experiments – Surprised By Joy

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn

Last night, my six-year-old son, Mr. D, and I were out in our back yard at dusk. When night fell, the solar-powered string of LED lights that my friend Katie helped me string up about 4 years ago switched on. Mr. D wanted to know why some of the bulbs had water in them – a situation that has developed over time.

I’m amazed they still work. Especially after spending a couple of weeks delving into Thomas Edison and his efforts to invent the light bulb. In the time of Edison, bulbs had carbonized bamboo filaments in vacuum sealed glass. We’ve come along way in almost 150 years since his initial design but the light bulb still shines bright.

This episode of The Life of Try podcast is based on Thomas Edison and his methods to reframe progress: not as one perfect breakthrough, but as a steady practice of continuing to try. Behind the famous light bulb moment is a mindset of learning from what doesn’t work, building momentum through small improvements, and staying in motion long enough for the next step to appear.

I gleaned five practical lessons from Edison—be systematic, don’t do it alone, keep improving, apply what you learn across disciplines, and rest (yes, naps count)—plus a bonus insight on the tension between creativity and control.

Get unstuck by focusing on the next controllable step
Make progress through iteration—small wins that compound over time
Keep going with support, structure, and rest
Create more, control less

Here’s a snippet of Edison’s commitment to capture ideas:

If you’re working on a project, a habit change, or a long-shot goal, this conversation is an invitation to get unstuck by taking the next try. Here are some ways you can listen and watch this motivating episode:

The podcast player embedded below
Click this link to watch in a browser: From Stuck to Momentum: Thomas Edison’s Method for Progress
Subscribe to The Life of Try on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
Subscribing to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeoftry

Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

Are you different? Or simply finding your purpose?In this inspiring episode of The Life of Try, host Wynne Leon talks 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. Here are key take-aways for this episode: → Our differences are often where our purpose begins. Kym’s story reminds listeners that what makes us stand out may feel uncomfortable at first, but it can also become the source of our greatest gifts. → Kids absorb the language and attitudes around them. The episode highlights how adult fear, division, and intolerance can spill over into children’s behavior—making conversations about compassion, empathy, and bullying especially important. → Bullying and social rejection can hide someone’s gifts. Hennie’s journey shows how shame and exclusion can make a person feel small, but encouragement from others can help them see themselves differently. → We all need bridge-builders. One of the strongest themes is the idea of building bridges for people who feel like they are facing a ditch—offering support, kindness, and a way forward. → Purpose is personal; we can’t borrow someone else’s vision. Kym emphasizes that each person has their own dream, voice, and path, and trying to copy someone else can keep us from discovering what is truly ours.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.🔔 Subscribe for more:Subscribe to The Life of Try for more conversations on:personal growth, creativity, reinvention, resilience, writing, and mindset.📌 Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel & Stay Updated: → https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeoftry?sub_confirmation=1ABOUT 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.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.comBook: Hennie and Her Poetry Eggs🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Reclaim Fun in Adult Life | Burnout Recovery, Joy & Resilience with Mike Rucker➡️ How to Celebrate Small Wins | Tiny Habits, Resilience and Personal Growth➡️ Fun: The Key to Habit Formationhttps://youtu.be/37ICdxs3168🔗 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/B002IKWX14