Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast
Episodes
Missing
17 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you admit you miss someone or something, does that mean your life is incomplete? I may have to take back what I've often said was true for me... I ...
Emotion In Motion
11 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you know the difference between feelings and emotions, you can pause between impulse and response to avoid expressing anger when what you're real...
Focus on the present moment
03 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We can't see clearly because we often focus on how things used to be, how we want them to be, how we think they should be, anywhere other than focusin...
True Nature
13 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What is your true nature? Are you living in line with it or with habitual tendencies that take you away from your true nature? Do we all have the same...
Never Broken
03 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As Maya Angelou said, "I may be changed by what happens in my life, but I refuse to be reduced by it." We are never broken unless we believe we are. I...
The Meaning of Life
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Can our life's purpose be to do things on purpose? Can something as ubiquitous as shopping be made altruistic if there's meaning behind each purchase?...
It's All In My Head
05 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Talking yourself off the ledge by knowing your way home. If you find value in these commercial-free podcast episodes, my online posts, monthly emails,...
Desire
11 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is desire the root of suffering as Buddhism suggests? The answer is tricky because it depends on whether you desire the journey or the destination; on...
No Parking
27 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Instead of changing who we are depending on outside circumstances, let's commit to being a certain way no-matter-what. Your response in any situation ...
The Opposite of Namaste
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This might just be the way for us to avoid judgment, segregation, and discrimination by making everyone instantly more relatable. If you find value in...
Meditation Misconception
25 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I don't meditate to control my thoughts, I meditate so my thoughts don't control me. Visit https://BuddhistBootCamp.com for more information, and if y...
Contentment
04 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Are we robbing ourselves of contentment by chasing happiness?
Generosity
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We must stop undermining our ability to be generous by overlooking the fact that generosity doesn't have to be monetary.
The Gift of Time
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The lifetime we are given (the good times, the terrible, and all the time in between), is a gift from a mysterious stranger. And the natural response ...
What Motivates Your Actions?
17 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why do you do what you do? What are you trying to accomplish? Are your actions fueled by the ego? I ask myself these questions all the time to make su...
Intention
08 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Would your life choices be different if you were to set a single intention to motivate all of your actions? What's your intention?
Meaning Making Machines
18 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Every experience triggers an emotion in us and we then make judgments, decisions, and act out of that emotion, unreliable and variable as it may be. C...
Guilt
03 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy guilt. As my brother says, "Most of what weighs you down isn't even yours to carry." If you find value in th...
Unsolicited Advice
22 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
According to NVC (Non-Violent Communication), Unsolicited Advice is a form of violence; it's a way to bully someone by telling them what you think the...
Are You Ready?
05 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Life is going to throw some curve balls your way, take you up steep terrain, and surprise you with unexpected twists and turns. Are you ready to face ...
Be Like Water
30 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Release your tight grip on things like identity wrapped in a job title or financial status, your car, home, or marital status. Keep stretching and exp...
Echo Chamber
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have a close circle of friends who help you grow and evolve, or do you have an echo chamber in which everyone you know keeps you confined in a...
A Grain of Salt
25 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Can you look at the world with a fresh, unbiased mind, and trust your own discernment instead of looking for someone whom you deem "credible" to vali...
Setting Boundaries
02 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If your image (how people perceive you) is more important to you than your own values, you'd allow people to cross some boundaries (or not even set th...
Do Less Harm
24 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In response to the Buddhist invitation to "Do No Harm," which I think is impossible, I prefer contemplating "Doing LESS Harm," which triggers awarenes...
Don't Worry Be Mindful
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's not about controlling your thoughts, it's about getting to a point where your thoughts don't control you.
Stubborn
21 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What are you stubborn about, and to whose benefit?
The End
06 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We've been raised to never talk about it, and told that any mention of it is morbid, so how can we ever be prepared for the death of our loved ones or...
The Problem with Being Goal-Oriented
27 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The problem with being goal-oriented and future-focused is that at no given point are you where you want to be. When one eye is fixed upon the destina...
Unhappily Ever After?
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Don't cling to a mistake just because you spent so much time making it.
Who Are You?
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If your happiness depends on something you can lose, you will spend your entire life afraid of losing it. But if your happiness depends on who you are...
Response Ability
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Even if the wound is not your fault, healing from it is your responsibility.
Insecurities
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Insecurities are the result of accepting the media's and other people's projections about us as truth until we no longer hear our highest selves reass...
Self-worth
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If we're dependent on outside validation for a sense of self-worth, then we run the risk of living our entire lives polishing an image that pleases ot...
Let Go Or Be Dragged
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is it the load that breaks our backs or the way we carry it?
Forgiveness and Apologizing
06 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Not forgiving is a form of self-imprisonment. Liberate yourself by doing away with the existing apology-and-forgiveness model that is similar to loan ...
The Message Not The Messenger
27 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Focus on the teachings, not on the teacher. Your life is your message.
Part 2 of Understanding Hatred
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Summary of comments from the live online discussion about the previous podcast episode regarding understanding hatred.
Understanding Hatred
06 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
To better understand hatred, we must first be honest about where it resides within each of us. When we fail to do that, we end up hating the hater, ye...
The Lobster Parable
27 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Change is natural and inevitable. The cause of our discomfort and suffering isn't change, it's our resistance to it. So the question is, are you open ...
Is Drama a Drug?
22 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible that meddling is just another narcotic, a way to escape having to face our own issues, insecurities, and shortcomings, by pointing out...
Balance
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The same way we filter-out harmful germs and chemicals from our drinking water, we need to install some sort of filter in our lives to keep out the ha...
Watch Your Language
09 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There is a way to recall our past experiences without triggering any anger, resentment, or even judgment. Do not identify as "broken" or you will act...
Ill Will
30 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When you feel the impulse to hurt someone (or when someone hurts you), remember we can't soothe our own pain by placing it on someone else. In fact, I...
Validation
22 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I used to rely on validation from other people in order to have a sense of self-worth, but that essentially meant I was in a co-dependent relationship...
Pray Well With Others
05 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Setting the record straight that Buddhism is not a religion, not all Buddhists are vegetarian, we do not worship false idols, and the Buddha was not a...
Knowledge vs Wisdom
10 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps the wisest thing we can do isn't to necessarily acquire additional knowledge, but to unlearn some of what we thought we knew in the first plac...
Are you behind the wheel?
03 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If life is a road trip in the car, who is driving and deciding which path to take? Are you behind the wheel, or did you get on a bus with millions of ...
It's not you, It's me.
28 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How I stopped blaming other people for the way I feel. The problem isn't frustrating situations or annoying people, it's that I keep getting annoyed ...
A Good Starting Point
17 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I was recently interviewed by Steve Prussack on his Juice Guru Radio Show, and this is a recorded portion of that live conversation. If you know someo...
Perspective, Progress, Purpose
24 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We either enjoy the ebb and flow of the tide, or we try to fight the ocean. Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.
A Christmas Story (Kind of)
14 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The first chapter from Faithfully Religionless.
Giving Thanks
22 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The power of gratitude and why it's so important.
Addicted to Busy
21 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A quick pep talk reminder that our actions convey our priorities.
Sample Chapters from Buddhist Boot Camp
10 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A couple of sample chapters from Buddhist Boot Camp. Each chapter is only a page or two long and can be read in any order. Keep a copy of the book on ...
Don't Believe Everything You Think
04 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Our thoughts are rarely ever truly our own; they are shaped by the people around us, current events, and media exposure. Even when we think of somethi...
Pray, Meditate, or Both?
24 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The differences and similarities between prayer and meditation, and how each supports the other.
Recommended Books
11 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A list of some books I have very much enjoyed reading or listening to, and why I recommend each one. To see the list and links from which to order the...
Less is More
26 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Mindful money and time management, raising awareness of our habits, value assessments, enjoying the freedom that accompanies having less instead of mo...
Is It True Love?
17 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If true love is unconditional, then if you only love someone because they love you back (or with the expectation that they always will), is it love at...
September 2017 Q&A
13 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A couple of questions from this month's live stream. The first is about boundaries with an estranged family member, and the other is about the two way...
Life is a Piece of Cake
28 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Before adding stuff to your life in an ongoing effort to make it better, contemplate what you can take out that's making it less than ideal in the fir...
Faithfully Religionless
26 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On a slightly more serious note, in this podcast episode, I explain why I'm "Faithfully Religionless." Not against religion, just don't think we need ...
August 2017 Q&A
13 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month's recording of the live Q&A hosted on Facebook was about breakups, death, jealousy, kids, marriage, and unreasonable expectations. To find...
Decision Fatigue
05 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Simplify your life even more, and avoid decision fatigue, by setting certain standards for yourself in advance. This way almost every decision would a...
Life as an Experiment
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Everything is subject to time, place, and circumstance, so stay flexible, fluid, and open-minded. Celebrate Impermanence!
Core Values
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You can't be happy if you're not living in line with your own core values. And you can't live in line with your values if you don't even know what the...
Letting Go of Judgment
22 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Replacing the habit of comparing with accepting.
Forgiveness
18 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Forgiveness is a gift that you give to yourself.
Relax? What's That?
15 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We can only use the problem-solving tools we've got, which is why it's best to have a wide selection instead of just one. Those with only a hammer try...
Labels
11 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I am a lot of things and not one of them defines me. You are also many things, so don't limit yourself to just a few. Do you enjoy these podcasts? P...
Bad Mood
01 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There is a difference between always being happy and always being in a good mood. Do you enjoy these podcasts? Please show your support at BuddhistBo...
Hurt Feelings
26 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you regularly blame other people for something that is not their fault, then you also make it their job to fix what is your own responsibility to m...
Healthy Relationships
16 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Growing away from possessiveness toward a collaboration and co-creation of transformative relationships.
Zoom Out
10 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If we focus on everything that's wrong in the world or in our lives, then we're overlooking everything that's right. The trick is to zoom out and look...
The Origin of Anger
02 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Anger is a mask that covers hurt feelings or fear. If we learn to explain our anger instead of expressing it, we will immediately move away from hatre...
Don't Play the Blame Game
31 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you respond to any situation in life by saying, "This shouldn't be happening," you will experience anger, anxiety, despair, and hopelessness, which...
Family
27 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The important difference between Family and Relatives.
Training the Mind
27 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ever want to focus on something but your mind keeps drifting away to whatever IT wants to think about, or really want to stop thinking about something...
Grasping and Letting Go
26 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The way we do one thing is the way we do everything. If we practice letting go of the little things, we exercise the same muscle with which we can th...
Introduction: What Buddhist Boot Camp is All About
26 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is about the back story of Buddhist Boot Camp, and how the blog to book to podcast came to be.