Explore every episode of the podcast The Story of Us: From Cosmic Dawn to the Depths of Being
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better Questions Create Doors | Angelique Strang on Grief, Breaking the Silence and Finding Your Way Home | 18 Oct 2026 | 01:10:41 | |
What's the question you ask when life falls apart? Why me? Angelique Strang asked it for years. Then she found a better one: what is this trying to teach me? Angelique became a mom at seventeen, raised ten children through more than thirty years of abusive marriages, and lost two of her sons eight months apart. Today she calls herself a story steward. She hosts the podcast Breaking the Silence and is building Triquetra Sanctuary, a place where people can tell the truth about their lives without being judged. Content note: this conversation discusses child loss, addiction, domestic violence and suicide. In this conversation, Angelique and Jeff talk about: • Why some questions create cages and better questions create doors • Breaking the silence around addiction, overdose and grief • Why you can't fix or rescue the people you love • The front porch, where you belong before you do anything • Grief and joy living side by side • The two questions: what she'd tell her younger self, and what she wants her future self to hear Chapters 0:00 Welcome from Arizona 0:32 The quality of our questions 2:58 A story steward 5:07 Her least favorite question 5:36 Some questions create cages, better questions create doors 6:55 Growing up in northern Indiana 8:21 Ten children in thirteen years 9:20 Thirty years of abusive marriages, and the pattern in her grandchildren 11:11 Losing two sons, and the birth of Breaking the Silence 13:17 What her son taught her: live for today 16:59 Breaking the cycle for the next generation 18:57 The parts of herself she learned to silence 21:23 What she had to remember about herself 22:57 Staying out of the eye of the storm 24:18 Why telling the truth is so hard 25:36 What creates safety 27:32 The house, the doors and the front porch 31:13 What home means 32:33 A kitchen open to everyone 35:08 The door she was most afraid to walk through 39:43 What grief taught her 40:56 Guilt, and the lessons we came to learn 45:42 Carrying the tiger 47:10 Grief and joy, side by side 51:09 The Better Questions philosophy 52:59 Triquetra Sanctuary 58:09 Where to find Angelique 1:01:10 Advice to a younger Angelique 1:02:04 A message to her future self: celebrate the wins 1:08:00 Closing: maybe the world needs more front porches Mentioned in this episode • Breaking the Silence, Angelique's podcast • Triquetra Sanctuary and the Triquetra Storyteller's Circle • Carrying the Tiger by Tony Stewart (Season 3, Episode 2) • Socrates, the Buddha, Jesus and Joseph Campbell on the power of questions Keep the conversation going • Find Angelique: linktr.ee/angeliquestrang • Letters From the Middle of It All, Jeff's free weekly letter: thestoryofusproject.com/blog • New here? Start with these episodes: thestoryofusproject.com/start-here • Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheStoryofUswithJeff • Instagram: @thestoryofusinsta · Bluesky: @the-storyofus.bsky.social If you're struggling, please reach out. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Share this with someone who needs a front porch this week, and follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the single biggest way new listeners find us. The Story of Us with Jeff Ellison. Real People. Real Stories. Real Wisdom. | |||
| You're Not Broken, You Adapted to Survive | Barb Varcl Smith on Childhood Trauma, Fake Resilience and Breaking the Cycle | 16 Oct 2026 | 01:03:16 | |
What if the behaviors you like least about yourself aren't character flaws at all, but survival strategies? Barb Varcl Smith grew up in Prague under Soviet occupation, the daughter of a dissident. At four, she watched a ton and a half of snow fall from a rooftop onto her mother. She became the strong one: the athlete, the achiever, the consultant working 18-hour days, until her body made her stop. Today, from a farm in Scotland, she helps people recover from childhood trauma and stop passing it on to the next generation. Content note: this conversation discusses childhood trauma and chronic illness, and mentions abuse. In this conversation, Barb and Jeff talk about: • Growing up behind the Iron Curtain, and the day the snow fell • Fake resilience: when high achievement is really survival • Why trauma is how we reacted, not only what happened to us • "Trauma is an explanation, not an excuse" • The five pillars of self and the steps of ascendance • The LOVE framework for parents: listen, observe, validate, express • The two questions: what she'd whisper to her four-year-old self, and what she wants her future self to hear Chapters 0:00 Welcome to the virtual studio 0:21 Why do we become who we become? 2:43 Fake resilience, and "an explanation, not an excuse" 3:58 Barb's story: Prague under occupation 6:23 A nursery at six months, and the high achiever 8:48 Chronic fatigue at seventeen 11:08 From IT to the mind-body connection 13:18 A car accident, a new path, and a son on the autism spectrum 18:03 From Prague to a farm in Scotland 19:30 Jeff's memories of Prague 20:31 What she first had to understand about herself 23:22 Why childhood shapes us so profoundly 26:35 The biggest misunderstanding about trauma 28:40 Why hope matters most 29:49 Trauma is an explanation, not an excuse 32:33 When trauma becomes identity: the five pillars of self 35:18 What the pandemic stripped away 36:41 The steps of ascendance 40:48 What freedom feels like 43:28 Her website and the Ascendance intensive 44:18 Her book, Purposeful Parenting 48:54 History as a record of trauma 50:58 Breaking the cycle between generations 51:38 The LOVE framework for parents 53:10 The power of saying sorry 55:25 One thing to take away: you're not broken 56:01 Advice to a younger Barb: you're allowed to cry 57:38 A message to a 149-year-old Barb 58:37 Closing: our past may explain us, but it doesn't define us Mentioned in this episode • Purposeful Parenting by Barb Varcl Smith (coming this autumn) • The steps of ascendance and the five-day Ascendance intensive • Václav Havel and Prague in 1968 Keep the conversation going • Find Barb, her videos and the steps of ascendance: your-steps.co.uk • Letters From the Middle of It All, Jeff's free weekly letter: thestoryofusproject.com/blog • New here? Start with these episodes: thestoryofusproject.com/start-here • Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheStoryofUswithJeff • Instagram: @thestoryofusinsta · Bluesky: @the-storyofus.bsky.social This conversation is for reflection, not medical or mental health advice. If you're struggling, please reach out to a licensed professional. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If this one helped you see yourself a little more gently, share it with someone who needs to hear "you're not broken," and follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the single biggest way new listeners find us. The Story of Us with Jeff Ellison. Real People. Real Stories. Real Wisdom. | |||
| Why Do You Believe What You Believe? | Charles Mastroni on Faith, Worldview, and the Beliefs That Quietly Shape Our Lives | 14 Oct 2026 | 01:06:53 | |
Why do you believe what you believe? Not what. Why. Charles Mastroni lost his father at eight, spent his twenties as an agnostic, found his way to Christian faith, and has spent the decades since thinking hard about the questions underneath every human life. He studied biology at Penn State, worked as a carpenter in New York City, built a career in sourcing for a global pharmaceutical company, served and taught in his church, and wrote the book Why Not God? From his kitchen table, Charles and Jeff talk about where beliefs come from, how they quietly shape everything we see, and why the most powerful beliefs may be the ones we've never stopped to question. This conversation isn't about convincing anyone. It's an invitation to examine your own worldview, whatever it is. In this conversation, Charles and Jeff talk about: • The peace on his father's face, and how it shaped his view of death • Hitting bottom in his twenties and praying for the first time in years • Where beliefs come from: "We don't really invent truth, we discover truth" • Why our beliefs and values become filters for everything new • Is truth relative or absolute? • The TAKES model of worldview: theology, anthropology, knowledge, ethics and salvation • Has human nature changed, or only our tools? • What the church got tragically wrong, and gloriously right • Love in ordinary moments: playing with your kid when you're tired, keeping a fair contract Chapters 0:47 Why we live by stories, and why every story rests on a belief 4:18 Charles's story: Lansdale, Pennsylvania, and twelve years of Catholic school 5:13 Losing his father at eight: "Take care of your mom" 8:19 The cost of steeling yourself against grief 9:34 What a good family gives a child 13:29 A son crossing America by bike, a daughter in Taiwan 14:51 Raising children: "a spiritual effort" to learn to walk 15:57 Did he always believe? 16:28 The agnostic years 17:31 Hitting bottom and praying again 18:56 "Bring me someone to love": meeting his wife 21:29 Right and wrong, and finding a church 22:57 Where do beliefs come from? 27:43 The unexamined life and the filters we never notice 30:49 Is truth relative or absolute? 33:34 What is a worldview? The TAKES model 37:33 A worldview with God, and one without 41:08 Are we getting better, or just more advanced? 43:31 Can humanity save itself? Genesis and human nature 48:36 What the church got tragically wrong 50:40 What the church got gloriously right 51:43 Why are we here? Love in ordinary moments 54:55 His book, Why Not God?, and where to find Charles Mentioned in this episode • Why Not God? by Charles Mastroni (Emerald Lake Books) • Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living" • David Hume on desire and belief Keep the conversation going • Find Charles and his book, Why Not God?: charlesmastroni.com · Emerald Lake Books: emeraldlake.com · Amazon • Letters From the Middle of It All, Jeff's free weekly letter: thestoryofusproject.com/blog • New here? Start with these episodes: thestoryofusproject.com/start-here • Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheStoryofUswithJeff • Instagram: @thestoryofusinsta Whatever your worldview, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic, atheist or still searching, share this with someone you'd love to talk to about why we believe what we believe, and follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the single biggest way new listeners find us. The Story of Us with Jeff Ellison. Real People. Real Stories. Real Wisdom. | |||
| Do the Brave Thing. Keep Becoming | Jeannie McIntire on Reinvention, Courage, and Growing Up Late | 11 Oct 2026 | 00:54:15 | |
What if the life you built turns out to be a house of cards? Jeannie McIntire had the executive career, the blended family, the house, the pool and the boat. Then, at around forty, she opened her mail and found out the money was gone. Broke, single and starting over, she says that was the moment she finally began to grow up. Today Jeannie hosts the podcast Growing Up Late, coaches women (and men) on financial literacy, and is living what she calls her seventh life. In this conversation, Jeannie and Jeff talk about: • Being adopted, losing her dad at five, and the story she told herself about her worth • Why achievement and fulfillment are not the same thing • Who you are when the titles disappear • "Things aren't falling apart, they're falling together," and Michelangelo's David • Money as self-respect: reality is still true whether you look at it or not • Joseph Campbell and why we take many hero's journeys, not one • Why happiness may be the booby prize to joy • The two questions: what she'd whisper to her younger self, and what she wants her future self to remember Chapters 0:00 Welcome: who are we actually becoming? 3:19 Jeannie's story: Boston, adoption, and six lives so far 5:37 The big life, then the crash: broke and single at 40-ish 8:19 The story she told herself about being adopted 10:05 Achievement versus fulfillment 11:38 Comparison is the thief of joy 13:31 What never left her younger self 15:26 "My heart broke wide open" 17:02 Why she named her podcast Growing Up Late 19:13 Who am I without the title? 20:16 Trying on a new life in Arkansas 22:24 Her message to women: things are falling together 24:12 Money and sovereignty: reality is still true whether you look or not 26:53 Learning money the hard way, and sharing the shortcuts 30:51 Joseph Campbell and the many hero's journeys 32:29 Is it ever too late? "Never." 34:13 Why change scares us, and answering the call 36:59 Open the box: advice for your next chapter 38:40 Joy versus happiness 42:25 A bigger box 44:02 How to find Jeannie 45:41 Advice to a younger Jeannie 47:20 A message to a future Jeannie 50:00 Closing: maybe growing up never ends Mentioned in this episode • Growing Up Late, Jeannie's podcast • Joseph Campbell and the hero's journey • "The Weight of 50" and "The Stranger in the Mirror," Jeff's reflections at thestoryofusproject.com Keep the conversation going • Find Jeannie: https://jeanniemcintire.com/ • Letters From the Middle of It All, Jeff's free weekly letter: thestoryofusproject.com/blog • New here? Start with these episodes: thestoryofusproject.com/start-here • Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheStoryofUswithJeff • Instagram: @thestoryofusinsta · Bluesky: @the-storyofus.bsky.social If this conversation meant something to you, share it with someone who needs permission to begin again, and follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the single biggest way new listeners find us. The Story of Us with Jeff Ellison. Real People. Real Stories. Real Wisdom. | |||
| You Don’t Need the Whole Plan. Just Keep Lovin' | Adam Guzman Poole on Love as a Practice, Following Your Heart, and Trusting the Life You Can’t Yet See | 09 Oct 2026 | 01:10:09 | |
What if some of our greatest spiritual teachers aren't waiting in monasteries, temples, or sacred forests? What if they're already sitting across the dinner table? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Adam Guzman Poole, writer, spiritual teacher, husband, father, and author of the forthcoming Lessons on Love, for a gentle and deeply thoughtful conversation about relationships, spirituality, service, and the practice of love. Adam's path has been anything but conventional. Born in Canada, raised in the Philippines, and shaped by Venezuelan and Indigenous roots, his search for meaning eventually led him into nearly two decades of study across Indigenous traditions, Buddhism, yoga, contemplative Christianity, and other wisdom traditions. He spent three years living in the Amazon and once seriously considered becoming a monk. But eventually, some of his greatest teachers weren't found somewhere far away. They were found in relationship. In This Episode
One of the most beautiful moments comes when Adam talks about becoming a father. Fatherhood, he says, opened his heart differently and taught him that: “Love is not just a feeling...it's an act. It's a verb.” Maybe that's true far beyond parenting. Love is listening. Showing up. Forgiving. Serving. Remaining present. Sometimes it's staying with someone through a difficult moment without trying to fix them. And sometimes it's offering ourselves the same tenderness we so readily offer another person. Adam describes learning to become the loving presence for ourselves that we may not have had during painful moments earlier in life. We spend so much time searching for wisdom somewhere else. But maybe the monastery was never somewhere else.
Maybe love isn't the reward waiting at the end of the spiritual journey. Maybe love has been the journey all along. If this conversation resonates, share it with someone you love, follow The Story of Us, and visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com to subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All. | |||
| There is No Purity Test...There's Just Progress | Erick Cloward on Stoicism and Becoming a Better Human | 07 Oct 2026 | 01:14:10 | |
What if some of the best tools for navigating modern life were discovered more than 2,000 years ago? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Erick Cloward, creator and host of Stoic Coffee Break, author of Stoicism 101, and longtime student of Stoic philosophy. But Erick didn't find Stoicism because ancient philosophy sounded interesting. He found it because he needed it. Growing up in Utah, Erick describes a childhood shaped by unpredictability, anger, and learning to constantly monitor his father's moods. Those experiences followed him into adulthood, where small situations could trigger reactions he didn't fully understand and sometimes damage relationships he cared about. Then he discovered Stoicism. What began with a book became a practice—and eventually a different way of understanding anger, control, character, shame, acceptance, and himself. This conversation moves beyond the popular image of the Stoic as cold or emotionless. Erick explains Stoicism as a practical philosophy for human flourishing: recognizing what is actually within our control, developing character, living with wisdom and courage, treating others fairly, and learning to navigate an unpredictable world without demanding that it cooperate with our plans. In This Episode
One of the most powerful moments comes when Erick describes realizing how much his self-worth depended on another person's opinion of him. So he tried an unusual exercise. He wrote down everything he didn't like about himself. Then he looked at each item and asked: Can I accept this about myself? What he discovered was that self-love didn't have to be the first step. Sometimes acceptance is enough to begin. Erick also offers a wonderfully forgiving description of Stoicism: “There's no purity test. There's just progress.” The goal isn't perfection. It's practice. Maybe that's why this philosophy has survived for thousands of years. Technology changes. Empires rise and fall. But human beings continue wrestling with anger, fear, uncertainty, disappointment, mortality, meaning, and the desire to live well. Erick's invitation is to begin with what is actually yours: Your choices. Your actions. Your character. Learn more about Erick, Stoic Coffee Break, his courses, and his work at Stoic.Coffee. His book, Stoicism 101, is available through major booksellers. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com, follow the show, and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All. And if you know someone who needs to hear this conversation, send it to them. Because the good life isn't found by controlling the world. It's built by learning how to navigate it wisely. | |||
| SPECIAL EDITION: There Is No “Them” | How Human Stories Can Heal a Culture of Contempt | 04 Oct 2026 | 00:27:56 | |
We live in a world that constantly asks us to choose a side. Us or them. Right or wrong. Our people or theirs. But what happens when the label becomes more important than the person? In this solo episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison explores one of the central ideas behind the entire project: it becomes much harder to dehumanize someone once you know their story. Contempt grows when people become categories. Conservative. Liberal. Christian. Muslim. Immigrant. American. Wealthy. Poor. Boomer. Millennial. The label becomes shorthand for a complicated human being we may have never actually taken the time to know. And once the story disappears, contempt becomes easy. But storytelling offers another path. For thousands of years, human beings have used stories to communicate our deepest truths. From ancient mythology and sacred texts to conversations around dinner tables, stories allow us to temporarily inhabit another person’s world. Their fear becomes understandable. Their loss becomes recognizable. Their hopes begin sounding strangely similar to our own. And the distance between us and them gets a little smaller. In This Episode
The invitation is simple: Tell me your story. Not so we can determine which box you belong in. Not so we can decide whether you're on the right team. Simply so another human life can be understood a little more fully. Because contempt has a much harder time surviving genuine human connection. And there may be no more important challenge right now than making the word “us” bigger. Want to Be a Guest? The Story of Us is not looking only for famous people, authors, experts, or influencers. We're looking for real human beings with real stories. You don't need a book to promote, a business to sell, or a perfectly polished message. Maybe you've rebuilt your life.
If you have a story to tell, reach out through TheStoryOfUsProject.com. You may be exactly the kind of guest we're looking for. And maybe ask someone in your own life one more question than you normally would. Because perhaps the way out of a culture of contempt isn't proving that we are right and they are wrong. Maybe it's remembering that the most important word was always: We. | |||
| You Don't Rise to Your Goals. You Fall to Your Training | J. Reed Durand on Preparing Yourself for Life's Inevitable Changes | 02 Oct 2026 | 01:12:48 | |
Everything changes. Our careers. Relationships. Bodies. Beliefs. Families. Health. Circumstances. Eventually, every chapter of life gives way to another. So why are human beings so determined to resist the one thing we know is coming? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with author and longtime U.S. Army leader J. Reed Durand for a fascinating conversation about change, self-awareness, leadership, resilience, and why the most important person we'll ever learn to lead is ourselves. Reed didn't begin life with an obvious path toward leadership. He grew up in Wisconsin surrounded by generations of small farmers and factory workers. College wasn't part of the plan. Eventually, searching for opportunity and stability led him to enlist in the Army as a private. That decision began a four-decade journey through military and civilian Army roles that would completely reshape his understanding of leadership and human behavior. The Army taught Reed something important: aspiration alone isn't enough. If he wanted to advance, he had to learn, train, adapt, and repeatedly step beyond what was comfortable. A college degree he never intended to pursue took ten years to earn while serving on active duty. Over time, Reed arrived at a deceptively simple idea: Change is a skill. And like any skill, it can be practiced. His book, Train to Change: Phase One, Self-Mastery, begins not with changing organizations, relationships, or circumstances, but with understanding ourselves. What are your strengths? weaknesses? biases and blind spots? How do you react to uncertainty? What can you control? In This Episode
One of Reed's most practical lessons is wonderfully uncomplicated: Don't overcomplicate it. When asked what he would tell his younger self after more than forty years of learning, leading, succeeding, and failing, Reed says: “Find your fit, stay true to your values, and let it go.” And his advice for his future self is even more fundamental: Take care of yourself. We spend enormous amounts of energy trying to change our circumstances. But lasting transformation often begins somewhere closer to home. Reed's book Train to Change: Phase One, Self-Mastery is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com, follow the show on social media, and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All. And if this conversation makes you think of someone navigating a season of change, send it to them. Because before we can master circumstances, careers, organizations, or outcomes, we have to begin the lifelong work of mastering ourselves. | |||
| You’re Not Alone. Your Future Self Is Waiting | Monika Adamczyk on Listening Within, Trusting Life and Becoming Who You Already Are | 30 Sep 2026 | 01:09:29 | |
How much of the life you're living was actually chosen by you? From childhood, most of us inherit a script: work hard, build a career, achieve, stay productive, make enough money, keep moving. Follow it well enough and eventually, supposedly, fulfillment arrives. But what happens when you do everything you're “supposed” to do and something inside still whispers: this isn't me? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Monika Adamczyk for a deeply personal conversation about identity, conditioning, intuition, spirituality, presence, and finding the courage to live more authentically. The daughter of Polish immigrants, Monika grew up surrounded by lessons of resilience, hard work, and survival. Her parents' experiences shaped an extraordinary work ethic, but also a belief that slowing down wasn't really an option. She followed the expected path into college and eventually corporate consulting, despite sensing almost immediately that the life she was building didn't feel aligned with who she really was. What followed was a gradual—and sometimes radical—process of questioning the identity she'd constructed. This conversation explores what happens when we begin separating who we are from who we've been taught to be. Jeff and Monika discuss ego and identity, intuition, synchronicity, spirituality, the mysterious “signs” we sometimes encounter when we're paying attention, and the difference between blindly following those signs and developing discernment. They also explore something simpler: Maybe wonder isn't somewhere else. Maybe we're just not paying attention. Ordinary life becomes remarkably interesting when we're actually present for it. In This Episode
When asked what she would tell the little girl she once was, Monika's answer is beautifully simple: “You're not alone...you are loved.” And her message to her future self isn't advice at all. It's gratitude: “Thank you for guiding me.” Maybe that's the question this conversation leaves behind: Are you living from your truth—or from your conditioning? The next time life feels crowded by expectations, responsibilities, and everything you're supposed to become, pause. Instead of asking, What should I do? Try asking: What feels true? Because perhaps the journey isn't about becoming someone else. It's about becoming fully yourself. If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it, follow The Story of Us, and visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com to subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All. One story. One conversation. One human life at a time. | |||
| The Myth of "Me" | Scott Flynn on “I Am,” Consciousness, the Pursuit of Your Bliss and the Illusion of Separateness, | 27 Sep 2026 | 01:09:39 | |
What if the person you think you are isn’t actually the deepest version of who you are? Fair warning: this episode may require a little mental stretching. In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Scott Flynn for a fascinating exploration of non-duality, consciousness, identity, suffering, happiness, and one of humanity’s oldest questions: Who am I? Scott’s journey didn’t begin in a monastery or philosophy classroom. He was a successful builder when the housing crash sent his life into a tailspin. Although his business survived, the experience left deep wounds and launched what he describes as a 15-year search to become happy again. He explored yoga, meditation, therapy, medication, psychedelics, spiritual teachers, and eventually the ancient teachings of Advaita Vedanta. What began as an attempt to escape suffering became something very different: a journey back toward himself. At the center of Scott’s philosophy is a deceptively simple idea: Maybe we aren’t as separate as we think we are. Scott challenges the assumption that each of us is an isolated self moving through a world of other isolated selves. Instead, he invites us to investigate the experience beneath our thoughts, identities, achievements, relationships, and stories. In This Episode
One of the most beautiful parts of Scott’s message is what happens to relationships when the perceived distance between ourselves and others begins to soften. He describes everything becoming more intimate, with something almost childlike returning to our experience of the world. And his final thought may be the simplest summary of this very complex conversation: “We’re out in the world trying to become. This is ending becoming and just being who you are.” This isn't an episode you necessarily need to agree with. It isn't even one you need to completely understand the first time through. Stay curious. Keep an open mind. Let the ideas simmer. Somewhere between consciousness, identity, infinity, a snake that turns out to be a rope, and Descartes apparently getting things backwards, you may just find your own aha moment. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more conversations and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, our weekly reflection on meaning, spirituality, family, wonder, connection, and the mystery of being human. If this conversation stretches the way you think about yourself and the world, send it to another curious human. Maybe the goal isn’t always finding the answer. Maybe it’s learning to ask a better question. | |||
| The World Is Dumb... And I Say That With Love | Win Charles on Cerebral Palsy and Seeing the Person Before the Label | 25 Sep 2026 | 01:15:24 | |
What happens when the world keeps making assumptions about who you are before it ever takes the time to know you? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with author, podcaster, athlete, advocate, and motivational speaker Win Charles for a candid, funny, and deeply human conversation about cerebral palsy, resilience, grief, mental health, independence, and refusing to let other people decide what is possible. Win was born with cerebral palsy. From an early age, she learned that disability was only one part of her story, even when other people insisted on seeing it first. But this conversation is not really about disability. It is about assumptions. Win shares story after story of people speaking to caregivers instead of her, questioning whether she could understand what was happening, or being surprised that she could speak for herself. Her message is beautifully simple: Treat disabled people like people. Say hello to the person, not just the caregiver. Speak directly to them. Stay curious. Pay attention. See the human being before the diagnosis. The conversation also explores Win’s mental health journey. After years of sensing that something was wrong, she was eventually diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety following a difficult period after back surgery. She speaks openly about asking for help, counseling, and what it feels like to live inside a body that does not always respond the way she wants it to. And then there is the athlete. After losing her mother, Win accepted an invitation from her cousin to begin training for triathlon. That path eventually led to the Kona Ironman, where she says the experience taught her patience and grit. She plans to attempt it again. In This Episode
When asked what brings her the most happiness, Win does not mention accomplishments, books, athletics, or recognition. She says it is being around people who love her, understand her, and allow her to simply be herself. Maybe that is the heart of this episode. Every human being is carrying a story far richer than the first thing we notice about them. So before the label, see the person. Before the diagnosis, see the dream. Before the limitation, see the possibility. Win’s life is a reminder that assumptions are terrible predictors of human potential. Learn more about Win’s work, her memoir I Win, and her podcast Ask Win online and wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more conversations and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All. And if this episode makes you think of someone who has ever been underestimated, overlooked, or reduced to a label, send it to them. Stay curious. Lead with kindness. And remember: the most interesting thing about a person is almost never the label attached to them. | |||
| Move Forward. You're Destined for Greater Things | Paul Prien on Surviving Survival | 23 Sep 2026 | 01:00:07 | |
There are seasons when survival is exactly what life asks of us. We put our heads down. Meet the deadline. Raise the children. Care for someone we love. Endure the loss. Pay the bills. Keep moving. Those survival skills can save us. But what happens when the crisis ends—and we keep living as though it hasn't? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with author Paul Prien for a thoughtful conversation about what Paul calls “surviving survival”: recognizing when the strategies that carried us through difficult seasons have outlived their purpose. Survival is sacred, Paul argues, but it was never meant to become our permanent identity. Paul's perspective comes from a life shaped by dyslexia, leadership, family, caregiving, loss, retirement, and a dream of writing that remained quietly alive for nearly fifty years. As a child, dyslexia made traditional learning difficult. Rather than eventually seeing himself as deficient, Paul came to recognize that his brain simply worked differently—and that difference became an advantage. Decades later, another life chapter would reshape him. Paul cared for his wife as Alzheimer's progressively changed their lives. Rather than viewing caregiving only through the lens of sacrifice, he came to see being there for her as something life was asking of him in that season. When that season ended and retirement brought freedom, an old dream resurfaced. Paul finally wrote the book he'd imagined writing for fifty years. In This Episode
Paul's idea of Service to Your Future Self asks a deceptively simple question: What are you doing today that the person you become tomorrow will be grateful for? What thoughts are you planting? What habits are you building? What conversations are you postponing? What dreams have been buried beneath the responsibilities of the life you're currently living? And perhaps most importantly: Is the season that required you to survive already over? Paul is the author of Survive, Become, Return, available on Amazon. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more conversations and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All. And take one question with you: Imagine yourself ten years from today. What can you do today in service of that person? One choice. One habit. One conversation. One step. Because survival may get us through the storm. Eventually, life asks what we want to do with the clearing blue sky. | |||
| Are You Accepting of This Hard Life? | Sarah Collins on Purpose, Presence, and Living Fully | 20 Sep 2026 | 00:53:02 | |
What if the life you’re waiting for is already happening? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Sarah Collins, creator of Living Fully with Sarah, for a thoughtful conversation about purpose, depression, spirituality, intuition, parenting, identity, happiness, and what it actually means to be present for our own lives. Sarah remembers feeling different from an early age. She struggled with the religious beliefs she inherited, questioned why she was here, and sometimes felt as though she didn’t belong on Earth at all. Those questions eventually accompanied her through depression and into adulthood, where she followed many of the familiar markers of a successful life while still sensing there had to be something more. So Sarah started searching. She read dozens of spirituality and self-help books, explored different teachers and traditions, watched what she jokingly describes as an insane number of YouTube videos, and became deeply interested in enlightenment and the meaning of life. Then came a deceptively simple question: What if your purpose isn’t some grand thing waiting for you in the future? What if it’s about being fully present in this moment? For Sarah, it was a lightbulb moment. She began reconsidering a lifetime spent looking toward some future event that would finally reveal what everything was supposed to mean. In This Episode
Sarah offers an especially interesting definition of success: being able to reach the end of each day, accept the life that was actually lived, and wake up ready to meet the next one rather than waiting until the end of life to conduct a final review. And perhaps the larger idea running through the entire conversation is beautifully simple: Stop waiting for life to begin. The better job, bigger house, next achievement, perfect relationship, or future version of ourselves may never provide the lasting fulfillment we imagine. Sarah suggests paying closer attention to what is already here instead of continually postponing happiness until something changes. Maybe purpose isn’t something we eventually find. Maybe it’s something we experience when we become present enough to notice our own lives. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more conversations and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, our weekly reflection on meaning, family, spirituality, wonder, connection, and this strange experience of being human. If this conversation reminds you of someone who keeps waiting for the next chapter to finally start living, send them this episode. The future will arrive soon enough. This moment is already here. | |||
| Always Be Grateful. Always Be Kind | Deremiah *CPE on Mentorship, Legacy, and the Courage to Let Others Become Themselves | 18 Sep 2026 | 01:18:37 | |
What can happen when one person sees possibility in you before you can see it in yourself? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with artist, author, educator, mentor, and speaker *Deremiah CPE for a deeply personal conversation about resilience, faith, creativity, mentorship, and the people who help shape who we become. Deremiah’s story begins in the Chicago housing projects, where life was difficult but curiosity kept pulling him toward something larger. As a child, he raced toward the mobile library, eager to read and imagine what might exist beyond the world immediately around him. His life would eventually take him through Alaska, Germany, Oklahoma, and back to Chicago. Along the way came racial prejudice, family disruption, homelessness, academic setbacks, faith struggles, and moments of profound despair. But there were also people who noticed him, encouraged him, opened doors, and believed in who he might become. At age twenty, Deremiah made a decision that would define much of his life’s purpose. He took in his twelve-year-old cousin Christopher. Christopher stayed through high school, went on to college, and eventually became an internationally recognized artist himself. Deremiah describes the experience as a way of giving back to the younger version of himself who had once needed someone to believe in him. In This Episode
One of Deremiah’s strongest ideas is that belief can be more powerful than assistance. Some of the people who changed his life had no money to give him. What they gave him was confidence, encouragement, and the sense that his future could be larger than his circumstances. “Believing in somebody is way more important…their belief in me gave me the fuel to keep pushing.” Memorable Ideas “You're not competing with anybody but your best self.” “If it is to be, it's up to me.” “You never know what someone is going through. So be nice.” And in one of the episode’s most moving moments, Deremiah reflects on gratitude: “I'm thankful to be alive…because I remember when I thought that I wanted to die.” A Question to Carry With You Who believed in you before you fully believed in yourself? And who might need that kind of belief from you now? Sometimes changing a life doesn’t begin with money, advice, or a grand plan. Sometimes it begins with simply saying: I see something in you. Keep going. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All. If this conversation reminds you of someone who once believed in you—or someone who needs encouragement today—share it with them. Every life changes when someone sees possibility where everyone else sees limitation. | |||
| Bloom Where You’re Planted | Cleveland Bell III on Redemption, Reentry, and the Power of Human Potential | 16 Sep 2026 | 01:16:34 | |
What if the worst thing you ever did became the only thing people were willing to remember about you? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Cleveland Bell III, whose remarkable life has taken him from addiction and incarceration to decades of service helping others rebuild their lives. Cleveland eventually became the leader of Riverside House, a faith-based reentry organization in Miami supporting formerly incarcerated men and women through housing, counseling, employment preparation, recovery services, family support, faith, and community. But this conversation isn't really about prison. It's about what happens next. Cleveland speaks candidly about growing up feeling powerless, struggling to find purpose, addiction, incarceration, faith, forgiveness, and the difficult work of becoming someone different without pretending the past never happened. One of his most powerful realizations came during his own transformation: “The person that I had to convince that I had changed was me. Not my mother. Not my cousin. I had to convince me that I had changed.” That distinction becomes central to the conversation. Transformation isn't perfection. It's a process. In This Episode
Cleveland offers a wonderfully simple principle: “I can't change what I don't accept.” For him, blooming where you're planted doesn't mean pretending difficult circumstances are good. It means honestly acknowledging where you are so you can begin doing something about it. And when asked what he would tell the younger Cleveland who once felt alone and without encouragement, he eventually arrives at four words: “It will work out okay.” Perhaps that's the heart of this episode. Accountability and hope are not opposites. People can cause harm. Choices have consequences. Trust can be broken. But acknowledging someone's past doesn't require claiming to know the limits of their future. A record is not a prophecy. It tells us something about what a person has done. It cannot tell us everything about who that person may still become. Sometimes the human being society has written off is still writing the most meaningful chapter of their life. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more conversations and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, our weekly reflection on meaning, family, spirituality, wonder, connection, and the experience of being human. If Cleveland's story makes you think of someone rebuilding their life, carrying shame from their past, or simply needing to hear that change is still possible, send them this episode. Sometimes a second chance doesn't deny the past. It simply refuses to let the past have the final word. | |||
| A Difference of Opinion Isn't an Attack | Eric Brazau on Islamaphobia, Belief, Identity and the Art of Disagreement | 13 Sep 2026 | 01:32:24 | |
In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Eric Brazau for a challenging and wide-ranging conversation about religion, Islam, identity, certainty, prejudice, and the assumptions beneath what we believe. Eric's story is unusual because his interest in Islam did not begin academically. It grew out of conflict, fear, strong opinions, and eventually personal experiences that forced him to look more closely at both Muslims and the ideas he associated with them. The result wasn't a simple conversion from one worldview to another. Instead, Eric became fascinated with how human beings form beliefs—and why changing them can be so difficult. Throughout the conversation, Eric argues that facts alone rarely change deeply held convictions. Beliefs are connected to identity, community, emotion, experience, and underlying assumptions. Attack the conclusion, and people often defend it. Question the foundation respectfully, and something different can happen. Sometimes the goal isn't to win the argument. It's to ask a question worth thinking about. To plant the seed and walk away. The conversation also moves into more controversial territory as Eric shares his interpretation of Islamic history, scripture, Muhammad, Sunni and Shia traditions, jihad, and the distinction he draws between criticizing religious ideas and judging individual Muslims. Jeff repeatedly brings the conversation back to the larger human question: Can we disagree deeply without treating disagreement as an attack? In This Episode
Memorable Ideas “Plant the seed and walk away.” “A difference of opinion is not an attack.” One of Eric's central ideas is that meaningful conversations don't always end with someone changing their mind. Sometimes success is much smaller.
So instead of asking only: Why do they believe that? Try asking: Why do I believe what I believe? And can I listen to someone I strongly disagree with without confusing their disagreement with an attack on who I am? That doesn't require abandoning conviction. It requires making room for curiosity. And maybe that's where better conversations begin. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly reflections on meaning, family, spirituality, identity, wonder, and the complicated experience of being human. If this conversation challenges you, share it with someone willing to have difficult conversations with curiosity rather than contempt. Sometimes changing a conversation doesn't begin with a better argument. It begins with a better | |||
| You Die Once, But You Live Every Day | Helena Hamlet on Reinvention, Presence, and Building a Life That Feels Like Yours | 11 Sep 2026 | 01:15:07 | |
What happens when the life you worked so hard to build suddenly stops feeling like your own? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with coach and founder of EAT Life Academy, Helena Hamlet, for a deeply personal conversation about identity, motherhood, cancer, anxiety, reinvention, purpose, and learning to slow down long enough to hear yourself again. Helena grew up surrounded by family, Caribbean culture, creativity, freedom, and connection. But like so many of us, she eventually absorbed a more conventional definition of success: career, marriage, children, house, car, responsibilities. Somewhere along the way, the child who felt free to simply be Helena became an adult trying very hard to meet everyone else's expectations. Then, in 2017, cancer stopped her in her tracks. Helena remembers telling her mother that if she died the next day, her eulogy would be boring because she hadn't really lived. That realization became the beginning of a much deeper reckoning. Even after treatment, she returned to work while privately struggling with panic, exhaustion, and the pressure to appear fine. Eventually, she had to let go... of the life she thought she was supposed to be living so she could begin building the one she actually wanted. In This Episode
Helena offers a powerful reframe around setbacks: what feels like failure may simply be another turn in the process of becoming. When we stop racing toward the next milestone, she believes we create enough quiet to actually hear what life is trying to teach us. She also learned that caring for herself didn't make her a worse mother or friend. It made her more present. In her words, once you “top up yourself,” you have more to give the people around you. Memorable Quotes “Time isn't running away with you. Time is moving with you.” “I can show up imperfectly.” “It's all about productivity over perfection.” Asked what she would tell her younger self, Helena says: “You've got everything you need within you. Trust yourself.” And to her future self: “Keep going...what is meant for you will be and it will not pass you.” Then comes the line that may capture the whole episode: “You die once, but you live every single day.” A Question to Carry With You Are you living your life—or simply managing it? Helena's story is a reminder that there is still time to change direction, slow down, reconnect with yourself, and begin making small choices toward the life you actually want. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly reflections on family, meaning, aging, spirituality, wonder, and the experience of figuring life out while we're still living it. If this conversation reminds you of someone who's been existing more than living, share it with them. | |||
| You'll Have Time to Talk. Listen for Now | Byron Easterling on Storytelling, Deep Listening, and the Power of Asking Good Questions. | 09 Sep 2026 | 01:18:03 | |
What happens when a life refuses to stay in one lane? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with author, musician, former professional golfer, humanitarian, mentor, and lifelong storyteller Byron Easterling for a wide-ranging conversation about identity, courage, service, faith, and the stories we leave behind. Byron's life has moved through remarkably different chapters: touring musician, recording pianist, leadership advisor, professional golfer, global traveler, humanitarian, husband, father, and novelist. But beneath all of those identities is one recurring instinct: Pay attention. Ask better questions. And don't be afraid to follow what keeps calling you. One turning point came when a business leader invited Byron to lunch and asked for help. Byron didn't have a polished answer. Instead, he asked: “Have you considered that maybe you're not asking the right question?” That question eventually opened doors to decades of work with leaders around the world. In This Episode
Memorable Ideas “Have you considered that maybe you're not asking the right question?” “Don't be afraid to dream, and then consider the dream.” “When I do the things that are in me, it's not just about me.” Asked what he would tell his younger self, Byron's answer is simple: “Listen.” And when Jeff asks what message he wants to leave for his future self, Byron returns to the same idea—then adds another: Listen deeply. And keep asking good questions. Perhaps that's the thread running through Byron's entire life. Listen closely enough to notice what life is asking of you. Stay curious enough to question the identity you've outgrown. And remain courageous enough to follow the next chapter when it appears. Connect Learn more about Byron's books at BysBooks.com and his broader work at ByronEasterling.com. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly reflections on family, meaning, aging, spirituality, wonder, and the strange experience of being human. If this episode reminds you of someone sitting on a dream they've been afraid to pursue, share it with them. Because sometimes the next chapter doesn't begin with an answer. It begins with a better question. | |||
| Continue Being Creative | Arlo Edlin and Seeing the World Through the Eyes of an 8-Year-Old | 06 Sep 2026 | 00:55:04 | |
What can an eight-year-old teach the rest of us about living a meaningful life? Quite a lot, actually. In this special Next Gen episode of The Story of Us, Jeff sits down with his eight-year-old nephew, Arlo Edlin, for a conversation about books, animals, math, infinity, video games, friendship, creativity, family, and a few questions about the universe that most adults stopped asking a long time ago. Arlo is entering third grade, reads at least two hours a day—sometimes four—and is already coding his own video game, Reckin' Warrior. He's also a Chicago Bears fan, proving that wisdom and questionable life choices can coexist at any age. The conversation moves quickly from Beast Quest books and the qualities of a great story to why Arlo would rather free the beast than destroy it: “because I feel like it would help me build a magical bond.” There are debates about peanut butter, the possibility of having a tiger locked in your bedroom, why math might “unlock everything,” and what Arlo would do if his video game made him rich. His financial plan, incidentally, is to save at least 95%—which means he's already more disciplined than most adults. But beneath all the fun is something deeper. Asked what kids understand better than adults, Arlo doesn't hesitate: Creativity. He believes the average child is simply more creative than the average adult. And when Jeff gives Arlo the same future-self question he asks every guest, his answer becomes the heart of the episode: “Continue being creative.” Then Arlo explains why: “Creativity is everything.” In This Episode
A Question to Carry With You Adults spend years trying to rediscover things children seem to possess naturally: Curiosity. Imagination. Wonder. The freedom to ask strange questions without worrying whether they sound intelligent. Maybe growing wiser doesn't require leaving those things behind. Maybe it means protecting them. So take Arlo's advice: Continue being creative. Build something. Read something. Ask a ridiculous question. Explore something simply because you're curious. And if you have a kid like Arlo in your life, sit down and ask them what they're wondering about. You might be surprised by what they teach you. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly reflections on family, meaning, aging, spirituality, wonder, and this strange experience of being human. If this conversation makes you smile, share it with a kid—or with an adult who could stand to feel like one again. Growing older is mandatory. Growing up completely might be optional. | |||
| Did You Keep Saying Yes? | Sara Roccisano on Transformational Travel, Trusting Your Intuition, and the Journey Back to Yourself | 04 Sep 2026 | 01:10:57 | |
What happens when the life you've built no longer fits the person you're becoming? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with traveler, writer, entrepreneur, and founder of Embolden Adventures, Sara Roccisano, for a conversation about walking away from certainty, answering life's quieter invitations, and discovering that the greatest journey is often the one within. Sara's path has been anything but predictable. She built a successful career that included Wall Street , but beneath the achievement was a persistent call toward something more. Eventually, after reaching a breaking point in 2022, she stopped, let go, and began rebuilding her life around travel, writing, transformation, and adventure. Having traveled to more than 40 countries, Sara sees travel as far more than collecting passport stamps. She believes stepping into unfamiliar places builds courage, challenges assumptions, and reminds us that wherever we go, people are remarkably proud of their homes, cultures, and stories—and often eager to welcome us into them. Her adventures have included scuba diving, climbing Mount Fuji and Kilimanjaro, journeys through the Amazon, encounters with ancient spiritual traditions, and experiences with ayahuasca that became part of her forthcoming book and transformational work. But beneath all the adventure is a much more universal story: What do we do when we hear the call to change? Sara's answer is simple: Pick up the phone. She believes our calling has a way of finding us—and if we ignore it, it may keep ringing until it becomes impossible not to hear. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes “Chance favors the prepared mind.” When Jeff asks what Sara would tell her five- or six-year-old self—the little girl fascinated by pyramids, maps, flags, nature, and faraway places—she answers: “You're beautiful. You're amazing, and it actually is going to come true. I promise you.” Her message to her future self is even more unexpected. Rather than giving future Sara advice, she realizes future Sara may be the one guiding her: “I think I need to listen instead of be the boss, because the future Sarah's the boss.” Maybe that's the invitation for all of us. Listen for the restlessness. Trust the curiosity. Take the next step before the entire path becomes visible. Because every passport stamp eventually fades and every destination becomes a memory. The person you become along the way—that's the real adventure. Connect Follow Sara and learn more about Embolden Adventures Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly Thursday reflections If this episode reminds you of someone standing at the edge of a new chapter, share it with them. Sometimes the path appears only after we're brave enough to take the first step. | |||
| You're Loved and Connected | Colin Chenery on Mindfulness, Staying on the Path and Remembering to Slow Down. | 02 Sep 2026 | 01:26:45 | |
What if the peace we're searching for isn't somewhere out in the world... What if it's already here? In this deeply contemplative episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with mindfulness teacher, psychotherapist, martial artist, entrepreneur, and author Colin Chenery for a conversation that spans more than four decades of seeking wisdom across cultures, disciplines, and traditions. From studying martial arts and Eastern philosophy to working as a psychotherapist, addiction counselor, business leader, and meditation teacher, Colin has spent a lifetime asking some of humanity's oldest questions: Why do we suffer? How do we heal? And what does it truly mean to live well? Rather than offering easy answers, Colin gently invites us toward something simpler—and perhaps much more profound. Presence. Acceptance. And the realization that wisdom is not something we acquire. It is something we gradually uncover. Together, Jeff and Colin explore mindfulness, Zen, psychotherapy, addiction recovery, consciousness and the surprising truth that our greatest teacher may ultimately be our own direct experience of life. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "You don't need to become enlightened. Just relax and open up to what's already there." "Peace be with you. May you be full of love, full of life, and be of benefit in love and life to others." About Colin Chenery Colin Chenery is a psychotherapist, mindfulness teacher, martial artist, author, and educator whose work integrates decades of experience in psychology, addiction recovery, contemplative practice, and Eastern philosophy. Through his writing, teaching, and guided meditations, he helps people cultivate greater awareness, resilience, and compassion while discovering the wisdom already present within themselves. Connect with Colin Chenery 🌐 Website: https://sixcirclesmindfulness.com Explore Colin's books, guided meditations, mindfulness resources, and courses, including his contemplative meditation recordings and practices. Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here If this conversation brought you a moment of stillness or helped you see your own life through a new lens, please leave a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because perhaps wisdom isn't waiting for us at the top of some distant mountain. Perhaps it has been quietly walking beside us all along... Waiting for us to slow down long enough to notice. | |||
| Never Leave Them Without Hope | Dr. Paul Lynch on Addiction, Chronic Pain, and a Mission to Save One Million Lives | 30 Aug 2026 | 01:28:43 | |
What if the most important treatment a physician can offer isn't just medicine... But hope? In this deeply moving episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with pain specialist, entrepreneur, and healthcare visionary Dr. Paul Lynch for a conversation that reaches far beyond medicine into the heart of what it means to relieve human suffering. Although Jeff and Paul lead organizations that could easily be viewed as competitors, they quickly discover something more important: They are pursuing the same mission. To help people suffer less. To restore lives. To leave every patient with hope. For Dr. Lynch, that mission has become profoundly personal. After witnessing his own brother's devastating struggle with opioid addiction, Paul realized that chronic pain, mental health, and addiction are not separate problems. They are deeply intertwined human experiences that demand compassion, better systems, and a new way of thinking about care. Driven by that experience, he has set an audacious goal: To help save one million lives. Throughout the conversation, Jeff and Paul explore the future of pain medicine, the failures and opportunities within our healthcare system, the stigma surrounding addiction, and why every patient deserves to be seen as a whole human being rather than a diagnosis. At its heart, however, this is not simply a conversation about healthcare. It's a conversation about purpose. About carrying pain. About refusing to give up on people. And about the extraordinary difference hope can make. In This Episode
About Dr. Paul Lynch Dr. Paul Lynch is a board-certified anesthesiologist, interventional pain physician, entrepreneur, and founder of US Pain. Through his clinical work, advocacy, and leadership, he is dedicated to transforming how chronic pain, addiction, and mental health are treated. Connect with Dr. Paul Lynch 🌐 Website: https://uspain.com Learn more about Dr. Lynch's mission, educational initiatives, and innovative approach to pain management and addiction care. Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 📖 Letters from the Middle of It All: Subscribe for free weekly reflections delivered every Thursday. If this conversation inspired you, please leave a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue bringing thoughtful conversations to people searching for hope, wisdom, and deeper human connection. Because every life matters. Every story matters. And sometimes the greatest act of healing begins when someone looks another person in the eye and reminds them that, no matter how difficult today may be... They should never leave without hope. | |||
| Trust Yourself. Trust Life | Gayathri Narayanan on Mindfulness, Loving Kindness and the Freedom of Letting Go | 26 Aug 2026 | 01:06:08 | |
What if peace isn't something we achieve? What if it's something we uncover after we stop resisting life? In this deeply reflective episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison welcomes mindfulness teacher, contemplative mentor, and spiritual guide Gayathri Narayanan for a conversation that gently bridges ancient Eastern wisdom with the challenges of modern life. Raised in India and profoundly influenced by her grandfather, her guru, and sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita, Gayathri shares the deeply personal journey that eventually led her away from a successful career in health information systems and toward a life devoted to mindfulness, meditation, and contemplative practice. Together, Jeff and Gayathri explore timeless questions that have guided seekers for thousands of years: Why do we suffer? What does it mean to truly be present? Can we find lasting happiness in achievement alone? And how do we live with greater peace in a world that constantly urges us to do more, own more, and become more? Rather than presenting spirituality as something distant or mystical, Gayathri reveals it as an invitation to return to what has always been available—the present moment. At the heart of the conversation is a beautifully simple message: Trust yourself. Trust life. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "Trust yourself. Trust life." "Nature doesn't like a vacuum. It always fills it with something." About Gayathri Narayanan Gayathri Narayanan is a mindfulness teacher, contemplative mentor, and founder of MyndTree, where she helps individuals and organizations integrate mindfulness, compassion, and ancient wisdom into everyday life. Drawing from the traditions of Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, and mindfulness practice, she guides others toward greater presence, clarity, and inner freedom through meditation, teaching, and spiritual inquiry. Connect with Gayathri Narayanan Learn more about Gayathri, MyndTree, her courses, meditation groups, and contemplative teachings through her website and online community. https://www.myndtree.org/ Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. If this conversation brought you a moment of stillness or inspired you to pause, breathe, and look inward, please consider leaving a rating and review. Your support helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because wisdom is not something we accumulate like possessions. It is something we gradually remember. And perhaps the journey we call life is not about becoming someone else... But about returning, with compassion and awareness, to who we have always been. | |||
| I Didn't Have to Wear That Dress Today | Pakesta Washington on Mental Health, Living Beyond the Diagnosis, and Choosing Life One Day at a Time | 23 Aug 2026 | 01:08:43 | |
What if one of the most powerful acts of courage isn't something extraordinary—but simply choosing to live another day? In this deeply personal episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with nurse educator, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate Pakesta Washington for an honest conversation about living with bipolar disorder, breaking stigma, and finding hope after a lifetime of struggle. Pakesta's story begins in childhood, growing up with a mother who also lived with untreated bipolar disorder. Witnessing suicide attempts and mental illness at an early age shaped her decision to become a nurse, driven by one heartbreaking question: "How do I save my mom?" Years later, Pakesta would receive her own bipolar diagnosis. Instead of allowing it to define her, she chose to understand it, manage it, and ultimately use her experience to help others. Throughout the conversation, Jeff and Pakesta discuss the realities of living with bipolar disorder, why mental illness should be treated with the same compassion as any chronic medical condition, and how education can replace fear with understanding. The episode reaches a profoundly moving moment when Pakesta shares a simple ritual that reminds her there is always hope. She keeps a dress in her closet—a reminder of the darkest moments she has survived. At the end of each day, she looks at it and says: "I didn't have to wear that dress today." It's a powerful symbol of resilience, gratitude, and choosing life one day at a time. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "Mental health is health." "I didn't have to wear that dress today." About Pakesta Washington Pakesta Washington is a nurse educator, entrepreneur, mentor, and mental health advocate who uses her personal experience living with bipolar disorder to educate, inspire, and reduce stigma. Through speaking, teaching, and advocacy, she encourages people to approach mental illness with greater understanding, compassion, and hope. Connect with Pakesta Washington Learn more about Pakesta's advocacy, educational work, and upcoming projects through her website and social media channels. https://washington-elite-nursing-consultants.my.canva.site/ Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here If this episode moved you, please consider leaving a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. If you or someone you love is struggling with mental illness, know that you are not alone. Conversations like this remind us that healing begins with honesty, compassion, and the courage to ask for help. Because every day we choose hope becomes another page in our story. And together, those stories become The Story of Us. | |||
| You are Loved. You Matter | Cassidy Smith on Mindfulness, Identity, and Finding Your Way Back to Yourself | 21 Aug 2026 | 01:00:08 | |
How do we lose ourselves? Usually, not all at once. In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with brand strategist and mindfulness coach Cassidy Smith for a fascinating conversation about identity, authenticity, mindfulness, neuroscience, and the quiet ways we drift away from who we really are. Cassidy describes that process as an accumulation of “small moments of quiet self-betrayal.” We barely notice the drift—until one day we look in the mirror and wonder: Where did I go? Cassidy knows that experience personally. After finding herself in a toxic relationship and barely recognizing the woman looking back at her, mindfulness became part of the path that helped her begin finding herself again. Her professional work also gave her an unexpected framework for understanding the process. Companies spend enormous amounts of time defining their mission, vision, values, and identity. They continually ask whether their decisions remain aligned with who they claim to be. Human beings rarely perform the same audit. Maybe we should. Together, Jeff and Cassidy explore personal “brand drift,” the brain's resistance to change, limiting stories, mindfulness as a practical everyday tool, and the possibility that growth isn't always about becoming someone new. Sometimes it's about remembering who was there all along. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes “It's this accumulation of small moments of really quiet self-betrayal.” “I had to go explore and get lost in twenty different ways before I could find my way back to myself.” “The unknown is also where everything that's possible lives.” When Jeff asks Cassidy what she would tell her younger self, her answer is beautifully simple: “You are loved. You matter.” She wouldn't erase the difficult chapters because doing so might also erase the person those experiences helped her become. And to her future self: “I'm so glad we took this walk together.” A Question to Carry With You Businesses regularly ask: Who are we? What do we value? Are our decisions aligned with who we say we are? Learn more about Cassidy's mindfulness work at CSMindfulness.com and her brand strategy work at CSFoundries.com. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly Thursday reflections. If this conversation made you think of someone finding their way back to themselves, share it with them. And remember: Every life tells a story. Are you intentionally writing yours—or simply inheriting it? | |||
| Don't Get Lost in the Crazy | Sara Hathaway on Building a Meaningful Life in a Chaotic World | 19 Aug 2026 | 01:22:17 | |
What if resilience isn't something you build for the end of the world—but for everyday life? In this thoughtful episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with bestselling author, martial artist, homesteader, and entrepreneur Sara Hathaway for a conversation about choosing a life that looks radically different from the one our culture often celebrates. From her family's homestead in the piney forests of East Texas, Sara has intentionally embraced a life centered on self-reliance, meaningful work, strong relationships, and a deep connection to nature. While many know her through her bestselling Changing Earth series and her expertise in preparedness, this conversation moves beyond emergency planning to explore something much more universal. Together, Jeff and Sara ask a deeper question: What are we really preparing for? Is resilience about surviving catastrophe—or about building a life that remains meaningful regardless of what tomorrow brings? Their conversation explores homesteading, parenting, martial arts, faith, community, technology, and the growing sense that modern convenience has quietly disconnected many of us from the things that matter most. Ultimately, this isn't an episode about preparing for disaster. It's about preparing for life. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "Don't get lost in the crazy." "Resilience isn't about preparing for disaster. It's about building a life that remains meaningful regardless of what happens." About Sara Hathaway Sara Hathaway is a bestselling author, martial artist, entrepreneur, and homesteader living in East Texas. She is the creator of the acclaimed Changing Earth series and the founder of Practical Prepping, where she teaches practical skills that help individuals and families become more resilient, capable, and connected to the world around them. Connect with Sara Hathaway 🌐 Learn more about Sara, her books, podcast, and preparedness resources through her website and social media channels. https://www.authorsarafhathaway.com/ Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because the life we're building isn't measured by what we accumulate. It's measured by the people we love, the values we practice, and the everyday choices that shape who we become. And together, those stories become The Story of Us. | |||
| SPECIAL EDITION: I Bought a Bird Feeder and My Family Started Planning My Retirement | 16 Aug 2026 | 00:39:46 | |
There comes a point in life when you realize you've become the person who gets excited about birds. Not stock prices. Not college football scores. Not the latest headline engineered to spike your blood pressure. Birds. In this solo episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison reflects on an unexpected morning ritual: sitting on the back porch with coffee, binoculars, a backyard bird feeder, and his late father's worn copy of the Audubon bird book. What begins as a humorous admission about becoming a "backyard bird person" becomes a meditation on attention, aging, impermanence, inheritance, presence, and wonder. Jeff explores the Buddhist image of a bird trusting its wings rather than the branch beneath it—and what that might teach us when the branches we depend upon inevitably begin to shake. Careers change. Children grow up. Parents die. Bodies age. Relationships evolve. Plans collapse. If our peace depends entirely on external conditions remaining stable, peace will always remain just beyond our reach. Perhaps the deeper task is remembering that we have wings. The episode also explores the relentless competition for our attention. Every app, advertiser, politician, headline, and algorithm wants a piece of it. But attention isn't infinite. When we give something our attention, we're giving it a portion of our finite life. What actually deserves it? Along the way, Jeff reflects on his father, the Buddhist principle of impermanence, Thich Nhat Hanh's idea of interbeing, meditation, small moments of wonder, and the possibility that growing older doesn't make the world smaller. Maybe we simply become available to parts of it we were once moving too quickly to notice. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "Beauty isn't scarce. What's scarce is the attention that we give it." "Presence is a practice. Nobody stays there." "The world doesn't become less alive. You become more available to it." There is an enormous difference between asking: What is trying hardest to get my attention? and: What actually deserves my attention? Maybe this week, put the phone down. Step outside. Sit somewhere quiet. Don't require the moment to become profound. Just notice. Because life doesn't always announce the moments that matter. Sometimes it simply lands on the feeder while we're looking the other way. Connect with US @ TheStoryOfUsProject.com/START-HERE 📖 Subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's Thursday reflections. please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use a little more quiet in their world. Maybe growing older isn't about becoming less alive. Maybe it's finally learning how to notice how alive everything already is. | |||
| It’s All Gonna Be Alright | Michele Blood on Affirmations. Adversity and Becoming a Light for Others | 12 Aug 2026 | 01:00:55 | |
What if the worst day of your life became the beginning of your life's true calling? In this inspiring episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with musician, author, and transformational teacher Michele Blood to explore an extraordinary journey of resilience, healing, and hope. Before she became known around the world for her affirmation music, Michele was living her dream as a successful rock singer in Australia. Then, in an instant, everything changed. A devastating car accident nearly took her life, leaving her with severe injuries and an uncertain future. What followed wasn't simply a story of physical recovery. It became a story of transformation. As Michele searched for healing, she began experimenting with affirmations—not as spoken phrases, but as music. That simple idea grew into a global movement, combining neuroscience, spirituality, and the emotional power of melody to help people reshape the stories they tell themselves. But beneath the conversation about affirmations is an even deeper message. It's about choosing hope. Choosing forgiveness. Choosing joy. And believing, even in life's darkest moments, that healing is possible. As Michele says so beautifully near the end of the conversation: "It's all going to be alright." In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "It's all going to be alright." "I was always the wondersome child." About Michele Blood Michele Blood is an internationally recognized speaker, musician, author, and creator of Affirmation Power Songs®, a unique approach that combines positive affirmations with music to support personal transformation. Following a near-fatal automobile accident, she dedicated her life to helping others discover healing, confidence, and purpose through the power of music, mindset, and spiritual practice. Connect with Michele Blood 🌐 Website: https://micheleblood.com 🎵 Learn more about Affirmation Power Songs® and Michele's books, music, and programs through her website. Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. If this episode encouraged you, please leave a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because sometimes life breaks the story we thought we were living. And sometimes, that's exactly where the most meaningful chapter begins. | |||
| Keep Paying Attention | Frank Joseph on History, Storytelling, and the Lives That Shape America | 09 Aug 2026 | 01:09:46 | |
What if history isn't really about the past? What if it's about learning to see one another more clearly in the present? In this compelling episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with journalist and novelist, Frank Joseph for a conversation that spans decades of American history while asking timeless questions about identity, prejudice, memory, and our shared humanity. As a young reporter, Frank covered some of the most turbulent moments of the 1960s, including the riots in Chicago and Detroit. Those experiences placed him on the front lines of a nation wrestling with race, justice, and belonging—questions that remain just as relevant today. Years later, Frank transformed those experiences into his acclaimed Chicago Trilogy, using historical fiction to explore not just what happened, but what it felt like to live through those extraordinary times. Together, Jeff and Frank discuss the power of storytelling, the responsibility of journalism, the importance of historical perspective, and why curiosity remains one of our greatest tools for bridging human divides. Throughout the conversation, one simple piece of advice keeps resurfacing: Keep paying attention. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "Keep paying attention." "Understanding the world begins with understanding each other." About Frank Joseph Frank Joseph is an award-winning journalist and novelist whose work draws upon decades of reporting on some of America's most consequential moments. His acclaimed Chicago Trilogy explores race, justice, and the human stories behind history, reminding readers that the past is never as distant as it seems. Connect with Frank Joseph 🌐 Website: https://frankjoseph.com Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because history is more than dates and events. It's the accumulated story of ordinary people making extraordinary choices. And together, those stories become The Story of Us. | |||
| SPECIAL EDITION - Rise & Climb | Transforming Trauma into Triumph with Reggae Artist Ben Barbic | 07 Aug 2026 | 01:06:36 | |
What do you do when life burns everything to the ground? You keep climbing. In this inspiring episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with musician, author, entrepreneur, husband, and father Ben Barbic for a conversation about resilience, purpose, and the quiet decision to keep moving forward—even when life refuses to go according to plan. Ben's story begins with profound loss. As a young boy, his family's home and business were destroyed by a devastating California wildfire, leaving them to rebuild their lives from a donated trailer in the mountains. Later came addiction, poor choices, setbacks, and another heartbreaking loss when his recording studio flooded. But through every season of struggle, Ben discovered something that would become the foundation of both his music and his life: You don't have to control everything that happens to you. You can always choose what happens next. Together, Jeff and Ben explore fatherhood, creativity, faith, discipline, addiction, music, and the daily practices that help us become the people we hope to be. Rather than offering quick fixes or motivational clichés, Ben reminds us that transformation is rarely dramatic. It's built one choice at a time. One day at a time. One step at a time. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "Keep at it. It's all gonna work out." "You can't always control what happens, but you can control how you respond." About Ben Barbic Ben Barbic is a musician, songwriter, entrepreneur, and author of Rise and Climb, a book about resilience, personal responsibility, and rebuilding life after adversity. Through his uplifting music and storytelling, Ben encourages people to embrace growth, overcome setbacks, and keep moving toward the life they're called to live. Connect with Ben Barbic Learn more about Ben's music, books, and upcoming projects through his website https://www.risenclimb.com/ and social media channels. Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 📖 Letters from the Middle of It All: Subscribe for free weekly reflections delivered every Thursday. 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. If this episode encouraged you, please consider leaving a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue bringing thoughtful conversations to people searching for hope, wisdom, and deeper human connection. Because life will knock every one of us down. The question isn't whether we'll fall. The question is whether we'll keep climbing. And sometimes the simplest advice is also the wisest: Keep at it. It's all gonna work out. | |||
| It's a New Home, But It's Still My Home | Dasha Grankina and How One Russian Immigrant Brought Generations of Wisdom to Kentucky | 05 Aug 2026 | 00:59:04 | |
What does it really mean to leave one home and build another? In this heartfelt episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with wellness entrepreneur Dasha Grankina for a conversation that begins with ancient Russian healing traditions but grows into something much deeper—a reflection on identity, family, belonging, and what we carry with us when we cross borders. Growing up in Russia, Dasha was surrounded by traditions that weren't considered "wellness trends." They were simply everyday life. From steam baths and herbal practices to the rhythms of family and community, these customs shaped her understanding of health long before she ever imagined bringing them to Kentucky. After immigrating to the United States more than fifteen years ago, Dasha found herself building a new life while discovering that home isn't something we leave behind. It's something we continue to carry. As she beautifully shares during the conversation: "It's a new home, but it's still my home." Together, Jeff and Dasha explore the courage it takes to begin again, the importance of preserving cultural traditions, and why curiosity may be one of the greatest bridges between people from different backgrounds. Ultimately, this conversation is about more than wellness. It's about the universal human search for belonging. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "It's a new home, but it's still my home." "People are so curious... and I'm the other people." About Dasha Grankina Dasha Grankina is the founder of Bodhi Salt Center where she has introduced traditional Eastern European wellness practices to her Louisville, Kentucky community. Inspired by the customs she grew up with, Dasha is passionate about creating spaces that promote healing, connection, and cultural understanding while honoring the traditions that shaped her life. Connect with Dasha Learn more about Dasha and Bodhi Salt Center Louisville through her website and social media channels. https://bodhisaltcenter.com/ Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because sometimes the greatest journeys aren't about leaving home. They're about discovering that home has been traveling with you all along. | |||
| We Are More Similar Than Different | Roger Persaud on History, Identity, and the Stories That Connect Humanity | 02 Aug 2026 | 01:02:44 | |
What if the stories we've inherited about history—and about each other—are incomplete? In this thought-provoking episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with historian, veteran, and author Roger Persaud for a conversation that begins with history but ultimately becomes an exploration of what it means to be human. Growing up in British Guiana (now Guyana) without electricity or running water, Roger's journey would take him from the Caribbean to New York City, through military service in the U.S. Air Force, into a lifelong passion for uncovering overlooked chapters of history. His work challenges conventional narratives, particularly surrounding the Caribbean, colonialism, race, and identity—not to rewrite history, but to better understand it. Together, Jeff and Roger explore how the stories we inherit shape our perceptions, why curiosity is more powerful than certainty, and why the deeper we study humanity, the harder it becomes to see one another as strangers. Along the way, Roger offers one of the most hopeful observations of the entire conversation: We are much more similar than we are different. In This Episode
Memorable Quotes "We are much more similar than we are different." "There are no mistakes in life. You learn from failure." About Roger Persaud Dr. Roger Persaud is a U.S. Air Force veteran, historian, and author whose work explores overlooked historical narratives and the common threads that unite humanity. Drawing on his background, he encourages audiences to question assumptions, embrace curiosity, and seek a more complete understanding of our shared past. Connect with Roger Persaud Learn more about Dr. Roger Persaud and his work through his books, speaking engagements, and historical research. https://rogerpersaud.com/ Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. If this conversation resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. Your support helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because history is more than a record of the past. It's the story of how we came to see ourselves—and one another. And together, those stories become The Story of Us. | |||
| Keep Finding The Joy | Tony Stewart on Love, Loss, and Learning to Carry Life Forward | 29 Jul 2026 | 01:05:07 | |
What if grief isn't something we "get over," but something we learn to carry with love? In this deeply moving episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with author, speaker, and resilience advocate Tony Stewart to explore how profound loss can become a catalyst for purpose rather than despair. Tony shares the heartbreaking story of losing his wife, Lynn, to cancer after a remarkable 35-year marriage, and how that experience transformed his understanding of love, grief, gratitude, and what it means to truly live. Rather than offering clichés about "moving on," Tony invites us into a more honest conversation about continuing bonds, finding joy again, and discovering meaning after life's deepest heartbreaks. Together, Jeff and Tony explore why suffering is a universal part of the human story, why gratitude can coexist with grief, and how choosing joy isn't a denial of pain—it's an act of courage. This conversation is ultimately about one of the most important questions we all face: How do we continue living after life changes us forever? In This Episode
Memorable Quote "Keep finding the joy." About Tony Stewart Tony Stewart is an author, speaker, and advocate for resilience whose work encourages people to navigate grief with honesty, compassion, and hope. Drawing from his personal journey through profound loss, Tony inspires others to embrace life fully while honoring the people they love. Connect with Tony Stewart Website: https://tonystewartauthor.com Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because every life is a story. And together, they become The Story of Us. | |||
| Season 3 Premiere- The Story Continues... | 26 Jul 2026 | 00:48:13 | |
After several weeks away, The Story of Us returns with the premiere of Season Three. In this personal opening episode, host Jeff Ellison reflects on a season of profound life transitions—from becoming an empty nester and preparing for his son's wedding to traveling through Europe and rediscovering the value of slowing down. Along the way, he shares how these experiences reshaped his understanding of the podcast and reinforced its central mission: exploring what it means to be fully human. What began as a series of interviews has evolved into something much larger—a tapestry of conversations connecting neuroscience, history, psychology, spirituality, philosophy, literature, and ancient wisdom in search of the timeless questions that unite us all. Jeff also introduces the vision for Season Three and explains why he believes technology itself isn't the problem. Instead, it's one of the greatest opportunities we have to spread curiosity, compassion, meaningful conversation, and genuine human connection. In this episode, you'll discover:
This season we'll continue exploring life's biggest questions through conversations with storytellers, neuroscientists, historians, physicians, artists, spiritual teachers, psychologists, travelers, and extraordinary people from every walk of life. Because while our backgrounds may differ, our deepest questions remain remarkably the same. Join the Conversation If this episode resonates with you, we'd love your help growing this community. ⭐ Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. ⭐ Leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast app. ⭐ Share this episode with someone who enjoys thoughtful conversations. ⭐ Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com to subscribe to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's free weekly Thursday essay exploring the questions of everyday life. ⭐ Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky for additional conversations throughout the week. Know Someone We Should Interview? Some of our most meaningful conversations have come from listener recommendations. If you know someone with an extraordinary story, unique wisdom, or a perspective that could help others better understand themselves and the world around them, we'd love to hear from you. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com and send us your suggestion. "Different cultures. Different disciplines. Different beliefs. Yet somehow they keep pointing toward the same enduring truths about what it means to be human." Welcome to Season Three of The Story of Us. | |||
| SEASON FINALE: You Were Sold a Smaller God… and You Accepted It Without a Receipt. | 31 May 2026 | 00:31:36 | |
What if the feeling you call “God” was never meant to be contained inside a building? In this Season 2 finale of The Story of Us, Jeff reflects on the moments that leave us speechless—the overwhelming awe of standing beneath the vaulted ceilings of Notre-Dame, the impossible beauty of La Sagrada Familia, the silence of a mountain range, the pull of a night sky filled with stars. Part travel reflection… part philosophical exploration… part deeply personal letter… this episode explores the human tendency to build institutions around mystery—and what may be lost when we outsource our search for meaning to them. Drawing inspiration from Mark Twain, Eastern philosophy, the great cathedrals of Europe, and the ordinary moments of everyday life, Jeff asks a difficult but essential question: What do you actually believe? And perhaps more importantly… Have you ever stopped long enough to truly feel it for yourself? 🌍 In This Episode
🎯 Key Themes
🧠 Memorable Questions Explored
✨ Final Invitation This episode is ultimately an invitation: To slow down. To pay attention. To stop outsourcing the search for meaning. And to rediscover the extraordinary hidden inside ordinary life. 🌐 Explore More Subscribe to our free weekly blog: Letters From The Middle of It All 👉 www.thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 📲 Follow The Story of Us
🎥 Full episodes, shorts, and spoken word reflections available on YouTube. 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. ❤️ Thank You Thank you for being part of Season 2. These conversations exist because people like you continue sharing them, discussing them, and helping us build a growing community centered around curiosity, connection, and what it means to be human. 💬 Final Thought Maybe the sacred was never hiding inside the cathedral. Maybe it was waiting… in the moments you almost overlooked. 🪨 The Story of Us From stardust to stillness. “I was here. My life was meaningful.” | |||
| We Never Completely Forgot Who We Were with Yaffah Batya DaCosta | 24 May 2026 | 01:00:43 | |
What happens when an entire people are forced to hide who they are… for generations? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff sits down with Yaffah Batya daCosta—educator, speaker, and advocate for the descendants of the “Secret Jews,” families who were forced to convert during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions while quietly preserving pieces of their identity in secret. But this conversation is about much more than history. It’s about memory. Identity. Belonging. And the human need to understand where we come from. Together, they explore the story of the Anousim (“the forced ones”), how ancient persecution still echoes into modern life, and what happens when someone begins rediscovering truths their family was never allowed to openly speak about. Along the way, the conversation widens into something universal: How fear divides people. How stories shape identity. And how understanding each other more deeply may be one of the few paths toward healing. 🎯 What You’ll Take Away
🌍 Key Themes
👤 About the Guest – Yaffah Batya daCosta Yaffah Batya daCosta is an educator, speaker, coach, and advocate working to support descendants of the Anousim—Jewish families forced to conceal their identity during the Inquisition. Drawing from her own ancestral journey, she has spent decades studying Jewish history, early Christianity, interfaith relations, and the roots of antisemitism in order to promote deeper understanding and reconciliation between communities. She is also the CEO of a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping descendants reconnect with their heritage and identity. 🔗 Learn More
🌐 Explore More from The Story of Us If this conversation resonated with you, we invite you to explore more episodes, reflections, bite-sized clips, and shorts designed to help us better understand ourselves—and each other. 👉 www.thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎥 Full episodes and clips available on YouTube 📲 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky 🎧 Share the Episode If you found value in this conversation, share it with someone who may need to hear it. Because stories like this remind us of something important: History may divide us… but understanding each other can still bring us back together. 💬 Final Thought Identity can be hidden. But somehow… the human spirit remembers. | |||
| Raising Good Humans…Not Just "Successful" Ones with Rosemary Olender | 17 May 2026 | 01:12:31 | |
What does it really mean to raise a “good” human? Not a high achiever. Not a perfectly behaved child. But someone who is kind, grounded, resilient… and emotionally aware. In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff sits down with educator, consultant, and author Rosemary Olender—who has spent decades working inside classrooms, schools, and family systems—to explore what actually shapes a child. This conversation goes beyond parenting advice. It’s about the everyday moments… the conversations we have… the behaviors we model… and how those small things quietly shape who our children become. Drawing from over 20 years of experience as a teacher, principal, and director of special education, Rosemary shares what she’s seen change in today’s families—and what still matters most. Together, they explore:
This episode isn’t just for parents. It’s for anyone who cares about the kind of humans we are raising—and the kind of world we’re creating. 🎯 What You’ll Take Away
🌍 Key Themes
👤 About the Guest – Rosemary Olender Rosemary Olender, MS, CAS, is an educator, consultant, and non-fiction author with decades of experience supporting families and schools. Her career includes:
She is the author of:
Her work focuses on helping families and educators build stronger relationships, improve communication, and support children in reaching their full potential. 🌐 Explore More If this conversation resonated with you, we’ve created a space for you to go deeper. 👉 www.thestoryofusproject.com/start-here Explore more episodes, reflections, and insights on what it means to be human—and how we shape the next generation. 📲 Follow & Connect Follow The Story of Us:
🎥 Full episodes, clips, and shorts available on YouTube. 🎧 Share This Episode If you know someone raising kids—or working with them—send this their way. Because the small things we do today… become the foundation for who they are tomorrow. 💬 Final Thought We don’t just raise children. We raise future humans. And that might be the most important work any of us will ever do. | |||
| NEXT GEN: Your Life Is An Empty Canvas... Now What? with Max McGuire | 10 May 2026 | 01:12:15 | |
What does it actually feel like…to stand at the edge of your life…and try to figure out who you’re going to become? In this special NextGen episode of The Story of Us, Jeff sits down with Max McGuire—recent University of Tennessee graduate, adventurer, artist, and someone stepping into adulthood in real time. This conversation is a little different. Max isn’t just a guest—he’s someone Jeff knows personally (yeah, it's his daughters BOYFRIEND). Which makes this episode feel less like an interview… and more like a real, honest conversation between two people at very different stages of life. And maybe that’s what makes it so powerful. Together, they explore the questions that don’t come with easy answers:
From working as a ranch hand in Aspen… to exploring the Amazon River Basin… to navigating creativity, relationships, and the uncertainty of what comes next—Max opens up about what he’s learning, what he’s still figuring out, and what matters most right now. This isn’t a conversation about having it all figured out. It’s about being honest enough to admit you don’t. 🎯 What You’ll Take Away
🌍 Key Themes
👤 About the Guest – Max McGuire Max McGuire is a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in supply chain management. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Max brings a unique blend of grit, creativity, and curiosity. From working as a ranch hand in Aspen to traveling into the Amazon, his experiences reflect a willingness to step outside the ordinary and into growth. He is an artist, an outdoorsman, and someone just beginning to shape the life he wants to build. 🌐 Explore More If this conversation resonated with you, we’ve created a space for you to go deeper. 👉 www.thestoryofusproject.com/start-here Explore more full episodes, bite-sized clips, and conversations about what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. 📲 Follow & Connect Follow The Story of Us:
🎥 Full episodes, clips, and shorts available on YouTube. 🎧 Share This Episode If you know someone navigating this stage of life… Send this to them. Because sometimes the most important thing you can hear is: You don’t need to have it all figured out. 💬 Final Thought Becoming isn’t something that happens once. It’s something we all keep doing… no matter how old we are. | |||
| The Life Most People Only Dream About- Sailing The World with Alison Gieschen | 03 May 2026 | 00:53:52 | |
Episode Title She Sold Everything to Sail the World… Here’s What She Found | Alison Gieschen Episode Description What happens when you walk away from everything you’ve built… and choose a life most people only dream about? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff sits down with Alison Gieschen—author, storyteller, and global sailor—who made a bold decision alongside her husband to sell everything they owned and circumnavigate the world by sailboat. Since then, they’ve traveled across five continents, visited over 50 countries, and lived a life shaped not by schedules… but by wind, water, and the unknown. But this conversation isn’t just about travel. It’s about what happens when you strip life down to its essentials. About the people you meet along the way. The perspectives that change you. And what truly matters when comfort, routine, and certainty are no longer part of the equation. From navigating storms at sea to navigating different cultures and ways of living, Alison shares what years on the ocean have taught her about humanity, connection, and the shared experience of being alive. What You’ll Take Away
Key Themes
About the Guest – Alison Gieschen Alison Gieschen is a former teacher, equestrian vaulting coach, and horse farm owner who chose a radically different path—selling everything to sail around the world with her husband aboard their 43-foot vessel, EQUUS. She is an author, travel blogger, and storyteller known as The Nautical Novelist, sharing her journey through books and her sailing blog. Her works include:
Connect with Alison
Explore More If this conversation resonated with you, we’ve created a space for you to go deeper. 👉 www.thestoryofusproject.com Explore more conversations, reflections, and stories about what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. Listen. Reflect. Share. If this episode made you think, feel, or see the world a little differently… Share it with someone who needs to hear it. Final Thought Sometimes the most powerful journeys… aren’t about where you go. They’re about how you begin to see. | |||
| May The Schwartz Be With You - Chasing the Inexplicable Something with Calvin Schwartz | 26 Apr 2026 | 01:03:33 | |
Some lives don't follow a script. They follow a feeling — an inexplicable something that whispers just loud enough to be heard over the noise of the ordinary. Calvin Schwartz has been listening to that whisper his whole life, and what it's led him to is nothing short of extraordinary. Calvin joins us today as the host of We the Species, a podcast over 700 conversations deep that explores the big, beautiful, unanswerable questions about humanity, connection, and what it means to be alive. If you haven't found it yet, consider this your sign. In this episode, Calvin takes us on a journey that winds through pharmacy school he never wanted, a 25-year career selling eyeglasses for one of the world's wealthiest men, a novel that arrived fully formed during a rainy morning rewatch of Casablanca, and a spiritual awakening that changed the entire trajectory of his life. Along the way we touch on bullying, reinvention, the paranormal, a mysterious healing in Nazareth, a five-roll car crash he walked away from without a scratch, and — not once, but twice — turning down Steven Spielberg. Almost, he'll tell you. Almost. Calvin is also the award-winning author of There's a Tortoise in My Hair: A Journey to Spirit, a novel that has drawn comparisons to Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Roth, and John Irving, and has collected over ten national awards. It is a book about meaning, mortality, and the unseen forces that seem to guide us — whether we believe in them or not. At 80-something and showing no signs of slowing down, Calvin is a living, breathing argument for staying curious, staying open, and never letting age write the final word on who you're still becoming. In this episode we explore: Leaving behind a career — and a whole identity — to follow something you can't quite name The spiritual thread that runs quietly through an entire life How writing one novel unlocked an entire new world of possibility The paranormal experiences that changed how Calvin sees existence What 700+ conversations about the human species has taught him about all of us The gift of the antenna — and why Calvin believes we all have one Connect with Calvin: 🎙️ We the Species Podcast — available on all major streaming platforms 📖 There's a Tortoise in My Hair — available at CalvinSchwartz.com 💼 LinkedIn: Calvin Schwartz 📘 Facebook: Cal Schwartz Enjoyed this episode? If something Calvin said today stayed with you, please take a moment to leave us a review on your streaming platform of choice — it helps more curious minds find their way to these conversations. And if you know someone who needs a reminder that it is never too late to begin again, share this episode with them. That small act might mean more than you know. Until next time — peace be with you. | |||
| SPECIAL EDITION: You Can Be a “Man’s Man” Without Being an Asshole | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:19:10 | |
What does it actually mean to be a “tough guy”? Lately, that definition feels… off. Somewhere along the way, toughness has been confused with anger. Strength with cruelty. Confidence with tearing other people down. In this solo episode of The Story of Us, Jeff steps back and challenges that idea. This one is personal. Through the lens of his son Brady—a welder, diesel mechanic, and what most would call a “man’s man”—Jeff explores the difference between being disciplined, resilient, and capable… versus being closed off, hateful, or divisive. Because those aren’t the same thing. And they never were. This episode is a spoken-word reflection based on Jeff’s blog post: “You Can Be a Man’s Man Without Being an Asshole” It’s about redefining strength. Reclaiming character. And remembering that toughness and kindness were never meant to be opposites. 🎯 What You’ll Take Away
👤 A Personal Note This episode is inspired by Jeff’s son, Brady—whose life reflects a powerful truth: You can be rough, tough, hardworking… and still be a good man to the people around you. 🌐 Read the Full Blog Want to read the full written version? 👉 https://thestoryofusproject.com/2026/04/16/you-can-be-a-mans-man-without-being-an-asshole/ 🔗 Explore More If this episode resonated with you, we’ve created a space for you to go deeper. 👉 https://thestoryofusproject.com/START-HERE/ More conversations. More reflections. More of what it means to be human in a world that’s changing fast. 🎧 Share This Episode If you know someone who’s been wrestling with what it means to be a man today… Send this to them. Because the conversation matters. 💬 Final Thought You don’t have to change who you are to become a better man. You just have to remember: Tough doesn’t mean cruel. | |||
| Is the World Falling Apart…or Waking Up? with Scott Paradis | 19 Apr 2026 | 00:57:22 | |
Something feels… off. The world we thought we understood doesn’t quite make sense anymore. Institutions feel shaky. The rules seem unclear. And underneath it all, there’s this quiet, persistent question: Is everything falling apart… or are we being pushed into something new? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff sits down with Scott Paradis—retired U.S. Army Colonel, Congressional Fellow, and National Security Fellow at Harvard—to explore one of the most important questions of our time. Drawing from decades inside systems of power, Scott offers a bold perspective: 👉 What we’re experiencing may not be collapse… 👉 It may be revelation. Together, they unpack:
This conversation isn’t about politics or ideology. It’s about stepping back far enough to see the system… and then asking a deeper question: What kind of game do you want to play? 🎯 Key Takeaways
👤 About the Guest – Scott Paradis Scott F. Paradis is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, former Congressional Fellow in the U.S. Senate, and National Security Fellow at Harvard University. After a 30-year career inside military and government systems, Scott shifted his focus to understanding the deeper forces shaping human behavior, society, and personal development. He is the author of 11 books and creator of multiple educational programs exploring leadership, money, and human potential. His latest work, What’s Really Going On: Apocalypse or Evolution, challenges the idea that humanity is in decline—and instead suggests we are at a critical moment of transformation. 🔗 Connect with Scott
🌐 Explore More If this conversation resonated with you, we’ve created a space for you to go deeper. Visit our landing page to explore more conversations, insights, and resources designed to help you navigate this moment with clarity and intention. 👉 www.thestoryofusproject.com/start-here 🎧 Listen. Reflect. Share. If you found value in this episode, share it with someone who’s been asking the same questions. Because maybe the real shift happening right now… isn’t just in the world. It’s within us. | |||
| From The Big Bang to Space Colonies: 13.8 Billion Years (in 60ish minutes) with Richard Anderson | 12 Apr 2026 | 01:12:21 | |
From Big Bang to Space Colonies (13.8 Billion Years in Under 90 Minutes) | with Richard Anderson What if the story of your life didn't begin when you were born — but 13.8 billion years ago in a single flash of energy that contained, quite literally, everything? In this episode of The Story of Us: From Cosmic Dawn to the Depths of Being, we sit down with Richard Anderson — molecular biologist, clinical scientist, and author of The Evolution of Life, Big Bang to Space Colonies — for a conversation that begins at the beginning and somehow still manages to feel personal by the end. Richard spent decades in laboratories doing the patient, rigorous work of understanding how life actually functions. Then he retired, traveled the world, came home to a pandemic, and wrote a book that traces the full arc of existence from the first cosmic moment to the far future of human civilization. In this conversation, we explore: Why carbon and water are the only possible building blocks for life — anywhere in the universe Why intelligent life elsewhere is far less likely than the movies want you to believe How predator and prey shaped the very way you think — and why your brain is wired for right now, not the long term The role of mythology, religion, and science in the story of human civilization Why colonizing Mars may not be the answer — and what Richard thinks actually is Artificial intelligence, sentient beings, and what happens when the robots never die The hummingbird story — trust us, stay for the hummingbird story Richard also answers the two questions we ask every guest: what would you whisper to your younger self, and what do you want to say to the future version of you listening back one day? His answer to the first one involves Tesla stock. His answer to the second is quieter, and worth the wait. "Watch the movies. But read the books." — Richard Anderson 📖 Richard's Book: The Evolution of Life, Big Bang to Space Colonies — available on Amazon 🌐 Find Richard: richardandersonauthor.com | Facebook: Richard Anderson | Blog at his website The Story of Us is a podcast exploring the big questions — who we are, where we came from, and what it means to be alive at this particular and unrepeatable moment. New episodes wherever you listen. Want to learn more? START HERE -- www.thestoryofusproject.com/start-here | |||
| The Fiercest Kind of Love with Shannon Carmicle Crawford | 05 Apr 2026 | 01:12:43 | |
This episode carries a different weight—one built not on tragedy alone, but on quiet, relentless strength. Jeff sits down with Shannon Carmichael Crawford, a Louisville native, former record-breaking swimmer, teacher, mother, and now fierce advocate. Her story moves from a joyful childhood and deep-rooted friendships to a life reshaped by profound challenges—and purpose. Shannon and her late husband Scott built a life centered on family, raising their daughter Caitlin and son Chase. When Chase was diagnosed with profound autism, everything changed. What followed was a relentless journey through therapies, medical systems, and uncertainty—navigated without a roadmap, powered only by instinct, love, and grit. Then came another unimaginable blow: Scott’s diagnosis with stage IV colon cancer. Ten months later, at just 45, he passed away. Left to carry the weight of grief, motherhood, and caregiving, Shannon didn’t stop. She adapted. She fought. And she kept moving forward. Today, her advocacy is focused on a critical gap: families in Kentucky lack the resources needed to support individuals with profound autism. With no in-state facilities equipped for 24/7 care, Shannon made the heartbreaking decision to place Chase in a specialized center 700 miles away. Her mission now is clear—bring these children home. Key Themes:
Important Insights:
For Families & Listeners:
Shannon’s story is ultimately about love—the kind that doesn’t quit, doesn’t ask for recognition, and doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. If this conversation moved you, share it. Stories like this don’t create change unless they travel. | |||
| SPECIAL EDITION: The Stranger in the Mirror | 29 Mar 2026 | 00:20:02 | |
You've changed. More than you know. More than you're probably comfortable admitting. Not gradually. Not just a little. Fundamentally. Repeatedly. And you're not done yet. In this rare and deeply personal solo episode, host Jeff Ellison steps away from the guest chair and turns the microphone — and the mirror — on himself. What begins with an ordinary Tuesday morning and a steamed-up bathroom mirror becomes something far more searching: a raw, honest, and at times uncomfortably beautiful meditation on identity, impermanence, and what it means to keep becoming someone new while carrying everything you've already been. This one is different. And if you're a human being in the middle of your own story — which you are — it may be exactly what you needed to hear today. In this episode, Jeff explores:
The Two Questions — For You: Jeff asks every guest these questions before the conversation ends. This time, he's asking you. What does this version of yourself want to tell the younger version of yourself? Knowing that some future you will one day look back at this exact moment — what do you want them to know? Don't rush past them. Let them make you a little uncomfortable. That discomfort means they're working. Join the Conversation: Jeff wants to hear from you. What's been your biggest identity pivot? The moment that cracked you open and left someone slightly different standing in the rubble? Share your story with us: 🌐 Visit our website: www.thestoryofusproject.com ✉️ Subscribe to our free blog: https://substack.com/@jeffrellison?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jeffellison-thestoryofus?si=apsFqObcwr1aGbK-💬 Find us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Blue Sky. The circle is always open. And your story belongs in it. | |||
| Eyes, See Me Too: The Proverbs and Parables That Unite Us with Chris Morehouse | 22 Mar 2026 | 01:04:40 | |
What if the world's great wisdom traditions aren't competing with one another — but have been quietly agreeing for thousands of years? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff sits down with Chris Morehouse, author of the remarkable book Legacy: Wisdom of African Traditions and the Bible — a seven-year labor of love that places nearly 300 African proverbs alongside biblical scripture, not to blur their differences, but to illuminate their profound and often stunning similarities. Chris grew up in suburban Philadelphia, the son of theater people, raised with an open mind and a restless curiosity that led him — at just thirteen years old — to mail away for a "Teach Yourself Swahili" record set. That early fascination with African culture never left him. It quietly gathered force across decades of study, graduate research, personal moves, and life detours until it finally erupted into a book that may be unlike anything else in its category. In this conversation, Jeff and Chris explore:
The Book: Legacy: Wisdom of African Traditions and the Bible by Chris Morehouse Available now — self-published with holy boldness, featuring contributors and artists from around the world. A Few Proverbs to Sit With: "Compassion is a well." — Hehe people, Tanzania "If you know what hurts yourself, you know what hurts others." — Madagascar "Eyes, see me too." — Ovambo people, Namibia "The wealth that enslaves is not wealth." — West African tradition "Losing the way is one way of finding it." — Swahili and Sukuma peoples, Tanzania "Singing hallelujah everywhere does not prove piety." — Ethiopian tradition Mentioned in This Episode:
Connect With Us: 🌐 Visit our website: www.thestoryofusproject.com✉️ Subscribe to our free blog: www.thestoryofusproject.com/blog ▶️ Watch on YouTube 💬 Find us on social media and join the conversation. | |||
| We Will Fight on Forever: Delivering Packets of Hope with Jill Chalsty | 15 Mar 2026 | 01:07:36 | |
What happens when the hardest moments of life become the seed for a lifelong mission? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Jill Chalsty, founder of the global life-skills initiative Overcoming Obstacles and author of Packets of Hope. Jill shares the remarkable journey that began with childhood bullying and evolved into a curriculum that has reached over 180 million students in nearly 200 countries. Her story takes a powerful turn after the loss of her husband and her own battles with cancer. Facing grief and uncertainty, Jill embarked on a 107-day voyage across the globe—hand-delivering “packets of hope” to ministers of education in dozens of countries, spreading a message about life skills, resilience, and purpose. This conversation explores bullying, forgiveness, grief, courage, and the profound power of human connection. It’s a story about turning pain into purpose—and why one small step can change the course of a life. What We Discuss in This Episode
Memorable Moments
About Jill Chalsty Jill Chalsty is the founder of Overcoming Obstacles, a nonprofit that provides free life-skills curriculum to educators around the world. The program teaches decision-making, communication, goal setting, empathy, and resilience to students from kindergarten through high school. The curriculum has reached over 180 million students across nearly 200 countries through hundreds of thousands of educators. She is also the author of Packets of Hope: A Journey of Healing and Rediscovery, a memoir documenting a global voyage that helped transform grief into purpose. Resources & Links
Key Takeaway One small step—whether asking for help, starting a journey, or reaching out to someone else—can become the turning point that changes everything. | |||
| Don’t Hurt People: A Lesson Learned the Hard Way—War, Prison, and Divine Grace with Jack Hager | 08 Mar 2026 | 01:10:30 | |
Jack Hager joins Jeff Ellison for a raw, wide-ranging conversation tracing his journey from a transient military childhood and early addiction, to combat in Vietnam, involvement in smuggling and organized crime, and a 10-year prison sentence. In a Texas jail cell—through boredom, books, and an unexpected encounter with the Gospels—Jack experiences a faith conversion that reshapes his worldview and sets him on a decades-long path of prison ministry. Along the way, Jack returns again and again to personal responsibility: “You make your choices, then your choices make you.” The episode explores war’s moral complexity, the scars of coming home unwelcome, what prison is really like, why forgiveness matters, and how suffering changes when viewed through faith. Key Themes / Takeaways
Notable Quotes
Guest Links / Resources
Listener Reflection Prompts
About the Guest Jack Hager is a Vietnam veteran and former inmate who experienced a profound faith transformation while incarcerated. Since 1978, he has served in vocational Christian ministry with a long focus on prisons, jails, camps, and mentorship. He is the author of Captured by Grace. | |||
| Forged for Battle. Grounded in Peace with Jeff Patterson | 01 Mar 2026 | 00:57:54 | |
What if becoming stronger has less to do with pushing harder… and more to do with yielding? In this conversation, Jeff Ellison sits down with Jeff Patterson—martial artist, meditation teacher, and author of The Yielding Warrior—to explore the surprising intersection of combat and consciousness. With 36+ years of training (and black belt equivalencies across multiple disciplines), Jeff could absolutely toss most of us like a beach towel in a hurricane… but he’s devoted his life to something quieter and far more powerful: breath, awareness, regulation, and intelligent response. You’ll learn why distraction isn’t failure in meditation, how to return to center in real time, and how “yielding” can transform not just your training—but your relationships, reactions, and inner life. Stay tuned for one of the most useful stories you’ll hear all week: the monk, the puddle, and the art of leaving it behind. Key Topics / What We Cover
Memorable Moments
Guest Jeff Patterson — Martial Artist, Meditation Teacher, Author (The Yielding Warrior) Links & Resources
Call to Action If this episode helped you take one deeper breath or choose one calmer response, please:
Show Info The Story of Us: From Cosmic Dawn to the Depths of Being Website: thestoryofusproject.com | |||
| SPECIAL EDITION: You Aren’t a Machine | 22 Feb 2026 | 00:23:13 | |
In this special solo episode of The Story of Us, Jeff reflects on a truth many of us have forgotten: We are not machines. On the heels of his conversation with Melanie Love (Let It Be Enough), Jeff explores the deeper cultural and biological forces that keep us overworked, overstimulated, and overwhelmed. Why do we treat ourselves like devices — charging overnight, powering through daylight, running task after task until something inside us glitches? Why does modern life feel like an endless treadmill set a few speeds too high? This episode dives into:
Jeff also shares an original poem and reflects on the invitation to move from survival to fully inhabiting life. This episode is a gentle but urgent reminder: Rest is not a reward. Stillness is not laziness. And you don’t need to earn being enough. Key Themes
Notable Quotes “We aren’t machines. We’re humans.” “Desire isn’t the same as satisfaction.” “You don’t need to earn rest. You need it because you’re human.” “Enoughness can’t be achieved — it can only be realized.” Books & References Mentioned
Reflection Prompt Where are you still holding on tight? What would it feel like — just for a breath — to soften? Connect with the Show If this episode resonated, share it with someone who might need the reminder that they are human — not a machine. Visit: www.thestoryofusproject.com Subscribe, listen, read, and join the conversation. Together we rise by remembering each other. | |||