Dissecting the process of her book, The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith joins David to explore bringing depth to our lives via belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling.

This time on the CSM Podcast, David and Emily discuss:

• Positive Psychology: shifting from a focus on what’s wrong to the science of well-being and human flourishing
• How connecting to something greater than ourselves can lead to self-transcendence and deeper meaning
• What scientific research reveals about activities that create a meaningful life
• Making intentional, values-aligned choices instead of following external pressures
• Emily’s four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling
• Finding true community and belonging without reinforcing exclusion or “othering”
• How cultural values are evolving toward greater empathy, compassion, and collective care
• The bodhicitta aspiration: working toward the end of suffering for all beings

“The more I got into the research, the more that I saw that maybe it’s not happiness that we should be pursuing and glorifying, but maybe it’s this concept of leading a meaningful life.” – Emily Esfahani Smith

About Emily Esfahani Smith:

Emily Esfahani Smith is the author of The Power of Meaning. A psychotherapist and writer, her articles have appeared in The Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Her TED Talk, ‘There’s more to life than being happy,’ has been viewed over 15 million times. Learn more on Emily’s website.