Podcasts about meaning crafting

Join me as I welcome my special guest, long-time friend, Editor-in-Chief of Experience Life Magazine, and Podcast Host of Life Time Talks, Jamie Martin, for an insightful and empowering conversation about how she went from Intern to Editor. This episode is basically a self-development guide because we covered everything from changing your story to fully embracing your authenticity and everything in between.  Reflection and feedback on Episode #15 with my dad Jamie's AMAZING intro Making choices based on curiosity vs. fear How emotional safety fosters exploration Jamie's childhood experiences and their impact Counterfactual Thinking: What if... Peer pressure, fitting in, and losing our true selves Ego-driven fear and reputation damage Jamie's past "reputation issues" and their long-term effects Validating your story to release outdated beliefs The power of words Being the Editor of your own story Old stories reappearing in adulthood Facing unsupportive individuals in your growth journey Embracing change and self-identity Aria's impactful therapy moment Raising emotionally intelligent kids The importance of shining your own light Balancing authenticity and adaptability Experiencing life fully The impact of self-narratives Using setbacks for growth The value of therapy in personal development Self-compassion and setting personal standards Embracing your "humanness" and meeting yourself where you are What your envy is trying to tell you If something in this episode resonated with your, please support Tami Talks by giving it a 5-Star Rating, commenting, and sharing it with people in your life!  Info & Resources:  Experience Life Magazine Life Time Talks Podcast Instagram: Experience Life Instagram: Jamie Martin "The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters," Emily Esfahani Smith Byron Katie

Author, speaker, and journalist Emily Esfahani Smith is back in the show to explain why happiness isn't worth attaining and what we should be chasing instead.    Source: Emily Esfahani Smith on Crafting a Life that Matters   Connect with Emily Esfahani Smith:    Website: http://emilyesfahanismith.com   Instagram: emilyesfahanismith   Book: The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters   Previous Episodes:   008 | Emily Esfahani Smith: "Is This All There Is ?"   Hosted by Malikee Josephs (Pronounced Muh leek Jo seffs)   Give Me A Shout:   Follow Me On Instagram @DepressionDetoxShow.   Email me: mj@depressiondetoxshow.com

In America, we’re taught that a good life is a happy life. Many of us have spent the core of our adult lives chasing success and happiness, but does accomplishing more really make us happier? Perhaps there is another path to wellbeing that’s deeper and far more fulfilling. In this episode, author Emily Esfahani Smith reveals why happiness isn’t a destination — and why we should seek meaning instead.  We’ll hear powerful lessons from Emily on what steps we can take to strive toward building a life of joy, meaning, or purpose.  In this episode, we discussed: Why the pursuit of happiness represented in our culture is flawed Four research-backed pillars for building a meaningful life How Emily discovered the undeniable connection between purpose and contribution The power of the attitude you bring to daily life (and why it matters more than you may think) Emily’s inspiring advice on simple ways to make your life more meaningful The question of universal principles for happiness and defining your life’s purpose   Why it’s normal to go through phases of life where you don’t feel purpose or meaning   Links The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters by Emily Esfahani Smith Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

If you are wondering how to build resilience in your life, you are not alone. Studies show that the people who emerge from seasons of distress and suffering the strongest are those who can find the good in the midst of it all. But how? How do we find hope and develop resilience in the midst of disappointment or despair?In this episode, Rachel and Robin help answer this question by discussing an essay from author Emily Esfahani Smith, The 4 Pillars of Meaning That Will Help Us Emerge From the Pandemic Better Than Before. Based on her research from her best-selling book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters, Smith explains the four tools that can help us grow and learn from traumatic situations. It's a process that is sure to help us understand ourselves and the world around us in a more meaningful way.SHOW NOTESDiscussion based on an essay, The 4 Pillars of Meaning That Will Help Us Emerge From the Pandemic Better Than Before by Emily ESfahani Smith. Smith is also the author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters. Her TED talk based on her book, There's More to Life Than Being Happy, has more than 8 million views.3:00 Want a quick update on the search for a match for bone marrow transplant for Matt? Want to join us in wearing a #TeamMatt bracelet? You're going to love this news!7:00 We all enjoy life's ups more than the downs, but here's why the downs are just as important as the ups. 10:00 Tragic optimism sounds like an oxymoron, but does it have the opportunity to shape our crisis experiences?12:50 Here's the first tool that can help us develop tragic optimism. It's something we all long for and can give others.16:30 Rachel points out that Robin is grieving this during her time away from her home. 18:30 This second pillar is one that will suffer without it, no matter what we call it or how we define it. This tip can help you when you feel like your not living your life's purpose.This third tool is something we love to hear about others, but struggle to share our own. Here's why this pillar helps us make sense of the world and how it connects us to God's bigger picture.Do you have trouble embracing the difficult, shameful parts of your life's story? You're not alone. This fourth tool or pillar is the one that connects the other three together and all of us to something bigger than ourselves. Want to connect with Robin and Rachel?Get your #TeamMatt bracelet and frequent updates about Matt by signing up at www.RobinMayMinistries.com or by sending an email to TheProblemWithPerfect@gmail.com. Find Rachel and Robin on Instagram here:https://instagram.com/theproblemwithperfect?igshid=9jvum57yip6lConnect with Rachel and her life at the loft:https://instagram.com/rachel__leigh__?igshid=1erbjftzgyje9https://bat-recorder-sznx.squarespace.com/config/Email us @TheProblemWithPerfect@gmail.com with your questions or comments about this or any episode. 

Erik Seversen is a successful entrepreneur who's learned how to be successful through his life-long adventures. He’s ridden a motorcycle across the US, been to over 80 different countries, climbed mountains and lived with a remote tribe in the Amazon. He’s now the founder of Innovative Educational Services Group, a language entrepreneurial coaching service. He shares his stories through his writing and speaking. His new book, ‘Ordinary to Extraordinary’ comes out in July 2018. “You’re defined by your own actions.” - Erik Seversen Erik Seversen - Current Excitement Erik was recently hired by a client to help him with one interview, he wound up getting the job, liked his few sessions with Erik and now Erik coaches him once per week!  What’s exciting to Erik is the fact he's an intelligent guy, English is his second language and he's working in IT  here in the States. Erik thinks he can take him to a whole new level with a few new techniques. Just thinking about helping him has got Erik really excited right now. “One of the biggest things that has happened in my life is having to overcome fear.” - Erik Seversen Start Me Up Erik’s adventures began by taking advantage of doors that were opened for him. His first opportunity came at 18 when he wanted to ride his bike from Tacoma, Washington to Santa Barbara, California. His parents let him go with a guy a little older than him and gave him two weeks to cover the distance. "No matter how bad something seems, something good is going to come of it.” - Erik Seversen His companion made it to the border of Oregon and California, unfortunately, he had to return home for military reserve duty. Erik continued the last 100 miles on his own. He discovered that being alone, meeting new people and being afraid at times turned out to be a really great feeling. There was so much more than was in his backyard and he wanted more. This began his taste for adventure and he’s not done yet. Final Four What have you done differently in your life to stand out? “Wearing the red pants of course and John Berger’s book, ‘The Ways of Seeing’. Any single thing I look at I try and look at from multiple perspectives.” What makes someone stand out in business or in life? “Passion and focus. You have to be passionate but don’t get distracted chasing coins.”   What’s the best advice you’ve received? “Take time to think and don’t let negativity affect you.” How do you want to be remembered? “Someone who is genuine and believes what he does and pushing boundaries.” To hear how Erik Seversen hitchhikes from London to Zaire survives a gun in his mouth and more adventure, download and listen to the show! Chris's Links: Erik SeversenBook: The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That MattersBook: the Ways of Seeing Jesse loves connecting and hearing from his listeners: Like him on FacebookFind Your Yellow TuxBook - Find Your Yellow Tux Jesse Cole is a passionate and engaging business leader sharing other leaders messages, tips and fresh ideas on Business Done Differently. Subscribe to hear more front runners doing it differently and remember to leave him a rating and review on iTunes. Thanks to Podcast Pilot for the editing, show notes and publication. They take care of it all!

Are you looking to find meaning in adversity?  Curious how people can grow and thrive after trauma? Want to explore beyond symptoms of traumatic stress toward post-traumatic growth? This episode is dedicated to the people of Santa Barbara, and anyone else who has faced a difficult experience in life.  This episode is dedicated to Diana' s hometown of Santa Barbara, which has been deeply impacted by extreme natural disasters. In this episode Diana and Debbie offer some ideas from the psychology literature on finding meaning and growth in the aftermath of trauma. Post-Traumatic Growth is a burgeoning area of positive psychology, which shows that people are often able to change in positive ways after going through the most difficult of experiences. In this episode, Diana and Debbie explore the concept of Post-Traumatic Growth, offer a new view on stress, and discuss the importance of finding meaning. We offer some suggestions and practices for anyone who has experienced trauma or adversity.  RESOURCES: The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters by Emily Emily Esfahani Smith What Doesn’t Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth by Stephen Joseph THRIVE acronym from Stephen Joseph:  Taking stock Harvesting hope Re-authoring Identifying change Valuing change Expressing change in action The Blue Zones by Dan Buttner The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal

I first met Emily Esfahani Smith when I was an assistant instructor in the University of Pennsylvania's Master of Applied Positive Psychology program. One of my responsibilities was to read and grade theory papers for one of the classes. I was absolutely blown away by the power and insight of her writing. I remember thinking at the time that one day I'd be reading a future book from her. Just five years later and I found myself engrossed in her popular new book - The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters. In the book, Emily argues that we should stop chasing happiness and instead pursue a life of meaning and purpose. This point of view comes from years of psychology and philosophy research and interviews with people from all around the world. If you've ever struggled with finding happiness in life, trying to understand how your life fits with it all ... Then check out this interview and pick up her book. You will not regret it. It's a great way to understand how we can understand meaning and purpose, and craft a life worth living. In today's episode, Emily and I discuss: *Why we should be pursuing meaning in life over happiness. *What are the 4 critical pillars of meaning and how we integrate them into our life. *Recommendations of books with amazing examples of people finding and creating meaning in their life and even a book that will help you to develop more well-being in your life. *And a ton of other key insights and practical lessons!

Neil deGrasse Tyson became passionate about astrophysics when he was a teenager. Best-selling science journalist Mary Roach is well-known for her humor and curiosity as she explores the science of keeping human beings intact, sane and awake during the extreme circumstances of war.This "Fix It" episode is about passion and is inspired by our many guests. They bring their wisdom, emotion and enthusiasm with them as they describe what turns them on about their work and expertise. Obstetrician-gynocologist Rose Gowen, born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, speaks about her mission to get her small city with a large obesity problem to exercise more and eat better food. "Pretty much all of my father's side of our family has diabetes," she says. Emily Esfahani Smith's passion for learning from strangers prompted her to write the book "The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters. She talks about the roots of her discoveries.Author, investment expert and asset manager Karen Firestone has spent her professional life studying financial risk. She explains why risk "applies to other aspects of life beyond investing." See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Using Your Platform to Help Others with Whitney Reynolds Emmy nominated, PBS show host Whitney Reynolds’ news background and passion for people have been combined to create a show that is changing the world of talk TV. She produces a program that is dedicated to tough topics, inspiring viewers and provoking positive change. The Whitney Reynolds Show educates, motivates and makes a difference, one topic at a time. What started as an online talk show, The Whitney Reynolds Show gained momentum quickly and moved to NBC within its first year. In 2012 the show made strategic changes, which included a move to PBS Stations in Chicago and The Quad Cities. Whitney contributes on “The Weekly Show” on 103.5 KISSfm/ 95.5 BIG/ 93.9 MyFM with her segment, “Whitney’s Women.” This segment spotlights female entrepreneurs that give back. In 2016 Whitney was recognized as a Humanitarian Honoree at the FAHF Awards for her work through the show. http://www.whitneyreynolds.comThe Power of Meaning with Emily Esfahani Smith Emily is the author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters (Crown). She writes about culture, relationships, and psychology. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Time, The Atlantic, and other publications. Emily is also a columnist for The New Criterion, as well as an editor at the Hoover Institution, where she manages the Ben Franklin Circles project, an initiative to build purpose and community throughout the nation. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Emily grew up in Montreal, Canada. http://emilyesfahanismith.comFifty Shades of Grey, a Sexy Love Story or a Dangerous Trend for Women with Dr. Susan Edelman Dr. Susan is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is a board-certified psychiatrist in private practice specializing in women’s issues. Dr. Susan is the author of the multi award-winning book, Be Your Own Brand of Sexy: A New Sexual Revolution for Women. Practical and provocative, Dr. Susan delivers talks that challenge and empower, often making you question everything you thought you knew. She shows women and men what stands in the way of getting what they want, and teaches powerful take-away strategies that enable them to achieve powerful shifts and lasting results. http://beyourownbrandofsexy.com

Emily Esfahani Smith, author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters, shares how important it is to seek meaning in your work and in your life in order to have a rich, satisfying life.   You’ll hear: -       Happiness as a goal isn’t all it's cracked up to be -       Sources of meaning are all around us in our everyday lives -       The pillars of a meaningful life are: o   Having a sense of belonging, o   Finding purpose in our activities,    o   Crafting our stories in a way to make sense of our life o   Experiencing transcendence     Don't forget to download our 25 Great Pieces of Advice from our First 25 Episodes! http://bit.ly/2sLZSrn 

In this episode, we're going to talk about crafting a life that matters with our guest, Emily Esfahani Smith. She is an editor at the Stanford University Hoover Institution, where she manages the Ben Franklin Circles project to build meaning in local communities. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Atlantic, and other publications. She is the author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters. Resources: * http://emilyesfahanismith.com/ – Emily's Website * http://emilyesfahanismith.com/quiz/whats-your-pillar – Take The Quiz: What's Your Pillar of Meaning? * @EmEsfahaniSmith – Emily on Twitter * Buy Emily's book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters Sponsored by: * LEADx.org – subscribe to become 1% better every single day Review and Join Our Ambassadors Club: Please consider leaving an honest one- or two-sentence review on iTunes or on Stitcher.  Nothing matters more for bringing the podcast to the attention of others. And after you leave your review, send me an email at info at leadx dot org to let me know, and I'll invite you into the private LEADx Ambassadors Group on Facebook. Group members are eligible for ridiculously good prizes each month, have special access to me and LEADx guests, discounts on live events, and of course it's a great forum for peer-learning and support. Share: And, by all means, if you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons below. — What is LEADx and The LEADx Show with Kevin Kruse? Imagine if you could have the world's best executive coaches and leadership mentors whispering into your ear every morning on your way to work. Every weekday, there will be a new episode of The LEADx Leadership Show with an interview from a different thought leadership or business expert. Many of these guests are thought leaders, famous authors or high-profile CEOs from innovative startup companies. Others are creatives, artists, entrepreneurs or corporate career leaders. They have all achieved extreme success and they are willing to share practical advice on how to advance your career and develop your leadership and management skills by offering daily career tips on time management, productivity, marketing, personal branding, communication, sales, leadership, team building, talent management and other personal development and career development topics. There will be a new episode waiting for you every day just in time for your morning commute, morning treadmill session or whatever else it is you do to start your day. LEADx isn't just the name of this new podcast, it's the name of a digital media and online learning company that is re-imagining professional development for millennials and career driven professionals looking to break into manager roles or excel in current leadership and management roles. If you're looking for management training or professional development that is delivered in a fun and engaging way, sign up for our daily newsletter at LEADx.org. It's packed with life hacks, daily career tips and leadership challenges that will turn you into a high potential leader in no time. What does LEADx stand for? We are exploring leadership. We are about NEXT GENERATION leadership. We believe that professional training and workplace education has not kept up with advanc...

Emily Esfahani Smith is a graduate of Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania, where she now serves as an instructor.  Emily draws on psychology, philosophy, and literature to research and writes about the human experience.  She is the author of the best-selling book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters.   Research shows that people who value happiness in the way our culture encourages us to do are left feeling empty and unhappy. What brings true happiness and satisfaction is meaning.  We all want to know that our lives matter.  In this conversation, you will hear Emily share the four pillars of meaning and the small, practical ways you can find meaning in your work no matter what your job description or your boss says.  Connect with Emily Esfahani Smith: Website – http://emilyesfahanismith.com Twitter – @EmEsfahaniSmith You’ll Learn: [01:44] – Emily explains why meaning matters when looking at wellbeing.   [03:41] – Emily shares what her research shows might make life more meaningful. [06:35] – While people are reporting their sense of loneliness is escalating, Emily provides some examples of how we can increase our sense of belonging at work. [09:16] – Emily says that if we don’t feel a sense of belonging, it may be up to us to reach out and connect with others and explains how we can do this at work. [10:03] – Emily puts “purpose” into context and shares how we can find purpose in our jobs. [12:45] – Emily explains how storytelling provides a path to meaning. [15:30] – Emily discusses Laura King’s exercise with our lost selves and how that might help us with storytelling. [17:50] – Emily talks about The Moth and how it creates an environment for storytelling. [18:56] – When looking at transcendence, Emily shares why aura is important to our sense of meaning. [20:53] – The Lightning Round with Emily Esfahani Smith. Your Resources: The Moth Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude – Jim Collins and Michael S. Erwin Middlemarch – George Eliot and Rosemary Ashton Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.   Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.  And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free! Special thanks to Emily for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Research shows that happiness is elusive. So how can we achieve a deeper, longer lasting sense of joy? Emily Esfahani Smith, author of the book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters, studies the powerful distinction between meaning and happiness and why it matters. An editor at the Hoover Institution, a policy think tank at Stanford University, and a columnist for The New Criterion, her writing  has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and the New York Times. Her research reveals four pillars, or themes, associated with meaning. The stronger these pillars are in our lives, the more meaningful our lives will be. In this interview, we talk about: Why we should strive for meaning over happiness How meaning helps us think longer term The fact that meaning helps us connect to something larger than ourselves The four themes of meaning -- belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence Why belonging is the most important pillar of meaning How belonging helps us see how we matter, helps us feel valued, respected, cared for Why purpose is all about what we can contribute to others How the story we tell about our lives is a way of crafting our identities How transcendence helps us connect to something larger than ourselves How we can help each other have a healthy sense of belonging at work through the social cues that we send, like making eye contact and smiling How purpose and belonging overlap when we become more focused on service Why we need to act on our talents and strengths to recognize our purpose Narrative identity arises from the stories we tell about our lives and our experiences We have agency in shaping the story of our lives in ways that help us move forward Paying attention to our current future selves - who we want to become How astronauts rethink their values and their ambitions as a result awe experiences What growing up in a Sufi household taught Emily about meaning vs happiness Links to Topics Mentioned in this Podcast @EmEsfahaniSmith http://emilyesfahanismith.com/ The New Criterion The Hoover Institution Pursuing Pleasure or Virtue by Veronika Huta and Richard M. Ryan Shawn Achor The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan Carlos Eire Jeffrey S. Ashby Sufism Rumi Whirling Dervish If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes - your ratings make all the difference. For automatic delivery of new episodes, be sure to subscribe. As always, thanks for listening! Thank you to Emmy-award-winning Creative Director Vanida Vae for designing the Curious Minds logo, and thank you to Rob Mancabelli for all of his production expertise! www.gayleallen.net LinkedIn @GAllenTC

Professor Jeff DeGraff shows how to stir up some constructive conflict to encourage innovative thinking in the workplace.You'll Learn:The extraordinary value of arguingWho are the four types of people at the workplace and what creative tensions emerge among themEffective ways to create constructive conflict at workAbout JeffJeff DeGraff is called the Dean of Innovation because of his influence on the field. Dr. DeGraff is a professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He has advised hundreds of the world's most prominent firms. He has founded a leading innovation institute, Innovatrium, with labs in Ann Arbor and Atlanta. Jeff's thoughts on innovation are covered by Fortune, Wired and the Harvard Business Review to name a few. Jeff writes a column for Inc. magazine and has a regular segment on public radio called The Next Idea. He is the author of several books.Items Mentioned in this Show:Jeff's Website and MOOC: JeffDeGraff.comBook: The Innovation Code: The Creative Power of Constructive Conflict by Jeff DeGraffBook: Art and Visual Perception by Rudolf ArnheimBook: The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters by Emily Esfahani SmithCompany: The InnovatriumView transcript, show notes, and links at https://awesomeatyourjob.com/ep145See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we explore the relationship between meaning and entrepreneurship. We dive into two different aspects of meaning in this episode: (1) the personal meaning that your work has for you as an individual creative being and (2) the larger question of whether or not your contribution really matters — does it fundamentally make a difference in the world to even a small group of people? We get so caught up in the idea of optimizing the individual aspects of our daily lives, that we can lose sight of bigger picture of our life’s work, but entrepreneurship can be an incredible way to leave a legacy. What’s yours going to be? Other Mentions: Viktor Frankl's Man’s Search for Meaning Joy: The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters by Emily Esfahani SmithHustle: Thomas L. Friedman: "Thank You for Being Late" | Talks at Google

Are you happy?  If not, perhaps you’re asking yourself the wrong question. Our culture is obsessed with happiness - a right that’s enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.  But living a life of meaning, instead of the pursuit of happiness, may bring much deeper, longer-lasting satisfaction, says our guest, Emily Esfahani Smith, author of "The Power of Meaning Crafting a Life That Matters.  In 2013, comedian Louis C.K. struck a nerve when he spoke of the human condition on the Conan O’Brian show. “Underneath everything there’s that thing - that empty forever.”   The video clip from the “Conan” show went viral with more than 12 million views on You Tube.   We look at solutions for that “empty forever life.” For more information: solutions and links to useful sites go to our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the second half of this file, the psychology and culture journalist, editor, and author of the recent book The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith, returned to talk to me about the writing life and why our search for meaning is so important right now. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Emily has an M.A. in applied positive psychology, and in addition to being a columnist for The New Criterion, Emily’s writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Time, The Atlantic, New York Magazine and other publications. The author is also an editor at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where she manages “…an initiative to build purpose and community throughout the nation.” The author’s new book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters, explores the latest insights in positive psychology as well as thinkers throughout history — from George Eliot, Aristotle, Buddha, and even Louis C.K. — to find answers on why our pursuit of happiness often leaves us unhappy, and how we can lead more meaningful lives. Bestselling author Daniel Pink said, “The Power of Meaning deftly tells the stories of people, contemporary and historical, who have made the quest for meaning the mission of their lives. This powerful yet elegant book will inspire you to live a life of significance.” If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. If you missed the first half you can find it right here. In Part Two of this file Emily Esfahani Smith and I discuss: The power of outlines and how to give yourself permission to write badly Why novelty helps you connect the dots in new ways How an old library can inspire new ideas The uniquely human pursuit of meaning and why we could all use a little more of it right now Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience below ... Download MP3 Subscribe by RSS Subscribe in iTunes The Show Notes If you’re ready to see for yourself why over 201,344 website owners trust StudioPress — the industry standard for premium WordPress themes and plugins — just go to StudioPress.com How Journalist and Author of ‘The Power of Meaning’ Emily Esfahani Smith Writes: Part One How Journalist and Author of ‘The Power of Meaning’ Emily Esfahani Smith Writes: Part One EmilyEsfahaniSmith.com The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters – Emily Esfahani Smith There’s More to Life Than Being Happy – The Atlantic The Hoover Institution at Stanford University I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen – by Sylvie Simmons Emily Esfahani Smith on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter The Transcript How Journalist and Author of The Power of Meaning Emily Esfahani Smith Writes: Part Two Voiceover: Rainmaker FM. Kelton Reid: And welcome back to The Writer Files. I am still your host Kelton Reid, here to take you on another tour of the habits, habitats, and brains of renowned writers to learn their secrets. In the second half of this file, the psychology and culture journalist, editor, and author of the recent book The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith returned to talk to me about the writing life and why our search for meaning is so important right now. Emily has a masters in applied positive psychology and in addition to being a columnist for The New Criterion, Emily’s writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, TIME, The Atlantic, New York Magazine and many others. The author is also an editor at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University where she manages an initiative to build purpose and community throughout the nation. The author’s new book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters, explores the latest insights in positive psychology as well as that of great thinkers throughout history from George Eliot, Aristotle, Buddha, and even Louis C.K. to find answers on why our pursuit of happiness often leaves us feeling unhappy and how we can lead more meaningful lives. Bestselling author Daniel Pink said, The Power of Meaning deftly tells the stories of people, contemporary and historical, who’ve made the quest for meaning the mission of their lives. This powerful, yet elegant book will inspire you to live a life of significance. In part two of this file Emily and I discuss the power of outlines and how to give yourself permission to write badly, why novelty helps you connect the dots in new ways, how an old library can inspire new ideas, and the uniquely human pursuit of meaning and why we could all use a little bit more of it right now. If you missed the first half of this show you can find it in the archives on iTunes, on WriterFiles.FM and in the show notes. The Writer Files is brought to you by the all the new StudioPress Sites, a turnkey solution that combines the ease of an all-in-one website builder with the flexible power of WordPress. It’s perfect for authors, bloggers, podcasters and affiliate marketers, as well as those selling physical products, digital downloads, and membership programs. If you’re ready to take your WordPress site to the next level, see for yourself why over 200,000 website owners trust StudioPress. Go to Rainmaker.FM/StudioPress now. That’s Rainmaker.FM/StudioPress. And if you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews as soon as they’re published. The Power of Outlines and How to Give Yourself Permission to Write Badly Kelton Reid: All of this stuff that you’re synthesizing into a book like this, do you have any organizational hacks you can share with writers to help us understand how you put it all together? Emily Esfahani Smith: That’s a great question and I am not a very organized writer, I have to say. I probably can’t provide a whole lot of advice on this front, but I think that when I am being organized usually I have some kind of outline that’s at least giving me a little bit of structure. I can follow the outline. I think, for me, getting the beginning down is really important. I can’t write the piece unless I have a beginning. Getting even something down, even if I have to change it later, is really helpful. Not being afraid to write something, even if it’s not the best, I think would be one thing that helps me organize my thoughts. Kelton Reid: All right, so are you a writer who leans into procrastination or do you have some procrastination beaters? Emily Esfahani Smith: I think that procrastination can kind of lean into me. Sometimes it takes a hold of me, and again, it’s usually when I’m stuck. I think that the best thing to do to beat procrastination is instead of telling myself, Okay, you have to go and you have to write this thing, this article, this chapter or whatever, going a little bit easier on myself and saying, Just go to your computer, start doing some research, read some related articles about what you’re writing, and then from there I can usually transition into the writing itself. The writing can be just really hard. There’s so many mornings where I’m laying in bed and don’t want to get up because I’m like, Oh god, I have to go and write this piece. I can’t do it. I’m worried I’m not going to do a good job. And so, kind of easing myself into it with these more accessible forms of writing and research. Kelton Reid: I like it. Productive procrastination, as we like to say. How does Emily Esfahani Smith unplug at the end of a long writing day? Emily Esfahani Smith: I love to read but the thing about writing is that you’re spending your whole day with words and it can kind of be taxing on the mind. Instead of reading, which is what I would normally do to unplug, I need to do something that’s going to really just take me out of my head. For me that is usually cooking or even meditating or going on a walk, something that can focus my attention outward is how I like to unplug. Kelton Reid: Nice, nice for that important piece of unplugging the brain. I’d love to pick your brain about creativity a little bit, if you have the time. How would you say you define creativity, personally? Emily Esfahani Smith: For me, I think that there are a lot of different definitions of creativity. One of them is introducing something novel or innovative into the world. Another one, and I think this one resonates more with the work that I do, is taking what’s already in the world and putting it together in new ways. That’s what I try to do in my writing. People have been writing about meaning, for example, for thousands of years, so I’m not saying anything new, but I hope that I’m putting things together in a new way so people can shift their perspective on how they think about themselves and their lives. Why Novelty Helps You Connect the Dots in New Ways Kelton Reid: Absolutely. I think you have done that successfully. It’s interesting that you pull all of these ancient and contemporary authors together to do that in The Power of Meaning and successfully so. When do you think you personally feel the most creative? Emily Esfahani Smith: I think that I definitely need to be exposed to something novel, something new. So when I first started writing about psychology I wasn’t terribly familiar with psychology research before. I hadn’t really taken any classes in college, but I was in this master s program in psychology and everything … It was just this new way of understanding human experience, of understanding the world that was so inspiring. I think because I was new to the field, it let me connect dots in new ways and in ways maybe that other people wouldn’t have. Novelty was really helpful. Also, being in a new place can do that. Just getting outside of the normal routine, your normal patterns of thinking. Kelton Reid: Yeah. Do you think you have a creative muse at the moment? Emily Esfahani Smith: I don’t have a particular thing at the moment like I had with psychology several years ago. I think just sitting in silence and in solitude can spark creativity because it lets my mind wander naturally and daydream. Thoughts will come together in ways that I don’t always expect. That can sometimes be inspiration for something. Kelton Reid: In your estimation, and you referenced so many great writers in your own work, what do you think makes a writer truly great? Emily Esfahani Smith: I think that it’s a couple of things. I think one is the ability to move people in some way. Describing something that’s powerful enough that we think differently about our lives afterwards or about ourselves afterwards. I also think that Leonard Cohen, who I just read a biography of, he talked about how when he reads poetry that he loves he sometimes feels this recognition of truth that someone had described his own experience in a way that was more clear and more true than even he could have. I think that great writers do that too. They take what you are experiencing … Your experience of it may be kind of disorganized and unformed, but they express it to you in a clear way that helps you understand yourself more deeply. Kelton Reid: Yeah, yeah, interesting. And Mr. Cohen was a Buddhist. Am I correct in that? Emily Esfahani Smith: Yes. I think that he described himself as both being Jewish and a practicing kind of Buddhist. Kelton Reid: Yeah. A very fascinating man. I’ll have to point to that biography as well, which I would like to read personally. Emily Esfahani Smith: I enjoyed it. Gaining Inspiration from Fellow Authors Kelton Reid: Do you have a few books on your bedside table right now that you’re enjoying besides that one? Emily Esfahani Smith: Yeah … right. Yes, I’m reading Middlemarch by George Eliot. It’s a novel. I am also reading, I always keep the poems of T.S. Elliot nearby, because I find his work to be really inspiring. I always turn to that when I just want to decompress a little bit. Those are the two things that are taking up my time right now. Kelton Reid: Nice. As many writers often do, do you have a best loved quote floating over your desk somewhere or in your head? Emily Esfahani Smith: Yeah. It’s actually so I mentioned George Elliot just a second ago. The reason I’m reading Middlemarch is because there’s this quote in it that I came across separately which I just think is so beautiful and I think about it a lot. This is the quote. It’s how she ends the novel actually. It’s, “The growing good of the world is partly dependent on historic acts, and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs.” I just think it’s such a beautiful sentiment that maybe you’re not remembered by the history books, and maybe your life isn’t exactly what you hoped it would be, but that you still were leading a meaningful life, because you kept the world moving forward in some way. You were contributing in some way that you might not have even realized. Kelton Reid: I do like that. How about a few fun ones, just to lighten the mood? Emily Esfahani Smith: Sure. Kelton Reid: Are you a paper or an eBook? I should also add audio book to this question, but do you have a preference? Emily Esfahani Smith: I use to be the kind of person who was like, I’m never reading an eBook. I am faithfully devoted to my paper books. I think eBooks are travesty. But now that I am a little bit older, and wiser, some might even say, I have really appreciated the benefit of eBooks and how you can carry your entire library around with you. I use the eBooks, mostly, these days. Kelton Reid: Interesting. I don’t know how you’re going to answer this one but do you have a favorite literary character of all time? Emily Esfahani Smith: It’s funny. I don’t know if I have a favorite one of all time. There are so many great ones, but one that I love is Pi in the novel Life of Pi. I think he’s just a really wonderful example of someone who thinks deeply about the world and is full of hope and tells a positive story about his life. How an Old Library Can Inspire New Ideas Kelton Reid: Yeah. Do you have any writer’s fetishes? Rare, first edition, collector, or vintage typewriters or anything weird like that? Emily Esfahani Smith: I kind of wish I did, because that sounds so romantic, but I think the only thing that I demand and I don’t always get it, but is I really love working in a beautiful space, like a library or somewhere with lots of windows and natural light. Kelton Reid: What is your favorite library? Emily Esfahani Smith: I went to Dartmouth in New Hampshire and the libraries there are just gorgeous, and there is one room in the main library called the Tower Room. It’s really wooden dark, wooden panels, these green and wooden green seats with wooden tables. It’s very romantic and very quiet. Most people would go there to take naps during the day, but for me that was like where I do my best writing. Kelton Reid: Yeah. I think we should seek out beautiful libraries just for that kind of inspiration. I always feel so intimidated in a library like that, just overwhelmed by being surrounded by so many great words, weren’t written by me. Before we close with some advice to your fellow scribes, I want to go back to this great book The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters. I don’t know how to sum it up other than that it has some powerful messages for right now. The Uniquely Human Pursuit of Meaning and Why We Could All Use a Little More of it Right Now Kelton Reid: You talk a lot about, in your journalism and your writing, about this pursuit of meaning and how it makes us uniquely human. What’s the takeaway, I think, for listeners about this great book? Aside from these pillars of meaning and that we are meaning seeking creatures. What advice can you offer regarding seeking meaning right now for us? Emily Esfahani Smith: Meaning is defined by connecting and contributing to something that’s bigger than you are. One of the really interesting things about meaning is that it can actually produce this deeper and more enduring sense of satisfaction and peace with your life than the pursuit of happiness does. I think that there’s something really powerful about taking the focus off of yourself and thinking about something that’s bigger than you are, and how you can be part of that, or how you can contribute to that. I know that people are down, with the political news and things like that, but if you’re feeling that way I would recommend doing one of two things. One is asking yourself what’s one thing that you can do today to make someone else’s life better and then doing that. Two is going out of your way to cultivate connections and moments of belonging with someone else where you really treat someone like they’re valued and like they matter to you and hopefully where they treat you the same way. People are so divided right now. There’s just so much anger and fear. I feel like the best way to overcome that is just by treating each other in a small l loving manner. That meaning is so tied to the concept of love and being a compassionate person, an empathetic person. Kelton Reid: Yeah. I think that’s all very important stuff and the book is fantastic. Thank you again for taking the time. Can you offer some advice to your fellow scribes on just how to keep going, how to keep the ink flowing and the cursor moving? Emily Esfahani Smith: I would say just keep writing. Keep coming with ideas and pitches. Don’t be afraid to pitch different editors, to cold email different people. The more clips that you can have, the more that you’ll be able to write for other places. The other thing I’d say is don’t be afraid to pick up your phone and interview people. Do some real reporting because so few people are willing to do that but if you are it’ll help you stand out. Kelton Reid: All good stuff. I didn’t ask you at the beginning, at the top of the show but what are you working on right now? Are you working on more journalism or are you turning to another book? Emily Esfahani Smith: I am working on more journalism so writing some articles. One of them is about the rule of reflection and introspection in a meaningful life. Another article I’m thinking of writing is about rethinking our ideas of success and failure. Kelton Reid: I love it. Can’t wait to check those out. Where can we connect with you out there? I know you’ve got a great website and you’re on Twitter. Emily Esfahani Smith: Yep, that’s right. My website is my name EmilyEsfahaniSmith.com. I’m on Twitter @EmEsfahaniSmith. Kelton Reid: Awesome. The book is The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters. It can be found at everywhere that fine books are sold. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Emily Esfahani Smith: Thank you. This has been wonderful. Kelton Reid: Cheers. Thanks so much for joining me for this half of a tour through the writer’s process. If you enjoy The Writers Files podcast please subscribe to the show. Leave us a rating or a review on iTunes to help other writers find us. For more episodes or to just leave a comment or a question you can drop by WriterFiles.FM. You can always chat with me on Twitter @KeltonReid. Cheers. Talk to you next week.

The psychology and culture journalist, editor, and author of the recent book The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith, stopped by the show this week to talk to me about the writing life and why our search for meaning is so important right now. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Emily has an M.A. in applied positive psychology, and in addition to being a columnist for The New Criterion, Emily’s writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Time, The Atlantic, New York Magazine and other publications. The author is also an editor at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where she manages “…an initiative to build purpose and community throughout the nation.” The author’s new book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters, explores the latest insights in positive psychology as well as thinkers throughout history — from George Eliot, Aristotle, Buddha, and even Louis C.K. — to find answers on why our pursuit of happiness often leaves us unhappy, and how we can lead more meaningful lives. Bestselling author Daniel Pink said, “The Power of Meaning deftly tells the stories of people, contemporary and historical, who have made the quest for meaning the mission of their lives. This powerful yet elegant book will inspire you to live a life of significance.” If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In Part One of this file Emily Esfahani Smith and I discuss: Why you can’t let your fear of failure stop you from writing The extensive research that went into her investigation of an age-old question How the author discovered the four pillars of meaning Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience below ... Download MP3 Subscribe by RSS Subscribe in iTunes The Show Notes If you’re ready to see for yourself why over 201,344 website owners trust StudioPress — the industry standard for premium WordPress themes and plugins — just go to StudioPress.com How Journalist and Author of ‘The Power of Meaning’ Emily Esfahani Smith Writes: Part Two EmilyEsfahaniSmith.com The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters – Emily Esfahani Smith There’s More to Life Than Being Happy – The Atlantic The Hoover Institution at Stanford University How Bestselling Author Daniel Pink Writes Emily Esfahani Smith on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter The Transcript How Journalist and Author of The Power of Meaning Emily Esfahani Smith Writes: Part One Voiceover: Rainmaker FM. Kelton Reid: Welcome back to The Writer Files. I am your host Kelton Reid here to take you on another tour of the habits, habitats, and brains of renowned writers. The psychology and culture journalist, editor, and author of the recent book, The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith stopped by this week to talk to me about the writing life and why our search for meaning is so important right now. Emily has a masters in applied positive psychology and in addition to being a columnist for The New Criterion, Emily’s writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, TIME, The Atlantic, New York Magazine and many others. The author’s an editor at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University where she manages an initiative to build purpose and community throughout the nation. The author’s new book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters, explores the latest insights in positive psychology in great thinkers throughout history from George Eliot, Aristotle, Buddha, and even Louis C.K, to find answers on why our pursuit of happiness often leaves us unhappy and how we can lead more meaningful lives. Bestselling author of Drive, Daniel Pink said, “The Power of Meaning deftly tells the stories of people, contemporary and historical, who’ve made the quest for meaning the mission of their lives. This powerful, yet elegant book will inspire you to live a life of significance.” In part one of this file, Emily and I discuss why you can’t let your fear of failure stop you from writing, the extensive research that went into her investigation of an age-old question, and how the author discovered the four pillars of meaning. The Writer Files is brought to you by the all the new StudioPress Sites, a turnkey solution that combines the ease of an all-in-one website builder with the flexible power of WordPress. It’s perfect for authors, bloggers, podcasters and affiliate marketers, as well as those selling physical products, digital downloads, and membership programs. If you’re ready to take your WordPress site to the next level, see for yourself why over 200,000 website owners trust StudioPress. Go to Rainmaker.FM/StudioPress now. That’s Rainmaker.FM/StudioPress. And if you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews as soon as they’re published. All right. I am rolling today on The Writer Files podcast with a special guest, Emily Esfahani Smith is the author of a fantastic book. Also, you’re a journalist, as well as an author, and writer, and a social psychologist, am I getting that correct? Emily Esfahani Smith: I have a masters in psychology. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a social psychologist, but I appreciate the compliment. Kelton Reid: Well, it’s really cool, this new book is fantastic and I want to talk more about it, but maybe for listeners to start out, kind of who aren’t familiar with your journey, in your own narrative, you could tell us a little bit about just kind of your origins as a writer. Emily Esfahani Smith: Sure. I grew up just loving to read, and write, and I went to college, though, thinking that I would be a doctor, so I was pre-med and took all the science classes and loved them, actually. But, I also started to get involved with campus journalism when I was in college and just really fell in love with the writing and thought, “Well, maybe this is something that I can try out. Medical school will always be there, I can always go back.” I started kind of focusing my internships and my spare time on building a career as a writer and I graduated in 2009 and started working for a variety of magazines and freelance writing about psychology. One of my articles in 2013 was called, There’s More to Life Than Being Happy, and it was published in The Atlantic and it kind of, it went viral, and it was surprising to me that it did, but it ended up being the basis for this book that I just wrote called, The Power of Meaning. That’s kind of the short answer. Why You Can t Let Your Fear of Failure Stop You from Writing Kelton Reid: Yeah, yeah. That’s a great one and I will link to that Atlantic article, the subtitle was, Meaning Comes from the Pursuit of More Complex Things Than Happiness. That struck a chord, it sounds like. Yeah, so the journalism piece is cool. Of course, you were writing some about Viktor Frankl and his amazing book, Man’s Search for Meaning, which is … I mean, I think it’s timely, but kind of interesting especially now in this complex time in our history. Do you feel like you had that aha moment where you knew for sure you were going to be a writer, like that was going to be your career path? Emily Esfahani Smith: I think that for me, a big obstacle to pursuing writing in those years when I was in college and trying to figure out what my path was, was just that … Was confidence, I guess. It’s not an easy career. It doesn’t pay a lot, but I thought, “Well, I kind of want to try it out,” but I was afraid of failing, or of it not working out. And I was also afraid … There’s so many people who I think when they’re young want to be writers and I thought, “Well, is this just kind of like a fantasy that I too want to be a writer?” The aha moment, for me I think, was one of my professors in college pulled me aside after class and talked to me about, I think a short story that I had written, or maybe a paper, and at the end of the conversation, kind of completely unprompted, he said to me, “Emily, you could really be a writer if you wanted to be.” That was just kind of what I needed to hear to give myself the confidence and the push to actually go and give it my all and pursue it, kind of hearing someone older, who knew me, I guess better than I knew myself, encouraged me. That was an aha moment for me I think. Kelton Reid: Yeah, yeah. Well, you’ve written for some amazing publications, obviously, Wall Street Journal and New York Times, TIME, The Atlantic, New York Magazine. You are also an editor at the Hoover Institution, is that still- Emily Esfahani Smith: Yeah. Kelton Reid: That’s kind of an interesting position. How did you find yourself working with, I guess, a public policy think-tank? Emily Esfahani Smith: Yes. When I was kind of starting out my career as a writer, it quickly became evident to me that there are all kinds of ways that kind of a writer can make writing work financially, and one way is to be an editor. I worked as an editor at a variety of publications and through that got to meet different writers and editors as well. Eventually, I met somebody who was looking for some help editing at the Hoover Institution and said, “If I would be interested …” I had kind of had some experience editing long form pieces that were policy related and was … Don’t write about policy and politics, but find it interesting. And so it ended up working out and it’s been something that I’ve been doing for a number of years, and it keeps me informed, and I really enjoy helping other people kind of edit their writing so it can really be as effective as possible in communicating whatever it is that they’re trying to communicate. Kelton Reid: Cool. Seems like they’re doing some very important work there. I guess we could dovetail into your fantastic new book, The Power of Meaning, and talk a little bit about the process that went into it, I think is interesting. The book itself is, Publisher’s Weekly called, “An enlightening guide to discovering meaning in one’s life.” Dan Pink who has also been on this show, is actually how I discovered the book. He said that, “It definitely tells the story of people, contemporary and historical, who’ve made the quest for meeting the mission of their lives.” It’s very inspiring, so thank you for the book itself. Emily Esfahani Smith: Thanks for saying that. The Extensive Research that Went Into Her Investigation of an Age-Old Question Kelton Reid: Yeah, no, I think like I was trying to say earlier, that I think it’s important for … Especially, for this time in history, where it just seems like a rather tense time for a lot of folks. Yeah, so I mean, I’d love to talk more about kind of how you wrote it, the amount of time and energy, research, that went into it. If we could talk a little bit about the productivity piece. How much research was required, actually, to get this piece of work out there? Emily Esfahani Smith: I worked on the book for about three or four years and a big part of that time was spent doing a lot of research and reporting. I read through, I’m sure, thousands of pages of psychology studies, of philosophy, of literature, trying to understand what these different disciplines said about how to lead a meaningful life. That was one part of the research. The other part, which was a little bit more fun, was getting to travel all around the country and interview all kinds of people about their own stories of what makes their lives meaningful. I went out to a little fishing village on an island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and talked to members of that really tight-knit community about why community is an important part of the meaningful life. I went out to Seattle where there’s this church that puts on a medieval prayer service called, Compline, that draws hundreds of people every Sunday night who are both religious and not religious. Some of them are atheist and yet, they’re drawn to this kind of spiritual transcendent experience of Gregorian chant. I talked to them about why beauty and music, how those things can kind of create more meaning in people’s lives. Those were kind of the two parts of the research and putting them together in the book, that was really the writing process. That was a little bit more kind of synthesizing, but also really gratifying in its own way. How the Author Discovered the Four Pillars of Meaning Kelton Reid: Yeah, yeah. Well, it sounds like an extensive amount of research. Then, before you kind of sat down to sort it all out, how were you kind of synthesizing the meaning of it all? Emily Esfahani Smith: Well, so I wrote the book kind of with these two kind of ideas driving it that basically determined the structure of the book. The one was that we are creatures that kind of seek meaning and yearn for meaning and that this desire for meaning is actually stronger in us and needs to be satisfied more than our desire for happiness. Meaning really should be the goal that we pursue, and happiness will come as a result of that. The first part of the book kind of talks a little bit about the difference between meaning and happiness, but then after that I really wanted to understand, What does it mean to lead a meaningful life? How can you find meaning in life? I went to the research kind of with that question in mind thinking that I’ll sort through all this research and see if there are certain themes that come up again and again in the research and in the stories about what people say about what makes their lives meaningful. I was kind of just like sifting through the research and in that process these four themes came up again and again. They’re a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose, storytelling, and transcendence, and those were … When people told me what makes their lives meaningful when they wrote about it in surveys and in the research, they were usually talking about one of those four themes, so those are the pillars of meaning I argue. Kelton Reid: Well, yeah, I mean and it’s a fantastic read and there’s so much in there to kind of savor and unpack and I love it. I mean, you go from Tolstoy to Gandhi to Camus, and then somehow end up at Louis C.K., which I found very entertaining. The storytelling itself is absolutely compelling and then the research piece obviously kind of drives it. Kudos on the work itself, it’s a fantastic book. I’m enjoying it very much. Emily s Thoughts on Workflow and Writer s Block Kelton Reid: Then, when you begin the writing process and you’re actually going for word counts or pages, how are you doing that? Are you writing every day? Were you blocking parts of your day out to just write? How did you get into kind of a flow state to get it all down? Emily Esfahani Smith: When I was writing the book it was pretty much all day, every day writing. I tend to be more of a morning person, so I would wake up early and would usually just start writing after preparing myself a little bit. Then, I would, just, for as many hours as I could, until I just couldn’t take it anymore. I would kind of sit there with the ideas and try to wrestle with them and get them down on a page. Some days that went more smoothly than others. A lot of times it was a real struggle kind of writing … Spending hours, like all day long, writing a paragraph only at the end of the day to realize the paragraph doesn’t belong in this section, and so deleting it and therefore kind of not really making much progress, it felt like. Those were the bad days, but there were also many good days where I probably was able to write at least, I think, a thousand words a day. I don’t keep track of it specifically, but I think on a good day I can probably put out a thousand words a day that I feel comfortable with. Kelton Reid: Are you a writer who can stick on headphones, or do you need silence to kind of sort things out? Emily Esfahani Smith: Definitely need silence and I kind of … If there’s any noise at all, it’s a distraction for me. I will use noise canceling headphones, I’ll put earplugs in, but ideally I’ll find a place that’s just as silent as possible to write from. Kelton Reid: Well, here’s the million dollar question. Do you believe in writer’s block? Emily Esfahani Smith: Writer’s block So, I think, I guess it depends on how you define writer’s block. I’ve certainly experienced moments where I come to a point and I don’t know where to go after that, or I don’t know how to start the article, or start the chapter. I think that it’s not because I’m incapable of writing, it’s usually because I don’t know enough yet, so I need to go back and do more research, talk to more people, and then I can come back to it and put my thoughts together a little bit more easily. So for me, writer’s block is usually a symptom of not having done enough research. Kelton Reid: Yeah, yeah, for sure. All right. Well, let’s talk about a few workflow items. Are you a Mac or a PC user? Emily Esfahani Smith: I am a Mac user. I have a MacBook Air, which is nice and small and I can put in my purse, which is great. Kelton Reid: Yes, yes. Are you using primarily Microsoft Word or are you a Scrivener writer? Emily Esfahani Smith: I used to … Word used to be my default, but these days I’m actually using Google Drive more often, because I can … Sometimes when I get into writing I will be very obsessive about it and every spare moment of my day, if I’m in cab, or if I’m on the subway, I’ll want to kind of go back to the piece and spend time with it. I can do that with Google Drive by just having my phone on me, so that’s really helpful. Kelton Reid: Yeah, absolutely. I’ve found that too. Thanks so much for joining me for this half of a tour through the writer’s process. If you enjoy The Writer Files podcast, please subscribe to the show and leave us a rating or a review on iTunes to help other writers find us. For more episodes or to just leave a comment or a question, you can drop by WriterFiles.FM, and you can always chat with me on Twitter @KeltonReid. Cheers, talk to you next week.

Emily Esfahani Smith is author of “The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters.” Emily has explored the essence of what brings meaning into our lives. She melds perspectives from a variety of sources -- contemporary psychologists, ancient philosophers, historical figures, and others -- to show the value of what she calls the “four pillars of meaning,” each of which she and Stew discuss in this episode. For more information about this and previous episodes, check out the blog post on this episode at http://www.workandlifepodcast.com/blog/ees , where you can find show notes, links to resources discussed in the conversation, and the roster of Stew’s guests you can look forward to hearing soon. Show Notes (times when new topics start) 5:50. Meaning and happiness. Finding meaning in life is not about finding happiness. 8:15. Belonging. One pillar of meaning is the feeling of being connected to others. 11:55. Purpose. The second pillar is having a sense of purpose for one’s life, which need not necessarily be a grand enterprise but can be simply gaining respect in your profession or helping your family function. 16:50. Storytelling. We tell stories about key episodes in our lives to create a deeper understanding of our identities and thereby enhance meaning. 21:35. Transcendance. Feeling ego-less and connected to the infinite is the fourth pillar of meaning, and it can be experienced in nature, religion, and in other ways. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

  Please Support The Show With a Donation   This week we talk to Emily Esfahani Smith Emily Esfahani Smith is the author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters She graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a master of applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She writes about psychology, culture, and relationships. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times,Time, The Atlantic, and other publications. Emily is also a columnist for The New Criterion, as well as an editor at the Stanford University's Hoover Institution,   In This Interview, Emily Esfahani Smith and I Discuss... The One You Feed parable Her new book: The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters The difference between happiness and meaning That the defining feature of a meaningful life is connecting and contributing to something that lies beyond the self The three criteria of a meaningful life: feeling that one's life is significant in some way, feeling that one's life is driven by a sense of purpose and feeling that one's life is coherent That human beings are meaning-seeking creatures That there's more to life than feeling happy That our current culture doesn't emphasize meaning and purpose Victor Frankel's important work related to the role of meaning in our lives The role of meaning when facing adversity That responsibility and duty are wellsprings of meaning That the wellsprings of meaning are all around us The four pillars of a meaningful life: Belonging, Purpose, Storytelling, and Transcendence The wisdom in what George Eliot has to say about the people that keep the world going in small yet indispensable ways: that the goodness of the world is dependent on their unhistoric acts What kind of relationships lead to a sense of belonging That purpose can come in all shapes and sizes That reflecting on the story of your life can lead to a greater sense of meaning in your life The two different types of storytelling That transcendent experiences are crucial to having a greater sense of meaning in life The good news about what's happening to us as a species       Please Support The Show with a Donation