07: Sharon Salzberg on leading an authentic life

06/04/24 • 35 min

1 Listener

“The philosophical framework of Buddhism saved me. I was studying Asian philosophy and there was the Buddha saying 'you're suffering in life', and for me, that became, 'you're not so different'. You belong actually.”

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, a world renowned teacher, and a New York Times bestselling author. Her books include Real Happiness and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. She has inspired generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon’s popular podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed six million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.

Join us for a conversation on connecting with who we truly are, how we can live more authentic lives, and how we can find joy, even in the difficult times.

In this conversation you’ll find:

how the experience of living with five different families changed her

studying Buddhism and meditation in a life changing trip to India

uncovering the fire inside to begin teaching

the conflicting messages of happiness

what self compassion can bring to our lives

how to find aliveness and inner strength

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe

Join us for a conversation on connecting with who we truly are, how we can live more authentic lives, and how we can find joy, even in the difficult times.

In this conversation you’ll find:

how the experience of living with five different families changed her

studying Buddhism and meditation in a life changing trip to India

uncovering the fire inside to begin teaching

the conflicting messages of happiness

what self compassion can bring to our lives

how to find aliveness and inner strength

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe

Previous Episode

06: Sandra Cisneros on the power of words to shape our womanhood

1 Recommendations

“I tell people you don't have to say, ‘I'm just a drop in the bucket.’ Well, take care of your drop. Your drop affects so many other people and whenever you speak or are in contact with people, you're shaping and changing every day.”

Sandra is a prolific poet, author, and artist, perhaps best known for her book The House on Mango Street, originally published in 1984, which has gone on to sell over six million copies and is required reading in schools across the world. Recently, Sandra published her first book of poetry in 28 years called Woman Without Shame, a brilliant collection of songs, elegies, and declarations.

She has received a number of awards and honors including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships in poetry and prose. Sandra has also founded the Macondo Foundation, an association of socially engaged writers, and the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation, a grant-giving institution that served Texas writers for fifteen years.

Join us for a conversation about the ways in which we all have a gift to give, how invested teachers can really change a life, taking darkness and transforming it into a path out, and being courageous enough to taking the next step.

In this conversation you’ll find:

Being the only girl with six brothers

Her struggles in school to stay engaged and reign in her imagination

Growing up sensitive, and later realizing it was a gift

Writing in secret out of shame

The power dynamics and damage of an affair with a married professor

A 20 year “overnight” journey to success

Learning more from disasters than accolades

Having exactly what we need to make change

Not wasting our time in life

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe

Next Episode

08: Emily Amick on unleashing your political power

1 Recommendations

“I want to see Republican women for gun reform and I want these women to start calling themselves Republicans and trying to exert more influence within their party. I want to see those Republican women step into their political power, for God's sakes, do the work. Your tears will never, ever change the current Republican Party, is really my message.”

Emily Amick is a lawyer, journalist, and political analyst who served as counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. She has taken the knowledge she acquired while working in policy to help women navigate teh political process and show us all how we can take action as citizens. Her new book, Democracy in Retrograde, reframes civic engagement as a source of joy, a form of self care, and an important way to combat hopelessness and cynicism.

Join us for a conversation all about finding your inner political power, advocating for yourself, and building a community of others who are both willing to believe in you and help you. Emily believes the key to curing our loneliness epidemic is through civic engagement.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe