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The people everyone trusts
are often the ones burning out the fastest.

In episode 121 of The Grateful Podcast, Jack sits down with Leah Marone, psychotherapist, TEDx speaker, and author of The Serial Fixer, to explore why the most caring and emotionally intelligent people often feel the most drained, overwhelmed, and unseen.

Leah breaks down how “helping” can quietly turn into control, why stepping back feels wrong even when it’s healthy, and how serial fixing is often driven by fear, identity, and the need for validation. Together, they unpack people-pleasing, burnout, internal vs external fixing, parenting dynamics, leadership mistakes, and the importance of learning how to support without solving.

This conversation is for anyone who:
•Feels responsible for other people’s emotions
•Jumps in too quickly to fix problems
•Struggles with burnout despite good intentions
•Wants healthier, more sustainable relationships

This isn’t about becoming less compassionate.
It’s about learning how to care without losing yourself.

Timestamps:
00:00 The personality everyone trusts
01:06 Why high empathy leads to exhaustion
02:57 What serial fixing really is
05:04 Helping vs ego
06:52 Compassion disguised as control
08:52 People pleasing and validation
10:51 Support vs solving
12:18 How to hold space properly
13:49 Why “tell me more” changes everything
17:51 Internal serial fixing
19:42 Soothing the inner critic
22:25 Talking to yourself productively
24:43 Why calm feels uncomfortable
27:12 Gratitude vs problem scanning
29:58 Productivity obsession and burnout
33:22 Anxiety, presence, and burnout
34:16 Leadership mistakes that exhaust teams
36:44 When fixing backfires
38:22 Parenting without control
40:21 Awareness as the first step
44:04 How serial fixers can start today
45:51 Where to find Leah and her work
46:55 Gratitude and closing reflections

Connect with Leah:

Website: https://www.leahmarone.com/
Buy the Serial Fixer: https://www.serial-fixer.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahmaronelcsw/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahmaronelcsw/

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

Send us a text

The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner
Episode 120

Every piece of self-improvement content you consume promises results.
Money. Health. Relationships.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: most of it is keeping you stuck.

In this solo episode of The Grateful Podcast, Jack breaks down a pattern he’s noticed after interviewing 100+ high performers — the most successful people aren’t winning because of better strategies. They’re winning because of their mindset.

Jack explains why strategy-first content dominates social media, why endless learning creates confusion instead of clarity, and how consuming advice from too many sources can quietly sabotage your progress. He shares lessons from Bob Proctor, David Meltzer, Grant Cardone, and his own experience building this podcast — including the pressure, impatience, comparison, and gratitude that come with it.

This episode isn’t about learning more.
It’s about applying less — intentionally.

If you feel motivated but scattered, inspired but stuck, or addicted to self-improvement without real change, this episode is your reset.

Chapters:
00:00 The Core Motivations Behind Self-Improvement
01:59 The Importance of Mindset in Achieving Success
05:21 Applying Knowledge vs. Accumulating It
12:53 The Role of Gratitude in Personal Growth
16:13 Cherishing Family and Staying Grateful

► Get my gratitude protocol (From Burnt Out to Grateful – $10)
Transform your identity, energy, and purpose using the exact practices that rebuilt my life: 
https://jackwagoner.gumroad.com/l/burnt-out-to-grateful

► WAGONER20 for 20% off Magic Mind Mental Performance shots and 48% off subscriptions ⬇
https://www.magicmind.com/WAGONER20


📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

Send us a text

The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner
Episode 119
Guesting Taz Higgs

Most people never stop to ask what they actually want.
They chase what they were told to want.

In this episode of The Grateful Podcast, Jack sits down with Taz Higgs, an 18-year-old entrepreneur and sales mentor, to unpack how inherited beliefs from school, family, and society quietly shape our decisions — and why so many ambitious people feel lost even when they’re “doing everything right.”

Taz breaks down the law of exposure, why learning from people who haven’t lived the life you want is dangerous, and how a single shift in perspective can collapse years of confusion. They explore authenticity vs people-pleasing, wanting vs needing, sales as a mirror of identity, and why most people don’t actually know who they are.

This isn’t motivation.
It’s deconditioning.

If you’ve ever felt driven but disconnected, successful but misaligned, or unsure whether the life you’re chasing is actually yours — this conversation will challenge you in the best way possible.

00:00 Welcome & breaking inherited rules
00:41 “I knew school was cooked”
02:33 Learning from people who’ve never done it
04:19 When exposure changes everything
05:45 You can’t unsee a new perspective
07:08 Why entrepreneurship feels risky
10:28 Pick your hard
11:42 Why Taz chose business
13:27 Wanting vs truly wanting
14:59 The filter we see goals through
16:55 Authenticity vs posing
18:20 What we actually want at the core
20:21 Conformity of wants
22:36 Authenticity as the highest state
24:11 Identity masks & protection
26:14 Sales, people-pleasing, and truth
29:27 Gratitude & internal alignment
30:38 Where identity patterns come from
32:52 Asking better questions
34:20 Learning from people with results
35:19 Why investing in yourself works
37:53 Parents, resistance, and proof
40:45 Safety vs freedom
41:13 What Taz actually wants
43:01 Final reflections

► Get my gratitude protocol (From Burnt Out to Grateful – $10)
Transform your identity, energy, and purpose using the exact practices that rebuilt my life: 
https://jackwagoner.gumroad.com/l/burnt-out-to-grateful

► WAGONER20 for 20% off Magic Mind Mental Performance shots and 48% off subscriptions ⬇
https://www.magicmind.com/WAGONER20

► Connect with Taz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tazhiggs/

📺 Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-podcast-with-jack-wagoner/id1725776061
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5EsTEpQAjU4BxUrDoFyZ6b

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

Send us a text

Most people don’t fail because they lack discipline.

They fail because they ignore themselves.

In this episode of The Grateful Podcast, Jack sits down with Paige Goldstein, founder of The Ripple Effect, to explore why intuition often speaks before logic—and what happens when you finally listen.

Paige shares the moment a somatic breathwork session in Cape Town made it undeniable that it was time to leave her dream corporate job, even though she had no clear plan for what was next. Together, they unpack why slowing down creates clarity, how fear acts as a compass rather than a stop sign, and why so many ambitious people feel lost despite “doing everything right.”

This conversation goes far beyond career advice. It’s about identity, authenticity, gratitude, and the cost of living out of alignment—especially in a world obsessed with optimization, formulas, and external validation.

If you’ve ever felt driven but restless, successful but disconnected, or called to something deeper you can’t yet explain, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why intuition speaks before logic
• How stillness reveals what busyness hides
• Fear as a compass, not a warning
• The hidden reason ambitious people feel empty
• Authenticity vs formulas in content creation
• Why LinkedIn is uniquely powerful for soul-led creators
• The danger of outsourcing your voice to AI
• Gratitude as identity, not just appreciation
• Creating success that feels easeful, not forced

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & aligned missions

01:28 – The breathwork moment that changed everything

05:04 – Slowing down vs taking action

06:28 – Fear as a compass

08:00 – Social fear & belonging

10:17 – Reprogramming the subconscious

13:25 – Authenticity and The Ripple Effect

15:58 – Why LinkedIn is the hardest—and best—platform

17:19 – Inner work vs outer work

18:39 – Throat chakra & truthful expression

22:06 – AI, content, and losing the soul

24:46 – Why people crave feeling over information

26:04 – Finding your unique voice

27:53 – Art vs formulas

30:18 – 1,000 true fans & sustainability

33:58 – Purpose vs chasing outcomes

35:16 – Early signs of alignment

37:46 – Gratitude as transformation

40:29 – Why LinkedIn is different

43:25 – Energy > optimization

46:06 – Choosing the right creation medium

49:23 – Gratitude + ambition

52:49 – Final reflections

► Get my gratitude protocol (From Burnt Out to Grateful – $10)
Transform your identity, energy, and purpose using the exact practices that rebuilt my life: 
https://jackwagoner.gumroad.com/l/burnt-out-to-grateful

► WAGONER20 for 20% off Magic Mind Mental Performance shots and 48% off subscriptions ⬇
https://www.magicmind.com/WAGONER20

► Connect with Paige
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paigegoldstein

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful,

Support the show

Send us a text

In this episode of The Grateful Podcast, I sit down with William Miller, the youngest guest in the show’s history. William has been speaking publicly since age 8, challenging adults, inspiring kids, and reminding us what bravery actually looks like.

We talk about:

• Why age doesn’t determine value
• Why teachers telling kids to “dream smaller” is dangerous
• How bravery is built, not born
• Why giving matters more than chasing success
• And what happens when a kid never stops believing in himself

This conversation isn’t just inspiring.

It’s a mirror.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Age Perception
04:43 The Importance of Bravery
07:45 Building Strong Relationships
10:51 Learning from Mentors
15:00 Dreaming Big
17:50 The Power of Unlearning
21:05 Habits and Personal Growth
23:47 Using Gifts to Help Others
27:48 Fictional Heroes and Inspiration
30:44 Overcoming Challenges and Nerves
33:48 The Role of Gratitude
36:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

► Get my gratitude protocol (From Burnt Out to Grateful – $10)
Transform your identity, energy, and purpose using the exact practices that rebuilt my life: 
https://jackwagoner.gumroad.com/l/burnt-out-to-grateful

► WAGONER20 for 20% off Magic Mind Mental Performance shots and 48% off subscriptions ⬇
https://www.magicmind.com/WAGONER20

► Connect with William
Website: https://www.itswilliammiller.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williammillerspeaker/

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

Send us a text

WAGONER20 for 20% off Magic Mind Mental Performance shots and 48% off subscriptions ⬇

https://www.magicmind.com/WAGONER20

Is your ambition actually hurting you? In this episode of The Grateful Podcast, Jack Wagoner breaks down the dangerous difference between being lazy and being fragmented.

Most ambitious people aren't lazy—they are simply putting their energy into too many places at once. If you feel like you're working 24/7 but seeing zero results, you are suffering from fragmentation. Learn why "pressurized water" is the ultimate analogy for success, how the "metabolic tax" of multitasking destroys your brain, and why doing less might actually be the key to achieving more.

🚀 SPONSOR: This episode is brought to you by Magic Mind, the world's first productivity shot. Stop the fragmentation and get into flow. 

Timestamps: 
0:00 - Laziness vs. Fragmentation: The shocking truth 
1:19 - Why I’d rather be LAZY than distracted 
2:20 - The "School System" trap (Ambition with no results) 
4:00 - The wealthy have Time AND Money 
5:40 - The Pressurized Water Theory (How to focus energy) 
6:25 - The physical pain of losing focus (Metabolic Tax) 
7:00 - My 15-day experiment with Magic Mind 
8:39 - Final thoughts & Gratitude

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

📺 Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-podcast-with-jack-wagoner/id1725776061
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5EsTEpQAjU4BxUrDoFyZ6b

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

Send us a text

Dan Millman joins The Grateful Podcast to reveal the deeper truths behind The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. At 18, I’m the same age Dan was when his real journey with “Socrates” began—and this conversation bridges that gap in a way I’ve never heard before.

We dive into why you can’t control your feelings, why your actions shape your life far more than your thoughts, why young people feel so lost, the real meaning of presence, how to handle stress, and why “effort over time” is the most important spiritual practice there is.

Dan also shares his 4-minute daily meditation that has changed thousands of lives, the myth of motivation, what flow state really is, and how gratitude becomes powerful only when it shifts from emotion to behavior.  

If you’ve ever felt burned out, scattered, or stuck in your own head, this episode will reconnect you with the peace and clarity you’ve been looking for.
clarity you’ve been looking for.

Timestamps:
00:00 The Journey of Self-Discovery
13:26 Responsibility for Feelings vs. Actions
25:14 The Impact of Personal Growth on Others
30:54 Navigating Life's Journey
35:17 The Importance of Purpose
36:38 Living in the Present Moment
41:31 Understanding Flow State
47:23 Managing Stress Effectively
51:40 Evolution of Perspectives
55:22 The Power of Gratitude
57:17 Introduction to Gratitude and Humanity
57:46 The Importance of Human Connection and Authenticity

► Get my gratitude protocol (From Burnt Out to Grateful – $10)
Transform your identity, energy, and purpose using the exact practices that rebuilt my life: 
https://jackwagoner.gumroad.com/l/burnt-out-to-grateful

► WAGONER20 for 20% off Magic Mind Mental Performance shots and 48% off subscriptions ⬇
https://www.magicmind.com/WAGONER20

► Connect with Dan Millman
Website: https://www.peacefulwarrior.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danmillmanpw/
The Way of The Peaceful Warrior: https://www.amazon.com/Way-Peaceful-Warrior-Changes-Lives/dp/1932073205

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

Send us a text

This solo episode is the most important thing I’ve ever recorded.

Most people think gratitude is just writing three things down in a notebook… but that’s level one. And if you stop there, you never unlock the energy, identity, and direction you’re actually searching for.

In this episode, I break down the five levels of gratitude that rebuilt my life — from material gratitude, to emotional gratitude, to identity-based gratitude, all the way up to future gratitude (the same technique used by elite performers, neuroscientists, and world-class creators).

If you’ve been feeling unmotivated, lost, burned out, or stuck in loops of comparison… this episode will show you exactly why — and how to fix it at the identity level.

And if you want to go even deeper, I just released my first ebook: From Burnt Out to Grateful, a 25-page, step-by-step version of this exact protocol.

Get it here → https://jackwagoner.gumroad.com/l/burnt-out-to-grateful/o43xuwn

Use this link in the description for 10% off.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why basic gratitude stops working after a month

• The fastest way to shift your emotional state in under 60 seconds

• How to rewire your identity using gratitude for actions

• How to build discipline without forcing it

• Why identity traits like “persistence” or “discipline” are the real leverage points

• How to use future gratitude to create clarity and direction

• The neuroscience behind gratitude + locus of control

• How this simple protocol snapped me out of burnout at 18

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

#TheGratefulPodcast #JackWagoner #SelfImprovement #Motivation #PersonalGrowth #Gratitude #Ambition #Focus #Mindset #Greatness #GoAllIn #Discipline #Purpose #LifeAdvice #Entrepreneurship

Support the show

Send us a text

What if the reason you’re not great isn’t because you’re lazy — but because you’re too divided?

In this solo episode of The Grateful Podcast, Jack Wagoner reveals the most dangerous advice almost everyone follows without realizing it — the myth of “balance.” At 18 years old, Jack has built a global podcast, a clothing brand, and a philosophy around the duality of gratitude and ambition. But in this episode, he shares the truth he’s learned: you can’t master anything until you’re willing to go all in.

If you’ve ever felt pulled in ten directions, unsure where to focus, or scared to commit to one path — this conversation will change the way you see greatness forever.

You’ll learn:

• Why “balance” can secretly destroy your potential

• How spreading your energy keeps you average

• The mindset shift that separates good from great

• Why belief and gratitude make success inevitable

• How to break your attachment to comfort and go all in

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

#TheGratefulPodcast #JackWagoner #SelfImprovement #Motivation #PersonalGrowth #Gratitude #Ambition #Focus #Mindset #Greatness #GoAllIn #Discipline #Purpose #LifeAdvice #Entrepreneurship #SuccessMindset #PsychologyOfSuccess #BecomingGreat #MotivationalPodcast

Support the show

Send us a text

What background or upbringing is more likely to cultivate greatness:
Adversity or support?

The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner episode 112, guesting Alan Lazaros

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

After losing his father in a car accident, Alan Lazaros re-engineered his life with 11 years of relentless discipline and gratitude. In this episode of The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner, Alan shares how adversity became his competitive advantage and why comfort kills growth.

We talk about how grit beats privilege, how to turn trauma into self-belief, and why gratitude isn’t weakness — it’s power.
By the end, you’ll understand why your hardest moments create your edge.

 If you’ve ever felt behind but refused to stay there, this one’s for you.

Key Takeaways
1.Adversity builds skills that comfort never teaches.
Struggle forces focus, resilience, and self-belief that become unfair advantages later.
2.Gratitude multiplies ambition.
Without gratitude, drive turns into desperation; with it, ambition feels alive again.
3.Proof before belief.
Alan’s “State, Prove, Self-Assign” process shows that confidence is earned by repetition, not affirmation.
4.Awareness is the real data advantage.
Success depends on how accurately you see yourself, others, and the world.
5.Your past doesn’t define you — your response does.
If the future you envision is brighter than the past you remember, you create hope and momentum.

⸻

⏱ Timestamps
00:00  The car accident that changed everything — Alan Lazaros origin story
01:30  Why gratitude became his daily discipline after tragedy
03:45  Jack on using pain as fuel instead of excuses
04:40  The Victim → Villain → Hero → Guide framework explained for self-belief
08:15  Why most people stay stuck in comfort and coast mode
10:45  How adversity creates grit and competitive advantage
12:40  “State, Prove, Self-Assign” — the formula for confidence
17:00  How to focus when you want to do everything
20:10  The Tesla metaphor for self-awareness and blind spots
25:00  Why accurate self-image determines success
27:40  Thinking as a survival tool — the neuroscience of resilience
32:00  Balancing theory and practice for long-term growth
34:15  Why ambition without gratitude leads to burnout
36:30  Hope math: Future greater than Past equals Fulfillment
38:20  Closing lesson — Being poor made me rich

⸻

Find Alan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/?hl=en-gb
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/
Website: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/about/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBo--QvPHbGOrO13C0Xyybg

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show