The Next Ideal

It doesn't matter what other people think; as long as you find meaning in what you love, that's good enough.Real lessons from a fantasy world!Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapters 24 & 25!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/CosmereNerdsThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one sort of turned into a therapy session for me. Sorry about that.Real lessons from a fantasy world!Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapters 22 & 23!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/CosmereNerdsThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Action precedes motivation. But planning and practice can precede action. Though technically those are actions too. So action precedes action, which precedes motivation. You get it.Real lessons from a fantasy world!Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week: The Way of Kings Chapters 20 & 21!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/CosmereNerdsThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Extending humanity and "agent-ity" to ourselves can be incredibly difficult; even though we live our own experiences, we don't always recognize the circumstances that lead to those experiences.Real lessons from a fantasy world!Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapters 18 & 19!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/CosmereNerdsThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Compassion, like a virus, can spread when it is observed. Let's go infect others with it.Real lessons from a fantasy world!Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapter 17!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/CosmereNerdsThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life has the meaning that we give it. And context can help us decide.Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapter 16!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can't be worthless, because no one is worth more than you are.Real lessons from a fantasy world!Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapter 15!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doing a difficult thing because you know it will make things better later can be transformative.Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapter 14!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just because someone believes something different than you doesn't make their lived experience any less True.Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapters 12 & 13!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!Word of the Day is Sonder: the profound, often sudden realization that every random passerby is living a life as vivid, complex, and chaotic as your own.Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Interludes 1, 2, & 3!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!Trigger Warning: we talk about suicide A LOT in this episode. Which shouldn't be a surprise, given the chapter we're on. Nothing graphic, but it certainly can be a hard topic for some.Steven Pond (@TheCosmerenaut) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapter 11!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!The values we develop in childhood often shape the rest of our lives.Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapters 9 & 10!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!No matter what MATH says, you totally do win more on the third hand. Or at least, you win when you need it most.Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health.This week, The Way of Kings Chapters 7 & 8!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!There's always SOMETHING to hold on to, even if it's just a name.Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapter 6!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!What do we do after someone tells us no? Especially if what we're working toward is vitally important?Steven Pond (@TheCosmerenaut) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapter 5!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!Are Kalak and Jezrien wrong for giving up? Is Szeth wrong for sticking with it?Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, the Prelude and Prologue to the Stormlight Archive!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!Even in the depths of despair (aka - trapped in a slave wagon during a highstorm), we can still find purpose.Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapters 1 & 2!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world!How is it one of the best quotes from these books comes from an actual slaver?Steven Pond ( @TheCosmerenaut ) and Dr. Ben Jeppsen explore what Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" can teach us about mental health. This week, The Way of Kings Chapters 3 & 4!The Next Ideal Podcast is available on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For more information, visit TheNextIdeal.comThe Next Step Coin by Dragonsteel: https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/next-step-coinNerdHQ direct link: https://nerdhq.org/NerdHQ Cosmere Nerds for Mental Health Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cosmerenerdsThe Next Ideal Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenextidealThe Next Ideal Podcast is not affiliated with Brandon Sanderson or Dragonsteel Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real lessons from a fantasy world - we approach the Stormlight Archive as a therapy text, working our way through The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, using modern psychology theories and practices to help you find your Next Ideal.Featuring Steve @TheCosmerenaut and Dr. Ben Jeppsen, The Stormlight PsychologistSubscribe on YouTube, follow wherever you get your podcasts, and sign up for notifications on TheNextIdeal.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.