Episodes

  • 3484: When You’re Feeling Self-Doubt and A Lack of Motivation by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits on Self-Compassion

    3484: When You’re Feeling Self-Doubt and A Lack of Motivation by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits on Self-Compassion
    Feb 4 2025
    Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3484: Leo Babauta shares a mindful approach to navigating these tough moments with self-compassion, small intentional actions, and a focus on what truly matters. By embracing discomfort and making space for emotions, it's possible to regain clarity and move forward with purpose. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://zenhabits.net/down/ Quotes to ponder: "When we feel down or drained, we often want to withdraw, shut down, or turn to distractions. But what if we turned toward the experience instead?" "The answer isn’t to force ourselves to be productive, but to allow ourselves to be present with what’s happening." "We can move forward with love, even when we feel down, by taking small, gentle steps and not needing to have it all figured out." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • 3483: How Simplifying Your Home Can Teach You Who You Are by Shawna Scafe on Embracing Minimalism

    3483: How Simplifying Your Home Can Teach You Who You Are by Shawna Scafe on Embracing Minimalism
    Feb 3 2025
    Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3483: Shawna Scafe from Simple on Purpose explains how embracing minimalism helps clear mental clutter, improve decision-making, and create space for what truly matters. By letting go of excess, you gain clarity, peace, and the freedom to live with more intention. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://simpleonpurpose.ca/why-minimalism-changes-life/ Quotes to ponder: "Minimalism helps you get rid of the distractions that keep you from seeing what you really want in life." "Clutter is anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living." "When you remove the excess, you create space, for peace, for joy, and for the things that truly matter." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins
  • 3482: How To Fall Down and Get Back Up Again by Chris Guillebeau on Failure as A Learning Experience

    3482: How To Fall Down and Get Back Up Again by Chris Guillebeau on Failure as A Learning Experience
    Feb 2 2025
    Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3482: Chris Guillebeau explores the inevitability of setbacks and the resilience needed to overcome them. By reframing failure as a learning experience and adopting a mindset of persistence, challenges become stepping stones rather than obstacles. Success isn’t about avoiding failure, it’s about rising every time you fall. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://chrisguillebeau.com/how-to-fall-down-and-get-back-up-again Quotes to ponder: "Falling down is inevitable. Getting back up is a choice." "Every failure contains the seeds of a future success if you’re willing to keep going." "You don’t have to enjoy failure, but you do have to learn from it." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • 3481: How to Find Belonging (Either Beautifully or Violently) by Dr. Kelly Flanagan on Finding True Connection

    3481: How to Find Belonging (Either Beautifully or Violently) by Dr. Kelly Flanagan on Finding True Connection
    Feb 2 2025
    Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3481: Finding belonging is a lifelong pursuit, and Dr. Kelly Flanagan explores two very different paths to it. Some seek connection through aggression and conformity, while others embrace vulnerability, allowing rejection to refine their circles of belonging. Through powerful stories including one from motivational speaker Nick Santonastasso this piece challenges us to choose authenticity over approval, faith over fear, and true connection over performative acceptance. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://drkellyflanagan.com/how-to-find-belonging-either-beautifully-or-violently/ Quotes to ponder: "Who do you become in order to attract companionship? What do you do in order to keep your companionship?" "The other way is to show up as you actually are, with all your countless imperfections and inabilities and insecurities just laid bare, vulnerable, and alone and to allow the rejecting of you to become the thing that purifies your circles of belonging." "As your sense of belonging grows, your faith in everything else does, too." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • 3480: Relax for the Same Result AND Small Actions Changing Self-Identity by Derek Sivers on Intentional Living

    3480: Relax for the Same Result AND Small Actions Changing Self-Identity by Derek Sivers on Intentional Living
    Feb 1 2025
    Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3480: Derek Sivers shares insights on the power of relaxation, revealing how a calm mind leads to better decisions, creativity, and happiness. He also explores how small, consistent actions shape identity, emphasizing that who we become is determined by our daily choices rather than grand gestures. By embracing both concepts, we can cultivate a more intentional and fulfilling life. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://sivers.org/relax & https://sivers.org/small-actions-changing-identity Quotes to ponder: "Relaxed is smart. Tense is dumb." "You don’t change yourself by thinking. You change yourself by doing." "Your actions are votes for the kind of person you want to be." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    9 mins
  • 3479: The Big Bad Ego by Briana Harry of YeMash on How to Increase Confidence and Personal Growth

    3479: The Big Bad Ego by Briana Harry of YeMash on How to Increase Confidence and Personal Growth
    Jan 31 2025
    Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3479: Briana Harry explores the struggle of confronting and disarming the ego, especially when it resists criticism and personal growth. She reflects on how insecurity can fuel defensiveness, particularly in creative pursuits, and emphasizes the importance of self-honesty, openness to feedback, and doing the work to improve. True confidence isn’t about avoiding critique, it’s about embracing it as a tool for growth. Read along with the original article(s) here: http://www.yemash.com/writers-corner/the-big-bad-ego Quotes to ponder: "I’ve found that I don’t like to be challenged. Which is kind of bad considering as people we should want the other people around us to challenge us in a way that makes us better, right?" "Your ego is only a big bad monster because it feels the need to protect you from the pain of not being good enough." "When you know you haven’t put your all into your work, and when you go to show it off and people don’t like it, the pain is not in you not being good enough, it is in you not doing enough." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • 3478: Why I Couldn't Quit Smoking (And How I Did) - The Truth About Free Will by Vironika Tugaleva

    3478: Why I Couldn't Quit Smoking (And How I Did) - The Truth About Free Will by Vironika Tugaleva
    Jan 30 2025
    Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3478: Vironika Tugaleva challenges the conventional notion of free will, arguing that our choices are deeply influenced by subconscious beliefs, past experiences, and societal conditioning. She explores how self-awareness can help us recognize these hidden forces and reclaim a more conscious sense of agency. By understanding the limits of free will, we can cultivate compassion for ourselves and others, fostering personal growth and deeper connections. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.vironika.org/the-truth-about-free-will/ Quotes to ponder: "The choices we make are not made in a vacuum. They are shaped by our past, our conditioning, our subconscious programming." "When we judge ourselves or others harshly, we assume that people act with full awareness and control but how often is that really the case?" "Understanding the limits of free will isn’t about giving up; it’s about waking up to what truly drives us, so we can choose with greater clarity." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins
  • 3477: How To Define Success For Yourself (no, but REALLY) by Sarah Von Bargen of Yes and Yes on Find Your Vision

    3477: How To Define Success For Yourself (no, but REALLY) by Sarah Von Bargen of Yes and Yes on Find Your Vision
    Jan 29 2025
    Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3477: Sarah Von Bargen challenges the conventional definition of success, encouraging you to create your own based on what truly makes you happy. By questioning societal expectations and defining success in personal terms whether it’s financial stability, meaningful relationships, or simply getting enough sleep you make it both more attainable and fulfilling. Once you clarify your vision, small, intentional steps can bring it to life. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.yesandyes.org/2017/01/how-to-define-success-for-yourself.html Quotes to ponder: "If you can’t name it, you can’t claim it." "When we actually, literally define what ‘success’ looks like to us, surprise! It’s a lot easier to feel successful." "Once you know what success looks like for you, take a few tiny, doable steps to get closer." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins