The Courageous Life

Fred Guttenberg began his public life after the murder of his beautiful 14-year-old daughter Jaime in the Parkland school shooting on Feb 14, 2018.  The day after the murder, Fred decided to attend a public vigil in Parkland.  While there, the Mayor asked him to speak.  His words shook a nation and he has not stopped since. Only four months prior to the murder of his daughter, Fred's brother Michael passed away in October 2017 from cancer related to his service in 9/11.  He was one of the original first responders at the World Trade Center with a team of doctors who got trapped in the building as it collapsed. Amazingly, the room that they hid out in did not collapse and Michael and his team of physicians spent 16 days at ground zero taking care of others. Following his involvement in these two distinct American Tragedies, Fred has traveled the country talking about both events but also talking about perspective, perseverance, and resilience.  He discusses pivotal moments in life and how we respond to those moments.  Fred uses his speech to inspire others. Learn more about Fred's work at orangeribbonsforjaime.org and pick up his book, Find the Helpers: What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me About Recovery, Purpose, and Hope now. In this episode Fred and I discuss themes from his new book Find the Helpers including:Who his helpers are and how they have helped him to deal with grief, transform pain into purpose, and find hope after Parkland and 9/11What Joe Biden taught him about griefHow he has been able to respond to acts of hate from a place of compassion, and loveThe importance of community when it comes to being resilientPractical strategies for overcoming 'us and them' thinkingMore about his mission of reducing gun violence, and some of the incredible progress that has been made in terms of new laws and bills, including Jaime's Law that honors his daughter's death by continuing to save lives in her nameWhy it's not what happens to you, but your response that matters mostAnd more!Rate the show on iTunes! Find show notes and more at joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastSupport the show

Sharon Salzberg is a central figure in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher and NY Times bestselling author. She has played a crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to the West and into mainstream culture since 1974, when she first began teaching. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and the author of over ten books including NY Times bestseller, Real Happiness, her seminal work, Lovingkindness, Real Love, and her latest release Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World. Acclaimed for her humorous, down-to-earth teaching style, Sharon offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. She is a regular columnist for On Being, a contributor to Huffington Post, and the host of her own podcast: The Metta Hour. For more, visit www.SharonSalzberg.com.In this episode Sharon and I discuss themes related to her new book Real Change including:How to deal with strong emotions using mindfulnessWorking with anger in a skillful way, harnessing it's benefits for action while not getting overwhelmed by itFinding joy today, in the face of these tumultuous timesWhy joy is a strategy for resilienceEquanimity and how to find a sense of balance even in the face of tremendous challenges like the pandemic, election stress, or other adversityMoving away from us and them thinking by embracing common humanityFinding compassion for people we may disagree with or not likePlease rate the show on iTunes!Find show notes and more at joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastSupport the show

Tal Ben-Shahar is an author and lecturer.  He taught two of the largest classes in Harvard University’s history, Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership.  Today, Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, the general public, and at-risk populations.  The topics he lectures on include leadership, happiness, education, innovation, ethics, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages, and have appeared on best-sellers lists around the world. Tal is a serial entrepreneur, and is the co-founder and chief learning officer of Happiness Studies Academy, Potentialife, Maytiv, and Happier.TV. An avid sportsman, Tal won the U.S. Intercollegiate and Israeli National squash championships. Find out more about Tal at talbenshahar.comIn this episode we discuss:Perfectionism - what it is, how it works, and how to work with this tendency more skillfully in one's lifeHow Tal works with perfectionism in his own lifeThe power of acceptance and why this is such a powerful approach to working with perfectionism and finding happinessDetails on Tal's approach to teaching and speaking. How he prepares, and thinks about connecting with his audienceWhy reminders are so critical to a happier and more optimal way of living and workingStrategies and approaches for increasing gratitude, and for working with difficult emotionsAnd more!Please rate the show on iTunes!For show notes and more visit joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

Chris Germer, PhD is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In 2007, Chris began collaborating with Kristin Neff, psychology professor at the University of Texas, Austin, and pioneering researcher on self-compassion.  In 2009, he wrote the book, The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, and, in 2010, Chris and Kristin co-developed Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), an empirically-supported, 8-week training program for the general public.  The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion was established in 2012 and since then tens of thousands of people have learned MSC. Additionally, they have co-authored two books on MSC, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program. Chris spends most of his time lecturing and leading workshops around the world on mindfulness and self-compassion, supporting MSC teachers and students, and maintaining a modest psychotherapy practice. To learn more about Chris, check out chrisgermer.comIn this episode Chris and I explore: How compassion meditation helped him overcome a long battle with public speaking anxietyHow acceptance can be a powerful way to reduce suffering and stressFierce compassion, and why compassion can be a form of courageWhat self-compassion is and what it's notThe myths and misconceptions about self-compassionWhy self-compassion helps build resilience, enhance motivation, and improve relationshipsThe health benefits of self-compassionHow self-compassion can be an antidote to shamePractical strategies for building mindfulness and compassion in one's lifeAnd more!Please rate the show on iTunes!For show notes and more visit joshuasteinfeldt.comSupport the show

Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé has been part of the Canadian Women’s Soccer program since 2002. She made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016 where she started five of six games, allowing just four goals, as Team Canada won the bronze medal. Labbé was on the Canadian roster for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011, 2015, and 2019 (starting all 4 games in 2019). Labbé played collegiate soccer for the University of Connecticut. In her senior year she was named the 2008 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year. Labbé is the current starting goalkeeper for the professional team the North Carolina Courage. Learn more about Steph at stephlabbe.com or on instagram @stephlabbe1In this episode Steph shares: Her inspiring story of walking away from the Canadian National Team to work on herself, and how she came back stronger, happier, and better than ever. Tips and strategies for performing under pressure and boosting resilienceHow to learn from failureMindset practices for dealing with uncertainty, particularly during COVIDThe importance of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and allow you to be who you areKey learnings from her ongoing journey toward living a more authentic life The importance of humor for getting through challenging timesTips for anyone looking to pursue really big dreams and goalsAnd more!If you enjoy this conversation, please rate the show on iTunes!You can find show notes at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

When the Hockley family relocated from England to Connecticut in the winter of 2011 it was the realization of a family dream. Ian had visited the United States regularly since childhood, Nicole was from Rhode Island and Jake was born on the 4th of July; in many ways it was coming home.They moved to the idyllic town of Sandy Hook which Ian selected after touring the beautiful neighborhoods and meeting the staff at the elementary school, knowing Dylan especially would get a fantastic start as they made their new life. This bright beginning ran full force into the American nightmare on December 14th, 2012 when Dylan was shot and killed in his first-grade classroom alongside 19 of his fellow students and six educators in one of the worst mass shootings in recent U.S. history. Ian and Nicole created Dylan’s Wings of Change, dedicated to his memory with a mission to inspire empathy, courage & hope. everywhere. Working with experts the foundation created Wingman, a program of experiential learning activities that foster deeper conversations, stronger teams and more connected communities. Wingman is effective for humans of all ages and works especially well as a peer-led social and emotional learning program both in and out of schools.Ian now works full time for the foundation, serving as Executive Director, and is dedicated to spreading the message of acceptance and inclusion for all. He warmly shares Dylan’s story with the world, the 6-year old boy who had his own way of communicating, who radiated pure love and described himself as “a beautiful butterfly” to his mother. Ian addresses the epidemic of social isolation and exclusion today and the need for social and emotional programming everywhere.In this episode we explore:More about Ian's story and the events that occurred on December 14, 2012His road to healingHis motivation for spreading messages of love, kindness, and empathy after experiencing acts of hate and violenceDetails about the Wingman Program and Dylans Wings of ChangeHow the Wingman Program promotes social and emotional learning, and positive leadership in schools Why Ian views empathy as an antidote for our timeWhy it is so important to focus on the things we have, as opposed to things we don't, in the face of adversityAnd much more!For more about Ian please visit Dylanswingsofchange.orgIf you enjoyed this episode please rate the show on iTunesShow notes can be found at joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

Scholars, consultants, teachers, and researchers Monica Worline and Jane Dutton are co-authors of the book Awakening Compassion at Work. Monica and Jane are co-founders of the CompassionLab, the world’s leading collaboratory for research on compassion and work organizations. Working together for more than fifteen years, Monica and Jane offer key insights regarding the value of compassion for addressing pain people bring into the workplace and pain that is created in the conduct of daily work. Monica and Jane teach and consult with leaders, managers, students, and change agents in a variety of organizations who are striving to awaken compassion in their work lives. For more on Monica and Jane, including their background and the important work they are doing please check out https://awakeningcompassionatwork.comIn this episode we explore: The stories behind how Monica and Jane got interested in studying, researching, and teaching compassion.The 4 parts of compassionTraining compassion - looking at compassion as a skill that can be developedThe importance of noticing suffering and how to do so in organizationsHow, and why, the stories we tell ourselves about other people amplify (or hinder) our ability to be compassionateThe business case for compassionWays to build compassion into processes, roles, and routines within organizationsAnd more!Enjoying the show? Please take a moment and rate the Courageous Life on iTunes. Looking for more resources or references from the show? Check out the show notes for this episode at www.joshuasteinfeldt.comMore about Monica Worline: Monica C. Worline, Ph.D., is founder and CEO of EnlivenWork, an innovation organization that teaches businesses and others how to tap into courageous thinking, compassionate leadership, and the curiosity to bring their best work to life. She is a research scientist at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and Executive Director of CompassionLab, the world’s leading research collaboratory focused on compassion at work. Monica holds a lectureship at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and is affiliate faculty at the Center for Positive Organizations.More about Jane Dutton: Jane E. Dutton, Ph.D., is the Robert L. Kahn Distinguished University Professor of Business Administration and Psychology at the Ross School of Business. She is a co-founder of the Center for Positive Organizations, and passionate about cultivating human flourishing at work. Her research focuses on compassion, job crafting, high quality connections, and meaning making at work.  She has written over 100 articles and published 13 books, including How to be a Positive Leader: Small Actions, Big Impact.Thanks for listening!Support the show

Please enjoy this free BONUS guided meditation from Rick Hanson. This brief practice is the second of 7 practices outlined in Rick’s new book, Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness. This meditation focuses on warming the heart. For more on Rick please listen to our most recent conversation (episode 49), or our first conversation on the topic of resilience in episode 12 of the Courageous Life. You can also check out rickhanson.net.Support the show

Please enjoy this free BONUS guided meditation from Rick Hanson. This brief practice is the first of 7 practices outlined in Rick’s new book, Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness. This meditation focuses on steadying the mind. For more on Rick please listen to our most recent conversation (episode 49), or our first conversation on the topic of resilience in episode 12 of the Courageous Life. You can also check out rickhanson.net.Support the show

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author. His books have been published in 29 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Just One Thing, and Mother Nurture. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on the BBC, CBS, NPR, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. For more about Rick, his teachings, books, and events please visit rickhanson.net.Rick is back for round 2! In this episode we explore:How he thinks about the heights of human potential What he has learned from exemplars, neuroscience, and decades of meditation experience about realizing one’s potential7 practices for achieving the highest happinessHEAL - a practice for turning positive states into lasting traitsHow Rick thinks about being driven, and achieve-oriented while simultaneously having a sense of easeWhat Rick learned from the Dalai Lama’s body guard about being tough and lovingSome of my experiences with Rick as a participant on two of his 10-day meditation retreatsAnd more!Please also check out the BONUS meditations that Rick has generously shared which focus on the first two (of 7) practices from his new book, Neurodharma. You can find these listed as bonus episodes of the Courageous Life.Interested in learning more from Rick? Check out episode 12 of the Courageous Life where we explored the topic of resilience. Enjoying the show? Please let us know by rating the Courageous Life on iTunes! Show notes can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening! Support the show