14. Embracing Play and Purpose: Redesigning Life Beyond Suffering with Dr. Caneel Joyce

If you've sometimes wondered whether you have any control over how much suffering there is, or should be, in your own life, this one is for you. If you're like many of us, chances are you grew up in a context where suffering was taught to be seen as noble and necessary. And here's the thing: many people unknowingly continue to live into some version of that story, accepting unnecessary suffering as just the way it is. But what if it wasn't the way it is? Or the way it has to be? What if we could design our life to be more pleasant and playful, using design thinking principles and experimentation? This is what's explored in this episode with Dr. Caneel Joyce. Caneel is a writer, an executive coach dedicated to guiding CEOs and visionary change-makers, and host of the thought-provoking and awesome Allowed podcast. Prior to becoming a coach, she worked in startups and taught at the D-school at UC berkeley and at London school of economics and has a really unique lens of creativity and human design that she brings to everything she does. She's a mama of two and a SUPER insightful friend. Tune in to hear: How Caneel radically redesigned her life and career to prioritize her physical and mental health, so she could avoid creating unnecessary suffering in her life, and get to a place of thriving. How design thinking, creativity and experimentation are key to alleviating unnecessary suffering. The drama triangle. What is it? How is each one of us playing into it? And how can we stop being roped mindlessly into it? What Buddhist principles regarding suffering can teach us about how to alleviate it in our lives.   This episode will reveal something you have not seen before, when it comes to creating a life with more joy and playfulness, and less (much less!) unnecessary suffering.   Resources that Caneel mentioned on the show: Kristen Neff, and her work on Self-Compassion: https://self-compassion.org/ Beth Anstandig, and her leadership work on the Human Herd: https://www.thecircleupexperience.com/   Where to find Caneel online: caneel.com https://www.instagram.com/caneel.is/