Ellen Langer, PhD, Harvard University: Finding Mindfulness
People often confuse the act of being mindful with the practice of meditation. But mindfulness isn\u2019t a practice, says Ellen Langer, a Harvard University professor of psychology and author of the groundbreaking book, Mindfulness. \u201cIt\u2019s an understanding of the inherent uncertainty in the world that leads you to pay attention.\u201d But too often we operate in a state of mindlessness -- because we think we already know the right answers. We\u2019re mostly oblivious to our mindlessness. But not knowing is a very good thing, indeed. Langer joins the podcast to talk about the energy begetting benefits of simply noticing new things -- or, being mindful. She discusses the power of being comfortable with uncertainty and how individuals and businesses can embrace mindfulness to see problems and create solutions from different perspectives. \n\nListen to this episode to learn:\n\u2022 The \u201cpsychology of possibility\u201d and why the limits we see in our life -- even our physical health -- aren\u2019t fixed or as real as we believe they are\n\n\u2022 Mindlessness occurs because we fail to realize that everything that is was at one point a decision based on uncertainty\n\n\u2022 Why 1 + 1 doesn\u2019t always equal 2. (Context matters!)\n\n\u2022 The benefits of replacing defensive pessimism (expecting or preparing for the worst but hoping for the best) with mindful optimism\n\n\u2022 The limits of \u201cwork/life balance,\u201d and why \u201cwork/life integration\u201d is a better pathway towards being happier and more productive \n\n\u2022 How increased mindfulness after living through a year of Covid-19 might impact our post-pandemic world