Good Life Project

Humor won't cure depression. But it might save your life. That's not a metaphor for Jenny Lawson. It's the hard-won truth of more than two decades of living with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and the kind of dark seasons that make getting out of bed feel impossible.

Most of us hide when we're struggling. We perform wellness for the world and suffer in silence behind closed doors. Jenny took the opposite approach, writing about her darkest moments with such radical honesty and unexpected humor that thousands of people have written back to say those words kept them alive. This conversation explores how she does it, and what the rest of us can learn about finding light and meaning in the hardest places.

Jenny Lawson, known to millions as The Bloggess, is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, humorist, and the owner of Nowhere Bookshop, a beloved indie bookstore and bar in San Antonio, Texas. Her books include Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Furiously Happy, You Are Here, and Broken. Her upcoming book, How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay (Tips and Tricks that Kept Me Alive, Happy and Creative In Spite of Myself), arrives March 31, 2026.

You'll discover...
The single phrase Jenny returns to during every depressive episode that stops her from believing the darkest lies her brain tells her
A simple "easy mode" approach to work and daily life that gives you full permission to do less without guilt, and why it often leads to better results for everyone
Why sharing your struggle honestly can create an unexpected ripple effect of connection and healing for people you've never met
A powerful reframe of what success actually means that has nothing to do with money, status, or bestseller lists
How to find "your people" and build real friendship even when you're deeply introverted, anxious, or terrible at texting back

If you're navigating a hard season right now, or you love someone who is, this conversation is full of practical warmth, unexpected humor, and real tools for getting
through it. Hit play and let Jenny remind you that you're not alone, and that finding joy in the middle of the mess isn't just possible, it might be the very thing that keeps you going.

You can find Jenny at: Website | Instagram | Episode Transcript

Next week, we're sharing a really meaningful conversation with Harvard Business School professor Leslie John. We’re diving into the science of disclosure—specifically, why that cringey feeling of 'oversharing' might actually be holding you back from your best relationships. We’ll discuss how to find the sweet spot between being a closed book and TMI.

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You’ve reached a point in life where you thought you’d feel different. You’ve checked a lot of the boxes of achievement, happiness, even success. And, still, something is missing. It is a quiet restlessness that age or achievement cannot seem to quiet. What you’re missing is meaning.

Our guest today is Arthur Brooks. He is a Harvard professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness.

In this conversation, we explore:
The myths we tell about how to find meaning, and how they delude us.
The neurological reason why your phone is blocking purpose
The 3 real keys to meaning and mattering, and finally feeling alive
The arrival fallacy that explains why winning is not the same the meaning
How to use a specific morning protocol to program your brain for mystery and wonder
The counterintuitive reason you actually want suffering in your life

If you are tired of the hustle and still feeling empty, it is time to look at the science of the soul, and learn how to bring more meaning into your life, starting with practical tools today.

You can find Arthur at: Website | Instagram | Episode Transcript

Next week, we're sharing a really meaningful conversation with Jenny Lawson. She's a #1 New York Times bestselling author who has made millions of people laugh with her writing, and she also lives with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. This conversation is one of the most honest, funny, and unexpectedly hopeful we've ever had on the show.

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Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the Wheel
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Stop blaming willpower and start building the skill of making change stick for good. Pretty much every person wants to change something, about themselves, their lives, or situation. But, so few ever succeed at creating change, let alone sustaining it.

In this conversation, we explore why real transformation is a learnable process rather than a test of grit. We look at the emotional hurdles that stop us and how to navigate the "alphabet" of success.

Our guest today is Eric Zimmer, the host of the award-winning podcast The One You Feed and author of the new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life. Eric has spent decades studying behavior change, transforming his own life from addiction to becoming a leading voice in personal growth.

Together, we explore:
The Three-Part Direction Rule: A specific strategy that ensures your small efforts actually accumulate into big results over time.
The Still Point Method: A practical tool to interrupt negative thought patterns before they ruin your day.
The Truth About Value Clashes: Why your inner conflict between security and freedom is the secret culprit behind your procrastination.
Neutral Thinking: A critical mindset shift that allows you to bypass the emotional drama that usually makes you quit.
The 90 Percent Rule: Why most of the change process happens before you ever take a single action.

If you are tired of the cycle of starting and stopping, it is time to change your approach. Play this episode to learn the practical, science-backed steps to finally becoming the person you want to be.

You can find Eric at: Website | Instagram | Episode Transcript

Next week, we're sharing our conversation with Arthur Brooks about The Meaning of Your Life and practical, science-backed ways to find purpose and discover your deepest calling.

Check out our offerings & partners:
Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the Wheel
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Turns out, "good vibes only" might be making you feel worse. Today, we’re exploring why the "good vibes only, stay positive, look on the bright side," movement is often more harmful than helpful and how to build a deeper, more resilient form of optimism and hope that is truly capable of making your life better.

Our guest, Dr. Deepika Chopra, is a clinical health psychologist known as The Optimism Doctor® and author of The Power of Real Optimism. With postdoctoral fellowships at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai, she specializes in the science of hope, resiliency, and visual imagery.

We talk about:
The 7/10 rule for affirmations - why the traditional approach to affirmations is broken, and a different way that ensures your brain actually believes what you’re telling it instead of rejecting it as bunk.
How to schedule "worry time" to contain anxiety so it doesn't leak into and paralyze your entire day.
A specific 12-second practice to "clock" joy and physically rewire your brain’s neural pathways for better problem-solving.
The distinction between hope and false hope, and how to find the "crack of light" when you’re in your darkest hour.

If you've ever felt the pressure to "just be happy" while struggling through a difficult season, this conversation offers a grounded, science-backed alternative. Click play to learn how to build the muscle of real optimism and navigate life's challenges with more curiosity and ease.

You can find Deepika at: Website | Instagram | Episode Transcript

Next week, we're sharing a really meaningful conversation with Eric Zimmer about the 'Little by Little' method for making meaningful life changes that actually stick. Be sure to follow the GLP wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss it!

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Want a deeper, more secure, fiercely connected relationship? Then, you’ll want to check out the power of relationship agreements.

In this episode, we sit down with Krista and Dr. Will Van Derveer. Will is a psychiatrist and author of the book Psychedelic Therapy, and Krista is a Relational Leadership Educator who helps partnerships move from the "I Operating System" to a "We Operating System."

We explore:
How to craft your own sacred relationship agreements that keep bringing you back to love, no matter how much friction your find yourself in.
The wildly surprising "Couch Time" technique that uses mammal-to-mammal co-regulation to stop a heated argument in 60 seconds.
A simple shift in perspective that allows you to stop seeing your partner as a "fixed object" and start seeing them with fresh eyes.
The "Abundant Repair" protocol for ensuring you never go to bed with tension still lingering in your body.
Why most "implicit" agreements fail and how to write down the 24 sacred guardrails that protect your connection.

If you are tired of the same old arguments and want a relationship that actually empowers your individual potential, this conversation is for you. Click play to learn how to transform your partnership into a powerhouse of growth.

You can find Krista & Will at: The Art of We | Get the Top 10 Relationship Agreements | Episode Transcript

Next week, we're sharing a really meaningful conversation with Dr. Deepika Chopra about toxic positivity and how to be optimistic without tipping into delusion, distraction, or even harm.

Check out our offerings & partners:
Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the Wheel
Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.