<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p>---</p> <p>Do you struggle to fit meditation into a busy life? Check out this candid conversation with Dan's younger brother, Matt.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>Matt Harris is partner at Bain Capital Ventures, where he's developed an expertise in Fintech, or financial technology. He's also a father of six incredible children. He is 17 months younger than Dan, to the day. And as you will hear, he likes to make fun of his neurotic brother. In fact, he shows up a lot in Dan's first book, <em>10% Happier</em>, mocking Dan for his budding interest in meditation.</p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>In this episode we talk about:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Practical tips from Joseph Goldstein</li> <li>The books that have been integral to Matt's process</li> <li>Tips on starting a practice. </li> <li>The biggest issues for meditators</li> <li>How not to try too hard</li> <li>How awareness of the ego impacts work,</li> <li>The upsides and downsides of living a more examined life.</li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Related Episodes:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-playlists/10th-anniversary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Click here</strong></a> to listen to the previous episodes in our tenth anniversary series. </li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier:</strong> <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/10-happier-10th-anniversary-dan-harris?variant=41074377523234" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>click here</strong></a><strong> </strong></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space:</strong> <a href="https://www.symphonyspace.org/events/vp-dan-harris-10-happier-10-year-anniversary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>click here</strong></a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3QtGRqJ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Follow Dan on social:</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Instagram</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>TikTok</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Ten Percent Happier online</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/46TZglY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>bookstore</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Subscribe to our</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>YouTube Channel</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Our favorite playlists on:</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3Qa8kMT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Anxiety</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3MjtMxF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Sleep</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QvyA5J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Relationships</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QxZASc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Most Popular Episodes</strong></a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Full Shownotes:</strong> <a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/matt-harris-743" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/matt-harris-743</a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Additional Resources:</strong></p> <p>Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: <a href="https://10percenthappier.app.link/install" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://10percenthappier.app.link/install</a></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Separate Self from Thoughts
Use the ‘waterfall metaphor’ to vividly distinguish yourself from your thoughts, creating space to witness them rather than being lost in the deluge.
2. Cultivate Intrinsic Curiosity for Meditation
Approach meditation with genuine intrinsic curiosity, as intellectual knowledge alone may not be enough to commit to a daily practice.
3. Begin Meditation with 5 Minutes
Give yourself permission to start meditating for just five minutes daily, as this short duration is an enormous building block for developing a consistent practice.
4. Flexibly Fit Meditation into Life
Be flexible and experimental in finding time and locations for meditation, fitting it into your life’s conditions rather than adhering to rigid expectations.
5. Prioritize Non-Thinking Off-Cushion
Prioritize spending as much time as possible not thinking during your day, instead just being aware of what’s happening and gently putting thoughts to rest.
6. Engage Mundane Tasks Mindfully
Perform mundane tasks like brushing teeth or washing dishes without distractions, quieting your mind to avoid unconscious rumination and cultivate presence.
7. Apply Passive Voice in Meditation
During meditation, use the passive voice (e.g., ’thoughts are being known’) to remove the ‘I’ from the experience, helping to separate from thoughts and recognize impersonal awareness.
8. Diffuse Awareness Beyond the Head
Practice experiencing awareness as diffuse throughout your entire body, particularly from your core, rather than solely confined to your head, to better separate awareness from thinking.
9. Approach Ego Playfully in Meditation
Cultivate a playful attitude towards your ego’s attempts to intervene during meditation, finding amusement in its efforts to avoid cycles of frustration and self-flagellation.
10. Accept and Accommodate Fear
When experiencing fear or anxiety, acknowledge and accommodate it by telling yourself ‘it’s okay to feel this,’ as this acceptance can help to defang and dissipate the uncomfortable sensation.
11. Examine Personal History & Shadow Work
Dedicate time to understanding your personal history and ‘shadow work’ to gain insights into your psychological makeup and conditioned egoic patterns.
12. Embrace Candor and Directness
Practice candor and directness in your relationships and professional life, as withholding thoughts can subtly withdraw you from others, whereas directness fosters connection.
13. Integrate Relative and Ultimate Reality
Understand that both relative (personal identity) and ultimate (impersonal, interconnected) realities are simultaneously true, allowing you to navigate the world with personal patterns while not taking them too seriously.
14. Ask ‘What Does Consciousness Want?’
Use the question ‘What does consciousness want of me?’ as a guiding principle for decision-making, accessing the wisdom of your awake and aware self for more authentic choices.
15. Explore Universal Awareness Connection
Engage with the spiritual and metaphysical aspects of mindfulness, considering the possibility that your awareness is connected to a universal consciousness, to deepen your practice.
16. Avoid Evangelizing Meditation
Do not try to press meditation on people close to you, as it can make you ‘insufferably evangelistic’ and create lasting resistance in others.