Jessica Slice spent years working towards the day when she might actually like herself. If she just tried a little harder, achieved a little more, ate a little healthier, she thought she could earn her own self-respect. But after experiencing a sudden health crisis, Jessica was forced to put all that work on indefinite pause, and to remake her relationship with herself. On today’s show: who we can become when we let go of society’s standards of goodness.

If you’re interested in learning more about the books that shaped Jessica’s thinking on difference, disability and mental health, check out the list below:

• “The Minority Body: A Theory of Disability” by Elizabeth Barnes
• “Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure” by Eli Clare
• “Exile and Pride” by Eli Clare
• “Feminist, Queer, Crip” by Alison Kafer
• “The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability” by Nancy Eiesland
• “Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick”  Maya Dusenbery

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A few weeks ago, Maya joined former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for a deeply reflective, intimate conversation in front of a live audience in San Francisco. The event was hosted by City Arts & Lectures, which hosts longform conversations with everyone from Bruce Springsteen, to Yuval Noah Harari —— onstage, and on their podcast. 

For more on City Arts & Lectures in person programming, visit www.cityarts.net.

For more episodes of the City Arts & Lectures podcast, visit www.cityarts.net/audio.

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These days, psychiatrist Judith Joseph knows joy. It’s the feeling she has after eating a delicious meal, celebrating the completion of a successful study in her lab, or watching her children play happily together. But just a few years ago, things looked different. Or rather, felt different. On the outside, everything looked as it should, and that was the problem. On today’s episode: the masks we wear to hide how we feel inside.

If you or someone you love is struggling with depression, help is available. Call 1-800-950-6264 for free, confidential support and resources. More information available at nami.org.

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Sahil Bloom spent years working in the financial industry, putting in long hours and cashing big paychecks. But even though he’d found career success, he started to question whether the life he was building was actually what he wanted. On today’s show: hitting pause on the rat race and defining success on your own terms.

 

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Tommy Caldwell’s experience being held captive in Kyrgyzstan unlocks a new state of mind that propels him to become the greatest big wall climber of all time.

This conversation first aired in 2021. It is a companion episode to the one we ran last week about Beth Rodden’s experience of the same trip: “A Climber Loses Her Grip.” Same “Slight Change of Plans”, but wildly different reactions. 

You can check out Tommy’s memoir here, and Beth’s memoir here.

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As a professional rock climber, Beth Rodden was taught to see pain as weakness. Fear and discomfort—mental and physical—were just things to be tolerated along the path to one record-breaking climbing feat after another. But when Beth was kidnapped on a climbing expedition in Kyrgyzstan, she had to confront the limits of that approach. On today's show: when the mindset that built you, starts to break you.

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Get early, ad-free access to episodes of A Slight Change of Plans by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

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What can we do to cultivate more resilience at work? Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of The Unshakeables podcast, thinks about this question a lot. In today’s mini episode, Ben joins Maya to talk about the unique challenges faced by America’s small business owners—and the insights he shares can help anyone who wants to improve their well-being at work.

This episode was made in partnership with Chase for Business. Listen to Ben’s podcast, The Unshakeables, here. 

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For as long as writer Glennon Doyle can remember, she’s felt that something inside her was broken. 'Who am I really? What am I meant to do? And why does it feel so bad to be in this body?' These are the messy questions that Glennon has been grappling with for years. On today’s episode, Glennon, who hosts the wildly popular podcast We Can Do Hard Things, details her perpetual search for belonging, and shares the wisdom she's gained along the way.

Glennon’s new book, also called We Can Do Hard Things, is out now. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, visit the National Eating Disorders Association for support, resources, and treatment options: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/

Pre-order Maya's new book, The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans at changewithmaya.com/book.

Sign up for Maya's free newsletter here: changewithmaya.com.

Get early, ad-free access to episodes of A Slight Change of Plans by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

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If you've ever found yourself bending over backwards to meet other people’s expectations, or trying to control your loved ones’ emotions and behaviors, you are not alone. Bestselling author and podcast host Mel Robbins says the key is to stop micromanaging and start relaxing your grip. This conversation was an unexpected lesson in owning what’s yours and finding peace in ceding the rest.

Pre-order The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans at changewithmaya.com/book.

Sign up for my free newsletter here: changewithmaya.com

Get early, ad-free access to episodes of A Slight Change of Plans by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

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 I’ve been dying to share this news with you for quite some time, and I'm so happy that today I finally can. Pre-order “The Other Side of Change” now at changewithmaya.com/book.

Read more about my journey to writing “The Other Side of Change” in People: https://people.com/maya-shankar-the-other-side-of-change-cover-reveal-exclusive-11716505

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