Susan Kaiser Greenland is a mindfulness educator and bestselling author known for her work in teaching mindfulness to children and adults. She discusses her journey from corporate attorney to mindfulness advocate, emphasizing 'real-world enlightenment' as cultivating connection in everyday life. Susan shares practical tools from her upcoming book, highlighting the importance of small actions for significant change and embracing the process over outcomes for personal growth. Her insights foster compassion and resilience in a polarized world.
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insights INSIGHT
Real-World Enlightenment
Real-world enlightenment involves connecting with something larger than oneself, causing the ego to dissolve.
It's a non-conceptual experience, often occurring during extreme emotions like joy or sadness.
insights INSIGHT
The Spectrum of Enlightenment
Real-world enlightenment can stem from both positive and negative experiences.
These experiences are often ineffable, making them difficult to describe with words.
question_answer ANECDOTE
National Park Enlightenment
Nick correlates real-world enlightenment with the feeling of meaning and transcendence he finds in national parks.
He describes a sense of awe and wonder that transcends simple positive or negative categorization.
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The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence
Rick Hanson
In 'Hardwiring Happiness,' Dr. Rick Hanson explains how the brain's ancient survival mechanism makes it more adept at learning from negative experiences than positive ones. He introduces a simple method using everyday experiences to build new neural structures filled with happiness, love, confidence, and peace. Dr. Hanson's four-step HEAL method (Have, Enrich, Absorb, Link) helps readers to counterbalance the brain's negativity bias, making contentment and resilience the new normal. This approach involves focusing on positive experiences, absorbing their good feelings, and linking them to other positive experiences to override negative ones, thereby transforming the brain into a refuge of calm and happiness[1][3][5].
Real-World Enlightenment
Real-World Enlightenment
Susan Kaiser Greenland
Susan Kaiser Greenland is a mindfulness educator and bestselling author, who teaches mindfulness to children, teens, parents, and educators for everyday practices. She is a former corporate attorney, but transformed her career after discovering meditation, founding Inner Kids to teach secular mindfulness in schools and community programs. She has been studying Buddhism for over 30 years. She has authored several widely translated books, including her latest release in July 2024, Real-World Enlightenment: Discovering Ordinary Magic in Everyday Life. The book offers 50 powerful tools for modern seekers, providing practical strategies to foster meaningful connections and alleviate the pressures of modern life.
Susan is a respected speaker and mentor, whose insights draw from global wisdom traditions and scientific research, aiming to foster meaningful connections and well-being in everyday life. Her work has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post and CNN, and she speaks globally on mindfulness and its benefits.
00:02:38 - Defining Real World Enlightenment
00:05:04 - Real World Enlightenment in Unpleasant Experiences
00:08:13 - Wonder, Awe, and Ambiguous Experiences
00:10:13 - Demystifying Traditional Enlightenment
00:12:00 - Examples of Real World Enlightenment
00:15:00 - Seeking vs. Allowing Enlightenment Experiences
00:19:19 - Grasping vs. Experiencing Non-Conceptual Moments
00:24:10 - Process Over Outcome in Meditation
00:27:35 - Indications of Real World Enlightenment
00:29:02 - Shifts in Perspective and Experience
00:30:08 - Meditation and Modern Relevance
00:35:02 - Sequential Process of Awareness and Self-Regulation
00:38:08 - Golden Threads in Wisdom Traditions
00:41:06 - Leading a Meaningful Life Through Golden Threads
00:43:08 - Small Daily Actions for Transformation
00:45:42 - Practical Advice for Adults and Children
00:49:48 - Where to Find Susan Kaiser Greenland
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