>>> THAFGS AT WAS A PREVIEW OF T
UPCOMING NEW SEASON OF THE AWARD WINNING PODCAST "A SLIGHT CHANGE
WINNING PODCAST "A SLIGHT CHANGE
OF PLANS" CREATOR TO HELP
LISTENERS UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE
AND WHO WE'VE BECOME IN THE FACE
OF THE BIG CHANGE.
MAYA JOINS US NOW.
SHE SERVED ALSO AS A SENIOR
ADVISER IN THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE
WHERE SHE FOUNDED AND SERVED AS
HAIR
CHAIR OF THE WHITE HOUSE
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE TEAM.
IT'S GO AHEAD TO HAVE YOU ON
I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO SHARE WITH
OUR VIEWERS THE STORY OF EXACTLY
WHY EWE STARTYOU STARTED THIS PO
>> IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE,
MIKA
THIS PODCAST DEFINITELY HAS A
VERY PERSONAL ORIGIN STORY
I HAD A FORMATIVE EXPERIENCE
WITH CHANGE WHEN I WAS A
TEENAGER
I WAS AN ASPIRING CONCERT
VIOLINIST, FINALLY SAW SOME
POTENTIAL TO MAYBE GO PRO ONE
TA, ANDTA
DAY AND THEN A SUDDEN HAND
INJURY ENDED MY CAREER JUST IN A
MOMENT, AND I FELT SO
DISORIENTED BY THE CHANGE AND SO
UNPREPARED FOR HOW TO DEAL WITH
IT BECAUSE MY IDENTITY HAD BEEN
SO TETHERED TO THE VIOLIN FOR SO
LONG THAT I WASN'T SURE WHO I
WAS OR WHO I COULD BE WITHOUT
IT
AND SO THE GOAL OF A SLIGHT
CHANGE OF PLANS IS TO EMPOWER US
ALL TO NAVIGATE CHANGE WITH A
BIT MORE EQUANIMITY AND WISDOM
BY LEARNING FROM PEOPLE'S
STORIES, BY LEARNING FROM
SCIENTISTS AND BECOMING MORE
COMFORTABLE WITH UNCERTAINTY
THAT IS A STAPLE PART OF CHANGE,
AND IT'S WHAT MAKES US SO
UNCOMFORTABLE.
THERE'S A FASCINATING RESEARCH
STUDY IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE THAT
SHOWS THAT WE ARE MORE STRESSED
WHEN WE'RE TOLD WE HAVE A 50%
CHANCE OF GETTING AN ELECTRIC
SHOCK THAN WHEN WE'RE TOLD WE
HAVE A 100% CHANCE
SO IT'S PRETTY WILD.
WE'D RATHER BE CERTAIN THAT A
TERRIBLE THING IS GOING TO
HAPPEN THAN TO HAVE TO MANAGE
WITH ANY UNCERTAINTY
I'M HOPING THAT A SLIGHT CHANGE
OF PLANS CAN BE A SOURCE OF
WISDOM FOR PEOPLE AS THEY'RE
NAVIGATING THE BIG CURVE BALLS
LIFE INEVITABLY THROWS OUR WAY.
>> THIS IS A WILDLY POPULAR
PODCAST.
YOU'RE BEING HUMBLE.
YOU WENT TO JUILLIARD.
YOU WEREN'T JUST ANY VIOLINIST
YOU WERE ABLE TO RECOVER FROM
THAT HAND INJURY TO GO ON A
PRETTY NICE RUN YOURSELF
I WON'T EMBARRASS YOU WITH ALL
THE ACCOLADES, BUT YOU CAN LOOK
IT UP.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW
SEASON OF THE PODCAST, BUT ALSO
THE EPISODE THAT I THINK REALLY
INTRODUCED A LOT OF PEOPLE TO
YOUR PODCAST, WHICH WAS THE ONE
LAST YEAR ABOUT LONELINESS
AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE
HAVE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT A LOT
MORE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS.
THERE ARE METRICS THAT SHOW
BEING ALONE CAN BE AS DAMAGING
AS BEING OBESE, ALL THESE
THINGS, IT'S UNHEALTHY FOR YOU
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WAS ABOUT
THAT TOPIC THAT SORT OF BLEW UP
AND BECAME THIS VIRAL SENSATION.
>> IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ALL
RELATE TO.
LONELINESS IS A STATE OF MIND.
IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT YOUR
ENVIRONMENT AND HOW MANY PEOPLE
YOU'RE SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH
IT, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO THE
U.S. SURGEON GENERAL, DR. VIVEK
MURTHY OR SHINING A LIGHT ON
LOAN LIP
LONELY
LONELINESS AND ELEVATING IT TO
THE STATUS OF AN EPIDEMIC.
ONE THING THEY TAUGHT ME ON THIS
EPISODE IS THAT WHEN WE'RE
FEELING LONELY, IT ACTUALLY PUTS
US INTO A COMPROMISED STATE OF
MIND, A STATE OF MIND THAT
SABOTAGES OUR ABILITY TO FORM
MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS WITH
PEOPLE
IT PERPETUATES THE STATE OF
LONELINESS
THIS HAPPENS FOR A COUPLE OF
REASONS.
ONE, WHEN WE'RE IN A LONELY
STATE OF MIND, WE TEND TO LOOK
INWARDS.
WE TEND TO FOCUS ON OURSELVES,
AND THAT CAN BE SOMEWHAT
OFF-PUTTING FOR OTHER PEOPLE,
RIGHT?
IT CAN ALSO LEAD US TO FEEL LIKE
MAYBE WE'RE NOT WORTHY, MAYBE
WE'RE NOT VALUABLE
SO IT'S VERY EASY FOR OURSELVES
TO TELL OURSELVES A STORY.
MAYBE THE REASON I'M LONELY IS
BECAUSE I DON'T BRING VALUE TO
PEOPLE, I DON'T BRING VALUE TO
THE WORLD.
THAT CAN BE QUITE DISSPIRITING.
>> ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR TOPICS,
IT TIES IN WITH THAT,
SELF-COMPASSION, AND YOU DIVE
INTO WHY WE TEN TO BE LESS
COMPASSIONATE TO OUR OWN
PROBLEMS, EVEN IF WE TEND TO BE
A COMPASSIONATE PERSON TO
OTHERS
YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LEARNED
WITH THAT TOPIC.
>> WHEN I FIRST DOVE INTO
COMPASSION RESEARCH.
I MYSELF WAS A SKEPTIC, WHAT IS
THIS FEEL GOOD NONSENSE, IS THIS
JUST LETTING ME OFF THE HOOK AND
NOT REQUIRING THAT I TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MISTAKES
THAT I'VE MADE
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE THE
OPPOSITE
WE KNOW FROM THE RESEARCH ON THE
SCIENCE OF SELF-COMPASSION THAT
SELF-COMPASSION IS FAR MORE
MOTIVATING THAN SHAME OR
SELF-BLAME
IT LEADS US TO BE MORE
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MISTAKES
WE'VE MADE, AND I THINK ONE
FINDING IN THE SELF-COMPASSION
WORK ON LONELINESS AS WELL AND
IT'S KIND OF COUNTERINTUITIVE,
AN ANTIDOTE TO SOME OF THESE
FEELINGS OF LONELINESS IS ACTS
OF SERVICE
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT BEING IN A
LONELY STATE OF MIND OR BEING
REALLY SELF-CRITICAL, WE THINK
WE SHOULD LOOK INWARDS AND
PROBLEM SOLVE.
WHEN WE LOOK OUTWARDS AND FOCUS
ON HELPING OTHERS, WHAT THAT CAN
DO IS INSTANTLY HELP US WITH
OTHER HUMAN BEINGS CENTERED
AROUND THIS COMMON GOAL WE ALL
CARE ABOUT ACHIEVING
AND IT CAN ALSO SIGNAL TO OUR
MINDS THAT WE ARE, IN FACT,
VALUABLE, THAT WE ACTUALLY DO
BRING WORTH AND VALUE TO THOSE
AROUND US.
>> PURPOSE
>> PURPOSE, YES.
>> AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
SEGMENT, WE PLAYED A COUPLE OF
CLIP, NOT THE ONE FROM THE
PROFESSIONAL PIZZA ENTHUSIAST.
THAT'S A GREAT JOB
THE OTHER WAS A CHAMPION
DEBATER.
YOUR CONVERSATION WITH HIM WAS
ABOUT DEBATE AND GETTING YOUR
OPINION ACROSS BUT ALSO ABOUT
LISTENING.
TELL US WHAT HE SAID.
>> YEAH, SO I THINK WHEN WE
THINK ABOUT THE WORLD CHAMPION
DEBATERS, WE THINK ABOUT THAT
CHARISMATIC PRESENCE THAT GOES
ON STAGE AND HAS WONDERFUL
ORATORY SKILLS AND IS WONDERFUL
AT THINKING ON THEIR FEET, AND
BEAU REMINDED ME THAT ACTUALLY
LISTENING, ACTIVE LISTENING IS
AT THE TOP OF THE LIST
LISTENING IS NOT JUST THE
VIRTUOUS THING TO DO
IT'S ACTUALLY ESSENTIAL IN ORDER
TO MOVE THE CONVERSATION
FORWARD.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LISTENING,
WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS NOT
SIMPLY PLAYING A SILENT ROLE BUT
ACTUALLY INVESTIGATING THE OTHER
PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW, DRAWING
INTO THE LIGHT THEIR FULL SET OF
VIEWS, AND THE REASON WHY THIS
IS SO IMPORTANT IS THAT WE WILL
NEVER BE ABLE TO CONVINCE ANYONE
TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS UNLESS
THEY FEEL THAT THEIR CONCERNS
AND THEIR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER
ISSUES THEY HAVE WITH YOUR LINE
OF ARGUMENTATION HAS IN SOME WAY
BEEN RESPONDED TO.
SO AGAIN, WE STAMS COMEOMETIMES
DEBATES AND THINK HERE ARE MY
FIVE TALKING POINTS, BUT
ACTUALLY A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY OF
ENGAGING IN DISCOURSE IS TO BE A
REALLY THOUGHTFUL, ATTENTIVE
LISTENER
I LOVED THAT REMINDER.
I THINK IT WOULD MAKE US ALL
BETTER AT THE DISAGREEMENT TABLE SFWR
for Prevagen.
>> IF THEY FEEL THEY'VE BEEN
HEARD AND SEEN, THEY MIGHT COME
AROUND TO YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
>> PEOPLE ARE ATTUNED TO WHETHER
YOU'RE NATURALLY CURIOUS ABOUT
THEIR POINT OF VIEW.
WE CAN PICK UP ON THAT IN
CONVERSATION
WHEN YOU DISPLAY THAT NATURAL
CURIOSITY, WALLS GO DOWN
PEOPLE ARE MUCH MORE RECEPTIVE
TO ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS AND
HAVING THAT OPEN MIND.
>> GOOD LESSON FOR OUR
POLITICIANS WHO MIGHT BE
WATCHING THIS MORNING: THIS IS
JUST A SMALL TASTE OF THE
PODCAST.
YOU CAN SEE WHY IT'S SO
INCREDIBLY POPULAR, THE NEW
SEASON OF "A SLIGHT CHANGE OF
PLANS" DEBUTS ON MONDAY, JUNE
5th.
YOU CAN GET THAT WHEREVER YOU