A Slight Change of Plans

Today we’re bringing you an episode from Proxy, a show built around a simple idea: Whatever you might be going through — no matter how specific or hard to explain – you’re not alone. There is someone else out there, somewhere, who truly gets it – and they might have just the advice you need to hear. 

In this episode, a writer who loses her inner narrator grapples with what happens when you can&rsq...

As adults, it’s easy to think of fun as a luxury – something we’ll get around to after everything else is done. But science journalist Catherine Price says fun is essential to our wellbeing. On today’s episode, Catherine joins Maya to talk about the difference between true fun and fake fun, and how making space for the real thing can leave us feeling more energized and restored.

Check out Catherine’s b...

In 2023, Allie Kramer’s three-year-old son Theo was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. In the months and years that followed Theo’s diagnosis, Allie tried to keep a steel grip on her “old” life. Until she realized that that life didn’t exist anymore. This week, Allie joins Maya to talk about what it means to survive something that changes you so completely, you cannot go back to who you were.

For mo...

We often avoid social interactions out of fear that others don’t want to engage with us. But social psychologist Nick Epley says that fear is misplaced. Today, Nick joins Maya to talk about why we’re missing out on positive connections that could enrich our lives, and how we can fix this. 

Check out Nick’s new book, “A Little More Social.” 

If you enjoyed our conversation with Nick, check out...

How do some small businesses stand the test of time? In today’s mini episode, Maya talks with Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of “The Unshakeables” podcast, about what helps businesses endure across generations – from adaptability and grit to a deep connection with their communities.

This episode was made in partnership with Chase for Business. Listen to “The Unshakeables” here. Li...

Earlier this year, Maya did a bunch of interviews for the launch of her book, “The Other Side of Change.” Today, we’re sharing one of those conversations, from the podcast “Soul Boom,” with the actor and comedian Rainn Wilson — best known as Dwight from “The Office.” Rainn and Maya talked about the science of language development, her experience creating a job in the Obama White House...

To feel more loved in our relationships, we often think we need to change ourselves or wait for others to change. But happiness scientist Sonja Lyubomirsky shares a better approach in her book, How to Feel Loved. Today, Sonja joins Maya to talk about how even small shifts in the way two people approach a conversation can have a transformative impact on how loved they each feel over time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

Helena de Groot spent the majority of her life assuming she would never have kids. But as she got older, people's criticism of that choice started to intensify. Then, a few years into her marriage, she was forced to confront it in an unexpected way. This week, she talks to Maya about what happened, how she questioned and re-questioned her decisions, and how she found peace within uncertainty. 

To hear more about Helena’s...

Last week, Maya talked to author Michael Pollan about his newest book, “A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness.” He says that the seeds for this book were planted by his exploration of psychedelics – a topic that he and Maya covered last time he was on the show. So we wanted to replay that episode, in which Maya and Michael discuss the science of psychedelics, and how they can help us see the world in new w...

Bestselling author and journalist Michael Pollan has reshaped our understanding of everything from food to psychedelics. Now, he’s taking on a subject that has stumped thinkers for thousands of years: consciousness. This week, Michael joins Maya for a live conversation celebrating his new book, “A World Appears.” They talk about why it’s such a marvel that we even have consciousness in the first place, how r...

What do telenovelas, situationships, and card games have in common? All can be sources of unexpected life lessons. This week, we’re sharing an episode of the podcast “The Moth” that’s all about advice—seeking wise counsel, following your gut, and learning how to practice what you preach. 

For more episodes of “The Moth” click here, or search for “The Moth” wherever you get ...

In 2024, science journalist Rachel E. Gross had a stroke. Her recovery mostly followed the path doctors predicted, but there were also some strange, ongoing glitches that she couldn’t explain. So Rachel did the one thing she knew to do in situations like these: she started asking questions. On today’s episode: the curious work of figuring out what makes you, you.

We first heard Rachel’s story on a Radiolab episode...

In honor of International Women’s Month, Maya is revisiting a conversation with Christy Warren—a former firefighter and paramedic who spent decades showing up for people on some of the worst days of their lives. Christy and Maya talk about the hidden burdens of putting on a strong face, ingrained stigmas around mental health, and how to have the courage to ask for help. 

In case you missed it—Maya’s new...

Social Psychologist Barry Schwartz is an expert on decision making. His new book, (00:01:48) “Choose Wisely,” explores how the very tools we rely on to make “good” decisions can steer us wrong — and why endless options may be making us less satisfied, not more. In today’s episode, Maya sits down with Barry to unpack why choosing can feel so exhausting, the hidden costs of always trying to find th...

For years, Brené Brown’s research has shaped how millions of us understand concepts like shame, vulnerability, and resilience. So, as Maya prepared to launch her new book, The Other Side of Change, there was one person she knew she had to talk to. In this special conversation with early readers of the book, Brené and Maya explore why uncertainty rattles us, how it reshapes us, and what it reveals about who we are—and ev...

The Winter Olympics are in full swing, and for the athletes competing, the Games are as much a mental challenge as they are a physical one. Not long ago, Maya sat down with five-time Olympic gold medalist, swimmer Missy Franklin, who competed in both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. When Missy returned for her second Olympics, things felt markedly different. In today’s episode, Missy speaks candidly and bravely about how he...

Valentine’s Day is about expressing love in all its forms—but it can also be a chance to sit with some of love’s stickier realities. Today, we’re sharing an episode from the TED podcast “How To Be a Better Human,” in which host and comedian Chris Duffy speaks with family therapist Stephanie Yates-Anyabwile about why rigid relationship “templates” can hold us back, how to live a relati...

Journalist Jennifer Wallace believes we can make the world a better place through small actions that help people feel like they matter. She’s written a book about this idea, called “Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose.”In today’s episode, she reveals why even those in high-stakes professions might not realize they matter, and what that gap can teach us about how to make others feel...