Rebroadcast: ‘The Office’ star Rainn Wilson on how to let go of resentment and find happiness
Dec 21, 2023
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Rainn Wilson, actor and author of Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, explores spirituality and its role in finding joy, despite struggles with mental health. He discusses the pursuit of happiness in Iceland through his docuseries, 'The Geography of Bliss'. The power of gratitude is emphasized as a tool to combat resentment and rewire the brain. Wilson also highlights the significance of daily routines, spirituality, and building community to discover meaning and purpose in life.
Rainn Wilson explores the importance of spirituality as a deep pursuit for purpose and connection.
Wilson encourages embracing spiritual virtues like love, kindness, compassion, and humility.
Deep dives
Exploring spirituality and finding meaning
Rainn Wilson, known for his role as Dwight Schrute on The Office, discusses his exploration of spirituality and finding meaning in life. He shares how his upbringing in the Baha'i faith and struggles with mental health led him to seek spiritual knowledge and understanding. Wilson emphasizes the importance of spirituality in his life, not as a hobby, but as a deep pursuit for purpose and connection. He also discusses his book, 'Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution,' and his TV show, 'Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss,' which explores how different cultures find peace and fulfillment.
The difference between spirituality and religion
Wilson explains that spirituality is a universal impulse that seeks transcendence, love, meaning, and higher purpose. Religion, on the other hand, is a systematized form of spirituality with laws, rituals, and a lens for understanding the world. He acknowledges the valid reasons for people rejecting organized religion, such as corruption, judgment, and mean-spiritedness. However, Wilson encourages exploring the universalities found in different religions and embracing spiritual virtues like love, kindness, compassion, and humility.
Cultivating sacredness and practicing gratitude
Wilson reflects on the importance of cultivating the sacred in daily life and finding reverence in the ordinary. He shares examples like composing poetry about nature, creating rituals around meals or gatherings, and recognizing the divine in everyday experiences. Wilson emphasizes the power of gratitude as a spiritual and positive psychology tool to counter resentment and anxiety. He encourages gratitude lists, sharing gratitudes with others, and appreciating the simple joys and connections that bring meaning and bliss.
Rainn Wilson understands why so many people are rejecting religion today. But he argues that the core aspects of faith still have something important to offer us. Spirituality has brought him community, purpose, and joy — even as he’s struggled with depression, anxiety, and addiction. The actor explores these themes and shares what he’s learned in his book Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution and docuseries, Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss.
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