Mindfulness Mode

Bruce Langford
  • 4.8 (522)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Semiweekly

Increase your calm, focus and happiness so you can be more relaxed, contented and satisfied with your life. For business, entrepreneurs, educators, parents. Hosted by Bruce Langford.

  1. 1d ago

    5 Ways to Stop Taking Things Personally

    Have you ever let one little comment ruin an otherwise good day? Maybe someone questioned a decision you made, criticized your work, or said something that rubbed you the wrong way. Before you know it, you're replaying their words and wondering why they bothered you so much. We all take things personally sometimes. We want to be respected, appreciated, and understood. But when we give too much weight to other people's opinions, we can end up carrying around frustration and self-doubt that we don't need. In this solo episode of Mindfulness Mode, Bruce shares five practical ways to stop taking things so personally and develop a healthier relationship with criticism, judgment, and other people's opinions. You'll discover why certain comments affect you more than others, how to recognize your emotional sensitive spots, and why it's important to consider who's giving you feedback before deciding how much weight to give it. Bruce also explores how mindfulness can help you separate criticism of something you've done from your identity, become more comfortable with being misunderstood, and recognize which parts of someone's feedback are actually worth keeping. In This Episode, You'll Discover Why certain comments trigger stronger emotional reactions than others How to recognize your personal sensitive spots Why not every opinion deserves equal weight How to separate criticism of your actions from your sense of self-worth Why you don't need everyone to understand or agree with you How to find something useful in criticism without accepting all of it How mindfulness can help you respond to feedback with greater confidence and perspective A Simple Mindfulness Exercise Think about a recent comment or interaction that bothered you. Maybe someone criticized your work, disagreed with a decision, or made a remark that stayed with you longer than you expected. Now ask yourself a few questions: Why did this particular comment bother me? Is this an area where I tend to be sensitive? How much weight do I want to give this person's opinion? Is there anything useful I can learn from what they said? What part of this experience am I ready to let go of? Sometimes criticism contains something valuable. Other times, it reflects someone's personal opinion, expectations, or limited understanding of your situation. You can consider what's being said without allowing it to define who you are. The next time someone says something that bothers you, remember that you have a choice about how much importance to give their words. Take what's useful. Learn what you can. And allow yourself to leave the rest behind.

  2. 4d ago

    How Death Teaches Us to Live; Lee Warren

    Lee Warren is a death and tantra educator, somatic guide, writer, mystic, community builder, and author of *Dying Together: The Art of Community Death Care*. With approximately 30 years of community-living experience, her work explores death education, grief literacy, conscious dying, mindfulness, end-of-life planning, and re-villaging. Lee lived at Earthaven Ecovillage near Asheville, North Carolina, where community-led vigils, green burials, home funerals, and grieving practices shaped her approach to helping people embrace mortality and awaken to greater aliveness. Contact Info - Website: QueenOfDeath.org - Promo / Offer: Lee’s fully online, 12-week Preparing for Death course Most Influential Person - Sobonfu Somé Effect on Emotions - “Mindfulness has helped me learn to ride the waves.” - It helps me experience strong emotions without repressing or minimizing them. - It also keeps me from accelerating, exaggerating, or accentuating those emotions. Thoughts on Breathing - “Every exhale is a death. Every letting go is a death.” - “I really love the biological breath, which is letting the breath breathe me.” - I allow the breath to arrive wherever, however, and at whatever pace it wants, helping me open and enter a flow state. Suggested Resources - Book: Dying Together: The Art of Community Death Care by Lee Warren - Book: Die Wise by Stephen Jenkinson - Book: Trembling Still by Stephen Jenkinson - Book: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - App: Insight Timer   Bullying Story - Lee described othering as the root of bullying: treating another person as fundamentally separate or unacceptable. - A presentation associated with Daniel Foor’s ancestral medicine work about fat people’s experiences helped her recognize how people project discomfort and their shadows onto marginalized bodies. - She connected this insight to death: people can attempt to “other” many groups and experiences, but no one can ultimately escape or other the death process.

  3. Oct 15

    Do You Already Have Enough?

    What If You Already Have Enough? Have you ever reached a goal, bought something you really wanted, or achieved something important, only to find yourself thinking about what comes next? We spend a lot of our lives working toward more. More money, more success, more possessions, more accomplishments. And while there's nothing wrong with having goals, it's worth asking ourselves a simple question: How do we know when we have enough? In this solo episode of Mindfulness Mode, Bruce explores our relationship with wanting more and how mindfulness can help us recognize when we're already satisfied with what we have. You'll hear why the finish line for success often keeps moving, how other people's expectations can influence our goals, and why the pursuit of more sometimes comes at the expense of our time, energy, and personal interests. Bruce also shares how our definition of enough can change throughout life and why it's worth occasionally reconsidering goals we've been pursuing for years. In This Episode, You'll Discover Why reaching a goal doesn't always bring lasting satisfaction How to recognize when you're constantly moving the finish line Why other people's definitions of success may influence your decisions How to consider the hidden costs of always wanting more Why your priorities and definition of enough can change over time How to identify what enough means in different areas of your life Simple questions to help you make more mindful decisions about what you pursue A Simple Mindfulness Experiment Think about one area of your life where you continually find yourself wanting more. Maybe it's money, possessions, professional success, recognition, or the number of things you accomplish. Ask yourself: "What would enough actually look like for me?" Try to be specific. Then, the next time you find yourself wanting something new, consider a few questions: Do I genuinely want or need this? Will it improve my life in a meaningful way? What will it cost me in time, energy, or attention? What would happen if I decided I already had enough? You may discover that some of your goals are still important to you. Others may have been influenced by expectations that no longer fit your life. There's value in recognizing when something is already enough. You can continue growing, learning, and accomplishing new things while allowing yourself to feel satisfied with what you've achieved. Sometimes, what you already have is exactly what you need.

  4. Oct 12

    Reclaim Your Personal Authority; Judy Vee

    Judy Vee is the originator of the Codex System and author of What Is Mimic and What Lies Beyond It? She describes the Codex System as a structural model of human function and behavior that identifies distortions beneath recurring thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Her work examines why self-aware people continue repeating patterns despite practicing mindfulness or managing their beliefs and emotions. Judy encourages people to reclaim personal authority, remove what is not authentically theirs, and live from their unique expression rather than continually managing themselves. Most Influential Person - Her husband, Tiny Effect on Emotions - “When I’m finding myself emotional, I understand that it’s a form of distortion.” - “I stop and ask myself, ‘Who or what has authority just before I expressed or felt that emotion?’” - “No one can make me feel anything. Only I can.” Thoughts on Breathing - “I use breath and how we are breathing as an indication of how much distortion is going on in our life in that moment.” - “We are designed to breathe naturally.” - Rather than managing or fixing the breath, remove the interference “so that breath can return.” Suggested Resources - Book: What Is Mimic and What Lies Beyond It? by Judy Vee - Apps: Judy recommends scuba diving rather than an app. - Practice: Ask what happened immediately before stress, anxiety, overwhelm, emotion, or altered breathing arose—and who or what held authority. - Practice: Identify your authentic “move,” act from personal authority, and treat the outcome as data. Bullying Story - Judy experienced extensive bullying and realized around age 15 that she wanted her heart to stop beating because of someone else, revealing how much authority she had surrendered. - She says a bully may leave someone’s life while their rules continue shaping behavior through fear of rejection, proving one’s worth, staying small, or monitoring others’ perceptions. - Her work seeks to identify and remove the underlying “interference” or “distortion,” rather than merely helping people manage bullying’s consequences.

  5. Oct 12

    Technology for Real Connection; Shakir “Dyce” Gilkes

    Shakir “Dyce” Gilkes is an indie founder, creative, actor, photographer, and father of two with a passion for love and meaningful human connection. Born in Barbados, he moved to Canada on his own in 2016, bringing with him a background in music, acting, and storytelling. Now based in Mississauga, Dyce taught himself how to build an app from scratch, without outside funding or previous development experience. His creation, OurLoveLyfe, offers couples and singles a more mindful space to celebrate love, relationships, and self-worth without the distractions of traditional social media. His journey is one of creativity, determination, and building something meaningful with intention. Contact Info - Website: OurLoveLyfe.com - Promo / Offer: The core OurLoveLyfe app is free, with an optional subscription offering expanded usage limits. Most Influential Person - One of Dyce’s sisters Effect on Emotions - Mindfulness helps him understand his emotions and distinguish anxiety from depression. - He considers what he can control and what he cannot. - “You don’t have to keep tolerating” an uncomfortable or harmful situation; removing yourself is something you can control. - His guiding motto is to “stay in the moment.” Thoughts on Breathing - Breathing helps calm his heartbeat when he experiences anxiety. - He closes his eyes and takes several breaths until he feels his heartbeat settle. - “I cannot focus” when stressed or highly anxious, so breathing helps him calm himself and regain focus. - When his sister is unavailable, breathing is his primary way to bring himself down independently. Suggested Resources - Book: *The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living* by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman - App: I Am - App: OurLoveLyfe Bullying Story - Dyce grew up in a poor family in Barbados and was repeatedly bullied during his first two years of secondary school because his uniform did not fit properly. - Other students picked on him daily and sometimes took his money. - Determined not to endure the same treatment again, he worked throughout the summer, saved his money, and bought brand-new uniforms. - When he returned to school, his changed appearance and growing recognition by his nickname meant his former bullies did not recognize him. - “Dyce kinda changed my life in a way,” he said, reflecting on how his nickname and new confidence helped transform his experience.

  6. Oct 8

    5 Mindful Morning Habits

    How do you spend the first few minutes after you wake up? For many of us, the day begins almost automatically. We reach for the phone, think about our schedule, check messages, or start running through everything that needs to get done. In this solo episode of Mindfulness Mode, Bruce shares five simple ways to bring more awareness into your morning. You don't need an elaborate morning routine or a long meditation practice. Small changes can help you experience those first moments of the day instead of rushing through them. You'll discover why it can be helpful to give yourself a little time before checking your phone, how something as simple as noticing your feet on the floor can bring you into the moment, and why enjoying an ordinary part of your morning can make a difference. Bruce also explores the difference between what's urgent and what truly matters, along with the value of leaving a little empty space in a world where almost every quiet moment gets filled. In This Episode, You'll Discover Why the first few minutes of your morning matter How to begin your day before letting the outside world grab your attention A simple way to become more aware of your body when you wake up How to enjoy the ordinary parts of your morning Why choosing one thing that matters can give your day direction How a few minutes of empty space can change the feeling of your morning Why mindfulness doesn't require adding another complicated habit to your routine Try This Tomorrow You don't have to change your entire morning routine. Choose one or two things to try. Wait a minute before reaching for your phone. Notice your feet when they touch the floor. Really enjoy your coffee, tea, shower, morning walk, or another part of the morning you usually take for granted. Ask yourself, “What is one thing that matters today?” And somewhere in your morning, leave a little space. You may still have the same schedule, responsibilities, and things to get done. The difference is that you're giving yourself a chance to actually experience the beginning of your day. Tomorrow morning is a morning you've never lived before. See if you can be there for it.

  7. Oct 5

    Rebuilding From Within; Sanjay Sabnani

    Sanjay Sabnani is an author, former public-company founder, and the creator of ActualizationOS. He is an independent researcher in Causal Neuro-Symbolic AI and serves as a senior executive and board member at a private-equity-owned technology company. His work focuses on integrating ancient wisdom from various traditions with modern neuroscience to create a diagnostic system for inner change, which he describes as a "system of inner architecture". Sabnani's book, ActualizationOS, explores the principles of stillness, alignment, and the process of transformation, drawing from Stoic philosophy, Buddhist psychology, and neuroscience. He has also authored a chapter in a Wiley medical textbook and holds two U.S. patents.  Contact Info Website: SanjaySabnani.com Most Influential Person Buddha and his teachings have had a profound influence on Sanjay’s understanding of mindfulness. Earlier in life, Sanjay found Buddhist teachings too abstract, but his perspective changed as he experienced their insights firsthand. He now sees tremendous value in teachings that have endured for thousands of years. Effect on Emotions Sanjay says mindfulness has helped him stop suffering from the lingering effects of negative experiences. Difficult things still happen and painful emotions still arise, but rumination and downward thought spirals no longer have the same hold. He has learned to separate the feeling that something bothers him from the impulse to immediately react. Thoughts on Breathing Sanjay views the breath as a subtle object of attention that can lead into deeper mindfulness. Breath watching became an important part of his meditation journey. When he needs to calm himself, he may use a physiological sigh with two sharp inhales through the nose followed by a sighing exhale through the mouth. He also watches his breath while falling asleep. Suggested Resources Sanjay’s Book: Actualization OS: A System of Inner Architecture Book: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Book: The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer App: Youtube Bullying Story Growing up in Hong Kong as an Indian student at a British Anglican school, Sanjay experienced significant bullying. He was bookish, chubby, short, and not athletic, so he developed sharp wit and cutting humor as a defense mechanism. Mindfulness later helped him recognize the difference between feeling triggered and needing to react. Today, he measures his progress partly by how little everyday frustrations disturb his inner state.

  8. Oct 1

    Stop Imaginary Conversations

    Have you ever had an entire conversation with someone who wasn’t even there? Maybe you’re driving, walking, or trying to fall asleep when you suddenly find yourself rehearsing a conversation in your mind. You imagine what the other person will say, plan your response, and before long you’re defending yourself in an argument that hasn’t even happened. These imaginary conversations can create very real tension, worry, and frustration. In this solo episode of Mindfulness Mode, Bruce explores how mindfulness can help you recognize mental rehearsals and return your attention to what’s actually happening right now. You’ll learn how to notice when your mind starts scripting future conversations, become curious about what may be driving those thoughts, and enter real conversations with more presence and less expectation. Bruce also shares how his inner bully, Jasper, can sometimes take over these imaginary conversations and why listening may be more valuable than trying to prepare the perfect response. In This Episode, You’ll Discover Why we rehearse conversations that haven’t happened How imaginary conversations can affect your emotions and body A simple way to catch yourself in a mental rehearsal How mindfulness can bring you back to the present Why scripting another person’s response can interfere with listening How to approach difficult conversations with greater curiosity What repeated imaginary conversations may be telling you A simple three-step grounding exercise you can use today A Simple Mindfulness Practice The next time you notice yourself rehearsing a conversation, pause and remind yourself: “This conversation hasn’t happened.” Take a slow breath and notice three things: Something you can see. Something you can hear. Something you can feel. Then gently return your attention to what you were doing. If the imaginary conversation comes back, notice it again and return again. Each time you recognize where your mind has gone and bring your attention back to the present, you’re practicing mindfulness. You don’t need to know exactly what someone is going to say. You don’t need to prepare every response. Let the real conversation happen when it happens. Listen to the person who is actually in front of you. And until then, come back to now. Stay in the mode.

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About

Increase your calm, focus and happiness so you can be more relaxed, contented and satisfied with your life. For business, entrepreneurs, educators, parents. Hosted by Bruce Langford.

Information

  • Creator
    Bruce Langford
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    999
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Mindfulness Mode

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