On the 15th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Benjamin Western, who is the Founder at The Shining Light Project, a trustee at Hope & Aid Direct, and Head of Sustainability at LRQA.

This episode is different from the others, as this is more a conversation than an interview, and we are focussing on the teachings of Anthony De Mello.

Anthony De Mello was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher and author of several spiritual books, two of which, Awareness and The Way to Love, have had a huge impact on both mine and Benjamin's lives.

In this episode we explore and reflect on the core teachings of De Mello, essentially that our attachments in life are making us suffer. We explore where we as humans are most attached, to possessions, caring what people think of us, achievement, habits, our beliefs, and our proclivity to chase thrills and excitement rather than what brings us real happiness.

I loved discussing these themes with Benjamin, who is a wise and thoughtful soul, and it will give you plenty to contemplate in terms of your present attachments in life.

Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and weekly reflections.

Running Order: 

01:34 Podcast begins

02:09 Discovering the work of Anthony De Mello

07:07 Attachments are the source of our misery

10:04 Our happiness is contingent on so many things

12:19 Do you realise what you are attached to?

15:14 The hardest thing to accept in his teachings

20:24 Exploring an attachment to life

25:22 Unhealthy attachments that are normalised

28:34 Awareness of attachments 

31:34 Letting go doesn’t mean renunciation

33:46 Do you accept yourself or others as they are?

37:54 Being who you were meant to be

41:04 What lens do you view the world through?

44:34 Be wary of the labels you apply to others

46:18 World feelings v Soul feelings

52:14 Joy in difficult circumstances

55:34 Explore your attachments playfully

58:49 Humour in the human predicament

1:02:04 What is a good life for Benjamin?

For further content and information check out the following: 

- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos

- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/

- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/

- Benjamin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwestern/