What if the peace, happiness, and fulfillment we spend our lives searching for are not something we need to achieve – but something that is already within us?
In this inspiring episode of the Spiritual Media Blog Podcast, I sit down with Pat Croce, the former president and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, adventurer, and spiritual seeker. Pat has lived an extraordinary life, moving from pioneering work in sports medicine to the boardroom of the NBA, while also pursuing adventures that have taken him around the world.
But beneath all of those accomplishments is a deeper journey: Pat’s movement from seeking fulfillment through external achievement toward discovering a sense of peace and presence within.
Pat’s latest book, Enjoy Your Self Now!: 66 Sacred Shifts to Instantly Awaken the Peaceful Presence Within You, reflects this transformation. His official website describes the book as a guide to living more fully in the present moment through 66 practical “sacred shifts” – changes in perspective designed to move us away from the restless mind and toward what Pat calls our peaceful Presence.
During our conversation, Pat and I explore what it means to go inward rather than continually seeking something outside ourselves.
One of the central ideas Pat shares is that we often spend our lives pursuing the next achievement, possession, experience, or accomplishment because we believe it will finally make us happy. Yet that happiness can be temporary. Pat describes his own awakening as a realization that what he had been seeking externally was already present within him.
We talk about the distinction between the egoic self we normally identify with and the deeper awareness that is observing our thoughts, emotions, sensations, and experiences. Pat describes this as moving from being caught up in the “monkey mind” toward simply experiencing the present moment.
And this leads to one of the most fascinating themes of our conversation: serendipity.
Pat shares the remarkable story of how a seemingly ordinary encounter at the Green Parrot in Key West led to him discovering The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama – and how this unexpected moment became an important turning point on his spiritual journey. He describes these experiences as moments when grace seems to break through our ordinary way of thinking.
We explore whether becoming more present and open can make us more receptive to these seemingly meaningful coincidences – and whether serendipity might sometimes be understood as a sign that we are becoming more aligned with life.
Pat also shares one of the most powerful lessons from his spiritual journey: letting go of our attachment to outcomes.
Rather than abandoning goals or ambition, he suggests that we can learn to act wholeheartedly without becoming attached to what must happen as a result. He connects this idea with wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita and the broader spiritual traditions that have influenced his journey.
Another deeply moving part of our conversation concerns adversity and illness.
Pat discusses living with a rare incurable bone marrow cancer and his decision to climb to Mount Everest Base Camp despite his diagnosis. Rather than viewing his illness simply as a problem, Pat talks about shifting his perspective and seeing it as a challenge – and potentially even an opportunity for growth.
This led to one of the most meaningful themes of our discussion: the difference between asking, “Why is this happening to me?” and asking, “What is the challenge in front of me right now?”
We also discuss post-traumatic growth, gratitude, resilience, and how our interpretation of difficult experiences can influence the way we move through them.
He further shares how he connects to a peace that passes understanding to help him face and move through challenges.
One of my favorite ideas from our conversation is Pat’s invitation to “observe the how, embrace the now, celebrate your wow.”
For Pat, the present moment is where life actually happens. And sometimes, entering that moment begins with something remarkably simple: pausing.
Pat describes what he calls the “6-Second Sacred Pause” – taking six seconds before responding to an email, text, confrontation, or difficult situation. That brief pause can create enough space between stimulus and reaction for us to respond from greater awareness rather than from old emotional patterns.
As a psychologist, I found this especially interesting because it also connects with what we know about emotional regulation and the way intense emotional states can affect our ability to respond thoughtfully.
We also talk about surrender and what it means to allow something greater than our individual ego to move through us. Pat shares a beautiful image from the Sufi mystic Hafiz: being like the hole in a flute through which the Divine breath moves.
Rather than asking, “How can I control everything and make life happen the way I want?”, perhaps another question is:
“How can I become more open and available to what life is trying to express through me?”
This theme of surrender connects with many spiritual traditions, from Christianity and Sufism to Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and contemplative spirituality. Pat’s own approach is intentionally inclusive, drawing wisdom from many traditions rather than limiting his exploration to one particular spiritual path. His website similarly describes Enjoy Your Self Now! as drawing upon figures and traditions including Buddha, Jesus, Rumi, Lao Tzu, and Ramana Maharshi.
We also discuss Meditation Hill Sangha, the spiritual community Pat has led for years. In our conversation, Pat describes the Sangha as a gathering where people from very different walks of life come together to listen, reflect, ask questions, and explore spiritual wisdom. He emphasizes the importance of listening without judgment and creating a sacred space in which people can temporarily put down the “backpack” of their fears, expectations, beliefs, attachments, and worries.
Ultimately, this conversation with Pat Croce is an invitation to reconsider what we mean by success.
Is success having more?
Achieving more?
Becoming more?
Or could genuine success involve discovering that the peace and happiness we have been searching for were never somewhere outside of us in the first place?
Pat’s message is ultimately hopeful: we don’t necessarily need to become someone completely different. Instead, we may need to become quiet enough to recognize the presence, awareness, love, and peace that have been within us all along.
As Pat says during our conversation, the goal is not simply to learn something new, but to “be someone new.”
And perhaps the invitation is even simpler:
Stop.
Be present.
Let go.
Listen.
And enjoy your Self now.
About Pat Croce
Pat Croce is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, adventurer, sports medicine pioneer, and former president of the Philadelphia 76ers. According to his official biography, he created 40 sports medicine centers across 11 states before moving into professional sports and helping guide the 76ers from one of the NBA’s worst teams to championship contention. His spiritual journey took a profound turn in 2015, leading him into an exploration of meditation, consciousness, and the wisdom traditions of the world.
His latest book, Enjoy Your Self Now!: 66 Sacred Shifts to Instantly Awaken the Peaceful Presence Within You, explores practical ways of shifting our perspective from striving and mental restlessness toward presence, peace, and greater awareness.
Learn more about Pat and his work at PatCroce.com and EnjoyYourselfNow.com.
Enjoy Your Self Now! is available wherever books are sold
Topics Explored in This Episode
- Spiritual awakening and transformation
- Living in the present moment
- The difference between ego and the deeper Self
- Meditation and mindfulness
- Serendipity and synchronicity
- Following your enthusiasm
- Letting go of attachment to outcomes
- Surrender and trusting life
- Spiritual growth through adversity
- Post-traumatic growth
- The power of the sacred pause
- Emotional awareness and responding rather than reacting
- Finding peace within
- Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, Taoism, and Christian spirituality
- Meditation Hill Sangha
- The relationship between psychology and spirituality
- Discovering happiness as an inherent part of our true nature