Podcast Summary: "Sarah Shahi – BONUS!"
Work in Progress with Sophia Bush | February 20, 2026
Episode Overview
In this bonus episode of Work in Progress, host Sophia Bush reunites with actress and author Sarah Shahi to dive deeper into Shahi’s new book, Life Is Lifey. The conversation is heartfelt, funny, and deeply honest—centering on practicing courage, embracing growth through discomfort, and finding value in self-reflection and vulnerability. Together, Sophia and Sarah discuss the challenges and joys of personal evolution, touching on themes of self-worth, the messiness of life, and the freedom found in not having everything planned.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Introduction & Focus on Life Is Lifey
- Sophia Bush welcomes Sarah Shahi back, expressing excitement to discuss specific chapters from Life Is Lifey (03:09).
- The book is praised for its humor, rawness, and the sometimes-blushing-inducing honesty it brings (03:09–03:34).
Courage as a Practice, Not a Destination
- Sophia: References Shahi’s exploration of encouragement and the idea that we often choose the "familiar hell over the unfamiliar heaven", highlighting the necessity of practicing courage even in uncomfortable situations (03:35–04:11).
- Sarah:
- Shares her journey as a "recovering people pleaser," describing small steps that helped her voice her needs—ranging from asking for help with childcare to asserting herself in everyday scenarios like waiting in line at Target (04:19–06:30).
- Offers a key insight:
"Speak up, even if your voice Shakespeare." (04:26)
(A misquote but a punchy reminder: Use your voice even when it’s shaky.) - Explains that using her voice in low-stakes environments built the confidence for higher-stakes decisions.
Leaning into Grace, Love, and Letting Go
- Sarah:
- Shares her framework for decision-making: acting from “the highest form of love and grace.”
"You can break everything down to either love or fear." (06:46)
- Describes separating from situations that no longer serve, aiming to reduce fear by approaching endings with empathy and matter-of-factness, even when it hurts.
"Love can destroy and it can build." (08:23)
- Shares her framework for decision-making: acting from “the highest form of love and grace.”
Lessons from Failure and Judgement
- Sophia: Discusses her struggle with embarrassment over others’ judgments about personal losses or failures, looking for Sarah’s confidence "cocktail" (08:43).
- Sarah:
- Asserts that confidence comes from a "lifetime of doing things I swore I would never do," underscoring that genuine learning comes from personal mistakes (09:22–09:53).
"Our mistakes or our learning lessons are tailor-made for us." (09:53)
- Advises against judgment, likening it to "judging a cloud for being too fluffy" (10:18), illuminating the individualized nature of growth.
- Shares a spiritual belief that life events are orchestrated for our “highest growth,” and that learning to ignore the opinions of “haters” is part of maturing through public struggles (10:40–12:00).
"Those who matter don't mind. Those who mind don't matter." (12:00, quoting Dr. Seuss)
- Asserts that confidence comes from a "lifetime of doing things I swore I would never do," underscoring that genuine learning comes from personal mistakes (09:22–09:53).
Knowing Your Value and Attracting What You Believe You Deserve
- Sarah:
- Reiterates the importance of self-worth—only by believing in one’s value can we expect others to appreciate or reciprocate (16:57).
"If you do not believe in yourself and you do not know you’re awesome, how can you expect other people to?"
- Lists lessons from Maya Angelou about courage being the foundation for all virtues (17:45):
"Courage is the most important virtue because without courage, you wouldn’t have the guts to practice anything consistently."
- Reiterates the importance of self-worth—only by believing in one’s value can we expect others to appreciate or reciprocate (16:57).
Sitting With Discomfort and the Nature of Emotion
- Sarah:
- Emphasizes intentional discomfort as an avenue for growth and transformation (18:24).
"You have to sit with your discomfort. You can’t wish it away… pain is inevitable, suffering is a choice." (18:24–19:40)
- Explains her understanding of "emotion" as "energy in motion," advocating for making space to process feelings rather than avoid them.
- Emphasizes intentional discomfort as an avenue for growth and transformation (18:24).
The Power of Perspective and Quieting the Noise
- Sarah:
- Champions perspective shifts as daily miracles:
"A miracle is just a shift in perspective. That’s all it is." (20:24)
- Critiques our algorithm-driven reality for muffling intuition and authentic decision-making, urging listeners to "shut out the noise" to reconnect with themselves (20:24–21:51).
"Advice is not prescriptive… it’s designed to help you shut out the noise and reconnect with the wisest person in the room, which I feel is in here." (21:51)
- Champions perspective shifts as daily miracles:
Looking Forward and Embracing Mystery
- Sophia asks Sarah about her ongoing “work in progress” (22:28).
- Sarah:
- Focuses on “staying in flow” instead of rigidly planning the future.
"For the first time in my life, I am comfortable in that mystery… If anything, I feel safe in that mystery now." (22:42–23:37)
- Focuses on “staying in flow” instead of rigidly planning the future.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
Sarah Shahi:
"Speak up, even if your voice Shakespeare." (04:26)
(Playful riff on “shakes”—a reminder to use your voice in fear.)"You can break everything down to either love or fear." (06:46)
"Love can destroy and it can build." (08:23)
"Our mistakes or our learning lessons are tailor-made for us." (09:53)
"At the end of the day, it’s like we’re all here just to walk each other home." (10:32)
"Those who matter don't mind. Those who mind don't matter." (12:00, quoting Dr. Seuss)
"If you do not believe in yourself and you do not know you’re awesome, how can you expect other people to?" (16:57)
"Courage is the most important virtue because without courage, you wouldn’t have the guts to practice anything consistently." (17:45, referencing Maya Angelou)
"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is a choice." (19:39)
"A miracle is just a shift in perspective. That’s all it is." (20:24)
"For the first time in my life, I am comfortable in that mystery… I feel safe in that mystery now." (22:42–23:37)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:09–04:11 – Introduction and discussion about Life Is Lifey.
- 04:19–06:30 – Practicing courage by standing up for oneself in small, daily ways.
- 06:46–08:28 – Dealing with endings through grace and love; fear vs. love framework.
- 08:43–12:00 – Embracing failure, ignoring public judgment, and developing self-confidence.
- 16:51–17:57 – Self-worth as a precursor to attracting healthy relationships; courage as the root virtue.
- 18:24–19:40 – Sitting with discomfort; processing emotions as a path to growth.
- 20:24–21:51 – Miracles as perspective shifts; tuning out algorithms to tune into yourself.
- 22:42–23:37 – Being at peace with uncertainty; finding safety in the mystery of life.
Conclusion
Through her candid storytelling and spiritual outlook, Sarah Shahi offers actionable wisdom for listeners grappling with change, self-doubt, and the discomfort of growth. Life Is Lifey emerges as both a deeply personal guide and a universal prompt to get quiet, be brave, and trust in one’s ongoing evolution—even (especially) when life is lifey, messy, and uncertain.