Forrest and Rick sit down with Dr. Susan David, the creator of the concept of Emotional Agility. Emotional agility is what allows us to navigate our complex emotions, make choices aligned with our values, and ultimately lead more authentic and fulfilling lives.

They begin by discussing the four parts of emotional agility and distinguishing it from related concepts like emotional intelligence before exploring how we can “unhook” from our painful or problematic thoughts, feelings, and stories. They then explore how we can identify what really matters to us, act from those values, and find our footing in an ever-changing world. 

About our Guest: Susan David, Ph.D. is an award-winning Harvard Medical School psychologist and the author of the #1 Bestseller Emotional Agility. She is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, and her TED Talk on the topic of emotional agility has been seen by more than 10 million people.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00 : Introduction

1:50 : Distinguishing emotional agility from emotional intelligence

5:00 : The four parts of emotional agility

10:30 : The value of seeing yourself and feeling seen by others

16:20 : Continuity of self, and considering your future self

21:45 : Ways to recognize our unhelpful patterns or ‘hooks’

26:40 : Maintaining context for the full scope of our values

32:55 : Defining the concept of values

35:50 : Learning from discomfort, boredom, and anxiety

40:30 : When you struggle to identify your values in the first place

46:05 : Compassion and groundedness amidst constant change

52:40 : Accurately labeling your stressors

58:30 : Love and wisdom 

1:00:00 : Recap

Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors:

Factor delivers fresh, never-frozen, fully prepared meals right to your door. Head to factormeals.com/beingwell50 and use code beingwell50 to get 50% off. 

Zocdoc helps you find expert doctors and medical professionals that specialize in the care you need, and deliver the type of experience you want. Head to zocdoc.com/being and download the Zocdoc app for FREE.

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

Finally get that project off the ground with Squarespace! Head to squarespace.com/beingwell for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch use coupon code BEINGWELL to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Connect with the show:

• Subscribe on iTunes


• Follow Forrest on YouTube


• Follow us on Instagram


• Follow Forrest on Instagram


• Follow Rick on Facebook


• Follow Forrest on Facebook


• Visit Forrest's website

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices