Surviving Humanity: A Self-Help Podcast

Key Quote: “Once you face death, the fear of it is gone. Why is it gone? Because the fear of death comes from the fact that you're not accepting death. So the acceptance of death is the freedom from it, in a way.” - Zak Aghbal Episode Summary: In this episode, journey with us as we uncover the layers behind Zak Aghbal's transformative life. Growing up in Morocco, the weight of a restrict...

Key Quotes:   “Each day we are presented with new information, and this may or may not prompt us to reassess our perspectives or paths. When they do, though, that's when these major life changes are more likely to happen.” -Wesley Jackson “It's important because it causes us to understand what truly matters. It causes you to clarify what sorts of things you believe in, and what sorts of...

Key Quote: "Overcoming this obstacle wasn't so much of a single event as it was a journey. Physical healing wasn't the only thing I needed, as the emotional side proved to be just as challenging." - Wesley Jackson Episode Summary: Join Wesley Jackson as he takes you on a ride that started like any other day but ended in an unexpected twist. A simple cycling trip with his father...

Key Quote "Remember, growth is a journey, not a destination." - Wesley Jackson Episode Summary Step into the world of Surviving Humanity: A Self-Help Podcast, where this past month, we journeyed through a labyrinth of mindsets. Our path led us between two contrasting landscapes: a towering fortress, rigid and unyielding, representing the fixed mindset, and an ever-evolving garden, embody...

Key Quotes: "Having a fixed mindset seems like it keeps you safe, but the more you are open to the growth that comes with the feedback, the more successful you're going to be." - Kevin Palmieri "Embrace the suck." - Elijah Desmond Episode Summary: Join us for a double-feature episode as we journey through the transformative lives of Kevin Palmieri and Elijah Desmond, two i...

Key Quotes: " You can get through life growing by accident, but it's much more powerful to grow intentionally and to understand the process of improvement, recognizing mistakes, and treating them as an opportunity for growth." - Wesley Jackson "There's also just in general, a growth mindset that helps you learn how to learn. And that's a skill that's useful in li...

Key Quote: "This is the basic skill - learning how to learn. Adopting a positive growth mindset, believing that your potential can be altered, believing that you can change and become better." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: In this episode, we sit down with co-host Andrew Gilley, who shares his personal battle with depression that started when he was just a teenager. He reveals how his...

Key Quote: "It's okay to not have to hide all the time. That would be the goal I want for people experiencing trauma; to not have to hide the pain. To be able to step forward and say, 'This is real and this hurt me and I need help.'  - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: In this evocative episode, join your co-host Andrew Gilley as he leads us through unexplored corridors of the hum...

Key Quote: “By showing up for myself consistently, I can now manage my fear of abandonment because I know that I'll never let myself go or abandon me.” - Tuê-Si Nguyen Episode Summary: In this episode, Tuê-Si Nguyen peels back layers of his life that were once shrouded in mystery. Dive deep into the shadows of a daunting two-year battle with meth addiction, and join Tuê-Si as he uncovers the...

Key Quotes: "We acknowledge success, but recovery from trauma isn't a priority. The priority is to get back to work. You're socially obligated to do a lot of things, but healing isn't one of them, at least, unless you actually can't work anymore." - Andrew Gilley "Trauma is invisible unfortunately a lot of the time as well, because it's like these invisible...

Key Quote: "The most profound lessons I've learned from my personal journey of trauma and survival are encapsulated in three key concepts: resilience, self-understanding, and acceptance." - Wesley Jackson Episode Summary: Join Wesley Jackson as he delves deeply into his own personal narrative, a tale carved out by the relentless chisel of trauma, but shaped by an indomitable spirit...

Key Quote: "Opening the toolbox and having the capability to recognize when you can acquire new tools is really important. So, keeping an open mind is very helpful." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: What if the key to your personal evolution lay within the shadows of your mind? What if you could face those little monsters, those negative thoughts that lurk and pounce, and transform them...

Key Quote: " Life will always be hard, but, don't wish for life to be easier, wish for yourselves to be stronger. " - Kate Nguyen Episode Summary: In this riveting episode, we delve into the journey of Kate Nguyen, energy healer and host of the YouTube channel, Best of You. We'll hear her story about how she beat depression by changing her negative thoughts into positive ones....

Key Quotes: • "The responsibility lies on our shoulders to better ourselves and reframe our negative thoughts." - Wesley Jackson • "I think there's a misconception that everyone but you is happy. We don't have access to each others' thoughts, so we tend to think that everyone is happier than we are." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: In the quiet corners of the mi...

Key Quote: "Perfection is not a real thing. What's going on is it's a defense mechanism wrapped up in a nice-sounding package that makes you seem and feel like you're dedicated to work." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: Whispers of a mysterious "goblin" plagued Andrew Gilley, seeding intense anxiety and self-doubt, compelling him to seek refuge in perfectionism....

Key Quote: "Every decision we make carries consequences that affect not only ourselves, but those around us." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: Delve into the enigmatic world of personal development, as we unearth the secrets of ancient philosophy to help us transcend the shadows of our past. Discover the hidden power of habits in molding our very essence, uniquely crafted to suit our ind...

Key Quote: "What are the habits that actually move you toward the life that you want?" - Matt Thieleman Episode Summary: In this self-help podcast episode, we delve into the captivating journey of Matt Thieleman, who became the CEO of Pilea, a coaching network with an ambitious mission to connect every founder in the world with a coach. However, Matt soon realized that his true path lay...

Key Quotes: • "Building takes time, planning, and patience. Building character is no different." - Wesley Jackson • "You can't build character unless you know what you're building towards. So figure out who you want to be." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: • Character is defined as someone's mental and moral qualities, which are built up of habits and behavior pa...

Key Quote: "The path one must take to return to their authentic self and then build their character from there is not an easy one. But it is invaluable." - Wesley Jackson Episode Summary: • Wesley Jackson details a conflict he had within himself from childhood until now, which stemmed from trauma and caused him to feel that much of his life has been robbed from him. • To move forward and...

We'll be sharing the most essential information with you and how the book's concepts may show up in your day-to-day life. Then we'll each highlight our individual praises for the book while also addressing our critiques of the overall material. We'll conclude the episode by giving our recommendations on who exactly this book is best suited for and assigning the book a rating ou...

Key Quote: "Fear of failure prevents us from taking the right risk to change our lives." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: • In this month's monologue episode, Andrew Gilley discussed depression and the difficulty of balancing self-care with numbing one's emotions. • In the conversation episode, Andrew dives deep with Wesley Jackson into how creating and maintaining a daily rout...

Key Quote: "It's those small habits that you implement into your life - if you do that every single day, it will change your life." - Mike Dee Episode Summary: · Mike left behind the safety of a 9-5 job despite a huge pay raise that was offered to him - and ultimately, it was the second best decision he ever made. · He established a habit of dedicating two to three hours each day to...

Key Quotes: • "We're planting the seeds of addictive behavior patterns now at such a large scale, and at such an early age now, I can only wonder as to the consequences this will have ten, twenty years down the line. We're slaves to screens." - Wesley Jackson • "When we set our habits, we set our disposition to the world. So when we change our habits, we do the same."...

Key Quote: "Your routine sets your tone for your day and your day sets your tone for your life. You won't always step on the right foot, but we can help ourselves stay on the path by setting a routine that makes us mindful of ourselves and those around us, and that lets us make the best choices we can to be the best people that we can." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: • Andrew Gill...

Key Quote: • "Advertising exists to sell something. And to sell something, you need to have a problem. And if there isn't a problem, you need to invent one." - Andrew Gilley Episode Summary: • Wesley discussed his experience of feeling trapped in the toxic environment of the advertising industry, where people were reduced to numbers on a spreadsheet. • Wesley and Andrew discussed th...