Falsely Happy: Why Faking Optimism Is Destroying Men with Shahar Link

Every 13 minutes in America, a man takes his own life. This podcast exists to push back that clock by helping men discover, learn, and live their Why. In this episode, Dr. Baruch "B" HaLevi connects with entrepreneur and visionary Shahar Link for a deeply intimate conversation that ranges from a chance meeting in a Colorado hot spring to the frontlines of modern fatherhood.

Shahar, a core Enneagram 7 (The Enthusiast), opens up about the midlife crossroads that completely reoriented his world. After selling his 15-year business and navigating a painful divorce, he found himself stepping away from the constant pursuit of future escape routes to ground down into a profound new reality. He shares the painful but necessary transition from chasing "freedom from" restriction to committing to "freedom towards" what truly matters: his new fiancee, Rebecca, their beautifully chaotic blended family, and his ultimate current why, shepherding his 16-year-old son through a severe battle with depression.

Together, Dr. B and Shahar unpack the danger of the "void dance," the exhausting survival mechanism where high-achieving men wear a mask of forced optimism to run from emotional discomfort. They dive deep into why modern society has failed young boys by replacing true, raw initiation with empty, commercialized celebrations. From ancient Hasidic wilderness rituals to dropping a teenager off to face his fears in a dark Denver alley, they make a fierce case for bringing back primal rites of passage to help young men build self-trust.

The dialogue takes a beautiful spiritual turn as Shahar describes his journey from being kicked out of an Orthodox Yeshiva into a decade of militant atheism, only to be entirely reawakened by a profound plant medicine experience. He describes a visceral download that changed everything: the realization that love is not just an abstract concept, but the literal molecular "cosmic glue" keeping the universe from shattering apart. Dr. B matches this with an untold story of his own DMT journey, illustrating how men must stop answering to spreadsheets and start anchoring themselves to the hearth of home. This episode is an essential guide for any father or man navigating a whiteout blizzard in life, reminding us how to tie a rope to our immovable anchor points and find our way back to true connection.

Connect with Shahar Link:
• LinkedIn: in/shahar-link
• Website: catalystscholars.com

Engage with Dr. B HaLevi:
• Facebook: Dr.BHaLevi
• Instagram: @baruch_halevi
• Website: bhalevi.com
• YouTube: @bhalevi

Join the Movement:
• Support the 13 Minutes Mission