Deep Sit Podcast

My guest today is Emily Esfahani Smith, author of the book The Power of Meaning.  As a matter of fact, Emily was the first person I invited as a guest on this podcast and this interview really sets up the perfect framework for what's to come.  Pay special attention here as the pillars that support a meaningful life, as Emily defines them, come up time and again in the guest interviews that follow.  I spend quite a bit of time talking to Emily about self-transcendence, which I saw as a common thread throughout her book.  It seems that people find the most meaning in life, when they focus outside themselves.  Whether it's serving other people, or becoming absorbed in a specific task, not thinking or even being aware of yourself is highly correlated to sense of meaning, purpose, and ultimately enduring happiness.  We also talk about self-awareness and meditation as places to begin the search for meaning, and I ask Emily about the pros and cons of belief and ideology, and how they can fill us with meaning, bu