Are You Following Your Inner Compass?

08/29/24 • 19 min

2 Listeners

What if you had a magic wand and could better the world in any way? What would you do? We explore a practice shown to help you find your purpose and feel more motivated, resilient and fulfilled in life.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bp7wv7ft

Episode Summary

What’s your greater purpose in life? It’s a tough question, especially if you’re feeling uncertain about your future. In this episode, our guest explores that very question—and gets handed a magic wand with the power to make the world a better place.

How To Do The Magic Wand Practice

Set aside 15 minutes to reflect and write.
Think about the world you live in – your home, your community, and the world at large.
Imagine you’ve been given a magic wand, and you can change anything you want to change in the world. What would you want to be different? Why? Describe your ideal world in writing.
Now, reflect on what it would take to change the world in this way. Is there anything you can do to help move the world closer to this ideal? If so, explain how; if not, explain why not.

Guest: Selina Bilal is a UC Berkeley undergraduate student who is studying psychology, and a Fellow at Greater Good Science Center, where we produce The Science of Happiness

Expert Guest: Kendall Cotton Bronk is a professor of psychology in the Division of Behavioral & Social Sciences at Claremont University.

Learn more about Bronk’s work: https://tinyurl.com/3s9sjp2d
Connect with Bronk: https://tinyurl.com/3p5cepy3

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

How to Find Your Spark in Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc8j9a4u
What’s Your “Why” in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2vnaswpt

Happiness Break Related Episodes

A Meditation to Inspire a Sense of Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/54uuvh7z
Visualizing Your Purpose, With Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/3jvnv35y

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bp7wv7ft

Episode Summary

How To Do The Magic Wand Practice

Set aside 15 minutes to reflect and write.
Think about the world you live in – your home, your community, and the world at large.
Imagine you’ve been given a magic wand, and you can change anything you want to change in the world. What would you want to be different? Why? Describe your ideal world in writing.
Now, reflect on what it would take to change the world in this way. Is there anything you can do to help move the world closer to this ideal? If so, explain how; if not, explain why not.

Guest: Selina Bilal is a UC Berkeley undergraduate student who is studying psychology, and a Fellow at Greater Good Science Center, where we produce The Science of Happiness

Expert Guest: Kendall Cotton Bronk is a professor of psychology in the Division of Behavioral & Social Sciences at Claremont University.

Learn more about Bronk’s work: https://tinyurl.com/3s9sjp2d
Connect with Bronk: https://tinyurl.com/3p5cepy3

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

How to Find Your Spark in Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc8j9a4u
What’s Your “Why” in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2vnaswpt

Happiness Break Related Episodes

A Meditation to Inspire a Sense of Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/54uuvh7z
Visualizing Your Purpose, With Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/3jvnv35y

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Previous Episode

Happiness Break: A Meditation on Becoming A Gift To Life

Our happiness is interconnected with the well-being of others, both people and the natural world. Step outside of you can, or imagine the outdoors from wherever you are now, and join us for a meditation that’ll help us be better stewards of the natural world.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/y3yfjsxa

Episode Summary

A meditation on how we can give back to the earth, led by indigenous activist, artist, and scholar Dr. Lyla June Johnston.

How To Do This Practice

Sit and take four deep breaths to honor the four sacred directions.
Take a moment to stop, and step outside and see what life flourishes from.
Take notice of the little things – a bird bath that provides a safe place for the birds to drink and to bathe.
Think about how you can give a small gift to life., Maybe you could plant fruit or nut-bearing trees that could feed you,your neighbors, and the wildlife around you.
Following this meditation, think about ways that you can make this a reality. You could order a bird bath from your local feed store.
Think of the metaphor of the bird bath. A bird bath is a human creation. And it's a gift to birds. It doesn't benefit us at all. It truly is just a gift to a species outside of our own.
Reflect on how this is truly what human beings were born to do – born to be givers, stewards, and caretakers of the earth.

Guest Host: Dr. Lyla June Johnston is an indigenous activist, artist, and scholar from the Naaneesht'ezhi Taach'iinii clan of the Diné Nation.

For more on her work: https://www.lylajune.com/
Watch her TED talk: https://tinyurl.com/frbe5ya9
Follow her on instagram: https://tinyurl.com/bdfbf8yx
Follow her on X: https://tinyurl.com/4jj57n25
Follow her on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/3cskuh7x

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/dmsr2wkm
The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/murmd98b

Happiness Break Related Episodes

How to Be in Harmony in Nature—Wherever You Are, With Yuria Celidwen: https://tinyurl.com/ynxeeb7a
Contemplating Our Interdependence With Nature, With Dekila Chungyalpa: https://tinyurl.com/erz2f5de
Feeling the Awe of Nature From Anywhere, With Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/y4mm4wu9

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Next Episode

Happiness Break: A Note to Self on Forgiveness, with Alex Elle (encore)

Letting go of our regrets can motivate us to improve and help us grow. Alex Elle, a certified breath work and writing coach, guides us through a meditation to forgive and accept ourselves.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5dzrzm4z

How to Do This Practice:

1. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, remember all you have done in the past that led you to come to be where you are today.

2. Remember that you are allowed to forgive yourself and let it go. Give yourself permission to release any shame that you’re carrying. Forgive yourself.

3. Think of the good things about yourself. Trust your worth and acknowledge that you are evolving. Remember, you are worthy of good things even when you think you are now.

4. When you’re ready, you can bring your attention back to the present moment. Take a few deep breaths in through the nose, and out through the nose. Drop your shoulder and unclench your jaw.

5. If you’d like to take this practice a step further, you can write your own letter of self forgiveness, it can start with “Dear self, I forgive you for ...”

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Alex Elle is a certified breath work coach, author and restorative writing teacher. Her new book, How We Heal, will come out soon.

Learn more about Alex and her new book: https://www.alexelle.com/about
Follow Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex/
Follow Alex on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@easewithalexl

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

How to Forgive Your Father: https://tinyurl.com/2p98e3cy
Nine Steps to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/mwwhbrs6

Happiness Break Related Episodes

A Meditation for Seeking Forgiveness, With Shelly Tygielski: https://tinyurl.com/yynvm6av
Radical Acceptance, With Tara Brach: https://tinyurl.com/4k3f563m

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap