How To Let Go Without Giving Up
War veteran and country music singer Sal Gonzalez tries the Taoist practice of Wu Wei to improve his relationship with anger.
\n\nLink to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yavaw23d
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Episode summary:
\n\nFor Iraq war veteran Sal Gonzalez, relying on anger had become second nature \u2014 and while this emotion was beneficial for him on the battlefield, Sal found it difficult to manage his anger when readjusting to civilian life. For our show Sal tried a 5 step practice of Wu Wei. Rooted in the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism, Wu Wei is focused on setting strategic intentions and accepting difficult situations, rather than resisting them. After trying the practice, Sal reflected that he doesn\u2019t have to give up anger entirely, rather, he can be more intentional about choosing when to use it. We later hear from Dr. Doris Chang, the clinical psychologist who developed a 5 step methodology of practicing Wu Wei, to learn more about the impact of acceptance and non-action.
\n\nPractice:
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Articulate: Identify your goals and values in life.
\nSelf-Assess: Take note of your role and the role of others within a particular situation in order to clearly outline your options.
\nAccept: Begin by recognizing any circumstances of your life that cannot be changed. Instead of resisting or trying to control the situation, try to accept the situation.
\nAction, non-action: Based on your evaluation of the situation, determine whether it is more beneficial to act, or choose not to act.
\nAllow: Give yourself the opportunity to move with the situation, recognizing that it is easier to flow with a situation than against it.
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Today\u2019s guests:
\n\nSal Gonzalez is a country music singer and an Iraq war veteran who was wounded in combat.
\n\nListen to Sal\u2019s music: https://salgmusic.com/
\n\nFollow Sal on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salgmusic/
\n\nFollow Sal on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialsalgmusic
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Doris Chang is a clinical psychologist and professor at NYU. She developed a five step process of Wu Wei.
\n\nLearn more about Doris and her work: http://dorisfchang.com/about
\n\nFollow Doris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dorisfchang/
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Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
\n\nWhat You Think About Your Emotions Matters: https://tinyurl.com/9akpm7u6
\n\nJust One Thing: Accept Difficulty: https://tinyurl.com/mrknbj8b
\n\nHow to Deal with Feeling Bad About Your Feelings: https://tinyurl.com/2zf7njh4
\n\nHow to Overcome Destructive Anger: https://tinyurl.com/49zu6whw
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More Resources for A Good Night\u2019s Sleep
\n\nHarvard Health - Go with the flow: engagement and concentration are key: https://tinyurl.com/bp66krnw
\n\nCNBC - A 2,000-year-old Chinese mindset can make you more successful\u2014it \u2018takes almost zero effort,\u2019 says psychologist: https://tinyurl.com/mr3n4a8b
\n\nTED - Wuwei and Flow: https://tinyurl.com/3jmcjp68
\n\nAtlantic - How to Not Try: https://tinyurl.com/mr2nwufj
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Have you tried to accept a difficult emotion in your life? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
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