Great Love & Great Suffering with Mark Nepo

NYT #1 best-selling author Mark Nepo takes us on the highs and lows of life as a human being. He shares that it is both the moments of great love, and of great suffering to define a meaningful life. 

Join this magical journey to the soul as Mark and Matt talk about overcoming your cloud of fear, opening your heart, and how to clear confusion out of your mind.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation: 

• The gift of relationships

• If you ever feel lonely, say hello

• How to overcome the cloud of fear

• The story of the the barn and the fire

• What opens up is never as important as what is open

• Give, anywhere, to anyone

[15:54] Say Hello to Loneliness

We go places, we do things in life. But they're all to bring us alive. They're not to get you anywhere. There's nowhere to go. We travel. But when we come together in these authentic spaces, we open the same eternal moment – all the time. That's the beauty, the depth, the miracle that authentic relationships give.

[21:32] How to Overcome the Cloud of Fear

Fear is meant to move through, not to be obeyed. If you’re afraid and you ask fear what to do, then it will tell you to be more afraid. So don’t ask your fear. Instead, ask your spirit. Ask your heart. Ask your mind. Ask your dear friends. Fear is to be moved through like a fever or a chill, or a sudden stubbing of the toe. We have to not give it too much authority. You can't deny it, because it'll only get bigger. But we can't give it too much authority, because it will want to take over. 

[42:04] Give, Anywhere, To Anyone

When your mind feels like it's all tangled, when you're confused, and you can't figure something out, try to give – anywhere, to anyone. Then see if that clears your mind. See what happens. Oftentimes, when you give, not only are you doing good in the world, but it’s coming back to you. Giving cleanses and clears out the confusion in your mind. A confused mind can't really clear itself and we need to use other resources. So when in doubt, give. 

Notable quotes:

[14:29] To harden will help you get through life, but to soften will let you experience life. [14:35]

[21:32] Fear is meant to move through, not to be obeyed… we can't give it too much authority, because it will want to take over. [22:16] 

[42:49] A confused mind can't really clear itself, we need to use other resources. So when in doubt, give. [42:57]

Resources Mentioned: 

https://thesophiainstitute.org/events/mark-nepo-true-inheritance 

The Half-Life of Angels

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About the Guest 

Mark Nepo is one of the greatest poets and authors of our time. Author of 22 books, Mark has sold over a million copies worldwide and has been named one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people, having also appeared several times with Oprah on Super Soul Sunday program.