As a young man, facing two great losses one after another, philosopher and neuroscientist Sam Harris falls into a deep sadness. He ruminates, feeling stuck, lonely, and lost. But in a chance experiment, Sam learns to explore the landscape of the mind. And he stumbles upon a breakthrough that gives him the ability to think more clearly about every experience, good and bad; to let negative, distracting thoughts come and go, while building a foundation for happiness. In his story, Sam describes how we can live a much better life by noticing the thoughts that arise in our consciousness, rather than merely being swept away by them in each moment. In his story, and the wisdom he shares through his podcast and the Waking Up app, Sam teaches us one simple, profound truth: "Your life is right here to be enjoyed," he says, "and it can only be enjoyed by you."

If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player. It helps other listeners find their way to the show, and we’d be so grateful.

Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story: meditativestory.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sam Harris: Finding happiness amid the ordinary collisions of life