Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
As the digital world of AI accelerates faster than ever, it’s tempting to automate, optimize, and outsource nearly every part of our lives. But what if the path we’re on is, ironically, pulling us further away from a meaningful life and genuine happiness?
In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with my good friend Ryan Levesque to explore a powerful, yet contrarian concept he calls Return to Real—and why it may be the thing we need most when AI is making us feel more disconnected than ever before.
Ryan is a renowned entrepreneur, author, and creator of the ASK Method, who has built and scaled several successful companies. His perspective weaves together business strategies, neuroscience, ecology, and spirituality to challenge how we’ve come to define success and what leads to true happiness and fulfillment.
In our conversation, Ryan breaks down three (3) transformative shifts for living well in the age of AI. He explains why the best things in life don’t scale, why optimizing for oxytocin is more important than chasing dopamine, and why reconnecting with nature restores clarity, creativity, and purpose.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or disconnected in the digital world that’s changing faster than ever, this episode is an invitation to return to what’s real.
#ai #mindsetshift #happiness #miraclemorning
KEY TAKEAWAYS
00:00 Introduction
01:35 What “Return to Real” Really Means
02:22 Three Forces That Are Colliding & Reshaping Humanity
07:26 What History Tells Us About the Future with AI
10:20 Ryan’s Journey to Living Intentionally On a Farm
17:17 Three Shifts That Challenge Mainstream Advice
20:50 The Best Things in Life Don’t Scale
25:23 Optimize Your Life for Oxytocin, Not Dopamine
27:40 How Efficiency Squeezes Oxytocin Out of Your Life
31:05 A Very Simple Way To Increase Oxytocin Levels
32:31 Prioritizing Time In Nature, Not Manmade Things
35:38 The Benefit of Touching Earth Before Touching A Screen
37:12 How To Connect With Ryan and Get His Book
Subscribe to our channel and receive the latest YouTube interviews!
youtube.com/c/HalElrod
Achieve Your Goals Podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/achieve-your-goals-hal-elrod/id820889267
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/001LpiG9kIeNLmlr4iuRvC?si=3911f6be1561490d
Connect with Hal Elrod!
Facebook: facebook.com/yopalhal
Twitter: twitter.com/halelrod
Instagram: instagram.com/hal_elrod/?hl=en
As the digital world of AI accelerates faster than ever, it’s tempting to automate, optimize, and outsource nearly every part of our lives. But what if the path we’re on is, ironically, pulling us further away from a meaningful life and genuine happiness?
In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with my good friend Ryan Levesque to explore a powerful, yet contrarian concept he calls Return to Real—and why it may be the thing we need most when AI is making us feel more disconnected than ever before.
Ryan is a renowned entrepreneur, author, and creator of the ASK Method, who has built and scaled several successful companies. His perspective weaves together business strategies, neuroscience, ecology, and spirituality to challenge how we’ve come to define success and what leads to true happiness and fulfillment.
In our conversation, Ryan breaks down three (3) transformative shifts for living well in the age of AI. He explains why the best things in life don’t scale, why optimizing for oxytocin is more important than chasing dopamine, and why reconnecting with nature restores clarity, creativity, and purpose.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or disconnected in the digital world that’s changing faster than ever, this episode is an invitation to return to what’s real.
#ai #mindsetshift #happiness #miraclemorning
KEY TAKEAWAYS
00:00 Introduction
01:35 What “Return to Real” Really Means
02:22 Three Forces That Are Colliding & Reshaping Humanity
07:26 What History Tells Us About the Future with AI
10:20 Ryan’s Journey to Living Intentionally On a Farm
17:17 Three Shifts That Challenge Mainstream Advice
20:50 The Best Things in Life Don’t Scale
25:23 Optimize Your Life for Oxytocin, Not Dopamine
27:40 How Efficiency Squeezes Oxytocin Out of Your Life
31:05 A Very Simple Way To Increase Oxytocin Levels
32:31 Prioritizing Time In Nature, Not Manmade Things
35:38 The Benefit of Touching Earth Before Touching A Screen
37:12 How To Connect With Ryan and Get His Book
Subscribe to our channel and receive the latest YouTube interviews!
youtube.com/c/HalElrod
Achieve Your Goals Podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/achieve-your-goals-hal-elrod/id820889267
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/001LpiG9kIeNLmlr4iuRvC?si=3911f6be1561490d
Connect with Hal Elrod!
Facebook: facebook.com/yopalhal
Twitter: twitter.com/halelrod
Instagram: instagram.com/hal_elrod/?hl=en
