Activating Sisu: The Finnish Art of Courage, Resilience, and Strength
Release Date: 11/21/2024
Harvesting Courage: What Will Carry You Through the Darker Seasons?
Sustained Courage
Why does fall make you want to cancel your plans, put on sweatpants, and disappear into your house—and why are we so determined to fight it? For most of human history, autumn wasn't just a season. It was an accounting: What grew? What survived? What will sustain us through what's coming next? In this episode, we're stealing that idea and applying it to courage. We're digging into what shorter days actually do to your brain and body, why modern life has basically eliminated our permission to slow down, and why you may be far more courageous than you give yourself credit for. Before you start...
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Sustained Courage Spotlight: Dolly Parton
Sustained Courage
What would Dolly do? In this Sustained Courage Spotlight, we celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of Dolly Parton—and the lessons she left behind about authenticity, reinvention, boundaries, generosity, and knowing exactly who you are. From the little girl in the Smoky Mountains who dreamed of something bigger to the woman who built an unmistakable brand, protected her work, embraced being underestimated, and created some of her most lasting contributions after 40, Dolly showed us that getting older doesn’t mean becoming less relevant. Sometimes it means becoming even more yourself....
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Happy Birthday to Me: On Aging, Wisdom & Giving Fewer F@#&s
Sustained Courage
Getting older gets a terrible reputation. We obsess over wrinkles, youth, milestones, timelines and all the things we think we should have accomplished by now. But on my birthday, I wanted to ask a different question: What if aging is actually one of the greatest privileges we get? In this solo episode, I’m digging into the strange history of birthdays and birthday candles, the Maiden-Mother-Crone framework, society’s complicated relationship with aging, and the science behind why humans and a very exclusive group of whales live long past their reproductive years. Yes, whales. And yes, we...
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Can You Be Fair and Impartial? The Courtroom in My Head.
Sustained Courage
What does it really mean to be fair and impartial? After an unintentional July break, I’m back with a new episode inspired by my recent jury duty experience — a process that felt equal parts fascinating, frustrating, inefficient, and deeply American. What began as a courthouse rant quickly became a much bigger question: can human beings ever truly set aside their life experiences, assumptions, emotions, and biases long enough to judge something clearly? In this episode, I share what it was like to be called for jury duty, sit on two jury panels, answer personal questions in front of...
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Your Life Is Not a Plot Summary
Sustained Courage
What if the worst thing that happened to you isn't the whole story? After falling down a rabbit hole of Legends of the Fall clips and reading the absolutely wild Wikipedia plot summary, I realized something: if you reduce a life to its biggest tragedies, every life starts to look like a disaster. But that's not how life is actually lived. In this episode, I explore why our brains remember the dramatic moments, why difficult seasons can feel bigger than they really were, and how the ordinary, boring, beautiful moments in between are often where life actually happens. Along the way, Beatrix...
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Consistency: The Most Boring Superpower on Earth
Sustained Courage
What if the one thing you actually needed… wasn’t motivation, discipline, or a complete life overhaul—but consistency? In this episode, we break down the most underrated superpower on the planet: doing the same small, meaningful things over and over again. From ancient rituals and survival patterns to modern neuroscience and habit formation, we explore how humans have always relied on repetition to create safety, stability, and identity. Why does your brain crave routine? Why does inconsistency feel so unsettling? And how can you actually become consistent in a real, imperfect life?...
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The Alter Ego Effect: Becoming on Purpose
Sustained Courage
What if your alter ego isn’t fake — what if they are the part of you that’s been waiting for permission? In this episode, we officially welcome Beatrix, my sharp, sarcastic, AI co-host/alter ego with British librarian energy and absolutely no patience for nonsense. Together, we explore the strange and fascinating history of alter egos, from ancient masks and shamans to warriors, superheroes, stage personas, and the modern selves we create to survive. Then we get into the science: self-distancing, the “Batman Effect,” enclothed cognition, and why naming the voice in your head —...
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When the World Is On Fire… and You Still Have to Do the Dishes
Sustained Courage
January broke me a little. Living in Minneapolis during political tension, violence, and constant headlines left me feeling something I haven’t felt in years: hopelessness. And here’s the truth no one talks about — you can feel grateful for your life and still feel overwhelmed by the world. Those two things live together. In this deeply personal episode of Sustained Courage, we explore: • How humans survived the Black Death, the Great Depression, war, and social upheaval • How people throughout history found meaning during collapse • What your nervous system is actually doing when...
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The Question That Stops Harmful Conversations Cold
Sustained Courage
The holidays have a way of bringing everything to the surface—old family dynamics, sharp comments, gossip, and conversations that leave us feeling judged, overwhelmed, or activated. In this episode of Sustained Courage, we explore one deceptively simple question that can change how you move through conflict, conversation, and even your own inner dialogue: “What value does this bring?” Rooted in ancient philosophy, modern neuroscience, and practical psychology, this episode breaks down why words are never neutral—and how a single pause can interrupt reactivity, shut down manipulative...
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How to Transform Your Life Without Burning It Down
Sustained Courage
To celebrate one year of the show, I’m pulling back the curtain on my entire journey—what terrified me, what surprised me, and what transformed me along the way. I dive into the fascinating history of retrospection, from ancient hunters around the fire to philosophers, monks, scientists, and modern innovators. I also break down the neuroscience behind why reflection rewires the brain, reshapes memory, and supports real change. Then I lead you through a guided retrospective to uncover what worked, what didn’t, and what you want to carry into your next chapter. If you’re craving...
info_outlineWhat is sisu? More than just a word, it’s a way of being—a Finnish concept of resilience, determination, and inner strength that has no direct English translation. In this episode, we explore how sisu is the spark that drives us forward when we feel stuck, exhausted, or on the brink of giving up. It’s about finding the courage to act in the face of doubt, fear, or failure, and stepping fully into your power.
Join us as we unpack the essence of sisu, uncover how you can harness it in your own life, and discover why this untranslatable force is a game-changer for pushing past limits and stepping into action. Whether you’re navigating personal challenges, chasing big goals, or just trying to get through a tough day, sisu might be exactly what you need.