Mindful Leadership With Marc Lesser

Are You a Victim or a Player?: Guided Meditation, Talk and Zen Puzzler

In today's episode Marc leads a short guided meditation with an emphasis on cultivating warmhearted curiosity. He then gives a short talk on shifting your approach from being a victim to being a player, or as Shunryu Suzuki says, being "the boss of everything." This is the practice of taking radical responsibility for your feelings, thoughts, and actions.
 
Today's Zen puzzler is a simple yet profound expression: Whatever You Meet is The Path.

Awareness is Your SuperPower with Jon Kabat Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn is the father of modern mindfulness practice. As a professor of medicine, he founded the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts - which both popularized and added an important experiential and scientific element to the practice of mindfulness. In this episode, Jon and Marc explore ways to go beyond our thinking minds and our view of self, so that we may access the depth of who we actually are, and the power of love. He also shares some practices for turning suffering into wisdom. Jon is an amazing person and presence, and this conversation is practical, aspirational, and transformative.

The Practice of Spaciousness: Guided Meditation, Talk and Zen Puzzler

In this Practice episode, Marc offers a short meditation on finding more spaciousness as a way of being. He also gives a short talk on ways to be less busy, and more open, engaged, and spacious through the practice of setting an intention, engaging in ongoing learning, and intentionally practicing spaciousness and accountability.
 
Today's Zen puzzler is a story about spaciousness and "finding the one who is not busy."

Less Stress, More Ease and Joy with Elissa Epel

Elissa and Marc speak about health and well-being, and strategies we can embody to enhance and how we relate to challenges and stress, including embracing uncertainty, noticing what we can and can't control, and finding the positive, and even excitement, in the midst of life's challenges.

Embracing Transitions: Guided Meditation, Talk and Zen Puzzler

In this Practice episode, Marc leads a short guided meditation followed by a talk on Change and the 3 Stages of Transition: 1) Pausing, 2) Letting Go, and 3) Re-emerging. He also shares a poem from Naomi Shihab Nye.
 
Today's Zen puzzler is from a formal Zen koan: "What is Zen or what does it mean to be human?" The answer involves an exploration of what we can learn about our lives from trees.

Mindfulness and Money: From Fear and Anxiety to ”Enough”

Spencer Sherman joins Marc to talk about money, why so many people struggle with it, and why it's often the root of fear and anxiety, and a feeling that there is never enough, regardless of whether we make little or have great abundance. They discuss the power of "beginner's mind" or not knowing, and letting go of our fixed beliefs about money. Spencer leads us in a guided meditation on letting go of fear and cultivating a felt sense of "enoughness."
 
Guest Disclaimer: All materials are for educational purposes only and are not to be considered investment, financial, or tax advice, nor do any of the host's or guest's opinions represent the opinion of Abacus. Please consult with a financial advisor or CPA before making financial decisions.”
Should you wish to find a financial advisor that fits your situation, we welcome you to schedule a free introductory 15 minute phone call.

Stop Giving Away Your Power: Guided Meditation, Talk and Zen Puzzler

In this Practice episode, Marc begins with a short guided meditation on ways to cultivate a sense of awe, wonder, and warmheartedness as the path of finding your authentic power. He then gives a short talk on power as an expression of the heart, of compassion, and as a way of being clear and effective, while also identifying ways that we give our personal power away.
 
Today's Zen puzzler comes from a famous Zen question: "What is the teaching of a lifetime?"

Awake at Work with Norman Fischer

Norman and Marc talk about work as a spiritual practice, and as a Zen practice. They discuss how to shift from fear, anxiety, and burnout to approaching work as a means to make an offering, and to help and benefit others.
 
They address the practice of confidence and humility, and the lack of distinction between benefitting others and our own wellbeing. And they touch on meditation as a way of not fooling yourself, at work and in all parts of your life.

Appreciate Your Life: Guided Meditation, Talk and Zen Puzzler

In this practice episode, Marc begins with a short guided meditation with the theme of impermanence and appreciation, followed by a short talk on the practice of cultivating appreciation. The Zen puzzler is based on a short dialogue from Dogen, the 13th century founder of Zen in Japan, in which Dogen refers to his years of study in China as a lesson in how to appreciate everything life has to offer.

Transforming Pain to Possibility with Joan Halifax

Joan Halifax is known as one of today's most important Zen teachers, especially through her activism or what she refers to as "engaged Buddhism" and from her work in prisons, her programs on grief, death and dying, and much more.
 
Joan and Marc explore the way of the modern Bodhisattva, someone who maintains presence with compassion in the face of extraordinary challenges. Joan shares how her compassion for all beings is her secret for avoiding burnout, along with recognizing and shifting from the idea of “helping” or “fixing” so we instead recognize our work as an act of “service.”