In my first-ever livestream, the wonderful Ilham from “1% Wiser” and I go deep into the Big Questions, including:
· What is happiness? And what is anxiety?
· If you’re a sensitive person who cares deeply about the world, is anxiety just part of the deal?
· How can we live and think in a way that allows us to flourish, not just survive?
· And much more
✨Here are some insights and takeaways from our conversation (thank you to the awesome viewers who gave their input!):
· Empathy vs. compassion: While empathy per se is a good thing, it can easily lead to emotional overwhelm. Compassion is what allows us to see and help others without becoming consumed by anxiety – it’s an active force
· Happiness is a calm nervous system
· Uncertainty is a feature, not a bug of human existence. A negative view of uncertainty breeds anxiety. A positive view of uncertainty, on the other hand, means having hope
· Hope is a rich, misunderstood concept, and cynicism often feels “safer” than hope even though it risks making us anxious
· “Natality”, or an unprecedented new thing coming into existence (term via philosopher Hannah Arendt), is one example of how we can have hope in a world or a situation that seemingly has no solution
· Poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s invitation to “live the questions” can help us move forward in life with a sense of both peace and adventure until we one day – hopefully – live our way into the answers
· Good relationships and community are a key part of having a hopeful outlook and a happier, less anxious life. In the digital age, especially on Substack, there are incredible people we can connect with if we’re willing to look.
