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Meant For You

Meant For You

By: Polina & Yelena
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About this listen

 We believe we all have paths that are meant for us, but getting to a place where we are living a life we won't regret, while juggling the demands of our families and everything life throws at us is a daily saga. In each episode, we give you a new perspective or idea, introduce you to fascinating people, make you smile or help you realize you are never alone. When you are openminded, even the smallest shifts in mindset, can set you on a path that allows you to live your fullest life. We aim to give you the mindset shift that connects you to choices that feel meant for you. As moms, and news junkies, alongside books, philosophy, travel, culture and careers, we also cover current events. Our topics revolve around living a full life and finding the courage to reveal our true selves. Clarity comes through action, so we want to encourage you to take the next step. while not missing the beauty and lessons each day brings us. We are just getting started on our midlife adventures and excited for you to join the ride. Follow us on Instagram @meantforyoupod or reach out to us at meantforyoupod@gmail.com Social Sciences
Episodes
  • If Iran Breaks Free with Jonathan Harounoff

    If Iran Breaks Free with Jonathan Harounoff
    Jan 21 2026

    In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jonathan Harounoff, British-Iranian journalist and author of Unveiled: Inside Iran's Woman, Life, Freedom Revolt.

    Jonathan takes us inside the Woman, Life, Freedom movement—how it began, why it refuses to die, and why the regime continues to answer peaceful protest with barbaric force. Drawing on years of reporting and deeply personal conversations with Iranians inside the country and across the diaspora, he shares the brutal realities of life under the regime—and the extraordinary courage of people who keep standing up anyway.

    We talk about hunger, fear, and economic collapse. About mothers, daughters, and young people risking everything. About why the regime blames Israel and the West—and what Iranians are actually fighting for: dignity, choice, basic freedom, and a future without constant terror.

    We also ask a question that feels almost unthinkable, and yet possible: What would a free Iran mean for the Middle East, and for the world?

    This is a sobering yet hopeful conversation about sacrifice, resilience, and the power of ordinary people to challenge unimaginable tyranny and change history.

    Memorable Quotes:

    • "There's a very clear distinction between the Islamic Republic and the 92 million Iranians it governs."
    • "This is a proud, resilient civilization with thousands of years of history—and they're not giving it up for a 47-year-old regime."
    • "The regime will blame Israel, the U.S., even 'cloud theft'—anything except its own mismanagement."
    • "Women were deliberately shot in the eyes to leave a permanent mark."
    • "A free Iran wouldn't just transform the Middle East—it would transform the world."
    Timestamps:
    • 00:00 – Why this moment in Iran matters
    • 01:46 – Jonathan's book and the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising
    • 04:08 – Iranians vs. the Islamic Republic
    • 06:22 – Why Israel gets blamed for everything
    • 08:36 – Is this the biggest uprising yet?
    • 10:56 – What Iranians want after the regime
    • 12:40 – How the regime crushes dissent
    • 15:41 – Can the protests survive another crackdown?
    • 17:15 – Do Iranians want Western help?
    • 18:09 – What a free Iran could mean for the world
    • 20:23 – The UN's silence on Iran
    • 21:30 – Stories that changed Jonathan forever
    • 22:36 – How to truly learn Iranian culture
    • 24:51 – Hope for a free Iran

    Check out our website: https://meantforyoupod.com

    Reach out to us: meantforyoupod@gmail.com

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    25 mins
  • When Education Turns Into One-Sided Activism with Marissa Streit CEO of PragerU

    When Education Turns Into One-Sided Activism with Marissa Streit CEO of PragerU
    Jan 18 2026

    We spreak with Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU about education, civics, and parenting in a time of cultural chaos. Marissa shares the moment that inspired her to "enlist" through education, explains why activism can show up even in math and literacy, and calls on parents to stop outsourcing values to institutions. Our discussion also explores he crisis facing young women today—marriage, meaning, dignity, and femininity—and why Marissa believes a new "revolution" is needed. Plus: practical ways to use PragerU at home in just 5–20 minutes a day.

    https://www.prageru.com

    Timestamps & Key Moments

    00:04 — Intro: Who is Marissa Streit & what is PragerU
    Why parents must play an active role in teaching civics and history.

    04:36 — Education as the root of today's cultural crisis
    Marissa argues education didn't just reflect the problem—it helped create it.

    06:28 — A formative moment at Yad Vashem
    How a visit at age 13 shaped her belief in personal responsibility and moral courage.

    08:55 — America under attack—through ideas, not force
    Why failing to teach civics leaves the country vulnerable.

    17:59 — Division vs. unity in schools
    From "melting pot" to identity fragmentation.

    22:32 — Activism in education
    How ideology shows up in teacher training and classrooms.

    24:55 — The NEA agenda shock
    What disturbed Marissa most about the union's priorities.

    29:45 — Bureaucracy, unions, and incentives
    A critique of the education system's structure and power dynamics.

    38:32 — Civics collapse
    How can kids defend a country they don't understand?

    40:53 — The parent solution
    Teaching values, debate, and civic responsibility at home—regardless of school quality.

    45:20 — Young women, meaning, and modern feminism
    Marriage, family, and fulfillment in a confusing cultural moment.

    54:43 — Europe as a warning
    What happens when a shared civic identity disappears.

    57:02 — Cultural literacy
    Why "we all spoke American" matters.

    59:23 — How parents can use PragerU
    A simple daily habit that works.

    If you enjoy this podcast and topic, check out our conversations with America's favorite government teacher Sharon McMachon and Professor of Political Science Lindsey Cormack on How to Raise a Citizen

    One Semester of Civics: The Threat You didn't See Coming with Sharon McMahon

    Key Quotes

    • "Education got us into this mess. Education is going to get us out of this mess." (≈ 04:36)

    • "Most people rely on others to do the fighting for them… and they don't begin to fight until it's absolutely too late." (≈ 06:28)

    • "America… is being taken down through ideas, through the erosion of what it is to be an American." (≈ 08:55)

    • "Civics education is reduced to just activism… How do you defend a country that you don't understand and don't love?" (≈ 38:32)

    Check out our website: https://meantforyoupod.com

    Reach out to us: meantforyoupod@gmail.com

    Follow us on IG
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Foster Care to Yale: The Truth About Luxury Beliefs with Rob Henderson

    Foster Care to Yale: The Truth About Luxury Beliefs with Rob Henderson
    Dec 20 2025
    Rob Henderson, known for coining the term "luxury beliefs," joins us to discuss his memoir Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. Rob shares his extraordinary path—from homelessness and the LA foster care system, to adoption in rural Northern California, to enlisting in the Air Force at 17, and eventually studying at Yale and Cambridge. Rob shares research that shows how childhood instability (more than poverty alone) shapes life outcomes; why the foster system is so under-resourced; how elite cultural narratives can unintentionally harm the very communities they claim to help; and how certain "status beliefs" spread through universities and media. We discuss the hypocrisy and social dynamics of campus ideology, the "Halloween costume controversy" at Yale, and why honest conversations about family structure, class, and social policy are so hard to have yet so critical for making real progress. Key themes and Quotes Luxury beliefs give status to the elite—and the costs are paid by people with the least power."Poverty alone doesn't predict failure. Instability does."The people most skeptical of family are usually the ones who grew up in intact families."They live like it's the 1950s—and talk like it's the 1960s.""I benefited from structure, plan to give it to my kids—and publicly argue others shouldn't." "Elite students condemn capitalism on Monday and interview at Goldman Sachs on Wednesday." Foster Care / Instability Truths "You don't need the worst childhood to feel the damage of instability." Privilege / Backlash Lines "Telling struggling kids they're privileged doesn't create compassion—it creates resentment." Check out our website: https://meantforyoupod.com Reach out to us: meantforyoupod@gmail.com Follow us on IG If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like these conversations: Brandy Shufutinsky on the Marxist Roots of Ethic Studies Your School's Ethic Studies Curriculum with Monica Harris from FAIR For ALL Key Topics + Timeline 01:00–02:13 – Why labels like "privileged/unprivileged" flatten real life; every story is individual04:15 – Rob explains who he wrote the book for: the typical educated reader + the kid in chaos who needs hope07:30–12:00 – Rob's "three names" origin story: biological parents, homelessness, foster care, adoption11:16 – Red Bluff, CA: family fragmentation, addiction, instability in a working-class town12:40–16:30 – Foster-care policy: frequent moves to avoid attachment; "least bad option" dilemmas18:15 – Why foster care gets little attention (and why stories are painful to face)19:00–23:30 – What made Rob "successful": curiosity + the military as structure, mentors, and environment shift25:17–29:46 – Research distinction: harshness (poverty) vs instability (unpredictability) as predictors27:38 – Striking stats: college graduation rates—poor kids vs foster kids (as cited by Rob)32:10–36:52 – "Luxury beliefs": elites "walk the 50s, talk the 60s"; the social mechanism of cultural messaging39:18 – After-school programs, screens, and class gaps in supervision/structure41:39–46:20 – Luxury beliefs as social currency: status signaling through "virtue" positions (white privilege, defund police)46:20–53:21 – Ethnic studies curricula + backlash: why telling struggling kids they're "privileged" can fuel resentment57:46–01:02:27 – Yale 2015 Halloween controversy + the irony of Rob being told he's "too privileged"01:03:00–01:07:07 – Veblen → Bourdieu → Henderson: from luxury goods to cultural capital to luxury beliefs01:09:09–01:11:18 – Careerism + hypocrisy: condemning institutions while competing to join them01:11:18–01:15:45 – Post–Oct 7 campus protests; when beliefs meet real consequences01:15:45–01:18:03 – Hope for higher education: reform, alternatives, and "you don't have to go to college"01:18:03–01:20:27 – Why the story resonates beyond foster care; instability, immigration, divorce, loneliness
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    1 hr and 22 mins
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