In this engaging conversation, Soren Gordhamer, founder of Wisdom 2.0 and author, delves into the cultural anxiety amplified by technology and social media. He emphasizes the importance of redefining our self-worth and narratives around beauty and success. Soren discusses the power of vulnerability in leadership and relationships, urging listeners to embrace their authentic selves. The dialogue also touches on the need for community, joy, and a healthier relationship with technology, ultimately advocating for a more compassionate and mindful approach to life.
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insights INSIGHT
Social Media Algorithms Fuel Anxiety
Social media algorithms aim to maximize engagement, often by triggering emotional reactions like unworthiness or boredom.
This design keeps users hooked, which can increase anxiety especially in younger minds.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Take Breaks from Social Media
Disengage periodically from social media to reconnect with yourself, nature, and friends.
This helps break the anxiety cycle fueled by constant digital engagement.
insights INSIGHT
Believing Labels Fuels Anxiety
Believing labels others place on us is the real issue, not the labels themselves.
This belief shapes our anxiety and spiritual life by limiting our self-view.
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In *The Creative Act: A Way of Being*, Rick Rubin distills the wisdom he has gained from a lifetime of working with artists across various genres. The book is not just about music production but about the broader creative process and how it applies to everyone's life. Rubin emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with a state of innocence, being aware of the world, and tapping into what he calls 'Source'—an infinite and constant flow of ideas and inspiration. The book is structured around 78 areas of thought, providing practical wisdom, philosophical insights, and encouragement for anyone seeking to enhance their creative expression.
Lovingkindness
The Revolutionary Art of Happiness
Sharon Salzberg
In this inspiring book, Sharon Salzberg shows how the Buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. Drawing on Buddhist teachings, wisdom stories from various traditions, her personal experiences, and guided meditation exercises, Salzberg teaches how to cultivate the four 'heavenly abodes' of traditional Buddhism: love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. The book emphasizes the importance of self-love and acceptance as a foundation for extending these caring feelings to all beings, and it provides practical instructions for meditation and real-life practices to achieve true happiness and genuine compassion for others[1][4][5].
The Power of Now
A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Eckhart Tolle
In 'The Power of Now', Eckhart Tolle discusses the importance of living in the present moment to achieve spiritual enlightenment. The book draws from various spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and mysticism, to explain how people's emotional problems are rooted in their identification with their minds. Tolle argues that the present moment is the only truly real time and that past and future are mere mental constructs. He provides methods for relaxation and meditation to help readers anchor themselves in the present, such as avoiding multitasking, spending time in nature, and letting go of worries about the future. The book also introduces concepts like the 'pain-body' and the distinction between one's thoughts and true self, emphasizing the need to recognize and separate from the destructive influence of the mind[2][4][5].
Wherever You Go, There You Are
Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
Jon Kabat-Zinn
This book, first published in 1994, serves as a foundational guide to mindfulness and meditation. Jon Kabat-Zinn combines his research and medical background with his spiritual knowledge to help readers find peace and change their lives. The book emphasizes the importance of being fully present in the moment and making intentional, mindful choices. It includes a new introduction and afterword in the updated edition, along with factual updates to reflect changes in research and knowledge since its original publication.
The Essentials
The Essentials
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Luke Arnold
Mindfulness
How To Live Well By Paying Attention
Louise L. Hay
Ed Halliwell
For episode 264, Soren Gordhamer returns to the Metta Hour for our ongoing Anxiety Series.
In this series, Sharon is speaking with Mental Health experts, providers and different researchers for tools to work with anxiety in increasingly challenging times. This is the fifth episode in the series.
Soren Gordhamer is the founder and host of Wisdom 2.0, the premier conference exploring living with greater mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion in the modern age. He is also a Co-Founder and General Partner of Wisdom Ventures, along with Jack Kornfield and Yung Pueblo, which invests in companies creating a more just and compassionate world. Soren is also the founder of the Lineage Project in NYC, and also spent a year on the Global Walk for a Livable World, a three-and-a-half world walk. He and Jon Kabat-Zinn also co-hosted the Mitigation Retreat, which was a free 3-month course held every weekday offering meditations and teachings during Covid.
Soren is the author of numerous books. His latest, The Essential: Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction, was released in May of 2025.
In this episode, Sharon and Soren speak about:
The context for cultural anxiety
The development of social media
Becoming aware of our stories
Do we need a new narrative?
Redefining our worth
Revamping our North Star
Harnessing all our energies
Dismantling our armor
How shame drives mental health
The point of vulnerability
Dalai Lama meeting formerly incarcerated
Living from a place of lack
Ram Dass’ somebody-ness
Soren walking the world
The role information plays in anxiety
Soren closes the conversation with a guided meditation. To get a copy of Soren’s new book, The Essential, visit his website right here.
Listen to Soren’s first appearance on the Metta House from 2020 right here.
Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg 
