This week we talk to Mary O'Malley about awakening to the world around us Mary O’Malley is an author, teacher, and counselor whose work awakens others to the joy of being fully alive.  Her inspired and transformative approach to compulsions offers a way to replace fear, hopelessness and struggle with ease, well-being and joy. Through her individual counseling and coaching, books, classes, retreats and ongoing groups, Mary invites people to experience the miracle of awakening. Acknowledged as a leader in the field of Awakening by many Mary clearly sees both the big picture and the details of human patterns and conditioning.  She possesses an extraordinary ability to understand and connect with people. And she is skilled in empowering people to work with difficult mind states resulting in greater inner awareness and presence and a greater capacity for joy.  Eckhart Tolle says, “Thank you, Mary, for your contribution to the evolution of human consciousness.” Her latest book is called What’s In the Way, Is the Way: A Practical Guide to Awakening. In This Interview, Mary O'Malley and I Discuss: The One You Feed parable The intertwining of good and bad, the yin and yang Dealing with eating problems How what we fight, we empower Creating a relationship with the dark side The impact of the early years of our lives The conditioned self How we are addicted to struggle Being present to life instead of thinking our way through life The "low-grade suffering" that permeates our lives The storyteller in our minds The Four Let's- Let Life, Let it Be, Let it Go, Learning to not listen so closely to the storyteller in our mind The difference between being here for life and being in a conversation about life For more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk to Dan Harris and Oren Sofer aboutmindful communicationOur guests this week are Dan Harris and Oren Sofer. Dan was a previous guest and we discussed his great book, 10%Happier. In addition, Dan is the current anchor on the weekendedition of Good Morning America as well as Nightline. He has begun creating a series of courses based around 10%Happier. One of those courses features Oren Sofer. Oren is a teacher and practitioner of Buddhist meditation,Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and Somatics. Oren is a specialistin the role of mindfulness in creating better conversation. This conversation was recorded in Dan's office in the ABCStudios in New York.  Our Sponsor this Week isCasper MattressVisit casper.com/feed and use the promo code“feed” to get $50 off!! In This Interview, Oren Dan and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableWhy mindfulness is useful in communicationThe10% Happier appLearning to see confrontation as an opportunity to improve therelationshipHow our cultural conditioning teaches us the Win/LoseparadigmHow we have a strong negative conditioning againstconfrontation that becomes hard-wiredHow mindfulness allows us to slow down and monitor ouremotional reactions in conversationThe role of curiosity in communicationHow to become more curiousLearning to ask "What matters here" when listening toothersLearning to say that we don't feel like talking instead of justpretendingThe minor discomfort of being realHow to say things in a way that the other person can hear andunderstandLearning to hold our tongue in certain situationsHow being silent can lead to its own challengesThe importance of timing in choosing when to addressissuesContext sensitive communicationThe two criteria of good communication: does the other personunderstand and does it lead to connectionDan Harris Links10% Happier HomepageTwitterFacebookOren Sofer LinksHomepageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk to Colin Beavan about being happy ANDchanging the worldColin Beavan’s writing, speaking, consulting and activism haveencouraged tens of thousands of people to examine their lives todiscover what’s really important to them.He is among the world’s best-known spokespeople on environmentalissues, consumerism and human quality of life. He was called “oneof the ten most influential men” by MSN, an “eco-illuminator” byElle Magazine, a “best green ambassador” by Treehugger.com, and hisblog was selected as one of the top 15 environmental blogs by TimeMagazine.Colin has appeared on The Colbert Report, Good Morning America,Nightline and countless other TV and radio shows.Colin’s latest book is How to Be Alive: A Guide to the Kind of Happinessthat Helps the WorldIn This Interview, Colin Beavan and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableThe illusion that we are separate from this worldHow to give energy to what is true for youHow to give less energy to what is not true for youHis experience as "No Impact Man."The martyr, victim, scoundrel, and heroThe four psychological needs we need to satisfy to behappyIntrinsic vs Extrinsic goalsThe stories we tell ourselves about the world and ourlivesAnalogical ThinkingThe ukelele approach For more show notes visit ourwebsiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk to Steven C Hayes about getting out of our minds and into our livesSteven C Hayes is Nevada Foundation Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Nevada. He is an author of over 35 books and over 500 scientific articles. He is considered one of the founders of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.In 1992 he was listed by the Institute for Scientific Information as the 30th “highest impact” psychologist in the world. His work has been recognized by several awards including the Exemplary Contributions to Basic Behavioral Research and Its Applications from Division 25 of APA, the Impact of Science on Application award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.He is best known for his book Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy In This Interview, Steven C Hayes and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableHis book, Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your LifeThat you know if your thoughts are good or bad by the fruits that they bearThe ACT approach to therapyThe difference between pain and sufferingThe importance of putting the human mind on a leashThat suffering comes from when we mishandle the present moment, and we amplify certain thoughts and feelingsThe meaning of Cognitive Fusion: when we can look only from our thoughts and not at our thoughtsThe importance of and various types of contemplative practiceVarious diffusion techniques (listed in a free episode download!)The concept and practice of experiential avoidanceThe full impact of acting for "short term gains with long term pains"For more show notes visit us at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk to Aaron Anastasi about not listening to the voices that hold us backAaron Anastasi is a Southern California native who graduated with a master’s degree from Princeton where he studied philosophy and psychology.He’s also a serial entrepreneur with online businesses such as Superior Songwriting Method, Signing Success, and the internationally recognized, Superior Singing Method, an online singing lesson program that grosses seven-figures annually.Having a love for adventure, he was a pro snowboarder in Vail, Colorado, scaled Glacier Lake mountains in Bolivia, and cut pathways through the jungles of Contagem, Brazil.Along with being a Los Angeles based actor and filmmaker, Aaron is also a prominent success coach for clients in industry-leading roles, ranging from film directors to marine biologists to TEDx speakers. His new book, The Voice of Your Dreams,was recently released.In This Interview, Aaron Anastasi and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableThe limiting voices in our headThe "You don't have what it takes" voiceInstead of asking "Do I have what it takes" ask "Do I have the capacity to find the resources I need to be successful"The fixed vs growth mindset, againHow the limiting voices often appear as realityHow inspiration and passion often arise while we are in actionWaiting on inspiration is a mistake and a misunderstanding of how it worksThe importance of just getting started- the hardest part is right before we startBreaking things down to very small chunks to help us get startedRecovering from pessimismThe old Hemmingway trick- Finishing while you still have one idea leftFor more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A native of South Dakota, Robert Sessions earned a B.A. from Drake University and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Michigan.  Before focusing on photography, for more than four decades he taught at Kirkwood Community College, Grinnell College, Luther College, and the University of Minnesota in Duluth.As a photographer he works frequently with his wife, travel writer Lori Erickson. Together they produce Spiritual Travels, a website describing holy sites around the world, and Holy Rover, a blog hosted by Patheos, the world’s largest website on religion and spirituality. His photos also appear regularly in publications that include the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette and Group Tour Magazine. He is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers.In addition, Sessions is the author of Becoming Real: Authenticity in an Age of Distractions and co-author of Working In America: A Humanities Reader.  He has also published several dozen articles on environmental philosophy, the philosophy of work, ethics, and the philosophy of technology.He lives in Iowa City, Iowa. In This Interview, Robert Sessions and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableHis new book, Becoming Real: Authenticity in an Age of DistractionsThat authenticity is something fundamental that is at the heart of what we are all seekingHow authenticity is impacted by variables found on the inside as well as in the world surrounding a personThe three main distractions that get in the way of authenticityThat work is a major context within which we discover ourselvesHow bad habits surrounding technology can get in the way of being our authentic selvesFor more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk to Rick Heller about secular meditationRick Heller is the author of the new book, Secular Meditation: 32 Practices for Cultivating Inner Peace, Compassion, and Joy — A Guide from the Humanist Community at Harvard.Rick leads weekly meditations at the Humanist Community at Harvard.Rick received a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University. He also holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MITIn This Interview, Rick Heller and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableHis new book, Secular Meditation: 32 practices for cultivating inner peace, compassion & Joy (A guide from the Humanist Community at Harvard)How in the brain, two negatives do not equal a positiveWhat a "Humanist" isA secular view of meditation & mindfulnessOther types of meditation other than breath focused meditationHow there's no such thing as an inherently negative stimulusWhat face meditation isHow the muscles in your face can affect your inner speechHow to relate to emotions with mindfulnessThat recognizing an emotion actually brings it's feeling back toward neutralWhat "positive equanimity" isThe difference between cognitive reappraisal and positive thinkingDifferent approaches to help us achieve "mindfulness of life"When you're more "in your head" about something than you are collecting sensory information about something, you're really just dealing with abstractionsSkepticism surrounding the concept of "no self" as a goal to pursueHis working definition of enlightenmentA secular version of the serenity prayerFor more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk to Rebecca Newberger Goldstein about the relevance of philosophy in today's worldRebecca Newberger Goldstein is an American philosopher who is also a novelist and public intellectual. She is the author of ten books, many of which cross the divide between fiction and non-fiction. She holds a Ph.D. from Princeton.Her latest book is called Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away, an exploration of the historical roots and contemporary relevance of philosophy. In the book Plato is brought to life in the 21st century and demonstrates the relevance of philosophy by arguing with contemporary figures such as a software engineer at Google headquarters, a right-wing talk show host, an affective neuroscientist, and others.Goldstein is a MacArthur Fellow, has won the National Jewish Book Award, and numerous other honors. In September of 2015  she was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House. In This Interview, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableWinning a National Humanities Medal and meeting President ObamaCultivating the positive emotionsHer latest book Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go AwayWhat Plato would say about the Parable of the Two WolvesPlato's Parable of Two HorsesWhy virtue is good for usThe story of Socrates deathThe most famous sound bite in the last 2500 years For more show notes and a free download of the best quotes from Plato at the Googleplex visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk to Tara Mohr about playing bigTara Mohr is an expert on women’s leadership and well-being. She helps women play bigger in sharing their voices and bringing forward their ideas in work and in life. Tara is the author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead, named a best book of the year by Apple’s iBooks and now in paperback. In the book, she shares her pioneering model for making the journey from playing small–being held back by fear and self-doubt–to playing big, taking bold action to pursue what you see as your callings.Tara is the creator of the Playing Big leadership program for women, which now has more than 1,000 graduates from around the world, and creator of the global Playing Big Facilitators Training for coaches, therapists, leadership development professionals and other practitioners supporting women in their personal and professional growth. A Coaches Training Institute-certified coach with an MBA from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree in English literature from Yale,Tara takes a unique approach that blends inner work and practical skills training. Her work has been featured on national media from theNew York Times to Today Show to Harvard Business Review, and has captivated women from all walks of life including Maria Shriver, Jillian Michaels and Elizabeth Gilbert. Our Sponsor this Week is FractureVisit Fracture and use the promo code “wolf” to get 10% off!!In This Interview, Tara Mohr and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableThe immense flexibility we have in who we becomeFeeding the good wolf in othersThe Inner Mentor and the Inner CriticThe qualities of the Inner CriticWhy you shouldn't argue with the Inner CriticHow the Inner Critic also sounds like the voice of reasonFinding our Inner MentorDon't ask what you are ready for but instead ask what is life asking of me right now?Imposter SyndromeThe Objection RolodexMaking "The Leap"The 6 criteria of the "The Leap"How to keep change goingGiving up sugar For more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Real change is possible but it takes time- Keep Trying! JK Rowling was broke and depressed and her book had been rejected by 12 different publishers. This was right before Harry Potter was finally accepted and hit the big time. It took me three different attempts to finally achieve sobriety. Gone with the wind was rejected 38 times. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was rejected 121 times Edison famously tried 1000 different approaches before getting the light bulb right. We often cite these examples as encouragement to keep trying at things like business or success. What if we applied the same principles and tenacity to our internal development? What if we kept trying at emotional and mental change? We have to do this stuff over and over again, change takes time. There are no easy answers or shortcuts to a life worth living.Our sponsor this week is FractureVisit Fracture and use the promo code “wolf” to get 10% off!!    The Tale of Two WolvesA grandfather is talking with his grandson and he says there are two wolves inside of us which are always at war with each other. One of them is a good wolf which represents things like kindness, bravery and love. The other is a bad wolf, which represents things like greed, hatred and fear.The grandson stops and thinks about it for a second then he looks up at his grandfather and says, “Grandfather, which one wins?”The grandfather quietly replies, the one you feedThe Tale of Two Wolves is often attributed to the Cherokee indians but there seems to be no real proof of this. It has also been attributed to evangelical preacher Billy Graham and Irish Playwright George Bernard Shaw. It appears no one knows for sure but this does not diminish the power of the parable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.