10% Happier with Dan Harris

We're in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – we're now offering guided meditations to accompany each full episode of the show, available to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com. For the month of October, those meditations will come from Sebene Selassie, a Buddhist teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition.

In this episode, you'll hear our executive producer, DJ Cashmere, in conversation with Sebene, who shares her backstory: how she first came to Buddhism and meditation, some of the challenges in her life, and what she hopes to bring to the 10% Happier community this month.

Related Episodes:

• Sebene Selassie, a Life of Service While Fighting Breast Cancer
• Discomfort: A Counterintuitive Source of Hope | Sebene Selassie

Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!

Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!

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To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Thanks to today's sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.

A playbook for finding financial success without compromising your values.

David Gelles is a bestselling author and a climate correspondent for The New York Times. His new book, "Dirtbag Billionaire," reveals how Yvon Chouinard turned Patagonia into one of the world's most remarkable companies.

In this episode we talk about:

• What a 'dirtbag' means
• The innovative ways in which Chouinard ran his company
• The question of whether or not capitalism can be "done right"
• How to talk to your kids about about capitalism
• Whether or not capitalism and the Dharma can co-exist
• Advice on how to live in a capitalist system
• How much time the species has left before we need to get our shit together on climate
• And more

Join Dan's online community here

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Additional Resources:

• David's first 10% Happier interview

Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris. Thanks to today's sponsors: Stitch Fix: Get started today with stitchfix.com/happier and get 20% off your first order when you buy five or more items. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.

How to stay calm and steady in uncertain times.

Trudy Goodman, Ph.D., is the founding teacher of InsightLA and cofounder of The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. Trudy has trained in mindfulness and Zen since 1973, holds a graduate degree in developmental psychology from Harvard, and is widely known for her role as the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series The Midnight Gospel.

In this episode we talk about:

• How to trust yourself
• Why Trudy is interested in this topic of self-trust
• Why Trudy doesn't love the word "enlightenment", but does want to make the concept more accessible
• What self-love does — and doesn't — look like, especially in a Buddhist context
• Staying steady in uncertain times
• Intuition and trusting yourself
• The importance of getting out of your own bubble and differentiating between your opinions and values
• The connection between forgiveness and trusting yourself

Join Dan's online community here

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Additional Resources:

• InsightLA
• How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman

Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Anyone with a passing familiarity with Buddhism will know that "delusion" is rarely, if ever, mentioned in a positive way. In fact, the Buddha included delusion (aka: confusion about the way things really are) on his list of "the three poisons." The whole point of meditation, per the Buddha, is to uproot delusion -- along with greed and hatred. Only then can you be enlightened. My guest today is here to valiantly make the case that delusion -- or self-deception -- has an upside. Many upsides, in fact. While he concedes that self-deception can, of course, be massively harmful, he argues that it also plays a vital role in our success and wellbeing, and that it holds together friendships, marriages, and nations. Understanding this, he says, can make you happier, more effective, and -- crucially -- more empathetic with people with whom you disagree. Shankar Vedantam is the host of the popular podcast and radio show Hidden Brain. His latest book is called Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain.

In this episode we talk about:

• the many ways our brains filter and alter our perception of reality

• why we evolved for a robust capacity to lie to ourselves

• and how his research on delusions has colored his view of the chaos and confusion of our modern world.

Join Dan's online community here

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To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

SPONSORS:

Bumble: Thinking about dating again? Take this as your sign and start your love story on Bumble. AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.

Odoo: Discover how you can take your business to the next level by visiting odoo.com. Modern management made simple.

From The Way Out Is In, the official podcast of Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village tradition, co-hosted by frequent 10% guest Brother Chan Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino. In this installment, Brother Phap Huu and Jo discuss the true meaning of Zen, finding beauty and meaning in simplicity, and how to practice so in everyday life. Also, what does it mean to be part of a Zen tradition? And how do we practice Zen? How do we see the world 'through the eyes of Zen'? The conversation also touches upon the cultivation of mindfulness, concentration, and insight; the importance of humility; finding beauty in the mundane; the sacredness of objects and spaces; the role of rituals and routines; the balance between sophistication and simplicity in one's spiritual practice; and much more. The episode concludes with a short meditation, guided by Brother Phap Huu, on being present and grateful for the wonders of life. Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!

Join Dan's online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

SPONSOR:

Odoo: Discover how you can take your business to the next level by visiting odoo.com. Modern management made simple.

Because even doing the dishes can be an opportunity to wake up.

We're bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we're hearing from dharma teacher Kamala Masters as chosen by our executive producer DJ Cashmere. Kamala reflects on the practice of equanimity, and how to be mindful even in the "hell realm" of raising young children.

Full Episode:

How To Be Okay No Matter What | Kamala Masters

Join Dan's online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

SPONSORS:

Odoo: Discover how you can take your business to the next level by visiting odoo.com. Modern management made simple.

A toolkit for navigating your fears, finding your "core," and having sovereignty over your nervous system.

Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She is the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers and the host of two award-winning podcasts.

In this episode we talk about:

• The inspiration behind her new book (it involves a fateful game of pickleball)
• The importance of building a strong "core" rather than operating from a place of dysfunction or fear
• How to achieve sovereignty over your nervous system
• Brené's "above the line" / "below the line" practice
• How language acts as an indicator light for our emotions
• The role of our values and how to operationalize them
• Why we shit talk other people
• How to build your capacity for paradoxical thinking
• And more

Related Episodes:

• You're Doing Feelings Wrong
• Vulnerability: The Key to Courage

Join Dan's online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Additional Resources:

• Values Exercise

Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Function: Our first 1000 listeners get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier100 at signup to own your health.

Odoo: Discover how you can take your business to the next level by visiting odoo.com. Modern management made simple.

Practical ways to lead a good life.

Kieran Setiya is the Peter de Florez Professor of Philosophy at MIT, where he works on ethics and related questions about human agency and human knowledge. He is the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide and Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way. He also maintains a Substack newsletter, Under the Net.

In this episode we talk about:

• How Kieran became interested in practical philosophy (and philosophy more generally)
• A brief history of philosophy
• The connection between philosophy and self-help
• Whether Buddhism is a philosophy?
• The upside of missing out (as opposed to FOMO)
• Kieran's mild beef with the Stoics
• techniques for dealing with grief and loss
• Why living well is not the same as feeling happy
• The connection between Plato, Aristotle and contemporary influencers today
• How to deal with physical adversity
• Navigating failure
• Kieran's case for meditation
• Operationalizing the cliché of "enjoying the process" rather than the outcome
• How to deal with the injustices of the world

Join Dan's online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!

Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!

SPONSORS: Bumble: Thinking about dating again? Take this as your sign and start your love story on Bumble.

AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.

Function: Our first 1000 listeners get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier100 at signup to own your health.

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Our Teacher of the Month answers a common question: how do I find the time to meditate? Vinny turns this question on its head, and his answer might surprise you.

Join Dan's online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

SPONSORS:

Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.

Odoo: Discover how you can take your business to the next level by visiting odoo.com. Modern management made simple.

A guide to navigating "the rodeo of life".

Academy Award–winning actor and #1 New York Times bestselling author Matthew McConaughey is a husband and a father, an eternal optimist, a hopeful skeptic, and a man of faith who believes that we should all start sellin' Sunday morning like a Saturday night. His latest book is Poems and Prayers.

In this episode we talk about:

• What Matthew's prayer practice looks like
• How to figure out what your beliefs are
• His relationship with doubt and humility
• How to reframe your relationship with failure, risk, and embarrassment
• Morning rituals and how to prepare for the day
• Sins, cynicism, and what to do when things get hard
• Matthew's take on the world
• Misconceptions of 'good' and 'evil'
• The difference between 'hope' and 'belief'
• Why "belief is punk rock"
• And more

Join Dan's online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!

Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

SPONSORS:Monarch Money: use code Happier at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year.