We recently connected with Darren Lamb and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Darren, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I am a former Buddhist monk, and I was looking for fun and exciting ways to teach the Dharma. I decided to write fictional stories that have a strong Buddhist influence yet are not in any way a “spiritual” book, or a self-help book. One of my earliest books is called Rebirth and is a Buddhist zombie tale. When I was trying to find a publisher or a literary agent to work with, no one would touch my work because it is different from the norm that is currently being published. They were afraid there wouldn’t be a market and were unwilling to take a chance on something different.
So, I went the self-publishing route and have had some success with it. My favorite thing is when someone takes the time to read one of my books and they share with me the lessons they gleamed from it. I often attended various conventions to sell my work, and one Friday, a woman bought Rebirth from my booth and then came back Sunday after finishing Rebirth and bought every book I was selling.
It was a great validation.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m not your standard monk/ spiritual guy and I’m for sure NOT your guru.
If spiritual teachers were lovers, I’m the guy who always needs two hands and five minutes to undo the bra.

I’ll get you there but the “way” might be a bit unconventional. But, if you are here, that’s what you’re looking for right?

What I am is someone also struggling along my path figuring it out each day and using the principles I’ve picked up as “the worst buddhist” to find peace and freedom within. And, I’m damn good at sharing my joy, child-likeness, and geeky outlook to help others brighten their lives too.

I’m a Marine Veteran, a chronic martial arts student, an athlete, a comic book nerd, a father, an author, a homeless advocate, a community volunteer, a Zen monk, a yo-yo master (maybe a bit obsessed), and a lot in between.

Most likely what you are experiencing I’ve been there too.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Many of my books are about encouraging people to take the step into larger roles that they might have some trepidation about. Or they are in such great pain that they have lost all hope. Whenever someone tells me that one of my books helped them through a dark time, it reminds me of why I write in the first place. Sure, it would be awesome if I became the next Stephen King, but I believe it is more important to make a genuine connection with your reader. If you can help them reach for the light, that is more important to me than being a best selling author.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In my book The Happiness Program , I tell of how after a divorce left me broken and suicidal. I decided to put my life back together and find happiness. The simple, life changing methods I used became the basis of this new book series.

So what exactly is The Happiness Program? The Happiness Program is a straightforward, easy to follow guide to help you burst out of your comfort zone, to get some leverage on yourself, and to make some real changes in your life. You don’t need to be a Buddhist to do it, you don’t need to be an athlete, or anything else like that. This is a program for everyone.

If you feel like you’re life is stuck, or that you’re in a rut, The Happiness Program can be just the thing to get you moving and to help you achieve all the things you want to get out of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theworstbuddhist.com/
• Instagram: @worstbuddhist
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVM8NDqzJNQ&t=58s

Image Credits

All images were taken by me