Dan Harris – Taming The Voice In Your Head
From Skeptic To Meditator. Dan Harris Shares How He ‘Tamed The Voice In His Head’ & How You Can Too
Dan Harris is co-anchor of Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America. He is a correspondent for ABC News and regularly reports for 20/20, World News with Diane Sawyer and weekday editions of Good Morning America. He has travelled extensively as a news correspondent including Iraq and Afghanistan.
He is also the bestselling author of 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Truly Works.
In this interview Dan talks candidly about his own journey into mindfulness and how he went from being a skeptic to being a very public advocate of meditation.
You’ll also learn about…
- How the voice in your head can be ‘tamed’ through mindfulness practice.
- Why meditation won’t make you lose your edge. How it makes you more focussed and productive
- The practical benefits of mindful living (that every A-type needs to hear).
Language warning. There is a bit of swearing in this one.
Show Notes
Join The Mindfulness Summit Journey here
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Together with Joseph Goldstein, Dan has created a mindfulness app for every day people which you can check out here
His book can also be found here
Audio
Video
Transcript
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Purchase a full access pass to unlock downloads for the full interview transcripts, audio, video and separate audio meditation tracks.
Buy full access pass
Purchase a full access pass to unlock downloads for the full interview transcripts, audio, video and separate audio meditation tracks.
Buy full access pass
Purchase a full access pass to unlock downloads for the full interview transcripts, audio, video and separate audio meditation tracks.
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Another great interview. I really enjoyed Dan’s down-to-earth manner and his honesty about how mindfulness has influenced him. I was so impressed I called my brother and his partner long distance to encourage them to tune into the Mindfulness Summit. I think they are going to do so. Thank you.
Thanks Melli…. this summit is the highlight of my day!
Dan—-wow, you’re so real and I appreciate and relate to your journey!
This interview Expresses the realization of one goes through. It speaks on real life experiences. I study meditation in Charlotte NC and I can really relate to all being expressed in this interview. Without meditations my days are off somewhat so I really get all Dan Harris is sharing with us. Great interview.
I also live in Charlotte, NC. I currently teach mindfulness and meditation classes here. If I may ask where do you study in Charlotte, NC? I’m always seeking to expand my knowledge of the practice of mindfulness! Looking forward to your comment…………
BRAVO to Dan Harris for admitting to EGO and the ability to commit to meditation even when he felt like it wasn’t going to work because I can relate totally!
More food for thought. I’m being totally nourished. THANKS.
Three days, 3 great talks, three new books to read!! I’m loving this.
A very honest, almost raw discussion. I really enjoyed this one. Thanks Melli and Team, cheers.
Good one
This was a great interview and I have so much admiration for Dan. He’s admittedly giving his best while stumbling along the way and that type of authenticity is so inspiring when we have similar experiences on the path. I LOVE this series and looking forward to the rest of it.
Thank you Dan. Can so relate to your journey. Starting mine and this is a great talk to get going with..,,and another book to add to my list of reads!
Thank you for another beautiful start of the day 🙂
I love this summit!!!
Pernille, Denmark
Thanks Mellie this one was the best interview so far. You were radiant and he is excellent talent. The interaction between you was good, you used more body language (nods) as affirmation rather than voice sounds, which is hard to do, but it makes for much easier listening and viewing – “Mellow Mellie”.
I agree!! Thanks so much for a great interview.
Encouraging words to all the skeptics! If you don’t try you will never know if it works for you!
Thank you
Dans a legend , this was awesome and so are you milli ✌????️
Melli*
Really enjoyed this interview and really enjoying this summit! 🙂
Only just listened to this one. Really enjoyed Dan Harris. He’s pragmatic and down to earth, yet also clearly humbled by the power of this practice. Thank you so much! I’m downloading his book now…
Thanks a lot. This interview clarified the practical and day-to-day aspect of meditation.
Thanks again!!! There are very interesting interview. I,m so sorry because my english is not a 100% good and I misunderstand some expressions.
But, I love to participate in this macro proyect.
From Spain
Very relatable!
I’m so enjoying the variety of speakers! Thanks for another excellent session.
That’s two speakers who have mentioned ‘right speech’. I would love to be in a group with like minded people to explore right / kind speech. Even when I mindfully pause I don’t always find the kindest or most useful words to say.
Thanks. I had no idea that the voice in my head was such an asshole….it is!
Dan is very relatable!
Happiness not being complacency is an important concept. Although I have thought about this myself, I guess there’s still a part of me that worries that the whole concept of “everything is OK as it is”means not facing/ fighting a lot of what is wrong in the world and in my life. I have no desire to stop fighting for social justice and I have witnessed some meditators becoming complacent and that’s not the route I’d like to take.
Also thank you for the clarification of Budha’s “life is suffering”being a mistranslation.
I relate to the possibility that mindfulness and meditation can make a real and practical difference in my daily life. I work in a high stress field, can suffer from panic attacks, so hopefully this can help. Maybe this will come later in the Summit, but I’d love to hear recommendations for guided meditation “apps.” I know I won’t go to a class on any regular basis, so how can I do this at home/office/car lunch break, every day, even if it’s only 5 minutes as Dan Harris suggested.
Very good interview. Dan made this more accessable to guys like me who are not practicing daily. And aside from mindfulness, I was jealous of how articulate the guy is. What a great communicator. I think he is an excellent spokesperson for this, you will reel in more followers with a guy like him.
I loved this candid interview. Dan transformation from a skeptic to a practitioner of meditation is encouraging and is something I can relate to.
This is a great interview. Dan is so down to earth. I didn’t lose anything by practicing mindfulness, but I did learn that I don’t need to use my energy for things that aren’t important. I’m still engaged, but not nearly as driven.
I loved this interview because Dan really brings in the “human factor”. He admits that he struggles like all of us with keeping focused, not allowing our thoughts and emotions own us and letting in more information in our heads that can help us make the right decisions through our day and also to be “present”. Thank you. I forwarded this information to my daughter because she said she thinks her boss is “losing her mind”. She is in a higher executive position (600 e-mails a day) and is very stressed out. I hope she utilizes the information and brings this summit to her co-workers!
I went to my first “away” retreat (mostly silent) as I had already begun reading Dan’s book. It just so happened that after my return from the retreat, my next chapter to read was on HIS first retreat experience. I laughed out loud on the plane, as I could SO relate to his thoughts/experiences. I don’t think those comments would’ve resonated as much with me, but for that “simultaneous” experience. Kudos, Dan..you hit the nail on the head! Great read and talk!
This was my favorite interview so far! First of all, I liked that the duration was less than the other videos but not less interesting…far from it! I think interviewing people like Dan is great for the beginners (like me) who want to identify with someone and need to believe that mindfulness and meditation CAN be for everyone. I also liked the fact that he was very realistic in his approach and didn’t try to paint meditation into a miracle for everything…yet, he acknowledges that even a small positive change in a person IS significant. I personally think that all these small meaningful and positive changes happening in people all over the world WILL change the world. It won’t happen like a magic trick at the wave of a wand; it will happen through the slow awakening of minds. Gandhi said it best, “If you want to change the world, start with yourself.”
LOL he couldn’t stop listing things that would be different/better if mindfulness increased. Love that!
This awareness is so what I have been craving……….thank you
I love the variation in the first three speakers’ personalities, which influences their approach to discussing the core aspects of how they approach mindfulness – there is something here for everyone. A world of thanks to Mellie for putting this massive event together. I have shared it with so many friends, family, and business associates:)
Thanks so much for such an interesting interview…ABC and ABC …..its just being mindful of the difference bit it’s really all the same….thanks
I really appreciate his honesty by sharing the struggling of his journey. Very realistic. I have found myself feeling the same way so many times during my practice.
I keep with me: practice daily even for just 2 min. Keeps the practice and the As…h…e voice quite. : )
This has been my favorite video thus far!
I was really struck by his comments about meditation not being a silver bullet and how being ‘10% happier’ can make an appreciable difference in your life. I appreciated his final comments about doing something every day and not setting yourself up for failure.
Everyday I look more and more forward to the interviews. I grew up doing guided imagery with my grandmother and my aunts and mother and had always taken it for granted as a way of life. But then as an adult with school, work, kids etc began to loose touch with the practice. I am so grateful to have it back in my life and am having fun sharing with my kids as well. I have been reading Dan’s book and have the app that goes with it on my iPhone. He makes it all very relatable and easy to use. Thanks so much for this summit and the fact that you offer it for free (although I bought the all access pass) is a testament to your authenticity. Thanks!!
How helpful to hear of Dan’s journey. I love how he has quantified his happiness! I think we either turn it on or don’t.
This is the best of the three I have attended so far. So practical and hearing from a Skeptic, now meditator, makes it more compelling to many leaders Great messages and learnings for leaders. It would be great to be able to share this one with some of the super A type leaders I work with. Is there a way of being able to share this on LinkedIn or email with others who have not subscribed to the Summit. I’d love to share this one. Thank you. Love the series so far and have publicised this to my various networks.
It is wonderful that you’ve included someone who is not an expert (yet) in the study of mindfulness and yet has really experienced a profound difference in his life while still making mistakes and continuing to practice, not giving up. He was very relatable.
Thai you
Great session of an important and heartfelt journey. We have all been there!
Thank you for this interestung session.
The mindfulness app is not available in the Belgian store, will it be soon ?
I enjoyed listening to this session. Like Dan, panic attacks plague me and I am gaining so much knowledge from this summit and hope to use mindfulness practices during my times of suffering and anxiety.
Love Dan’s Insights ….thanks for the summit. Great interviews from all aspects. Helping heaps. Ta Melli.
So much information and so much sharing great talk ! Looking forward to more
It’s great to have someone like Dan on the summit – thank you for the variety of speakers.
Hi I am having trouble watching the videos from day 1-13
Donation means what a person is willing to happily give as alms on their own. You should be willing to accept any amount, even $1 to provide the services !! You are confusing sales price with donation. Is it because it makes you feel better? You want to charge but don’t want to be seen to be charging. Goes against the basic principles of teaching meditation.
Melli, Thanks for the amazing work you are doing! I tried to reach Dan online but couldn’t find a connection. I would appreciate if you forward the following to him. Dan, I enjoyed and benefited immensely from your discussion with Melli and ” 10% Happier “. It is great that you are willing and keen to promote Mindfulness. Watching the atrocious political scene in the US, it occurs to me that you can do a great service by focusing on your colleagues in the media and get at least some of them to practice Mindfulness so they can be better human beings and reporters. I don’t think anyone believes that the majority of Americans are bigoted and fascist which is the impression conveyed by the mainstream media. You can be a great positive influence. Thanks for your honesty and support of Mindfulness.