Joseph Campbell, the visionary author behind The Hero's Journey, once wrote:

"People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. 

I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. 

I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive."

Today’s guest, leadership coach, organizational consultant, and wellbeing expert, 

Vivien Tai in many ways has picked up where Joseph Campbell left off. 

Her pioneering research for her Master’s Thesis in Positive Psychology 

Explored a provocative question:

What if the real measure of a good life — or a great workplace — 

isn’t how much we achieve, but how 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 we feel?

Today, we’ll dive deep into the the topic of Aliveness as Vivien shares:

• More about her journey into this work which she describes largely was fueled by the pain of not feeling alive.
• Insights she’s gained about what helps us come more fully alive in life, work, and relationships
• Her reflections on the future of work, the importance of human-centered leadership, and the potential for organizational thriving when people come more fully alive.

Vivien writes:

"I have experienced what it’s like to grind in my career and achieve material success on paper, only to feel empty and hollow inside. 

I have experienced what it’s like to live life on autopilot, following the expectations of society and others, and end up disconnecting from my authentic truth. 

I have experienced what it’s like to be disconnected from others, putting on masks in order to be accepted, but yearning to be accepted and loved for who I really am.

I believe we yearn for a fuller sense of aliveness in the way we live, work, and relate with one another. 

One that honors the fullness of our human experience and nurtures connection to self, others and life."

Her work offers us all a beautiful possibility to consider. 

That the answer to the one of the timeless existential questions: 

What makes life worth living?

May just be, 

Aliveness.

More about Vivien:

Vivien’s work is about helping people and organizations come more fully alive — whether through coaching mid-career professionals navigating career transitions, building communities of purpose-driven leaders, or partnering with organizations to cultivate cultures that support both performance and flourishing.

She integrates insights from positive psychology, humanistic psychology, and Eastern spiritual wisdom in her work. Vivien holds a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from UPenn, and has trained in mindfulness and self-compassion practices.

Before moving into coaching and consulting, Vivien spent over a decade in the Singapore Government, where she led organizational culture and well-being strategies for 150,000 public officers. 

Links:

• Coaching
• Substack
• LinkedIn
• Medium

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Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:

• On Living a Life That Brings Us Truly Alive | Lee Johnson
• The Missing Ingredient to 'The Good Life' | Elaine Besser

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