The Self-Brain Surgery™ Podcast with Dr. Lee Warren - podcast cover

The Self-Brain Surgery™ Podcast with Dr. Lee Warren

Dr. Lee Warrenwleewarrenmd.com
Neurosurgeon and award-winning author Dr. W. Lee Warren, MD delivers weekly prescriptions from neuroscience, faith, and common sense on how to lead a healthier, better, happier life. You can’t change your life until you change your mind, and Dr. Warren will teach you the art of self-brain surgery™ to get it done. His latest book, Hope Is the First Dose, is available everywhere books are sold.

Episodes

The Neuroscience of Freedom

The Science of Freedom is On Your Side Freedom starts with a choice- a declaration. In this episode, we talk about the science of freedom, and how vital it is to be willing to fight for it in all areas of our lives. (Adapted from Infinitely Happier, Part 14) Music by The Psalm Library (featuring Tommy Walker) (Music shared on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast is authorized under BMI license #61063253 and ASCAP license #400010513 ) My new book is called Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recov...

May 13, 202336 minEp 339Transcript available on Metacast

Caves, Craniums, and the Lies We Tell Ourselves

All of Us Have a Story We Tell Ourselves And it's often a lie. (Adapted from Infinitely Happier, Part 13) Today, we're taking a look at the art form known as Story, and we're going to finally learn how to find the courage to enter the scary places from which those stories come. We'll get into the cave of our minds, find the source of the lies we tell ourselves, and finally overcome them to find the treasure we seek- a life free of limits and labels. My new book is called Hope is the First Dose: ...

May 12, 202328 minEp 338Transcript available on Metacast

Why Happiness Matters

Life Is Hard, But God Wants Us to Be Happy Anyway. (Adapted from Infinitely Happier, Part 12) Here's some thoughts on why it matters so much that we learn to separate our mood/emotional state from our circumstances. Plus, a story about cows! Music by Cody Carnes (Music shared on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast is authorized under BMI license #61063253 and ASCAP license #400010513 ) My new book is called Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Th...

May 10, 202333 minEp 337Transcript available on Metacast

The Power of Waiting

Learning the Discipline of Waiting is a Powerful Self-Brain Surgery Tool If you can't say no to something you want today so that you can have something you need tomorrow, you can never be free. Here's some thoughts on delayed gratification, as one of the super powers in our quest for infinite happiness. (Adapted from Infinitely Happier, Part 11) Music by Lyle Lovett and Tommy Walker (Music shared on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast is authorized under BMI license #61063253 and ASCAP license #400010513...

May 09, 202325 minEp 336Transcript available on Metacast

Healing or Hurting?

Every Interaction Leaves a Mark Every interaction with another person is a choice: do we use our words for our gain, or for theirs? Do we have transactional or transformational relationships? Here's a few thoughts on how to make sure we have a "first no harm" approach to others, and how words can heal or hurt. (Adapted from Infinitely Happier, Part 10) My new book is called Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Things. It is coming out on...

May 08, 202321 minEp 335Transcript available on Metacast

Flying Lessons

God wants your life to soar, but often it feels like we're crashing instead. (Adapted from Infinitely Happier, Part 9) Today, I want to talk about flying. I grew up around airplanes, because both of my parents were private pilots. And we lived down the road from a WWII pilot, Glen Walters. I used to go down to his house, and his wife Betsy would make ginger bread and I’d fish in their pond and, once in a while, Brother Walters would take me into his shop and let me play around with an airplane h...

May 07, 202333 minEp 334Transcript available on Metacast

Stop Overthinking Everything

Overthinking Can Drive Us Crazy and Wreck Our Peace of Mind (Adapted from Infinitely Happier, Part 7) Worrying isn’t the only thought issue we face. Whether it’s worry, regret, sadness, decision making, whatever, sometimes we simply overthink things. In this episode we'll learn how to stop overthinking everything, which will help us in our quest to become Infinitely Happier. Music by Tommy Walker (Music shared on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast is authorized under BMI license #61063253 and ASCAP lice...

May 05, 202339 minEp 332Transcript available on Metacast

How to Win Your Biggest Battles

Sometimes life feels like a fight. Here’s how to win. (Adapted from Season 1, Episode 50, Infinitely Happier Part 6) Sometimes we struggle because we keep losing battles our heart knows we’re supposed to win. Or even worse, we don’t even try sometimes. And when we know we were supposed to take up a challenge and we’re too afraid to even try, it leaves us feeling ashamed and guilty. In this episode, we'll learn how to face off agains our biggest battles, and win. Music by Tommy Walker (Music shar...

May 04, 202337 minEp 331Transcript available on Metacast

Stop Trying to Change That Guy (Infinitely Happier, Part 5)

Today we’re going to do a little relationship brain surgery. Because when you’re trying to change your life, it seems like there’s always one person- THAT GUY- who’s out there to stymie you. Last episode, we talked about the new job I’m taking in a new place. I'm so pumped about it, because Lisa and I and our team are bringing neurosurgery to a community that’s never had access before. And I have decided to make it the best and most successful part of my career. I want you to make the same decis...

May 03, 202338 minEp 330Transcript available on Metacast

Remodel Your Self-Esteem (Tuesdays with Tata)

It’s Tuesdays with Tata! Here’s a great talk from last year with Tata about what it means to be sealed by God. Scripture: II Corinthians 1:22 Ephesians 1:13-14 Music by Phil Wickham (Music shared on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast is authorized under BMI license #61063253 and ASCAP license #400010513 ) Self-Brain Surgery with Dr. Lee Warren is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. My new book is called Hope is the First ...

May 02, 202331 minEp 329Transcript available on Metacast

The Courage to Change (Infinitely Happier, Part 4)

It’s Mind Change Monday! Today is also May 1, the first day of Remodel May! Some of the episodes we create this month will focus on areas of our lives we can remodel to find hope, craft resilience, and hold on during hard times. We’ll use brain science and scripture to become healthier, feel better, and be happier, perhaps even infinitely happier than we could on our own. Here’s Infinitely Happier, Part 4: The Courage to Change, to get us started! Today, we’re going to talk about courage. About ...

May 01, 202331 minEp 328Transcript available on Metacast

Severing Sick Synapses (Infinitely Happier, Part 3)

Synapses are where the business of the nervous system happens. (Note: this is an archived episode, normally for paid subscribers only but available for everyone for 7 days!) Lately, we’ve been talking about the basics of self-brain surgery to learn how to think about our thinking, and the ideas behind my new book. But this isn’t just some “self-help” or motivational speaker-type thing. Because the vast majority of your life, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, the things you acco...

Apr 30, 202332 minEp 327Transcript available on Metacast

The Tools To Fix Your Own Brain (Infinitely Happier, Part 2)

It’s Self-Brain Surgery Saturday! Look: Life is Hard. But Learning Self-brain Surgery Can Help In the last episode, we talked about the basics of self-brain surgery to learn how to think about our thinking and learn to biopsy our thoughts- put a little pause in there between what happens to us, what thoughts pop up- and how we respond, either in terms of how we proceed to think or feel, or in what we actually. Listen: Life is not brain surgery. It’s harder. You can actually train someone to do b...

Apr 29, 202346 minEp 326Transcript available on Metacast

How to Fight Anxiety (Infinitely Happier, Part I)

Do You Struggle With Anxiety? If so, this will help. A look back at a 15-part series from 2021 with a new preamble (10 minutes or so). Look, friend: Life is not brain surgery. It’s harder. You can actually train someone to do brain surgery. But you have to live life to get good at it. Anxiety is one of the major problems that prevent an abundant, healthy life, but we're going to learn some self-brain surgery techniques to fight it today. We’re going to start learning to be Infinitely Happier, fr...

Apr 28, 202341 minEp 325Transcript available on Metacast

Unwire Your Brain

Your Brain is Very Efficient I’m always telling you that “neurons that fire together wire together.” This is because God made your brain to be very efficient. So, things you repeatedly experience, think about, perform, or react to will create automatic “programs” through connections called synapses that will make the responses to those things more automated and require you to think about them less. This is the basis of things like “muscle memory,” but also of harmful things like post-traumatic s...

Apr 27, 202319 minEp 324Transcript available on Metacast

Christy Lefteri: Hope for Those Who Need It Most

Christy Lefteri Wrote My Favorite Novel of All Time I read The Beekeeper of Aleppo after Lisa and I found it in a bookstore in Casper, Wyoming. I love the story, and how the author crafted the story. She used such imaginative ways to jump back and forth between present and past tense, and her control of point-of-view was stunning. Her follow-up novel, Songbirds, is also fantastic, but Beekeeper is one of those books that gets under your skin. Back in 2020 when everyone was on lockdown, I reached...

Apr 26, 202350 minEp 323Transcript available on Metacast

Tuesdays with Tata #83: Prayer Beats Despair

It’s Tuesdays with Tata! Today, a great talk about how prayer helps us change our mind, even when massive, difficult things are happening in our lives. Scripture: II Corinthians 1 Books Mentioned: The Awe of God by John Bevere Words with God by Addison Bevere Hey, my new book is releasing July 25. John and Addison Bevere are two of my early readers/endorsers. Here’s what they had to say about Hope is the First Dose. “When hard things knock you out, you can’t stay out. Dr. Lee Warren prescribes a...

Apr 25, 202334 minEp 322Transcript available on Metacast

Outsmart Your Brain

It’s Mind Change Monday! Today we talk about how our thought patterns are predictable, usually negative, and often harmful to ourselves and others. So, to become master self-brain surgeons, we have to learn to anticipate those negative thoughts and treat them pro-actively. Here’s how. Scriptures: Isaiah 43:18-18, Psalm 37 Check out my new book! You can pre-order it by clicking the book cover below. Self-Brain Surgery with Dr. Lee Warren is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and...

Apr 24, 202327 minEp 321Transcript available on Metacast

Tommy Walker: God Knows Your Name

Tommy Walker is a world-renowned songwriter, worship leader, and pastor. His song, "He Knows My Name," has helped people all over take comfort in being known by God. Today, Tommy shares the beautiful origin of "He Knows My Name," to help us all understand that even when we feel isolated and unnoticed, God sees us, hears us, and loves us. Check out Tommy's ministry, music, and story by clicking on the button below. Hey, my new book is releasing July 25. Tommy is one of my early readers/endorsers....

Apr 23, 202344 minEp 320Transcript available on Metacast

Paul Baloche: Worship Makes You Well

[Flashback episode!] Hey my friend, it’s Throwback Thursday, and I’m bringing you one of my all-time favorite podcast episodes. Here’s an interview from 2020 with Paul Baloche, and I think you’ll get a lot out of it! Paul Baloche has given the global church hundreds of worship songs over the years. And through his leadworship.com ministry, Paul has helped equip thousands of musicians and singers to hone the craft of worship ministry. Join me for a conversation with Paul Baloche on how whatever y...

Apr 20, 202357 minEp 319Transcript available on Metacast

Finding Hope in the Hardest Moments With Scotty and Tiffany Smiley

[Flashback episode!] Even in our hardest moments, hope is always available. Join me for a great conversation about hope and perseverance with American heroes Scotty and Tiffany Smiley, and you'll find yourself inspired and uplifted in this dark time. Blindness became Major Scotty Smiley’s journey of supreme testing. As he lay helpless in the hospital, he resented the theft of his dreams—becoming a CEO, a Delta Force operator, or a four-star general. With his wife Tiffany’s love and the support o...

Apr 19, 202341 minEp 318Transcript available on Metacast

Words with God: A Conversation with Addison Bevere

Be Honest: Is Your Prayer Life Everything You Want it to Be? Prayer is difficult for many of us. We’re busy, stressed, and often find ourselves wondering if God is even out there. We’re screaming into the void, and all we hear are the echoes of our own voices and the noises of the culture around us. Or, we’re desperately whispering our deepest needs, but we have no idea how to really connect with God, or whether he’s even listening at all. But what if it doesn’t have to be this way? What if we r...

Apr 18, 202357 minEp 317Transcript available on Metacast

Check Your Brain, with Jarrett Stephens

Is it Reasonable to Base Our Hope on the Bible? It’s Self-Brain Surgery Saturday, and today I’ve got a treat for you! I had a great conversation with Pastor Jarrett Stephens, pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. We talked about why it’s reasonable to believe in and place our hope on God’s word. Do you have to be a moron to believe? Is there any rational basis for thinking that the Bible is inspired and not just a book of old stories and ideas written by people? Jarrett tak...

Apr 15, 202351 minEp 316Transcript available on Metacast

Always God, with Jarrett Stephens

When Does God Stop Being God? Answer: Never! That’s such good news for troublesome times like these. Back in May of 2021, I had a great conversation with Pastor Jarrett Stephens, author of The Always God: He Hasn't Changed, and You Are Not Forgotten. I’m bringing it back to you today because Pastor Jarrett is coming back onto the show tomorrow! I thought a double dose of this wise and engaging teacher would be so helpful to all of us. (Please note that the free books mentioned have already been ...

Apr 14, 202342 minEp 315Transcript available on Metacast

Tuesdays with Tata: Resurrection

Five Ways the Resurrection Matters Today (Classic episode from Easter 2022) A great talk with Tata about the power and impact of the resurrection. Scripture: II Corinthians 4 Music by Paul Baloche (Music shared on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast is authorized under BMI license #61063253 and ASCAP license #400010513 ) Book reference: New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp Hey, I just wrote a book about my research into how people process pain and find hope again after they experience what we call “Th...

Apr 11, 202330 minEp 314Transcript available on Metacast

Three Things We Must Believe

It’s Self-Brain Surgery Saturday! Today I’m inviting you to a new life. It’s a life unfettered by the toxic cloud of hopelessness, anxiety, and trauma. It’s a life of being in control of the most sophisticated supercomputer in the history of the world, your own brain. I’m inviting you into the Society of Self-Brain Surgeons, where we learn together how to change our minds and change our lives, using a treatment plan based on neuroscience and faith. To fully engage the treatment plan, there are t...

Apr 08, 202347 minEp 313Transcript available on Metacast

Max Lucado on Anxiety and Fear

In my life, when I’m stressed or worried, I always turn to the word of God. But when I need to talk to someone about these things, I talk to Lisa and to my chaplain or pastor. And God has blessed me with several pastors, chaplains, and writers in my life who are personal friends. But no matter where we’ve lived or worshiped, my go-to pastor is always our old friend Max Lucado. Max was my pastor when I lived in San Antonio, and my father-in-law Dennis worked at Oak Hills Church with Max. Today we...

Apr 05, 202340 minEp 312Transcript available on Metacast

Mind Change Monday: Power

Sometimes life can make us feel powerless The good news is, your brain is designed to power your life, and scripture has promised us that we have all the power we need anything we can face! Here are some Action April thoughts for today if you're feeling weak. Scripture: Philippians 4:19. Philippians 4:13, II Peter 1:3, II Chronicles 20:12, Jeremiah 32:17, Matthew 6:8 My new book is coming July 25, but you can pre-order it now! Music by Tommy Walker (Music shared on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast is ...

Apr 03, 202318 minEp 310Transcript available on Metacast

Action April: The Neuroscience of Self-Brain Surgery

It’s Action April! Today’s Self-Brain Surgery Saturday is all about Action April, and how neuroscience and faith smash together to allow you to change your mind and change your life, literally. There’s so much exciting new neuroscience research that’s teaching us how our brains can literally change every cell in our bodies for better or worse. The question is: are you willing to take the action you need to take to make those facts work for you? Scripture: Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:6-8, John 1:1...

Apr 01, 202338 minEp 308Transcript available on Metacast

Getting to Know Lisa Warren

Today, I’m bringing you back a conversation with my better half: the unparalleled professional chef, designer, businesswoman, and entrepreneur, Lisa D. Warren. The entire podcast archive is coming online for paid subscribers! There are at least two free episodes every week on Substack, along with the weekly free Self-Brain Surgery letter. Paid subscribers get new Mind Change Monday episodes weekly, the free episodes, and archived episodes every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! Paid subscribers a...

Mar 29, 202345 minEp 307Transcript available on Metacast