The One You Feed | Personal Growth, Emotional Resilience & Purpose

In this episode, Leslie John explores why you should say the thing you’re afraid to say and how opening up can strengthen trust, deepen relationships, and improve our well-being. She explains why we’re often biased toward keeping things to ourselves, the hidden costs of holding back, and how to decide when sharing is worth the risk. Leslie also shares practical ways to become more aware of what we’re not saying, navigate difficult conversations, and reveal more of ourselves without crossing the line into sharing something we might regret.

Good Wolf Reminders: A little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at ⁠oneyoufeed.net/sms.⁠

Key Takeaways:

Why we often default to holding back without realizing it

How opening up can build trust and deepen connection

The hidden emotional and mental costs of keeping things to yourself

Why we tend to overestimate the risks of saying what we really think or feel

How to weigh the risks and benefits of speaking up versus staying silent

Why understanding your “why” can help you decide what to share and with whom

How putting difficult thoughts and feelings into words can make them more manageable

Why validation can make difficult conversations more productive

How sharing feelings instead of arguing over facts can reduce conflict

Why revealing wisely is a skill you can strengthen with practice

For full show notes, ⁠click here⁠!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Leslie John, check out these other episodes:

How We Can Improve Communication in Polarized Times with Charles Duhigg

Oren Jay Sofer on Mindful Communication

How to Unlock the Power of Deeper Connections with David Brooks

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠⁠Pebl⁠⁠⁠ – an AI-powered platform that helps companies hire and manage global teams in 185+ countries. Get a free estimate at ⁠⁠⁠hipebl.ai⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiny Health⁠⁠⁠⁠‘s at-home gut health test provides science-backed insights into your microbiome, along with personalized recommendations to help you improve your digestion, energy, and overall well-being. Get $50 off your first test kit at⁠⁠⁠⁠ tinyhealth.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠ButcherBox:⁠ Make dinnertime easier with ButcherBox, delivering high-quality 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, wild-caught seafood, and more, right to your door. Get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ground beef for life or free chicken thighs or top sirloins for a year, with free shipping always. Visit ⁠ButcherBox.com/FEED⁠ to claim your offer.

⁠Talkiatry⁠⁠⁠⁠ connects you with licensed psychiatrists for personalized, evidence-based mental health care, all online and covered by most major insurance plans. To get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Talkiatry.com/FEED.⁠⁠⁠⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, DJ DiDonna explores why a life-changing sabbatical might be more possible than you think. He explains why extended time away from our usual routines can offer something a vacation often can’t: the space to reconnect with who we are beyond work, gain perspective on what matters, and imagine what we want the next chapter of our lives to look like. DJ and Eric also discuss how planning years ahead can make a sabbatical feel more realistic, and how we can apply the same principles of stepping away and disrupting our routines even when taking months off isn’t possible.

Good Wolf RemindersA little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at oneyoufeed.net/sms.

Key Takeaways:

Why even meaningful work can lead to burnout

What makes a sabbatical different from a vacation

How extended time off can bring clarity, creativity, and perspective

Why planning years ahead can make a sabbatical more possible

How stepping away helps you reconsider what you really want

Why experimenting with new interests can reshape your sense of identity

How sabbaticals can help you reconnect with life beyond work

Ways to create meaningful breaks when a full sabbatical isn’t possible

For full show notes, click here!

If you enjoyed this conversation with DJ Didonna, check out these other episodes:

How to Integrate Behavior Change with Your Values with Spencer Greenberg

Crafting a Meaningful Life with Emily Esfahani Smith

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠Pebl⁠⁠ – an AI-powered platform that helps companies hire and manage global teams in 185+ countries. Get a free estimate at ⁠⁠hipebl.ai⁠

⁠⁠⁠Tiny Health⁠⁠⁠‘s at-home gut health test provides science-backed insights into your microbiome, along with personalized recommendations to help you improve your digestion, energy, and overall well-being. Get $50 off your first test kit at⁠⁠⁠ tinyhealth.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠

ButcherBox: Make dinnertime easier with ButcherBox, delivering high-quality 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, wild-caught seafood, and more, right to your door. Get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ground beef for life or free chicken thighs or top sirloins for a year, with free shipping always. Visit ButcherBox.com/FEED to claim your offer.

Monarch: Take control of your finances with Monarch, the all-in-one personal finance app that helps you budget, track spending, monitor investments, and work toward your financial goals. Get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core, go to https://www.monarch.com/ and enter Promo Code: FEED

Talkiatry⁠⁠⁠ connects you with licensed psychiatrists for personalized, evidence-based mental health care, all online and covered by most major insurance plans. To get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes, visit ⁠⁠⁠Talkiatry.com/FEED.⁠⁠⁠

Quince:⁠ Refresh your wardrobe with Quince by going to ⁠Quince.com/feed⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford explains how connection helps us heal what we can’t heal alone, from the power of sharing our stories to the support we find in friendships, groups, and community. She discusses how healing allows painful experiences to become part of our story without becoming our entire story, why shame begins to loosen when we realize we aren’t alone, and how relationships can help us see ourselves more clearly. Dr. Joy also explores self-silencing, navigating conflict, finding meaningful friendships as adults, and why discomfort can sometimes be a sign that we’re growing in the right direction.

Feeling overwhelmed in your life?Check out ⁠⁠Overwhelm is Optional ⁠⁠— a 4-week email course that helps you feel calmer and more grounded without needing to do less. In under 10 minutes a day, you’ll learn simple mindset shifts (called “Still Points”) you can use right inside the life you already have. ⁠⁠Sign up here for only $29!⁠

Key Takeaways:

How culturally responsive therapy recognizes the different experiences people bring to mental health and healing

Why finding the right therapist is about connection as much as credentials

How to balance self-improvement with accepting yourself as you are

Why sharing our stories can loosen shame and help painful experiences become part of our story rather than the whole story

The unique healing power of groups, friendship, and realizing we aren’t alone in what we’re experiencing

How to build new friendships as an adult by noticing people already in the “background” of your life

Why self-silencing our needs can undermine our relationships and how small changes can help us speak up

How navigating conflict can deepen intimacy rather than signal the end of a relationship

Why discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean you’re moving in the wrong direction

Practical ways to work with everyday anxiety, including asking “and what next?”

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠

If you enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, check out these other episodes:

Exploring the Healing Potential of Spirituality with Abraham Verghese

Racialized Trauma with Resmaa Menakem

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠Monarch⁠: Take control of your finances with Monarch, the all-in-one personal finance app that helps you budget, track spending, monitor investments, and work toward your financial goals. Get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core, go to https://www.monarch.com/ and enter Promo Code: FEED

⁠Talkiatry⁠⁠⁠⁠ connects you with licensed psychiatrists for personalized, evidence-based mental health care, all online and covered by most major insurance plans. To get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Talkiatry.com/FEED.⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Quince:⁠⁠ Refresh your wardrobe with Quince by going to ⁠⁠Quince.com/feed⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

⁠⁠Pebl⁠⁠⁠ – an AI-powered platform that helps companies hire and manage global teams in 185+ countries. Get a free estimate at ⁠⁠⁠hipebl.ai⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Cassandra Vieten explores the science of using imagination to change how you think and feel. She explains that imagination isn’t something reserved for creativity or daydreaming; we’re using it constantly to anticipate the future, interpret the present, and tell stories about the past. Cassandra shares how becoming more conscious of these patterns can help us recognize when our imagination is working against us, shift the stories that keep us stuck, and use this powerful capacity to approach challenges with greater flexibility, possibility, and hope. Her new book is Imagine That: Transform How You Think, Feel, and Live with the Science of Imagination

Feeling overwhelmed in your life?Check out ⁠⁠Overwhelm is Optional ⁠⁠— a 4-week email course that helps you feel calmer and more grounded without needing to do less. In under 10 minutes a day, you’ll learn simple mindset shifts (called “Still Points”) you can use right inside the life you already have. ⁠⁠Sign up here for only $29!⁠

Key Takeaways:

Why we use imagination far more often than we realize

How imagination shapes our thoughts, emotions, and behavior

The difference between adaptive and maladaptive imagination

How catastrophizing uses imagination against us

Why imagining how you want to show up can be more useful than imagining perfect outcomes

How your unique “imagination style” influences the way you think

Why screens may be weakening our capacity to imagine

How mental rehearsal can help us prepare for difficult situations

Using your future self to clarify your values and priorities

Why we can’t always think our way into lasting change

How imagination can help regulate the nervous system

Why generating hope is a skill we can practice

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠

If you enjoyed this conversation with Cassandra Vieten, check out these other episodes:

What’s Next? Our Future Stories with David Christian

The 12 Levers That Actually Help You Change Your Life | Spencer Greenberg

How to Craft a Meaningful Life with Emily Esfahani Smith

This episode is sponsored by:

Monarch: Take control of your finances with Monarch, the all-in-one personal finance app that helps you budget, track spending, monitor investments, and work toward your financial goals. Get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core, go to https://www.monarch.com/ and enter Promo Code: FEED

Talkiatry⁠⁠⁠ connects you with licensed psychiatrists for personalized, evidence-based mental health care, all online and covered by most major insurance plans. To get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes, visit ⁠⁠⁠Talkiatry.com/FEED.⁠⁠⁠

Quince:⁠ Refresh your wardrobe with Quince by going to ⁠Quince.com/feed⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

⁠Pebl⁠⁠ – an AI-powered platform that helps companies hire and manage global teams in 185+ countries. Get a free estimate at ⁠⁠hipebl.ai⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Benjamin Todd explores how to build a meaningful career in an uncertain world. He and Eric discuss why the old advice to “follow your passion” can lead us astray, how AI is changing the skills that may matter most, and what actually makes work fulfilling. Benjamin also explains how to think more intentionally about the impact of our work, why experimenting is often more useful than trying to think our way into the perfect career, and how to know when it might be time for a change.

⁠A Weekly Bite of Wisdom:⁠ Want to go deeper with the ideas we explore on The One You Feed? Every Wednesday, Eric shares a short, practical email that turns insights about mental health, relationships, purpose, habits, and personal growth into simple practices you can use right away. You’ll also receive our Weekend Podcast Playlist featuring a recap of the week’s episodes. It’s free, takes about a minute to read, and is enjoyed by thousands of readers each week. Sign up at ⁠oneyoufeed.net/newsletter.⁠

Key Takeaways:

Why following your passion isn’t always the best career advice

How AI is changing the way we should think about career planning

Which skills may become more valuable as technology advances

The five factors that make work satisfying and fulfilling

Why meaningful work involves more than a job title or salary

How to choose work that makes a meaningful difference

Why asking “What could I become good at?” can open new possibilities

How small career experiments can help you make better decisions

Why we often stay in unsatisfying jobs longer than we should

How to evaluate whether it’s really time for a career change

Ways to make a difference even when changing careers isn’t possible

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠

If you enjoyed this conversation with Benjamin Todd, check out these other episodes:

Mind Over Grind: Practical Tips to Manage Work Stress and Enhance Your Well-Being with Guy Winch

How to Create a Life Strategy for Meaningful Change with Seth Godin

How to Craft a Meaningful Life with Emily Esfahani Smith

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠⁠Quince:⁠⁠⁠ Refresh your wardrobe with Quince by going to ⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/feed⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too

⁠⁠⁠Talkiatry⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ connects you with licensed psychiatrists for personalized, evidence-based mental health care, all online and covered by most major insurance plans. To get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Talkiatry.com/FEED.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Pebl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – an AI-powered platform that helps companies hire and manage global teams in 185+ countries. Get a free estimate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hipebl.ai⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠ZocDoc⁠⁠⁠ - Taking care of your health just got easier – ⁠⁠⁠start here with Zocdoc⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Shopify⁠⁠⁠ – The commerce platform that helps you build, grow, and manage your business all in one place. Start your $1/month trial at ⁠⁠⁠shopify.com/feed.⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiny Health⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s at-home gut health test provides science-backed insights into your microbiome, along with personalized recommendations to help you improve your digestion, energy, and overall well-being. Get $50 off your first test kit at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ tinyhealth.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monarch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Take control of your finances with Monarch, the all-in-one personal finance app that helps you budget, track spending, monitor investments, and work toward your financial goals. Get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core, go to https://www.monarch.com/ and enter Promo Code: FEED

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ButcherBox:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Make dinnertime easier with ButcherBox, delivering high-quality 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, wild-caught seafood, and more, right to your door. Get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ground beef for life or free chicken thighs or top sirloins for a year, with free shipping always. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ButcherBox.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to claim your offer.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices