Personal Growth Desk
Podcast – Diary Of A Ceo
This breakdown focuses on what is discussed and how the ideas are framed. It does not provide medical diagnosis, mental-health treatment, or personalised therapeutic advice.
This episode comes from The Diary of a CEO, where Steven Bartlett speaks with Gelong Thubten, a Buddhist monk with over 30 years of practice, including extended periods of silent retreat. The tension at the heart of the conversation is modern and widespread: despite unprecedented comfort and choice, many people feel trapped in cycles of self-criticism, overthinking, and chronic dissatisfaction. Thubten’s claim is stark the problem is not life itself, but the relentless habit of wanting something else.
Key Takeaways
- Mental freedom is the absence of wanting. Happiness emerges not from achievement, but from the temporary relief that occurs when pursuit stops.
- The search for happiness is self-perpetuating. Dopamine rewards the act of searching, not the outcome, reinforcing dissatisfaction rather than resolving it.
- Meditation produces measurable brain change quickly. Just 10 minutes a day can create visible shifts in brain scans within four days.
- Integration beats suppression. Trying to clear the mind backfires; meditation trains awareness of thoughts without fighting them.
- Mindfulness creates a pause between impulse and action. That pause the “gap” allows conscious choice instead of automatic reaction.
The Newsdesk Lead
Gelong Thubten frames meditation as a practical skill rather than a spiritual escape. He argues that Western culture trains people into constant mental agitation by convincing them they are incomplete. His central verdict is that meditation restores agency by teaching people to notice thoughts without being governed by them, shifting from compulsive reaction to conscious participation in life.
Deep Dive
Meditation as Waking Up
Thubten defines meditation not as maintaining a blank mind, but as the repeated moment of waking up inside a thought. The practice begins when distraction is noticed not when it disappears. Each return to the breath is the training itself.
The 10-Minute Morning Protocol
He outlines a simple daily protocol: sit upright, set an intention of kindness, and focus on natural breathing for 10 minutes. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning, making this window especially effective for calming the nervous system.
Micro-Moments in Daily Stress
To integrate mindfulness into real life, Thubten recommends brief “micro-moments” during triggers like queues or traffic. Dropping the shoulders, feeling the feet on the ground, and noticing the breath interrupts automatic stress responses.
The Compost Metaphor
Rather than rejecting painful thoughts or trauma, Thubten uses the metaphor of compost. Difficult experiences become the raw material for growth when met with awareness instead of resistance.
Consumer Culture and the Dopamine Loop
Thubten links declining wellbeing in Western countries to a culture that constantly signals lack. The chase becomes addictive, while attainment delivers diminishing relief keeping people stuck in the search.
“The search for happiness is the problem, because searching is a habit that only leads to more searching. What we’re really looking for is the absence of wanting.”
Why This Episode Matters
This conversation reframes mental struggle as a training issue rather than a personal flaw. It suggests that freedom is less about changing life circumstances and more about changing the relationship to thought itself.
What Viewers Are Saying
Audience response reflects recognition and relief, with many viewers describing the message as permission to stop striving and start inhabiting their lives as they are.
- @Lev-t2t: “You are rich when you are content with what you have.”
- @bernadettegobbels8649: “No goals, no perfection just living the life you have as courageously as possible.”
Worth Watching If
✅ You want to hear Thubten’s account of extended silent retreat and psychological breakdown-to-breakthrough.
✅ You’re interested in how Buddhism interprets stress and overthinking without pathology.
⏭️ Skip If:
A simple 10-minute meditation protocol and the idea that happiness is the absence of wanting already give you enough practical insight.
🎥 WATCH THE FULL EPISODE ON YOUTUBE
About the Creator
The Diary of a CEO is a long-form podcast exploring psychology, success, meaning, and modern life through in-depth conversations.
Gelong Thubten is a Buddhist monk, meditation teacher, and author known for making contemplative practice accessible to secular audiences.
Video Intelligence
- Platform: YouTube
- Views: 2,169,197
- Likes: 45,000
- Comments: 3,515
- Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Upload Date: June 23, 2025
This article is part of Creator Daily’s Personal Growth Desk, where we examine how creators explore meaning, identity, and inner freedom.