Category: thelifeoftry

When Trying Isn’t Enough

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“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

There was a moment when I knew my marriage was over. It was about ten months after my business partner told me about my husband’s infidelities. We had been trying to put our marriage back together. And then one day I walked into the kitchen. My ex had cooked an egg, broken the yolk, dribbled it all across the stove and counter on the way to the plate (I assume), eaten breakfast (again, I assume – didn’t see that part), and then left the house without cleaning it up.

I took a picture of it with the remark, “Really?” and texted it to him while he was golfing. [Granted that might not have been the best way to deal with it on my part.]

He texted back a rant which I can’t remember verbatim. But it ended, “because I’m married to a bitch who can’t communicate.”

I sat on the living room couch with my elbows leaning on my knees and looked at that message for a long time. I felt so tired. I knew I was done trying.

I’m a little slow to realize when it’s time to stop trying. But every time I accept that whatever I’m trying to do is not going to work, I get the same feeling. Maybe you know what I mean – it’s a sensation that lands the moment I know that I’m not going to succeed. It’s a cross between a gut punch and a groan.

And I have a visual that usually comes to mind at the same time. It’s from a climb I did on Mt. Whitney in 2005 – I’m lying on my back in the snow balanced on a giant pack, tired, and hungry, knowing I’m not going to make the summit. The marriage is a very dramatic example, but I flash to that even at smaller moments like when I’ve accepted that I overreached on the menu for a dinner party plan and need to stop.

In this episode of The Life of Try podcast, I tell the story about that winter climb on Whitney and the three things I’ve learned about working through that gut punch.

  • Pause before reacting to disappointment. Urgency is often just fear trying to get us to move before we’re ready.
  • Take the learning and leave the shame.
  • Widen the definition of success. A try can still matter even when the original outcome changes. Courage, honesty, effort, and accepting help all count.

If you are navigating disappointment, burnout, uncertainty, or a dream that feels too heavy to carry, this episode offers encouragement to pause, learn, accept help, and keep becoming the kind of person who tries.

Here are more ways to listen and subscribe:

Links for this episode:

When You Know You Aren’t Going to Make It transcript

📘 Amazon: ⁠Enough: Climbing Toward a True Self on Mount Everest ⁠by Melissa Arnot Reid

📘 Amazon: The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

🔗 Connect with Dr. Kristin Neff

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy

➡️ ⁠Letting Go Of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving⁠

➡️ ⁠Why Second Place Isn’t Failure | The Hidden Power of Persistence & Resilience⁠

➡️ ⁠When Your Plans Fall Apart | How to Stay Resilient, Adapt & Keep Moving Forward⁠

Success isn’t always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.

Creating Lift

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“If you see someone without a smile today, give ’em yours. ” – Dolly Parton

I think one of the most charming aspects of this WordPress community is the generous willingness to share knowledge. Topics like:

P.J. Gudka sharing blogging advice
Dr. Gerald Stein’s insightful essays based on a distinguished career as a psychologist
Edward Ortiz provides Thoughts about leadership, history, and more
Tamara Kulish shares notes about soul-healing
Ab offers a window into disability advocacy
Todd Fulginiti shares his music
Michelle provides tips for and inspiration on decluttering
Dr. Yvette Prior creating incredible anthologies with contributors we know and love,
Shaun sharing daily encouragement
and on and on. It is a remarkable wealth of experience, information and knowledge available to everyone.

This incredible wealth of sharing and curiosity is right inline with my recent Life of Try podcast conversation with Bruce Dorey, PhD. In his book, Lift: Passing the Craft, Bruce provides a research-based framework for how we can mentor and provide lift to others.

A few key takeaways from this conversation:

  • Lift, whether it be for an airplane or in our interactions with others, does not happen in a vacuum. We need to engage with others to have the opportunity to pass on our expertise.
  • Bruce talks about how many of the master artists like Rodin were part of a guild and employed many young artists in the making of art. He surfaces the craftsman model: journeyman, apprentice and master for passing on knowledge. He shares ways we can do that in business, not just the trades.
  • We delve into the power of awe and the innovative way that Bruce uses virtual reality (VR) to incorporate awe into his work rhythm.

If you’re interested in how to become a better mentor, build resilience, use technology more intentionally, find flow, overcome burnout, or create more meaning in your work, this episode offers practical inspiration and a new way to think about growth.

Here are more ways to listen and subscribe:

Links for this episode:

Creating Lift: Leadership, Mentorship, and the Courage to Keep Growing transcript

Lift: Passing the Craft by Bruce Dorey, PhD on Amazon

A Whole New Way to Work: A Map to Freedom and Success by Bruce Dorey, PhD on Amazon

Bruce Dorey, PhD on LinkedIn

 Other episodes you might enjoy

Brand Strategy for Humans with Nancy Martira

⁠Identity Before Strategy: How to Break Through Invisible Ceilings with Kevin Yoder⁠

How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Finding The Right Audience

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“Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” – Maya Angelou

I’ve talked with a lot of authors about their marketing strategy, I’ve promoted many who are trying to sell their books, I’ve written reviews of books I’ve read, I’ve connected with a lot of incredible people on WordPress. But if you ask me my marketing strategy, I think my best description would be “organic.” That is to say, I’m doing my best work and hoping that others will find it.

This is probably something you all know – but mostly I have podcast conversations because they are what I need to hear. They just happen to be recorded in the case they are useful to others. 🙂 The podcast conversation I had with Nancy Martira of Clew Strategy for this week’s The Life of Try episode about how to create a brand strategy for humans (in this age of machines) is one of the most helpful and informative.

So I loved talking with Nancy who is an incredibly smart and practical brand strategist. She helped me see some really key points:

  • Reputation vs brand: Reputation is how people perceive us and brand is what you say you are. There is risk when they are at odds. Think of a snarky blogger who tries to market an uplifting book. I only give that example because I don’t know any snarky bloggers but you can see why one might not believe that snark and uplifting go together.
  • We don’t have to be on all the platforms. This is one I wrestle with on a regular basis. It feels like there are too many platforms and I am always behind. Nancy’s advice is to be much more thoughtful about trying to reach for audiences that are already looking for what we have to give. (Big thanks to the WP community – I’m so grateful I’ve found you).

    My dear friend, Victoria Atkinson of the Victoria Ponders blog does this so well. She regularly speaks to audiences about writing for wellness, goes to lit fests, and serves on panels, and in doing so shows she knows how to find readers… and writers that need her beautiful guidance and her incredible books, Surviving Sue, a memoir, and Slivers, the companion novel.
  • Of course, finding the right audience means knowing what our value proposition is — or in Nancy’s great story about George Saunders, our “iconic space” (reference link below). Whether it is finding a job, marketing a book or a podcast, or anything else, knowing what it is that only we can create is essential. Nancy has some great actionable ways to do this.
  • How can we appeal to humans when technology like SEO, algorithms, and AI are cluttering the process? This one often makes my head hurt. Nancy offers some great suggestions for how and when to use technology in a way that doesn’t lessen the human appeal of what we have to offer.

Nancy helps expert-led businesses, authors, job seekers, and knowledge-based professionals find what makes them impossible to ignore. This conversation is especially helpful for writers, creators, entrepreneurs, and professionals who feel uncomfortable with self-promotion just like I do. Nancy’s approach to brand strategy is deeply human, clear, and encouraging — perfect for anyone trying to become more visible while staying true to themselves.

Nancy has a lot of incredible experience and actionable wisdom so the full episode is 46 minutes. Here’s a short clip that contains some great advice for authors:

If you’ve ever wondered how to market a book, promote your business, refresh your LinkedIn profile, stand out in a crowded job market, or build a personal brand that feels authentic, this episode will help you think more clearly about reputation, positioning, storytelling, and the courage to be seen.

Here are some ways you can listen and watch this full episode:

Links for this episode:

Nancy Martira at Clew Strategy: ⁠https://www.clewstrategy.com/⁠ and her Career Positioning Workshop.

Hyperfixed Podcast with Alex Goldman, September 2025. “Alex and the Impossible Ask” 

George Saunders is a best-selling author and a professor of English at Syracuse University. Nancy quotes from his book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain in our conversation. The book is available on Bookshop.org and the audiobook is available on Libro.fm. 

Nancy tells a charming origin story about her company name. This blog post goes more in-depth into what “Clew” means to her. 

 Other episodes you might enjoy

⁠Identity Before Strategy: How to Break Through Invisible Ceilings with Kevin Yoder⁠

⁠The Power of Looking At Your Life Through a New Lens⁠

⁠How to Tell Relatable Stories⁠

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Self-Limiting Beliefs

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“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” – Mahatma Gandhi

When I was 22-years-old, a cute boy that I had just started dating invited me on a backpacking trip on the Olympic Peninsula to visit some natural hot springs. The group that was going included another couple that I liked hanging out with because they their conversational patter was a perfect mix of smart, fun, and cool.

I hesitated because I didn’t think I was outdoorsy. Outside of organized groups, I hadn’t really camped or hiked much in my life so far. But the prospect of spending time with my date and other interesting people outweighed my reluctance. And I was rewarded with a great weekend fording streams, soaking in hot springs, and having interesting conversations by the campfire. It was enough to plant a seed that maybe I was outdoorsy. It was an important identity shift that made way for my thought seven years later when I saw Mt. Rainier in the morning sun, “I should climb that.”

And… that opened the door for me to climb not only the Pacific NW volcanoes, but also peaks in Mexico, Russia, Nepal, Italy and Peru. Thank goodness for that cute guy! Even though the relationship wasn’t a significant one in my life, the change in mentality was.

So in this episode of The Life of Try, I talk with Kevin Yoder, creator of Infinite U, about identity-first transformation and why lasting personal growth begins with who we believe we are becoming. What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t a lack of discipline, strategy, or ambition—but an outdated identity you’ve outgrown?

Kevin brings more than two decades of experience in real estate, leadership, coaching, and personal development to a powerful conversation about self-image, paradigms, confidence ceilings, income ceilings, and the invisible patterns that keep capable people from reaching their next level.

Together, Kevin and I explore the question he learned from Bob Proctor—“How are your results?”—and how honest awareness can open the door to meaningful change.

Key Takeaways

  • Lasting change begins with identity: the way we see ourselves often shapes what we believe is possible, more than strategy alone.
  • Invisible ceilings—around confidence, income, consistency, or growth—can point to outdated self-image patterns that are ready to be examined.
  • The question “How are your results?” offers a simple but powerful way to practice honesty, awareness, and intentional transformation.
  • Attitude becomes the bridge between belief and behavior when our thoughts, words, feelings, and actions become more aligned with who we are trying to become.

If you’ve ever started strong and stalled out, felt like you had “weights around your ankles,” or wondered why the next version of your life still feels just out of reach, this episode offers a hopeful, practical look at how to begin again from the inside out. Listen for insights on identity transformation, personal growth, self-concept, mindset, attitude, and building a life that reflects who you are ready to become.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

Identity Before Strategy: How To Break Through Invisible Glass Ceilings With Kevin Yoder transcript

Infinite U

Infinite U Self-Assessment: https://infiniteuassessment.com

 Other episodes you might enjoy

⁠The Power of Looking At Your Life Through a New Lens⁠

⁠How to Create Opportunities In Life | Motive + Means = Success Mindset⁠

⁠How to Tell Relatable Stories⁠

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

The Stories We Inherit

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“No legacy is as rich as honesty.” – William Shakespeare

My ex-husband used to describe me as independent, especially when we were arguing. But he’d say it in a way that would fill out all four syllables with disdain…in-de-PEN-dent! The first time he said it that way, I was shocked that something I thought was a core value could be interpreted so negatively.

So when my mom came to stay with us for four nights recently, I asked her why being independent was so important to her, especially growing up. She told me that it came from her father. He was the oldest of eight kids. They were farmers in north eastern Washington and had very little money.

By the time my grandfather was seven years old, he was responsible for many things on the farm including spending days and nights in the wild chasing down their high-spirited mare when she’d get loose and run with the wild horses.

As she told the story, I felt like I’d gotten a new piece to the puzzle of what shaped my upbringing and legacy. It was a fascinating conversation to have with my mom on the heels of the podcast I recorded with author, Jennifer Griffith. She inspires the question: How do the stories we inherit from our families shape who we become—and how can we rewrite those stories with more compassion, courage, and purpose?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I talk with Jennifer Griffith, author of Both Sides of Then and host of the podcast About Your Mother, about inherited family stories, hidden shame, resilience, motherhood, memoir writing, and the healing power of bringing secrets into the light.

Jennifer shares how learning her mother’s story changed the way she understood her own identity, why family history can influence the way we parent and see ourselves, and how her LENS framework helps people revisit old narratives, look at them from a new perspective, and use those stories for good.

Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

  • We all inherit stories—and they shape how we see ourselves.
    Jennifer reminds us that family history, secrets, wounds, and even everyday phrases from our parents can quietly influence our identity, choices, and relationships.
  • Seeing our parents as people can create compassion and clarity.
    When we understand the experiences, pain, and resilience that shaped our parents, we can better understand ourselves—and begin to loosen the grip of old assumptions.
  • Shame loses power when it is brought into the light.
    Family secrets can create distance, but honest storytelling—shared with care and appropriate boundaries—can create healing, connection, and freedom.
  • A new lens can help us rewrite old narratives.
    Jennifer’s LENS framework encourages us to listen to the stories we repeat, engage with them, narrate them from multiple perspectives, and step out of them so we can use them for good.
  • Trying again often means slowing down and letting the work become ready.
    Jennifer’s story about being told “you’re not ready” became a powerful lesson in patience, humility, and the creative courage required to keep going.

This eye-opening conversation explores family secrets, legacy, forgiveness, generational stories, personal growth, writing a memoir, and what it means to keep trying when a story is still unfolding.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

The Power of Looking at Your Life Through a New Lens transcript

Both Sides of Then: Finding Love After Abandonment by Jennifer Griffith on Amazon

Jennifer Griffith’s website: Jennifer Griffith – Author of Both Sides of Then – Podcast Host and Author

About Your Mother on Apple podcasts

 Other episodes you might enjoy

How to Tell Relatable Stories

The Quiet Mindset Shifts that Changes Everything | Mindfulness & Personal Growth with Joseph Schmidt

How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Why We Remember Stories More than Advice

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“Just because they are a story doesn’t mean they’re not real.” – H.M. Bouwman

My dad used to tell the story of the bully who used to make him give him a piggy back home from school in 6th grade. One day my dad had enough. As he was carrying him, he leaned his head down and flipped him over his back. The bully never asked for a ride again.

I can’t think of any specific words or phrases my gentle dad taught me about standing up for myself or setting boundaries – but I do remember that story. And research shows that when we become immersed in a story, it shapes attention, persuasion and emotion. Which is why it sticks.

So, what makes a story truly relatable?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I explore how the smallest moments in life can become the most powerful stories — from a beloved Seattle raccoon named Jimothy to a little boy celebrating soccer goals with his grandmother.

Through humor, heart, and the idea of narrative transportation, this episode looks at why specific, human stories help us feel seen, connected, and inspired to keep trying.

Key takeaways:

  • Relatable stories often begin with small, specific moments rather than big life lessons.
  • Details help listeners see, feel, and remember a story.
  • Everyday stories can reveal courage, connection, confidence, and support.
  • The most powerful stories do not need to be perfect — they need to be honest and human.
  • Living The Life of Try means celebrating small wins, showing up for each other, and trying again from wherever we are.

If you’ve ever wondered how to tell better stories about everyday life, how to make your experiences more meaningful, or why small moments can carry big emotional truth, this episode is for you.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

How To Tell Relatable Stories transcript

Storytelling and Narrative Persuasion from Green and Brock

 Other episodes you might enjoy

➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience Video Link: https://youtu.be/xw1IpgL4uhg

➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery Video Link: https://youtu.be/tR-EP6D0Q1E

➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore Video Link: https://youtu.be/XzUMCHy3zuU

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Effort Keeps You Eligible for Opportunity

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“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe

Golf is the sport that proves that I love my family. That is to say, it’s not my favorite sport but I’ll play if my people want to. So the other day I was playing with my almost seven-year-old son.

We were at a local city-run pitch and putt course where we can play nine par three holes for $12. I stepped up to the tee on the eighth hole, swung hard, and…completely and embarrassingly missed the ball. After a moment to regain my balance and composure, I swung again. It was my best hit of the round. The ball landed two feet from the hole and I got a birdie.

It made me laugh, and it also brought me back to a question I’ve been sitting with. What if coming in second, or a getting a second chance, is not failure but preparation?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I explore the hidden power of effort, persistence, and staying ready when life does not put you out front.

Through a business lesson about losing a big opportunity, Nathan Martin’s dramatic 2026 LA Marathon finish (thanks to Brian from Writing From the Heart with Brian), and the long-build success story of Dutch Bros Coffee, this episode is a reminder that effort keeps you eligible for the opening when it appears.

Key Takeaways:

  • Second place is not always failure; sometimes it is the place where patience, preparation, and readiness are built.
  • Effort keeps you eligible for opportunity, even when you are not out front or visible to everyone else.
  • Staying in the race matters because the opening often appears after most people have already slowed down or stopped trying.
  • A disappointing loss can still position you for a future win if you keep showing up with humility and persistence.
  • Nathan Martin’s dramatic LA Marathon finish is a reminder that you do not have to be in the picture early to have a meaningful finish.
  • Long-term success, like the Dutch Bros story, is often built through years of unseen work, reinvention, and consistent effort.

If you are learning how to keep going, build resilience, try again after disappointment, or trust the unseen work behind personal growth, this episode will encourage you to stay in position, keep showing up, and keep trying.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

Why Second Place Might be Preparation, Not Failure transcript

➡️Brian Hannon’s post ⁠It’s a Sprint to the Finish and the Winner Is… ⁠

🎥  Other episodes you might enjoy

➡️ ⁠Encourage Effort, Not Results | How to Build Resilience and Confidence⁠

➡️ ⁠The Courage to Try Something New with Lindsey Goldstein⁠

➡️ ⁠How to Write the Book You’ve Been Dreaming About with Dr. Vicki Atkinson

(featured photo from Pexels)

Finding Calm, Gratitude, and a New Plan

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“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden

Have you noticed that some truths sink in immediately and others take some time to circle around before they land? About six months ago, I listened to a podcast featuring Angus Fletcher who is the Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University talk about planning. Then I read his book, Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know.

Here’s what I took away from how he characterized planning. When we have no plan, we are afraid (and depressed). When we have one plan, we tend to get angry because anger is fuel for making it happen the ONE way we have planned. But when we have multiple plans or ways to get something done, we are more likely to get to an outcome.

It wasn’t until I recently lived through a travel crisis that I truly understood what Professor Fletcher meant. When a plan goes wrong, how do you stay calm, resilient, and brave enough to keep trying?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I share the story of a chaotic family travel day from Paris to England—missed trains, wrong directions, tired kids, unexpected costs, and the kind of uncertainty that can make anyone want to give up.

Through this real-life story, I explore how adaptability, creative problem-solving, gratitude, and “one next step” thinking can help us recover when our best-laid plans fall apart.

Here are three takeaways that helped me:

  • One-thing at a time: Our bad travel day started on train #2 on a day when we needed five trains to get where we were going. I couldn’t fix the whole route at once so I was forced to just handle one step of the journey at a time.
  • Regrouping: There is a Five Guys Burger at the Paris train station. No kidding, I think it saved my life – or at least my sanity.
  • Gratitude: Counting all the days and things that had gone right for our trip helped put in perspective the day that went wrong.

Inspired by Professor Fletcher’s work on resilience and alternative plans, this episode is for anyone navigating change, setbacks, anxiety, mishaps, or the messy middle of trying something new.

Listen in for an honest reminder that trying does not require certainty—it only asks for movement, one breath and one new plan at a time.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

When Plans Fall Apart Transcript

 Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know by Angus Fletcher on Amazon

🎥 Other episodes you might enjoy

➡️ How to Create Opportunities in Life | Motive + Means = Success Mindset

➡️ Encouraging Effort, Not Results | How to Build Resilience and Confidence

➡️ How to Celebrate Small Wins | Tiny Habits, Resilience & Personal Growth

(featured photo from Pexels)

Curiosity, Crime Fiction, and the Brave Work of Understanding Others

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“Tell me facts, and I’ll learn. Tell me truth, and I’ll believe you. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” – Native American Proverb

I admit it – I’m a geek. Back in the day I got a lot of props from my fellow geeks when I caught an error in the movie The Net (released in 1995 with Sandra Bullock and Jeremy Northam). They had an Internet protocol address that was bigger than 255 which is the maximum number that can be represented in 8 bits. Yep, I’m a geek.

But I also learn a great deal about technology by how it’s presented in books and movies. Even for technologies that I know well, my focus is on helping people use them effectively so I often don’t truly grasp how they can be used for nefarious purposes until I read about it in a story. It is truly remarkable how much research goes into making a compelling narrative about some of the challenges facing our world.

For instance, Michael Connolly recently released a fantastic legal thriller, The Proving Ground, about the dangers of AI and the ability to hold companies accountable. And one of my favorite bestselling authors, Barbara Nickless, educated me about online gaming and the dangers presented by virtual manipulators in her latest fantastic thriller, A Voice in the Dark.

In this episode of The Life of Try podcast, I talk with Wall Street Journal bestselling author Barbara Nickless about A Voice in the Dark. Our conversation moves from the dark corners of online gaming and internet manipulation to the real-world vulnerabilities of teenagers, families, and people searching for belonging.

Barbara shares how deep research, FBI consultants, and her own curiosity shape her fiction, especially as she writes about FBI profiler Helen Belle, criminal humanist Benedict Hoffman, addiction, trauma, and the question of what draws people toward danger.

This thoughtful author interview explores how storytelling can help us understand complicated human experiences, including moral injury, PTSD, addiction, grief, law enforcement, cybercrime, and the healing power of writing. Barbara also reflects on teaching writing to military veterans and civilians, researching dangerous places and difficult subjects, and using narrative to “de-other” people we might otherwise misunderstand.

Key Takeaways:

  • A Voice in the Dark explores the dangers young people can face in online communities, especially when vulnerable teens and young adults are targeted by manipulative influencers.
  • Storytelling can help us “de-other” people by taking us inside their motivations, histories, and struggles in ways that facts and news stories alone often cannot.
  • Curiosity is at the heart of Barbara Nickless’s writing process. Her research into online gaming, FBI investigations, addiction, trauma, and moral injury helps make her fiction vivid, compassionate, and grounded in real human experience.
  • Researching modern crime fiction requires balancing accuracy with readability, particularly when writing about cybercrime, AI, online manipulation, and evolving law enforcement tools.
  • The conversation highlights a core Life of Try theme: trying begins with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to enter unfamiliar worlds in order to understand ourselves and one another more deeply.

If you love conversations about books, personal growth, curiosity, crime fiction, psychological thrillers, resilience, and what it means to keep trying, this episode offers a rich and compassionate look at the stories that help us make sense of ourselves and one another.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

When You Know You're Not Going to Make It – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What do you do when you realize the goal you were aiming for is no longer within reach? In this motivational episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon shares a winter climb on Mt. Whitney that became a powerful lesson in resilience, self-compassion, letting go of shame, and finding meaning when life does not go as planned. In This Episode You'll Learn: → Not reaching the summit is not the same as failing. Sometimes the value of a try is not in achieving the goal, but in what the attempt teaches us. → Pause before reacting to disappointment. When urgency, panic, or shame rises up, taking a moment can help us see the next right step more clearly. → Take the learning and leave the shame. Self-criticism makes the climb heavier; self-compassion helps us learn, adjust, and keep going. → Widen the definition of success. A try can still matter even when the original outcome changes. Courage, honesty, effort, and accepting help all count. → Accepting help is part of resilience. Being helped does not make the try less meaningful. Sometimes it is exactly what allows us to continue becoming someone who tries.If you are navigating disappointment, burnout, uncertainty, or a dream that feels too heavy to carry, this spoken-word reflection offers encouragement to pause, learn, accept help, and keep becoming the kind of person who tries.The Life of Try is a personal growth and self-improvement podcast about resilience, courage, mindset, creativity, reinvention, and learning to keep trying when life doesn't go according to plan.If you're ready to embrace uncertainty, build resilience, and discover the power of consistent effort, you're in the right place.📘 Order Enough: Climbing Toward a True Self on Mount Everest 🌍 Show notes and more inspiration: https://wynneleon.com🔗 Connect with Dr. Kristin Neff• Website:→ https://self-compassion.org/ • Linkedin: → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinneff/🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for more conversations on:personal growth, creativity, reinvention, resilience, writing, and mindset.📌 Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel & Stay UpdatedABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying. Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🎥 Watch Next➡️ Letting Go Of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving➡️ Why Second Place Isn't Failure | The Hidden Power of Persistence & Resilience ➡️ When Your Plans Fall Apart | How to Stay Resilient, Adapt & Keep Moving Forward 🔗 CONNECT WITH ME:• Website:→ https://wynneleon.com/• Instagram:→ https://www.instagram.com/wynneleon/• Facebook:→ https://www.facebook.com/wynne.leon/ • Amazon: → https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002IKWX14Remember: Success isn't always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.
  1. When You Know You're Not Going to Make It
  2. Creating Lift: Leadership, Mentorship and the Courage to Keep Growing
  3. Brand Strategy for Humans with Nancy Martira
  4. Identity Before Strategy: How To Break Through Invisible Ceilings with Kevin Yoder
  5. The Power of Looking At Your Life Through a New Lens

📘 Order A Voice In the Dark from Barnes & Noble , Bookshop or Amazon

🌐 Visit Barbara Nickless’s website: https://barbaranickless.com/

🎥 Watch the Book trailer for A Voice in the Dark

🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for more conversations on personal growth, creativity, reinvention, resilience, writing, and mindset.

Barbara Nickless on A Voice in the Dark, Online Gaming, and the Power of Story transcript

Other Episodes you Might Enjoy:

➡️ Letting Go Of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving

➡️ 48: How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience and Coming Alive

➡️ How to Finally Write That Book You’ve Been Dreaming About | Writing Motivation with Vicki Atkinson

(featured photo from Pexels)

The Power of Kindness, Resilience and Trying Again

Posted in thelifeoftryTagged , , , , , , , 60 Comments

“During a crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.” – Nigerian Proverb

My 10-year-old daughter has observed two things that are different in Europe – they count the ground floor as “0” and they often separate the toilet rooms from the sink rooms. But more than that, traveling has given us the chance to observe how unique people are from their language, to customs, and dress. It’s a fantastic exercise, especially for kids, in appreciating we are all different.

Books are another way to celebrate this uniqueness. So, in this inspiring episode of The Life of Try, I talk with author and educational advocate Kym Gordon Moore about her children’s book, Hennie and Her Poetry Eggs, a powerful story about courage, compassion, bullying prevention, purpose, and embracing what makes us different.

Through the story of Hennie, Kym invites children, parents, teachers, and adults to have meaningful conversations about social rejection, self-worth, empathy, literacy, and building bridges for people who may feel left out.

This conversation explores why standing out can feel vulnerable, how support from others helps us recognize our gifts, and why trying again after disappointment is part of growing into our purpose.

If you’re looking for encouragement, personal growth, children’s literature with a message, or a hopeful conversation about kindness and resilience, this episode offers a beautiful reminder that our differences can become the very thing that helps us shine.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

When You Know You're Not Going to Make It – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What do you do when you realize the goal you were aiming for is no longer within reach? In this motivational episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon shares a winter climb on Mt. Whitney that became a powerful lesson in resilience, self-compassion, letting go of shame, and finding meaning when life does not go as planned. In This Episode You'll Learn: → Not reaching the summit is not the same as failing. Sometimes the value of a try is not in achieving the goal, but in what the attempt teaches us. → Pause before reacting to disappointment. When urgency, panic, or shame rises up, taking a moment can help us see the next right step more clearly. → Take the learning and leave the shame. Self-criticism makes the climb heavier; self-compassion helps us learn, adjust, and keep going. → Widen the definition of success. A try can still matter even when the original outcome changes. Courage, honesty, effort, and accepting help all count. → Accepting help is part of resilience. Being helped does not make the try less meaningful. Sometimes it is exactly what allows us to continue becoming someone who tries.If you are navigating disappointment, burnout, uncertainty, or a dream that feels too heavy to carry, this spoken-word reflection offers encouragement to pause, learn, accept help, and keep becoming the kind of person who tries.The Life of Try is a personal growth and self-improvement podcast about resilience, courage, mindset, creativity, reinvention, and learning to keep trying when life doesn't go according to plan.If you're ready to embrace uncertainty, build resilience, and discover the power of consistent effort, you're in the right place.📘 Order Enough: Climbing Toward a True Self on Mount Everest 🌍 Show notes and more inspiration: https://wynneleon.com🔗 Connect with Dr. Kristin Neff• Website:→ https://self-compassion.org/ • Linkedin: → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinneff/🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for more conversations on:personal growth, creativity, reinvention, resilience, writing, and mindset.📌 Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel & Stay UpdatedABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying. Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🎥 Watch Next➡️ Letting Go Of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving➡️ Why Second Place Isn't Failure | The Hidden Power of Persistence & Resilience ➡️ When Your Plans Fall Apart | How to Stay Resilient, Adapt & Keep Moving Forward 🔗 CONNECT WITH ME:• Website:→ https://wynneleon.com/• Instagram:→ https://www.instagram.com/wynneleon/• Facebook:→ https://www.facebook.com/wynne.leon/ • Amazon: → https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002IKWX14Remember: Success isn't always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.
  1. When You Know You're Not Going to Make It
  2. Creating Lift: Leadership, Mentorship and the Courage to Keep Growing
  3. Brand Strategy for Humans with Nancy Martira
  4. Identity Before Strategy: How To Break Through Invisible Ceilings with Kevin Yoder
  5. The Power of Looking At Your Life Through a New Lens

Links for this episode:

Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore transcript

Hennie and Her Poetry Eggs on Amazon

Kym’s blog: From Behind the Pen

Other Episodes you Might Enjoy:

Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing & Recovery

How to Let Go of Expectations & Keep Trying | Personal Growth Mindset

How to Find and Share Your Unique Superpower | Roger Kastner on Purpose & Personal Growth

(featured photo from Pexels)

(quote from Real Life of an MSW – Wise Words)