At the Intersection with Doug Newton

ARE WE BEING CONTROLLED BY FEAR? It seems like America runs on fear these days. That’s been the case way back to FDR who warned in 1933, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” But it’s only gotten worse. Especially since COVID. Madison Ave knows it. The government knows it. Big Pharma knows. Political parties know it. All you have to do is spread the fear, and you can make people spend l...

OFF HIS CAREER PATH FOR 28 YEARS! Admirable people are inspirational. Their example helps you set your sight on higher standards for yourself. They show you what’s possible. In today’s special episode of “At the Intersection with Doug Newton” you’ll meet Dan Fisher who gave 28 years of his life helping high school students discover new possibilities for their lives through character-based educatio...

We live in times of mounting protests. Researchers point to a sharp increase worldwide since 2006. Do “disruptive protest tactics” work? Americans are blessed to live in a country that prizes and protects the freedom of speech and assembly. But too often protests share similarities with classic tantrums. Shouting. Screaming. Sitting down in the middle of everything. Do those behaviors accomplish a...

There are deep divides in America over how we should view our country. The 1619 Project, modern day injustice, racial inequality, government corruption and cover-ups all combine to create a chasm between people. One side accuses the other of nationalism because they still want to see America as great. Those folks retaliate with accusations of “anarchists” or “ingrates.” Face it. Back and forth vol...

No one doubts the incredible possibilities Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already bringing about and will continue to bring about in medicine, technology, education, communication — virtually every sphere in life and culture. Yet lots of people are firing off warnings. Virtual reality is becoming less virtual and more real. Real enough to take over? Maybe not. But real enough to fool us? Yes, in...

HOW TO DISARM DISINFORMATION Disinformation. It's a pandemic worse than COVID. In fact it contributed not only to controversies surrounding COVID but arguably worsened its impact. However, the COVID issue is not the only one fraught with disinformation. National politics, the economy, the southern border crisis, Middle East conflict, and environmental issues on the national and global levels...

WHO KEEPS YOU GOING? Life can be hard, and pain is real. So how can you keep pressing through to be strong and not let pain win? In the discomfort and struggle you don’t want to slip into frustration and treat people poorly. You want to rise above the hardship, keep your promises, fulfill your responsibilties, follow through on your commitments and not let people down. But how? ’ll share the fourt...

THE REAL SUPERHEROES It doesn't take a superpower to be a superhero. Marvel Comics and DC Comics have filled the world with superheroes with their superpowers. But they're not the kind of heroes the world needs. We need real people--not comic characters--who can press through pain, discomfort and fear in order to do what's right and good. Those are the real superheroes. But they are...

Part 2: HOW TO BENGAY YOUR BRAIN HOW DO YOU HANDLE PAIN in a culture that has declared all out war against pain? We have marshalled everything from medicine, to technology, to government to help us experience pain-free living. With so many ways to protect us from discomfort, we have had much less practice handling pain and we want to avoid it at all cost. However, pain has its benefits. It makes o...

Part 1: MAKE PEACE WITH PAIN Are you at war with pain? Do you want to live a pain-free life? Probably. Our comfort-oriented culture is at war with pain, and our technology-rich world has found ways to eliminate much pain from our lives. But is that the best thing for you? What happens to a person over the course of time when they become addicted to comfort? What happens to a whole culture? What ge...

Buzzwords from psychobabble swarm around our culture and into our minds providing the illusion of sound diagnoses and vague one-size-fits-all advice: “I’m hardwired for risky behavior.” “You’re a Type A.” “I need to get closure and move on.” “You’re so sensitive; you must be an empath.” Buzzwords are dangerous, because they usually stifle the very thing we need: careful thinking. In this episode D...

Conflict continues to rage like wildfire over what’s happening at the southern border of the US. But in this episode I urge paying more attention to a different border crossing. Better vetting there can foster more peaceful disagreement, not just about the open border debate but any other divisive issue. Where is that border and what character traits are needed to guard it? I think you’ll apprecia...

Lots of people don’t worry much about good spelling or handwriting these days. Maybe it’s not a big deal in one sense. But what if our lax attitude about that is a symptom of a more serious problem at the heart of the warfare part of the culture wars today? Is there something we can do to communicate better and more peacefully? Yes. We’ll talk about that in this episode of “At the Intersection wit...

The Power of Meaning and Purpose Imagine the character it takes for a young person to overcome personal tragedies, such as the death of two brothers and a dad, and to know you have the same genetic disease that took your brothers! Tune in to hear what Suzanne Davis (President of Greenville University) has to say about finding meaning and purpose even under the cloud of death that can shape your ch...

People who work in the corporate world, especially as top executives, have a real challenge to maintain integrity and good character. In this episode Doug Newton interviews two top execs who pulled it off. One is in worldwide sports television overseeing major events such as the US Open Tennis, the Tour de France, CONCACAF soccer, and the Boston Marathon (on the day of the bombing!) The other over...

It’s amazing what some people can accomplish even when they were raised by an abusive, alcoholic father and struggled with severe depression for years. That’s my guest in this episode of People Worth Admiring. I hope you’ll tune in and listen to this “overcomer” share from his heart and experience. Along the way you’ll pick up inspirational thoughts for your life and glimpses of great character. Y...

In this special series Doug Newton interviews remarkable people who demonstrate admirable character and have real impact on the world around them. In this episode he enjoys a great conversation with George Barber… a former assistant coach under Rick Pitino when the Univeristy of Kentucky won the 1996 national championship. For 24 years has has coached a D3 university team (Greenville University) t...

Listen as Doug Newton interviews remarkable people who demonstrate admirable character and have real impact on the world around them. In this episode he enjoys a great conversation with Hugo Perez… former national news correspondent, 3 million mile traveler and one-time executive assistant to Willy Wonka — well in a manner of speaking that is. Listen as they talk about diligence, integrity, respec...

Even though we usually try to attack prejudice in order to end racism and other isms like sexism, ageism or classisim, the source problem we should focus on is bigotry. What's the difference between the two? Is there a way to defeat bigotry, or at least weaken it? Yes. In this episode of "At the Intersection with Doug Newton" I draw from Sun Tzu's famous 6th century BC writings...

There is a way to love yourself that isn’t selfish. In fact, if you learn to do this you will not only have a much more satisfying life, but you will also be more highly regarded by others. Links: Free "Crosswalk" download for further reflection and interaction: https://fresh-impact.com/crosswalk-episode15 More info about "At the Intersection with Doug Newton" https://fresh-imp...

WHAT YOU ADMIRE TRANSFORMS YOU (Admiration Series Part 4: Searching for Epitomes) ***SEE SPECIAL FREE OFFER BELOW*** Admiration has the most powerful transformative influence on your character development. But you have to focus your attention of people and things that are worthy of your admiration. How do you choose in a culture that often forces our attention on things that are shallow or meaning...

GET OVER YOUR "SELF" Self-oriented. Self-reliant. Self-conscious. Self-centered. Self-absorbed. Self-ish. All these words represent different degrees of egocentricity. If you think you can get your “self” out of the center of your life, you’ll be fighting a losing battle. After all, everything you feel, think, do and experience happens to you, in you, around you and no one else. You’re a...

TOO PREOCCUPIED? How To Notice Things That Make You Better. (Episode 12) If you want to have impact on your corner of the world, you'll need to be an admirable person.  How does that happen? You become what you admire. Admire honest people and you'll likely become more honest. Admire courage. You'll become more courageous. The power of admiration can't be overestimated. That&ap...

Within minutes after Will Smith stormed on stage at the 2022 Oscars and slapped host Chris Rock, 550,000 additional people immediately tuned in, the TV ratings rocketed up temporarily and a YouTube clip of the slap scored a record-breaking 50 million views in one day. That says something about what’s been happening in our culture that makes it a lot harder these days to develop good character. In...

Do you have a deep enough sense of meaning and purpose to generate an enduring sense of contentment and focus in your daily life? Many people struggle to find it even though their lives are full of activity. In this week’s episode Doug Newton will explain and demonstrate a potential remedy so that most of the things you think, feel and do will relate to a satisfying vision of who you are and why y...