Bewildered

Do you suffer from “resting misery face”? Many of us do, and in this episode of Bewildered, we’re diving into exactly why that is. 

A few hints: It has to do with the brain’s “default mode network,” our hardwired negativity bias, the cultural pressures to stay miserable and afraid, and how our imagination tends to conspire against us.

The good news is that you can reclaim your “resting...

Have you ever been willing to “give up anything” for something you wanted? On this episode of Bewildered, we’re talking about the spiritual lesson that to be truly open to receiving something new, we first have to put something down. We share stories about letting go of things in our own lives and how that made space for wonder, awe, and our most precious experiences. It’s an episode full of laughter, insigh...

Does your life ever feel like a game of Tetris, where you get totally overwhelmed by all the pieces coming at you? 

In this episode of Bewildered, we’re talking about how to get through the chaos that is modern life: from role fragmentation, to relationship and caregiving pressures, to work responsibilities, to sleep deprivation. Join us for some world-class life coaching (and plenty of metaphors) as we explore how to fi...

Are you looking for ways to handle life when the culture’s rules no longer apply, and everything keeps changing at warp speed? In this episode of Bewildered, we’re talking about “flying blind” with confidence—trusting your body’s wisdom, adapting to new realities, and creating a path forward that’s right for you. We’re sharing personal stories, plenty of metaphors, and practical tips ...

We all need to take things in to keep us hydrated, not just physically, but also creatively. In this episode of Bewildered, we discuss what we call “filling the well”—receiving great art, stories, and creativity from others—and how it can replenish us and make us able to give and create ourselves. We share our rituals for getting inspired, explore why delight matters more than productivity, and offer a playf...

We’re in the middle of moving house (and Ro’s turning 45!) so our whole daily rhythm is being shaken up. But disruptions can be a great opportunity to consciously redesign your life. In this episode of Bewildered, we explore “day mapping,” staying responsive to nature’s cues, and letting your deepest yearnings guide you—instead of sticking to cultural rules or slipping into inertia. It’s ab...

What does a text about chickens have to do with the meaning of life? We're glad you asked! In this episode of Bewildered, we examine how our culture teaches us to avoid touch, fear time, and forego relationships for transactions. We dive deep into how we’ve been pushed away from nature and each other by systems that value money most, and we explore the things that really make life worth living: genuine connection, sensory exp...

Our culture believes that the only way to fix all the bad stuff in the world is to stare at it relentlessly, as if our sheer focus could solve things. (Or at least prove we’re not part of the problem.) 

However, there are more effective ways to be the change, ways that include beauty and joy.

On this episode of Bewildered, we’re talking about how we can actively change the world without being consumed by what&rsquo...

Do you find it difficult to share your unique offerings with the world? How about charging money for your work?

In this “Best of” episode of Bewildered, we dive into a question from listener Rebecca who’s trying to find the courage to shine her light in the world—and get paid well for it.

We share some of our own experiences with this issue too, and offer three magical little words that can banish shame and ...

“QUICK! DO THIS NOW! IT’S URGENT!”

Do those words spike your pulse? We're constantly pressured to do things that serve the system, and we’re trained to think of these things as urgent. But are they?

In this “Best of” episode of Bewildered, we dive into the topic of urgency: How there’s a type that will crush your soul and a type that will grow it—and how you can tell the difference.&n...

In our culture we’re socialized to believe that if we suffer enough, we’ll be rewarded later—and our reward will be happiness. In other words, happiness is something we have to earn through suffering.

On this “Best of” episode of Bewildered, we challenge this cultural belief, inspired by the words of 14th century mystic St. Catherine of Siena who said, “All the way to heaven is heaven.”

To ...

Ever suffer from burnout? We certainly have, and we’re talking all about it on this “Best of” episode of Bewildered!

Burnout is something our culture doesn’t allow because it expects us to be productive non-stop. However, our wild natures require “wintering” periods where we rest and reset.

If you need to recover from burnout (or you want to preempt it), tune in for the full episode to hear our s...

“Should I stay, or should I go?”

It’s an age-old dilemma, and we’re exploring it in this “Best of” episode of Bewildered! 

To figure out when to stay or leave, we must first examine our thoughts. Often our struggles come from our thoughts about our situation, rather than the situation itself—and our thoughts can be shifted once we get to a place of peace.

To learn how to ground yoursel...

One way to deal with the constant, terrifying changes in all of our lives is to choose the worldview of a pilgrim—someone who doesn’t see life as a series of fixed positions but as a continuous, fluid process or journey. 

The journey itself is not what’s most important—it’s the way that the journey changes you that matters.

In this episode of Bewildered, we’re talking about how to live your ...

Did you know that the world needs your art?

On this special episode of Bewildered, our friends Amie McNee and James Winestock join us to talk about Amie's new book, We Need Your Art—and why your creativity matters now more than ever.

In this rollicking conversation, we discuss how making art is a revolutionary act, why art is needed in unprecedented times, and what it means to stay soft amid the hardness of the culture.

If yo...

Kindness. Our culture often frames it as something weak, naive, foolish, or passive—and there’s a reason for that. If we stay “nice” and subscribe to the culture’s idea of kindness, then we stay obedient and easier to control.

So in this episode of Bewildered, we get ultra-revolutionary around kindness. We’re talking about the most radical type of kindness—kindness toward one’s self&m...

At the beginning of this game called life, we each get a human—a body that we get to steer through the world.

In this episode of Bewildered, we’re talking about the idea of “training your human”—because you are not your body, mind, or personality, but rather a consciousness that inhabits your human form.

If you can gently guide your human instead of forcing it to conform to culture, then your human can...

Have you ever been drawn into conspiratorial thinking?

In this Episode 99 of Bewildered, we’re talking about how easy it is to get pulled into conspiracy theories because of a phenomenon called apophenia. It's the tendency to perceive connections or meaningful patterns between unrelated or random things—and it happens to feel delightful.

Want to learn more about apophenia, conspiracy theories, fractured worldviews, and ...

“Your money, or your life.” Those two things are very, very different, but in our culture, they tend to get blended together. That’s what we’re talking about on this episode of Bewildered.

We explore how our culture is so focused on money it’s practically a religion. And how for many of us, this obsession with money can become an addiction because “you can never get enough of something that almos...