111. Cory Muscara: Lessons From a Monk: How To Stop Missing Your Life

“Presence gives us the capacity to experience what we’re experiencing, but with an internal container that can hold that experience in such a way that we aren’t completely overwhelmed or burdened by it.” 

I’ve had a long-held goal to interview someone like today’s guest for the podcast. An individual who spent time living in isolation as a monk while living inside the realities of chaos in today’s fast-paced world. 

So when I met my good friend Cory Muscara a year ago, it felt like divine timing! Cory is an international speaker and teacher on the topics of mindfulness and positive psychology - a journey that began with a desire to impress a girl. 

This ‘hippy’ college girlfriend sparked Cory’s interest in meditation. After their relationship broke down, Cory’s pain called him to take meditation more seriously. In turn, he spent six months in silence living as a monk in Burma where he’d meditated for over 14 hours a day. 

As a result of this experience, Cory is now in a beautiful position where he can bridge the gap between monk-like enlightenment - and those of us seeking truth amongst the triggers and challenges of everyday life. 

A frequent guest on the Dr. Oz show and an instructor of positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, Cory’s on a mission to help people embody the principles of mindfulness in a practical and relatable way. His meditations have been heard more than 10 million times in over 50 countries, and he lives on Long Island where he offers workshops and retreats.

Cory is also the new author of Stop Missing Your Life. How To Be Deeply Present In An Unpresent World. In this book, Cory offers a roadmap that will help you reconnect with your life in a beautiful way. 

“The more we take care of each moment as it is, the more we actually take care of the next moment and subsequently the future.” 

Our conversation gets very meta, but it’s also highly practical. In this deep conversation, Cory explains how to create presence. A state when you experience the fullness of yourself - without shutting down, turning away, or numbing the sensations of the moment. 

In this episode, you’ll discover: 

• What is presence - and how to deepen into it. 
• Why curiosity is the opposite of fear. 
• What Cory learned about life in a Bermese monastery. 
• How to build a better relationship with the voice inside you. 
• What is intuition? 
• The pebble method that guides you to know what to do at any moment. 
• Why being OK with not being yourself is the ultimate expression of self-love. 
• The problem with trying to transcend the ego before you’ve befriended it.
• The “Good luck, bad luck - who knows...” parable for a better life. 
• And more…

I had so much fun with Cory and I know you’ll love this episode too. Check out this episode now and discover simple secrets for a more fulfilling life. 

“The opposite of fear is actually curiosity.” 

How to contact 

• Get Cory’s New Book here: https://stopmissingyourlife.com/
• www.corymuscara.com
• www.facebook.com/corymuscara
• https://www.instagram.com/corymuscara
• https://twitter.com/corymuscara
• For free meditations, book and app recommendations, text your email address to +16314054631. 

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