BewilderedTM

with martha beck
and rowan mangan

What if we stopped listening to the controlling voice of the culture around us, and instead learned to reconnect with our own true nature? 

Sometimes we aren’t even sure why we feel so bewildered… and discontented… and even downright miserable. Often it’s because we have let the forces of society replace our own instinctive knowledge of what is right for us. 

Now, it’s time for us to find that voice again—before it’s too late.

For Martha and Rowan, Job One is to live according to our deepest truths, making the commitment to feeling good even when it means looking weird. We believe that this is how we will reinvent our world—from the inside out— to create a society that’s kinder, more equitable, and more ecologically sustainable than the one we see around us right now. 

This is the vision that we laugh and stumble and chat and feel our way towards here on this podcast.  Did we mention LAUGH? We want no part of personal and global transformation if it isn’t fun!

So if you struggle to find a place where people who are as idealistic and brokenhearted, as silly and deeply sincere, as bewildered as you are—you might have just arrived. 

Welcome!

Latest Podcast Episodes

Image for Episode #67 Change Cycle: Bug Soup for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Do you know what happens to a caterpillar inside its cocoon? 

It disintegrates into a gooey mass before its cells reform into a butterfly. This “bug soup” phase isn’t pretty, but it’s an essential part of change—what Martha refers to [...]

Image for Episode #66 Bittersweet Misunderstandings for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

The culture says it’s a given that the people who love you will understand you. But very often, the people who love you don’t understand you at all—yet they can have the strongest ideas about who you should be.

Martha [...]

Episode #65

Beauty That Moves

Image for Episode #65 Beauty That Moves for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Martha and Ro are coming “full square” on this episode of BEWILDERED® to talk about Square Four in Martha’s Change Cycle.

The culture tells us that whenever we achieve a goal, we’re supposed to stay there: “Now you’re a butterfly. [...]

Image for Episode #64 Zen and the Art of Travel With Toddlers for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

The hinges have come off, folks—Martha and Rowan have jet lag (and they’re not afraid to use it!) in this episode of Bewildered: Zen and the Art of Traveling with Toddlers. 

On two recent international trips, Martha and Ro’s toddler [...]

Image for Episode #63 Best of Bewildered: Vulnerability Hangovers for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Have you ever bravely shared your authentic self, only to agonize over it later thinking you shared too much?

This is something Brené Brown calls a “vulnerability hangover”—and we’ve all been there.

In this episode from THE BEST OF BEWILDERED, Martha [...]

Image for Episode #62 Best of Bewildered: Making the Right Choice for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

It’s THE BEST OF BEWILDERED, and this week we’re revisiting another favorite episode from the vault: Making the Right Choice.

The culture believes there’s always a single right choice and that choosing wrong means you’ve wasted your entire life. So [...]

Image for Episode #61 Best of Bewildered: Elizabeth Gilbert gets Bewildered! for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

In case you missed out the first time around, Martha and Ro are sharing some of their all-time favorite episodes in a series called The Best of Bewildered.

First up, Elizabeth Gilbert Gets Bewildered! In this encore episode, Liz joined [...]

Episode #60

Wild Horses

Image for Episode #60 Wild Horses for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Have you ever felt driven to do specific excruciating tasks, and you couldn’t explain why? 

While the culture mindlessly tells us we should always work hard, there’s also a place in our true nature for dogged, determined work. In this [...]

Episode #59

Bug Soup

Image for Episode #59 Bug Soup for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Do you know what happens to a caterpillar inside its cocoon? 

It disintegrates into a gooey mass before its cells reform into a butterfly. Martha calls this state “bug soup.” It’s not pretty, but it’s an essential part of change—including [...]

Image for Episode #58 Dream Dashers and Way Stations for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

You know those big, magical dreams you can’t seem to let go of, the ones that could change the whole course of your life? 

Martha and Ro call these wild yearnings “way station dreams,” and you better believe the culture [...]

Image for Episode #57 The Deep, Slow River of Creativity for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

On this episode of BEWILDERED® Martha and Ro answer a question from listener Laurel, who’s struggling to focus on a big creative project in a world full of distractions.

The culture tells us that we can be successful at our [...]

Episode #56

When to Leave

Image for Episode #56 When to Leave for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

“Should I stay, or should I go?”

In this BeWild Files episode of BEWILDERED®, Martha and Ro dive into this question—and they say that the first step is to question our thoughts.

Why?

Because problems often come from our thoughts about our [...]

Episode #55

The Pull

Image for Episode #55 The Pull for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Have you ever had the sense of being pulled towards something…but you had no idea why?

Martha and Ro call this mysterious feeling “the pull,” and they’re talking all about it in Episode 55 of BEWILDERED®. They share examples of [...]

Image for Episode #54 The Anxiety Files, Vol. 2: A Tiny Crunch of Fear for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Anxiety in the culture—what exactly is going on there? 

That’s what Martha and Ro are trying to figure out in this special Anxiety Files episode of Bewildered.

As a society we create structures to control things and keep us safe so [...]

Image for Episode #53 The Anxiety Files, Vol. 1: Courage and Avoidance for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Anxiety is like breathing for Martha and Rowan…maybe it is for you too?

If so, you are sooo not alone! All over the world, anxiety is skyrocketing, and Martha and Ro are exploring this subject in depth over a series [...]

Image for Episode #52 Not Getting Enough Done for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Most of us are plagued with the fear that we’re not doing enough—it’s practically the fuel our culture runs on. We’re pressured to constantly do more and more, and we’re taught that suffering is necessary for success. 

But where is [...]

Episode #51

In Pursuit of Balance

Image for Episode #51 In Pursuit of Balance for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

In this BeWild Files episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro answer a question from listener Kathryn about how to live a balanced life each day instead of bouncing between extremes.

While our culture demands high-level productivity all year round, the [...]

Image for Episode #50 Living Without a Script (Special episode!) for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

Martha and Ro are doing something completely different for this episode of Bewildered, teaming up with their friends Eric Zimmer and Ginny Gay from The One You Feed podcast. 

Tune in as they talk about what drags you into the [...]

Image for Episode #49 Nice Work If You Can Get It for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

When it comes to the topic of jobs, the culture has a lot to say—and all of it is scary. There’s a strict path we’re expected to follow, which we’ve been led to believe is the only logical way.

In [...]

Episode #48

How to Get Started

Image for Episode #48 How to Get Started for the Bewildered Podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro answer a question from listener Josephine, who’s trying to understand and overcome her resistance to doing things that are good for her.

The culture tells us that if something is good for [...]

Development Alchemy + Aim