Tag: podcast

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

Finding Calm, Gratitude, and a New Plan

Posted in thelifeoftry, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , 63 Comments

“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

Posted in thelifeoftryTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 36 Comments

“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:

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores 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.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.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.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

📘 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:

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores 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.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.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.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

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)

Taking the First Step

Posted in thelifeoftryTagged , , , , , , 52 Comments

“For some things we never feel ready.” – Moana 2

My kids and I watched Moana 2 this week when we were in Hawaii. It felt like another way to weave in the Island culture. But it turned into something more when I heard the quote above. Moana is getting ready for an expedition and her mom says to her, “For some things we never feel ready.”

That line hit me right in the heart. I always want to feel ready – and never do. My best adventures come from when I do it anyway. Like this summer as my kids and I travel from Seattle to Hawaii and then on to visit friends in Amsterdam, Paris and England. I’ve learned so much. Mostly about how not to get frozen in fear but instead have faith that I can follow the steps in front of me one at a time.

So in this episode of The Life of Try, I share the story about turning a long-held dream of visiting friends in France into a real-life adventure through courage, creativity, and community support. What began as an expensive and seemingly impossible trip became an opportunity to rent out my home, ask for help, and take the next step before the whole path was clear.

This episode explores what it means to stop waiting for perfect timing, listen to the quiet tug of what matters, and move forward even when life feels uncertain. Through stories about Airbnb, travel logistics, helpful neighbors, pet care, and unexpected solutions, I reflect on the powerful formula: Motive + Means = Opportunity.

Key Takeaways

  • Don’t wait for easy—move because it matters. The right time may never arrive, but meaningful goals often begin with one brave first step.
  • Pay attention to the sparks. A casual comment, a book passage, a flyer, or someone else’s story can become part of the solution once you start moving.
  • Say the dream out loud. People can’t support a goal they don’t know about, so communicate what you’re trying to do and be willing to accept help.
  • Use the formula: Motive + Means = Opportunity. When your why meets the resources, people, and ideas already around you, new possibilities begin to unfold.
  • Take the next step, not the whole staircase. You don’t need to solve every problem in advance; you only need to meet the next real step in front of you.

If you’re looking for encouragement to get unstuck, try something new, pursue a meaningful goal, or find courage in the messy middle, this episode offers inspiration, practical wisdom, and a reminder that you don’t need to see the whole staircase to begin.

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

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores 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.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.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.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this Episode:

Motive + Means = Opportunity transcript

The Fun Habit by Mike Rucker, PhD

Other Episodes you Might Enjoy:

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

⁠How to Reclaim Fun in Adult Life | Mike Rucker, PhD, on Joy, Burnout and the Fun Habit⁠

Still Showing Up

Posted in thelifeoftryTagged , , , , , , 36 Comments

“What a good day to be proud of all the progress you made.” – unknown

Last week, my six-year-old son, Mr. D accidentally stepped on a bee and got stung. “Oh, my life is over,” he repeatedly moaned as I struggled to pick out the stinger. And he’s my less dramatic child. Yowsa – those stings hurt.

But most of the pain was gone in an hour and while the swelling and itchiness lasted about four days, there was a clearly an end in sight. How do you still show up when the pain is chronic? What does it mean to keep showing up when life asks more of you than seems possible?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I talk with Kathryn M. B. Johnson, author of Invisible, Until I’m Not, a memoir-in-essays about chronic illness, caregiving, grief, and resilience. Together, we explore what it means to live with fibromyalgia and invisible illness, how caregiving reshapes identity, and why being seen matters so deeply when pain is hard to explain.

Our conversation offers honest insight, emotional validation, and hope for anyone navigating chronic pain, caregiver burnout, loss, or the daily work of endurance.

Key Takeaways:

  • Chronic illness can reshape identity, relationships, and daily life in ways that are often invisible to others.
  • Caregiving is an act of love, but it also carries grief, exhaustion, and the need for self-compassion.
  • Writing can become a lifeline—a way to process pain, preserve connection, and reclaim a sense of self.
  • Being believed and truly seen matters deeply for people living with chronic pain or complex health conditions.
  • Rest is not laziness; caring for yourself is part of being able to care for others.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful podcast episode about chronic illness, caregiving, trauma, faith, and finding strength in difficult seasons, this episode is for you.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch Liza’s amazing journey:

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores 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.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.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.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this episode:

How Writing Helps Save Us From Chronic Illness and Loss transcript

Invisible, Until I’m Not on Amazon

Kathryn’s website

Kathryn’s weekly newsletter on Substack

Kathryn Johnson on LinkedIn

The Crossing: My Near Death Experience with Jesus by Liza Anderson on Amazon

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 Reclaim Fun in Adult Life | Mike Rucker, PhD, on Joy, Burnout and the Fun Habit⁠

(featured photo from Pexels)

Near Death, Deep Faith, New Life

Posted in podcastTagged , , , , , , 28 Comments

“Sometimes it takes an overwhelming breakdown to have an undeniable breakthrough.” – unknown

I think there are a few existential experiences that are so rare that we almost have an obligation to share them. Like if we’ve:

  • Held hands with an octopus
  • Skiied from the top of the world
  • Had a near-death experience and met Jesus

There are movies made about the first two (My Octopus Teacher (2020) and Everest North (not yet released) by Jimmy Chin). And for the third, I was exceptionally lucky to have recently had a conversation with Liza Anderson about her near-death experience on the Life of Try podcast.

Liza Anderson shares the extraordinary true story behind her book The Crossing: My Near Death Experience with Jesus. After a sudden medical emergency left her in an induced coma for weeks, she experienced what she describes as a choice between life and death—and an encounter with Jesus that transformed her understanding of suffering, healing, and purpose.

Liza tells us what happens when life strips everything away—your plans, your certainty, even your sense of who you are—and asks you to choose. We talk about near-death experiences, faith, trauma recovery, critical illness, prayer, and how to stay grounded when everything around you is swirling.

Takeaways:

  • You don’t have to control the outcome to choose the next step.
  • Some of life’s deepest lessons come through suffering, but they can reshape how we live every ordinary day.
  • Trying can mean returning to life one small moment at a time.
  • Being fully present matters more than predicting or controlling what comes next.
  • Sometimes courage looks less like certainty and more like choosing life again and again.
  • The adventure of life may be less about outcomes and more about how we show up to the moment we’re in.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch Liza’s amazing journey:

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores 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.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.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.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this episode:

Near Death, Deep Faith, New Life | Liza Anderson’s Extraordinary Story transcript

The Crossing: My Near Death Experience with Jesus by Liza Anderson on Amazon

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 Reclaim Fun in Adult Life | Mike Rucker, PhD, on Joy, Burnout and the Fun Habit⁠

(featured photo from Pexels)

Support Without Pressure: Why Effort Matters More Than Results

Posted in podcastTagged , , , , , , , , , 47 Comments

“Give light and people will find the way.” – Ella Baker

The other day, my six-year-old son, Mr. D, announced that he wasn’t going back to finish out the last 12 days of first grade. After some delicate probing, I discovered he was worried about a math test.

It’s hard to know what to say to help in a situation like that, isn’t it? And what does real support actually look like—especially when someone is struggling, failing, or figuring things out?

So in this episode of The Life of Try, I explore how to support others without adding pressure, and why focusing on effort instead of outcome can make all the difference.

Whether you’re a parent, coach, friend, or teammate, it’s easy to unintentionally turn encouragement into expectations. But research—and stories from figures like basketball coach John Wooden and psychologist Carol Dweck—show that when we shift our focus to effort, persistence, and growth, we help people stay in the process longer and build real resilience.

This episode dives into:

  • Why it’s often harder to watch someone try than to try ourselves
  • How subtle signals can create pressure without us realizing it
  • The difference between encouragement and expectation
  • How to support kids, friends, and colleagues in a way that builds confidence and persistence
  • Practical ways to reinforce effort, not just results

And fortunately this research helped provide me a roadmap to help with Mr. D’s math test. I reminded him that he’d already done the work and practice and so the test was just like a baseball game. All he had to do was do his best.

If you’ve ever wondered how to truly support someone you care about—especially when things aren’t going well—this episode offers a powerful reframe. Because sometimes the best support isn’t helping someone succeed… …it’s helping them keep going.

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

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores 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.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.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.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this episode:

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 Reclaim Fun in Adult Life | Mike Rucker, PhD, on Joy, Burnout and the Fun Habit⁠

(featured photo from Pexels)

The Power of Small Wins

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“One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats.” – Iris Murdoch

I learned this reflective practice from my meditation teacher, Deirdre: before stepping out of a space at the end of the day (the office, a studio, the kitchen), pause for a moment to think about what you did, who you saw, any breakthroughs (or breakdowns, for that matter) you had. It’s a chance to absorb the day before you turn out the lights and leave.

I’m not very consistent in remembering to do this practice. But when I do, I find that it helps me to savor the day as well as to honor the small steps that mark progress. It counterbalances my inclination to be focused on the next thing and helps to answer a question that I struggle with: when should we celebrate progress—only at the finish line, or all along the way?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I explore the power of small wins, tiny habits, and incremental progress. Drawing from a personal story about preparing my home for an Airbnb experiment during the World Cup in Seattle, I reflect on what it means to keep going when growth is messy, nonlinear, and full of setbacks.

I offer some insights from Director of Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab, BJ Fogg, PhD, plus the long-term philosophy of Toyota’s Kaizen culture, where small daily improvements add up over time, and the practical courage found in the checklist mindset associated with Captain Sullenberger.

This episode is about personal growth, habit formation, celebrating small victories, and learning to recognize that progress doesn’t have to be dramatic to matter.

Here are some takeaways:

  • Why celebrating small wins can help you stay motivated even when progress feels slow or messy
  • How BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits approach shows that tiny celebrations can reinforce lasting behavior change
  • What Toyota’s Kaizen philosophy teaches about the long-term power of small, consistent improvements
  • How checklists and small-step courage can help you keep going when you feel overwhelmed or stuck
  • Why growth often looks nonlinear, and how to recognize progress before the final result arrives
  • How honoring effort along the way can help you build resilience, confidence, and momentum

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overlooked your own progress, or wondered whether the little steps count, this episode will remind you that they do. Small wins matter. Tiny steps matter. And trying counts, even before the big outcome arrives.

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

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores 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.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.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.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this episode:

Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, PhD on Amazon

The Tiny Habits Toolkit from BJ Fogg, PhD

How I recovered from a bout of anxiety-induced paralysis by Dan Harris

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 Reclaim Fun in Adult Life | Mike Rucker, PhD, on Joy, Burnout and the Fun Habit⁠

(featured photo from Pexels)

Fun Is a Practice, Not a Reward

Posted in thelifeoftryTagged , , , , , , , , 54 Comments

“If you’re not having fun, you’re not learning. There’s a pleasure in finding things out.” – Richard Feynman

What if fun isn’t a reward for getting everything done—but a skill that helps us live better right now?

Recently as I was driving ten-year-old Miss O to a rehearsal for a musical, she said, “I always have fun at rehearsals.” Six-year-old Mr. D had a similar answer as I was bringing him home from baseball practice the other night. I asked what he liked best – the base running practice, the scrimmage, the throwing contest? His answer was, “I like all of it.“

What kids know and grown-ups seem to forget (speaking for myself) is that fun is a day-to-day practice, not a reward only to be savored when we get everything else done. Fortunately, my guest for The Life of Try podcast this week, Mike Rucker, PhD, reminded me that parents have some agency in this too. We aren’t just Uber drivers getting our kids to the places they need to go. And that prompted me to put on my mitt and take part of the scrimmage at Mr. D’s baseball practice. The ball didn’t come to me but I enjoyed standing in the field and being part of the fun immensely for a couple of innings.

In this episode of Life of Try, I talk with Mike Rucker, PhD author of The Fun Habit, about the science-backed value of fun and why it matters for stress relief, resilience, creativity, relationships, and well-being. We discuss positive psychology, the “sandwich generation,” burnout, parenting, savoring joyful moments, and how to create simple systems that bring more play, rest, and connection into daily life.

Here are some of my favorite takeaways from this great book and fantastic, science-backed conversation about fun:

  • Fun is not frivolous — it’s restorative.
    Being intentional about fun can help reduce burnout, restore energy, and bring more meaning into everyday life.
  • Happiness and fun are not the same thing.
    As Mike says, “Happiness is a state of mind, but fun is something we can do.”
  • Agency matters.
    When we feel like we have a say in how we spend our time and energy, life becomes more enjoyable and sustainable.
  • Small “pattern interrupts” can change everything.
    Breaking our routines in creative ways can open up more space for joy, connection, and better habits.
  • Fun looks different for everyone.
    It doesn’t have to be loud, social, or high-energy. Fun can be calm, quiet, and personal.
  • Burnout narrows our thinking.
    When we’re depleted, we tend to rely on autopilot. Renewal helps us think more creatively, flexibly, and expansively.
  • Enjoyment is a powerful predictor of sticking with a habit.
    If you want to build sustainable habits, choose approaches you genuinely like—not just ones you think you “should” do.
  • You don’t need a total life overhaul.
    Reclaiming fun can start with just a few intentional hours, a simple list, or one activity that brings you back to yourself.
  • The “Fun File” is a practical tool.
    Keeping a running list of activities that genuinely light you up can make it easier to choose joy on purpose.
  • Making life better doesn’t always mean adding more.
    Sometimes it means removing, reframing, outsourcing, or rethinking routines that quietly drain you.

Here is a clip of one of Mike’s eye-opening points – that having fun is an upward spiral that creates more capacity for challenge and growth:

This conversation is for anyone looking for better work-life balance, more joy, and practical strategies for living with greater intention.

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

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores 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.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.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.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this episode:

How to Reclaim Fun in Adult Life | Mike Rucker, PhD on Joy, Burnout and the Fun Habit transcript

The Fun Habit on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Mike Rucker, PhD’s website

Michael Rucker, Ph.D. on LinkedIn

(featured photo from Pexels)