The Courageous Life

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. He believes not only that work does not have to destroy us, but that work can be the way to achieve our fullest selves. Jerry is the author of Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up. 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, which he launched 1996 with partner, Fred Wilson. Flatiron became one of the most successful, early-stage investment programs in the New York City area. You can learn more about Jerry at www.reboot.ioIn this episode Jerry and I discuss:The process of moving from reaction to choice in our livesHow slowing down and engaging in deep questions about what matters can be a radical actHow he defines "radical self-inquiry" and why this is so foundational to his work with leadersHow to let go of old patterns of behavior and ways of being that are no longer serving usStories from his 1x1 work with some of his coaching clientsWhy resilience and equanimity are the larger aims of the work he doesOvercoming fear through courage and curiosityThe importance of a compassionate approach when we reboot our lives, and the way we leadPlease rate the show on iTunes!Show notes can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening and enjoy the show!Support the show

Shauna Shapiro, PhD is a best-selling author, clinical psychologist and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and self-compassion. She is a professor at Santa Clara University and has published over 150 papers and three critically acclaimed books, translated into 16 languages. Her latest book, Good Morning I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity + Joy was released in January of 2020. Shauna has presented her research to the King of Thailand, the Danish Government, Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Summit, and the World Council for Psychotherapy, as well as to Fortune 100 Companies including Google, Cisco Systems and LinkedIn. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Mashable, Wired, USA Today, Dr. Oz, the Huffington Post, and the American Psychologist. Shauna is a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, co-founded by the Dalai Lama. Her TEDx Talk, The Power of Mindfulness, has been viewed over 1.5 million times. For more on Shauna visit www.drshaunashapiro.comIn this episode Shauna shares:How meditation helped her during one of the darkest times in her lifeInsights into her own personal mindfulness practice, including benefits she has experienced from meditatingTips for getting started with a daily mindfulness practiceThe IAA (Intention, Attention, Attitude) framework for practicing mindfulnessA simple equation for reducing suffering in our livesHow, and why, she let go of perfectionism and embraced self-compassion in her own lifeHow mindfulness and self-compassion practices can change your brain for greater calm, clarity, and joyWhy shame and self-criticism are poor strategies when it comes to achievementRate the show on iTunes!Show notes can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

Robin Dreeke is a best-selling author, professional speaker, trainer, facilitator, and retired FBI Special Agent and Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, which has been depicted in TV and movies, including the acclaimed show Mind Hunter on Netflix. Robin has taken his life's work of recruiting spies and broken down the art of leadership, communication, and relationship building into Five Steps to TRUST and Six Signs of who you can TRUST. Since 2010, Robin has been working with large corporations as well as small companies in every aspect of their business. Whether it is newly promoted leaders, executives, sales teams, or customer relations, Robin has crafted his People Formula for quick results and maximum success. He is the author of multiple books, including Sizing People Up, and The Code of Trust. Learn more about Robin at www.peopleformula.comIn this episode Robin shares: His background working in counterintelligence for the FBIWhat he learned about building trust from recruiting spies.Why building healthy professional relationships is one of the keys to living a fulfilling and meaningful lifeStrategies for regulating emotions and staying rational and calm under pressureWhy curiosity may be an antidote to fearHow to build trust in the face of division and tribalismAnd more!Please rate the show on iTunes!Show notes can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening and enjoy the show!Support the show

Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University who specializes in understanding the mind-body connection. As a pioneer in the field of "science-help," her mission is to translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and strengthen communities. She is the best-selling author of The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress. Through the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism, she helped create Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training, a program now taught around the world that helps individuals strengthen their empathy, compassion, and self-compassion. You might know her from her TED talk, "How to Make Stress Your Friend," which is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time, with over 20 million views. Her new book, The Joy of Movement, explores why physical exercise is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Learn more about Kelly at kellymcgongial.comIn this episode Kelly shares:Why reflecting on your values and clarifying what matters most to you can be one of the most powerful practices for changing habits and behaviorPractical skills for being able to better tolerate distress and discomfortStrategies for dealing with fear and cultivating courage including one of Kelly's favorite practicesMore skillful ways to navigate stressWhy asking for help, and receiving support from others can be a strength, and a form of self-compassionHow exercise and movement can create hope, courage, connection, and happiness in our lives (and some of the science as to why)Her process for creating powerful public talks, writing books, and connecting with audiencesPlease rate the show on iTunes!For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

Cory Muscara is an international speaker and teacher on the topics of presence and wellbeing. He has taught mindfulness-based leadership at Columbia University, and currently serves as an instructor of positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed his graduate work. In 2012, Cory spent six months in silence living as a monk in Burma, meditating 14-20 hours each day under the instruction of the late Sayadaw U Pandita. A frequent guest on the Dr. Oz show, he now aims to bring these teachings to people in a practical and relatable way, presenting to schools, organizations, and healthcare systems, as well as through workshops and retreats for the general public. Cory’s meditations have been heard more than 10 million times in over 50 countries. He looks forward to connecting with you through his first book, Stop Missing Your Life: How to Be Deeply Present in an Un-Present World. For more on Cory visit www.corymuscara.com.In this episode we explore: Cory’s journey around writing his new book, Stop Missing Your LifeInsights Cory gained in overcoming roadblocks in the creative processWhat presence is and why it is so important4 pillars for becoming more present in your life and relationshipsWhy curiosity is the opposite of fear and how it can help you to deepen presenceHow to let go of old habits that are no longer helpfulPractical strategies for building, or deepening a meditation practiceBenefits from practicing meditation more than you think you canPlease rate the show on iTunes! Find show notes for this episode at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

Parker J. Palmer is a writer, teacher, and activist. Founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, he has written ten books, including the bestselling Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, A Hidden Wholeness, Healing the Heart of Democracy, and On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and thirteen honorary doctorates. In 1998, The Leadership Project, a national survey of ten thousand educators, named Palmer as one of the thirty “most influential senior leaders” in higher education and one of the ten key “agenda-setters” of the past decade. Since 2002, the Accrediting Commission for Graduate Medical Education has given annual Parker J. Palmer “Courage to Teach” and “Courage to Lead” Awards to directors of exemplary medical residency programs around the U.S. In 2010, Palmer received the William Rainey Harper Award, whose previous recipients include Margaret Mead, Elie Wiesel, and Paolo Freire. In 2011, the Utne Reader named him one of 25 Visionaries on its annual list of “People Who are Changing the World.” To learn more about Parker and his latest project, The Growing Edge, please visit newcomerpalmer.comIn the first episode of Season 2 we explore: Some of Parker's personal story including challenges and adversities he has faced and how these have shaped his lifeWhat wholeness is and the courage it takes live an undivided lifeParker's insights about writing, speaking, and connecting with an audienceLessons Parker has learned about finding courage and working with fearThe power of reframing situations and circumstances one facesHow to listen deeplyFinding one's vocation in lifeHow to create conditions that foster courage in others And more!Please rate the show on iTunes and let us know what you think!For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

Mark Coleman has studied mindfulness meditation practices for three decades, and has taught mindfulness workshops and meditation retreats in six continents for the past twenty years.  He is a senior meditation teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a trainer for Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (developed at Google), and holds a MA in Clinical Psychology, drawing on his extensive experience in working with people as a therapist and coach. Mark leads Professional Mindfulness Teacher Trainings in the US and UK annually, and has brought mindfulness training programs to companies and the nonprofit sector across North America and Europe. He also leads wilderness meditation retreats from Alaska to Peru, taking people on inner and outdoor adventures through his organization Awake in the Wild. Mark is the author of several books including From Suffering to Peace: The True Promise of Mindfulness, Make Peace with Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Help Free You from the Inner Critic and Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery. For more, visit: www.markcoleman.orgIn this episode: Evolutionary reasons behind why we have an "inner critic"How and why the inner critic can hold us back in our livesMark's own journey with the inner critic, and how meditation has helped free him from it's negative impactThe importance of humor when dealing with the criticNeuroplasticity, and how meditation and compassion practices can change our brainsMark's favorite practices for working with the inner criticAnd more!For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastEnjoy the show and thanks for listening!Support the show

Bill Burnett is the Executive Director of the Design Program at Stanford. He directs the undergraduate and graduate program in design at Stanford, both interdepartmental programs between the Mechanical Engineering department and the Art department. He got his BS and MS in Product Design at Stanford and has worked professionally on a wide variety of projects ranging from award-winning Apple PowerBooks to the original Hasbro Star Wars action figures. Bill co teaches Designing Your Life, one of the most popular elective courses at Stanford. Centered on the principles taught in the Product Design Program and the d.school at Stanford, called “design thinking”, it is a process and a way of thinking about tough-to-solve problems. For more on Bill, his book Designing Your Life, and upcoming events please visit www.designingyour.lifeIn this episode: We unpack what life design really is, and how design thinking can be used to build a meaningful and fulfilling lifeLearn why "finding your passion" is often bad adviceBill shares findings from neuroscience about how the brains of the most creative people in the world are different and what we can learn from them about overcoming fear5 fundamentals of brainstorming that will help unlock innovative new possibilitiesWhat prototyping is and why it is important to designing your life For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

Ali Smith co-founded the Holistic Life Foundation in 2001, where he currently serves as Executive Director. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and graduate of the Friends School of Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park, receiving a BS in Environmental Science and Policy with a Biodiversity specialization.  He has over 15 years of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness to diverse populations. Through his work at the Holistic Life Foundation he has helped develop and pilot yoga and mindfulness programs at public and private schools, drug treatment centers, juvenile detention centers, mental crisis facilities, and retreat centers, nationally and internationally.  Ali has authored a series of children’s books, and co-authored several yoga and mindfulness based curriculum’s, as well as developed numerous workshops and training’s. His work with the Holistic Life Foundation has been featured on Making a Difference on the NBC Nightly News, CNN, and CBS, as well as O the Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Upworthy, Mindful Magazine, Yoga Journal, Shambala Sun, and many other publications.In this episode: Ali’s story about growing up, learning meditation, and starting a movement of bringing meditation and yoga into schools in BaltimoreHow Ali thinks about influencing and connecting with peopleHow meditation, and connecting with oneself can foster hope and inspire people to dreamThe origin story of the Holistic Life Foundation, from humble beginnings in the basement of one school to teaching contemplative practices to students around the worldThe transformative effects of meditation and yoga programs in schools including large scale reductions in fights, detentions, and suspensionsMoving from reaction to choice through learning meditation and yoga practicesAnd more!Please rate the show on iTunes!Show notes can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening and enjoy the show!Support the show

Oren Jay Sofer is the author of the acclaimed new book Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, a practical guidebook for having more effective, satisfying conversations. He is also co-author of two books on teaching mindfulness to teens and adolescents: The Mindful Schools Curriculum for Adolescents and Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Teens. Oren leads retreats and workshops on mindful communication and meditation at retreat centers and educational settings around the United States. A member of the Spirit Rock Teacher's Council, he holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, teaches in the Insight Meditation community, and is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication. Oren creates mindfulness training programs for a number of organizations, including Mindful Schools, Kaiser Permanente, Calm, SImple Habit, and 10% Happier. He is also the founder of Next Step Dharma and Mindful Healthcare. For more information, visit www.OrenJaySofer.com.In this episode:Oren shares his story of finding meditation and why he is so passionate about mindfulness and communicationOren discusses how mindfulness can be applied to communication to support more satisfying and effective conversationsWe discuss how to have difficult conversations including practical strategies for regulating your emotions, your body, and your mind when stressed, triggered, or upsetWe explore moving from reaction to choiceWe explore how to listen deeplyFor show notes visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastEnjoying the show? Please rate it on iTunes. Thanks for listening!Support the show