What is a Good Life? #109
Awakening to a Life of Meaning with Fabrice Desmarescaux
On the 109th episode of What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Fabrice Desmarescaux. Fabrice is a seasoned partner at McKinsey & Company, on a transformative journey of leadership evolution. With a rich background in integrating Eastern spiritual traditions into Western management, Fabrice works closely with CEOs and teams to elevate performance and consciousness. In a world grappling with complexity, his approach focuses on fundamental human elements—happiness, connection, and purpose. He is the author of The Art of Retreats, a guide for expanding consciousness through short personal retreats, which introduces a groundbreaking approach for business leaders facing the challenges of a fragmented, high-pressure, and complex world.
In this insightful conversation, Fabrice shares his journey of self-discovery and reinvention, exploring the evolving questions of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment as we move through each era of life. He reflects on the shift from success to significance, the contrast between commitment and drifting, and the challenges of control and acceptance in our careers. He discusses integrating spirituality into his professional life, emphasising that finding purpose is an experiential journey rather than an intellectual one.
This conversation invites you to reflect on what truly matters, experiment with life, and tune into your embodied experience in the search for meaning.
The weekly clip from the podcast (2 mins), my weekly reflection (3 mins), the full podcast (69 mins), and the weekly questions all follow below.
1. Weekly Clip from the Podcast
2. My weekly reflection
This is the fourth interview in a row where purpose has been alluded to in a way that feels much more organic and embodied than the mental exercise in which I feel it is presently more widely engaged.
Unfortunately, I see purpose as something we have developed very singular definitions of—something that can supposedly be revealed by reading the right book or absorbing the right model or tactics over a weekend.
In recent conversations, as well as in episodes sprinkled throughout this project, I have found that people who experience a genuine sense of purpose and meaning in their lives share some commonalities. For the purpose of this reflection, I will highlight two in particular.
A few episodes back, neuroscientist Mona Sobhani, PhD, and now in this week’s episode and clip above, Fabrice, allude to a considerable shift in their lives—a realisation of a connection to something bigger than themselves.
A sense that we are not completely alone in this universe or merely the result of a series of chemical reactions. That, ultimately, the universe itself is an inherently meaningful and purposeful place.
Both contrasted their experiences before and after holding opposing perspectives on this matter, and it was palpable to me how much relief and connection this realisation brought about.
This leads me to the first commonality I have noticed—people feel like they are in an ongoing conversation with life itself. That life offers us signs and breadcrumbs along the way, if we pay attention.
It is not that we wilfully jump at anything shiny that catches our eye, but rather that we notice how we respond to moments or occurrences—whether through an energy, an intuition, or a deep sense that something is particularly meaningful.
Many participants in these conversations would then go and experiment with what they noticed. Some made bold moves, while others were more measured. However, the next key step was always the same—to test new directions or ideas that emerged.
Whether these experiments supplemented their current careers or signalled the beginning of entirely new ones, people found ways to ground these experiences in reality. They discerned new directions or ruled out certain paths by engaging with them rather than merely theorising about them.
This, to me, is essential. We never truly know what an experience is going to be until we have lived it. Too many of us hold dreams or notions about our purpose that, in reality, might wither within moments of real commitment.
This brings me to another important element of the process—that when we try these experiments, whether wild or measured, and they do not work out as we hoped, that does not mean we have failed. Rather, it moves us a step closer by eliminating something we thought it might be.
By responding to life’s prompts in this way, life itself begins to feel more meaningful (and alive). Paying attention to our embodied reactions makes us more attuned to expressing ourselves and ultimately living more in alignment with our essence.
When we do this, a greater sense of self and belonging emerges. We enter into a loop of revealing more of ourselves to life, and life revealing more of itself to us.
Regardless of the outcomes of this process, life is imbued with an omnipresent sense of purpose and meaning. And in moving with this ongoing conversation, we often find ourselves in places and states of being we could never have anticipated.
When we are continually refining this expression of our lives, merely existing as ourselves can feel purpose enough.
What else is a particular tree’s purpose but to be that very tree?
3. Full Episode - Awakening to a Life of Meaning with Fabrice Desmarescaux - What is a Good Life? #109
4. This week’s Questions
Are there any signs or breadcrumbs that life is offering you to create a more meaningful life?
How would you describe the evolution in what you consider to be meaningful as you have moved through life?
About Me
I am a coach, podcast host, and writer, based in Berlin, via Dublin, Ireland. I started this project in 2021, for which I’ve now interviewed over 250 people. I’m not looking to prescribe universal answers, more that the guests’ lines of inquiry, musings, experiences, and curiosities spark your own inquiry into what the question means to you. I am also trying to share more genuine expressions of the human experience and more meaningful conversations.
If you’re interested in exploring your own self-inquiry through one-on-one coaching, joining my 5-week Silent Conversations group courses, or fostering greater trust, communication, and connection within your leadership teams, or simply reaching out, feel free to contact me via email or LinkedIn.