Episode 26 - Mindfulness is Hard

The Hopeful Humanist Cafe

The new audio content for this episode is available

The “Chop wood, carry water” (An expression I discovered while reading about Buddhism) thing to do when you find yourself unfulfilled and craving for more on the hedonic treadmill that is swirling about in the middle of the hectic rat race called “Life,” is to TRY and bring it back to a mindful breath and just SLOW THINGS DOWN. Join me, Steve, The Hopeful Humanist, as I talk about how hard it is to be mindful and a hodgepodge of other things like T-shirt ideas and novel first sentences. This is a one take, unedited experience via my Zoom H1 Handy recorder and my lapel microphone.

Books Referenced:

• Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright – click the following link:

https://www.amazon.ca/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-Enlightenment/dp/1439195455/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17IFF6EJ46PKO&keywords=why+buddhism+is+true&qid=1576161191&sprefix=why+bu%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-1

• How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=how+to+change+your+mind+michael+pollan&crid=1WCUK54W0Q1RH&sprefix=how+to+change+%2Caps%2C162&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_14

• I Think Too Much: How to Channel Intrusive Thoughts – A mind that never rests by Christel Petitcollin

https://www.amazon.ca/think-too-much-intrusive-thoughts-ebook/dp/B07Q5Y86K9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=14UOEOXZ3OTFF&keywords=i+think+too+much&qid=1576161058&sprefix=I+think+too%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-1

Other Showcased Thoughts:

T-shirt Idea linked to the idea of Human Hubris: “The Apex of Evolution; The Crown of Creation – yeah” (An alternative thought could be to change “yeah” to “whatever”).

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yeah - I like pushing the sound feature

Novel First Sentence (From 6 Oct 18 twitterature experiment called, #OffscriptLiving): “Janus was a psychonaut who decided to put down his flight plans after a bad trip that woke him up to the dream he had been living. He realized the real business in life was the spiritual journey and he had been living in bad faith.”

Thank-you for joining me for this neighbourly moment. Try not to fly to close to the sun.

Peace and Take Care