Beyond the Pursuit of Happiness | Jeff Golden (EP10)
Minimalist Moms Podcast | Purposeful Life & Parenting Tips
Diane Boden
4.7 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 10 March 2025
⏱️ 59 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This podcast is part of the Clear Intentions series of the show.
What if true happiness isn’t found in material wealth but in something far more profound? In this thought-provoking episode, I spoke with Jeff Golden, author of Reclaiming the Sacred, to explore his decade-long journey of gathering wisdom from psychologists, activists, saints, and poets. Jeff shares how his diverse life roles have shaped his understanding of joy, presence, and interconnectedness. Together, we examine why happiness has declined in industrialized nations despite increasing prosperity, highlighting the vital roles of relationships, health, and self-acceptance. The discussion weaves through spiritual traditions, from Christianity to Taoism and Buddhism, offering insights on how reconnecting with nature and our inner selves can lead to deeper fulfillment. A rich and inspiring conversation that challenges societal norms and invites us to redefine what it means to truly thrive.
Links Discussed in This Episode |
- Book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
- Book: Sensing God: Experiencing the Divine in Nature, Food, Music, and Beauty
- Dr. Kristin Neff - Self Compassion
- Connect with Jeff:
- Book: Reclaiming the Sacred: Healing Our Relationships with Ourselves and the World
- Website
- Jeff's Course: Reclaiming the Sacred - An Experiential 6 Week Online Course
About Jeff |
Jeff Golden, M.Ed., was most recently a scholar-in-residence at Vassar College. He is a former Fulbright Scholar in sustainable development, was awarded the US State Department’s Millennium International Volunteer Award, and has directed several nonprofits dedicated to sustainability and social justice. Jeff has been featured on NPR, USA Today, Scripps Evening News, The Shaun Proulx Show, How To Live a Fantastic Life Environment Times, iHeartRadio, Talk Radio Europe, and more.
Enjoy the Podcast?
Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less.
Questions |
- You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.
- Checkout the Minimalist Moms Podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
- If you’ve been struggling with motivation to declutter or work through bad habits that keep you stuck, I’d love to help you achieve your goals! We’ll work together (locally or virtually) to discover what areas in your life are high priority to get you feeling less overwhelmed right away. For more info on my processes, fees, and availability please contact!
Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Ruggable and use my code MINIMALIST for a great deal: https://ruggable.com
* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | If you're pregnant postpartum or planning to be, or you've got a friend in that season, listen |
| 0:04.3 | up. There's a lot in motherhood that we can't control, but your nutrition, that's a powerful |
| 0:08.9 | place to start. That's why I've been raving about the company needed. I wish I'd had needed |
| 0:13.8 | when I was in that chapter. Their starter plan is a total game changer, a comprehensive prenatal |
| 0:19.4 | multi, plus the high quality omega-3 designed to meet |
| 0:22.7 | the real nutritional demands of pregnancy and beyond. It's not the bare minimum stuff that most |
| 0:27.3 | prenatals offer. This is optimal evidence-based nourishment that actually supports mom and baby. |
| 0:32.9 | Trusted by over 6,000 women's health practitioners from midwives to obese, they're raising the bar for women's |
| 0:38.6 | wellness. And personally, because I'm out of the prenatal and postpartum, I love their women's |
| 0:43.6 | omega-3, collagen, and stress support. They have an entire section for women's health supplements |
| 0:49.1 | on their website. So if you've been looking for a supplement that checks all the boxes, |
| 0:53.1 | head over to this is needed.com and use code minimalist for 20% off your first order. That's T-H-I-S-I-S-N-E-D-D-com and use |
| 1:03.8 | code minimalist for 20% off your first order. When I was 10, I babysat all summer to save up for |
| 1:09.6 | Nintendo 64. I still remember the feeling of handing |
| 1:12.7 | over the wad of cash at the store. I had earned it. That taught me early on that money doesn't |
| 1:17.8 | just appear. You have to work for it, plan for it, and spend it wisely. Now as a parent, I want my kids |
| 1:23.4 | to learn those same lessons. And honestly, Acorns Early makes it easy. Acorns Early is the |
| 1:29.1 | smart debit card and money app that grows with your kids. It starts with a super simple in-app chores |
| 1:34.6 | tracker, so they learn the value of a dollar right away. My daughter's already saving up for a new |
| 1:39.1 | bike, and she's so proud every time she marks a chore complete and sees her progress. They can set savings goals, |
| 1:45.2 | earn their money, and spend it with a customizable debt card, all while you, the parents, |
| 1:49.3 | stay in control with spending limits and real-time notifications. Ready to teach your kids the smart |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Diane Boden, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Diane Boden and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

