The daily practice that could rewire your brain | Timm Chiusano
Emotional intelligence coach Timm Chiusano shares how noticing a manhole cover on one of the worst days of his career led him to realize he is 'addicted to appreciation.' He explains what appreciation is, how it differs from gratitude, and how consistently noticing and valuing everyday things and people has transformed his life and work. He offers simple practices for cultivating appreciation and argues it can make us happier, more present, and better able to connect and create change together.
The Power of Family Stories
Host Shankar Vedantam first speaks with psychologist Robin Fyvush about how family stories shape children's memories, emotional development, identity, and resilience. They discuss research on parent-child reminiscing, different styles of family storytelling, and why knowing intergenerational stories predicts better well-being. In the second part, philosopher Massimo Pagliucci answers listener questions about stoicism, clarifying common misconceptions and showing how stoic ideas can help people handle anxiety, grief, relationships, and large-scale problems like climate change.
Lori Gottlieb: Stop Mistaking Calm for Boring! (Follow THIS Simple Rule to Build REAL Love)
In this live episode recorded at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., therapist and author Laurie Gottlieb joins the host to unpack common relationship challenges around love, acceptance, communication, and vulnerability. They discuss why people feel they must "perform" to earn love, how to create true emotional safety, the difference between chemistry and compatibility, and how childhood patterns show up in adult conflicts. The conversation includes a live on-stage exercise with a couple from the audience and a Q&A addressing conflict timing, gift-giving stress, asking for attention, and relationships involving neurodivergence.
Reframing the Battle of Wills
Host Shankar Vedantam talks with psychologist Stuart Ablon about why attempts to change others' behavior often fail when we assume the problem is a lack of motivation or willpower. Ablon explains how many challenging behaviors arise from lagging cognitive, emotional, and social skills, and describes his collaborative problem solving approach that emphasizes empathy, identifying unmet concerns, and jointly generating solutions. He illustrates the method with cases from psychiatric hospitals, juvenile detention, families, and workplaces, and discusses research showing it reduces challenging behavior and builds skills in both the people being helped and the helpers themselves.
Jay's Must-Listens: Marriage Isn't About Finding "The One" (5 Truths Every Couple Needs to Hear Before Marriage!)
Jay Shetty curates conversations with Heather Pinkett Smith, relationship coach Sadia Khan, and psychotherapist Laurie Gottlieb to explore what truly sustains long-term relationships and marriage. They discuss marriage as a spiritual path of growth, the role of self-control and emotional regulation in preventing infidelity, and the importance of honest conversations about marriage, children, money, and in-laws. The episode emphasizes redefining partnership on your own terms, setting boundaries, and creating emotional safety instead of chasing romantic fantasies alone.
The difference between healthy and unhealthy love | Katie Hood (re-release)
Relationship expert Katie Hood explains that while love is a powerful instinct and emotion, the ability to love well is a skill that must be learned and practiced. Drawing on her work with the One Love organization, she outlines five clear markers of unhealthy love-intensity, isolation, extreme jealousy, belittling, and volatility-and shows how these can escalate into abuse if left unchecked. She emphasizes using shared language to recognize unhealthy dynamics in all types of relationships and encourages daily practice of open communication, respect, kindness, and patience to build healthier connections.
$50M Poker Pro Shares His Best Advice For Founders
Poker pro Daniel Negreanu joins the hosts to explore the parallels between high-stakes poker and entrepreneurship, including reading people, managing risk, and handling emotional swings. He describes how he developed his observational skills, his early ups and downs in Las Vegas, and his philosophy on bankroll management and when to take big risks. The conversation broadens into emotional intelligence, personal responsibility, learning from rock bottom moments, and the importance of continually updating one's mental "software" to stay world-class in any field.
Secret Agent (Evy Poumpouras): Never Be Yourself At Work! Authenticity Is Quietly Sabotaging You! - Evy Poumpouras
Former U.S. Secret Service agent Evy Poumpouras discusses why over-identifying with past trauma and 'authenticity' can disempower people, arguing instead for radical acceptance of reality, emotional self-regulation, and personal responsibility. She explains concepts like cognitive load, decision fatigue, and the 'iceberg' model of personality, and shares lessons from presidents and law enforcement on confidence, communication, and decision-making under pressure. The conversation also explores victim mindsets, boundaries in relationships and work, the dangers of low-vibration environments, and how online culture and algorithms are amplifying polarization and political violence.
Dr. K: Feeling Lost in Your 20s or 30s? (THIS Mindset Shift Will Help You Find Direction & Purpose)
The host and Dr. K discuss why so many people in their 20s and 30s feel lost, behind, and purposeless despite external appearances of doing fine. They explore the difference between identity and identification, how ego and constant self-thinking drive depression and anxiety, and how observation, meditation, and emotional regulation can quiet the mind and reveal inner direction. The conversation also covers masculinity, dating, pornography addiction, spiritual evolution, and a practical framework for building purpose and resilience in a rapidly changing world.