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260. From Role To Soul: The Four Ingredients For Mastering Meaning

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Hosted by Matt Abrahams

19m
Transcript

Original podcast

About this episode

Why your best life isn’t about having the right answers, but about asking the right questions. Finding meaning and purpose in life isn’t about having all the answers. For Bill Burnett https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/bill-burnett/ and Dave Evans, https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/dave-evans/ it’s about having the courage and curiosity to constantly engage with the questions. As designers, Burnett and Evans have careers spanning everything from academia to companies like Apple, Electronic Arts, and Hasbro. But beyond fashioning better products and user experiences, they’ve also put their expertise toward the transcendent, writing several books about designing and living lives filled with meaning and purpose. “Compasses say North, not Seattle,” says Evans, highlighting how many mistakenly think of purpose as a single destination. “We're all a dynamic, flowing, constantly changing thing. So how could a changing thing have one static right answer?” Instead, he and Burnett maintain that meaning is more about “going the right direction, not [finding] the right destination.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart https://www.fastersmarter.io/, Burnett and Evans join host Matt Abrahams to explore their strategies for leading a purposeful life. Rather than “rehearsing [an] answer,” their method involves “living [a] question” — embracing curiosity and designing a life through dialogue with ourselves and with others. To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium https://www.fastersmarter.io/premium/. Episode Reference Links: Bill Burnett https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/bill-burnett/Dave Evans https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/dave-evans/Bill and Dave’s Book: How to Live a Meaningful Life https://fastersmarter.io/how-to-live-a-meaningful-lifeEp.181 Why Happiness is a Direction, Not a Destination: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing https://www.fastersmarter.io/181-why-happiness-is-a-direction-not-a-destination-communication-happiness-wellbeing/Ep.138 Speak Your Truth: Why Authenticity Leads to Better Communication https://www.fastersmarter.io/138-speak-your-truth-why-authenticity-leads-to-better-communication/ Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium https://www.fastersmarter.io/premium/Email Questions & Feedback >>> [email protected] Transcripts >>>Think Fast Talk Smart Website https://www.fastersmarter.io/260-from-role-to-soul-the-four-ingredients-for-mastering-meaning/Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>>FasterSmarter.io http://fastersmarter.io/Think Fast Talk Smart >>>LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/think-fast-talk-smart/,Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thinkfasttalksmart/, YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6caGRBUYZCmgDGM2RK6mxKB9jG_ccmm3Matt Abrahams >>>LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maabrahams/ Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (01:02) - Meaning & Purpose as a Direction (01:42) - Coherence & Living in Alignment (02:23) - Design Thinking for Life Decisions (03:56) - Prototyping Conversations (05:29) - Odyssey Plans: Three Possible Futures (07:33) - The Four Elements of Meaning (09:22) - Wonder Glasses: Shifting Perspective (10:48) - Transactional vs. Flow World (12:36) - How to Build a Formative Community (13:59) - The Practice-to-Production Trap (15:07) - The Final Three Questions (18:35) - Conclusion ******** Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost. Learn more about how Notion https://www.notion.com/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=thinkfast can support your business at notion.com/thinkfast. https://www.notion.com/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=thinkfast Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be. https://learning.fastersmarter.io/?redirect_from=podpage

Transcript

0:00
19:24

4,556 words · 3 speakers

Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

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