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Pushkin Industries

What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? In this award-winning podcast, cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar explores how we experience change and strategies we can use to better navigate moments of upheaval.

Maya’s life took a dramatic turn when an injury ended her career as a violinist and inspired her to study the science of change.

Named Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year, A Slight Change of Plans features deeply personal stories and scientific insights about who we are and who we become in the face of a big change.

Past guests include Kacey Musgraves, Brené Brown, Ruby Bridges, Amanda Knox, Adam Grant, Angela Duckworth and more.

Whether it’s a sudden pivot or a slow transformation, each episode reveals how change can give us an opportunity to reimagine who we are and unlock greater possibility.

You can follow Maya on instagram @DrMayaShankar and read her free newsletter at changewithmaya.com.

 

Get early, ad-free access to episodes of A Slight Change of Plans by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

A Slight Change of Plans

Helena de Groot spent the majority of her life assuming she would never have kids. But as she got older, people's criticism of that choice started to intensify. Then, a few years into her marriage, she was forced to confront it in an unexpected way. This week, she talks to Maya about what happened, how she questioned and re-questioned her decisions, and how she found peace within uncertainty. 
 
To hear more about Helena’s experiences, you can listen to her podcast “Creation Myth.”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What If Closure Never Comes?

Last week, Maya talked to author Michael Pollan about his newest book, “A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness.” He says that the seeds for this book were planted by his exploration of psychedelics – a topic that he and Maya covered last time he was on the show. So we wanted to replay that episode, in which Maya and Michael discuss the science of psychedelics, and how they can help us see the world in new ways.
 
And if you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Kacey Musgraves, where she talks about how a psychedelic trip inspired one of her albums.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Pollan Changes His Mind

Bestselling author and journalist Michael Pollan has reshaped our understanding of everything from food to psychedelics. Now, he’s taking on a subject that has stumped thinkers for thousands of years: consciousness. This week, Michael joins Maya for a live conversation celebrating his new book, “A World Appears.” They talk about why it’s such a marvel that we even have consciousness in the first place, how researchers have explored consciousness in the past, and how Michael’s own perceptions and awareness of his inner life have changed. 
 
You can also check out Maya’s book, “The Other Side of Change,” on Goodreads, and leave a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Pollan on the Mind-Blowing Idea of Consciousness

What do telenovelas, situationships, and card games have in common? All can be sources of unexpected life lessons. This week, we’re sharing an episode of the podcast “The Moth” that’s all about advice—seeking wise counsel, following your gut, and learning how to practice what you preach. 
 
For more episodes of “The Moth” click here, or search for “The Moth” wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some Life Advice from “The Moth”

In 2024, science journalist Rachel E. Gross had a stroke. Her recovery mostly followed the path doctors predicted, but there were also some strange, ongoing glitches that she couldn’t explain. So Rachel did the one thing she knew to do in situations like these: she started asking questions. On today’s episode: the curious work of figuring out what makes you, you.
 
We first heard Rachel’s story on a Radiolab episode she reported called “Song of the Cerebellum.”
 
In case you missed it—Maya’s new book, “The Other Side of Change,” is officially a bestseller! Order your copy at changewithmaya.com/book, or wherever you like to buy books.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I Felt Like an Alien Impersonating Myself”

In honor of International Women’s Month, Maya is revisiting a conversation with Christy Warren—a former firefighter and paramedic who spent decades showing up for people on some of the worst days of their lives. Christy and Maya talk about the hidden burdens of putting on a strong face, ingrained stigmas around mental health, and how to have the courage to ask for help. 
 
In case you missed it—Maya’s new book, “The Other Side of Change,” is officially a bestseller! Order your copy at changewithmaya.com/book, or wherever you like to buy books.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cost of Being the Strong One

Social Psychologist Barry Schwartz is an expert on decision making. His new book, (00:01:48) “Choose Wisely,” explores how the very tools we rely on to make “good” decisions can steer us wrong — and why endless options may be making us less satisfied, not more. In today’s episode, Maya sits down with Barry to unpack why choosing can feel so exhausting, the hidden costs of always trying to find the “best,” and what the rest of us can learn from people who are content with “good enough.”
 
And in case you missed it—Maya’s new book, (00:27:35) “The Other Side of Change,” is officially a bestseller! Order your copy at changewithmaya.com/book, or wherever you like to buy books.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finding Satisfaction in a World of Endless Choice

For years, Brené Brown’s research has shaped how millions of us understand concepts like shame, vulnerability, and resilience. So, as Maya prepared to launch her new book, The Other Side of Change, there was one person she knew she had to talk to. In this special conversation with early readers of the book, Brené and Maya explore why uncertainty rattles us, how it reshapes us, and what it reveals about who we are—and even take a quick detour to gush over the hottest show on TV.
 
If you enjoyed this episode, check out Brené’s previous appearance on A Slight Change of Plans: “Brené Brown on Our Flawed, Imperfect Selves”
 
In case you missed it—Maya’s book, “The Other Side of Change” is officially a NYTimes bestseller! Order your copy at changewithmaya.com/book, or wherever you like to buy books.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brené Brown and Maya Talk “Heated Rivalry,” Mental Spirals, and Moral Beauty

The Winter Olympics are in full swing, and for the athletes competing, the Games are as much a mental challenge as they are a physical one. Not long ago, Maya sat down with five-time Olympic gold medalist, swimmer Missy Franklin, who competed in both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. When Missy returned for her second Olympics, things felt markedly different. In today’s episode, Missy speaks candidly and bravely about how her mental health impacted her performance–with the world watching.
 
For more Olympics content from A Slight Change of Plans, check out the episodes below:
 
 • “
A Syrian Refugee Fights for Olympic Dreams • ”
 • “
Olympian Gabby Thomas Sets Her Own Pace • ”
 • “
Surrender is not in my DNA • ”
 
In case you missed it—Maya’s new book, “The Other Side of Change,” is officially a bestseller! Order your copy at changewithmaya.com/book, or wherever you like to buy books.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Invisible Weight of Olympic Gold

Valentine’s Day is about expressing love in all its forms—but it can also be a chance to sit with some of love’s stickier realities. Today, we’re sharing an episode from the TED podcast “How To Be a Better Human,” in which host and comedian Chris Duffy speaks with family therapist Stephanie Yates-Anyabwile about why rigid relationship “templates” can hold us back, how to live a relationship rather than perform one, and how to navigate big life changes with our partners.
 
In case you missed it—Maya’s new book, “The Other Side of Change,” is officially a bestseller! Order your copy at changewithmaya.com/book, or wherever you like to buy books.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Pollan Changes His Mind

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