Turning Towards Pain: Dr Mark Williamson on Real Happiness
A New Way of Being
Simon Mundie
4.8 • 523 Ratings
🗓️ 26 May 2026
⏱️ 46 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode I’m joined by Dr Mark Williamson, co‑founder and director of Action for Happiness and author of Make Life Happier: 23 practical ways to feel better, find meaning and make a difference. Mark shares the story of walking away from a “successful” corporate career after debilitating back pain forced him to confront the stress and approval-seeking driving his life, and how simple practices like mindful breathing opened the door to a completely different way of being. We explore looking inside – turning towards pain rather than running from it, softening the inner critic, and moving from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation – as well as looking outwards: social fitness, active listening, relationships as a path to consciousness, and the ripple effects our everyday actions have on the people around us.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Before we get to today's episode, I just wanted to let you know that I am running a free webinar |
| 0:06.7 | next Tuesday, the 19th of May at 7pm UK time. You can register via the links below. The focus of the |
| 0:16.3 | session will be the power of intention. We'll start with a meditation as usual and I will open to |
| 0:22.4 | questions too and I hope to see you there. I'm delighted to welcome Dr Mark Williamson to the show today. |
| 0:30.9 | Mark is the co-founder and director of Action for Happiness, a fantastic organisation and he's just |
| 0:37.2 | written a brilliant book called |
| 0:38.4 | Make Life Happier, 23 Practical Ways to Feel Better, Find Meaning and Make a Difference. |
| 0:45.6 | Hope you enjoy our conversation. |
| 0:49.5 | Dr Mark Williamson, it's lovely to see you again. How are you? |
| 0:53.1 | I'm well, thanks Simon. Yeah, it's been a see you again. How are you? I'm well, thanks, Simon. Yeah, |
| 0:54.5 | it's been a whirlwind having been writing a book alongside running a charity and having all the |
| 0:59.4 | family and life commitments, but I'm really well, thanks. How are you doing? I'm really good and it's |
| 1:03.4 | really lovely to see you. You know, I'm a big fan of your work and I'm very grateful. You |
| 1:08.2 | very kindly invited me onto your wonderful platform when my book came out |
| 1:13.8 | and I just think not only is this book fantastic but I love the work you've done you've really |
| 1:19.3 | built something very meaningful and important and frankly beautiful and infused with love so |
| 1:26.3 | I'm really delighted the book's doing so well |
| 1:28.9 | and just want to take my hat off to you for everything you do. I think it's fantastic. |
| 1:33.0 | Thank you. I really appreciate that. So what I want to do is we've got this book. It's called |
| 1:37.3 | Make Life Happier, 23 practical ways to feel better, find meaning and make a difference. And there's |
| 1:42.2 | some really wonderful stuff in there. |
| 1:49.8 | Very science base. Got some brilliant endorsements. Daniel Goldman, who's been on the podcast, |
... |
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