Episode 4: Become More Mindful with Susan Piver

Highlights of This Episode:

• How Susan accidentally became a best-selling author
• Why you neither have to dumb down your area of expertise nor make it harder than it needs to be
• Why it’s important to have an alternative platform than the traditional publishers
• How it’s possible to teach profound insights virtually
• Why being of service to others while being served isn’t a contradiction (in spirit or otherwise)
• How Susan managed to keep going when she was really scared about money

“Don’t be afraid to feel. That’s where all the information is.” — Susan Piver

A Note from Charlie:

One of the many things I love about Susan Piver is her ability to be completely present with what is at any given moment. She can switch from happiness, to sadness, to joy, to frustration and feel each one along the way without letting any of them dominate her. Her ability to do it and share it allows the people she talks to to feel the same.

Her story is also really inspiring, too, for she’s not the loud, assertive, driven person we’re told we must be to be a success, and yet … she’s written eight books now, has a New York Times bestseller, has a thriving online community, and has been on Oprah. That’s a lot of happy accidents to accrue.

Listen in as we talk about mindfulness, planning, happy accidents, publishing, and community. I say talk, but the reality is we did a lot of laughing on this one. I blame Susan. 🙂

About Susan Piver:

Susan Piver is a Buddhist teacher and the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Hard Questions and the award-winning How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life. Her latest book is entitled The Wisdom of a Broken Heart.

Piver has been a student of Buddhism since 1995, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004, and was authorized to teach meditation in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage in 2005. She teaches workshops and speaks all over the world on meditation, spirituality, communication styles, relationships, and creativity. She wrote the relationships column for body + soul magazine, is the meditation expert and contributor at drweil.com, and is a frequent guest on network television, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today, CNN, and The Tyra Banks Show. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, TIME, Parade, Money, and others.

In 2011, Piver launched The Open Heart Project, an online meditation community with nearly 12,000 members who practice together and explore ways to bring spiritual values such as kindness, genuineness, and fearlessness to everyday life.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Susan Piver’s website
• The Open Heart Project
• The Hard Questions
• How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life
• The Wisdom of a Broken Heart

Thanks for Listening!

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