Dan Harris, Founder of “Ten Percent Happier”
Today, my guest is Dan Harris, the bestselling author of 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Truly Works. His book is a true story about his journey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self help and his discovery of a way to get happier that is truly attainable.
He went on this quest after he had an on-air panic attack. After his book became a #1 New York Times bestseller, he then launched the Ten Percent Happier podcast and co-founded the Ten Percent Happier app. Dan was co-anchor of Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America as well as a correspondent for ABC News and regularly reported for 20/20, World News with Diane Sawyer and weekday editions of Good Morning America. He has travelled extensively as a news correspondent including Iraq and Afghanistan. Dan’s work as a journalist has received accolades. He was awarded the Edward Murrow Award for his report on an Iraqi man who through the help of others was able to move to America. In 2009, he won an Emmy Award for his Nightline report How To Buy A Child In 10 Hours.
In this candid conversation, Dan shared the real stories behind his on-air panic attack, his transition from a skeptical news anchor to a meditation advocate, and the core philosophy of Ten Percent Happier.
1. The On-Air Wake-Up Call. Dan revealed that his journey into meditation began after experiencing a panic attack live on Good Morning America in 2004. He later learned from a psychiatrist that self-medicating his unrecognized depression with occasional cocaine—a habit he picked up while covering overseas conflicts after 9/11—had altered his brain chemistry and triggered the attack, forcing him to drastically reevaluate his life.
2. A Guide for Fidgety Skeptics. When Dan started meditating in 2009, he found that most existing resources were clichéd and largely inaccessible to skeptics. Sensing a need for a different approach, he decided to write Ten Percent Happier, a book filled with profanity and embarrassing personal stories designed to frankly demystify meditation. He initially thought the book would just be a mildly embarrassing experiment, but its massive success completely transformed his career and allowed him to build a multifaceted brand.
3. Taming the Inner Narrator. Dan explained that the core appeal of meditation is learning to handle the “inner narrator” or ego—a nonstop stream of internal consciousness that is constantly planning, comparing, and beating oneself up. He frequently reminds frustrated beginners that getting distracted during meditation isn’t a failure; noticing that distraction and starting over is actually the repetitive “bicep curl” that successfully trains and physically alters the brain.
4. Leaving the Anchor Desk Behind. While Dan cherished his 30-year journalism career and misses the morning camaraderie with his close colleagues, he does not miss the grueling hours or having his schedule constantly dictated by global tragedies. Now retired from ABC News, he has fully embraced his new path, dedicating his time to his podcast, his meditation app, and writing a sequel book. Today, he relies on his unique persona as a “fidgety skeptical and washed up news anchor” to prove to his audience that if he can learn to do life better, anyone can.
