Light Watkins: Doing The Work Is The Shortcut

How do you find purpose? What does it mean to live with intention? And why is it important to cultivate stillness? These questions are important. The answers are tricky. To solve these riddles to the human dilemma, you have to know where to look. Knowing Where To Look also happens to be the title of Light Watkins’ new book. Is it a sign or coincidence? The answer is up to you. In addition to being a good friend, a beautiful incarnation of the human form, a nomadic minimalist, and expert meditation and spiritual teacher, Light is also a prolific public speaker and the founder of The Shine (a groovy TED meets Self-Realization love child event series) and the author of three books: The Inner Gym, Bliss More, and of course, his latest work and the focus of our gathering, Knowing Where To Look. My third microphone communion with Light begins with a dive into his adventures in minimalism (every single thing he owns fits into a single carry-on bag) and what it’s like being a 50-year old ex-pat nomad living in Mexico City. We also touch on his experiences in meditation and mindfulness, and the impact of his activism on issues related to racial injustice. But mainly we focus on things like the power of kindness, the importance of patience and reflection, how to cultivate intuition, and how to have the courage to trust it. In a nutshell, this conversation is about how to put faith into action, and why the aspirational life is built upon a foundation of small gestures—tiny actions undertaken every day, every hour, every moment. If you’re new to the force of love that is Light Watkins, I suggest tuning up our earlier conversations, RRP #172 and RRP #357. Check him out in my book Voicing Change, which you can find here. Listen to his podcast At the End of The Tunnel and of course, pick up his new book, the choose-your-own-adventure style of daily inspiration that is Knowing Where To Look. To read more click here. You can also watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Light Watkins is one of my most favorite beings. My hope is that this conversation helps you find what you’re looking for. Light Watkins is one of my most favorite beings. May this conversation be a tuning fork for your gaze—and lead you closer towards what you’re looking for. Listen, Watch & Subscribe Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts Thanks to this week’s sponsors: Outerknown: Founded by pro-surfer Kelly Slater, Outerknown creates high quality, sustainably produced, and great looking men’s and women’s clothes, ethically manufactured in the world’s cleanest solar-powered factory. When you’re ready to amp up your wardrobe with awesome sustainable duds, go to outerknown.com and enter my code RICHROLL at checkout to get 25% off your full-price order. Seed: Stewarding the future of how we will use bacteria to restore and sustain human and planetary health, Seed’s DS-01TM Daily Synbiotic combines 24 clinically verified and naturally-occurring, probiotic strains with plant-based prebiotics. Visit seed.com/RICHROLL to learn more. ROKA: Cutting edge eyewear & apparel built for top performance. Ultralight construction. Arms-Up Design. Official USAT Partner. If you’re active like me and wear prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, ROKA combines the no-slip performance you’ve been waiting for with fashionable frames. Visit roka.com and enter code RichRoll for 20% off. Navitas Organics: Fine purveyors of delicious organic superfoods on a mission to forge a better world by supporting organic farmers & plant-focused lifestyles. For a limited time, get  30% off your entire order by using the code RICHROLL at navitasorganics.com/richroll.Connect with Light: Website | Twitter | InstagramPodcast: At The End Of The TunnelBook: The Inner GymBook: Bliss MoreBook: Knowing Where To LookYouTube: For white people asking what to do about racismYouTube: Light WatkinsInform: ‘Your Camera Phone Is Our Weapon’: Light Watkins on Why We Need to Talk About RacismMBG: 5 Reasons To Consider A Regular Meditation Practice Right Now, From Light WatkinsMBG: Articles By Light WatkinsBegin Meditating: beginmeditating.comTEDxVeniceBeach: Debunking the 5 Most Common Meditation Myths | Light WatkinsYouTube: Light Watkins on How Meditation WorksYouTube: The Backwards Brain Bicycle (SmarterEveryDay)Medium: The Evolution of The ShineYouTube: Let’s Talk About MeditationBook: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized WorldBook: The Seat of the Soul HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST? Tell Your Friends & Share Online! Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Google Podcasts Donate: Check out our Patreon account Support The Sponsors: One of the best ways to support the podcast is to support our sponsors. For a complete list of all RRP sponsors and their respective vanity url's and discount codes, visit my Resources page and click "Sponsors". Thank The Team: I do not do this alone. Send your love to Jason Camiolo for audio engineering, production and show notes and interstitial music, Margo Lubin and Blake Curtis for video, editing and graphics; portraits by Ali Rogers & Davy Greenberg; copywriting by Georgia Whaley; and theme music by Tyler Piatt, Trapper Piatt & Hari Mathis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.