Perennial Meditations

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In this episode of Perennial Wisdom, I share a short guided contemplation inspired by Albert Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus. It's part of a new series here on the podcast and the Perennial Meditations YouTube Channel. 

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In this episode of Perennial Wisdom, I explore the challenges of creating meaning in the mundane aspects of life. The episode is delivered in a video essay format (Watch on YouTube here). Expect to learn the role of courage in creation, how to accept the eternal truths of life, and what it means to say “yes” to life

Read on Substack here: https://perennial.substack.com/p/how-to-find-meaning-in-the-mundane

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💀 Subscribe to Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

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Welcome back to the podcast, and happy new year to you all! Today, we’re pausing to revisit a few episodes from last year. This is not necessarily a “best of” collection; it’s just a few clips that I found particularly insightful or helpful.
 

In the first clip, you’ll hear a portion of my conversation with Samir Chopra (author of Anxiety: A Philosophical Guide) on the meaning of anxiety. Next, you’ll get a clip from my conversation with Prof. Ross D. Inman (author of Christian Philosophy as a Way of Life) on the wisdom of wrestling with “big” questions. Finally, I conclude the episode with a portion of my conversation with Prof. Jay Garfield (author of Losing Ourselves), discussing what it means to live as a selfless “person” in the world.

Key Takeaways:

• Why anxiety can be our greatest teacher
• How "big questions" can unlock intellectual and spiritual growth
• What it means to live without a self

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, I discuss selected passages from the American essayist and philosopher Henry David Thoreau's classic Walden. As the year comes to an end, Thoreau’s wisdom offers much-needed reflection and insight into what it means to live deliberately.

Key Takeaways:

• Learning to ‘think’ for yourself
• The wisdom of simplicity
• When to change directions

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• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Patrick Boland, author of The Contemplative Leader. Patrick is an Executive Coach, Leadership Consultant, and Psychotherapist. Our conversation focuses on the meaning of contemplation and how we might lead a more contemplative life. 

Key Takeaways:

• How to ‘think’ about contemplation. 
• What it means to change ourselves internally.
• The difference between a goal and desire.
• The keys to living a contemplative life. 

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Ben Aldridge, author of the new book Seriously Happy. Ben has spoken to audiences worldwide, encouraging others to build resilience by stepping outside their comfort zones in various ways. His writing and methods are inspired by ancient philosophy and modern psychology. You can learn more about Ben and his work at BenAldridge.com.

Key Takeaways:

• What Socrates can teach us about critical thinking.
• How Buddhism can help us be more resilient.
• The power of writing a setback diary.
• Why the concept of impermanence can help create mental toughness.

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Leslie Stein, the author of Becoming Whole: Jung’s Equation for Realizing God. Prof. Stein is a Jungian analyst and graduate of the C.G. Jung Institute of New York and is in private practice in Sydney, Australia. Today’s episode is a rebroadcast. Since we’re exploring Carl Jung’s ideas for ‘Reading and the Good Life’ this month (our Book Club for the Perennial Meditations newsletter), I thought it would be a good time to share it.

Key Takeaways:

• The meaning of Individuation
• Obstacles to understanding the ‘Self’
• Why we ‘seek wisdom’ 
• The role of the ‘Ego’ in daily life

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The Dying Every Day series delivers guided meditations on the art of living. Each meditation provides a quote, a selected passage (from an original Stoic text), and a reflection prompt to consider. These meditations are designed to help you (and me) reflect on what it means to live a good life.

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When you look up the word happiness, it's usually defined as “the state of being happy” or “a state of well-being and contentment.” But what does it actually mean to ‘be’ happy in everyday life? Strangely, it's a more challenging question than one might think. 

On this episode of In Search of Wisdom, I share a meditation from our upcoming course, Happiness & the Meaning of Life (beginning 19 September). This 10-week philosophical study explores happiness and the art of living a meaningful life. Some of the lessons we’ll cover are “The Science of Well-Being,” “A Buddhist Guide to Happiness,” “Saying ‘Yes’ to Life,” and others.

Today, I share a portion of a meditation titled Being and Becoming. Some of you who are longtime subscribers may remember a meditation titled The Art of Being Where You Are. But what if ‘being’ is only one side of the equation? Wisdom traditions also stress the idea of ‘becoming’ who we are. One might ask, “What is more important, being or becoming?” […]

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Dr. Daniel McInerny, author of the new book Beauty and Imitation. Dr. McInerny is an associate professor and chair of the philosophy department at Christendom College, as well as a novelist and dramatist. In the conversation, we discuss the wisdom of imitation, the art of contemplation, the way of beauty, and much more.

Key Takeaways:

• The connection between humility and art.
• Why it’s possible to ‘fail to see’ objective beauty.
• How ‘works of art’ can guide us through challenging times. 

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