In this episode of Un-Shuck Yourself, I talk about something I didn’t plan on learning the hard way — the real cost of ignoring your health.

After dealing with a lingering sickness for over a month, I was forced to slow down and confront how physical health, mental health, and overall capacity are deeply connected. When your body isn’t well, it doesn’t just affect you — it ripples into your work, your relationships, and the way you show up in the world.

This episode is a reminder that health isn’t a side priority or something you “get to later.” It’s the foundation everything else is built on. We talk about burnout, pushing through exhaustion, redefining strength, and why listening to your body before it breaks is one of the most important forms of self-respect.

If you’ve been running on empty, ignoring the signals, or telling yourself you’ll slow down “after this season,” this one’s for you.

Because you don’t rise to your ambitions —
you fall to the level of your health.

Un-Shuck Yourself.

December is more than a holiday — it’s a teacher.
In this finale, Ben DeLeon wraps up the December series by breaking down the real lessons of the season: slowing down, appreciating small moments, choosing presence over perfection, and carrying light into the new year.
If you’re ready for a meaningful transition into January, this episode is the perfect finish.

December looks magical on the outside — but for many people, it’s also heavy.
In this episode, Ben DeLeon talks about the pressure, expectations, grief, and emotional weight we quietly carry during the holidays, and how to lighten it without losing the meaning of the season.
If the holidays feel complicated this year, this episode will help you breathe again.

This season, most people are rushing, stressing, and powering through December on autopilot.
But the most meaningful gift you can give right now isn’t something you buy — it’s your presence.
In this episode, Ben DeLeon breaks down why attention is the rarest gift of the holidays, how to show up for people who need it, and why slowing down for ten minutes might matter more than anything under the tree.
If you’re ready to bring more meaning (and less chaos) into this season, this one’s for you.

In this short reflection, Ben shares a small but powerful moment he observed while dining out with his wife— one that reveals how tiny acts of awareness and cooperation can change an entire atmosphere. A simple gesture, a stacked plate, a passed dish… and suddenly, you can see who’s paying attention. This episode explores the quiet empathy that shows up in unexpected places.

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Thank you!!!

The holiday season can be bright — and it can be heavy.
In this episode, Ben DeLeon explores how to find small sources of light when life feels dark, slow, or overwhelming. You’ll learn why winter seasons matter, why light doesn’t have to be bright to guide you, and how to anchor yourself with one steady source of hope.
Because sometimes the smallest light shines the strongest in the quietest moments.

Gratitude isn’t just a feeling — it’s a rhythm that shapes how you live.
In this final episode of the November gratitude series, Ben DeLeon brings everything together — from the energy of enough, to what you water grows, to staying grateful when life gets hard.
Discover how gratitude begins with awareness, grows with intention, and gives back through the way you live and lead.
Because gratitude isn’t the end of growth — it’s the cycle that keeps it going.

Gratitude is easy when life’s good — but what about when it’s not?
In this episode, Ben DeLeon breaks down what it really means to stay grateful when everything feels heavy. Because gratitude isn’t pretending everything’s fine.
It’s noticing what’s still holding you up, even in the middle of the storm.

Learn how to hold both pain and peace, how to borrow gratitude when yours runs low, and why the smallest anchors often keep you from drifting the farthest.

• (00:00:00) - What to Do When Gratitude Gets Hard
• (00:03:20) - Why You Should Unshuck Yourself