Suffering Optional Episode 5: Facts vs Opinions
Ready to see your everyday experiences in a whole new light? In Episode 5, we dive into the art of noticing what’s pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral—and why that matters. This isn’t just about mindfulness; it’s about learning how to create space between yourself and your reactions.
We’ll explore the DBT “describe skill” too, getting real about how separating facts from opinions can keep us grounded and out of emotional whirlpools. It’s a practical, down-to-earth episode that’s all about shifting your perspective, finding clarity, and learning to enjoy the present moment, no strings attached.
Join us and discover how a few simple skills can make a big difference in how you handle life’s ups and downs.
How to Listen
Episode 5: Facts Vs Opinions is available wherever you get your podcasts. Here are links to it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Non-Attached appreciation of the Indigo Bunting
In Episode 5, Maddie discusses their “non-Attached appreciation” of the Indigo bunting. I thought you might be curious to learn more about the bird…and about non-attached appreciation.
Non-attached appreciation is about savoring the beauty of a moment without clinging to it, letting yourself enjoy the experience fully, knowing it won’t last. Imagine spotting a rare bird, watching it flit from branch to branch, and instead of reaching for your phone or wishing it would stay longer, you simply take it in. In Buddhist psychology, this practice teaches us to embrace the moment while knowing everything is temporary. Instead of grasping, we experience the fullness of joy without feeling we have to hold onto it. This is non-attached appreciation: enjoying without ownership.
Learning to appreciate without attachment frees us from the chase of trying to make good things permanent. When we allow moments to come and go, we’re able to experience the richness of life without that aching feeling of wanting it to last forever. It’s a simple practice you can try anywhere—just notice something pleasant, acknowledge it, and let it be, without grasping. Over time, this practice of non-attached appreciation helps us face life’s changes and endings with a sense of openness and gratitude rather than longing or regret.
Mindfulness of Feeling Tone: Pleasant, Unpleasant and Neutral
Mindfulness of feeling tone is about paying attention to that first little “ping” we feel in response to something—a quick, gut reaction that registers as either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. In Buddhism, this initial reaction is called vedanā, and it’s where so much of our automatic judgment and reactivity begin.
Imagine noticing a taste or sound, and before you even have a thought about it, your mind has already tagged it as something you like, dislike, or don’t really care about. In practicing mindfulness of feeling tone, the goal is to catch that reflexive label as it happens, without getting tangled up in why you feel a certain way or what it means. This practice helps create a little space between what’s happening and our impulse to react, which in turn allows us to make wiser choices.
To try it, focus on labeling experiences as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral as they arise. Say you’re drinking coffee; rather than describing the taste, you’d simply note “pleasant.” If the sound of traffic drifts by, you might think, “unpleasant.” And if you’re feeling neither here nor there about something? That’s “neutral.” This practice is all about noticing without judgment. It’s about teaching the mind to observe those quick reactions without diving into stories or attachments. Over time, this skill helps us sit with whatever comes up—even the uncomfortable stuff—so that our reactions don’t control us. Instead, we get a little more freedom to decide how we want to respond.
