The Courageous Life

Kevin Cashman is a best-selling author, global thought leader, CEO Advisor, keynote speaker, and pioneer of the ‘grow the whole person to grow the whole leader’ approach to transformative leadership. He is the founder of LeaderSource Ltd, and the Chief Executive Institute® recognized as one of the top three leadership development programs globally. In 2006, LeaderSource was acquired by Korn Ferry, where Kevin is now Global Leader of CEO and Executive Development across 130 offices that touch the lives of 100,000+ leaders monthly. Kevin has advised thousands of CEOs, senior executives and senior teams in more than 80 countries worldwide. He has written six books including Leadership from the Inside Out, named the #1 best-selling business book of 2000 by CEO-READ and is now used at over 150 universities globally. You can find out more about Kevin at www.cashmanleadership.com

In this episode we explore a wide range of topics related to leadership including:

• The importance of, and challenges with, bringing your whole self to work
• Why the art of asking questions is one of the most effective ways to influence
• The courage it takes to grow authentically as a leader
• The importance of storytelling to inspire
• Why courage may be the most important quality in leadership development
• And more!

For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

Enjoying the show? Let us know! Rate the show on iTunes. 

Thanks for listening!

Support the show

Brianna Booth, Ph.D. is the Director of Positive Sexuality at Stanford University. Compelled by a deep belief that we as a society can do better on the challenges of sexuality, Brianna aims to transform the cultural conversation to more fundamentally level-up on both the challenges and possibilities of sexuality. She earned her PhD in Human Sexuality Studies, focusing her research on the lived experience of sexuality and the skills of navigating it well. Brianna is working with students to create a series of programs for undergraduates--Beyond Sex Ed--which take a whole-person, whole-culture approach, centering on student storytelling, the skills for growth and connection, and a recognition of sexuality as an integral part of what it is to be human.

In this episode we explore:

• Why listening is the first and most advanced skill of sexuality
• Brianna’s courageous story of starting a movement to expand how we conceive of, and discuss the topic of sexuality
• The importance of storytelling - how stories foster connection, intimacy, and courage
• Her groundbreaking approach to teaching sexuality at Stanford
• How to develop self-trust
• What positive sexuality is, and why Brianna is so passionate about it

Please take a moment and rate the show on iTunes.

For show notes and more visit https://www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

Thanks for listening!

Support the show

In this episode I sat down with bestselling author, TED speaker, and acclaimed psychologist, Dr. Meg Jay. I had been looking forward to this conversation for years, and it did not disappoint. In this episode we explore Meg's wisdom and insights related to her recent book, Supernormal - The Untold Story of Adversity and Resilience, including:

• How we can build resilience
• How love can transform the effects of adversity and trauma (and the science behind it)
• The relationship between courage, empathy, and deep listening
• How to support friends, colleagues, and loved ones in the face of adversity
• How to challenge the stories we tell ourselves and how learning this skill leads to resilience
• Why the past does not define the future
• And much more!

Links to show notes, resources, and more can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

Please take a moment to rate the show on iTunes!

Meg Jay's background:

Meg Jay is a clinical psychologist and a narrative nonfiction writer. In her books, she weaves the latest research with what she hears everyday: the behind-closed-doors stories of real people.

In Supernormal, Dr. Jay reveals the secret world of the family hero: those who soar to unexpected heights after childhood adversity. In The Defining Decade, Dr. Jay elevates what it means to be a twentysomething. She argues that, rather than a developmental downtime, the twenties are a developmental sweetspot: a time when the things we do—and the things we don’t do—will have an enormous impact across years and even generations to come. The Defining Decade has been published in more than a dozen countries. Her related TED talk — “Why 30 Is Not the New 20” — has been viewed more than 10 million times. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, O Magazine, and on the BBC, NPR and TED. For more about Meg please visit www.megjay.com

Support the show

In this episode I sat down with acclaimed author, trauma expert, leadership coach, and renowned mindfulness teacher, Dr. David Treleaven. This wide-ranging conversation included a variety of topics related to his recent book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness including: 

• David's experiences and challenges with meditation
• Why David is so passionate about looking at mindfulness from a trauma-informed perspective
• The dangers of viewing mindfulness as a panacea and why mindfulness is not always beneficial
• Ways to engage in meditation and mindfulness practice that maximize the benefits while minimizing potential downsides
• What trauma is, and why David believes that a greater understanding of trauma can make the benefits of mindfulness even more powerful 
• Ways to stay engaged and present in difficult conversations
• How organizations and leaders can build more positive and inclusive cultures 
• Practical strategies to stay grounded when triggered or overwhelmed

If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and rate the show on iTunes. You can also find show notes and links to all episodes at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast


Thanks for listening!

David's Background:


David Treleaven, PhD, is an acclaimed author, educator, and trauma professional whose work focuses on the intersection of mindfulness and trauma. Utilizing contemporary research to inform best practices, David has offered workshops on trauma-sensitive mindfulness at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, as well as keynote speeches at the Omega Institute in New York and the Institute for Mindfulness in South Africa in Johannesburg. Trained in counseling psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, he received his doctorate in psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is currently a visiting scholar at Brown University. You can find out more about David, his teachings, and his book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness at www.davidtreleaven.com

Support the show

In this episode I had a deeply moving and powerful conversation with four members of the Parkland community who were impacted by the school shooting that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School on February 14, 2018. In this conversation MSD students - Danielle Gilbert and Danny Tabares, Adult Chair of March for Our Lives Parkland - Samantha Novick, and community organizer and respected meditation teacher Shelly Tygielski courageously share their experiences of that day and their road to healing. This is one of the most hopeful and inspirational conversations that has taken place on this show (and that I have ever witnessed or been a part of). I hope you enjoy. 

**This show contains content that some may find to be upsetting, disturbing, or triggering. Please listen at your own discretion. Thank you.**

In this episode we explore:

• Their experiences of Valentine’s Day 2018
• Insights about transforming pain into purpose
• Staying hopeful when times get tough
• How they have found the courage to be compassionate, and to love after experiencing hate
• The importance of listening, and healthy debate
• What they’ve learned about creating conditions that promote healing
• Why little acts of kindness are so important
• And much more. 

Guest bios - please note these are partial bios. For full bios, show notes, and links to references and resources mentioned in the show please visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/episode-29

Please share this episode, rate the show, and subscribe by heading to iTunes. Thanks for listening!

Danielle Gilbert, Student

Danielle Gilbert is currently a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School in Parkland, Florida. She has lived in Parkland for her entire life. She was located in one of the classrooms that was shot into on February 14, 2018. She will be attending University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida in the Fall of 2019. 

 Daniel ("Danny") Tabares, Student

Daniel Tabares is an 18-year old Sophomore at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School. Danny was a Freshman during the tragic events of February 14, 2018 and experienced, like many others, trauma but he managed to turn that pain into purpose. Originally from Honduras and also part Colombian, Danny has overcome many challenges in his life prior to shooting and has channeled that strength to focus on helping others. He spends a lot of his time volunteering in the organizations that were formed to commemorate and honor the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting.

 Samantha Novick, Adult Chair of March for Our Lives Parkland, MSD Alumnus

 Samantha Novick was the Adult Chairperson for March For Our Lives - Parkland which took place on March 24, 2018, a little over a month after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School, her alma mater. Sam's mother, Sharon Cutler, is a teacher at Stoneman Douglas and her father is the Vice Mayor of the City of Parkland, the city where she was raised. She is an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist and the owner of Bridge Therapy, located in Coral Springs, Florida.  She is passionate about giving back to her community, ensuring that the memories of the lives lost are preserved and honored, and supports and leads initiatives that contribute to the eradication of hate. 

Shelly Tygielski, Community Organizer and Mindfulness Teacher

After spending almost 20 years in Corporate America, Shelly Tygielski turned to teaching “modern-life mindfulness” full-time. For the past decade, Shelly has volunteered as a community organizer in politics, on campaigns, with social justice organizations and on behalf of underserved school districts as well as helping with logistics/organizing for the March for Our Lives movement.

Support the show

Thomas Crum is an acclaimed author, martial arts instructor, and presenter in the fields of conflict resolution, peak performance, and stress management. He is known throughout the world for The Thomas Crum Approach, designed to help people become more centered under conflict, more resourceful when facing challenges, and more effective under stress. For over 30 years, Tom has delivered dynamic presentations to management and employees at all levels in corporations, government and non-profit organizations.  Some of his corporate clients include Amgen, Sony Pictures, Sony Entertainment, Intel, the Navy SEALS and the National Football League. You can find out more about Tom, his books, and his teachings at www.aikiworks.com


In this episode we explore:

• Tom’s unexpected journey to becoming John Denver’s personal body guard and coach
• What aikido taught Tom about working with conflict
• Strategies to stay centered and perform under pressure
• Tom’s insights about captivating audiences
• Overcoming fear

If you enjoyed this episode please rate the show on iTunes or write a review. You can find show notes and all other episodes at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

Thanks for listening!

Support the show

Rhonda V. Magee, J.D. is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, and an internationally recognized thought and practice leader focused on integrating mindfulness into Higher Education, Law and Social Justice. She also is a leading expert on how mindfulness can be an effective way to reduce implicit bias. You can find out much more about Rhonda's remarkable background in her bio below. 

In this episode we had a deep, authentic, and wide-ranging conversation related to mindfulness, race, and social justice. Some key highlights included: 

• Rhonda’s perspective on building organizational cultures that are diverse and inclusive
• Implicit bias - What it is, how it works, the research behind it, and how mindfulness can be an effective means for reducing it
• How, and why, Rhonda teaches mindfulness and compassion to law students
• Practices for engaging in meaningful and difficult conversations about race, politics, and other often challenging issues
• Rhonda’s story, and why she is passionate about mindfulness as a means for addressing race and social justice issues
• Themes from her upcoming book, The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Our Communities Through Mindfulness, which arrives September of 2019

And more!

If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment to rate the show on iTunes.

Show notes for this episode can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

Thanks for listening!

Rhonda’s background:

Rhonda V. Magee, J.D. is Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, and is an internationally recognized thought leader focused on integrating Mindfulness into Higher Education, Law and Social Justice. A student of a wide variety of Buddhist and other wisdom teachers, including Norman Fischer and Jon Kabat-Zinn, she trained as a mindfulness teacher through the Oasis Teacher Training Institute of the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. Professor Magee is a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, she recently completed a 2-year term on its Steering Council.  She is a member of the Board of Advisors of the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness and the Board of Directors for the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute.

A Professor of Law for twenty years, Rhonda’s teaching and writing support compassionate conflict engagement and management; holistic problem-solving to alleviate the suffering of the vulnerable and injured; presence-based leadership in a diverse world, and humanizing approaches to education.  She sees mindfulness and the allied disciplines as keys to personal, interpersonal and collective transformation in the face of the challenges and opportunities that social change represents.

Rhonda is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on mindfulness in legal education, and on teaching about race using mindfulness. Her debut book titled, The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulnesscomes out September 2019. 

Support the show

In this episode I sat down with Frank Ostaseski and had a wide ranging and deep conversation about courage, authenticity, and living life fully by embracing all aspects of one's experience. Frank Ostaseski is an internationally respected Buddhist teacher and visionary cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project (the first Buddhist Hospice in America). He has lectured at Harvard Medical School, the Mayo Clinic, Wisdom.2.0 and teaches at major spiritual centers around the globe. His groundbreaking work has been highlighted on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and honored by the Dalai Lama. He is the author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully.

In this conversation we explore:

-Background on Frank’s pioneering work in end-of-life care

-Frank's remarkable stories, and the lessons he has learned, about living with greater meaning, purpose, and love from the thousands of people he has sat with as they went through the process of dying

-How to live authentically

-Practical ways of finding rest in the midst of the fast pace of modern life

-How mindfulness can be useful as a means for dealing with fear and finding courage

-And much more!

If you enjoyed this episode please rate the show on iTunes!

For more on Frank visit www.fiveinvitations.com or www.mettainstitute.org

For show notes, other episodes, and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

Thanks for listening and enjoy the show! 

Support the show

Thupten Jinpa holds his Ph.D. from Cambridge University and has been the principal English translator to the Dalai Lama since 1985. He has translated and collaborated on numerous books by the Dalai Lama including the New York Times Bestsellers Ethics for the New Millennium and The Art of Happiness. He is also the author of A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives and is the main author of Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) developed for Stanford University in 2009.

In this conversation, Jinpa and I sat down to explore a variety of topics related to compassion including:

-How compassion differs from empathy
-How compassion can be trained and the some of the neuroscience behind it
-What Jinpa has learned about compassion from the Dalai Lama
-How compassion training may be the next big wave (particularly in healthcare settings) after mindfulness
-How compassion may be able to help bring us together, overcome tribalism and decrease polarization

If you enjoyed this episode check out www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast for all episodes, show notes, and more.

More background on Thupten Jinpa:

Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D. was trained as a monk at the Shartse College of Ganden Monastic University, South India, where he received the Geshe Lharam degree. Jinpa also holds a B.A. in philosophy and a Ph.D. in religious studies, both from Cambridge University.

Jinpa has been the principal English translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama since 1985, and has translated and collaborated on numerous books by the Dalai Lama including the New York Times Bestsellers Ethics for the New Millennium and The Art of Happiness, as well as Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World. His own publications include A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives and translations of major Tibetan works featured in The Library of Tibetan Classics series. Jinpa is the main author of Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) developed for Stanford University in 2009.

 A frequent speaker at various international conferences on mindfulness, compassion, and contemplative practice, Jinpa serves as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University, Montreal and is the founder and president of the Institute of Tibetan Classics. He has been a core member of the Mind and Life Institute and its Chairman of the Board since January 2012.

Support the show

Mark Nepo is a world renowned poet, story teller, teacher, New York Times best-selling author and past guest on Oprah Winfrey’s: Super Soul Sunday. In this episode we sat down to explore many topics from his teachings, his life, and his new book, More Together Than Alone, including:

• Loneliness and it’s antidote
• Building community, connection, and belonging
• Mark’s creative process and how he approaches writing
• Mark’s journey with cancer and how that has impacted his life and his work
• Courage and compassion

If you enjoyed this episode please visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast for links to show notes, all other episodes, and more!

Mark's background:

Mark Nepo moved and inspired readers and seekers all over the world with his #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening.  Beloved as a poet, teacher, and storyteller, Mark has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time," "a consummate storyteller," and "an eloquent spiritual teacher." His work is widely accessible and used by many and his books have been translated into more than twenty languages.  A bestselling author, he has published twenty books and recorded fourteen audio projects.  In 2015, he was given a Life-Achievement Award by AgeNation.  And in 2016, he was named by Watkins: Mind Body Spirit as one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, and was also chosen as one of OWN's SuperSoul 100, a group of inspired leaders using their gifts and voices to elevate humanity.  

Mark was part of Oprah Winfrey's The Life You Want Tour in 2014 and has appeared several times with Oprah on her Super Soul Sunday program on OWN TV.  He has also been interviewed by Robin Roberts on Good Morning America. Mark continues to offer readings, lectures, and retreats. For more on Mark, visit www.marknepo.com

Support the show