Renewal Into Becoming
In this solo episode of "Let's Have the Conversation," host Desiree B. Stevens explores the transition from a season of renewal to a season of becoming, using her personal journey of rebuilding a community garden after serious health challenges as a concrete example. She argues that renewal is often a return to something previously abandoned and requires honest truth‑telling, while becoming demands realistic assessment of one’s capacity rather than mere desire. Stevens emphasizes that sustainable community building hinges on shared truth and honest communication about what each person can realistically contribute, rather than on performance or perfection.
![Why You Need a Personal Board of Directors [Uncensored Renegades]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://img.transistorcdn.com/VIH3Rn5ET8-eHQxgBGNydnhXL95pc10_Kq7qTpjezuc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQ3MzEvMTU3MDAz/MjQ3NC1hcnR3b3Jr/LmpwZw.jpg)
Why You Need a Personal Board of Directors [Uncensored Renegades]
In this episode of Uncensored Renegades, the hosts discuss the concept of a personal board of directors—a curated advisory group that helps you navigate pivotal career moments. They explain how to differentiate between community, network, and a personal board, emphasizing...
Why Self-Discipline Is A Lie? (And What Actually Works)
The episode challenges the myth of willpower, arguing that the prefrontal cortex’s rational control is a fragile overlay on a powerful, dopamine‑driven engine. It frames human behavior as a game between conscious intention (Player 1) and neurochemical cravings (Player 2), where the...
Belief, Potential And Breakthroughs With Nir Eyal – TWMJ #1028
In this episode, Mitch Joel talks with behavioral design expert Nir Eyal about the nature of belief and its role in shaping behavior. Eyal introduces his "motivation triangle"—behavior, benefit, and belief—and argues that beliefs are flexible tools rather than immutable...
#699: Nir Eyal: The Four Questions That Can Change Any Belief
In this episode, Nir Eyal challenges common notions of motivation, arguing that it’s driven by the desire to escape discomfort rather than the pursuit of rewards. He explains why visualizing only desired outcomes can backfire, introducing the concept of mental...
Book Club: "The Book of Burnett"
In this lively book‑club session the hosts and guest Natafe Faye explore the themes of "true self" and personal evolution as presented in *The Book of Burnett*. They discuss how authenticity evolves into a divine higher self, share personal awakenings,...
The Unbalanced Equation
The episode "The Unbalanced Equation" explores the internal conflict between the rational, architect-like part of ourselves that seeks order, planning, and control, and the intuitive, oceanic side that values feeling, connection, and flow. It argues that this dichotomy fuels modern...
A Conversation About Creative and Authentic Living with Veruschka, One of Our 2026 Creative Retreat Collaborators
In this episode the hosts discuss creative and authentic living with Veruschka Stevens, a collaborator for their upcoming 2026 Creative Retreat in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and CEO of Elevate Coffee. Veruschka shares how her lifelong creativity—from a self‑directed childhood in Germany...
Why Practice Matters More Than Results (PM Talks S3E3)
In this episode the hosts explore why consistent practice outweighs occasional results, using examples from medicine, law, sports, and media. They argue that practice is both a verb (the act of trying) and a noun (the cultivated art), and that...
Your Inner Critic Has a Name
In this episode, the host shares a personal strategy for overcoming writer's block by committing to a daily 20‑minute writing sprint, reinforced with a supportive partner and a simple gold‑star reward system. The metaphor of each writing session as a...
Neuroscience Tips To Thrive In Later-Career Work with Dr. David Rock
In this episode, Dr. David Rock explains that the brain remains highly plastic well into the 80s and 90s, so learning capacity does not diminish with age, though motivation often does. He highlights the mutual benefits of engaging later‑career employees...
Jeff Bell: Lessons that OCD and Its Treatment Have Taught Jeff About Navigating Parkinson's (#528)
Jeff Bell, longtime OCD advocate and author, discusses how the strategies he honed treating OCD have helped him cope with a recent Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. In episode 528 of The OCD Stories, he explores the intersection of obsessive‑compulsive disorder, stoic...
Why Your 'Best Self' Is Your Worst Enemy
The episode explores the modern anxiety of living under the weight of our own potential, using the simple act of choosing between two olive oils as a metaphor for the constant self‑judgment we face. It argues that the "best self"...
“Scratch” By Kate Cohen | Why Making Things Matters
In this episode, Frank Schaefer talks with former Washington Post columnist Kate Cohen about her new Substack column "Scratch," which explores how making things—sewing, baking, farming, art—reinforces our humanity in an age dominated by algorithms and late‑stage capitalism. Cohen reflects...
Learning How To Stay
In this episode of "Let's Have the Conversation," host Desiree B. Stevens explores the concept of "staying"—maintaining presence and regulation within community work and difficult dialogues. She outlines three core practices: staying in your body to avoid dissociation, staying without...
The Noble Eightfold Path: Wise Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration
In this episode Matthew Sokoloff wraps up his series on the Noble Eightfold Path by exploring the final segment, the Factors of Samadhi—wise effort, mindfulness, and concentration. He explains the four types of wise effort, illustrating how to prevent, abandon,...