In this episode, we look under the hood of incentives—the seen and unseen forces that quietly steer our choices. We explore explicit rewards (bonuses, treats, “if I do X I get Y”) and the subtler, socially programmed incentives that keep us car-brained, over-consuming, lonely, and stuck on the individualist treadmill. We talk car culture and walkability, the myth of “more personal freedom = better,” lawnmowers and shared resources, consumerism as “the perfection of slavery,” and how all of this fuels burnout, anxiety, and environmental collapse. Then we bring it back to the personal: how to notice the urges that move you, align your incentives with your real values, and use tiny, intentional “self-tricks” to choose connection, community, and a life that’s good for both the bee and the hive.

Resources mentioned:

Consumerism is the Perfection of Slavery, YouTube lecture by Professor Jiang Xueqin

The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist

Atomic Habits by James Clear

In this episode, we unpack the slippery power of expectations—how they can motivate, manipulate, cheer or demotivate. We tease apart expectations vs. ambitions vs. intentions, explore why unspoken expectations are The Worst, and offer body-based ways to feel the difference between attachment and optimism. From rock-climbing mantras (“climb hard and have fun”) to million-dollar-goal thought experiments, we keep circling one powerful truth: presence, agency, and clear standards beat future-tense attachment every time.

And we leave you with an invitation to explore your relationship to expectations for yourself. For the next two weeks:

1. Notice when an expectation appears.

2. Name it out loud or on paper and get curious about it. Is it spoken? Is it yours?

3. Reframe it to an intention (present, controllable) or an ambition (energizing, values-aligned).

4. Check in with your body: Ask “What does this feel like?” Get to know your body's ways of communicating yes and no.

5. Journal briefly each day to spot patterns and wins.

What if discomfort isn’t something to avoid—but an invitation into expansion, aliveness, and self-trust?

In this episode, Rosa and Aaron dive into the strange, surprising terrain of discomfort—anticipation, dread, exhilaration, growth—and what it means to meet it with curiosity instead of resistance. From skydiving and long flights to creative risks and self-talk, we explore why everything you want really is on the other side of some new form of discomfort—and how to cross that threshold with celebration rather than self-punishment.

You’ll hear:

• Why anticipated discomfort is usually worse than the real thing

• How novel discomfort (not familiar pain) is where growth actually happens

• How to reframe dread as excitement and discomfort as aliveness

• Why “experiments” and “mistakes” are the true markers of expansion

• The danger of proficiency fatalism (and how to start anyway)

• Practices for befriending discomfort: movement, reframing, self-encouragement, and awe

We're here to remind you that discomfort doesn’t stand in your way—it just happens to be in front of you.