How Brainwashing Keeps You in a Life You Don’t Want

Are You Thinking Your Own Thoughts&hellip; Or Someone Else&rsquo;s?
Let me ask you something&mdash;have you ever stopped to wonder if the thoughts you&rsquo;re thinking are actually yours? In this conversation, I sat down with Rebecca Lemov, a Harvard professor and author of The Instability of Truth, and what unfolded was a real eye-opener. We didn&rsquo;t just scratch the surface&mdash;we went into the guts of how we get conditioned to believe things about the world&hellip; and about ourselves&hellip; without even realizing it.
Rebecca laid out something that really hit me: brainwashing doesn&rsquo;t start with someone else taking control of your mind&mdash;it begins when you stop asking questions. That moment when you stop challenging your beliefs, when you&rsquo;re scrolling, liking, agreeing without even knowing why&mdash;that&rsquo;s where it starts. She walked me through a chilling example: a Facebook study where they manipulated nearly 700,000 users' moods without their knowledge. That&rsquo;s real. That happened. And if that doesn&rsquo;t wake you up, I don&rsquo;t know what will.
We also got personal. I shared how trauma&mdash;whether from rejection, heartbreak, or failure&mdash;can create space for a mind virus to take root. That voice in your head saying, &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not good enough,&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll never succeed,&rdquo;&mdash;that&rsquo;s not truth. That&rsquo;s programming. And unless you confront it, question it, and replace it, it&rsquo;ll trap you in a version of your life that&rsquo;s far smaller than what you were made for. Rebecca made it clear: being educated or intelligent doesn&rsquo;t make you immune&mdash;it might even make you more vulnerable.
This episode isn&rsquo;t about conspiracy theories or pointing fingers&mdash;it&rsquo;s about&nbsp;ownership. About reclaiming your identity, your voice, your individuality. Don&rsquo;t go through life unknowingly living in someone else&rsquo;s version of who you&rsquo;re supposed to be. Don&rsquo;t meet God at the end and realize you lived someone else's life because you never questioned your own thoughts. You want to change your life? Start by challenging what you assume to be true. Start asking better questions.
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Key Takeaways:
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<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-8bab7269-3e2f-426c-bf7a-ab8081982c98">
Brainwashing often starts from within&mdash;when you stop questioning your own thoughts.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-c92cbb8e-c3f0-4f83-a71c-4e75c7b6cf47">
Trauma can open the door for limiting beliefs to become your internal truth.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-ac82ed44-a880-4c34-926a-29e94edcc936">
Social media algorithms are designed to manipulate your mood and feed confirmation bias.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-7d69022e-1486-49d3-a8be-23e56882ff45">
There are 8 classic signs of brainwashing, but the key one? Control over your environment.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-fe62f575-6ef5-4361-9e27-4e4378639777">
Intelligence doesn&rsquo;t protect you from mind control&mdash;it can deepen the illusion.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-cab97f3d-b4fc-48fa-ac6a-f587b502d170">
Challenge your assumptions, and you can change your entire life trajectory.
</li>
</ul>
Let this be your wake-up call. You don&rsquo;t have to be part of a group to have value. You&rsquo;re not your past. You&rsquo;re not your trauma. You're an individual&mdash;and your thoughts matter.

Josh Duhamel: The One Shift That Rewired His Life After 50

What if the secret to longevity isn&rsquo;t luck&mdash;but how you show up?
In this episode, I sit down with someone I&rsquo;ve been wanting to interview for a long time&mdash;actor and now wellness entrepreneur, Josh Duhamel. You&rsquo;ve seen him in everything from Transformers to Las Vegas to his latest hit Ransom Canyon. But this conversation goes beyond the screen. It&rsquo;s about the truth behind staying relevant, thriving in your 40s and 50s, and what it really means to lead&mdash;whether that's in your home, on set, or in your company.
Josh opens up about the moments of self-doubt early in his career, the grind he still embraces, and how testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) helped him regain not just his energy, but his edge. We got real about aging, fatherhood, emotional strength, and the quiet confidence that comes from people believing in you&mdash;not just loving you. There&rsquo;s a big difference between the two. And whether you're leading a team or raising a family, that distinction can change everything.
We also talk about masculinity in today&rsquo;s world&mdash;the evolving definition of what it means to be a man, and how important it is to stay grounded in spiritual connection. Josh talked about his circle of men who hold space for honest, vulnerable conversation and how that&rsquo;s shaped the way he leads and lives. He&rsquo;s not afraid to let people know he needs them, and that simple truth might just be the unlock for building loyalty, excellence, and connection in your team.
This episode isn&rsquo;t just about fame or fitness&mdash;it&rsquo;s about the values that sustain you: humility, work ethic, emotional intelligence, and the courage to evolve. Josh proves that longevity in any field is earned through consistency, intention, and the willingness to stay coachable&mdash;even when you&rsquo;ve &ldquo;made it.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways:
<ul class="ql-rendered-list-container" data-is-root="true">
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-56cc07a3-5658-473b-9b49-f31df2e5c8e5">
Why being emotionally accessible is a strength, not a weakness
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-ca061de9-ad86-42ce-9bcf-fb6d287df1c7">
How testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) helped Josh reclaim his drive
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-b14d3022-6338-4e7e-9d05-7a2fd27687eb">
The importance of belief&mdash;how it&rsquo;s more powerful than love in leadership
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-a57a0321-8a23-4ef4-9ae0-cdcc3b9111b7">
Creating a work environment where everyone feels needed and valued
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-0d6308e9-ef95-4df9-9a76-b1a17799577c">
Josh&rsquo;s definition of masculinity and the role spiritual connection plays in his life
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-09ee3d49-d1fa-4d9f-8792-b88ee9db82ae">
How leaders like Steve Jobs and Mark Wahlberg modeled greatness through humility and discipline
</li>
</ul>
Don&rsquo;t just listen&mdash;share this one with someone who needs to remember what showing up with purpose really looks like.
MAX OUT.
&nbsp;
- Also, get my&nbsp;exclusive Monday Motivation training in GrowthDay, the world&rsquo;s #1 app for advanced mindset and personal development. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://growthday.com/ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://growthday.com/ed" data-cke-saved-href="https://growthday.com/ed">https://growthday.com/ed</a>. This show is sponsored by GrowthDay.

What If You’re the One Holding You Back?

What if the pain you're facing right now is just preparing you to meet the strongest, most fulfilled version of yourself?
In this special episode release, I&rsquo;m reminding you of one thing:&nbsp;you were born to do something great with your life. Not just in big, visible ways&mdash;but in the quiet, meaningful moments that the world doesn&rsquo;t always see. If you're in the middle of tough times, I want you to hear this&mdash;everything you're going through is temporary. And on the other side of that struggle? That&rsquo;s where your &ldquo;other self&rdquo; is waiting.
In this episode, I talk straight with you about how your thoughts shape your emotions, and how your emotions shape your reality. I share a lesson from Think and Grow Rich that helped me stop quitting and start innovating when life got hard. You&rsquo;ll hear what it means to change your &ldquo;emotional home,&rdquo; and why peace, not chaos, is the fuel for a life of joy and meaning. Plus, I break down the four ways you can show up in 20 years&mdash;and challenge you to choose the version of yourself who becomes the one that changes everything.
This isn&rsquo;t just motivation&mdash;it&rsquo;s a call to action. You&rsquo;re not invisible. You&rsquo;re not a victim. You&rsquo;re the one. Take the floaties off. Jump into the deep end of your life.
Key Takeaways:
<ul class="ql-rendered-list-container" data-is-root="true">
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-54351257-21eb-42be-9d1b-4ea9f5059e3d">
Why all pain is temporary&mdash;and how to outlast it
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-4a70e03e-18ef-409b-801b-f07c5f91ff5d">
How to recognize and reset your emotional home
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-ae97a970-deda-4546-948c-0895dc933486">
The six basic fears that keep most people stuck
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-f4d97114-7532-4d52-ba46-76ebc345bd76">
Why your dreams are closer than you think
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-4a548b5a-897c-4096-a07a-6f4ec279caf9">
The four identities you'll choose from in life&mdash;and how to become the one
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-dde01643-57ff-4c9d-a217-2ae26270780a">
How to move from invisible to hero to servant leader
</li>
</ul>
You were born for greatness. Let this episode be the reminder you needed. Now, jump in. Max out.
&nbsp;
- Also, get my&nbsp;exclusive Monday Motivation training in GrowthDay, the world&rsquo;s #1 app for advanced mindset and personal development. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://growthday.com/ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://growthday.com/ed" data-cke-saved-href="https://growthday.com/ed">https://growthday.com/ed</a>. This show is sponsored by GrowthDay.

The Relationship Secrets Every Couple Should Know But No One Teaches

Are You Speaking to Their Greatness or Their Deficiencies?
This conversation challenged me in the best way&mdash;and I think it will challenge you too. I sat down with relationship coaches Jocelyn and Aaron Freeman, and we didn&rsquo;t hold back. We got into the real, unfiltered truth about what makes a relationship thrive and what quietly breaks it down over time. And I&rsquo;ll be honest&mdash;I learned a lot about myself in this one.
We talked about why most couples argue the same way every time, how we start talking to our partner's flaws instead of their potential, and how easy it is to stop being curious about the person we love the most. That hit me hard. Because curiosity? It&rsquo;s not just a phase when you're dating&mdash;it&rsquo;s a choice. When you stay curious, people become more interesting. And when you stop being interested, they stop showing you who they really are.
One of the most important takeaways: the &ldquo;5 Rs&rdquo; the Freemans teach&mdash;Reflect, Responsibility, Reconnect, Remind, Reconcile. It&rsquo;s a practical framework that helps couples come back from conflict stronger. But what stood out even more was this mindset they kept coming back to: we&rsquo;re on the same team. That phrase alone has the power to stop an argument in its tracks and realign a relationship that feels like it&rsquo;s drifting apart.
This episode is packed with real tools, honest moments, and a whole lot of heart. If you&rsquo;re in a relationship&mdash;new or decades deep&mdash;there&rsquo;s something here for you. You&rsquo;re either training your partner that this is a safe space to share&hellip; or you&rsquo;re teaching them to keep it all inside. That&rsquo;s the choice. And I want you to choose connection.
Key Takeaways:
<ul data-start="1653" data-end="2107">
<li data-start="1653" data-end="1739">
The most damaging part of conflict isn't the argument&mdash;it's the lack of repair after.
</li>
<li data-start="1740" data-end="1803">
Learn the 5 Rs to recover and reconnect after a disagreement.
</li>
<li data-start="1804" data-end="1886">
&ldquo;Speaking to your partner&rsquo;s greatness&rdquo; builds them up and strengthens your bond.
</li>
<li data-start="1887" data-end="1957">
Curiosity is the secret to keeping relationships alive and engaging.
</li>
<li data-start="1958" data-end="2021">
One person can spark change, but both have to sustain it.
</li>
<li data-start="2022" data-end="2107">
You don&rsquo;t have to end the relationship to end the version of it that isn&rsquo;t working.
</li>
</ul>
Let this episode be the spark. Listen with your partner. Talk about it. And remember&mdash;you&rsquo;re on the same team.
&nbsp;
- Also, get my&nbsp;exclusive Monday Motivation training in GrowthDay, the world&rsquo;s #1 app for advanced mindset and personal development. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://growthday.com/ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://growthday.com/ed" data-cke-saved-href="https://growthday.com/ed">https://growthday.com/ed</a>. This show is sponsored by GrowthDay.

How Elizabeth Smart Transformed Trauma Into Purpose

Elizabeth Smart - How Elizabeth Smart Transformed Trauma Into Purpose

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#MAXOUT your life

the power of one more

#MAXOUT your life

the power of one more

#MAXOUT your life

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