The One You Feed | Personal Growth, Emotional Resilience & Purpose

In this episode, Anne Lamott explores why waiting for the perfect community, the perfect version of ourselves, or the perfect moment keeps us from the very connection we're searching for. She discusses overcoming perfectionism, quieting the inner critic, finding the courage to walk into unfamiliar rooms, and embracing the messy, imperfect relationships that help us heal. Along the way, Anne shares...

In this episode, Amy Kurtz explores the challenges of when your health feels like a roller coaster and finding stability in the chaos of chronic illness. She shares her journey through years of misdiagnosis before finally being diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease. Amy also discusses living in the "grey area" between sickness and wellness and introduces her concept of "Medical Trauma Brain" (MTB...

In this episode, Paul Millerd explains why the safe path in life isn’t always the right one. He explores what happens when the life that looks successful on paper no longer feels like your own. Paul also discusses why we often stay in situations that no longer fit, how fear and uncertainty shape our decisions, and what it means to define success on your own terms. You’ll learn about the tension be...

In this episode, Simone Stolzoff explores why the need for certainty is holding you back and how learning to live with uncertainty can lead to greater resilience, better decisions, deeper relationships, and a more meaningful life. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and his own deeply personal experiences, Simone explains why our brains crave certainty, why that instinct often fuels...

In this episode, Julie Holland explains why connection may be the medicine we’ve been missing. She explores how genuine human connection helps regulate the nervous system, why disconnection can keep us stuck in fight-or-flight, and how our phones often give us a synthetic version of connection that never fully satisfies. Julie also discuss oxytocin, stress, loneliness, addiction, psychedelics, and...

In this episode, Michelle Segar explores why all-or-nothing thinking keeps you from exercising, and why the problem may not be a lack of motivation or willpower. Drawing on groundbreaking new research, she reveals how rigid exercise standards, perfectionism, and the belief that workouts only “count” if they’re done a certain way often lead people to do nothing at all. Michelle also discusses the h...

In this episode, Dr. Rick Hanson explores why choosing harmony over truth in our relationships often leaves us with neither. Drawing on decades of experience as a psychologist, relationship expert, and mindfulness teacher, Rick shares practical wisdom for navigating conflict, communicating with greater skill, and building stronger connections with the people who matter most. Rick discusses the del...

In this episode, Alex Olshonsky explores why you’re addicted to thinking, nd what to do instead. Drawing from his journey through addiction, recovery, meditation, and somatic psychology, Alex argues that overthinking is often a way of avoiding difficult emotions. He explains why compulsive thought can function like an addiction, how attention gets hijacked by rumination and distraction, and what i...

In this episode, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer explores how to trust life even when it breaks your heart. She talks about grief, healing, and trust following the loss of her son and father. Rosemerry shares how her daily poetry practice and spiritual teachings helped her navigate profound loss, embracing both sorrow and joy. She discusses her book All the Honey, the power of acceptance, and the mantra...

In this episode, Diana Hill explores the concept of Wise Effort and how our regrets can become powerful guides to what matters most. Drawing from psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Buddhist wisdom, she explains why the things that hurt most often point directly toward our deepest values. Diana also discusses how to work with regret without getting stuck in it, why discomfort can be...

In this episode, Michael Bungay Stanier, author of the bestselling The Coaching Habit, discusses how to tame your advice monster and become a better listener. Michael shares the surprising story of self-publishing after multiple rejections, and discusses core coaching principles like staying curious longer and asking better questions. He explores paradoxes in coaching, including balancing humility...

In this episode, Lodro Rinzler discusses what it takes to believe you're good enough. He explains how guilt, shame, and negative emotions can become mistaken identity markers, and how meditation helps us recognize our inherent goodness. Lodro also shares personal stories about releasing shame, taking responsibility for past mistakes, and the Buddhist concept that we are fundamentally good but obsc...

In this episode, Suleika Jaouad, author of Between Two Kingdoms, discusses her experience learning how to live in the space between no longer and not yet. Suleika shares how illness shattered her plans and forced her to confront mortality, finding agency through journaling and creativity. She discusses the difference between pain and suffering, the importance of community, and learning to live in...

In this episode, Manoush Zomorodi talks about tiny movements and their massive impact in reclaiming your energy in the digital age. Her new book, The Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being, explores the hidden health costs of sedentary, screen-heavy lifestyles and shares research showing that just five minutes of gentle movement every 3...

In this episode, Shane Parrish, author of Clear Thinking explains why your default behaviors are sabotaging you, and how to outsmart them. He explores how small, everyday decisions shape our lives more than major choices. Key insights include positioning yourself for success through preparation, creating personal rules to build positive habits, and using role models as a “personal board of directo...

In this episode, John Kaag and Clancy Martin discuss why friendship matters in the face of suffering and what helps us through the hardest parts of being human. They explore questions of selfishness, human nature, and our capacity for love and connection. Clancy speaks candidly about suicidal ideation and why isolation can be so dangerous, while emphasizing that even small moments of human contact...

In this episode, Holocaust survivor, psychologist, and author Dr. Edith Eger explores how to break free from the mental prisons that hold you back. Drawing from her experiences in Auschwitz, Edith explores these mental “prisons” people create – victimhood, guilt, shame, judgment, and secrets and offers practical ways to break free. She emphasizes that true freedom comes from within, through consci...

In this episode, Nikki Eisenhauer, creator of the Emotional Badass podcast, explores emotional strength training and how to process trauma without getting stuck. She discusses how conscious choices shape our emotional well-being and emphasizes the importance of nervous system regulation as a foundation for healing, distinguishing constructive trauma processing from unproductive rumination. Nikki o...

In this episode, James Beshara explores how to unlock the power of reflection and action in a distracted world. He delves into Vedanta philosophy and explains how Vedanta’s framework of body, mind, and intellect mirrors the battle between immediate desires and long-term wisdom. He shares practical daily habits, including questioning assumptions, reflection, and community discussion, that strengthe...

In this episode, Matt Abrahams, author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot, shares practical techniques to manage anxiety, improve listening, and speak clearly when it matters most. Matt explores how to improve spontaneous communication under pressure, embrace imperfection, and enhance important listening skills. Matt introduces practical frameworks...

In this episode, comedian Vir Das explores how to find belonging when you feel like an outsider. He shares details about his multicultural upbringing across India, Nigeria, and the United States, and his lifelong feeling of never quite fitting in. Vir also discusses his memoir The Outsider, his Netflix specials, and how exhaustion with pretending led him to embrace authenticity, and explores theme...

In this episode, Amy Morin discusses how to build mental strength, cope with stress, and thrive under pressure. Drawing from personal tragedies, including losing her mother and young husband, Amy shares practical tools for building mental resilience, particularly in the workplace. Key strategies discussed include giving yourself personalized pep talks, eliminating negative thoughts by physically d...

In this episode, Scott Hershovitz discusses the greatest lessons in philosophy, parenting, and kindness. He also explores how children are natural philosophers and how everyday life raises deep questions about identity, truth, and moral responsibility. Other topics include personal identity, relativism, civil discourse, and the importance of treating others as moral agents. Throughout, Scott conne...

In this episode, Dr. Nicole LePera discusses her book on how to reparenting your inner child can transform your life heal old wounds. She explores how childhood experiences create implicit emotional memories that shape adult behaviors and nervous system responses. Dr. Nicole also introduces her Individual Development Model, covering five developmental spheres, and explains how “parenting yourself”...

In this special episode, Eric coaches a listener named Tommy on the most effective strategies to overcome anxiety and build positive habits. Tommy struggles with low-level anxiety, self-doubt, and difficulty acting on healthy intentions. He knows exercise and social connection help his anxiety, but often defaults to avoidance and self-criticism instead. Eric introduces his SPAR framework: Specific...