Self-love is never as easy as we think. Is it possible to fall in love with ourselves the way we fall for other people?

Lewis Howes knows that learning to like yourself, let alone love yourself, can take decades. After surviving a traumatic childhood, Lewis spent years working on himself to try and understand what it takes for human beings to achieve greatness. He overcame learning disabilities, insecurity, and self-loathing to become who he is today. Lewis is a New York Times bestselling author, a former pro athlete, and host of the popular podcast The School of Greatness.

After appearing several times on Lewis’s show, I was excited to finally have Lewis join me on A Bit of Optimism. Together, we unpack our insecurities, talk through our money trauma, and discuss why the first step to liking yourself is to find a little courage.

This…is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Lewis and his work, check out:

his book, Make Money Easy

his podcast, The School of Greatness

A Bit of Optimism is on hiatus this week, so we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations! In this episode, Simon talks with psychologist Ty Tashiro about social awkwardness and why being awkward can actually be a superpower.

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Awkwardness gets a bad rap. But being awkward is often an indicator that someone has extraordinary.

Psychologist and author Ty Tashiro has spent a great deal of time studying (and living!) social awkwardness. He's fascinated by how the same traits that cause us social embarrassment can also drive exceptional accomplishment.

As a fellow awkward person, I was delighted to sit down with Ty and discuss the competitive advantages of social awkwardness, and how sometimes what society labels a weakness turns out to be our greatest strength.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Ty and his work check out:

his book, AWKWARD: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

tytashiro.com

Is there such a thing as female leadership? Or is gender not a factor?

DeDe Halfhill would say yes and no. A retired Air Force colonel, Dede spent 20 years in the military, where she advised some of the military’s most powerful leaders during the War in Iraq.

She was often the only woman in the room for weeks on end. And while DeDe found the principles of leadership to be universal, there was no denying her experience as a woman leader was different from the men.

DeDe is an old friend of mine, and I was excited to talk with her about what she learned during her time in the Air Force. She explained to me why people react differently to male versus female leaders, why loneliness often shows up as exhaustion, and how the ability to do emotional labor makes all leaders great, regardless of gender.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on DeDe and her work, check out:

dedehalfhill.com