Understanding the Concept of Suffering

Today, my guest is Brad Stulberg. Brad researches, writes, and coaches on mental health, well-being, and sustainable excellence. He is bestselling author of Master of Change and The Practice of Groundedness. He regularly contributes to the New York Times and his work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Atlantic, among other outlets. In his coaching practice, he works with executives, entrepreneurs, physicians, and athletes on their mental skills and overall well-being. He is on faculty at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. His past books include Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox.

Brad joined us today to talk about his book, ‘Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing—Including You.’

In this episode, Brad dives deep into the concept of selfhood and explores the importance of embracing both our historical and ultimate selves. He delves into the practical aspects of identifying with our historical self to achieve our goals, while also discussing the significance of connecting with our ultimate self, especially in moments of transitioning or reflecting on our lives.

Brad encourages us to find balance between being a generalist and specialist, allowing us to pursue diverse interests while also developing expertise. He shares his advice on discovering our core values and maintaining them, emphasizing how sacrificing these values can lead to a loss of identity and disorientation.

We also explore the accelerated pace of change in our world and the potential negative implications of this rapid transformation. Brad raises concerns about demagogues, authoritarians, and grifters influencing society through platforms like YouTube and TikTok, causing a regression rather than progression.

Join us as we explore these thought-provoking ideas and discover how they can lead to personal transformation and a richer, more meaningful life.

[07.51] Disorder events – Starting the conversation, Brad defines disorder events and some of the disorder events among the 36 of them.

[13.11] Resisting change – We discuss the common ways people resist change and how to eventually overcome them.

[21.26] Rugged flexibility - If your value is creativity, you can apply it in so many different ways.

[30.36] Masculinity – Masculinity is embracing strength and physicality as well as emotional flexibility.

[37.37] Pollyanna toxic positivity - Excessively or blindly optimistic.

[45.25] Painful changes – Sometimes blind optimism can be too much. You have to admit to yourself that it’s okay to not be okay with changes happening along the way.

[52.36] Happiness – The more you release the need to be happy and do things that align with your values, the better.

[01.01.35] Fluid sense of self – It’s important that you keep several interests, and passions in your life because if one fails, you’ve got others to try.

[01.11.24] Multitudes – We talk about the coexistence of the historical self and the ultimate self at the same time.

[01.17.44] The four Ps – Pause, process, plan, and proceed are the four Ps of responding versus reacting.

Resources

Connect with Brad

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/brad-stulberg-009b168b/ 

Website - bradstulberg.com/ 

Twitter - twitter.com/BStulberg 

Instagram - instagram.com/bradstulberg/ 

Book by Brad Stulberg

Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You