The Courageous Life

What if the time is never coming when you’re ‘on top of things’, or finally feel like you know what you’re doing? For years, New York Times Bestselling author Oliver Burkeman has dared to ask provocative questions like these. The sort of questions that invite us to examine popular cultural views about what it means to work and live well. In his beautiful and brilliant books, his longtime column in...

Dr. Jonathan Fisher, is a Harvard educated cardiologist, a mindfulness teacher, and an outspoken leader passionate about helping to end the epidemic of clinician burnout in healthcare.    In sharing his own story he writes:     "I took care of 20,000 hearts before taking care of my own.    For years, I hid my anxiety, depression, and burnout behind the facade of being a “perfect” doctor.    T...

Today's practice features guest teacher Amy Dong. Amy is a talented therapist, and a breath work facilitator, who specializes in helping both individuals and couples to find steady footing through life’s inevitable twists & turns. She’s also the author of a beautiful sub stack called The Softening . Which she describes as a walk through our internal landscape, a journey with mental health...

Our 20’s are a unique season in our lives.  While often romanticized as a decade that should be a high point It’s a time often fraught with major life transitions From leaving the familiar rhythms of school Which so many of us have known since early childhood To (for many of us) entering the work force full time, for the first time To shifts in meaningful relationships, and our sense of community...

This past week clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Meg Jay was back on the show.  One of the big themes we explored together was uncertainty, And how we can experience more ease in the face of it.  Meg offered a useful reminder that when we experience uncertainty  research shows that our amygdala becomes more active.   The amygdala being the part of the brain that is often casually re...

Our 20’s are a unique season in our lives.  While often romanticized as a decade that should be a high point,  they are an age marked by uncertainty and major life transitions.  From leaving the familiar rhythms of school, To (for many) entering the work force full time, for the first time. To experiencing changes in meaningful relationships, friendships, and our community.  And as part of this th...

To fail is human. It’s built into our experience from childhood. We begin to walk and we fall. We begin a project, we work toward a goal, or we start a business and we may fail. We experience these moments - When we are engaged in learning,  When we are moving toward something we care about  And we come up short. And in these moments there is an opportunity for practice - Learning to relate to the...

“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” - Abraham Maslow What is it that empowers people to make this choice? To be bold enough to step forward into fear as they move toward purpose, and transcendence? These questions are at the heart of today’s conversation with Dr. Jordyn Feingold. Jordyn is...

One of the highlights of this season on the Courageous Life has been expanding the show with a new series that features inspiring stories of everyday heroes and the helpers who walk beside them. One of these helpers conversations featured Amy Dong. Amy is a talented therapist and a breathwork facilitator. During our conversation she offered a window into her work and how she walks beside people on...

“If we don’t work on our stuff, our stuff will work on us. It will run our lives - and show up in our offices and relationships - until we take the reins of responsibility for our own well-being.”  These words were written by today’s guest, Allison Schultz (who goes by Ali).  Along with Jerry Colonna and Dan Putt, Ali co-founded Reboot , the widely acclaimed leadership development and CEO coaching...

In today’s practice you’ll hear a clip from a past conversation with kindness researcher Dr. Kelli Harding. She’ll offer a beautiful reminder about just how easy it can be to make someone else’s day.  How little it takes to lift others up. And that when we do,  when we offer these little acts of kindness, they generate positive ripples outward. One small act of kindness creating a win-win-win prop...

How might we learn to better negotiate and navigate seemingly intractable issues?  And what if it was possible to not only navigate these issues, but to meet all people’s needs in the process? What if it was possible to truly find win-win solutions? In today’s conversation with Rob Fersh and Mariah Levison, two leaders in the field of bridge building and conflict resolution we’ll address these com...

Yesterday we re-released a moving Courageous Life conversation with Juliana Tafur.    Juliana is a journalist, award winning documentary filmmaker, and bridge builder.    She serves as the Program Director for the Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences Program .    During our time together she shared shared some of her story, and insights from her incredible work as we explored the art...

How can we more effectively navigate conversations with people who have different values, and beliefs than we do? Neighbors, community members, co-workers, and family members who care deeply about the same issues, but who have widely different views about them.  What are the conditions that would be needed in order to have productive conversations?  What are the intentions, skills and mindsets we...

When I was first learning to be a coach we had a saying before stepping into a coaching conversation: Leave your assumptions at the door and embrace curiosity. In reality we often know SO little about someone’s experience, and about their story. And when we recognize that, what seems to make the most sense is to get curious . To ask questions, And to listen deeply. In a recent episode with Dr. Jon...

How can we more effectively navigate conversations with people who have different values, and beliefs than we do? Neighbors, community members, co-workers, and family members who care deeply about the same issues, but who have widely different views about them.  What are the conditions that would be needed in order to have productive conversations?  What are the intentions, skills and mindsets we...

Always do your best. When I was growing up I heard that a lot. " Just do your best." "Leave it all on the field." Or some similar version of that message. It seemed like a generally positive and empowering message. An invitation to show up fully and give it my all. I was on board. But what I didn’t realize was that this message was incomplete. It was missing an important piece....

One of the most extraordinary manifestations of human potential is: Our ability to grow and strengthen ourselves in the face of pain, trauma, and those moments where life falls apart. Today’s guest, Dr. Amrita Sen Mukherjee, has not only studied what contributes to this deeply human capacity for post-traumatic growth but has experienced it first-hand. In our conversation we’ll dive deep into her s...

In yesterday’s Courageous Life episode with psychologist and author, Dr. Jill Stoddard, we took a deep dive into overcoming self doubt and imposterism. Part of which reminded me of a powerful practice for transforming stress. A practice I first learned from Dr. Alia Crum and her team at Stanford’s Mind and Body Lab. I originally created this practice for the 5-day Transforming Stress Challenge , w...

Today’s guest identifies as a recovered imposter. For years, she was convinced that the only reason she was accepted into a competitive grad school program was because her father knew the program director. One thing research shows is that Dr. Jill Stoddard, psychologist, and author of Imposter No More , isn't alone in this. Deep down, a majority of successful people feel a sense of self doubt...

In the hero's journey, the hero or heroine is called to adventure. Often in the form of a quest, a challenge, or an adversity. And often in unexpected ways. One of the things that’s interesting about the heroes journey is that shortly after the call a helper enters the picture. A mentor, sage, guide, or a coach who helps the hero to navigate the adventure, as they strengthen themselves and ul...

"It’s very important work to be calm in a storm. To be a center for the people in your life." -Elizabeth Lesser (Courageous Life Episode 112) So often when storms arise in our life they unleash a variety of feelings: Uncertainty Fear Groundlessness When these experiences arise the mind will often will enter into a cycle of trying to find ground, often by running through future based scen...

In the more than forty years since she co-founded Omega Institute —now the world’s largest center for spiritual retreat and personal growth—Elizabeth Lesser has been an intimate witness to the ways in which people weather change and transition.  In our conversation I shared the question we have been exploring on the show for years. A question that can serve as a natural companion to the experience...

In the hero's journey, the hero or heroine is called to adventure.  Often in the form of a quest, a challenge, or an adversity, And often in unexpected ways. One of the things that’s interesting about the hero's journey is that shortly after the call a helper enters the picture. A mentor, sage, guide, or a coach of some sort. They help the hero: Navigate the adventure Strengthen themselv...

After work one evening I met a friend who has been navigating big questions about their career and what’s next. We sat outside and they shared some of their story. A close friend of theirs, whom they care about and deeply respect Had called them up  And offered advice about what to do. While well intended it completely missed the mark.  My friend left feeling much worse than they had before.  Wish...