Tag: life

Blogroll

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“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

Last week I put a call out to all you fabulous people so we could create a blogroll (like Ally Bean used to do). Here are the results in rough chronological order (by the age of the blog, not the blogger… 🙂 ). I hope this helps make new connections or re-ignite old ones. Please introduce yourselves and let bloggers know that Wynne Leon sent you.

P.S. – I’ve done my best to include all the details accurately. If I’ve made a mistake, let me know in the comments and I’ll correct it. Also, if you aren’t on this list and would like to be, please drop your blog name, URL, year blog was founded, and blog description in the comments below.

2006 – Fred – Abba’s Art
Description: Wandering among Nature’s vast wilderness wonders and majestic mountain cathedrals enhances my “Love to live…” and “Live to love …” My infinitesimal smallness before my Abba’s immeasurable grandeur humbles me knowing I am forever loved beyond measure.

2007 – DM – I also live on a farm 
Description: I write about living on a little acreage in the Midwest. I also have a 2nd blog – Heart To Heart that is more personal and is where I process life 

2009 – Mark Petruska – Mark My Words
Description: An (unpaid, dang it) ambassador of All Things Wisconsin nowadays.

2009 – Dr. Gerald Stein at Dr. Gerald Stein
Description: I hope to help all of us think and learn, myself included.

2010 – Clay – Making the Days Count
Description: Start May 2010 after a horrendous school year when I was fortunate enough not to be on the evaluation cycle. My cheese had been moved and I spent the better part of the first semester figuring out what I was teaching and recovered on the downside of the school year’s arc. After the year ended, I decided if I wanted to teach writing, I needed to know how to write. So, began blogging / writing about how I make the days count.

Four years later, the administration had the bright idea that I could teach science and unfortunately I WAS ON the evaluation cycle! The same thing happened – lousy first part and recovery at the end. Every year (and day) I get a little better than the day before.

Always, learning, always growing, making the days count.

2010 – Darlene – Darlene Foster
Description: For writers, readers, travelers, dreamers, friends, and friends I haven’t met yet.  I believe everyone has a right to dream, and with hard work and imagination, can make their dreams come true. 

2010 – Deb – Closer To The Edge
Description: My tag is “Journeys Through the 2nd Half of LIfe” and I think that’s pretty appropriate to what I most often write about- a new home in CO, my family and changes associated with aging.

2011 – Lauren – baydreamerwrites.com
Description: The name came from where I live in the Bay Area and from the fun fact that I’m a dreamer and always will be. My little corner is for sharing my poetry, stories, photos, reviews on books I’ve read, and my book updates. Most importantly, I hope my readers will take away something special during their visit that prompts them to return. Maybe they’ll find a poem, a phrase, or a story that resonates that they can call their own. 

2012 – Brad – Writing to Freedom
Description: Themes around inspiration, poetry, and photography.

2012 – Nancy Ruegg – From the Inside Out
Description: A place where we celebrate inner impressions from God, and aspire after outer expressions that bring delight to him–changing for the better “from the inside out!”

2012 – Beth – I didn’t have my glasses on…
Description:  My blog is a collage of sorts- mixing the human story, personal observations, humor, knowledge (often obscure) and the arts, all mashed and remixed together into what i hope that my readers enjoy.

2013 – Dale – A Dalectable Life
Description: Doing my best to keep it on the bright side

2013 – Esther – Esther Chilton
Description: Fun challenges and inspiration for writers

2014 – E.A. Wickham – Bleuwater
Description: What began in 2014 as financial advice focused on women turned into a parenting blog. Now as an empty nester I highlight daily life — then took a turn to highlight my photography after taking photography classes in 2025. 

2014 – Sharon – Just call me Sharon
Description: I tell stories and use it as my personal free therapy; it’s cheaper than going to my therapist.

2016 – Dom – Covelli’s Take   
Description: I only came back to blogging two months ago after 10 years, In fact, it was one of my daughters who suggested i come back to it. I woffle on about everyday issues, usually from a Gen-x angle, not grumpy though! I like to keep it light-hearted.

2016 – Rose – Of All the Things I’ve Ever Dreamed
Description: Started in 2016 to combat the terrible negativity in my country and families caused by the rage of politics. I wanted to share a different voice – one filled with hopes for a better, more creative, inventive, equal future. And I want this now more than ever for my grandbabies. My blog contains a random variety of stories about: what makes my life awesome, family, travels, air shows, motorcycle rides, books, happiness and good work, math, science, nature, learning, state parks, maps, and opinions on topics that hit my heart and home….

2016 – Brian – Writing From the Heart with Brian
Description: I tell stories and share what’s going on in my life. I usually try to bring a little bit of relatable humor to my blog. Life is hard enough. We all need a laugh or an understanding smile once in a while.

2017 – Cristiana – Crisbie Coach
Description: Started in 2017 as a blog for self-development. Now it has evolved towards the improvement of well-being starting from what one eat.

2017 – Rhonda – Pollyanna’s Path
Description: Since 2017, I’ve been writing essays about life, parenthood, grandparenthood, and sharing my thoughts and ideas on what’s going on out there in these wild times as an elder GenX woman in America today. And, as an avid music lover, I almost always include a tune at the end of my blog posts that suits the mood I’m channeling through my writing.

2017 – Khadija – She Knows All
Description: I am still becoming. And I decided to write about it while it happens.

2018 – Todd Fulginiti – Five O’Clock Shadow
Description: A blog that began when I quit my previous career and found time to start writing again. Besides observations and stories about Life, I feature several columns like Old Man Rants (comedy), Who’s On Your Hero List? (interview), RebEarth (sustainable living), Music and more.  

2018 – Erin (Esoterica) – Existential Ergonomics
Description: A warm, candid space for stories of chronic illness, infertility, love, resilience, and growing braver in the messy middle.

2018 – Ab – My Life with T
Description: About 2 dads raising an amazing 11-year-old boy with FASD.

2018 – Tamara – Tamara Kulish – Helping you move through life!
Description: I started out in 2013 with “On Becoming a Lemonade Maker” but switched in 2018 to my current site under my name. If anyone remembers my old blog name and lost me, hey, hey, here I am!

My original purpose for blogging was to sell my book; I had read advice that an author needed to create a platform to gather an audience in order to make sales. That plan didn’t work out the way I had hoped, so instead I decided to just dedicate my blog to writing posts that each contain a helpful and doable life lesson for healing, for growth and for becoming a better version of ourselves. This is the place I like to share thoughts and lessons that seem important to me during this time we’re going through together.

I welcome new people and your comments to my blog. I hope to be able to share some nice, helpful tidbits with you!

2019 – Michelle – Boomer Eco Crusader  
Description: Helping you live your best life with practical tips on decluttering, simplifying, and living sustainably.

2018 – Mary – Awakening Wonders
Description: In May of 2018, I started “Awakening Wonders” as a hobby to awaken your senses to the simple wonders all around us. I share my heartfelt discoveries.  

2019 – Dana – Mindful Caravan
Description: I write about the joys and challenges of pursuing peace, love, and faith in self-care.

2019 – Pete – Pete Springer
Description: Passionate Teacher and Future Children’s Author

2020 – Gwen – Gwen Thinks
Description: Reflections on everything, According to me. I always look for the story, and try to understand how things relate to one another. I write about my past and present life, travel adventures, music adventures, contemplations, humor, and whatever else pops into my head.

2020 – Ganga – Special Mom’s Blog
Description: My name is Ganga and I have a 29 year old severely autistic son! I started blogging six years ago to do something for myself! It has really transformed me and given me so much confidence! The blog has a mixture of so many things and just not special
needs!

2021 – Outrageous Monk – Virtuous Improvement
Description: Exploring life, creativity, and finding extraordinary moments in the everyday hustle.

2022 – Vicki – Victoria Ponders
Description: I love writing about wellness, authorship, writing for wellness and inspirational stories.

2023 – Edward Ortiz – Thoughts about leadership, history, and more
Description: A lifelong learner who loves to share what I’m learning along the way.v

2024 – Hazel – Seven Sisters Love
Description: Sharing my personal and professional life from the Philippines

2025 – Rosie Meadow – RMMeadow
Description: Meadow seeds today, flowers and maple trees tomorrow. The focus is on dropping seeds in the life garden.

2025 – Bruce – Swan Song Apocalypse
Description: Life, Movies, Shows, Sports, Stuff

(featured photo is 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

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

This is How I Blog Roll

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“Friendship is born when one person says to another, ‘What! You too?’” after all. ‘I assumed I was the only one.’”  – C.S. Lewis

Ten minutes into writing my post for last week’s podcast, I knew I was in trouble. I was writing about all the ways we share experience and knowledge on WordPress and had started a list of the fabulous bloggers I follow and their themes. What I quickly realized was that I could spend all day and still not be able to list all the wonderful blogs I follow. Plus my one-line summary may or may not match their goals or purpose. Does Mark blog about manifesting, mosquitoes or moving? Hmm… all three?

So I’m borrowing a page from Ally Bean and doing a blog roll. Ally was a wonderful connector of people is no longer but is no longer blogging on WordPress (The Spectacled Bean). But her words and impact remain.

In the comments for this post, please leave your blog name, URL, a one or two-line description, and the year you started your blog. Think of it as a dinner party and I’m really excited to introduce you to each other. Don’t even think about hiding in the corner – I will come find you. It’s a fun way to network in this inspiring and generous community. And when you go visit any blog on this list that is new to you, please just let them know that Wynne Leon sent you.

Next week, I’ll publish a final list. Thanks for coming to my dinner party!

(featured photo is 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

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Adventure

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“Maybe it won’t work out, but maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever.” – unknown

When we returned from our last trip, one of the first things I did was take a picture of the front hallway. The hooks were all empty, waiting to hold coats and sweatshirts. The bench cushions positioned for someone to sit and take off their shoes. I didn’t know if I’d ever see it so uncluttered again.

That hallway was emblematic of all the work we did to get our house ready for short term rental. Replacing the front door lock with a numbered keypad so we wouldn’t have to give out keys to our guests. Decluttering the shoes no longer worn and the detritus that got hung on the hooks. Emptying the bench that is a favorite dumping spot and actually cleaning under and behind it.

And by the end of 34 non-consecutive days of renting our house out (19 days for the first stint and 15 days for the second), I was grateful to be home. Also, surprised that it worked. When I first thought of the crazy idea to rent out our house so we could afford to visit our friends in France before they moved, I felt that tickle of insecurity. The one that creeps in after you decide to try something and whispers things like, “this will never work, you should have started months ago, all the other offerings look to be listed by professionals.”

When I got the first reservation, I felt a flush of color rise to my cheeks as my heart sped up. It was going to work!! When all was said and done, we had 6 groups that rented out the house. They all came and went on time and left our house in good shape.

Amidst all these coming and goings, my kids and I got to have some amazing adventures. We did a lot of work to clean, patch, repair and declutter our house. We leaned on friends to help with turning the house over, picking up plums from the tree in the backyard while we were gone, and taking care of our pets. And then we had to leave because the guests were coming. So we did.

We arrived home about an hour after the last group left. I exhaled a breath that I didn’t know I’d been holding in. It was a mixture of disbelief that we could pull this off and relief that we could be in our own space and mess it all up again. And gratitude, for the push and pull nature of this endeavor – it pulled us to answer the call of adventure and pushed us out the door.

Happy to be home, I sat down at my computer to write a review for the last group. Then I was going to inactivate the listing. But minutes before I could do that, I got a notice — someone booked our house for a week in July 2027.

The adventure continues…

P.S. For anyone that is considering doing short-term rentals, here are three things I learned in case they are helpful to you:

  • There are a lot of options to consider when listing your house. It’s super helpful to select the option to automatically add a day to turn over the house so that you don’t have a group leaving in the morning and another checking in that same afternoon.
  • Don’t put throw blankets on the beds. All the bedding has to be washed every time a group leaves. Throw blankets end up being an expensive way to get a color pop, especially when they are unnecessary in the summer. Your water bill will still be high but hopefully not as high.
  • If you leave phone charging cables, someone will take them. This isn’t ill-intended on anyone’s part. More that no one is exactly sure what their group brought so phone cables get swept up.

(featured photo is our front hallway)

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

Roadside Assistance

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“We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” – Japanese Proverb

My kids and I are visiting our happy place. The funny thing about happy places is that I think they are contagious.

There’s a backstory (isn’t there always?). We rented out our house again on AirBnB. I figured we should take advantage of all that work we did to get our house ready. Because there’s nothing like being displaced from your home to inspire an adventure.

So we are staying up at our friends’ place on Whidbey Island. Last week when I was updating the guest book instructions for our house at 10pm after finishing 10 loads of laundry and making up five beds, I couldn’t believe I had chosen to make our house guest ready again. But the expansive sense of beachside escapades made it all worth it the moment we arrived.

Unlike our previous travels to see friends this summer where we stayed in 10 different places in 19 days and spent more than 40 hours on planes and trains, getting here was really easy. Three hours door to door and that included waiting in the line for the ferry and stopping at the store to buy dinner.

After unpacking the cold items into the fridge, we piled back into the car to show my mom and my sister our favorite farmer’s market on the island before it ended at 2pm. My kids excitedly narrated every hot spot went by: the place where the hot chocolate tastes like coffee dregs, the corner shop where we used to buy donuts before they closed, the thrift store for random rainy day toys. And then we passed a guy fixing his bike tire by the side of the road.

I polled the carful of people to see if we should stop to help. My kids in their enthusiastic mood that accompanies being in a happy place said, “Sure! Can we get out?”

The puncture of his tire was done by a nail so big that even with a new tube, he was worried the tube would just balloon out the hole. Our tire repair kit or pump wasn’t going to help. So I told him there was a bike shop next to the farmer’s market and we’d be happy to drive him.

He and his bike piled in with us, probably reassured that we weren’t going to do him any harm given the messy state of the car or the enthusiastic kids. As we drove, we listened in on his call to his friend that he had been biking with reporting that he’d met some VERY friendly people and was being driven to a bike shop.

After we left him to go to the bike shop and we headed into the farmer’s market, I was amused by everyone’s interpretation of what just had happened.

My sister thought we were so friendly that we were scary.

My mom wondered if we’d ever get to where we were going if we stopped to help every human and animal along the way.

My kids thought the guy’s name – Harold – was funny.

And I thought happy places, real or metaphorical, make helpful people.

(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

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

Things About Parenting That I Think I’ve Learned So Far, Part 3

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“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.” – Simon Sinek

I don’t expect any great applause for this but I’ve solved the sock problem I’ve been complaining about since Things About Parenting That I Think I’ve Learned So Far Part 1. Let’s be clear — the socks still go missing, get tucked in between coach cushions and get carried around by Cooper the dog. But I’ve figured out a brilliant strategy: they don’t need socks when they wear Crocs. <ba dum tss!>

So it’s time to update my Things About Parenting That I Think I’ve Learned. My kids are 11 and 7 years old so I still have a ways to go. But I believe we’ve turned the corner. Parenting now is more psychological than physical. It looks a lot like leadership.

So here are the things I’ve learned so far:

It’s a great responsibility being responsible for someone else; pack treats for yourself…and them
Knowing what you are and are not responsible for will save your sanity

Teaching values is done one small act at a time
They are always watching… like when you
– Wave when someone lets you in
– Say “hi” or smile to strangers
– Admit you don’t know it all
– Call the homeless people by their name
– Bow to a Higher Power

There is a time when you just have to say “yes” to the McDonald’s drive-thru

Rarely will the three of us all see something the same way
But we can still exchange stories of what we see while looking in the same direction

Melt downs and spin outs happen
You will be judged by strangers and your kids alike by how you react
Digging deep to respond from your inner calmness usually works better

This generation will never not know life without Amazon and smart phones
That doesn’t mean that they need to get everything instantly or always be connected
But it does mean we will need to let them navigate the world differently than we did

Wear Crocs…without socks!

You can stall for time by time by responding, “That is a great question.” to a kid’s good question.”
If you don’t know the answer, just say, “I don’t know.”
They won’t hold space for not knowing if you don’t.

Good friends make the world go round
Your friends
Their friends
And if you are very lucky, siblings as friends.

Parenting is hard work
It’s okay to lie on the couch and let them paint your toenails now and then

Kids are different
They will likely not like the same foods
Not be calmed by the same things
Have unique capabilities
But still care about the same people, value each other, and respect differences

On the subject of chores — I frequently forget to enlist help for what would be really helpful to me
Overestimated what I need to teach and what they’ll eventually learn on their own
Miscalculated how long it will take
And have plenty more chances to get it right

You will screw up
They will learn more from how you react than if life had gone perfectly

Correction without judgment and anger is more effective
Use fewer words

Respect goes two ways

There is no substitute for being genuinely interested in and liking your kids
Listen to understand not evaluate

How you show up is as important as what you show up for

Life is not fair
We all want it to be… especially kids.
Demonstrate how to reach for hopes and dreams
And if you can, show how to navigate the messy middle.

(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

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!



Activity Bundling – The Fun of Cleaning Up

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“You can’t compete with someone who is having fun.” – unknown

Up until last week I had cobwebs in my kitchen. They were higher than I could reach without a ladder or tool. I’d notice them but always on my way to getting something else done so they persisted.

It was the same with rehanging the hooks in the hallway that pulled away from the wall, the fascia board in my bathroom that came off when the kids climbed on the counter one too many times, peeling off the stickers Mr D applied to the cabinets when he was three-years-old, replacing two of the six light bulbs in the bathroom that used non-standard light bulbs, and on and on.

Because we rented out our house as an AirBnB, we’ve been chipping away at this list of little projects that I constantly noticed but never got done. Our first booking is in mid-June.

The whole project started because we have friends that have lived in France for three years. We wanted to visit them before they move in August. But every time I went to book the airfare this spring, the price jumped because of oil prices and I couldn’t afford them.

I’d been entertaining the idea of listing my house on AirBnB during the World Cup games here in Seattle but it seemed like so much work. But then I read The Fun Habit by Mike Rucker, PhD and his concept of activity bundling brought it all together for me. By combining the adventure of getting to see our friends in Europe with the work of getting the house ready, we could make the whole thing fun. [If you haven’t yet listened to the podcast with Mike, I found our conversation to be as inspiring as his book.]

I figured it was worth a try. Even if we didn’t get any bookings, at least we’d get a fixed-up house.

But then we did get bookings. Now I’ve booked our tickets because we have to be gone and we are madly finishing all these little projects. Michelle from the BoomerEcoCrusader blog is 100% right – decluttering feels great. Mr. D wants to know why we go to the donation center every week with a car loads of clothes, toys and books. Because we’ve had all that stuff pile up too much over the years.

Every night I fall into bed exhausted. But I also feel lighter. Like all those little projects were weighing me down in a way that I didn’t even realize. We’re earning this adventure one step at a time – with the bonus of coming home to a house that has all (or most) of the little things done.

(featured photo is one of our bedrooms after an extensive decluttering!)

Quote is from EnlightenedMind622

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

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

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

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“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

When my daughter was two-and-a-half, I installed a seat on the back of my bike. I strapped her in and we pedaled around our neighborhood. She yelled, “this is fantastic!”

A pure jolt of energy and vitality shot threw me. For me, it was such a good example of the fullness of life that surges when we embrace the freedom that comes with getting out on two wheels. As a bonus, it reminded me of how easy it is to get stuck in the humdrum of life. And the cure is just an adventure (big or small) away.

So in this episode of The Life of Try podcast, I talk with tech entrepreneur and author Michael Yang about his memoir Coming Alive on the Ride and the way motorcycle travel became both a literal journey and a powerful metaphor for personal growth. Michael shares how stepping outside your familiar environment can help you hear “life’s invitation” to dream, venture, and rediscover what makes you feel fully awake.

Together we explore resilience through the Korean concept of han—the accumulated weight of difficult circumstances—and how setbacks can become fuel for perseverance. Michael reflects on immigrating from Korea at 14, building a life through gratitude and hard work, and learning (again and again) that rejection doesn’t have to be the end of the story.

From riding thousands of miles with a lifelong friend to a memorable run-in with Steve Jobs at Macy’s in 1982, Michael’s stories remind us that courage grows through companionship and curiosity. We also discuss the Korean guiding philosophy of Hongik—living in a way that benefits all humankind—and how our bravest tries can ripple outward in ways we may not expect.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why “accepting the invitation” is simple—but the road rarely runs straight
  • Han, perseverance, and turning setbacks into strength
  • The immigrant mindset: gratitude, effort, and going for opportunity
  • Friendship as a confidence builder—on the road and in life
  • Curiosity, rejection, and holding onto a vision (plus the Steve Jobs story)
  • Hongik: living for the wider benefit and making a positive dent in the world

Here’s a small taste of Michael’s brave and bold reminder that saying “yes” to adventure often brings out our best selves:

Whether you’re craving a literal road trip or a fresh start at home, this conversation will nudge you toward your next brave yes.

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

Growth Takes Energy| How Rest Helps Habits Stick – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

Why does growth feel so exhausting—and could rest be themissing ingredient that helps new habits stick? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon connects Carol Dweck’s growth mindset research, Adam Grant’s ideas about habits and identity, and the restorative power of sleep,fewer decisions, intentional breaks, and creativity. Through stories from the first day of school, middle-school drop-off, mountain climbing, and her daughter’s crochet project, Wynne shares three practical ways to protect yourenergy while building sustainable change. If you’re navigating a transition, working on personal growth, or trying to avoid burnout, this episode is a reminder that rest is not stepping away from the try—it is what helps you return.Listen next: Identity Before Strategy withKevin Yoder, a conversation about why lasting change begins with who we believe we are—not simply with a better plan.ABOUT 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.com
  1. Growth Takes Energy| How Rest Helps Habits Stick
  2. When You Know You're Not Going to Make It
  3. Creating Lift: Leadership, Mentorship and the Courage to Keep Growing
  4. Brand Strategy for Humans with Nancy Martira
  5. Identity Before Strategy: How To Break Through Invisible Ceilings with Kevin Yoder

Links for this episode:

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

Michael Yang’s website

Coming Alive on the Ride at Barnes & Noble and Amazon

The Life of Try is a personal growth and self‑help podcast about getting unstuck, navigating uncertainty, and choosing to try—even when it’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, or not your idea.

Hosted by Wynne Leon, the show explores how real growth, reinvention, and discovery often begin not with confidence or clarity—but with a single attempt. Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real‑world case studies, each episode examines what it looks like to keep going when doubt shows up, plans fall apart, or life forces a change you didn’t ask for.

This podcast is for anyone who:

  • Feels stuck or uncertain about what’s next
  • Is navigating change, burnout, or reinvention
  • Wants to live more intentionally without pretending growth is easy
  • Believes progress starts by trying—again and again

The Life of Try isn’t about hustle or perfection. It’s about learning as you go, surfacing what matters, and sharing what you discover along the way.

If you’re ready to surf the uncertainty, outlast the doubts, and step into your own try‑cycle, you’re in the right place.

(featured photo from Michael Yang — more incredible photos in his book and on his website!)

The Life of Try

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“Sometimes magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect.” – Teller

In 44 episodes of producing the How to Share podcast, I realized that while I’m passionate about how to share, what I’m really interested is trying. Trying is a little upstream from sharing. We try experiments in our life, we learn, and then we share.

Trying feels right to me because matches my background as an engineer and consultant. Also, I see it in my kids as they develop new skills. And I’m fascinated by how we conduct experiments as foundational part of building confidence.

So I’ve spent some time reswizzling the podcast as The Life of Try – a podcast focusing on where innovation, reinvention, personal growth, and discovery begin with one simple choice: to try. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when you’d rather not. Even when life makes the decision for you.

The Life of Try will feature conversations with authors, scientists, athletes, researchers, coaches, and more to help inspire your personal try-cycle. And I’m debuting a brand-new segment—one that “reverse engineers” what world-class trying really looks like.

In this episode our case study is professional climber Alex Honnold, whose headline-making feats—from free soloing El Capitan in Yosemite to scaling the Taipei 101 Tower this January—offer a masterclass in what it takes to attempt the extraordinary.

I break down the real ingredients behind big outcomes: preparation, learning from others, and staying steady through setbacks—and how those same principles apply to the goals we’re chasing every day. Whether you’re gearing up to speak in public, throw a pitch, or learn a new song, you can borrow these lessons and put them to work in your own try-cycle.

This is The Life of Try.

Here’s a teaser clip that shows a bit of what I think is so compelling about Alex Honnold:

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

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

Growth Takes Energy| How Rest Helps Habits Stick – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

Why does growth feel so exhausting—and could rest be themissing ingredient that helps new habits stick? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon connects Carol Dweck’s growth mindset research, Adam Grant’s ideas about habits and identity, and the restorative power of sleep,fewer decisions, intentional breaks, and creativity. Through stories from the first day of school, middle-school drop-off, mountain climbing, and her daughter’s crochet project, Wynne shares three practical ways to protect yourenergy while building sustainable change. If you’re navigating a transition, working on personal growth, or trying to avoid burnout, this episode is a reminder that rest is not stepping away from the try—it is what helps you return.Listen next: Identity Before Strategy withKevin Yoder, a conversation about why lasting change begins with who we believe we are—not simply with a better plan.ABOUT 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.com
  1. Growth Takes Energy| How Rest Helps Habits Stick
  2. When You Know You're Not Going to Make It
  3. Creating Lift: Leadership, Mentorship and the Courage to Keep Growing
  4. Brand Strategy for Humans with Nancy Martira
  5. Identity Before Strategy: How To Break Through Invisible Ceilings with Kevin Yoder

Links for this episode:

The Life of Try: Alex Honnold Case Study transcript

⁠Free Solo: A National Geographic documentary⁠

⁠Alex Honnold Free Solo Climbs Tapei 101 Skyscraper⁠

(featured photo is of El Capitan and sourced from Pexels)

Lessons from Letting Go: Parenting Reflections

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“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – Winnie the Pooh

There’s a lot of grief that comes with parenting, isn’t there? And I’m not referring to the grief the kids give us. I’m talking about the variety that comes with letting go.

My 10-year-old daughter< Miss O, changed the wallpaper of my phone to be a rotation of pictures of her and her younger brother. Now every time I tap the phone, I see a picture of one of the two of them, usually as younger kids.

Along with the cute pictures comes the grief. It’s small but I feel a stab of knowing I’ll never hold them on my hip like that again. Or that the era of toddler speak that required Momma interpretation has ended. Or that we don’t have so many moments of un-self-conscious joy anymore. There are all sorts of things to mourn as I get that momentary hit of how much we’ve changed. As neuroscientist Maya Shankar explains, every change comes with a loss of identity.

When I leaned into the grief, I found three things blooming underneath.

Gratitude. My sister-in-law’s mom, Georgia, repeatedly told me a story when I first had kids. She said that when my sister-in-law was six or seven, she asked Georgia to play. Georgia laments that her reply was, “No, Honey, I’d rather read my book.”

I learned from that story to say “yes” so that I’m not talking about it when I’m 75-years-old. There have been many moments it has been hard to put down my book or stop progress on something I want to get done. But more or less, when my kids have said, “Mommy, look?” or “Mom, do you want to play ball?” I’ve said yes. So now when I feel the pangs of grief that come with letting go the younger selves of my kids, I also feel the gratitude for all the memories we have made and continue to make.

Learning. My kids have learned to walk, talk, ride a bike, read, play musical instruments, bat a ball and a myriad of other things. But the grief makes me realize how much I’ve learned as well. Things like that I had name my feelings so I could teach them how to name theirs. Also how to pitch baseballs, get grass stains from the ballfield out of pants, make slime, and clean slime from clothes too. These years have not only been full of memories but also lessons and growth too.

Faith. Miss O is heading to middle school next year. The horizon is already changing with boys, more complex relationships, and a wider circle of independent activities. The number of things I can’t control is growing exponentially larger every day.

Of course, I’ve never been able to control much. This whole journey of parenting has helped me lean into faith. To say “yes” to making memories, learning, loving and leading, and then leave the rest to God.

Grief is uncomfortable. Even the small “g” kind that I’m feeling these days. But underneath it is a whole lot of goodness that reminds me to lean in to creating a life worth growing out of.

(featured photo is Miss O and Mr. D in 2019)

The Long View of Life

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“A heart that loves is always young.” – Greek Proverb

My kids and I attended a memorial service for a 98-year-old friend, Jean, this past weekend. There is a lot of life to honor when someone lives that long.

It’s tempting to do it by what she did: she was a mother to four children, a member of her church for more than 70 years, she was an elementary school teacher, and when she retired from teaching, chose to work at the information booth at the local mall for more than 20 years.

Or by what she loved: she loved to play bridge and to cook. She cooked for the church youth group every week for 4 years and then published a cookbook of how to feed large groups.

But what struck me most was the quality of her relationships. She made friends wherever she went. In fact, I didn’t get to know her well until she was in her 90’s. Jean made the effort to reach out to me with little things she passed along from her family to my kids. I wrote a post about her in 2021 when she gave me a copy of the cookbook she published in the 1980’s. There was a woman at the service who had been a friend of Jean’s for 94 years.

But Jean’s life wasn’t just a walk in the park. Forty years ago, one of her daughters was murdered by a stalker when she was in her late 20’s. Going through that ordeal was when Jean got to know my dad so I know she forged relationships in good times and in bad.

Here’s what I loved about going to Jean’s service. It was a reminder to me that even when life seems complicated, messy and hard, we make it through because of the relationships we build. And it’s never too late.

(featured photo from Pexels)

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

Please check out the How to Share podcast, a podcast where guests share what they’ve lived and learned!