#599: New Insights from Sam Harris, Dr. Peter Attia, Ramit Sethi, and Elizabeth Gilbert

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Jun 8, 2022

Guest

In this engaging discussion, Sam Harris, a neuroscientist and philosopher, delves into the nature of consciousness and mindfulness. Dr. Peter Attia, a physician focused on longevity, highlights essential health screening strategies for cancer and cardiovascular health. Ramit Sethi, a financial expert, navigates the intersection of money and relationships, while Elizabeth Gilbert reflects on the importance of embracing life’s impermanence and pursuing creativity. Together, they share insightful perspectives on personal growth, health optimization, and financial well-being.

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ADVICE

Last Times

Recognize that everything in life is experienced a finite number of times.
Savor even mundane moments, as there will be a last time for each.

ADVICE

The Power of Attention

Pay attention to the present moment; it's your true source of wealth.
Mindfulness helps you connect with your life and break free from distractions.

INSIGHT

Beyond Brain Changes

Meditation changes the brain, but so do many other activities.
The real benefits of meditation go beyond measurable physical changes.

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Diana, Herself

An Allegory of Awakening

Martha Beck

In this exuberant allegory, Martha Beck takes readers on a journey with Diana Archer, an average woman who finds herself in a world of miracles and transformation. Diana's life changes when she embarks on a wilderness adventure with reality TV star Roy Richards, leading to a profound awakening. The story explores themes of self-discovery, spiritual growth, and the power of embracing one's true nature.

Big Magic

Elizabeth Gilbert

In 'Big Magic', Elizabeth Gilbert delves into the mysteries of creativity, encouraging readers to live more creative and fulfilling lives. The book is divided into six parts: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust, and Divinity. Gilbert argues that creativity is an essential part of human nature and that it requires courage to accept and overcome fears. She emphasizes the importance of persistence, trust in the creative process, and the need to separate creativity from the pressure of making a living. Through personal anecdotes and insights from other artists, Gilbert demystifies the creative process and inspires readers to pursue their passions with curiosity rather than fear[2][3][5].

I will teach you to be rich

Ramit Sethi

This book, updated for a new era, provides a simple and powerful 6-week program to manage finances. Ramit Sethi focuses on behavioral psychology to help readers save more, earn more, and automate their finances. Key lessons include focusing on big wins rather than small savings, automating financial tasks, and spending guilt-free on things you love while cutting back on unnecessary expenses. The book also covers topics like crushing debt, setting up high-interest bank accounts, and long-term investing in index funds.

Eat, Pray, Love

Elizabeth Gilbert

In 'Eat, Pray, Love', Elizabeth Gilbert chronicles her journey as she leaves behind her outwardly successful but inwardly unfulfilling life in the United States. The book is divided into three parts, each set in a different country: Italy, where she seeks pleasure and indulges in the local culture; India, where she delves into spiritual practices and meditation; and Bali, Indonesia, where she aims to find a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. The memoir is a personal and introspective account of Gilbert's struggles, growth, and self-discovery during her travels.

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations is a series of private writings composed by Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome's greatest emperors, as he struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Written between 170 and 180 CE while on military campaigns, this work combines Stoic philosophy with personal observations on leadership, duty, mortality, and human nature. Through twelve books of intimate thoughts never intended for publication, Marcus Aurelius explores themes of self-improvement, resilience in the face of adversity, and living virtuously while accepting what cannot be changed.

New Insights from Sam Harris, Dr. Peter Attia, Ramit Sethi, and Elizabeth Gilbert | Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and Allform premium, modular furniture. More on all three below.

Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is usually my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life.

This episode is something different. It’s an experimental format that I’m super excited about.

This is an episode that scratches an itch I’ve had for years. I am not always able to listen to every great podcast episode out there, even when they are by some of my closest friends. The answer to my predicament was to ask them to send me a top segment from their podcast that I could listen to and—more importantly—also share with you, my dear listeners.

My team edited them together, and here we are! This episode is a compilation of 15-to-30-minute clips from some the best podcasters in the world and certainly some of my favorites.

At the beginning of each clip you will hear an intro from the host and where to find their work and podcast. At the end, I’ll also share one of my favorite clips from an episode of The Tim Ferriss Show.

You can view this episode as a buffet, and I strongly suggest that you check out the shows included. If you like my podcast, you will very likely enjoy the featured shows in this episode.

And before you go: Do you like this format? If so, please let me know on Twitter at @tferriss and also mention @TeamTimFerriss. Whether we continue this series or not depends on you.

Please enjoy!

[07:40] Sam Harris segment

[42:47] Peter Attia segment

[1:15:32] Ramit Sethi segment

[1:46:35] Elizabeth Gilbert segment

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[07:40] Who is Sam Harris?

[10:10] The last time

[14:58] Mindfulness changes the brain

[21:53] When intrusive thoughts disrupt meditation

[24:03] The perils of taking the search for self too literally

[33:18] Can you point to your consciousness?

[35:26] Begin again

[39:10] A recap and where to find more from Sam

[42:47] Who is Peter Attia?

[44:17] The challenges of cancer screening

[46:14] Nobody should ever die from colon cancer

[49:39] When should you have your first colonoscopy?

[51:18] Early and aggressive lowering of apoB could change course of ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease)

[59:36] New thoughts on nutrition and TRF (time-restricted feeding)

[1:03:57] DEXA scanning for determining muscle mass

[1:06:46] The perils of underdoing protein

[1:08:36] Updated thoughts on exercise

[1:12:58] How Peter trains for grip strength

[1:14:00] Exercise: the good news and bad news

[1:15:32] Who is Ramit Sethi?

[1:16:59] Frugal vs. cheap

[1:23:37] Focusing on what can go right vs. what can go wrong

[1:27:13] The qualities that make us successful can wind up costing us everything

[1:31:18] Questions for galvanizing change from cheap to frugal

[1:41:46] The worry-free number

[1:47:12] Why is New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert a fan of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius?

[1:53:35] Lessons from Martha Beck

[2:03:04] Staying true to one’s inner compass and saying “No” without remorse

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.

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