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Do you feel as though you've reached an emotional cul-de-sac in midlife? In this uplifting conversation, Lynne talks with Tina Bernard, founder of The Badass Arts™, about rebuilding self-trust, interrupting old patterns, and recognizing that midlife isn't the end of the adventure. It may be the beginning of your most honest and fulfilling chapter yet.                                                                              _________________ Have you ever looked at the life you've built and quietly wondered, Is this really all there is? You may have spent decades building a career, nurturing relationships, raising a family, and meeting everyone else's needs. Then midlife arrives, bringing changes in your body, family, relationships, career, or identity—and suddenly, you're no longer sure where you fit. In this episode of Living Life Naturally, Lynne talks with Tina Bernard, founder of The Badass Arts™, about what happens when women reach what Tina calls an "emotional cul-de-sac." Rather than seeing midlife as a plateau, Tina encourages women to view it as an opportunity to question the patterns they've inherited, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and create a life that feels more honest and aligned. Tina shares the personal experiences behind The Badass Arts™, including her journey through an unhealthy marriage, single motherhood, financial hardship, rebuilding her life, finding love again, and leaving her corporate career to create a movement for women in their middle years. Together, Lynne and Tina explore how women can move beyond regret, quiet their "doubt goblins," and make small but meaningful changes that strengthen self-trust. Tina also shares four simple expressions of purpose available to every woman: love, laugh, labor, and learn. Purpose doesn't always need to involve an enormous mission or dramatic reinvention. It can be found in how we love others, make room for joy, contribute to the world, and remain curious about life. This conversation is a warm and refreshing reminder that you are not your patterns—and it's never too late to choose a different response. In This Episode, You'll Discover Why midlife can feel like an emotional cul-de-sac The difference between living authentically and living according to expectations How major transitions can weaken—or awaken—your sense of identity A powerful question to ask when life presents a challenge Why a simple morning ritual can set the emotional tone for your day Tina's four universal expressions of purpose Why love is something we practice, not simply something we feel How curiosity helps keep us emotionally engaged with life Why regret and joyful appreciation struggle to coexist How old patterns develop—and why they don't define you The surprising power of making very small behavioral shifts How midlife can become a season of freedom, possibility, and reinvention Guest Introduction Today, I'm joined by Tina Bernard, founder of The Badass Arts™, a movement designed to help women in midlife move beyond old patterns and create lives filled with more soul, substance, and sass. Drawing from her professional experience, education, personal hardships, and lifelong fascination with the human condition, Tina helps women bridge the gap between what they know and how they actually live. Her work explores self-trust, emotional intelligence, meaningful change, and the tiny shifts that can transform a woman's relationship with herself and her future. Welcome, Tina. I'm delighted to have you with us today. Key Takeaways Look for the gift or opportunity When life changes unexpectedly, Tina suggests asking: "What is the gift or opportunity within this challenge?" This isn't about pretending that something painful is positive. It's about remaining open to what the experience might teach you or make possible. Create a brief morning ritual Before getting out of bed or reaching for your phone, pause long enough to decide how you want to enter the day. Even 30 seconds of intention can help you move out of autopilot. Reconsider what purpose means Tina believes we share four fundamental expressions of purpose: Love: Act with care, compassion, and kindness. Laugh: Make room for playfulness, pleasure, and spontaneous joy. Labor: Contribute something meaningful and help make the world better. Learn: Stay curious about yourself, other people, and life. Remember that you're not your patterns Your automatic responses may have developed through past experiences, but they aren't your identity. With awareness, commitment, and small changes, those patterns can be interrupted. Memorable Quotes "You are not your patterns." "Between the mess we experience and the miracles we desire, there has to be a bridge." "What's the gift or opportunity within this challenge?" "Love is a verb." "The moment we stop learning and our curiosity dulls, that's when life begins to feel over." "If you're living in regret, it's difficult to live in joyful appreciation." "Tiny shifts may feel as though they're taking longer, but when they finally land, your life is different." Connect With Tina Bernard Learn more about Tina and The Badass Arts™: Website: The Badass Arts About Tina: Meet Tina Bernard Blog: Reflections of a Badass LinkedIn: Tina Bernard Facebook: Tina Bernard Private Facebook Group: The Badass Arts Collective Free Resource: Tame Your Doubt Goblins [Insert Tina's direct free-gift link or QR-code destination] Connect With Lynne Imagine not having to "figure out midlife" on your own anymore.

Daily Boost Podcast Awareness Is A Superpower August 27, 2026 | Episode 5529 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description Most people drift through life without ever noticing what's really happening. They set goals, make plans, and then wonder why nothing changes. I found a fix years ago, and it takes about ten minutes a day. It's called the Daily Awareness Diary. Nine questions, asked the same way every morning, until you can't hide from the answers anymore. You're going to hate the name. You might hate the first few days. But by day four or five, you'll see yourself clearly, maybe for the first time in years. Give it a listen, then give it a try. Featured Story Years ago I kept running into the same wall with people I coached. I'd ask about their beliefs, their values, the actions they were taking. And they'd make it up, not on purpose. They couldn't remember. They didn't know. So I started thinking about personal trainers. They tell you to track your diet for a week before they build a plan for you. Nobody argues with that. I could do the same thing with a life. Track it for a week or two, read between the lines, and the answer shows up on its own. I built nine questions and handed them to my Face Your Passion group. What came back surprised even me. Important Points Ask yourself the same questions daily. The questions stay fixed, your life moves, and the real pattern shows up. Look back before you look forward. Yesterday's honest scorecard tells you exactly what you need to fix today. Plan your responses before the day starts. Decide how you will answer, and most of your stress vanishes. Memorable Quotes You can only write things down and make something up for a limited time until you see what is actually happening. If I can point your awareness in the direction it needs to be and then give you a way to make adjustments, we can. I am here to tell you, this silly idea called a Daily Awareness Diary changes everything and puts you in control. Scott's Three-Step Approach Start tomorrow morning by looking back at yesterday and deciding, honestly, how you feel about what you created. Then look forward and name what you will create today, instead of working through a list somebody else handed you. Finish with one affirmation drawn from what you just saw, and then do the same thing for fifteen straight days. Chapters 0:02 - Why brutal awareness beats every other tool 1:26 - The nine questions nobody wants to answer 2:15 - Track your life like a trainer tracks your diet 3:40 - Looking back, then deciding what you create 5:51 - Prayer, connection, and the people you forgot 6:48 - The preplanned response that kills your stress 8:52 - Write your own affirmation and keep going Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's conversation is raw, moving, and deeply powerful.About a year ago, my co-worker Melinda came across a book by Davey Blackburn. In 2015, Davey's world was completely shattered when his wife, Amanda, was tragically murdered during a home invasion. As you can imagine, this event was not only devastating, but it shifted his life in a completely different direction.Today, Davey is remarried to Kristi, and together they have dedicated their lives to living out the truth that when you follow Jesus, Nothing is Wasted. They lead a multi-faceted ministry that helps people navigate trauma, grief, and major life transitions and helps them find purpose in their deepest pain.Melinda and Davey both sit down with me today. If your life has ever been affected by the type of grief that causes you to wonder if God can bring good from your story, this is worth the listen. We jump into the conversation with Davey giving us as glimpse of his life and the incredible journey that led to starting Nothing Is Wasted Ministries. Memorable Quotes:“You're not blended until you're first broken.” “We want to be guides to help accelerate people's healing journey, because pain is the common denominator of life.”“I saw people's suffering as an obstacle to our mission.”“When the enemy sets something in motion in our life, God already has a redemptive plan in mind.”“I realized early on that I was never going to get a full explanation for why this happened. I will one day, I'll see Jesus face-to-face and I'll look at him, and all of my questions will be resolved…once I step into the unadulterated presence of God, I don't think I'll even have to ask, I'll just go, ‘It makes sense.'”“Until then, when I don't have explanation for something as senseless as this that has happened in my life, what I have to look for is I have to look for mean, I have to look for purpose, to go, ok God, I'm choosing to partner with you and you're going to have to help me to undo the work of the enemy in my life.”“There is abundant and and a blessed life in store for you in God's healing and redemptive plan, but that is also held in the same open hand as continued suffering. There is a both and.”“If you're going to have a message that is going to be true and genuine, that is refined, you're going to go through fire.”“I was able to be the rawest, realest version of myself at the feet of Jesus, and as excruciating as it was, what it did was it began to then allow me to see where God was in the middle of my story.”“We've got to confront these things head on and go, ‘Ok God, I'm going to trust you, as I deal with this, as I face this, that you're going to meet me here and you're going to heal me in this.”“God is always in the work of being for our good and His glory and the world's gain.”Show Notes:Psalm 116:15John 10:10Romans 8:28Romans 12:1-2Acts 7:54-60Acts 9:161 Peter 5:8Nothing is Wasted by Davey BlackburnThrough the Eyes of a Lion by Levi LuskoWalking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller

In episode 502 of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse begin what promises to be a multi-part deep dive into the Parable of the Good Samaritan — one of the most culturally embedded and theologically rich stories Jesus ever told. But before a single character hits the Jericho road, the hosts ground listeners in something easily overlooked: the charged context in which this parable is told. A lawyer — trained, confident, adversarial — steps forward not to learn but to test. What follows is a masterclass in how Jesus turns the law back on those who wield it as a weapon. This episode covers Luke 10:21–36, explores the covenant of works and covenant of grace, the noetic effects of sin, and why the Good Samaritan is far more than a lesson in being a helpful neighbor. Buckle up. Key Takeaways The lawyer's question is self-contradictory from the start. Asking "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" smuggles a works-righteousness assumption into the very grammar of the question. Inheritance by definition is received, not earned. Jesus does not give the lawyer a new paradigm — He reorients him to the true one. The covenant of grace is not a New Testament innovation. It runs through every Old Testament covenant administration. The lawyer should have already known this. "Do this and you will live" is not a Pelagian concession. Christ is holding out the law's own terms — perfect, total, unrelenting obedience — not to suggest it is achievable, but to expose its impossibility and drive the lawyer (and us) to the only alternative: mercy. "Desiring to justify himself" is more complex than it first appears. Tony argues that the desire to fulfill the covenant of works is not inherently wicked — it is the misguided belief that one can which is the problem. This distinction creates room for reading Christ's response as genuinely merciful instruction, not merely rebuke. The noetic effects of sin mean accurate theology can be deployed in service of self. The lawyer knows the right answers and still uses them to avoid repentance. Correct doctrine alone does not save. The fundamental human problem is not ignorance — it is the will's bondage and the heart's self-love. The parable is primarily Christological, not merely ethical. Jesus is the Good Samaritan. The story is not first about mercy ministry; it is about who binds up our wounds when we are left for dead on the road, unable to save ourselves. The priest and the Levite are not exonerated by their ritual obligations. Considerable ink has been spilled trying to justify their passing by on grounds of Levitical purity concerns. The parable refuses that exit. Everyone in the story — and everyone listening — already knows what the right thing to do was. Key Concepts The Covenant of Works Is Not a Black Box One of the more quietly important arguments Tony makes in this episode is that the covenant of works was never meant to be mysterious or inaccessible. When Jesus responds to the lawyer's question by asking, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" — He does so with a visible assumption: there is a clear, knowable answer, and the lawyer should be able to give it. And he does. Love God completely, love your neighbor as yourself. The covenant of works was always coherent and comprehensible. The problem has never been that its demands were obscure. The problem is that no one — save the Mediator — has ever kept them. Jesus is not introducing a new ethical framework. He is forcing the lawyer to confront a standard he has always known and has never met. The Lawyer as a Warning to Reformed Christians Jesse closes the episode's first movement with a pointed and personal application that cuts across theological self-satisfaction. The lawyer is not a caricature of ignorance — he is a portrait of someone with accurate, affirmed theological knowledge who instinctively deploys it in the service of self-justification the moment he senses conviction. Jesse names this directly as a danger particularly acute in Reformed circles, where doctrinal precision can become a subtle mechanism of self-defense rather than an occasion for repentance. The Reformation's great recovery of grace must not become a new form of the very disease it diagnosed. Knowing the right words about total depravity, the covenant of grace, and the mediator does not exempt anyone from the need to actually be humbled by them. Theology is not armor against repentance — it is, rightly received, the road toward it. Context Is Not Just Setup — It Is Part of the Lesson Tony and Jesse both emphasize that Luke 10:21–24 is not merely throat-clearing before the real content begins. The theological statement embedded there — that the Father has hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children, that no one knows the Son except the Father or the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him — is the hermeneutical key to everything that follows. The lawyer approaches Jesus as one rabbi testing another. But Luke has already told his readers that this is not a conversation between equals debating interpretive options. It is the Lawgiver being questioned by someone who does not recognize Him. The parable that follows is not just an answer to a legal question. It is a revelation — the kind that only happens when the Son chooses to give it. Memorable Quotes You do not want to pit the law against the one who has given the law, the one whose character is represented in the law — because you're always going to get owned, and you'll get owned before you realize you've just gotten owned on multiple levels. - Jesse Schwamb Jesus is trying to sort of reorient them back to the true paradigm of grace that is present under all of the Old Covenant administrations. It's not so much a matter of developing a new framework and imposing it on this guy. It's really trying to say, 'Listen — think about this for a second. Think about the fact that, yes, you know you have to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, your whole mind, and you have to love your neighbor as yourself. You've answered correctly. If you can do those things, you will live.' — with the subtext: and of course you cannot possibly do those things. - Tony Arsenal The fundamental human problem is not primarily ignorance, but the will's bondage and the heart's self-love. It's a problem no amount of correct discipline or doctrine alone can fix apart from some kind of regenerating grace — which is exactly what Jesus is going to illustrate for us in the mercy he's about to display in this parable. - Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript Tony Arsenal: [00:00:00] This parable is not primarily about us figuring out how to do mercy ministry. Like, that's important. It's probably an outcome of this. It's probably something for us to think about. But really, this is actually Christ saying, like, "Hold on a second here, dude." Like, "Let's just think about this." Do you need someone who is going to tell you to pick yourself up off your bootstraps and cross to the other side of the street and leave you to your own devices? Or do you need someone who's gonna throw you on their donkey, who's gonna bind up your wounds, who's gonna pay the innkeeper, and is gonna pledge to pay everything that is owed for your salvation? Right? That's not too on the nose here, I think. Welcome to episode 502 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm [00:01:00] Jesse  And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, we've got a big one to talk about on this episode. We're marching further and further into all of the glorious parables Jesus told as part of His teaching. And as you and I kind of joked before we began, I mean, what did you call it? Did you say this is, uh, the big daddy?  Tony Arsenal: It's the big daddy, one of the big daddy parables.  Jesse Schwamb: It's one of the big daddy parables. Now, this one is probably second maybe only to the prodigal son. Yeah But in terms of its ubiquity and its kind of just common knowledge in culture, this one ranks right up there. And before I reveal what it is, which you may already know, I was thinking how so many times we look at the Beatitudes as expression of a master class in Jesus teaching the law, and I think that's true. But as I was reading and thinking about this particular parable, I thought, "I don't know. I think this one is, uh, right up there," because [00:02:00] this is like law on law. It's double law. Yeah It's law coming back at the law giver who's trying to use the law to test Jesus, and then Jesus tests him with the law that He himself gave His people. It's... I'm already getting too excited- ... and we've got something to do before we get there. But we're talking about the parable of the Good Samaritan. And so I can't imagine, can I just make a prediction up front? I, you know where I'm going with this, and probably everybody else does. Uh, this is gonna be like two conversations-  Tony Arsenal: At least ...  Jesse Schwamb: probably.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, at least two.  Jesse Schwamb: Is that fair? Because I realize we, of course, wanna get to the parable itself, and oh, my goodness, how much ink has been spilled. Even going back to, like, if you read, like, Augustine or, like, the early church, like the Patristics, the Church Fathers, there are so much that could be said, and maybe some stuff that just shouldn't be said about all the allegorical potential intent here about these characters. But [00:03:00] there's so much amazing stuff that happens in the opening of this, that's not just the setup, but it is its own lesson, and I'm real excited actually to talk about that with you before we even get into, like, all the good stuff that everybody expects that you wanna talk about. So we're gonna do it all. Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: We're gonna do it all, but it'll take time.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I'm interested to see if we're even on the same page about where to start reading, 'cause I, I think we might not be, and that's gonna be fun. So we'll, we'll let it fly and see what happens. It'll be our own little, uh, podcast game.  Jesse Schwamb: But, uh, I think- Well, I mean, we're gonna be in Luke chapter 10, but I guess to your point, we should be starting in Luke chapter one to get to this. Yeah.  Tony Arsenal: Exactly. But  Jesse Schwamb: we, we do have to back up quite a bit, and I was gonna ask you about that. Yeah. But I, apparently we're just gonna play that on the fly and see where we go.  Affirmations Denials Segment Jesse Schwamb: But of course, the Reformers had their five solos. Chalcedon had its, what, seven withouts. We've got opinions, and we're just as confident about ours, so of course it's time for affirmations, denials, where we affirm something that we think is good or awesome or [00:04:00] we wanna recommend, and we deny, again, something that is not so great or maybe just plain annoying. So before we talk about the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Tony, what do you got for us on this episode? Are you affirming with something, or are you gonna come in with a denial?  Tony Arsenal: Well, I've got two affirmations. That's fine. One is just- I will allow it ... a declaration of joy, and one is, like, a real affirmation. I, I just can't... It would be remiss of me not to share with our podcasting family that my son August and my daughter Adeline, uh, joined the visible church today as- Hear, hear ... uh, non-communicant members. Uh, Augie and Addie were baptized on the 16th of August of 2026, uh, into the visible church, into the name of Jesus Christ. Uh, was, it was just a great service. Um, it's funny because I've been- been talking with Augie. One of the thing with toddlers when you're doing something big like this is you kinda have to talk about it and practice and rehearse, rehearse it and, and get them ready for it. And up until maybe, like, I don't know, three days [00:05:00] ago, every time it would come up he would be saying, "I don't wanna be baptized. I don't wanna be baptized." And, um, you know, I, I, I, you know, I don't wanna force him to do something, but also, like, I make him eat vegetables. But, um- ... he, I, I think it was nerves, and I think something clicked in his head and all of a sudden he was very excited to be baptized. So, um, it was great. We've been talking about, you know, what baptism is, God's promise to you that if you trust him he'll save you. And so today he- Right ... he was like, "God's gonna make a promise to me to save me." So he was very excited. Nice. And he did a great job just standing quietly and listening to the pastor talk. Uh, and Addie was, was, was just a beautiful little girl, and she, um, she loved it as well. So that's just a bonus affirmation. I don't know that I could get through a podcast without gushing over that.  Glorify App and Devotionals Tony Arsenal: Uh, but the, the affirmation I have, uh, this is an, an app that I think some of our listeners may have heard of. Um, some may roll their eyes at it, to be honest with you. Um, I stumbled on this because, uh, you have an Oura Ring, don't you, Jesse? Jesse Schwamb: I do.  Tony Arsenal: You [00:06:00] do, yeah. So for those who don't know, an Oura Ring is like a little wearable ring that's like a, almost like a fitness tracker, but it tracks biometrics, pulse rate, temperature, all these different things, sleep. Um, there's a startup, uh, that has been doing a GoFundMe or a funding kind of thing for, uh, what they're calling like a Christian version of an Oura Ring. So it does a lot of the same things, sleep tracking, basic biometric tracking. Hmm. But it also has like alerts built in, and it's tied into an app that they use for devotionals. So it'll, it'll remind you to pray. It'll remind you, you know, bring you to an app to do a devotion. But the app it uses is a standalone app that I looked up, and it's called Glorify. Have you ever heard of this app before this evening? I have heard of  Jesse Schwamb: this, yeah.  Tony Arsenal: So Glorify is just a small devotional app. Uh, it's not much different than you would expect based on the name. It is connected to this, uh, to this Glorify ring, which again is, is sort of like an Oura Ring tied into this app. But this app basically is, is [00:07:00] designed to help you complete short daily devotional exercises, and they're usually very brief. They're based on a very brief, um, a very brief passage of scripture. Today's passage, uh, c- there's a quote. So today's quote is from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It says, "True love does not consist in finding the perfect person, but in faithfully loving an imperfect one." Not sure why this devotional app is using a romance, uh, quote from Bonhoeffer of all people. But that was today's. Um, and the passage is Proverbs 5:15-17. So it's a, it's a devotional based on two verses, which is fine. So you read the passage. There's a very brief devotional on that passage, and then sort of a guided prayer, and they have both premium and free models. The premium model includes like you can listen to the devotional, you can listen to the prayer. Um, but just for example, today's prayer, it, it's very simple. "Loving Father, thank you for, uh, thank you because you're faithful and unchanging. In a world [00:08:00] marked by broken promises, disposable relationships, you remain the same. Teach me to reflect that faithfulness in my relationships. Help me to love with perseverance, grace, and commitment following the example of Christ. Protect marriages, strengthen families, restore what needs healing. May every relationship be marked by respect, truth, and genuine love. Shape in me a heart of integrity that honors you in both the small and significant choices of life. In Jesus' name, amen." So I think what I love about this, and this, I mentioned last week that there was, this is kind of like, sort of like the fluffy evangelical devotions. Like- Right ... there's not a ton of like solid doctrinal meat- But like, it's still nourishing. And sometimes we need a little bit of help. Sometimes we don't know what to pray, we don't know what to read, we're not sure. Sometimes in, I think in our Reformed circles, we feel like if we're not reading large portions of scripture and reading deep theological treaties or long, complex devotionals, that we're really not doing anything, and that's just not the [00:09:00] truth. So I've been using this in addition to other devotional studies I'm doing. I don't do it every day. I mean, there's some like streak functionality, kinda like habit tracking type stuff that's built into it. Um, but it's nice. It's nice to be able to pick it up, read a very short scripture, a brief devotional thought, and then have some guided prayer. I know one of the reasons I don't pray as often as I ought to is because I struggle to know what and how to pray. So even having some written prayers, I mean, this is why the Psalms are good, things like the Valley of Visions are good. Um, having some pre-written prayers that you genuinely pray but you're not having to come up with in the moment can really help. Right. So the app is called Glorify. I know it's available on iPhone. I'm not sure about Android. I'm sure it probably is. I'm sure they wanna have a pretty broad ecosystem. Um, and, and it's good. Again, it's, it's not anything fancy. It's not anything like super technical. Uh, and as I kind of alluded, like some of it's a little weird. Um, I, I didn't read the proverb. I think maybe the proverb is about romantic relationships, why they're, why they're tying in that, um, Bonhoeffer quote in, in the prayer. [00:10:00] But, um, even that, like it's pretty innocuous. And the quotes, like you don't have to read the quotes. It's not like you have to have to do that. Um, you could jump in, just read the scripture or just read the devotion and just do the prayer and you would be fine. So check it out. It's called Glorify, available on iPhone for sure. I'm pretty sure it's on, on Android. And maybe it's something you add daily, you know, this kinda thing like you do when you're on the bus or you're waiting at the grocery store, something quick you can do when you might be wasting that time just sorta sitting around or scrolling Twitter. Again, Twitter's fine. You can use your leisure time as you see fit. But if you wanna fill it with something like this, something that is more spiritual, then this would be a good option to just add a little bit of, uh, a little bit of nourishment to your diet where you might not otherwise be getting it  Jesse Schwamb: I have no proof of this, but I just keep saying it anyway. It might be that we're living in the golden age of really great- ... daily worship resources. Like, something to actually cultivate, not just, like, a devotional nugget, but something that actually leads you into a pattern and a habit of [00:11:00]worship, giving your attentive focus on Jesus. And I love that. So, uh, uh, 'cause I was just thinking, like, I was trying to look back on some of our past affirmations here. We've talked about the book Walking in Faith. I just gave everybody Awake My Soul last week. You're coming in with the Glorify app. I- we've talked about Dwell, if not recently, we've talked about that for some time. It's like a great Bible reading app, and there's lots and lots of new features, by the way, coming out on that- Yeah that are fantastic. And then, yes, all these other great prayers. I, I see, like, these books on prayer, like, actually, I'm sorry, like, prayer books, I guess, as, like, a great way to kinda... It's like a jumper for your car. You know what I mean? Like, just gets you started. What a, what a lovely thing to come into a place and have a launching pad. And I've been using a lot of Into His Presence, which is a collection of Puritan prayers, sometimes because, for instance, this just happened, where I wanted to pray for someone who was just going through a rough time, a good friend of mine. And I went to that place to kinda start and frame, knowing that I was gonna sit down with him and pray, how I might be able to do that well and [00:12:00] effectively. And these things are just, like, really phenomenal resources. It's just an amazing time to have all these things at our disposal. So that's another great option. It's, it's really more about, like you and I have talked about, Tony, like, whatever gets us into that pattern, whatever gets us, like, authentically experiencing under our own volition, coming in the discipline of sitting before God in daily worship with that expression being pretty broad in its representation- Yeah is to really include something of devotional time in the scriptures, memorization, metabolation, metabolizing. Metabolation, I'm just gonna make that up as, like- ... what happens when you, when you take the scripture and metabolize it into your own life. Meditating on it and, you know, again, maybe looking through the confessions and creeds that have shaped our distilled understanding of what the scripture teaches so that we're enhancing and edifying our mind. We're also engaging the heart, and then we're engaging God and ourselves in communication with Him through prayer. I'm all for anything [00:13:00] that gets us into those rhythms, reminds us of the importance of them, and like we talked about last week, makes it so that when we think about what it means to be married to Christ, so to speak, it's not just about whipping out some kind of marriage certificate to prove that, but that we actually have a frame and a behavioral pattern that fits a married person, that- Yeah how they act, how they think, how they behave, how they communicate, they're never too far away from their lovely spouse in some way or another. And so I think that these tools are great ways to get us exactly into that kind of mindset and practice.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, absolutely. And like I said, like, I think- In our Reformed circles, we can, you know, we, we tend to be maybe a little eggheaded, and we, we tend to be a little more intellectual and, and a little more, I don't know, studious. And there's nothing wrong with that. Um, but I think sometimes it can breed a sort of, uh, elitism and arrogance. Sure. Uh, this is a perfectly valid devotional tool. Yes. Mm-hmm. And, and I think, [00:14:00] you know, kinda like the old adage, like, well, what's the best translation of scripture? Well, whichever one you're gonna read. Exactly. Like, what's the best devotional tool? Whichever one you're gonna use, whichever one's actually gonna bring you into the Word, uh, on a, on a regular basis. Um, and again, like, two verses of the scripture is two verses of the scripture that you might- Right ... not have other spent time, otherwise spent time reading. And it really is short enough, and it saves your progress. Like, you can do, you can do the quote in the morning, and then you can check the scripture on the way to the, you know, the word work, on a stoplight or whatever. Um, if you have the, the paid subscription, you can listen to this stuff, you know, on the, the bus or whatever. Um, so check it out. Glorify app, they have a ring they're making. It's in funding, I guess, if you wanna check it out, you can check that out too. I am neither affirming nor denying whatever this Glory ring is, Glorify ring. But, um, but yeah, the app is great. The, the app is free, and it's, it's worth even just checking out and adding once in a while to your day  Jesse Schwamb: The glory ring or the glorify ring sounds like almost too Tolkien, even for me  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It's the one ring to rule all of your devotions. [00:15:00] Uh, and in the, and in the morning bind them. Jesse, save me from the trail I was about to go on, and, and I was gonna speak in the language of Mordor, I think, on accident. Uh, save us from this. What are you affirming or denying?  Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: beautiful. Please tell me it's the language of Mordor. Elvish AI and Music Pick Jesse Schwamb: Uh, no, but can I just say at the risk of really taking us really far afield so early on, which is not necessarily off-brand for us, I have done this... I, I don't know if I should be ashamed by this or I should be excited by this. But- ... um, the Elvish tongue in the Tolkien universe-  Tony Arsenal: Oh, no. ...  Jesse Schwamb: is like, there's several... If you're super nerdy, you'll know there's like several different kind of iterations or formulas of it, and there's no, like, official language like Klingon, but there ha- it has been studied, and basically, like, it's kind of like the Eugene Peterson of the language. Like, there's, like, just kind of a dynamic equivalent or an expression of words. Anyway, all that to say- ... there's several languages that, uh, Microsoft Copilot will just not [00:16:00] translate because it says, like, "This one, this language doesn't actually exist. There's not enough for me to do anything." Let me tell you something. Tolkien Elvish is not one of those languages, and I actually built an agent, because I have a coworker who can, uh, who can appreciate all this stuff, that takes a text, translates it into this kind of academic high-level Elvish from Tolkien, and then translates it back to English. That makes anything you're saying way better and far more poetic and just absolutely amazing. So if you wanna have some fun, go and do that with whatever your favorite AI model is. Anyway, that's free of charge. Real quick, my affirmation is more music. It just turns out I've found this band, and I've been listening to them a lot. The band's name is Thronebreaker, which is just a phenomenal name, I think, for any group. Uh, it's amazing. Uh, th- this is... I'm gonna read you their description from Spotify. It just says, "Thronebreaker is Christian metalcore built for the bruised, the doubting, and the ones still fighting their way home." And what I've really been [00:17:00] loving about them is it is kind of like Wolves at the Gate adjacent. It's really lovely music. It is melodic, so it's, there's not just that there's that kind of hard edge, but that is present in it. But, uh, the music is really lovely and beautiful, and in part that's because they're going through this, like, drip of releasing music where they're taking, like, old hymns or maybe songs if you're of a certain age like I am of kind of childhood Sunday school- And they're taking the lyrics, not the melody, and they're reimagining them. So they have two versions of Jesus Loves Me that they just released. They have the old We're Gonna Cross, a song called Glory to the King Most High. These songs are just saturated with gospel. Like, they're just all power, all encouragement, and all authority represented in Jesus Christ. They're incredible, and I've j- where I've, what I've been really blessed by is these two versions of Jesus Love Me are just fantastic. Like, they're orchestral. There is a children's kind of chorus at one point, and it got me [00:18:00] singing that song again, and really, maybe to what you were saying before, Tony, like sitting in those three words, which are really phenomenal words to hear. And so I have been surprised at how moved I've been by what really I, I first understood, of course, as a children's song with simple truth that seems, you know, depending on how long you've known some part of the gospel, obvious. And yet I found them all new again, and a, a really lovely way of just sitting in the truth of God in music that I didn't expect to find. So if you're interested in any of that or maybe just curious of what it would sound like if a Christian metalcore band took Jesus Loves Me and turned it into their genre, then honestly you should just go check out Throne Breaker. I mean, you pretty much have to at this point.  Tony Arsenal: I, I don't ever have anything to add to your musical affirmations or denials, 'cause I, I just don't. What I do have to add is that Throne Breaker actually sounds like some sort of really [00:19:00] amazing, like, mace-type weapon in Lord of the Rings. Yes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes,  Tony Arsenal: it does. Or like a big hammer that a dwarf carries. And I would also like to say that if you ask Google Gemini to translate something into Tolkien English, it not only will do it, it will tell you how to pronounce it.  Google Elf: A ava aini Ilai amel i trona se.  Tony Arsenal: What do you think that was, Jesse?  Jesse Schwamb: No idea.  Tony Arsenal: First of all, that was elevated Quenya, a Quenya. Yes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes, that's  Tony Arsenal: the one. Classic Quenya.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Google Elf: A leta Ilai amel aima.  Tony Arsenal: I would be willing to bet... Actually, let's do this.  Jesse Schwamb: Ugh.  Tony Arsenal: Uh, we don't give out prizes very often. Uh, I will say to anyone who can tell me what that is, the first person that emails, uh, or, or goes into the Telegram chat, we'll do this. We'll be professional podcasters and drive people to one of our channels. Here we  Jesse Schwamb: go.  Tony Arsenal: The first person who goes to our telephone, our Telegram chat and tells me what that [00:20:00] means, what that, uh, Elvish means, will get a Reformed Brotherhood T-shirt.  Jesse Schwamb: Oh, that is big.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: That-  Tony Arsenal: So I'm gonna, I'm gonna play it one more time.  Jesse Schwamb: Okay, here we go. Everybody listen. Every- All right, pull over. Stop your vehicles. Here we go.  Google Elf: A leta Ilai amel aima.  Tony Arsenal: There it is, everybody.  Jesse Schwamb: I'm not being a cry- I have a guess, but I, I, I wanna try to win the T-shirt, so I'm gonna- Yes ... wi- withhold. All right. Uh, yeah, that's, that's super fun. Did it, um... Did you also translate it back into English from that  Tony Arsenal: just to see- No, I'll do that later, 'cause that would give away the, that would  Jesse Schwamb: give away the prize. Yeah, it's, it's... We'll have to save that for next week, because that, that is the fun. It creates, like, what I was doing to, to have fun with this coworker is take very technical, like, work-related emails, and I would send it through. It would go through that iterative process, and I actually loved how it, it was talking. Like, it wa- this was an email about risk, and it, it gave, like, these beautiful grand metaphors that didn't sound corny or cheesy. That's the beautiful thing. That's amazing. It [00:21:00] was like true Elvish. Like, you were just like, "I wish I spoke that way all the time about, about risk." And it, like I said, it wasn't just like... You could, you could obviously throw something in and be like, "Make this Shakespearean," or, you know, "Make this, you know, sound like, you know, Milton." This is way better. This is way better, because it's not, like, actually trying to manipulate what you're saying. It's takes, like, the dynamic equivalent of what you said, then translates it back with way more kind of poetic infrastructure while maintaining, like, the essential meaning that you have. I'm, I'm selling this too hard. Everybody just has to go out and try it. So, all right, you know what's at stake here, but here's how you have to win this. If you want a chance, if you want a chance at winning this, you gotta go to t.me/reformedbrotherhood, t.me/reformedbrotherhood, and that link will take you to the Telegram app and our little corner of it, and you're gonna find there's a bunch of chats there. You gotta go to the affirmations or denials chat, and then you gotta put in what is the translation of what Tony just played.[00:22:00] I just love... Isn't it amazing, though, that, like, y- as you discovered, there's more than one version of Elvish available? Yeah. And they do differentiate between the various kinds. This is a big deal. I learned there are actually scholars who have, like, again, filled in kind of like the details of the language- Oh, yeah taking as a basis what Tolkien had there. Yeah. So I think that this is the best. We couldn't have conceived of this if we'd actually tried and planned for it, so-  Tony Arsenal: It's true ...  Jesse Schwamb: it's just better that it all happened in, in real time. It's true. And, and speaking of which, I think now we get to have the fun of figuring out, uh, where in Luke chapter 10 are we gonna begin? Or should we just start in Luke 1 and just let's see how far we can get reading  Tony Arsenal: in this- I could have, I could have Google Gemini read it in elevated Kenya, Quenya I did try to get it to put it in Sindarin, and it wouldn't do it for some reason. I'm not sure. Maybe this anti-Sindarin bias in Gemini,  Jesse Schwamb: man. Disappointing.  Tony Arsenal: It's disappointing.  Jesse Schwamb: Dis- disappointing. So let's kick off some Good Samaritan talk, which again, I think is gonna take us [00:23:00] through maybe in the next couple of conversations, in part because, like I said, we're not even gonna start at, uh, verse 25 because there is so much more that needs to be said, I think, before that. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I, I think actually the proper place to start this, and I, I'm guessing Jesse probably, whether he was there or not, he probably figured out where I was going, uh, over the course of the last 20 minutes or whatever. Um, I actually think the proper place to start, at least one of the proper places to start, is in verse 21. Yeah. Um, and I- we'll talk about why that is. And I'll... I'm gonna read here, um, 21, uh, through the end of the parable. Uh, and this is Jesus talking. He says in this, uh... Well, it, this is, um... Yes, uh, I'll just read it here. "In the same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one who knows who the Son is except... No, no one knows who the Son is [00:24:00] except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Himself.'" Then turning to the disciples, he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see and did not see it, and hear what you hear and did not hear it." And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and he saw him and passed on the other side. So likewise a Levite, [00:25:00] when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. Whatever you, whatever more you spend I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" And he said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "You go and do likewise."  Jesse Schwamb: I think you're right, of course, to back us up into verse 21 because I don't want to keep saying it's always a setup, but Jesus is certainly giving us like the right context in which... Well, Luke of course is the author here and as he's explaining the teaching of Jesus, he does so well to start out with some irony that we don't realize is gonna be ironic until we get to the, to verse 25 [00:26:00] when we realize who's testing Jesus, who's setting this all up. So this idea that the Holy Spirit, everybody rejoicing in the Holy Spirit and the knowledge and the wisdom, the intelligence that's revealed through the Holy Spirit to all of these lesser people and in particular here emblematic the infants That here we have kings and rulers, and in this case, this beloved scholar of the law, who all have this adventure in missing the point. They think, in fact, they're looking for the one who is to set them free, and they can't even see that it's Him who is before him. And yet, incidentally, God has already revealed all these things to the lowest, to the ones who are the most humble, the meek, the mild, the down and outs, the ones who are weak by the view of everybody else. And so it's amazing that if we just kinda, again, like blow past it into, like, just all the characters, we don't see that the teaching starts actually well above this, that even everything we're about to understand, that unfolds in our lives, ev- every spiritual incarnation and insight that we have [00:27:00] first starts with God himself in his revealing it to us both in his general revelation, but of course, in the specific revelation of his teaching. So I like that you started us there, because I, I'm with you. That's where this whole thing launches off, right?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Parables Reveal and Conceal Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and as we come into when we very, like very start of this, uh, series, the, the parable series, Jesus sort of embeds a theology of parables into this introduction, right? Or I should say Luke does. But this, uh, this is written a- as though all of this is occurring as sort of one event. Right. And likely it was, right? So sometimes, uh, in the Gospels, events are kind of, like, moved next to each other for thematic reasons. It's possible that that's the case. It seems like this may have actually just been one, one teaching, and I'll, I'll talk about why that is in a second here. Um, but at the very least, this is placed next to each other in the Gospel almost as, like a, "Here's the theology of parables. Now, here's actually that happening in real [00:28:00] time."  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Tony Arsenal: And then also, like, a parable kinda demonstrating it, right? So the theology of the parable here is that there are many prophets, kings who desire to see what it is that, that, uh, uh, the disciples are seeing, right? And all things have been handed over to the Father or to, to the Son, by the Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father. No one who knows who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal, right? So the, the theology of parables here presented in Luke is that the parable itself is being used as a way to reveal the Father and the Son to those whom the Son chooses to reveal it to. The Lawyer as the Fool Tony Arsenal: And that leaves us with this lawyer, um, sort of playing, playing the fool in almost like a dramatic sense, right? In a lot of drama, there's kind of like the fool character who's sort of like the foil or the idiot of the thing who's, who's unaware and is almost like made an example of, right? Um, I, I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but there's often a character in a play who's like, uh, it's [00:29:00] almost like the opposite of the everyman, right? The everyman in a, in a play- Right ... or in a movie is sort of like the outsider who things gets explained to, and he's sort of the proxy for, for the audience. Um, I think like, um, Hawkeye in Avengers is kind of the everyman. He's sort of just like this regular dude swept up in this thing, and oftentimes he's the one that, uh, the big characters are explaining things to. And really what that is is the big characters are explaining that to the audience through this proxy. There's also this concept of the fool in a lot of these plays or movies who's sort of like the dummy, the idiot of the play, who things are explained to, and it's still a way to explain it to the audience, but the character doesn't get it. And so that's kind of, kind of the role that this lawyer is playing in this, this narrative here. He, he steps forward. He's like, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answers his question, and then in this like sort of like stunning moment of, like unawareness, he's trying to justify himself. He says, "Well, who is my neighbor?"[00:30:00] As though that's a question that needed to be asked, right? I think, like, we sort of think of it as like, "Oh, yeah, that's a valid question." I actually don't think it is. Like, it's pretty obvious, in the Old Testament at least, who your neighbor is. It's the people who live immediately with you. It's the other people of Israel. It's the people in your immediate concentric circles, the people you have direct access to. Um, and so then Jesus explains it through this parable, and whether or not he gets it at the end, I guess is maybe a little bit unclear. We can talk about that as we get there. But at least in the beginning, he's portrayed as this sort of, like, fool who doesn't understand what Jesus is saying, and then this parable is taught. So it's this theology of, um, revelation to those whom it is intended to, and further obscuring from those it's intended not to, not to illuminate, which is identical. Uh, maybe it's a different flavor of the same thing, but it's the same thing as what Matthew had and what Jesus taught- Right ... in Matthew with the parables. Jesse Schwamb: Right. It definitely is, again, illustrating, again, God's divine prerogative. I think you really have to do a lot of theological gymnastics [00:31:00] to try to work yourself out of a place here that says, like, "Well, this, this knowledge is accessible to all people."  Tony Arsenal: Right.  Jesse Schwamb: That if somehow we just work hard enough, study hard enough, come even before God with the right attitude or do the right things, that somehow all this will be made plain to us, and that's certainly not the truth here. In fact, again, the ironic setup is you have this lawyer asking this question, which creates this strange contrast because here's a man trained in the law, and he approaches the very wisdom of God to test him while the little children already perceive what this fool cannot. So it's irony upon irony, and then I, I like what you're saying. I think, and we'll get to this to anticipate a bit, I'm reading this as he's hoping that the answer to whom is my neighbor, just like he- he's received the affirmative from Jesus saying, "Yes, you understand. Go and do these things. This is life," and we'll get to all of what that means, I think, as well in terms of the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. But I think he's hoping that the definition of neighbor is gonna mean that he has [00:32:00] already accomplished the thing then, so that if there's somehow- Yeah ... he could just set the right boundaries. He could say, "Ah, yeah, I'm already good then, Jesus. I already, already did all that stuff." So- It's wild to me that it, it all starts with, of course, like some kind of scribal specialist in the Torah, of course, likely some kind of Pharisee by theological alignment. And as I'm looking at the notes here, what I find particularly stunning as we start this out is that Luke, of course, is able to speak several times in this parable to the intent. And so he says right away with great kind of fanfare and description that the intent here from this scribal Torah person was to test or to tempt, which is the same verb used of Satan's temptation of Christ and of Israel's testing of God in Deuteronomy 6, which of course Jesus is gonna quote here later on. So it's not, of course, like sincere inquiry, like you're saying. It, it is like adversarial probing. It is like really profound setup. It is dripping with like [00:33:00] ulterior motive. It's seeking to expose Jesus as either like heterodox or as diminishing the law's demands. And I think we've talked about this before, so Tony, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure in one of the previous parables we talked about sometimes how these get set up with this kind of weird like oxymoronic setting. Inherit Eternal Life Debate Jesse Schwamb: So like this question of se- uh, uh, itself, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: It's like more than just theologically revealing. Biblically it's self-contradictory, 'cause of course like we talked about inheritance, I think actually when we went through the, the parable of the prodigal. By definition, that's received, of course, on the ba- basis of relationship or promise. It's not earned by performance. And if the inheritance comes by a law, it no longer comes by promise, right? I think that's like Galatians. So the lawyer's question already portray- portrays like some kind of weird works righteous paradigm. E- even if you think he's really after trying to understand the true intent of God's heart [00:34:00] behind the law, he is assuming at least in this question that eternal life is some kind of wage that he can earn rather than a gift to be received by grace through faith. And that's a fundamental error that the entire subsequent exchange, including the parable, is designed to expose. It's both, like you're saying, Tony, he has not learned yet what it means to be in the kingdom of God. He's outside of that, and so he's trying... Now Jesus is bringing in this corrective action, as it were, set up in a story, but he's gonna turn the law on him, which, which I don't wanna get too excited about that yet. But he's... But essentially, here we have somebody who's the expert in the law trying to leverage the law by way of force against the one who he does not understand has all leverage and authority over him, and is in fact the law giver himself So he's gonna, Jesus is gonna drive him to see his own ability to keep the law that he claims to honor, and that's more than just brilliant. This is what the law does. You do not wanna pit the law against the one who has given the law, the [00:35:00] one whose character is represented in the law, because you're always going to get owned, and you'll get owned before you realize you've just gotten owned on multiple levels, and I think that's what basically unfolds here. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I, I have a little bit of a different take on the, the word inherit here. Um, I don't think what you're saying is wrong, um, but I think there's a little different flavor here, and actually, I, I think it, it still sort of propels us forward to the conversation we have to have, um, about the law and the gospel and the covenant of works, the covenant of grace. The, the Greek that lays under this word is, uh, it's a compound word of the word for, like, lot or portion and the word for law. And so, so the, this force of the word is more along the lines of, like, what shall I do to have a legal right to eternal life? Like- Right ... inherit, I think we hear inherit, and we think of, like, um, like what you get when someone dies, and so, like, obviously there's nothing you do to earn it, and that's certainly an element of the way this [00:36:00] word is used in some instances. I think reading this and kind of how, how the rest of the text plays out, this lawyer is coming forward and he's like, "What do I need to do to have a rightful legal claim to eternal life?" Right? We might even be able, and this is where it comes into the covenant of grace, covenant of works k- kind of paradigm. We might even be able to say that what this lawyer or this person comes forward to ask Jesus is, how do I gain, how do I gain the benefits of the covenant of works, right?  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Yep. That's language that was developed later that's not, not, like, biblical language in terms of, like, the actual language within the text, but that's the force of what he's saying. What must I do to be a rightful legal... Uh, what must I do to have a rightful legal claim on all of the blessings of the covenant of works, is really the question that's here. And so Jesus' answer is so instructive- Right ... 'cause what he says is, "Well, what's written in the law?" Like, he, he basically says, like, "Well, you should be able to tell me, teacher- Exactly of [00:37:00] the law, like, what, what needs to happen there." And there's an assumption on Christ's part that, like, there is an answer. I think sometimes, sometimes we, we, uh, we make an error in thinking that the covenant of works was never attainable, that it's somehow this, like, um, it's almost like a black box. Like, nobody could know what we have to do to, like, obtain eternal life. That's absolutely not the assumption Jesus makes. Jesus not only knows that there's an answer, it's such a straightforward answer that he expects this scribe to be able to answer it, right? And the scribe can, right? The scribe says, "Well, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, your strength, and your neighbor as yourself," right? The summary of the law. Just good old classic Westminster larger, shorter catechism. Where's the law summarily comprehended? Summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments. And then, then again, I don't know the questions exactly, but then it also, like, says, like, "Where does Christ summarize this?" Well, you should love the Lord your God, and you should love your [00:38:00] neighbor as yourself, right? Covenant Works and Grace Tony Arsenal: So the, the lawyer comes forward and says, "What do I need to do to have a legal right to all of the blessings of the covenant of works?" Christ says, "Well, what do you think?" He says, "Well, you obey the entirety of the law." And he says, "You've answered correctly. Do this. Obey the entirety of the law and you will live." So the parable itself doesn't necessarily speak to this law, gospel, covenant of works, covenant of grace paradigm. The, the parable is used to show that not only does this lawyer know what is required of him, but that he won't do it.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: And I think that's really key, because even in the parable, within the parable itself, there are these figures that know what they should do, right? I, I think, um, we'll get into it, but there's a lot of ink spilled on almost like, um, explaining [00:39:00] why the priest and the Phar- phar- and the, the Levite almost like did the right thing by going to the other side of the room, and it points to like, well, their priestly and Levitical responsibilities, if they touch a dead body, like they can't do those things, and those things are so important. Like, there's a lot of ink spilled trying to almost explain why what they did is right, when the point of the parable is that actually we all know what the right thing to do in that sense was. And even the most righteous people in the mind of the hearers, the Levites and the priests, the most righteous people, even they don't do what they're supposed to do. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: This, this paradigm, this gospel law paradigm, law gospel paradigm, this covenant of works, covenant of grace paradigm, is so baked into the very like fabric of, of human thought that it's just there. And Christ takes this time to point out to this lawyer, like, "You know what's expected of you." And so that's why the phrase desiring to justify himself is so key [00:40:00] here. I actually think that the, the, the I don't wanna go so far as to say, like, that this person was regenerated in the midst of this conversation, 'cause I don't know that. But I actually think that there's a forward movement of this lawyer as he interacts with Christ that is optimistic. I'm optimistic about it, right? Right. He starts out trying to test Jesus, then he star- then he moves to having a desire to justify himself. I think we hear that, we read that, desiring to justify himself, we automatically think that that's a negative thing. But if we think about justifying himself in terms of what he's talking about, how do I fulfill the obligations of the covenant of works, that's not a bad thing to wanna do. Right. It's not bad to wanna obey God's law and to lay claim to His promises. It's a misguided notion of something we can't accomplish, but in itself, desiring to justify himself is to desire to fulfill the obligations of the covenant of works. That's not necessarily a bad thing. And so I think this is a merciful, a merciful [00:41:00] teaching on Christ's part. He's trying to instruct this guy to say, "Look, you can't do it. And even if you could do it, you wouldn't do it. So let's, let's talk about mercy instead and what that looks like." And that's where we get to kind of the end of the, uh, the end of the parable.  Jesse Schwamb: And again, we have to remember that we know that the intent here is actually to test or try Jesus, so He's certainly being merciful by using this opportunity not to just put him on blast, but to actually provide true instruction. And of course, like, that was, to some degree, this turning the question back would've been, like, a rabbinic pedagogical technique, but theologically, this is what floors me, is from the jump, Jesus refuses to let this man treat Him merely as one more voice among competing rabbis. Yeah. Instead, He holds that lawyer to the standard of God's own revealed word by, like you said, asking not just what does it say, but how do you read it? Mm-hmm. He's pressing not just for, like, some kind of recitation, but for the lawyer's own understanding and application, and Jesus is gonna hold him [00:42:00] accountable to his own hermeneutic. So by, by the time we get the answer, we know as readers, and all those present would've understood, he already knows the right answer, and he's not ignorant to God's requirements. He already summarizes the whole moral law correctly, encompassing both tables of the Decalogue. And so I think that does lead us then to this statement that we probably should spend a little time on, like, do this and you will live, like you introduced for us. Like, what does that even mean? Because i- it's not, like, in my view It's not like a Pelagian or Arminian concession that law keeping actually saves. I mean, it is the covenant of works principle stated truly inexorably that the law as law does promise life to perfect obedience. But that's the exact problem. I, I like what you said that it's not as if we can't understand what it would be to comprehend or contemplate this perfect law and what it means to fall under the covenant of works. It's just that he also presents for us at the same time this covenant of grace in which life is [00:43:00] granted freely through faith in the mediator who alone fulfills all of these laws' demands. So it's wild in this back and forth that's happening here where it's... I don't even know if it's fair to say this is like the most incredible subtext ever. I'm imagining trying to process this in real time and realizing everything that's being said, not just listening to what's being said and like the technical answers going back and forth. But I think like you said, that the Spirit even here is at work, I would like to believe, in the life and at the heart and the mind of this lawyer who's bringing forward this question with nefarious intent first to test and to undermine, and then is being drawn in almost inexorably into this debate to more profound understanding about a covenant based on works that cannot be accomplished, uh, in perfect obedience except through the mediator who organizes and distributes liberally this covenant of grace to his children for whom he has accomplished at least passively and then actively in his obedience in life and death. And so Jesus' reply is, I [00:44:00] think, thus a very genuine like if that functions to expose an impossibility. I, I don't think he's teaching salvation by works here, of course. He is holding out the law's own terms so that the lawyer and everybody else listening, and even us as well, can discover through this narrative which is about to happen the impossibility of self-produced righteousness, which again is what this gentleman is theologically all about. He's trying to justify himself. And that is precisely the pedagogical strategy like Paul uses later when he systemizes all of this by saying that the law was our guardian or school master until Christ came in order that we might be justified by faith. I think- Yeah ... and it's only because God is good to us and we might sit in some of this teaching, I think this is all in play. So, so I ask you, like, have I gone too far with all this? Like, how much do you think in the real time was being processed? And maybe that's a horrible question to ask because we know the Spirit does this work of illumination and enlightenment, and we're on the other [00:45:00] side of this and have this time to sit and to kind of parse and to really kind of just be pickled in all of this. But there's so much happening here, right?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. Uh, maybe I'll answer the question a, a little bit of a different way. I think, um- We often can think about Old Testament religion, if we wanna kinda call it that. We think about Old Testament religion as though it was totally uniform and, um, entirely legalistic. Right. Uh, my- the, the listener is gonna panic a little bit when I say this, so please don't freak out, but I, I think N.T. Wright, uh, and some of the new perspective on Paul stuff is a, a little bit helpful in this, in that it gives us a foil to sorta push against. Yes. The new perspective on Paul is this idea that, um- Paul was not saying that Judaism was legalistic and Christianity is a grace-based religion, right? He, m- [00:46:00] um, N- NPP is not, is saying, um, Paul was not correcting New or Old Testament religion. And where they go wrong is that they say that Paul actually retains this concept of covenantal faithfulness, covenantal nomism fidelity. Uh, where I think, where I think they're right is that this idea that, like, the Old Testament religion is entirely legalistic and Paul was just sort of correcting that, I think that's way too simplistic. And the reason I say that is that the Mosaic Covenant for, you know, w- and predominantly this podcast is coming from a sort of Westminster Confession of Faith Presbyterian perspective, give or take, right? The, the broad Reformed tradition would say that the, the Mosaic, uh, covenant, the Davidic Covenant, all of the covenants of the Old Testament, and we can break them up in all sorts of different ways, but all of the covenants of the Old Testament, [00:47:00] um, with maybe the exception of the Noahic Covenant, and there's some debate about that, all of those are They're not just, like, supporting structures for the covenant of grace, but they actually are the covenant of grace in various administrations. If that's true, and of course we believe that it is, if that's true, then the people of those covenants understood that on some level. Right. Right? So to think that, like, people under the administration of the covenant of grace somehow thought that they were operating under a legalistic framework doesn't make any sense. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah,  Tony Arsenal: that's true. So, so where I think that applies here is I think this person coming forward, it's not as though the concept of the covenant of grace... Again, that's language that we would develop later, but the concept that God graciously saves His people by the counsel of His own will, apart from their works of righteousness, apart from their meritorious effort, that God [00:48:00] simply extends His grace and conveys the cov- the blessings of the covenant of works to those who trust in the mediator, those who trust in the one to come, the, the forthcoming serpent-crushing seed, right, if you wanna use- Right language from Genesis 3. The, the idea that God simply graciously conveys the blessings of the covenant of works to those people Um, that's not something that's alien to the Old Testament, right? It's not alien to the, even to the Mosaic economy. The most law-based of all of the Old Testament, um, covenants, even that starts with the concept that these people are God's people who he redeemed out of Egypt, right? Right. The redemption out of Egypt comes before the giving of the law, and the giving of the law is a result of the redemption out of Egypt. So to think that this lawyer comes forward, and again, this had been sort of corrupted and distorted and had become a very works-based, uh, [00:49:00] meritorious-based understanding. But the idea that this framework of a covenant of grace is totally alien to this guy just doesn't, it just doesn't, I think it doesn't play. And so I think rather than us read this as I think sometimes we do, of Christ as kind of like giving this guy, trying to give this guy an entirely new paradigm, or like the rich young ruler is very much a parallel kind of situation. We read this, this guy comes forward, he's like, "What do I gotta do to earn eternal life?" Christ is like, kinda basically says like, "Well, you dum-dum, you can't. And I'm gonna demonstrate for you that you can't by- Right ... taking sort of like this situation that you can't possibly believe that you fulfilled and telling you to fulfill it." That's the outcome of this. We'll get to that when we get to the end of the parable. Um, he's not trying to give them a new paradigm. He's trying, in my opinion, he's trying to sort of reorient them back to the true paradigm of grace that is present under all of the Old Covenant administrations. So it's not so much a matter of like [00:50:00] developing a new framework and impli- like imposing this new framework on this guy. It's really trying to say like, "Listen- Think about this for a second, dude. Think about this, right? Think about the fact that, yes, you know you have to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, your whole mind, and you have to love your neighbor as yourself, right? You've answered correctly. If you can do those things, you will live. With the subtext, which I think is what you're getting at, the subtext of, like, and of course you cannot possibly do those things. Right. Right. So what's the alternative, my friend? The alternative is not justifying yourself by somehow identifying who the person is that you have to love the most. The, the, the, um, the... Well, we'll get this when we get to the parable itself, but the, the alternative is... This will be interesting, 'cause I'm not sure that we... I don't know where you are on this, but, um, the alternative is that there's someone out there who shows us mercy. [00:51:00] Right. There's someone out there who takes care of our need despite our total inability to do so. Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: That's the alternative to the covenant of works, is the covenant of grace. I m- maybe I'm, like, hinting at it too much, so I'll just say it. Like, Jesus is the Good Samaritan, right? Like, there's something for us to learn about our own justification here and our own- Right ... like, um, our own need to be merciful, to treat people as our neighbors. But just like we talked about when we talked about, like, what does the least of these mean, this parable, uh, I'm totally, like, burying the lede for next, next week, but that's fine. This parable is not primarily about us figuring out how to do mercy ministry. Right. Like, that's important. It's probably an outcome of this. It's probably something for us to think about. But really, this is actually Christ saying, like, "Hold on a second here, dude." Like, "Let's just think about this." Do you need someone who is going to tell you to pick yourself up off your bootstraps and cross to the other side of the street and leave you to [00:52:00] your own devices? Or do you need someone who's gonna throw you on their donkey, who's gonna bind up your wounds, who's gonna pay the innkeeper, and is gonna pledge to play- pay everything that is owed for your salvation? Right? That's not too on the nose here, I think. Right. And, and I really look forward to, like, unpacking that, although maybe we don't need to now, but I think, like, this parable is so much more about how salvation works than it is about, like, what it means to have a good neighbor and to be a good neighbor. I think we get bogged down in that, and I just am really excited to talk more about, like, what I think this parable actually gets at.  Jesse Schwamb: I agree, and it's happening in the contex

In a hyper-connected world filled with constant noise, notifications, and performance, we often travel just to capture the photo rather than live the moment. But what happens when true luxury isn't about being seen—it's about the privilege of disappearing? In this profound episode, Chris Schembra sits down with Nicolas Peluffo, CEO of Awasi Lodges. With over two decades of experience across hospitality, real estate, and finance, Nicolas explores how Awasi's carbon-neutral, Relais & Châteaux lodges in South America—from Patagonia and the Atacama Desert to Iguazú and Santa Catarina—provide the setting for guests to disconnect, surrender control, and reconnect with intrinsic human awe.  Together, they discuss why time and space are the ultimate modern luxuries, how unscripted nature lowers cortisol and restores genius-level creativity, why hiring for attitude over aptitude is the secret to true hospitality, and how surrendering to the present moment unlocks our deepest clarity.   10 Memorable Quotes "You come to experience something unique, right? To be in awe. And that's the reason that makes you get there." — Nicolas Peluffo "A normal hospitality company says, 'We're your home away from home.' The way we approach it is: this is your best friend's home." — Nicolas Peluffo "We're hit by way too many distractions—noise, people, email, text... that makes it increasingly difficult for anyone to be human." — Nicolas Peluffo "We all need that connection with nature. We all need that disconnection from the noise and the things that are unimportant." — Nicolas Peluffo "We're not built to be in a seat, on a sofa, definitely not in a shopping mall." — Nicolas Peluffo "When looking for attitude versus aptitude, attitude always prevails. It's very difficult to teach someone to smile, but it's pretty easy to teach someone to use Excel." — Nicolas Peluffo "Smile, not because you were told to smile. Smile because this is what you were meant to do." — Nicolas Peluffo "Hospitality is unlike any other customer experience. I don't think any other business has the same level of vulnerability and surrender both ways." — Nicolas Peluffo "Surrendering for me is letting go of all those constraints that the world told us—that we need to be better, faster, cheaper." — Nicolas Peluffo "Forcing things into existence is not the best way of going about things... Flow happens when you surrender." — Nicolas Peluffo   10 Key Takeaways The Privilege of Disappearing: In an overstimulated society, true well-being comes from reaching places where you can become unreachable and step away from constant noise. Hyper-Customized Hospitality: Exceptional experiences are built around individual human pacing ("your pace, your space") with dedicated guides and private vehicles rather than rigid group itineraries. Space for Cognitive Genius: Slowing down in nature allows the brain to process internal insights, creating the mental space needed for breakthrough creativity and innovation. The Neurobiology of Awe: Immersing oneself in vast natural landscapes reduces cortisol, lowers inflammation, and shifts focus away from big egos toward prosocial connection. Unstaged and Unscripted Moments: Authentic human experiences cannot be transactional or manufactured; they flourish in unscripted interactions with nature and local cultures. Hiring for Heart and Energy: True hospitality cannot be scripted; organizations must hire people with an innate inclination to serve, prioritize attitude over skills, and cultivate genuine presence. The Power of the Smile: Emotional energy is transmitted instantly—even through a phone call—making authentic warmth and positive energy essential for meaningful human connection. The Vulnerability of Hospitality: Creating transformative experiences requires mutual trust and vulnerability between host and guest as people share meals, stories, and life moments. Surrender Before Power: Letting go of the need to control every outcome opens up flow, presence, and deeper alignment both in leadership and in personal life. Living Intrinsically vs. Extrinsically: Shifting from external validation (like social media approval) to intrinsic presence transforms a brief transaction into a lifelong memory.   About Our Guest Nicolas Peluffo is the Chief Executive Officer of Awasi Lodges, a collection of carbon-neutral luxury lodges and Relais & Châteaux member set in South America's most remote corners—including the Atacama Desert, Torres del Paine, Iguazú, and Santa Catarina. Bringing over 23 years of experience across hospitality, real estate, finance, and technology, Nicolas previously served as Founder and CEO of TRVLR and spent nearly seven years at Awasi's Santa Catarina property (formerly Ponta dos Ganchos) rising to General Manager. He served as President and Co-Founder of the Brazilian Luxury Travel Association (BLTA) and sat on the Board of Directors of Relais & Châteaux as Delegate for South America. A graduate of Harvard Business School's OPM program with certifications from Cornell University, Nicolas resides in Santa Barbara, California, leading Awasi's conviction that time and space are the greatest of privileges. Learn more at awasiexperience.com.

What if the secret to better golf is not another swing theory, launch-monitor number or technical rabbit hole—but learning how to truly play the game? Mark Immelman sits down with 3x PGA TOUR winner, NCAA National Champion, Texas State Golf Hall of Famer and respected golf broadcaster Billy Ray Brown for an honest conversation about the lessons Billy Ray wishes he had understood earlier in his career. His biggest realization? You do not have to be perfect to play great golf. Billy Ray explains why golf is a game of recovery, how an uncomfortable Christmas Day practice session transformed his short game and why players must learn to solve problems without immediately turning to a coach or a collection of data. Mark and Billy Ray also explore the importance of grip, setup, ball position, clubface awareness and active hands. They discuss Scottie Scheffler, Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Jackson Suber, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer and the Harmon family while examining how great players build swings that perform under pressure. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why chasing perfection can keep golfers from playing their best. How Billy Ray transformed his short game in only a few months. Why golf should be viewed as a game of recovery. The difference between productive practice and simply filling time. Why golfers should practice the shots that make them uncomfortable How feel and technique work together. Why self-discovery builds adaptable, resilient players How technology and data can help—and when they become distractions. Why grip, stance, alignment and ball position still matter. How clubface awareness allows great golfers to save imperfect swings. Why different grips require different body motions and matchups. How course conditions should influence the swing and shot, and Why the ultimate goal is to play golf rather than chase a perfect-looking motion. Key Takeaways: You Do Not Have to Be Perfect - Great golf is not produced by hitting every shot perfectly. Every player will miss greens, struggle with portions of the game and face situations that require creativity. The best players accept that reality and become skilled at recovering. Build a Short Game That Travels - Billy Ray recalls entering college as an excellent tee-to-green player who was not good enough around the greens. After his coach contacted his father, Billy Ray spent a cold Christmas Day working alone on his chipping. That experience began a transformation that helped him earn a place in the University of Houston lineup and win an NCAA championship later that spring. Practice What Makes You Uncomfortable - Golfers naturally gravitate toward clubs and shots they already hit well. Productive practice requires the opposite approach. Work on the awkward lies, partial wedges, flighted irons, recovery shots and uncomfortable situations that will eventually appear on the course. Learn to Figure It Out - Players who always turn to someone else after a poor shot can become dependent on external feedback. Billy Ray believes golfers must spend time experimenting, observing the ball and learning what their own motions feel like. That self-awareness gives players the ability to make adjustments during competition.  Fundamentals Provide the Foundation Modern technology offers valuable information, but Billy Ray continually returns to the same fundamentals: Grip Stance Alignment Ball position, Distance from the ball, Clubface control, A consistent setup gives the swing a better opportunity to organize itself naturally. The Ball Does Not Lie - Launch monitors can provide useful measurements, but the flight of the golf ball remains the clearest form of feedback. Golfers should learn to recognize why the ball curved, launched too high, spun too much or started offline. Play the Shot the Course Requires - Firm ground, wind, changing green speeds and difficult lies require adaptation. A golfer's motion should respond to the shot and environment—not remain locked into one predetermined swing model. Play Golf, Not Golf Swing - The objective is simple: get the ball into the hole in the fewest possible strokes. Technique matters, but only when it helps the golfer accomplish that goal. Memorable Quotes: “You do not have to be perfect in this game.” “The most complex thing about learning to play the game is keeping it simple.” “The ball doesn't lie.” “You have to go to the most uncomfortable situations and put yourself in there.” “Play the game, not swing the golf club.” This podcast is also available as a vodcast on YouTube - search and subscribe to Mark Immelman and leave a comment.

We often think of groundbreaking innovation in terms of technology, spreadsheets, and complex engineering. But what happens when humanity's most ambitious moonshots—literally reaching for the stars and returning to the moon—depend entirely on the subtle, daily interactions of human connection and moral courage? In this powerful episode, Chris Schembra sits down with Janet Grondin, CEO of Stellar Solutions and former U.S. Air Force Colonel.  Janet shares her journey from a small town in Iowa to directing teams of top engineers and advisors on humanity's most critical space and defense missions, including NASA's Artemis program. Together, they explore the tragedy that shaped her childhood, how to lead with moral courage through delayed gratification, why true leadership means helping every employee find their "dream job," and why human vision—not AI—will always be the ultimate driver of high-ground innovation.   10 Memorable Quotes "You won't survive in our business if you don't work hard and have a solid ethical foundation." — Janet Grondin "When you do see someone who could use a hand, reach out and take action. Don't walk by that problem." — Janet Grondin "For you to operate maritime, terrestrial forces, really hold your nation secure, you do need the high ground of space." — Janet Grondin "Processes don't build systems. Paper doesn't build systems... People build systems. People have visions." — Janet Grondin "Very subtle, small human interactions can have outsized impact on the mission." — Janet Grondin "If leadership is lonely, you're doing it wrong." — Janet Grondin "Mission success is paramount. People are paramount." — Janet Grondin "The connection is through the question, and then you have to be ready for the answer because it's not always the answer you want." — Janet Grondin "AI is not going to put those together and go, 'Hey, we should build a spaceship... to create diamonds and silicon.' Humans do that." — Janet Grondin "The work is done by people. And without people, I don't care what you're building, you're not gonna build much without people." — Janet Grondin   10 Key Takeaways The Ethical Foundation: High-stakes leadership requires an unshakeable ethical foundation and a commitment to leaving every environment better than you found it. Taking Action over Bystander Mindset: Real leadership means taking immediate action when you spot someone in need or identify a flaw in a critical system. The High Ground Advantage: Long-term security, communication, and economic innovation depend on securing and developing the "high ground" of low Earth orbit and lunar bases. Humans Build Systems, Not Spreadsheets: Technology and processes are just tools; the human connection between designers, builders, and leaders is the true "secret sauce" of complex mission success. Psychological Safety in Engineering: High-performing cultures require enough trust and moral courage for team members to raise flags when something isn't right without fear of dismissal. The "Dream Job" Culture: Regularly asking employees "Are you in your dream job?" builds deep alignment and ensures the company evolves in the direction of its people. Combating Productivity Paradoxes: Instead of letting efficiency gains get swallowed by routine administrative busywork, leaders must intentionally protect space for collaboration and connection. Intentional Community Building: Distributed and remote teams require intentional, high-touch connection points, from monthly one-on-ones to biannual retreats and collaborative strategy sessions. Human Vision vs. AI Execution: While AI excels at data sifting and routine tasks, original genius, cross-domain breakthroughs, and visionary courage remain uniquely human. Redefining Impact and Boundaries: True growth comes from recognizing you are a small, vital part of something much bigger than yourself—and expanding your sights beyond terrestrial boundaries. About Our Guest Janet Grondin is the Chief Executive Officer of Stellar Solutions, Inc., a woman-owned aerospace engineering services firm and Malcolm Baldrige Award winner serving intelligence, defense, civil, commercial, and international customers. Janet's career spans three decades across the U.S. Air Force—where she retired as a Colonel—Fortune 500 defense contractor Northrop Grumman, and now Stellar Solutions. Winner of the 2022 Women in Aerospace Leadership Award, she serves as Chair of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Space Division. Janet holds a B.S. magna cum laude in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and master's degrees from AFIT, the Air War College, and the Air Command and Staff College. She resides in Reston, Virginia with her husband Pat. Learn more at stellarsolutions.com.

Tired of Waiting for What You Want August 3, 2026 | Episode 5511 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description Are you tired of waiting for your life to show up? After almost 20 years of doing this show, that's the complaint I hear most. You're working hard, doing the thing, and still not quite there. You're not lazy. You're patient to a fault. Somewhere along the way, patience became permission to stall. Today I'm asking a different question: what if you could make up for ten years in one? Not by hustling harder. By stopping the wait. Pick one thing, change it today, and watch everything cascade from there. Featured Story My studio is a hot mess right now — cameras, microphones, and lights stacked everywhere for my Death Valley trip. Squeezed between the gear, I got thinking about my wife, Joy. She's upbeat, optimistic, motivational — and she drives me crazy in one specific way. I come up with an idea, and she says, okay, we'll get to that... maybe next year. I don't even understand it. Scott gets an idea; Scott does an idea like a caveman. But most of the world works like Joy — patient, careful, waiting. And the personal growth business has no incentive to get you anywhere fast. If you arrive, subscriptions end. I'm not that guy. I want you to arrive. Important Points Most people waiting on life aren't lazy — they're patient to a fault, and that patience is what's stalling them. Crisis compresses a decade into months because it permits you to change. You don't have to wait for one. Pick the one change that cascades across every single part of your life, and decide to make it today — not someday. Memorable Quotes You're not lazy. You are patient to a fault — so patient it's stalling you. Patience became your permission to wait. There's no incentive to get you anywhere fast. If you arrive, subscriptions end. I actually want you to arrive. You don't add ten times more. You stop waiting ten times longer. Same math, opposite direction. Ten years in one. Scott's Three-Step Approach Spot where patience has become permission to stall — the place you keep waiting for life to show up on its own. Pick the one thing that could take ten years to reach — the one that would cascade across every part of your life. Decide to change it today, then name what you'll give up to make room, because the trade is what makes it stick. Chapters 0:01 - Recording in a hot mess studio before Death Valley 0:30 - The biggest complaint I've heard in 20 years 1:36 - You're not lazy — you're patient to a fault 2:55 - Why nobody wants you to arrive anywhere fast 3:35 - The question that makes up ten years in one 4:49 - Crisis permits you to change fast 8:06 - The challenge: pick one thing and change it today Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful and inspiring episode of Kent Hance, The Best Storyteller in Texas, Kent sits down with Congressman Jodey Arrington for a conversation that blends groundbreaking innovation, personal conviction, and the relentless pursuit of something bigger than politics. At the heart of this episode is a remarkable legislative achievement—the Medicare Multicancer Early Detection and Screening Coverage Act—a bill that took years of persistence, partnership, and determination to bring to life. What started as a tough uphill climb became one of the most widely supported efforts in Congress, proving that when something truly matters, it can unite people across the aisle.  

Daily Boost Podcast Navigating Corporate BS July 30, 2026 | Episode 5509 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description I just spent a couple of hours coaching professionals who are climbing the corporate ladder, and I brought it all straight to the mic. If you've ever looked at the person above you and wondered how somebody that clueless got where they are, this one's for you. You're not crazy. They probably don't know what they're talking about. And once you accept that, everything changes — because the power shifts to you. If you're bumping your head against the ceiling and tired of waiting in line, press play today. Let's get you moving. Featured Story A few years back, my wife landed a big job with the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa — a five-day shoot where she played a cancer patient. Before the audition, she told me it didn't matter what she did because they already knew what they were looking for. I said they absolutely don't. They know they want somebody who looks like a cancer patient. That's it. They're waiting for the right person to walk in the door. As a former producer, I told her to wear that headscarf I love. She didn't wear it — and she still got the job. They had no idea who they wanted. Neither does your boss. Important Points The person above you probably doesn't know what they're talking about, and accepting that is where your power begins. Everybody in corporate America has an expiration date, so stop waiting in line and start casting your own vision now. When they ask you to define the leadership role yourself, that's your opening to answer what nobody else can answer. Memorable Quotes You're the person that drives their success. They need you to succeed, and yet they don't want you to take their job. I accept the fact they're stupid, and I say that in the most respectful, grateful way. From that point, I have power. If you're going to step up, step up. Stop hiding. You've got to bring out the good renegade and have some real impact. Scott's Three-Step Approach Accept that the person above you doesn't have the answers, because that acceptance frees you to stop waiting in line. Then cast the vision yourself by building a presentation that shows how you'd lead, as if the job is already yours. Now make it collaborative, walk them through how you see it, and ask what they think, so you're a peer, not a threat. Chapters 0:08 - Dragging a little after a big inner circle morning 0:50 - Prepping to cross Death Valley with the expedition 2:02 - Coach mode today, straight from two client calls 2:43 - Golden handcuffs and being tired of waiting in line 3:50 - My wife, a headscarf, and the casting call surprise 6:27 - Casting your vision when nobody defines the role 9:52 - Accepting they don't know is where your power starts Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daily Boost Podcast Keep the Kid Inside Alive July 27, 2026 | Episode 5506 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description You did everything right. Good career, nice life, all the boxes checked. But somewhere inside you, there's still a kid who wants to do something big — something nobody permitted you to do. Today I'm talking about the nicest renegades I know — people who follow the rules but refuse to let their dreams die. One of them is about to run across Death Valley in August, and only five people in history have finished what he's attempting. If a dream still lives inside you, this episode will show you why conviction changes everything. Featured Story Two weeks ago, I offered to produce Kroy's Death Valley documentary. A week later, I made the call nobody wants to make — I backed out. I wasn't the right fit for run-and-gun photography at 250 feet below sea level. Then his sponsor connected him with a crew that's shot for Netflix and Nat Geo. Great cinematographers. But nobody was producing. Last night, 45 minutes into a call, we hit a brick wall. And I heard myself say the words I knew I'd regret: I think I should produce this thing. On August 4th, I'm flying to Las Vegas, jumping in an RV, and heading into the desert. Important Points Big dreams need slack. Build wiggle room in your money and time first, and you'll survive the mistakes that come. Total conviction is magnetic. When people see you're going no matter what, they stop doubting and start helping. Even a solo dream needs a team. You'll cross the finish line alone, but support is what gets you to the start. Memorable Quotes "You need wiggle room — enough money, enough time, enough space to make mistakes until you figure out what you're doing." "Your heart and soul will get you through it, and yet a bunch of people around you will have to support you to get there." "I can take a doctor, a lawyer, a corporate executive — that kid still lives inside. Pop the lid open and magic happens." Scott's Three-Step Approach Name the dream that's been living inside you since you were a kid, and decide it's happening no matter who says no. Build your slack next — free up enough money, time, and space to make mistakes while you figure out your path. Then let your team in. Share your vision with total conviction, and watch the right people line up behind you. Chapters 0:01 - Back to school and a Monday morning welcome 0:34 - A story that started in the sauna mastermind 1:22 - Meet Kroy, the nicest renegade running Death Valley 3:12 - Why every big dream needs a little slack 5:04 - The phone call nobody ever wants to make 7:18 - Hitting a brick wall and jumping back in 9:52 - The moral: conviction pulls people behind you Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have You Built a Loving Cage July 22, 2026 | Episode 5503 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description Have you ever been so good at your job that you can't get promoted? You're the one person who can do what you do — and that's why you're stuck. I call it the loving cage, and most people never see the bars. Today I'm walking you through its three rings: the slot you fill, the people who love you, and the identity you've built around your competence. Nobody's the villain here. But once you see the cage, you can't unsee it — and that's when you start looking for the key. Featured Story I was sitting in the sauna after my workout when I noticed a 29-year-old kid holding a copy of The Talent Code. I asked why he was reading it. "I'd like to educate myself," he said. So I dug deeper. He's really good at his job — the only guy in his company who can do what he does. Valuable for cash flow. And completely stuck. I asked if he wanted the C-suite. "Hell yeah," he said. Then I told him something he didn't expect: it's good this is happening at 29. Most people don't feel the bars until 43 or 45 — and by then, the cage is comfortable. Important Points The better you do your job, the more trapped you can become in it. Your competence can become the strongest bar in the cage. Your cage has three rings — the role you fill, the people who love you, and the identity you built around work. Awareness is the key. Once you name the cage you're standing in, you can't unsee it — and that changes every decision. So start today: name the cage, see the bars, and choose your next move. Memorable Quotes "You're so good you can't be promoted. You're so good that you stay where you are. You're so good, you're trapped." "The person just above you — you are the very reason they're successful. Your competency is what makes them so good." "This loving cage is truly a cage, but these are bars that you built around yourself. There's no villain here." Scott's Three-Step Approach Start by naming your cage. Notice today whether people value you for who you are or just for the slot you fill. Then decide where you want to push next, and take one real step toward it. Then ask in every conversation which ring you're standing in — the slot, the love, or the identity you've built. Use that answer to decide what you need to change next. Finally, let your inner renegade out. Push a little, stay kind, and start running toward something new. Chapters 0:01 - The radio guy in me never quite goes away 1:08 - A sauna conversation with a stuck 29-year-old 2:00 - Why I call myself the nicest renegade you'll meet 3:55 - The curse of competency, straight from my book 5:39 - The loving cage begins with the slot you fill 6:51 - When the people who love you hold you back 9:05 - The inner circle where you love your cage too Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify * Email: support@motivationtomove.com * Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com * YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast * Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith * Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove * Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seizing the Moment Speaker: Duncan Crook, Elder at ReCreate Church Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9 Episode Summary Elder Duncan Crook explores one of life's most challenging realities: transitions we didn't choose. Through Joshua's sudden call to lead Israel into the Promised Land after Moses' death, we discover three essential dispositions for navigating change - whether it's a major life shift, a career change, an empty nest, or a church stepping into an uncertain future. God's purpose in transition is clear: you cannot seize tomorrow while still clinging to yesterday. Key Points - Versatility means facing reality honestly and letting go of what God is not calling us into the next season - Trust is anchored in the unchanging faithfulness of God, not in leaders, traditions, or structures that may change - Courage is not the absence of fear - it means going forward even when you're afraid, because God says "I will never leave you" - The Word of God is the only eternal stabilizer when everything else shifts around us - Every transition, even good ones, begins with loss - but God never ends a season without opening something new and glorious Main Takeaway You cannot seize tomorrow while you're still clinging to yesterday. Whatever your "Moses" or your "manna" - the thing you fear losing - God's Word and His presence are the only constants that never change. Identify the season that has ended, remember it with gratitude, anchor yourself in His Word, and arise and go forward. Memorable Quotes - "You cannot seize tomorrow while you're still clinging to yesterday." - "He never ends a season for His people that doesn't continue with something brand new and something glorious." - "Courage is the men who are scared to death, but they go anyway." - "His word is the eternal stabilizer when we're going through uncertainty." - "The grass withers, the flower fades - the word of our God stands forever." - "What are you chasing that God doesn't have for you?" Reflection Question Who or what is your "Moses" - the person, tradition, or structure you fear losing? And what is your "manna" - the provision you're afraid won't be there tomorrow? Are you trusting those things more than you're trusting God? Tune in to hear Duncan's honest challenge to ReCreate Church about embracing change, the story of manna stopping the moment Israel entered the Promised Land, and why chasing the season that's behind you never ends well. Connect & Give Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly

You're not broken. Your light environment is. If you're waking up at 3 AM and staring at the ceiling for hours, struggling with menopause insomnia, or feeling exhausted despite getting "enough" sleep, this episode reveals the missing piece almost nobody is talking about. Dr. Anna sits down with Dr. Catherine Clinton—licensed naturopathic physician, educator, author of Optimize, and Founder of the Quantum Biology Health Institute—to explore the emerging science of quantum biology and how light, circadian rhythms, mitochondria, and your environment influence sleep, hormones, metabolism, and healthy aging. After overcoming Lyme disease and two autoimmune conditions, Dr. Clinton has spent nearly two decades helping people restore health by working with their biology instead of fighting it. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why progesterone declines by up to 75% between ages 35 and 50, and why that makes sleep so much harder The surprising reason so many women wake up between 2–4 AM Why checking your phone first thing in the morning spikes cortisol and sabotages your sleep that night How just 5 minutes of natural morning sunlight can reset your circadian rhythm, improve mood, support hormone balance, and boost metabolism The simple evening routine—including lighting, temperature, magnesium, tart cherry, and more—that prepares your brain for deep, restorative sleep Why your skin responds to light too, and what that means for your bedroom environment Before you reach for another supplement, peptide, or sleep aid, learn why optimizing your light environment may be the foundation your body has been missing all along. Stay tuned for Part 2, where Dr. Anna and Dr. Catherine dive into fascia, vagus nerve health, trauma, and the body's remarkable ability to heal. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with the woman in your life who's also awake at 3 AM wondering why she can't sleep.     Key Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome and why sleep is the #1 complaint in Dr. Anna's community 02:30 — What is quantum biology, and why modern medicine is just catching up to it 05:00 — Progesterone's 75% decline from 35–50 and its direct link to anxiety and insomnia 08:30 — The science of waking at 2–4am and why it's so common in perimenopause 11:00 — Morning light exposure: why grabbing your phone first thing spikes cortisol 15:00 — The 7-day sunrise challenge and what happened when Dr. Anna's community tried it 20:00 — Making light exposure realistic (you don't need bare feet on grass every day) 27:00 — Evening light: salt lamps, blue light blockers, and the "campfire effect" on melatonin 30:00 — The evening supplement stack: tart cherry, magnesium L-threonate with glycinate 33:00 — Bedroom environment: temperature, blackout curtains, EMFs, and lux thresholds 38:00 — Does light on skin (not just eyes) disrupt sleep, even with an eye mask on? 42:00 — Closing thoughts and what's coming in Part 2 (fascia, vagus nerve, trauma)   Memorable Quotes "You're not broken. Your light environment is." "A good night's sleep starts with a good morning routine." — Dr. Anna Cabeca "LED light is like processed food. Natural sunlight is whole nutrition for your cells." — Dr. Catherine Clinton "You can't out-supplement an unhealthy lifestyle or toxic environment." — Dr. Catherine Clinton "There's only so many lasers, supplements, hormones, and peptides we can take. We have to get the foundations right." — Dr. Anna Cabeca "Healing happens when we work with our biology—not against it." — Dr. Catherine Clinton     Resources Mentioned:

You're not broken. Your light environment is. If you're waking up at 3 AM and staring at the ceiling for hours, struggling with menopause insomnia, or feeling exhausted despite getting "enough" sleep, this episode reveals the missing piece almost nobody is talking about. Dr. Anna sits down with Dr. Catherine Clinton—licensed naturopathic physician, educator, author of Optimize, and Founder of the Quantum Biology Health Institute—to explore the emerging science of quantum biology and how light, circadian rhythms, mitochondria, and your environment influence sleep, hormones, metabolism, and healthy aging. After overcoming Lyme disease and two autoimmune conditions, Dr. Clinton has spent nearly two decades helping people restore health by working with their biology instead of fighting it. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why progesterone declines by up to 75% between ages 35 and 50, and why that makes sleep so much harder The surprising reason so many women wake up between 2–4 AM Why checking your phone first thing in the morning spikes cortisol and sabotages your sleep that night How just 5 minutes of natural morning sunlight can reset your circadian rhythm, improve mood, support hormone balance, and boost metabolism The simple evening routine—including lighting, temperature, magnesium, tart cherry, and more—that prepares your brain for deep, restorative sleep Why your skin responds to light too, and what that means for your bedroom environment Before you reach for another supplement, peptide, or sleep aid, learn why optimizing your light environment may be the foundation your body has been missing all along. Stay tuned for Part 2, where Dr. Anna and Dr. Catherine dive into fascia, vagus nerve health, trauma, and the body's remarkable ability to heal. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with the woman in your life who's also awake at 3 AM wondering why she can't sleep.     Key Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome and why sleep is the #1 complaint in Dr. Anna's community 02:30 — What is quantum biology, and why modern medicine is just catching up to it 05:00 — Progesterone's 75% decline from 35–50 and its direct link to anxiety and insomnia 08:30 — The science of waking at 2–4am and why it's so common in perimenopause 11:00 — Morning light exposure: why grabbing your phone first thing spikes cortisol 15:00 — The 7-day sunrise challenge and what happened when Dr. Anna's community tried it 20:00 — Making light exposure realistic (you don't need bare feet on grass every day) 27:00 — Evening light: salt lamps, blue light blockers, and the "campfire effect" on melatonin 30:00 — The evening supplement stack: tart cherry, magnesium L-threonate with glycinate 33:00 — Bedroom environment: temperature, blackout curtains, EMFs, and lux thresholds 38:00 — Does light on skin (not just eyes) disrupt sleep, even with an eye mask on? 42:00 — Closing thoughts and what's coming in Part 2 (fascia, vagus nerve, trauma)   Memorable Quotes "You're not broken. Your light environment is." "A good night's sleep starts with a good morning routine." — Dr. Anna Cabeca "LED light is like processed food. Natural sunlight is whole nutrition for your cells." — Dr. Catherine Clinton "You can't out-supplement an unhealthy lifestyle or toxic environment." — Dr. Catherine Clinton "There's only so many lasers, supplements, hormones, and peptides we can take. We have to get the foundations right." — Dr. Anna Cabeca "Healing happens when we work with our biology—not against it." — Dr. Catherine Clinton     Resources Mentioned:

In this episode of Health Coach Conversations, Cathy Sykora shares a practical step-by-step guide for health coaches who are ready to launch their programs and start bringing in paying clients. She explains how to review, customize, price, and deliver your health coaching program in a way that supports both your clients and your business goals. Cathy also covers the importance of creating an enrollment page, announcing your program, hosting an introductory workshop, and enrolling your first group. Most importantly, she encourages health coaches not to wait for everything to be perfect before launching, but to start with what they have, gain experience, and improve with each new program. In this episode, you'll discover: How to review your program materials before launching so you can confidently facilitate your health coaching program Ways to customize your program with your branding, logo, colors, fonts, images, and contact information How to decide on your program format, including group coaching, hybrid coaching, private coaching, or self-paced delivery Why pricing should reflect your audience, geography, program value, and business goals What to include on your enrollment page, including benefits, outcomes, schedule, and payment links How to announce your program using email, social media, current clients, past clients, and your existing community connections Why hosting a short introductory workshop can help cold prospects get to know, like, and trust you before enrolling Memorable Quotes: "You don't need everything to be perfect before you launch." "You should launch when you have something to sell." "Because the more people you let know how you can help them, the more people can get help from you." Bio: Cathy Sykora is the host of Health Coach Conversations and the founder of The Health Coach Group. With 14 years of experience helping health coaches and wellness professionals build online businesses, Cathy teaches practical strategies for creating scalable programs, marketing systems, memberships, and client experiences that support lasting success. Her work helps doctors, health coaches, life coaches, nurses, nutritionists, dietitians, and other wellness practitioners grow sustainable businesses while making a meaningful difference in their clients' lives. Links to Resources: Health Coach Group Website: thehealthcoachgroup.com Special Offer: Use code HCC50 to save $50 on the Health Coach Group website Leave a Review: If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a five-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts.  

Quick SummaryIn this episode, host Kelsey sits down with Lauren Murdoch, founder of Murdoch Marketing, a fractional marketing consultancy based in Burlington, Ontario. Lauren shares the raw, messy, and ultimately inspiring story of leaving a burnout-inducing corporate career, taking her family to New Zealand for four months, and coming home to build a business rooted in clarity, community, and genuine strategy. This is a must-listen for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who has ever felt the pull toward something more aligned — but wasn't sure how to get there.In This EpisodeHow Lauren went from corporate marketer to fractional marketing consultant after 15 yearsThe 1:00–3:00 AM panic attacks that finally pushed her to quitWhy she spent months saying yes to everything — and what it unlockedThe real story of how her family made four months in New Zealand happen (no big bank account required)Her first fractional client — and why he showed up at a golf simulatorWhy going viral is NOT the goal — and what actually generates revenueThe simple marketing moves most small business owners skip entirelyHow co-hosting workshops became her most powerful visibility strategyWhy she hopes she never goes viralKey TakeawaysIt's never the right time to take the leap — but if the desire is there, dig in and figure out how to make it work. The right conditions rarely just appear; you have to engineer them.In the early days of a new business, saying yes to everything isn't reckless — it's research. Clarity comes from doing, not planning.The best marketing starts with one thing: being relentlessly clear about who you are, what you offer, and telling people exactly what to do next.Optimize before you add. Before building a new offer or platform, look at what you already have and ask if it's been given a real chance to work.Getting out of your office and into rooms — events, coffee chats, workshops — is still one of the most underrated business development strategies that exists.Memorable Quotes"You will always find reasons not to do something. It's never a good time.""Don't go try to do five to ten channels. Pick two. Get really good at those.""I genuinely hope I don't go viral — because that's not the fastest path to building a real business."Resources MentionedMurdoch Marketing website:murdochmarketing.caLauren's Instagram:@itslaurenmurdochKelsey's Website: www.KelseyReidl.comKelsey's Instagram: @KelseyReidlJuly 23rd Burlington Event: Cocktails, dinner & speakers on inner self and outer style — checkmurdochmarketing.ca for detailsNew Zealand Work From Heart sabbatical program (mentioned in context of Lauren's employer's policies)About the GuestLauren Murdoch is the founder of Murdoch Marketing, a fractional marketing consultancy helping entrepreneurs and small business owners build clear, effective marketing strategies. After 15 years scaling companies in corporate marketing, she left to build a business and life that actually fit — including a four-month family adventure in New Zealand. She's based in the Burlington/Hamilton area of Ontario and works with clients across Canada.

From Filmmaker to Honest Mum: How Vicki Broadbent Built a Global Brand While Raising Three KidsWhat happens when an award-winning filmmaker becomes one of the world's first parenting bloggers?In this episode of The Running Wine Mom, Samantha sits down with Vicki Broadbent, creator of Honest Mum, author of The Working Mom (formerly Mumboss in the UK), television personality, and advocate for maternal rights.Vicki shares her journey from directing films and television to becoming one of the UK's original digital creators. Together, they discuss the realities of motherhood, imposter syndrome, birth trauma, work-life balance, content creation, and why women need to stop waiting for permission to pursue their dreams.Vicki also opens up about raising three children with a large age gap, recovering from a serious back injury, navigating confidence after motherhood, and writing her newest children's book, Greek Myths: Folktales and Legends.Whether you're a parent, entrepreneur, creator, or simply someone trying to juggle life's many roles, this conversation is packed with wisdom, honesty, and encouragement. In This Episode How motherhood changed Vicki's career trajectory  Why going from zero to one child was the hardest transition  Recovering from a severe back injury while parenting three children  The truth about imposter syndrome and confidence  Why Vicki dislikes the term "mompreneur"  Growing Honest Mum into a globally recognized brand  Building a career during the early days of blogging  The importance of therapy, healing, and self-care  Content creation tips directly from Meta's Creator Program  Social media growth strategies that actually work  Why consistency matters more than perfection  The inspiration behind Greek Myths: Folktales and Legends The myth of Persephone and why it resonates with mothers  Raising confident children while pursuing ambitious goals  Advice for moms who feel overwhelmed and behind Memorable Quotes"You do have to take risks and it's not going to work out all the time—and that's okay.""If you don't live your life, you can't really create.""The biggest jump in motherhood is going from zero to one child.""Creativity is a muscle that requires exercise."Connect with Vicki BroadbentHonest MumHonest MumInstagramInstagram @honestmumBook: Greek Myths, Folktales & LegendsGreek Myths, Folktales & LegendsConnect with The Running Wine MomWebsiteThe Running Wine MomInstagramInstagram @therunningwinemom_

Rob Nelson and Peter Parnegg explore a question many people are asking: why does it feel like time is moving faster than ever? Rather than concluding that time itself has changed, they suggest that our perception of time has shifted because of how we spend our attention and energy. The conversation examines how distractions, obligations, and a lack of intentionality can create the feeling that life is speeding by. Peter reflects on how many professionals have become disconnected from where their time actually goes. He argues that the solution is not finding more time, but becoming more intentional with the time we already have. Through examples from his own life, he discusses identifying priorities, reducing "leakage" of time, and focusing on the activities and relationships that matter most. The discussion also ties directly into Ninja concepts like time blocking, P-Time, and living on purpose. Both Rob and Peter emphasize that success is not about squeezing more activity into the day but about aligning time with values, priorities, and meaningful experiences. Ultimately, the episode serves as a reminder that life is not measured by how quickly you respond to emails or how busy you appear, but by how intentionally you spend your time and whether you are present for the moments that matter most. Key Takeaways Time often feels like it is accelerating because attention is fragmented and priorities are unclear The solution is not finding more time but becoming more intentional about how time is spent Time blocking and P-Time help align daily activities with long-term priorities and goals Many people underestimate how much time is lost to distractions, transitions, and low-value activities Success comes from focusing on what matters most and eliminating unnecessary obligations Being fully present creates the most meaningful and memorable moments in life Memorable Quotes "You can be efficient with process and systems, but you cannot be efficient with people." "Clarity is kindness." "Our number one tool is our energy and our consciousness." "You don't lose 20 pounds at a time. You find 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there." "Life is not measured by how quickly you respond to emails." "When I get goosebumps, I know I am fully in the moment." Links: Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/ Email: TSW@NinjaSelling.com Phone: 1-800-254-1650 Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/

What happens when the life that looks successful on paper no longer feels fulfilling on the inside? In this episode of Real Women's Work, Jen sits down with business and mindset coach Lesa Frye for an honest conversation about ambition, burnout, identity, purpose, and redefining success as women move through different seasons of life. Before becoming a coach, Lesa spent decades building a highly successful real estate career — selling 41 homes in her first full-time year and becoming a top producer in a competitive industry. But behind the success was exhaustion, pressure, and the realization that achievement alone wasn't enough. Together, Jen and Lesa explore: the difference between success and fulfillment hustle culture and burnout mindset and self-worth why boundaries matter the pressure women feel to be everything for everyone what it means to build a "peaceful business" how to stop operating from survival mode and why it's never too late to create a life that actually feels aligned Lesa also shares the deeply personal moments that pushed her toward coaching, the concept of the "Inner CEO," and why she believes women can have successful businesses and lives they love. This conversation is thoughtful, grounding, and full of reminders for anyone who has ever looked successful externally while quietly feeling overwhelmed inside. In This Episode Why success and fulfillment are not always the same thing The emotional reality of hitting a ceiling in corporate life Transitioning from corporate America into real estate Selling 41 homes in one year — and the cost of that success The unseen work behind real estate Why mindset drives everything The fear many women feel around wanting "more" Burnout, overwhelm, and hustle culture Creating balance and boundaries without guilt What Lesa means by "The And Life" The power of self-worth and self-forgiveness Building a business that feels peaceful instead of chaotic Family, purpose, legacy, and redefining success later in life Memorable Quotes "You cannot beat yourself up into success." "We can have highly successful businesses and lives that we're obsessed with." "It's not about the stuff. It's about the relationships." "Take the mask off." "What if it does work?" Connect with Lesa Frye Website: lesafrye.com Podcast: The Balanced Business Woman LinkedIn: Lesa Frye About Real Women's Work Real Women's Work is a podcast about how women work, live, lead, build, struggle, pivot, and grow — and what their stories reveal about being human. Hosted by Jen Keefe.

What if your "normal" thyroid labs aren't telling the full story? In this eye-opening episode of The Girlfriend Doctor Show, Dr. Anna Cabeca sits down with renowned integrative pharmacist and thyroid expert Dr. Izabella Wentz to uncover the powerful connection between gut health, IBS, autoimmune disease, and thyroid dysfunction — especially Hashimoto's. Dr. Wentz shares her deeply personal journey from debilitating IBS, anxiety, fatigue, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis to healing through root-cause medicine. Together, Dr. Anna and Dr. Wentz explore why so many women are told their thyroid labs are "normal" while they continue struggling with weight gain, brain fog, bloating, constipation, inflammation, hormonal shifts, and exhaustion. You'll learn why gut permeability ("leaky gut"), chronic stress, infections, food sensitivities, and microbiome imbalances may be silently driving autoimmune thyroid disease — and the practical steps you can take to begin healing. In this episode, you'll discover: Why thyroid antibodies matter — even when TSH appears "normal" The hidden connection between IBS and Hashimoto's How stress hormones disrupt the gut barrier and immune system Common root causes including parasites, H. pylori, SIBO, mold, and food sensitivities The truth about bloating, constipation, diarrhea, edema, and inflammation Functional medicine testing that may uncover what conventional medicine misses Nutrition, supplements, and gut-healing strategies that can support thyroid recovery If you've ever been told "everything looks fine" while your body says otherwise, this conversation is for you. Listen now and share this episode with someone who needs answers, healing, and hope.   Key Timestamps 00:00 — Why thyroid symptoms are often missed in women 04:30 — Dr. Wentz's personal journey with IBS and Hashimoto's 11:15 — The gut-autoimmune-thyroid connection explained 18:40 — Post-COVID rise in autoimmune conditions and chronic fatigue 24:50 — Functional medicine testing for IBS and thyroid symptoms 33:10 — Stress, cortisol, and "leaky gut" 41:20 — How intestinal permeability triggers autoimmune disease 49:45 — Food sensitivities, bloating, edema, and inflammation 58:30 — Gut-healing protocols and favorite supplements 01:06:20 — Why women are more prone to IBS and Hashimoto's 01:14:00 — The importance of self-advocacy and listening to your body   Memorable Quotes "You may have been told your thyroid is normal, but there's something else going on — and the biggest culprit can be in the gut." — Dr. Anna Cabeca "Don't let people tell you it's all in your head." — Dr. Izabella Wentz "There will often be a disruption of the gut barrier years before an autoimmune diagnosis appears." — Dr. Izabella Wentz "To heal the human, we have to address the gut." — Dr. Anna Cabeca "Stress hormones can unlock the door to intestinal permeability and chronic inflammation." — Dr. Anna Cabeca   Connect With Guest Check out Dr. Izabella's new book: IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izabellawentzpharmd/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@ThyroidPharmacist  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThyroidLifestyle/ Website: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/   Connect With Dr. Anna Website: Dranna.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlfrienddoctor/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegirlfrienddoctor TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drannacabeca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegirlfrienddoctor  

✨ Episode Description "What if detecting cancer early was as simple as a drop of blood—and we've just been missing it?"

Life has a way of reminding us that we are not meant to carry everything alone. This past weekend brought that lesson into focus for me as I coordinated a big move from St. Augustine to Georgia, with belongings spread across storage, family, my van, and the pieces of a life that had been in transition for months. It was exciting, exhausting, emotional, and full of moving parts, which meant there were also a few unexpected curveballs along the way. In the middle of trying to keep everything organized, I dropped a ball that mattered to me. I accidentally uploaded the wrong podcast file and did not realize it until the podcast team reached out. At first, I was upset with myself. I thought, how did I miss that? But once the panic settled a little, I could also see the reality of the moment. I was in the middle of a major move, my attention was split in too many directions, and sometimes that is when simple mistakes happen. This episode is about the power of having a village, whether that village is family, friends, coworkers, or even kind strangers who step in at just the right time. As I move through this transition, I am feeling deep gratitude for the people who helped me keep things moving when I could not do it all on my own. On today's Wise Walk, we are looking at what becomes possible when we give ourselves grace, ask for support, and remember that being human does not mean being unsupported. When you are juggling too many things in life and you drop a ball, do you have a support system that can rally around you, help you pick it up, and keep moving forward? How are you feeling right now? Are you feeling overwhelmed, alone, or isolated, like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Can you take a breath, ask for help, or see what can come off your plate so you are not juggling so many things at once? What becomes possible when you feel part of a village and supported in those moments when things do not turn out exactly as planned? Can you give yourself permission to receive support and allow things to turn out even better because you do not have to do everything alone? Can you give yourself grace when you drop a ball or make a mistake? When you are juggling a million different balls and there is a missed opportunity or mistake, how do you rebound from it? What do you do to release disappointment, frustration, or negative energy? How do you pivot from what went wrong to asking, "What can we do to fix it?" Can you lean into your support system, especially when the situation is time-sensitive or too big to fix alone? Can you appreciate that there are ways to rebound successfully without beating yourself up? I would love to hear about your village. I would love to hear about how you take on these feats in community with others, how you honor the fact that you are imperfectly perfect, just as you are. So please send me your shares, send me your feedback. I welcome them. And I look forward to next Thursday's Wise Walk, so be sure to tune in. In this episode: [03:18] I had to move from St. Augustine, Florida to Georgia this past weekend. It was no small feat with my belongings in different locations because of my nomad adventures.  [04:15] I was one person trying to coordinate with the movers and consolidate everything. It was extremely draining. [05:44] I was being really present with the move, but other issues came up in my life.  [06:12] This podcast is important for me, but my audio files didn't upload like they were supposed to. I was so busy, I missed the communication from my podcast team, creating a last minute shuffle.  [07:55] Everything came together and we were able to get the show out on time.  [09:12] We are human, accidents can happen, that doesn't mean we don't have time to fix it or get the show out on time.  [10:36] Moving is one of the top stressors in life, and mine was extra complicated with the consolidation of my belongings.  [11:25] I realized that the team took pride in their work and wanted to get things out on time, and we are better together. [12:28] The move went successfully. It's done. The podcast aired successfully. Leaning into the support I have, makes me realize it's okay to juggle balls when needed.  [13:26] The best gift we can give ourselves is the grace and understanding to know that it's okay to pivot. [15:03] A cool story about getting my nephew's bike to school with the help of one of my friends.  [16:05] I was also juggling the logistics of this event on a crowded elevator going up 30 stories. I was encouraged by the people in the elevator with me.  [17:51] In general people want us to be set up for success.  [18:11] It's also important to make sure you say thank you! [19:38] A big shout out to Karen, Emma, and Beth. Thank you! I also want to thank Mike Hain for helping inspire this episode and knowing that we are better together. Memorable Quotes: "You do not have to prove your strength by carrying everything alone. Sometimes strength looks like leaning into your village." - Mary Tess "A mistake can become a reminder that we are surrounded by people who care, contribute, and help us keep going." - Mary Tess "We are better together, especially in the moments when life does not go according to plan." - Mary Tess Links and Resources: Mary Tess Rooney Email Heart Value Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

What happens when you spend 10 years interviewing some of the world's top leaders? After 500 interviews with CEOs, generals, founders, bestselling authors, athletes, and elite performers, Jim Vaselopulos and Jan Rutherford discovered a surprising pattern. The most successful leaders were NOT the most polished, they were the most self-aware, adaptable, and relentlessly committed to growth. In this special milestone episode of The Leadership Podcast, Jim and Jan pull back the curtain on a decade of conversations with world-class leaders and reveal the biggest lessons, myths, failures, sacrifices, and leadership truths that emerged across 500 episodes. Topics discussed The leadership myth they are glad to have challenged Why great leaders rarely have a "perfect" career path The dangerous difference between style and substance The hidden sacrifices behind elite success Why adaptability matters more than efficiency Guests who completely changed their thinking How leadership has evolved in the age of AI Why "leaders are learners" became one of the defining themes of the show The one leadership question they still haven't fully answered after 500 episodes This is more than a reflection on podcasting, it's a masterclass built from 10 years of conversations with some of the world's most accomplished leaders. Whether you lead a company, a team, a family, or simply yourself, this episode will challenge how you think about growth, influence, success, and leadership. Watch this Episode on YouTube | Jim and Jan on What 500 Top Leaders Taught Us — And Why It's Not What You Think Find episode 511 on The Leadership Podcast, on YouTube, channel @theleadershippodcast, or wherever you get your podcasts! Key Moments [00:00] The brutal truth 500 leaders revealed [05:11] Did they ever think they'd reach 500 episodes? [10:10] Guests who left them speechless [13:58] Conversations that changed their minds [18:05] The biggest leadership myth they busted [23:10] When the podcast became more than interviews [32:32] How the podcast changed them as leaders [35:25] The 5 episodes every leader should hear [41:23] The leadership question they still can't answer Memorable Quotes "You can't hit the ball if you don't go to the plate." "The market will tell you what it values and it isn't always what it should." "Adaptability must accompany efficiency, or you will not survive." "Behind every great leader is a great support system." "Sell the problem, not the solution." "If you want to be great at something, you are going to have to make sacrifices. There is no hack. There is no shortcut." "You don't get any dumber talking to smart people." "Leadership is not a destination. It is a state you have to manage and it never ends." "Don't judge a book by its cover. Hold your assumptions lightly." "Self-reliant leaders, at the end of the day, make others better." "Be interested. Care about people. Be nice. You can have a huge influence on other people's lives and it really is that simple." Explore the full archive at www.theleadershippodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts! Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Jan Rutherford LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/janrutherford Jan Rutherford X | @JanRutherford Jim Vaselopulos LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jimvaselopulos Jim Vaselopulos X | @jim_va

In this episode of The 20/20 Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Meenal Agarwal, a multi-practice owner, speaker, podcast host, and now author of the upcoming book Stuck in a Flat World. But more than her resume, this conversation is about perspective.We go deep into something many of us have noticed in clinic but haven't fully connected the dots on… why patients (especially kids) are changing. Less eye contact. More anxiety. Avoidance of driving. Difficulty engaging socially. We've blamed screens for years… but Meenal takes it further.She introduces the concept of Spatial Awareness Processing Disorder (SAPD), a framework connecting excessive screen use to changes in how the brain processes space, fear, and human interaction. It's a powerful lens that links optometry to broader neurological and mental health conversations.But this episode isn't just clinical… it's personal.Meenal opens up about:The drive (and trap) of constantly chasing growthBurnout and the search for fulfillment beyond businessRejection early in her speaking and podcast journeyBeing told she “wasn't the right fit”—and pushing forward anywayA recent experience with online criticism and how the profession rallied behind herThis is a conversation about identity, resilience, and what it really means to show up—not just as an optometrist, but as a human being.If you've ever questioned your direction, your value, or your voice in this profession… this one's for you.Key MomentsIntroducing SAPD – Connecting screen use, spatial awareness, and rising anxiety in patientsWhy behavior is changing – Kids avoiding driving, social interaction, and eye contactThe “Costco effect” – Understanding sensory overload and spatial processing challengesFrom growth to burnout – Building multiple practices and realizing it wasn't fulfillingPushing through rejection – Starting a podcast and speaking career despite being told “no”Memorable Quotes“You can blame everybody else, but you need to believe in yourself.”“If we feel our profession isn't worthy, what are others going to think of us?”“Don't focus on the people who weren't there. Be grateful for the ones who were.”bout Dr. Meenal AgarwalDr. Meenal Agarwal is a Toronto-based optometrist, entrepreneur, and thought leader in modern eye care. She owns three practices, hosts the Uncover Your Eyes podcast, and is the author of the upcoming book Stuck in a Flat World, exploring the connection between screen use, brain function, and spatial awareness.She is passionate about expanding the role of optometry within healthcare and advocating for a more holistic understanding of vision.What You'll LearnA new framework for understanding behavioral changes in patientsThe neurological link between vision, space, and anxietyPractical ways to support kids struggling with spatial processingHow to push through rejection and build something meaningfulWhy communication and vulnerability matter in our professionConnect with Dr. Meenal AgarwalInstagram: @drmeenalagarwalPodcast: Uncover Your EyesNewsletter: Available via Instagram link in bioBook Waitlist: https://www.drmeenal.com/book-waitlist-entryLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Eric Thompson interviews Kayla Carosella, a Cleveland-based brokerage owner and Ninja Coaching client, about how she leveraged the Ninja scorecard to drive extraordinary results. During a six-week scorecard challenge, Kayla averaged 112 points per week, totaling 674 points, and generated five listings, new business opportunities, and recruiting conversations—all directly tied to consistent activity tracking. Kayla emphasizes that the foundation of her success was simple but powerful: consistently hitting 50 live interviews per week. She shares how she creates these opportunities through a combination of hosting networking events, attending community events, and making intentional follow-up calls. Her approach is rooted in genuine curiosity, asking meaningful questions, and focusing on learning something new in every interaction. A key insight from Kayla is that the scorecard didn't just increase her production—it re-energized her business. By adding daily text messages, handwritten notes, and structured follow-up, she reconnected with past relationships and deepened existing ones. The process became fun, competitive, and highly motivating, especially when combined with accountability and gamification. Ultimately, Kayla's story demonstrates that the scorecard is not just a tracking tool—it's a launchpad for consistent activity, stronger relationships, and predictable business growth. Her message is clear: you don't need perfection, you need progress, and everything starts with meaningful conversations. Key Takeaways The key to high scorecard performance is consistently achieving 50 live interviews each week Networking events and community engagement are powerful ways to generate live conversations Simple actions like "you came to my mind" texts can create meaningful reconnections and opportunities Tracking interactions in real time is essential to staying consistent and maximizing results Gamifying activity through challenges increases motivation, consistency, and enjoyment Progress matters more than perfection; small improvements week over week create big results Memorable Quotes "You have to get your 50 live interviews." "Just be a real person." "Be the human that tries the hardest." "It's progress over perfection." Links: Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/ Email: TSW@NinjaSelling.com Phone: 1-800-254-1650 Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/ Lokal Real Estate: https://www.lokalrealestate.com/ Katie Carosella: https://www.lokalrealestate.com/agent/921/Kayla_Carosella

Thank you, Striders. The response to last week's episode really moved me. The shoutouts and questions that came in reminded me of why these conversations matter so much. Last week we talked about the things in life we are constantly training for, and I used the example of my dogs, because raising them into their best selves has always been an ongoing process of patience and intention. The other example I shared was my nephew Logan, who is competing in an Ironman this weekend. Watching him prepare for this has been something else entirely. An Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, then a full marathon on top of that. He will likely be out there for twelve hours or more. He did not arrive at this start line overnight. He got there through small, steady, intentional steps, building his mileage, learning how to transition between each leg of the race, figuring out how to fuel his body, his mind, and his heart along the way. The training was never just physical. It was about showing up consistently, managing setbacks, honoring short and long term goals, and knowing what he needed in order to keep going when things got hard. Your excitement about last week's episode inspired me to take this idea even further. So many of us are doing something similar every single day, just without the race bib. On today's Wise Walk, we are slowing down to ask ourselves what our Ironman-like event really is, and what we are doing to prepare our body, mind, and heart to go the full distance. What is your Ironman-like event that you have your sights set on, and how are you mentally preparing to take small steps through the planning, the wins, the setbacks, and the short-, medium-, and long-term goals? How are you managing your time and stress as you prepare for this event, knowing that stress is part of taking on something meaningful? How are you fueling your body, your heart, and your mind so you can stay resilient and keep moving forward when challenges arise? As you reflect on this event, how are you rallying support, what are you asking for, who are you asking, and are you clearly expressing why this matters to you? Where can you plan and prepare with focus, discipline, and commitment so you are set up for success, and where might you need to make sacrifices? What needs to come off your plate right now, and what are you trying to juggle that may be draining your energy before, during, or after this event? How are you planning to recover so you can feel aligned and supported once the event is complete? How can you pace yourself with everything you have going on so you finish strong and set yourself up to take on what comes next? I would love to hear what you're preparing for and how you're fueling yourself through it, before, during, and after. Reach out, I'm cheering you on. Don't forget to rally your support so you can set yourself up for success. I'll see you next Thursday for another Wise Walk, and until then, please remember to prioritize fun as you read the signs, direct your path, and get your Stride on. In this episode: [04:29] One of the Ironman type events I'm taking on is moving. I found a home. I am mentally, emotionally, physically preparing myself for the big moving event.  [05:50] I also want to prepare for the heaviness of unpacking. My sister Heather is going to be there for me. One of the things we can do when training for an Ironman event is rally support.  [07:49] One of my loved ones, who will be cheering Logan on, has diabetes. She has been trying to master keeping her blood sugar in check while traveling. She's taking on her own major Ironman challenge. [09:42] We have Ironman-like events in our lives everyday, because it is overcoming hardship.  [11:27] I need to prepare for my move by keeping myself mentally and physically strong. Core strength is critical.  [12:56] I also cancelled some things that I've signed up for. I won't be settled, so I needed to cancel.  [15:09] Logan has an awesome community that he trains with. He was given the advice to take his time, and to stop and remove the discomfort when it surfaces.  [17:18] I'm going to try and slow down during this major move. [18:51] Logan also received the advice that you can go further if you go slower. [19:08] Pace yourself to avoid burnout. It requires an intentional focus and pace.  Memorable Quotes: "You don't arrive at your biggest moments overnight. You build toward them, one small, intentional step at a time." - Mary Tess "Whatever you're facing right now might not look like an Ironman to anyone else, but if it stretches you, it counts." - Mary Tess "Pacing yourself is not falling behind. It's how you make sure you actually finish strong." - Mary Tess Links and Resources: Mary Tess Rooney Email Heart Value Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

In this compelling solo episode, Jesse Schwamb unpacks one of Scripture's most famous—and misunderstood—passages: Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees and Herodians over paying taxes to Caesar. Far from being a simple political soundbite, Matthew 22:15-22 reveals Jesus' brilliant wisdom in dismantling false dilemmas and redirecting our focus to identity rather than ideology. Through careful exegesis, Jesse demonstrates how Christ's response cuts through political posturing to address the deeper question: Whose image do we bear? This episode serves as both a masterclass in biblical interpretation and a timely reminder that our ultimate allegiance belongs not to any earthly authority, but to the God whose image we carry. Perfect preparation for the podcast's upcoming journey through the parables of Jesus. Key Takeaways Jesus Cannot Be Cornered: The Pharisees and Herodians crafted what seemed like an inescapable trap, but Jesus transcends false dilemmas by reframing the question entirely, demonstrating His divine wisdom and authority. The Imago Dei Is Central: By asking "Whose image is this?" about the coin, Jesus points to the deeper question: Whose image is on you? We bear God's image, making our primary obligation to Him, not Caesar. Civil Authority Is Real but Bounded: Jesus affirms legitimate temporal authority ("render to Caesar") while establishing that all such authority is derivative and limited by God's ultimate sovereignty. Hypocrisy Is Exposed by Action: The Pharisees' immediate production of a Roman coin revealed they were already participants in the system they questioned, undermining their supposed concern for Jewish law. Amazement ≠ Transformation: The opponents "marveled" and left, demonstrating that intellectual defeat or astonishment at Jesus' teaching is not equivalent to spiritual conversion or surrender. Identity Precedes Politics: Before asking what we owe the government, we must ask what we owe God—the answer being ourselves, as those created in His image. The Breath of Divine Life: Our creation bears special intimacy—God breathed life into humanity, making us doubly unique as both image-bearers and recipients of His divine breath, foreshadowing spiritual regeneration. In-Depth Analysis The Imago Dei Is Central Jesus' response to the tax question brilliantly redirects attention from political obligation to theological identity. When He asks "Whose image is this?" about the denarius, He's employing the Greek word eikon—the same term used in the Septuagint translation of Genesis 1:27 for humanity being made in God's image. This isn't coincidental wordplay; it's deliberate theological teaching. The profound truth here is that while Caesar's image on a coin establishes his claim to that piece of metal, God's image stamped on humanity establishes His total claim on us. We are not our own; we were bought with a price far greater than any taxation. The coin metaphor works because it's a physical representation of ownership and authority—but our bodies and souls are the true "coinage" that belongs to God. This reframes every political question as ultimately subordinate to our identity as image-bearers, reminding us that our primary citizenship, allegiance, and obligation is heavenly, not earthly. Civil Authority Is Real but Bounded Jesus' statement "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" has often been misinterpreted as establishing a complete separation between sacred and secular realms. However, Reformed theology—particularly Calvin's interpretation—understands this passage as establishing legitimate but limited civil authority within God's sovereignty. Caesar's authority is real and should be respected; Christians are called to submit to governing authorities as Paul argues in Romans 13. However, this authority is derivative, not ultimate. Caesar operates within a sphere that God ordains and limits. There is no zone of existence that belongs exclusively to Caesar, outside God's jurisdiction. The state has legitimate claims on our obedience, our taxes, and our civic participation—but never on our worship, our ultimate allegiance, or our conscience when it contradicts God's law. This creates a framework for Christian citizenship that takes earthly government seriously while never granting it the totalizing authority that belongs to God alone. Amazement ≠ Transformation The conclusion of this encounter is sobering: the Pharisees and Herodians were "amazed" but unchanged. They marveled at Jesus' wisdom, were intellectually outmaneuvered, and had nothing more to say—yet they walked away to plot His crucifixion. This demonstrates a crucial truth for evangelism and apologetics: winning an argument is not the same as winning a soul. Intellectual defeat can coexist with spiritual hardness. Someone can acknowledge the brilliance of Jesus' teaching, be unable to counter His logic, and still refuse to surrender their life to Him. This reminds us that conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit, not merely the result of superior argumentation. Our task is faithful witness and clarity in presenting truth, but we must pray for the Spirit to do what only He can do—soften hearts, open eyes, and bring dead souls to life. Astonishment at Jesus must give way to submission to Jesus. Memorable Quotes "You can never corner Jesus. Of course, you can never catch him off guard. And while those seem like very just trite and straightforward explanations of who he is and what his character is like as the son of God, we should not go away from them too quickly because what we find here is the wisdom and the brilliance of God in providing teaching to cut to the hearts of what is actually in the question." "Caesar can have his coin, but he cannot have you. Not in any ultimate sense. You and I, loved ones, we belong to God." "Being out argued is not the same as being transformed. You can leave someone with nothing to say and still not reach the heart." Full Episode Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: So here's the trap. If Jesus says yes, pay the tax, he completely alienates the crowd of Jewish pilgrims who are beginning to believe that he might be the Messiah who will liberate Israel from Rome if he says. No, do not pay it. He could obviously be reported to the Roman authorities as a seditious rebel. Either answer loses. There's really no good way out of this. At least on the face. Either answer costs him something, his popularity or his freedom, and this is what we call a false dilemma. The Pharisees think that they've got him cornered. But here's the thing, loved ones they haven't. You can never corner Jesus. Of course, you can never catch him off guard. And while those seem like very just trite and straightforward explanations of who he is and what his character is like as the son of God, we should not. Go away from them too quickly because what we find here is the wisdom and the brilliance of God in providing teaching to cut to the hearts of what is actually in the question. And Jesus doesn't play this game. Welcome to episode 487 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast for all those with the Imago Day. Hey, brothers and sisters, so let's talk taxes. Now you should know that the Reform Brotherhood is not that kind of podcast, but I suspect that you had one of two responses when you heard that topic. Either it piqued your interest or you thought, I'm just totally gonna skip this episode, and I get that. That's a polarizing topic. It's in part why I said it at the top, but I want us to chat a little bit today about a passage of the scripture where Jesus himself brings up taxes, but not in that way. In fact, he demonstrates some exceptional teaching, showing the wisdom of God in a very difficult and complex circumstance. And so we're gonna spend just a little bit of time hanging out in Matthew 22.  [00:02:17] Why Matthew 22 [00:02:17] Jesse Schwamb: Now, why are we doing this? Why this on this episode? Well, we're about to continue on the podcast, our inexorable march through all of the parables of Jesus as we go into the summer months. It's parable, summer loved ones, which I realize sounds like a horrible name for like a low budget drama. But in this case, Tony and I are about to reem embark or pick up our journey in the parables of Jesus. And what we find in Matthew 22 is this little exchange. It happens. And it actually is in the midst of a bunch of parables that are happening. It's in some ways a response to the parables that Jesus is bringing forward. And also, I just love this passage so much, and since we're doing one more solo episode, before we, we reunite and the band comes back together and we start talking about parables. I thought this is a great way for us to, again, consider the teachings of Jesus. In light of everything that he's saying and teaching in these really lovely stories. And so we find ourselves to think right in Matthew 22, which is a great place to be. So come hang out with me there. Grab a Bible, go stop your car right now and pull up on your phone the Matthew 22 so you can read along with me because this is something fantastic. It's one of the most famous passages actually in the gospels. And also at the same time, it's one of the most misused texts in the history of political theology. Because people on every side of almost every date about this topic, especially taxes since they're mentioned here, have reached for this passage, like it's some kind of Swiss Army knife. So I think the best thing that we can do. Our conversation right now is, let's slow down a little bit. Let's chill out. Let's get easy. Let's read it carefully and figure out what Jesus was actually doing here because it is, I promise you, far more interesting than just like a soundbite about taxes and the way that I beta you. At the top of this episode by saying, let's talk about taxes. [00:04:09] Setting the Scene [00:04:09] Jesse Schwamb: Now, before we get to this particular passage, here's a bit of scene setting, which I think is really important before we get to verse 15, which is where we're gonna pick up. Jesus has entered Jerusalem in the triumphal procession. He's cleansed the temple. He's cursed a fig tree, and he delivered three withering parables aimed directly at the religious establishment. We've got the parable of the two sons. The parable of the Wicked Tenants, the parable of the wedding banquet, which by the way, we're gonna get to all those bad boys. They will all have their own episodes because they're all brilliant and exceptional in each their own way, and they deserve for us to sit in them a little bit. But by the time we reach chapter 22, verse 15, I think at this point the Pharisees have heard enough. They are not stoked about the fact that Jesus is coming after them and coming in hot. And so the response is, let's set a trap. Let's now go back on the offensive. Let's give Jesus a test in front of everybody. So he's gonna be pinned down with something very difficult to explain or to answer. And so that's exactly where we find Matthew writing in 22 verse 15.  [00:05:15] Reading the Passage [00:05:15] Jesse Schwamb: Here's where we pick it up. Matthew writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Then the Pharisees went and took counsel together about how they might trap Jesus in what he said, and they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians saying, teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth and deferred a no one for you are not partial to any. Therefore, tell us what do you think? Is it lawful to give a tax to Caesar or not? But Jesus knowing their wickedness said, why are you testing me? You hypocrites, show me the coin used for the tax. And they brought him a denarius and he said to them, whose likeness in inscription is this? They said to him, Caesar's. Then he said to them, therefore rendered Caesar, the things that are Caesar's and to God, the things that are god's. And hearing this, they marveled and leaving him, they went away. What an incredible passage. I love this so much in part because we're about to see here this wisdom in the teaching of God through Jesus. It's both spicy. It comes with almost like a clenched fist. It strikes back, but it gets to the root of something that wasn't even part of the original question and unentangle the trap to such a degree that the end result is that. Everybody is left speechless and they just have to walk away.  [00:06:41] Enemies Unite [00:06:41] Jesse Schwamb: And it starts with this idea that the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. Matthew actually uses this interesting word here, this idea of they took counsel together. It's a formal deliberate scheme. In other words, they definitely talked about this. It's premeditated, it's not impulsive. It's a confrontation with design. And the Pharisees are doing opposition research. They want to. Trap him, tangle him up. The Greek is to snare or to trap in a net. So they're hunting. They're trying to snipe Jesus, and they're going to send in this least likely combination of collaborators, collaborators, to do this whole thing. It's worth noting here. These groups that we have in the passage, the Pharisees and the Herodians, these guys were natural enemies. The Pharisees were Jewish priests or purists who despised Roman rule, and the Herodians were political pragmatists who basically owed their power to Rome. And so these guys, you can imagine, they agreed on almost nothing except that Jesus needed to be stopped. And when your enemies join forces to come after you. I guess you know, you've been effective. We might think about the own, own, our own times in which we live and the kind of polarized way our societies tend to be bending and tilting right now. And to think what would it take for everybody to come together, unite on common hatred or disagreement about some kind of third element or party? What would it take for that to happen? And so here, there is. The sense in which both the Pharisees and the pros for all of their dislike toward each other, for all their philosophical and religious disagreements, for all of their political conniving against each other, they are completely united in this purpose. And they easily come together to say, Jesus, we must deal with, and it requires all of us, let us come together and reason against him finding a way that we can consolidate our effort and power to such a degree that we leverage one another to entrap him. So there's something here where I think they're demonstrating what the Psalms say that God, when the nation's rage against God, he laughs. He holds 'em in derision. And here's a perfect example of that. In a microcosmic kind of way, we find these two groups who really should never be with one another, finding common ground and unity to try to defeat. Jesus.  [00:08:56] Flattery as a Trap [00:08:56] Jesse Schwamb: And so this delegation arrives and here is their approach to Jesus. They say, teacher, we know that you are true and you teach the way of God truthfully, and you don't care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances. This is some kind of magnificent flattery, and it actually, it's almost entirely true, which just makes this so ironic. There's a confession among the Herodians and the Pharisees, even as I tried to undermine Jesus, you know, that's what makes this so dangerous. They say you don't care about anyone's opinion. You're not swayed by appearances. They're essentially saying you can't be pressured. You'll answer honestly no matter what. And in saying so, they're trying to pressure Jesus, of course, into answering honestly. But it's like a rhetorical judo move. The compliment is the trap spring mechanism. Calvin, in this passage, likes to know that they address Jesus as teacher to feign respect while concealing this animosity, this ho hostility that they have towards him. They want him to be relaxed. Flattered off guard as if it's possible to take the son of God off guard, but notice what they're actually confessing in that flattery. Jesus is truthful. He teaches God's way accurately. He's not a respecter of persons. Every word they speak in false praise is true testimony about who he is, which makes their hypocrisy all the more damning. And this is the thing, for as much as anybody wants to try to blaspheme Jesus for as much as anybody wants to come at him with one particularly. Facet of his character. For instance, he's a good teacher or he seems to teach peace and love and truth and that, and that's it. They compliment him while at the same time confessing themselves short of the true confession of who he is. And so it's ironic to me that these guys. Who in their hearts are holding all of this malice toward Jesus. Say, well, you're not a respecter of persons because you th see things as they are and not merely as they appear to be, while all the time thinking that they're truthfully concealing the fact that they hate him and yet are flattering them with his, flattering him with their tongues. The absurdity of this is absolutely insane. And so I think if you're in this moment, you have to be appreciating. This sense of what is building here? How is Jesus going to respond? The trap has been set. They've tried to flatter him, and of course he's not buying it. But they start with this question. All of that's a set up to say here is like the real punchline. Tell us then, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?  [00:11:36] The False Dilemma [00:11:36] Jesse Schwamb: Now, if you're like me, quite honestly, you might wish that Jesus answered this question differently. This is the trap, the trap. Snapshots on this single question or so they think, I mean, I, I truly believe they think they're being really smart here, that they've come to terms with maybe lots of ideas. I don't know what they did. Whatever the equivalent of using chat GPT was, they said, how can we entrap Jesus? They all got together. They devised a plan. I'm sure they had. Some kind of whiteboard where they're brainstorming ideas and some came up and said, no, that's not gonna work. And others came. I imagine they settled on this because they thought there was no way outta this. And in some ways it's actually a really brilliantly engineered dilemma. The tax in question here is the kenzos. This was the Roman poll tax. A denarius per head paid directly to Rome, and it was incredibly and deeply controversial. Some Jews viewed paying it as completely an act of collaboration with an occupying pagan power, and the zealots called it outright sin, and the HEROs thought it was perfectly fine. So here's the trap. If Jesus says yes, pay the tax, he completely alienates the crowd of Jewish pilgrims who are beginning to believe that he might be the Messiah who will liberate Israel from Rome if he says. No, do not pay it. He could obviously be reported to the Roman authorities as a seditious rebel. Either answer loses. There's really no good way out of this. At least on the face. Either answer costs him something, his popularity or his freedom, and this is what we call a false dilemma. The Pharisees think that they've got him cornered. But here's the thing, loved ones they haven't. You can never corner Jesus. Of course, you can never catch him off guard. And while those seem like very just trite and straightforward explanations of who he is and what his character is like as the son of God, we should not. Go away from them too quickly because what we find here is the wisdom and the brilliance of God in providing teaching to cut to the hearts of what is actually in the question. And Jesus doesn't play this game.  [00:13:40] Coin and Hypocrisy [00:13:40] Jesse Schwamb: Jesus aware of the malice says, why? Put me to the test. You hypocrites, show me the coin for the tax. He doesn't even pretend to take the question at face value. He immediately identifies what's happening. This is a test and you all are hypocrites. Now, for me, I think if you are in the seats or standing in the shoes or the sandals, I suppose, of the Herodians or the Pharisees. I would be like, if I were on the side, I would be like, pull up, pull up, get out, get out. He's onto us just just with Jesus directly coming at them and labeling them as hypocrites. I think that itself undoes all of this. They've been exposed from the very beginning and Jesus doesn't mess around. It's like him coming into the temple to cleanse the temple, and it's as if in his left hand, he has mercy in his right hand. He has that cord that whip. And the word that Matthew uses here for hypocrites is one that Jesus deploys with like surgical precision throughout his this gospel. A hypocrite is someone performing virtue they do not possess. And right away he identifies it. These men are performing concern for Jewish law while actually serving their own political agenda. And I love that the son of God in power does not put up with that at all. And then, and I think this is. Absolutely delightful. Jesus asked them for a coin of all the things he could have said or done. Here's where there is like a little bit of a kind of a parable feel to this. He asked for the physical object, the thing that they're talking about. He asks, and interestingly, he doesn't have one. He's the guest of Pilgrim, the one without a Roman Denarius in his pocket. But, and here's what's interesting. Loved ones, they produce one immediately for him, which means the people who are asking whether it's lawful to use Roman currency are already using Roman currency. Jesus hasn't even answered yet, and hypocrisy is already self-evident. I think that's a considerable fact. The, the instance that they're able to produce the coin promptly, I don't think is a minor detail. It implicates them. They're already participants in the Roman economic system, which. I would say it's not necessarily a bad thing. Their question about whether it's lawful to pay taxes to Caesar is somewhat undermined though by the fact that they're carrying Caesar's money in the temple precincts. In other words, the whole thing just smells a setup. And even Jesus asking for the coin is showing them and others around them that not is he onto them. Not only does he see through them, but he is undermining the complete argument that they're making, showing that the question that they need to have answered is actually not about taxes at all. It's about something much deeper he's about to answer or bring forward the question, rather, whose image is on you. [00:16:29] Whose Image [00:16:29] Jesse Schwamb: And he starts by holding up the coin and saying, whose image is on this? So they bring him a denarius and Jesus says to them, whose likeness and inscription. Is this now the denarius of Tiberius Caesar bore his portrait in the inscription. The inscription, generally historians say, said something like Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus, and it was a claim of divinity stamped into everyday commerce. This is why so much of the Jews found it so offensive to participate because it felt as if in every transaction you were affirming in some way the divine authority of Caesar. It was a claim that was stamped on the coin and therefore represented in every kind of transaction that took place throughout the lamb. Every time a Roman coin changed hands, Rome's imperial theology was in some ways quietly proclaimed, and Jesus holds it up and he asks this obvious question. Whose face is on this thing, and the Greek word for likeness here, whose likeness is, this is the word for image. This is the word the SubT uses in Genesis one. When God makes humanity in his image, in the Imago day, Jesus is about to build an argument that depends on this resonance, whether his questioners hear it or not. Whose image is on the coin and whose image is on you. Those are two very different questions with two very different answers. And of course, they lead to this incredibly famous reply, one that's known by most people, but I think not understood by many. So they said, Caesar's Caesar's image is on this coin.  [00:18:12] Render to God [00:18:12] Jesse Schwamb: So Jesus says to them, therefore. Render to Caesar, the things that are Caesars and to God, the things that are God. I think of almost all the places in the scriptures. This might be Jesus at his most dazzling. I say that partly. Subjectively, because I'm captivated by this whole encounter. I'm captivated and drawn in by the son of God and his teaching here. I'm captivated by his ability to see through what's happening here, and I'm captivated by the truth that he delivers. But I think I'm not alone because objectively, when we get to the end of this, we find everybody else marveling. Notice that Jesus doesn't choose between the two horns of this dilemma. He reframes the entire question. He blows up the entire premise because even here, the choice of language is so incredible. The word render means to give back what is owed, to return, what belongs to someone. Sometimes we hear this as give, give to Caesars. What is Caesars? Just give it to him. This seems like a, a secular question you're asking me. So keep this secular nonsense out of what is this sacred life? But instead it's not just give it's give back, render as in this was already his to begin with. So give Caesar back. What has Caesar's image on it? The coin bears his image. The coin belongs to his realm, fine. But when that, but then comes this, this second half, this glorious truth, that's far better, and this is where the weight falls. Give to God, what has God's image on it. And what of course, bears the image of God, you and I, every human being made in the mago de bears the divine image. Caesar can have his coin, but he cannot have you. Not in any ultimate sense. You and I loved ones. We belong to God. And of course, from a reform perspective, this is the bedrock of what we mean when we speak of the Lordship of Christ over all of life. There's no zone of existence that is only Caesar's. Caesar operates within a sphere that God ordains and limits. The state has legitimate authority. Paul's gonna argue that in Romans 13, but the authority is derivative. It's not ultimate Caesar's domain is real, but bounded God's domain is total and unbounded. And so that's why. Calvin insists that Jesus never divides life neatly into sacred and secular. Rather, he is establishing that all of life is lived before God, and within that totality, there are legitimate temporal authorities to whom we owe appropriate submission. The coin goes to Caesar, but the person. The image bearer of God is owed entirely to the Lord.  [00:20:50] Imago Dei and New Life [00:20:50] Jesse Schwamb: I was thinking, again, reading through Genesis, just how beautiful the CR creation narrative is when it comes to mankind, that God is ex ne hill speaking things into existence. He's showing his great command over all things. The spirit hovering over the waters from the beginning. And here's God in this Trinitarian act, bringing into the existence, all the things that you and I know, all the things which are familiar to us that we still marvel at, but are part and parcel peace wise of the world in which we live. And I sometimes forget that when it comes to that day, when God creates man, that he forms him and then he takes a breath and he breathes. The specialty of that type of creation that you and I are derivative and contingent beings, but we're way separate than all of creation because God has breathed his very breath of life into us. And in that way, it's not just that he set us up and said, let me design mankind to be like me, which he does. Let us make mankind in our own image that Trinity says in the scriptures, but also that consummation of life. Comes from the very breadth of God himself. And in that way we find that human beings are doubly special. I would say that one, that God has formed us to be like him to exhibit many of his qualities, but two, that life itself didn't come just from merely speaking, but there's an intimacy. More or less loved ones. He put his lips on ours and breathed into us so that we might be alive. And of course, the scripture itself tells us that the second life, the abundant life, salvation itself is very much like that. In the same way, Jesus didn't come to make bad people good. It came to make dead people alive. And so we need that breath of life again. And when we are surrendered to him, when he comes and arrests our hearts, when he does that incredible surgery of cutting us and removing that heart of stone and replacing it, one with flesh, we are made alive in Christ so that we gain more in Jesus than what we lost in Adam. [00:22:50] Amazed Not Changed [00:22:50] Jesse Schwamb: So what is everybody's response when Jesus explains all of this? Well, I love what the scripture says when they heard it. They marveled and they left him and went away. They marveled the Greek here is, is the word actually for enthusiasm. They were amazed and astonished. It's not actually polite appreciation. This is like draw drop of people who came to spring a trap and watched it spring BRAC on them. There was no follow up question. I love this, don't you? That this is so complete, so succinct, so confronting, so condemning, so damning that they had nothing, they, they left. Imagine maybe they looked at each other with that look of like, does anybody else have anything else they wanna say? 'cause if not, I just want to get outta here right now and notice what Matthew doesn't say. He doesn't say that they repented, he doesn't say that they believed they were astonished. And they left. They walked away. And this is one of those sobering realities of the gospels. Jesus could silence his opponents without converting them. Intellectual defeat is not the same thing as spiritual surrender. The Pharisees went away to a pla to a. Construct a plan essentially of crucifixion of how to kill him. And being out argued is not the same as being transformed. I think for us in evangelism and apologetics, it's a good reminder that winning the argument is not the goal. Clarity is a gift and faithful witness matters, but conversion is the work of the spirit. You can leave someone with nothing to say and still not reach the heart, and this should move us to pray accordingly. So I'm amazed by this teaching because it draws us back to this understanding that what the Pharisees meant to use for entrapment to in the temporal space. To divide Jesus, to make him basically say something that he did not want to say, to put him in a place he did not want to be. Instead, he uses the convey the greatest message of all, and that is we are God's children. And ironically, the ones who are professing to be God's children had missed the point altogether because what they really needed to ask was, whose image is on you? And as a result of that, what ought you to render that is to give back to God, and that is ourselves.  [00:25:00] Takeaways and Application [00:25:00] Jesse Schwamb: So here's some things I would say that we can take away from Matthew 22. A few things I think worth holding onto as you and I go about our weeks first, Jesus can't be cornered. And I, I understand that that's like obvious to say, but don't you love that about the God man? Like every intent to trap him. In this chapter and throughout the gospels now and forevermore results in his opponents looking worse than when they started. And this is how we know that we can trust Jesus, that we can trust his power, that he is for us, that his enemies will ultimately be subdued, that they will be humiliated and made low, that he is the one who cannot be caught in his words because his words are truth. I love that the scripture just tells us the truth about reality, and so we come back to it time and time again because we find it both. Warm, comfortable blankets in which we might cuddle up as it were and find ourselves comforted by God. But also it does have a sharp edge that like a knife cuts against us sometimes to remind us that we serve a holy God and that we are sinful people. It never shrinks away from the truth when that hard edge of the law must be brandished against us, and it also at the same time, never ceases to apply the bomb of the gospel to our lives where we need healing and restoration and comfort. Here's the second thing in my mind, this question, this big question, is it lawful? And what a question by the way, right? Like, you know, you could couch this in lots of different ways. Should we pay taxes? That's kind of how we think about it. But this idea of like, no, no, no. Is it lawful? Which law are we talking about? The law of God or the law of the land Even that is left for this kind of subjective reasoning to entrap. This was a question though about politics. And Jesus answered with a question about identity. I love that. Whose image is this? That is always the deeper question in my mind. And before you ask what you owe the government, we ought to ask what do we owe God? And remember that you yourself are what you owe him because you bear his image. So we start from this place where we don't get it twisted like we do in Romans one, when we're outside of God. That is, we don't wanna change the truth of God for Allah here. We need to remember that Presuppositional, all that we are, all that we have, all that we've been given, all of this is God's. And so in that contingent sense, we are merely pouring back to him that which is already due, his name and his praise. And so that's the place where we start. Third, I think there is a legitimate but bounded role for civil authority in Christian understanding of the world. That's something Tony and I have talked about before. You can go back into the Reform Brotherhood catalog, which by the way exists in reform brotherhood.com. You can find all of the 400 deficits back there. There's a search function, so you can just type in a word and at this point I'm guaranteed some episode will come up. We've talked about this before. How we're not theocrats, we're we're pilgrims. Who hold our earthly citizenship loosely and our heavenly citizenship with everything that we've got. So there is a role in our land for civil authority. Paul, again will argue this very cogently in Romans 13. At the same time, we don't wanna get it twisted. We don't want to have too much focus on that. And too little focus on the fact that our heavenly citizenship is what truly defines us because of who we are. And finally. Amazement is not enough. The Pharisees were amazed and walked away unchanged. We can't just be impressed by Jesus. We must be His. And to remind you, even I think as we engage in the parables that are ahead of us and the teaching that is behind us here in this episode, that it's not just to marvel and say, wow, isn't Jesus. Good because he is, and he is really great with his teaching. He's really great at perceiving all of this. But more than that, he's Lord and Savior of all. He's guiding us not into just like better rhetoric and how to defeat like Pulic argumentation. He's drawing us into the very heart of God, into love for him and for service for one another. And it starts with who we are and how much of our society right now. Has gotten all of this confused such that a lot of our problems is because we do not realize who we are. We are trying to change who we are, change the rules of who God has made us to be, and in this way we shipwreck our lives. And so Jesus calls us back with this simple question, whose image is this? And in that question, our loved ones, I would encourage you all to meditate, to metabolize it, to set yourselves to it. Because the task of answering that question is the task of understanding who God is and who we are in light of who God is. So there you go. Uh, just a little bit of teaching from Jesus that I think is so helpful for us, especially as we move into more parables that he's about to expand. As we go through, I don't know how many that we have left, but there's a lot of 'em, so you're gonna want to continue to hang out with us, I think, because we're gonna go through these, talk about them, process them together, pull in some exegetical chops at the same time, make sure that we're trying to apply these things, because that's the whole point here. There's so much here. I think that could be said. But I'm gonna leave the application to you. So take your time meditating and thinking through this lovely teaching.  [00:30:08] Join the Community [00:30:08] Jesse Schwamb: If you wanna come hang out and do some of this together, which, why would you not wanna do that? We are super fun people. That's what everybody says. Come and join us in the Telegram chat. You've heard me say before, telegram is just a messaging app, and we have a small corner of that app that's a private group of listeners from all around the world who are just hanging out together. We're talking about the episodes, we're talking about life together. We're sharing prayer requests. We're. Tasting things and recording videos of how delicious or not those things are. So if you're curious now about how you can join, it's super easy. Just go to any browser and type in t me slash reform brotherhood, t me slash reform brotherhood. One more time. Everybody in the back. It's t. It's in telegram.me back slash reform brotherhood and then you'll find a link which will take you right to the place where we are all conversing together.  [00:31:00] Closing Blessing [00:31:00] Jesse Schwamb: So that's it on this episode. Come hang out. We're about to jump back into the parables. The band will be back together. It's everything that you wanted and more and, and I hope that you'll come and hang out again. But until you do, you should definitely honor everyone and love the brotherhood. 

In this honest and insightful conversation, Bart sits down with Alli Covington, Co-Founder and CEO of BOD Care, to explore the intersection of wellness, performance, and entrepreneurship. Alli shares her journey from recognizing gaps in traditional self-care to building a company designed to support high-performing individuals in sustainable ways. She speaks openly about burnout, the pressure to constantly produce, and the importance of listening to your body before it forces you to stop. This episode reframes wellness not as a luxury but as a necessity, highlighting why taking care of yourself is one of the most important investments you can make.Major Takeaways / LearningsWellness is foundational, not optional. High performance cannot be sustained without taking care of your physical and mental health.Burnout does not happen overnight. It builds gradually when signals from your body are ignored.Self-care is often misunderstood. It is not indulgence, it is maintenance and longevity.Listening to your body is a skill. Awareness helps prevent breakdowns before they happen.Entrepreneurship requires energy management. Success depends on how well you sustain yourself, not just how hard you push.Preventative care is more effective than reactive care. Addressing issues early leads to better long-term outcomes.Consistency in small habits matters. Daily practices compound into long-term well-being.Helping others starts with helping yourself. You cannot support others effectively if you are depleted.Memorable Quotes“You cannot pour from an empty cup.”“Your body will tell you what it needs, if you are willing to listen.”“Self-care is not selfish, it is necessary.”“Burnout is built, not sudden.”“You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else.”“Wellness is the foundation of performance.”Why It Matters / How to Use ItThis episode serves as a wake-up call for anyone pushing hard without paying attention to their well-being. Alli Covington's perspective challenges the idea that success requires constant sacrifice and instead reframes it as something that must be supported by intentional care.Whether you are an entrepreneur, leader, or high performer, the message is clear. Your energy, health, and awareness are your greatest assets. By prioritizing wellness, listening to your body, and building sustainable habits, you create a foundation for long-term success rather than short-term output.For more information, you can explore Alli Covington's work here:[https://www.linkedin.com/company/bodcare/]For professional inquiries or contact:[linkedin.com/in/alli-covington-bod]

AI can write your first draft, research your competitors, and build your workflows overnight. It does all of that faster and cheaper than any one person can. That part is real. But there's one thing it absolutely cannot do — and it's the thing that matters most. I watched a woman cycle through personal trainers for years, renting motivation from the outside. The moment she stopped paying, the drive disappeared. Your experience, your judgment, your way of reading a room — that's the push-up only you can do. AI just helps you do more of them. Featured Story Years ago, I worked with a woman who kept hiring personal trainers. Not the same one — a new one every few months. She'd get results for a while, drift, then start over with somebody new. One day, I asked her about it. She said she just needed someone to push her. She wasn't hiring a trainer. She was renting motivation from the outside. And the moment she stopped paying, the motivation went away. The trainer could design the program and count the reps, but the contraction happened in her muscles, not theirs. I see the same pattern emerging with AI right now — people producing polished output that sounds like nobody. Important Points AI is a multiplier, not a replacement. Bring your experience, and it delivers faster. Bring nothing, it returns nothing. Your judgment from years of living inside problems is pattern recognition; no dataset can replicate on its own. Two columns this week: what only you can do goes in one, everything mechanical goes in the other. Column two is AI. Memorable Quotes "You can't hire somebody to do your push-ups for you. The strength you want only grows through the work you do yourself." "If you don't bring anything specific to AI, it gives you a very polished nothing. That's all you'll get back." "Your particular way of seeing the world exists because you've lived a certain life. AI can't generate that for you." Scott's Three-Step Approach Draw a line down a page and list what only you can do — relationships, judgment, your particular angle on the work. Put everything else in the second column — drafting, formatting, research, repetitive tasks that eat your mornings. Hand column two to AI this week and double down hard on column one. That's where your real strength compounds over time. Chapters 0:02 - Post-Easter confessions and Scott's candy weakness 1:48 - The AI arc continues, and where this is heading 2:33 - You can't hire someone else to do your push-ups 3:47 - The woman who kept renting motivation from trainers 5:34 - AI multiplies what you bring — or polishes your nothing 8:01 - Peter Drucker's knowledge worker and why judgment wins now 11:29 - LinkedIn slop and why sounding like everyone helps no one Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify If you enjoy the Daily Boost, you might like Notes From Scott. A few mornings each week, I send a short note with something I've been thinking about or noticing lately. Sometimes those ideas turn into podcast episodes later. You can sign up at https://notesfromscott.com. Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, GG Hawkins speaks with animator and director Julian Glander about making his microbudget animated feature Boys Go to Jupiter for just $30,000, premiering it at Tribeca, building momentum through a 50-festival run, and eventually landing theatrical distribution and a streaming home on HBO Max. Glander breaks down the realities of producing an animated feature outside the studio system, from teaching himself new tools in Blender to embracing the scrappy story behind the film, negotiating festival fees, navigating distribution conversations, and figuring out what comes next after a breakout first feature. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Julian Glander discuss... How Glander and producer Payson made Boys Go to Jupiter with a tiny team and a $30,000 budget Why Blender and open-source communities made an indie animated feature possible What surprised Glander most about audience reactions to the film's scrappy origins The reality check of premiering at Tribeca without an instant splashy acquisition How a long festival run helped the film build momentum and recoup its budget through screening fees and prizes Why showing up in person for festival screenings and Q&As can make a lasting impact How Cartuna helped shape the film's theatrical rollout The role of PR, timing, and critical response in helping the film break out theatrically What it means to let go of control during distribution while still protecting the work How Glander is thinking about a second feature and resisting the pressure of “heat” Memorable Quotes: “You really do have to be delusional and not know what's going to happen.” “I was embarrassed by how scrappy it was but it turned out to be like the thing that brings people in and the thing that makes them love it.” “If you don't ask for it, you don't get it.” “Most things are Googleable.” Guests: Julian Glander on IMDb Julian Glander on Instagram Resources: Boys Go to Jupiter on IMDb I Really Love My Husband Screening and QA Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web: No Film School Facebook: No Film School on Facebook Twitter: No Film School on Twitter YouTube: No Film School on YouTube Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

We've been told our whole lives that more choice equals more freedom, and therefore, more happiness. But that equation breaks down sooner than we think. In this episode, Michael and Megan sit down with psychologist and bestselling author Barry Schwartz to unpack the hidden costs of abundance—in our shopping carts, our workplaces, and our sense of identity. If you've ever felt paralyzed by too many options or trapped in an endless loop of comparison and upgrade, this conversation will help you understand why—and what to do about it.Memorable Quotes“You don't need to look at all the options. You look until you find one that meets your standards, and then pick it and stop looking. You're not looking over your shoulder in case somehow you missed an opportunity for something even better.”“Most important, I think, is to discipline yourself to believe—and act as if you believe—that good enough is pretty much always good enough.”“When there are 20,000 options, whether you like it or not, your choice says something about who you are—not just to the world, but also to yourself. 'I'm the kind of person who goes to this restaurant, buys this clothing,' and so on. What that does is make even trivial decisions into high-stakes decisions.”“Most people see the options we have not as a problem, but as an opportunity. And of course it is an opportunity, but it's an opportunity that has problems attached. So if you become self-aware about this, that's the first step toward making decisions about which parts of your life are worth devoting this kind of time and effort to—and which parts are just details.”“One thing that's clear now is that [AI] does not replace judgment. It assists judgment… So you need to be judicious and knowledgeable in asking the right questions of AI and in interpreting the answers that you get to extract the kernels and discard the husks.”“The way you become wise, the way you develop judgment, is by making decisions, watching some of them fail, and learning how to make better and better decisions—more and more context-sensitive decisions—as a result of correcting your previous errors. People need practice to become wise, and the more people rely on AI, the less practice they're gonna get.”Key TakeawaysChoice Excess Creates Problems. Having many options attracts our attention but undermines our decisiveness. That paralysis then reduces our satisfaction even with the decisions we do make.Maximizers Pay a Hidden Tax. People who consistently seek the very best option spend more time deciding, feel less satisfied with their choices, and are more prone to regret and depression. People who stop when they find something “good enough” consistently report greater wellbeing.Abundance Raises the Stakes of Every Decision. When there are only two jean brands, your choice says nothing about you. When there are thousands, every purchase becomes an identity statement. That's what turns trivial decisions into exhausting ones.A Calling Isn't Reserved for the Corner Office. Barry's research on hospital janitors shows that meaning at work has nothing to do with prestige. It comes from seeing how your work serves others and being given the freedom to act on that view.AI Can Erode Wisdom. The way we develop judgment is by making decisions, watching some fail, and learning from the correction. The more we outsource decisions to AI, the less opportunity we have to build that wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom are not the same thing.ResourcesThe Paradox of Choice by Barry SchwartzChoose Wisely by Barry Schwartz and Richard SchuldenreiWhy We Work by Barry Schwartz“Every Life Has a Story” (Chick fil A video referenced)“AI Doesn't Reduce Work—It Intensifies It” (HBR article referenced)The Fix by Ian Cron (referenced)Watch on YouTube at:  https://youtu.be/w_FOZXsxMgMThis episode was produced by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS and Doctor Fashion, a creator with over one million YouTube subscribers, break down how to make money on Pinterest using Amazon affiliate marketing, SEO, and attraction marketing. Brittany reveals she earns enough from Pinterest affiliate links alone to fund a home down payment. The conversation covers the three-step Pinterest Business setup, the 105-day content shelf life (now 152 days), Amazon bounties that pay without requiring a sale, and why micro-influencers outperform million-follower accounts.Who This Episode Is For?This episode is for entrepreneurs who want to monetize Pinterest through affiliate marketing and Amazon ads, content creators looking to repurpose existing content for evergreen discovery, small business owners setting up a Pinterest business account with website integration, and micro-influencers leveraging a small but engaged audience for real sales.Book SEO Services? Save These Quick Links for Later

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS hosts a two-part live session from the Marketing Club on Clubhouse, joined by Brian (digital marketing), Liverpool (social media), Angelique (commercial lending startup), and others. The conversation covers how to build product and service pages that rank on search engines, the three stages of buyer awareness (problem aware, solution aware, product aware), why 82% of websites worldwide are outdated, the four types of media (owned, paid, shared, earned), how Google Reviews impact rankings, and tools like Nudgify, Switchy.io, and SEMrush for building brand awareness online.Key TakeawaysBuild from the ground up, not the roof down. Your website needs keyword-rich URL slugs, proper H1-H6 heading structure, and semantic keywords before any social media push.Three stages of buyer awareness drive every sale. Problem aware (they search Google), solution aware (they land on your page), product aware (they recognize your brand as the answer).82% of 1.9 billion websites have not been updated in 6 months. Update your website daily to signal the algorithm that your business is active.Use the CNN model. Never give the full story on social media. Drive people to your website for the complete content, just like major news outlets do.Google Reviews are a major ranking factor. Keep them fresh, avoid all five-star reviews (looks moderated), and embed them on your site using tools like Nudgeify.Master the four types of media. Owned (your content), Paid (ads), Shared (social platforms), and Earned (press/features). Start with owned media and build toward earned.Memorable Quotes"You don't build a house from the roof down. You build from the ground up." — Favour [07:30]"82% of 1.9 billion websites have not been updated in the last six months." — Favour [101:03]"If CNN gave you the full story on Instagram, would you go to their website? No." — Favour [118:24]"SEO is not a one-size-fits-all. It's not a cookie cutter machine." — Favour [71:17]"The better the connection, the better the frequency. The better the frequency, the better the energy." — Favour [119:14]FAQsShould I focus on products or services for my website?Both need dedicated keyword-rich pages. Each product or service should have its own page with text, video, images, pricing, and FAQ so search engines can index them individually.How often should I update my website?Daily if possible. Even once a week puts you ahead of the 82% of websites that go six months without an update. Every update signals the algorithm that your business is active.What tools were recommended?Nudgify (social proof popups), Switchy.io (UTM codes, link shortening, pixel tracking — $39 on AppSumo), SEMrush (keyword research), and Google Business Profile for reviews.How do I build brand awareness from scratch?Start with owned media on your website. Answer the questions your audience is searching for. Then distribute to social media, collect emails, and build toward earned media like press features.Book SEO Services? Save These Quick Links for Later>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book SEO Services with Favour Obasi-ike⁠>> Visit Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Read SEO Articles>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Purchase Flaev Beatz Beats Online>> Favour Obasi-ike Quick Links>> Start Recording your Podcast with Riverside Today | Sign Up with My Affiliate Link HereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you ever wondered what actually goes on behind the velvet ropes of Hollywood and the massive arenas of the sports world? In this episode, Frank sits down with Maddy Myer, a seasoned publicist and the host of the brand new podcast, Maddy Mania. Maddy pulls back the curtain on the high-stakes world of public relations, revealing that it takes far more than just walking red carpets to manage a celebrity's image. From navigating sudden PR crises to adapting to the influencer era, Maddy shares her insider knowledge and career journey. Plus, we dive into her new podcasting venture, which perfectly blends deep fan "spirals" with expert industry analysis, covering everything from K-Pop and wrestling to classic TV shows. Timestamps & Topics 00:00:00 – Introduction: Welcoming Maddy Myer and the launch of Maddy Mania. 00:00:28 – What does a Hollywood publicist actually do? (Hint: It's not just red carpets). 00:01:35 – Career Pivot: How Maddy transitioned from nursing to Public Relations. 00:02:57 – Behind the Scenes: Handling crises, time management, and staying adaptable. 00:03:50 – The PR Shift: How social media and influencer collabs are taking over traditional press. 00:04:55 – Sports vs. Entertainment: Exploring the massive overlap in fandom culture. 00:07:18 – Industry Advice: How to land a job in PR (internships and writing are key!). 00:08:40 – Hollywood's take on PR: Why Maddy loves Apple TV's The Studio. 00:10:41 – The birth of Maddy Mania: Balancing professional goals with pure fan obsession. 00:14:52 – The power of Comic-Con and the importance of exclusivity in modern press runs. 00:20:47 – Dream Guests: Why Ariana Grande and CM Punk are at the top of Maddy's list. 00:21:54 – Rapid Fire Questions: Blackpink dominance, Gossip Girl comfort watches, and viral wrestling theme songs. Key Takeaways PR is Crisis Management: A publicist's true value lies in their adaptability. What seems like a minor hiccup can easily turn into a major crisis, requiring constant schedule juggling and rapid problem-solving. Social Media is the New Press: Traditional media (like radio and print) is taking a backseat to content creation, influencer collaborations, and digital brand building. Fandoms are Universal: Whether you are pitching a sports client or an entertainment star, the passion of the fanbase is the driving force behind a successful campaign. Start Early and Write Often: For those aspiring to enter the PR field, getting diverse internship experience and heavily refining your writing skills are the most critical steps to success. Embrace Your Inner Fan: Maddy Mania proves that you can be a respected industry professional while still unabashedly "spiraling" over your favorite childhood shows, K-pop groups, or wrestlers. Memorable Quotes "You are basically their image makers. You are who's in charge of making sure they look good on camera and off camera... and making sure that their brand and their image stays in a positive light." > "I feel like something that you think could be small could become like a major crisis... being a publicist, you have to be adaptable and flexible, for sure." "Exclusivity is everything in the modern publicist realm. And so Comic-Con is a really good, high-profile event to kind of announce those kinds of things." Call to Action Did you enjoy this deep dive into the PR world and fandom culture? Make sure to hit that Subscribe button so you never miss an episode! If you learned something new today, please leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform. Don't forget to screenshot this episode, share it on your social media, and tag us using #GeekFreaksxMaddyMania so we can shout you out! Links and Resources For all the latest geek culture news discussed during our podcast, head over to GeekFreaksPodcast.com (your ultimate source for all things geek!). Make sure to check out the premiere of Maddy Mania launching on March 5th! WEB: https://maddymaniapodcast.com  IG:https://www.instagram.com/maddymaniapodcast/  TT:https://www.tiktok.com/@maddymaniapodcast  YT:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq_5WcMsJAlakV6rwUIcszJwtUSf9tGdi  APPLE:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maddy-mania-podcast/id1874817332  SPOTIFY:https://open.spotify.com/show/3FjGlBJWVG0Hs63pynnf8a  IHEART:https://iheart.com/podcast/321144042/  AMAZON:https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5923e43c-1868-4d3b-86ef-a45f5839487e/maddy-mania-podcast  LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/maddymaniapodcast  Follow Us Stay connected with us for behind-the-scenes content, updates, and more: Geek Freaks: @GeekFreaksPodcast (Instagram, X, TikTok) Maddy Myer: @MaddyManiaPod (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) Listener Questions We want to hear from YOU! What fandom are you currently spiraling over? Do you have questions about the entertainment industry or a specific topic you want us to cover next? Send in your questions via our social media DMs, and we might feature your topic on an upcoming episode! Tags: Public Relations, Hollywood PR, Maddy Mania, Geek Freaks Podcast, Entertainment Industry, Sports Fandom, K-Pop, Blackpink, Wrestling PR, Podcasting, Comic-Con, Crisis Management, Media Training, Pop Culture

Every week starts with the best intentions — until life ambushes you. A cold, a client crisis, someone else's emergency. Suddenly, your week belongs to everything except you. That's not a motivation problem. It's a planning problem. I've been building and refining my Perfect Week Planner for 20 years, and it's the single reason chaos doesn't own me. It's not a to-do list or a color-coded calendar. It's a decision document. Five steps. One page. Total clarity. Ready to stop reacting and start directing your week? Let's walk through exactly how it works. Featured Story This week was supposed to go one way. Then I got knocked flat by a head cold for three days. I'd love to say it didn't matter — but it did. What I can tell you is it didn't blow up my week. That's not luck. That's what happens when you've already decided in advance how your week is going to go. I built the Perfect Week Planner for exactly this moment. Not the perfect weeks — the messy ones. The ones where life shows up uninvited. When chaos arrives, your pre-decisions do the heavy lifting. Your roles are clear. Your priorities are set. You work around the chaos instead of surrendering to it. Important Points Most people don't fail from lack of ambition — they fail because they let the week ambush them before they even start. The Perfect Week Planner isn't a to-do list or a calendar — it's a decision document that puts you in control. Planning every Thursday means your next week is already in motion before Sunday night panic has a chance to hit. Memorable Quotes "You always control your schedule — even when you think you don't. If you don't choose your focus, life chooses for you." "You can't build the life you want on a base of chaos — you have to decide how you're going to live before it starts." "If everything's important, nothing is — pick one primary focus and own the week instead of reacting to everyone else's." Scott's Three-Step Approach Set one primary focus for the week, pick your five key roles, and get brutally clear on what actually matters. Add your big goal and one high-impact action — this shows you exactly where your time and energy belong this week. Plan your entire next week on Thursday — block your time, own the schedule, and wake up Monday already in motion. Chapters 0:02 - Why life always ambushes your best-laid plans 3:03 - It's a planning problem, not a motivation problem 5:13 - Inside the Perfect Week Planner: how the system works 7:33 - Pre-decisions kill decision fatigue before it starts 8:12 - Five steps to own your week before it owns you 13:09 - The Thursday rule that ends Sunday night panic Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when your body forces you to stop? I came down with a nasty head cold that knocked me flat for four days — and suddenly, all the hustle and distraction was gone. No gym. No motorcycle. No walking the dogs. Just me and my thoughts. And something interesting happened. With the noise stripped away, I landed on the three things I've built my entire life around: freedom, options, and growth. If you're wondering why you feel stuck, the answer might be simpler than you think. Hit play — this one's worth your time. Featured Story I was sitting at dinner with my wife, and I just froze. She was feeding me chicken soup — weird noodles and all — and mid-bite, I completely stopped. She looked at me and said, "You okay?" I said yeah. I just stopped. That was the moment I realized how completely my body had taken the wheel. I couldn't work out. Couldn't ride my motorcycle — even with Bike Week happening right down the road in Daytona. Couldn't even read a book I wanted to read. Four days on the couch, and every single distraction was gone. That's when the real thinking started. And it led me right back to freedom. Important Points When life forces you to stop, clarity finds you — freedom, options, and growth reveal what matters most to you. The world keeps moving whether you're sick on the couch or not — that's not depressing. It's actually freeing. You can't control getting sick, but you can control what it means to you — that's where your real power lives. Memorable Quotes "You'll never feel trapped if you live a life of freedom, options, and growth. That's why I live and breathe on that." "The world doesn't manage your expectations — it just adjusts to your emotional weather and keeps right on moving." "My life, my time, my way — that's the most valuable asset you have and the only thing you'll never get back again." Scott's Three-Step Approach Force yourself to actually stop and get quiet — strip away the distractions until real clarity starts finding you. Now ask the hard question: do you have freedom, options, and growth — or are you just reacting to life's demands? Choose to build your life around those three things — and change everything that needs to change to get there. Chapters 0:02 - Down for the count and still thinking hard 1:40 - What happens when your body makes you stop 3:48 - Freedom has always been the real driver for me 4:51 - The world never pauses — not even for you 8:36 - Why I built my entire life around freedom 11:18 - Freedom, options, and growth — the only three that matter 13:29 - The mindset trap that keeps most people stuck Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody wants to succeed at a higher level. But when the road gets narrow, and it requires choosing one thing over everything else? Suddenly, options look a lot more appealing. On this episode, I'm breaking down what higher-level success actually demands — and it's not another planner, app, or podcast. It's narrowing your identity, staying in your lane long enough for your brain to adapt, and doing the reps until it clicks. This isn't motivational poster talk. It's what I've seen work with smart, talented people who are playing at 70% and want more. Featured Story Before Joy came into my life, I was all over the place. I was good at what I did, but I was just moving and floating around doing stuff. It felt fantastic at the time. I had no real lane. Then Joy walked in, and Joy doesn't do scattered. She's a repetitive person — same things, every single day. Drove me absolutely insane. For years. But before I knew it, I was doing the same things. Eating right. Working out most days. A real routine was forming. Repetition rewarded me, and it got easier because I didn't have to think about it anymore. She changed everything without saying a word. Important Points Higher-level success isn't complicated — it's uncomfortable and demands narrowing your identity to one lane. Operating at your natural strengths gives you leverage, and leverage beats hustle every single time — every time. Knowledge isn't wisdom — wisdom only shows up after you've made mistakes, because experience is earned, not downloaded. Memorable Quotes "You can't play at a high level as a generalist — the world rewards specialists, and your brain rewards repetition." "Most people quit right before their identity shifts, right before things click — that's exactly when you need to stay." "Drop the ego, pick a lane, get to work. It's deceptively simple — which is exactly why so many people miss it." Scott's Three-Step Approach Identify your natural wheelhouse — not what pays the bills or sounds impressive — and commit to going deeper, not wider. Put in the reps and stay in your lane long enough for your brain to adapt — that's when mastery starts to click. Spend more time doing than learning, and then hire a coach to catch the blind spots you'll never see on your own. Chapters 0:02 - Why most people only talk about succeeding 4:39 - Smart, capable people stuck at 70% capacity 5:41 - Higher-level success demands a narrower identity 8:33 - How Joy turned me into a repetition convert 10:20 - Stop learning so much and start doing the work 11:47 - The identity shift that changes everything Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early childhood education promotes leaders faster than almost any other industry — and school leaders are paying the price.In this episode, Chanie Wilschanski names a quiet but growing leadership crisis inside schools: teachers are promoted into leadership roles based on warmth, availability, and emotional labor — not relational stamina, discernment, or leadership infrastructure.You'll hear why early childhood lacks true leadership pipelines, how urgency and exhaustion drive premature promotions, and why titles alone don't build capacity. Chanie breaks down what other industries do differently — and what school leaders must begin building now if they want leadership that's steady, sustainable, and not built on survival.This conversation is for school owners and leaders who promoted someone hoping for relief — and instead found themselves carrying even more weight.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy early childhood promotes leaders earlier than almost any other industryThe difference between emotional labor and leadership staminaWhy warmth and likability don't equal leadership readinessHow premature promotion creates top-heavy leadership and invisible pressureWhat discernment actually looks like in school leadershipWhy mentorship and rhythms matter more than titlesHow to stop passing emotional labor from one leader to the nextKey InsightsEmotional regulation is not leadership. Adults don't grow through comfort — they grow through stamina.Titles without capacity create collapse. Promoting without scaffolding only shifts the weight.Discernment is a leadership muscle. It must be built through rhythm, mentorship, and exposure.Infrastructure protects leaders. Systems, standards, and rhythms distribute pressure instead of concentrating it.Memorable Quotes“You cannot hug an adult into accountability.”“We reward warmth without cultivating relational stamina.”“Adults don't grow through discomfort — they grow through stamina.”“Titles change, but emotional labor doesn't.”Why This Matters for School LeadersPrevents burnout caused by premature promotionsCreates leadership clarity instead of survival-based decisionsProtects owners from becoming the emotional shock absorberBuilds leadership capacity that holds under pressure

Quick SummaryLaura Sinclair shares her journey from corporate marketing to gym ownership to building a thriving online business and community for ambitious mothers. This conversation dives deep into the realities of building a business while raising children, the importance of simplifying your business model, and why you need mentors who actually understand your season of life.In This EpisodeLaura's unconventional path from corporate BMW to gym owner to online entrepreneurThe challenging reality of being a mom entrepreneur (and why you don't get it until you get it)How to simplify your business by focusing on what actually worksThe power of choosing complexity in the right season vs. protecting your energyWhy expectations create more stress than motherhood or business combinedBuilding in-person community through the This Mother Means Business conferenceSetting boundaries that support your life (like no calls before 11 AM)Key TakeawaysYou can't take business advice from people who don't understand your season of life. Childless mentors may give you strategies that are impossible to implement as a mother—seek advice from people who get it.Simplification comes from knowing what works. Track where your last 3-5 clients came from and double down on those channels instead of spreading yourself thin across everything.You can choose complexity—but only in the right season. There are times to simplify and coast, and times to intentionally add complexity for growth. Neither is wrong; it's about alignment with your life.Most stress comes from expectations, not reality. Define what being a "good mom" and "good entrepreneur" means to you, not what society dictates.Community isn't optional—it's essential. Getting out from behind your laptop to connect with other moms in business reminds you why you do what you do.Memorable Quotes"You don't know what it's like to be a mom building a business until you're a mom building a business.""I really do believe that you can have it all. You can't do it all.""Do you wanna come over to my house and do bedtime while I host those calls? Because that's not possible.""Simple was fun, and now it's complexity time. My kids are both in school. I have the time to do it."Resources MentionedWebsite: www.thismothermeansbusiness.comInstagram/Threads: @itslaurasinclalrPodcast: This Mother Means BusinessThe Big Leap by Gay HendricksGreat Callings by Brianna WiestThis Mother Means Business Conference (April 1st, Burlington)This Mother Means Business Podcast (Mondays & Thursdays)Kelsey's Website: KelseyReidl.comKelsey's Instagram: @KelseyReidlKelsey's Podcast: Rain or Shine (350+ episodes featuring Canadian entrepreneurs)About the GuestLaura Sinclair is the founder of This Mother Means Business, a community and brand dedicated to supporting ambitious mothers in entrepreneurship. After a corporate marketing career at BMW and owning a successful CrossFit gym, Laura transitioned to the online space helping business owners leverage social media. She now hosts retreats, runs a membership community, offers coaching, and produces a twice-weekly podcast for mom entrepreneurs who refuse to choose between ambition and devoted motherhood.

In this empowering episode, Dr. Anna Cabeca, The Girlfriend Doctor, sits down with internationally respected gynecologist and menopause expert Dr. Maria Sophocles to break the silence around vaginal and vulvar atrophy, hormonal shifts, and declining intimacy in midlife. They explore why pain, dryness, and loss of desire are often normalized—and how this fuels what Dr. Sophocles calls "The Bedroom Gap." You'll learn how hormones, anatomy, stress, and communication impact pleasure, plus evidence-based strategies to restore comfort, confidence, and connection at any age. Menopause is natural. Suffering is optional—and pleasure is your birthright.   ⏱️ Key Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to The Girlfriend Doctor Show 01:45 – Why sexual medicine is missing from OB-GYN training 04:20 – What The Bedroom Gap really means 07:15 – Why women's sexual pain is often normalized 10:00 – The ABCs of sexual health: Acceptance, Being present, Communication 19:25 – Hormones, dryness, pain & loss of desire in midlife 23:10 – Vulvar anatomy & early signs women shouldn't ignore 28:15 – DHEA, estrogen & testosterone for tissue health 42:30 – Practical strategies to close the bedroom gap 58:00 – Reclaiming intimacy, confidence & pleasure at any age  

This story sounds like fiction—but it's real, documented, and terrifying. ⚠️ A Chinese Communist Party member, illegally in the U.S., allegedly operated multiple clandestine biolabs—one in rural California and another less than three miles from a major U.S. Air Force base in Las Vegas. Thousands of vials labeled Ebola, COVID, and other pathogens.

Episode Description “Would you push Alan Alda in front of a bus if it meant saving Dick Van Dyke?” That's just one of the wild, thought-provoking questions that kick off this episode of The Sandy Show!

Are you waking up at 3 AM, worried that AI will take your job? Most people are either losing their jobs to AI or panicking about when it's coming. The band-aid is off. This is happening whether we like it or not. I've been geeking out on this stuff since my first Commodore VIC-20. I got AI three years ago, well before most people did. And I'm going to tell you something that might surprise you. You don't have to die in this transition. You just have to be reborn. Stick with me. You'll know exactly how to thrive. Featured Story I got my first computer when I was 18. A Commodore VIC-20 that cost me $299 when I was making $1,000 a month as a disc jockey. That's a lot of money for a machine that really couldn't do anything. But I've been geeking out on technology forever. This whole business I've started now because I knew how to get online before anybody else. I got AI three years ago, well before most people did. I've used it for so many projects. I've taught people to use it. When I get excited about it, my dog Levi literally leaves the room because he thinks I'm mad. I'm not mad. I'm passionate. Because I can see what's coming. Important Points We're moving from wage labor to capital ownership. Making money by the hour simply won't work as time goes on. Information jobs are ending fast. If you process data, push spreadsheets, or transcribe, your work will be gone soon. The last mile of AI isn't ready yet. Main Street shops aren't getting robots anytime soon. We've still got time. Memorable Quotes "You don't have to die in this AI transition. You just have to be reborn and think just a little differently." "We're transitioning from information to wisdom and experience. AI can't make decisions or tell you what to do." "People will pay you for their dreams. AI makes it easier and faster to get there, and you'll like the job better." Scott's Three-Step Approach Accept that AI is coming and there's nothing we can do to stop it. The band-aid is off. Just move forward already. Once you accept reality, transition from information work to wisdom and experience, where AI can't replicate you. Position yourself strategically in one of the four economies: attention, experience, authenticity, or meaning. Chapters 0:02 - Are you losing your job to AI? (the honest answer) 2:36 - Why people are grieving AI (and it's completely valid) 6:35 - AI won't be the thing that destroys you (this will) 10:41 - From wage labor to capital ownership (the big shift) 12:28 - Four economies where you'll thrive with AI Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember when you were 16, and anything felt possible? When your biggest concerns were finding the right job to meet cute girls and figuring out how late you could sleep on Saturday? I'm dragging you back in time today because somewhere between high school graduation and now, a lot of us lost that edge. We traded dreams for responsibilities, excitement for worry, and freedom for obligations we never questioned. But what if you could recapture some of that energy without actually being 16 again? Featured Story The Rolex 24 is roaring six miles from my studio right now. I can hear those cars screaming around the Daytona International Speedway, and it got me thinking about my first job as a teenager. I worked in the shoe department at Legate Department Store. Why shoes? Because even back then, I knew the right room to be in. I sold ladies' shoes, and I loved it. Not because I cared about footwear, but because I was surrounded by pretty girls all day. My point? When you're 16, you find ways to make things fun. You embrace possibilities. You don't overthink everything. And man, could I eat anything I wanted back then. I really miss that. Important Points When you were younger, friends were real friends who actually showed up, not just names on a screen. At 16, you dreamed about your future instead of worrying about it—excited, not freaked out by what's coming. You have 100% complete control over your freedom right now, yet you're still letting something control it. Memorable Quotes "You graduated from high school like a cannonball, and suddenly it's marriage, kids, job—what happened?" "If you were 16, you'd embrace having fun just for the fun of it, not analyzing if you deserve it." "You don't have to be 16 again, but you can recapture the dreams that got lost in the responsibilities." Scott's Three-Step Approach Think about which freedoms you had at 16 that you've unnecessarily given up as responsibilities piled on. Identify one thing you'd do differently today if you approached life with that 16-year-old energy and optimism. Make today count by standing up, taking a step, and seeing if you can make it more gooder than badder. Chapters 0:02 - Racing sounds and super happy fabulous fun Friday energy 0:52 - When you were 16 and had all the freedom in the world 2:29 - Why your childhood goals might not fit your life anymore 3:45 - Living today like you're 16: what would you do differently? 5:30 - Embracing fun for fun's sake and whooping it up 7:06 - Your job felt like prison then, does it still feel that way? 8:19 - Let's see if we can make today more gooder than badder Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday we talked about fixing what's broken. Today I'm giving you the exact three steps I use with every single client to make that happen. You already know what needs to be fixed. The problem is everything feels confusing and overwhelming when it's bouncing around in your head. But when you dump it all on the table and see it clearly, suddenly you can't hold yourself back. These three steps work because they take you from confused to clear to unstoppable. No choice about it. This is how we fix things. Featured Story Every time I work with a new client, there's something I'm going to make them do. No choice. They're going to do it my way, and it might be uncomfortable. They might not want to admit what's there, but I'm going to make them do it anyway because it's the foundation of everything that comes after. We start with a massive inventory. Imagine a big table where you toss every piece of your life puzzle. Your finances, your dreams, your relationships, all of it. The stuff that sucks usually comes first. Everything that keeps you awake at night goes on that table. We don't try to fix anything yet. We just dump it out. And then something amazing happens. Important Points Taking inventory means dumping everything on the table without editing. Every resource, obstacle, and dream revealed. You already know what needs fixing. Until you see it clearly on the table, it's not blinking bright enough yellow yet. When you see life as it is and build a strategy from there, you almost can't hold yourself back. That's pure motivation. Memorable Quotes "You already know what's wrong. Until you put it on the table, it's not blinking bright enough to say caution." "Everything confusing you right now will be laid out in front of you. It's not as bad as you thought. You can do this." "Don't go for the motivation first. Go for the fix first by getting the inventory you need and seeing life as it is." Scott's Three-Step Approach Take a massive inventory and dump every single thing in your life onto the table without editing or fixing anything. Strategize by sorting through what's there, throwing away 80%, keeping the 20% that matters, and building your roadmap. Stand up, take a step, repeat. Once you see clearly where you are, the action becomes almost automatic and unstoppable. Chapters 0:02 - The three things you need to fix anything this year 0:27 - Quick favor: tell me about the new theme song 1:38 - Step one: the massive inventory that changes everything 3:38 - Step two: strategizing and building your roadmap 5:11 - Step three: action mode (you can't hold yourself back) Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Year. Are you ready to stop waiting for permission to be yourself? I'm kicking off my 20th season with something different. Shorter shows during the week, deeper conversations on weekends. Six minutes of daily fuel Monday through Friday, then we go deep where it counts. Today, we're talking about the two things you were born with that nobody can take away—free will and your unique way of doing things. You're already using them whether you know it or not. The question is, are you doing it on purpose? Featured Story My son-in-law spends most of his time as a pharmacist. Good living helps people and does important work. But ask him what he does when he's doing him? Fishing and hunting. That's it. Most of us live in that gap. We spend our days doing what needs to be done, but when nobody's telling us what to do, when we're on our own to fill our own time, we become somebody different. Someone more real. I see it in my coaching work all the time. Successful business people, high-end professionals, and entrepreneurs running the show. They're crushing it by everyone else's standards. But they come to me because they're not doing it their way. Important Points You already have free will, and you're using it right now, even if you think someone else is calling the shots. When I do things somebody else's way in my writing, speaking, or coaching work, that's when I become ineffective. Ask yourself what you do when you're doing you, and something tangible will come to mind that you've been ignoring. Memorable Quotes "You're going to do every single thing in your life your way anyway. Accept that and start doing it on purpose." "When I get in trouble with my work, it's when I do it somebody else's way. That's when I'm not effective at all." "The whole world's waiting for you to show up as yourself. Nobody's judging you. They're waiting for the real you." Scott's Three-Step Approach Ask yourself what you do when you're doing you, when nobody's telling you what to do, and you're on your own time. Pay attention to what comes to mind immediately, because that's your true self trying hard to get your attention. Give yourself permission to bring more of that authentic self into everything you do, starting right now. Chapters 0:04 - Happy New Year, and the Monday excuse we all use 0:57 - Why I'm making shows shorter (and going deeper) 1:58 - What would happen if you dared to be your true self 3:11 - Free will and the choice you're making right now 4:26 - What do you do when you're being authentically you? 5:52 - Nobody's judging you (they're waiting for you) Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to be happier in 2026? Most of us are chasing happiness whether we admit it or not. I'm breaking down the stoic approach to living a genuinely happy life. These aren't soft motivational ideas. They're practical rules that cut through the noise and get you focused on what actually matters. From managing your emotions like a badge of honor to finding your real purpose, I'm sharing the ancient wisdom that still works today. You'll learn why life isn't too short, how to stop pretending you know what's good or bad, and why being tied to the back of a cart isn't such a terrible thing. Featured Story I'm sitting here telling my wife about this band we love called Hayfire playing New Year's Eve down at North Turn on the beach. She looks at me and asks what time. I say New Year's Eve. She asks again. What time? New Year's Eve, I repeat. She says it again. What time? Midnight, I finally say. Twelve o'clock. And she looks at me like I'm crazy. They could be playing midday, she says. People go out in the middle of the day. She's right, of course. But man, I almost got myself in trouble there. Sometimes the simplest conversations remind you that happiness is in how you handle the little moments. Even the ones where you're clearly not reading the room. Important Points Don't enslave yourself to annoying people or situations. If something's draining your energy, move on from it. Choose reasonable expectations and think them through beforehand. Know what's coming so you're never surprised. Feel your emotions like a Stoic would. They're your power when you control them instead of letting them control you. Memorable Quotes "You are a mind operating in a bag of chemicals that you call a body. Stop pretending you know things are bad." "Life is not too short. Life is very long. It's long enough if you manage your time and use it to your best ability." "We are all dogs tied to the back of a really big cart. You can control your attitude about everything that's going on." Scott's Three-Step Approach Stop pretending you know if things are good or bad. Most of the time, you're just talking to yourself about it anyway. Once you stop judging, find what you're interested in and follow those breadcrumbs to discover your real purpose. After finding your purpose, control what you can control. Focus on your attitude and response to everything happening. Chapters 0:03 - The universal goal we all share (but don't admit) 0:43 - My New Year's Eve band mistake with my wife 1:03 - Ancient stoic wisdom for modern happiness 3:08 - Stop pretending you know what's good or bad 4:31 - Why I get angry and still control my emotions Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holidays slow everything down, don't they? But next year's coming fast. I'm sharing the simple rule I use every single day with my clients. It's the one that cuts through the chaos and gets you focused on what actually moves your life forward. You've got goals and dreams. The world's going to try sucking the motivation right out of you. Time to figure out what works for you, what doesn't, and just do that. Simple as that. Featured Story My daughter called me out last night. Said my voice sounded raspy from too many holiday parties. Then she offered to teach me to sing. Me. The guy who won't even touch karaoke. Next thing I know, she's buying me a vocal training program and planning to come over. I've always had this weird goal to learn, but I've never been willing. Now I'm probably doing it because sometimes the craziest goals are the ones worth going after. This whole thing sparked a question on my coaching call today that blew everyone's mind. Nobody had an answer. That question tomorrow might do the same for you. Important Points Motivation feels like injecting dopamine, but it doesn't last when chaos rules your life. Transformation only comes after stability—your nervous system can't handle change when you're scattered. Your regrets reveal your real values—track what you wish you hadn't done to find what matters most. Memorable Quotes "You can't have transformation without stability." "This works, that doesn't, do this." "What you really want to do in your life usually shows up in your regrets, in the things you wish you hadn't done." Scott's Three-Step Approach Notice what actually works for you and take responsibility for doing more of it. Write down your biggest distractions and build discipline to eliminate them completely. Use your regrets as a map—inverse them to discover your real values and priorities. Chapter Notes 0:28 - Holiday motivation and the year ahead 1:09 - Raspy voice reveals holiday parties and singing dreams 2:30 - Fisher Passion Inner Circle coaching insights 3:59 - Figure-it-out-itis and the motivation trap 6:18 - The "This works, that doesn't" system explained 7:20 - Phone discipline and deep work transformation 8:44 - How regrets reveal what you really want Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: @heyscottsmith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever ask someone to hold you accountable, only to get annoyed when they actually do it? Yeah, I've seen that pattern destroy more goals than I can count. And that whole "announce your goals publicly" advice? That might be setting you up for failure. Because accountability isn't about crowdsourcing support from people who barely know you. It's about something way more powerful. I share why the best accountability partner you'll ever have is staring back at you in the mirror, plus the one type of accountability relationship that actually works. If you've been spinning your wheels with accountability buddies who let you off the hook, this episode changes everything. Featured Story I was talking to these ladies about their walking buddy system. Six o'clock every morning, they'd get each other out of bed. Great plan, right? I asked them what happens when the walking buddy doesn't show up. Maybe overslept. Maybe their kid's sick. Doesn't matter why. Most people? They'll sit down with coffee and a donut instead of walking solo. But the ones who say "I'm doing this whether you show up or not" — they'll be miles ahead. They become the boss of themselves. They stop depending on someone else to make them move. That's when accountability actually works. Important Points Crowdsourcing accountability on Facebook or to casual acquaintances puts pressure on everyone and rarely works for long-term goals. The most powerful accountability skill you have is taking responsibility for yourself and showing up whether your accountability partner does or not. Real accountability partnerships work when they're based on respect and sincere connection, and you empower that person to actually do their job. Memorable Quotes "You're the boss of you. You can tell yourself what to do. You can tell yourself not to do it." "Nobody trusts you and respects you more than you do. Nobody will be willing to call you out more than you will." "Life is difficult. Life gets in the way. Life is not easy. And if it is easy today, it won't be easy tomorrow or maybe next month or maybe next year." Scott's Three-Step Approach Accept you're the boss of yourself. Stop waiting for someone else to make you do what you already know needs doing. Choose accountability partners wisely. Find people who know you well, respect you, and will call you out when you're making excuses. Empower them to do their job. Give them permission to hold you accountable without beating them up when they do. Chapter Notes 00:00 - Why public goal announcements backfire on you 03:15 - The Facebook accountability trap that sabotages progress 06:30 - My client's brilliant insight about firing coaches 09:45 - The walking buddy test that reveals everything 12:20 - Why you're the only accountability partner you need 15:10 - How to build accountability relationships that work 17:30 - Being the boss of you in the messy middle Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: @heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices