Jewish Roots, Zen Practice & Improv – Maxine Shapiro

Jewish Roots, Zen Practice & Improv – Maxine Shapiro

Author: Meli Solomon, the Talking with God Project March 10, 2022 Duration: 37:10

Episode 7.
Maxine grew up in a Jewish home, including keeping kosher.  She has left that strict observance but retains the core identity and some observance.  Zen practice and meditation have been added, something she states proudly.  Improv has also been a part of her life, creatively and professionally. 

In her work with corporations, she combines business savvy, improv and humor in her Collaborcate® method to empower employers to improve the customer-employee relationship. 

Highlights:
·       Collaboration begins with yes/and.
·       Creativity comes from listening to the voice inside, and meditation helps you to hear it.
·       Judaism, Zen and improv all support her, and she finds connection and community readily.
·       She stretches herself to relate to people who are different, no matter how small the connection.
·       Being one means being present and open to the joy and suffering.
·       Be present, listen and lead with curiosity.

 
Quotes:
“I welcome anyone to go to any Buddhist temple whether they’re chanting or Zen, whatever they're practicing, and hear a chant and not feel the depth of it. And that's the magic of religion.”

“I love rituals. To me they just keep it so clean.”

“I think it's important wherever I go, to show up. I'm ‘gonna be present.”

“We don't have anything in the past. We have nothing in the future. It is about now. Are you allowing yourself to just be so present, either as the customer, [or] the representative of the service product?”

“Listening is one of the deepest gifts we can give to people.”


Social Media Links for Maxine:
LinkedIn – www.linkedin/in/maxineshapiro
Facebook – www.facebook.com/maxineshapiro
Twitter – www.twitter.com/maxineshapiro
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/maxineshapiro/
Website – www.maxineshapiro.com
Let’s Talk About CEX! The Customer and Employee Experience podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-about-cex-the-customer-and-employee-experience/id1608414716


Social Media links for Méli:
Email – info@talkingwithgodproject.org
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisolomon/
Talking with God Project –  https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org

Transcript:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1851013/episodes/10218964-7-maxine-shapiro-jewish-roots-zen-practice-improv/edit

Follow the podcast!
The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise:  Is your way similar or different?  Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore?  Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet.     

Comments? Questions? Email Meli at:
info@talkingwithgodproject.org

The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project


Hosted by Meli Solomon of the Talking with God Project, Living Our Beliefs: Exploring Faith & Religion in Daily Life is a conversation about the practical realities of spiritual life. This podcast moves beyond abstract theology to examine how ancient traditions from Judaism, Islam, and other spiritual paths actually inform our modern routines, decisions, and relationships. Each episode delves into the nuanced spaces where belief meets action, exploring the challenges and rewards of aligning deeply held values with everyday behavior. You'll hear from a variety of voices discussing how they navigate this integration, whether through ritual, ethical choices, or community engagement. The discussions are grounded in real-life experience, focusing on the tangible ways faith provides meaning, fosters connection, and shapes identity in a contemporary context. Rather than offering simple answers, this series invites reflection on the ongoing, personal work of weaving spiritual principles into the fabric of daily existence. It’s for anyone curious about how others live out their convictions and seeking inspiration for their own journey toward a more coherent and purposeful life, all through thoughtful, accessible dialogue.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 101

Living Our Beliefs: Exploring Faith & Religion in Daily Life
Podcast Episodes
How Faith Can Evolve Through Change – Aaron Solberg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:52
Episode 98. (replay of Episode 78)Over the last two episodes with Judith Pajo and Zeyneb Sayilgan, we’ve talked quite a bit about faith challenges and dealing with changes in life that impact religious practice. Those ch…
Grief as a Sacred Opening – Zeyneb Sayilgan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:26
Episode 97. Burying a child is an unimaginable trauma that no parent should have to face. My guest today, Zeyneb Sayilgan, has sadly needed to endure that pain and grief twice. Through it all, her Muslim faith has sustai…
Embracing Oneness: Jewish Mysticism in Practice – Lex Rofeberg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:30
Episode 95. What comes to mind when you hear the term mysticism? Perhaps you imagine a yogi sitting cross legged in meditation, or people sitting in a circle chanting. Several religions have mystical practices, Sufism in…
Forging a more Resilient Faith After Doubt – Aubrey Chaves [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:51
Episode 93. Did you grow up in a highly observant home and religious community where surety of belief was the norm? Aubrey Chaves did, and much as she felt embraced by the family’s deep engagement within their Mormon con…
Building Peace Through Interfaith Dialogue – Raphael Luzon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:27
Episode 92. Jews had lived in Libya since the third century BCE, but 1967 marked their final expulsion from the majority Muslim country. Raphael Luzon was a child at the time and fled with his family. Like many, they wen…