Your Buddha-full Self

In this episode, Nicole Lentfer and I were SUPPOSED to discuss Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddhist Principle #5 from his book Being Peace. Thich Nhat Hanh gives us the ingredients for a HAPPY life, including not putting toxins in the body. Like alcohol, or weed, or shrooms, or well, you get the picture.  Nicole Lentfer is a holistic wellness coach, and I help overthinkers think less. But even though we are in the wellness field, we are not teetotalers, Far from it. She and I had to reconcile our use and sometimes abuse of alcohol. We share funny stories and give tips on how we manage our indulgences. Click here for Nicole's FREE Cooking for Wellness cookbook.Overthinking much? Visit my Psychology Today profile and make an appointment with me today. 

Why is suffering such an essential teaching in Buddhism? When I embarked on my spiritual path, I turned away from Buddhism. My mother was a Buddhist, but she didn't seem all that Buddhist to me. The concept of suffering and the serious nature of my Vietnamese culture did not fit my American identity. I've returned to Buddhism, and now I understand why suffering was good for me. In this episode, Nicole and I talk about how our past suffering shaped who we are today. We go deep. We talk about three layers of suffering. The first layer of suffering is superficial inconveniences that make us anxious, impatient, or angry at that moment. The second layer of suffering comes from things that are not within our control, like diseases or divorce, which are still life altering but manageable. The third layer of suffering is war, death, and suicide.We talked about all of it in twenty-five minutes! It was a two-hour conversation, but we edited down to the nitty-gritty stuff. I hope you enjoy the show. If you want to learn more about how you can manage your mind through Buddhism and NLP, make an appointment with me at goodthoughtsnlp@gmail.com or visit my website at goodthoughtsnlp.comWant to join Nicole's newsletter for tips and tricks to get rid of your pain naturally? Sign up here: https://natural-health-center.mykajabi.com/opt-in-newsletter.#acne #johhnydepp #suicide #suffering #buddhism #buddhismforwesterners #thichnhathanh #mentalhealth #selfhelp #mindfulness #buddha #buddhistnewbie #venerabletridoa #war #ptsd #viet #vietnamwar 

During this episode, Nicole Lentfer and I (Linda O'Neal) revisit Thich Nhat Hanh's Book, Being Present. In the last chapter, he writes 14 Buddhist Principles for Westerners to simplify Buddhism for the modern masses who are new to Buddhism.In our last episode, we tackled Buddhist Principle 1: Be aware of fanatical teachings. During that episode, I discovered she was an Anti-Vaxxer, which in my opinion, is pretty fanatical. Her view was that public policies surrounding the Covid-Vaccines and other vaccines were too fanatical.I'm not going to lie; I was shook when I learned that she didn't believe in the science behind vaccines. I understood the public's apprehension about the Covid vaccine, but I definitely believe that the vaccine worked. Myself, I've had a Covid shot plus several boosters.In this episode, we attempt to discuss our view point about vaccines using Buddhist Principle number 2 and 3.Buddhist Principle 2: Be aware of how attached you are to your views. Becoming non-attached to your present views allows you to be open to other people's insights and experiences. In short, keep an open mind. Even the most progressive mind can be narrow-minded.Buddhist Principle 3: Do not force your views on others, not even your children. Respect the right of others to be different. Allow people to believe what they want to believe. However, try to help others renounce fanaticism and narrow-mindedness through compassionate dialogue. Compassionate dialogue uses language that brings people together.Our goal was to sway the other person to our perspective without forcing our views on each other.Let us know how we did and how you navigate hard conversations that are politically divisive without offending the other person.Download my 14 Principles of Buddhism for Westerners in the show notesInterested in working with me, Linda O'Neal? I am a trained NLP Practitioner and Mindfulness coach. Call for an appointment: 512-680-7000Download my 14 Principles of Buddhism for WesternersDownload Nicole's Alleviating Pain by Improving Your Posture While SittingInterested in working with me, Linda O'Neal? I am a trained NLP Practitioner and Mindfulness coach. Call for an appointment: 512-680-7000Interested in making an appointment with Nicole Lentfer, L.Ac. Acupunturist?

Linda O'Neal (goodthoughtsnlp.com) and Nicole Lentfer (Natural Health Center of Austin) discuss Thích Nhất Hạnh's book, Being Present. Thích Nhất Hạnh is a Vietnamese Buddhist and the Father of Mindfulness. In his book, there is a chapter called the 14 Principles of Buddhism for Westerners. The first Buddhist principle he writes about is to stay away from fanatical teachings. Nicole is an acupuncturist and a holistic doctor in natural medicine. Linda is an NLP therapist and Mindfulness coach. And while they are very similar in many areas, they find that during their deep dive into this first principle about fanaticism, they are worlds apart in their opinion on vaccines.Linda firmly believes in vaccines and supported mandatory vaccines, and Nicole believes that vaccines, not just the COVID vaccine but all vaccines, should be a choice.Looking for a counselor? Schedule an appointment with Linda at goodthoughtsnlp.com or email : goodthoughtsnlp@gmail.comLooking to cure what ails you naturally? Visit Nicole's website at https://austinacupuncturewellness.com/Download Nicole's PDF about 5 things you can do to get better results from your acupuncture: https://natural-health-center.mykajabi.com/5-lifestyle-changes-to-improve-your-acupuncture-resultsDownload Linda's PDF about 14 Buddhist Principles for Westerners: https://www.goodthoughtsnlp.com/meditating-for-those-who-hate-sitting-still-1

Going through a breakup can radically change a person's outlook on life. My friend Jaja and I were supposed to talk about dating apps but our talk took a radical turn when Jaja started talking about the hypocrisy of people on these apps. After his breakup with Ki-Ki, his happy-go-lucky demeanor became dark. When he and Ki-Ki got back together, he still struggled with trust. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ki-Ki, he trusted no one. For him, there was only good or bad and very little in-between. Today we worked through his rigid outlook so that he becomes more accepting of perceived flaws. lindaoneal@goodthoughtsnlp.comgoodthoughtsnlp.comMusic Credits:1:20 0:26 Chemistry Makaih Beats Airbit1:59 0:11 Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) - Times 92:11 0:31 Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) - Times 93:34 0:14 Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) - Times 93:47 0:18 Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) - Times 94:15 0:35 Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) - Times 98:06 0:14 Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) - Times 98:20 1:30 Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) - Times 9

My students, Jaris Jakubowski and Abigail Segura, interview Chaka Mahone, from Riders Against the Storm about the importance of community.  Me, being the fabulous teacher that I am, turned the girls onto local music.  I played RAS's Booty Sweat, and they fell out of their chairs, and started dancing.  They loved it.  When they interviewed Chaka about his music, they received so much more from him.  He talked about the bias against hiphop in Austin, TX, the self-proclaim music capital of the world, and what he is doing to ensure that his community of black artists survives in this "progressive" city.  I hope you enjoy it!  

My students were assigned the task of finding someone in their community who was making a difference, and to create a podcast story from their interview.  They found David Rice, a Mexican American author from the Rio Grande Valley.  He talked about the importance of representing your community.  

My father was a Vietnam vet who carried the demons of the war until his death.  As a result, the only consistent relationship he had was with the bottle.  Having an addicted parent is incredibly painful, but even so, there were moments in our relationship that were rays of hope and love.  This story is about the important lessons my father shared with me. 

Linda O'Neal created Good Talk, a coaching service for teens, their parents, and others who need a nudge.  This podcast is not about that.  This podcast about listening to other people's stories so that we have a better understanding of each other.  Mindful listening is the key to living in a more peaceful society. In this story, Linda talks with her good friend Josie Fluri, a musician, entrepreneur, podcaster, and all-around badass, about choosing your own religion.