Dying To Ask

New year, new you? Why not? The calendar change is a great time for a habit refresh. This week I'm sharing three things I'm doing this year to capture the spirit of a fresh start while also reflecting on the people who enriched my 2023. Ready to kick your year into gear? Mentioned during this episode: Get motivated with entrepreneur  Jesse Itzler . Plan your 24 in 24 with happiness expert  Gretche...

Overwhelmed this holiday season? Try a brain break. It's my secret to doing all the things and trying to be in the moment while I'm doing them. A brain break is the act of giving yourself a mental time out. That mental rest can boost your mood, increase productivity and make life more enjoyable. In this episode, we'll identify how to spot your noggin needs a break. (It's not as obvious as you thin...

What do Terry Crews, Dwyane Wade and MMA star Cat Zingano have in common? They're giving away money on bold.org. The site is a go-to for college students to win scholarship money to pay for school. Dror Liebenthal  is  bold.org 's founder and CEO. The site's goal is to match people and organizations who want to give away scholarship money with students who need cash for college. It's often difficu...

Sick of being sick? A "Hamilton" musical star won't miss his shot when it comes to boosting immunity. Darnell Abraham  is starring in the international touring  show  as George Washington. Abraham may play a founding father but he also doubles as a wellness guru when it comes to health. He's sharing the health hacks that keep him on stage night after night. It starts with the basics. Eat well, exe...

Sick of work drama? You can diffuse most conflicts with three simple steps. Richard Birke  is the senior vice president of  JAMS Institute , a conflict resolution company. He's a master mediator. Things have to be really bad before he heads into a workplace and usually the goal is to avoid litigation. But we all deal with conflict in our lives. Maybe it's someone who gets under your skin at work?...

Gratitude is an attitude. And, it might be the easiest way to boost your happiness. This week, we're revisiting the role gratitude plays in our physical and mental health. The holidays are a great time to hit a "reset" and reflect on what's really important in your life. My colleague Edie Lambert just produced an incredible story on the science of happiness and a new way it's being taught through...

Here's a genius move. Immerse yourself in a few more interests and watch yourself grow intellectually. That's the advice from biographer  Walter Isaacson . And he should know as he's often considered the genius biographer. Isaacson is a bestselling author. He's written biographies about people including  Leonardo da Vinci ,  Benjamin Franklin ,  Albert Einstein ,  Steve Jobs  and  Jennifer Doudna...

Move over spring cleaning. Fall organization may have an even bigger impact on mindset, stress levels and happiness. Kim Salisbury  is a personal organizer and the creator of  Home Method Co . She says a lot of people get a burst of energy when the cooler weather starts. She recommends using that energy to get your house ready before the holiday season. Want to thrive instead of survive the holida...

Sophia Ruan Gushee is one of the least toxic people you'll meet. That's probably because she wrote the book on it. She's the author of " The A to Z of D-Toxing " and the host of the Practical Nontoxic Living  podcast . But  Sophia  isn't a scientist and didn't study harmful plastics in school. Becoming a mom for the first time forced her to look at her environment in a whole new way. That led her...

Have something you need to do but can't find the motivation? Join the club. Sometimes it's just hard to get yourself going, even if you're normally a disciplined person. It's normal and it's really annoying! This week, we're looking at where motivation comes from and why it's hard to jumpstart sometimes. And we have a 4 step action plan to fire up your motivation to get more out of life. On this D...

This summer, Paris will become the second city to host three summer Olympics. This week, we're merging history and the Olympics on the "Dying to Ask" podcast. Bill George  is the author of a new  book  called "Victory in the Pool." Decades before Team USA celebrated names like  Michael Phelps  and  Katie Ledecky , Sacramento was the center of U.S. swimming, and its aquatic leader was a guy named S...

As doppelgangers go, Talakai is the ultimate winner. And now he can credit his likeness for his latest opportunity. Talakai  is a 34-year-old singer from Sacramento. He turned chairs with his rendition of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me"  during the blind auditions on "The Voice."  Then, he turned heads with his uncanny resemblance to judge  John Legend . “Wait until you see his face,” Legend told Niall...

What if I told you the key to personal growth could be forgetting everything you know? It's called a beginner's mind, and it's worth mastering. It's the idea of approaching something with a 100% fresh perspective or like you've never done it before. Do you remember the thrill of riding a bike? How about learning to read? Speaking another language and actually having someone understand what you're...

The Korean Wave continues and it's coming after your pores. Korean exports of beauty products have surpassed smartphones. Elise Hu  is the author of "Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital." Hu is a journalist and podcaster who currently is the host of " Ted Talks Daily ." Flawless is inspired by her years working as an NPR bureau chief in Seoul, South Korea. The  book  e...

Growing up on the internet may not be as bad as we thought. The first generation of kids exposed to a fully digital childhood is coming of age. Their childhoods have been radically different than their parents' childhoods. That's led a lot of parents to instinctively want to control kids' access to things like screen time and social media by installing limits and trackers on phones. It's like a di...

It's back to school time and that means back to anxiety for a lot of families. But four easy tips could lessen stress for kids and parents. Jenn Curtis is an educational consultant, the founder of  FutureWise , and co-author of " The Parent Compass ." She says back to school stress is normal. But, going into the school year with a plan can help. The school year is a natural reset for families and...

Making a mark without leaving a digital footprint. It's tough to do, but debut novelist Elizabeth Castellano is pulling it off. Elizabeth , or Liz as she goes by, is the author of " Save What's Left ." In a field where a strong digital footprint is often a predictor of professional success, Liz is defying the odds. Her book is one of the most buzzed-about titles this summer.  People Magazine  call...

Been there, done that. I've never been so glad to say that covering a one-year countdown to an Olympics. It's been a few years since that milestone didn't involve significant talk about the pandemic. This year felt, dare I say it, normal. I had that realization while doing an interview with 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Gabe Gardner. I covered Gardner's golden moment in Beijing and we've been friends...

Three words: less is more. That's the advice from professional organizer Kim Salisbury of  Home Method Co  when it comes to packing up and moving into a college dorm room. Kim  has helped families organize college dorms for years. This year, she'll take her own advice when her oldest child heads to college this fall. "The most important thing that I can say is, don't bring too much, because that's...

Want to feel less stressed? Try cleaning out your junk drawer. Decluttering may be the simplest path to destressing. Research has shown eliminating unneeded or unused things and organizing is good for focus, self esteem and mood. You can actually lower your cortisol stress hormone by purging areas in your home, especially the places where you spend the most time. Professional organizer  Kim Salisb...

Need cash? Maybe you need a side hustle. Inflation has a lot of people looking for ways to bring in more money. Getting a raise in the job you have now is likely not an option. But adding a part time job might be. Small business startups aka "side hustles" tend to boom during very specific times. Tightening job markets, recessions, and inflation inspire fiscal creativity. But it's not always about...

From big law to big adventure to big-time author. Jaclyn Goldis' new book is called "The Chateau" and the thriller is topping summer beach reads lists. But Jacyln's personal story has some interesting chapters too. And it starts with quitting a prestigious and lucrative job. She quit her job in Chicago as an estate planning lawyer right to travel the world. And, she quit that job after seven and a...

How's that New Year's resolution going for you? Yeah, me too. Maybe we need a summer reset. It's like a resolution do-over so your future self doesn't have to be irritated by your past self and your current self can lose some anxiety. It's very meta. 80% of New Year's goals or resolutions are a memory by mid-February. Only one in 10 people will follow through for a solid year on a resolution. On t...

The "Dying to Ask" podcast is marking its 200th episode in a most luxurious way. We're talking about how simple luxuries can have a big impact on your mood and mindset. Think cheap and easy. This is not a heavy lift. My colleague and dear friend  Edie Lambert  joins me as co-host. Both  Edie  and I are huge fans of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast.  Rubin  is the best-selling author of  The...

Go read a book! It's like a summer anthem for parents but the dividends are worth the nagging. Research continues to prove that summer reading helps kids avoid the brain drain that often occurs during summer break. Summer reading improves reading skills. Reading fluency is key to academic success in all subjects. Kids + summer reading = a winning combo. That said, it's sometimes a tough sell with...