This is Stuart

Explore the fascinating world of influencer culture and the hidden costs of seeking online validation. Discover the emotional toll of algorithm-driven popularity versus true influence. Learn about the detrimental effects of constant performance and algorithmic fatigue on mental health. Stuart emphasizes the importance of purposeful influence over viral vanity and encourages curating your social media feeds for personal well-being. Reflect on real connection and what it truly means to have a positive impact, beyond just metrics.

Exploration of how stories whether lived, imagined, or inherited can become powerful tools for healing. The ways fiction, memoir, and our own untold narratives help us process grief, reclaim identity, and rediscover connection. Equal parts reflective and practical, this conversation is an intimate reminder that sometimes the most courageous thing we can do… is tell the story we’ve been carrying all along. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lessons from the Living and the Dying. Why “Don’t Wait” may be the most important life advice you’ll ever hear. How mortality can become a mirror for living with purpose. The emotional and scientific cost of distraction. Why slow, intentional mornings can reshape your mind and mood. The healing power of “I’m sorry” in relationships. And the five most common regrets at life’s end and how to avoid them now.What it means to live fully and love deeply without carrying regrets to the end. References:Frank Ostaseski’s The Five Invitations, Bronnie Ware’s The Top Five Regrets of the Dying,Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fantasy, gives us the chance to rehearse being human. We can find mirrors in stories showing the rawness of human struggle. Fantasy , isn’t escape it’s a simulator for life’s hard moments. Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass has great beats and moments of this sense. Through Aelin,Chaol & Dorian we see idenity, recovery and autonomy.What makes these lessons richer is how they echo the insights of thinkers and writers who have charted their own paths through resilience and growth.Reference:Throne of Glass Series Sarah J. MassThe Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inspired by Johann Hari’s provocative book Lost Connections, this episode explores the real roots of depression — not just as a chemical imbalance, but as a symptom of a society disconnected from meaning, belonging, and community. A fresh understanding of depression, a renewed sense of hope, and small but powerful steps toward emotional healing and true connection.Lost Connections by Johann Harihttp://amazon.com/Lost-Connections-Uncovering-Depression-Solutions/dp/163286830XThe Social Neuroscience of Education by Louis Cozolino https://www.louiscozolino.comThe Good Life by Robert Waldinger & Marc Schulz ▶ https://www.thegoodlifebook.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The connection between physical movement and mental clarity. Blending neuroscience, reflection unpacking how regular movement can reduce stress, improve focus, and reconnect us to ourselves.Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brainby Dr. John J. RateyThe Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Traumaby Dr. Bessel van der Kolk Stillness Is the Keyby Ryan Holiday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 An episode on the long and layered story of Ireland from ancient settlers and mythic cycles to famine, colonization, revolution, and renewal. The pain, poetry, and persistence have shaped the global consciousness and how Ireland has offered the world a profound example of how a people can transform generational trauma into creativity, justice, and emotional intelligence. How a small island shaped the emotional and cultural frameworks we live with today.ReferencesCeltic Consciousness Robert GravesThe Druidry Handbook John Michael Greer Cultural Geographies Journal 2023Modern Ireland: 1600–1972 R.F. FosterThe Spirit Level Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life is a relentless emotional landscape where love, shame, survival, and identity collide. Through its unflinching portrayal of abuse, chronic pain, and the sustaining force of chosen family, A Little Life confronts the myth of linear healing and asks whether love alone can save us. Bibliotherapy, queer romance in literature, and the craft of deep characterisation, we examine how Yanagihara’s work challenges traditional narrative comfort, immerses readers in lived emotional truth.A Little Life - Hanya YanagiharaThe Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph CampbellThe Body Keeps the Score - Bessel an der Kolk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever started something meaningful… and quietly walked away from it. You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You're just human. And your comeback can start right here.Why distraction is often self-doubt in disguise. How micro-commitments build momentum. The silent power of designing your environment. Why your “why” matters more than your willpower. And how compassion not perfection is what keeps.Atomic Habits by James ClearIndistractable by Nir EyalStart With Why by Simon SinekBig Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

mirror characters — like Tamlin and Rhysand from Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses — reveal the most intimate truths about how we love, justify, forgive, and evolve.A heartfelt thank-you to @katrynn for the innovative and emotionally charged question sent via Cameo — which inspired this entire exploration of how we experience fictional love as a mirrorThrough the lens of emotional psychology, myth, and narrative healing, this episode unpacks: Why we romanticize the complicated “book boyfriend”. How love becomes control and when control becomes violence. The difference between soul-led love and ego-driven protection. Why Rhysand is forgiven for what Tamlin is condemned for. How fictional characters reflect the shadow sides of real relationships.A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.