Layoffs don’t just take our jobs. They can scramble our judgment. Here’s how to get both back.

An entrepreneur on my podcast told me this story:

“When I went bankrupt, I begged a friend, who had built a unicorn, for a meeting. He gave me 30 minutes. But the moment we sat down, I could tell he wanted to leave.

Six months later, after I’d worked on myself, I went back with clarity and energy. This time, he introduced me to people and offered support.

What I learned was simple: if you go to people with negative, desperate energy, you pull them down. But if you show up with direction and passion, they go out of their way to help.”

That’s the Busy Bee trap.

When layoffs hit, many of us cope by throwing ourselves into endless activity - networking calls, resume blasts, constant LinkedIn posts.

It feels like progress.
But it’s often just frantic energy that pushes people away.

Because action is not the same as movement.

• Action is visible busyness. Running hard, but often in circles.
• Movement starts inside. Small, invisible shifts - restoring our headspace, processing what happened, finding clarity.

That inner shift moves us forward far more than 100 frantic actions.
Because once our headspace shifts, our actions carry real power.

The real challenge during a layoff: managing our headspace while clarifying what we want.

When we do this systematically, we give ourselves the best chance to succeed.

We dive deeper into this in today's episode.

Shownotes
https://howtolive.life/episode/101-bouncing-back-after-layoff-with-Sharad-Lal

For Folks Affected by Restructuring
4 Week Career Transition Program.
https://www.sharadlal.net/thrivethroughtransition

How to Live Newsletter
Go deeper with articles every 2-3 weeks. No spam.
https://sharadlal.substack.com/

Leave us a message
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About Sharad Lal
https://www.sharadlal.net/

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Episode 100: What started as a passion project has turned into a full career pivot!

Four years ago, I hit record on the first episode of my podcast.
I had no big plans. Just one question I couldn’t stop thinking about:
How do we live a good life?

So I started How to Live.
Shared what I’d learned.
Stayed curious.
Kept listening.

Then something magical happened.
I got a message from my old BCG boss, Dean Tong.
We hadn’t spoken in 15 years.

He’d stumbled upon the podcast. We met.
Talked about Stoicism, Buddhism, and Purpose.
Then he invited me to speak at UOB Bank, where he was the Chief HR Officer.

I was nervous. It was a corporate setting.
I had a meditation exercise planned. Would it land?

Dean said:
“Don’t worry. I’ll take the risk. Just do your best.”

That support changed everything.

The talk worked.
It led to more sessions. More companies.
And one day I realised - this wasn’t a side project anymore.
It was a new path.

Keynotes. Workshops. Leadership Programs.
Helping leaders reconnect with purpose, reach their next peak, and navigate uncertainty with resilience.

It felt meaningful.
And it could pay the bills.

So I took the leap.
Sold my digital agency. Went all in.

Today, I’ve led over 75 workshops across four continents with companies like Google, Unilever, HSBC, and Mastercard.
And I’ve seen how powerful ancient wisdom can be in modern leadership.

The podcast has grown beyond my wildest dreams too. Ranked in the top 3% globally and listened to in 150 countries.

The lesson?

When you do what you love with honesty and passion, it’s infectious.
People are watching. People are listening, even if they never like or comment.
(Dean didn’t either.)
But sometimes, just one of them can change the trajectory of your entire life.

🎧 In today’s milestone episode, I share the five biggest lessons from this incredible journey.

Here’s to the next 100.

Shownotes
https://howtolive.life/episode/100-five-lessons-from-100-episodes-with-Sharad-Lal

For Folks Affected by Restructuring
4 Week Career Transition Program.
https://www.sharadlal.net/thrivethroughtransition

How to Live Newsletter
Go deeper with articles every 2-3 weeks. No spam.
https://sharadlal.substack.com/

Leave us a message
https://howtolive.life/contact

About Sharad Lal
https://www.sharadlal.net/

Follow us
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharadlal24/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PodcastHowtolive/
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"How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want?"

Many of us find ourselves trapped in patterns we claim to hate - overworking while craving balance, tolerating bad bosses, accepting toxic work cultures.

This question cuts right to the heart of it. It's not about blame. It's about awareness. The word complicit cuts deeper than responsible, because it asks us to look inward, without self-attack.

This question comes from Jerry Colonna - former JP Morgan partner, co-founder of a top-tier VC firm with Fred Wilson, now known as the CEO Whisperer. He coaches Founders and CEOs at Etsy, SoundCloud, and Fortune 500 companies.

I've wanted this conversation for years, ever since hearing him on the Tim Ferriss podcast. When he agreed to come on How to Live, I honestly couldn’t believe it.

In our conversation, Jerry opens up about his journey from massive Wall Street success to a near-suicidal moment on a subway platform, and how radical self-inquiry saved his life.

We dive deep into self-growth, leadership, practical journaling techniques, managing the voices in your head, and why the most successful people often create their own suffering without realizing it.

If you're exploring the next frontier of growth, it might not be outside.

It might be within.

This conversation will help you start the work.

Shownotes

https://howtolive.life/episode/099-wisdom-from-the-CEO-whisperer-with-jerry-colonna

For Folks Affected by Restructuring
4 Week Career Transition Program.
https://www.sharadlal.net/thrivethroughtransition

How to Live Newsletter
Go deeper with articles every 2-3 weeks. No spam.
https://sharadlal.substack.com/

Leave us a message
https://howtolive.life/contact

About Sharad Lal
https://www.sharadlal.net/

Follow us
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharadlal24/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PodcastHowtolive/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcasthowtolive/