2026 is off to a hectic start for Maya as she tours the country promoting her book, “The Other Side of Change.” To recenter, she’s revisiting a conversation with her friend and mentor, Yale Professor Laurie Santos, who studies the science of happiness. Together, they explore why the things we chase often don’t bring the joy we expect - and why sometimes it's the most unexpected things that do.

Order “The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans” at changewithmaya.com/book, or wherever you like to buy books.

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Maya’s book, “The Other Side of Change”, is officially out! To celebrate, we’re sharing an exclusive excerpt with our community – about what first sparked Maya’s interest in change, and the story of a woman named Olivia Lewis.

Order “The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans” at changewithmaya.com/book, or wherever you like to buy books.

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Booklist awarded Maya’s upcoming book, The Other Side of Change, one of its coveted starred reviews, saying “It’s impossible not to be moved.”

The Other Side of Change hits shelves on January 13th and is filled with a rare combination of scientific wisdom and powerful stories (not featured on this podcast!) that will help you enter 2026 with greater strength and optimism about the road ahead.

ORDER The Other Side of Change TODAY for you or someone you love at the links below.

Amazon: https://a.co/d/2o1QEM4

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/2186/9780593713686

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Therapist Meg Josephson learned early on to put others’ needs before her own. It was a way for her to stay safe in a home that didn’t feel emotionally stable. But over time, she saw that her people-pleasing habits were eroding her sense of self, and straining the very relationships she was trying to protect. On today’s show, we explore how we can stop asking ourselves if other people are mad at us. Who can we become when we stop trying to please everyone else?

If you liked this episode, you’ll want to check out our episode with Sunita Sah, called, “How To Say No.”

Don’t forget to pre-order Maya’s book, “The Other Side of Change,” at changewithmaya.com/book.

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After a turbulent adolescence and decades of reinvention, Zarna Garg found her voice somewhere she never expected: stand-up comedy. On today’s episode, she tells Maya why she believes courage is a skill you can learn, and how failure has been a key to her success on stage and off.

Register for Maya’s virtual book event with Brene Brown at changewithmaya.com/launch. Spots are limited, and the deadline to sign up is December 14th.

Don’t forget to pre-order Maya’s book, “The Other Side of Change,” at changewithmaya.com/book.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world feels especially heavy these days, and it’s easy to feel cynical. So today, Maya is revisiting her conversation with psychologist Jamil Zaki, who offers an alternative to cynicism: a mindset he calls “hopeful skepticism.” Jamil explains why hopeful people are more resilient, more successful in accomplishing goals, and more willing to tackle societal problems head on.

For even more from Jamil, check out our other episode with him: “How to Build Empathy and Avoid Burnout.”

Don’t forget to pre-order Maya’s book, “The Other Side of Change,” at changewithmaya.com/book.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been more than a decade since Malala Yousafzai, then a 15-year-old student and advocate for girls education, survived an assassination attempt. Malala is 28 now, and she’s written an intimate new memoir called “Finding My Way,” revealing sides of her the world has never seen before. In today’s episode, Maya sits down with Malala to explore the tension that exists between the different versions of ourselves that we carry — who the world expects us to be, who our families raised us to be, and who we’re still in the process of becoming.

Watch the full video version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/q3y_-BP2Rmk?si=gVYmk-eTIOMzLP-L

Don’t forget to pre-order Maya’s book, “The Other Side of Change” at changewithmaya.com/book.

“Finding My Way: A Memoir” is out now. You can find it wherever you buy books.

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When Dr. Vivek Murthy first appeared on the show a few years back, he and Maya discussed the science of loneliness and its impact on our long term health. Now, the former U.S. Surgeon General is back to share simple, practical steps we can take to nurture more meaningful relationships—and why making even small changes can help us feel more connected.

To hear Maya’s first conversation with Vivek Murthy, go to www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/a-slight-change-of-plans/the-science-of-loneliness.

To watch the full video version of this interview, go to www.pushkin.fm/slightchange.

For more from Vivek on how to create meaningful relationships in our lives, check out bit.ly/recipes4connection.

Sign up for Maya's free newsletter here: changewithmaya.com.

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