Who would’ve thought that this guy would end up being someone with Buddha-like wisdom?

Not me!

He brought up an interesting point that I found frustrating at first. (But then I ended up seeing the wisdom in it.)

He says, when we’re dealing with family, yes, there is no discount of how hard and hurtful it can be to have a detached mother or a father who wasn’t around (ding ding ding on the last part for me). But, he goes on to discuss how “All relationships are some sort of manifestation of a latent aspect of ourselves.”

It’s not that the absent family member or “dick-wad Auntie” isn’t, in fact, a dick or absent. But if we instead treat it as something—although true and painful—about them that I am affected by, this gives us the ability to take back control of our emotions.

One thing he said, in particular, struck me: “Rewrite your life; editorialize yourself.”

So he’s not saying, “No, they aren’t that bad.” He’s basically saying that if we can take ownership of the fact that it is something within us being triggered, we can proactively create emotional boundaries and recognize it’s not really about them. We get to rewrite the narrative.

Another standout line was:

“We can’t allow ourselves to be defined by negative relationships.”

He says so much more, in an erratic yet enlightened (and entertaining) way. Enjoy:

After you’re done watching, read some more kooky yet profound Russell Brand wisdom: Unf*ck Yourself with Russell Brand’s 12-Steps.