note: we link to our free guide to mindfulness and meditation at the end of this article (no email required).
The Zen of BoJack Horseman.
In 2015, after Season 2, we published an article on Medium titled "The Zen of BoJack Horseman." If you haven't read it, here's an excerpt:
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So we pull for him because we see ourselves in him. If he can figure it out, maybe we can figure it out. As we watch his life unfold, it’s easy to see everything he’s doing wrong — and we know exactly what he needs to do to fix it!
BoJack is stumbling through a life-long existential crisis, and we feel that if we could just give him a little nudge in the right direction, he could escape suffering and fall into enlightenment.
He’s so close. We all are — but it’s much easier to see in others…especially a talking horse. Rarely do we see it in ourselves, though.
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Read the entire article here.
>>>
So we pull for him because we see ourselves in him. If he can figure it out, maybe we can figure it out. As we watch his life unfold, it’s easy to see everything he’s doing wrong — and we know exactly what he needs to do to fix it!
BoJack is stumbling through a life-long existential crisis, and we feel that if we could just give him a little nudge in the right direction, he could escape suffering and fall into enlightenment.
He’s so close. We all are — but it’s much easier to see in others…especially a talking horse. Rarely do we see it in ourselves, though.
<<<
Read the entire article here.
BoJack Horseman's self-imposed suffering (and BoJack quotes).
This page was set up to provide links to articles we've written addressing the struggles that BoJack and all of us face. It's not a complete index of our writing (find that here) - instead, it serves as a guide to some of the more common issues.
HAPPINESS
HAPPINESS
- Searching for happiness - is it out there?
- Happiness is just over the horizon (or so your mind tells you).
- The pursuit of happiness (or, stop looking for it "out there")!
- What Calvin and Hobbes taught me about mindfulness.
JUDGMENT (OF OURSELVES AND OTHERS)
"I hate you, and you are a horrible person. And you not understanding that you're a horrible person doesn’t make you less of a horrible person."
"I spend a lot of time with the real me and believe me, nobody's gonna love that guy."
- Maybe (a lesson in labeling & judging).
- You aren't unique (so have some compassion for yourself).
- Crooked bricks and judgment.
- Why shouldn't I try to control my thoughts?
BEING CAUGHT UP IN YOUR MIND
"I want…to feel good about myself. The way you do. And I don’t know how. I don't know if I can."
"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go take a shower so I can't tell if I'm crying or not."
LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT
- Stop "tomorrowing" yourself to the end of your life.
- What does it mean to be in the present moment?
- Equanimity and impermanence.
- A bus away from here: your thoughts and the present moment.
ATTACHMENT
COMPASSION AND GRATITUDE
You can't escape your mind...
Common questions we're asked:
Our 15-day meditation challenge - "Your inner narrative" - answers these questions and more.
- How do I just “let things be”?
- “Your thoughts about the situation cause you to suffer more than the situation itself” — what does that even mean?
- How do I get proper instruction in meditation and mindfulness?
Our 15-day meditation challenge - "Your inner narrative" - answers these questions and more.
