Alonement

Mo Gawdat: Why I'm Becoming A 'Half-Monk'


Listen Later

I’m honoured to introduce this week’s guest, Mo Gawdat – an author, speaker, serial entrepreneur, former chief business officer at Google X and one of the most innovative thinkers I’ve ever come across.


‘I only allow my brain two different types of thought: a useful thought, or a joyful thought, or it shuts up’ – this quote from the podcast is typical of Mo’s logical approach to his inner world. While we discuss familiar topics like meditation, journaling and solitude in this topic, Mo’s perspective is particularly refreshing in the sense that he goes back to Square One, and forms an original opinion on each of these practices rather than simply following the approach that others have taken before him. It’s this compelling combination of a sharp engineering mind, combined with childlike curiosity, emotional intelligence and a good deal of humour and wit that makes Mo so special – and I think you’ll know what I mean when you listen to this episode.


Key topics include:


  • Mo’s fascinating ‘half-monk’ concept


  • The value of ‘being’ as well as ‘doing’


  • Why Mo loves to form connections with baristas


  • How Mo’s late son Ali inspired his happiness concept


  • The dark side of journaling: how it can lead to ruminating on unhelpful thoughts, and what to do to counteract this


Mo Gawdat's latest book, Scary Smart, is available to buy now. His book, Solve For Happy: Engineer Your Path To Joy, is also available to buy.


My book, Alonement: How To Be Alone and Absolutely Own It, is also out now from Amazon, Waterstones and all good bookshops. 


Social links:


Twitter:

*  

@ChezSpecter

*

@MGawdat


Instagram:

 

@alonementofficial

*

@ChezSpecter

*

@mo_gawdat

*

Contact: [email protected]



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

AlonementBy Francesca Specter

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

20 ratings


More shows like Alonement

View all
Ask Penguin by Penguin Books UK

Ask Penguin

146 Listeners

Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields / Acast

Good Life Project

3,378 Listeners

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

2,534 Listeners

The Emma Guns Show by Emma Gunavardhana

The Emma Guns Show

308 Listeners

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

8,847 Listeners

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

3,952 Listeners

Happy Place by Fearne Cotton

Happy Place

970 Listeners

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day by Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

1,206 Listeners

The Shift with Sam Baker by sam baker

The Shift with Sam Baker

97 Listeners

ZOE Science & Nutrition by ZOE

ZOE Science & Nutrition

2,153 Listeners

Dial Emma by Emma Reed Turrell

Dial Emma

94 Listeners

On Attachment by Stephanie Rigg

On Attachment

1,072 Listeners

Therapy Works by Julia Samuel

Therapy Works

61 Listeners

Stompcast by Dr Alex George

Stompcast

39 Listeners

Begin Again with Davina McCall by Begin Again

Begin Again with Davina McCall

653 Listeners