#52 - The Art of Failing Better: Wisdom, Ego, and Growth with Sean Waters

In this electrifying episode of Scales Of Success, host Marcus Arredondo chats with Sean Waters, a musician, performer, writer, philosopher, and father, to talk about ego, purpose, and what it really means to live a well-examined life. From Joseph Campbell to Stoicism and Buddhist wisdom, Sean breaks down how self-awareness, creativity, and daily reflection can turn chaos into clarity. If you’ve ever felt stuck between who you are and who you’re meant to be, this conversation is your wake-up call. Listen now and start turning your setbacks into wisdom that sticks.Sean Waters is a master teacher at Colorado State University, where he’s taught English for over 13 years. With dual master’s degrees in Philosophy and English Education, he’s helped hundreds of students create meaningful, fulfilling lives. In 2021, he founded the Wisdom Workshop to guide professionals through midlife transitions toward purpose and joy. Beyond the classroom, Sean is a passionate musician and songwriter, reaching over 5,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.Link up with Sean Waters:🌐 Website: https://www.wisdomworkshop.io/ 🔖 Substack: https://seanwaters.substack.com/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seancharleswaters/Episode highlights:(3:27) How to find your bliss?(11:42) Lessons from Stoicism and Buddhism(14:39) Follow your bliss and your grunt(16:44) Failure as feedback and iteration(26:14) The ego’s role in fulfillment(37:34) Writing as a mirror for the mind(45:22) Starting the Wisdom Workshop(51:58) Lessons from failure and indifference(56:18) How Buddhist thought informs modern life(1:00:52) OutroConnect with Marcus Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-arredondo/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/cus Scales of Success Website: scalesofsuccesspodcast.com X (Twitter): https://x.com/scalesofsuccess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scalesofsuccesspod/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scalesofsuccess Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ScalesofSuccess —-- Leave a Review If you enjoyed listening to the podcast, we’d love for you to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the show. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scales-of-success-podcast/id1773864140 Get in Touch You can also Tweet @cus with any feedback, ideas or thoughts about the lessons you’ve learnt from the episodes and we can thank you personally for tuning in.