How to Turn Life's Pain into a Path of Meaning and Joy with Danielle LaPorte

The One You Feed

Eric Zimmer, The One You Feed

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

4.6 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Danielle LaPorte discusses how to turn life's pain into a path of meaning and joy. She explores spirituality, conscious choice, and emotional honesty. Danielle also delves into the importance of embracing both pain and joy, reframing obligations as choices, and avoiding “spiritual bypassing”—, which is the tendency to rush to positivity without fully feeling difficult emotions. She shares insights on authentic growth, the healing power of music, and the value of engaging with diverse perspectives. This episode will encourage you to face life’s challenges with compassion, presence, and self-awareness, nurturing the “good wolf” within. Exciting News!!!Coming in March, 2026, my new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life is now available for pre-orders! Key Takeaways: The significance of conscious choice in reframing obligations as empowering decisions. The impact of spiritual practices on personal growth and the importance of joy in these practices. The distinction between pain (inevitable) and suffering (optional) in navigating life’s challenges. The concept of “spiritual bypassing” and its effects on emotional health and authenticity. The role of emotional expression in personal growth, particularly regarding anger and disappointment. The importance of self-awareness in managing one’s strengths and weaknesses. Engaging with diverse perspectives to foster understanding and compassion in social and political contexts. The healing power of music and its role in emotional expression and therapy. Embracing the fullness of human experience, including both struggles and joys, to live a meaningful life. or full show notes, click here! Connect with the show: Follow us on YouTube: @TheOneYouFeedPod Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Follow us on Instagram If you enjoyed this conversation with Danielle LaPorte, check out these other episodes: Choosing Love Over Fear: Finding Joy, Confidence, and Self-Trust with Emma Gannon Finding Hope When Life Isn’t Okay and the Power of Micro Joys with Cyndie Spiegel By purchasing products and/or services from our sponsors, you are helping to support The One You Feed and we greatly appreciate it. Thank you! This episode is sponsored by: Uncommon Goods has something for everyone – you’ll find thousands of new gift ideas that you won’t find anywhere else, and you’ll be supporting artists and small, independent businesses. To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/FEED ⁠LinkedIn⁠: Post your job for free at linkedin.com/1youfeed. Terms and conditions apply. 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. 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! 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the one you feed. Throughout time, great thinkers have recognized the importance of the thoughts we have. Quotes like, garbage in, garbage out, or you are what you think, ring true. And yet, for many of us, our thoughts don't strengthen or empower us.
0:24.3	We tend toward negativity, self-pity, jealousy, or fear.
0:28.9	We see what we don't have instead of what we do.
0:31.9	We think things that hold us back and dampen our spirit.
0:35.3	But it's not just about thinking.
0:37.4	Our actions matter. It takes conscious,
0:39.9	consistent, and creative effort to make a life worth living. This podcast is about how other people
0:45.6	keep themselves moving in the right direction, how they feed their good wolf.
0:52.5	How many times have you been angry about something and immediately jumped to,
0:57.4	but I should be grateful, or disappointed by someone, and rush straight to, well, everyone's doing their best?
1:03.8	Danielle Laporte, who's a speaker, a poet, a painter, and member of Oprah's Super Soul 100,
1:09.9	has a phrase for this that I absolutely love.
1:12.6	She calls it putting spiritual sweetener on it.
1:14.6	And while perspective is really important, so is allowing ourselves to feel the real messy human emotions
1:22.6	and not going straight to the enlightened response.
1:25.6	Because when we do that, all those feelings that we're trying to transcend, they don't necessarily
1:30.3	go away.
1:31.3	They fester.
1:32.3	They leak out as passive aggression or resentment or secret grudges.
1:36.3	The key takeaway in this conversation for me was permission to feel the hard stuff first,
1:41.3	to have the courage to stop, to admit this is what's happening, this is
1:45.6	what I feel, and then take the next right step. I'm Eric Zimmer, and this is the one you feed.
	...

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