In Your Right Mind with Monique Rhodes

Many of you are writing about your concerns as some countries are showing signs of starting to reopen. Even if you are excited about the light at the end of the Covid tunnel and the prospect of some aspects of the life you are used to resuming, change can still be daunting. Having gone through this experience four months ago when I returned to New Zealand, I know how you feel.

Habits can be hard to break. But what do we do when the odds are against us? What if whole industries are created to keep us hooked on their products? In today's podcast, I discuss the hold that processed food companies have on us and why it can be so hard for us to move out from under their grip.

Today I am driving home to my hometown for the funeral of my friend's dad, Jim. It got me thinking about impermanence and the legacy that we leave when we pass on.

A few of you have written about struggling with balancing generosity and boundaries. It can be easy for people to take advantage of us. In today's podcast, I discuss how to stay generous while maintaining good boundaries.

There is a lot of pressure on us to be extraordinary. Social media is filled with people showing off how incredible their lives are. But what does having an extraordinary life really mean?

It's Easter Sunday. Depending on where you live and your traditions, today might be a significant day. In today's podcast, I explain a different way of looking at the meaning of Easter.

Can jealousy ever teach us something deeper? In this episode, I explore the discomfort of jealousy—not as a flaw, but as a doorway into hidden fears and unmet needs. We'll look at how this emotion often masks something tender beneath the surface: the fear of not being chosen, not mattering, or not having enough. I'll show you how to gently meet jealousy with compassion, curiosity, and self-responsibility—so instead of staying stuck, you can use it as a guide toward healing and growth. Let's uncover the wisdom in what we're tempted to resist.

For some of us, it can be not easy to recognize the love in our life. What if we don't feel that many people love us? In today's podcast, I answer this question for one of my students.

Working with ourselves and seeing into the wisdom of our own experience holds the keys to our understanding.

When I was young, there were several things I believed that turned out not to be true. It took me a long time to get my head around the fact that they weren't true. The first realisation made me sad. The second freed me.

Are you clear on what your life is about? Asking yourself this question can help to clarify how you step into your days. Is it aimlessly, or is it with intention?

"Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity" - Simone Weil. However, when we can give our attention to ourselves and others, it is nothing short of a profound gift.

One of the most significant indicators of someone's happiness is their network of social connections. Often people don't realise that loneliness is an indicator that this web of connection is out of balance.

Everyone you meet, you are supposed to meet. Every relationship has the opportunity for us not only to learn but also to teach. In today's podcast, I discuss how other people help us to smooth out our rough edges.

When we are in conflict with others, we play out all of the habitual strategies we have learnt over our lives. They don't usually work. In today's podcast, I discuss how there is another way.

Life is a constant state of change. You know this, and I know this. You're probably familiar with the saying, "Change is the only constant." And that is true. Life always changes, whether you want it to or not. But still, it's hard to accept that things are always changing. We must accept that life is always changing. Even though nothing stays the same forever, you can try to make things work for you if you know how to adapt. Change isn't always bad; sometimes it can be good too. Change is inevitable. So it's important for us to learn how to adapt when situations change around us. In today's episode, I get you to do an exercise to help you see the transient nature of your issues and struggles.

In today's podcast, I discuss a question from one of my clients about how she relates to her body. Does your body affect your happiness?

If you struggle with not entirely living the life you wish you did, how can you start to develop courage? In today's podcast, I discuss a simple and effective approach.

Sometimes we need to fix things. Sometimes we need a shift in perspective. Both approaches can work well, depending on the situation.

This month signifies one year since our lives changed dramatically. It's a good time to reflect, to take stock of what we have learned and how we have changed. In today's podcast, I invite you into this reflection.

Our minds are habitual. This means we fill in a lot of gaps with the habitual way we see the world. Understanding this can give us a renewed insight into those we love and those we struggle with.

For some of you, vaccinations are arriving. With this comes the knowledge that you are about to socialise again. Not surprisingly, this is causing some concern. Today we look at how to manage the prospect of this re-opening.

Most of us love making plans. But what happens when we use those plans to try and protect ourselves from the uncertainty of life?

How can we find peace and happiness when in our own homes there is disruption? In today's podcast, I answer a question from one of my students about a household member that is a reminder of working with difficulties to find happiness.

What if every emotional explosion in your life is actually coming from inside you—not from the world around you? In this episode, I explore how easily we hand our power over to circumstances, to other people, and to the stories we tell about them. You'll learn why life can feel like a battlefield full of landmines, and how shifting your perspective reveals the truth: the real triggers live in your own pockets. When you understand this, you stop giving others control over your happiness and begin reclaiming the grounded, steady self you've been searching for all along.

Our days are filled with other people triggering us. We might feel frustrated, angry, disappointed or happy in their presence. It all depends on our own reflection.

We all want to feel good. We all want a happy life. However, where to find that happy life often seems elusive. This is why today's podcast is so important because you may not want to believe it.

There are times in our lives when we know it is time to leave a job or a friendship or a relationship. It's clear, and there is no question. However, what do we do when we are unsure if leaving is the right thing to do?

In today's podcast, I discuss a three-step process for dealing with grievances and why it is essential to handle them well.

What if the people you struggle with are more like you than you realize? In this episode, I explore why it's so hard to stay open-hearted with those whose opinions, behaviors, or beliefs feel challenging—and how humility, curiosity, and the simple "Just Like Me" practice can transform the way we relate to others. When we begin to see the gray areas, release our certainty, and acknowledge our shared human struggles, something softens. Compassion becomes possible again. This is an invitation to expand your capacity for understanding, even when it feels difficult.

The final quality that will help us be happier is openness. This is one of my favourite topics and I think you'll discover in this podcast immediate ways to shift things in your day.

I just took a much needed week off to rest my mind. What a relief it was. I feel so much better for it, and of course, it reminded me how we fatigue our minds with overstimulation.

The next quality that opens us even more quickly to a beautiful and happy life is to work with a loving heart. In today's podcast, I explain what that means.

As we go deeper, I identify three qualities that will enable you to fast track your way to a happier life. In today's podcast, I discuss the first one, inner wisdom.

As we commit to a happier life, one of the most profound ways forward is to start to look at ourselves with honesty. In today's podcast, I give you a strategy for how you can apply this for a fast and powerful shift in your daily life.

When times are difficult, we have the ability not to get swept up in the storm. What if we managed the storm differently and sat in the eye of it with solidity and love?

Family dynamics are challenging on the best of days. However, during Covid, they can become even more difficult. In today's podcast, I answer a question from one of my students struggling with her father.

Learning meditation is nothing less than a study in ourselves. The more we understand ourselves, the more the door opens to the infinite wisdom that is always available to us.

What if breaking free from your compulsive habits wasn't about willpower—but understanding what drives them? In this episode, I explore how our minds create and maintain compulsive patterns—from smoking and eating to scrolling online—and how meditation can help us uncover the stress and anxiety that fuel them. You'll learn practical ways to replace destructive habits with nourishing ones, create space for choice, and gently guide yourself toward freedom and balance.

Often we can feel like a small boat in a big storm, unsure of where the next waves are coming from. The most powerful thing we can learn to do is hold our ground. It changes everything.

We can't change people. I understand that this is difficult for us to get our heads around. But it is also the key to our happiness.

One of my students had a big blow-up with his wife. He came to me to tell me his story of what had happened. I encouraged him to understand that he can overcome the problems he is making for himself and see things from a wider perspective.

What if a good night's sleep wasn't as far away as it feels? In this episode, I share simple, science-backed habits that can make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep—from the light you're exposed to, to what you eat, to the environment you create around you at night. I'll walk you through small changes that can make a big difference, along with the powerful role relaxation plays in preparing your mind for rest. If you've been struggling to sleep well, these gentle shifts might be exactly what you need.

Most people can't manage 15 minutes in a room by themselves. Imagine 44 years in solitary confinement. Could you do it?

No two minds are the same. We must get to know our mind so that we can see how our particular mind works. As we do this, we become more and more able to take control of our lives.

We all know the mind that is on all day, taking us off into all different sorts of directions. What we may not be so aware of is the other mind that we have access to.

Sometimes I just wish I could turn my mind off and have a holiday from it. Often we are at the mercy of our minds that even when we find that the teachings strike a chord inside us, and move us more than anything we have ever experienced, still we hold back.

Love is a word that we use quite freely. However, most of us are unaware that the way we love is more like a business contract than love. If we want to be happier, looking at our habits in love can be liberating.

In working with our minds, we decrease our stress and our anxiety. However, the practice goes even more in-depth and opens up a deeply blocked part of ourselves.

When someone hurts us, how do we cope? The obvious answer is that we shut down and protect ourselves. But what if the way forward is different?