Dr. Diana Hill welcomes author and Idea Architects founder Doug Abrams live from Blue Spirit Costa Rica to explore how to stay grounded, joyful, and hopeful in uncertain times. Abrams shares lessons from working with leaders like the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Jane Goodall, including Tutu’s guidance to “never surrender your joy,” taking the wider perspective, and resisting without “othering” opponents. He describes his in-progress book inspired by his daughter’s question, “Are we gonna be okay?” Abrams discusses living with ADHD, shame, and vulnerability in relationships, and highlights Goodall’s four reasons for hope—human intellect, nature’s resilience, young people, and the indomitable human spirit—emphasizing that hope is an action.

Related Resources

• Doug Abrams — doug-abrams.com | Idea Architects
• The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams
• The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
• MISSION: JOY — documentary film on Netflix
• Subscribe to Diana’s Substack
• Order and claim bonuses from Diana’s new book Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most
• Learn from Diana at an upcoming event

About Doug Abrams

Doug co-wrote The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World with the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, which inspired the film MISSION: JOY, now on Netflix. Doug served as the interviewer in the film as well as an Executive Producer. He also co-wrote The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times with Jane Goodall. He has coauthored many bestselling non-fiction books and has written two novels, The Lost Diary of Don Juan and Eye of the Whale, which together have been translated into over thirty languages.

Doug is the Founder and President of Idea Architects, a creative book and media company helping visionaries to create a wiser, healthier, and more just world. As a literary agent and editor, he has helped create 18 New York Times Bestsellers and had the privilege of working with many great thought leaders, visionary scientists, and humanitarians including Nobel Laureates Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Jody Williams, and Elizabeth Blackburn. Doug also worked closely with Desmond Tutu as his coauthor, editor, and literary agent for almost two decades. He also worked with Stephen Hawking on his last book.

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