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

In this episode, Jonah Berger explains why we fight the changes we know we need. Jonah explains why pushing harder, piling on more reasons, or simply telling ourselves what we “should” do can actually create more resistance. Instead, he shares how identifying and removing the barriers to change can make transformation easier and more sustainable. They explore why small steps are often more effective than dramatic ones, how to work with our natural resistance, the hidden cost of staying with what’s “good enough,” and how the people around us quietly shape our choices.

⁠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 pushing harder can actually make change more difficult

How identifying barriers can make change easier

Why giving ourselves choices reduces resistance

How to turn a “should” into something we actually want to do

Why starting small can be more effective than making a dramatic change

How noticing the gap between what we say and what we do can motivate change

Why “good enough” can keep us stuck longer than something that’s clearly bad

How the immediate costs of change can overshadow its long-term benefits

Why other people influence our choices more than we realize

How becoming aware of those influences helps us choose them more intentionally

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is available now! Order your copy today!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Jonah Berger, you might also enjoy these other episodes:

Mimetic Desires in Everyday Life with Luke Burgis

Effectively Thinking Ahead with Bina Venkataraman

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

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠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.⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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, Dr. Marisa G. Franco explores why feeling insecure doesn’t mean you’re back at the beginning, and how real self-worth may come from learning to make room for every part of yourself. She and Eric discuss why old insecurities can return even after years of growth, how past experiences continue to shape our reactions in the present, and why intellectual insight isn’t always enough to change how we feel. Marisa explains what it means to become “secure-ish,” how acknowledging difficult emotions can help us regulate them, and why true security isn’t about never feeling anxious, rejected, or uncertain. It’s about trusting that we can meet those feelings when they arise.

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 feeling insecure doesn’t erase the progress you’ve already made

How acknowledging difficult emotions helps us regulate them instead of being controlled by them

Why old memories can shape present-day reactions, even when we know intellectually that we’re safe

How memory reconsolidation may help change the emotional impact of painful experiences

Why some past experiences remain in the body even when we can’t consciously remember them

What it means to become “secure-ish” rather than trying to eliminate insecurity altogether

How accepting the anxious, needy, or vulnerable parts of ourselves can strengthen self-worth

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is available now! Order your copy today!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Marisa G. Franco, check out these other episodes:

How to Overcome Loneliness through Platonic Friendships with Marisa Franco

How to Become Unlonely with Jillian Richardson

How to Find Joy and Community with Radha Agrawal

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

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

⁠⁠⁠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.⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠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, Allison Aubrey explores midlife reinvention and how to create your own script for what comes next. She shares why midlife can be less about winding down and more about rediscovering parts of ourselves that may have been set aside during years of work, parenting, and responsibility. Allison and Eric discuss moving from performance to play, working with fear and self-doubt, reconnecting with intuition, and finding a renewed sense of purpose. They also explore the surprising role dreams can play in revealing what we really want and how to close the gap between knowing what’s good for us and actually doing it.

⁠⁠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 midlife can be a time of possibility rather than decline

Moving beyond the expected “learn, earn, retire” script

Returning to the interests and joy you may have left behind

How fear and self-doubt can cut us off from intuition

Shifting from a performance mindset to a mindset of play

Why knowing your “why” helps you move through difficult transitions

Using dreams as a tool for discovering what you really want

Closing the gap between knowing what’s good for you and actually doing it

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life⁠⁠⁠⁠ is available now! Order your copy today!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Allison Aubrey, check out these other episodes:

The Midlife Makeover: Redefining Success and Happiness After 40 with Chip Conley

Life Transitions with Bruce Feiler

Successful Aging with Alan Castel

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

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

⁠⁠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.⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠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, Jim Kwik explores how the thoughts, habits, and choices we repeat each day shape who we become. He explains why we’re always training our brains—whether we’re practicing focus or distraction, resilience or avoidance—and how small, intentional actions can strengthen self-trust and create lasting change. Jim also shares why protecting the first moments of your morning matters, how to move beyond the impossible standard of work-life balance, and practical ways to train your attention, regulate your emotions, and create more harmony in your life.

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 repeated thoughts and behaviors reshape the brain

Why we become what we consistently practice

How keeping promises to yourself builds confidence and self-trust

Why protecting your attention first thing in the morning matters

How small daily practices compound into meaningful change

Why work-life harmony may be more useful than work-life balance

How challenging your brain helps strengthen focus, memory, and creativity

Why emotional regulation starts with choosing who you want to be

How to structure your day around creating, consuming, and clearing

Why progress and self-compassion matter more than perfection

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life⁠⁠⁠⁠ is available now! Order your copy today!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Jim Kwik, check out these other episodes:

The Three Levers of Change: How to Shift Your Mindset, Motivation, and Methods for Success with Jim Kwik

How to Harness Brain Energy for Mental Health with Dr. Chris Palmer

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.⁠⁠⁠

David Protein bars deliver up to 28g of protein for just 150 calories—without sacrificing taste! For a limited time, our listeners can receive this special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to www.davidprotein.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.

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.

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

In this episode, Jane Ratcliffe explores how to accept what you can’t change without giving up. After a traumatic brain injury dramatically altered the course of her life, Jane spent years navigating debilitating symptoms while holding onto an enduring sense of hope, joy, and gratitude. She and Eric explore the complicated balance between accepting reality and continuing to fight for change, why being “okay” can sometimes keep us from asking for the help we need, and how self-forgiveness, imagination, and a deeper sense of interconnectedness can help us live with what we cannot fix. Jane’s story offers a moving reminder that acceptance doesn’t have to mean surrender—and that even in the midst of difficulty, there can still be room for beauty, connection, and hope.

⁠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:

How joy and gratitude can coexist with pain and fear

Finding the balance between acceptance and continuing to fight for change

Why resisting what’s happening can sometimes make suffering worse

Making peace with the lives we might have lived and what we’ve lost

How imagination can offer comfort during difficult times

Recognizing the interconnectedness and support woven into everyday life

How spiritual practices can prepare us for times when life becomes difficult

Why always being “okay” can sometimes keep us from asking for help

Using self-forgiveness to interrupt regret and self-blame

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life⁠⁠⁠ is available now! Order your copy today!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Jane Ratcliffe, check out these other episodes:

Finding Hope When Life Isn’t Okay and the Power of Micro Joys with Cyndie Spiegel

Finding Your Way to Healing, Hope, and Peace with Seth Gillihan

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

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

⁠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.⁠

⁠⁠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