It’s rare that an interview stays with you long after the cameras are off and the script is closed, but my conversation with Michael Singer was one of those rare exceptions. Our discussion, which spanned from the depths of human suffering to the beauty of spiritual liberation, felt less like an interview and more like a journey into the core of our shared human experience.
As I sat across from Michael—whose teachings have touched millions globally—there was an undeniable sense that we were tapping into something much larger than either of us. What struck me most was how effortless his wisdom seemed to flow, each idea linking to the next, like water moving around rocks in a stream, a metaphor he often returns to.
Michael’s perspective on happiness and suffering wasn’t just philosophical—it was deeply practical. He paints a picture of life as a constant interplay between the outside world, our thoughts, and our emotions. Each of these, in his view, is an arena in which we often get trapped. And yet, Michael, with his trademark gentle clarity, insists that the key to freedom is not found in controlling these arenas, but in letting go of our attachment to them.
“You have to accept the law of gravity in order to learn how to go above it,” he explained. “If you don’t accept there’s gravity, you’re not going to learn to fly. But by accepting gravity and studying gravity, you can learn to work on higher things.” This was a striking metaphor for life itself—true freedom comes not from rejecting reality, but from understanding and accepting it fully. Only then can we soar.
This idea of surrender was the heartbeat of our conversation. Michael’s description of how we cling to our identities—our egos—and the walls we build around our sense of self was both relatable and eye-opening. He emphasized that it’s these walls that often trap us, causing the suffering Buddha spoke of. “You spend so much effort building this intricate maze in your mind,” he said, “and then you expect the outside world to navigate that maze. And if they don’t, you get upset.”
In his calm and unwavering tone, he guided me toward the realization that by dismantling these walls—by surrendering our need to control the uncontrollable—we can tap into something far greater. It’s not about passive acceptance; it’s about the bravery to face reality as it is. “Acceptance is brave,” he told me, a statement that has echoed in my thoughts ever since.
Michael has this way of distilling complex, often esoteric ideas into simple truths. “The moment in front of you is not bothering you,” he said, “you are bothering yourself about the moment (in front of you). ” It’s a lesson that feels both obvious and revelatory, and yet it’s one that so many of us struggle to grasp in the thick of life’s challenges. It’s that very struggle that makes his work so essential—and so transformative.
As our conversation drew to a close, Michael spoke about the heart—the wellspring of our deepest emotions and the seat of both our suffering and our joy. He described how, over time, we store emotional blockages in our hearts, and how these blockages prevent the natural flow of love and energy. “Love is something you express, not something you need,” he said, reminding me that the love we seek is already within us, waiting to be unlocked by letting go of the pain and resistance we’ve accumulated.
By the end of the interview, I was left with a profound sense of stillness. There is so much more to explore within ourselves, so much more we can uncover if we are willing to step aside and let life flow through us. Michael’s teachings are not a call to transcend our humanity, but rather to embrace it—to live fully in this world, but not be bound by it.
As I reflect on our conversation, I feel a renewed commitment to practicing these wisdoms in my own life. There’s a certain lightness in knowing that we don’t have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, that we can simply be present, and in doing so, experience the vast, beautiful potential that life has to offer.
Tune into the full conversation
On youtube: https://youtu.be/attNRvCRKRI with both English and Chinese subtitles
Full episode as podcast on Spotify:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yinuo-li
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