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Human School: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Miles Adcox
We’ve been taught everything except how to be human. In a world obsessed with output, Human School is where we study what happens within. This podcast was born from a journal entry during a breakdown. A reminder that struggle isn’t weakness - it’s instruction. Human School reframes pain as purpose, productivity as presence, and leadership as inner clarity. We’re building the education we never got. Through stories, tools, and raw conversations, we help people stop performing their lives–and start participating in them. Welcome to Human School.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days ago13 min
4 Lessons To Stop Burnout: What My 7-Year-Old Taught Me About Stress
We spend an enormous amount of energy trying to learn how to be healthier, less stressed adults – but what if the answer isn't learning something new, but remembering what we knew before we got so complicated? In this special solo episode of The Human School Podcast, host Miles Adcox hands the microphone to his seven-year-old daughter, Birdie Rose. With zero media training and absolute honesty, Birdie shares her thoughts on art, missing teeth, strawberries and ketchup, and what makes her feel closest to the people she loves.In this conversation and reflection, Miles unpacks four unexpected lessons on stress, curiosity, presence, and connection that children carry naturally — lessons that adults spend a lifetime trying to find their way back to.In this episode: 00:00 - Introducing Birdie Rose: The 7-Year-Old Podcast Guest 01:20 - Lesson 1: Curiosity Over Certainty (The Power of "I Don't Know") 04:00 - Lesson 2: Presence Over Productivity (Why Play Doesn't Need a Reason) 05:50 - Lesson 3: Expression Over Impression (Strawberries in Ketchup and PR Filters) 07:45 - Lesson 4: Relationship Over Performance (What Kids Actually Want From Us) 09:40 - Finding Courage: How We Regulate Fear Inside Relationships 11:45 - Final Encouragement from Birdie (And How to Keep Showing Up) If you’re looking for ways to connect back to yourself, Onsite can help. Learn more about our experiences: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj150Follow Human School: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj450Follow Miles: https://hubs.la/Q04xch_N0Subscribe to Substack: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj3y0
- 1 weeks ago1h 47m
How to Rewire Your Brain for Peace, Creativity, and Purpose with Dr. Martha Beck
Are you living the life you actually want, or are you just trying to please everyone around you? In this episode of Human School, Miles sits down with world-renowned author, sociologist, and life coach Dr. Martha Beck for an exceptionally honest and deep conversation on human nature, breaking free from anxiety, and finding your true path. Martha shares her personal journey — from her time writing for Oprah’s Magazine and earning degrees from Harvard, to radically transforming her life by committing to a full year of total honesty. Together, Miles and Martha explore the biological roots of anxiety, how societal expectations force us to sell out our true nature at an early age, and how simple creative acts can serve as a direct antidote to mental distress. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Root of Modern Anxiety: Why our current educational and social systems conflict with human evolution. The "Visual Cliff" Study: How children learn to judge their own worth by watching the adults around them. The Power of Caving Early: Why learning to apologize quickly and drop ego heals relationships faster than anything else. Creativity vs. Anxiety: How engaging the creative parts of your brain actively shuts down panic and stress. The "One-Degree Turn": How making tiny, honest shifts in your day-to-day choices can completely realign your life. The K.I.S.T. Method: A practical, step-by-step tool using Kind Internal Self-Talk to navigate intense panic attacks and internal conflict. Whether you’re feeling burned out, stuck in people-pleasing patterns, or simply searching for more peace in your daily routine, this episode provides a compassionate roadmap back to your whole self. Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and what your body might be holding onto. Learn more at www.experienceonsite.com Episode Chapters: 00:00:00 Welcome Martha Beck 00:02:46 What Comfort Means Today 00:04:41 Root Causes of Modern Anxiety 00:07:08 How Kids Learn Self-Worth 00:13:21 The "Cave Early" Practice 00:15:53 Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain 00:21:05 The Real Curriculum of Life 00:24:00 Ancestral Wisdom & Magic 00:28:13 African Hospitality & Ubuntu 00:34:52 Finite vs. Infinite Games 00:44:03 Using Art to Fight Anxiety 00:47:38 Guided Visualization Exercise 00:54:02 Finding Magic in Technology 01:00:52 Humanizing High Performers 01:08:18 Living One Year Without Lies Connect with Human School: YouTube: https://hubs.la/Q04wFHGz0 Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04wFHPK0 Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04wFJHn0 Follow Human School on Substack: https://hubs.la/Q04wFJZt0
- 2 weeks ago1h 50m
"I Had to Learn to Live Again" — Amy Grant on Starting Over at 65
What happens when life completely rewires your timeline overnight? Six-time Grammy winner Amy Grant joins the show for an exceptionally raw and vulnerable conversation about navigating back-to-back life-altering health crises — from emergency open-heart surgery to a traumatic brain injury that forced her to pause everything. Amy candidly opens up about the physical reality of memory loss, the emotional weight of starting over at 65, and why she ultimately decided to write a eulogy to her younger self. She also breaks down the worst advice she received early in her career, and how letting go of control allowed her to finally embrace the gift of unplanned interruptions. Whether you are navigating your own unexpected life shift, recovering from trauma, or searching for margin in a chaotic world, this episode is a masterclass in grace, resilience, and true freedom. Key Takeaways from This Episode Interruptions are often invitations. Real growth happens when you stop viewing life's disruptions as obstacles and start viewing them as redirections. Release past versions of yourself. Holding onto who you used to be prevents you from accepting and healing who you are right now. Margin isn't extra time — it's intentional space. Recovery and peace require actively protecting your energy from external expectations. Are you looking for support after your own season of change? Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and what your body might be holding onto. Learn more at www.experienceonsite.com Episode Chapters: 00:00 - Dragging Old Suitcases: Amy Grant’s New Season 00:38 - "Don't Talk So Much, Just Sing" 06:01 - The First Recording at Age 15 08:24 - Overcoming Limits 12:22 - The "River of Life" & Facing the Waterfall 20:56 - Health Scares: Open-Heart Surgery & the Bike Accident 27:17 - Living with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 31:02 - The Assignment: Writing a Eulogy to Her Younger Self 37:57 - Undoing Childhood Scripts and Deconstructing the Past 42:15 - Finding "Margin" and the Story of the Good Samaritan 47:24 - Morning Rituals: Unplugging from Autopilot 52:13 - Turning Pain into Grace and Finding Identity 01:00:23 - Overcoming Memory Loss and Slow Processing 01:08:53 - Rewiring the Brain: Neuroplasticity and Healing 01:12:24 - "Lead Me to Those I Need": Surplus and Need 01:21:00 - Post-Traumatic Growth and Repurposing Your Story 01:26:24 - Navigating Fame, Criticism, and Living off the Screen 01:33:17 - Collaborative Music and Embracing a Life Reset 01:39:19 Breathwork 01:42:09 Marriage is the Great Rock Tumbler 01:49:59 Closing Prayer Sendoff Connect with Human School: YouTube: https://hubs.la/Q04vZlYs0 Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04vB96T0 Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04vB9CJ0
- 3 weeks ago1h 31m
Overcoming Self-Judgment and Walking Through Grief with Judah & the Lion
When life throws loss, grief, and change your way, how do you allow the pain to transform you rather than destroy you? In this episode of Human School, host Miles Adcox sits down with Judah Akers and Brian Macdonald of the alt-folk band Judah & the Lion on the release day of their album, Process. Together, they walk through a raw and vulnerable conversation about what it truly takes to heal. Judah opens up about losing family members to mental health struggles, navigating divorce, and working through addiction while performing on major stages around the world. Brian shares his perspective on stepping into fatherhood while on tour, keeping the band's brotherhood intact through dark seasons, and learning to redefine identity. From the metaphor of a caterpillar in a cocoon to learning how to stop harsh self-judgment, this conversation is a grounded reminder that transformation is messy, but hope is always available. In this episode, we discuss: The Cocoon Metaphor: Why real emotional growth requires letting go of who you were. Grief & Mental Health: Processing tragic loss, addressing addiction, and separating the symptom from the disease. Self-Compassion: Overcoming shame, letting go of control, and learning to speak kindly to yourself. Parenting & Growth: Navigating big life transitions and raising kids while working through your own past.Behind the Songs: The spontaneous origin story behind their track "Prism". Memorable Quotes: "The caterpillar has no memory of wings." — Judah Akers "We're not through the pain, but we're in it together, and there's hope." — Brian Macdonald "Addiction is a symptom. Shame, guilt, and not knowing yourself... are the disease." — Judah Akers "It's okay to be scared and brave at the same time. You can actually do both." — Miles Adcox Episode Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Meet Judah & The Lion00:04:42 – The Metaphor of Transformation00:11:42 – Fatherhood & Evolving Identity00:15:39 – Unpacking Rock Bottom & Vulnerability00:21:44 – Growing Up & Early Influences00:36:34 – The Band’s Origins & Personal Loss00:47:31 – Brotherhood & Supporting Each Other Through the Storm00:50:23 – Addressing Addiction, Shame, and Grief00:00:21 – Mentors, Support Systems, & Encouraging Voices01:07:33 – The Meaning Behind "Prism"01:11:46 – "Open Your Eyes, Kid"01:24:20 – "Scared and Brave at the Same Time" Links & Resources: Stream Judah & the Lion's Music Learn more about emotional wellness intensives at Onsite Workshops If you loved this episode, please rate and review Human School on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help us reach more people who need these conversations! Follow Human School Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04v8Q7K0Follow Miles: https://hubs.la/Q04v8QcZ0Human School YouTube: https://hubs.la/Q04v8Qdh0
- Aug 18, 20269 min
What if Stress Isn't The Enemy? with Miles Adcox
It seems like everyone is talking about stress. How to manage it. How to get rid of it. How to avoid it at all costs. But maybe in our journey to eradicate stress from our lives, we’re losing something far more valuable. In this solo conversation, Miles Adcox reframes our entire relationship with stress. Instead of treating stress like an opponent to beat, what if we treated it like a system trying to protect us? Join Miles as he shares the importance of building capacity over elimination, why meaningful living requires being stretched, and how to become a trusted partner to your own nervous system. In this episode, we explore: Why "trauma" can feel clinical, but stress is universal Stress as the body's brilliant system for adaptation The difference between removing stress and building capacity How curiosity replaces shame when looking at our nervous systems Looking to go deeper into your personal growth journey? The conversations on Human School are shaped by the work happening at Onsite Workshops. If you're looking to slow down, break patterns, and do the inner work, visit experienceonsite.com Episode chapters: 00:00 Intro: Is stress really the enemy? 00:40 The room that changed how I view trauma vs. stress 01:45 How burnout and emotional exhaustion actually begin 02:35 Why modern wellness tools miss the mark 03:15 Stress is an adaptation system, not a design flaw 04:15 Every meaningful thing in life asks something stressful of you 05:10 Increasing capacity vs. eliminating stress 05:55 Everyday pressure vs. profound adversity 06:45 Stress is an experience, not an identity 07:20 Why modern nervous systems are carrying more than ever before 07:50 Swap shame for curiosity: Becoming a student of your nervous system 08:35 Stop playing tug-of-war with your body Follow Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04tfRwT0
- Aug 11, 20262h 9m
Finding Success Without Losing Yourself: Larry Fleet on Fame, Fatherhood, and Staying Grounded
What do you do when you go from singing at local bars to millions of video views, playing at Madison Square Garden with Morgan Wallen, and hearing 20,000 people sing your lyrics back to you? If you’re Larry Fleet, you still shop at Ace Hardware. Larry Fleet writes the kind of country songs that feel like your own memories — jumping railroad tracks in a truck bed, learning how to tell stories in a barbershop chair, the sound of truck tires in the gravel. In this conversation, Larry opens up about the “simple” mistakes we’re making in modern storytelling, what fatherhood has changed in his songwriting, and how he's managed to tour and write with Willie Nelson, Morgan Wallen, and other heroes of the genre without losing the guy from White Bluff, Tennessee. The conversations we have on Human School are shaped by the work happening every day at Onsite. If you feel stuck in the same patterns, Onsite's Living Centered Program helps you slow down, go deeper, and do the inner work that changes things. If you’d like to learn more about Onsite, visit us –– experienceonsite.comIn this conversation: Why “clutter” might be the enemy of great storytelling The $5-a-head night Larry still keeps close, and why he never lets himself forget it Why he built his newest record with zero radio in mind — and what happened when it hit anyway The ways fatherhood has changed him, including teaching him new ways to communicate with others The surprising place his storytelling voice actually comes from What it actually takes to stay a person instead of becoming a product once people start paying attention How to build a songwriting career one bad song (then a hundred more) at a time How to stay "a normal dude" while touring arenas with Willie Nelson and Morgan Wallen Why simple, honest storytelling can reach people that polished products can't Episode timestamps: 00:00:00 — Welcome to Human School 00:06:30 — Small-town origins00:25:30 — Another Year Older — the new record 01:01:30 — The true story behind "5:25" 01:04:00 — Why Larry stopped writing for the radio 01:07:30 — What We Can Learn from Kids01:15:00 — $5 a head in North Georgia 01:19:30 — The Radio Said "No" to "Where I Find God"01:20:30 — The call from Morgan Wallen, and Madison Square Garden 01:38:30 — What it means to stay human when you're a "product"01:47:00 — The barbershop that taught him how to tell a story 01:51:30 — What "Where I Find God" means to the people who needed it 01:59:00 — Scotland, and the tears neither of them expected 02:07:30 — Larry on prison ministry and San Quentin Follow Human School YouTube: @humanschoolofficial Instagram: @humanschoolofficial TikTok: @humanschoolofficial
- Aug 4, 202617 min
Why Certainty is Making Us Lonely (Moments with Miles)
Why does being right feel so much better than being curious? And is our obsession with certainty the cause of our greatest divides?This episode breaks down the psychology behind certainty — why our brains default to it, what it costs us in our relationships, and why curiosity might be the more reliable path to actually feeling connected to other people.What you'll learnHow confirmation bias shapes what we believe is true, without us noticing it happeningWhat the illusory truth effect is, and why repetition can make an opinion feel like factHow to tell the difference between healthy disagreement and contemptWhy algorithms and media incentives reward certainty over nuance — and what that does to us over timeA mindset shift for staying curious under pressure, borrowed from an unlikely place: horsemanshipWhy feeling understood does more for anxiety than winning an argument ever doesHow to hold strong beliefs without needing everyone around you to agreeBuilding your curiosity muscles? Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and what your body might be holding onto. Learn more here.Timestamps00:00 — This might be why you're feeling lonely02:30 — Illusory truth effect and confirmation bias05:30 — Making content in the age of outrage07:00 — The real product is Identity09:45 — A horse changed everything13:00 — Understanding vs. "winning"15:00 — Becoming harder to recruit Stay connected with Human School:YouTube - https://hubs.la/Q04rLNLl0Instagram - https://hubs.la/Q04rLNVX0Threads - https://hubs.la/Q04rLP6D0TikTok - https://hubs.la/Q04rLPfY0
- Jul 28, 20261h 40m
Is Your Gut Connected to Your Mental Health? with Funcitonal Medicine Practitioner, Dr. Chris Motley
Have you ever gotten a clean bill of health and still felt like something was wrong? What if the anxiety, the brain fog, the thing you can't explain isn't in your head, but a story your body inherited?Dr. Chris Motley is a functional medicine practitioner and acupuncturist based in Nashville, and the host of the Ancient Health Podcast. For over 22 years, he's blended Chinese medicine, kinesiology, and biofeedback with Western diagnostics to find what standard testing misses — the chronic weaknesses that don't show up on a bloodwork panel but show up in how we sleep, how we digest, and how we carry stress in our bodies.In this episode, Dr. Motley and Miles talk about how inflammation from food can weaken the blood-brain barrier and surface in surprising ways — and why the weakest organ in your body often maps straight back to how your parents and grandparents lived. Today, you'll learn how to read your body's own signals, why curiosity heals faster than fear, and what it actually looks like to get to the root of a problem instead of managing its symptoms.In this conversation, you'll learn:How chronic inflammation from food can weaken the blood-brain barrier and show up as anxiety, depression, or brain fogHow to read your body's own signals — sleep patterns, digestion, even facial features — the way a functional medicine practitioner doesHow your weakest organ can map directly back to how your parents and grandparents livedWhy processed food, not just screens, may be driving the rise in childhood behavioral changesHow the gut-brain axis connects what you eat to how you feel within hoursWhy getting curious about a weakness — instead of afraid of it — is the first step to healing itSimple, low-cost first steps to a more fulfilled, healthier life anyone can start todayIf this stirred something in you, Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and stored trauma that your body is asking for. Learn more at experienceonsite.com Follow Human School:YouTube - Human School PodcastInstagram - @humanschoolofficialThreads - @humanschoolofficialTikTok - @humanschoolofficial What We Discuss:00:00:00 – Meet Dr. Chris Motley00:02:41 – Why He Left a Growing Practice00:08:19 – The Danger of Expertise Without Curiosity00:12:04 – Meeting Overwhelmed Patients with Optimism00:13:50 – How Motley Found His Interest in Medicine00:17:51 – Motley’s Story Through His Gallbladder00:23:30 – Where He Starts with Every New Patient00:28:00 – Are Emotions Hiding Inside Our Organs?00:33:54 – The Benefits of Integrated Medicine: Treating Mind & Body00:42:36 – The Anxious Patient 00:47:51 – "What You Eat Is What You Think"00:52:44 – The Health Goal Every Day00:55:06 – Your Gut is Your Second Brain: Explaining Gut-Brain Axis01:01:06 – Drivers of the Mental Health Crisis Happening Now01:05:54 – Why Do We Have So Many Food Allergies?01:06:45 – People, Food, & the ADD and ADHD Rise01:08:51 – The Habit Change to Reset Your System01:11:58 – Motley’s “Basic” Steps Towards Physical Wellness01:14:01 – Miles’s Steps Toward Emotional Wellness01:16:47 – What is behind Chronic Constipation?01:17:54 – Getting Back into Your Body01:25:22 – What Your Face Reveals About Your Story01:27:50 – Ancient Practices over Modern Technology01:33:06 – Motley Outside of Medicine 01:35:41 – The Lesson Weaving Throughout 22 Years PracticingThis episode is a conversation between practitioners sharing personal experience and professional perspective — it is not medical advice. Please consult your own physician or healthcare provider before making any changes to your health, diet, or treatment plan.
About Human School
We’ve been taught everything except how to be human. In a world obsessed with output, Human School is where we study what happens within. This podcast was born from a journal entry during a breakdown. A reminder that struggle isn’t weakness - it’s instruction. Human School reframes pain as purpose, productivity as presence, and leadership as inner clarity. We’re building the education we never got. Through stories, tools, and raw conversations, we help people stop performing their lives–and start participating in them. Welcome to Human School.
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