What To Do When Life Won't Let Up | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren
10% Happier with Dan Harris Podcast Recap
Published:
Duration: 1 hr 2 min
Guests: Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren
Summary
Dan Harris hosts Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren to explore how to handle life's relentless challenges. Key takeaways include the concepts of 'trust life' and viewing life's difficulties as a curriculum for growth.
What Happened
Sebene Selassie, a writer and teacher, and Jeff Warren, a meditation teacher, join Dan Harris to discuss how they manage life's challenges. Selassie emphasizes the mantra 'trust life', a guiding principle she attributes to a previous podcast guest, which helps her navigate health and relationship issues.
Jeff Warren introduces the idea of seeing life's challenges as 'the curriculum', a framework for accepting difficulties as opportunities for growth. This perspective is particularly relevant for Warren as he reflects on the challenges of parenting and how they highlight his and his wife's neurodivergent traits.
Selassie shares her experience with cancer, explaining how 'trust life' assists her in dealing with fear and relinquishing control, particularly in trusting her medical team. She underscores the importance of self-care practices like sufficient sleep, proper nutrition, and exercise.
Joseph Goldstein, a meditation teacher, suggests using mantras like 'it's okay' to manage emotions without being overwhelmed by them. Selassie and Warren also touch on the concept of ease in meditation practice, differentiating it from being easy, and the joy of engaging with mystical systems.
The episode highlights the subjective health benefits of believing in an interactive reality filled with mystery and wonder. Selassie and Warren discuss the importance of setting intentions, with Harris mentioning his tattoo 'F, T, B O A B' as a reminder of his goals.
Sebene Selassie participated in a clowning workshop to enhance her spontaneity, which she found akin to a spiritual practice. She learned to focus on those who appreciated her humor, a profound realization during the workshop.
Key Insights
- Sebene Selassie's mantra 'trust life' serves as a tool to navigate personal challenges by encouraging acceptance and letting go of control. This approach is particularly beneficial in her ongoing battle with cancer.
- Jeff Warren views life's challenges as a curriculum, promoting the idea that accepting difficulties can lead to personal growth. This perspective is reinforced through his experiences in parenting and dealing with neurodivergence.
- The concept of ease in meditation, as discussed by Sebene Selassie, implies a state of relaxed engagement rather than simplicity, allowing practitioners to find joy in mystical and spiritual systems.
- Joseph Goldstein offers practical advice for managing overwhelming emotions by using simple mantras like 'it's okay', which helps in acknowledging feelings without being consumed by them.