Good Life Project

Before you ever say a word, you've already told the room everything it needs to know. Your posture, your eye contact, the angle of your body, the openness of your chest — all of it is speaking. And most of us have no idea what it's saying.Linda Clemons is a world-renowned body language and nonverbal communication expert who has spent more than three decades training Fortune 500 CEOs, sales teams, celebrities, and media leaders to master the silent signals that build trust, command respect, and create connection. Her bestselling book Hush: How to Radiate Power and Confidence Without Saying a Word is a practical guide to the conversation your body is having without you.We explore why 93% of communication is nonverbal and what that actually means in practice, the four power zones of the body and why keeping them open changes everything from a job interview to a conversation with your teenager, how our biases show up in our bodies before they ever come out of our mouths, the three patterns that derail us in high-stakes moments — frozen, flooding, and flat — and how to move through them, and why the question that changes everything is not what do I want to say but how do I want this person to feel when they leave? A deeply practical, energizing conversation for anyone who wants to show up more powerfully, more warmly, and more authentically in every interaction that matters.You can find Linda at: Website | LinkedIn | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love our conversation with Julia Minson about how to disagree better so you can have less drama and more impact in your life, your work, and your community.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

People who are genuinely engaged in spiritual practice live longer, experience 30% lower all-cause mortality, report more meaning, and suffer less depression. The data are remarkably clear. And yet, more people are leaving organized religion than at any point in modern history. So what happens when we walk away from the institutions but still carry the hunger for what they provided?David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University who has spent his career studying the mechanisms behind moral behavior, social emotions, and what he calls spiritual technologies — the rituals and practices baked into faith traditions that science is now showing work on our minds and bodies in measurable, powerful ways, whether or not we believe in God. He is also the author of How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion.We explore what the research actually shows about why religious engagement improves health outcomes so dramatically, the Hindu concept of vana prastha and why midlife may be the exact moment to shift from accumulating to sharing wisdom, how rituals like contemplating death, practicing gratitude, and moving in synchrony with others change our brains and behavior, why extracting spiritual practices from their original containers can sometimes backfire, and what it might look like to build a new kind of spiritual life if you've left the one you were raised in. A rare conversation that takes both science and the sacred seriously — without asking you to choose between them.You can find David at: Website | Bluesky | Episode TranscriptNext week, we're sharing our conversation with Linda Clemons about how your body is speaking for you before you ever open your mouth. Be sure to follow Good Life Project wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss any upcoming episodes!Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Elena Brower spent two decades as one of the most visible yoga and meditation teachers in the world, stages of thousands, a growing platform, the whole forward-facing life. Then she started doing the opposite. She got quieter. She trained as a chaplain. She began sitting with people in hospice, in silence, holding nothing but presence. Her new book, Hold Nothing, draws on that journey and on an ancient Chinese sutra that became her compass: Welcome nothing. Refuse nothing. Reflect everything. Hold nothing.This is a conversation about what happens when the drive to impact as many people as possible gives way to the desire to impact as few as possible, as quietly as possible. We explore what Elena's time in hospice has revealed about presence as the ultimate offering, the hidden cost of living a double life while teaching wholeness, how the practice of letting go transforms the closest relationships in your life, why silence is the thing most of us are allergic to and also the thing we most need, and what it actually means to prepare, through every small daily choice, to die a good death, and why that might be the clearest definition of a good life.A deeply honest, quietly powerful conversation for anyone in midlife who is beginning to sense that the most important work ahead isn't about building more, it's about becoming less.You can find Elena at: Website | Instagram | Episode TranscriptNext week, we're sharing our conversation with Dave DeSteno about the 'spiritual technology' that can lower your stress and mortality risk, even if you don't consider yourself a person of faith.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

It’s getting late, you know you “should” go to bed. But you just can't…or won’t. You tell yourself, just one more episode, or a few more minutes of scrolling, or a little more work to sneak in. It seems innocuous, but what if it was actually causing a world of harm? To your health, relationships, state of mind, performance at work, and more?Our guest is Vanessa Hill, PhD, a leading sleep scientist and Research Fellow at CQ University, who specializes in the science of bedtime procrastination. She is a Science Communication Fellow at the Museum of Science and an expert in how our digital habits shape our rest. And today, we’re talking about:The near-addictive quality of sleep procrastination, and the hidden reason for itThe surprising research showing why blue light might not be the sleep villain we’ve been told it isWhy your "night brain" finds it nearly impossible to “do the right thing, and get to bed”The one habit that often matters more than the total minutes spent on your phoneWhy common sleep advice often fails, and what to do insteadIf you find yourself stuck in a cycle of late nights and tired mornings, you are not alone. Listen to this episode to discover a more compassionate, science-backed way to reclaim your rest and feel like yourself again.You can find Vanessa at: Vanessa's Substack | Instagram | Episode TranscriptNext week, we're sharing a conversation with Elena Brower about the wisdom of emptiness and the art of showing up to your life completely.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Do you ever feel like you are just a reaction to other people's needs? Not just for days, or months, but years, maybe even…decades? It is easy to slip into a life where others take the wheel and leave you breathless, trying not to crumble. And you find yourself, in the middle years of life, wondering where you, the real you, went.The cycle of autopilot busyness can feel like an invisible cage that keeps you from the life you once dreamed of living. Today, we explore how to break free and move from a state of constant frenzy to a place of grounded intention and ease.Host Jonathan Fields is the founder of Good Life Project and creator of the Sparketypes. After a health crisis forced him to leave a high-pressure law career, he has spent decades researching what it actually takes to flourish.How Reactive Life Syndrome ends up controlling so much of our waking hoursHow other people’s agendas end up defining our daily existence.How to break out of the cycle of reactivity and reclaim a sense of agency and intentionHow to build practices and skills designed to bring peace and purpose back into your lifeIf you are tired of being dragged through your days and want to start choosing your life again, this episode is for you. Play the episode now to discover the 6 practical ways to get unbusy and feel alive again.Episode TranscriptNext week, we're sharing our conversation with sleep scientist Vanessa Hill, about the science of bedtime procrastination and why your 'night brain' craves that extra hour of scrolling even when you know you should be sleeping.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

The tiny moments you ignore may hold the key to it all. New research in neuroscience and attachment science reveals that your brain is constantly monitoring your relationships through small, everyday interactions, and the signals it picks up quietly shape everything from your self-esteem to your sense that life has meaning.Most of us pour energy into the big relationship gestures, the long conversations, the grand repairs. But the seemingly insignificant exchanges, a returned text, a warm nod, a moment of simply being seen, may matter far more to your brain and your sense of security than you ever realized.Amir Levine, M.D. is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University who trained in molecular neuroscience under Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel. He is the coauthor of the international bestseller Attached, which has sold over two million copies in more than 30 languages, and his newest book is Secure, The Revolutionary Guide to Creating a Secure Life.In this episode, you'll discover:The brain science behind why even brief moments of exclusion can erode your self-esteem, sense of control, and feeling that life is meaningfulA 5-part framework (with a memorable acronym) for building the foundation of every secure connection, one you can start practicing todayWhy your attachment style isn't something to "fix," and the hidden superpower built into your specific wiring that you may be overlookingTwo simple rules for navigating conflict that keep even heated moments from damaging the bondAn overlooked relationship practice that works like two-factor authentication for trust and deeper connectionIf you've ever wondered why certain relationships feel effortless while others leave you anxious, guarded, or drained, this conversation will change how you see every interaction in your day. Hit play and discover how small, consistent shifts can help you build the kind of secure, connected life your brain has been searching for.You can find Amir at: Website | Take the Attachment Quiz | Episode TranscriptNext week, be sure to tune in for an episode with me about the 'Unbusy Manifesto' and the six daily practices that will help you reclaim your time and your sanity.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Stop the cycle of chronic pain by fixing the signals in your brain. We’ve been told for decades that pain is purely a physical problem, born of bones and body parts. But the latest neuroscience proves that’s only one piece of the puzzle.Dr. Rachel Zoffness is a pain scientist, assistant clinical professor at UCSF, and author of the new book Tell Me Where It Hurts. She lectures at Stanford and is revolutionizing how we treat chronic suffering by moving beyond the outdated biomedical model.The 65-year-old neuroscience secret that proves how pain is generated by your brain.A specific biological "recipe" that allows you to lower the volume of your pain signals in real-time.Why 96% of medical schools are missing the most critical tool for treating chronic conditions.The surprising link between your social life and the actual physical inflammation in your joints.A simple pacing strategy to return to the activities you love without triggering a flare-up.If you’ve been told you just have to "live with it," this conversation provides the roadmap to take your power back. Play the episode now to discover the whole-person solution you’ve been searching for.You can find Rachel at: Website | Instagram | Episode TranscriptNext week, we're sharing a really meaningful conversation with Dr. Amir Levine about the tiny moments in your relationships that are secretly shaping your confidence, your sense of meaning, and how safe you feel in the world.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

 If you feel like the world is crashing down, you are not alone in that darkness. This moment of global contraction isn't necessarily the end of the story, but perhaps the beginning of a difficult birth.Today we sit down with Valarie Kaur, a renowned social justice leader, lawyer, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. A graduate of Harvard and Yale, she is the author of the book, Sage Warrior: Wake to Oneness, Practice Pleasure, Choose Courage, Become Victory.Together, we explore:The "Womb vs. Tomb" Frame: A simple mental shift that changes how you view global and personal crises.The Power of "Breathing and Pushing": Why pacing your effort is the only way to sustain long-term change without burning out.A New Definition of Victory: How to feel invincible and successful based on your faithfulness to values rather than immediate outcomes.Why Pleasure is Essential: The ancestral secret to using joy and sensory experiences as a shield against despair.How to figure out how to stand in your conviction in a way that honors your truth and circumstanceIn a time when many feel breathless and afraid, this conversation offers a practical way to reclaim your power. Play this episode to discover how to move from paralyzed fear to courageous action.You can find Valarie at: Website | Instagram | Episode TranscriptNext week, we're sharing a really meaningful conversation with Rachel Zoffness about why pain isn't just physical, and how we can literally retrain our brains to find relief.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Most of us think oversharing is the problem. It's not. New research from Harvard reveals that the bigger threat to your relationships, your health, and your sense of belonging may be all the things you're choosing not to say.How many times today did something cross your mind that you chose to keep to yourself, a feeling you swallowed, a compliment you almost gave, a truth you pulled away from? That habit of holding back is doing far more damage than you realize, to your closest relationships, your wellbeing, and even your body.Leslie John is the James E. Burke Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, whose award-winning research on self-disclosure has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. In her new book, Revealing, she makes a compelling, science-backed case that most of us are dramatically undersharing, and it's costing us the very connection, trust, and intimacy we crave.In this conversation, you'll discover...A simple daily audit that reveals how much you're silently holding back, and why becoming aware of it alone can transform your closest relationshipsThe surprising research behind why revealing uncomfortable truths makes people trust and respect you more than staying silentA critical distinction between two types of openness that determines whether sharing at work builds your influence or puts you at riskOne easy, low-risk form of sharing that almost always deepens connection and takes just a few secondsWhy feeling confident that you truly "know" your partner might be the very thing keeping you from real intimacyIf you've been sensing a quiet distance in your relationships, or wondering why your closest bonds don't feel as deep as you'd like, this conversation will reshape how you think about everything you've been holding back. Hit play now.You can find Leslie at: Website | Instagram | Episode TranscriptNext week, we're sharing a really meaningful conversation with Valarie Kaur about why the darkness we feel in the world today might not be the darkness of a tomb, but actually the darkness of a womb. It’s a powerful new way to look at fear and find your breath again.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes