In short
The episode challenges “success” defined as fame, money, and social applause, arguing that real wealth is joy, peace, and freedom (JPF). It teaches “Keep Death Close” (KDC) and a “five-question morning maximizer” to deselect trivial pursuits, process emotions, and build self-worth. It also covers resentment release, trusting intuition/joy over logic, and relationship guidance (10,000 dinners; partner not project).
Guest backgrounds
Robin Sharma is a world-renowned leadership expert and best-selling author of The 5AM Club and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. He mentors high-achievers including billionaires, NBA stars, royalty, and musical legends.
Key claims
Money/social status without inner alignment leads to misery; most daily decisions come from subconscious patterns; resentment creates a “field of hurt” that blocks creativity/intimacy; “mindset is everything” is incomplete—work on mindset, heartset, healthset, soulset; self-worth is built through consistent practices (meditation/visualization/prayer, therapy, journaling, mantras).
Notable examples
Maharaja who “celebrates his funeral” daily (KDC); ski instructor Kulikowski (“we live rich lives”); restaurant refund story (assume yes); “10,000 dinners” relationship test (Aisha Vardag); Taylor Swift using mantras; “going ghost” retreats for creativity.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Misery of Success
0:00 to 0:44
Exploring the disconnect between societal definitions of success and personal fulfillment.
“So many of my clients were saying, I have money and I have social applause and I'm miserable.”
The Art of Giving in Secret
0:44 to 1:30
Discussing the concept of 'intoku' and the benefits of selfless giving.
“Robin Sharma is a world-renowned leadership expert.”
Navigating Relationships
1:30 to 2:28
Insight on how to evaluate personal relationships for long-term happiness.
“For me, firstly, what I'd say is I've learned from every relationship I've ever been in.”
The Reflection on Mortality
2:45 to 4:08
Starting the discussion with the importance of reflecting on mortality to live fully.
“And you write about that, you talk about, you know, thinking about when we're close to death, how what really comes up shows the importance.”
Keeping Death Close
4:08 to 5:13
Exploring how embracing mortality can enhance life purpose and urgency.
“We're saying, well, seek great love, launch the startup, write the screenplay, get more fit, live longer when the children are older and work is a little slower.”
Five Questions for a Meaningful Life
5:13 to 8:49
Introducing a morning routine involving five reflective questions to enhance daily living.
“Most of my top clients do them every day as part of the morning routine.”
Letting Go and Living Intentionally
8:49 to 11:27
Discussing the importance of letting go and living with intention to achieve true success.
“What I wrote for that question today is he was a humble servant.”
Redefining Wealth and Success
11:27 to 14:00
Robin Sharma challenges traditional views of wealth and advocates for a focus on joy, peace, and freedom.
“FFA, exactly what you said, fame, fortune, and applause, to JPF, joy, peace, and freedom.”
Rethinking Wealth: Insights from Experience
14:00 to 15:20
Explore how true wealth transcends material possessions and societal definitions.
“What I would say is honoring your soul's instinct and your intuitive process is so much more successful.”
Happiness Beyond Materialism: A Personal Journey
15:20 to 17:40
Learn about the speaker's transition from wealth to seeking true happiness and fulfillment.
“I've been teaching this model for 20 years and it's really helped them.”
Show all 26 chapters
The Role of a 'Yes' Mindset in Personal Growth
17:40 to 19:26
Discover the impact of saying 'yes' to opportunities and living fully.
“And so he would definitely be one of the the happiest people that I'd know.”
Releasing Resentment for a Wealthy Life
19:26 to 28:00
Understand the importance of processing emotions and letting go of resentment for overall well-being.
“I love that everything you mentioned about the ski instructor does actually align to these eight hidden habits which we're going to go through.”
The Four Interior Empires
28:00 to 31:00
Learn about mindset, heartset, health set, and soul set for personal growth.
“to these emotions, as you just mentioned, to not allow that resentment to build up and to not be afraid of what they're feeling?”
Understanding Unworthiness
31:00 to 33:18
Explore the deep-rooted issues of unworthiness and how to overcome them.
“And I guess that's from the sheer pressure of always having to feel on, right?”
Building Self-Worth
33:18 to 35:30
Discover methods to enhance self-worth through meditation and journaling.
“Commit to starting your day with at least 20 minutes of meditation.”
Journaling for Self-Discovery
36:16 to 42:00
Understand effective journaling practices to uncover strengths and self-love.
“I know you have these five questions at the last in the morning, but a lot of people I think can get confused with journaling because they kind of go, what do I write?”
The Three Breath Mantra and Self-Affirmation
42:00 to 43:53
Learn how the three breath mantra can rewire your self-identity.
“And so I have this tool, which is the three breath mantra.”
Cynicism in Personal Growth
43:54 to 46:06
Explore the rise of cynicism toward personal development practices and the importance of self-affirmation.
“And you'll see the comments and it's like, oh, you know, that's for people that believe anything they'll hear.”
The Importance of Relationships
46:07 to 50:59
Understand the significance of finding the right partner and building healthy relationships.
“And I think many people when I say that statistic are very shocked.”
Finding Joy in Solitude
51:00 to 53:59
Discover the value of enjoying your own company before seeking a relationship.
“I think it's such an important bolster that I think it's, I think the emphasis on, And the stress of trying to find the right person can feel an incredible amount of pressure.”
The Concept of 'Going Ghost'
54:00 to 55:54
Learn about the concept of 'going ghost' and its benefits for creativity and productivity.
“On the eight forms of wealth, I would say, um, maybe the chapter about going ghost for a year.”
Navigating Personal Boundaries
56:00 to 56:31
Learn how to prioritize self-care amidst life's demands.
“productivity, being a better mom, whatever it is.”
The Science of Productivity
56:31 to 57:52
Discover the benefits of working in bursts for better productivity.
“no to the things that we feel we should be saying yes to well a few ways I would answer that first of all, there are a lot of workaholics in the world right now.”
The Creative Process Behind Writing
57:52 to 1:00:18
Understand the challenges and satisfaction of the writing journey.
“Now, I'm not saying you have to drink and eat.”
The Power of Giving
1:00:18 to 1:04:04
Explore how giving in secret can enhance self-worth and fulfillment.
“when you get to that place, it's time to hand it into the editor.”
Reflections on Living Well
1:04:04 to 1:05:09
Gain insights on what it means to live well and be well.
“And I asked this last question to all of my guests, which is Robin, what does live well, be well mean to you?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00So many of my clients were saying, I have money and I have social applause and I'm miserable. What's the point of being successful and being miserable? I think so many of us can disconnect from that feeling because we're sold what we think success looks like. The biggest mistakes I've made in my life was when I followed logic over what the silent whispers of my inner wisdom were telling. We're great postponers. We're saying, well, live longer when work is a little slower. And yet no one knows when our last day shows up. I suggest that the key to real success is shifting from FFA to JPF. FFA, exactly what you said.
0:39Fame, fortune, and applause to JPF, joy, peace, and freedom. Robin Sharma is a world-renowned leadership expert. And best-selling author of The 5AM Club and the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. There's a Japanese word called intoku, the art of giving in secret. If you give a gift with the intention of a reward, it's not a gift, it's a trade. But to go through the rest of our lives being a silent gift giver is an amazing thing. We could talk about oxytocin, endorphins, dopamine, serotonin. All those things are released within us when we help someone. I even know that from the science of health, how important connection is.
1:18How can people navigate their own relationships to know if inside it's right for them? If you can see yourself eating 10 ,000 dinners with this person, keep them close because great love is hard to find. For me, firstly, what I'd say is I've learned from every relationship I've ever been in. And I do believe that... Firstly, I want to say thank you to tuning in and listening to the show. It means a huge amount. And connecting with all of you is something that I absolutely love as part of this journey of growing the show. One of my biggest goals of 2025 is doubling the reach of this show. And I can't do that without your support.
1:57So I would love to ask you a favor if you can press subscribe or follow on whichever platform you listen to. This helps us reach more people. And for me, elevating women in science is so fundamental and ethical and scientific information. So if you feel the show empowers you and gives you the information that you've been seeking, I would love to ask a favour in return and to hit that subscribe button and help me reach the goal that I've set for the show of 2025. Thank you. I have to say, it's hard to start this interview because there's so many places where I wanted to pick up, especially just finishing your new book and all of the other the books that you've written, the shared wisdom in that, where I was thinking, okay, how am I going to start this interview?
2:46And I'm actually going to start it at the end, which might sound a bit odd to many listeners, but something that really stuck with me is about when people kind of come to those last days of death, we normally reflect on what's the most important to us. And you write about that, you talk about, you know, thinking about when we're close to death, how what really comes up shows the importance. So I wanted to start there. I wanted to start with keeping death close, which is what you speak about. Why can that be the secret to truly living a wealthy life? If I could, Sarah-Ann, there's a story, and it's a story about an Indian Maharaja who used to wake up every morning and he had a curious morning ritual and he would celebrate his own funeral complete with music and flowers.
3:38And all the while he'd be chanting, I have lived fully, I've lived fully, I've lived fully. And when I read that, I went to my father who is now 89 years old. And I asked him at the time, I said, what is this story all about? And he thought for a while and then he said, Robin, that's easy. This man has developed a morning discipline to remind him of the mortality and the quickness of life. And KDC is the acronym for Keep Death Close. I think as human beings, we're great postponers. We're saying, well, seek great love, launch the startup, write the screenplay, get more fit, live longer when the children are older and work is a little slower.
4:23And yet no one knows when our last day shows up. And I think this idea of keeping death close, building intimacy with mortality, making it a part of your key default thinking system each day will allow you to live to the point versus being busy, being busy and spending a human life chasing trivial pursuits that on our last hour amount to nothing. And I have a protocol to help, uh, help with this. And it's called the five question morning maximizer. Happy to get into it now or later, but the more important point I would humbly offer is the more we can think about our end, the more we're going to deselect the things that aren't important in life.
5:12Can you tell us what these five things are to start? Sure. And do you do them every day? I do them five days a week. Okay. Most of my top clients do them every day as part of the morning routine. So five questions. Write them in your journal. The first one is, what am I grateful for? We all know about the science of gratitude. Sonia Lubomirsky, one of the preeminent positive psychologists, has done some really great work. She's used a term called deliberate gratitude. The happiest people in the world use deliberate gratitude. Not once a year on New Year's Day, but you build it into your days so you build more hope.
5:48So what am I grateful for? Number two, where am I winning? So the human brain has a negativity bias. It served us well tens of thousands of years ago when we had to be hypervigilant. Otherwise, we die against predators, starvation, kidnap, etc. But now we're in the modern age. We have the benefits that royalty had 200 years ago. And yet, due to the negativity bias of our brain, we're still in hypervigilance. We scan the environment, not for the great things in our life or the blessings, but for what's wrong. We give a speech for 100 people. We focus on the one person who had a bad day and gave us a bad comment.
6:28We have a great partner, but we focus on their weaknesses versus on their strengths. So this question, the second question in the five question morning protocol or the five question morning maximizer, where am I winning? This breeds hope. This allows us to celebrate micro wins. This allows us to have momentum on the front end of our day and build confidence, which is key to not only wellness, but peak performance, creativity and self-worth. Third question, what will I let go of today? I think one of the greatest of all emotional healing questions and all spiritual pursuits is mastering the art of letting things go.
7:11Letting go of the mad customer yesterday? Letting go of that person who broke your heart 10 years ago. Letting go of not feeling enough. Letting go of not doing enough. Letting go of missing yesterday's 5 a.m. morning workout because you're a member of the 5 a.m. club. So the third question, what will I let go of today? Imagine each day letting go of some of the baggage that we're carrying that's slowing us down. Fourth question, what does my ideal day look like? So in the pre-interview used a key word, which is intentions. I believe intentions yield results. Clarity breeds mastery. You can't scale a summit that you don't even know about.
7:54So each day you do one paragraph on your ideal day ahead, that sets your mind with clarity. So you are strategic, not reactive. So many of us get up in the morning, we live, we chase the day. So here you go, a paragraph and it's what you want to do at work, how you want to show up, how you want to eat, et cetera, et cetera. Final question, the KDC question, keep death closed. What needs to be said at the end? So every morning or five days a week, you write a paragraph about what you want said about you by your loved ones, your coworkers, your neighbors, your family. And by spending time with your obituary each morning, It'll transform the way you see the world and it creates a sense of healthy urgency for focusing on things that are most important.
8:45Can I ask what you wrote for that question today? Yes. What I wrote for that question today is he was a humble servant. He was a family protector. He was a man who loved life. He turned into a great painter and he lived his life richly and well. It's one of those moments when I was kind of looking at through your life. Did you, when you had that pivotal point from becoming, well, leaving litigation law, were these moments running through your mind that you weren't living intentionally? What was happening in that moment when your career shifted? Well, I don't think I had the awareness at that time.
9:27I was in my 20s, and I didn't have the awareness of what you just said, but I believe instinct is so much more powerful than intellect. And the biggest mistakes I've made in my life in business and in my personal life and in my relationship life was when I followed logic over what the silent whispers of my inner wisdom were telling me. And all I know is my instinct said, you're not supposed to be a litigation lawyer. And I think there's great value in trusting and following your joy. You're living in London, but you land in Mauritius and go, I don't know what it is, but there's something about the energy here.
10:14I would say, trust your joy. If you meet a new person, you start dating and you just, you're with that person. You feel like two little kids in the schoolyard in this brave and beautiful universe. Trust your joy. If there's a book that you read and everyone's reading, but it just doesn't make you happy. Trust your disjoy. And so as a litigation lawyer, I just wasn't happy. I'd get up in the morning. I was going through the paces. I was hollow. I lived in a beautiful home. I had very nice things, but what's the point of being successful and being miserable? Absolutely. And I think so many of us can disconnect from that feeling because we're what we think success looks like.
10:58I went through a very similar story. You know, at 21, I had the kind of quote-unquote success, which do you know what that's defined as in the English Oxford Dictionary? Um, I don't, but I would say... the world thinking you have really nice things or you have a lot of money. It's defined as three things. This is literally what it says. Success is fame, wealth, and social status. Well, I have a term in my methodology, and I suggest that the key to real success is shifting from FFA to JPF. FFA, exactly what you said, fame, fortune, and applause, to JPF, joy, peace, and freedom. That's what it should be.
11:47Maybe we can write and get them to change it in the English dictionary. I think that one of the things I had that stayed with me most about five years ago was that people that are truly wealthy it's not from the biggest bank account it's from how much freedom they've got in their diary and that really stayed with me on how I wanted to then intentionally build my own lifestyle and my own life currently looking at my diary I wouldn't say I'm very wealthy at all because it is jam-packed but it's also jam-packed with the things that I love. How can we move away from that chasing and the ambition? Because I think this is where it becomes really difficult, right?
12:26A lot of people who are ambitious also feel that they need to kind of do more and be more to achieve that success and that ambition that we're all kind of chasing after. How can we switch our mindsets and actually live the life that you've just mentioned? I think that's a brilliant question, Sarah-Ann, and what I'd say is trust your seasons. It's okay to have a season where you're ambitious and you're chasing everything, and you're a little, quote-unquote, out of balance. I mean, a human life is a messy process. I was once in South Africa, and I was in a little bush plane, and the pilot said, do you want to fly the plane for a little while?
13:02And I said, sure. And so I got behind the, it's not a steering wheel, but the controls. Yeah. And he said, look at the altimeter, and there was like a level. And as we flew, the currents of the wind would always cause the needle to go like this. And I'd have to just bring the plane back so that the, let the needle was level and the winds would blow off. And it was just this constant going off course and getting on course. And I think that's how I try to look at my life. Like every day, you're going to be blown off freedom. And your goal is not to beat yourself up. I noticed in your, a lot of your social posts, you talk about it.
13:43Don't shame yourself. And our goal is not to shame ourselves because the world says if you're not doing and if you're not producing and if you don't have a lot of social media followers and if you haven't started a company in the past three years and sold exited for$3 billion, you should be ashamed. What I would say is honoring your soul's instinct and your intuitive process is so much more successful. I mean, I've spent over 30 years mentoring billionaires and NBA stars and movement makers and members of royalty and musical legends. And I can tell you a lot of these people have what that dictionary says by a factor of a thousand.
14:30They have two jets, four jets. They have many yachts. They have seven homes. They have billions and billions of dollars. and I would say most of them are in their golden jail. Most of them don't have JPF, joy, peace, and freedom. And that's actually what the latest book, The Wealth, Money Can't Buy, is all about because so many of my clients were saying, I have money and I have social applause and I have all the things and I'm eating in all the nice restaurants and I'm miserable. It didn't, it's that old Zen proverb, which is so important. Wherever you go, there you are. And it was John Kerry, Jim Kerry, who said, I wish everyone could be rich and famous and realize it won't make a difference.
15:19And so the Wealth Money Can't Buy is based on this model I started teaching my clients called the eight forms of wealth. I've been teaching this model for 20 years and it's really helped them. And it's helped me because we all are programmed into this cultural hypnosis that wealth is money. Wealth is personal net worth. Wealth is material things. But those things don't make us happy. And so I believe there are eight forms of wealth. And if you tend to each of those eight forms of wealth on a regular basis, then you're going to live a truly rich life versus a life that society sells to you. I love that.
15:58And I can tell you, my God, did I resonate when I read this book, because as I mentioned, at 21, I had all of those things. And I was the unhappiest I ever was. I mean, I was hospitalized. And it made me completely change my career. I had no idea where that was going to go. And I was terrified. But it's interesting, I think, when you look at the people that you've worked with, you would say they had it all. are from the outside, right? Can I ask before we get into those kind of eight different factors of wealth, and it's probably a very hard question for you to answer because I think happiness is subjective and it's fleeting, but who do you think is the most content or happiest or aligned person that you've met or worked with?
16:47I would say my, when I was in my early 40s, I got this idea to become a ski instructor. So I went really deep and I hired a ski instructor to teach me.
17:00And his last name is Kulikowski, Mr. Kulikowski. And it's a great name. And I think he's one of the happiest people I've ever met. And I said, why are you so happy? And he said, well, ski instructors are not rich, but we live rich lives. And I said, just, and we're going up on the chairlift and I don't know if you ski, but when you're going up on the chairlifts, you can have some of the best conversations. conversations because you've been in the mountains and it's almost like a pause and the sun could be coming up. And he said, well, I have an incredible wife. I have an incredible family. I eat great food off the barbecue every evening.
17:38I teach people how to ski. I'm in the mountains. I'm in nature. And what more could I have? And so he would definitely be one of the the happiest people that I'd know. I think my son, Colby. Very, very happy person. Just loves life and just kind of super peaceful person. Wow. So I think those would be two of the happiest people that I can think of. Iron is one of the most common deficiencies that I see in clinic, especially in women. and it's not just about feeling tired. Low iron can impact your energy, your focus, your mood and even your immune system. It's something we really need to be aware of because if left untreated, iron deficiency can become very serious.
18:34Now UK data shows that around 20 to 35 percent of women aged 18 to 50 do not need the recommended dietary guidelines for iron intake and if you're pregnant, menstruating or following a vegetarian or vegan diet your needs are even higher and therefore you're more at risk. So that's why I often recommend Spartone. Now this is a naturally sourced iron-rich water that comes from the Welsh hills. It contains ferrous iron, the most absorbable form with studies showing up to 40 % absorption so your body can actually use what it takes in. Now it's also incredibly gentle. It's one natural ingredient, there's no harsh tablets and there's no digestive issues.
19:15I use it myself and it is my go-to in clinic. You can pick up Spartone at Boots and if you've been feeling low in energy it's absolutely worth checking in on your iron with your doctor or GP. I love that everything you mentioned about the ski instructor does actually align to these eight hidden habits which we're going to go through. In the first chapter, there was three that really stood out to me. Can I tell you the three? Sure. These are the ones that I've connected to. I've connected to all of them, but these are the ones that really stood out. Being a yes person. I did a month of doing a yes person about a year ago, and my life completely changed when I had that time of saying yes.
20:00Not being on a resentment rollercoaster is the next one, and not letting self-care ruin your self-worth. Those three really stood out to me. I want to start with being a yes person. How can that help with being in this growing mindset that I guess we're all maybe chasing after that growth mindset that we talk a lot about? Why is being yes so fundamental? Well, I think being a yes person has a bad rap in our society. It's like someone who just doesn't think for themselves. And what I'm saying in that chapter of the book is, say yes to life. Say yes to the invitation. Say yes to going to the art gallery if you've never been to an art gallery.
20:43If you usually eat Italian food, say yes to the chance to go for Vietnamese food. But I think in life, what we regret the most are the things we didn't say yes to. I'll give you a quick example. So yesterday, my son and I had lunch, and I usually don't mention company names, but we went to this place called Jay Farmer. and I ordered a salad and then Colby ordered his salad and I was a little ahead of him in the line so I paid for both lunches I went outside I got a table five minutes later Colby comes out with his tray with his salad and I said Colby I paid for both these I hope you knew that sorry I didn't communicate it he goes dad I didn't know I went and paid for this as well I said okay well you know, we just paid for an extra, an extra meal.
21:32It's not the biggest thing. So we had a great lunch. We chatted. And then I said, you know what? My assumption is that if I went and asked and explained the situation, they'd say, look, there's so many people here. We don't know if you're true about this or not. We can't give you a refund. But I decided to say yes to the idea of just walking into my discomfort. So I walked in and there was a gentleman named Kevin. It was on Regent Street. And I said, Kevin, you know, this is what happened here. and we paid for an extra meal. And I'm just wondering if it'd be possible to get a refund because we paid for three meals.
22:05He goes, no problem whatsoever. And they refunded the extra meal. And all I'm trying to say is we make assumptions about rejection. And if I could, I'll repeat it one more time because I think it's so, I hope it's so helpful to all your viewers and listeners from around the world. But we mostly assume a no. And I think it's the negativity bias of the human brain. We assume a no far too often when we should test our assumptions to see if yes would work. I love that. I think the rejection culture is very big. Being scared of being rejected. I have resonated to that a lot. And I know you mentioned about my posts, but one of my main areas of research is self-compassion.
22:47And I think that really helps bolster the rejection that comes, right? And having that self-compassion instead of the self-critical, which you spoke about earlier, our brains are wired to negativity bias. And knowing that we can have tools to help bolster that is so, so important. It's so important. And I love that. I feel like I need to get PharmaJ to sponsor this podcast. That's the third time a person this week is mentioned to that restaurant, randomly on this podcast. Well, how often does that happen? where it was our mistake, and we politely brought it to their attention, and it was a culture of no problem.
23:33In a world where people are skeptical, cynical, and, oh, you're already paid, we can't check it, too bad for you. So I have to honor them. And just on your point, maybe it's helpful on the self-compassion point, I've learned that you can say whatever you want so long as you say it with respect. And if you're respectful, you can stand up for yourself. And it's amazing what happens. And then the bonus point, here's almost a magical question. Would it be possible? Watch what happens when you go to J Farmer or whatever the name is, but go into a restaurant or you want to sit in an aisle seat, not the window on an airplane or on a train, and you say, would it be possible?
24:22It's amazing how many yeses you're going to receive. It's true. Resentment rollercoaster. This one really hit me. I've even opened it on the page. Someone looks at us at the wrong way. Someone close up to us disappoints us. Someone we trusted lies to us. Such things are part of the essence of life. You can't avoid them as much as you try. This really links into the rejection side that you just spoke about. And I know in the five questions you mentioned about not holding grudges, and I asked you the question about making peace with the past, and you said, I don't hold regrets. Talk to me about why not holding resentment, or being a resentment collector as you put it, is so important for a wealthy life.
25:09Well, if you collect resentments from people who have disappointed you, betrayed you, broken your heart, stole from you, cut you off in traffic, whatever it is, it will build up inside of you. Carl Jung, the brilliant psychologist, called it the shadow self. Shadow what? And we think that our daily choices are the result of our conscious decisions. Lots of good science confirms over 90 % of our daily decisions come from our subconscious. And in my work, I have this term called the field of hurt. And if you don't know how to move through the resentment of being cut off or dealing with a difficult client or dealing with a divorce, loss and illness, the stuff of life.
26:00If you don't know how to process through it and if you don't have the tools, you're going to swallow that macro trauma or micro trauma and it will be there. And society says, well, don't feel it. Move on and hustle and grind. But that builds the shadow self and that builds this field of hurt that most of us are carrying. And if you have a dense field of hurt, you know, in your emotional life, shame, disappointment, anger, sadness that you haven't worked through, this will affect your positivity. It will affect you. It'll be a block to your creativity. It'll limit your productivity. And it'll have a huge limit on your intimacy with other people.
26:42And so one of the most important things you can do is work on your subconscious self, what I call your egoic self versus your heroic self, to start releasing that baggage so you move through life a lot more lightly. I love what you just mentioned. The very reason you just linked it perfectly to my next question, without knowing. And the reason why is I talk a lot about the eight emotions that we all have. And many of us, as you said, can suppress them. We can be more in our minds and less in our bodies, right? We can detach very, very quickly. And I think many of us can be afraid. Many of us can feel frustrated because we don't have the tools to be able to express ourselves.
27:26And as you said, that can become very suppressed. And as you mentioned, you know, we're always taught optimism, positive thinking, but I love that you've spoken about toxic optimism. That's quite interesting and like the big lie of positive thinking. And I'd love you to help address how we can feel more into these kind of eight core emotions that I talk a lot about on here, which is a very famous psychiatrist who coined this term. How can people become more connected to these emotions, as you just mentioned, to not allow that resentment to build up and to not be afraid of what they're feeling?
28:07Well, the first thing I would say is befriend your emotions versus resist your emotions. Second thing I would say is don't believe this mantra or meme which is mindset is everything. You hear it everywhere. Mindset is everything. Mindset is everything. You go online, mindset is everything. You go to a conference, mindset is everything. I don't think mindset is everything. In the 5M Club book, I have the four interior empires. So these are, I believe these are the four dimensions to work on if you really want to realize your gifts, talents, genius, and your wellness. The first interior empire is mindset.
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28:52Mindset is important. It's not everything, but it's important. Your mindset is your psychology. So work on your beliefs, clean out your limiting assumptions, meditate, visualize, pray, read the right books, et cetera. But the second interior empire is heartset. We're human beings. We have a beating heart. We have our psychology, but we have our emotionality. So amplify your gratefulness, your wonder, your positivity, your love, all those optimistic emotions. But don't dismiss shame, anger, disappointment, sadness, regret. Feel them because to feel a wound, you need to healer wound. And our society says, big boys don't cry.
29:42Whoever, boys, girls, women, men, whoever, wherever, we are feeling people. And if we don't feel the sadness, we don't get to feel the joy. And if I could repeat that again, because I think it's important. If we don't feel the sadness, that's why we're blocked to the joy. And most people are living in their heads. They're not living in their bodies. And so they read a book, go out and watch a sunset, go walk in nature, you'll feel happy, show love. They don't know how to show love because their body is so blocked from intimacy with their emotionality. And so when you start to feel those lower grade emotions, it's messy.
30:26Yeah. But this allows you to start to feel alive again. And I've had a lot of clients, They're so logical and analytical. They've become multi-billionaires, but they can't feel the joy of the bird song on a nature walk. Is that rich? The third interior empire is health set, which is your physicality. And then the fourth is soul set, which is your spirituality. And all I'm trying to say is there are four interior empires, not just mindset. If you work on mindset, heart set, health set, and soul set, you're going to be a far healthier and happier person. I love that. I think it's one of those things where even if you are in nature, I had this recently with a friend where we went on a walk and the whole time they were getting out their phone and more connected to their digital device than they were to what's around them.
31:21And I guess that's from the sheer pressure of always having to feel on, right? Like never feeling that they can disconnect and go in and fill their body. And I talk about that a lot on this show. And I think you also talk a lot about the suffering of unworthiness. And I can't not have this conversation with you without bringing this up because all of my work now is rooted in self-worth and self-compassion. And I think, you know, so many people today are suffering unworthiness. So despite, you know, all these amazing people that you mentor, these billionaires, all of these incredible musicians, all these people at the top of their game, a lot of them can also suffer with a sense of unworthiness.
32:03So how can someone who is not feeling good enough listening to this connect to feeling good enough, knowing that they're good enough? Because sometimes it can sound so easy to say, but to actually feel it, that's where I think the block comes up. So how can they actually connect, moving to their body to actually feel that they're good enough? Because that's really what's going on upstream. That's what's really allowing us to make these decisions, to move forward, you know, when we really look at the bigger picture. So how can we get people to actually, like, start feeling good enough? That's a very intelligent question and a huge question.
32:37And I would actually say almost every one of my clients, these titans and legends, almost every one of them suffer from unworthiness. and I think it's because if you weren't enough for your parents, you always need to prove because you're a little kid trying to get mommy and daddy's love. And then you become a 40-year-old, a 30-year-old, an 80-year-old, always trying to get mommy and daddy's love. and so and a lot of people don't know how to heal it so what are the modalities to help you build more self-worth so you're not measuring your success by the world i would say mvp mvp is in as you know in sports circles it's most valuable player and i would say if you want to be the most valuable player of your life start your day with meditation visualization and prayer And don't do it once a day or once a week and hope for results.
33:47Consistency breeds mastery. Commit to starting your day with at least 20 minutes of meditation. And I can walk you through the process to be helpful to your viewers and listeners. But 20 minutes a day, I like 45 minutes a day, meditating and then visualizing and praying. And it's not going to happen in a day. But if you do this for weeks and months, you will start to transform. And we could talk about neuroplasticity and neurobiology and the science of transformation. This works, but no idea works for someone who's not going to do the work. So I'd say MVP. How else can you feel self-worth? Talk therapy.
34:28I've had some really great results. Again, not giving any medical advice, but I did a sweat lodge experience a number of years ago that was very profound for me. Very profound. Tell me. Why? It's almost like I let go of a lot of the limiting beliefs and a lot of the emotional baggage that I was carrying, and I just kind of sweated out over the time I was in there with the Native American elders in that sweat lodge. Journaling has saved my life. So just journaling over and over about not the things you achieve in the world, but the traits you're building. I've watched the science of adaptogens grow personally over the last few years and I've become more curious in their role in nervous system support, focus and resilience because adaptogens basically buffer the cortisol that gives us that stress and anxiety.
35:20But here's the thing, quality is everything. Most adaptogens on the market don't actually contain enough of the active compounds that you see in clinical studies to make a difference. That's why I've partnered with London Nootropics. These guys only use clinical studied standardized extracts. This is really really important to get the benefits that you're seeing in clinical research. And they work with Hifas Deterra, Europe's leading mushroom bioscience company. They have high bioavailability, they use incredible ingredients like KSM66, ashwagandha and radola life. These are the active ingredients that you need to see the difference.
35:54They have lots of different blends. Flow gets me into deep focus with Lion's Mane. Zen helps support my calm and steady my clarity with ashwagandha. And Mojo gives a clean lift, no crash. And Mush Love made with fantastic fungi with three hephastatera mushrooms to elevate your day. Enjoy 20 % off and use code LIVEWELLBEWELL. They come in these fantastic little sachets and they are great for traveling too. I know you have these five questions at the last in the morning, but a lot of people I think can get confused with journaling because they kind of go, what do I write? Or they go, okay, I'm grateful for my family.
36:30And then they walk away. And And so I think a lot of people can feel disconnected to journaling. So what do you do every day? Like what's your practice with journaling? How do you approach the paper? Yeah, I shake it up. I almost always start with the five-question morning maximizer. We've covered those five questions. If I'm traveling on the weekend, I was in Rome. So I always take the stationery of the hotel and I take the logo and I travel with a little glue stick and I post the, I glued the logo into my journal, which anchors me where I am. And then I often start with the HDIF question, which is how do I feel?
37:08And that builds more intimacy with my feelings versus everything being logical. I feel joyful. I feel this, I feel tired. I feel elated. I feel curious or whatever. So I'll write about how I feel. And then sometimes I'll just write about free flow, so things that are working, things that I want to optimize. But if you want to, to your question, if you want to increase self-worth and a sense of self-love, then I would write less about your ambitions in the world, and I'd write less about your achievements, and I'd focus more on your gifts. You know, write about your gifts, write about the suffering you've overcome, write about the people that you've helped, write about the blessing you've been, write about the friend you are, write about the learnings that you've accumulated, write about the wonderful places that you've visited, whether it's Mauritius swimming with dolphins or a bakery that just opened up in your community.
38:11I love that I think you mentioned it earlier and I really didn't want to interrupt you but you spoke about your strengths and I think that's one of the most hidden bullets if you want to say magic pills of all of this and it's probably my own biggest lesson because I grew up as a dyslexic unknown dyslexic and also I've also just been recently diagnosed with ADHD which I haven't spoke about yet but I am now and but for me the dyslexia part was the biggest because it's when I went back into school much later and the fear of going back to school as a mature student to study nutritional science basically made me leave after six weeks because I just didn't think I was good enough I never knew where my strength lied at all all I was ever told was what I wasn't good at so I spent my entire life hiding and trying to like put everything that I feel like I didn't know and put all of my time into that so I was constantly feeling like I was failing like I was always behind because all I was concentrating on was the things that I wasn't good at.
39:13And I had absolutely no idea what I was good at. And so when I got back into class and then I said, well, you know, I'm going to leave because I'm just not good enough, which is physical words that came out of my mouth. The professor said to me, you know, actually you are, why would you say that? And looked at me in this confused state, probably the only person that ever said that to me to this point. And I was in my mid twenties and getting that diagnosis at the beginning transformed my life because she started telling me well this is actually where your brain is good at so we need to start like shifting your focus towards things that you're actually very good at and I didn't realize that I spent the quarter of my life only prioritizing the things that I was bad at and I don't think we're ever taught the things that we're good at I think we're always trying to get through a schooling system from a very early age of sacrificing tests and trying to really lean into things of how can I be better at the things that I'm not good at to make sure that I'm in the top grades of all classes.
40:10And so we're basically on the beginning of that journey, always trying to balance out the things that we're bad at. And I think if you actually truly say to somebody, what is your strengths? Like truly, like what do you think you really are good at? I think most people struggle because we're never told to champion that. We're always trying to maximize what we're bad at because a fear of rejection, a fear of shame, a fear of unworthiness. And so it sits in that camp where so much of our time is then put towards the things that we're actually maybe not flourishing in. Yeah, I agree 100%. I would say the things that society says we're bad at are often the things that make us great.
40:52How many of the greatest artists, painters, leaders, humanitarians had dyslexia? They had ADHD. They didn't do well in school. And these were the people who had the brightest and boldest visions because they saw the world differently. And I think You're right. As simple as it sounds, even using mantras in the Wealth Money Can't Buy, I shared the example of Taylor Swift. And she seems to be doing a lot of work on herself from what I can tell. Yeah. And she used to always put herself down. Like you're speaking about, so many of us do not manage our self-talk well. We talk to ourselves in ways we would never even talk to our greatest enemy if you had an enemy.
41:43And she started a practice, which is every time a negative thought comes into her mind, she goes, we don't do that anymore. But what that is, is that's a mantra. And mantras are powerful for rewiring through the power of neuroplasticity, our neurology. And so I have this tool, which is the three breath mantra. mantra. And so every, every time you start to become aware that you're putting yourself down, you, oh, I don't have enough. I don't have enough money. I'm not fit enough. I'm not good looking enough. I'm not productive enough. I don't fit in. You take three breaths in and each time you take in a breath, you recite a mantra or an affirmation celebrating who you wish to become and all that's good about you.
42:30And if you do that a few times a day, you're going to start the rewiring process. A second thing, every time you see a mirror, say something good to yourself. Such a simple idea. Every time you, so look at yourself and say something affirming because our income and our impact is always based on our self-identity. I'm going to repeat something here as well, because I'm English, you're Canadian. The English, you can tell me the Canadians are similar, really struggle with this. If you tell someone to say something good to themselves in the mirror, they get a cringe. And Oliver Berkman told me to lean into that cringe.
43:08That cringe is where the work comes from. And so for most English people, telling them to walk past the mirror and say like, you look bloody great today. You're doing epic. You know, whatever it is, they feel really uncomfortable. I think Americans are much better at doing this. They're much better at leaning into that kind of positive affirmation. but I really feel like the English struggle with it. And I'm not sure you can tell me what the Canadian side is similar or not, but it's really helped me that I say lean into the cringe. Just like accepting that it feels cringe and a bit uncomfortable makes it feel more accepting and open to go, okay, well, this is where my work's needed.
43:52Well, the first thing I would say to that is what I've shared is science-based. second thing there's too much cynicism in the world right now people are so happy to criticize to roll their eyes to be cynical about things related to personal growth personal development because i think we're in a scientific world we're in an ai world we're in a technological world so things like self-development now this is transforming right now over the past few years But things like self-development, things like, I mean, I see comments that might be about cold plunging or meditation or biohacking. And you'll see the comments and it's like, oh, you know, that's for people that believe anything they'll hear.
44:46Oh, foolish people, it's unrealistic. I think those are very, very cynical people. A lot of the latest habits and thoughts and protocols are completely based on science. Is some of it not science-based? Absolutely. So, you know, I think things like mantras, right? People just go, oh, affirmations, it's so silly. Mantras come from the Eastern philosophy and have been practiced by the monks and warriors and sages and teachers and pundits for thousands and thousands of years. And why are mantras powerful? Mantra is derived from the Sanskrit word. Man means mind. And tra means, your favorite word, freedom.
45:36And so words affect our self-identity. And here's the key. We are affirming things to ourselves anyway. We are talking to ourselves anyway. We are picking up programming from our teachers and parents at an early age anyway. Why not just use the words that make you more confident, more loving, more productive, more creative and a happier human being? 100 % being your best friend. Especially when 80 % of our thoughts are negative. And I think many people when I say that statistic are very shocked. But that constant dialogue is that I don't want to have a friend around me that makes me feel low and disapproving.
46:16So I think why would we have that with ourselves? right? It's really important. So one of the wheels that I love that you've put in the book is around family. It's the third wheel. And it's true, like, this is something that money can't buy. This is kind of off limits. This is something that also, I think, needs a little bit of importance today. Because we were speaking just before you came on about how people do feel very disconnected and very lonely. And family and relationships as a whole are really important. And I even know that from the science of health, how important connection is. And I love that you wrote within this about finding love a bit later in life.
46:55You said, you know, I'm gonna be honest, I found my love in my 50s. And can I say a line that really hit me? Sure. As you search, please be sure to look for a partner, not a project. and that line for me cemented a lot of I think maybe my own journeys and patterns not being a fixer allowing that to kind of come back on yourself and there's a lot of when we're looking for love the external validation that we can go for or wanting to support somebody else and forgetting ourselves. So just talk to me a little bit about finding the right partner in the context for you. And that line, that resonated with me so much.
47:46Tell me about the importance of how important and integral it is to be conscious of finding the right partner. I think finding the right life partner, or the right partner in any intimate relationship, whether it's lifetime or whether it's for a month, but I think it's a deep part of our joy. You can have a great business, for example, a great career, but if you come home and it's full of drama, nothing's going to work. And I think we've all experienced relationships that are full of drama and toxic relationships. And so, well, in the book, I talked about the 10 ,000 dinners question, and it comes from, I wish you could remind me of her name, but she's a London divorce lawyer.
48:30Yeah, I've got her. I've got her here. And I might say it wrong, but Aisha Vagdag. Exactly. Aisha Vagdag. I just want to give credit where it's due. And so she was interviewed in the Financial Times about her lifestyle, et cetera. And then they said, you know, you've worked with so many different footballers and famous people going through divorces. You've seen a lot of difficulty. What is your wisdom on a great relationship? And her reply was very simple, 10 ,000 dinners. And the interviewer said, what do you mean by 10 ,000 dinners? And Aisha said, if you can see yourself eating 10 ,000 dinners with this person, keep them close because great love is hard to find.
49:13And so for me, firstly, what I'd say is I've learned from every relationship I've ever been in. And I do believe that in this idea of season, reason, lifetime. Some people come in for a season, some for a reason, and some for an entire lifetime. And right now I'm blessed to be in a lifetime relationship with Elle. And it's interesting, she's essentially from the same little town that I'm from. She lived there for a period of time, so that's interesting. But we just, there's this idea of universes collide. And for me, the best relationships are not universes collide and opposites attract. What's worked for me is finding someone who sees the world through a similar lens, someone who has similar values, and someone who likes doing in many ways the same things I love to do.
50:10Like our perfect evening is staying at home in the farmhouse with our little dog, five pound Chorky Holly and, and just listening to some music and reading and talking. You know, we, now if you love someone who loves roller coasters and someone loves being at home reading, there's going to be a lot of negotiating. And I think life is too, too short to be negotiating all the time. That's pretty exhausting. So I think though, and then I once heard a psychologist say the number one way to determine whether a relationship will last is how you handle conflict. Yes. And that is so, I think such an important point.
50:48Like if something comes up, we just, we just talk about it. There's no hysteria or anything like that. So those would be a few of the, uh, the ideas that have, that have worked for us. Yeah. I think it's such an important bolster that I think it's, I think the emphasis on, And the stress of trying to find the right person can feel an incredible amount of pressure. And also when you're in a relationship and maybe it's not working, the worry of coming out and being alone. Like how can people navigate their own relationships to know if inside it's right for them? I think that's such an important question.
51:24Sure. I think the first thing is get comfortable going into a restaurant and eating alone before you look for a relationship. Love that. What I mean by that is, you know, it's this idea that most of us are incredibly uncomfortable with our own company. So if we're alone in our apartment, for example, we turn on the TV or we start scrolling or we even have to have music or we, but we ultimately, we are the only people we will be with for our entire life. You are the only person you get to be with for your entire lifetime. So start to like yourself and like your own company. And I think that that'd be great training.
52:10Like go into a cool restaurant on a Friday night and here's the key, leave your phone at home and sit there and enjoy and savor the food. And great positive psychologists say that one of the things for happiest people, it's not talked about enough, but this idea of savoring, It's been shown by positive psychological research to really boost optimism. So sit there on a Friday night, no escape routes, and just sit there and be. And enjoy the food, savor the food, and then just start to enjoy your own company. Start to go to, find lonely places. Go rent a cabin by the sea for a week and be alone and get to know yourself.
52:55or each day take at least a 15-minute nature walk alone, you know, just where you get to know yourself and you applaud yourself for everything that you've done. And this isn't silly. This is befriending yourself. This is self-compassion. This is building your inner relationship. And I think often people who say, oh, it's silly and why would you do that? And those are people who are just scared of change. Yeah, there comes discomfort sometimes of facing oneself. a lot of people say that when you're in a relationship it holds up a mirror right to all the work that you've got to do and I and I do believe that to an extent you know when you are in a relationship you're in close proximity with someone else there are a lot of things that can come up and become to your awareness of what you still need to do because life is always a continuous work and journey it doesn't ever stop you've written so many amazing insights in this book and I can't not ask you what your favorite one is and it's like asking you to pick your favorite child, I know, but I am going to ask you to pick what is the one that like really stands out to you the most that you really hold dear to you of all the lessons that you wrote on the eight healthy habits.
54:04On the eight forms of wealth, I would say, um, maybe the chapter about going ghost for a year. So many people have, have commented on that. And the idea is basically, if you look at the most creative, productive people, they all have a retreat, whether it's the stacks in a public library or whether it's a seaside cottage like Goldeneye, which was where Ian Fleming, who created the James Bond books, he would just go to get away from the world. But I think it's really important to go ghost on a regular basis. Ideally, if you can, go ghost for a year. Go to Bali or go to Colombia or take your family on a sailing adventure.
54:49If you can't go ghost for a year, go ghost for a month. And if you can't go ghost for a month, then do it even for a weekend. But I think it's really important to get away from the noise so you can hear the signal. I think our greatest insights, and there's a lot of entrepreneurs who watch your show. When I work with my clients, one of the things I help them do is on their schedule, institutionalize strategic refueling. Because so many people work hard because they think it's going to make them more productive. That comes from the factory era, where if we were at a factory and we produced more, we would be more productive.
55:26We're now in the cognitive era. And so if we are depleted, and if we are exhausted, and if we have lost our inspiration, because pretty much all we do is work, we're not going to get the billion dollar ideas that help a billion people. So spending more time going ghost, I think, is a very powerful idea. That connects a lot to your rest comment that you mentioned in the five questions, right, is getting the rest and the recovery. But if someone's looking at their diary, and whether it's somebody who is like an extremely busy mom, or an entrepreneur running a very high scale company, how can that person actually like know that prioritizing that is going to increase to a better outcome, better productivity, being a better mom, whatever it is.
56:11because I do think it's so hard that sometimes when you feel like life is toppling on top of you to make these decisions say well actually I'm just not going to go to that meeting or I'm actually just not going to turn up to that thing it's so hard to actually inject that into your life and be aware of it but also enforce it how can we do that to actually say no to the things that we feel we should be saying yes to well a few ways I would answer that first of all, there are a lot of workaholics in the world right now. And there's a lot of people whose self-worth is tied to their self-identity in the world.
56:47Absolutely. And so if your identity is attached to, I'm a business builder, then if you're not building your business, you don't have any self-identity. So you're going to be a work addict. But if you don't like yourself very much or you're full of wounding and undeservability issues, then you're not going to prioritize self-care and wellness and fitness and stillness and meditation because your identity is tied to you working. A lot of people, you know this, they use overwork as a badge of honor. Yes. So that'd be the first thing I'd say. Second thing is just look at the science. Look at the science, the work of the energy project.
57:31Look at... What's the energy project? The energy project has found, for example, that the most productive people are much more like sprinters versus like marathoners. And the most productive people work in bursts of intense activity and then they pull back and recover. and then if you study the great lives many of the great lives once we're here in london winston churchill i mean he had a very full plate to put it mildly especially in world war ii but almost every weekend he would have uh one car in front of him with his security person with a revolver as his protection and into the night they would race out to checkers his country retreat And he'd spend the whole weekend smoking cigars in the Rose Garden, taking long walks, staying up till two after midnight, drinking and eating for recovery.
58:26Now, I'm not saying you have to drink and eat. What I'm saying is he had a retreat. And if you look at a lot of the great creative people, they had places they would go to to rest and to recover. I love that. I think hearing about you being in Italy and you now coming into painting and becoming an artist, something you mentioned at the beginning of the pre-interview was that you're always learning. Every day there's something that you're wanting to learn. This book took you two years, am I right, to write? I wrote it, it took one year to write. One year to write, but 12 different iterations. You said you kept coming back to it and wanting to repurpose it and move it around.
59:08And you became, as you said, you would lock yourself in a room for a week and just analyze this book. Obviously, since then, there's probably been, how many months has gone past since you've published this book? Or since you've put down the writing pen? A year and a half. What do you wish that you put in this book that's not there? because you've obviously learned something post that. Is there anything that comes to mind that you've learned since then that you would have liked to put into the book? I can tell you honestly, nothing. Really? Yeah, it's the 5am Club book, which took me four years to write.
59:41The book after that, The Everyday Hero Manifesto, which I wrote in the pandemic, and The Wealth Money Can't Buy. There are a lot of things I would say I could make better. But those three books, I gave everything I have as a human being and a craft person and hopefully a servant leader. I just, I went all in. And by the time I got to a place, because I know you're so interested in the creative process on all three books, I got to a place where I said, and I think this is the litmus test where I said, if I now make another change, I'm going to make it worse. And I think when you get to that place, it's time to hand it into the editor.
1:00:22I guess in that moment, when you handed it in, did you go, what's my next book going to be? No, I didn't at all. No, I'm still recovering from the latest book, really. You're in rest. Yeah, it's just rest. And it's only now that I'm starting to think about another book. I was so empty. I was so spent. I was, yeah, I was just empty. And one of my friends said, you didn't just write that book. The book wrote you. And I think it's very easy to mail things in, whether you're a singer, an athlete, an entrepreneur, a parent. Biggest job you ever do. But there's a lot of parents, not judging, just reporting, go into a restaurant, they're kind of mailing it in.
1:01:06I was in a restaurant the other day, the little kid was being raised by an iPad. And so it's easy to mail things in, but when you bring it on and go full and give, whether it's a book or a screenplay, you give it your heart and soul. it doesn't really matter if the world makes it a bestseller and if people applaud you can applaud because going to the edges of your creative potential and your your your personal gifts it changes you as a person like it changes you as a person even if no one reads this latest book Oh, they have and they will. Thank you, but it's changed me as a person. And isn't that the real reward?
1:01:55It is amazing. I think when you write a book and you go through that process so much, it's also connected to your own personal growth. I feel very grateful for the show in that way. That every day I'm learning something with somebody different sitting in front of me and the wisdom that they bring, that you grasp each day something new and insightful to kind of add and share into the world. And I think that's something that's so beautiful. So if there's one piece of wisdom that you would love to leave for our listeners, I mean, you've left a lot in today's episode, what would it be? There's a Japanese word called intoku, which is the art of giving in secret.
1:02:32And my suggestion is let us all be masters of intoku. Because I think if you give a gift, whether it's a compliment or helping someone at work or a stranger on the street or mentoring one of your children, if you give it with the intention of a reward, it's not a gift, it's a trade. But to go through the rest of our lives being a silent gift giver is an amazing thing for this very messy world. But it's amazing what it does for yourself. And we could talk about oxytocin. We could talk about endorphins. We could talk about dopamine, the motivational molecule. We could talk about serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter.
1:03:18All those things are released within us when we help someone. But just being a gift giver, I think, is a great way to go through life. I think that connects to my self-worth question. I know that one of the biggest things that can increase your self-worth is actually giving back. And ironically, it can be one of the most selfish things one person can do is to help another person, because it really is one of the biggest things in science that has been shown to really help increase one's self-worth. Giving to somebody else gives you more purpose than giving to your own. and so I think that's a beautiful piece to leave people with and I don't think we give enough and to give secretly is even more beautiful so Robin you've been incredible I am in awe of all of your work your journey everything that you share the commitment that you create to writing these books to sharing your knowledge to helping people and I'm so thankful you come on this show today and yeah, it's been amazing to be in your presence.
1:04:19So thank you. And I asked this last question to all of my guests, which is Robin, what does live well, be well mean to you? I just say, be helpful, develop yourself and make your life as beautiful as possible as you journey through life. Beautiful. Presence, awareness, connection, joy. Exactly. And I just want to celebrate you for the podcast and all the people that you're helping and inspiring with such rich information. And you're a great interviewer. I've really, you know, like you've clearly prepared the questions and thought about everything. That means a lot. And I thank you for that. Thank you.
1:05:03Well, honestly, it's been a complete joy, I have to say. I've had my best friend staying with me and she was with me when I was researching this yesterday. And we ended up just going to such deep discussions about all the different points in your book. and it was one of the rarities that I have somebody around me when I'm researching. It's normally just me in my cave doing it and it was such an amazing book to have and share with someone that I love on all of these different health habits and richnesses of life that don't contain just wealth and money. So yeah, it was beautiful and it's definitely held deep in a friendship.
1:05:38So I also would say buy it for a best friend or someone that you love because it's a great gift. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
From the publisher
You think you know what’s stopping you from living a truly fulfilled, meaningful life.
You blame lack of time, not enough money, or the constant pressure to do more.
But what if the real barrier is how you define wealth and the way society has programmed you to chase success?
This week’s guest, Robin Sharma, is a globally respected leadership expert, speaker, and bestselling author of The 5AM Club and The Wealth Money Can’t Buy. His work has inspired millions worldwide, from billionaires and CEOs to athletes and creatives, to rethink success and build lives that feel truly rich.
We explore:
– Why “keeping death close” might be the secret to truly living
– The 5 daily questions that set you up for gratitude, clarity, and meaning
– How to move from chasing applause to cultivating joy, peace, and freedom
– The 8 forms of wealth that money can’t buy, and how to nurture them daily
– Why releasing resentment is essential for creativity, health, and intimacy
– Practical tools to overcome self-doubt, unworthiness, and toxic self-talk
– The importance of relationships, self-compassion, and learning to savor life
This isn't about abandoning ambition. It's about redirecting it toward what actually fulfills you. It's about building a life so rich that when you look back, you know you didn't just exist... you truly lived.
Connect with Robin Sharma:
🌐 Website: https://www.robinsharma.com/
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinsharma/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinSharmaOfficial/
🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/RobinSharma
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sharmaleadership
👉Books:
The Wealth Money Can’t Buy: The 8 Hidden Habits to Live Your Richest Life – https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Money-Cant-Buy-Habits/dp/1035035998
The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. – https://www.amazon.com/5-AM-Club-Morning-Elevate/dp/1443456624
Love,
Sarah Ann 💛
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This episode is also sponsored by London Nootropics, the best-in-class adaptogenic coffee I trust. Made with Hifas da Terra mushroom extracts, it supports focus, calm, and energy, and helps you stay sharp throughout the day.
Enjoy 20% off with code LIVEWELLBEWELL at londonnootropics.com
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If you enjoyed this episode you might also like:
Simon Sinek: The ADHD Superpower - Why It’s My Greatest Advantagehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fnTHiI8oY0
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Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:
Science Simplified, Health Humanised. Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
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Highlights:
Intro: Embracing Mortality for a Richer Life (00:00)
The Lie We’ve Been Told About Success (06:54)
Why Saying “Yes” Could Change Your Life (15:55)
Breaking Free from Rejection & Resentment (20:56)
How Sadness Unlocks Joy: The 4 Interior Empires (23:32)
Why We Never Feel Good Enough (27:58)
Rewiring Negative Self-Talk: Why Mantras Actually Work (35:32)
Love, Loneliness & Learning to Be With Yourself (42:06)
Why You Need to “Go Ghost” to Create Your Best Work (49:01)
The Secret Power of Giving Without Recognition (57:33)
What Living Well Means to Robin Sharma (59:40)
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