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

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

In this episode, Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao discuss the surprising choices that can make you happier and help the planet at the same time. Drawing on research in happiness, behavior change, and climate science, they challenge the idea that climate action has to mean guilt, sacrifice, or giving up everything you enjoy. They explain how to find the “sweet spot” where choices that reduce carbon emissions also improve well-being, whether that means rethinking what you eat, buy, or how you travel. They also reveal why some of the actions we focus on most may have less impact than we think, how our everyday choices influence the people around us, and why choosing one meaningful change you actually enjoy may be far more powerful than trying to change everything at once. Their new book is Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species

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 joy can motivate lasting change better than guilt or fear

How individual actions and systemic change work together

Why our everyday choices can influence the people around us

Which food choices have the biggest impact without requiring an all-or-nothing approach

Why reusing and buying less can matter more than recycling

How to rethink travel to get more happiness from fewer emissions

Why choosing one meaningful change may be the best place to start

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 Liz and Jiaying, check out these other episodes:

How Small Choices Create Lasting Change (Eric on The Jordan Harbinger Show)

This episode is sponsored by:

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, Pádraig Ó Tuama explores how to find wisdom in the things you’re struggling with by looking more closely at the emotions, desires, and stories beneath our experiences. He and Eric discuss why fear and anger often point to deeper needs, how to stay present with difficult emotions without becoming consumed by them, and why some lessons simply can’t be rushed. Pádraig also shares insights on belonging, the stories that shape our identities, and what healthy communities can teach us about questioning our beliefs. Along the way, they explore poetry, prayer, desire, and how paying closer attention to what’s happening within and around us can help us meet life with greater curiosity and openness.

Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at ⁠oneyoufeed.net/ebook.⁠

Key Takeaways:

Look beneath fear, anger, and hatred to understand the deeper needs driving them.

Why belonging can sometimes reinforce conflict and polarization.

Learn to stay with difficult emotions without becoming consumed by them.

Some forms of wisdom can only come with time—and can’t be rushed.

Question the stories and beliefs that shape your identity and sense of belonging.

Pay attention to what your circumstances are asking of you instead of wishing you were somewhere else.

Healthy communities make room for disagreement, criticism, and complicated stories.

Explore what your desires reveal about you—and why getting what you want doesn’t necessarily end the wanting.

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 Pádraig Ó Tuama, check out these other episodes:

How to Embrace Life’s Paradoxes with Rosemerry Wahtola-Trommer

How to Live the Questions of Life with Krista Tippett

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠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, David Gandelman explores how to tell the difference between intuition and anxiety and why learning to trust your inner voice requires more than simply “going with your gut.” David discusses how fear, desire, and resistance can masquerade as intuition, and why genuine intuition is something we develop through practice. He also explores how meditation can help us reclaim energy lost to rumination and worry, the tension between comfort and growth, and why acceptance isn’t a switch we flip but a process of working through what’s actually here.

Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at oneyoufeed.net/ebook.

Key Takeaways:

Why negative thoughts can be so seductive—and how meditation helps us stop feeding them

How chasing pleasure and avoiding discomfort can actually increase suffering

Using playfulness and perspective to loosen our grip on the stories we tell ourselves

How rumination, worry, and unresolved experiences drain our energy

The practice of “calling your energy back” to the present moment

Why fear, desire, and resistance can easily be mistaken for intuition

Why David believes intuition is earned and strengthened through practice

How to work with the difficult question of what to accept and what to change

Why acceptance happens layer by layer rather than all at once

Building the inner resilience to experience the full range of being human

For full show notes, ⁠⁠click here⁠⁠!

Why negative thoughts can be so seductive—and how meditation helps us stop feeding them

How chasing pleasure and avoiding discomfort can actually increase suffering

Using playfulness and perspective to loosen our grip on the stories we tell ourselves

How rumination, worry, and unresolved experiences drain our energy

The practice of “calling your energy back” to the present moment

Why fear, desire, and resistance can easily be mistaken for intuition

Why David believes intuition is earned and strengthened through practice

How to work with the difficult question of what to accept and what to change

Why acceptance happens layer by layer rather than all at once

Building the inner resilience to experience the full range of being human

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

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠⁠⁠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, Leslie John explores why you should say the thing you’re afraid to say and how opening up can strengthen trust, deepen relationships, and improve our well-being. She explains why we’re often biased toward keeping things to ourselves, the hidden costs of holding back, and how to decide when sharing is worth the risk. Leslie also shares practical ways to become more aware of what we’re not saying, navigate difficult conversations, and reveal more of ourselves without crossing the line into sharing something we might regret.

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 we often default to holding back without realizing it

How opening up can build trust and deepen connection

The hidden emotional and mental costs of keeping things to yourself

Why we tend to overestimate the risks of saying what we really think or feel

How to weigh the risks and benefits of speaking up versus staying silent

Why understanding your “why” can help you decide what to share and with whom

How putting difficult thoughts and feelings into words can make them more manageable

Why validation can make difficult conversations more productive

How sharing feelings instead of arguing over facts can reduce conflict

Why revealing wisely is a skill you can strengthen with practice

For full show notes, ⁠click here⁠!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Leslie John, check out these other episodes:

How We Can Improve Communication in Polarized Times with Charles Duhigg

Oren Jay Sofer on Mindful Communication

How to Unlock the Power of Deeper Connections with David Brooks

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠⁠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