When power comes at us — through authority, intimidation, manipulation, or fear — it can stir old anxiety and self-doubt. So this week I explored how power affects the mind, from personal relationships and childhood conditioning to social hierarchies and authoritarian appeals. We took a look at how greed, hatred, and delusion can corrupt power, how to recognize manipulation and intimidation, and how to reclaim your attention instead of letting fear run the show.

You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-when-unjust-power-comes-at-you-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs at https://rickhanson.com/online-courses/, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

We often give away our power by focusing on what we can’t control and getting pulled into stress, overthinking, or other people’s reactions. This week I focused on how to reclaim your power by focusing on where you actually have influence—your attention, your actions, and your choices—so you can live with more clarity, strength, and purpose.

You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-how-to-claim-the-power-you-do-have-and-disengage-where-you-dont/

And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs at https://rickhanson.com/online-courses/, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When the world feels overwhelming and full of suffering (which seems to happen a lot, these days), it’s easy to feel torn between caring for yourself and caring for others. So this week I explored how to hold both without shutting down or turning away.

You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-how-to-balance-caring-for-oneself-and-caring-for-the-world/

And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs at https://rickhanson.com/online-courses/, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

We often make life harder than it needs to be by pushing, striving, and second-guessing ourselves—but when you learn to trust and surrender to what is already good and wise within you, things begin to feel simpler, steadier, and more at peace.

You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-lifes-easier-when-you-surrender-to-whats-already-good-within-you/

And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs at https://rickhanson.com/online-courses/, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When you look at the state of the world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, helpless, or outraged—and unsure what actually makes a difference. I’ve certainly felt that way myself at times, and lately have been hearing from others that feel similarly. So in this talk, I explore how real change happens when inner growth meets collective action, and how compassion can move from a feeling into something that truly shapes the world.

You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-compassionate-action-for-upstream-sources-of-suffering/

And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs at https://rickhanson.com/online-courses/, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When we’re hurt, frustrated, or facing difficult people, it’s easy to swing between passivity and hostility—either saying nothing and shrinking back, or getting pulled into anger, righteousness, and reactivity.

This week, I explore how to practice a wiser, more courageous form of compassion: one that helps us let go of what burdens the mind, stand up for what matters, and bring both strength and care to other people as well as to ourselves.

You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-wise-and-courageous-compassion-for-others-and-yourself/

And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs at https://rickhanson.com/online-courses/, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When we feel hurt, irritated, or caught in conflict with other people, it’s easy to get stuck in resentment, reactivity, or stress. But empathy is not only something we offer others — it can also be a gift to ourselves. In this talk, I explore the personal benefits of having empathy for others, including how it can soften the heart, reduce inner burden, and help us respond more skillfully while still honoring justice and clear boundaries.

You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-the-personal-benefits-of-empathy-for-them/

And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs at https://rickhanson.com/online-courses/, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

Many of us carry a quiet sense of helplessness or not mattering enough to others. Even if our childhood was generally loving, early experiences of vulnerability can leave emotional traces that shape how we react today.

In this talk, I explore how these early patterns can show up as compensation or overreaction in adult life—and how mindfulness helps us see them clearly and loosen their grip.

From there, I invite a deeper exploration: what happens when we stop fighting the vulnerability of being human? What if we practiced living with radical helplessness, radical trust, and radical acceptance?

These three invitations can open the door to a surprising sense of peace, freedom, and grounded presence in a changing and uncertain world.

You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-exploring-radical-helplessness-radical-trust-and-radical-acceptance/

And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs at https://rickhanson.com/online-courses/, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.