Listening is a gift we give to ourselves and the person speaking. When we are curious and engaged with each other, our relationships become more satisfying and productive. But when was the last time you felt truly listened to and understood, in the workplace, or at home? To discover practices that enhance our daily experiences in this mysterious and sacred world, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen talks with speaker, mindfulness practitioner, and former Zen monk, Marc Lesser about how to roadmap a meaningful life. Marc shares the major themes of his newest book, Finding Clarity: How Compassionate Accountability Builds Vibrant Relationships, Thriving Workplaces, and Meaningful Lives, and reflects on the transformative power of listening, curiosity, and compassionate accountability.

Marc Lesser — Roadmapping Meaningful Lives:

• Marc explains the meaning behind his book title, Finding Clarity.  [2:41]
• Marc describes the connection between truth-telling, alignment, compassion, and accountability. [8:00]
• Marc stresses the importance of listening to find clarity and create satisfying and productive relationships. [12:30]
• Listening is powerful because it is a gift to the speaker and the listener. [18:12]
• Marc recommends adopting a stopping practice to reconnect with ourselves and enhance clarity. [23:56]
• Marc expounds on a quote from the Being Curious, Not Furious chapter in his book, Finding Clarity. [28:02]

This episode of Harvesting Happiness Talk Radio is sponsored by: 

Nutrafol — Great hair begins from the inside out. Nutrafol goes beyond genetics to target the factors that impact hair growth. In addition to beautiful hair, the ingredients help improve sleep, stress response, skin, and nails. Go to www.Nutrafol.com and use promo code HARVESTING to save $10 off your first month's subscription. This offer is available to US customers with free shipping on every order.

About Lisa’s guest:

Marc Lesser is a speaker, mindfulness practitioner, and former Zen monk with an MBA, the pioneer who helped bring emotional intelligence and mindfulness programs to Google. His newest book is Finding Clarity: How Compassionate Accountability Builds Vibrant Relationships, Thriving Workplaces, and Meaningful Lives. Marc spent 10 years as a monk as a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the Western world. He continues to lead Mill Valley Zen, a weekly meditation group. He helped develop the world-renowned mindfulness-based leadership program Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program within Google, and now serves as the CEO of ZBA Associates.

“In my experience, when I have felt that someone has really been there with me and listened deeply it's a gift. It is essentially feeling love.” - Lisa Cypers Kamen

Searching for more sustainable happiness? Visit www.harvestinghappiness.com!