Authbition

From The Blair Witch Project to deepfakes—how I learned to question illusion and write the script for my own reality. 👉 Read: https://medium.com/namaste-now/i-thought-the-blair-witch-was-real-b3acc5d2a1e3?sk=3e80eace76bc22b6559aef89b7242f13#Storytelling #authbition #authbitionweekly #BlairWitchProject #StorytellingPodcast #PersonalGrowth #Mindfulness #RealityCheck #Deepfakes #Authenticity #AIethi...

In this episode of Authbition, I sit down with writer and joy catalyst Vidya Sury. Our conversation reminded me that everything is possible — not as a cliché, but as something you can live through loss, caregiving, and starting over. Vidya shares parts of her essay Second Innings, New Beginnings, along with stories about resilience, career pivots, and how joy isn’t the absence of pain but the cour...

I used to tell these stories around fire pits. This one’s about reckless childhood mischief—throwing coins off the Twin Towers, nearly derailing a train, and driving like a maniac. Somehow, I survived. With age, I’ve grown into empathy and compassion. This episode is raw, vulnerable, and recorded from the passenger seat on a road trip with a friend. To read the original essay and see a photo I too...

On a real road trip, I read aloud my essay Grandma Riding Shotgun Saved My Ass — a wild true story of driving 1,000 miles overnight with my grandma riding shotgun. From highway parties to a speed trap with guns drawn, it’s part family legend, part near-disaster, and all heart. A story about freedom, risk, and the bond that kept me safe. Read the essay and see the photos on Medium: https://medium.c...

In this episode of Authbition , my wife, Abby Kent , joins me to play The Whole Mind Game. Together, we explore the tension between a comparison mindset and a growth mindset—uncovering the best of both (benchmarks, optimism, and limitless growth) and the shadow of never feeling good enough. Our synergy word is Unstoppable , paired with the mantra I am enough . Abby stays on as I read my essay, My...

From My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday to autumn leaves in Cedar Mountain, I reflect on music, art, and the flow of time. An essay about nesting dolls, tandem kayaks, and the innocent child within us all. Read the original essay on Medium: https://medium.com/contemplate/my-mind-swimming-at-one-big-holiday-c281fc61b8c3?sk=7f208ff639625513d54ad67ca4a189d0 Visit Authbition for more ways to connect:...

In this episode of Authbition, I record live from the massage table with my therapist and friend, T'Keyah Moore, founder of Soul Vibrations Holistic Wellness. Together, we explore the Whole Mind Game, a simple yet powerful way to turn “either/or” decisions into expansive opportunities. We talk about cycling breakthroughs, ambition, authenticity, earliest memories, and how relationships shape who w...

Climbing hills on a bike taught me about rhythm and sustainability. My first job as a paperboy taught me the same. In this episode, I open with The Whole Mind Game tension Increase Cadence <> Lower Gear — a choice between speed and efficiency — and connect it to delivering newspapers before dawn, managing cash, facing “The Collector,” and discovering the joy of building a business at age nin...

Joe Guay joins me for a conversation that kicks off with The Whole Mind Game , exploring the tension between a Real Job and being Self-Employed . We talk about the security and benefits that come with working for someone else, the control and purpose you can find when you work for yourself, and the trade-offs that make this such a personal decision. From there, Joe reads his essay Realizing I Coul...

In this episode of Authbition, I celebrate my 100th essay on Medium by exploring a tension that’s been shaping my life and my writing: Not Better and Message That Matters . I walk through The Whole Mind Game to find the synergy — Humble Warrior — and share three ways I’m bringing it into my work. Then I read my milestone essay, From One Story to a Hundred , and reflect on how gratitude, connection...

In this episode of Authbition , I explore Hormozi's Usefulness-Happiness Tension, Pragmatic Yoga, and Work-Life Balance. What starts as a philosophical reflection turns into a practical story — one that spans corporate boardrooms, startup culture, and yoga mats. I read a personal essay about work-life balance, leadership, and my long-time friend and business partner. Together, we find what it...

When life puts you in a bind — do you pick a side, or is there another way? In this episode, I explore the power of Whole Mind Thinking — a way to hold tension without compromise. I share how I first encountered this mindset (think Star Wars , Jim Collins , and yoga), and how it finally became real for me through something I created: The Whole Mind Game . Instead of reading an essay, I teach the g...

What do fairy tales, failed frameworks, and folk wisdom have in common? They all fall short when we forget to include the most essential part of the story: ourselves. In this week’s episode, I unpack the word I made up — Authbition —and the five principles behind it: vulnerability, non-attachment, caring, thoughtfulness, and whole-mindedness. Through reframed folktales, original reflections, and o...

What happens when we stop underestimating students and start trusting their instincts? In this episode, I share a story from the classroom that spans generations of outdated tech, from cassette tapes and LaserDiscs to microprocessors and AI. This is a call to stop “teaching technology” and start guiding young people to solve meaningful problems with curiosity, creativity, and courage. Read the ori...

This week’s story is about a BMX bike, a moment of betrayal, and a powerful lesson in self-reliance. I share the story of how losing a prized bicycle—one I built piece by piece as a kid—taught me what independence really means. Timed for the Fourth of July, this episode reflects on the roots of my drive to build, create, and chase freedom on my own terms. It's about more than a stolen bike. It...

When Abby Paradis became a mother, it didn’t feel like a triumph. It felt like a reckoning. In this episode, she shares her essay I’m Not Here to Shape Her — a powerful reflection on what it means to raise children without trying to mold them. We talk about parenting as witness, not authority, about standing behind the curtain like an ill-prepared stagehand, fumbling with the lights while our chil...

What if forgetting wasn’t a flaw—but a path to creativity, presence, and love? In this episode of Authbition , I reflect on how learning to let go helped me become a better listener, a better partner, and a more whole-minded human. I share a vulnerable story about yoga, memory, fear, and the surprising strength in distraction. If you've ever found yourself stuck in your own head, this one’s for yo...

This week on Authbition , I’m reading an essay about one of the most uncomfortable—and transformative—teaching moments of my life. I share what happened when a room full of brilliant students demanded clear answers, and all I could offer was uncertainty. From skateboards to Einstein, drills to brain surgery, and design theory to spirituality, this story weaves through a personal philosophy I now c...

This week on Authbition , I’m reflecting on a decade of love—and how I found it when I stopped chasing it. In this episode, I read a personal essay that traces the twists and stumbles of my love life, from heartbreaks and wrong turns to the serendipitous September night that changed everything. It’s a story about how letting go of the search opened space for the real thing to arrive. I share how b...

This week, I make the turn from authenticity toward ambition—with care. I’m reading an essay about what made my Biomedical Engineering design course unexpectedly fertile ground for entrepreneurship. But the real heart of the story isn’t about process—it’s about people. I share how a lesson in increasing value became a personal philosophy of doing good and working smart. Along the way, I reflect on...

What if the most visible part of you held your most vulnerable story? In this episode, I read an essay about the tattoo on the back of my hand—what it means, why it matters, and how it ties together love, loss, estrangement, and healing. It’s the story of a firebird, a ring, a block print my daughter made in middle school, and a man named Nick who turned a conversation into art. This one goes deep...

In this episode, I read an essay about returning home—physically and emotionally—to help move my parents out of our childhood house after 47 years. It’s a story about clutter and memory, aging and grief, and the surprising spaciousness that can come from letting go. It’s not just about a house—it’s about what remains after the walls are gone. If you’ve ever faced the ache of clearing out a loved o...

What if you could go back and tell your younger self that nothing is fixed—that it’s okay to start over, fail big, or follow the road with no map? This episode is for anyone who's ever felt stuck, boxed in, or unsure of what’s possible. I start with some listener feedback—less screen, more presence—and clear up a small misunderstanding about where this podcast might be headed. (Spoiler: I’m still...

In this very first episode of Authenticity & Ambition – A Podcast Journey Reading Essays , host Andrew DiMeo shares the personal story behind launching the podcast. What began as a conversation during a massage—about the vibrational energy of nature and the power of presence—evolved into a spark of encouragement to read his essays aloud and share them with the world. This episode isn’t just an...