Another great read, actually incredible, rocked my life!   I remember Keith and I watching Charlie Rose one evening, and it caught my attention: Dan Harris discussing his book “10% Happier”. I love reading about being happy plus I remember him talking about meditation and mindfulness.

I decided to read the book, it excites me to tell you about it.  A bit about Dan, he is co-anchor of Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America. He also does segments  for 20/20 and World News, and he reported to Peter Jennings. He had a very stressful job, traveling all over the world, Afghanistan and Tora Bora to name a few.   Dan got a taste of being in the public life constantly and always wanting more.  Due to the stress he turned to drugs, mainly cocaine and Ecstasy, and knew he was on the downhill.  Months later he suffered a panic attack while giving the news on Good Morning America.  His next move was to see a psychiatrist, and start anti-anxiety medication.  He was able to get off his drug binge, and stopped therapy. He  married a lovely woman, Bianca, who is a specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine in Manhattan.   He interviewed Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and the Dali Lama thinking maybe they would have the “right Answer” for his life.  He became interested in Dr. Mark Epstein, a NY Psychiatrist and Buddhist.  His wife bought him several books on Epstein and he was riveted. His world opened up after starting therapy with him.  He was introduced to Buddhism, and mindfulness, he also attended a week long silent retreat.

His lifeline and blessings from these top people were the words, meditation and mindfulness.  Here are some amazing concepts he learned and that I am learning now:

– Meditation can re-wire your brain.

– Meditation is the” new caffeine”, as stated in Wired Magazine.

– The present moment is all we have; “when you have one foot in the future and the other in the past, you piss on the present.”

In Buddhism, mindfulness and the acceptance of impermanence are critical concepts.  To accept Impermanence is to recognize that nothing lasts forever; therefore, non-attachment is vital. I had to work to grasp this, and I think I get it. We cling onto the past and the present whether it is someone you love or an event that happened. We have no control over the future, so why not just enjoy this moment and appreciate it and those you are with.

Accept that nothing lasts forever, enjoy now, you will never get it back. The people in our lives are blessings but they and we will not last forever. Our ego gives rein to our chaotic minds; these are just thoughts, see them for what they are. Our ego coughs up alot of garbage, let it go!  Mindfulness is having the ability to be aware of this moment, recognize what is going on and have no judgement. Buddhism says mindfulness is an alternative to living reactively; there is no need to react just recognize and let it go.

So, why the title “10% Happier”? Dan realized by practicing meditation and mindfulness, he was actually 10% more happy. Not a wild, dramatic claim, just a significant improvement in his life. He knows it helps him get through his days and knows he is doing the right thing for him.

I want to leave you with some insights of my own. I will never forget seeing a cognitive behavioral therapist not long ago because of my focusing issues and sensitivity. She looked at me in a very intense way and said, ” Go and meditate” and handed me a printout on meditation. She must have repeated that to me every time I saw her. I quit seeing her because I thought that was harsh and I could not do it. Now, I would love to say thank you to her!

Secondly, years ago when we were living in San Francisco, I attended an eight week seminar on mindfulness meditation. It was just okay for me, but, I never re-visited meditation. I am going to try it again! A year ago, I heard about headspace.com, I loved it and quit before Christmas, being too busy. That is when I needed it the most. Today, I am going back to meditate with Headspace. com.  I think it is meant for me, I encourage you to check out their website.  Namaste.

While I was on vacation a lovely woman handed me a book she had just read, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years –How I  Learned To Live a Better Story,” by Donald Miller.

Once in a blue moon, people will say “Tell me Your Story”, and when it happens I feel so honored and loved. But it hardly ever happens. I can only think of a dear friend and my husband and many therapists!   Donald Miller’s story is his own — an overweight man, in his early thirties , who has just finished writing his memoir.  This was a success, but like experiencing any big moment in one’s life, that high comes down and he was depressed  and stuck.   He is approached by two filmmakers about making a movie based on his memoir. Donald realizes his life story should be more about “the way he should live his life” as opposed to the wild crazy life he’s led to that point, that he has the opportunity to create a different life that includes experience, faith, courage and love.

He learns through many life changing events what is going to make his story. He needed to get off his ass and get away from his comfort zone and see what life can offer. The basic structure of most stories is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.  Miller begins by working in a soup kitchen, which I have often thought about. Here is just one of his quotes that melts my heart: “If I have a  hope, it’s that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me specifically into the story and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as though to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you.”

He then focuses on the sad fact that he has not seen his father since his mother and dad divorced over thirty years ago. He opens up to his mom and shares with her how he wants to see his dad, and she is able to obtain where he is living and his phone number. Don shows up at his father’s door step, putting all fear aside, and confronts his dad. The outcome was so beautiful, his father apologizes and looks Don in the eye and tells him he loves him.

Here is another example of a story.  Don is hot after this gal, she wants to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, which is 14,000 feet. Don hires a trainer and guess what, he does the entire hike, with the girl and a group of friends.

In another episode, Don has started the Mentoring Project, which is a program for children from fatherless homes.  That light bulb went on and he realized that in order to have a story, he needed to take risks and go experience life.  Spirituality is an interesting part of Don’s world,  He is a believer in God, and sees God in his challenges and in a beautiful sunset.

One of his quotes is”I like those scenes in the bible where God stops people and asks them to build an altar.I think God wanted his people to build altars for their sake, something that would help them remember the time when they were rescued or they were given grace”.

Most of us are just fine with sitting in our own little worlds, and take careful steps. Do we want to go out of our comfort zones? I honestly think from the age of 5, I was out of my comfort zone. At that age, I released the parking brake on my mom’s friend’s car, jumped out and was almost crushed by the tire that tore my ear off. Later, I was shipped off to boarding school, watched both of my parents die from cancer, endured my father hiring a private detective to snoop on me, and survived a divorce. And I met the man of my dreams. Believe me I have learned alot from my life and will continue to. God has a plan, and I am just blessed to be a part of it.

When I return home, I am going to sign up at the soup kitchen.

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