David Richo, PhD is a psychotherapist, teacher, workshop leader and writer who works in Santa Barbara and San Francisco, CA. He combines Jungian, poetic and mythic perspectives in his work with the intention of integrating the psychological and the spiritual. His books and workshops include attention to Buddhist and Christian spiritual practices. He is the author of the classic book, How To Be An Adult: A Handbook on Psychological and Spiritual Integration and his latest book, 5 True Things: A Little Guide to Embracing Life’s Big Challenges, is the focus of the conversation in this episode. If you’ve experienced difficulty in life – and who hasn’t? -then this episode on navigating the 5 givens in life is for you.

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In This Interview, David Richo and I Discuss Navigating the Five Givens in Life and…

His latest book 5 True Things: A Little Guide to Embracing Life’s Big Challenges
That perfection is not a human option
How a “given” can be looked at as an immutable fact or something that we’ve been granted
Navigating the 5 givens in life that are the ingredients of a life with meaning, character, depth, and compassion
Life is not always fair and that pain is part of everyone’s life
The importance of saying yes to these givens as it brings more equanimity and serenity into our life
Accepting the things we cannot change, while trusting that if life is like this, these “givens” aren’t penalties – rather, they have gift dimensions
How we create our own suffering through our saying “no” to what is
His words, “Anything that crosses swords with our entitled ego is a powerful source of transformation and inner evolution.”
The ego tries to control the givens
That love is accepting someone as they are, knowing that everyone comes with these 5 givens
How the opposite of yes is not no, but rather it is control
Building the inner resources that make me strong enough to handle whatever givens come my way as well as the importance of becoming skilled at grief
His words, “A spiritually evolved adult seeks not an answer, but a significance.”
Live with the questions and notice where they take us
Act with loving-kindness in addition to holding difficulty with mindfulness
Spirituality is the intersection of 3 paths: letting go of ego, “yes” to the conditions of human experience, and compassion
Happiness is not a reward and suffering is not a punishment

David Richo Links:

davericho.com

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