The Enneagram: A Path to Discovering Who You Really Are
Bea Chestnut is a psychotherapist, consultant and globally-recognized expert on the enneagram, a personality typing system based on ancient spiritual traditions. For the past 27 years, Bea has studied, written about and taught the enneagram in both therapeutic and business settings. She uses it as a map for guiding her clients towards a deeper understanding of themselves and others.
On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, we are bringing back one of our favorites: Leah and Bea’s deep dive into the enneagram – what it is, where it comes from and how it can be used to raise your level of awareness. Bea describes each of the nine enneagram types, including each type’s growth path for reaching a higher level of consciousness. She also shares how she discovered the enneagram and explains why she thinks it’s one of the most powerful personal development tools in the world.
If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: The Enneagram at Work: Leveling Up Your Leadership Skills.
For more on the enneagram, check out Bea’s book The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up: Find Your Path, Face Your Shadow, Discover Your True Self.
Follow Leah Smart and Bea Chestnut on LinkedIn.
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Why Learning To Disappoint People Is the Key to an Authentic Life
On paper, Amber Rae had a dream life: she lived in Mexico with her husband and business partner. She was a budding memoirist and a speaker, teaching people how to be true to themselves and find emotional clarity. But beneath the surface, Amber felt disconnected and unfulfilled.
Then one day she woke up. She realized she had built her entire life around the expectations of others and she set out to do something different.
This week on Everyday Better, Amber shares her story of dismantling her old life in the pursuit of authenticity, breaking free from people-pleasing and learning to disappoint others along the way. She explains why disappointing others isn’t selfish, but instead a learnable skill we can use to live in alignment with our true selves.
If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Warning: This Podcast Will Remind You of Your Mortality with Jodi Wellman.
Get Amber’s book Loveable: One Woman’s Path from Good to Free here.
Follow Leah Smart and Amber Rae on LinkedIn.
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What Your Self-Talk Says About You, and How To Change It
Have you ever made a mistake and immediately thought, “I’m so stupid, what’s wrong with me?” Suddenly, you’re not just seeing a mistake, you’re facing a wall of shame, anxiety, distress and procrastination.
Today, Leah and therapist Kimberley Quinlan discuss why being hard on yourself won’t actually make you perform any better, and how we can use self-compassion as a tool for recovering from a failure and moving faster towards our goals.
Kimberley guides Leah through a test developed by Dr. Kristin Neff to measure how much self-compassion Leah actually has in challenging moments. Follow along with them, and write down your own answers to the questions to see where you fall on the self-compassion scale.
If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Everything You Think You Know About Happiness Is Wrong.
Follow Leah Smart and Kimberley Quinlan on LinkedIn.
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You Are the Author: How to Rewrite Your Most Difficult Chapters
As humans, we’re natural storytellers. The stories we tell shape how we see ourselves, others and the world around us. But not all of our stories are helpful — some keep us trapped in cycles of fear, blame or regret.
In this week’s episode, Leah shares a simple exercise from grief expert David Kessler to help you investigate how you tell your stories and rewrite the ones keeping you stuck. Using three examples from her own life, Leah breaks down her narratives, separating fact from fiction and discovering more empowering versions of her stories.
To go deeper, check out David Kessler’s Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief Workbook, which includes this and other tools for healing and reflection.
Listen to Leah’s full conversation with David here.
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The Science-Backed Tool for Reducing Stress You’ve Probably Never Tried
When author and entrepreneur Nick Ortner first discovered tapping, he had no idea the impact it would have on his life. Nearly two decades later, he’s helped millions manage stress, anxiety, chronic pain and other physical and mental health challenges using the research-backed practice also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
This week, Nick joins Leah to break down the science behind tapping, how it targets the brain’s stress response and why naming the negative emotions we carry with us is the first step to letting those emotions go. He also guides Leah through a short tapping exercise you can follow along with, and explains how tapping can be used in conjunction with other tools like meditation, therapy and mindfulness to support your mental and emotional well-being.
If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Can't Meditate? Just Breathe with JP Crimi
Follow Leah Smart and Nick Ortner on LinkedIn.
Everyday Better is your essential podcast for leveling up in personal development, life, and career success. Hosted by Leah Smart, an educator in self-improvement and positive psychology, this podcast offers transformative conversations with influential experts sharing real-life success stories, actionable insights, and research-backed tips.
Elevate your mindset, gain clarity, and unlock your potential as you journey toward becoming 'Everyday Better.' Whether you're at a crossroads or simply seeking more daily clarity, every episode leaves you inspired, empowered, and ready for more.
Find new episodes of Everyday Better, right here, every Tuesday.
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