Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast
The Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast aims to awaken, enlighten, enrich, and inspire listeners. Hosted by Timber Hawkeye, bestselling author of Buddhist Boot Camp, Faithfully Religionless, and the Opposite of Namaste, the show offers a secular approach to inner peace and harmony with the world. Drawing from Buddhist principles without requiring religious adherence, it encourages becoming a better version of oneself regardless of existing beliefs.
Episodes
Belonging
Our need to belong is natural, healthy, and necessary, but the craving for acceptance is egocentric, fragile, and unstable. That's why many of us feel stuck between wanting connection, but resenting social convention pressuring us to conform in order to belong. The Buddha's realization was that he wasn't even separate from the tree under which he was meditating; they were one. We all are. My invit
Scapegoating
The more consistently you take ownership of your inner world, the less you try to outsource your well-being. It starts by noticing how often you blame something or someone else for your misery, and you might also see how dependent you've become on something or someone else for your happiness. The peace we are chasing is not "out there" somewhere, it is patiently waiting for us to come back to ours
Meaningful Communication
We are all taught a language, but we are not taught how to communicate, which is the reason for so many arguments and misunderstandings. When the Buddha spoke of Mindful Speech, it wasn't just about avoiding gossip and verbal abuse. Mindful Speech is also about purposeful and meaningful communication. Words can be useless and lack meaning, or they can be rich and offer healing. In a world where it
Stay In Your Lane
Trying to control someone is not the same as loving or caring for them. True compassion respects autonomy; it does not try to engineer outcomes. So, do not exhaust yourself trying to change what is not yours to fix. Peace comes from accepting what is, keeping in mind that acceptance does not mean approval, it simply means recognizing what is within our control, and gently releasing what is not.
Cling No More
Don't ignore the past, but don't cling to it, either. We are not what has happened in our lives, nor anything we have done, we are who we choose to become today. The Buddhist concept of Non-attachment is not about erasing who we were, it's about not being confined by it.
The Tone of Silence
Imagine the inner-peace that comes from no longer trying to convince anyone of anything. What would happen if you choose NOT to argue? The mantra that keeps me silent 99% of the time is "The only thing I know for certain is that I don't know anything for certain, so I don't argue with anyone about anything, I just listen." Prioritizing inner-peace means diligently and consistently overriding the e
Character
To avoid being self-obsessed and desperately seeking the approval of others, Buddhism invites us to remain focused on WHO we are (our character), and be less concerned with WHAT we are (our identity and all the labels we wear). Egocentric identities are performative and outwardly expressive in order to be noticed, recognized, and praised, while your character isn't loud, it isn't censored, filtere
W.A.I.T.
To practice the timeliness of mindful speech, I personally use the W.A.I.T acronym, which stands for "Why Am I Talking?" It serves as a reminder to pause before speaking. WAIT can also stand for Why Am I Texting? Why Am I Troubled? Or Why Am I Triggered? I've learned the hard way that speaking even the most true and kind words can create conflict if the person speaking them or hearing them is not
Blind Spots
We all have bind spots, and I was recently made aware of one of my own. Since I'm committed to being honest and transparent, it's important that I not only share my "Ah-ha Moments" with you, but also my "Oh-oh Moments" when I fail to see things clearly. I thought exclusivity was the same as discriminatory, but now, thanks to you, I see how my own point of view was limited because of a blind spot.
Let The Mystery Be
The reason we frequently argue, fight, and get so easily frustrated, is not because we don't understand each other, it's because we think we can. Even people who go through seemingly identical experiences emerge completely different on the other side. So, if it's inner-peace you are after, start by accepting that although empathy and compassion go a long way, you can't truly understand anyone else
Behind The Mask
Are you brave enough to see yourself without any of the masks you wear at work, at church, on social media, or wherever you claim to have moral standards and beliefs to which your behavior doesn't actually conform? Of the twenty or so obstacles on the spiritual path, hypocrisy may be the hardest to face, but it's the easiest to overcome. Eliminating the internal conflict of claiming to be one thin
Back To Basics
Even when we can't control our thoughrts, we can still control the quality of our thoughts. And since we are more deeply affected by our thoughts than by experiences, it's important to learn how our fascinating minds work.
David and Goliath
Feeling overwhelmed is not a reason to overreact or act in a way that isn't in line with your core values. If you don't know what to do, it's okay to say "I don't know what to do," and perhaps all the reason to postpone doing anything until you have more clarity. With enough time, your core principles and moral compass help you find true north, the middle path, and peace with whatever decision you
Change The World
If you don't define what "enough" means to you, you will never HAVE enough, and you will never feel like you ARE enough. You can't change the world in its entirety, but you CAN change someone's entire world, and that, my friends, is enough!
Prevention Is The Best Cure
Just like all the water in the ocean can't sink a ship unless the water gets inside the boat, all the negativity and toxicity in the world won't bring you down unless you let it in. Mindfulness doesn't make other people less irritating, it makes us less irritable. So, if you are still irritable, then you still have work to do. Part of that work involves no longer waiting for the world to accommoda
No Praise, No Blame
It's in your best interest to increase your tolerance. Avoid wishing for things to be different than they are because comparison, attachment, desire, and resistance, are the causes of our anguish and suffering. All of life's challenges, difficulties, and hardships are part of the process. Don't be so quick to dismiss or resist them. In my experience, the obstacles I wish to avoid contain the valua
What's In Your Heart
Whether you are full of love and kindness or rage and judgment, that's what's going to spill out of you when life gets rough. So, be mindful of what you consume and fill yourself with, because that's what's going to determine what kind of day you will have, how you experience this year and the rest of your life... it's up to you, not anybody or anything else. So, what's in YOUR heart?
Too Much Fear
This is NOT about smoke detectors or scared birds, listen between the lines, it's not only about understanding other people, it's about understanding ourselves as well. Fear is a big motivator behind many of our actions, recognize it so it doesn't run and ruin your life.
Health
Focus on your health, and watch all the opinions that we tend to fret and argue about become trivial in comparison because nothing is more important. Please don't wait until you are sick to realize this!
Obligation
If we don't say YES authentically, we say yes resentfully. And whenever we say we "have to" do something, we identify as victims, instead of saying we CHOOSE to or, better yet, we GET to!
Beyond the Five Senses
Are we only compassionate to an extent and then turn cold? Do we have a sense of compassion for wounds we can see but not others? Where do we draw the line? Is there a line? I believe compassion has no contingencies. The invitation is for us to open our hearts to understand why ALL people behave the way they do, and even empathize if they lack certain emotional capacities.
Despair and Hope
In times of despair, it is important to remember that our current situation is not our final destination. To get through the darkness, I have often had to use the mantra "This is a bruise, not a tattoo." If you find value in these videos, please show your support at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/support — Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.
Integrity
What is the meaning of Integrity? How do you define it? And do you have the courage to build your life around your answer?
Equity
Once we understand the difference between Judgment and Discernment, we understand the difference between Equity and Equality. Whenever I find myself thinking something is unfair, I urge myself to think again using a wider lens that doesn't place me at the center of universe.
Shortsighted
We claim to fully understand what we have only partially experienced, and we dismiss other people's reality as invalid if it contradicts our own. That's our ego playing tricks on us until we argue and fight to prove that we are right by making someone else wrong. Yogananda called it "Feeling tall by cutting of the heads of other men." The entire concept that you are somehow separate from others is
How We Feel
Understand your feelings and keep track of patterns that influence your emotional responses in life. Over time, you will learn to regulate your feelings in healthier ways, and stop blaming others for your state of mind.
Ceasefire
As long as I think there is a war inside of me, the battle will continue, but struggle is not a requirement. We can call a truce, enter a peace agreement, and stop fighting. If we want inner-peace, we must be peaceful.
Already Forgiven
What would life look like if we stopped beating ourselves up with guilt and shame, and started loving ourselves unconditionally?
Spiritual Practice
Spiritual practice is not what happens at church or on the meditation cushion (that's spiritual ritual), Spiritual Practice is how you behave throughout the day. Here's a 6-minute episode kick-in-the-🍑 :) Enjoy and share with others.
Mind Shenanigans
Don't believe everything you think because the mind can play tricks on you. Familiarize yourself with some of the mind's shenanigans, and you'll stop believing everything you think.
Beyond Right and Wrong
When you can't understand why people do what they do (whether it's someone you know or atrocities on the news), try this shift in outlook, and I bet you'll immediately see yourself in everyone else. Don't try to use your logic, use your heart instead!
Safe Haven
Your home and your friendships, relationships, or marriage, are to be your safe haven and happy place, not another battle you have to fight. May we all Live In Peace.
Pace
My nose was congested when recording this on the first day I finally felt well enough to tape this episode. If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to take time for your illness. Case in point! Life is not a race. People say they want a life of leisure but rarely do anything leisurely... slow down!
Buddhist Activism
Can Buddhists be activists? How? And to what end?
What Else?
This is a coping skill when we are overwhelmed by a strong feeling that overshadows everything else. My takeaway: if it's not time to hit the Panic Button, don't hit the Panic Button! :)
Wounded
We are all wounded in ways we don't always understand or even know about. You sometimes can't even see the wound, but you still experience its symptoms: your reactions, aversions, opinions, preferences, and biases, are often indicators of trauma, so don't ignore, escape, deny, or try to numb the symptoms, pay attention to them; awareness is the first step to healing.
Learning Curve
Everything is in a constant state of change, and sometimes it can be very difficult for many of us to keep up. Resistance creates suffering, so acceptance is the only way forward, but some learning curves are steeper than others. Be gentle with yourself and with everyone else.
Nothing Personal
Some people will like you, others will hate you, and neither would have anything to do with you. All Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast episodes are available with captions on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4J225QZyF0o
Snooze
A worry that comes up in your mind is like getting a phone call from an unknown number. When you don't have all the information, you can just hit the red button to make it go away. They will either leave a voicemail and you will deal with it later, or they will hang up. Either way, there is nothing to worry about.
Pessimism
I found myself surprisingly motivated by pessimistic thoughts, driven to action by what I previously thought was a "negative" perspective, but I now realize is neither "good" nor "bad," it's just another voice that needs to have equal say during the decision-making process. Now pessimism has a "seat at the table," so to speak. What motivates you?
Reflection
That which we don't like about someone else is often what we dislike about ourselves. So, next time someone triggers you, think to yourself "Thank you" instead of "F-you" because they are reflecting a side of you that you try to ignore.
Alignment
What you DON'T do is as important as what you do (if not more so). So, instead of thinking you need to do MORE of something in order to be more mindful or spiritual or healthy, what do you need to STOP doing because it's working against you?
Coping Mechanisms
Does the way you cope with one challenge cause another problem down the line, sometimes even bigger than the initial difficulty with which your coping mechanism was designed to help? It's important to have multiple tools so we don't try to solve everything with food, for example, which would be like trying to build with only a hammer.
Off Script
You get upset with people as if life has a script and they need to play along. There is no script. And nobody is under contract to act according to you. When I get upset with someone, this is the 3-minute episode I bring to mind to calm down.
Happiness
If we chase happiness by seeking sense pleasures and avoiding unpleasant sensations, attachment to wealth and praise, or aversion to loss and blame, we may gain temporary happiness, but it will be accompanied by fear, restlessness, and concern, all of which make us miserable. But there is another way...
Heartache
Nothing hurts the same way forever, though sometimes it seems right that it should. Gauge your pain by monitoring its intensity, frequency, and duration.
Patience
When we are emotionally triggered, we get tunnel vision and only see things from our perspective. We feel so wronged that our brains actually rationalize irrational behavior (like aggression) when we most need to remain calm and patient.
The People Upstairs
It's not literally about the people upstairs, it's about the few who make decisions that affect the many.
Perspective
Is it possible to pay too much attention and lose perspective? Let's not miss the forest for the trees, nor the trees for the forest.
Conviction
Understing what's going on with people who don't walk the talk. Are they hypocritical or reasonable? Is it possible for us to be driven by conflicting intentions, or is it our old friend Cognitive Dissonance? Does doing this create turmoil within? Only you can answer that for yourself.
Neurodivergence
Get curious about the many paths up this mountain of life, not just the trail most traveled. Neurodivergents are also known as being on the autism spectrum, processing data and feelings in ways that neurotypicals don't always understand, let alone accept. It's an operating system that works just fine, though not always compatible with others (like Android and Apple). This was one of the most diffi
Survivor's Guilt
Why do some survive when others don't? Is it just luck, or is there a bigger reason behind it? Do we look for the meaning behind a second chance, or do we give it meaning by what we do with it?
Personality
Answering the question "Who Am I?" (without confusing identity with personality) is a lifelong journey of development, creation, and realization.
Stability
We either actively create the balance we seek or we are creating the imbalance we try to escape. To listen with captions, watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/N80LPA6mN3U
Accountability
Are you what the Buddha called a Hungry Ghost? If you expect the world to run according to you, that expectation is the source of your misery, not anybody or anything else. And if this accountability feels like an attack to someone, they are not yet ready to acknowledge their own behavior. This episode is about the entitlement, the greed, the self-centeredness, and general preoccupation with our o
The Path of Love
How far must you go off the path before you realize you are off of it? If you define it well enough and frequently check, the reward of being on the path is enough motivation not to veer off.
Practice
Buddhism is called a practice, and we are practitioners. As such, we exercise mindful conduct, speech, resolve, livelihood, effort, and so on, the same way athletes exercise their skills between games. We are not perfect, but even professional basketball players don't make every shot.
Greed
It's impossible to stop wanting things, but there is a difference between wholesome desires and being blinded by greed. Buddhism is a practice of discernment with the intention to reduce suffering (for ourselves and others). It's easy to spot greed out in the world, but if we are mindful, we can spot it in our own thoughts and actions as well.
Rise
This is a call for us to rise as Soldiers of Peace in the Army of Love and put mindfulness into action, which instills a sense of purpose into our every thought, word, and action, because our beliefs alone don't make us "better people," our behavior does. So.. buckle up!
Trauma Response
The defense mechanisms we developed during one time in our lives in order to protect ourselves can work against us if we don't let them go when they no longer serve their initial purpose. If you find value in these videos, please show your support at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/support or with as little as $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp
Not Knowing
Liberate yourself from anguish and anxiety by embracing uncertainty. After all, anything else is an illusion, isn't it? 🤔
Why We Hang On
Nobody will choose to let go of what they still believe has value. We often get stuck thinking something improves our lives, we lose sight of how our lives might improve if we let go of it completely. And some people don't let go of what is detrimental to them because they don't know how; they don't have the tools or skills or.. the screwdriver with which to unscrew themselves. To keep the podcast
Composure
Most of us like being in control, yet the only thing we actually CAN control is the one thing we don't: our composure. Imagine responding to emotions and events with grace instead of reacting with rage. To listen with captions, visit https://youtu.be/XQzFCsqRq8I
Big Deal
Is it a big deal? Well.. that depends... Getting into the habit of asking yourself this question throughout the day will change the way you eat, drink, argue, text, relate to others, and dare I say... it will change your life (it's changing mine).
We See What We Seek
What we focus on, grows, and I made the mistake of focusing on what I wanted to change about myself, which only made it worse. What we think about, we bring about! So, what I needed to do (and will start doing from now on), is promote what I love instead of bashing what I hate (about myself and the world), because we see what we seek. I know there is beauty in the world (and in me), so if I don't
Elaborate
Give yourself the gift of depth by elaborating to better understand yourself and others, and strengthen your connections.
Relapse
We all slip off the path from time to time. It's important to remember that a relapse is just a bruise, not a tattoo. In sports terms, it's like being down a point, not losing the game, and we are all still in the game.
Nonattachment
Love and attachment are not the same thing, they are the healthy and unhealthy versions of the same thing. We get attached to items, people, ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The more attached we are, the less free we are. This episode is an abbreviation of a talk I gave on Sunday about the beauty of love without attachment, not because the love will last forever, but because nothing ever does.
Guiding Principles
These principles are helpful guides to ensure our actions are aligned with our beliefs. You can either accept these guidelines or reject them, amend or append, uphold or release; there is no wrong answer. The Buddha never told us WHAT to think, he told us to think! His intention was for us to contemplate WHY we do what we do. This is so we aren't even tempted to do certain things in the first plac
The Absence of Judgment
People seldom ask themselves if they are ready to love before they decide to get into a relationship or to have kids, they just want to BE loved and simply assume they will be able to love in return. For some, loving comes easily because they aren't judgmental, but for many, judgment comes easily, making love difficult to find. What's in question is no longer whether or not we can love freely, it
Not Up To Me
It's a huge relief to distinguish between what is for us to decide and what is out of our hands. Some things are not up to us, yet we try to control every step of the process AND the outcome, which causes unnecessary stress and anxiety. The simple mantra "It's not up to me," keeps me grounded, and I hope it helps you as well. To listen to the episode with captions, visit the Buddhist Boot Camp Yo
Pride Month
In celebration of Pride Month, many people ask "What is the Buddhist view on homosexuality?" Here is the answer you can share with everyone you know: https://youtu.be/9WP3534V83Y
Fear
Fear will run and ruin your life if you let it. The trick is to see fear as a speed bump, not a dead-end street. This episode is only five minutes long, but it can stay with you for a lifetime. The Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast is commercial-free without ads or sponsorships thanks to listeners like you who donate as little as $1 a month through patreon.com/buddhistbootcamp Thank you for being a Soldi
Am I Normal?
What does "Normal" even mean? To what lengths are we willing go to fit in? From a very young age, I was told something was wrong with me simply because I was different. Would you pretend to be someone you're not in order to be liked and admired, celebrated or accepted? Would you commit a crime? Do drugs? Work 80 hours a week? Wear certain clothes to fit-in? Have kids? Sign a 30-year loan? Would yo
Why We Share
Have you ever wondered why you have the urge to share your opinion with people without being asked? Even some of the information we THINK is helpful, caring, and kind, is actually demoralizing, hostile, and reeks of a superiority complex lurking behind our urge to share. All too often, we have ulterior motives when we dump our opinions on others unsolicited.
Bouncer
All sorts of random thoughts show up during the day and even while meditating, so we need a bouncer to decide which thoughts get to enter our minds, which have to stand outside, and which are banned for life. To listen with captions, visit: https://youtu.be/XnUAJB3Y0Xk
Discipline & Dedication
We think happiness will result from accumulating one instant gratification after another, but each gratifying moment is so brief, we spend more time chasing happiness than being happy. Practice not giving the mind everything it wants.
Distractions
Inside of you there is a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time. If you find value in these videos, please show your support at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/support or with as little as $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp • You can schedule a one-on-one session at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/meet — Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.
Effort
Effort is a direct reflection of our dedication and commitment. If you find value in these videos, please show your support at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/support or with as little as $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp • You can schedule a one-on-one session at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/meet
Love Languages
This is the recording of Timber's talk at a local church this morning, all about Gary Chapman's Five Love Languages, Clay Davidson's Unconditional Love, and an uncomfortable look in the mirror to see where we still hold judgment about how others do things, how we fail to love people the way they want to be loved (insisting instead on loving them the way we want), and how loving God fits into all t
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