231 - Your Last Bad Day with Meditation Teacher Michael O’Brien

Episode • May 24, 2023 • 1h 12m

On a summer morning in 2001, today’s guest, Michael O’Brien, had what he refers to as his last bad day. While out on a morning bike ride, an SUV traveling at 40 mph crossed into his lane and struck him head-on, forever altering his life as he knew it. Doctors were shocked that he survived and told him that he’d likely never ride again or even walk with comfort. Yet, in 2022, Michael completed a 41-day, 3,600-mile bike ride across the United States, proving all of them wrong.

Today, Michael is a meditation teacher, author, executive coach, and creator of the Pause Breathe Reflect app, which invites users to meditate and take time out to stop a bad moment from becoming a very bad day.

Tune in to hear the remarkable story of his healing journey, the benefits of being mindful, and how to have a meditation practice yourself! “And I did it for about five minutes, and I was like, oh, that felt good. And then I just set my intentions for the day, like, how did I want to show up? I’m like, okay, get your head on straight. Let’s attack this rehab. Let’s get better. Let’s make progress. So I was still trying to plow forward a little bit as opposed to allowing the day to unfold with a little grace. But it felt good. So the next day, I did it again, and then I did it again, and then I started doing it multiple times throughout the day. And soon enough, I had a mindfulness practice, but I didn’t know I had a mindfulness practice.” - Michael O’Brien

What we discuss in this episode:

Michael’s memories of everything that happened on that life-changing day in New Mexico.
What meditation is, how it was integral to his healing process, and how it helped him “slow down.”
His internal transformation after the accident.
How he let go of bad habits.
The benefits of mindfulness.
His recommendations for someone who’s starting out with meditation.
The importance of silence.
Tips for dealing with anger and frustration.