Rick Hanson, New York Times best-selling author of Hardwiring Happiness, talks about his new book Resilient. And host Keith McArthur speaks with mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson about how to overcome the most common meditation stumbling blocks.
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Episode 24 Show Notes
[00:00] Welcome and Intro
[0:59] Featured interview with Rick Hanson
Rick Hanson is the New York Times best-selling author of Hardwiring Happiness and Buddha’s Brain. His latest book, Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness comes out this week. Rick is a psychologist who lives in the suburbs of Los Angeles.
In this conversation, Keith and Rick discuss:
- How Hardwiring Happiness created an awkward moment between Keith, his wife and a box of Starbucks coffee pods [2:05}
- The science behind how we can change the physical structure by changing our thoughts [3:08]
- How stress re-wires our brains in a harmful way [5:20]
- The brain’s negativity bias [7:14]
- What it was like to co-author Resilient with his son Forrest [8:48]
- What does Rick mean by Resilience? [12:11]
- Why we need to acquire inner strengths we may not already have [18:46]
- Learning as the “superpower of superpowers” [20:08]
[22:05] Rick Hanson’s Instruction Manual
1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [22:18]
- Meditate for a minute or more every day
- To admit fault and move on rapidly
- Exercise
- Reset to “green zone” several times each day
- Try to experience “awestruck gratitude” regularly
2. What personal development book do you recommend? [28:18]
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius
- Sattipatthana by Analayo
3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [31:34]
- “Think not lightly of good, saying it will not come to me. Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise the wise one, gathering it little by little fills oneself with good.”
4. What’s your one guilty pleasure? [32:20]
- Righteous Anger
- Good chocolate, good coffee
- Being off trail by himself in serious wilderness
5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [35:04]
- “He was a loving guy.”
- Remembered as someone who kept trying
- As someone for whom “wakefulness shone through neuroses.”
[36:10] Where to find Rick
- Website: RickHanson.net
[37:24] Mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson on meditation stumbling blocks
Joelle Anderson is a therapist specializing in mindfulness meditation and creator and host of the Kernel of Wisdom YouTube channel.
In this conversation, Keith and Joelle discuss:
- Stumbling block 1: Meditation isn’t always relaxing [38:16]
- Stumbling block 2: Establishing meditation as a habit [39:35]
- Stumbling block 3: self doubt [41:42]
- Where to find Joelle [43:32]
[44:00] Closing words
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