How To Let Go of Self-Doubt and Transform Your Life with Elena Brower

Subscribe in iTunes Please Support The Show with a Donation Shozan Jack is a fascinating guy. He grew up in a Catholic home, studied philosophy, has been a stand-up comedian and has authored two books and many essays. He's got the gift of striking your funny bone in one sentence and then in the very next sentence, striking the center of your heart and mind in a profound way. In this episode, which is part 2 of a two-part interview, you'll hear him talk about his experience living as a monk inside of a Buddhist monastery, being a monk alongside Leonard Cohen, dealing with a sex scandal at his monastery, and what it has been like to transition into living his life back in the world and the many teachings with great wisdom along the way.  ------------- Shozan Jack Haubner is the pen name of a Zen monk whose essays have appeared in The Sun, Tricycle, Buddhadharma, and the New York Times, as well as in the Best Buddhist Writing series. The winner of a 2012 Pushcart Prize, he is also the author of Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk. His latest book is called: Single White Monk: Tales of Death, Failure, and Bad Sex (Although Not Necessarily in That Order) In This Interview, Shozan Jack Haubner and I Discuss... The Wolf Parable His new book, Single White Monk: Tales of Death, Failure, and Bad Sex (Although Not Necessarily in That Order) How Leonard Cohen spent his time as a Buddhist monk in the monastery The union of contrary things His take on Leonard Cohen's last album The opposite of despair for Leonard Cohen isn't happiness, it's clarity The sex scandal involving his teacher His experience leaving the monastery What's next for him in his life His conversation with a Christian priest about fighting demons Suffering = pain + resistance Letting feelings come and go He calls himself the "middle manager of the middle way" The middle way involves dissolving the distance between self and other, in complete giving, in either receiving or initiating. Also, the middle way is not picking one thing OR another The importance of walking your path when it comes to learning His experience taking Ayahuasca Please Support The Show with a Donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Des 201744min

Shozan Jack is a fascinating guy. He grew up in a Catholic home, studied philosophy, has been a stand-up comedian, has authored two books and many essays, was a screenwriter and poet and currently lives as a Zen monk and priest. He's got the gift of striking your funny bone in one sentence and then in the very next sentence, striking the center of your heart and mind in a profound way. In this episode, which is part one of a two-part interview, you'll hear him explain the Buddhist concept of "no-self" in such a way that it finally makes sense, hear how even Zen monks chase success and yes - his experience with an opium high and being given a death sentence (spoiler alert: he's still alive).  Shozan Jack Haubner is the pen name of a Zen monk whose essays have appeared in The Sun, Tricycle, Buddhadharma, and the New York Times, as well as in the Best Buddhist Writing series. The winner of a 2012 Pushcart Prize, he is also the author of Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk. His latest book is called: Single White Monk: Tales of Death, Failure, and Bad Sex (Although Not Necessarily in That Order) In This Interview, Shozan Jack Haubner and I Discuss... The Wolf Parable His new book, Single White Monk: Tales of Death, Failure, and Bad Sex (Although Not Necessarily in That Order) How it's not about good and evil but rather, where do each come from? The idea of no self Who am I vs. Where am I? That the self is not fixed and it's not solid The self is porous, co-dependent arising through relationships with our surroundings That the worship of success thwarts true fulfillment "No attachment to an outcome" An opium high and a death sentence Please Support The Show with a Donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Nov 201739min

Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist who is passionate about researching self-awareness and translating that research into practical, actionable information to aid in our discovery and improvement of our own self-awareness. In this interview, you'll be introduced to fascinating scientific research about self-awareness and you'll end up being equipped with some very helpful tools to gauge and grow your own. Since research shows that 95% of people think that they're very self-aware but in reality, only 10% actually are, statistically speaking, you're probably going to want to listen to this episode.  Tasha Eurich is a workplace psychologist, speaker, author, and principal of The Eurich Group. She helps organizations succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders and teams. She works with executives in Fortune 500 organizations and serves on the faculty of the Center for Creative Leadership. Her articles have appeared in several magazines and journals including Chief Learning Officer Magazine, The Journal of Business Psychology, and The Work Style Magazine. Her first book, Bankable Leadership: Happy People, Bottom-Line Results, and the Power to Deliver Both, was published in 2013.   Her latest book is called: Insight: Why We're Not as Self-Aware as We Think, and How Seeing Ourselves Clearly Helps Us Succeed at Work and in Life   In This Interview, Tasha Eurich and I Discuss... The Wolf Parable Her book, Insight: Why We're Not as Self-Aware as We Think, and How Seeing Ourselves Clearly Helps Us Succeed at Work and in Life  How self-awareness is the single most important but least examined determinate of success and failure The meta-skill of the 21st century That it took a year to review 800 studies and subsequently define self-awareness How self-awareness is made up of 2 types of knowledge of ourselves: internal self-awareness (how we see ourselves) and external self-awareness (how others see us) That 95% of people think that they're very self-aware but the research shows that we're not as self-aware as we think we are - about 10% actually are The 7 pillars of self-awareness: They understand their values They understand their passions They understand their aspirations They understand their "fit" They understand their patterns They understand their reactions (momentary reactions to the world, our strengths, and our weaknesses) They understand the impact they have on other people How to do an audit on the 7 pillars to determine your levels of self-awareness That a lot of us actually don't want to know the truth Braver but wiser 3 blind spots: Knowledge blindness, Emotion blindness, and Behavior blindness The cult of self Self-absorption vs self-awareness How it's easier to feel great about ourselves rather than taking the steps to actually become great Pairing self-awareness with self-acceptance The role of rumination Asking what instead of why The role of our past in self-awareness A daily check-in Please Support The Show with a Donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Nov 201748min

Eric chats with Anne Bogel of What Should I Read Next? about their favorite episodes on each other podcasts! Feast on these shows @ www.Wondery.com/Thanksgiving   The One You Feed Binge: Good Life Project - Interview with Dani Shapiro Hardcore History - Blueprint for Armageddon Buddha at the Gap Pump - Culadasa On Being - John O’Donohue Sound Opinions - Ep 606 The Year That Punk Broke What Should I Read Next? Binge: The Popcast with Knox and Jamie - Ep 212 The Nos of Social Media Sorta Awesome with Megan Tietz - Ep 121 Boundaries for the holidays The West Wing Weekly - Ep 1 Pilot Another Round - Ep 55 #1000BlackGirlBooks Note to Self - I Didn't See Your Text See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Nov 20176min

Scott Kiloby is a non-dual teacher who wants to help you and others experience awareness and no self in this lifetime. He helps people recover from addiction and has published a powerful book, the contents of which he discusses In this interview. Specifically, he describes portals to recognizing awareness that you can try immediately. It's a different way of approaching a transformational way of life and you won't want to miss it. Scott Kiloby is a noted author and international speaker on the subject of freedom through non-dual recognition (authentic spiritual awakening as it is taught in the East). He is the author of seven books and has traveled the world extensively giving lectures, workshops and intensives on spiritual awakening and the healing of addiction, anxiety, depression and trauma. Scott is the co-founder of the Kiloby Center for Recovery in Palm Springs California, the first addiction, anxiety, depression, and trauma Intensive Outpatient Program to focus primarily on mindfulness. Scott is also the co-owner of the Natural Rest House, a detox and residential center in La Quinta, California. His books include  Living Realization: A simple, plain English guide to non-duality, Natural Rest for Addiction: A Radical Approach to Recovery Through Mindfulness and Awareness and The Unfindable Inquiry: One Simple Tool to Overcome Feelings of Unworthiness and Find Inner Peace  In This Interview, Scott Kiloby and I Discuss... The Wolf Parable His book, Living Realization: A simple, plain English guide to non-duality The definition of non-duality Non-dual awakening That the ego is a suffering mechanism The false self The possibility of waking up from a separate self mentality How we are not our thoughts, we are the thinker of our thoughts The necessity of experiencing awareness Portals to recognizing awareness Let all appearances be as they are The power of not resisting what is happening Suffering = Pain + Resistance Seeing that all appearances are inseparable Life as a seamless reality & the thoughts that break things up The fact that seeking has resistance in it Self-inquiry The persistence of trauma, shame, addiction and the core story Please Support The Show with a Donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14 Nov 201752min

Dr. Eric Maisel is a prolific writer, to say the least. His numerous publications span the human experience and explore how to interact with the various situations that one may encounter. In this interview, he discusses a couple of his books and spends a great deal of time explaining how he thinks depression should be treated vs how it is currently being diagnosed and treated. It's a different way of thinking about this subject and if it's a topic you're interested in, you owe yourself a listen. This week we talk to Eric Maisel Eric Maisel, Ph.D., is is the author of more than 40 books. His titles include, Why Smart People Hurt, Making Your Creative Mark, The Van Gogh Blues, Mastering Creative Anxiety, and Creativity for Life In addition, Dr. Maisel is at the forefront of the movement to rethink mental health. He writes the Rethinking Psychology blog for Psychology Today and among his books in this area are Rethinking Depression and The Future of Mental Health. His latest book is called Overcoming Your Difficult Family: 8 Skills for Thriving in Any Family Situation.  In This Interview, Eric Maisel and I Discuss... The Wolf Parable His book, Overcoming Your Difficult Family: 8 Skills for Thriving in Any Family Situation His book, The Future of Mental Health The smartness to understand what's going on with your family The strength to make the changes that you need to make The strength to be calm, or have a difficult conversation Having clarity about what's going on Awareness of the situation The courage to make change because change has consequences The skill of presence Being resilient - family members, especially siblings, don't go away like other relationships Visualizing the "calmness switch" within you The importance of learning one anxiety management tool because you will have anxiety in life How you name the problem often directs you to the situation The importance of language The importance of knowing the causes of things regarding your health Living intentionally, identifying your life purposes and making meaning in your life How thinking that all we are is matter, chemicals etc can lead people to feel less excited about living Each person has to make the decision to opt to matter, to decide that you matter and that your decisions matter The cultural trance of tv www.madinamerica.com Stigmatization of mental health The three parts of personality: Original Personality, Formed Personality, Available Personality See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Nov 201751min

Maia Szalavitz is an American reporter and author who has focused much of her work on the topic of addiction. In this paradigm-shifting interview, she explains what she means by claiming that addiction is a learning disorder, a developmental disorder. It's a different way of thinking of addiction than it being a disease or a moral failing. As a result, it has different implications for how it should then be treated. Some of what Maia has to say is polarising and some will immediately make intuitive sense and you'll ask yourself why you haven't thought that way before. Take a listen to what she has to say and let us know what you think. Maia Szalavitz is one of the premier American journalists covering addiction and drugs. She is co-author of Born for Love and The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, both with Dr. Bruce D. Perry. Her book, Help at Any Cost is the first book-length exposé of the “tough love” business that dominates addiction treatment. She writes for TIME.com, VICE, the New York Times, Scientific American Mind, Elle, Psychology Today and Marie Claire among others. Her latest book is Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction  In This Interview, Maia Szalavitz and I Discuss... The Wolf Parable Her book, Unbroken Brain: Why Addiction is a Learning Disorder and Why it Matters That your brain becomes what it does - that the more you repeat an activity, the easier it becomes How addiction is a developmental disorder That learning is critical to addiction The problems with discussion about addiction as a disease Arguing that addiction is a disease and then treating it like a moral failing How addiction resets your priorities and therefore you'll make very different decisions Addiction = compulsive behavior that continues despite negative consequences How illogical it is then to try and address addiction by focusing on implementing additional negative consequences The complexity of addiction, genes + culture + timing The developmental history that gets you to addiction How the drug isn't the problem and our efforts to simply get rid of it isn't a helpful solution Addiction as a learning disorder that is characterized by a resistance to punishment The problem with "rock bottom" is that it can only be identified retrospectively, it's not helpful scientifically, and it implies a moral component of having to reach a point of extreme degradation before you can stop What the motivation is that turns people to recovery How addicts keep using because they can't see how they can survive any other way and recovery begins when you start to see that there are other options That people with addiction are living at a point of learned helplessness, so the role of hope and other ways of managing their life is critical to recovery and it can start before they quit their drug(s) of choice Addiction as a coping mechanism The pleasures of the hunt vs the pleasures of the feast Wanting vs Liking Different motivational states Addiction as escalating wanting Stimulants and an escalating cycle of never being satisfied and chasing that satisfaction 12 Step Programs: are they effective? are they useful? The role of medicine in a developmental disorder Looking at addicts as students who need to learn better coping skills rather than sinners who need to be forced to repent That people who are addicted are PEOPLE and we need to treat them that way See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Nov 201751min

Lewis Howes is a lot of things. He's been an athlete, a podcast host, an author. He's worn a lot of masks, you could say. In fact, that's exactly what he says in his new book and in this episode. He talks about how wearing these masks has not served him well in his life. In this interview, you'll hear him talk about the various types of masks men wear to protect themselves from being vulnerable, from showing their true selves. While it might "work" on the outside, it destroys them on the inside and we see the manifestations of it in our society today. Before Lewis Howes became a media sensation for empowering people and sharing 'Greatness' across the globe, he had his share of obstacles to overcome. From having a learning disability, which led to being alone and bullied in school, to being sexually abused as a child, to being injured and broke on his sister’s couch, Lewis’s story is the perfect example of how anybody can overcome the obstacles in their life and achieve greatness. Fast forward a few short years, and Lewis is a New York Times Bestselling author of the hit book, The School of Greatness and author of his latest book, The Mask of Masculinity. He is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, he is a current USA Men’s National Handball Team athlete. He hosts a top 100 podcast in the world, The School of Greatness, which has over 40 million downloads since it launched in 2013. He was recognized by The White House and President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30. Lewis has been featured on Ellen, The New York Times, People, Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health, The Today Show and other major media outlets.   In This Interview, Lewis Howes and I Discuss... The Wolf Parable His book, The Masks of Masculinity: How Men Can Embrace Vulnerability, Create Strong Relationships and Live Their Fullest Lives How the masks he used to wear created success on the outside but destroyed him on the inside How male violence comes from men who are hurting on the inside The know-it-all mask The invincible mask The joker mask The material mask The sexual mask The athlete mask The aggressive mask How important it is to live in service and lift others up That the comparison game can crush us How the real you is underneath all of the masks you wear How he works on maintaining his real self on the outside That when he lets the mask take over, he's showing weakness because it has power over him How he really wants to show up in the world How women talk about struggles very often with their female friends but men do not How unhealed pain causes pain somewhere else See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Okt 201749min