In today’s episode, you’re going to hear a conversation that will help you find meaning again - especially if you’ve been feeling lost, stuck, stretched thin, or quietly wondering, “Does any of this even matter?”

Joining Mel is Ocean Vuong - one of the most acclaimed writers of our time and the bestselling author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.

His newest book, The Emperor of Gladness, moved Mel so deeply she knew she had to bring him on the podcast - because Ocean has a rare gift: he puts words to feelings you’ve had, but never knew how to say out loud.

Ocean is an award-winning poet, a MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant” recipient, and a professor at NYU. He writes and speaks about grief, love, identity, hardship, and hope with an honesty that doesn’t just hit… it stays with you.

This episode is an invitation to pause, reset, and reconnect with yourself. It will help you stop judging where you are, release the pressure you’re carrying, and remember that you don’t need to become someone else to be worthy - or to build a meaningful life.

Even if you’ve never read Ocean’s work, this conversation will feel like someone finally handed you the words you’ve been searching for.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

-How to find meaning even when you’re behind in life

-How to move through grief without shutting down and let beauty exist alongside pain

-Why chasing who you “should” be is keeping you stuck and how to come back to yourself

-How to reconnect with yourself when you’ve been in survival mode for too long

-How to feel calmer and more grounded when life feels uncertain

- How to reprogram your mind for more positive thinking

By the end of this episode, you’ll feel more hopeful, more centered, and more at peace with where you are - with permission to be exactly who you are, right now.

For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page.

If you liked the episode, check out this one next: Why You Feel Lost in Life: Dr. Gabor Maté on Trauma & How to Heal

Connect with Mel:

• Order Mel’s new product, Pure Genius Protein
• Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration.
• Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory
• Watch the episodes on YouTube
• Follow Mel on Instagram
• The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram
• Mel's TikTok
• Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free
• Disclaimer

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to get motivated, even when you don’t feel like it.

If you feel unmotivated, scatter brained, or exhausted…
If you keep reaching for your phone, wine, or the remote even when you want to stop…
If you’re frustrated with yourself for lacking discipline….

This conversation will help you stop wasting time and finally understand why it’s so hard to do the things you know you should do.

Joining Mel today is Dr. Anna Lembke, MD, who is the world’s leading expert on dopamine and compulsive behavior. Dr. Lembke is a professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine at Stanford University, chief of Stanford’s Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of Dopamine Nation and the upcoming Radical Surrender

She has served on the boards of several state and national addiction-focused organizations, and has testified before the United States House of Representatives and Senate.

But even with all of her knowledge, she will share with you: she also falls into the same traps you do!

In this episode, Dr. Lembke explains the truth most people don’t understand: Modern life has trained your brain to chase constant dopamine hits, and that’s why motivation, focus, and joy feel harder than ever.

But here’s the good news: you can reset your brain.

Dr. Lembke walks you through the science of dopamine, pain, pleasure, and motivation, and shares a practical protocol for rebuilding focus, energy, and self-control in a world designed to hijack your attention.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

-The “pleasure–pain seesaw” that explains why you keep reaching for the thing you swear you’re done with

-How dopamine really works (and why chasing pleasure backfires)

-The hidden reason scrolling, snacking, and multitasking make you feel worse, not better

-The simple but powerful way to rebalance pleasure and pain

-What to do when you feel stuck in compulsive habits you “can’t quit”

This is not a conversation about shame, addiction labels, or self-control. It’s about taking your brain back.

If you want more energy, clarity, and motivation, and if you’re ready to stop fighting yourself and start working with your brain, this episode is for you.

For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page.

If you liked the episode, check out this one next: How to Create a Successful Mindset: The Science of Passion and Perseverance

Connect with Mel:

• Order Mel’s new product, Pure Genius Protein
• Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration.
• Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory
• Watch the episodes on YouTube
• Follow Mel on Instagram
• The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram
• Mel's TikTok
• Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free
• Disclaimer

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, you’ll learn the best financial advice you’ll ever hear.

It’s your guide to taking control of your money and learning the rules of how to make it, save it, and spend it better.

Maybe you’re trying to pay down debt.

Maybe you’re wondering how you’ll ever afford a home.

Maybe you’re doing “okay,” but you don’t feel confident about the future, and you don’t know the best place to invest your money.

Or maybe you want to know what really works to save money, make more money, invest money, and how to stop feeling like you’re behind.

This episode will show you exactly what to do.

Today, Mel is joined by David Bach. David is one of the most trusted voices in personal finance for a reason: He teaches the rules of money in a way that makes you feel calm, capable, and in control.

He’s a 10-time New York Times bestselling author behind The Automatic Millionaire, and he’s here to give you the simple money habits and tools that you can apply to your life today.

You’ll learn:

-The rules of money that determine whether you build wealth or stay stuck (no matter what you earn)

-”The 2 escalators to wealth” and how you can get on them

-The money mistake that can wreck your future even if you’ve “done everything right”

-What every couple needs to know about money before it’s too late

-The exact stocks to invest in over the long term

-The exact blueprint of what you should do with your 401k

-The $27.40/day formula that turns into $4.4 million

-Why you can start feeling better about your life before you’re debt-free

-Specific advice for women, including what every widow needs to know

-The easiest ways to take control of your finances with the greatest payoff

As David puts it, either you have a plan for your money, or someone else does.

Your plan starts here.

For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page.

If you liked the episode, check out this one next: More of the Best Financial Advice You’ll Ever Hear.

Connect with Mel:

• Order Mel’s new product, Pure Genius Protein
• Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration.
• Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory
• Watch the episodes on YouTube
• Follow Mel on Instagram
• The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram
• Mel's TikTok
• Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free
• Disclaimer

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.