142. How Loss Can Lead to Love: Laurel Braitman, author of ‘What Looks Like Bravery,’ [reads] ‘When Breath Becomes Air’

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I’ve been very lucky to work with some of the TED Fellows, a program where young people of promise are given access to the TED world. For three years, I attended a gathering of these extraordinary young people to offer some support, facilitation, and coaching. What became obvious to me over the years was the commonness of brilliance, achievement, and disintegration. They were often exhausted, overwhelmed, and struggling with their so-called success. Of course, there was a range of coaches and experts who were able to provide support and accelerate most of them to the plateau of sustainability. As you know, I love good questions, so: What does ‘sustainable’ success look like? How do I not sacrifice my life for my ambition? 

Laurel Braitman is a best-selling writer, secular clinical chaplain-in-training, and the Director of Writing and Storytelling at the Stanford School of Medicine where she teaches those in the medical field to communicate more clearly and vulnerably with their patients. She’s also a TED Fellow, which is where I met her a decade and some ago. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ 

Laurel reads two pages from ‘When Breath Becomes Air’ by Paul Kalanithi. [reading begins at 20:15]  

Hear us discuss: 

“There’s really no such thing as happiness, only happy-sad or sadly happy.” [14:10] | 

Gaining a lived understanding of love. [24:30] | “Let life surprise you, maybe it’ll surprise you in a good way.” [29:03] | Learning to dance with your limitations: “My drug of choice is excellence.” [30:52] | What success really means. [35:52] | The mission for What Looks Like Bravery. [40:32] | “There’s nothing like the gift of believing in someone when they don’t believe in themselves.” [45:58]