#756: Anne Lamott and Josh Waitzkin

This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #522 "Anne Lamott on Taming Your Inner Critic, Finding Grace, and Prayer" and #148: "Josh Waitzkin, The Prodigy Returns." Please enjoy! Sponsors: Momentous high-quality supplements: https://livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for 20% off) Helix Sleep premium mattresses: https://HelixSleep.com/Tim (25–30% off all mattress orders and two free pillows) Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period) Timestamps: [00:00] Start [04:49] Notes about this supercombo format. [05:51] Enter Anne Lamott. [06:21] What is it about Bird by Bird that has affected so many people so deeply? [07:18] Where the title of Bird by Bird originated. [09:40] How Neal Allen helps people tame (but not discard) their inner critic. [10:45] Who controls the dial when you're tuned in to KFKD radio? [11:51] How Anne recommends I pursue my fiction writing aspirations. [12:37] The pros and cons of Anne's upbringing. [19:08] What does being "spiritually fit" mean to Anne? [24:40] How radical self-care became an imperative for Anne. [32:25] The dark night that turned Anne's son Sam's life around. [38:10] Enter Josh Waitzkin. [38:43] On Dreaming Yourself Awake by B. Alan Wallace and Brian Hodel. [39:58] Casual exercise. [40:52] Josh's terrifying experience with the Wim Hof method. [45:52] How Josh uses "flow" as therapy. [48:19] Initiating a flow state. [50:45] Cognitive biases and armchair professors. [55:07] Developing high-level sensitivity and listening to your senses. [57:53] Strategies for on-boarding newcomers to mindfulness training.