Share
Good Life Project
Dr. Maya Shankar | Change Happens
•
Imagine being so drawn to a pursuit as a kid, it consumes most of your waking hours, rapidly becomes your identity, and is the thing you believe you’ll devote your life to, and then, in the blink of an eye, it’s taken away. That’s what happened to Maya Shankar, who fell in love with the violin as a small child, studied it with love and devotion, was being mentored by the legendary Itzhak Perlman, and was sure it would be her profession for life. Until, an injury took it all away in the blink of an eye. How that moment affected her, and how she’d eventually discover a new, equally fulfilling devotion years later - human behavior and cognitive science - is a big part of today’s conversation, along with a deep dive into how we change our minds.
Maya is currently the Senior Director of Behavioral Economics at Google and is the Creator, Host, and Executive Producer of “A Slight Change of Plans”, a podcast with Pushkin Industries. Maya previously served as a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and served as Chair of the White House's Behavioral Science Team — a team of scientists charged with improving public policy using research insights about human behavior. She has been profiled by the New Yorker and has been featured in the New York Times, Scientific American, Forbes, and on NPR's All Things Considered, Freakonomics, and Hidden Brain.
You can find Maya at: Website | A Slight Change of Plans podcast
If you LOVED this episode:
You’ll also love the conversations we had with Brené Brown about how we show up in our work and life.
My new book Sparked
-------------
Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.
If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible.
More episodes
View all episodes
How to Experience Sacred, Mystical Moments in Everyday Life | Mirabai Starr
57:11|In Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground, renowned mystic and author Mirabai Starr reveals how mystical experiences are not just for the elite few, but our birthright as human beings. Through radical presence, loving awareness, and embracing wonder, Starr shows how the sacred can be found in the most ordinary moments of everyday life. This profound conversation is an invitation to gaze at the world through eyes of love, immerse yourself in beauty, and awaken to the truth that we all belong to one beloved community.You can find Mirabai at: Website | Instagram | Wild Heart Space | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Elizabeth Gilbert about being present to love’s wisdom in our lives.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount CodesLeading Integrative Psychiatrist | The Truth About Ketamine, MDMA and Psilocybin Assisted Therapy
01:10:53|Could psychedelics revolutionize mental health care? Psychiatrist Dr. Will Van Derveer openingly discusses his exploration of psychedelic-assisted therapies after becoming disillusioned with conventional treatments. He details remarkable results using ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA for conditions like PTSD and depression. With the FDA's imminent decision on rescheduling MDMA, Van Derveer provides an inside look at these groundbreaking medicines' therapeutic potential. For those struggling with mental health issues, this candid conversation may reveal new hope.You can find Will at: Website | Higher Practice Podcast | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Adam Gazzaley about cutting-edge research he’s leading in this field.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount CodesHow to Stop Pleasing Everyone But Yourself | Natalie Lue
01:05:50|What if you could finally stop contorting yourself to please others and start living authentically on your own terms? In this honest episode, Natalie Lue, author of "The Joy of Saying No," opens up about her pivotal shift from people-pleasing into embodying her truest self.Natalie vulnerably shares the health crisis that made her realize she was suppressing herself to become "whatever anybody wanted." Discover her strategies for separating genuine desires from ingrained obligations. Learn empowering ways to shed the cultural conditioning disconnecting you from needs and boundaries.Unpack the subtle tendencies keeping you small, so you can courageously embrace the self you've been denying. If you crave more joy and fulfillment through radical self-honor, prioritize this dialogue.You can find Natalie at: Website | Instagram | The Baggage Reclaim Sessions podcast | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Susan Piver about the Enneagram and how it helps us relate to others and also set boundaries.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount CodesWhat to Do in the Next 2 Years to Set Up Your Next 20 | The 2x20 Project™
58:42|What would you do with 2 years to purposefully design your ideal next 20? Join Jonathan as he reveals his brilliant "two by 20" project - spending 24 months meticulously crafting a future centered on simplicity, significance and joy through intentional experiments across work, health and relationships.If you've ever felt restless about your life's next chapter, this fascinating framework will have you rethinking how to invest the precious time you have left.Episode TranscriptCheck out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount CodesThe Surprising Science of Cynicism & Hope | Jamil Zaki
58:37|Are you feeling cynical about human nature? This fascinating discussion with psychologist Jamil Zaki, author of Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, will renew your faith in people. Zaki demolishes common myths about cynicism and explains how hope - the belief that a better future is possible through our actions - is what empowers positive change. Discover practical ways to move from a stance of corrosive cynicism to one of "hopeful skepticism" rooted in curiosity, empathy, and accurate understanding.You can find Jamil at: Website | LinkedIn | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Robert Waldinger about the power of relationships.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount CodesHow to Create Deep, Secure Bonds with Kids, Family & Friends | Attachment Expert Eli Harwood
56:38|Got that craving for a deep, soulful bond with your child? Attachment expert Eli Harwood is here to make it happen.The author of "Raising Securely Attached Kids" drops mind-blowing truths on how early attachments shape our emotional patterns, relationships, and even physical health. But Eli also serves up game-changing ways to become your child's lifelong "protective factor."You'll learn to repair your own attachment wounds and foster that unbreakable sense of security that allows little souls to soar. Whether struggling to bond or nurturing sacred connections, this primer will help build meaningful attachments to last forever.You can find Eli at: Website | Instagram | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love the conversations we had with Dr. Shefali about raising kids.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes6 Habits that Make Life So Much Better | Spotlight Convo
55:07|Discover simple yet powerful daily habits to rewire your brain, boost confidence, and unlock your full potential.In this insightful compilation episode, Mel Robbins unveils the transformative High 5 Habit from her book and how high-fiving yourself daily can reprogram self-perception and resilience.Host Jonathan Fields also shares five cornerstone "good life habits" backed by science, like mindfulness, nature immersion, and intentional movement. Whether you're seeking more joy, focus, or inner calm, don't miss these deceptively simple tools to reshape your mindset and thrive through small consistent wins.Episode TranscriptYou can find Mel at: Join The High 5 Challenge | Website | Instagram | The Mel Robbins Podcast | Listen to Our Full-Length Convo with MelYou can find Jonathan at: Instagram | Listen to Our Full-Length Convo with Jonathan on 5 Life-Changing HabitsCheck out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount CodesHow to Change Ourselves & Our World | Prentis Hemphill
01:01:38|What if healing from trauma required more than just personal work? In this profound chat, Prentis Hemphill, author of What It Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World, dives deep on the somatic practices key to both individual and collective healing. They share eye-opening insights on envisioning new possibilities beyond society's limiting scripts, remapping relationships through authenticity and hard-earned trust, and expanding our "we" through truly relating - not just racking up social media followers. Hemphill's work points us toward transforming the very systems and conditions that wounded us in the first place through an ethos of radical love.You can find Prentis at: Website | Instagram | Becoming the People Podcast with Prentis Hemphill | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Rev. angel Kyodo williams about liberation.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount CodesProductivity for Mortals With Real Lives | Laura Mae Martin
59:02|Ever feel like you're thriving one minute, then scrambling the next? Laura Mae Martin, author of Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing, shares a fresh, holistic approach centered on syncing your priorities, patterns and boundaries. You'll learn counterintuitive strategies to align your intention with your action, optimizing when, where and how you tackle different tasks. You'll discover how small tweaks to your routines and environments can create distraction-free zones for deep, focused work while prioritizing self-care. You can find Laura at: Website | LinkedIn | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Charlie Gilkey about finishing the right things.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes