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Episode 2

Your Nervous System Is Lying to You About Money with Preston Smiles

· 55:32 · Host: Jason Lee · Explicit

What do you do when the spreadsheet is done, the advice has been heard, and something still isn't clear? Preston Smiles — author, embodiment teacher, and speaker — sits down to unpack the moment when logic hits a ceiling and something deeper has to take over. He calls it "first thought": the…

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Chapters

  1. 00:00:00 — Why surrender beats strategy every time
  2. 00:01:24 — Can you be spiritual and wealthy? Preston's take
  3. 00:05:39 — The moment logic isn't enough to make a decision
  4. 00:06:10 — "You'll meet your partner today" — trusting intuition in real time
  5. 00:12:33 — First thought vs. overthinking: how programming hijacks your decisions
  6. 00:20:10 — Money and spirituality — why most people split them (and how to stop)
  7. 00:28:30 — The only two games in life: outside-in vs. inside-out happiness
  8. 00:34:10 — What embodiment actually means (beyond the buzzword)
  9. 00:46:30 — How to tell if you're embodied or just informed — watch what happens when things break
  10. 00:49:20 — Parenting, nervous system regulation, and expanding your window of tolerance

Show notes

What do you do when the spreadsheet is done, the advice has been heard, and something still isn't clear? Preston Smiles — author, embodiment teacher, and speaker — sits down to unpack the moment when logic hits a ceiling and something deeper has to take over. He calls it "first thought": the cleanest signal you get before fear, programming, and social conditioning pile on.

In this episode, Preston shares the real story of trusting an overwhelming inner "yes" that led him to meet his future partner. From there, the conversation goes deep into what embodiment actually means in practice: widening your window of tolerance so you can stay grounded when life gets chaotic — not just when everything is easy.

He also tackles one of the most common blocks for high-achievers: the belief that money and spirituality can't coexist. His reframe — that wealth is just neutral material that amplifies whoever is holding it — is one of the most practical takes on abundance you'll hear.

If you've ever made the "right" decision on paper and still felt wrong in your body, this conversation was made for you.

Chapters:

  • (00:00:00) Why surrender beats strategy every time
  • (00:01:24) Can you be spiritual and wealthy? Preston's take
  • (00:05:39) The moment logic isn't enough to make a decision
  • (00:06:10) "You'll meet your partner today" — trusting intuition in real time
  • (00:12:33) First thought vs. overthinking: how programming hijacks your decisions
  • (00:20:10) Money and spirituality — why most people split them (and how to stop)
  • (00:28:30) The only two games in life: outside-in vs. inside-out happiness
  • (00:34:10) What embodiment actually means (beyond the buzzword)
  • (00:46:30) How to tell if you're embodied or just informed — watch what happens when things break
  • (00:49:20) Parenting, nervous system regulation, and expanding your window of tolerance

Links and Resources:


About The Living Question

The Living Question is a long-form leadership and decisiom-making podcast hosted by Jason Lee for founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders navigating high-stakes business transitions, entrepreneur burnout, and life decisions strategy alone cannot answer. Each episode slows down one real crossroads: selling a company, staying or leaving, scaling through burnout, rebuilding after success, choosing integrity over momentum, navigating a leadership transition, or redefining success when the old scoreboard stops working. With calm pressure and precise questions, Jason helps guests stop performing certainty and name the real decision, the hidden cost, and the version of themselves the choice requires. Grounded and unhurried, the show is not about doctrine, spiritual branding, or productivity hacks. Faith appears as lived discernment: the conviction you cannot un-know, alongside intuition, conscience, values, and self-trust. Together, these inner signals shape public choices in work, money, relationships, identity, purpose, and direction. If you are carrying a living question of your own, this is a place to borrow courage from people who have stood at the edge of reputation, momentum, and belonging—and still stayed with uncertainty long enough to choose a path they could actually live with.

See all 9 episodes of The Living Question →

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