Author Anne Lamott returns to the Mindrolling Podcast! She and Raghu talk about finding hope through the practice of compassion, escaping our narratives and liberating ourselves from our fear of death.
Anne Lamott writes and speaks about subjects that begin with capital letters: Alcoholism, Motherhood, Jesus, Hope. But armed with self-effacing humor – she is laugh-out-loud funny – and ruthless honesty, Lamott converts her subjects into enchantment. Actually, she writes about what most of us don’t like to think about. In all her novels, she writes about loss – loss of loved ones and loss of personal control. She doesn’t try to sugar-coat the sadness, frustration and disappointment, but tells her stories with honesty, compassion and a pureness of voice. Keep up with Anne on social media: Twitter | Facebook
Show Notes
Notes on Hope (Opening)
Anne reflects on the inspiration behind her most recent book, Almost Everything: Notes on Hope. She and Raghu talk about the hope that is available in difficult times when we bring love to the table. Anne looks at the most difficult part of loving everyone, loving ourselves.
“I started to think about something I heard when I first got sober, 32 years ago, which is, ‘If you have got a problem, go look at the mirror.” – Anne Lamott
Rediscover what the practice of mercy can offer with Anne Lamott on Ep. 188 of the Mindrolling Podcast
Stuck On Ourselves (19:45)
Raghu and Anne discuss the suffering that comes from the stories we tell ourselves. Anne explores some of the ways that we can liberate ourselves from “the story of me” and rest in awareness. They look at how moving away from our narratives move us closer to God and towards one another.
“It is the ultimate liberation, to get freedom from the story of me – for however long you can, on any given day.” – Anne Lamott
Merciful Response (38:50)
Anne explores the subtleties of empathy and compassion. She and Raghu talk about integral roles that empathy and compassion hold in how we develop.
No Death, No Fear (46:35)
How can we free ourselves from the paralyzing fear that can come when we face death? Raghu and Anne talk about the liberating practice of being with death, eroding away our fears by being with the reality of death.
