This is one of the greatest podcast episodes I can recall. There is a recency bias because I just listened to it, but the episode is interesting, informative, based on research, and, most importantly, practical.
Click on Ellen Langer's Wiki for more on her career and research.
Langer's work is also a bit of confirmation bias for me too. I grew up hearng my mother referring to the power of our minds to create
what we believe. Saying something like, "if you believe that, it will." As a teenager and young adult, I was susceptible to some of
the magical elements of martial arts. Like Bruce Lee or other claims at finding and using a chi. I even believed
a man could come back from cancer to dominate one of the worlds most
difficult endurance events 7 years in a row by pure will and
determination.
I used to run and I practiced
visualizing pushing through fatigue (I suspect it enhanced my performance).
Sports is the perfect example. Visualization pays off in sports. More recently, I came across
CBT via a friend requesting
Coddling of the American Mind
which lead me to Feeling Good. It all ties together. Science
confirms and creates explanations for what our grandmothers and ancient
wisdom could tell us.
Since reading Feeling Good, I have changed my opinion of self help books. Self help can help!
I'm listening to Arnold Schwarzenegger's Be Useful, and it fits in with the other books and ideas mentioned. I'm not so naive that I think everyone can magically think their way into their wants and desires? But it's pretty obvious that thinking it is an important step. You have to believe for multiple reasons. You won't plan, attempt, or persist if you don't believe it. You have to believe it. And when you believe something, it might surprise you or others what you can achieve.
The most practical use for me now is with injuries. I have this linger plantar heel pain. I suspect the pain is imaginary, or rather a phantom pain/warning to prevent future injury. I want to use mindfulness to recover and move on from this heel pain.
Here is the episode, "Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)" from the podcast People I Mostly Admire. It's on all the podcast apps.
I'm going to look into Langer's books and other podcast interviews.
