The first time I heard Dr. Lisa Miller share this insight, I immediately paused, wrote it down, and sent it to my friends. It was a moment of satori on an ordinary weekday morning—synchronicity as a portal to the divine. 

Inspired by her invitation, I began keeping track of the synchronicities I experienced each day. By the time we met, I was thrilled to tell Dr.Miller about my newfound Awakened Awareness, as she writes about in her book, The Awakened Brain. 

That's when she shared the insight that opened the portal: "Now, you need to go a level deeper," she said. "When you encounter a synchronicity, ask yourself: What is Life showing me now?" 

This is the question at the heart of Dr.Miller's work—the recognition that "we are in dialogue with life." 

"We discover that we are seekers, rather than makers, of our path," she writes. The more we participate in the dialogue, the more the path unfolds before us. Life becomes a spiritual adventure. 

A pioneer of the scientific study of spirituality, Dr.Miller is a professor at Columbia University, where she founded and directs the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program in spirituality and psychology. 

In our conversation, we explore her seminal research on spirituality as the highest protective measure against depression, as well as her team's awe-inspiring discovery that a spiritual brain emits the same energetic frequency as the Earth. We discuss how to attune to divine breadcrumbs, cultivate spiritual trust, and develop relational spirituality; creating space for a higher knowing in our relationships with our families, friends, and colleagues. Dr.Miller also shares unforgettable mystical experiences that have animated her spiritual path. 

Dr.Miller's research reveals a transformative new paradigm for health and healing. I hope it inspires your journey as deeply as it did mine.

Still, until recently, I only understood half the sentiment. Initially, I internalized it in a responsive manner. When life presented an opportunity to practice mindfulness, especially a challenge, I would respond in kind. 

It wasn't until reading Dr.Richard J. Davidson and Dr.Cortland Dahl's new book, Born to Flourish, that the quote finally landed. Jon's invitation isn't solely to respond with compassionate presence. It is to intend it in each moment. 

This is one of the central revelations Dr.Davidson and Dr.Dahl inspire (and my favorite line in the book)… 

"Flourishing is not a destination, but a practice." 

As Dr.Dahl illuminates, we often have elaborate visions of what it means to flourish. Still, each moment is an opportunity to practice the four skills in their framework: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. 

To start, they encourage you to reflect on your daily routines and identify opportunities to infuse them with intention. It can be as simple as practicing gratitude while walking your dog or reflecting on our sense of interdependence before eating a meal. While these micro-practices may seem simple, compounded over time, they lead to neuro-plastic changes (causing the behaviors to unfold spontaneously) and elevate your baseline. 

Since reading Born to Flourish, I truly have come to see life as the meditation. As if with new eyes, I now see every interaction as an opportunity to practice. I move through my day with a deeper sense of joy and expansiveness; More attuned to the kindness of others and the goodness in the world. 

Two of my most revered teachers, Dr.Davidson and Dr.Dahl make a transformative difference in my life. They've devoted their life's work to studying the neuroscience of flourishing at The Center for Healthy Minds at The University of Wisconsin-Madison—where they conducted the first studies on advanced meditators' brains—as well as at their non-profit Humin. 

We explore their pioneering research and practices to wire your brain to flourish. To become the "architect of your inner experience," we learn how meditation alters the way that your brain responds to pain, how (and when) to shape the encoding of your memories, and why our subjective experience can be more impactful than our objective one, as well as how to relate to it. I hope our discussion will elevate your vitality as it did mine. 

Now, close your eyes and relive it. Where were you? Who were you with? How did you feel? 

Focus on your senses. What did you see and hear? Smell and taste? 

Spend a few minutes reliving this memory. 

How did this mini-meditation make you feel? 

This is a practice called Joy Conditioning, created by Dr.Wendy Suzuki. Since learning it, I've started my morning meditation by reliving my beautiful moments from the day prior. This simple ritual transformed my energy; Inspiring feelings of awe, abundance, and appreciation to start the day. 

Dr. Suzuki is an author, the Dean of Arts and Sciences at New York University, as well as a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology. Her research focuses on brain plasticity. She's done pioneering studies on anxiety, meditation, exercise, and memory. Still, the heart of her work is how we can prime our brains to experience more joy. 

The first step? Cultivate an activist mindset. This is the throughline of Dr.Suzuki's work: In illuminating our agency to change our beliefs, she empowers us to transform our energy. As she writes in, Good Anxiety: "When you believe that you are able to adapt, you will feel yourself thrive as you adapt." 

We explore these tools to do so in our conversation…

• The impact chronic stress has on your brain and how to reverse it 

• Identifying and freeing yourself from anxiety triggers

• Exercise as the most powerful tool to promote brain plasticity and preserve your memory 

• How to change the stories you tell yourself and adopt new beliefs (in a surprisingly playful way!) 

• Why joy is essential to flow and high performance 

Lindsay's research revealed that toxic chemicals that are added to consumer products—from skin care to pans to mattresses—negatively impact our health. Studies link these toxic chemicals to asthma, immune system damage, cancer, infertility, and more. 

Since that fateful meeting, Lindsay has been the lead strategist for the passage of over 30 laws to advance consumer safety, protect public health, and address climate change. She's also established new standards for businesses through her leadership at Beautycounter and Ritual, where she is currently Chief Impact Officer.  

I've always appreciated Lindsay's discerning approach to activism. Our first conversation was the catalyst in prioritizing clean products for my family (a gift I'm forever thankful for). Still, her new book, Cleaning House, offers an even deeper awakening: Products made with harmful chemicals don't just influence your family's health. They can have severe implications for other families and the planet. (Chemical exposure for those who live in fenceline communities, where these chemicals are made or trash is incinerated, can lead to debilitating health outcomes.)

This is the heart of Cleaning House and the next chapter of Lindsay's advocacy. 

"We've made so much progress in the consumer marketplace," she shared. "Now, we need to have a more global and public health view, versus an individual wellness lens. If we stop at: You can shop your way out of this. There's a lot of communities that don't have the time, resources, or financial ability to purchase safer products. It leaves those who can't afford to relocate in a position where they're being overly burdened with toxic chemical exposure, which is unjust." 

Thanks to Lindsay, this topic is dear to my heart. Our intention for this conversation was to inform and empower you to make decisions that are healthier for your family, other families, and the planet. So, we did a deep dive on… 

• The health implications of the toxic chemicals in our everyday products  

• Tips to shop safer for your family  

• A behind the scenes look at the regulation, and the corporate malfeasance that occurs when it's weak 

• Lindsay and her colleagues' extraordinary reform efforts 

• Steps you can take to advance this movement 

Despite the challenges of activism, Lindsay is the most hopeful she's ever been. I hope her wisdom will be as perspective-shifting for you, as it is for me.

"We have physical pain, disappointment, restlessness, and anxiety," Sharon shared. "Whatever it is, we tend to compound it, not only: This is what I'm feeling right now. But, this is what I'm going to feel like next year. Everything congeals and feels permanent and heavy. 

But, when we realize that it's one moment at a time of it. Then, we can explore. What we see is that even though something may last over time, within itself it's moving. It's changing and flowing. It's in the live system. As a friend with a severe chronic pain condition said: "I found the space within the pain." 

How do you discover the space within the pain? 

As a renowned author, teacher, and meditation pioneer, Sharon has made a transformative difference in my internal dialogue; Most significantly, in helping me avoid being overcome by my emotions. (My most repeated Sharon phrase is: The point isn't not to have the emotion. It's not to be overcome by it.) In our conversation, we explore how to discern the add-ons to our internal narrative, let go of those that don't serve us, and cultivate compassion towards ourselves and others. 

Sharon describes mindfulness as skills training. With sustained practice, these tools become ingrained; Surfacing to help you question your thoughts and redirect your energy in the moment. "Situations are complex," she added. "But, if we've practiced that skill, we remember to go back into the body and feel what we're feeling. We cultivate a certain sense of balance—That's the skill." If you feel inspired to listen to our past conversations, you can tune in here: The Cultivation of Freedom and Happiness and The Journey from Contraction to Expansiveness

In reflecting on her journey, she shared: "In healing, I return to the truth of myself." Her sentiment captures why the prompt stood out to me: Too often, we wait too long to embody our essence—or never do it at all. 

In our conversation, Dr.Thema leads us on our path back home. As a renowned psychologist, professor, minister, author, and sacred artist, she's the perfect guide. We discuss how to identify what keeps you from feeling inner peace, rewrite the stories that cause you to settle, and learn to live with ease. Spiritually, she shares surprising insights on how to connect with the divine and why that too is a journey of homecoming. 

For what is prayer but the expansion of yourself into the living ether?

     And if it is for your comfort to pour your darkness into space, it is also for your delight to pour forth the dawning of your heart.

     And if you cannot but weep when your soul summons you to prayer, she should spur you again and yet again, though weeping, until you shall come laughing.

     When you pray you rise to meet in the air those who are praying at that very hour, and whom save in prayer you may not meet.

     Therefore let your visit to that temple invisible be for naught but ecstasy and sweet communion.

     For if you should enter the temple for no other purpose than asking you shall not receive:

     And if you should enter into it to humble yourself you shall not be lifted:

     Or even if you should enter into it to beg for the good of others you shall not be heard.

     It is enough that you enter the temple invisible.

Kahlil Gibran introduced me to the concept of emptiness. Still, I was always curious how one "enters the temple invisible."

I was given a window into that journey through my dear friend Pico Iyer's new book, Aflame: Learning from Silence. It is a stunning reflection of his own experience becoming invisible across 34 years and over 100 stays at the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur.

Here's how he describes this awakening…

"So why am I exultant to find myself in the silence of this Catholic monastery? Maybe because there's no "I" to get in the way of the exultancy. Only the brightness of the blue above and below. That red tailed hawk circling, the bees busy in the lavender. 

It's as if a lens cap has come off, and once the self is gone, the world can come flooding in, in all its wild immediacy." 

We all crave this quality of presence; A yearning one of the monks captured when he said "the longing itself is the ecstasy."

"Simone Weil said that the danger is not that there's no bread available. It's that we won't acknowledge that we're hungry," Pico says. "In other words, we're driving along the 405 freeway and we know that something's missing. But, we say: 'Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm in a good job. I'm taking care of my family. It'll take care of itself.' We drive right past that ache and longing that speaks for something lost and forgotten. 

The monks will tell me, or anyone who visits, that what you get at the hermitage is recollection; Meaning it's not a discovery and it's not revelation. It's recollection in the sense of collecting all of the scattered pieces of yourself and remembering something that you know deep inside of yourself, but that you forget in the rush of your everyday life."

The thread that weaves our conversation has become a guiding principle for me: When you spend time in stillness, what you need finds you.

This hour is a rich exploration of the beauty of surrender, why silence is the most trustworthy answer to any question, and how to be present when the muse appears. As Pico writes: "It's never possibility that's not present. Only me."

Katherine's books, most recently Wintering and Enchantment, 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. When we can change pace and make space in our lives for more things to come in, then there's a handshake we can make with the world around us. We can go up to it slowly, meet, and observe it with all of our senses." 

This is Enchantment, as she describes it—"the ability to sense magic in the every day, to channel it through our minds and bodies, to be sustained by it." At its heart, it's an invitation for a new way of being. 

Katherine guides us to shift from living on autopilot to discovering the aliveness of each moment. Here, we discuss reconnecting with the intelligence of the body, the power of unlearning, and what the forest teaches us about prayer. 

Photographer credit: Alexa Loy Dent

During her final days, Erin wrote that each of us has an innate sense of who we're called to be. Yet, despite that knowing, too often we construct reasons to delay fulfilling our calling. On the brink of her own tragic death, Erin asked—What if we don't have forever?—and urged her community to live urgently. When Rabbi Brous delivered her message to the IKAR community, overlooking the Pacific Ocean for Tashlikh, she asked: What are you waiting for?

The question—What are you waiting for?—is the through-line of each topic we explore in this rich conversation about her book, The Amen Effect; From getting quiet enough to hear divine wisdom and cultivating our spiritual strength, to accompanying each other through joy and sorrow and, inspired by the Jewish ritual of being thankful for 100 blessings, creating our own system of blessings. 

As you settle into this conversation, consider a yearning that exists deep within your heart. What are you waiting for to pursue it? What is one step you might take to move towards it today?

"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, Somehow: Thoughts on Love. 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 deserve to reside in.

Editor's Note: I was moved by Anne's definition of love in our conversation and couldn't resist sharing my favorite part here…

"There's a beautiful line in the Hebrew Bible…It talks about deep calling to deep. That could be the waterfall calling to the stars, but it could also be the deepest part inside me, inside my heart, calling to you; Calling to the redwood tree outside my window, the daffodils that just came up yesterday. Love is an energy…It's everywhere we look."

In their book - Learned Excellence:  Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World's Top Performers - they share the five principles that anchor their approach towards perpetual excellence.  While the principles themselves may not surprise you, the discipline and execution prowess of the outliers we discuss will inspire you to reimagine your own pursuit of greatness.  Here's a glimpse of the topics we explore:

• The distinguishing characteristic that makes elite performers singular.
• The role that biology and/or genetics plays in achieving excellence?
• The five principles of Learned Excellence.
• How negative self-talk can be a performance multiplier?
• The myth of one's potential.
• Why 'Growth Mindset' is an incomplete discipline?
• The role your breath plays in helping you embrace adversity.

'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 Sharon Salzberg from her new book, Finding Your Way: Meditations, Thoughts, and Wisdom for Living an Authentic Life. 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 our last conversation 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 understand it more," she says. "We're looking at what the emotion is about; The story, choice, or circumstance.

For example, I really wanted to buy a new car. I would spend my time thinking: Do I want that color or that color? Do I want that feature or that feature? I wouldn't pivot my attention to ask myself: What does it feel like to want something so badly?

These emotions tend to be very complex. You might look at desire and see a lot of loneliness in there. You might look at anger and see a lot of sadness. If we can make that pivot and be with the emotion, we come to understand many things because that's the right relationship for wisdom or understanding to grow."

Sharon's question—What does it feel like to want something so badly?—now arises as a moment of pause amidst my own grasping. Then, I reflect on a second question she shared while exploring the Buddhist concept of holding hope lightly: "There are some teachers who would say that desire is not the problem," she explains. "It's that what we want is so small. How about wanting to be really free?"

Sharon offers us a new lens to view our life experiences in this conversation. From using physical pain as a model to navigate emotional pain to detaching from our expectations and desire for certainty, her perspective shifts help us navigate our lives with equanimity.

"I think what is often missing is landing into our own experience; Using our own body, almost as a tuning fork, to tune into what the other person is feeling," he says. "When we do that, there's this wordless connection that feels both safe and nourishing because we can finally just be ourselves. That, to me, is the essence of belonging."

Our conversation is an exploration of Jerry's own path to reunion, which takes him to Ireland to visit the grave of his father's biological mother; To the shade of the cottonwood tree where conversations he had with his father, 30 years after his passing, helped heal their relationship; And, to the "both and" realization he arrives at with his mother, who despite struggling with mental illness, unwaveringly saved $2 a week to buy his brother and him a camera for photography class.

Jerry encapsulates his journey by sharing that—"When I reunite with who they were, I move one step closer to my own wholeness"—and invites us to embark on our own.

*Editor's Note: While we experienced some audio fluctuations recording remotely, we're thankful Jerry's wisdom remains perfectly clear. Thank you for listening and understanding.

Despite articulating it in his seventies, Parker has devoted his life to it as an acclaimed author, teacher, and the Founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal. 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 academic path expected of him.

"It was a job that met the challenge of my soul and gave that soul a chance to grow," he says. "People would often ask me: 'Why are you doing this?' I remember saying: 'I can't really explain it to you. I can barely explain it to myself, but I can tell you this: I can't not do it.'

'I can't not do it' became a mantra for me. I started to understand that this is what one calls the soul's imperatives. This is a path that I'm walking because something in me understands that if I don't walk it—if I don't respond to some of the deepest yearnings of my soul—I'm going to lose my soul in the long run.

I think [the soul] has something to do with the 'being' in human being; And, that our very beings cry out for a way of being in the world, for a service to the world, for something that makes our lives more than just our own. It's a voice I think we all need to be listening for."

Our conversation is an exploration of how to connect more deeply with that voice. We delve into how to hear what Parker calls our "inner teacher" as well as the incredible practice he teaches for trusted friends to support each other in that process.

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 value of emptiness. Yet, it is only when I go to emptiness that I can feel the divine," she says. "It may not be spiritual for everyone. Though, for me, that is the path of my joy and freedom because I go to the place where all the space is. It's joy for no reason and all reasons. Love for all, no matter who. It is only when I arrive at emptiness that I can go to that vastness of emotions."

Zainab graciously explores her path of self-discovery—From the freedom of sharing the truth that imprisoned her from childhood to her evolving spiritual path and learning that "life regenerates itself like Earth," which she's honoring with Daughters for Earth: A non-profit she co-founded to fund women and girls securing the health of our planet. While our conversation is woven with wide-ranging insights, she threads it with a single invitation: To honor the life we've been given.

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 capturing or missing opportunities.

Nearly a decade ago, I met Matt Abrahams, and he challenged me to embrace style and structure in my communication.  And while I'm not naturally a process-oriented individual, I've come to appreciate the profound value of forging meaningful connections as a result.  I am thrilled that Matt's latest book - Think Faster Talk Smarter - explores the topic of spontaneous communication; which each of us deals with on a regular basis.  The moments when you're stumped by an unanticipated question, or asked to comment during an unpleasant interaction - sure, it's easy to understand the importance of thinking on your feet; however, applying it effectively requires immense preparation.  In this episode, Matt and I discuss the various methods and frameworks that have shaped his work with entrepreneurs, leaders, and high achieving individuals.  Here's a glimpse of the situations we discuss:

• The mindsets that ignite impactful communication
• An approach to crafting meaningful messages
• Why mediocrity is the catalyst to achieving greatness
• A method to communicate uncommon or complex ideas
• Why the first and last minute of a presentation are critical & how to approach them
• A framework for quick presenting or pitching
• What Martial arts can teach you about effective communication
• How to craft a sales presentation that doesn't suck

"It is a high-stakes engagement to not miss the beauty of life."

This is the invitation and guidance Jon Kabat-Zinn 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 share a wide-ranging conversation exploring everything from cultivating equanimity to letting go of the stories we tell ourselves and discovering our shared wholeness. His practices are invaluable tools to be full participants in that high-stakes engagement.

"If the soul is not in the body, where is the soul?"

I've always been intrigued by this question from Walt Whitman. So, it caught my attention when I heard Lauren Roxburgh say that our "fascia is transmitting our soul in our bodies."

Lauren is a pioneer in body alignment, holistic health, and fascia (the connective tissue that wraps under our skin and around our organs like a spider web). Everything clicked when she explained that when there is tension in our fascia—which can manifest as knots and tightness—our life force energy is blocked.

She describes fascia as a "living matrix—holding and remembering everything that we experience in our lives." When we feel overwhelmed by an experience, it gets stored in our fascia. In our conversation, we explore how her healing modality of movement medicine helps us move our emotions and experiences outside of our body, without even talking. Then, with a newfound sense of freedom, shift from trying to control life to becoming more open, receptive, and trusting.

Resources:

• The Aligned Life Studio, where you can experience Lauren's practices with a free 7-day trial
• Lauren's Book: The Power Source: The Hidden Key to Ignite Your Core, Empower Your Body, Release Stress, and Realign Your Life

"We're told so many stories about who we are and what we are capable of that are given to us. They're not born of our own clear seeing," she says. "Being able to step back from our conditioning and really question…When can I breathe? When do I feel like I can't breathe? One of the things we discover is that it's not through a certain feeling arising, like fear. It's through being enveloped in and overcome by it. So, we don't have to put ourselves down or be ashamed of what we feel. We can see that the way that we relate to our thoughts, feelings, and sensations is going to make a big difference."

In our conversation, we explore invaluable tools to reframe that relationship, and in so doing, discover the expansiveness that is always available to us.

Not long ago, the notion of rewiring one's biology was more sci-fi than reality; still a decade ago, Drs. Leeroy Hood and Nathan Price had the foresight to envision a future where modern science would harness real-time data to make optimal well+being both predictable and accessible to a wider population.

Today, their book - The Age of Scientific Wellness: Why the Future of Medicine Is Personalized, Predictive, Data-Rich, and in your Hands - provides a visionary roadmap to equip each of us with the tools to take charge of our well+being.  In it, they demonstrate why our biology is not a fixed entity but a dynamic system influenced by a multitude of factors, including genetics, lifestyle choices, and environmental exposures.

Drawing upon their extensive expertise in systems biology and personalized medicine, Hood and Price will convince you that yesterday's care model is not only antiquated; it's actually a strong lever that continues to reward fighting disease as opposed to preventing it.  Here's a glimpse of what we discuss:

• What is Scientific Wellness & why does it matter now?
• What did they see a decade ago that's true today, not true, and most surprising?
• What's the essence of optimal well+being, and what role does one's genome play in it?
• What does excellence in gut health look like and how does one measure that?
• What are the key environmental factors that have the most influence on our well+being?
• What does one's genome tell us about our cognition and brain health?
• How does one determine and influence his/her biological age?

Whereas I've long resisted that complexity, Cheryl's compassionate responses encouraged me to accept it. Still, relinquishing control left me with even bigger questions… How do we live with our grief and suffering? What makes love last? How do we rise up as our better selves? Fortunately, we explored them in today's episode.

Her wisdom on self-forgiveness reflects the invitation of our conversation…

"To see ourselves with a sense of that wholeness, to sit by the river and let go of the bad things we did, allows us to see others for their wholeness too, and forgive them as well."

In illuminating the freedom of "allowing what's true to be true," Cheryl guides us to that river. I hope her words are as healing for you as they've been for me.

Over the years, Kelly has authored several books, including "Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World" and "The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future." He has also been a prolific writer and speaker on topics such as artificial intelligence, the future of work, and the impact of technology on society.

Our most recent conversation focused on Kevin's latest book, "Excellent Advice for Living," which is a collection of 450 wisdom tweets that offer practical guidance on how to live a fulfilling life. Each tweet represents a nugget of wisdom that he has gleaned over his many years of experience as a writer, thinker, and futurist.

We also explored his journey from founding Wired magazine to his present work, and how his thinking about technology and society has evolved over the years. He explained why he has become increasingly interested in the idea of "protopia," and why this state of constant improvement and progress is the gateway to greatness.

Kevin's unwavering optimism is singular and has the power to make you question your deepest assumptions - particularly about the future you envision for yourself. Our conversation touched upon a variety of topics including the following questions:

• How his optimism was tested during the Covid-19 Pandemic and the lessons that emerged?
• How does the current state of work resemble the future of work he imagined in 2000?
• The most important thing he's been wrong about/right about during the past few years?
• Where his best ideas come from?
• The traits that define the most accomplished Asian entrepreneurs, and what we can gain from them?
• His recipe for greatness?
• His most defining characteristic?

In our conversation, we focus on understanding the correlation between genes, lifestyle, and the resilience of predictable longevity™. Modern science and technology has made it far easier for each of us to take charge of our health; still it requires a major shift in perspective - away from preventing sickness and more towards optimizing well+being. Here are a few of the topics we explore:

• The barriers to predictable longevity™.
• The misconceptions of aging.
• Why anti-aging is its own disease.
• The genetic code of centenarians.
• The lifestyle habits that delay aging.

Lao Tzu's wisdom is the first invitation we receive in Dacher Keltner's new book: Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life. It foreshadows the journey and revelation he offers in it: Awe is a compass towards meaning.

"If you listen to the feeling of awe, you're pointed towards the truth of your existence."

Dacher has been a pioneer studying awe, meaning, and compassion, as a professor at UC Berkeley and the Faculty Director of The Greater Good Science Center. I was first drawn to the book when I heard him share that while we often associate awe with nature, the most common source of awe is human connection.

Our conversation is an exploration of how we experience awe across the eight wonders of life, from music to moral beauty, art to the divine. By "claiming openness," as he shares, we discover it's closer than we think.

Yet, the more I read about people's pursuits, the more I began to question the notion of paradise.

"The struggle of your life is your paradise." — Eido Roshi

Pico's life offers him an intimate understanding of the nature of human longing; Both as a lifelong traveler and a writer who lives in a small town in Japan and often stays at a monastery. So, I was curious…

What are our souls longing for when they cry out for home, as the Sufis write? Do we ever get there? And, if not, where do we go?

"It's the longing for paradise that gets in the way of paradise and prevents us from seeing it," he shares. "When you step into a temple in Kyoto, there's often a Japanese sentence written on the ground that means: Look beneath your feet.

In other words, this is paradise. Don't look into the future. This is the paradise we have to discover and make."

In our conversation, Pico awakens us to the countless opportunities we have to do so. His invitations offer us freedom from distraction, as he describes, reminding us of our agency in a highly stimulating world.

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.

Her heart-expanding memoir and Netflix series, From Scratch, encapsulates its manifestation across three love stories: With her late husband Saro, daughter Zoela, and mother-in-law, Nonna.

From Scratch begins with Tembi landing in Italy for a semester abroad, where she'd soon run into Saro on the streets of Florence. The more I reflected on the book, the more its true gift revealed itself. Their family's journey navigating life's great questions — on love and loss, forgiveness and reconciliation — isn't solely an exploration of the answers. It's an embodiment of them.

We see it in Tembi's conviction reconciling Saro and his family, after their marriage separated them. In his mother and sister's bravery answering their invitation in a traditional culture. Then, in their family's choice to begin anew, rather than relive the past.

Throughout, we witness Tembi and Saro's choice to live fully, despite his devastating illness, and how it was his mother's love that carried her through his loss. Our conversation is an exploration of what matters most and how we may all embrace it.

"Where you stand, be the soul of that place."

This Rumi quote always reminds me of Manish Chandra. He's not only the soul of every place he's in. He illuminates the soul of every person he meets, as a father, friend, and the founder of Poshmark.

Manish is an incredible teacher who I'm honored to call my friend. I was thankful to explore the spirit he embodies in today's episode — One of love and connection, gratitude and perspective.

I've returned to his words on adaptability over the last few months…

"Adaptability is, given a set of situations, instead of resisting it, you embrace and surrender to it. Then, figure out: How do you succeed in that situation? How do you adapt?

There's always a winning strategy. If you approach it with that possibility, first of all, it's hopeful, right? It's optimism. It means that you can succeed. Second, by not resisting the circumstances, you take the time to understand the circumstances. Third, life is a series of these episodes. So, you can apply your learnings to different circumstances and grow in various ways.

All of these things are amazing byproducts of first accepting the circumstance, then adapting, then succeeding."

I'm thankful to close our Inspiring Hope series with Manish's wisdom. In illuminating our agency, he reminds us that hope is always possible.

"My faith lies in the belief that when I help people I live a happier life."

Rebecca Minkoff became an emblem of these words early in our friendship. The more I watched her create change, the more I admired her. I'd soon learn that her optimism isn't just a mindset. It's an active commitment to be a force for good.

Our conversation is a collection of stories that illustrate this; From being one of the first designers to feature a model breastfeeding at Fashion Week to advancing thousands of women entrepreneurs at The Female Founder Collective and building a community that fosters true relationships. Each story traces back to an intention that drives her. In exploring her perspective on purpose, service, and success, she invites us to reflect on our own.

"I often glance at it and reflect on the evolution of its meaning," she says. "I give myself permission to let in and give out all of the love. But, I also recognize that there is a time and place for rage. My love for humanity is what drives me, but also my rage at injustice."

It's this love that makes justice, as she describes, the throughline of her values, work, and how she spends her free time. Our conversation is an exploration of the experiences that shaped her activism; Beginning with the AIDS ride that taught her that justice is a fight through becoming a pioneer in the climate justice and resilience movements as Executive Director of The Clara Lionel Foundation.

Justine illuminates the courage we discover when love meets purpose, and invites us to turn hope into action.

As a revered chef, cookbook author, and TV host, Pati illustrates how each of our journeys contributes to our collective vitality. These stories, told over 11 seasons of Pati's Mexican Table, offer a glimpse into our shared humanity. Our conversation is a rich exploration of the gifts of her journey, from cultivating compassion to expanding our sense of belonging and accepting that "what we have is what we have right now."

Girls Who Code CEO Dr. Tarika Barrett asks this question before every conversation.

Her exuberance sharing it became an anchoring insight in our Inspiring Hope series… 

"These are vital acts — Be it with your children, colleagues, family, or friends…We don't give joy its due; By being agents of joy, we can enact change. We think about every problem around us, as opposed to recognizing that these small and big acts of joy have tremendous power." 

In our conversation, we explore her wisdom as an invitation. When we measure our impact by magnitude, change feels out of reach. When we measure it by the difference we can make in one life, we awaken to a deeper sense of purpose. 

As we embark on this series, I invite you to join me in adopting her ritual over the next five weeks. Prior to every interaction, consider asking: How can I make this person feel seen, heard, and valued in the most authentic way possible? 

Imagine the collective hope we'll inspire when we do. 

As I pondered what I saw with my patients and in my own journey, I realized that the fundamental issue is not: How do we become whole? But, how do we lose the wholeness that is our birthright and our nature? Then, how do we come back to it?"

Our conversation about his urgent new book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, explores how our experiences shape that path; Beginning from early childhood through inevitable trauma and healing.

The indispensable role connection plays is among my greatest lessons from his esteemed work: It is life-giving to see and affirm each other's wholeness.

Whereas society often focuses on the negative aspects of our nature, Dr. Maté invites us to be the best in it.

Today, we're beginning a new mini-series, Inspiring Hope: A collection of five conversations with admired chefs, activists, and leaders about how they design lives of meaning and impact. 

Each episode will explore a question that helps us do so. Through answering them, our guests awaken us to the hope that thrives within and between us. 

Here's who we're fortunate to hear from...

• Dr. Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code 
• Pati Jinich, Chef, Cookbook Author, and TV Host 
• Justine Lucas, Executive Director of The Clara Lionel Foundation  
• Rebecca Minkoff, Founder of her namesake brand and Co-founder of The Female Founder Collective 
• Manish Chandra, CEO and Founder of Poshmark 

We're kicking off with a perspective from each guest on how we can grow closer to ourselves and each other. I hope they deepen your relationships as they have mine. 

"If there is one thing that has made a difference in my life, it is the courage to turn and face what wants to change within me."

Elizabeth Lesser's gift is putting words to the feelings and longings that shape our human experience. She's helped over a million people realize them through her life's work co-founding the Omega Institute. Still, what I admire most about her is her courage opening to the whole human experience.

As you'll find in our conversation, Elizabeth is at once deeply wise and laugh out loud funny. We explore why "real fearlessness is the product of tenderness," how to stay open during difficult times and experience the dignity of true relationships. Her stories of love and loss illuminate the aliveness we discover when we connect deeper with ourselves and each other.

 "We've really become something quite special. I think at the time of my death, I will remember you." 

My eyes filled with tears when The Dalai Lama said this to Archbishop Desmond Tutu during their last conversations captured in Mission: Joy. 

They center on the concept of Ubuntu that the Archbishop describes — "We can only be human together." — and awaken us to our belonging to the human family. Ubuntu not only reflects how we contribute to each other's vitality. It illuminates how caring for each other elevates our own. 

This week, we have the gift of meeting Peggy Callahan, producer and co-director of Mission: Joy: the documentary that invites us to the Holy brothers' table. As a human rights activist, whose teams at Voices4Freedom and Free the Slaves have helped free over 15,000 people, she embodies the values they discuss. 

Peggy's stories about people overcoming unimaginable trauma and dedicating their lives to helping others reflect our innate nature to support each other in achieving our shared human freedoms and desires. Her's is driven by an unreasonable love. 

"Unreasonable love is that force that compels you, sustains you, and inspires you to keep moving when the journey ahead feels too hard," she says. "We all have something we really care about, want to change, create, or learn." 

If you ever hear 'Turn around' inside, do it! That's the universe telling you: You missed something good back there." 

Acclaimed illustrator Wendy MacNaughton heeded that call when she passed a boot making workshop on a road trip. In sharing the unforgettable friendship that transpired, she invites us to pause and truly see each other. 

This week, we're looking at letting go through the lens of forgiveness. In sharing her courageous journey forgiving her father, Dr.Michele Harper illuminates that forgiveness not only offers us peace in the present. It becomes a compass to live in pursuit of it. 

This week, Bob Roth shares how we can keep the channel open. Renowned Transcendental Meditation teacher and CEO of The David Lynch Foundation, he's learned that creativity isn't as mysterious as it seems. Instead, it flourishes in "the genius lounge:" a network in our brain he introduces us to in this snippet. 

What is one signal your body is giving you this week? How might you slow down and listen to it? 

This week, we're excited to share an invitation to pause and appreciate the beauty around us from Reverend Jen Bailey, Founder of Faith Matters Network and Co-founder of The People's Supper. 

What feels sacred to you? How might you pause to honor it this week? 

In this episode snippet, psychotherapist and Frame Co-founder Sage Grazer illuminates the impact of the stories we tell ourselves and how to rewrite them to serve our wellbeing. 

Insight around how dopamine influences our behavior is one I carry with me from Dr. Anna Lembke, Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford and Chief of their Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Her description of dopamine deficit states offers a moment of clarity when I find myself engaged in a habit I know doesn't serve me. 

Habits can be a source of stress or sustenance. In this episode snippet, Dr. Lembke illustrates the pain-pleasure balance that drives them and how we can harness them for good. 

All she could think was: "What am I supposed to do? In this moment, in this life? What are we, as a human family, supposed to do and be?"

Maggie's initial calling to send Hima to school was the seed of a mission that soon became the BlinkNow Foundation, which now encompasses a thriving children's home, school, women's center, and more. It's also the place where she became a mother to over 50 children and supports the flourishing of hundreds more.

Maggie devotes herself to her calling through love —"not in a rose colored glasses kind of way. In a way of: How do we use love as a tool for peace and joint humanity? It is a powerful restitution."

We gain a glimpse into what love makes possible in our conversation about her stunning memoir, Between the Mountain and the Sky.

"Close your eyes and think about this last week. Where — even for a millisecond —  did you get the feeling that everything was okay, even if it's falling apart? 

Oftentimes, it's an aesthetic moment — a sunset, a meal, laughing with a grandkid — some connection to the world where time melts away. There's no need for a past or future. You're just present in that moment. 

Now, we're paying attention in this more subtle way. Let's work with that. Keep an eye out. Take a picture. Then, we can explore stringing together these moments." 

Dr. Miller's question isn't just an invitation to savor these moments. It's a calling not to miss them. 

In this episode snippet, we discuss opening our hearts and daring to be moved. 

What beautiful moments can you string together this week? How might you fully appreciate them? 

Reflect for a moment on the last time someone in your inner circle betrayed your trust - How did it make you feel?  Likely not great - and regardless of the emotion, it's a feeling that won't easily be forgotten.  On the flip side, think about a relationship where trust is unequivocal -  and the influence that has on your sense of self and the relationship with the other individual and/or company?

Each of us has stories that reflect our experiences with Trust - both positive and negative; still, the widening trust gap in society begs an urgent call for reexamining the very essence of Trust in business and in life.  I was excited to have this conversation with Stephen M. R. Covey because few have had the global access to leaders and leadership as he has.  Having worked with leaders in fifty-five countries, he has a strong grasp of what   distinguishes elite leaders, and why the "Trust and Inspire" model is in complete alignment the leadership demands of today.

Dr.Richard J. Davidson studies human flourishing as the Founder of the Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations as well as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His team illuminates that well-being doesn't need to be left up to chance. It's a skill we can cultivate, for ourselves and each other.  

In this episode snippet, we're exploring two practices to do so. First, an exercise to strengthen our compassion muscle; Followed by a morning ritual to set an intention for each of our daily interactions. 

Who is one person you'd like to grow closer to? How might these practices deepen your connection? 

This is where Kathryn's memoir, Lost & Found, begins and ends. In chronicling her experience losing her father and simultaneously falling in love with her wife, she illustrates our capacity to find beauty in life's duality.

"It is helpful to remember that beauty exists and beauty persists; And, that we can choose to side with it, champion it, and protect it."

Kathryn shares her journey grieving her father, from experiencing grief as a thousand tiny heartbreaks to acknowledging that acceptance and longing aren't mutually exclusive. Then, beginning in the midst of his illness, her relationship showcases love's capacity to enrich the totality of our lives.

Lost & Found is an invitation of healing and hope. Perhaps most importantly in the recognition that while love and loss are often marked by beginnings and endings, it's savoring the middle that truly matters.

"If we really used good intentions behind everything we did, we would make the world a better place. But, that world can't be a better place and we can't have completely good intentions if we don't know who we are."

Shantell Martin invites us to embark on this journey. Acclaimed visual artist, philosopher, and facilitator, Shantell's art utilizes questions to inspire self-discovery and the freedom to grow individually and together.

We explore how having a pure intention enables our art to come through us like a dance and the journey of trusting yourself as an artist. A deep believer in the process, Shantell illuminates how embracing it expands time and engages us in a circle of reciprocity where we're inspiring each other's art.

Image Credit: Vitra

Daniel Coyle has built a magnificent career thinking about, writing and contributing to many high-performing organizations; including Google, Microsoft, the Navy SEALS, and MLB's Cleveland Guardians. His two bestselling books - The Culture Code and The Talent Code - have had great influence on how I approach talent evaluation and culture design; particularly when it comes to team building.

Our latest conversation will highlight the key insights from Dan's latest book - The Culture Playbook:  60 Highly Effective Actions To Help Your Group Succeed - and will go behind the scenes with the leaders of the San Antonio Spurs, The Cleveland Guardians, The Navy SEALS, and Pixar to understand how their leadership embodies the culture that powers their respective organizations.

In Grief Is Love, she unveils love as the compass to get there.

Marisa shares insight on navigating our healing journeys, from giving ourselves permission to grieve to naming our feelings and creating a healing circle of family and friends. Her definition of grief — as "the repeated experience of learning to live in the midst of a significant loss" — helps us cultivate the acceptance and grace we need to find our center in a new reality.

Living with grief since the heartbreaking loss of her mother continues to teach Marisa that "love never dies." She illuminates how we can stay connected to our loved ones by embodying their values and rebuilding their pillar of love in our lives.

Image Credit: David Needleman

In this episode snippet, Edible Gardens LA Founder Lauri Kranz illuminates our path back to nature and the lessons it offers us. 

How might you find your center in nature this week? What might you let go of when you do? 

Editor's Note: This conversation was recorded via phone in 2019 meaning that the audio isn't as clear as usual. Lauri's wisdom is so resonant. I didn't want that to keep us from sharing. Thank you for listening! 

"My calling is to heal; That is my truth."

When Dr.Michele Harper was growing up, two experiences seeded her mission to be a healer — A night in the ER with her brother and a divine voice she heard as a child. It was these awakenings that inspired her to become an ER physician, a journey she captures in her bestselling memoir, The Beauty in Breaking.

In our conversation, she shares the lessons on compassion, forgiveness, and strength she's learned through the healing of her patients and herself. Each is illuminated by the embodiment of unconditional love and the invitation to expand it.

This inner compass is the facet of Bob Roth's teachings on Transcendental Meditation that I was most curious about…How does TM help us access it?

"It's the nature of life, given the opportunity, to grow,"  he says. "With the body, you set up the conditions, it will heal itself. But, it's all about setting up the conditions."

Bob illuminates how tapping into this innermost part of ourselves amplifies everything from our creativity to our capacity to fulfill our purpose and love unconditionally. Each flourishes from discerning the conditions that enable us to embody our truth and allowing the rest to unfold.

Bob has taught thousands of people TM, and through his leadership as CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, facilitated the teaching of over a million students, veterans with PTSD, and survivors of domestic violence. As one of the most sought out teachers, his belief that we all need the ability to heal ourselves expands beyond our individual experience. It's essential to our collective vitality.

In this episode snippet, On Being's Krista Tippett shares how her conversation partners, from poets to physicists, unveil beauty's vitality.

In this episode snippet, Dr. Bruce Perry, acclaimed neuroscientist, child psychiatrist, and co-author of What Happened to You?, illuminates how our experiences shape our brain development and thus our worldview and behavior.

This week, when we find ourselves in the throes of an old pattern, let's reflect on the central theme of his book. Instead of asking, What's wrong with me?, how might your response change if you asked: What happened to me? It's in claiming our agency that we begin to heal.