Good manners aren’t just about being polite — they’re about making other people feel seen.

You have two years left to live. What would you do?

When morale problems affect a team, some leaders choose to make a big, rousing speech. But quite often, it’s the quiet leader who leads with empathy that sees a better emotional solution.

Happiness is a choice. But it’s not always an easy choice to make.

We turned the studio into a restaurant for the day—because when Phil Rosenthal’s in the house, you don’t just talk about food, you eat it!

Magic moments do happen in real life. If you ask Brad Meltzer, magic happens when ordinary people choose to do the extraordinary.

My career is an accident. It started when I set out to rediscover my passion and reignite a spark I’d lost — and that journey led me to the work I do now. If you know me from my books or my speaking, you know I’m fascinated by why people do what they do. What makes someone find joy and meaning in their life, or pursue something far greater than themselves? I started A Bit of Optimism to explore those ideas and expand my own perspective. This podcast is a trove of honest conversations, with people who challenge me, teach me, or simply help me see things in a different way. Some guests are household names, and others you may be meeting for the first time. But each one of them has something to share that can help all of us grow. So if you’re looking for a spark — some insight, inspiration, or just a reminder that good things are possible — join me on A Bit of Optimism. Let’s grow together.

What if this podcast turned into a baking show? For Christina Tosi’s third visit to A Bit of Optimism, we decided to find out.

We're taking some time off to bring you even more episodes of A Bit of Optimism that you're going to love! In the meantime, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes, like this one with couples counselor Shawn McBride.

We're taking some time off to bring you even more episodes of A Bit of Optimism that you're going to love! In the meantime, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes, like this one with Harvard professor Robert Waldinger.

Sometimes in life, we must stop and ask ourselves, “Where am I going next?” Other times, it’s more fun to do a podcast takeover.

Sometimes in life, we choose the wrong path. When we feel like we're living a lie, it's hard to know what to do next.

What happens after we attain success and glory? Where do you go when there's nowhere left to run from yourself?

What happens when we reach the top? There’s only one place to go.

Change happens to all of us whether we choose it or not. What’s the best way to go through transition, especially when it’s something we didn’t want?

We often define ourselves by what we do or who we are to other people. But at our core, who we are is often something much deeper, and sometimes wildly different, from the version that the world sees -- or projects onto you.

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?

Simon talks with psychologist Ty Tashiro about social awkwardness and why being awkward can actually be a superpower.