8 Simple Mindset Shifts to Feel Gratitude Even When Your Life Isn't Where You Want it To Be
Jay Shetty explores how to practice authentic gratitude when life is not where you want it to be, emphasizing that gratitude should coexist with pain rather than deny it. He shares several mindset shifts and practical exercises, such as emotional granularity, contrast with your past self, microgratitude, embracing waiting seasons, borrowing others' joy, and thanking your past self. The episode focuses on using gratitude as a tool for resilience, self-compassion, and perspective rather than forced positivity.
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.
Try This Today: How to Use Gratitude to Feel Happier & Improve Your Relationships
Mel Robbins explores gratitude as a practical, science-backed tool for rewiring the brain away from negativity and reducing stress, rather than as a superficial positivity practice. Drawing on research studies and expert insights, she introduces three main gratitude tools: an unsent gratitude letter, a three-minute nightly gratitude journal (and morning variations), and a gratitude-focused text chain. Throughout the episode, she emphasizes how small, consistent gratitude practices can improve mental and physical health, deepen relationships, and help listeners reclaim control over their attention and emotional state.
#626 - Baby Me
Theo Von records a Thanksgiving-themed solo episode with producer Riley Mao, reflecting on the holiday, American history, the current state of the world, and the importance of focusing on tangible relationships and small joys. He shares a humorous yet sincere list of little life experiences he appreciates, updates listeners on recent charity efforts, and reacts to several heartfelt listener calls about mental health, painful family dynamics, impending parenthood, and spiritual questions. Throughout, he and Riley also discuss Riley's upcoming fatherhood, Theo's evolving sense of purpose, and his desire to deepen his relationship with God and better care for himself.
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.
My journey to thank all the people responsible for my morning coffee | A.J. Jacobs (re-release)
Author A.J. Jacobs describes how his tendency to focus on negatives led him to experiment with gratitude by thanking all the people involved in making his daily cup of coffee. What began as a family mealtime ritual evolved into a global quest to thank more than a thousand people along the coffee supply chain, yielding five key lessons about attention, savoring, invisible work, behavioral change, and global interconnectedness. He argues that genuine gratitude not only improves personal well-being but also inspires concrete action to help others, such as supporting access to safe water.
7 Micro Habits That Will INSTANTLY Reset Your Mind & Boost Energy (Without Changing Your Whole Routine!)
The host shares seven small, immediately usable habits designed to reset your mind, regulate stress, and boost energy without overhauling your entire routine. He explains when to use each habit, how to practice it in under a few minutes, and why it works psychologically and biologically. Throughout, he emphasizes using micro-habits to create emotional regulation, presence, and better decision-making in everyday situations.
Constantly Overthinking or Doubting Yourself? (Do THIS 5-Minute Reset to Break Your Negative Spiral!)
Jay Shetty delivers a solo episode about how to interrupt negative self-talk and the inner critic that sabotages progress. He explains why self-criticism feels like control but actually undermines performance, how shame differs from guilt, why our brains focus on mistakes, and why progress and healing are non-linear. Through research references, practical reframes, and examples, he offers seven mindset shifts to replace self-beating with self-compassion, accountability, gratitude, and strategic rest.
(#4) Elise's Top Ten: The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown
Host Elise Hu introduces a replay of Brene Brown's seminal TEDxHouston talk, which explores her research on shame, vulnerability, and what she calls "wholehearted" living. Brown explains how a sense of worthiness is the key factor that separates people who feel love and belonging from those who struggle for it, and describes how embracing vulnerability-rather than numbing it or seeking certainty and perfection-leads to greater joy, connection, and authenticity. She closes by urging listeners to let themselves be seen, love with their whole hearts, practice gratitude and joy, and believe they are enough.