Questions to Build a Life of Substance & Let Go of What is Holding You Back - w/ Jodi Wellman
Build a mindset that doesn't care what other people think, because you know what actually matters to you.
In this episode we examine insightful ways to take control of your life and define where it's going.
We steal some of the best questions and ideas from existential psychology that you can try applying to your own life.
What is a life worth living?
Healthy vs toxic aspirations?
How to abandon what doesn't serve you?
The illusion of self-importance?
GUEST
Jodi Wellman is the author of "You Only Die Once" and a source of positive ideas from her work in Applied Positive Psychology.
Jodi has a morbid fascination with existential psychology and how contemplating death can help us truly live.
As they say "Get busy living, or get busy dying".
NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
Found on all major podcast players:
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8
---
UPGRADE to Premium:
🏖️ Ad-free listening
🤘 Support the show
🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content
💬 Community Discord
GrowthMindset.Supercast.com
Get in Touch
👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
🛜 Website - Growth Mindset
CHAPTERS
01:30 Net-promoter score - Would you recommend your life?
07:19 Abandoning What No Longer Serves You
10:28 Consistent Reminders and Psychological Tricks
14:26 Overcoming the Illusion of Personal Specialness
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
21:18
--------
21:18
The Real Problem with Work Life Balance and the Mental Model to Fix It
Rethinking the problem and our mindset from scratch when it comes to this whole life thing.
What if the problem isn't your schedule—it's your metaphor?
We've inherited a story about work and life as opposing forces, locked in eternal combat for our limited hours. This story feels true because everyone tells it. But stories shape reality.
Consider this: your life contains multitudes. Work, yes. But also relationships, creativity, health, community, growth. None of these oppose each other inherently.
A parent who calls their family "their life" earns respect. Someone who calls work "their life" earns concern. Same language. Different judgment.
The opportunity lies in reimagining the entire framework—from balance to integration, from opposition to synergy.
This episode explores:
How the words we choose create the reality we experience
Why integration creates compound satisfaction that balance never could
The path from competing priorities to mutually reinforcing life architecture
NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
Found on all major podcast players:
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8
---
UPGRADE to Premium:
🏖️ Ad-free listening
🤘 Support the show
🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content
💬 Community Discord
GrowthMindset.Supercast.com
Get in Touch
👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
🛜 Website - Growth Mindset
CHAPTERS
00:00 Work life balance
00:48 Intro and Nat Eliason
01:50 Mo Gawdat - heartbeats
02:57 The complications with finding balance
03:43 Why words are so important
07:39 The main pillars of a happy life
08:34 Good or bad obsession
09:25 Integrating priorities
11:13 Seeking long term enjoyment
13:08 Satisfaction without sacrifice
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
16:54
--------
16:54
Shame, Addiction, and How To Focus On Who You Are Becoming
We evolved shame as a gift. A signal that whispers when we've drifted from who we might become. What if the discomfort you feel isn't the problem, but the compass?
This episode explores a surprising truth: the hardest patterns to change aren't the ones destroying us, but the ones keeping us comfortably mediocre. Yet they hold us back and sometimes shames even stops us from acknowledging they exist.
But we need to step back and ask if we are truly happy with our choices, the way we live our life and what we would like in it and wouldn't. And slowly learn how to build the healthier life we seek.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
View shame as information about misalignment, not evidence of inadequacy—it evolved to guide you, not punish you
Recognize that growth happens in difficulty, not comfort—the urge to escape is the moment to lean in
Build intrinsic motivation rooted in values, not just outcomes—sustainable change comes from who you're becoming, not what you're avoiding
This episode originally aired on the Unhooked Podcast by Jeremy Lipkowitz.
NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
Found on all major podcast players:
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8
---
UPGRADE to Premium:
🏖️ Ad-free listening
🤘 Support the show
🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content
💬 Community Discord
GrowthMindset.Supercast.com
Get in Touch
👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
🛜 Website - Growth Mindset
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to addictions
03:26 Sam's Podcast and Philosophy
05:44 Defining Growth Mindset
09:35 Sam's Journey and Personal Growth
10:26 The Power of Mindset in Education
15:33 Growth Mindset and Recovery
16:49 Neuroplasticity and Overcoming Addiction
17:38 Sam's Experience with Porn Addiction
24:17 Challenges of Identifying and Addressing Addictions
25:39 The Subtle Creep of Addictive Behaviors
26:35 The Influence of Social Media and Algorithms
27:50 The Thin Line Between Social Media and Porn
28:15 Female Empowerment or Objectification?
29:55 The Impact of Porn on Real-Life Relationships
32:41 The Role of Shame in Human Evolution
34:56 The Social Function of Gossip
36:02 The Duality of Human Nature
38:36 The Duality of Shame and Success
39:44 Empathy and Understanding Human Behavior
44:37 Embracing Our Animal Nature
46:17 Lessons from Podcasting
51:22 Final Thoughts and Future Projects
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
57:06
--------
57:06
Be Crystal Clear: 3 Truths and 2 Tips to Communicate with Impact [Archive]
Our cognitive biases and ego can muddy the waters of our minds and block the path to clear communication.
Today's episode provides strategies on how to be both a more effective thinker and communicator.
Topics:
Communication problems in relationships, business and writing
Cognitive blockers to clarity
How to identify and maintain a grip on the most important thing
What bundling and unbundling can apply to problem-solving and communication
Freebies
Episode prompts - Clarity Problem Solving Worksheet
Influence the Show
Meet me - Free call
Feedback - Request and Ideas Form
Growth Mindset pod
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.com
Insta - SamJam.zen
Newsletter - Explosive Thinking
Chapters
00:00 The Curse of Overlooking the Obvious
03:13 Romantic Communication
05:38 The Goal of Simple, Clear Communication
11:42 Concept of Bundling and Unbundling Things
15:21 Applying Bundling and Unbundling to Problem-Solving
16:45 Using Bundling and Unbundling for Clear Communication
19:40 Making the Obvious Obvious
20:34 An Invitation to Chat
21:46 Send Off
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
25:09
--------
25:09
From Escaping the Holocaust to Building a Billion Dollar Empire - The Life and Mindsets of Dame Stephanie Shirley
Dame Stephanie Shirley built a billion-dollar tech empire from her kitchen table in the 1960s, pioneered remote work before anyone knew what Wi-Fi was, and discovered the psychology behind turning survivor's guilt into unstoppable motivation.
This isn't some feel-good story about "everything happens for a reason." It's a masterclass in how your brain can rewire trauma into resilience. Stephanie shows us that the experiences that nearly destroy us often contain the exact ingredients we need to build something extraordinary.
Reframe your biggest setbacks as your competitive advantage—they teach you what "real problems" actually look like
Use constraints to spark creativity—Stephanie's limitations forced innovations that changed entire industries
Transform guilt into contribution—the antidote to feeling unworthy is making others' lives better
About Dame Stephanie Shirley
Wikipedia - Steve Shirley
Website - SteveShirley.com
Book - Let It Go
NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
Found on all major podcast players:
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8
---
UPGRADE to Premium:
🏖️ Ad-free listening
🤘 Support the show
🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content
💬 Community Discord
GrowthMindset.Supercast.com
Get in Touch
👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
🛜 Website - Growth Mindset
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to the Growth Mindset Podcast
02:22 A Journey from Nazi Germany to England
04:17 Adjusting to a New Life in England
06:31 Overcoming Survivor's Guilt and Depression
06:47 The Role of Compassion and Philanthropy
07:11 Seeking Help and the Tavistock Clinic
09:15 Challenges and Innovations in Remote Work
10:31 Pioneering Software Development
15:50 Women in the Workforce and Gender Equality
19:01 The Impact of Global Crises on Society
21:30 The Future of Technology and Global Solutions
23:00 The Universal Impact of Viruses and Environment
23:22 Opportunities in Space Exploration
24:31 Striving for a Fairer World
25:09 Adopting a Learning Mindset
25:49 Leading a Spiritual Life
27:31 Managing People Effectively
28:36 The Importance of Enjoying Work
29:07 Advancements in Autism Research
35:20 Innovative Tech Ideas
38:37 The Kindness of Foster Parents
39:24 Reflecting on the Podcast Episode
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
About Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement
There are a lot of opinions on how to master your mind, but then there’s PSYCHOLOGY.
We’re all stuck with the brain we’re born with, but we aren’t stuck with how we use it.
Learn science-backed answers to make the most of your mind and your life.
CURIOUS?
Growth Mindset Psychology is the "self-help sceptic" podcast for the curious.
Whether you want to improve performance, navigate setbacks, or know who you are.
We find answers to the true science of self-improvement.
So put down the astrology chart and start working with your mind, instead of against it.
With over 8 million downloads and 60,000 monthly listeners, you’re invited to join.
PROCESS
Instead of telling you what to think, we discuss how thinking works.
Armed with a stack of science journals, textbooks and a boatload of curiosity, we uncover the mechanics of the mind.
Why? >>> Success is personal!
You might want to make the most of your neurodiverse strengths, start a business, or simply find more reasons to smile.
Hone your ability for independent thinking and growth with mental models to pursue your definition of success.
HOST
I’m Sam Webster Harris, a lifelong learner with ADHD, a raging curiosity, and an obsession with finding answers to hard questions.
After launching several businesses, travelling the world and nearly dying a few times I concluded that science and Psychology are where it’s at.
What actually makes people happy? What’s the best way to treat a brain? How can I get more done?
Studying the answers we find that changing behaviours requires building mindsets, mental models, and a healthy relationship with failure.
I run the show to help listeners enjoy nutritious content that feeds their minds (and I needed a legitimate excuse to cover for my reading addiction).
PREMIUM
Go Ad-Free and listen to exclusive content.
Support the show and access the AMA features and community Discord.
Growth Mindset Premium
ARCHIVE
Previous guests include Olympians, Scientists, Billionaires, and Sam's Mum.
Past series:
— Psychology vs Stoicism
— Time Management for busy mortals
— Independence and knowing yourself
— Cognitive biases and rational thinking
— Psychology of connection
— Carol Dweck and the Multiverse of Mindsets
Listen to Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement, What the Focal!? and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app