Wisdom

Arianna Huffington on “Changing Course with Maya Adam”: Embracing the Dance of Life

Resilience, well-being, and gratitude are key to navigating the complexity of our modern world.
Maya Adam, MD

Maya Adam, MD

3 Min Read

I’m thrilled to share with you my latest episode of “Changing Course,” where I had the honor of chatting with Arianna Huffington, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global. You can listen to our conversation here.

Arianna delighted me with a piece of wisdom towards the end of our conversation. She said, “life is a dance between making it happen and letting it happen,” which led to a discussion about the need for a balance between working hard and being open to the opportunities that come our way. Arianna’s mindset is so valuable as we face the challenges and changes in our work, our relationships, and our society.

We also discussed how resilience is not just about surviving difficulties, but about growing and evolving through them. This is the core of Thrive Global’s mission – to help people end the cycle of stress and burnout and unleash their full potential through resilience and well-being.

Another key topic we explored was how to integrate work and life in a way that supports our health and happiness. Arianna shared her wisdom that life is not about splitting our time evenly between work and personal life, but about finding a balance that allows us to recharge and renew ourselves. This is essential for thriving in our fast-paced world.

We also talked about the power of storytelling and how it can create connection and inspiration. Arianna told me about her early exposure to storytelling through her mother, who was an opera lover. Arianna shares my conviction that you can’t change someone’s mind without touching their heart in some way. 

It was particularly powerful to have touched on the idea that life is a combination of making things happen and letting things happen. This balance is crucial for finding joy and gratitude not only in our goals but also in our journeys. It’s about having that trust in the design of our lives.

I also so enjoyed talking about the vital role of family and how they can be our source of strength and support, especially in these turbulent times of uncertainty and change.

My conversation with Arianna was a wonderful reminder of how resilience, well-being, and gratitude are key to navigating the complexity of our modern world. I invite you to listen to our discussion and join us in discovering how we can thrive amidst life’s changes.

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Listen to the full episode here and join us on this journey of embracing life’s beautiful dance.

Author(s)

  • Maya Adam, MD

    Maya Adam MD, co-creator and host of Changing Course, is the Director of Health Media Innovation and a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
    In Maya’s first career, she spent ten years as a professional ballerina in Germany, before leaving the stage to study medicine. She is the daughter of an Indian South African mother and a German father, who were forced to flee South Africa during the Apartheid years, when mixed-race marriages were illegal. Because of this, she has lived in Canada, South Africa, Germany and now the United States.
    Maya has had to change course many times, and her professional focus on the use of media to promote health and wellness, have led her to the Changing Course podcast, aimed at helping others navigate change in a turbulent world. This podcast is separate from Maya’s work at Stanford.