The Courageous Life

“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...

When veteran executive coach, professor, and ultra-endurance champion Urs Koenig signed up to be a NATO peacekeeping commander and United Nations peacekeeper in his fifties, he thought he knew a thing or two about leadership. In his new book Radical Humility he openly shares that what he discovered as he embarked on this journey was a new leadership paradigm.  One that replaces the top-down, “hero...

The blank canvas. The blank page. The big questions: What’s next in my life? What do I want to do for work?  How do I want to live? These are familiar moments and seasons of life marked by the unknown . Often filled with feelings of uncertainty, what’s beautiful about  these moments, and these seasons is that   They are an invitation into creativity. But there’s a catch. To accept the invitation w...

Kaira Jewel Lingo is a mindfulness and meditation teacher with a lifelong interest in blending spirituality and meditation with social justice. She spent her formative years growing up in an ecumenical Christian community where families practiced a new kind of monasticism and worked with the poor. When she turned 25 she entered a Buddhist monastery and spent fifteen years living as a nun under the...

There is a beautiful teaching metaphor that comes out of buddhist psychology about 2 darts. As we move through life we inevitably experience pain. From minor bumps and scrapes, To major injury, loss, heartbreak, and catastrophe. This is the 1st dart. What’s interesting about pain though is that it can often be accompanied by  thoughts about the pain: “This shouldn’t be happening.” “What if this do...

When I first started coaching I was introduced to the idea of: Meeting the client where they are. This idea being both a cornerstone of coaching, And a practice that involves attuning to the person in front of you in such a way that opens up a possibility of working with them wherever they are in their development or growth journey. While it may sound simple enough, there is a profound depth and p...

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...

Why can it be so difficult to receive?  Whether it’s something small like a compliment, Or something bigger, like receiving help when we are in some form of pain or distress.  While the response can vary of course,  For many of us the instinct  can often be: To brush off the compliment  To minimize the recognition To turn down the help  Essentially to close off in one form or another.  And there a...

When you hear the word provoke what do you think of? What about the word provocative ? For many (including myself) This idea, of provocation, often holds a negative connotation. Look it up in the dictionary and you’ll even see one definition that reads: Purposefully stirring up a fight. But as you can imagine there’s a very different form of provocation.  One that when harnessed can: stimulate cur...

Dr. Jessica Tracy is the Director of the Emotion and Self Lab at the University of British Columbia, and someone I have been looking forward to interviewing for a long time. Back in 2016 she published a book titled: Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success . The title grabbed my attention. Largely because the form of pride that I have seen more often discussed is hubris...