThe research backed benefits of belonging, compassion, and kindness The argument for compassion and kindness at work and how these qualities can both fit into, and enhance, performance culturesHow qualities like compassion, empathy, and altruism can be learnedTools for practicing compassion in daily lifeLeadership practices for creating environments of careAnd more!More about Dr. Doty:James R. Doty, M.D. is an Adjunct Professor and the Founder & Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University School of Medicine. As the Director of CCARE, he has spearheaded research projects on compassion and altruism, and their relationship to the brain. He is also an inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discovery the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart. Dr. Doty is also the senior editor of the Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science.More about Dr. Jiménez:Jacinta Jiménez, (also known as “Dr. J”) is an award-winning Stanford-trained Psychologist and Board-Certified Leadership Coach with a 20+ year career dedicated to the betterment of individuals, leaders, and top organizations in Silicon Valley and throughout the world. Sought-after for her expertise bridging the fields of psychology and leadership she regularly contributes to international news and TV outlets, including CNN/HLN, Business Insider, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company. Her book, The Burnout Fix debuted as #1 New Release on Amazon, has been recognized by Business Insider as a top book to read about burnout, and was the winner in getAbstract’s prestigious 2021 International Book of the Year Reader's Choice Award.  More about Dr. J: drjacintajimenez.comLearn more about the Practicing Courage Challenge HEREDid you find this episode inspiring? We think you'll love these conversations too: The Power of Compassion: Part 1 with Sharon Salzberg and Barbara FredricksonDr. James Doty: Into the Magic Shop Thanks for listening!Support the show

Today's guest, Dr. Marc Brackett, is on a mission to educate the world about the value of emotions and the skills associated with using them wisely. “I want everyone to become an emotion scientist”, he says. “We need to be curious explorers of our own and others’ emotions so they can help us achieve our goals and improve our lives.”In this deep dive conversation, Marc and I explore themes from his book Permission to Feel  as well as his broader work as a leader in the field of emotional intelligence, including:Some of his story and how events in his childhood including surviving abuse led to his dedication to the work he does todayWhy people so often suppress emotions and what happens in our brains and bodies when we doWhy it’s so important to ask people “how are you feeling?” and to genuinely listen to the answerThe story of his Uncle Marvin, and what he learned from him about the power of creating safe spacesHighlights from the biggest study he has ever conducted and the case for empathy, compassion, non-judgment, and good listening as life changing qualities for leaders, parents, and individuals.An introduction to the RULER skills (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions)How he uses the RULER skills in his own life to navigate daily challenges, enhance wellbeing, and stay on track with goals that are important to himThe link between emotions and performance - why and how emotions matter when it comes to thriving teams and organizationsWhy giving people the permission to feel may be one of the most important things we can do to help people thrive at work and in life. More about Marc: Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine. As a researcher for over 20 years, Marc has focused on the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, health, and performance. His book, Permission To Feel,  has been translated into 22 languages. Most recently, with Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann, Marc and his team co-created the Apple award-winning app, HowWeFeel, that was designed to teach emotion skills and enhance well-being. Marc is the lead developer of RULER, a systemic, evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by over 5,000 schools across the United States and has reached over 4 million children. Marc regularly consults with large companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft on best practices for integrating the principles of emotional intelligence into training and product design. For more please visit: https://www.marcbrackett.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are more episodes we think you’ll love!Dr. Jud Brewer - Is Curiosity is a Superpower?Kelly McGonigal - Finding the Hope, Connection, and Courage to TransformEnjoying the show? Please rate it on iTunes!Thanks for listeninSupport the show