Choosing Love Over Fear: Finding Joy, Confidence, and Self-Trust with Emma Gannon

The One You Feed

Eric Zimmer, The One You Feed

Buddhism, Education, Self-improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.6 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 14 October 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Emma Gannon explores the idea of choosing love over fear and how to find joy, confidence, and self-trust. She talks about her new novel, “Table for One” that includes themes of the inner battle between positive and negative thoughts, the healing power of love, and the importance of choosing joy. Emma shares how writing fiction is therapeutic and reflects on her personal growth, confidence, and the grief of changing identities. Key Takeaways: The power of love over fear and hatred in personal and societal contexts. The importance of choosing joy and hope amidst life’s challenges. Writing fiction as a therapeutic tool for self-exploration and personal growth. The dialogue between different stages of life, particularly between one’s younger and older selves. The complexities of mental health and the impact of age on confidence and self-perception. The concept of grief associated with personal transformation and the loss of previous identities. The significance of self-acceptance and understanding one’s own needs and limitations. The role of intergenerational relationships and support in personal development. The idea of recognizing and supporting the complexities of individuals in a judgmental world. If you enjoyed this conversation with Emma Gannon, check out these other episodes: How to Cope with Burnout with Emma Gannon Beyond Anxiety: How Curiosity Turns Fear Into Fuel with Martha Beck For full show notes, click here! Connect with the show: Follow us on YouTube: @TheOneYouFeedPod Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Follow us on Instagram This episode is sponsored by: AGZ – Start taking your sleep seriously with AGZ. Head to drinkag1.com/feed to get a FREE Welcome Kit with the flavor of your choice that includes a 30 day supply of AGZ and a FREE frother. Smalls – Smalls cat food is protein-packed recipes made with preservative-free ingredients you’d find in your fridge… and it’s delivered right to your door. For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping, when you head to Smalls.com/FEED! No more picking between random brands at the store. Smalls has the right food to satisfy any cat’s cravings. NOCD If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/FEED Grow Therapy - Whatever challenges you're facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Sessions average about $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0, depending on their plan. (Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plans. Visit growtherapy.com/feed today! Persona Nutrition delivers science-backed, personalized vitamin packs that make daily wellness simple and convenient. In just minutes, you get a plan tailored to your health goals. No clutter, no guesswork. Just grab-and-go packs designed by experts. Go to PersonaNutrition.com/FEED today to take the free assessment and get your personalized daily vitamin packs for an exclusive offer — get 40% off your first order. LinkedIn: Post your job for free at linkedin.com/1youfeed. Terms and conditions apply. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I shouldn't be this person. I should be the person in Italy with the cocktails. I shouldn't be this person in bed at 9pm. And the minute I just go, I'm out of spoons, that's what my body's saying, and I'm going to protect myself and take myself to bed.
0:25.2	Welcome to the one you feed.
0:29.9	Throughout time, great thinkers have recognized the importance of the thoughts we have.
0:35.3	Quotes like, garbage in, garbage out, or you are what you think, ring true.
0:38.6	And yet, for many of us, our thoughts don't strengthen or empower us.
0:40.2	We tend toward negativity, self-pity, jealousy, or fear.
0:44.9	We see what we don't have instead of what we do.
0:47.8	We think things that hold us back and dampen our spirit.
0:51.3	But it's not just about thinking.
0:53.3	Our actions matter. It takes conscious, consistent,
0:56.4	and creative effort to make a life worth living. This podcast is about how other people keep
1:01.7	themselves moving in the right direction, how they feed their good wolf.
1:08.4	There's a question I ask myself sometimes. Would my younger self be proud of the life I'm living
1:14.8	today? Emma Gannon's new novel, Table for One, is in a way that very conversation. Her 36-year-old self
1:22.5	speaking with her 20-something self through her characters. In our conversation, we explored how writing fiction can
1:29.0	be therapy and disguise, how confidence shifts with age, and how every stage of life brings its own
1:36.0	kind of wisdom and its own grief. This is a conversation about complexity, creativity,
1:41.5	and learning to trust yourself. I'm Eric Zimmer, and this is the one you
1:46.1	feed. We are conducting a survey to find out what you want. Look, you know this, I know this. There's ads on
1:53.6	this podcast. It's how the podcast stays alive and feeds those of us who devote ourselves to it.
2:00.0	But I'd love to improve that ad experience for you.
2:03.0	And in order to do that, though, I need to know a little bit more about you.
	...

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