Game of Zen Podcast - First Look

The beginning of a great adventure?

I hope everyone is well. Aria and I are in our final weekend in Bozeman. We pack up and move back to Boulder next week, for the summer and (we hope) beyond.

This week three new coaching clients began individual multi-month programs with me. I love working with individuals in transitional/growth phases. Something emerges in our interaction that catalyzes clarity, forward movement and manifestation. It is not entirely explicable in linear terms (nor is it even entirely conscious while it is happening), but having worked with individuals as a Zen teacher and professional coach for many years, I guarantee that the effect is real.

If you find yourself in or approaching a new phase in your personal or professional life (or would like to be!), I invite you to sign up for a free Discovery session with me next week. It’s no strings attached, and even if we don’t move forward, I guarantee I will give you helpful framing, advice on next steps, and specific awareness and inquiry practices for your situation.

Game of Zen Podcast

I met Scott Berman three years ago when he reached out to me for professional coaching on LinkedIn. As an entrepreneur and venture fund operator, he has been uncommonly engaged with learning and applying the principles and practices of Zen to his life and work. We hit it off right away … in part because we are both athletes, and he works as the stats guy for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76’ers.

Scott is incredibly generous of heart and mind, and has a great sense of humor. When he suggested I do a podcast with my take on applied Zen, my first thought was that I did not have time for it. But a second later what popped out of my mouth was “will you do it with me?” Within minutes we had sketched out a framework for the pod. When I shared the idea with my coach Mark Eckhardt the next day, he too loved it, and suggested we lean into the sports aspect of our interest….. so the name Game of Zen was born.

Our intent is to share how the practices and principles of Zen can help us in life and work. We can become better communicators, better leaders, better partners, and yes, even better athletes. We’ll talk with people who have been applying Zen to their daily lives and to others who question how they might do so.

Always the direction of Zen is to not be so self-centered that we miss what’s right in front of us. Often times this involves shifting our understanding from the normative stories of how we should be operating, and what it means to succeed. While the Game of Zen is played on the field of life, the rules describe your inner relationship to yourself. It’s a heckuva game to play, especially when we are playing with others!

We’ve launched a couple of episodes on my YouTube channel here. We’d love it if you check them out, subscribe and leave any comments or ideas about what you’d like us to talk about. The first episode is an introduction to us and the pod, and the second talks about the Four Noble Truths.

I hope you enjoy!

- Paul

P.S. Please share this email with anyone you feel may like the newsletter or the podcast.