Video of interview available below

What if courage isn't about fearless leaps, but about consistently doing what brings you joy? In this conversation with UJ Ramdas—the co-creator of the Five Minute Journal, which sold over a million copies before selling his share of the company—we explore why real courage is a muscle you build through small, daily acts of aliveness.

UJ shares his remarkable journey from leaving India alone at 17 to building a multimillion-dollar business, then choosing freedom over the "success" everyone else saw. But this isn't just another entrepreneur story. This is about redefining purpose as aliveness, learning to examine fear versus intuition, and understanding why doing what you love is actually a radical act of courage.

If you've ever felt trapped in your own success, wondered how to know when you're in a "comfort loop," or questioned what it really means to live with purpose, UJ's insights on seeking the source of being while navigating the practical world offer a refreshing perspective on what it means to stay awake to your own life.

Essential listening for anyone ready to trade comfort for aliveness.

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Covered In This Episode

• Big change often starts by asking better questions—not finding better answers.

• Real freedom comes when you choose to leave comfort behind.

• Courage is a muscle—and doing what you love is the rep.

• Success without self-knowledge can still leave you feeling lost.

• Purpose isn’t a goal to find—it’s a feeling of aliveness to follow.

• Saying “I don’t know” can be the most powerful pivot you make.

• Start-anxiety is real, but it's rarely the truth.

• Identity isn’t fixed—it’s just the story you're ready to question.

• Doing deep inner work is as important as doing “the work” in the world.

• The most important question is usually the one you’re avoiding.

   

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:28 UJ's Early Life and Move to Canada
17:27 Building Intelligent Change and the Five Minute Journal
22:07 Exiting the Company and New Ventures
36:36 Letting Go of Identity and Ego
39:44 Finding Joy in What You Love
41:04 The Power of Writing Down Ideas
43:24 Understanding Purpose and Aliveness
45:04 Facing Fear and Embracing Change
01:03:15 The Importance of Asking the Right Questions

Special Offers

• Free Heart Coherence Masterclass – A complimentary session with Meghan Telpner exploring how to create alignment between your heart and mind, access inner calm, and live from your most authentic self.

• Click here to get 30% off Rise & Shine: A Guided Approach To Heart-led Living and Leadership. (Click here if you reside in Canada)

Links + Resources

Websites and Media Platforms

• UJ’s Website

• UJ’s Instagram

• Intelligent Change

• 5-Minute Journal

Books/Authors Referenced

• Unleash the Power Within by Tony Robbins

• Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

• The People Look Like Flowers at Last by Charles Bukowski

• Mahabharata by Vyasa

More About UJ Ramdas

UJ is the Co-Founder (2013-2019) of Intelligent Change (Creator of the Five Minute Journal and Productivity Planner), with over 2.5 million copies sold.

His work has been featured in the New York Times, The Tim Ferriss Show, and Entrepreneur Magazine, among others. After exiting the company pre-COVID, he's now focused on creative projects, investing, and music.