← Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Rich Roll on Conversation, Connection and How To Cope In a Toxic World #93

Jan 15, 2020 2h 7m 35 insights
My guest on this week’s podcast is plant-powered wellness advocate, best-selling author and podcast host, Rich Roll. You may remember Rich from episode 28, when he talked about his transformation from overweight alcoholic to vegan ultra-endurance athlete, and the importance of finding purpose in life. Rich is the first of my guests to feature on Feel Better Live More for a second time and that’s because, when I met him back in autumn 2018, I felt a deep connection and I knew our conversation wasn’t finished. We cover so much ground in this chat, from learning how to say no, to avoiding the toxic nutrition wars on Twitter and why it’s OK not to watch the News. Rich recounts his journey of sobriety and reveals why ‘alcoholic’ is one label he’ll never give up. We talk about addiction as a broad spectrum of disease that even includes our dependence on technology. Finally, we discuss how best to cope with the divided state of the world, how vital it is to open up to new perspectives, and why long-form conversations – like this very podcast – might just be the antidote we need in our distracted, modern world.   I think you can hear how much I enjoyed catching up with Rich again and I know there will be many topics that resonate with you. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did.  Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/93 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Embrace Discomfort for Growth

Actively seek and embrace discomfort to foster resilience, aliveness, and connection, as it is through willingness to weather discomfort that one learns emotions are transient and growth occurs.

2. Cultivate Self-Awareness & Purpose

Question societal definitions of success and actively ask yourself what truly excites you, what your passion or “ikigai” could be, and how you can contribute to the planet.

3. Prioritize Downtime and Stillness

Actively seek and protect moments of downtime and stillness in your daily life to counteract constant digital distraction and avoid using compulsive behaviors to escape uncomfortable thoughts.

4. Practice Undivided Attention

Give your undivided attention to others, as this discipline fosters deep connection and is one of the most valuable things you can do for another human being.

5. Lead with Curiosity in Disagreements

Approach disagreements by leading with curiosity, asking “tell me more” or “explain why I might not be seeing it your way” to explore differences deferentially and foster understanding.

6. Set Healthy Boundaries by Saying No

Cultivate self-assuredness and an abundance mindset to say no directly and immediately to opportunities that don’t align with your priorities, rather than delaying or leaving the door cracked open.

7. Reframe ‘No Time’ as Prioritization

Understand that saying “I don’t have time” means your time is precious and already allocated to valued activities like friends, family, self-care, or profession, which can alleviate guilt.

8. Question Mainstream News Consumption

Evaluate the actual value of consuming 24-hour news cycles and recognize that important events will likely reach you passively through other channels, reducing stress and freeing up mental space.

9. Avoid Online Toxic Debates

Consciously choose not to participate in toxic online debates, such as nutrition wars, as they drain emotional energy and rarely lead to productive outcomes.

10. Do Not Identify with Dietary Tribes

Avoid creating your identity around specific dietary preferences to remain open to new perspectives and prevent becoming resistant to information that might challenge your current views.

11. Recognize Addiction as a Spectrum

Understand addiction as a spectrum disease affecting nearly everyone, from severe substance abuse to mindless scrolling or self-defeating narratives, which can help in identifying and addressing compulsive behaviors.

12. Journal Emotional Triggers

Keep a journal to identify emotional triggers behind compulsive behaviors like emotional eating, helping you understand the underlying drive to change your emotional state.

13. Carve Out Time for Enjoyable Activities

Protect time in your busy life to engage in activities you genuinely enjoy, or reconnect with childhood interests, as a vital form of self-care that helps you feel more alive.

14. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Regularly challenge yourself by trying new things or doing something that scares you, even if small, to foster resilience, openness to change, and personal gratification.

15. Focus on Your Own Growth

Concentrate energy inward on becoming the best version of yourself and living your truth, rather than trying to compel others to change, allowing your example to inspire them.

16. Align Behavior with Values

Strive daily to narrow the dissonance between your actions and your core value system, aiming to “walk the talk” and achieve a more aligned state of being.

17. Maintain Daily Recovery Practices

For those in recovery, consistently engage in daily practices and maintain humility, recognizing the persistent power of addiction and avoiding the belief that it has been fully transcended.

18. Practice Self-Compassion for Loved Ones

If a loved one is struggling with addiction, give yourself a break and practice self-compassion, understanding that you cannot force them to change and are powerless until they are willing.

19. Seek Long-Form Conversations

Actively seek out and engage with long-form conversations (like podcasts) as a powerful antidote to clickbait culture, fostering deeper understanding, connection, and the ability to see humanity in differing viewpoints.

20. Proactively Initiate Deep Family Conversations

Take action to initiate deep, meaningful conversations with loved ones, such as parents, to capture their life stories and perspectives, leveraging the structure of a dedicated time to ensure it happens.

21. Follow Your Creative Intuition

In creative or professional endeavors, follow your genuine interests and intuition (“muse”), rather than external expectations or what others say you should do, to find your unique voice.

22. Foster Connectivity and Community

Actively work to foster connectivity, community, and connection in your life, as isolation prevents fulfillment, happiness, and self-actualization.

23. Cultivate Greater Compassion

Expand your perspective to see the bigger picture and cultivate greater compassion for yourself and for those with whom you disagree, recognizing shared humanity.

24. Embrace Stewardship for Future Generations

Embrace a mindset of service, contribution, and stewardship to protect and preserve resources for future generations, transcending smaller daily concerns.

25. Translate Online to Analog Experiences

Seek opportunities to bring online audiences and connections into tactile, real-life analog experiences where people can communicate directly, fostering deeper community.

26. Implement ‘Feel Better in 5’ Plan

Choose three 5-minute “health snacks” daily from the “Feel Better in 5” book to take control of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, making short-term and long-term lifestyle changes.

27. Apply One Insight Immediately

After listening to a conversation, identify and commit to applying at least one actionable insight into your own life immediately to improve how you feel.

28. Try New Things for Change

Actively try new things to facilitate personal change and improvements in your life, as this can open up new opportunities and perspectives.

29. Wear Minimalist Shoes

Consider wearing minimalist footwear like Vivo Barefoot shoes to connect with your feet and the ground, potentially offering health benefits.

30. Learn About Modern Shoe Problems

Watch the documentary at www.shoespiracy.tv to gain a deep understanding of why modern shoes can be problematic for many people’s health.

31. Listen to Rich Roll’s Transformation Story

Listen to Rich Roll’s Episode 28 podcast to gain inspiration from his personal transformation from overweight alcoholic to healthy ultra-endurance athlete.

32. Watch Podcast Video on YouTube

Visit the YouTube channel (drchastity.com/YouTube) to watch the full video version of conversations, especially if friends or family prefer video content.

33. Leave a Podcast Review

Consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform to help raise the visibility of the podcast and share information with more people.

34. Share the Podcast with Others

Help spread the word by taking a screenshot and sharing the podcast on social media, or by simply telling friends and family about the show.

35. Subscribe to the Podcast

Ensure you have pressed the subscribe button on the podcast platform to stay updated with new episodes.