Self-help for smart people. World-class insights and practices from experts in modern science and ancient wisdom. Hosted by veteran journalist and best-selling author, Dan Harris.
Why even self-help authors can still be messy. Glennon Doyle is the CEO and Founder of Treat Media, an award-winning media company that makes art for humans who want to stay human. She is an author, podcaster, producer, and philanthropist. Her books include the #1 New York Times bestsellers Untamed and Love Warrior; the New York Times bestseller Carry On, Warrior; and Get Untamed: The Journal. Abby Wambach is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA World Cup champion, six-time winner of the U.S. ...
Upgrade your relationship to your wallet. Lewis Howes is the host of the School of Greatness podcast . He has written several bestselling books. His newest is called Make Money Easy: Your Path to Peace, Freedom, and Financial Abundance . In this episode we talk about: Overcoming setbacks The evolution of podcasting Developing a personal mission to help you persist through challenges Habits and mindset shifts to make money easier Figuring out your money story and money style…and how this can lead...
How journaling can transform negative emotions into meaning and agency. Suleika Jaouad is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling memoir, Between Two Kingdoms , which has been translated into over twenty languages, and her highly anticipated new book, The Book of Alchemy, forthcoming in April 2025. She writes the popular weekly newsletter, the Isolation Journals . In this episode we talk about: Suleika’s new book, The Book of Alchemy On working with fear and vulnerability Journaling...
Dan’s best attempts to answer some listener questions from our Substack community. These questions came from our live Renegade Sangha session on April 8, and all of these sessions are open to paid subscribers. Check out how to join the party at DanHarris.com .
Anxiety has long been a massive societal issue that spiked during the pandemic, and many of us are still feeling it in 2025. In this episode, renowned Buddhist monk Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche talks in detail about how he personally works with anxiety and panic and the practices he draws upon when dealing with these states. Mingyur began doing long retreats in his teens and now teaches all over the world. He’s written the books The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness and In ...
Dr. Robert Waldinger talks about his new book The Good Life: Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, which explores lessons from the longest scientific study of happiness. Dr. Robert Waldinger is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital, and co-founder of the Lifespan Research Foundation. He is also a Zen master and teaches meditation in New England and around the world. H...
You don’t have to focus too maniacally on your breath; your body is part of the process, too. Our good buddy Joseph Goldstein shows you how to balance. Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies , both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of many books including, most recently, Dreamscapes of the Mind . This meditation is part of a new series on the Eightfold Path. The rest of the series is available on Waking Up, a top-notch ...
Plus more surprising information on this fundamental human drive. Will Storr is a multi award-winning writer and Sunday Times bestselling author. His latest book is A Story is a Deal: How to use the science of storytelling to lead, motivate and persuade . Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent , you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full a...
William Irvine discusses Stoic techniques for managing setbacks, insults, anger, and the challenges of modern life. He contrasts Stoicism with Buddhism, explains negative visualization, and explores the Stoic approach to fame and death. Irvine emphasizes building resilience and expanding one's comfort zone through Stoic practices, providing practical advice for attaining equanimity and a good life.
From punk rock to broadcast journalism. A veteran journalist shares her story. Alisyn Camerota is an award-winning journalist and author. She recently wrote the memoir, Combat Love: A Story of Leaving, Longing, and Searching for Home . In this episode we talk about: Our mutual dislike of covering breaking news How her turbulent teenage years helped her prepare for life’s chaos What “home” actually means How her childhood informed her own parenting style The delicate balance between giving your c...
Cross-training for your mind. Diane Musho Hamilton is an author, award-winning mediator, and teacher of Zen. She is the author of three books on conflict resolution, relationships, and communication. Her latest book is Waking Up and Growing Up: Spiritual Cross-training for an Evolving World , co-authored with Gabriel Wilson. Diane is one of many great teachers featured on Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this li...
An old friend (and my spiritual brother) discusses some of the most important things he’s ever learned. Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, author, podcaster and the proprietor of Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent , you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available. In this episode we talk about: How to mai...
We’re going to give you a taste of the so-called “renegade sangha” sessions on DanHarris.com , which is powered by Substack. In those sessions, Dan usually guides a meditation and then takes questions. In this brief episode, you’re going to hear one of the best, funniest, most relatable questions we have received to date. Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram , TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxi...
Dan deconstructs the Dharmic elements of the popular HBO show, with the co-host of The White Lotus Official Season 3 companion podcast. Joshuah Bearman is a writer and film producer in Los Angeles. He has written for Wired, GQ, Harper’s, Rolling Stone, and contributed to This American Life. Along with Jia Tolentino, Josh is the co-host of the The White Lotus Official Podcast . In this episode we talk about: How Josh became interested in Buddhism How Mike White, the writer and creator of The Whit...
They say enlightenment is always an accident. Here’s how to make yourself more accident-prone. Henry Shukman is a poet, author and Zen master in the Sanbo Zen lineage. He is founder of the Original Love meditation program, spiritual director emeritus at Mountain Cloud Zen Center and co-founder of the single-path meditation app The Way . His most recent books are Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening and the Zen memoir One Blade of Grass. In this episode we talk about: Henry’s awa...
The liberation that comes from realizing that you’re never going to get everything done. Oliver Burkeman is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Four Thousand Weeks , The Antidote , and most recently, Meditations for Mortals . His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychologies and New Philosopher. He has a devoted following for his writing on productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment. Oliver is on...
Recorded in January 2025 during the week of the Presidential inauguration, this conversation with CNN commentator Van Jones is less about politics and more about how we react to politics. You’ll hear the questions that Van always asks himself before he goes on air, what he considers to be his purpose on earth, and how he thinks about the future. This conversation was part of a special Inauguration Week series which featured daily gatherings of the “Renegade Sangha,” as Dan calls it, including gu...
One of the foundational Buddhist lists—a kind of GPS for enlightenment. Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies , both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of many books including, most recently, Dreamscapes of the Mind . Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, author, podcaster and the proprietor of the Waking Up app. This episode is the first installment of a new series on the Eightfold Path. The rest of the series is available o...
Make peace with the difficult parts of your personality. Dr. Richard Schwartz is a contemporary psychotherapist, PhD in marriage and family therapy. He founded the Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) therapy system and has authored many books, most recently: The Internal Family Systems Workbook . In this episode we talk about: What Internal Family Systems (IFS) is The relationship between buddhism and IFS How to make peace with our parts without a therapist in the room Dan volunteers as a guinea...
A 10-minute meditation that reminds you that you’re not just a brain: there is also a body. This meditation was originally part of one of Dan’s recent Ask Me Anything sessions on Substack – join us as a paid subscriber at DanHarris.com to be a part of these live online events as Dan guides a short meditation then takes your questions. Join Dan’s online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram , TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel...
Brother Pháp Dung discusses the life and teachings of Vietnamese Zen master, peace activist, poet, and author Thich Nhat Hanh . In January 2022, Thich Nhat Hanh , the Vietnamese Zen master, peace activist, poet, and author passed away. He was the founder of the International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism . Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called him “an Apostle of peace and nonviolence” when nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Thousands of people came out for his funeral. Brother Ph...
How to think about consciousness without breaking your brain. Annaka Harris is the New York Times bestselling author of CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind and writer and producer of the audio documentary series, LIGHTS ON . Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine, and she is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. In this episode we talk...
And how to figure out what matters most to you. Jonathan Fields is the author of several books, including SPARKED: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work That Makes You Come Alive . He is also the host of two podcasts, Good Life Project® and SPARKED™ . This episode is part of our ongoing Sanely Ambitious series. In this episode we talk about: What a “sparketype” is and how to use it to help your guide your life and make work decisions Embracing uncertainty Meditation and attention training for un...
Career advice from a man who has walked the walk. Jordan Harbinger is a Wall Street lawyer turned podcast interviewer with an approachable style and knack for securing high-profile guests. His podcast, The Jordan Harbinger Show , was selected as part of Apple’s “Best of 2018.” This episode is part of our ongoing Sanely Ambitious series. In this episode we talk about: How to engage in networking without being gross. He has lots of interesting techniques here, including something called Gmail roul...
How to reduce perfectionism and boost confidence so you can be more effective in every area of your life. Susan (Sue) Ashford is an award-winning scholar and Professor at the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Her passion for helping people to be maximally effective in their work lives has driven her teaching and research work on self-management, proactivity, change from below, and leadership and its development. This episode is part of our ongoing Sanely Ambitious serie...
This one's simple and easy -- and features some of Dan's favorite instructions from Joseph Goldstein. This meditation was originally part of one of Dan’s recent Ask Me Anything sessions on Substack – join us as a paid subscriber at DanHarris.com to be a part of these live online events as Dan guides a short meditation then takes your questions.
Lessons learned from 12 years of serious meditation. Diego Perez is a meditator and #1 New York Times bestselling author who is widely known by his pen name, Yung Pueblo. His writing focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves. In this episode we talk about: How to burn off your mind’s conditioning The suffering that comes from clinging in a world characterized by relentless change What selfless listening...
A Harvard doctor on how she went from stress patient to stress expert. Dr. Aditi Nerurkar is a Harvard stress expert, and the author of The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body For Less Stress and More Resilience . In this episode we talk about: Healthy stress vs. unhealthy stress The distinction between stress and burnout What Dr. Nerurkar calls, “toxic resilience” Finding quiet in a noisy world The relationship between scrolling and sleeping How to avoid “revenge nighttime procrastination” The...
Dan Harris and DJ Cashmere discuss the concept of 'sanely ambitious' and how they're implementing it within their team and business. They explore the importance of rest, psychological safety, and humane policies, emphasizing the need to balance ambition with personal well-being and team sustainability. The episode also includes updates on ad-free listening options, live meditation sessions, and new Friday content formats.
Secrets from the massively popular Stanford business school course on interpersonal hygiene. Carole Robin and David Bradford taught the most popular elective course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for a combined total of 75 years. Officially, the name of the course is Interpersonal Dynamics, but everybody calls it “Touchy-Feely.” Together they have written the new book, Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues . We dive into the six hallmarks o...
