Podcast review: Huberman Lab with Dr James Hollis
- Phil McAuliffe
- May 5
- 4 min read
Dr James Hollis shares powerful insights on finding purpose and reconnecting with our true selves, especially in midlife. The episode is a must-listen if you’re seeking fulfillment.
Hello, you wonderful human
It’s always a joy to be here with you, sharing a few moments as you read these words. Thanks for choosing to spend some in your day to take steps to become a more connected human.
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that we always want you to leave with something – an idea, a resource, a kick in the pants – to help you use in your life to get the connection that you need and deserve.
I wanted to share an episode of a podcast with you that really made me think and reflect on the nature of human connection and the loneliness we experience when we don’t feel connected.
It may make you think and reflect, too.
Huberman Lab – Dr James Hollis: How to Find Your True Purpose & Create Your Best Life
I want to be honest with you. An episode with a name like this would usually put me off. It’s too hyperbolic for my tastes. Beyond the language used, I also feel that I don’t have one true purpose. It feels to me that my purpose grows, changes and evolves with me as I grow, change and evolve through life.
But that’s not what I want to share with you.
Someone in the HUMANS:CONNECTING team shared this episode with me with the strong suggestion that I listen to it. I saw the name and the length of the episode and groaned.
The show notes read:
‘Dr. James Hollis, Ph.D., a Jungian psychoanalyst, renowned educator and author on finding and pursuing one’s unique purpose. Dr. Hollis is also an expert in the psychology of relationships and healing from trauma.
We discuss how early family dynamics and social context create patterns of both adaptive and maladaptive behavior[sic] and internal narratives that, when examined, lead to better choices and a deeply fulfilling existence.
We discuss discovering your unique self-identity and purpose through specific practices of reflection, meditation and conversations with others. We also discuss self-perception and the evolution of roles within marriages, parent-child relationships, and work.
Throughout the episode, Dr. Hollis provides both basic knowledge and practical tools to help us assess ourselves and better understand who we are and what we really want in careers, relationships of all kinds, and society.’
But the suggestion was so strong that I put my headphones on, dialled up the episode on Spotify and went for a run.
Wow.
It’s not often that I struggle to find the words to describe how an episode made me feel. I’ll simply say that running while listening to this episode was not a great decision – it made for a very dissonant experience. I was puffing and sweating, but my mind and heart wanted calm.
This episode contains so much learning, lived wisdom and insight about human connection and loneliness that it felt like Dr Hollis was speaking straight to me and my soul was doing a happy dance.
Specifically, the description of loneliness and disconnection in midlife resulting from a disconnection with purpose and our higher selves really resonated with me.
The content covers a lot of ground in the 2.5 hours. Dr Hollis’ insights on how to reconnect with our authentic selves as we prepare for the second half of our lives left me feeling inspired and, well, awed.
You must listen to it. How you listen to it is up to you. I don’t suggest running or doing anything that you need to concentrate on as you do. A better suggestion is for you to grab a notebook and a pen to capture some of the amazing insights that Dr Hollis shares with us.
Where to find it
You can listen to it on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts and watch on YouTube.
The website with the show notes and links to everything mentioned is here.
Your thoughts
Have you listened to the episode? What did you think? Did it speak to your experiences in life and how you’re feeling now?
That’s it for this review
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Until next time, be awesomely you.
~ Phil
Important:
All views expressed above are the author’s and are intended to inform, support, challenge and inspire you to consider the issue of loneliness and increase awareness of the need for authentic connection with your self, with those most important to you and your communities as an antidote to loneliness. Unless otherwise declared, the author is not a licensed mental health professional and these words are not intended to be crisis support. If you’re in crisis, this page has some links for immediate support for where you may be in the world.
If you’re in crisis, please don’t wait. Get support now.
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