In this episode, I unpack why feeling stuck in your thinking does not mean something is wrong with you. It means your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

I explore how familiar stories form in the mind, why confirmation bias keeps reinforcing the same beliefs, and how those patterns quietly shape what we notice, avoid, and believe is possible for us.

This conversation is about learning to recognize thoughts as information rather than facts, softening the grip of old narratives, and creating space for growth without forcing change or self-judgment.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The brain prioritizes familiarity because it feels safer than uncertainty

• Confirmation bias filters information to protect existing beliefs

• Stress and overwhelm intensify rigid thinking patterns

• Thoughts are information, not instructions or facts

• Absolute language often signals a belief that needs updating

• Old stories were once protective, even if they no longer serve you

• Growth requires awareness before it requires action

• Asking what else might be true opens cognitive flexibility

• Safe reflection from others can help reveal blind spots

• Updating beliefs expands capacity and reduces internal friction

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://a.co/d/dgOqpbj

Becoming the Eight Percent Book: https://a.co/d/gcqxerH

If this episode helped you notice the stories running in your own mind, share it with someone who feels stuck or discouraged right now.

Join the conversation, leave a review, and subscribe to The Happy Stack Podcast so you never miss an episode.

• (00:00:01) - How to Stick to a Happy Life
• (00:03:33) - Confirmation bias: How to Keep a Comfortable Narrative in
• (00:13:38) - How to Start to Live a Happier Life

In this episode, Terri-Ann Richards unpacks a subtle but powerful mental habit that’s quietly driving stress, disconnection, and frustration in our relationships: the way we judge others—and ourselves—without context.

Drawing from psychology and real-life examples, she explains the fundamental attribution error and how stress pushes our brains into protection mode, making us more reactive, certain, and judgmental.

Terri-Ann walks listeners through practical, compassionate strategies to interrupt this pattern, rebuild emotional safety in relationships, and replace certainty with curiosity—without excusing harmful behavior. This episode is a grounding reminder that much of our unhappiness isn’t caused by what happens, but by the meaning we assign to it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• We explain others’ behavior by character but our own by circumstances — often without realizing it
  
• Stress lowers our capacity for empathy and perspective-taking
  
• Judgment increases when we’re tired, overwhelmed, hungry, or emotionally overloaded
  
• Small interpretations, not big events, are what slowly erode relationships
  
• Adding context before drawing conclusions creates emotional intelligence
  
• Separating behavior from identity keeps relationships flexible instead of rigid
  
• Offering others the same grace we give ourselves reduces resentment and stress
  
• Replacing certainty with curiosity strengthens connection and wellbeing

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://a.co/d/dgOqpbj

Becoming the Eight Percent Book: https://a.co/d/gcqxerH

If this episode gave you a moment of recognition or relief, share it with someone who might need it.

Join the conversation by commenting with your thoughts, reflections, or experiences—and subscribe to The Happy Stack for more insights on building a calmer, more connected life.

• (00:00:01) - How to Live a Happier, More Satisfying Life
• (00:08:26) - 3 Ways to Shift Judgments

In this episode, I talk about a part of growth that doesn’t get named nearly enough—the grief that comes with outgrowing who you used to be.

When old strategies, identities, and relationships no longer fit, growth can feel less like expansion and more like subtraction.

I explore why this transition feels so uncomfortable, how the nervous system clings to familiarity even when it costs us, and why letting go of what once protected you is a necessary part of becoming who you’re meant to be.

If you’re in the messy middle of your next level, feeling restless, lonely, or unsettled, this conversation is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Growth often feels painful because you’re shedding identities that once kept you safe
  
  
• The brain craves familiarity, even when it no longer serves you
  
  
• Grief isn’t regression—it’s evidence that you’re leaving something behind
  
  
• Old coping strategies can resurface during stress if they’re not consciously released
  
  
• Outgrowing people doesn’t mean rejecting them—it means refusing to abandon yourself
  
  
• Not everyone will come with you when you evolve, and that’s part of the process
  
  
• Growth can feel lonely even when it’s healthy
  
  
• Letting go of survival strategies creates space for thriving
  
  
• You don’t owe consistency to people who benefited from your self-betrayal
  
  
• Growth without grief isn’t real growth

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://a.co/d/dgOqpbj

Becoming the Eight Percent Book: https://a.co/d/gcqxerH

If this episode helped you make sense of the discomfort you’re in, share it with someone who’s quietly outgrowing their old life.

And if you haven’t already, subscribe to The Happy Stack Podcast so you don’t miss future conversations on growth, leadership, and becoming who you’re meant to be.

• (00:00:01) - The Happy Stack Podcast
• (00:00:33) - How to Grieve Your Growth (Happy Step Podcast)
• (00:04:23) - What Am I Trying To Outgrow? But Still Using the Old
• (00:07:03) - What Is Grief?