The Better Questions

"We have our most profound healing relationally and we are most profoundly triggered relationally — trauma both needs to be spoken and feels impossible to speak."

Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald is a trauma researcher and author of Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong, which you can preorder now.

After spending over a decade researching and lecturing on grief and resilience, MC now helps her coaching clients alchemize their trauma responses into new tools of strength.

We examine questions like:

- What is the actual definition of trauma?

- Where do trauma responses show up in our daily interactions?

- How does trauma get stored and backed up in the body?

What stood out to you in this episode? Tag @thebetterquestions and @mc.phd to share your thoughts! To receive all the behind-the-scenes thoughts and questions from this episode, sign up for my newsletter at TheBetterQuestions.com.

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

"Every book you see on the shelf is the product of a writer saying, 'That's good enough.'"

Without any formal training, Marguerite Imbert became a chef, a writer for The Michelin Guide and author of the Amazon bestseller, Not A Cookbook. She teaches recurring writing workshops that focus on therapeutic writing and how to become your own project manager.

Together we answer listener questions about overcoming psychological roadblocks involved in creating and sharing your work, including:

- What does a creative life look like as a sober individual?

- How can you overcome insecurities about not being qualified enough?

- When should you keep your work private versus making it public?

- How should you interact with the criticism others have about your work and life choices?

Do you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on the show? Submit yours here for an answer you can apply immediately.

What stood out to you in this episode? Tag @thebetterquestions or @margueritevimbert and share your thoughts!

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

"What we typically think of as thoughts are actually answers to the questions we ask ourselves."

Dr. Marilee Adams is the author of "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life" and founder of the Inquiry Institute, which teaches participants how to create the futures they want using resources like the Choice Map.

What stood out to you in this episode? Tag @thebetterquestions and share your thoughts!

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

"Making a decision can be way more important than the result of the decision."

Benjamin Russack is a marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and host of the podcast "Look, Just Tell Me What To Do."

We begin with an honest examination of what it's actually like to be a therapist, then shift into discussing listener questions, including:

- How can I make decisions without regretting them later?

- What does it mean to be secure person?

- Is manifestation actually possible?

Do you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on the show? Submit yours here for an answer you can apply immediately.

What stood out to you in this episode? Tag @thebetterquestions or @benjaminrussack and share your thoughts!

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

"Where is your life on auto-pilot? A lot of times auto-pilot is protecting us from looking at the things we need to change."

Jess Janz is a writer and artist who calls herself a gatherer of words and questions.

In Part Two of our conversation, we look at why naming what you want can feel uncomfortable, how to stop intellectualizing feelings, and how to overcome a resistance to change.

Make sure you don't miss Part One of my conversation with Jess (How To Become A Full-Time Creative) by skipping back one episode.

What stood out to you in this episode? Tag @thebetterquestions or @jessjanz and share your thoughts!

Do you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on the show? Submit yours here for an answer you can apply immediately.

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

"The times that I feel not creative are usually because I am away from myself, or because I'm avoiding speaking or admitting the truth to myself."

Jess Janz is a writer and artist who calls herself a gatherer of words and questions.

In Part One of our conversation, we examine the intersection between creativity and finances, and how monetizing your art can help or hurt your creativity.

We also discuss when to share what you've created publicly (versus keep it to yourself), the difference between sharing with strangers versus people you know, and how to cultivate an environment that promotes a daily creative practice.

Make sure you don't miss Part Two of my conversation with Jess (How To Stop Resisting Change) by skipping ahead one episode.

What stood out to you in this episode? Tag @thebetterquestions or @jessjanz and share your thoughts!

Do you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on the show? Submit yours here for an answer you can apply immediately.

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

"Ambivalence is more dangerous and worse for your health and relationships than toxicity. The research is very clear on this — it takes so much more energy to be in ambivalent relationships."

Vanessa Van Edwards is the author of the bestselling book Captivate, which has been translated into 17 languages and examines how people tick by decoding their body language and behavior patterns. Her new book Cues studies what makes a person charismatic.

Vanessa is also the founder of Science of People, a human behavior research lab that studies the way people operate. The findings from her research are published on the lab's YouTube channel, which has received over 50 million views.

We discuss:

• The number one question you should ask to gauge the health of your relationships
• Vanessa's personal cure for people-pleasing
• How to improve your voice and delivery skills
• What question never to ask when sending emails

What stood out to you in this episode? Tag @thebetterquestions or @vvanedwards and share your thoughts!

Do you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on the show? Submit yours here for an answer you can apply immediately.

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

"Ideas themselves are an act of artistic expression — you don't have to follow through on all of them."

Laura Maya is the author of Tell Them My Name, a travel memoir that questions the stressors of "normal" life by viewing different cultures through new eyes.

A self-described "multipotentialite," Laura has rejected the idea that you need one passion or purpose to define you, and has instead built a life by combining multiple careers, countries, cultures and creative pursuits.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• Why Laura has gotten married 42 times
• What traveling reveals about your relationship
• The stark realities of a nomadic lifestyle
• Practical tips for applying daily minimalism
• How to write your first book (the right way and the wrong way)
• Why money is connected to your past, present and future self

What stood out to you in this episode? Tag @thebetterquestions and share your thoughts, or email [email protected] — I'd love to hear from you!

Do you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on the show? Submit yours here for an answer you can apply immediately.

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

"Look around: all of your clutter used to be money; all of your money used to be time."

Money is one of those topics (like health) that affects each of us, whether or not we're interested. However, it can be a particularly loaded topic due to all the emotions attached to our financial stories, so uncovering our ingrained beliefs around money can be both enlightening and overwhelming:

• "I can either do what I love, or make money."
• "I have to work really hard to make money."
• "Money is the root of all evil."
• "I have no control over whether I become wealthy."
• "Money doesn't buy happiness."

Do any of these beliefs resonate?

On today's episode, we examine the most common psychological patterns around money with guest Paula Pant, creator of the podcast Afford Anything, which has received over 20 million downloads and is one of Apple's top business podcasts. She is a sought-out expert in the financial independence space, or the FIRE community, an acronym that stands for Financial Independence Retire Early.

By the age of 34, Paula reached financial independence by owning eight investment properties. Her story is incredible regardless, but even more so because of her background — Paula was raised in an immigrant family, where she was given traditional financial advice that often focused on extreme frugality. We discuss:

• How to determine what matters most to you
• How to make peace with your decisions
• What it means to become financially independent
• Why consumerism and a scarcity mindset are inextricably linked
• How frugality can be linked to a lack of confidence
• The benefits of tracking your expenses

I'm particularly excited about today's conversation because for the past several years, my business has helped employees and freelancers organize their finances and reexamine their relationship with money. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.

I'd absolutely love to hear what stuck out to you in this episode — share your favorite takeaways or questions by tagging @thebetterquestions and @paulapant!

Do you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on the show? Submit yours here, or on Instagram — I'll always send you a message when your question is featured.

If you find these episodes valuable, leave a review on Apple or Spotify — this helps more people discover the show!

Would you like all the best quotes from each episode, plus a few extra? Sign up at TheBetterQuestions.com to receive the monthly curation. You can also respond directly to these emails any time, I'd love to get to know you better!

I like to think of this podcast as a place for critical thinkers and deep feelers — Jackie Endres is the definition of both.

In today's episode, Jackie joins me in the studio to examine an array of questions submitted by listeners, including:

How much does your nature/nurture experience limit your capacity to change? (3:12 min) How can I stop caring about what other people think? (16:12 min) Should you stay in a relationship after infidelity has occurred? (26:03 min) How can I stop second-guessing myself? (35:18 min) What is more effective: prevention or cure? (42:24 min)

Do you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on the show? Submit yours here, or on Instagram — I'll send you a message when your question is featured.

If you're enjoying these conversations, leave a review and share this episode with someone who you think would enjoy listening!

To receive all the best quotes from each episode, sign up for a monthly email at TheBetterQuestions.com.

This podcast is sponsored by CreativeMoneyCoaching.com. Book your free call here and never worry about money again.