Tag: Mindvalley Book Club

Prosperity. Growth. Success.

When you hear the words, what comes to mind? More income? More status? More stuff?

It’s what we’ve been taught to believe, isn’t it? That progress means expansion, and that growth is the measure of success.

It may have made sense in the early days of industrial progress, when we thought the planet could absorb our ambition without consequence.

Now our world is sending the bill, and the cost is everything that sustains us. It’s a truth economist Tim Jackson believes we can no longer afford to ignore.

“As the economy gets bigger and bigger, we have a bigger impact on the planet,” he says in a Mindvalley Book Club interview. “And that’s undermining the prosperity of future generations.”

So if the conventional idea that prosperity equals money is no longer sustainable, what, pray tell, should it stand for, then?

Perhaps it’s time to build an economy that learns to care.

Watch Tim’s full interview on the Mindvalley Book Club:

Why the pursuit of growth is making us sick

Did you know that the world’s GDP has multiplied twentyfold since the 1950s? And with it came a growing strain on every natural and human system that keeps life running.

The logic of modern economies is simple: to keep profits climbing, companies must keep people consuming. In food, for example, that means engineering ultra-processed products designed to hook the brain with sugar and flavor. In technology, it means apps built to monetize attention by keeping users scrolling.

What all this has in common is an economy that feeds on the exhaustion and depletion of soil, air, and people. And the cost is visible in our bodies. Rates of chronic disease and metabolic dysfunction, for one, have doubled in the last three decades.

“There is a health crisis,” Tim shares with Kristina Mӓnd-Lakhiani, the co-founder of Mindvalley and the host of the Mindvalley Book Club. “Profits from that food system are contributing to growth but doing so at the expense of people’s health.”

The same model that floods supermarket shelves with empty calories also floods the atmosphere with carbon. Yet power, profit, and public noise continue to drown out science and reason.

“These kinds of dynamics,” Tim says, “are now overwhelming what was actually an almost essential consensus around quite an important issue like climate change, like the loss of other species on the planet.”

What comes next is a chain reaction: the loss of biodiversity weakens the soil → poor soil reduces food yields → collapsing food systems push us closer to a planet too damaged to sustain prosperity.

This is the real cost of growth without balance. But Tim believes the way forward is not more acceleration but a new definition of prosperity.

How Tim Jackson’s care economy redefines prosperity

If growth is the story we’ve been told, care is the story Tim wants us to remember.

But why care, exactly? As he explains, it’s the “restorative force that brings us back into balance, brings us back towards health.”

That’s the whole premise of his latest book, The Care Economy. This approach focuses on the parts of life and work that maintain well-being rather than produce goods.

It includes healthcare, education, social work, parenting, elder care, and community support. And it’s the quiet infrastructure that keeps societies alive.

You cannot expect population health to improve while you rely on the good resources of a few individuals who may just about be able to turn around their diagnosis.

— Tim Jackson, economist and author of The Care Economy

What’s more, by redefining prosperity around care, Tim challenges the idea that wealth equals progress. A strong economy, in his view, is one that invests in the health of its people and its planet.

It’s an idea that people like Robin Sharma and Amartya Sen also talk about: real wealth comes from health, purpose, and connection. Tim expands it through an economic lens, showing how societies can create and protect those same conditions together.

Proof that care pays off

The reality is, countries that treat care as economic infrastructure see long-term returns that outpace traditional growth investments. “Prosperity is more about health than it is about wealth,” Tim says.

Here are a few examples:

• Early childhood education gives the highest return on investment. Every dollar spent brings back 7–13% each year through better health, education, and jobs.
• Paid parental leave, as studies show, lowers infant deaths and improves family health when parents get at least six months off with pay.
• When hospitals have enough nurses to care for patients properly, fewer people die, and patients get to go home sooner.
• Clean air pays for itself. For instance, the U.S. Clean Air Act returns more than $30 in health benefits for every dollar spent, mostly from fewer deaths and illnesses.
• Even food policy proves the point. When Mexico introduced a national tax on sugary drinks, soda sales fell by 7.6% in the first year, with the biggest drop among low-income families.

Each of these examples shows how care can help reduce long-term costs, strengthen resilience, and build the foundation for real prosperity. In economic terms, care outperforms consumption.

What choosing care looks like, individually and systemically, according to Tim Jackson

So the story we’ve known is that as long as the economy keeps expanding, prosperity will follow. 

But where is it taking us exactly? That’s the question Tim raises.

“For quite a long time,” he tells Kristina, “my academic work has been asking one very simple question, which is what can prosperity possibly mean on a finite planet?”

It sounds abstract, but the consequences are everywhere. Chronic disease, mental distress, and environmental pressures are all worsening in tandem.

Tim, too, experienced this firsthand while writing The Care Economy. Diagnosed with pre-diabetes, he realized how even an informed, privileged person struggles to stay healthy in an environment that profits from illness.

“It is almost impossible for me to change,” he says. It required time, effort, new habits, and guidance. His diagnosis became a metaphor for a society addicted to its own growth.

How care begins with personal change

The unfortunate truth is, even the most mindful person can’t thrive in a culture that profits from depletion. The food you eat, the apps you use, and the hours you work all operate within an economy that depends on overconsumption.

Choosing care starts with noticing where that economy lives inside your own habits. The skipped meals, the endless scrolling, and the pressure to stay busy all keep you producing under the illusion of progress. The first act of care is to slow that cycle.

Research from the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2023 report shows that high stress remains widespread, driven by long work hours, financial pressure, and digital overstimulation that contribute to anxiety, depression, and physical illness. Yet, recovery time, such as sleep, rest, and time with others, is often treated as optional. 

For you, this might be reclaiming those as non-negotiable parts of life. This can be as simple as cooking instead of ordering out, taking a walk instead of checking your phone again, or saying no when your schedule is already full.

Each small action restores the attention and energy that constant productivity drains away. And it creates the self-awareness needed for collective change.

How care scales to society

“You cannot expect population health to improve,” says Tim, “while you rely on the good resources of a few individuals who may just about be able to turn around their diagnosis.”

That’s why care must also become collective. The thing is, when the cheapest food is the least nutritious, or when burnout is built into workplace culture, personal willpower is not always enough. Real care requires public structures that make health possible.

This begins with how societies measure success. Rather than reward speed and extraction, Tim suggests that economies reward stability and restoration. And some countries have already tried to do this:

• Finland’s work–life balance policies rank among the world’s best, producing higher productivity and stronger mental health outcomes.
• Uruguay’s National Care System treats childcare, eldercare, and disability care as public responsibilities, expanding access and creating paid jobs for caregivers.
• Costa Rica, through decades of investment in health, education, and environmental protection, now ranks among the highest in the Americas for life expectancy.
• Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index measures prosperity through community vitality, mental health, and environmental balance, and it continues to guide national policy.
• Japan’s Society 5.0 framework links innovation to social inclusion, aiming to make technology serve human needs rather than replace them.

These examples show what becomes possible when a society puts well-being at the center. But going beyond policy, Tim emphasizes a cultural shift as well.

For you, that could be through work such as mentoring, parenting, teaching, or volunteering. After all, when society values care, it teaches people to look after one another. Plus, a stronger sense of belonging and a clearer understanding that their well-being is linked to the well-being of others.

And for Tim, the measure of progress is simple: prosperity depends on how well we sustain what sustains us.

Fuel your mind

The world moves fast. Sometimes, too fast for most of us to pause, think, or feel something real. 

But reading can slow it all down. It reconnects you to ideas that challenge you, inspire you, and stay with you. And that’s what the Mindvalley Book Club was built for.

Each week, Kristina Mänd-Lakhiani handpicks powerful books on purpose, growth, and the art of living well. You’ll hear directly from the authors shaping the future of how we think, work, and evolve.

When you’re part of the Book Club, you’ll get:

• Books that move you to see the world differently.
• Weekly recommendations that go deeper than quick tips and trends.
• Conversations with authors who change how you see yourself.
• Insights that spark clarity in your work, relationships, and life.
• A global circle of readers who crave meaning, not just motivation.

The joining is free. But the reconnection it brings? That’s priceless.

Welcome in.

Hate to burst your bubble, but according to Madeline Mann, there’s “no such thing as job security.”

This might not be what you want to hear, especially when the job market is as soft as it is. But as the career coach and host of Self Made Millennial points out in her interview on the Mindvalley Book Club, “You can lose your job at any time.”

That’s no big secret, really. Everybody knows about the recent layoffs. And when you get on LinkedIn, there are profile after profile with that elusive green #OpentoWork banner or “raising the white flag” posts.

While it may feel like the time to panic, don’t…is what Madeline’s out here to say. She’s figured out a way to reverse the search and have recruiters come knocking instead of ghosting.

Watch her full interview on Mindvalley Book Club’s YouTube:

Why Madeline Mann says job security is no longer enough

Most of us were told that the path was simple: study hard, get hired, stay loyal, and retire secure. But that, as Madeline points out, is likely no longer the case.

You could be the top performer, everything can go right for you, and you can still get laid off.

— Madeline Mann, career coach and author of Reverse the Search

The pandemic shattered the illusion of “safe” jobs. At the height of COVID-19, millions of Americans lost their jobs in a matter of weeks, pushing unemployment to 14.7%, the highest since the Great Depression. Even after recovery, the tremors didn’t stop.

By the first quarter of 2023, more than 160,000 tech employees got laid off, followed closely by waves in healthcare and manufacturing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. industries lost over seven million jobs that same quarter.

The thing is, layoffs don’t just hit those shown the door. Research shows they ripple through entire teams, hurting morale, productivity, and long-term company performance.

That’s why Madeline says there’s no job security. “The company owns your job,” she tells Kristina Mӓnd-Lakhiani, the host of Mindvalley Book Club. “You could be the top performer, everything can go right for you, and you can still get laid off.”

What makes it worse, she adds, is that most people don’t prepare until it’s too late. Too many professionals grow comfortable, convinced their title or tenure will protect them. “I have to shout very loudly to people who are very comfortable right now and think that nothing bad is going to happen,” she says.

These days, the ground moves fast, companies restructure overnight, and artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes entire departments. The rise of contract and fractional work means the traditional career ladder is now more like a revolving door.

The old promise of stability? It’s gone. What remains is adaptability.

3 valid reasons you’re stuck in your job search, according to Madeline Mann

If job security is out the window, the next logical question is, why can’t most people seem to move forward?

You can blame the economy (granted, it’s not in the most stable place right now). However, based on what Madeline says, it really boils down to how you approach the job search.

Most job seekers don’t realize it, but the rules have changed. In her sit-down with Kristina, Madeline shares some of the most common blind spots she sees that keep even seasoned professionals from moving forward. (If you’d like to get the full scope of her insights, you can check out her book, Reverse the Search: How to Turn Job Seeking Into Job Shopping.)

1. You’re selling your past instead of your future

Take a look at your résumé. What does it look like?

If it reads like a tidy list of titles, dates, and bullet points, it becomes a record of where you’ve been instead of a preview of where you’re going.

Madeline sees this mistake constantly. Most people focus on their achievements instead of their potential, speaking the language of their past rather than the needs of the present.

Hiring managers aren’t trying to relive your career highlights. When they see your résumé, they’re imagining what you’d bring to the table next quarter.

“Everything you show to them shows how you are going to be highly effective for them going forward in the future,” she adds. That’s the blind spot: your story ends where your personal branding should begin.

2. You’re invisible in the places that matter

You might be great at what you do. But if no one can see it, the right people can’t act on it.

Madeline points out that the people landing the best offers aren’t always the most qualified. They’re simply the most visible.

“A huge piece of reversing the search and job security is making yourself more findable online,” she says. And as a 2025 study found, consistent LinkedIn use is linked to stronger career performance expectations.

The problem? Most professionals disappear the moment they get comfortable. They stop showing their work, and they stop staying visible.

And over time, even strong careers fade quietly out of sight.

3. You’re approaching the job search like it’s 2010

You hit “Apply.” You wait… And then, crickets.

The thing is, automated filters, AI screenings, and ghost job listings have changed the game entirely. So the old-school way of applying everywhere, bracing for the same “Where do you see yourself in five years?” question, and hoping something sticks is no longer viable.

“Companies are making a lot of pivots right now,” Madeline explains. “They’re like, ‘Oh, should we replace that role with AI? Do we actually need someone who’s more senior? Do we need someone more junior?’”

The job market now rewards precision, not effort. Which is why there’s more work, less return, and a growing sense that you’re doing everything right while somehow going nowhere.

Madeline Mann’s pro tips to reverse the search and get job offers coming to you

“Job searching,” says Madeline, “is a skill.” Take it from the highly experienced career strategist whose LinkedIn course, Job Interview Nano Tips with Madeline Mann, has amassed over 600,000 learners.

But with the old rules of job hunting out the window, what can you do about it?

Her answer is career security. It’s what she helps her clients build, so much so that “even after they land a job, they keep getting inbound requests for interviews.”

Here’s how you can do the same:

1. Build visibility before you need it

When was the last time you touched your LinkedIn profile? Or turned to networking without needing a favor?

Most people only think about visibility after they’ve lost it. They update their profiles in a panic, fire off a few messages, and wonder why the response feels cold.

“It’s like, don’t grocery shop when you’re hungry,” says Madeline. What she means by that is “try not to job shop when you’ve lost your job.”

Granted, visibility is a slow build. But when you continually share insights, engage with others, or publish something that reflects your expertise, you’re making it easy for recruiters, collaborators, and decision-makers to find you.

Case in point: an analysis by Buffer looked at over 100,000 users across platforms. They found that those who posted regularly got more than five times the engagement per post compared to users who posted inconsistently.

Another case in point: Sprout Social (which tracks social media metrics for brands) reported that consistent posting was a key factor in visibility and reach. They found that smaller brands posting “4-5 times per week” on TikTok, for example, saw material growth because their content pipelines allowed for more experimentation and volume. 

“Always thinking about how you need to be building,” she adds. “You know, having intentional steps every month towards building your career so that your next career step is sure-footed.”

That way, when the next door opens, you’re already prepared to walk through it.

2. Treat every connection like an open door

You never really know which conversation will change your career. Every recruiter, colleague, or hiring manager you meet is a potential ally in disguise.

Madeline knows this firsthand. When she was laid off from her “dream job,” she already had a lineup of opportunities waiting.

“I had been posting on LinkedIn,” she said. “I had been keeping my network warm.” So every time a head of HR role opened up, she was one of the first people they called.

Even interviews, she points out, can be networking moments to move you closer to your career goals. You may not get the job, but you might leave an impression strong enough that they recommend you or call you later with a role you never imagined.

3. Keep your message consistent

Madeline says that career security is built on clarity and consistency.

This is what Madeline calls “building a machine that keeps attracting opportunities.” Research shows that being consistent in how you present yourself can help you feel more confident and satisfied in your career. But if your résumé says one thing, your LinkedIn another, and your interview stories something else entirely, you’re just confusing the people who might want to hire you.

Sometimes, the confusion starts inside. Many people feel torn between what they do for a living and what they’d rather be doing.

Madeline gets that. But as she puts it, “A job is to make money, and you need to go into professions where there is market demand.”

Still, if you’re thinking about a career change, she suggests doing it strategically. Understand how your current skills translate, where the demand is, and what the next step looks like before you make the leap.

4. Stay curious, not comfortable

You can always tell when someone’s stopped learning. Their ideas sound the same, their stories haven’t changed in years, and they start to believe experience alone will protect them.

From her years in human resources, she’s seen the pattern repeat. “We don’t care if you have 25 years of experience,” she says. “If you’ve lived the same year of your career 25 times, you need to be growing.”

She urges professionals to keep learning, no matter how seasoned they are. As research shows, employees who continue developing new skills are significantly more likely to get promoted and stay engaged in their work.

One way Madeline suggests doing it is to “constantly consume other people’s content.” Find out where people in your industry hang out and stay curious.

Not only does that help you build a brand for yourself, but it also shows companies that you’re a quick learner, still evolving, still interested, and still open.

5. Make AI your skill, not your competition

If you’ve been pretending AI won’t touch your job, that has wishful thinking written all over it. But instead of freaking out about this evolution, it’s a great, if not the best, time to start exploring how to learn AI.

For instance, longtime accountant Wei Khjan Chan could sense that his job might be taken over by machines. So he took the opportunity to learn vibe coding to stay ahead.

“It’ll be great if I get to know AI earlier,” he says in an article in Business Insider. “At least I replace myself rather than let other people replace me.”

Madeline, herself, suggests to “be the candidate who is so knowledgeable of AI in your profession.”

One marketer she interviewed brought up the fact that he had been using AI automations for LinkedIn content creation. At first, she expected him to say he recycled viral posts. “That’s so tired and lazy,” she recalls thinking.

Much to her surprise, he shared that he takes all of the data from every post, measures which one got the most engagement, connects that to sales numbers, and uses AI to build a posting schedule for peak times.

“That is the level you should understand AI for your profession,” Madeline emphasizes. Not fear, not gimmicks, but imagination backed by skill.

Fuel your mind

You can tell a lot about where your life is headed by the books on your nightstand. The right ones, like Madeline Mann’s Reverse the Search, inform you and move you.

At the Mindvalley Book Club, Kristina Mänd-Lakhiani and her team handpick books that stay with you long after you’ve closed the cover. Each month, she sits with authors shaping the way we live and think, drawing out the lessons that change how you see your world.

You’ll hear the stories behind the ideas, the moments that shaped them, and the insights you can use in your own life.

Here’s what to expect:

• One transformative book each month, chosen for its power to shift your perspective,
• Honest, unfiltered conversations with the authors,
• Practical takeaways you can apply right away,
• A community that reads to grow together, and
• Much more.

The great thing is, the Mindvalley Book Club is free to join. Come in and make reading sexy again.

Welcome in.

Trauma, it seems, is a trend these days.

But according to psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, it’s not the kind that leads us down the runway of awareness. It’s the kind where we wear our wounds like couture.

“Now, we have vulnerability on steroids,” he says in a Mindvalley Book Club interview. “The only way to connect to another person now is through your vulnerability.”

There’s nothing wrong with that. But when pain becomes fashion instead of fuel for transformation, that’s when society has a problem.

And that problem, as Dr. Kaufman points out, hides a deeper truth: most people aren’t ready to heal.

Who is Scott Barry Kaufman exactly?

There’s a lot to say about the Scott Barry Kaufman. His credentials, they are aplenty:

• Psychologist,
• Professor at Columbia University,
• Director of the Center for Human Potential,
• Host of The Psychology Podcast, and
• Best-selling author.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also this fun fact:

“I was rejected from American Idol,” he shares. “Twice.”

Impressive lineup, to say the least. So it’s no wonder the Mindvalley Book Club host, Kristina Mӓnd-Lakhiani, introduces him as “really remarkable, amazing.”

But behind all the accolades is someone who knows what it feels like to be underestimated. As a child, Dr. Kaufman struggled with an auditory disability that made teachers label him “slow.” 

He wasn’t. He was simply wired differently: imaginative, curious, and quietly determined to prove that human potential can’t be measured by a report card.

That ethos shaped everything Dr. Kaufman stands for today. He’s out here helping people see what they’re truly capable of. And his latest book, Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential, is his contribution to a world stuck in its own pain.

“I wanted to write a book that met people more where they are right now,” he says. “It feels like people are really suffering right now.”

That’s exactly what the World Health Organization reported. More than a billion people worldwide are living with mental health conditions, and rates of anxiety and depression have surged since the pandemic.

“I think that there’s so much more humans could become,” Dr. Kaufman adds. And yet, few truly rise above.

Why we struggle to “rise above,” according to Scott Barry Kaufman

Most people want to rise above their pain. The problem, Dr. Kaufman points out, is that we’re wired and conditioned not to.

“Helplessness is the default state in humans,” he says. And, as research shows, that’s why we cling to what hurts us. It feels safer than venturing into the unknown.

It doesn’t help that the current culture we live in rewards even the tiniest of traumas. Likes and algorithm-driven sympathies have become social currency.

And when someone begins to heal, there’s the so-called survivor’s guilt. Dr. Kaufman explains that there’s “something in human nature where you can feel almost guilty saying that you’re doing good when other people aren’t doing good.”

As if that weren’t enough, he points out that our evolutionary design prioritizes survival over joy. “Our genes don’t care about our happiness. They just care about our survival and reproduction.”

So it’s no wonder so many of us are feeling stuck in life. We’re rewarded for feeling broken, wired to fear change, and distracted by pain that feels familiar.

5 powerful practices from Scott Barry Kaufman to rise above pain and grow stronger

The reality is, there’s no such thing as a quick fix. Any healing from trauma, PTSD, or deep emotional pain requires some serious work. But it’s work that’s worth it.

There’s so much more humans could become.

— Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, psychologist and author of Rise Above

On the other side of that effort is clarity, confidence, and a version of yourself that finally feels free. And in his conversation with Kristina, Dr. Kaufman shares five methods to help you take that first step.

However, they only scratch the surface of his insights on growth and healing. For more, watch the full interview on Mindvalley Book Club:

1. Name emotions without becoming them

Emotions. Whew, what a topic. There’s one end of the spectrum where it’s rainbows and sunshine. Then, there’s the other side where darkness reigns.

But as Dr. Kaufman points out, “They don’t have to limit us as much as we think that they do.” What many of us don’t realize is that emotions are signals rather than the shackles we’ve mistaken them for.

Think of when you get upset. Do you say, “I am angry”? Or do you say, “I feel anger”? (After all, you aren’t your emotion, but you feel them.)

Psychologists call this affect labeling, which is the simple act of naming a feeling as it happens. Research from UCLA found that doing so activates your brain’s reasoning center and helps you stop spiraling.

“Being able to notice without judgment and without identifying it as who you are,” Dr. Kaufman says, “creates that space between the automatic reaction and your thoughts.”

And in that space, healing begins.

2. Handshake your monsters

Once you’re able to observe your emotion, you can start befriending the source of it. That’s the whole idea behind Dr. Kaufman’s “handshake” practice:

• Welcome in your monsters (a.k.a., your uncomfortable emotions),
• Acknowledge them,
• Greet them,
• Ask, “What is it you want? Why are you bringing so much attention to my life right now?” and
• Listen.

“A lot of times our dark side just wants to be heard,” says Dr. Kaufman. He recalls getting frustrated at his students for being on their laptops while the great Sharon Salzberg was speaking to the class.

But instead of staying angry, he caught himself and thought, Maybe something’s going on in their lives right now. That moment of empathy replaced irritation with compassion.

This is what shadow work looks like in real life. And once they’re seen, those monsters in the dark lose their power.

3. Practice radical self-honesty

Self-honesty is acknowledging the truth about your feelings, habits, or motivations. It’s introspection.

Now, radical self-honesty goes deeper. It’s the kind that strips away rationalizations, ego, and self-image. And it means admitting not just what’s true, but also what’s uncomfortable.

In Dr. Kaufman’s context, the “radical” part matters because he’s talking about breaking free from the victim mindset. That requires confronting the subtle ways you deceive yourself, like blaming circumstances or pretending you’re powerless. And in doing so, take full responsibility for your internal patterns.

In psychology, this kind of self-awareness links to self-concept clarity, which is the ability to understand your beliefs, emotions, and behaviors without distortion. And when you’re able to do so, the tendency to experience emotional stability, self-trust, and life satisfaction is much greater.

The fact of the matter is, being honest with yourself, radically, takes courage. And, Dr. Kaufman says, “If my reader can make that insight and be that vulnerable and honest with themselves, to recognize that, I think they can achieve so much more of what they want in their life.”

4. Learn hope like a skill

As Dr. Kaufman mentions, helplessness comes naturally to humans. Psychologists first discovered the concept of learned helplessness in the 1960s, showing that both animals and humans can be conditioned to believe they have no control over their circumstances.

However, later studies revealed that hope works the opposite way: it’s a skill that strengthens the brain’s ability to plan, problem-solve, and stay resilient in the face of stress. So, in the words of Dr. Kaufman, “You have to learn hope in order to have this hope.”

Easier said than done, sure. But start small. Make one decision that moves your life an inch forward, like sending that job application, reaching out to someone you trust, or taking a walk after days of staying in.

Each small act of hope strengthens the very muscle that leads to self-actualization. And it’s from there that you begin to step into the fullest version of yourself.

5. Choose presence over rumination

There’s a lot of talk about being present. Yet, we have so much trouble doing it. Research even notes that the human brain spends 30–50% of waking hours in mind-wandering mode.

And what studies from Harvard found is that when people’s minds wander, they report feeling less happy than when they’re focused on what they’re doing. So, rumination pulls you into the past, where regret and resentment live. But presence brings you back to the only place you can actually change something—the here and now.

That’s probably why Dr. Kaufman and so many other experts emphasize mindfulness. It’s known to lower stress, strengthen relationships, and support mental health.

And there are several ways you can choose to be in the moment:

• Notice what’s happening without judgment.
• Acknowledge emotions as they arise.
• Practice loving-kindness toward yourself and others.
• Focus fully on what’s in front of you.
• Take a few deep, intentional breaths.
• Go for a walk or try earthing to reconnect with your body and the ground.
• Pause before reacting and take a single conscious breath.
• Practice some form of gratitude at the end of the day.
• Spend a few minutes away from screens or social media.
• Do one thing at a time and give it your full attention.

“Almost nothing else is as important as the moment that you’re in right now,” says Dr. Kaufman. Because, let’s be honest, it’s really all we have.

Fuel your mind

If there’s ever been a book that completely pulled you in, you know how words can turn into an experience. That’s the essence of why the Mindvalley Book Club exists and why Kristina Mänd-Lakhiani is on a mission to make reading exciting again.

Each month, she brings you inside the books that shape today’s most important conversations, including Scott Barry Kaufman’s books. You’ll hear the lessons, the doubts, and the personal stories that never make it to print.

Here’s what you can expect:

• One standout book a month, chosen for its power to spark growth
• Honest, live conversations with the authors
• Practical takeaways you can apply right away

It’s free to join. Come read, question, and grow with us.

Welcome in.

Walk down the aisle of your local grocer, and you’ll find choices upon choices of coffee beans, chocolate bars, and bananas stacked high.

But where is your money really going to? The conglomerates? Or to the very people who planted and harvested the products?

That’s the wake-up call Paul Rice, the founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA, has been sounding for decades: your choices travel farther than you think.

I think many of us feel like we don’t have power to impact these big global problems. And yet we do.

— Paul Rice, founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA and author of Every Purchase Matters

And it’s a reality that Paul drives home in his Mindvalley Book Club interview. He reveals how every dollar you spend leaves a trail of either exploitation or empowerment, and what you can do about it.

Watch his interview on the Mindvalley Book Club:

Who is Paul Rice?

You may not hear the name “Paul Rice” in everyday conversations, but chances are, his work has already touched your life. Since 1998, he’s led Fair Trade USA, pushing companies to treat farmers fairly and raising the bar for what ethical trade should look like.

He grew up hearing stories of hardship from his grandfather’s farm in Oklahoma during the Great Depression. This gave him a lifelong empathy for the people who grow our food and make it possible for us to eat sufficiently.

“That connection and that empathy for farmers,” he shares with Kristina Mӓnd-Lakhiani, the host of the Mindvalley Book Club, “led me out of the university when I was 22 to go to Nicaragua.”

What was supposed to be a short adventure turned into 11 years living in remote mountain villages, working side by side with coffee growers.

From skeptic to pioneer

That’s where Paul saw the harsh reality of global trade. Farmers poured their sweat into growing coffee (60% of the world’s beans, mind you) and yet, they remain highly vulnerable to volatile prices and exploitation by middlemen.

“Okay, today’s price for coffee is three cents a pound. Take it or leave it,” Paul recalls of the middlemen rolling in and calling the shots. No matter how much they produced, the farmers were trapped, selling at rock-bottom prices.

Watching this play out, Paul became convinced the system itself was broken. To him, capitalism was the problem, trapping farmers in a cycle of poverty no matter how hard they worked.

It took time for him to realize that the issue wasn’t markets themselves but how they were being used. Because if markets could be reshaped to serve farmers instead of middlemen, they could become a force for good. That idea came into focus when Paul discovered the Fair Trade movement and its rallying cry of “trade, not aid.”

“Farmers don’t need our charity,” Paul points out. They just need a fair price for their harvest, fair access to markets, and a way of building a community that connects their work to conscious consumers around the world.

That realization was the beginning of a shift that would define the rest of his life.

Why every purchase matters, according to Paul Rice

Most of us want to feel good about what we buy. No one wants our chocolate linked to child labor or our morning coffee tied to deforestation. But standing in the grocery aisle, the problems of the world feel too big for one person to fix.

“I think many of us feel like we don’t have power to impact these big global problems,” Paul explains. “And yet we do.”

Even when consumers pay about $1.50 more per pound for Fair Trade coffee and farmers see only about one-sixth of that money, it still proves that change begins with what we choose to buy.

“Every time we go to the store, we have a chance to vote for a better world through the products that we buy,” adds Paul. “Our our purchasing decisions are a way to vote for a better world to advance social and environmental progress.”

Companies are listening. Giants like…

That’s only a handful of examples. The fact is, when these companies move, billions move with them… And it’s all because of the choices made in grocery aisles like yours.

3 simple ways to make your purchases count

It’s easy to nod along with the idea that every purchase matters. But what does that actually look like when you’re standing in the store?

Paul offers a few practical shifts anyone can make without turning shopping into a full-time job.

Every time we go to the store, we have a chance to vote for a better world through the products that we buy.

— Paul Rice, founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA and author of Every Purchase Matters

1. Look for the label

Did you know that over 60% of U.S. consumers recognize the Fair Trade logo? And that recognition keeps climbing.

Here’s why it matters: when people know the label, they start looking for it, and when they look for it, stores stock more of it. It’s a feedback loop driven entirely by what ends up in your basket. 

So while it’s easy to grab what you’ve always bought, Paul suggests to “slow down for a second and do one thing, look for the label.”

Coffee, chocolate, bananas (basically the products most of us buy every week) often carry Fair Trade, organic, or non-GMO marks. And when you buy that product, as Paul points out, “just take a second to think about the family that grew that product.”

When you operate with this self-awareness, you’re participating in change. That kind of effort has already helped Fair Trade USA generate more than $1 billion in financial impact for farmers and workers across 70 countries.

So look for the label. And then choose to buy it.

2. Tell someone about it

When you make a conscious choice, it matters. But when you talk about it, that’s when it multiplies.

That’s how powerful word-of-mouth can be. Research shows that face-to-face conversations carry the most weight when it comes to word-of-mouth influence, and it’s far more than what we see in ads or online.

So it’s clear that we’re wired to trust the choices of people we know. Seeing someone shop differently, therefore, makes it easier for us to do the same. It normalizes better habits.

Add the emotional spark of a real conversation, and suddenly a single act becomes momentum. Or as Paul puts it, that’s “how we build movement.”

3. Don’t try to be perfect

Maybe you’ve noticed this trap: You want to make the right choice with every purchase, so you check labels, wonder about certifications, and worry over hidden costs until shopping feels overwhelming.

Paul’s advice? Don’t.

“Don’t try and be perfect,” he says. “It’s impossible right now to lead a completely 100% sustainable lifestyle. So, we do what we can and celebrate the fact that we are on the right side of history.”

The good news is, though, that conscious consumerism is getting easier. When Fair Trade first launched in the U.S., products were limited and often more expensive. Today, you can find thousands of Fair Trade Certified items in mainstream stores, often at the same price as conventional options.

So overcome that need for perfectionsim. Give yourself permission to start small, like swapping your coffee for Fair Trade beans or picking the chocolate bar with the sustainable logo you recognize.

The point isn’t to be perfect. It’s to keep moving in the right direction, one purchase at a time.

(Disclosure: This includes an affiliate link. If you make a purchase through it, the Mindvalley Book Club may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

Fuel your mind

Books are more than something you read. They’re also something you experience, especially when you get to hear directly from the people who wrote them.

That’s what makes the Mindvalley Book Club different. With host Kristina Mänd-Lakhiani, you’ll get into conversations that reveal what the authors don’t usually put in print: the doubts, the turning points, and the personal lessons that shaped their work.

Here’s what you can expect:

• One standout book a month, chosen for its impact on real-world change,
• Live, unfiltered conversations with the authors themselves, and
• Practical takeaways you can use right away, even if you never finish the book.

It’s free to join. And it’s your space to learn, question, and grow.

Welcome in.