#837: How to Simplify Your Life in 2026 - New Tips from Derek Sivers, Seth Godin, and Martha Beck
Tim Ferriss departs from his usual long-form interview format to explore how a few key decisions can dramatically simplify life in the coming year. He frames the episode with the idea of finding single choices that eliminate hundreds of downstream decisions, drawing on lessons from past guests and management thinkers. Derek Sivers, Seth Godin, and Martha Beck each share specific philosophies and concrete personal rules they've used to reduce complexity, set boundaries, and orient their lives around simplicity, focus, and deep joy.
World Leading Therapist: Why You Feel Stuck in Life & How to Get Unstuck
Mel Robbins interviews psychotherapist and author Lori Gottlieb about how the stories people tell themselves shape their emotions, relationships, and life choices. They explore how these often-unconscious narratives are formed, how they keep people stuck in patterns like self-doubt, anxiety, and people-pleasing, and how to begin editing and rewriting them. Through concrete examples and practical questions, Lori shows how changing your story can change how you relate to yourself and others.
"Is My Marriage Worth Fighting For?" - Tony & Sage Robbins FULL Relationship Intervention
Laura from Miami shares that she has been with her husband for 18 years, married for 6, and feels they have grown apart, leaving her torn between staying with a man she considers great and not losing herself. Sage helps her voice her loneliness and rejection as clear, loving requests, while Tony introduces the six human needs framework to evaluate the relationship. Together they guide Laura toward a 60-90 day period of intentionally loving her husband in the way he best receives love, so she can make a clearer, regret-free decision about staying or leaving.
This One Study Will Change How You Think About Your Entire Life: The Cornell Legacy Project
Mel Robbins interviews gerontologist Dr. Carl Pillemer about the practical life lessons, regrets, and advice he gathered from people in their 80s, 90s, and 100s through his Legacy Project at Cornell. Drawing on hundreds of in-depth interviews, he shares elders' guidance on worry, relationships, work, health, choosing a partner, self-acceptance, and learning to be "happy in spite of" difficult circumstances. The conversation emphasizes acting now on what truly matters, because almost every very old person reports that life feels shockingly short in retrospect.
#625 - Matthew McConaughey
Theo Von talks with Matthew McConaughey about childhood memories, old-school wrestling, and the daredevil legacy of Evel Knievel before exploring how modern technology has shifted our relationship to moments, identity, and validation. They dig into ego versus confidence, redefining humility, courage in the face of fear, and the psychology of peak performance in college football and SEC culture. McConaughey also shares deeply about fatherhood, marriage, family rituals, faith, prayer, his writing process for "Poems and Prayers," and the importance of pursuing transformation rather than a purely transactional life.
#836: The 4-Hour Workweek Principles - 13 Mistakes to Avoid, The Art of Mini-Retirements, and Navigating the Dizziness of Freedom
Tim Ferriss presents an experimental episode featuring three full chapters from the audiobook of his book The 4-Hour Workweek, narrated by Ray Porter. The chapters explore the concept of mini-retirements and mobile living, how to handle the psychological and existential void that can appear once work is removed, and the 13 most common mistakes made by people adopting the New Rich lifestyle. The episode combines parables, case studies, detailed how-to checklists, and philosophical reflections on freedom, meaning, learning, and service.
How to Deal with Difficult People & Not Get Stressed Out
Mel Robbins explains her "Let Them Theory" as a framework for handling difficult and emotionally immature people, especially within families, without losing your peace or power. She emphasizes that you cannot change other people, only your own responses, and that most adults behave like emotionally overwhelmed children when triggered. Through research-backed insights and concrete tools, she teaches how to accept people as they are, manage your own emotional reactions, set practical boundaries, and create healthier family dynamics.
#2412 - Adam Carolla
Joe Rogan and Adam Carolla reconnect after several years and discuss aging, time perception, and the uniquely human ability to change. They explore insecurity, the value of coaching and criticism, the importance of developing real skills, and how many people drift through life without a passion or craft. The conversation ranges through sports, construction, Malibu fires and Los Angeles regulation, climate and COVID responses, media dishonesty, over-sterilized modern life, curiosity, motivation, and advice for younger people to take risks before they are weighed down by obligations.
How to Move On When You Still Miss Your Ex (4 Hard Truths That Will FINALLY Set You Free)
Jay Shetty explores why breakups can feel so difficult to move on from, connecting the pain of missing an ex to brain chemistry, identity, and emotional needs rather than to the person themselves. He debunks common myths about time and closure, reframes what we actually miss in a relationship, and offers specific practices to stop romanticizing the past, rebuild structure, and focus on self-worth and personal growth. He closes by normalizing setbacks in healing and encouraging listeners to see heartbreak as a meaningful chapter that can humanize and strengthen them rather than define them.
The Exact Words You Need to Hear Today If It Feels Like Nothing's Working
Mel Robbins speaks with poet and spiritual teacher Mark Nepo, joined by her husband Chris Robbins, about reconnecting to life, opening the heart, and finding meaning through love, suffering, and everyday ritual. Mark shares stories behind his seminal book "The Book of Awakening," his cancer journey, and his new work on creativity in the second half of life. Together they explore practical ways to honor your gifts, practice self-love, cultivate resilience, and participate more fully in the present moment.
TED Talks Daily Book Club: Why change is so scary - and how to unlock its potential | Maya Shankar (re-release)
Host Elise Hu introduces a live virtual book club around Oliver Berkman's book "Meditations for Mortals" and frames a replay of cognitive scientist Maya Shankar's 2023 TED talk about navigating unexpected change. In her talk, Shankar shares her own story of losing her dream of becoming a concert violinist, along with the experiences of others, to illustrate how change can be frightening because of uncertainty and loss but can also expand our capabilities, values, and identities. She offers three guiding questions to reframe disruptive events and describes how she is using them in her own current struggle with pregnancy losses and uncertainty about becoming a mother.
(#8) Elise's Top Ten: Change your story, change your life | Lori Gottlieb
Host Elise Hu introduces a favorite TED Talk by psychotherapist and author Lori Gottlieb, which explores how the stories people tell about their lives shape their experiences. Gottlieb explains that most problems reduce to themes of freedom and change, and she illustrates how reframing our narratives, considering other perspectives, and accepting responsibility can open up new possibilities for connection and growth.