What's On Your Mind With Mark & Will

Hope Hope is often celebrated as one of life's greatest virtues, but can there be such a thing as unhealthy hope? In this episode of What's On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the psychology, philosophy, and theology of hope, examining how it helps us endure suffering, persevere through uncertainty, and find meaning in difficult seasons. They also discuss the subtle dangers of hope when i...

Is ambition a virtue, a vice, or something in between? In this episode of What's On Your Mind, Mark and Will explore the true nature of ambition and challenge many of the assumptions people hold about what it means to be successful. Rather than viewing ambition as the pursuit of status, wealth, or recognition, they examine how healthy ambition is rooted in values, purpose, stewardship, and the...

Anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions we experience. It can motivate us to confront injustice, establish healthy boundaries, and make meaningful changes in our lives. It can also damage relationships, cloud judgment, and keep us trapped in cycles of resentment. In this episode of What's On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the dual nature of anger, examining how it can function as bo...

Ambition can be a powerful force for growth, purpose, and achievement, but when pursued without balance, it can also lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and burnout. In this episode of What's On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore what burnout actually is, why high-achieving and highly responsible people are often most vulnerable to it, and how to pursue meaningful goals without sacrificing your healt...

No matter how carefully we plan, life has a way of disrupting even our best intentions. In this episode of  What's On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore what happens when setbacks, stress, competing priorities, unexpected challenges, and everyday responsibilities threaten to derail our goals, relationships, and personal growth. Drawing on psychology, personal experience, and the concept of grit...

What does it truly mean to own your life? In this foundational episode of What's On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the concept of self-ownership, the central idea behind OYL Media, where OYL stands for Own Your Life . They discuss the difference between taking ownership of your life and attempting to control everything around you, examining ownership through the lenses of psychology, philos...

How much do the people around you shape who you become? In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the powerful influence of social environments, unpacking how individuals naturally adopt the behaviors, mindsets, and habits of those they spend time with. They discuss both sides of the equation, how groups influence individuals, and how people tend to gravitate toward others who...

When does helping someone actually hold them back? In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the tension between tough love and enabling, unpacking how good intentions can sometimes reinforce the very patterns we’re trying to change. They discuss why people struggle to tolerate the discomfort of those they care about, how over-helping can create dependency, and why allowing co...

What role does appreciation play in mental health, relationships, and even the regulation of our nervous system? In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the often-overlooked power of appreciation, including how it differs from gratitude, why its absence has become so common in modern culture, and how appreciating effort, not just outcomes, can transform the way we relate to...

The Pygmalion Effect reveals a powerful truth about human development: the expectations placed on us by others can shape not only our performance, but our identity. In this piece, Mark explores the psychological research behind this phenomenon, examining how belief, especially from parents, partners, and authority figures, can influence life trajectory in subtle but profound ways. The article also...

What does it really mean to commit? In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the nature of true commitment and why so many people struggle to fully follow through. They unpack the idea of “burning the boats,” eliminating the option of retreat, and how that mindset reshapes behavior, identity, and outcomes. The conversation dives into the psychology of decision-making, includi...

Regret is one of the most powerful and painful emotions we experience, but it can also be one of the most instructive. In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the psychology of regret, what it is, why it happens, and how it shapes the way we think about our past and future. They discuss how regret is tied to missed opportunities, values misalignment, and the stories we tell...

What are your values, and are you actually living them? In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the difference between the values we claim to hold and the ones that truly guide our decisions. They introduce the distinction between first-order values, like courage, creativity, and growth, and second-order values, like comfort, safety, and approval, and discuss how confusing t...

In this timely episode rerelease, we explore one of the oldest human instincts: tribalism. From the sports teams we swear by to the political identities we cling to, we unpack why our brains gravitate toward “us vs. them” thinking — even over something as silly as preferred ice cream flavors. We break down the cognitive biases that fuel this tendency, and discuss how simple awareness can soften th...

In this episode, Mark and Will explore the hazards of complaining, framing it, much like self-criticism, as a learned habit rather than a harmless release. They examine how complaining is formed and reinforced, the limited ways it can foster empathy, and the more significant ways it can quietly undermine emotional health and relationships. The conversation contrasts a victim mindset with its alter...

In this episode, Mark and Will take a hard look at self-criticism, examining what little “good” it actually offers and why most of its impact falls firmly in the bad and the ugly. They frame self-criticism not as insight or accountability, but as a learned habit that often masquerades as motivation. The conversation explores the myth that being hard on oneself leads to better outcomes, the role se...

In this episode, Mark and Will break down the sunk cost fallacy, the mental trap that keeps people invested in choices long after they’ve stopped being helpful. They begin by defining what sunk costs actually are, then explore how this bias shows up across work, relationships, finances, and personal growth. Mark and Will also examine how the human desire for predictability, often driven by anxiety...

Loneliness is often misunderstood. It isn’t the same as being alone, and it doesn’t discriminate by personality, age, or circumstance. In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will unpack the growing loneliness epidemic, exploring the difference between loneliness and solitude, how introversion and extroversion experience connection differently, and why loneliness is rising across multipl...

Why is asking for help so hard, even when we know we need it? In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the psychological and cultural forces that keep people from reaching out, including ego, status vulnerability, self-reliance, and the different ways men and women approach help-seeking. They unpack what “Own Your Life” really means, why giving help is often as powerful as re...

We tend to think of freedom as the absence of rules, but in practice, the lack of structure often leads to chaos, anxiety, and paralysis rather than liberation. In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore the paradoxical relationship between rules and freedom, discussing why routines create stability, why many people resist structure, and how internalized principles can actually...

Contentment may be the most desired emotional state — and the hardest to sustain. Why does satisfaction feel so fleeting, even when life is objectively going well? In this episode, Mark and Will explore the psychology of contentment and why “trying” to feel content often undermines it. We discuss the hedonic treadmill, the pressures of “level up” culture, the role of genetics and temperament, and...

Imposter syndrome is one of the most common — and misunderstood — psychological experiences, especially among high achievers. Despite evidence of competence, many people carry a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud. In this episode, Mark and Will explore the origins of imposter syndrome, how it shows up clinically and personally, and why it often reflects an outdated story we continue to te...

Why do so many of us feel the need to control outcomes, people, and circumstances? And why does control bring relief in the short term but anxiety in the long run? In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will unpack the psychology behind our drive for control and how it often functions as an anxiety-management strategy. We explore Stephen Covey’s Circles of Concern, Influence, and Contro...

In this week’s episode, we explore one of the oldest human instincts: tribalism. From the sports teams we swear by to the political identities we cling to, we unpack why our brains gravitate toward “us vs. them” thinking — even over something as silly as preferred ice cream flavors. We break down the cognitive biases that fuel this tendency, and discuss how simple awareness can soften the edges of...

In this episode of What’s On Your Mind , Mark and Will explore one of the most fundamental — and misunderstood — aspects of human psychology: why some people naturally lean toward optimism while others default to pessimism. We break down the roots of these tendencies, from biological hardwiring to personal history, and unpack the surprising benefits of both approaches. Yes, pessimism has a purpose...