Podcasts about New Year

Hello again and welcome to Léo's Insights for the 2026-27 Academic Year. Most of you watching or reading this are enrolled with Education Unlimited Academy, as you are intent on educating your children at home and you are particularly interested in the unschooling approach we represent. Some of you may simply be interested in what I have to say regarding education in general; you may not be living in Alberta or Canada, or even be home educating at all. Some of you may be enrolled for home education with other agencies and you may be looking for information you're not finding there. You may even be a competitor looking for new ideas you can incorporate within your agency. Regardless of the reason anyone may have for following my vlogs, I have but one objective in creating and providing this service: I desire to see as many people as possible freed from unquestioned, school-based approaches to education and come to the knowledge of the truth regarding the education of children as they grow to adulthood. As a firm believer in and proselytizer of unschooling, I really want to help separate you from status quo educational thinking, both in word and in deed. My reasons for doing so are straightforward: I believe God gave children to parents who are to provide a loving environment in which to raise and educate their children; I believe each child's uniqueness demands an individual approach to training and learning; I believe parents are uniquely qualified to meet their children's individual needs; plus I am a freedom fighter. I come from an understanding that God makes no mistakes and that while we do live in a world of woes, He is still in control, has each child's best interests at heart and has given parents what they need to do the job He requires of them. I have come to understand that the foundation for truly educating our children is to have faith in God and His inerrant ways and directives. While imperfect parents cannot be expected to do a perfect job, putting our faith in the perfect God will direct us to do what is best for each of our children. No school can do this. Finally, I want to mention that this is my thirteenth year of blogging. I have nearly 550 videos on our YouTube channel, 350 of which are blogs covering most every question you may have regarding education. All of this material is based on my fifty-plus years of experience in the education industry, particularly in the field of home education. May your unschooling journey be blessed by this year's vlogs. https://eu-wp-media.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2026/09/Leo-26b-1.mp3

Gathering near the Ohel ahead of the first Selichos, this farbrengen cuts through the traditional heaviness of Elul with a refreshing, empowering Chassidic truth: the path into the New Year is paved not with dread and rebuke, but with radical unity and clarity of purpose. Drawing from classic Chassidic stories—from Reb Shmuel Munkes confronting a fire-and-brimstone preacher to the Alter Rebbe's piercing reminder to focus on what we are needed for—this gathering reframes the entire High Holiday season. Discover why our ultimate judgment depends on embracing every single Jew without condition, how standing near the Rebbe's Ohel turns us from passive seekers of blessings into active emissaries of miracles, and why true joy (simcha) comes from stripping away self-importance to simply show up and do the unique job Hashem created you to do.

  Chris Boick had the LinkedIn profile. The agency. The truck paid off. The house. The whole damn thing looked like a masterclass in the American Dream. Katie Boick had the condo, the career, the youth group background, and a vision of a white picket fence that felt like a promise. They found each other in their twenties, two people who thought they had the script memorized. Then 2020 hit. The world caught fire. Katie lost her job in March. Chris lost his in October. The wedding they'd planned for New Year's Eve became another weight on a foundation already cracking. And Chris — the guy who only knew how to be the provider, the fixer, the knight in the shining armor he'd read about in storybooks — didn't just bend. He shattered. The addiction he'd been outrunning since childhood, rooted in trauma nobody saw, came for him hard. Katie did what women like her do. She became the keeper of secrets. The manager of chaos. The one who holds it all together while disappearing inside herself. She moved them into her parents' garage apartment. She applied for unemployment. She networked. She tried to love him back to life while he was busy dying. The gray area isn't a metaphor. It's the hospital room where Chris stopped breathing on dialysis, unconscious, and Katie prayed in the machine noise: *Okay. I'm staying. Even with the trust shattered. Even with the terror. I'm staying.* It's the seventh day of rehab when Chris finally called, expecting *I wish you well*, and got unconditional love instead. He still gets goosebumps talking about it. So does she. The lines they were told to color inside — the perfect recovery narrative (rehab, steps, done), the traditional marriage roles (he provides, she nurtures), the image management that kept everyone fooled — they burned every one of them. What cracked the door open? For Katie, ketamine therapy. Six sessions. Four of them talking to God in a field, plucking petals off forgiveness like they were weeds. For Chris, faith. Not the inherited kind. Not the Easter-and-Christmas-Eve kind. The kind you find when everything else is stripped away and you're left with the undeniable truth of who you are. They wrote a book about it. *Coloring Outside the Lines*. It's not a recovery manual. It's a love story set in the wreckage. And if you've ever loved someone through hell — or been the one dragging them through it — this conversation is the mirror you didn't know you needed. Key Takeaways ·         The 'perfect life' exterior often masks a private war — Chris's successful entrepreneur identity became a cage he couldn't escape when the provider role collapsed. ·         Real recovery doesn't follow a straight line; the Boicks lived in the 'gray area' of relapses, broken trust, and daily recommitment long before anything looked like success. ·         Unconditional love isn't a feeling — it's a decision made in hospital silence, on day seven of rehab, when every reason to leave exists and you stay anyway. ·         Different doors open for different people: Katie found forgiveness through ketamine-assisted conversations with God; Chris found himself again through faith stripped of performance. ·         The 'knight in shining armor' script destroys men — Chris had to learn his wife didn't need saving, she needed a partner willing to walk beside her in the dark. https://www.lovethroughthegray.com/

IBLT 335: New Year, New LeagueIntro RantsWeek 1 PicksLink: https://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/pickemGroup ID: 17382PWD: IBLKT2026!Football TalkTwitter: @IBLTPodcastE-mail: IBLTPodcast@gmail.comInstagram: ibltpodcastYoutube: it be like that podcastTwitch: twitch.tv/ibltpodcastFind Us-Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Blubrry, Facebook, Google PlayPatrick:Twitter: @bigsolo64YouTube: solis64Twitch: Solis_64TikTok: Solis_64Brian:Twitter: @T_T_PodcastYouTube: @toolbert / @terribleterrorpodcastTwitch: twitch.tv/terribbleterrorsAI Music: https://suno.com/@terribleterrorsAlbums: Rhapsody of the Replicants / The Weight of FameTerrible Terror Podcast: Remo Williams: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

As summer wraps up and back-to-school season kicks off, many of us view Labor Day as a "second New Year"—a natural moment to reassess goals, reset daily habits, and pivot toward what's next. But when life moves fast, how do you make meaningful health and career changes that actually stick? On the FOX News Rundown: Extra, Host Dana Perino speaks with author, performance strategist, and former Peloton instructor Ross Rayburn. Ross shares how to lower the stakes on overwhelming resolutions, leverage the science of breathwork to manage high-stress moments, and build the courage needed to navigate major career pivots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There comes a moment when getting clear on the life you really want makes everything that doesn't align with it a whole lot easier to discern. In today's episode, I'm sharing what's coming into focus as I enter my personal new year. Everything from getting radically clear on the vision and letting go of everything that doesn't serve it, to softening with myself and listening more deeply to what my innermost world has been trying to say. We're also talking about artistry, integrity, and the courage it takes to share your work with the world. I can't wait for you to listen.   Links Mentioned:  Book a Breakthrough Call: amberlilyestrom.com/breakthrough Take The Personal Money Codes Quiz: amberlilyestrom.com/moneyquiz Subscribe over on Substack Join my signature biz building program Homeward   Tag me in your big shifts + takeaways: @amberlilyestrom Did you hear something you loved here today?! Leave a Review + Subscribe via iTunes 

A Realistic Fall Plan for MomsIf your fall routine already feels impossible three weeks in, you're not failing, you built the wrong kind of routine for this season. In this episode, Alisha Carlson breaks down why September functions like a second New Year's in our culture, all momentum and zero sustainability, and why that setup is designed to make you quit, not a personal flaw on your part.Alisha walks through a simple two-step approach: auditing your macro calendar for the next 10-12 weeks (practices, small groups, work travel, the non-negotiables) and picking one true priority to focus on for the season, whether that's nutrition, movement, sleep, or stress. If you're a busy mom who craved routine all summer and is now drowning in everyone else's schedule, this episode is for you.WHAT YOU'LL LEARNWhy treating fall like a fresh start (a second New Year's) sets you up to quit by OctoberHow to run a macro calendar audit for the next 10-12 weeks, before you touch anything elseWhy you can probably only sustain one true priority at a time, and how to choose itHow to avoid the all-or-nothing mindset using a good, better, best frameworkHow to schedule your one priority first, instead of squeezing it into whatever's leftHow to plan for the holiday season shift now, so momentum doesn't reset in DecemberTHIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF...You spent the summer looking forward to "getting back to routine" and fall hit harder than expectedYou're already tempted to overhaul your nutrition, workouts, and sleep all at once, starting MondayYou've quit by week three before and are tired of that being the patternYou want a realistic, sustainable approach instead of another all-or-nothing resetYou're a busy mom, mompreneur, or working woman juggling fall sports and activity schedulesTwo ways to work with me right now. If you're just getting started and want a low barrier entry point, the Fit and Fueled Foundation is a $27 micro course at the link in the show notes. If you're ready for real hands on support and want someone in your corner, book a free 1:1 consult and let's talk about coaching. Both links are here: https://thestrongherway.com/work-with-us

On Yom Kippur, we lovingly honor our parents' memories during Yizkor—so why does the climax of the confession force us to stand up and blame them for our sins? On Yom Kippur, we strike our own chests—but confess the sins of people who are no longer alive. אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ חָטָאנוּ "But we and our parents have sinned." Why bring our mothers and fathers into our confession? Are we blaming them, asking forgiveness on their behalf—or admitting that their unfinished business lives on in us? In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore one of the most provocative lines in the Selichot and Yom Kippur liturgy. Far from being a passing phrase, it is a climax of the confession: when the prayer leader reaches "But we have sinned," everyone must stand—bowed and without leaning for support. The wording itself is disputed. Some traditions say simply, "But we have sinned." Others insist upon, "But we and our fathers have sinned." The Sephardic liturgy widens the circle further: "We, our fathers, and the members of our household." And the question becomes even sharper when we compare confession with Yizkor. On Yom Kippur, we lovingly recall the virtues of our parents during Yizkor—but repeatedly include their sins in our confession. Is that a violation of honoring our parents, or a more profound form of connection—one that embraces their humanity as well as their virtues? This week's Parsha, Nitzavim-Vayeilech, provides the grammar for this intergenerational "we." Moses gathers the entire people into the covenant: leaders and laborers, parents and children, "those who are standing here with us today and those who are not here with us today." The covenant reaches forward to unborn generations; confession reaches backward to those who came before us. Past, present, and future stand together in one moment. The idea is deeply biblical: "We have sinned with our ancestors" — Psalms "Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers" — Daniel "We and our ancestors have sinned" — Jeremiah "Our ancestors sinned and are no more, and we bear their iniquities" — Lamentations "They shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their ancestors" — Leviticus Judaism rejects original sin, so what exactly do we inherit? The Or HaChaim suggests that we inherit not only behavior but its rationalizations. When earlier generations appeared to prosper despite their choices, their success became evidence that those choices were acceptable. True repentance therefore requires reassessing an entire historical trajectory—not simply regretting an isolated personal act. The Chatam Sofer turns inherited memory into heightened responsibility. Our ancestors experienced history without knowing its outcome; we stand on their shoulders and can see the pattern. If we fail to learn from their experience, perhaps we should know better. Rav Shagar focuses on the word "we." What allows one person to confess with others? His answer is trust: the recognition that another person, in freedom and sincerity, shares my faith, my searching, and my struggle. He compares collective prayer to communal singing. The result is not merely many voices sounding simultaneously, but distinct voices merging into something no individual can create alone. Finally, the Bat Ayin reads avoteinu—"our fathers"—as an allusion to the alef-bet, the building blocks of language. The alphabetic confession repairs our damaged letters; and because language shapes thought, it may also repair the way we think. Perhaps saying "we and our parents have sinned" is not about condemning the past. It is about recognizing the inherited patterns, assumptions, wounds, and possibilities that continue to live within us—and finding the solidarity to repair them together. So here's our question: When you say, "But we—all of us, including our mothers and fathers—have sinned," do you think about your parents differently than you do during Yizkor? How does acknowledging their imperfections change the way you feel about them—and about yourself as their child? Join us for Forgive Me, for We Have Sinned. Key Takeaways The Past Lives Within Us - We do not inherit our ancestors' guilt simply because we are their descendants. But we do inherit their patterns, assumptions, wounds, and unfinished business. Confessing that "we and our parents have sinned" asks us to recognize where their choices continue to shape our own." Inherited Memory Creates Responsibility - Knowing our ancestors' story should help us see what they could not. We stand on their shoulders, with the benefit of their experience and its consequences. The past therefore offers more than an excuse for our failures; it imposes a responsibility to learn, interrupt destructive patterns, and choose differently." No One Repents Alone - The word "we" transforms confession from a private admission into an act of trust and solidarity. Like voices merging in communal song, individuals remain distinct while creating something larger together. By confessing collectively, we find the language—and the strength—to confront ourselves personally." Timestamps [00:00] Why Confess Ancestors [02:19] Selichot Climax Explained [03:53] Honouring Parents Questioned [06:57] Standing for Viddui [08:47] Different Nusach Traditions [13:16] Nitzavim Covenant Across Time [16:07] Sponsor Break [17:13] Biblical Roots of "We Sinned" [19:56] Do We Inherit Guilt? [21:53] Ohr HaChaim on Patterns [24:30] Nehemiah Public Confession [26:12] Rav Shagar on Saying "We" [30:04] Hasidic Aleph Bet Reading [31:35] Takeaways and New Year [33:02] Closing Question to Viewers Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/745725 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/  

learn all about Sikh New Year

This one is all about the last four months of the year, and why we do not have to wait for January to start creating change.Today's episode is a solo one, and I've done my journaling, my research and a whole lot of thinking to bring you five powerful ways to change your life before the year is done. September is here, summer is coming, Christmas is on the way, and I want us to use this next stretch of the year so that when we sit down with our journals between Christmas and New Year, we are so proud of how far we've come.I get really honest about where I'm at with all of this myself, including the FitSpo couple training mornings Luke and I have just started (completely out of my comfort zone), and the Australia-wide tour I wrote down as a goal for six years before I finally did it this year.In this episode, I talk about:~ Why the last few months of the year matter just as much as January 1st ~ The five powerful ways to change your life before the year is done. (They aren't your usual, get up earlier, make your bed etc. We get deeper & more woo-woo than this! ~ The story of the impulse that became Pass Around the Smile, and why I almost didn't listen to it ~ The reticular activating system (RAS) and how to prove to your brain that the life you want is already yours ~ My slightly unhinged driveway manifestation ritual (you'll understand when you hear it) ~ Why you don't need to fake positivity, you just need to stop repeating the old story ~ Three tasks to take with you this week: notice the signs, leave space to be surprised, and make one decision your future self would thank you forThank you to Brittany from With Purpose Fitness and Confidence Coaching for sponsoring this episode!You can find her links below.Visit With Purpose Fitness and Confidence Coaching website here! Visit Brittany's Instagram here! Grab your tickets to the With Purpose x Pass Around the Smile event here!Cleo's links below ⁠Visit Pass Around the Smile here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join my Facebook community group here!⁠⁠⁠Find me on Instagram⁠⁠⁠@passaroundthesmile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cleomassey⁠⁠⁠Find me on Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠@cleomassey_⁠⁠⁠The Pass Around the Smile podcast is recorded on Bundjalung Country, in South East Queensland, Australia. We acknowledge the Yugambeh people of the Bundjalung Nation, the traditional owners of this land. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

We're hanging out with the Ghost Brothers one more time, and this week the dice have sent us to the historic Fitzpatrick Hotel in Washington, Georgia.Built in the late 1800s, the Fitzpatrick comes with exactly the sort of history we like around here: old rooms, strange happenings, a cemetery underneath the building because apparently moving the headstones was good enough, and at least one extremely messy story involving a man, his wife, his mistress, and a New Year's Eve ball.Which, as Megan helpfully points out, was held in the ballroom.Where balls typically are held.The Ghost Brothers check into the hotel for the night and investigate reports of mysterious footsteps, lights turning themselves on, a little girl roaming the halls, and spirits who may still be hanging around more than a century later. Meanwhile, we discuss creepy paintings, Bloody Mary, suspicious EVPs, very tight pants, and the important paranormal-investigation rule: don't do that when you're drunk.There's also a moment when everyone blames producer Steve for something decidedly ghosty, prompting a well-deserved “Damn it, Steve.” Except...it might not actually have been Steve.And after all the investigating, evidence reviewing, and attempts to figure out exactly who is haunting the Fitzpatrick, Amy delivers perhaps the perfect summary of paranormal television:“That was a lot of not really.”We love the Ghost Brothers, though. Even when the evidence is questionable, these guys are ridiculously fun to watch.So grab your cinnemon sticks and join us where The Activity Continues.Content Warning:We didn't find anything we thought might deserve a warning, except that we use colorful language.Chapter Markers27:06 Welcome02:43 Call for Stories05:56 Rolling for Episode08:09 Begin GB Episode43:42 End GB Episode - Wrap upThis episode was recorded on August 20, 2026, and released on September 3, 2026.Disclaimer:The Activity Continues is not affiliated with Warner Bros., Max, Travel Channel, Painless Productions, or any of the shows we talk about. We are simply fans who like to watch and comment on paranormal shows for entertainment and community-building purposes. We are not investigators, mediums, or paranormal professionals, and we do not accept or investigate case submissions.If you are seeking assistance for activity in your home or business, we recommend researching reputable investigators or professionals in your local area. Some people choose to begin by asking for recommendations at local metaphysical shops or spiritual community centers.Credits:Hosted by: Amy Lotsberg and Megan SimmonsProduction, Artwork, and Editing: Amy Lotsberg at Collected Sounds Media, LLC. https://www.collectedsounds.com/Theme song. “Ghost Story” and segment music by Melissa WestAffiliates/SponsorsPlease see our Store page for all the links for all our current affiliates. https://www.theactivitycontinues.com/store/Engage!Our website, https://www.theactivitycontinues.com/ Leave us a Voicemail: https://www.theactivitycontinues.com/voicemail/ (might be read on the show)Newsletter sign-up: https://www.theactivitycontinues.com/newsletterJoin us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theactivitycontinues Thank you for listening, take care of yourselves. We'll see you next time!If you want to hear us early and ad-free EVERY week, become a Patron. Join us in the Haunted Lounge and get bonus exclusive episodes! https://www.patreon.com/theactivitycontinuesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In Episode 174 of the 4OURPLAY Swinger Podcast, Bella and Jase share a storytime from a memorable New Year's weekend with amazing friends! Make sure to listen along to hear all the details from a spicy night!Mentioned in this episode:Jase's obsession of the week: Sienna SpiroBella's obsession of the week: Voicemails To IsabelleBella's obsession of the week: Love Trapped PodcastBella's obsession of the week: Betrayal PodcastWhere else to find us:Website: http://4OURPLAY.com/4OURPLAY The Game: http://4ourplay.com/gamesBook your next vacation with us: 4ourplay.com/travelSubscribe to our Youtube!Our Video PodcastShop our swingers merch : http://4ourplay.com/shopE-mail: 4ourplaypodcast@gmail.comAsk us a question: http://4ourplay.com/askOur Lifestyle Recommendations (Amazon)Join Our Discord Server!: 4OURPLAY Swinging CommunityJoin Our Facebook Group!: 4OURPLAY CommunityTwitter: http://twitter.com/4ourplaypodcastInstagram: http://instagram.com/4ourplay.officialTikTok: Find our current TikTok hereBella's Instagram: http://instagram.com/heybellalunaJase's Instagram: http://instagram.com/heyjasebBella's VIP OnlyFans: http://onlyfans.com/bellalunavipBella's Free OnlyFans: http://onlyfans.com/bellalunafreeSign up for OnlyFans!Get SDC Full Membership for 30 days FREEGet Kasidie Full Membership for 30 days FREE*Some links may contain affiliate links!

Anika sat down with Holland Martini and Maria Vorovich to explore how Good Ques transformed the traditionally rigid world of market research by embracing creativity, humor, and psychological safety. The conversation revealed a counterintuitive truth: to get to real human insights, you cannot ask robotic questions; you have to shift the perspective and design an experience that makes people comfortable telling the absolute truth. Holland and Maria's unique journey—from working side by side at Grey in New York and navigating the unexpected hurdles of launching a business right before a global pandemic to earning recognition from Inc. Magazine and working with giants like P&G, PepsiCo, Adobe, TikTok, and Meta—offered a practical look at how two co-founders with contrasting working styles ("waffle brain" and "spaghetti brain") built an anti-research research company on mutual respect, clear communication, and purposeful creativity. In This Episode The Waffle and the Spaghetti: How balancing statistical rigor with big-picture creative strategy builds an indestructible co-founder partnership. The Spark in the Cream: Turning a New Year's Eve conversation about stale corporate jargon into a mission to reinvent consumer insights. Surviving the Pivot: How an early client backing out right before COVID unexpectedly forced them into the research boom. The TikTok Validation: Landing early major enterprise accounts by showing up with a genuinely different point of view. Rewiring the Factory: Why using AI to innovate the ultimate output rather than just speeding up the assembly line matters. The Power of Memes in Healthcare: How a viral internet joke helped a healthcare client accurately double their anticipated market size. The Empathy Deficit: Why modern brands get lost in best-practice perfection and forget to design human experiences for respondents. Co-Founder Dynamics: The importance of clear role separation, shared values, and leaving ego at the door. Timestamps 00:00 Intro: The anti-research research company 02:05 Waffle brain vs. spaghetti brain 03:54 The origin story at Grey 06:20 Taking off corporate guardrails 09:30 Carving a distinct agency path 11:42 Good Ques: Asking better questions 13:35 The 2020 pandemic pivot and TikTok 15:58 AI integration and industry innovation 20:53 Pitching enterprise clients 23:55 Creative research tweaks 25:10 The condom meme case study 29:26 Comfort with creative boundaries 31:32 Co-founder rules and motherhood 37:35 Remote culture and global teams 43:07 The respondent experience 46:26 What's next for Good Ques 47:24 Advice for new founders 49:32 Favorite quotes and business mantras Key Insights & Takeaways Insight 1: Invisibility Isn't a Content Problem—It's a Strategy Problem Traditional market research is bogged down by rigid, robotic phrasing that invites equally robotic, surface-level responses. When researchers focus entirely on extraction rather than the respondent's experience, they miss the underlying truth. Asking better questions requires designing an environment of psychological safety where people feel comfortable revealing their real behaviors. Insight 2: Creativity Belongs in Methodology, Not Just Execution Many corporate brands assume creativity only applies to advertising copy or visual design. True innovation happens when creativity is applied to the research methodology itself—using tools like creative drawing, changing the frame of reference to bypass social desirability bias, or even incorporating internet culture like memes to capture authentic consumer sentiment. Insight 3: AI Should Innovate the Output, Not Just the Assembly Line While many companies use generative AI simply to streamline traditional processes and speed up data collection, true market leaders use it to reimagine the final product. Technology should be leveraged to push beyond industry averages and discover entirely new frontiers of understanding rather than just producing faster mediocrity. Insight 4: Counterbalance Is the Anchor of a Strong Co-Founder Partnership A successful co-founder relationship relies on having complementary skill sets rather than duplicate visions. Pairing a structured, analytical mindset with a fluid, big-picture creative approach creates a resilient leadership team, provided there is absolute clarity in roles, deep mutual respect, and zero ego. Insight 5: Embrace Discomfort as a Metric for Growth Building a disruptive company requires a constant willingness to step outside the boundaries of convention. Whether it is pitching unconventional methodologies to skeptical executives, riding a bicycle across a bridge in freezing weather during a crisis, or pivoting business models overnight, treating discomfort as a sign of progress is essential for long-term survival. Resources & Links Mentioned GoodQues.com Good Ques LinkedIn Columbia University (guest lecturing) About Holland Martini & Maria Vorovich Holland Martini and Maria Vorovich are the co-founders of Good Ques, widely known as the anti-research research company. Having met while working in strategy and data at Grey New York, they bonded over a shared frustration with stale industry jargon and rigid methodologies. Together, they built an award-winning agency recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., delivering breakthrough consumer insights for global brands like Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Adobe, TikTok, and Meta. Holland serves as Chief Insights Officer, bringing statistical rigor and data precision, while Maria serves as Chief Strategy Officer, driving creative vision and disruptive positioning. Connect with Holland & Maria Website: https://www.goodques.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/goodques YBA was named the top PR podcast in the US by FeedSpot! Feedspot is an RSS Reader that lets you follow your favorite podcasts alongside blogs and news in one place. Like the show? Leave us a rating or review: https://lovethepodcast.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857 Send us a Message: https://podcastfeedback.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857 Check out our Website: https://www.yourbrandamplified.com Speak to my Delphi Clone: https://www.delphi.ai/amplifywithanika Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

School is back in session. This is the first year that students across Vermont are banned from bringing cell phones. Today on Vermont Edition: the reasoning behind the cell phone ban, and what it's like on the ground, trying to enforce it. We'll talk with the principal of Rutland High School and the Dean of Students at Sharon Academy. This episode of Vermont Edition also includes a conversation with Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry. With summer in full swing, Jordan shares her favorite fair food, and current restaurant opening and closings. Broadcast live on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman explore some of the profound themes of the Torah portions of Nitzavim-Vayelech, as the final Shabbat of the year leads us toward Rosh Hashanah. Moshe renews the covenant with Israel one last time, emphasizing personal and collective responsibility, the mystery of “the hidden things belong to Hashem,” the promise and accessibility of teshuvah, and the revolutionary declaration that “the Torah is not in Heaven.” Above all, these portions challenge us to recognize the gift of free choice: to stand honestly before Hashem, choose life, and then move forward into the New Year with courage, faith, and renewed purpose. Don't miss Rabbi Richman's shofar blowing!

“MK Confidential” returns right in the thick of a new case: New Year's Eve, 2002. A young mother gets a phone call from her new boyfriend, who's celebrating at the Eiffel Tower, on the other side of the world. She knows he is not in Paris, his very pregnant wife is missing, and the man at the end of the line is the chief suspect. Her name is Amber Frey, and she is recording his every word. Megyn Kelly traces Scott and Amber's relationship to November 2022, when Scott charms a colleague at a work conference, and is set up on a blind date. Scott tells Amber he is single, and soon charms her, as well. Four weeks later, Laci Peterson vanishes. Within a week, Amber learns the truth about Scott, and goes to the police. Amber agrees to record her phone calls with Scott, pretending to believe his stories about world travel as he calls her from the vigil for his missing wife. The conversations become invaluable as the days tick by, and Laci's trail grows cold. By the time Laci's body washes up on the shore of the San Francisco Bay, Scott Peterson has spent hours speaking into a microphone, as though nothing was wrong in his world. This is Episode 1 of the Laci Peterson story. Home Title Lock: Go to https://hometitlelock.com/megyn and use promo code MEGYN to get a FREE title history report and a FREE TRIAL of their Triple Lock Protection. Lean: Discover why LEAN is becoming the choice for real weight‑loss results—shop now at https://TAKELEAN.com use code KELLY Follow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MegynKelly Twitter: https://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShow Instagram: https://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShow Facebook: https://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShow 
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The conversation covers the evolution of the Waxing Podcast, updates on transition to solo episodes and a new format, shift in podcast content and prioritizing value, and the introduction of a recurring guest and After Hours segment.More on Enso:⁠⁠https://ensowax.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ensowax/⁠⁠Join our community page: https://discord.gg/mbCUTRZfZmFollow me on Instagram

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Seizures After Stroke Symptoms: What Letitia Hritz Wants Every Survivor to Know It was New Year’s Day, and Letitia Hritz almost didn’t go. Her husband Jonathan wanted to hit a sale at their local mall, and she’d rather have stayed home. She went anyway, with gift certificates from Christmas, a Chinese buffet for lunch, their seven-year-old daughter in tow. They’d barely sat down at the restaurant when it started: tunnel vision, a sudden inability to speak, the desperate, wordless search for the nearest chair. “I remember sitting there,” Letitia says, “and I think I said I feel like I’m going to pass out. And that honestly was the last thing I remember.” She was 34. The emergency room staff, seeing a young woman collapse on New Year’s Day, assumed the obvious: too much celebrating the night before. It took nearly three hours, and a doctor asking her to roll over and noticing her face had dropped, before anyone called a stroke alert. By then Jonathan had already caught her as she went limp in his arms, already flagged down an off-duty paramedic eating lunch nearby, already made the drive to the ER with their daughter beside him, not yet knowing the word for what was happening to his wife. The Diagnosis No One Expected Letitia’s stroke was ischemic, centered in the left thalamus a similar injury to other survivors Bill has spoken with (recoveryafterstroke.com/thalamic-ischemic-stroke-survivor-story/), and one that comes with its own particular set of challenges around sensation, fatigue, and cognition. The cause, once doctors went looking, turned out to be a PFO, a small hole in her heart that had let a clot travel straight to her brain. It’s a cause other guests on this show have lived through too (recoveryafterstroke.com/pfo-and-stroke-recovery-yvette-adams/), and like many of them, Letitia had no idea it was there until the stroke forced the question. What followed was the version of recovery most people never hear about: inpatient rehab, then six months of outpatient therapy, a wheelchair, then a walker, then a cane she still carries today. And then, just as she seemed to be finding her footing, something stranger: a full return of her stroke symptoms, triggered by an unrelated illness, so sudden and so complete that even a family who’d spent two decades around the “stroke world” had never heard the word for it: recrudescence. “I’m glad you’ve never heard of that,” Jonathan told Bill, “because I know you’ve been doing this a long time… and we had never heard of it either.” Seizures After Stroke Symptoms: What Letitia Actually Experiences This year, a new chapter began, one this episode was built around. Letitia started having seizures. Not occasionally: close to 200 of them since January, sometimes several in a single day. What makes seizures after stroke symptoms so hard to manage isn’t just the seizures themselves, but how unpredictable the warning signs can be. “I try very hard to pay attention to how I’m feeling,” Letitia says, “but there are some days where I don’t feel well, and it’s very hard to differentiate those two feelings.” Some seizures come with a warning she’s learned to read. Others don’t; they simply arrive, and the world goes dark for a minute or three. The seizures have taken her driving privileges and, with them, a piece of her independence. They’ve also reshaped her household in a quietly heartbreaking way: her ten-year-old daughter now knows to guide her mother to the floor, pull out an iPad, and start a timer. “I hate it,” Letitia says. “I just hate it.” It’s a small, devastating image of what recovery actually asks of a family: not a single crisis to survive, but a new baseline everyone has to learn to live inside. A House That Was Never Built for This Long before the seizures, the Hritz family was already learning how much a body’s needs can outpace a home’s design. Their two-story house has eight steps from the driveway to the front door, fifteen more to the bedroom, ten down to the laundry. “I’m sitting there at thirty-four years old,” Jonathan remembers, “thinking to myself, how am I ever going to take my wife home?” It’s a question few young stroke survivors (recoveryafterstroke.com/young-stroke-survivor-izzy-hirst/) or their partners expect to face, and one more reason recovery is rarely just medical. The Cost That Never Stops Climbing Then there’s the bill. This year alone, between two hospital admissions, the Hritz family is looking at roughly $178,000 in medical costs a number that grows faster than they can pay it down. “You can make all the payments you want,” Jonathan says, “it never goes down.” It’s the kind of financial strain that stroke caregivers (recoveryafterstroke.com/stroke-caregivers/) rarely get warned about in advance, and one more layer on top of everything else the family is carrying, including, this year, college funds quietly set aside for something else. A Promise Still Being Kept Through all of it, one thing has stayed constant. Bedside in the hospital in 2023, Jonathan made Letitia a promise: that no matter what happened, they would get through it together, and he would always give her a safe place to heal. Three years, a heart procedure, a recrudescence episode, and nearly 200 seizures later, that promise is the reason their family calls their story Keeping a Promise, and it’s still, in Jonathan’s words, “something I’m still trying to keep, because we have not been able to.” Their story is a reminder of something Bill has said often on this show, in different words each time: recovery isn’t a straight line, and it doesn’t end when the hospital discharges you. As Jonathan puts it, “People just think, he was in the hospital, and he’s out now. He must be okay… They’re not okay.” What the Hritz family is living through — the seizures, the setbacks, the debt, the promise is exactly the kind of story that doesn’t get told enough. If any part of it sounds familiar, you are not the only one going through it (recoveryafterstroke.com/stroke-caregiver-journey-donna-odonnell-figurski/), and it’s worth hearing more stories like it, wherever you can find them. Bill’s book, The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened, was written for exactly this: the years after the hospital, when the real work of recovery begins. Read it here: recoveryafterstroke.com/book. And if this show has helped you the way it’s helped families like the Hritzes, you can support it directly on Patreon: patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. The post Jonathan & Letitia Hritz: Keeping a Promise Through Stroke, Seizures, and Everything After appeared first on Recovery After Stroke.

This episode we continue with the reign of Uno no Sarara, aka Jito Tenno, and look at records of the various foreigners and immigrants who came to the archipelago. This includes immigrants from the Korean peninsula as well as those foreigners with whom Yamato shared the Central Land of the Reed Plains--like the Hayato and the Emishi. We also take a look at the Yamato court's widening relationship with and use of Buddhism. Along the way we take a look at a few different incidents and reports, including omens, hunting and fishing restrictions, and a story of sweet wine that reportedly cured the worst of diseases. For more check out the podcast website: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-155 (blogpost goes live 1 Sep 2026) Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 155: Immigrants, Priests, and Sweet Wine The three priests and their companions could see the distinctive pagoda from a distance away.   It stood several stories tall, and the bells at the eave ends glinted in the morning light. To their right, a tall, conical peak stood out from the other mountains, much like a miniature Mt. Fuji.  From there, the mountains swept down to the flat plain, which then ended at the edge of the giant body of water known as Lake Biwa.  The pagoda rose up between the two, its uppermost spire jutting upwards towards the sky.  Around it, much of the flat area had been carved into rectangular rice paddies, with paths and thatched roof buildings around—most of them low to the ground, distinctive of the muro style still prominent amongst most of the common people.  As such, though it didn't come anywhere near the grandeur of the temples in the capital, even a provincial temple stood out with its tiled roof and the brightly colored, red, white, and green walls and windows.  As they approached, the group saw a crowd of people by the gates.  Many of them seemed ill and infirm.  They had come to be healed by the waters of the temple—the same healing waters that had brought these priests all the way from the capital to investigate. We are covering a bunch of different things from the reign of Uno no Sarara, from 686 to 697.  This episode we take a journey through a few different topics.  Mostly we are talking about foreigners—both those from overseas and the ones that Yamato shared the archipelago with—and with Buddhism and how the court used this continental religion that had already become a key organ of the Yamato State. To start with, let's talk about immigrants.  Immigration to the archipelago by this point isn't anything new—and I'm not just talking about the groups that came over and kickstarted the Yayoi culture and the eventual mounded tomb period that we know as the Kofun era.  There were numerous ethno-linguistic groups that fell under Yamato's hegemony, and evidence of active migration. Of the various groups on the archipelago, there appear to be several categories.  For instance, we have groups that are clearly external immigrants, from outside of the archipelago  and then we have those groups that appear to be considered indigenous, at least by Yamato's thinking.. Some of this can be seen in how they are treated, discussed, and even assimilated.  Those external, while often presented as being in a tribute status, are still treated differently from those on the archipelago, where the land borders of Yamato would abut against the territories of local ethnic groups.  This probably also had something to do with the claim that the Heavenly Grandchild and their descendants, the current Tennou, were presumably given sovereignty over the entire Land of the Central Reed Plains, aka the Japanese archipelago. External immigrants included people from Silla, and, even though the kingdoms themselves had fallen and been absorbed by Silla, Gogureyo and Baekje.  This last one might be a bit surprising if we think about it in modern terms where we tend to think in terms of citizenship and nationality first and foremost.  So we think of someone as being American, French, or Japanese based on the country they came from.  But that American might be Dine—aka Navaho—or they could identify as Cajun or their parents might have been immigrants from somewhere else and they are the first generation born in the US.  That doesn't mean they aren't American, but "American" is only part of their identity.  Likewise that Japanese person could be Ainu, Ryukyuan, or even one of the Bonin islanders.  That is to say they may be from an ethno-linguistic group other than the majority ethnic group in that nation. In the same vein, while it's true that Baekje had been conquered by Silla, that doesn't mean that the Baekje people were suddenly erased and that the people suddenly changed their lifestyles or language overnight.  And so, while they may have been subjects of the Silla kingdom, there were still Baekje people both in Silla and in the archipelago.  And as late as 690, decades after it was conquered, we see that Baekje immigrants were arriving in Japan. Similarly, we see Goguryeo immigrants who came over in 687, three years earlier, even though that kingdom no longer existed.  They were settled in Hitachi, where they were given lands, received an allowance of grain to help tide them over, and then allowed to grow their community and work, as long as they did so peacefully, under the care of the local Yamato officials. And it isn't difficult to see why people of Baekje and Goguryeo might come to the archipelago.  Their other options were to head to the Great Tang, which had been the other conquering force, or possibly to go find refuge with various Tungusic ethnic groups around the Amur river area, outside of Tang control. What actually strikes me as a bit more surprising, to be honest, is the immigration of people from Silla.  After all, Silla was ascendant, was it not?  They had just unified the peninsula and this seems like it would have been a great time to be team Silla, and yet we see people leaving to come to Yamato. For instance, in 687 we see 14 immigrants from Silla settled in Shimotsuke.  22 more were presented by the Dazai-Sochi and settled in the land of Musashi.  In 689 and then in 690 we see more Silla immigrants settled in both places.  We also had 50 people come over with Buddhist priests, though we don't know where they ended up settling.  So both Musashi and Shimotsuke were being settled with immigrants from Silla.  Musashi, if you didn't already know, is the name for the area that would largely become the Tokyo metropolis in modern times.  Shimotsuke was the land adjoining it to the northeast.  In all likelihood, all of these people were probably being located to areas near each other, even though they are mentioned as being in different provinces.  That may have been more of an administrative distinction.  That also seems to indicate that they were likely being relocated to border areas where there weren't already large populations, probably because that is where there was open land that wasn't already claimed.  We see something similar with the court sending the people from Goguryeo all the way to Hitachi. It does make me wonder what must have happened for someone to choose to come to the Japanese archipelago from Silla to be sent all the way to the far end of Yamato to work the land.  In previous centuries I would have assumed that these were captives brought back from raids against the mainland, but by all accounts—and the fact that we continue to have relatively cordial diplomatic relations between Yamato and Silla—it appears that Yamato wasn't sending raids and that these individuals were likely coming willingly.  Perhaps they were getting crowded out somewhere in Silla, and had heard of new opportunities.  Or perhaps they had done something to make them persona-non-grata, as they say, back in their home country.   Whatever the reason, there were a number of people coming over, who would have also brought their cultural and technological knowledge along with them.  And many of them were being settled in the far eastern end of Honshu—though that may be something for another time. The indigenous category includes not only the Wa people of Yamato, but also the Hayato and the Emishi.  Of these we don't have a lot of information about who they were or what languages they spoke. For the Hayato we only have a few possible words of their language, and various other things that we know from Yamato's court records.  We know that the Yamato officials needed interpreters to speak with the Hayato.  There are those that theorize that the Hayato language had evolved from one of the languages spoken during the Jomon era—which doesn't give us much to go on other than the idea that it may not have been a Japonic language.  Attempts have been made to connect the Hayato with the unique burial features and other material artifacts of southern Kyushu, and then to the previous ethnic group, known as the Kumaso—or possibly the Kuma and So—but so far there are theories but no hard and fast connections. For example, we know that the Hayato were said to be from Ata and Ohosumi, according to the records of the court, but they also only show up in the late 7th century.  Prior to that we have stories of the Kumaso, and even people called Tsuchigumo.  Were those previous names for the ancestors of the Hayato?  Or were the Hayato encountered later, as Yamato's borders expanded, having perhaps encompassed the lands of the Kumaso and now running into the Hayato?  The fact that they show up so late in the narrative is particularly interesting, as they really only get mentioned in the reign of Ohoama and then Uno no Sarara—though they would be particularly active in the years to come, when the Nihon Shoki was being compiled.  For example, we know that the Hayato were brought into the court system, and also that they resisted, with numerous rebellions in the 8th century, though at this early point, things seemed to be going well. So Hayato were coming to the court, likely seeing some benefit in their association with Yamato.  They are shown coming in fairly significant numbers as well. Meanwhile, we have the ongoing assimilation of the Emishi.  Unlike the Hayato, the Emishi have shown up in the narrative since the legendary period.  We've talked about them quite a bit in various episodes.  Even within the Emishi, the Emishi of Koshi are differentiated from the Emishi further north in Tohoku.  Linguistically, a lot of place names in Tohoku and eastern Honshu have been compared to the Ainu language, with suspicions that a related language was in use in eastern and northeastern Japan for some time.  Tohoku is also the area that most resisted Yayoi culture, based on archaeological finds.  We know that wet rice paddy agriculture also made early in-roads into Tohoku, but then retreated much farther south, perhaps because it wasn't as suitable for the colder climate at that time.  Northern material culture continued to exhibit signs of evolution from the previous Jomon era, with Hokkaido continuing a tradition that we know as the Epi-Jomon, which we first talked about back in episode 50, and several times since then as well..  There were some mounded tombs—even some keyhole shaped tombs around Sendai and Osaki, in modern Miyagi prefecture—but nothing comparable to the large numbers of tombs found in areas further to the south. The Yamato people had had regular encounters with people called "Emishi" since at least the time of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tenno.  During the time that Takara Hime was on the throne a second time, there were massive military operations, first against the Emishi, and then supporting them against the Mishihase people in what appears to have been Hokkaido.  The Emishi were further brought under the Yamato court and into the court rank system, and we see rank handed out to various members of the group.  Then, in the reign of Uno no Sarara, we start to see further cultural assimilation in the form of the spread of Buddhism. In 689, we are told of Shiriko, an "Emishi of Kikafu, in Ukitamu district, in Michinoku".   This possibly refers to Okitama no Kori, a district in modern Yamagata Prefecture.  Shiriko had two sons, Maro and Kanawori, who requested permission to shave their hair and become Buddhist priests.  Perhaps related to this, about twenty days before, about 231 Emishi men and women had attended a banquet under the tsuki tree by Asukadera, where they were given gifts and rank.  Did that inspire them to want to learn more about this "Buddhism" thing? Either way, Uno no Sarara agreed.  In the edict she commented that Maro and his brother were both refined and modest, despite their youth, and that they were eating vegetarian dishes and keeping the Buddhist precepts.  So presumably this wasn't a last minute decision on their part, though we should probably take the wording in the edict with at least a grain of salt, given their purpose. Only six days later we see that the court is presenting a load of gifts to an Emishi monk named Doushin.  Doushin is said to have been a Koshi Emishi, rather than the Kitafu Emishi of Michinoku.  The court granted him a Buddhist statue, a purification flag, a wine cup, a begging bowl, five-colored silk cloth, thirteen pounds of flossed silk, 10 bolts of regular cloth, ten hoes, and a saddle. Six months later there is another priest:  Jitoku, an Emishi of Michinoku, who is granted a gold-copper image of Yakushi Buddha and a gold-copper image of Kanzeon—or Kannon—Boddhisatva, as well as a bell, a begging bowl, a precious curtain, an incense burner, and a banner. What this looks like, to me, is the court promoting Buddhism among the Emishi.  This feels similar to the way that priests also spread the worship of Mt. Miwa or other kami.  While Buddhism was technically universal, the Court had ensured that they had a hand on the center of Buddhist teaching, at least early on.  Indeed, at the same time that Uno no Sarara was building up the Jingikan and bolstering the worship of Amaterasu at Ise Grand Shrine, she and the court were also leveraging Buddhism and Buddhist concepts in a variety of ways.  She put it in an edict to the ministers in 691.  She noted that they had erected Buddhist Halls and Sutra repositories, and they practiced the six monthly fasts.  The sovereigns would occasionally send Ohotoneri to inquire after the welfare of priests.  As such, they should continue to uphold the Buddhsit Faith with zealous hearts. Upholding the faith wasn't just about words.  There were actual financial contributions.  Besides the national temples, there were gifts made, such as those to the Emishi priests, mentioned earlier.  In 692, Kwansei was presented silk and cloth and commended for making white lead, which was a popular ingredient for cosmetics.  Later that year, Yamada no Mikata was granted rank, and the fact that he had gone to Silla to study as a priest is mentioned in conjunction with that, though apparently he either didn't take orders or had gone back to being a lay person.   And in 693 they gave the priest, Hokyo, 3 chou worth or rice-land.  And in 696 there were 30 houses granted as a sustenance-fief to Bendou, a priest of Daikandaiji. And that tells us the kinds of resources the State was putting towards it, but what were they using Buddhism for?  What purpose did it serve the State, or was it purely altruistic?  A big part of it, as we have discussed in the past, was through the concept of karma and merit.  The court seems to have been making a variety of decisions that look to be efforts to increase the State's merit.  This is a continuation of things we saw in Ohoama's reign, along with some new moves.  For instance, we have previously mentioned in passing how the court was giving alms to the elderly and infirm, at least in the capital, and we see a lot more amnesties—though often qualified amnesties, with various crimes excluded. Then there were things like the edict of 689, in which Hunting and Fishing were prohibited in the Sea of Muko in the province of Settsu for a distance of 1000 paces, and for 20,000 shiro on the plain of Nagino in the district of Ate in the province of Kii, and for 20,000 shiro on the plains of Mino in the district and province of Iga.  The edict also attached keepers to these places in the same way as the Sea of Takashi in the district of Ohotori in the province of Kawachi.  Right off the bat we know a few things.  First off, this is the first time we've seen an edict like this, and yet the Chronicles say that this is similar to the way that "Keepers" were attached to the Sea of Takashi in Ohotori district.  The term used for "Keepers" appears to be "shugo", which would later be used for military governors in the Kamakura period, which would eventually become the shugo daimyo and then the Sengoku daimyo—our namesake.  But in this case it appears that "shugo" is just a literal translation of a "protector".  In front of that is the word "oku", meaning to keep or preserve.  Hence Aston's translation of these people as "keepers".  What is not clear to me is whether this is a reference to something that happened earlier, and just didn't get recorded, or if the Chroniclers are talking about a later practice which the audience for the Nihon Shoki would have been familiar with.  The Takashi sea would refer to the Seto Inland Sea just off the coast of Takashi, which was in Kawachi, south of modern Osaka.    The other places we see named are the Sea of Muko, in Settsu, which would have been north and west from modern Osaka, as well as Nagino in Kii and Mino in Iga. Nagino's location is not quite certain.  Ate is likely Arida, and Nagino may be what was eventually Nago, now thought to be near or including the Hirogawa region of Wakayama.  Later there were be prohibitions on fishining in the areas of Yuasa, Hiro, and Hirogawa, so perhaps there was also a prohibition on hunting on the plains.  This is all on the west side of the Kii peninsula, south of modern Osaka, so still facing the Seto Inland Sea. Iga, however, was on the other side of the peninsula.  Given that it was in Iga district of the land of Iga, this prohibition would definitely be about hunting, and not fishing.  It is also interesting to take a look at the measurements involved.  The one clear prohibition on fishing, in the Sea of Muko, is measured in paces while the other two are mentioned as being on the "plains"—though technically it should probably be "Nagi Plain" and "Mi Plain"—and they are measured differently, in something called "shiro".  By the way, I tried to find how big a "shiro" was and I couldn't quite do it. I wonder if the difference there, though, is area versus length:  For the sea of Muko it probably meant the waters directly out from the shore of Muko, and so I imagine that the paces were measure out from a certain point, walking along the shoreline, and then you couldn't go out into the sea in those areas to fish.  For the plains you could have more definitive markers indicating a particular area that was under the prohibition. For another clue to protected areas and distances, we see later that "long-life places" were established throughout the various provinces, each one being 1000 paces.  Aston notes that "long life places" indicated areas where animals couldn't be harmed, and given that they talk about it in terms of "paces" I would assume that means these were probably more prohibitions on fishing. That language also suggests to me that there was some kind of Buddhist reasoning behind it—mercy for the creatures of the land.  It isn't clear how long these prohibitions remained in effect, either.  This may also explain an order just a few days later that a white swallow that was caught in Mike, in the land of Sanuki, should be set free.  Unusually white or albino animals were often caught and presented to the throne as auspicious omens, not always in a live state.  However, Buddhism often teaches that there is merit in releasing animals, and so this feels like it was a way of demonstrating mercy and building merit, while also acknowledging the auspicious omen that accompanied its appearance. Also in this edict is who it is directed to:  Tanaka no Ason no Norimaro, who is named as the "soryo" of Iyo.  We've mentioned this before, in passing; this was a position similar to the Dazai no Sochi.  Effectively, the government official in charge of Iyo was in charge of the entire island of Shikoku.  Unlike the Dazai no Sochi, this position does not seem to have remained for long; instead, Shikoku was divided up into separate provinces and then each province had its own governor. By the way, we've talked about Norimaro before, as well.  He was previously in charge of the mission to Silla, when they went to announce Ohoama's demise, but then ran into a bunch of diplomatic etiquette issues such that they weren't able to deliver the news—or perhaps more appropriately they decided they couldn't deliver the news.  So from representing the court on missions, Norimaro went on to become the government official in Iyo overseeing all of Shikoku.  A couple of years later he would show up again, this time sending gold and silver that had apparently been found at Mt. Mima in Uwa district—modern Uwajima.  Unfortunately, after that he disappears from the narrative, and the position seems to end with him. Speaking of animals—the presentation of auspicious plants animals continued, and was often wrapped up with amnesties and similar such things.  The year 692 seems to have been of particular significance.  There we see the Governor of Sagami presenting a pair of fledgling red crows that had been caught in Miura.  Later we see that the governor, the vice governor, and the individual who had caught the crows—Kashima no Omi no Kusu—were gifted with rank and presents, while Miura district had its taxes and forced labor remitted for a period of three years. Later that same year, the Governor of Ise presented auspicious stalks of rice while the Governor of Echizen, that is to say the western part of Koshi closest to the capital, presented a white moth.  The stalks of rice don't seem to have warranted much, but the white moth, which presumably was not just a moth that is naturally white, was apparently considered something noteworthy.  We are told that it was caught on the shore at Uragami, in the district of Tsuruga.  As such, the Fief of the Kebi no Kami—the kami of Kebi, or at least his shrine—was increased by 20 houses.  Unfortunately, we have a lacuna or gap in the text so we don't get everything else.  This is a good reminder that sometimes we don't have anything because it wasn't written down, and sometimes because accidents happen.  Either something doesn't get transcribed properly or something gets damaged early on and there aren't enough copies for it to propagate from another source. Our next omens come in 694—the same year that the Fujiwara Palace was occupied.  We are told that a white copper-pheasant was presented by Sarara in Kawachi.  So the Governor and Vice-Governor of the district received promotions, as did the many who had caught it, Osakabe no Miyatsuko no Karakuni.  Four months later, a white bat was found by a man in Araki, in Hida province.  His name was Ohokunibe no Otohi, and he didn't receive a promotion in court rank, but he did get material presents in terms of silk cloth and floss, and, perhaps more importantly, he was exempted from all forced labor for the rest of his life.  Not a bad deal, if you ask me. Now omens were good and all, but omens were hardly active expressions by the government.  When things were happening—like damaging rains—or perhaps not happening—like droughts—people wanted the government to do something.  I know it may be hard for people to believe in this day and age, but many people believed that the government was responsible for all sorts of things that it had little control over.  In this case, that was the weather, and the state could at least prepare by collecting taxes in rice and then providing relief via those same resources.  But that still only did so much.  So when months went by with no rain falling, the state would turn towards ritual.  In some cases that ritual was directed at the kami and the new Jingikan, but in other cases, it fell on Buddhist priests. So, for example, in 688 we are told that there was a drought and the court initiated prayers for rain.  Those prayers were carried out by the priest Douzou.  Douzou was of Baekje extraction, but that didn't concern the court—they just wanted to know that he was effective.  Sure enough, after praying for rain, the clouds opened up and before morning the rain had fallen.  We are told it fell "across the realm", which I'm pretty sure is hyperbole.  It probably fell all across the Nara plains and surrounding areas, which was enough for the court. In 691, they were struck with the opposite problem, which we know because the court issued an edict dated to the 19th day of the 6th month of that year.  Apparently rain had fallen for two straight months.  And while the fifth month rains—the Satsuki-ame—are well-known, this apparently had started back in the 4th month of that year, and now there was a worry that it would start to injure the crops, reducing the annual yield.  The conclusion appears to have been that the country did not have enough merit.  Therefore the ministers and officials were prohibited from the use of strong drink or meat—Aston translates it directly as "animal food".  They were also ordered to compose their hearts and repent of any sins they may have committed.  At the same time, the priests in the temples of the capital and Home provinces were told to recite sutras for five straight days.  We also know that a day later they announced an amnesty for various criminals, as well.  Another act of mercy and hopefully for making merit. And it seems to have worked.  Or one could just say that the natural monsoon rains finally stopped after a particularly heavy season.  Who's to say? In the 5th intercalary month of 692, the rains were again pretty bad.  This time it isn't that they were long, but that it was heavy rain—what Japanese meteorology reports would likely call "Oyu", or Great Rain—which brought with it floods. Unfortunately, while they could pray for rain to start or stop, floods are another matter.  By the time you know the flood has happened it is too late.  And so this is where the government's preparedness came into focus.  Commissioners were sent to visit the districts and provinces.  There they found people affected by the flooding and they were empowered to make loans to provide relief.  Furthermore, they allowed people to access resources that might otherwise have been restricted, allowing them to fish and cut wood in the hills, forests, ponds, and marshes, even if that was normally a prohibited activity, so that they could sustain themselves until they were able to get back on their feet.  At the same time, the Sutra of Golden Light, the Konkwoumyou Sutra, one of the sutras for protecting the state, was to be read aloud in the capital and the Home Provinces.  The Sutra of Golden Light is the one which not only talks about the Shitennou, the four heavenly kings, but also emphasizes that if rulers support and honor the recitation of the sutra, then their kingdoms would be prosperous and peaceful, so what better time to read it than during or just after a disaster? There were other recitations and congregations that were not quite so obviously connected.  In 690, there were discourses in the inner precinct of the palace during the "Vassa", known in Japanese as "Ango" or "Dwelling in Peace".  This comes from the tradition in Buddhism where it is said that the Buddha and his disciples, though normally traveling around the countryside, would come together during the rainy season.  During this time they would talk and share.  It is still practiced in many Theravada schools, where monks will gather in temples during the rainy season.  Of course, as we've discussed, the 5th month was right in the middle of Japan's rainy season, so it seems like they may have been attempting to emulate that tradition. Three years later, we are told that they held a great-congregation of monks on that same date—the 15th day of the 5th month.  This is not referred to as an Ango, however, possibly noting a change in the way they were organizing or conducting it—or possibly just because it was referred to differently in the record the Chroniclers used.  That said, a great-congregation was simply a Buddhist gathering, where various priests would provide sermons or sutra readings, and not necessarily tied to a particular time.  Another one was called in the 9th month of 693 on behalf of the late sovereign, Ohoama and all prisoners were released, which was no doubt merit seen as accruing to the late sovereign. A month after that, the Benevolent King Sutra, or Ninnou-kyou, was expounded in the provinces for four days.  This is another one of the sutras considered important for the well-being of the state. In 694 we have 100 copies of the Konkwoumyou sutra—the Sutra of Golden Light—being sent out to the provinces, with the intent that they should be read together, at a certain time, when the moon of the first month was in the first quarter.  Any fees or resources needed by the temples to carry this out were to be defrayed from the public revenues of the provinces.  As Aston points out, "revenues" in this case would not necessarily be cash money.  Not that they didn't have coins—they had the Fuhonsen coins from Ohoama's time; see Episode 146 for more information.  We are even told that in 694 the court appointed three officials—Ohoyake no Maro, Utena no Yashima, and Kibumi no Honjitsu—to be governors for the mint, although Aston notes a Shoku Nihongi account from 708 that claimed that was the "first time" the title was given out.  Either way, even though they were minting coins, these wouldn't have been in common circulation.  The government may have used them to pay for things, but taxes coming in, especially in the provinces would have been in-kind taxes, meaning that the revenue to the temples were likely paid in rice, cloth, or similar. We similarly see another edict to read the Golden Light sutra on the first day of the twelfth month of 696.  This time it wasn't just a one time reading, though: they were setting a precedent.  The edict was to expound the Sutra of Golden Light and then, every year hence, they would schedule ten people of pure life who should be inducted as monks on the eve of the New Year.  I have to wonder about how they had people take orders—and whether it was a lifelong commitment or, as in some cultures, today, a temporary position.  After all, Ohoama took orders but didn't exactly remain "retired" for all that long. The same thing had happened back in 694, when one hundred and four people were made to enter religion for the sake of Royal Princess Asuka.  So how long did they remain Buddhist priests? There is a reference, in 693, of a priest being stripped of his monkhood.  It was done by royal order for a Goguryeo priest Fukuka, and it isn't made clear why.  Was it something that the priest wanted?  Maybe they wanted to stop being a monk for some reason?  Or was it done as a punishment?  There was apparently a great-congregation only about two weeks prior.  Maybe there was some drama?  We'll probably never know. In 697, there was an uptick in merit-making.  In the third month, a great-congregation was being held in the Eastern Palace.  The Eastern Palace was the home of the Crown Prince, so this may have something to do with the planned succession, but then in the 6th month we see a bunch of things happening.  There was a royal order for sutras to be read in temples in the Home Provinces, and then, nine days later, an order that people of 5th rank and lower were to go spend time cleaning out the temples in the capital.  On the 26th, 11 days after that, we get a record the seems to bring this into focus, as the Ministers and public functionaries started making votive images of the Buddha for the sake of Uno no Sarara's illness.  It seems that she was feeling unwell, which probably kicked off a lot of this activity, and may even be why she finally decided to abdicate.  There was one more seemingly related note.  On the 29th day of the 7th month the Ministers and public functionaries prepared a festival for the installation of Buddhist images in the temple of Yakushiji.  This was the temple Ohoama had originally commissioned for Uno no Sarara during his reign when she was sick back then.  She had recovered, then, and she would recover again—but her faith in the healing power of the Buddha may have been limited.  She would abdicate a few days later, leaving the throne to Prince Karu—the future Monmu Tennou. One last thing, somewhat tangential, it seems.  In the 11th month of 693, three priests, Houin, Zen'ou, and Shingi, set out, along with others, to the Yasu district in Afumi to taste the sweet wine of the local springs.  This is likely the area around the Yasu river, where it flows northwest from the mountains into Lake Biwa.  Today it is Yasu city on one side of the river and Moriyama city on the other. They apparently came back in the third month of the following year, as that is when we get a royal edict concerning said springs.  Based on that, we are told that the spring of quote-unquote "sweet wine" or "sweet sake" bubbled up at Mt. Tsuga in the Yasu district of Afumi.  Mt. Tsuga, or Tsugayama, may be related to "Moriyama", and Moriyama city is still known for the spring water that comes out of the nearby mountains. In the edict they mention that people who were afflicted with various disease would stay at Yasudera, where they presumably drank the water from the springs, and many of them found themselves healed.  For this miraculous occurrence, the temple itself was awarded four chou of rice-land, and an amount of cloth.  In addition, the district of Yasu was exempted from taxes and forced labor, as well as from any other kinds of corvees that might be levied, for at least one year.  Local authorities were promoted a grade in rank, and gifts were made out to those who were credited with first discovering the springs and their miraculous properties—Kadono no Hatsuki and the daughter of Kudara no Tsurara. A couple of extra notes, based on what we see here.  First off, it is unfortunately too often the case that we see women described like this—the daughter of so-and-so—without providing an actual name.  It is interesting that she is the daughter of someone with the name "Kudara", meaning "Baekje".  During the reign of Naka no Ohoe, aka Tenji Tennou, a number of Baekje people were settled in the areas around Lake Biwa and the Echi River, the next major river to the northeast. The temple mentioned, Yasudera, would have been the local temple, probably run by the local elites.  That likely means the Yasu no Atai family.  The temple itself is no more, and we aren't sure exactly where it was, but there is a strong case to be made that archaeological remains at Yoshimi-chou, in modern Moriyama city, might be that temple.  Still, there is no conclusive evidence. As for springs having healing properties—this is nothing new.  Minerals could have given the water a sweet taste, or perhaps there was something that clouded it, like nigori-zake—unfiltered rice wine.  Whether or not there were any natural healing properties I leave up to your own imagining.  Did people actually benefit from the waters?  Or maybe just because they believed?  Was the fact that a Buddhist temple was involved part of it, or is this just the same thing we see with people going to various springs and imparting to them some healing properties? Either way, it seems that at some point the spring no longer produced the "sweet wine" that had made it famous in its day, and people moved on to a different location. For now, I think we can stop here.  We have probably one more episode talking about specific items from this reign, but we are starting to get more and more sources, including the poetry of the Man'yoshu, which I hope to dig into here in a bit.  Plus a few other things in the works. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:1) President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that the conflict in Iran was draining American firepower as clashes resumed in the on-again off-again hostilities that have stretched more than six months, with neither side willing to restart negotiations to end the war.“This is a relatively little war for us,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “This is not a big war.”2) A woman randomly stabbed two people in New York City’s Times Square on Monday, killing one woman, and then was fatally shot by police, according to officials.The shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. next to a New York Police Department substation, just outside One Times Square, the building that hosts the city’s annual New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration. It is one of the most heavily touristed and policed spots in all of New York.3) US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after repeated clashes with his boss, Pete Hegseth, leaving the service without several top leaders even as the conflict with Iran continues.Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. His decision was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labor Day is unofficially marking the start of midterm season; the moment voters begin tuning into the critical choices shaping November. With narrow congressional margins, Republican leadership faces a tight window to pass a budget, clear legislative hurdles, and set the narrative before early voting begins. Political strategist Colin Reed, co-founder of South & Hill Strategies, joins the Rundown to unpack what lawmakers should prioritize in the months ahead. As both parties look toward November and the fight for control of Congress, Reed examines whether governing or gaining the majority will take center stage. As summer begins to wind down and many students are already back in school, this time of year serves as a natural "second New Year" and a prime opportunity to reset your goals, habits and career. Former Peloton Instructor turned Performance Strategist Ross Rayburn joins Dana Perino to share practical insights on lowering the stakes of resolutions, using breathwork techniques to regulate anxiety and performance, and making courageous career pivots. PLUS, commentary by Tomi Lahren, co-host on FOX News Channel's The Big Weekend Show, and the host of Tomi Lahren is Fearless on Outkick.com. PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pastor Hiller Teaches On  1 Kings 3:4-15 More from 1517: Support the work at 1517 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education 1517 Podcast Listeners Get a Free Book When They Sign Up for Memento This August   New Books from 1517 Publishing: The Turk at the Door by Adam Francisco Luther and the Lion: A Narnian Catechism by Samuel Schuldheisz By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith   More from the hosts: Edward Killian Darrin Sheek Bob Hiller Brian W. Thomas   Follow 1517:  Instagram X/Twitter Facebook  

Welcome to the eighth and final episode of the Coach's Corner Series! Today, I sit down with Coach Rae to talk about something we don't see many functional health companies address: relationship with food. We dig into why diet culture and social media have made it so hard for women to feel at peace with food, from the Britney Spears waist era to today's constant stream of body trends. Coach Rae shares the signs she looks for when a client's relationship with food might need extra attention, from fear of carbs to being afraid to keep certain foods in the house. We talk about why functional health can't just be labs, meal plans, and supplements, and why the mindset work around food fear matters just as much as the physical protocols. Rae walks us through how she approaches clients with real GI symptoms who are afraid to eat, including how elimination diets can help separate true food sensitivities from fear driven reactions. She also opens up about her own twenty plus year journey with food and control, and why curiosity with yourself is often the starting point for change. We then talk through the personality patterns she sees most often, the anxious perfectionists who feel safest when they're in control of their food, and why that sense of control can actually make your nervous system more fragile over time. Rae reminds listeners that struggling with food isn't about a lack of discipline, and that healing is possible no matter how long you've felt stuck. This is a real, honest conversation about what it actually looks like to build freedom and peace with food. Time Stamps: (2:37) Why Women Struggle with Food (5:02) Signs of Food Relationship Improvements (10:52) Where To Start When Working On This On Your Own (22:52) Parting Words on Relationship with Food (24:32) Please Share With A Friend ------- Learn more about the Vital Spark Coaching Functional Reset Method. ------- Click Here to apply for 1-on-1 coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts. ------- Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. ------- Click Here for my Free Top 3 Labs training to get to the root of bloating & exhaustion. ------- Click Here to download a Free Hormone Healing Blueprint. ------- Check out our YouTube Channel for more free training. ------- Click Here to read our Client Google Reviews. ------- Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

It is December 22nd. You have three last-minute sessions on the calendar because a family messaged you begging for updated photos before the grandparents arrive, and you said yes. It is 11:30pm, you are culling one gallery with five more stacked behind it, and your own family keeps asking when you will be done with work.Sound familiar?Here is what took me way too many years to figure out: the December you get is not decided in December. It is decided in September.The choices you make over the next four to six weeks around your numbers and your marketing determine whether your holiday season has margin in it or whether you get burned to a crisp by New Year's Eve. So today I am spilling the tea on the exact three things I am working on in my own photography business right now, at the end of August, and how each one connects to what December and January will actually look like.I am also sharing something personal: I am taking January, February, and March off for maternity leave with baby number three. None of this is hypothetical for me. It is my literal September to-do list.What you'll hear in this episodeWhy saying yes to every December session is not a discipline problem (it is a missing system)How to calculate your December number, and the three pieces most photographers skipThe tax percentage I set aside every single month, no exceptionsWhy fall is peak season for shiny object syndrome and how to spot it before you check outThe farming analogy that explains why your January is dead silentAnd so much more!!!! Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode▸ Read the full blog post that goes with this episode (that way, you get all the links mentioned): https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/slow-season-planning-family-photographers/▸ Get your free ticket to the Black Friday Virtual Summit: https://blackfridaysummit.com/Connect with Me (Dolly DeLong Education)

Why is it so easy to get motivated—and so hard to stay motivated?In Episode 476 of Friends Talking Nerdy, The Reverend Tracy and Tim the Nerd take a deep dive into the psychology and neuroscience of motivation, habit formation, and lasting behavior change. Together, they explore why that burst of enthusiasm we feel when starting a new goal can be powerful, but often isn't enough to carry us through the inevitable moments when motivation disappears.The episode begins by examining what happens in the brain when we become motivated to pursue something new. Tim The Nerd and The Reverend Tracy explore the role of dopamine and unpack an important distinction between wanting something and liking it. The things we're strongly motivated to pursue aren't necessarily the things that provide the most satisfaction once we obtain them—and understanding that difference can help explain why desire alone isn't a reliable strategy for long-term change.From there, the conversation turns to habit formation and some of the myths that have become deeply embedded in popular culture. You've probably heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit. It doesn't. Tim The Nerd and The Reverend Tracy discuss the research behind the often-cited 66-day average, while emphasizing that habit formation varies considerably depending on the person and the behavior.They also examine why simply setting ambitious goals isn't always enough. The discussion explores SMART goals, implementation intentions, environmental design, and routines, highlighting the importance of creating systems that make desired behaviors easier to perform. Instead of relying on willpower every time, changing the environment around us can reduce cognitive load and make good choices more automatic.The conversation also explores intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how external rewards can sometimes influence—or even undermine—our internal motivation. Drawing from Self-Determination Theory, Tim The Nerd and The Reverend Tracy examine the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in sustaining meaningful behavior change.The episode also takes a compassionate approach to setbacks and lapses. Missing a workout, abandoning a new routine for a few days, or falling back into an old habit doesn't mean you've failed. Tim The Nerd and The Reverend Tracy discuss why lapses are a normal part of behavior change and how getting back on track without self-judgment is far more productive than treating one mistake as proof that the entire effort is doomed.They also explore the fresh start effect and the psychological power of temporal landmarks such as New Year's Day, birthdays, moving to a new home, starting a new job, or other significant transitions. These moments can create a sense of psychological separation between our past and future selves—and provide an opportunity to begin again.Ultimately, Episode 476 challenges the idea that successful behavior change comes down to having enough discipline or motivation. Motivation is a spark. Systems, purpose, environment, identity, and repetition are what keep the fire burning.Support Friends Talking Nerdy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.As always, we wish to thank Christopher Lazarek for his wonderful theme song. Head to his ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on how to purchase his EP, Here's To You, which is available on all digital platforms.Head to Friends Talking Nerdy's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for more information on where to find us online.

UMass Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford Previews The 2026-2027 Season.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U2 – “New Year’s Day (Kevorkian Remix)”, 1983. Grauzone – “Raum (Naum Gabo Rework)”, 2019. The Cure – “Just Like Heaven (Electro Remix)”, 2020. Kompromat – “Auf immer und ewig”, 2019. Trellick – “Impostor Syndrome”, 2022. Donzii – “Pattern 26”, 2022. Mentallo & the Fixer – “Narcotik Calling”, 1992. Infam – “In Your Heart”, 1997. Apoptygma Berzerk – “A Battle For the Crown (Drugwar Remix)”, 2020. Globemaster – “Rip This Joint”, 2023. Thomaas Banks – “Vital Claret”, 2019. Portion Control – “Seek”, 2020. Normal Bias – “Kingdom Come”, 2022. I.X.XI – “Soul Sick Cancer”, 2019. Website link: https://skullandcrossfades.com/i-opened-up-my-eyes-and-found-myself-alone

Labor Day is unofficially marking the start of midterm season; the moment voters begin tuning into the critical choices shaping November. With narrow congressional margins, Republican leadership faces a tight window to pass a budget, clear legislative hurdles, and set the narrative before early voting begins. Political strategist Colin Reed, co-founder of South & Hill Strategies, joins the Rundown to unpack what lawmakers should prioritize in the months ahead. As both parties look toward November and the fight for control of Congress, Reed examines whether governing or gaining the majority will take center stage. As summer begins to wind down and many students are already back in school, this time of year serves as a natural "second New Year" and a prime opportunity to reset your goals, habits and career. Former Peloton Instructor turned Performance Strategist Ross Rayburn joins Dana Perino to share practical insights on lowering the stakes of resolutions, using breathwork techniques to regulate anxiety and performance, and making courageous career pivots. PLUS, commentary by Tomi Lahren, co-host on FOX News Channel's The Big Weekend Show, and the host of Tomi Lahren is Fearless on Outkick.com. PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why your nervous system, not your willpower, decides how you leadYour brain decides whether to trust someone in about three seconds, long before you have said a word. Dr. Zakia Ghafari says that same wiring is running the show every time you walk into a hard meeting, and most leaders have no idea they are fighting their own nervous system instead of leading. This episode breaks down the actual neuroscience of leadership behind that reaction, in plain, useful terms.For women in leadership especially, that fight shows up as over preparing, over explaining, and quietly burning out while everything on paper looks fine. That is exactly the kind of pattern this women leadership podcast exists to name out loud. Zakia has spent twenty five years as a geriatric pharmacist watching this pattern play out in real time, and she built a framework to interrupt it before it becomes a full shutdown.Dr. Zakia Ghafari is a pharmacist, speaker, and thought leader who helps individuals and organizations create sustainable change without burnout. Drawing on neuroscience and behavioral design, she developed the Wired to Lead framework, which reframes resistance as a clarity problem instead of a motivation problem. She joins Amy Vaughan for a conversation about emotional intelligence, self regulation, and why your humanity, not your hustle, is your greatest leadership asset.Key TakeawaysYour brain decides within three to four seconds whether it trusts someone, long before it registers what they are actually saying.The same alarm system that fires when you face real danger also fires in a stressful meeting, which is why preparation alone does not calm a racing heart.Willpower is not the reason New Year's resolutions fail, your brain reads any change in routine as a risk until a new habit becomes familiar.Naming an emotion out loud, even silently to yourself, brings your logical brain back online within two to three seconds.Real influence means giving someone else enough room to disagree with you and staying okay with it.Dr. Zakia Ghafari said, 'Discipline cannot override a nervous system that always feels like it's under threat.'Dr. Zakia Ghafari said, 'You're not doing it wrong. It's not a character flaw. It's just biology.'Timestamps00:00 Welcome and introducing Dr. Zakia Ghafari01:23 Why emotional intelligence beats artificial intelligence06:09 What emotional intelligence actually is, and the biggest misconception08:19 The gut brain connection and where intuition comes from08:50 The lion in the room, how your brain confuses a meeting with real danger10:59 Why your brain is wired for prediction, not change13:14 The Wired to Lead framework and the WIRE method23:09 How burnout shows up first as quiet emotional withdrawal26:30 Toxic wellness culture and the shame of not keeping up30:05 The kinds of wiring behind approval, connection, and worth32:36 How to self regulate in two to three seconds40:16 Why women feel they have to prove themselves ten times over46:10 Building systems that make change inevitable54:39 Power round, rapid fire questions with Dr. Zakia GhafariConnect with Dr. Zakia GhafariLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakiaghafari/Instagram: @DrZakiyyahSpeaksSupport the show

Uncle is on the mic for one more broadcast. It has been ten years, and we have had fun the whole way. Special thanks to all of our customers, past guests, and our producer. The website, TikTak and YouTube channel will all stay up, so stay tuned there.  Topics discussed: last episode of the podcast, too hot to handle, last set of phone calls, listener appreciation, listeners around the world, takes awhile to understand the show, glimpse into everyday life, Uncle's World, blindsiding guests, TikTak and website will remain, no more New Year's Revolution, Chuck's work over the years, variety of guests and shows over the years, shrimp in the Mojave desert, Alien Fresh Jerky and hotel, Giant Rock, possibility of meeting in person, final shout outs

UNCLE The Podcast Broadcast FINAL EPISODE 8-28-2026Utp#410Uncle is on the mic for one more broadcast. It has been ten years, and we have had fun the whole way. Special thanks to all of our customers, past guests, and our producer. The website, TikTak and YouTube channel will all stay up, so stay tuned there. Topics discussed: last episode of the podcast, too hot to handle, last set of phone calls, listener appreciation, listeners around the world, takes awhile to understand the show, glimpse into everyday life, Uncle's World, blindsiding guests, TikTak and website will remain, no more New Year's Revolution, Chuck's work over the years, variety of guests and shows over the years, shrimp in the Mojave desert, Alien Fresh Jerky and hotel, Giant Rock, possibility of meeting in person, final shout outs---BE THE EFFECTCash APP (less Fees for me)$TheOchelliEffecthttps://cash.app/pay/link/uf82kutcPayPal Mrs.OLUNA ROSA CANDLEShttp://www.paypal.me/Kimberlysonn1Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ochelli-effect--4331265/support.

https://youtu.be/qju0d0udheU https://www.uncommen.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/8.28.26.mp3 How to Build Godly Habits: The Brutal Truth About Willpower There is a silent but devastating epidemic quietly wrecking the spiritual lives of Christian men every single year, and it has nothing to do with a moral failure, a scandal, or a dramatic fall from faith. The crisis is happening inside something as ordinary as a summer vacation. Dad spends two or three weeks on the beach, the alarm clock gets thrown in a drawer, and the daily Bible reading, the family prayer, and the Sunday routine all quietly slide off the calendar. Nobody notices until the first school bus rolls by in August and dad realizes he cannot remember the last time he opened his Bible without being reminded. The modern definition of discipline has tricked men into believing spiritual consistency is simply a matter of trying harder. We have been sold a massive lie that knowing how to build godly habits is about gritting your teeth and forcing yourself back into a routine the moment the season changes. It is not. Learning how to build godly habits has almost nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with who you actually believe you are when nobody is checking. This article reveals the brutal, uncomfortable truth about why your habits collapsed the moment your schedule did, and exactly how to build godly habits strong enough to survive the next season change, and the one after that. The Vacation Trap: Why Your Godly Habits Disappeared So Fast Ask any man who tracks his Bible reading streak what happens the moment he boards a plane for vacation. Two hundred and fifty consecutive days of reading Scripture, then one week at the beach, and suddenly he is three weeks behind before he even unpacks his suitcase. This is the vacation trap, and it catches nearly every man who has never actually learned how to build godly habits that do not depend on a fixed environment. The trap is not laziness. It is architecture. Most men build their spiritual routine entirely around external structure — the same chair, the same alarm, the same fifteen minutes before the house wakes up. Remove the structure and the habit disappears with it, because it was never anchored to anything deeper than convenience. Summer gives an entire family permission to loosen every rule at once: later nights, looser schedules, more grace all around. That grace is not the enemy. The enemy is mistaking the absence of structure for an excuse to abandon God altogether. Real men understand that how to build godly habits is a question of foundation, not location. God does not live in your morning routine. He is not confined to your quiet-time chair or your church pew. He is, quite simply, travel-size — fully present on the beach, in the hotel room, and at your kitchen table on a Tuesday morning in October. That is where how to build godly habits actually begins — not with more effort, but with a stronger foundation. Willpower Versus Identity: The Real Reason Habits Break Willpower versus identity decides whether your habits survive contact with a busy season. Willpower says, "I will read my Bible every day because I am disciplined enough to force it." Identity says, "I read my Bible every day because that is who I am, and skipping it feels like showing up to work without pants." The first version collapses the moment life gets hard. The second bends but does not break. Researchers who study identity-based habit formation have found the same pattern outside the church walls — behavior tied to identity outlasts behavior tied to sheer effort, every single time. This is where most conversations about spiritual discipline for men go completely sideways. Men are taught to treat their walk with God like a New Year's resolution — an act of raw effort they can white-knuckle through January before it quietly dies by February. But spiritual discipline for men was never designed to run on willpower alone, and willpower is a finite resource. It gets spent on traffic, deadlines, and difficult conversations with your teenager, and by the time you get home there is none left over for prayer. This pattern is not just anecdotal, either. Barna Group's ongoing research on the state of discipleship has repeatedly found that consistency, not exposure, is the single biggest predictor of whether a man's faith actually shapes his daily life — and consistency is exactly what a disrupted season threatens first. Understanding how to build godly habits means building identity first and letting behavior follow, instead of forcing the behavior and hoping an identity eventually shows up. A man who identifies as someone who walks with God does not need twelve weeks of vacation to derail him, because his habits are tied to conviction, not the calendar. That distinction is the entire difference between a man who white-knuckles his way back into a routine every September and a man who never really left one in the first place. How to Build Godly Habits in the Boardroom: Bringing Faith Back to the Grind The transition from the beach to the boardroom is not just about kids trading flip-flops for backpacks. Dad is making the exact same trade. The alarm resets to six in the morning, the calendar fills back up with meetings, and the whole household has to relearn how to build godly habits inside a completely different set of pressures than the ones summer allowed. Here is the uncomfortable question worth asking in the first week of September: is your calendar dictating your relationship with God, or are you dictating your calendar? Too many men let the busy season answer that question by default. The first meeting gets earlier, the commute gets longer, and prayer quietly becomes the line item that gets cut first because it is the only appointment nobody else is tracking. Knowing how to build godly habits that hold up in the boardroom requires deciding, in advance, exactly what does not move no matter how full the calendar gets. This is not a call to abandon ambition. It is a call to stop letting your job promote itself to the highest priority in your life by default. A man who has never mapped out how to build godly habits around his actual work schedule will always find himself surprised, every September, that the busy season swallowed his quiet time whole. Surprise is optional. Planning is not. That single decision is how to build godly habits actually gets made — one protected calendar block at a time. The Hypocrisy Trap: Leading by Example When You Reset Your kids are watching every time you reset your routine, and they draw conclusions whether you intend them to or not. If dad drags into September dreading the alarm clock and openly grieving the loss of his vacation freedom, his children absorb a specific lesson: normal life is a punishment, and faithfulness is only for the easy season. That lesson sticks far longer than any sermon you will ever preach at the dinner table. This is the hypocrisy trap, and it has nothing to do with intentionally lying to your family — it is far more subtle than that. Consistency in faith cannot be something you perform only when conditions are convenient, because your children possess an incredibly well-tuned radar for the difference between a man who is truly consistent and a man who is simply compliant when nothing costs him anything. If your quiet time only survives when your schedule is light, your kids will notice your faith is conditional too. Learning how to build godly habits in front of your family is not optional homework — it is the primary curriculum your children are actually studying. Consistency in faith, modeled openly and without complaint, teaches a child more about who God is than any conversation ever could. The goal is not perfection; grace exists precisely because you will miss days. The goal is refusing to let missed days become the new identity. How to Build Godly Habits Before the Bell Rings: Protecting What Matters There is enormous power available to the man who decides what he will protect before the season changes instead of after it. Summer vacation never actually surprises anyone — families count down to it for months. The same should be true of the return to school and work. You already know it is coming, which means you have every opportunity to decide in advance exactly how to build godly habits that will not get sacrificed the moment the calendar fills back up. Pick three things and protect them like your family's spiritual life depends on it, because it genuinely does. The dinner table, uninterrupted by phones and practice schedules. Bedtime prayer, even on the exhausting nights. The Sunday routine, treated as non-negotiable rather than optional depending on how the week went. These anchors are not complicated, and that is the point. Spiritual discipline for men does not require a complex system. It requires a short list of non-negotiables and the resolve to defend them against a calendar that will happily consume every one if you let it. This is where how to build godly habits stops being theory and becomes a decision with a date attached. Decide this week, before the first bell rings, not in October when you are already three weeks behind and telling yourself you will catch up eventually. The families who thrive through the fall transition are not the families with the least chaos. They are the families with a father who decided, ahead of time, exactly what chaos would not be allowed to touch. Seasons Change, But God Doesn't: Anchoring to Ecclesiastes 3:1 Defining how to build godly habits that actually last requires looking directly at Ecclesiastes 3:1, which states: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Notice what the verse does not say. It does not say seasons are optional, and it does not say you get to skip the hard ones. It says seasons are guaranteed,...

James Bruce shares his raw recovery story: a catastrophic $50K loss in one day due to a trade copier error on New Year's Eve 2021, followed by a brutal seven-month drawdown that nearly broke him. The key lesson: don't make trading your identity. After making $150K in 2020, he hit rock bottom but stayed locked in because he'd proven it was possible before. Learn why sizing down matters, how to rebuild after massive losses, the importance of having income outside trading, and why showing losses publicly (not just wins) is critical for the trading community. From near-bankruptcy to $70K+ in payouts, this is the unfiltered truth about trader recovery.

In today's episode on Why September 1st Is New Year's Day, Erin Bradley shares: Why she's been treating September 1st as New Year's Day since 2014, and how the Labor Day to Memorial Day marketing rhythm ends the January panic for good The story of her friend, a single mom with a 2-year-old and a 2-week-old living in her mom's basement, who closed 8 deals in 90 days and then committed to never working summers ("I sleep until 10, and then we go to the pool") Why "whatever comes after because is fear," and how the life you want is on the other side of one aligned decision The first September experiment: from 2 closings in August to 12 closings in December 2014, 8 more in January, and a business that doubled from $18M to $38M in volume in 2015 The myth that got debunked: "there's no business in the winter" The lighthouse principle: most of your business shows up out of the blue, so the only thing we script is how we manage and share our energy ("the ships come to port when the lights are on, and we turn the lights on from within") The 25% rule: 25% of people will love you no matter what, 25% never will, and 3 out of 4 people are not your right fit, so if it doesn't feel like a hell yes, it's a pass The garden analogy: uprooting what drains you and planting the hell-yes relationships Why the business is inconsistent because we are inconsistent, and how better systems, boundaries, and support create consistency Enough Already, Erin's 8-day autumn reset (September 21-30): nervous system regulation, who is your who, scheduling and boundaries, systems and automations, and enlisting help without fear Getting in the room in person: the WMN Soulful Summit in Scottsdale, October 21-24 Why "safe means same," the breakup tipping point, and how the decision to bet on yourself changes the timeline of your life About Erin Bradley Erin Bradley is a speaker and business coach, bestselling author, and host of the real estate podcast Pursuing Freedom. As a mortgage lender, Erin learned the hard way just how hard entrepreneurship and success in sales can be. From flat broke to 6 figures, and then to burnout, Erin and her team have been through it all! Erin operates under the mindset that you never give up, and you never settle, in life or in business. Anything is possible when you have the right mindset, great systems, and an amazing team. Erin is passionate about helping others design their ideal life, then create a business that is a vehicle to support that lifestyle, rather than rob you of it. And she's on a mission to help you believe in, and achieve your biggest dreams! How to Connect With Erin Bradley Business Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PursuingFreedomOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pursuingfreedomofficial/ LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-bradley/ Recommended Resources The Pursuing Freedom Collective - End of Summer Special: try the Collective for 30 days for just $111 with coupon code LOVE before August 31st: https://pursuingfreedom.com/collective (Hearing this after August 31st? Shoot Erin a DM on Instagram at @pursuingfreedomofficial and she'll still honor it!) Enough Already - Erin's 8-Day Autumn Reset (September 21-30): early bird pricing of $88 in the waiting room now at https://pursuingfreedom.com/enough. Enrollment opens September 10.  WMN Soulful Summit - Scottsdale, October 21-24: a 50-person women's retreat hosted by Women's Mortgage Network and facilitated by Erin, with business planning, somatic practices, and nervous system regulation. Register here: https://aimegroup.com/events/wmn-soulful-summit/#register The Freedom Audit (free download): https://pursuingfreedom.com/freedom Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

For me, there are three natural “begin again” moments every year: New Year's, the day after my birthday, and back-to-school season. They are the moments that invite us to pause, recalibrate, and ask: What is working? What isn't? What needs more care, attention, or a change of pace? In this episode of the More Plants podcast, I'm sharing the lesson that carried me through a rocky start to the summer: patience. After an Irish-dance performance led to a significant foot injury, daily physical-therapy sessions, major questions around returning to dance, and difficult nights caring for our 17-year-old dog Vega, I noticed something important: I was judging myself constantly. I was judging my body for not healing fast enough, my energy for dipping after sleepless nights, my work for moving more slowly than I wanted, and myself for not having every decision figured out immediately. That is where my new mantra came in: Vitamin P. Patience is not passive. It is not sitting still, waiting for life to magically sort itself out. It is taking the first small, useful step today—without demanding that you already know every step that comes after it. In this episode, we talk about how patience can help you: Build more vegan and plant-based habits without becoming overwhelmed Stop treating one difficult meal or one off-plan day as proof that you have failed Focus on the next practical step rather than every future social event, holiday, or challenge Create momentum with small actions, from stocking the fridge to making one new meal Approach movement, recovery, work, study, caregiving, and change with more self-compassion Let go of “crystal ball mode”—the urge to predict exactly how long everything will take or the steps needed to complete it Use a simple journaling practice to identify what patience looks like in each area of your life and personalize this for you If you are starting a new vegan journey, returning to routines after summer, learning to cook more plant-based meals, recovering from a setback, or simply trying to make a change without burning yourself out, this episode is for you. Try the Vitamin P journal prompt Choose one area of life that feels difficult, uncertain, or frustrating right now. Ask yourself: What would this look like if I added patience—but still kept moving forward? Then make it specific. What is the next single step? It might be buying fruit and vegetables for the week. It might be making a list of three familiar meals you want to make vegan. It might be putting your walking shoes by your bed. It might be resting. It might be asking for help. It might simply be beginning again tomorrow. At More Plants and at Brownble, this is the approach we bring to plant-based cooking too: practical, gradual, joyful change. Building systems that can last, but where you do all the layering and deisgn so that the change works for you. Click play above and tune in! For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit https://www.brownbleprograms.com/blog

Welcome to Friday's Rugby Daily, with Cameron Hill.Coming up, huge blow for Munster and Ireland, as Jack Crowley is ruled out for the rest of the year,The teams are named for the second test between New Zealand and South Africa in the Greatest Rivalry tour,And all eyes on Galway tomorrow for the exciting finale to the Women's Interpro Series.Rugby on Off The Ball with Bank of Ireland | #NeverStopCompeting

A diagnosis can change your life, but it does not have to decide what comes next. My guest Paul Bugeja has built a life shaped by curiosity, career change, travel, creativity, and a determination to keep moving forward. Paul lives with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, or FSHD, a condition he calls his “dark angel.” We talk about how disability has influenced his choices without defining them, why staying active matters to him, and how personal agency has helped him face uncertainty without becoming trapped by fear. Paul also shares his path from acting and writing into journalism and digital media, where he now works as a quizmaster. We explore disability advocacy, media accessibility, the role of AI in journalism, and the danger of losing critical thinking. Paul's story reminds us that resilience is not about denying challenges. It is about understanding them while continuing to choose how we live. Highlights: 01:10 – How moving often helped Paul learn to adapt. 12:15 – How a gym visit led to his FSHD diagnosis. 20:39 – Why disability gave Paul a stronger drive to live fully. 22:53 – How knowledge of his condition gave him more agency. 38:35 – Why accessible media still has room to improve. 45:57 – How staying present helps Paul manage worry and fear. About the Guest: Working as a quizmaster for a major media organisation isn't somewhere I could have predicted I'd end up professionally, but, then again, life has taken so many twists and turns it doesn't surprise me this is where I currently find myself. Despite early aspirations to be an actor, I completed a double degree in Arts and Commerce at the University of Melbourne, with the final year spent on exchange at UC Berkeley, California. On my return to Australia, not to be denied, the ever-persistent actor in me got me admission to the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts Drama School: the decade or so following saw me immersed in the challenging but exciting life of the struggling actor. This period was also the launching pad into studies in writing, editing, journalism and screenwriting, which I did as I worked in book publishing and wrote half a dozen books, even as I edged into the rapidly evolving professional world of content, digital marketing and journalism. Throughout this entire time, I've lived alongside and managed my “dark angel”—a diagnosis of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy—which has only served to galvanise me further to live a life less ordinary along the road less travelled … And that has made all the difference. Ways to connect with Paul**:** LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/peebee/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingston, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head-on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hi, everyone. I'd like to thank you once again for coming to another episode of Unstoppable Mindset. And if you're new to the podcast, we hope you enjoy our episode today. We're glad you're here wherever you may happen to be. Today we are communicating a long way away. We're communicating with Melbourne, Australia, to Paul Bugeja, and Paul is fondly known as a quizmaster. We're going to have to find out more about that, but he's had a lot of interest in acting and media and such things as that, and has had clearly a pretty adventurous life. And again, I'm sure we're going to hear a lot about a lot of that today. So, Paul, welcome to Unstoppable Mindset. We're really glad you're here. Paul Bugeja  01:44 Thank you for having me, Michael. Michael Hingson  01:46 So why don't we start? I love to do this with the early Paul, kind of growing up and how things all got started. If you remember back that far, or at least as far back as you remember, or what you were told anyway. Paul Bugeja  01:59 You know, pretty standard like childhood story for me. Grew up in the green leafy sort of suburbs of Melbourne. You know, did all the things that kids do in their growing up years. My my mother actually divorced my father quite young for me, so that was a little bit of a a critical sort of point for a child to sort of, you know, have to grapple with, but um, it was pretty smooth, and you know, um, it didn't really disrupt my childhood, except it meant that I moved around a lot when I was quite young. So I probably moved about seven or eight times by the time I was maybe eight years old. Um, but I think, in a way, that that that sort of has worked for me because it meant that even as a young child, I had to learn to adapt and change and evolve very quickly. Particularly when it came to meeting people, and you know, as a child, obviously making friends-that's one of the trickiest parts as a kid sometimes. So I think that actually stood me in good stead in in that regard, yeah. Michael Hingson  03:04 Well, I I didn't have to move a whole lot growing up. We moved from Chicago to California when I was five and stayed in the same house since college. I have moved a bunch of times, but those things happen. I understand what you're saying. I'm I'm used to it, but am am of the opinion that I'd rather not move again. It is a lot of work to move, and now also it's just me. My wife passed away two almost two and a half years ago, so I don't want to pack and move again. But yeah, well, we're in a house that we built, and and so we built it really around her because she's in a wheelchair her whole life. So it's an accessible house, but it's a very comfortable house. So I I have no complaints, and and the dog and the cat seem to like it as well. So we're here. Paul Bugeja  04:01 It's a win for everyone, and I think look, that's that's a really interesting. I had this very similar conversation with a friend yesterday about there's a time to put down roots and there's a time to be a you know a rolling stone, and and for some people that's at different times in their life, you know. So I I can understand why you would have chosen to find your comfy spot to settle into and enjoy. Michael Hingson  04:23 Well, and I have a good mortgage rate and all that, so yeah, we're happy with with things the way they are. And as long as the dog and the cat are happy, I can't complain a bit. Paul Bugeja  04:33 Excellent, excellent. Michael Hingson  04:34 But but now you're and and you you're not moving as much around anymore. Paul Bugeja  04:40 Sort of the opposite, actually. I think, like, to to go back to what we were originally discussing. Like, I think having moved so much as a younger person has meant I've lived a life that's almost constantly moving. Like, there certainly have been periods where I've lived for reasonably long periods in the one place, but particularly over the past. We maybe 10 to 12 years or so. I've moved like literally maybe 10 to 12 times. Like it's becoming, Michael Hingson  05:09 it Paul Bugeja  05:10 almost becomes a bit addictive. Sort of the ability to to be transportable when your professional life allows you and your personal life allows you as well. Michael Hingson  05:18 Yeah, I can understand that. For me, I don't want to go through all the rigors of packing and finding a new home and all that, so we're good. But but it it's okay because I can go anywhere from here, and so that works out pretty well. So I'm I'm content, and that that's the way it it should be. So we'll see how it all goes. But I'm glad that you did well, so you grew up, had kind of a normal life, even though you moved around a lot. Yeah, did all the things that that that kids do growing up, and so on. And where did you go to college, or did you? Paul Bugeja  05:53 Yeah, so I my original, I've I was a bit of a perpetual student for probably you know the first several decades as an adult, my original degree was from the University of Melbourne, which is one of the sort of larger universities in both Melbourne and Australia, and I did a double degree in arts and commerce. But you know, I had long wanted to be an actor, and so originally, like when I finished high school, my my intention was to audition for drama school. But my mother very wisely convinced me to go to university first, and then check that out. And if I didn't like it, then maybe audition for drama school a bit later on. And it was, as mothers can be on most occasions, very sagely advice from her, because the thing that she wasn't aware of was that even though I I definitely enjoyed the academic aspect of my studies at MLB Uni, it has a very strong theater department as well, and very big names have actually been through there and gone on to bigger and better things, namely Kate Blanchett. She was one of my colleagues back in the day. So you know, it was a it was a proving ground for talent. And so I did a lot of theater during my my studies at the University of Melbourne while completing the academic side as well. So I never quite lost that sort of underlying desire to maybe go on and and study acting and maybe do some acting. I actually completed the final year of my degree at Cal at UC Berkeley, which was an amazing experience, and sort of also launched me into the next part of my life. So that that was at a time when you know, like I think in a lot of ways, more and more students were traveling between countries to study. It was becoming a real thing to study overseas, so it was such an amazing experience to finish at Cal. Michael Hingson  07:48 So, do you keep in touch with Kate at Paul Bugeja  07:52 all? Haven't seen Kate in probably maybe 20 years or so. We kept in contact during the beginning of her career, of course, and then you know that life has taken her to such places that it's almost impossible to keep Michael Hingson  08:07 touch, right? Paul Bugeja  08:08 That's right. But you know, I dare say, if I think she's probably maintained the sort of personality and character that she had when I knew her, which would mean that if I bumped into her on the street and I said hello and gave her a bit of a nudge about where we knew each other from. She'd be the first one to lean into that and and you know be quite happy to reminisce on old times as you know she's not an aloof sort of person. I think that's my feel about her, even given her amazing success. Michael Hingson  08:37 I've never had that impression of her either, so I I'm with you. Well, that's pretty cool. What What took you to Berkeley for your last year? Paul Bugeja  08:45 Yeah, so I actually started working during my studies on campus at the university, and I worked in the international student office. So I was dealing with a lot of incoming study abroad and exchange students, which meant I began to have a real desire to do the same thing myself, and initially I was looking at a couple of other universities like Georgetown. I think NYU was one of the options, and I actually met a guy from Cal who was like, "You should come to Berkeley and study. It's an amazing institution. You'll love California. It's so similar to Australia, and I'd I'd I'd actually been to California before my first overseas trip when I was 19, and so I had a taste of California already. So initially, I was looking at the whole sort of Cal system, the whole you know UC system. So I looked at UCLA, UC San UCSJ maybe and anyway yeah and and then I fell and I fell in Berkeley as the final one just because what a great city to live outside of you know San Francisco's such a beautiful city and and yeah so I ended up spending an entire year there which was just like you know life defining. Michael Hingson  09:57 What'd your mom think of that? Paul Bugeja  10:00 Yeah, typical of mum's. There was a lot of tears at the airport, but you know, and this was you know like at a time when social media was really not even happening, so it was all about the phone calls regularly. But she was happy. She's I'm very lucky in that, even though I'm an only child, mum's not a clingy a clingy mum, you know, she has always encouraged me to just go out and do everything that I possibly can, and and she would never, she would rarely, you know, get get in the way of me living out my life and my dreams. Michael Hingson  10:33 Do you still? Is she still here? Paul Bugeja  10:35 She is. Yep, she's um 78, so she's you know I'm still a youngish older person, and even though we don't, we sort of you know like see each other as much as maybe I'd like because we don't live in the same place. You know, we we talk every two days or so on the phone, and I stay in regular contact. And yeah, it's it's still a very very strong relationship. Michael Hingson  10:56 That's cool. That that's a good thing though. So you you went to Berkeley. You were here. You were out here in California for a year, and then what happened? Paul Bugeja  11:05 Well, I actually I bounced back to Australia, feeling very encouraged to to follow my acting pursuits because I I did a couple of shows at when I was at Cal. I did one drama class as well in the drama department, you know, made some lifetime friendships and and felt very connected to myself as an actor again. And so, even though originally my plans were to apply to become a diplomat through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the acting thing was a bit too strong. So I came back and and felt a little not torn, but certainly I had to I had to weigh up the competing desire to want to be an actor against the fact that I had a great degree that I could maybe go on and do something completely different with. So in fact, I spent a year thinking about that and ended up quite on a different track and enrolled in a master's of environmental studies, which you know was something that interested me definitely. And but decided that I would, in addition to drama school as well, which I did do, and I got into. So I did one year of that master's, and then I went on to study at the Victorian College of the Arts, which is one of the big three drama schools in Australia, and so I finally got to that took that circuitous route to drama school, despite my mum's earlier advice, and she was happy because you know I got there under my own auspices in terms of I'd made a decision as an adult to finally get there, rather than maybe as an excited teenager who you know could obviously do so many things, and so I had both the academic degree, and now I was into a program that I'd always wanted to sort of be involved with. Michael Hingson  12:49 Right. Well, and and that that's fine. That makes sense. Yes. So I'm not sure when to bring this up. So I'll bring it up now. Sure. Tell us about your dark angel. Paul Bugeja  13:01 Yeah, absolutely. So probably in my in my in my late 20s, I started working at a university in back at University of Melbourne. Actually, my old alma mater, and by then, you know, I was actually you know sort of I I was doing some acting, you know, some professional acting, not a lot of it, but enough to sort of be remain interested. So I needed a part time job on the side, you know, to to keep it going as most actors do. And when I started working at the university, I became very interested in fitness as well. I joined a gym and started going to the gym there and made some sort of friends with the local personal trainers. And one day I was doing some training and on one of the big, big sort of bouncy medicine balls that you can sit on for balance and training work, and one of the instructors came up to me and said, "Do you realize that your scapular wings? And I was firstly thinking, "Well, what the hell is my scapular? And then I sort of made sense that it was my shoulders, you know. And and I said, "What do you mean? He said, "Well, when you do upper body workouts, your scapula has quite a lot of movement in it, and it's quite visible. Now, I've always been a very thin person, like I've always sort of been. We've joked about being a tall, skinny dude, you know, and and so I I'd never thought anything about maybe the fact that my my shoulder blades were a bit more prominent. I figured that was because I was a slim person, you know. Of course, so he recommended I see a physiotherapist, and I did. I saw a sports physio in case I'd injured myself or there was some underlying issue. After a couple of sessions with a sports physio. I was referred to a neurologist because the sports physio had some inklings about it may be being a neurological condition potentially of some kind, but had no idea what it might be. And this is when I guess my dark angel first really. Began alerting me to its presence in the background of my life, and I'll explain why I call it my dark angel in a moment. Yeah, the neurologist and I did some tests, and I went in for a biopsy, a muscle biopsy, and I was diagnosed with one of the variants of muscular dystrophy, which is fascioscapiohumeral muscular dystrophy, so it affects the face, the humerus, and the scapula, but in general affects the muscles across the body. It's a degenerative neuromuscular disease. It's not that common; about one in 8000 have it. So you know, enough people have it that it's out there. Some people live with live with it their entire lives and don't know they have it for the reasons that I've just sort of elaborated on, which are it can it can be there but be so minor that you just think it's because you're a slim person or you don't have much you don't go to the gym so you don't work out so your muscles aren't growing or whatever. So yeah, and I was not that thrown by it at the time. It was it was in our family, so it wasn't that much of a surprise to me that maybe I had it. Given that another family member, even though they're quite distant on the family tree for me, also had it, and yeah, I began to just think about you know like what life would be like with this condition, and you know began to have regular sort of checks with the neurologist and you know other sort of allied health professionals around how to manage that. Luckily, it was very my and still is very mild in terms of how severe that it can be. But as I sort of began thinking more about my professional life. I I actually took on a an editing and writing degree and a screenwriting degree as I started to move away from acting because I figured I am a creative person. I love writing and I want to improve my craft. I was interested in journalism as well and I could do that as part of this degree. Paul Bugeja  16:58 So I started studying and that then led to me actually writing a couple of books, four or five books, working as an editor, and then at one point I began thinking, I think I need to write my own book about my journey with this condition, or you know, disability, whatever you want to call it. And I had watched the TV show Dexter, which you may or may not have watched. Yep, and Dexter talks about his dark passenger. You know, as and that's the the sort of I mean, it's a weird correlation. I know in some ways, but that's the serial killer in him. That's his dark passenger. But it really resonated as um this idea of there being this sort of passenger in your life. You know, for whatever reason, whatever it is, and I didn't obviously want to steal that sort of figurative term, but I began thinking about a dark angel instead because, for me, it's a double thing. I mean, I was whatever Catholic. I'm not a practicing Catholic anymore, but you know, the notions of angels around us is something you know we all sort of think about, I guess. But the notion of my scapular wing and those being wings as well was very sort of resonated with me, and so I began feeling that for me my entire life this dark angel had been somewhere in the background, very very far in the background to the point where I wasn't even really aware of that dark angel, and then of course when the diagnosis came along, the dark angel began to make its presence more known, and yeah, and and then over time, I'm very, I live with, you know, like anyone with any sort of disability or chronic medical condition, like you live with it 24/7, and some days it's more of a burden, other days you don't not even aware of it, but you have to learn to live with it, and and so I now feel like I have this sort of dance with the dark angel, I like to call it, who sometimes is more present in my life and sometimes much more in the background. Michael Hingson  18:53 So, what kinds of things does it sort of limit you, or what what do you have to do to to make sure you don't let it get too much of a control over you. Paul Bugeja  19:04 Sure. So for me, the biggest thing I ever did was start going to the gym. You know, I did that just out of pure practicality because there was a gym on campus. It was very easy to join it. It was very close to go to on my lunch break, and so I've now maintained a really rigorous gym schedule, even though my upper body strength is quite weak and limited. I've been able to, I think, the my GP and say allied healthcare professionals like physios and exercise physiologists and occupational therapists have all commented that my gym program is one of the things that may you know this it's a may but may have prevented the condition progressing more severely than it has. So staying fit has been really important. I think by nature, I like to call myself a pragmatic optimist or optimistic pragmatist. By nature, I'm a practical person. I sort of feel as though, unlike I mean, look, everyone manages the news of some sort of health situation differently. You know, some people it can lay low, and I understand why because it can be very confronting, and every condition has a different set of limitations, like you know, it can be quite severe for some people. Like my my cousin had a different form of muscular dystrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which meant that he was in a wheelchair from the age of five and died at the age of 28. So you know, like like in my case, I feel blessed on some level that my condition is slowly deteriorating, but I do think that I'm lucky that I have enough of a practical and positive attitude about not letting it. I don't call, I never ignore it or or deny it, but I call about. I just resist it. The resistance is there. Like I I push back against it. So mentally, I try to stay positive physically. I try to stay healthy, but you know it does limit me. I have part of the condition. I have something called foot drop, which means that my feet catch a lot as I walk. So I trip a lot. So I I have damaged elbows and knees a lot because of that. So as a consequence, I have to be conscious when I walk. It's not just a. It's not like for most people, walking is an unconscious action. Of course, for me, it's a conscious action to ensure that I trip less. And of course, as I get older, tripping becomes a thing as you get older anyway, because you know your muscle tone changes and you know all kinds of things. So you know, it's about almost in a way you have to become. You do have to be aware of it all the time, and you have to manage it all the time. But that doesn't mean it has to become a burden. I think in many ways it's pushed me the other way, which is it's made me have a lust for life. It's made me want to do more. It's it's probably pushed me to be more nomadic while I can be, just in case there's a point where I can't be, and that sounds a little bit sad, and I mean probably in some ways, but I see that as a positive. Like a really small example I can give you is whenever I visit my mum, like I don't drive, so I use public transport like trains and busses and and the like. And if I catch a train to to go visit my mum, she always insists I'll come and pick you up at the at the train station, rather than you walk to my place, and I insist every time I'm going to walk because while I can walk, I want to walk. You know, so I don't. It's not. I reject. I don't reject her kindness, and I understand it. But it's me saying to the dark angel, "No, I will. Does she? Michael Hingson  22:36 Does she understand Paul Bugeja  22:38 it? I think so on some level, but she still Michael Hingson  22:41 wants to come and get you. Of course, Paul Bugeja  22:43 she does. Of course, there can be the tiniest trickle of rain, and she's like, "Oh, you can't walk in that rain. You know, I've got an umbrella, mum. No, no, no. You know, it's all that stuff. Um, it's it's delightful of her, and I'm glad, and I'll always expect the offer in those situations. But um, yeah, no, she um, you know, unfortunately, and I think a lot of parents will who pass on genetic conditions because this is a genetically passed on condition for me. She feels a sense of guilt about you know having passed on through her line, and so I think she we've talked about it a few times, and it's not a heavy weight on her shoulders, but she has a sense of it. Yeah. Michael Hingson  23:20 Well, I I appreciate that. What was it like when you first got the diagnosis? Though, did it did did it depress you? Did it kind of knock you on your ear in in any way, or did you really decide almost right from the beginning? Okay, this is here, but I can deal with Paul Bugeja  23:37 it. Yeah, it look, you know. So I'm writing a book about this, as I was saying at the moment, and in the in the chapter of the book that I'm writing, I think I wrote something along the lines of life just moved on. You know, like there was no discernible difference. Like I didn't feel physically any difference because there was no physical difference. But for me, I mean, you know, I I work in the media and I've worked in the knowledge industries of any kind for quite some time. Knowledge is power, you know. And and I would rather know about something and then be able to to to have some agency about how to act on it than to bury my head in the sand. Or, but by the same token, I can understand that knowledge can really throw some people. And you know, I have a friend, for example, who I was diagnosed with MS, and that can be an awful condition to be diagnosed with because it can progress very quickly. And for her, the knowledge wasn't great. You know, it's it's been a very big challenge for her. But you know, five years on, now that she has much more knowledge about it because she's had to live with it, she's going the opposite way. So you know, everyone is different, but for me, the knowledge actually catapulted me forward rather than weighed me down. Michael Hingson  24:46 Well, that was a choice that you had to make, or that you got to make, and you made it. And you're you're choosing to move forward with life, which is great. Paul Bugeja  24:55 Yeah, yeah. I feel lucky. As I said, I know. Everyone can can make that choice because of their own set of circumstances, and I do feel lucky about some of my circumstances. And you know, so I don't think everyone can necessarily be that practical or optimistic about things. But I encourage people to you know take a breath and and try and sit with whatever it is that they have to manage at any particular time, because you know people. A lot of people have a lot heavier challenges than I do, and they meet them as well. So it's possible to meet your challenges, I think, even if it limits you still. Michael Hingson  25:36 Well, so it's something that you live with, and so on. And I appreciate that. What what makes you get out of bed every day and and move forward, or is that what what you've been describing? Paul Bugeja  25:48 Look, I think I mean you know I'm I'm an I'm a lark, so I'm at about 430 in the morning, and I'm a Monday person, and I had this conversation with someone just this past Monday at the gym who you know dragged herself into the gym, and she was you know can't be bothered. I hate Mondays so much, you know, blah blah blah. And I get all that, you know. People love their weekends and a break. I love, I love the beginning of a day, and I and I have no problems getting up because I love the thought of there being so much in front of me, you know. And and even as as I grow older, and and you know, life obviously begins to go into a different phase. I still feel there's so much ahead, and and and it sounds a little bit Pollyanna of me, maybe, and a little bit overly optimistic, and a little bit Hollywood. But you know, I feel so hungry for life, and and even though that doesn't mean my life is perfect by any means, and that every day is perfect, and that there are some days that are are challenging. I face that all the time, as do we all in our different ways. But I I just feel so eager for the things that I mean. I have a great professional life, I have a great personal life, I have great friends, I have a good family. You know, my health is fine given the situation. Doesn't mean it's perfect, like I just said. But I don't have much to complain about, really. So, really, getting up is each day is is not a hard thing for me. It's it's it's a joy most days. Michael Hingson  27:15 So, are you married? Paul Bugeja  27:17 No, single. And this is, and I often frame conversations with this because sometimes my friends say to me, "Gosh, you have a great life, and I say, "Yeah, but I chose to be single, to not have children, and to not have pets-the three big things that change the course of your life sometimes in a good way, quite often. But also, I have more choices ahead of me because I am single and childless and petless, you know. Michael Hingson  27:42 Yep. Paul Bugeja  27:43 But you know, I don't. I'm not. I don't. I don't feel. I feel like I could have made other choices around this, of course. And I don't think there is a right or a wrong choice. It's just you have to find the right choice for you, especially when it comes to these big life choices. Michael Hingson  27:59 Well, you know, and when I got married, my wife and I had discussions about children, and she felt that she didn't want to have a child because she was in a wheelchair, and she felt in her specific situation, it would have been a lot harder on the body, and she would have been in bed a whole lot during a pregnancy, and she was afraid she would lose a lot of the the upper body strength and so on that she had. And my belief was that was her choice to make, and so we we both decided that we didn't want children. We would very happily entertain our nieces and nephews and throw them out of the house at the end of the day and send them home, which worked out really well. Paul Bugeja  28:49 I can I can understand that choice, and I I certainly I always thought I would be a father to be to be honest about that. When I was in my late teens and early 20s, it was forefront of my mind. Even though I had all these other adventures planned, and I had a couple of opportunities, actually, probably in my 30s, where I could have chosen to go down that road. And yeah, around the time I was diagnosed, I began thinking what that might mean. Like, and I began to not fear passing on my my FSHD to my potential children, but because often it passes through the female to the male, so it's less likely to pass through me. But if I had a female child, I might have passed it on genetically to her, who then passed it on to my grandchild. And not that that should stop anyone ever wanting children, but to your point and and the way you and your wife discuss the situation, I I made a conscious decision that probably given the life choices I was making around my career as well and other and personal life, it might not be the best choice. So yeah, I can understand where where. If Speaker 1  30:04 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset Community. Michael Hingson  30:36 So, in in your life, what is one of the well? What would be the greatest thing in your life, personal or professional, that you've experienced so far? Paul Bugeja  30:47 The greatest thing, yeah, it's a it's a great question. That's a Michael Hingson  30:52 toughie because there are probably several. Paul Bugeja  30:54 Yeah, no, there are, there are. I mean, you know, I think, and this will seem a little sort of not so great. I mean, as in not great. Sorry, but I think the the first job in journalism that I got, which was working for the Guardian, the Australian Mars said version of the Guardian, that was pretty amazing for me because I had I had thought, and it wasn't as a journalist. It was as a like a community sort of an audience sort of person, basically. So I wasn't writing and I wasn't generating content, but just to be finally in a media organization after probably 10 or 15 years of always thinking, God, I'd love to work in the media. I'm a real news hound. I love news. I love current affairs, and even though for some it was just getting a job, for me it was taking a step into something that I had thought about for a while, and finally, and you know, working for a really reputable and very well known masthead as well, that had a lot of credibility. So that was pretty exciting, and and that sort of set me on the path of, I think this is where I will stay now if I can. Even though, as you would know, the media is under a lot of pressure to sort of evolve with a lot of external threats to the way it works and and you know staying financially viable. So I've sort of put myself into a very hot pot, and I hope I'm not the frog that jumps out. But I don't think I will be. I think I've managed to forge a bit of a career now that will keep me going. So yeah, it's not a a life like sort of fireworks sort of moment, but it was a it was certainly the day that I got the phone call saying we'd we'd love you to come and join us was was you know very similar to that? I got the phone call from drama school saying you got into drama school. It was a real like everything felt lifted. You know the whole I felt like I was floating that day. Michael Hingson  32:52 Yeah, I'm with you. So what other kinds of jobs then did you progress to over time? Paul Bugeja  32:59 Yeah, so because because I was pursuing acting for for quite some time, probably for about 10 to 15 years, really. You know, I had to do what most actors do, which is work a lot of other jobs. You know, like you just have to. The work is never constant, even for the for the biggest actors in the world. You know, I mean, most of them obviously work constantly, but you know, like to be a working actor is is never let anyone say that being an actor is not a real job. It's a really hard job, you know. And so, I I worked for a long time in casual jobs. I worked in a lot of theaters in in like the sort of the ticketing sort of area of of theaters. So I worked at both the Sydney Opera House and the Victorian Art Center, two big theater. You would know the Sydney Opera House, obviously, but yeah, Victoria Arts Center is another big theater organization in Australia. And while I was doing that, I began doing some freelance editing as a book editor. This was where I really began getting interested in content and copy, and and I had the part-time job at the university while I was studying and sort of doing all these other casual things and acting, and a role came up working in digital sort of content with a large betting agency. So you know, sports betting, which is very big in Australia, and it was managing their blog, their sports blog. So lots of content about what's happening in all the different sports, but you know, sort of a marketing slash copy role. But it was my first foray into digital content, you know, and this was at a time when it was really starting to amp up, and that therefore, you know, made me really think much more about journalism and and wanting to pursue that. So that was sort of the springboard into working in digital marketing, working as a sub editor, and then sort of finally landing this role at the Guardian, which didn't last super long, unfortunately, because I was completing a master's in publishing and communications at the time, and discovered that I. I'd left I'd left Melbourne to move to Sydney to work in the role and had two subjects left and I'd been told by the university that I could complete them in Sydney, and then I was told by an administrator that that was not possible, so I had to leave my job at the Guardian to go back to Melbourne to finish the masters, which was fine to do, and I kept doing other casual kind of jobs and you know contract roles. Well, I did that, but it meant leaving the Guardian, which was a bit disappointing. But it meant I got my masters, which was really critical because again, that was more of a springboard onwards. In fact, I, as part of my masters, I went to China and did a an intensive class in Shanghai, and from that, got offered a role in China, in Shanghai, with a with a Chinese media company that that produced content for for the very big expat community in Shanghai, and I was about to leave to go to Shanghai to take up the role, and you'll you'll probably will have a wry smile, which was February 2020, and fortunately, not long after that, everything kind of went pear-shaped with COVID, and so had to. I mean, it's sort of lucky in a way because Shanghai had a pretty awful time during COVID, where it was a very strict lockdown. So I probably dodged a bit of a COVID bullet in that regard, even though Australia had its own share of lockdowns. But yeah, so that sort of threw a bit of a spanner in the works of what looked like the next part of my media career. But then, of course, you know, I'm a I'm a fatalist. I I run with fate. I I don't push back against the things that sort of maybe look like negatives or or take us off our path. Paul Bugeja  36:38 And I just feel like it's another another fork in the path that takes us on a on a route that will hopefully get us to where we were meant to be, and not taking that role meant, of course, about a year later, I saw the job with Stuff, which is the New Zealand media company that I currently work for, and that was the middle of 2021. It was based in Auckland. We were still in the middle of COVID, but I applied anyway because why not? And yeah, they offered me the role pending the borders opening, effectively. And luckily for me, there was a two-week window where New Zealand and Australia thought things were going to go okay, and the borders opened, and I jumped on the first flight out and got myself to Auckland, and then I started my current job, or actually a different version of my current job with stuff. Michael Hingson  37:27 And what is your your current job? Paul Bugeja  37:30 So I am currently I create digital content for stuff for stuff digital, as we're called now. I mostly create trivia quizzes, so fun daily quizzes that we have a very very dedicated audience for. People love a quiz. I also create a word puzzle called the Hard Word, which is an anagram kind of puzzle. I create that every day. I create a news quiz for them. I also help manage the community, the online community that interacts with with us as another part of my role, which is the role that I originally went to New Zealand for, but as a full time gig, and now it's just sort of part of my my role. So yeah, I am a quizmaster. I love it. I had previously worked in television quiz shows during my time in Australia when I was juggling other stuff, so I had a bit of a background in in quiz question writing and quiz research and verifying, and so I'm now really in such a wonderful job. But I always like to be very clear about this to people because it sounds like the best job in the world. Wow, sitting and making cool quizzes every day-it's a really involved job, and it it takes a lot of kind of like time to research and put together these quizzes because you know you're trying to please a very broad audience of from you know 15 year olds to 75 year olds. So you know, it's it's a it's a very involved job, even if it's a fun job, and so it does, you know, it it does still have a very critical kind of like professional aspect to it, even though it sounds like to some of my friends and and people who learn about it the best job in the world. Michael Hingson  39:17 Well, I'm sure it's a great job, but it is a clearly a challenging job. Have you ever encountered people who talk to you about making your your quizzes or trying to work with staff to make quizzes and some of the things they do more accessible? So, like people who are blind can solve the quizzes or work the quizzes and use screen readers and so on to do the same things that others do. Paul Bugeja  39:45 Excellent point. So yeah, I feel quite often when I'm making my quizzes that clearly they are for an audience that can access them very easily. You know, as opposed to an audience that might need assistance to access. Them and you know we do the the the basic stuff as we you know you must you know um like you know putting an alt tag so that um you know people who maybe are but are able to to use to access the quiz as a as a an audio rather than a video rather than a written um quiz but you know, I think you're right. And look, to be fair, I think you know the way that the media is going. The media is going very video oriented now, anyway. I think, which is a brilliant thing for people who do need have some access, because you know, with the video, of course, a video quiz, there'll be audio as well as visual, as well as the written word potentially. So there's a way that covers off all the bases, you know, or you know, many of the bases anyway. At the moment, you know, we are starting to bring in some minor changes, but I think going forward, it's pretty critical because you know the world is very aware that people do have some limitations in the way that they can access, especially digital content, and even though there are a lot of great forms of software that you can use to to make like your your life less limited by whatever you know sort of limitation you may have, it still isn't as good as it can be. And and I think certainly as someone with a disability, I'm an advocate for disability. You know, I'm on the board of a major disability organization in Australia. I'm on an engagement advisory committee for the same organization. I'm very pro and very much an advocate for ensuring that anyone with any form of disability can access and have as as great a life as possible, as untrammeled. I'm not untrammeled. That's the wrong word. As as as you know, as a life that has no barricades to them, basically. Michael Hingson  41:49 Well, the the reality is that crossword puzzles, for example, can be made accessible. Yep. And of course, I wouldn't expect the organization to suddenly produce Braille puzzles, but there are there are still ways Speaker 2  42:11 to do it Michael Hingson  42:11 to create audio, for example, kinds of things. And you mentioned the the value of video that only works if people truly put the appropriate descriptions in in audio form, the video, which a lot of people don't do, which is unfortunate, but it is possible to make to make them more accessible than they are. Paul Bugeja  42:36 Yeah, but it is a but it is a it is Michael Hingson  42:38 a challenge, and I hope that over time more more kinds of things will be accessible. I get the New York Times online, and a lot of what they do isn't nearly as accessible as it should be, and I can see how it it could be made more Accessible, but they haven't just been really willing to do it. And and ironically, a lot of the media has been one of the places where access has has truly not been addressed nearly like it it should be. And and the the result of that is that there are problems, and of course they say, well, things change so fast. They they do, except that it's all about coding and it's all about understanding programming and coding. And if you do it right, and if you know it, you can keep up either way. But you know, people don't necessarily do that. Paul Bugeja  43:38 Yeah, look, I agree, and I think you know. Look, without I'm not going to become a defender of the media, even though I'm part of it. But I think they definitely can do better as a as an entire sort of profession. I think that the tricky thing for the media at the moment is, I mean, you look at what happened this week. You know, 300 reporters, you know, sacked at the Washington Post. You know the media is under a lot of pressure to be financial, and that's not a great defense against not being accessible, mind you. But their mind is on survival at the moment, and that's an unfortunate thing because it means that they can't do the stuff that would actually benefit everyone, you know, their entire audience. So, not to defend it, but that's that's the only sort of rationale I can think of as to why they're not doing more. But that shouldn't stop them trying. That shouldn't stop them trying. Michael Hingson  44:32 Well, and I think that's really the issue: is that people do need to try, and people need to make an effort. And if they would, it would help a lot more than than it does today. Paul Bugeja  44:43 Agreed. Michael Hingson  44:44 So, if you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? Paul Bugeja  44:47 Not very much. Like I really love my life. You know, I I I even and this will sound quite odd. I even probably wouldn't change having a disability. You know, like it it who I am. It's it's in my. You know, it's it's so it's in my DNA. Like you can't get any deeper into someone than their DNA. You know, like of course I'd rather not have this, but it's it it it doesn't as we've discussed. It doesn't stop me. It doesn't limit me. It just modifies my life on the edges. It's Michael Hingson  45:16 just it's just part of you. Paul Bugeja  45:18 That's exactly right. And so I have to embrace that. You know, as you know, does anyone with any sort of situation that is slightly left of you know what people might call you know normal or ordinary, you know? And I, I always say I try to live my life less ordinary, you know, and and I think it's that attitude which really stands me in good stead because when you choose like I like as we discussed earlier, I'm in a position where I can make different choices to people who do have a partner, or do have kids, or do have a massive mortgage, or do have whatever you know job that keeps them in one place. But you know, you know the old saying about you make your own luck, right? And circumstance does change things definitely, and some circumstances are outside of our control. For example, getting having a genetic disability is outside of my control, but you know you do make your own luck as well. And I sort of feel that I am so about agency, and I'm so about you know like taking responsibility for your actions that I feel that everything about my life is because of the choices that I've made, and I want to own that. So you know why would I want to change any of that? In terms of, if I want to change it, then I will change it. So I think I have a great life. I'm healthy. I'm happy. I've got a you know like I was saying earlier, I have great friends, a good family, a great job. I'm able to you know like talk to people like this about things and and and like it's yeah life's pretty life's pretty good for me. Um, you know, there are things about the world I'd like to change, like as would we all, you know, like, um, but those things we can only sort of change on the edges, and I do that as much as I can as well. So, well, there are things that we don't Michael Hingson  46:54 have control over, and and if we worry about them, that's just going to cause us grief. It's not going to bother others. Paul Bugeja  47:01 No, no worries. Worry. I mean, I worry about something. Of course, I do. We all do. But you know, eventually, I manage to bat most of my worries away because I realize, as you said, it's usually something that is out of my control. It's funny when I talk to my actor friends, and speaking for myself, of course, you know, actors have to rehearse. You know, we rehearse favorite. You know, you rehearse for roles and whatever, and that sometimes for me has meant that I tend to rehearse things prior to you know the situation. So it means that my mind goes at 100 miles an hour about a lot of things, and that can lead to anxiety and worry. You know because you overthink, you worry about a situation that hasn't even occurred yet. You're thinking, not over. Well, that's exactly right. That's exactly right. So, you know, I think the the biggest lesson I've probably taken as well from my diagnosis and and the the thing I committed to this year a little bit as a part of my New Year's resolution or whatever you want to call it is to just be as present as I can. You know, like to live in this moment right now. That doesn't mean I don't have an eye to the future, and and I don't make plans, and I don't am not excited about the future. But I'm I'm trying to be as present as I can because if you're present, then all then all this worry disappears in a way because you just can only deal with with with what's right in front of you. Michael Hingson  48:18 Right. Do you have any regrets? Paul Bugeja  48:22 Um, not really. I mean, you know, like there've been a few moments in my life. So, for example, I can I can name a few things. Like when I was in my early 30s, I entered the the diversity visa program, which is the green card lottery in America. Yeah, and I I got it. I got a green card, you know, and so I was all ready to move to the states back in the late 90. Oh no, when was it? Yeah, the late 90s. Yeah, yeah, um, early noughties, and I got into the writing editing course in Australia. So I was really enjoying that. I was doing some acting and some paid acting work, and so I had to. I had a moment where I was like, "Well, do I really want to take up this green card off and become a resident of America? I have lived there before when I studied. I travel there regularly to see my friends, you know. And so I had this crunch time. It was a sliding doors moment. I I did visit a few times. I spent a bit of time in the states, and then I eventually dropped the green card. Now, occasionally, I look back on that and think, "Was that a silly thing to do with what would have opened up to me had I moved to the states? You know, like would my acting career have taken off? Would I have ended up working for the New York Times? Look, whatever it is. So there's a sense of regret about it, but it's such a faint shade of regret that it doesn't it doesn't hold me back. You know, I don't want to be held back by anything in my life. And I think, for me, regrets can hold you back too much. You know, oh yeah, Michael Hingson  49:49 yeah. Oh, absolutely. Well, and and it seems to me that that it's one of those things that could have gone either way, as you said, a sliding door moment. I think that's a really interesting way to put it. But but the fact of the matter is, you made a choice. You're happy with the choice, and you may or may not have been as happy with the choice if you had moved to America. But you wouldn't have experienced a lot of the things that you have experienced. So it's okay. Paul Bugeja  50:14 That's exactly right. That's exactly right. So even you know occasional relationships that went awry, or you know what else? Gosh, what if I stay pursue my career as an actor? There are always going to be what ifs with life, you know, and it's the what ifs that tend to cause us regret. I think, and Michael Hingson  50:29 well, and and cause us so much fear. Paul Bugeja  50:32 That's exactly right. And regret and fear should be the same word, effectively, because that's all that's playing. And if you can find a way to manage that as best you can, and and look. I always say I try to to look down at my feet on the ground to see where I am, and to look forward to see where I'm going, rather than look back where I've come from. And look, we can learn a lot from where we've come from. And in fact, the book that I'm writing is almost like a detective novel, where I track back through my life to see if I can see moments where I might have known that I had FSHD much earlier, so in that regard, I do look backwards. You know, I'm happy to to to have a critical eye on the past and to learn from it. You know, but I don't ever want it to drag me back to it. I'm always looking to be pulled forward. Michael Hingson  51:18 Well, that's the operative part, right? There's nothing wrong with looking back and and learning from what you've experienced, and and more people should should do more of that. It seems to me, but Paul Bugeja  51:29 oh yeah, let's. That's a much longer conversation, isn't it? It Michael Hingson  51:32 is. Who's been the most most influential person in your life, and why? Paul Bugeja  51:38 Yep. Michael Hingson  51:40 Besides Kate Blanchett, but that's another yeah, Paul Bugeja  51:42 of course, very influential, Kate. If you're listening, if she is, I hope she'll Michael Hingson  51:47 reach out. I'd love to have her on the podcast. But anyway, you Paul Bugeja  51:50 never know, my friend. You never know. Look, I mean, it's it's a hard question because, but it's a good question. I mean, there have been so many influences in my life, you know, and and I don't want to step on toes by not naming people in a way, but you know, for one one really influential person who has given me, you know, I have a friend who's a film journalist actually, and has written, you know, a lot mostly about the production side of the industry rather than film reviews, and I feel she only came into my life about maybe 10 or 12 years ago. So she's a relatively new friend, but a very dear friend. And I think I did an internship at a magazine that she worked for, and she was the the editor of at the time, and I think she had a really great influence on my life because she made me realize that I definitely wanted to pursue a career in the media. That I was done with journalism. That working in the media was exciting and interesting. You know, she made sure she pushed me in a lot of ways that I might not have been pushed otherwise, and she's remained a really dear and constant president in my life ever since. So yeah, I really feel like her coming into my life at that particular moment really was like critical in a lot of ways. But you know, she was one of many that have that have definitely given me great advice, or have been very supportive, or have just been there for me. So, yeah, big call out to her. She's she was being wonderful. Michael Hingson  53:29 Do you think that if you had never been diagnosed with or ever had FSHD, that your your job and your careers would have gone differently, or do you think that this was just a natural progression and FSHD is there, but it didn't really dictate what you did. Paul Bugeja  53:46 I think because of my approach to this situation, which is it's there, but it's not going to stop me. I think that look clearly, it's a physical condition, so it does limit me a little bit physically. So, like, I was never going to be like for for instance even with acting you know it did limit me a little bit with acting like there were certain things that like I can't do a headstand you know and I know that's a really a small thing but like in in drama classes there was I remember one class particularly always asked to do a headstand and I couldn't do it and this was pre diagnosis and I had I just thought it was because I was clumsy or uncoordinated or not muscular enough, so like certainly the diagnosis probably gets in the way of some some some kinds of careers that I might have pursued. But generally, you know, I'm a I'm a computer based person. I'm a knowledge and and and and content based person, and I was already going that way pre-diagnosis, so you know I don't think it really intervened in where I would have gone, whether it helped me or not, or whether you know it was part of the reason why I'm where I am. Look, I think it's it's part of the reason of everything that I do. You know, even if it's not all. That the defining reason, but it's it's a consideration definitely. Michael Hingson  55:04 Well, it is, and and it's helped build your resilience, and there's nothing wrong with that. Paul Bugeja  55:10 Yep, and that's right. And I'm in a career that requires resilience, and so it definitely, in that regard, yes, it's it's helped me build that further resilience. Michael Hingson  55:18 So there you go. Has AI helped you in terms of any of the things that you do on your job? Do you use it to to help in finding out information about quizzes or or that you put in quizzes or any of that? Has AI been a useful tool for you? Paul Bugeja  55:35 So again, this we could talk about this for 12 hours a time. Topics right, especially working in the media. I am. I love the fact that I'm an early adopter. Right, I love technology. I I embrace it. I'm you know I'm that guy who gets the new iPhone not every year but every other year. You know, I I'm really I embrace the new. You know, I was doing digital content well the beginning like not at the beginning of it all but you know I was I was I jump in quickly with AI I have reservations I certainly you know I tend to still use standard search but of course now with Google search AI is built into that Google search so I am using it in that regard as a media organization, we have a very strict policy about AI, as one must. You know, we have to be very careful because while it's definitely the next big revolution for everyone, whoever you are, from you know like a dog walker to a you know president, like it's going to affect everyone's lives, you know. I feel as though, so you know, for example, as a media organization, we're encouraged. We are looking at improving the way we work with AI, but there always needs to be a human oversight. Yeah, Michael Hingson  56:57 absolutely. Paul Bugeja  56:58 Yep, yep. And you would appreciate that, of course. So I don't use it in the way I think. I I think over time I will have to use it because I won't have any choice. But you know, we in the media, I think we're looking at. I don't think this is giving anything away, but we're looking at agentic AI more than generative AI because agentic AI is really useful. If I can ask an AI bot to put together the the not the quiz itself, but the the actual article the quiz will appear in that goes on the site. Well, that's just a practical like role you've given a system if you had one anyway, right? So I definitely think the media and me in in my role will will more and more embrace agentic AI as we're able to build it into our systems to help us with mundane practical tasks that you'd give the intern, that you'd give the the first year journal student out or whatever. Right? In terms of generative AI, I I've used it a bit just to see what it will throw back at me, and for example, I do a lot of quizzes as a quizmaster because I love to just do quizzes. I can tell a quiz that's been made with AI. It's very clear. I did a quiz the other day, and I kid you not. The first question was, "If I'm a Bolivian, what country might I come from? Now, I mean, for an editor or the actual person who put together that quiz, not to realize that a that's a pretty awful quiz question, but but it's such an obviously AI generated quiz question, you know. So yeah, I think we I think, and I'm also very aware that the amount of money that's being poured into AI at the moment is looking like a big bubble that will burst at some point, you know, because they can't keep plowing all this money in and expect big returns because it's not returning anything at the moment to them. Really, that doesn't mean it's not going to continue. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't embrace it. That doesn't mean that it's not going to maybe find a cure for cancer. Like I feel like there is a lot of positive that can come from it, so long as the humans stay in control. Michael Hingson  59:03 Well, I think that's the the real issue in the operative part of it. I have used AI in in writing articles, and the way I've used AI is I've I've asked it to give me give me your thoughts on or write an article about, and I'll do that like about six or seven times, and I will go through all of the things that that are created, and it gives me ideas. But I would never let it write the article, and I I would never do that because I want it to be me. And even if it could get to the point where it truly emulates me, it's not me, and I wouldn't want to do that. I so I'm I'm with what you're saying. Paul Bugeja  59:44 Yeah, yeah, and I think that's the trick. My, I think probably like with all you know, sort of new ages of technology, whether it was just the internet, and then it was sort of probably social media was the next big you know sort of critical juncture, and now it's AI. You know, it it means that the a younger. Generation that comes along that only knows this. So my my probably biggest concern would be, and I don't have children, but you know for my friends' children and the children that are going to grow up with AI, that they come to rely on it so heavily that they lose the ability to critically think, that they that they believe everything that AI says, and it will get better and it will get more accurate, but it's still throwing back. So I'll give you one quick example. When I was playing around with it back in 2022, I think, or whatever year the Queen died, Queen Elizabeth II died. I asked it, "Who's the current monarch of England? And I kept bringing Queen Elizabeth II back, and I kept arguing with it, and it kept saying no, and I started feeding it New York Times articles, Guardian articles, you know the Telegraph articles, and I kept saying these aren't reliable sources. Now this was you know back three or four years ago now, but that really concerned me, and I fear that that's the only fear for me is that people will lose their curiosity and their own ability to critically think and and and rely on it so heavily that they forget how to do really simple tasks that we should still be able to do. Michael Hingson  1:01:04 If you could change one thing about the world, whether it's big or small or whatever, what would Paul Bugeja  1:01:10 it be? I actually, so this will reveal me as a like a bit of a almost a communist. But I wish that people's obsession with money would change. I would love to change that. Like I love that people want to be comfortable and they want good lives and that we want our creature comforts and that we want to travel and have a great TV and all that somewhere to live. But I do feel li

Thursday, August 27th: Apparently I've entered my “try new things” era.I've been thinking about why so many of us stop learning, experimenting, and picking up new hobbies once we become adults. I recently started getting into art, painting, drawing with markers, learning about different techniques, and I am OBSESSED. My entire algorithm is basically art now, I'm taking art classes this fall, and I genuinely can't remember the last time I was this excited to be a complete beginner at something.I'm also taking tennis lessons, attempting to actually get better at a new sport.We're talking about why hobbies and learning new skills are so important as adults, especially when they have absolutely nothing to do with being productive, making money, or being “good” at them.I'm also sharing why September is my personal New Year. With back-to-school season approaching, I'm thinking about how I want my fall routine to look: creating a better work schedule, intentionally leaving white space in my calendar, and getting back into a supplement routine that I can actually stick with. I'm sharing the five supplements I'm planning to take and why I'm keeping the routine simple.Plus, we're chatting about Apple's Education Store and pricing, some new Apple features that are absolutely blowing my mind and making me wish I could be a student again. The new MacBook Neo has been loaned to us and it's adorable, super approachable, and is the perfect starter laptop for Milo to begin learning the basics and getting comfortable using a computer before he eventually needs one for school.THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!AquaOmega - For your daily dose of Omega-3's, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for 20% off.Bellesa - Today's episode is sponsored by Bellesa Boutique! Sign up to win a free WhisperVibe™ or free Rose toy with any Whisper™ order! https://www.bboutique.co/vibe/themomroom-pod #bbpartnerFatty15 - Fatty15 is on a mission to support Healthy Aging for All, including all ages and stages of life. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/MOMROOM and using code MOMROOM at checkout.Nine to Kind - Use promo code MOMROOM at ninetokind.com to get 20% of your order.Quince - Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.SENOKOT - Trust your gut and try the new SENOKOT Laxative Gummies. Learn more at senokot.ca.Skims - Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of my favorite bras and underwear at http://www.skims.com/momroomWayfair - Join Wayfair Rewards today to get 5% back on every purchase and start saving on your next home upgrade. Head to Wayfair.com to shop all things home.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 If the following blurb from this week’s podcast doesn’t hook you, the fact that Betsy closes with an easy exercise that could help you make the change you have been waiting for will. Here it is…’You don’t have to have it all sorted out before you’re allowed to claim it as yours. You can be in the middle of the mess and still build something with an intention and a purpose. You already know what your habit list is, so say it out loud.’ See?? Take a listen and enjoy. Transcript:  Welcome to The Art of Living Big, where we explore how to live intentionally and with more joy. I’m Betsy Pake, your host, master, coach, and creator of the Navigate Method. Here to help you listen in to your true desires, elevate your standards, and live life to the fullest. Now, let’s go live big. Hi, everybody. Welcome to the show today. All right, so, so today’s episode is, is sort of, I don’t know, specific, I’m gonna say. Aren’t all the episodes specific? But I got a message on Instagram, and, you know, sometimes I’ll get messages, and they are like other messages that I’ve gotten. So it’s easy to do, like, a podcast episode on them because it’s a really common question or a common thing people are going through, or it’s something that I know from my own life, right? And so when I got this question, though, I was like, “Oh, that’s actually a really good question, and I don’t know if anybody’s actually asked me that before.” And so what it was, it, it wasn’t like a coaching question. It was more like a logistics question. So what she wanted to know was she wanted to know how I did it. So she said, “It seems like you’ve rebuilt your life, and it seems really happy. But it also seems like you’ve rebuilt your whole life. How did you know what to build?” I was like, I mean, I didn’t even know what to say, ’cause how do you answer that? How do you… H- how did you know what to build? So, I kept thinking about it, and I thought, you know what? That likely deserves its own episode because the, the honest answer is that I, I did not know. Like, there was no plan. I think sometimes people look at my life now, and they assume that there was some kind of blueprint, and there was not. But there was about a year of me getting it wrong, I say wrong with air quotes, in a bunch of different directions, and so that’s what today is. So today I wanna name you a couple things. Three things I picked, even though I could come up with, like, 15 things, but three things seems like a good amount for a podcast. I wanna give you three things that I wish somebody had said to me at the very beginning of all that, because I think they would have saved me a little bit of time. And honestly, this is the work that I do, right? I went through something, and I wanna save everybody a bit of time by explaining it. And so, you know, I think that when we make a decision, I remember when I made my decision to leave my husband, I gotta tell you, e- every day over the past couple weeks, I’ve been like, “I’m so glad I did that. I’m so glad I did that.” But I think when we get to that place where we make that decision, at least for me it was not this. Like, I don’t even care what happens. I mean, of course I cared, but I don’t even care. It’s just not this. I was fully, fully 100% on board with just living my own life as a single woman, like, happily forever, and that is great for me. You know, will I be single forever? I, I don’t know, but I… That’s the way I wanted to build my life, right? So it wasn’t like, “I’m gonna leave this big hole here for somebody to fill. I’m gonna do everything but this thing and hope somebody else h-” Like, uh-uh. Like, I was gonna f- build my life. I was gonna make my health the way I wanted. I was gonna make my financial life the way I wanted. I was gonna make my home the way I wanted. I was gonna make my friendships the way I wanted. I was gonna make my activities the way I wanted. Like, I was gonna build my life for me. And so here’s the thing If you are sitting somewhere in your house or in your car, I know you’re in your car. You’re sitting in your car in the driveway, but a lot of you do a lot of thinking in your car, and you may have had this feeling that the life that you’re living was designed by somebody that was a, a younger version of you, somebody that you don’t totally recognize anymore. And maybe it’s not a bad life, you know? That sometimes is the part that can get really confusing, because it might not be that anything is, like, wildly on fire. It’s just that when you look around and you look at your calendar and you look at your house and you look at your weekend plans and your friendships, you can trace every single piece of it back to a decision that you made a long time ago for reasons that were probably good reasons, probably good reasons at the time. But now you’re standing in the middle of this, like, midlife, which I kinda hate when we’re, like, midlife. Ugh, like it’s this big thing, but it is. It is. So now you’re standing here, and in the middle of all of this saying, “Would I choose this again?” Right? Would I choose this again? And I know some of you are listening to this from inside a marriage where you have not decided anything, and you are not sure if you want to. You know, redesigning your life is not the same thing as leaving your life. Those are two really different projects, and I don’t think we have to get them all tangled up together. Some of the biggest redesigns that I have ever had in my own life and that I’ve watched other people have happened inside marriages, inside relationships, even inside marriages where people stayed. You know, the- the woman that- that changed everything about how she was living, and she did it without moving out of her house, is a possible, is, it, that is a real thing. So take these three things and put them, like, wherever they fit in your life because I’m not pointing you in any specific direction. Stay, leave, maybe you’re single, like, all the things. Okay. That is my disclaimer ’cause I never tell you what to do. Okay. All right. So the first thing that everybody tells you when your life comes apart or when you decide to take it apart, you know, on purpose, is to get clear on what you want. I had this conversation with somebody the other day, like, being really clear and having a clear vision. You know? Making the list. Do the vision boarding thing. Like, what do you want your life to actually look like? And I sat down with a blank page and that question, and I could not answer it, and I don’t mean, like, I struggled with it, and I don’t mean, like, I wrote a couple things and they weren’t quite right. I mean nothing. Nothing came I just sat there, and there was no big idea, no big yearning or pulling. I just remember thinking, “Ugh.” Like, I just… I’m, I’m getting out of something I knew was a no. No. Hell no. I knew that, but I didn’t know what was next, and I remember thinking, “Oh, is this a problem? Like, is this the problem?” Because I had been answering that question on behalf of other people for so long that I did not have my own answer anymore, and every time I tried to write something down, I could hear how it would sound to somebody else. I could hear my ex, I could hear my family, I could hear the version of me that was supposed to be handling all these things. And so the list that came out started sounding like a woman being really reasonable. It did not come out sounding like me. And, you know, I think a lot of you have had this exact experience, where you thought, “I don’t know what I want, , and, and I can’t get to the core of it, and that must mean something’s wrong. Must mean something’s wrong with me.” You know, like, you’re the woman who can’t figure out what she wants, but that is not it. I don’t think that’s it. If you have spent any amount of time, you know, 20 years, whatever, being the person who gets to make sure that everybody else is okay, of course you cannot produce your want list on demand. Like, that is a skill, to be able to imagine something different. I mean, imagine something different. Like, it’s not just imagining something you’ve seen other people do, okay? So hang with me. You can imagine things that you’ve seen other people do, and you could be like, “Sure, I could see that as being a thing.” But what about imagining something different? Something you’ve never seen anybody do, in the way that you wanna do it. And that skill is a skill, and it’s probably got really quiet ’cause you stopped using it. And so here’s what actually worked, and it, it was the opposite of, like, direction. I stopped asking myself, “What do I want?” And I started asking, “What am I saying yes to out of habit?” Because that was a question that I could answer. I could answer that one immediately. I knew, like, immediately. I was like, “Oh, well that’s a habit. This is a habit. That’s a habit.” And I had a whole list of habits in, like, just a couple minutes. ‘Cause you always know. You know, you know that one. You know the thing on your calendar that you dread, but it’s always there. You know the friendship that you have that you keep just out of loyalty or ’cause you’ve had them for so long, even though you feel like the version of the friendship that actually felt good was gone a long time ago. You notice the way you spend your Sunday afternoons, the things you wanna participate in, the way you keep your house, right? Nobody asked you to keep your kitchen or your bathroom or any of those things the way that they are. So you know exactly what those things are. And I think this is why this works a little bit better, is because you can’t design a new life while the old one is fully running. You know, I, I, I wanna… I don’t wanna get too far down a rabbit hole of how our brains work. If you’ve been listening here for a while, you’ve heard me talk about this, but, but you can’t fit anything else in when the old program is, like, fully installed. There’s no room. So the wanting shows up in the space, but if there’s no space, there’s nothing to want with. I hope that makes sense. You gotta have space. So the first thing, I don’t think is the vision. The first thing is noticing. Noticing what are you still doing, only because you’ve always done it. And so don’t do anything about any of that yet. Don’t quit anything, don’t cancel anything, don’t have some big conversation with anybody. Just write down what’s on that list, and then notice it, ’cause that list is actually the starting point. It would be great if we could have some big delulu vision. I know we talk about that all the time, but I think the starting point is actually noticing where you are and everything about what leads into that Okay, so the second thing, the second thing that I did to redesign my life, and this is one that, I don’t know, I think this is probably the most useful thing that I’m gonna share if I had to look at the list. But you can want something. Like, you can want something, you can choose it, you can be totally right about it, and you can be absolutely flattened with sadness about what it costs you. Now, when I left my marriage, I was not sad about the marriage ending. I was thrilled. I, I n- I don’t… I honest to God, by the time I’d made that decision, I did not shed a tear, like not once. And I don’t say that… Uh, uh, that’s sad to me, like that’s sad to me, but I was so absolutely done, and the fact that I stayed so long was the sadness that I had to deal with You know, uh, uh, when I started noticing that, like, my first thought every single time was like, “Oh, my God, w- why did I wait so long? I made such a mistake in delaying. I wasted years.” And I could be having a completely good day, like a good day, and then I would be somewhere and I would think, “Why the heck didn’t I leave a long time ago?” Now I’m 52, 53 years old and doing this, starting over. Like, I gave up so much to get out, and I walked away from so much to choose myself, and that’s what I chose. I chose myself. And so I had to go to the place where I was sad that I didn’t do it with hindsight. Like, we get to the place where we have hindsight. W- what do they say? Hindsight’s 20/20, right? And then you look back and you’re like, “Oh, my God, I coulda done it here, I coulda done it here. When I left the first time, why didn’t I stay go- gone?” I knew. Like, I knew. When I came back, I knew. I, I, I just came back ’cause I was tired. It was easier. And so, you know, I, when I would feel that, like, sadness, I would just be like, “This is just a, a grief that I have to deal with.” It’s not a review of my decision. I didn’t leave when I didn’t leave because I couldn’t leave. I left when I could. I wasn’t ready. And I think some of you might need to hear that. Like, it’s not because I didn’t want to, it’s because I wasn’t ready, and we can’t do things until we’re ready, and that’s okay. And grief just means you recognize what that cost you. That’s all it means. I was sad because something real I felt was taken from me, time, and that means that I think my life is important, and that means that I am so happy I chose when I did and I didn’t take any more time That’s the grief. That’s what I had to come to grips with. But I think we have this thing where we feel like there’s this, like, pros and cons list. Like, we think if we can just get our feelings to settle down, right? We’ll know we did the right thing. You know, we’ll know this was the choice. Uh, like, it’s never gonna be right, wh- whatever right is in our minds. Like, it’s never, you’re never gonna score a perfect 10 on the exiting at the exact moment you were supposed to. If I had left five years before when I had left the first time, I probably would have thought I should have left five years before that. I knew right away that something was wrong. So my grief, my, my feelings, my mood, if you will, was telling me that it mattered It wasn’t telling me anything else. And I think once I understood that things can matter, and I can still move forward, and I’m learning about myself, and that the timing was when I could, then I think that grief started to integrate and lessen, and instead I started to become appreciative of where I was and who I was. You guys might remember in a earlier episode, and I won’t tell the whole story, but I got up on New Year’s Day and I was mad at my ex, and I had to sit with that and recognize I wasn’t really mad at him. Why would I even be thinking about him still? Like, I was mad at me, and I had to reckon with that. I had to reckon with those earlier versions of me who were l- God, she was hanging on by her toenails, doing the best she could. And I think honoring her and, everything she went through was to release her from some expectation that this version of me has, ’cause this version of me w- would not tolerate it. Do you know what I mean? But I wasn’t this version. But I had to be that version to get to here. Okay, so my next one, the third one. Okay, so let’s say you le- you cleared some space, you stopped treating your feelings like they’re wrong, and now you actually get to the place where you’re like, “I get to build something.” And here’s what I think made me, I don’t know, I, I wanna say, like, lost the most time. But for about a year, I think every decision that I made, I was really only asking one question: is this safe? Like, that’s it. That was the filter. Is this safe? Can I afford it? What happens if it goes wrong? What’s the smallest version of this I could do? Maybe not quite. We could try that. I don’t know. And I’m an entrepreneur, and I’m, not risk-averse. I’m not. But I noticed I was leaning into safety. I needed to feel a certain level of safety. And I, I, I think that can be a valid question, but I also think if it’s your only question, then you start to build a very small life. And then you will sit inside it a year later going, “Why does this not feel big enough?” Right? I did the hard thing. I got out, I rebuilt. Why does this feel like nothing? And I think- That, you know, when I look back, I, I left, well, I left in August. It took forever to sell my house. Moved into my apartment at the end of December, I think, and then it was probably the summer before I was like, “Oh, I’m doing this safety thing.” And it made a lot of sense ’cause a survivor builds a shelter. She doesn’t build a life. Those are two different projects. And I don’t wanna say go be reckless. I’m not saying, like, spend money that you don’t have, or blow up your life, or take a leap. Like, that’s not what I’m saying. The point is that the question I was using was too small, and maybe it’s the question I had to have for several months just until I could feel that stability for myself. I remember being so anxious all the time. I was anxious I would see him, like, walking the dog. He doesn’t live terribly far from me, I think maybe a mile or two. I was afraid I would run into him on the street. , I was afraid, and I noticed, like, I was trying to build a whole bunch of safety mechanisms around me in order to avoid that fear so that when I came back home I knew that it was safe. Now, I wanna be clear. He wasn’t beating me or anything like that, , but it was not emotionally safe place to be. So What changed for me was switching to a different question, and this is one that I still use and I still like it for big things and small things. Here’s the question, and I’ve talked about this in another episode in another way, , when I went to Vermont, that episode. But it’s who is the kind of person that I want to be? Not what do I want, ’cause we’ve already established that I couldn’t answer that one for a little while. It’s not what’s the safest, because I had been living inside that one. But who is the kind of person I wanna be? And then, would she do this? Because there is a version of you that chooses much differently. She just does. You know, ask a scared woman whether to take the trip, and she’ll turn into the calculator in her phone and run the numbers and figure it all out and see if it makes sense and Google and ask ChatGPT, but ask the woman that you want to be whether to take the trip, and you’ll get an answer just like that. And it’s not that she’s reckless, by the way. That’s not it, and that’s not what surprised me. The woman that I want to be says no to a lot of things. She says no faster than the scared version does, because the scared version negotiates things and explains and tries to weigh options and tries to be nice about it. The woman that I want to be just doesn’t have that much interest. So you have to notice which version of you you’re living inside, because if, if it’s the one who just came through something hard, she’s going to design for protection. I think that’s normal. And protection is not the same. It’s not the same as a life. It’s the first thing you need, but it’s also a terrible thing to organize the rest of your life around. Okay So if you wanna have actually something to do this week, here’s what I would do, and I’ve made it really small on purpose. I want you to write down three things that you are doing purely out of habit. Not big stuff, just regular stuff, just ordinary stuff. And then look at each one and ask, “Who is the kind of person I want to be, and does she keep doing this thing?” You don’t have to change any of those things. This isn’t, like, a homework assignment where you have to have a life overhaul this week. I just want you to find out how much of your week belongs to a woman who made decisions about things, like, a long time ago for reasons that might not even be true anymore. And I’ll tell you what usually happens when people do this, ’cause I’ve watched women do this, is that one of them is gonna seem really like, oh, my God. T- there’s always one where you go, “Oh, I already knew about that one.” That’s your first one to just really pay attention to, . So all right, one more thing that I wanna say before I go. People assume that the story of the last few years of my life is a story that you can see online. It’s a story of me sharing nights out with my friends. It’s a story of me going on trips. It’s a story of me really discovering, like, what I like to wear and how I like to show up as myself. It’s a story of me helping women and building my business. It’s, like, a beautiful story, but it’s not a story about how life got easier. My life is not easy. I’m renting. I got a cat that won’t shut up. I have a business and a whole lot of ordinary days, and there is a lot of things that I am still figuring out. It’s not that things got easy. It’s that I stopped needing it to be easy before I made it mine, and that’s the thing that’s available to you way, way, way earlier than you think it is. You don’t have to have it all sorted out before you’re allowed to claim it as yours. You can be in the middle of the mess and still build something with an intention and a purpose. You already know what your habit list is, so say it out loud. Figure out your one thing. And I think when you can do that, I think that is how you live a big life. All right, everyone, I love you guys so much. I will see you guys next week. Thanks for joining me on The Art of Living Big. I hope today’s episode sparked something within you, maybe pushed you to dream a little bit bigger and live a little larger. Don’t forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share this podcast with someone you know who might need a little inspiration today. You can find me over on Instagram at Betsy Pake and on my YouTube channel. Remember, the world is vast. Your potential is endless, and your life, it’s yours to shape. Until next time, keep reaching, keep exploring, and keep living big.

No longer bi-coastal, never elite; for the first time outside of our annual X-mas/New Year special, we are both coming to you live from Wisconsin. We get into everything from Alex's chaotic move and frugal furniture shopping to Nick's disappointing election loss and cowardly democrats, to meeting uninspired artists to MAGA dudes upset at their wives' deportation, and more.

Every productivity guru will tell you the same thing: set realistic goals, or you're setting yourself up to fail. Jia Jiang did the opposite. He told the internet he'd sell 10,000 copies of his new book in 100 days, sold about 3,000, and is now going around calling it one of the best things he's ever done. He's not being delusional about it either. He'll tell you straight up that part of him wishes he'd hit the number. He just thinks failing loudly beats succeeding quietly, which might explain why only 9% of people who make a New Year's resolution actually stick to it. Most of us are setting goals to feel good for five minutes, not because we've figured out how to actually get there. In this episode, I sit down with Jia Jiang, the entrepreneur and speaker behind 100 Days of Rejection, a YouTube experiment that became a TED Talk with more than 10 million views. We talk about his new book, Easy Discipline, and how he turns huge, terrifying goals into something he can actually control day to day. If you have ever downgraded a goal so you wouldn't have to feel bad about missing it, Jia is about to make you rethink that entirely. Jia and I discuss: Why Jia deliberately sets goals so ambitious he is likely to miss them, and why a public near miss beats a comfortable target The one action goal: how to turn a big, uncontrollable ambition into a daily input you can fully control The inspiration index, the two numbers Jia tracks on every project, and why you need both the outcome and the input The Mover's Manual, and how changing his physical environment lets Jia get three to ten times more done in an afternoon Reverse AI: what happened when Jia started deliberately training himself the way AI models are trained The letter he wrote to Steven Bartlett after being turned down for Diary of a CEO, and why he published it anyway Key quotes "I'd rather fail my ambition publicly than letting it die inside privately." "When you are already rejected, you have nothing to lose. When you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to fear." Connect with Jia Jiang on Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and his website, read his newsletter on Substack, and check out his latest book Easy Discipline. If you enjoyed this episode, check out my chat with Google's Executive Productivity Advisor, Laura Mae Martin, on the practical strategies she uses to get more done in less time: https://www.amantha.com/podcasts/ruthless-prioritization-with-googles-executive-productivity-advisor-laura-mae-martin My latest book The Energy Game is out now. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/ Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She has spent the last 15-plus years electrifying audiences as a Lady Gaga tribute artist. Last December on New Year's Eve at a casino in Minnesota she debuted Gaga Evolution, her newest production, which takes fans on a journey through the superstar's career. She is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, content creator, influencer, and producer, plus she has added Married by Gaga, offering couples the opportunity to book their nuptials in the Electric Chapel, something that she debuted in 2024 at the Haus of Gaga Museum at Park MGM. On TikTok she has garnered viral acclaim with her informational and tutorial style videos about her life as a tribute artist, amassing approximately 100 thousand followers on that platform alone, where one of her videos has 9.2 million views. She was a guest on this show close to three-and-a-half years ago on Episode 475.

Episode #488Jamie, Melly and Stephen discuss an exciting week for Celtic, with some new and emerging stars giving us plenty to feel positive about.This week we cover:- Camilo Duran continues to look like a superstar in the making- Colby Donovan shines against LASK – can he cover for Alistair Johnston?- Celtic's hugely enjoyable 3-0 first-leg victory over LASK- Our entirely serious predictions for the rest of the season – derby red cards, bizarre contract extensions, New Year scorelines and wild cardsAs mentioned on the episode, please check out Ella Stensdotter's charity walk from Helsingborgs to Celtic Parkhttps://www.justgiving.com/page/ella-stensdotter-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CLTreat yourself or the 20MT listener in your life, as well as supporting the podcast with some 20MT merch at 20mt.bigcartel.com/You can help support the production of these podcasts, get AD FREE content as well as gaining access to over 1200 extra episodes at patreon.com/20MinuteTimsSign up for Celtic's Youth Development Lottery The Celtic Pools and help shape Celtic's future here - https://celticpools.securecollections.net/index.aspx?Agent=353920MT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The show also celebrated a major career milestone for Jeezy, who was surprised by LeBron James with a Key to the City of Las Vegas during the finale of his “Legend of the Snowman” residency. Rather than ending the residency, Jeezy announced additional dates through New Year’s Eve, showing continued demand for the Atlanta rap icon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rickey Smiley Morning Show packed the conversation with headline-making news, candid celebrity revelations, and inspirational moments. The show opened with the latest developments in the Karmelo Anthony case after a Texas judge denied the teenager’s request for a new trial, leaving his murder conviction and 35-year sentence in place while his legal team continues its appeal efforts. Recent reports indicate the retrial request centered on evidence and courtroom procedures that the defense argued were not fully presented to jurors, but the court ultimately upheld the original verdict. The crew also debated parenting and self-defense after Cardi B revealed she has enrolled her children in boxing classes and wants them to be able to protect themselves and, one day, defend her if necessary. Adding a more personal and meaningful conversation, singer Kehlani opened up about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, explaining how therapy, medication, and understanding her triggers have transformed her life and improved her mental health journey. The show also celebrated a major career milestone for Jeezy, who was surprised by LeBron James with a Key to the City of Las Vegas during the finale of his “Legend of the Snowman” residency. Rather than ending the residency, Jeezy announced additional dates through New Year’s Eve, showing continued demand for the Atlanta rap icon. Listeners were also treated to Money Mondays with Jini Thornton, who shared practical advice on helping aging parents organize their finances, legal documents, and long-term care plans before a crisis occurs. Other trending topics included Jamie Foxx preparing to welcome another child, tributes to late actor Michael Wright of The Five Heartbeats, and a lively discussion about mental health, family, and protecting loved ones while navigating life’s challenges. Website: https://www.urban1podcasts.com/rickey-smiley-morning-show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the seventh episode of the Coach's Corner Series! Today I'm joined by Coach Lindsay, and we're getting real about what's actually not working in the functional health space, even when practitioners mean well.  We break down five major red flags to watch for, starting with practitioners who don't address nutrition beyond a generic food list. We talk about why using supplements as a bandaid, without digging into the root cause, just becomes another quick fix that doesn't actually heal anything.  Coach Lindsay shares her own health journey, including how infrequent check ins with her provider left her feeling stuck and unsure of her progress.  We also get into why rigid diet plans can backfire by teaching your body to adapt rather than building real metabolic flexibility. And we can't talk about functional health without talking about training, so we cover why using the right training stimulus matters just as much as nutrition and supplements when it comes to hitting your goals.  If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right but still not seeing results, this episode will help you understand why, and what a more complete approach to healing actually looks like. Lindsay brings so much heart and expertise to this conversation, and I know it's going to help so many of you see your own health journey differently.   Time Stamps:   (1:54) What's Not Working Within Functional Health (4:12) More Advanced Nutrition Concepts (8:09) Gut Health (9:02) Questions To Ask Your Practitioner (10:19) Supplements Are Band Aid Fix (15:37) Frequency of Communication (20:20) Flexibility With The Strategy (27:47) Training As A Stimulus ------- Learn more about the Vital Spark Coaching Functional Reset Method.  ------- Click Here to apply for 1-on-1 coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts. ------- Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation.  ------- Click Here for my Free Top 3 Labs training to get to the root of bloating & exhaustion. ------- Click Here to download a Free Hormone Healing Blueprint. ------- Check out our YouTube Channel for more free training. ------- Click Here to read our Client Google Reviews.  ------- Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

“Between Christmas 2003 and New Year 2024, packages of cocaine started washing up along the beaches of Southwest France. National television news reports carried the story of the coke de la plage — the beach cocaine, around a month after the first local rumours of finds emerged. One TV report on France 2, 30th Jan 2004, stated one-and-a-half tonnes had been recovered along French and Spanish coasts that month. If that's just what the authorities had found, it's safe to assume lots, lots more had been picked up by members of the public, mostly surfers.” - Paul Evans. Our guest this week is WSL commentator, Surf Europe editor, Stab contributor, and, as of a couple of weeks ago, the creator, producer and host of a long-form narrative podcast about cocaine. It was late 2003, and Paul had recently moved to southwest France from the UK, initially seduced by the prospect of good, uncrowded waves and rumours of mystics like Tom Curren and Robbie Page having made a life there. A few months later, bundles of pure Colombian cocaine started washing up on the beach. Paul first heard about it from a hitchhiker he picked up. The man had travelled several hundred kilometres from Toulouse and seemed remarkably determined to reach the coast that day, despite the weather. It had something of the sirens about it: a gift from the sea that was difficult to resist. Only here, instead of a beautiful song and certain death, it was exceptionally pure cocaine washing up on the beach, floating around in the lineup, offering a direct challenge to your capacity for restraint. What followed was a summer of abundance, debauchery, good waves and various forms of personal ruin, eventually building to a crescendo at the Quiksilver Pro France in 2004. The waves were pumping. Bruce and Andy Irons met in the final. The afterparty that followed, you'd have to imagine, given the situation and what was essentially being handed out to all, was fairly substantial. As Paul says in the podcast: “It's kind of cliché… everyone refers to their youth as the best times in the world, but objectively, some of those people are right.” If you're partial to good, uncrowded waves, a cacophony of beautiful women, and happen to possess even a passing curiosity about the sensation of your mouth going numb after sampling some uncut Colombian cocaine, then you'd have a hard time arguing against this as a purple patch in the history of mankind. Humanity has definitely had worse summers and here, Paul talks about how he went about telling that story. This is the making of Hossegor Beach Cocaine, told by its creator, Paul Evans. his is the making of Hossegor Beach Cocaine, told by its creator, Paul Evans. You can listen to the episode one for free here. Episodes 2-4 will live exclusively on Stab Premium and the Stab Premium app. Thanks to our partners at Red Bull, Vaer, Dome Dust, SlowTide, TurtleBox, and Devium, for making StabMic possible.

"You're the worst Mr. Clean ever." Zas is wearing an undershirt to work today. Mike Ryan actually slipped on a banana peel! Are you allowed to punch a 17-year-old in the face if they play sports? This show killed Amin's friendship with Urkel. The Marlins are cooked! Who is the closest player to Dennis Rodman in today's NBA? Zas can't tell whether a fan at AEW is encouraging or discouraging him from going to New Orleans with his kids for New Year's Eve. The World Jai-Alai League has new ownership! Should we sell the Cyclones? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices