An international bestselling author, podcast & radio host and book coach writes about watching the mind, dancing his face off to psychedelic trance, and ‘coming back to the love in your heart.’

1 Which role did books play in your childhood and teenage years?

Books have always been an important part of my life. By age 12, I wanted to write a novel. From that point, everything that I read was perceived through that lens. What could I learn? How could I write better?

How could I write something that would change people's minds, change people's lives, and blow their minds?

By the way (fingers crossed), the novel will be finished in 2025!

2 What is your reaction to the adage: “The pen is mightier than the sword”?

Yes, the pen is mightier than the sword… most of the time. Words are what change people's lives, people's hearts, and people's minds. For example, by capturing the teachings of the Buddha in words, more and more people have accessed his teachings, reduced/eliminated their own suffering, and helped reduce the suffering of the people (and animals) around them.

The flip side is that the “sword” in the hands of low-consciousness people has wreaked havoc for centuries as well. And sadly, lots of these people find themselves in positions of power.

But in the big picture you can change more minds with the pen. Because with the sword, you only generate fear, resistance, suffering, and misery. May more governments and more parents learn and practice this truth sooner than later.

3 You can look back on a successful career, including helping a Fortune 100 company create a mindfulness and empathy video game for 20 000 employees. Could you tell us a little more?

Service has always been central to my work, and so has meditation. These came together in the opportunity of creating this video game. Mindfulness and empathy are two of the most important attributes of human success and human behavior. But it's not mindfulness as a buzzword.

It's mindfulness, according to how the Buddha described it: watching the mind's attention as it moves from one object to another. And then smiling and relaxing and coming back to the love in your heart.

Also listen to Ben discussing facing death four times in three days, personal evolution, and writing bestsellers fast.

4 You’ve launched the world’s largest magazine, AARP. What is AARP, and how did this happen?

In a former life, I had an eight-year magazine career. And I developed wonderful relationships with several people along the way. One of those people got hired at AARP, as an editor, and she was kind enough to invite me to meet the publisher, art director, and managing director.

They had a “no a-hole” hiring policy, and invited me to join the team. The nutshell: no matter what we do in the world, relationships are key, and they are game changers.

5 Could you elaborate on the Patient Service Award you’ve won from the ALS Association?

Long before mindfulness was a a popular word, I became friends with a person  with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) named Mike, while I was working at The ALS Association. The disease had progressed far for him, like he could only move his eyes and bullfrog his cheeks.

Yet with those limitations, he could make beautiful visual art and communicate by computer. He also said that ALS was the greatest gift he ever received because it forced him to be present in his life like he never had been before. (Amazing!)

So Mike and I developed a meditation program for people with ALS, their caregivers, and loved ones. And I was honored to receive the award from the Association.

6 How would you define freedom?

Freedom has multiple definitions for me. It's the ability to do what you want, where you want, when you want, and with whom you want. (As long as you're not impeding someone else's freedom.)

It's also the ability to have a light mind and not be burdened by any kind of suffering, whether you're sick or healthy, whether you're wealthy or broke, whether you're looking at the most beautiful thing you've ever seen or witnessing tragedy like never before.

True freedom is power, and true freedom is a component of true awakening.

7 How do you like to reload your batteries?

There are multiple ways that I enjoy recharging. Although I am an ambivert, I am more on the introverted side of things. So I enjoy being alone with periodic connections with friends and family.

I love to read, walk, and spend time in nature. I love to cook and to organize things (almost anything). I love to hang out with cats.

And I love, love, love to listen to music. Almost any genre, especially baroque, and downtempo, electronic ambient (with some beats underneath). And if I need some juice, I’ll dance my face off to psychedelic trance.

City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia - image from Pexels.

8 You’ve recently relocated to Valencia, Spain. Please describe some of the joys you experience.

Valencia is amazing, Spain is amazing. Compared to my experience in the US, there is a much deeper enjoyment of life here...

There is less hustle and less hassle. There is far less urgency and far more joy. There is no rampant gun violence nor dangerous, religious fundamentalism.

People are patient and kind and still manage to get things done, even though they are not running around like lunatics.

I love the beach and the Mediterranean Sea. I love the center of the city and being able to look at history (like the remains of a 15th century wall). I love that a great many people practice siesta; that is something I am practicing more and more.

Lastly, I love the community that I have cultivated, because it's many people like me who have come to create a new life. So the joie de vivre is potent, powerful, and so much fun!

About Ben

Ben Gioia is a 4X international bestselling author, podcast and radio host and book coach, based in Valencia in Spain. Thanks to the Influence With A Heart® Method, Ben's clients write high-quality books in as little as 5 weeks, enjoy 5 USD-figure speaking fees, and attract 6-figure consulting fees. (Before publishing!) He is the only book coach who starts the writing process with proven, strategic business development that attracts revenue.

Ben has trained 100s of millionaires at Stanford, helped a Fortune 100 create a mindfulness and empathy video game for 20 000 employees, and launched the world’s largest magazine (AARP). Ben started writing when he was 12 and won a patient services award from The ALS Association.

Email: ben@influencewithaheart.com

Website:  https://www.influencewithaheart.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengioia/

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https://www.influencewithaheart.com/booksuccessguaranteed

Photograph of Ben Gioia at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain: supplied

Thumbnail: Pexels

Other images: Unsplash, unless indicated otherwise