Plato's Cave Allegory Explained: Awakening, ADHD and Masking
Plato's cave allegory explained simply: prisoners chained in the dark mistake shadows on a wall for reality, and the one who is pulled into the sunlight can never see the cave the same way again. In this Campfire Story, Jeremy Van Wert retells it and reads the chains as masking, perfectionism and people-pleasing, and the return as the hardest part.
Feeling Unworthy: How Perfectionism Led to Burnout and Healing
Feeling unworthy can quietly drive perfectionism, overwork and burnout. Therapist and author Karen Goslin knows this firsthand: she grew up feeling she was not enough, pushed herself until she burned out, developed an autoimmune illness and lost her marriage. She tells Jeremy Van Wert what interrupted her, what she learned, and how she now helps clients change.
CEO Burnout: A Former Co-CEO on Perfectionism and Identity
CEO burnout can build for years behind a successful title. A former co-CEO of a health tech company tells Jeremy Van Wert how childhood conditioning and constant pressure to be perfect wore her down, what she learned by asking who she is without her title, and what she experienced at a ceremonial psychedelic retreat.
Stress Relief Techniques: Where Anxiety Lives in the Body
Stress relief techniques can start with noticing where your body holds tension. Chiropractor Dr. Lynn Carey, after 18 years in practice, says she most often sees anxiety stored in the neck, shoulders and pelvis. In this conversation with Jeremy Van Wert, she shares simple habits such as journaling and gratitude, and explains why she links health, mindset and money.
Procrastination Symptom of Anxiety: Why It Is Not Laziness
Procrastination is a symptom of anxiety more often than a sign of laziness, says productivity coach Petrus Productivist. In this conversation with Jeremy Van Wert, he explains the stress, relief and guilt cycle, how fear of failure and self-worth keep people stuck, and why starting for just 20 minutes, with some accountability, can get a stalled project moving.
Limiting Beliefs: How to Rewire Your Brain and Know Who You Are
Limiting beliefs are ideas about your worth and safety that, according to neuro coach Carol Register, mostly form in early childhood and quietly steer your decisions. In this conversation with Jeremy Van Wert, she explains why she believes the brain defaults to safety over success, how neuroplasticity lets you retrain it, and which small daily tools she uses, including celebration and breathing.
How to Beat Creative Block: Lower the Stakes and Start Small
How to beat creative block, according to creativity coach Alon Ferency, starts with lowering the stakes. He tells Jeremy Van Wert that perfectionism and comparison stop people from starting, that a small sidestep can unstick a project, and that restarting with 15 or 20 minutes works better than waiting for inspiration or a grand plan.