Taking the steps to respect your own life

Taking the steps to respect your own life

Author: SGI-USA May 23, 2021 Duration: 59:57

Today we’re talking to Lorenna Garcia-Bochas, a young woman in Georgia who grew up around the Buddhist community and chanting. Her own practice developed when she started college and faced some major challenges in her family and with her own mental health, which drove her to dig deep into her own heart to find a way forward. 


We cover a lot today: how to grapple with multiple identities and feeling like you don’t fit anywhere; how to take care of your family when they are struggling; and how to find the courage to seek help for your mental health, if that’s what you need.


Ultimately, Lorenna’s story is an amazing example of how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can be fuel for taking steady steps to respect your own life, which includes resolving doubt and pain, establishing a dream for the future and taking great care of yourself.

(Note: No information on this episode should be considered medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for any questions related to treatment for mental health issues.)


CHEAT SHEET


1:30 How Lorenna grew up

6:50 Why she started practicing Buddhism

8:30 The family challenges that drove her practice

11:59 What her day-to-day struggle looked like

21:46 How her expectations for herself started to change

25:25 How she changed her experience of school

30:28 What it took to believe in herself

33:46 How she found her dream career path

40:24 The challenges she faced being mixed-race

43:17 Transforming shame

45:34 Her favorite Buddhist concept

48:41 What it took to ask for help for her mental health

56:52 Advice for her younger self and anyone listening


It’s easy to lose sight of our own strength when life gets complicated, but what if that inherent clarity and capability never actually left? Buddhability explores that very idea through the lived experiences of everyday people. Host Cassidy Bradford guides genuine conversations with a community of practicing Buddhists from SGI-USA, who share how they navigate real-world challenges. You’ll hear personal stories that touch on everything from mental resilience and physical well-being to navigating career shifts and personal relationships. This isn’t about abstract theory; it’s a practical look at applying Buddhist principles to uncover a more confident and compassionate way of living. Each episode of the podcast feels like a thoughtful dialogue, focusing on how to reconnect with that inner resourcefulness-your Buddhability-amidst the stress and clutter of modern life. The discussions are grounded in the belief that enlightenment isn’t a distant goal, but a potential we can all access right now to improve our own lives and positively impact the world around us. Tune in for honest reflections and discover how this perspective can transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 244

Buddhability
Podcast Episodes
Part 1: What Can Happen When You Make Up Your Mind? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:58
This month, we’re doing a short series about how to put the power back in your hands. Today’s episode is about the power of simply deciding.Resources: The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition,…
For Anyone Who’s Ever Been Counted Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:42
As a child, Samirah Gnangbe, lived through a civil war. From that moment on, she became someone who paved the way for others as a second-language learner and Ph.D. student in engineering. Samirah shares how she challenge…
Life After NCAA Basketball Wins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:56
Rhonda Windham, of Los Angeles, was already an NCAA basketball champion and trailblazing WNBA General Manager beforeencountering Buddhism. She shares what practicing Buddhism taught her that all her success did not—how t…
Facing The Fear of Death [March 2024] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:02
It’s natural to want to look away from the inevitable reality of death but Buddhism teaches that death is an alternate phase of life and makes up a larger universal cycle. To understand death is to deepen our understandi…
The Grind: Self-Mastery and Success in Business [March 2025] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:48
Chip Grossman, of Santa Monica, always thought spirituality and business were opposing goals. It wasn’t until he encountered SGI Nichiren Buddhism that he realized their deep ties. Today, Chip shares how chanting Nam-myo…
My Life is Better Than I Could Have Imagined [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:42
Radhika Rao, of San Francisco, tried Buddhism because she was jealous of a friend’s happiness. Since then, she’s living a life beyond anything she had dreamed. Today she shares her perspective on life as a theater teachi…
Seeing Beyond My Complaints and Problems [Feb 2025] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:48
Daily life throws a lot at us. When our state of life is low, it can be easy to get wrapped up in complaint. Buddhism teaches that caring for others helps us see beyond our problems, having a more expansive view of our l…
Feeling Hopeless About the World? Listen To This [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:51
How can we maintain hope for a peaceful world? Today we hear from three college students and recent graduates about how they create hope on a daily basis and practical steps we can take to create peace.Watch today's epis…
Buddhability Short: How to Make Friends and Keep Them [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:04
Buddhability Shorts is a monthly series where we break down a Buddhist concept or common life challenge we’ve touched on in an interview. Today we’re talking about how to build friendships that last. To ask a question ab…
An Experiment to Prove Them Wrong [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:04
What do you do when you’re told you’re not cut out for something? Buddhism teaches that the only person who can determine that is you. Wayne Thomas Jr., of Los Angeles, always knew he was an artist but his environment to…