To Live the Truth — the Podcast

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To Live the Truth | Ep. 19: Why You Feel Stuck
Why do so many people work hard and still feel dissatisfied, overwhelmed, or trapped? What if the problem isn’t a lack of effort—but a misalignment with truth?
In this episode of To Live the Truth, Ryan explores the idea that many of the struggles we experience in life are rooted in faulty beliefs and an incomplete understanding of reality. Whether in our work, health, relationships, or personal habits, our outcomes are often shaped by the stories and assumptions we carry about ourselves and the world around us.
Drawing on ideas from Ray Dalio’s Principles and themes from To Live the Truth, Ryan discusses how beliefs influence behavior, and how aligning our thinking more closely with truth can transform the results we experience in our lives.
Ryan also shares personal experiences from a difficult season in his own life—struggling with stress, poor habits, unhealthy relationships, and a sense of powerlessness—and explains how changing one foundational belief began to shift the direction of his life.
Throughout the episode, listeners are invited to examine their own lives and consider what hidden assumptions or “faulty beliefs” may be contributing to the frustrations and setbacks they currently face.
At the heart of the discussion is a hopeful message: meaningful change begins when we are willing to honestly confront ourselves, challenge false ideas, and pursue a deeper understanding of reality and truth.
This episode also marks a new direction for the podcast. Moving forward, each episode of To Live the Truth will focus on one powerful principle or truth that can help us experience greater peace, success, and joy.
Topics covered:
Why effort alone doesn’t always produce results
The relationship between beliefs, behavior, and outcomes
What it means to “align with truth”
How faulty beliefs shape our lives
The role of personal responsibility and agency
Ryan’s experience overcoming destructive habits
Why self-deception can keep us stuck
How honest self-examination leads to growth
The new direction of the podcast going forward
To Live the Truth is available to read for free at ryantclawson.com.

Hello, friend and welcome!
To Live the Truth | Ep. 18: What Great Art Is Really Doing to You
What role do books, art, and stories play in our search for truth? And how can living ideas help us see God more clearly?
In this concluding episode of To Live the Truth, Ryan and Ali reflect on one of the book’s central invitations: to continually feast upon “living books” and works of art filled with great and vital ideas. Together, they explore how meaningful stories, music, paintings, and literature do far more than entertain—they act as witnesses pointing beyond themselves toward eternal truths.
Using the image of the “Tree of Truth,” they discuss how living media helps connect the scattered leaves and fruits of life back to the trunk: God Himself. Drawing on insights from thinkers like Oscar Wilde, Picasso, Plato, and Ray Bradbury, they unpack the idea that great art is both “surface and symbol”—something beautiful and tangible that simultaneously reveals deeper spiritual realities.
Ryan and Ali also revisit the “faith cycle,” explaining how books and ideas can serve as witnesses that awaken belief, inspire action, and gradually lead us to greater understanding. Along the way, they share how certain books unexpectedly entered their lives at exactly the right moment, offering answers to questions they were already wrestling with.
At the heart of the episode is Moroni’s question: “Can ye behold the Lamb of God?” Ryan suggests that as we seek out truth-filled works of art and faithfully act on the ideas they contain, we slowly begin to recognize Christ’s character reflected throughout the world—in nature, in stories, and in the lives of others.
This episode serves as both a conclusion to the book and an invitation into a lifelong journey of seeking truth, wisdom, and God through living ideas.
Topics covered:
What makes a book or work of art “living”
How art points beyond itself toward eternal truth
The symbolism of the Tree of Truth
Why stories and ideas can strengthen faith
How living books reveal our blind spots
The relationship between beauty, truth, and God
Thinkers and authors who shaped To Live the Truth
Why the search for truth is a lifelong pursuit
To Live the Truth is available to read for free at ryantclawson.com.

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To Live the Truth | Ep. 17: What Happens When You Stop Chasing Money
If money can deceive us, what’s the cure? And how do we live in a world driven by wealth without losing sight of what truly matters?
In this episode, Ryan and Ali continue their discussion on “the deceitfulness of riches” by turning to an even more important question: how do we overcome it? Their answer centers on a principle both simple and demanding—developing genuine charity, or in more practical terms, cultivating friendly, trusting relationships with others.
Through scripture, philosophy, and real-life examples, they challenge the common belief that kindness and trust are weaknesses in a competitive world. Instead, they make the case that true prosperity—both personal and societal—flows from love, cooperation, and a heart aligned with God.
They explore powerful contrasts: communities built on sharing versus those divided by pride and self-interest, the instability of wealth pursued for its own sake versus the quiet strength of character developed through faith. Along the way, they unpack insights from thinkers like C.S. Lewis, Tolstoy, and Ruskin, showing that love for others cannot be manufactured—it must grow from a deeper love for God.
At the heart of the episode is a striking reframe: the riches of this world are “God’s footstool,” while people—every human soul—are His true treasure. When we begin to see life this way, our priorities shift, our relationships deepen, and even our approach to money transforms.
This episode is not about rejecting wealth, but about putting it in its proper place—using it as a tool to bless others rather than an end to pursue.
Topics covered:
What it means to develop true charity in everyday life
Why “nice guys finish last” may be exactly backward
The connection between love for God and love for others
How trust and cooperation lead to real prosperity
Why character—not money—is the foundation of lasting wealth
The danger of seeking riches with the wrong motives
Practical ways to loosen attachment to material things
To Live the Truth is available to read for free at ryantclawson.com.

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To Live the Truth | Ep. 16: Why Wealth Isn’t What You Think It Is
Why do we place so much trust in money—and why does it so often fail to deliver the security and fulfillment we expect?
In this episode, Ryan and Ali explore the third force described in Jesus’s parable of the seeds: “the deceitfulness of riches.” Together, they unpack a powerful but often overlooked idea—that money itself isn’t true wealth, but simply a symbol of something deeper.
Through thoughtful discussion and relatable examples, they examine how easy it is to believe that financial success will bring independence, security, and lasting happiness. But as they reveal, this belief can quietly distort our priorities and disconnect us from what actually gives life meaning.
At the heart of the conversation is a transformative insight: real wealth isn’t found in numbers on a bank account, but in people—in relationships, character, and the willingness to serve and uplift others. From stories like Ebenezer Scrooge to George Bailey, Ryan and Ali illustrate how the pursuit of self-interest can ultimately diminish the very influence and abundance we seek.
But this episode isn’t about rejecting wealth—it’s about redefining it. They explore how charity, kindness, and genuine care for others are not only morally right, but also the true path to enduring prosperity.
Topics covered:
What Jesus meant by “the deceitfulness of riches”
Why money is a symbol—not the source—of real wealth
How self-interest can quietly undermine true prosperity
The hidden role of human relationships in economic life
Why serving others increases, rather than decreases, your wealth
The difference between temporary riches and lasting abundance
To Live the Truth is available to read for free at ryantclawson.com.

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To Live the Truth | Ep. 15: The Lost Art of Wonder
Why does life so often feel busy, exhausting—and strangely unsatisfying, even when things are going well?
In this episode, Ryan and Ali continue their discussion of the Ultimate Shortcut by exploring two powerful forces described in Jesus’s parable of the seeds: “the cares of this world” and “the lusts of other things.” Together, they unpack how constant distraction, endless options, and the human tendency to chase the next thing can quietly drain our joy and keep us from ever feeling content.
Drawing on insights from psychology, personal experience, and everyday life, they examine why we’re so bad at predicting what will make us happy—and why even the things we long for most rarely satisfy us for long.
But this episode doesn’t just diagnose the problem. It offers a simple, profound antidote: rediscovering the habit of wonder. From small, ordinary moments to the people and experiences we often overlook, Ryan and Ali explore how learning to truly see the world again can reconnect us with meaning, gratitude, and lasting joy.
Topics covered:
What Jesus meant by “the cares of this world” and how they shape our attention
Why focus is less about saying “yes” and more about saying “no”
The psychology behind why new things quickly lose their excitement
How constantly looking forward can rob you of joy in the present
What “wonder” really is—and how it points us beyond the material world
Simple, practical ways to make space for wonder in your daily life
To Live the Truth is available to read for free at ryantclawson.com.

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*To Live the Truth | Ep. 14: Materialism and the Starving Soul
Why do so many people feel aimless, restless, and without purpose? In this episode, Ryan and Ali dive into Chapter 12 of To Live the Truth and tackle what Ryan calls "the Ultimate Shortcut"—materialism.
But this isn't just about loving money. Ryan unpacks materialism at its deepest level: the widespread, often unexamined belief that nothing exists beyond the physical world. From stomach stapling surgeries to Shakespeare's sonnets, Macbeth's downfall to Dorian Gray's sensual obsession, this conversation explores how our culture's fixation on the "leaves and fruit" of life—outward results, appearances, and physical comfort—quietly erodes our sense of purpose, morality, and lasting happiness.
Topics covered:
What makes the "ultimate shortcut" different from an ordinary shortcut
The two paths by which people become materialists (and why most don't even realize it)
Gandhi's insight on the inverse relationship between materialism and morality
Why modern science contributed to the "death of God" in our cultural imagination
Practical ways to keep the non-material world central to your everyday life
To Live the Truth is available to read for free at ryantclawson.com.

All of us have felt this before, where we get that burst of motivation to make big changes in our lives. We start that ambitious diet, we commit to read more, or to be more present with our loved ones.
But after a while we run out of gas,
 or we don’t see  results as quickly as we hoped
And we give up.
Today we’re going to talk about why this happens, and what we can do to make sure those positive changes actually stick.
Hello, friend and welcome!
Join Ryan Clawson in "To Live the Truth" — the podcast, in which you'll dive a little deeper into the concepts in Ryan's book, To Live the Truth, which you can read for free at ryantclawson.com/tolivethetruth
In each episode, we address one chapter in a sort of "book-club" format.
This week we continue our discussion on Chapter 11: There Are No Shortcuts to Any Place Worth Going
Additional resources for this episode can be viewed at ryantclawson.com

Hello, friend and welcome!
 
Join Ryan Clawson in "To Live the Truth" — the podcast, in which you'll dive a little deeper into the concepts in Ryan's book, To Live the Truth, which you can read for free at ryantclawson.com/tolivethetruth.
 
In each episode, we address one chapter in a sort of "book-club" format.
 
This week we continue our discussion on Chapter 10: We are Free to Choose
 
Additional resources for this episode can be viewed at https://ryantclawson.com

Hello, friend and welcome!
 
 
 
 
Join Ryan Clawson in "To Live the Truth" — the podcast, in which you'll dive a little deeper into the concepts in Ryan's book, To Live the Truth, which you can read for free at ryantclawson.com/tolivethetruth.
 
 
 
 
In each episode, we address one chapter in a sort of "book-club" format.
 
 
 
 
This week we continue our discussion on Chapter 9: Jesus Christ is the Trunk of the Tree of Truth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Additional resources for this episode can be viewed at https://ryantclawson.com

Hello, friend and welcome!
 
 
 
 
Join Ryan Clawson in "To Live the Truth" — the podcast, in which you'll dive a little deeper into the concepts in Ryan's book, To Live the Truth, which you can read for free at ryantclawson.com/tolivethetruth.
 
 
 
 
In each episode, we address one chapter in a sort of "book-club" format.
 
 
 
 
This week we discuss Chapter 9: Jesus Christ is the Trunk of the Tree of Truth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Additional resources for this episode can be viewed at https://ryantclawson.com