What if your greatest power wasn’t hustle or grit, but attention?

00:00 The Discipline of Mindfulness

03:21 Understanding Thoughts and Emotions

09:18 Changing Relationships with Emotions

11:59 The Power of Observation

19:45 Mindfulness Techniques and Tools

24:02 Mindfulness in the Modern World

27:06 The Role of Gratitude

31:29 The GLAD Practice

36:13 Attention as a Superpower

39:08 Getting Started with Mindfulness

Today’s guest, Donald Altman, is a former monk, psychotherapist, and award-winning author who’s spent decades teaching people how to use mindfulness to reshape their lives from the inside out. In a world built to hijack your focus, Donald offers a quiet rebellion: the power to step back, observe, and choose.

In this episode, we dive into the myths of mindfulness, the neuroscience of emotion, and why tiny moments of awareness might just be the key to real resilience. Whether you’re a bartender, a manager, or anyone trying to stay sane in the modern world, this conversation is packed with insights (and practical tools) to help you get out of your head and into your life.”

Expect to Learn:

• How mindfulness rewires the brain
• The difference between thoughts and facts
• Why attention is a superpower
• How to step back from negative emotions
• Practical breathing techniques for stress
• The STOP method for emotional regulation
• The five types of gratitude
• How to build a daily GLAD practice
• The science behind naming emotions
• Mindfulness as mental training not relaxation
• How modern technology hijacks focus
• The role of selective attention in happiness
• How to shift identity away from negative thoughts
• How small awareness practices lead to big changes

Links mentioned in the show:

Donald's Website

Service starts now.

I talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost. You can find more of my work at ⁠⁠my blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and all my social links are at the bottom of that page.

Classic Episodes You May Like:

-#3:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My 1st and Most Powerful Conversation with Shane Alexander⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#10:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nat Harry, cocktail expert!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#14:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Dr. Shalini Bahl, mindful marketing⁠⁠⁠⁠

As always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.

Cheers