I got fascinated that there was a way to relate to my thoughts and my emotions and my pains

that was actually shifting how much I was suffering.

And simultaneously, we took this trip to the New York Stock Exchange with the economics department

and met with this big wig hedge fund manager and everyone said, like, this is where you want to get,

this is where you want to be, this is you want to be this is what success looks like and guy gave a talk and I just felt

completely lifeless by the end of it and I just had the thought like I don't know what I want

to do with my life but I know for sure I do not want to end up like this guy it was the first

time that I could see that like oh just because I go in that direction and just because maybe I could make a lot of money or do something like that does not necessarily mean I'm going to be happy.

And that just like troubled me into this deep conversation with my 21 year old soul.

And it was like, well, if that's not what you want, then what is it that you want?

And everything kept reducing to, like, it seems like at the heart of all of this that you're pursuing, it's just you want to be fulfilled.

You want to be happy.

And whether that's, you think it's going to be money that gets you there or having, like, a good relationship or kids or whatever, but it's like all reducing to that thing.

And I was just seeing, having my feet held to the fire in that inquiry, I could very easily

start building my life out of my mind's ideas of what I think is going to make me happy

and come up empty-handed because I'm seeing other people do that.

Today. because I'm seeing other people do that. Today's guest is Corey Mascara, a mindfulness expert, teacher, and author who has spent over 15,000 hours studying meditation, including six months living as a Buddhist monk in Burma.

And what makes Corey's story fascinating is that

his journey began not with a spiritual calling, but with trying to impress a girlfriend in college.

In our conversation today, we explore how his intensive monastery experience, where he meditated

for up to 20 hours a day in challenging conditions, transformed not just his

understanding of presence and pain, but also how he approaches teaching others to navigate

...