Revitalizing Our Attention with Katherine May
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Before my interview with , a Mary Oliver quote resurfaced that felt representative of Katherine’s work: “This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing I know, that the soul exists, and that it is built entirely out of attentiveness.” Katherine’s books, most recently and , are testaments that the quality of our attention transforms the quality of our lives. “I firmly believe that the depth of attention we crave can only happen if we let ourselves slow down," she says. "Most of the time, we are speeding so far past everything that we don't have a chance to engage with it....
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Awakening to Our Blessings
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was on her way to lead her community, —a Jewish community she founded 20 years ago with a new vision of how faith can center and connect us—in the sacred ceremony of Tashlikh, when she stopped to buy index cards and sharpies. It was an unexpected stop, given the day’s holiness: Every year between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the two holiest days of the year, the Jewish community visits a body of water to release their sins, or anything they don’t want to carry into the new year, into the water. Still, Rabbi Brous was reflecting on the dying wishes of her dear friend and community...
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Anne Lamott on the Love that Holds Us Invisibly
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“When we are paying attention, we see how much love holds us invisibly.” This is the line that stayed with me most from Anne Lamott’s new, and 20th book, I read it during a stressful weekend and it illuminated the beauty of my family and friends’ care. As Anne says, “humanity is another synonym for God.” Anne’s gift is her rare ability to combine spiritual wisdom and laugh out loud humor into an operating manual for life, even, and especially, amidst its imperfection. In our conversation, we explore our ongoing journey to find our center and cultivate the sense of peace we...
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Learned Excellence
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once said “I want to risk hitting my head on the ceiling of my talent. I want to really test it out and say, ‘Okay, you’re not that good. You just reached the level here.’ I don’t ever want to fail, but I want to risk failure every time out of the gate.” This bold and farsighted perspective is a key ingredient that Eric Potterat and Alan Eagle highlight in their work with and observation of a wide-ranging group of elite performers across business, extreme sports, and the militarily. In their book - Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the...
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The Cultivation of Freedom and Happiness
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‘When we can combine our urge to be happy with wisdom instead of ignorance it becomes a homing instinct for freedom.’ This is one of the insights I was most eager to explore with renowned Buddhist teacher from her new book, . I was curious why, despite devoting so much time to learning about happiness, I continue looking for it in the wrong places. Sharon introduced us to the yearning held within our grasping in and I was similarly moved by her wisdom in this one. “In most strongly emotional times, we're not looking at the emotion itself to try to see what’s at the heart of it and...
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Our Path to Belonging
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Remembrance is the first step we take with renowned coach and CEO and Co-founder Jerry Colonna in his new book, . At its heart, it’s an invitation towards deeper connection to our ancestors, ourselves, and each other. Each reader's path unfolds uniquely—through recognition, reconnection, and reclaiming—bringing them to a sense of belonging within themselves. Then, to one of the book’s central questions: How does my sense of belonging influence the sense of belonging I create for others? “I think what is often missing is landing into our own experience; Using our own body, almost as...
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The Soul’s Imperative
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When was approaching his seventies, he turned to a group of trusted friends to help him understand “what it meant to grow older in this particular dimension of life.” The process birthed one of my favorite questions he asks… What do I want to let go of? And, what do I want to give myself to? Despite articulating it in his seventies, Parker has devoted his life to it as an acclaimed , teacher, and the Founder of the . It’s why, after completing his PhD in 1969, he felt called to respond to racial injustice as a community organizer in Washington D.C. rather than pursue the secure...
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The Language of the Heart
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The soul’s liberation of realizing “I am” was amongst my first learnings from . A world renowned humanitarian, Zainab founded Women for Women International when she was 23 and dedicated decades to offering both human connection and $146 million of aid to over 400,000 women survivors of war and conflict. Her inner journey is equally inspiring and I was most excited to hear her answer to that ultimate question: Who am I? This experience of ‘descending all of her knowledge to her heart’ revealed that our hearts have a language—One she can only learn through emptiness. “There's no...
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Think Faster Talk Smarter
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“Be sincere; be brief; be seated” These six words by Franklin D. Roosevelt, which I stumbled upon during my early days as a 22-year-old sales manager, have profoundly shaped my communication philosophy. I’ve always believed that one’s ability to effectively communicate isn’t just a skill to be honed, it’s often the key that unlocks hidden potential; particularly in business and leadership. Whether you’re an entrepreneur working to advance an idea, a leader inspiring your team, or someone in pursuit of a higher purpose - how you speak can be the diving line between...
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Awakening to the Beauty of Life
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“It is a high-stakes engagement to not miss the beauty of life.” This is the invitation and guidance gifts us in today’s episode. A mindfulness pioneer, Jon has played a foundational role in bringing meditation to the forefront of our culture; Admirably dedicating six decades to teaching, creating Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and authoring over 15 books. I’m always inspired when Jon asks — What if life was the meditation? — and was honored to learn the various entry points we can practice it, all of which lead to “the room of the human heart when it knows itself.” We...
info_outlineThe first lesson I learned in The Greater Good Science Center’s Science of Happiness course is that I had the wrong definition of happiness.
Happiness isn’t solely our positive states, we learn from Science Director Dr.Emiliana Simon-Thomas. It’s feeling content within our whole human experience, which of course, includes emotions like grief and sadness.
What’s the most enduring way to cultivate it?
Her research continually leads to the same destination: Connection.
‘We often measure life satisfaction by asking: Have I been successful enough? When the real question is: Who am I in relationship to other people?’
We explore this question in our conversation; Examining it through the lens of meaning and belonging, compassion and forgiveness. The Science of Happiness course is free and an inspiring journey to embark on. Consider beginning with Dr.Simon-Thomas’ episode and taking the class with a loved one.