Tag: resilience

Unleash Your Humanity

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I’ve played around with a lot of taglines for my podcast, The Life of Try. But my guest for this podcast, human rights lawyer and UN Humanitarian, Yasmine Sherif said something in this week’s episode that I might have to borrow for a mission statement. She said:

“But if we make a conscious choice to live
with joy and curiosity and creativity and
Wanting to learn, wanting to search, wanting to find why I am here, my purpose,
and to do it with love and humanity and excitement,
we can.

“And we can then better also manage challenges when they come our way.
So instead of being broken by the challenges,
we take them and we quickly recognize an opportunity.
Or eventually recognize it. It depends what it is. Sometimes it takes longer.”

In this episode, we talk about Yasmine’s book, Unleash Your Humanity. It is both a memoir and a manifesto so we learn about Yasmine’s journey from a childhood shaped by two cultures to humanitarian work on the front lines of conflict. In our conversation, she shares how faith, persistence, intuition, and a deep commitment to service helped her choose humanity over fear—even when lives were at stake.

We explore:

  • Why trust can become the foundation of courage
  • How adversity can lead to personal awakening
  • What authentic, purpose-driven leadership looks like
  • Why courage grows through repeated choices
  • How serving one person can contribute to collective change

One idea stayed with me: our humanity is not a weakness. It is one of our greatest sources of strength.

If you’re navigating uncertainty, stepping beyond your comfort zone, or asking how your work can serve something larger, I hope this conversation reminds you that showing up with heart and purpose matters.

Links for this episode:

Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif transcript

Yasmine Sherif’s website

Unleash Your Humanity: Where Personal Awakening Becomes Collective Change website

Buy Unleash Your Humanity on Barnes & Noble, Bookshop and Amazon

Related Episode

Way Will Open: How To Trust Life’s Timing

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

(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

Trying Vs. Hustling

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When my son was an infant, he was a good eater and he gained weight quickly. One day, Deirdre, my meditation teacher, overhead one of my family members calling him “chunky.” She objected saying that words matter – even if it was said affectionately long before he was verbal.

My son who is now seven-years-old recently won the “Hustle award” at baseball camp. It reminded me of Deirdre’s comment that words matter. What separates healthy ambition from hustling for your worth?

In this episode of the Life of Try podcast, I explore how effort driven by curiosity and courage feels different from striving for approval. Through insights inspired by Brené Brown and Dr. Vicki Atkinson, I dig in to how to recognize fear-driven productivity, step away from the pressure to prove ourselves, and choose a more wholehearted path to personal growth.

Key Takeaways:

  • How can we recognize when achievement is tied to self-worth?
  • What distinguishes purposeful effort from approval-seeking
  • How can we replace perfectionism with curiosity and courage
  • Use two simple questions (from the incredible Vicki Atkinson) to reconnect with gratitude and meaning

Links for this episode:

Stop Hustling For Your Worth: A Better Way to Grow transcript

In You Must Go: Harnessing the Force of Owning Our Stories by Brene Brown

Victoria Ponders – Dr. Vicki Atkinson’s blog

Related Episode

How to Finally Write the Book You’ve Been Dreaming About with Vicki Atkinson

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

(featured photo from Pexels)

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

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

The Need for Repacking

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The first time I shouldered a full backpacking load, I was 20 years old at the base of a hiking trail in the Ecuadorian Andes. I didn’t have the strength to lift my pack, rotate it around to my back, and then hoist my shoulders through. So the leader of the trip suggested I balance my pack on the ground and then sit down next to it and snake my arms into the straps.

So I did that – and promptly tipped sideways.

I mention this because that’s how I feel this fall. I keep tipping over when I try to carry my load. The balance is off and I can’t quite get grounded enough underneath it to shoulder it with any steadiness.

Both my kids need help with school. My 11-year-old daughter is doing fine at middle school but it’s 6 periods and a lot of additional activities.  Keeping track of what goes where and what is due requires some organizational skills that she’s still developing.

And my 7-year-old son isn’t liking 2nd grade. His teacher is new to the school and the district has pared back on recess and amped up math time. It’s a rhythm that he’s finding challenging.

So I bike with him to school to help him get some exercise in before the day starts. Then I bike home and get my daughter off. By that time I’ve spent almost 2 hours getting my kids ready for school. And I’m in transition at work as well so I finding it hard to settle in myself.

Bumpy. That’s how it feels.

I mention the backpack because it’s the way I know for carrying loads. The lesson that I’ve learned repeatedly is that when I am having trouble carrying things, it’s usually because I’ve added them on without repacking. You can’t just stuff new items in the outer pockets, carry extra items in your hands, or clip them onto the top. If you do, they’ll hit you in the face every time you lean over – or you’ll drop them.

When I’ve resisted repacking my pack, it’s usually because I’m scared the group is going to go without me or that I’ll lose my momentum. But I’ve learned it’s not sustainable to carry an unexamined load.

Pull everything out

Give back what’s not yours to carry

Discard the baggage that you no longer need to haul with you

Repack only what is essential

Then you can shoulder a load that you can carry. My apologies if I miss anything while I’m repacking. I hope to be back to my balanced way forward soon!

(photos is of Miss O carrying a backpack at age 4)

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!

Quaker Wisdom – Way Will Open

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I have so many examples of times I’ve tried to force life to go faster. But out of all of them, I have one clear favorite.

I was trekking to Everest Base Camp with my friends in 2001. We’d flown into Lukla at 10,000 feet elevation and then started the 30 mile trek to base camp. After a couple of days on the trail, we’d reached the charming town of Namche Bazaar and set up camp outside of a tea house to stay for two nights. My friend, Phil, told us this was the first point on the trail that we’d get to see glimpses of Everest.

The next morning I woke before everyone else. I was impatient to see Everest so I set off roaming by myself. After going up and down roads and trails for about an hour, I found a beautiful view and saw the sun rise gleaming off the top of Everest. After enjoying a few minutes of the first light, I headed back down to our camp.

By the time I returned about 90 minutes after I set out, everyone else was awake and starting to get ready for the day. My friend, Phil asked if anyone wanted to see a view of Everest. I joined the group as they walked 5 minutes in the other direction from where I’d gone and got a beautiful view. Doh!!

In this episode of The Life of Try, I dig in to the Quaker wisdom that “way will open”—and the surprising truth that closed doors, delays, and seasons of waiting may be guiding us just as powerfully as forward motion.

Through personal stories about illness, an ending that created space for motherhood, and Parker J. Palmer’s lesson that “a lot of way has closed behind me,” this episode offers a compassionate perspective on how to move forward when life does not go according to plan. I explore how to stop forcing growth before its time, and how to recognize the next honest step when the path ahead is unclear.

Key takeaways:
• How to trust the process when you feel stuck in life
• Why closed doors can provide clarity and direction
• How to practice patience without giving up
• How to keep trying without forcing the outcome


If you’re navigating change, waiting for clarity, recovering from a setback, or searching for motivation to move forward, this reflective episode will help you loosen your grip, trust your timing, and stay open to where life may be leading.

Links for this episode:

Way Will Open: How to Trust Life’s Timing transcript

Quaker Jane’s Glossary of Words and Phrases

Parker J. Palmer’s essay On Way Closes posted at OnBeing.org

Related Episode

How to Get Unstuck in Life and Getting Moving Forward Again with Michael Yang

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

(featured photo is mine of first light in the Himalaya)

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

Growth Takes Energy

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“It is very important that we relearn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses through chronic tension and worry; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

I made a rookie mistake last weekend. My kids, a friend, Cooper the dog, and I went hiking. It was 1.9 miles each way and 1500 feet of elevation gain. Not a particularly long hike but it had some challenging elements. Here was my mistake: as the responsible adult who had done this trail at least a dozen times, I didn’t call a break until we reached the top — at about two hours after we started hiking.

Doh! I know better. Hikes are more enjoyable, easier to do, and sometimes are even faster when we take breaks along the way. But often I am so focused on the destination that I ignore the wisdom to stop along the way.

So this week’s Life of Try podcast episode is the reminder I need. As we head into fall and all the changes in routines, rhythm and goals, I focused on finding some recommendations about how to best rest and restore so that we can meet our goals. Drawing on ideas from Carol Dweck’s growth mindset research, Adam Grant’s work on motivation and habits, and research on creativity and stress reduction, this episode offers practical ways to make change more sustainable. Three tips in particular resonated with me:

  1. Expect fatigue
  2. Build in regular rest intervals
  3. Reduce unnecessary decisions

So, if you often push to the top without taking a break, consider this your reminder that growth takes energy and we need some rest.

If you are working on personal growth, building better habits, navigating a life transition, or trying to avoid burnout, this episode offers an encouraging reminder: tiredness isn’t weakness. Sometimes it is information—and an invitation to recover before the next climb.

P.S. I’m unable to get the captions to show up when in a Word Press post. If you’d like to watch with captions, please click the link below.

Links for this episode:

Growth Mindset, Habit Formation and the Power of Rest transcript

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, PhD on Amazon

Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney

The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life by Mike Rucker, PhD

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy

How to Build Habits that Stick | Why Fun is the Secret to Lasting Change

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

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

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

(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

When Trying Isn’t Enough

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are more ways to listen and subscribe:

Links for this episode:

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

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

📘 Amazon: The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

🔗 Connect with Dr. Kristin Neff

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy

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

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

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

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

Self-Limiting Beliefs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key Takeaways

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

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

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

Links for this episode:

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

Infinite U

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

 Other episodes you might enjoy

⁠The Power of Looking At Your Life Through a New Lens⁠

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

⁠How to Tell Relatable Stories⁠

(featured photo from Pexels)

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

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

Still Showing Up

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“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:

Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

How can courage, resilience, and authentic leadershiptransform adversity into meaningful change? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon talks with Yasmine Sherif—human rights lawyer, longtime United Nations humanitarian leader, and author of Unleash Your Humanity—about choosing humanity over fear and living with faith, joy, creativity, and purpose.Yasmine traces her journey from a multicultural childhoodand a life-changing promise to serve humanity to decades of humanitarian work in conflict zones. She shares how persistence opened the door to the United Nations, what she learned while helping refugees return home after the DaytonPeace Accords, and how trust and intuition helped her act courageously when lives were at risk.Together, Wynne and Yasmine explore how courage becomes a habit, why growth often begins outside the comfort zone, and how personal awakening can inspire collective change. Their conversation offers a hopeful perspective on resilience, human potential, service, empathy, and purpose-driven leadership—while reminding us that every person can help move the world toward greater humanity.Listen to discover:·       How to build courage through repeated choices·       Why adversity can become an opportunity for growth·       How authenticity and intuition support resilient leadership·       What it means to lead through service and shared humanity·       How joy, empathy, and creativity can fuel meaningful changeFollow The Life of Try for more inspiring conversations about courage, curiosity, personal growth, and what becomespossible when we keep trying. After this episode, listen to The Way Will Open: How to Trust Life’s Timing for more on faith, patience, and moving forward when the path is unclear.
  1. Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif
  2. Stop Hustling For Your Worth: A Better Way to Grow
  3. Way Will Open: How To Trust Life's Timing
  4. How to Stop Procrastinating and Start: The 10-Minute Rule for Taking Action
  5. The Art of Meaningful Conversations: Lessons from 200 podcast episodes

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)

Support Without Pressure: Why Effort Matters More Than Results

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“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:

Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

How can courage, resilience, and authentic leadershiptransform adversity into meaningful change? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon talks with Yasmine Sherif—human rights lawyer, longtime United Nations humanitarian leader, and author of Unleash Your Humanity—about choosing humanity over fear and living with faith, joy, creativity, and purpose.Yasmine traces her journey from a multicultural childhoodand a life-changing promise to serve humanity to decades of humanitarian work in conflict zones. She shares how persistence opened the door to the United Nations, what she learned while helping refugees return home after the DaytonPeace Accords, and how trust and intuition helped her act courageously when lives were at risk.Together, Wynne and Yasmine explore how courage becomes a habit, why growth often begins outside the comfort zone, and how personal awakening can inspire collective change. Their conversation offers a hopeful perspective on resilience, human potential, service, empathy, and purpose-driven leadership—while reminding us that every person can help move the world toward greater humanity.Listen to discover:·       How to build courage through repeated choices·       Why adversity can become an opportunity for growth·       How authenticity and intuition support resilient leadership·       What it means to lead through service and shared humanity·       How joy, empathy, and creativity can fuel meaningful changeFollow The Life of Try for more inspiring conversations about courage, curiosity, personal growth, and what becomespossible when we keep trying. After this episode, listen to The Way Will Open: How to Trust Life’s Timing for more on faith, patience, and moving forward when the path is unclear.
  1. Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif
  2. Stop Hustling For Your Worth: A Better Way to Grow
  3. Way Will Open: How To Trust Life's Timing
  4. How to Stop Procrastinating and Start: The 10-Minute Rule for Taking Action
  5. The Art of Meaningful Conversations: Lessons from 200 podcast episodes

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)

Fun Is a Practice, Not a Reward

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“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:

Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

How can courage, resilience, and authentic leadershiptransform adversity into meaningful change? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon talks with Yasmine Sherif—human rights lawyer, longtime United Nations humanitarian leader, and author of Unleash Your Humanity—about choosing humanity over fear and living with faith, joy, creativity, and purpose.Yasmine traces her journey from a multicultural childhoodand a life-changing promise to serve humanity to decades of humanitarian work in conflict zones. She shares how persistence opened the door to the United Nations, what she learned while helping refugees return home after the DaytonPeace Accords, and how trust and intuition helped her act courageously when lives were at risk.Together, Wynne and Yasmine explore how courage becomes a habit, why growth often begins outside the comfort zone, and how personal awakening can inspire collective change. Their conversation offers a hopeful perspective on resilience, human potential, service, empathy, and purpose-driven leadership—while reminding us that every person can help move the world toward greater humanity.Listen to discover:·       How to build courage through repeated choices·       Why adversity can become an opportunity for growth·       How authenticity and intuition support resilient leadership·       What it means to lead through service and shared humanity·       How joy, empathy, and creativity can fuel meaningful changeFollow The Life of Try for more inspiring conversations about courage, curiosity, personal growth, and what becomespossible when we keep trying. After this episode, listen to The Way Will Open: How to Trust Life’s Timing for more on faith, patience, and moving forward when the path is unclear.
  1. Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif
  2. Stop Hustling For Your Worth: A Better Way to Grow
  3. Way Will Open: How To Trust Life's Timing
  4. How to Stop Procrastinating and Start: The 10-Minute Rule for Taking Action
  5. The Art of Meaningful Conversations: Lessons from 200 podcast episodes

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)