The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

E260: Russell Brand FINALLY Opens Up: Escaping A Lifetime Of Anxiety, Addiction & Finding Love!

Thu Jun 29 2023

Russell BrandAddictionRecoverySpiritualityFatherhoodConnectionLoveUnityQuestioning Authority

Description

This episode explores Russell Brand's childhood, addiction, recovery, and spiritual journey. It delves into the role of worship, success, and questioning authority in society. The impact of fatherhood, connection, and love is also discussed. The episode emphasizes the importance of self-compassion, personal change, and unity of consciousness. It concludes with insights on conscious living, touch, vulnerability, and the power of love. The episode ends with a closing tradition about having a final conversation with someone.

Insights

Addiction as a Search for Connection

Russell Brand believes that addiction stems from a lack of connection to self, others, and God. Loneliness and feelings of worthlessness can be ingredients for success.

Questioning Authority and Finding Guidance

The episode explores the crisis of authority and the importance of seeking guidance from like-minded individuals. Skepticism and requiring evidence are common responses to authority challenges.

The Impact of Fatherhood and Connection

Fatherless men often feel burdened and unsafe in the world. The absence of a father can lead to drug addiction, alcoholism, or emotional disconnection. Human beings thrive when they are connected and communicate together for a common goal.

The Power of Love and Unity

Love is the felt awareness of the true unity that undergirds apparent separation. It is more than a sensation, it is a duty and the deepest truth of our kind. Telling the truth and loving everyone are essential lessons.

Embracing Change and Taking Action

To achieve objectives of connection, community, kindness, and togetherness, power should be brought closer to the people affected by it through decentralization and localization. Both sides of political conversation should reconsider privatization as the solution for everything.

Chapters

Russell Brand's Childhood and Addiction
The Role of Worship and Success in Society
Recovery and Spiritual Tools for Life's Challenges
The Pursuit of Spirituality and Alignment with Purpose
Steps Towards Change and Questioning Authority
Finding Guidance and Questioning Authority
The Impact of Fatherhood and Connection
The Impact of Fatherhood and Connection (Continued)
Building Consensus and Taking Action
The Unity of Consciousness and Personal Change
The Importance of Touch and Vulnerability in Human Connection
Self-Compassion and the Spiritual Journey
Love, Unity, and the Divine
The Power of Love and Connection
Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
Final Conversation and Gratitude

Summary

Transcript

Russell Brand's Childhood and Addiction

00:00 - 08:08

Russell Brand is a famous comedian, actor, and author.
He had a difficult childhood marked by drugs, self-harm, and his mother's illnesses.
He initially sought fame as a solution to feeling disconnected and lonely.
Loneliness and feelings of worthlessness can be ingredients for success.
Russell Brand has overcome addiction and found a new way to handle pain.
He believes that we are all addicts searching for ways to feel less pain.
There may be a simple cure for this feeling in plain sight.
Disconnection was a significant issue in Russell's life, stemming from being the only black kid in Plymouth, UK.
His childhood experiences shaped him into an addict seeking connection through materialism and attachment.
There is a deep spiritual appetite within all of us for connection, but our culture promotes individualism and materialism instead.
Addiction is partly caused by a lack of connection to self, others, and God.

The Role of Worship and Success in Society

07:42 - 15:52

Humans have a natural inclination to worship, and if they don't access the divine, they will worship mundane things like their own identity or belongings.
The speaker's initial solution to feeling weak and disconnected was to strive for success and fame.
Our culture amplifies the message of needing external validation and possessions to feel sufficient.
Many successful people have experienced feelings of inferiority and not being good enough.
The speaker believes in an all-loving God that doesn't require special adornments or rituals for access.
Making people laugh during a school play gave the speaker a sense of purpose and competence.
The speaker wants to embrace individuality while recognizing our collective unity as humans.
The culture often values monetization and mobilization over personal expression and uniqueness.

Recovery and Spiritual Tools for Life's Challenges

15:33 - 22:29

Lately, due to the principles of recovery, I have mentors, peers, and people that look to me for guidance.
I feel incorporated with my younger self now and it helps me connect with young, vulnerable people who are struggling.
I believe there could have been another path to where I am now, but I accept the path I've walked.
Recovery provides a different set of tools to deal with life's challenges in a spiritual way.
Spirituality is a survival technique and without it, people try to create their own version of spirituality based on preferences.
The city has changed and I have changed. No man crosses the same river twice.

The Pursuit of Spirituality and Alignment with Purpose

22:11 - 28:47

Spirituality is not complicated and can be practiced naturally by many people.
Choosing materialism and preference as a god leads to negative consequences.
There are templates, paradigms, conditions, and practices that can help in spiritual pursuits.
Failure in the pursuit of impermanent preferences leads to pain, disconnection, loneliness, despair, and a sense of worthlessness.
Addicts are close to realizing that nothing is real and destroying the self is necessary for recovery.
In loneliness and feelings of worthlessness lie the ingredients for reorganization and awakening.
The failure is a sense of knowing when one's actions go against their inner moral compass or the God within them.
Tweaks can be made to align oneself with their purpose or calling.
Thoughts are merely the first layer of the external world and should be observed rather than identified with.

Steps Towards Change and Questioning Authority

28:27 - 35:01

Tuning out the signal in our belly that tells us how we truly feel
Leaving the familiar and inducing change through crisis
Acknowledging the problem of our condition and admitting life has become unmanageable
Believing change is possible and seeking mentorship from those who have overcome similar challenges
Importing new ideas and seeking divine help through prayer, meditation, and humility
Accepting someone else's plan and surrendering control
Recognizing the contradiction of activated surrender and serving a higher authority
Disliking authority but striving to belong to something higher than imposed systems

Finding Guidance and Questioning Authority

34:42 - 41:55

Running a new instruction manual for your life is step three in seeking change.
Finding the right instruction manual can be challenging with many temptations and wrong paths.
The crisis of authority makes it difficult to trust government, media, and other institutions.
Finding a group of like-minded individuals can provide guidance and support.
Trusting oneself and intuition is not easy when embarking on a journey of change.
Skepticism and requiring evidence are common responses to authority challenges.
The speaker's skepticism comes from a deep love of God and respect for individual liberty.
Broken systems throughout history have led to mistrust of authority.
Questioning authority is important but can make bedtime and schooling difficult.
Bureaucracies tend to accumulate power and restrict individual freedom.

The Impact of Fatherhood and Connection

41:25 - 48:19

Bureaucracy and centralized authority tend to accumulate power and dominate resources.
Unelected acronym organizations have significant influence in the world today.
Being a parent involves making errors and wounding children, which is a necessity.
Fatherless men often feel burdened and unsafe in the world.
The absence of a father can lead to drug addiction, alcoholism, or emotional disconnection.
Human beings thrive when they are connected and communicate together for a common goal.
Initiation rituals play an important role in societies throughout history.
Prematurely being forced into adulthood can have lasting effects on individuals.
The instability caused by cancer affected the young boy's sense of connection.

The Impact of Fatherhood and Connection (Continued)

47:52 - 55:12

The destabilization of a young boy's sense of connection can have a profound impact on their development.
Faking adulthood without proper guidance and initiation can lead to a lack of understanding of one's role and responsibilities.
Without reliable and trustworthy elders, young people may create their own communities without the necessary values and hierarchies.
Worshipping gods like pleasure, money, and fame can lead to a loss of divine principles and interconnectivity.
Observing the difference between symptom and cause is crucial in addressing cultural challenges.
Sesame street values like kindness, love, and service can go a long way in taking care of many issues.
Recognizing diversity and reaching out to those we disagree with in good faith is essential for achieving consensus.
Censorship should be avoided while promoting open communication in order to find common ground.

Building Consensus and Taking Action

54:50 - 1:01:56

Consensus must be founded on good faith and open communication.
Censorship should be avoided, but not to promote toxicity and hate.
Investigate organizations' funding, affiliations, agenda, and imperative before granting them authority.
Recognize that we have more in common with those we fight with than those who claim to protect us.
To achieve objectives of connection, community, kindness, and togetherness:
Bring power closer to the people affected by it through decentralization and localization.
Aim for true democracy based on practiced values.
Redistribute control of municipal facilities to the affected community.
Recognize the beauty, compassion, ingenuity, commitment, and devotion of hospital workers.
Both sides of political conversation should reconsider privatization as the solution for everything.
Address centralized authority in financial, corporate or state power wherever possible.
Embrace consciousness awakening and act like change is possible.
Free science, medicine, and technology from a system focused solely on materialization and commodity.
Recognize infinite diversity and individual freedom while taking responsibility for personal growth.

The Unity of Consciousness and Personal Change

1:01:36 - 1:08:06

Quantum entanglement suggests a unified field where particles are connected
We are individual but connected, and personal change is possible
Dominion principles underlie revolutions like agriculture and technology
Great sages have urged us to be the change we want to see in the world
Consciousness precedes matter, and we have unique access to consciousness
Authoritarian forces seek to colonize our attention and data
Awakening to our true selves is significant and should not be ignored
Russell Brand shares his daily routine of conscious living
He practices cold therapy, hot temperatures, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, yoga, and other exercises
Getting in touch with the body is important for self-awareness and connection

The Importance of Touch and Vulnerability in Human Connection

1:07:46 - 1:14:23

The podcast discusses the importance of touch and vulnerability in human connection.
The host shares his experience with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the trust he developed with his instructor.
Touch is highlighted as an important aspect of human interaction.
The host talks about his daily routine, which includes prayer, meditation, helping others, and seeking support for his own challenges.
The importance of managing trauma and overcoming personal struggles is discussed.
The host emphasizes the ongoing nature of personal growth and self-compassion.
The idea that external solutions may not fully resolve internal issues is explored.
Initiation and surrender are mentioned as ways to activate dormant potential.

Self-Compassion and the Spiritual Journey

1:13:54 - 1:21:00

Self-compassion is important and can ignite dormant potential
Initiation is about activating what is already there
Surrender should be active, not passive
Living a spiritual life is a survival technique
The spiritual journey can be volatile and fast-paced
There is a lot of work to be done, both practical and spiritual
Avoiding the pitfalls of metrics and rankings in content creation
Working on improving patience and surrendering self-will

Love, Unity, and the Divine

1:20:30 - 1:27:27

Patience is important and achieved through surrendering self-will.
Stay connected to God and cultivate a strong connection.
There are recurring ideologies in different religions about overcoming the self.
Culture often distracts us from the ever-present divine.
God is not just a man in the sky, but a powerful figure that loves and guides us.
Religion should promote love for everyone, not hatred or manipulation.
Romantic love is derived from chivalry and can be seen as an aspect of love for the divine.

The Power of Love and Connection

1:27:09 - 1:34:37

Love is the felt awareness of the true unity that undergirds apparent separation.
Love is more than a sensation, it is a duty and the deepest truth of our kind.
Fatherhood teaches that there are more important things in this world than oneself.
Love is real and miraculous, accessible in ordinary moments.
Children belong to the world, not just to their parents.
Becoming a father teaches you everything and requires understanding your place in the world.
The way you love your children should be extended to all people.
Telling the truth and loving everyone are not easy but essential lessons.
Arm your children with knowledge for their future while trusting they will find their own path.
Stay present and conscious to find God in absolute unity and love among us all.

Closing Thoughts and Recommendations

1:34:11 - 1:40:33

God is now, find absolute unity and love in the present moment
Russell Brand's use of poetic language and intentional words
Observation of Russell's ability to string poetry together cohesively
Recommendation to pre-order Russell's show 'Brandemic'
Acknowledgment of Russell's skill in using comedy to address important subject matter
Mention of the 'Community' event on July 14th with notable speakers
Description of the festival and its charitable cause for addiction and mental health support
Closing tradition question about having a final conversation with someone

Final Conversation and Gratitude

1:40:05 - 1:44:58

The podcast has a closing tradition where the last guest leaves a question for the next guest.
The question is about having a 60-second conversation with someone, but it will be the last conversation they have with that person.
The guest finds the question difficult and doesn't want to give up on anyone in their life.
They consider talking to a virtual stranger since it's only for 60 seconds.
The host clarifies that it doesn't mean they can never see the person again.
The guest decides to talk to their nan, expressing love and gratitude.
They mention their nan's kindness and how she loved them unconditionally.
The guest thanks the host for having them on the podcast and appreciates the experience.
There is some discussion about sponsors and investments in Woop and Hule products.