Success Story with Scott D. Clary

Episode: Lessons - What 6 Months of Silent Meditation Taught Me About Anxiety | Cory Muscara - Former Monk
Date: August 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this introspective "lessons" episode, Scott D. Clary interviews Cory Muscara, former monk and mindfulness teacher. The discussion centers around the human tendency to focus on the future, how this trait is both evolutionary and anxiety-inducing, and the practical difference between making decisions from fear versus joy. Cory shares insights from his six months of silent meditation, highlighting practices to help people discern whether their ambitions are authentic or rooted in old wounds, and how to cultivate presence and awareness to build a fulfilling, “whole” life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Are Humans Wired for Future-Thinking or Is It a Modern Phenomenon?

Timestamps: [00:00]–[03:20]

• Evolutionary Perspective: Cory references Dr. Martin Seligman and the book "Homo Prospectus," explaining humans are fundamentally “future-thinking beings.” Unlike other animals, we can imagine and plan for futures that don't exist yet.

  • Quote:

    “At our core, we are future thinking beings... Our unique capacity is to imagine a future that hasn’t yet happened and then organize resources to help bring that future to reality.”
    — Cory Muscara [00:57]

• Not a Modern Invention: Stressing about the future isn’t new—what’s changed is the sheer volume and constancy of stimuli we now face, making it harder to discern helpful future-focused thoughts from anxiety-driven ones.

  • Quote:

    “The psychologist Alberto [Villoldo] says we experience more stimulation in one week than our ancestors experienced in their entire lives.”
    — Cory Muscara [05:20]

2. Presence Versus Planning: Are They Contradictory?

Timestamps: [01:55]–[03:40]

• Cory eloquently dismantles the myth that mindfulness means suppressing thoughts about the future.

  • Quote:

    “The future doesn’t exist in the future, and the past doesn’t exist in the past... they’re all arising in the present moment. So many people get stuck with meditation because they think they shouldn’t have these thoughts.”
    — Cory Muscara [02:10]

• The goal isn’t the absence of ambition, but understanding the source of your drive—acting from calm presence versus anxious compulsion.

3. Fear-Driven vs. Joy-Driven Ambition

Timestamps: [06:34]–[08:00]

• Scott Clary asks how ambitious people can tell if their motivations come from “a place of fear or true happiness and excitement.”

  • “Is there a signal people can look for when they think about how they operate… that tells them they’re doing this from a wound or from wholeness?”
    — Scott D. Clary [07:23]

• Cory offers both a thought experiment and practical advice:

  • Ask Yourself: “What comes up for me when I think about not doing this?”

  • Fear-driven motivations are often loud, anxious, and carry a resonance of survival.

  • Joy- and wholeness-driven motivations tend to surface in relaxed, grounded states.

  • Quote:

    “If it is a motivation coming from a wound, you will probably notice a lot of fear arise… almost have the resonance of survival in it: ‘No, you need to do this.’”
    — Cory Muscara [08:05]

4. Practical Ways to Discern Motivation

Timestamps: [08:00]–[11:52]

• Track Emotional States:

  • Notice how you feel and what you desire when you’re most grounded and present (e.g., on a walk, with loved ones).
  • Compare this to times of high stress or anxiety—what behaviors or thoughts come up?

• Patterns:

  • In relaxed moments, ideas or desires arising are usually authentic and creative.

  • In stressful moments, patterns of control, fear, or the need for validation emerge.

    • Quote:

      “In my most relaxed state… I feel a draw to start that business. In my more fearful state… I feel like, no, I really just have to stay in this job, or your patterns of control come online in a big way.”
      — Cory Muscara [10:04]

• Early Stages:

  • “You’re just trying to sense that there is a difference there.”
    — Cory Muscara [10:35]
  • Over time, recognizing these patterns helps you shape a life resonant with wholeness, not old wounds.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Anything. The future doesn’t exist in the future, and the past doesn’t exist in the past. They just exist... in the present moment.”
  — Cory Muscara [02:10]
• “You build an entire empire that’s on the foundation of pain and not actually coming from the truth of you... It’s just helping to protect you from having to feel the trigger of that discomfort.”
  — Cory Muscara [05:00]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [00:00] — Introduction: Are we pushing against biology by focusing on the present?
• [01:00] — Cory on the evolutionary basis for future-thinking
• [02:10] — The relationship between presence, future, and mindfulness
• [05:20] — Modern overstimulation vs. ancestral environment
• [06:34] — Scott’s question: Fear or happiness as the root of ambition?
• [08:05] — Cory’s check-in question: “What happens if I don’t do this?”
• [10:04] — Patterns of authentic vs. fear-based motivation

Episode Tone

• Approachable, reflective, and practical, with Cory’s guidance offering nonjudgmental curiosity about personal motives and Scott’s honest, relatable questioning.

This episode is essential listening (or reading/present summary) for anyone wrestling with anxiety about the future, entrepreneurs questioning the roots of their ambition, or anyone interested in the practical side of meditation and self-awareness. Cory’s advice helps listeners observe their inner world with kindness and start untangling meaningful aspirations from old wounds—one grounded moment at a time.