I spent five years living and working with a Zen master. While I expected paradoxical riddles and mind-bending meditations, my experience was nothing like I'd imagined.

First of all, my Zen master was a West Virginia hillbilly who clipped coupons and wore boots with holes in them. Richard Rose didn't fit the mold of the Zen guru.

But when it came to teaching me exactly what I needed to learn, there was no one better in the world. Rose constantly found ways to deflate my ego and give me the insight into myself I desperately needed.

On one such occasion, Rose taught me a lesson about humility using only manual labor and a bucket full of nails.

If you've ever considered learning about Zen, this video is a great place to start.

Continue the journey with August Turak.

For more on leadership, personal transformation, spirituality, and living a life of meaning and purpose, follow @RealAugustTurak on all social media platforms.

Interested in going deeper? Personal mentoring with August is also available. Visit AugustTurak.org to learn more about mentoring, his books, articles, and other resources.

And if this episode challenged you, inspired you, or made you think differently, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

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We all love movies. They reflect our dreams. Our hopes. Our fears. They mirror our very humanity. Look closely at your life. You'll see your own movie unfolding before your eyes. But what kind of movie are you making?

Like it or not, we're all playing the lead role in our own movies right now. We're all, inevitably, on a one-way trip to the grave. But we all have a choice. We can choose not to be dragged along for the ride. Instead, we can take control of our lives and start living intentionally.

But how?

Live like a movie.

Every great movie follows the timeless arc of the Hero's Journey.

Since great movies follow the Hero's Journey, why shouldn't you? Start viewing your life like a movie–one you're simultaneously writing and starring in. What do you want your life to say? What should happen? Who else should get to play a role?

This isn't some hypothetical exercise. Grab a piece of paper or your nearest device and start writing a one-page treatment for this film called Life!

Continue the journey with August Turak.

For more on leadership, personal transformation, spirituality, and living a life of meaning and purpose, follow @RealAugustTurak on all social media platforms.

Interested in going deeper? Personal mentoring with August is also available. Visit AugustTurak.org to learn more about mentoring, his books, articles, and other resources.

And if this episode challenged you, inspired you, or made you think differently, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Follow The August Turak Podcast wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

What makes a life worth living? Is it a good job? Fame? A happy family? Most people don't have a good answer. A life worth living isn't dependent on specific factors, however. A life worth living should instead be called THE Life Worth Living.

The Life Worth Living is all about transformation. A transformation of being from a state of selfishness to one of selflessness. But what does a transformation of being really look like?

To answer that question, we have to consider the three types of transformation. The first is the transformation of condition. A transformation of condition is what happens when a thirsty man drinks. It solves an immediate need–nothing more.

Next is the transformation of circumstance. A transformation of circumstance is what a person experiences when he wins the lottery. Transformations of circumstance can be helpful, but they are purely external.

Neither of these types of transformation make any change to who you are. They do not change the person at the core.

The third type of transformation, however, is the transformation of being. This is the type of transformation Scrooge experiences when he awakes on Christmas morning an entirely new man.

This is the type of transformation we all must experience to find The Life Worth Living.

Continue the journey with August Turak.

For more on leadership, personal transformation, spirituality, and living a life of meaning and purpose, follow @RealAugustTurak on all social media platforms.

Interested in going deeper? Personal mentoring with August is also available. Visit AugustTurak.org to learn more about mentoring, his books, articles, and other resources.

And if this episode challenged you, inspired you, or made you think differently, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Follow The August Turak Podcast wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.