Episode 154
Discover the Power of Mindfulness for Personal Growth and Well-Being with Bill O'Boyle
About the Guest(s):
Bill O'Boyle is a mental health professional based in Solon, Ohio. After retiring ten years ago, Bill faced serious medical issues and became the primary caretaker for his wife's parents. During this time, he experienced depression and isolation. However, he discovered the writings of renowned psychiatrist David Hawkins, which focused on mindfulness and being present in the moment. Inspired by these teachings, Bill overcame his depression and decided to open his own practice, utilizing mindfulness in his work.
Episode Summary:
In this episode, host Mark Quinn interviews mental health professional Bill O'Boyle about the power of mindfulness. Bill shares his personal journey of overcoming depression and finding purpose through mindfulness. He explains that mindfulness is not about religious or spiritual practices but rather about paying attention to the present moment on purpose and without judgment. Mark and Bill discuss the importance of being present, accepting one's thoughts and feelings, and the impact of mindfulness on overall well-being. They also touch on the concept of psychological flexibility and the ability to engage in valued behavior while accepting what is going on internally.
Key Takeaways:
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment on purpose and without judgment.
By being present and accepting our thoughts and feelings, we can be more effective in various aspects of our lives.
The observer, who is noticing our thoughts and feelings, is the constant in mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness helps in reducing anxiety about the future or regret about the past by focusing on what we can control in the present moment.
Psychological flexibility involves accepting what is going on internally while still moving forward with valued behavior.
Notable Quotes:
"51% of the time, we're not in the present moment. So by definition, that means we've all missed half of our life." - Bill O'Boyle
"The key is being present in the moment to understand what it is you would like to do, be accepting of the anxiety that may come about for fear of change. That's okay. Accept that and move forward about what it is that you want to do." - Mark Quinn
"It's the key to effective functioning in the world, without a doubt." - Bill O'Boyle
Resources:
Bill O'Boyle's website https://www.oboylecounseling.com/
Works of David Hawkins: https://veritaspub.com/
To listen to the full episode and gain valuable insights into the power of mindfulness, tune in to the podcast. Stay tuned for more enlightening content from the show.
END OF SHOW NOTES.
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Transcript
[TRANSCRIPT]
::0:00:37 - (Mark Quinn): And Bill's been working with me in a way to try and increase my awareness of being mindful. And I think what he shares in this conversation can help you grow yourself along the way. And so, Bill, welcome, and thank you so much for joining us on the show. I mean, give us a second. Who's Bill O'Boyle?
::0:01:33 - (Bill O'Boyle): And I started to go through some depression, which kind of led me to sort of isolating myself in addition to taking care of them. But I discovered some readings by a gentleman by the name of David Hawkins, and he's a psychiatrist who's fairly renowned. And I became enamored with his writings. And I would just sit, drink in the writings that he had. And I read all of his books probably three times. And it was on mindfulness and how to get into the present moment, which was the gist of what he was trying to talk about. So that led me on my way to this path of mindfulness. And I eventually came out of the depression, and I decided to open up a practice.
::0:02:27 - (Mark Quinn): Practice, and I want to put something on the table here and get the elephant in the room right out of the way early. When you talk about mindfulness, people have stereotypes that come to their.
::0:02:39 - (Mark Quinn): They come to their focus of meditation and mindfulness is just not that.
::0:03:21 - (Mark Quinn): And I think being present is something that is worth exploring a little bit more, because as you and I were working together, anxiety about the future. What if, what if, what if? And you can just spin yourself right into a stressful state that you're just ineffective, or you can go the other way. I regret. I regret. I regret what I did. Neither of those things you have the ability to control.
::0:03:48 - (Mark Quinn): And I think, as you help me focus on just being in the present, what's come about from this and been really helpful to me is now I'm aware if I start to deviate into those paths of the future or the past, and I have a choice. I can go down those paths, I can spin myself up, or I can choose to sit down and look at the mindfulness of the moment and say, this is what's in front of me right now. This is what I can control.
::0:04:48 - (Bill O'Boyle): Psychology now has evolved in a way where we've moved away from trying to change thoughts and change feelings. And the research indicated that that wasn't working. So now the push is to be accepting of that, accepting what we're feeling, what we're thinking, because if we can have our interior at the same time, then without trying to get rid of it, then we can be more effective in engaging in that present moment.
::0:05:47 - (Mark Quinn): The key is being present in the moment to understand what it is you would like to do, be accepting of the anxiety that may come about for fear of change. That's okay. Accept that and move forward about what it is that you want to do. Then you can move forward about how you want to plan. It's actually two different steps.
::0:06:44 - (Bill O'Boyle): That's a critical question, and that's the constant. That's what mindfulness entails. Is it becoming in touch with the observer who's noticing the clouds, I. E. The thoughts and feelings going through. And that's what makes it such a simplistic yet profound experience.
::0:07:32 - (Bill O'Boyle): Sure. Right? Yeah. The push now, Mark. The model now in acceptance and commitment therapy is one whereby we do accept what's going on in the face of valued behavior, going in a valued direction. That's the way psychology now is talking about what's called transdiagnostic. We're no longer looking at specific diagnoses and looking, but we're looking at behavioral change in the form of psychological flexibility, which means being able to have what's going on within us at the same time, but still being able to move forward with valued behavior and committed behavior. So that's a very different perspective than working on each individual diagnoses per se.
::0:08:35 - (Bill O'Boyle): No, it's all about practice. And it's not exciting work, and it might come across as boring. But with practice, you can get really good at this, and it really has profound effects on your functioning in all areas of life.
::0:09:40 - (Mark Quinn): This is what I'm thinking about today. And people that have heard the show know. That's how I close every show. That's what I'm thinking about today. And it can be whatever it is. And I think that's the thing I took away from working with you. Is that about being just what I can control, that's what I can address, that's what I can focus on, and that's what makes a difference.
::0:10:26 - (Mark Quinn): Yeah. And I think that's something that I would share. If the concept of mindfulness and being able to center yourself and focus on what you can control is of really interest to you, find a mental health professional in your area. Bill is in Solan, Ohio, and I would encourage you to check out his services, and I'll have his website and contact information in the show notes. But it's something that will be very life changing once you learn how to think about how you approach yourself and what you're thinking about.
::0:11:22 - (Bill O'Boyle): It's the key to effective functioning in the world, Mark, without a doubt.
::0:11:53 - (Bill O'Boyle): Mark, it's been a pleasure. Thank you for having me, and I look forward to the next time. Thank you.
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