Forked

Welcome to Forked. In this episode I’m talking with Sanidhya Agarwal, author of Gita for Gen Z, for a deep and honest conversation about stress, focus, modern life, and the wisdom we’ve left behind. Drawing from his university experience and personal struggles, Sanidhya shares why ancient teachings like the Bhagavad Gita aren’t relics of the past—but practical guides for navigating today’s mental overload.   This episode is a conversation with Sanidhya Agarwal, author of Gita for Gen Z, he shares his thought on what happens when ancient wisdom meets modern pressure. Sanidhya tells us what first provoked him to write the book, tracing the idea back to his time at university, where he witnessed—both in himself and his peers—a growing undercurrent of stress, anxiety, and inner unrest. What became clear to him was the absence of spiritual grounding in a world that increasingly rewards speed, productivity, and constant comparison. Our conversation moves into the cultural crossroads of modern India, including a thoughtful discussion on Western outsourcing, capitalism, and how rapid economic change has both improved lives and quietly reshaped values, identity, and inner well-being. We explore why the ability to focus—to sit quietly with one’s own mind—is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Sanidhya explains how modernity has intensified mental restlessness, and why practices rooted in stillness, reflection, and self-observation are more relevant now than ever. We also dive into: The psychological toll of fear of missing out Why keeping a daily journal or diary can be a stabilizing force What to do when you’ve followed all the “right steps” in life—and the path suddenly disappears This episode is an invitation to slow down, question inherited ideas of success, and reconnect with inner clarity in an increasingly noisy world.   Get the book! 👉 Gita for GenZ  Follow Sanidhya on Instagram 👉 click here Email Sanidhya 👉[email protected]     Acknowledgements: Music by Poradovskyi Andrii you can find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inplusmusic Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@INPLUSMUSIC  

In this episode, we discuss: How modern work challenges are pushing many people toward content creation — and why Jellis focuses on the human-made element of online content rather than chasing algorithms Navigating the ambiguity of starting something new, and maintaining the right mindset when there’s no clear feedback or proof that your efforts are paying off The origin story of The Inner PathSeekers Podcast and the intention behind creating it Why people who are able to find meaning in their struggles often discover a clearer sense of direction Jellis’ experience with depression as a young man, and why stigma around mental health still persists Living with a progressive genetic heart disease, including surviving a near-fatal heart attack The creation and growth of The Heart Warrior Project, a support community for survivors of sudden cardiac arrest Why purpose may be the most important daily discipline we can cultivate How Jellis maintains his fitness through bouldering, mountain climbing, and walking — and the balance between pushing limits and respecting physical constraints Jellis Vaes website: https://jellisvaes.com Inner Path Seekers: https://theipsproject.com Follow Jellis on: Instagram       Acknowledgements: Music by Poradovskyi Andrii you can find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inplusmusic Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@INPLUSMUSIC    

As we move into a new year, there’s a lot of talk about reinvention — new goals, new momentum, becoming more of who we think we should be. But there’s another side to growth that doesn’t get talked about much. The moments when you’re doing the work, showing up honestly… and the feedback goes quiet. In this solo episode, I reflect on what it means to keep walking when momentum fades, when clarity gives way to fog, and when progress turns inward. This is a conversation about staying oriented without forcing certainty — and learning to trust the path even when it’s harder to see. Momentum is easy to trust when it’s loud — when feedback is clear and effort feels rewarded. But almost every meaningful project eventually enters a quieter phase. Nothing breaks. Nothing ends. The road just stops talking back. In this episode, I explore what happens when momentum fades — not as failure, but as a shift. Drawing from my own experiences with creative work, ADHD, mindfulness, and long periods of uncertainty, I talk about how progress can turn inward, and why learning to stay present during these phases matters more than forcing clarity. In this episode, we explore: Why momentum often goes quiet after initial progress The difference between feedback and validation How ambiguity and lack of signal can trigger doubt and rumination What it means when motion doesn’t stop, but turns inward The role of personal tools during periods of fog Why learning and integration matter more than acceleration How to keep walking without pretending you know exactly where the path leads If you’re in a season where the excitement has faded, the signals are unclear, or the road feels harder to see — this episode is a reminder not to check out. Sometimes the quiet isn’t a problem to solve, but a different kind of work asking for your attention. The Journeyman: An Apprentice's Tale  https://a.co/d/iiiWTiv Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/seanchrislewis/   Acknowledgements: Music by Poradovskyi Andrii you can find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inplusmusic Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@INPLUSMUSIC    

This episode is part of The Journeyman season — conversations that explore mental well-being, personal struggle, and the subtle ways we learn to move through life with more presence and compassion. In this episode of Forked, I sit down with Louis Groulx, a Montreal-based nature and wildlife photographer whose work is rooted in patience, presence, and deep attention. Louis shares how spending time in nature — quietly observing rather than chasing moments — has shaped both his art and his inner life. Our conversation explores how creativity can become a practice of grounding, and how slowing down can offer unexpected clarity in a world that constantly pulls us toward urgency and control. In this conversation, we explore: How wildlife photography teaches patience, stillness, and surrender The role of attention in both art and mental well-being Letting go of control and allowing moments to unfold naturally Nature as a teacher rather than an escape Creativity as a quiet companion through personal struggle The calming rhythms of the outdoors and their effect on the nervous system How slowing down can sharpen perception — in photography and in life Walking alongside inner challenges instead of resisting them This episode is part of The Journeyman season — conversations that explore mental well-being, personal struggle, and the subtle ways we learn to move through life with more presence and compassion.   You can connect with Louis on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LouisGPhoto Instagram:https: https://www.instagram.com/louisgphoto/   Buy The Journeyman: An Apprentice’s Tale https://a.co/d/13NVZQN Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/seanchrislewis/ Acknowledgements: Music by Poradovskyi Andrii you can find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inplusmusic Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@INPLUSMUSIC    

Welcome to Forked. I’m Sean Lewis and today I wanted to share my insights from last weeks episode with Ananda Fitzsimmons and I hope they resonate with you and maybe we can have some quiet reflections together. As I shared in my 2 part series on the 5 practices, we heard those themes throughout the exchange with Ananda. The importance of being present and witnessing the natural world around us, action steps to be in service to the world under our feet and, not striving for perfection but just doing our own small part. You know, when we talk about the environment, most of us feel two things at once: love… and helplessness. We love the Earth — most of our fondest memories were born close to it. Hot summer days at the lake. Childhood vacations at the beach. Sledding down a snow-swept hillside narrowly escaping real connection with that big oak that sits in the middle of the hill. The first time probably around our late teen years of discovering the peace of sitting under an old tree after a heartbreak. The Earth has been our quiet companion through it all — always there, always offering her gifts, never asking for anything in return. And that’s why this week’s episode — the first in the Journeyman season — is about remembering that our connection to the Earth is essential to finding true peace and lasting meaning. Meaning that carries us through our careers, through the noise of life, and into old age — when everything slows down, and we begin to see what’s always been constant. People come and go. Chapters open and close. But you… and the Earth… are never broken companions. Our conversation last week with Ananda Fitzsimmons brought to light the beautiful complexity of life and the interactions and cooperation that all living creatures provide in order for life to be sustained and well on our earth. The vast majority of people want to be loyal to the great memories nature has provided and want the next generation to share in those experiences of connecting with the earth. And yet, even with all that love, many of us feel a quiet ache underneath it.We see what’s happening to the world — the headlines, the pollution, the garbage, the fires, the storms — and somewhere inside, we start to feel small. Helpless. But maybe that’s where we’ve misunderstood our role.We’re not here to change the entire world — we’re here to connect with it again. Like we were when we were kids. Because the moment you reconnect, the helplessness begins to fade. Let’s take a look together at our 5 daily practices and how they can be guiding points to help us reconnect with the natural world and remind us what it is to be human.   Part 1 — As you’ve learned, Breathing deeply brings The Power of Connection, breathing is a tool for feeling connected When you connect — when you actually walk, breathe, and pay attention — something inside you reawakens. You stop standing on the outside looking in. You start to belong again. And belonging is powerful. It dissolves helplessness. I think a lot of the apathy we feel — the burnout, the guilt — comes from forgetting that we’re part of nature, not separate from it. We scroll through feeds and headlines that show destruction, and we start believing that the world is something happening to us.But it’s not. It’s still happening through us, every single day. (pause) Every morning I take my dog Jaybe for a walk. We often follow the same trail near my home — gravel path, tiny forested areas, and small lake. I’ve walked that route hundreds of times. But almost every time, I notice something new — a new resident muskrat, field mice living under last summers meadow grass. Some geese migrating later than others, calmly floating on a tiny circle of unfrozen lake. You see that at closer inspection, nothing is ever really the same in nature. And sometimes, I’ll stop to pick up a piece of garbage — a coffee cup or a bit of plastic. I don’t do it out of duty or to feel like a hero. I just do it because, in that moment, it