If you’re periodically struggling to find direction and purpose in your life, this episode explores a practical framework, “possibility management,” developed by sociology professor Bradley Wright. In this episode, we also dive into his new book, The Purpose Journal, to learn how to navigate different paths, discover your passions, and take action to create a fulfilling life with a positive impact.

What happens when “In sickness and in health” and “‘till death do us part” become more than words in a wedding ceremony? Author Jarie Bolander recounts a powerful story of negotiating impending loss and then managing the grief that comes with a spouse’s death.

This is an episode about episodes that never happened. Here, I briefly profile six individuals I could not entice—for various reasons—to sit opposite me behind the mic. But there was still much to be learned.

As a happiness keynoter, consultant, and coach, Kim Strobel could establish a level of value simply by quoting ideas from others who have researched happiness. What makes Kim’s work extraordinary is that she has lived unhappiness. As a longtime sufferer of panic attacks, Kim knows what it’s like to look at the world through lenses of pain and fear. Her strategies for transformation are hard-earned.

Like most people, I had known beavers—this furry, industrious rodent—to be very adept at building dams and lodges of brush, leaves, twigs, and mud. But it’s what happens to the riverscapes and landscapes as a result of their building that makes them special. Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb provides the details.

Are you in a traditional sales position? Are you a consultant or speaker trying to influence other people's thinking and behavior? Are you leading a team or an organization? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you’re “selling” something. Most of us are, and that's why sales consultant Katie Mullen's message is so powerful—how she looks at "selling" applies to all of us. Listen in as Katie explains the imperatives of successful selling today. And, of course, it starts with being curious.

In this conversation, educational leader John “Camp” Camp highlights how the New England Innovation Academy is shifting the 6-12 education landscape away from the idea of knowledge acquisition toward student-centered instruction and learning, competency-based assessment, and students’ social-emotional development.

Bennett (Ben) Bratt helps leaders and their teams create the transformative, inclusive, and enduring changes in their team effectiveness that fuel their most deeply desired outcomes. The operative word in that description is “help.” Ben doesn’t ride in on a white horse and say, “Do this to fix your team's dysfunction.” He takes a different approach. He listens.

From a major in communications, Dr. Donya Ball's path to becoming an educational leader and teacher began with America Reads, igniting a passion for people-centered learning. Prioritizing empathy and collaboration, she champions personalized experiences over standardized tests, embracing diverse perspectives as fuel for continuous growth and a more equitable education system.

“Getting Unstuck” host Jeff Ikler reflects on recent messages of remembrance that prompt him to consider life's impermanence of life and how he wants to be remembered. (Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash.)