The Courageous Life

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

Douglas Stone is a Founder of Triad Consulting Group and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches negotiation. Through Triad, he consults to a wide range of organizations, including Fidelity, Honda, HP, IBM, Merck, Microsoft, and Shell. Doug is co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most (Penguin 2000), and Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (Even When It’s Off-Base, Unfair, Poorly Delivered and Frankly, You’re Not in the Mood) (Viking/Penguin 2014). His articles on negotiation and conflict resolution have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Boston Globe. He has appeared on many TV and radio shows, including Oprah. For more on Doug please visit www.triadconsultinggroup.comIn this episode we cover a wide array of topics including:-The three types of feedback (coaching, evaluation, and recognition), what they are, why they are important, and why we so often miss the mark with feedback-What gets in the way of receiving feedback-How to deliver feedback more effectively -The importance of moving from judgment to curiosity (and compassion) to foster learning-Why stories are so important in difficult conversations-Strategies and insights for engaging in difficult conversations more skillfully-And much more!For show notes and more please visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastTake a moment and let us know what you think about the show by rating it on iTunes or writing a review. Thanks for listening and enjoy the show!Support the show

Amy C. Edmondson, PhD, 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. Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 and was honored with the Talent Award in 2017. If you are not familiar with Thinkers50 it has been described as “The Oscars of Management Thinking.” This year (2019) Amy Edmondson is nominated for the Breakthrough Idea award. Her work on psychological safety is considered to be thinking that has the potential to change the world. Dr. Edmondson studies teaming, psychological safety, and leadership. Her new book,The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth (Wiley, 2018), offers a practical guide for organizations serious about success in the modern economy. In this episode we explore:-Amy's unexpected journey to discovering the importance of psychological safety-Why fear is not an effective motivator for learning, teamwork, and innovation-A closer look at organizations like Pixar and how they have built strong psychological safety within their teams-How psychological safety is a catalyst for courage-Practical strategies for creating psychological safety-How leaders can make, or break, psychological safety within organizational cultures-And more!Please take a moment and rate the show on iTunes!For show notes and all other episodes visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

Kevin Cashman is a best-selling author, global thought leader, CEO Advisor, keynote speaker, and pioneer of the ‘grow the whole person to grow the whole leader’ approach to transformative leadership. He is the founder of LeaderSource Ltd, and the Chief Executive Institute® recognized as one of the top three leadership development programs globally. In 2006, LeaderSource was acquired by Korn Ferry, where Kevin is now Global Leader of CEO and Executive Development across 130 offices that touch the lives of 100,000+ leaders monthly. Kevin has advised thousands of CEOs, senior executives and senior teams in more than 80 countries worldwide. He has written six books including Leadership from the Inside Out, named the #1 best-selling business book of 2000 by CEO-READ and is now used at over 150 universities globally. You can find out more about Kevin at www.cashmanleadership.comIn this episode we explore a wide range of topics related to leadership including:The importance of, and challenges with, bringing your whole self to workWhy the art of asking questions is one of the most effective ways to influenceThe courage it takes to grow authentically as a leaderThe importance of storytelling to inspireWhy courage may be the most important quality in leadership developmentAnd more!For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastEnjoying the show? Let us know! Rate the show on iTunes. Thanks for listening!Support the show

Brianna Booth, Ph.D. is the Director of Positive Sexuality at Stanford University. Compelled by a deep belief that we as a society can do better on the challenges of sexuality, Brianna aims to transform the cultural conversation to more fundamentally level-up on both the challenges and possibilities of sexuality. She earned her PhD in Human Sexuality Studies, focusing her research on the lived experience of sexuality and the skills of navigating it well. Brianna is working with students to create a series of programs for undergraduates--Beyond Sex Ed--which take a whole-person, whole-culture approach, centering on student storytelling, the skills for growth and connection, and a recognition of sexuality as an integral part of what it is to be human.In this episode we explore:Why listening is the first and most advanced skill of sexualityBrianna’s courageous story of starting a movement to expand how we conceive of, and discuss the topic of sexualityThe importance of storytelling - how stories foster connection, intimacy, and courageHer groundbreaking approach to teaching sexuality at StanfordHow to develop self-trustWhat positive sexuality is, and why Brianna is so passionate about itPlease take a moment and rate the show on iTunes.For show notes and more visit https://www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!Support the show

In this episode I sat down with bestselling author, TED speaker, and acclaimed psychologist, Dr. Meg Jay. I had been looking forward to this conversation for years, and it did not disappoint. In this episode we explore Meg's wisdom and insights related to her recent book, Supernormal - The Untold Story of Adversity and Resilience, including:How we can build resilienceHow love can transform the effects of adversity and trauma (and the science behind it)The relationship between courage, empathy, and deep listeningHow to support friends, colleagues, and loved ones in the face of adversityHow to challenge the stories we tell ourselves and how learning this skill leads to resilienceWhy the past does not define the futureAnd much more!Links to show notes, resources, and more can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastPlease take a moment to rate the show on iTunes!Meg Jay's background:Meg Jay is a clinical psychologist and a narrative nonfiction writer. In her books, she weaves the latest research with what she hears everyday: the behind-closed-doors stories of real people.In Supernormal, Dr. Jay reveals the secret world of the family hero: those who soar to unexpected heights after childhood adversity. In The Defining Decade, Dr. Jay elevates what it means to be a twentysomething. She argues that, rather than a developmental downtime, the twenties are a developmental sweetspot: a time when the things we do—and the things we don’t do—will have an enormous impact across years and even generations to come. The Defining Decade has been published in more than a dozen countries. Her related TED talk — “Why 30 Is Not the New 20” — has been viewed more than 10 million times. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, O Magazine, and on the BBC, NPR and TED. For more about Meg please visit www.megjay.comSupport the show

In this episode I sat down with acclaimed author, trauma expert, leadership coach, and renowned mindfulness teacher, Dr. David Treleaven. This wide-ranging conversation included a variety of topics related to his recent book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness including: David's experiences and challenges with meditationWhy David is so passionate about looking at mindfulness from a trauma-informed perspectiveThe dangers of viewing mindfulness as a panacea and why mindfulness is not always beneficialWays to engage in meditation and mindfulness practice that maximize the benefits while minimizing potential downsidesWhat trauma is, and why David believes that a greater understanding of trauma can make the benefits of mindfulness even more powerful Ways to stay engaged and present in difficult conversationsHow organizations and leaders can build more positive and inclusive cultures Practical strategies to stay grounded when triggered or overwhelmedIf you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and rate the show on iTunes. You can also find show notes and links to all episodes at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcastThanks for listening!David's Background:David Treleaven, PhD, is an acclaimed author, educator, and trauma professional whose work focuses on the intersection of mindfulness and trauma. Utilizing contemporary research to inform best practices, David has offered workshops on trauma-sensitive mindfulness at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, as well as keynote speeches at the Omega Institute in New York and the Institute for Mindfulness in South Africa in Johannesburg. Trained in counseling psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, he received his doctorate in psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is currently a visiting scholar at Brown University. You can find out more about David, his teachings, and his book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness at www.davidtreleaven.comSupport the show