Seemingly Ordinary

"(I've Got a) Wooden Leg"..."(You've Got a) Blemish"..."Kick Me"...and "Look What You Made Me Do!" These are four more Games that People Play.  In the 1960s, psychologist Eric Berne noticed that some people repeat the same silly arguments &/or patterns over & over again. He called these destructive patterns "games." But even thoug...

Spencer Steinert is a guide at Wonder, an Acton Academy which was featured on Jordan Peterson's podcast when Dr. Peterson interviewed Zach Lahn, the founder of Wonder. And now Spencer is opening his own Acton Academy, in Overland Park, Kansas, in August 2025.   Acton Academies are hard to describe—but they are catching on like wildfire, with over 300 of them in the U.S. and other countries, s...

"Games People Play" is a book that explains the social and relationship games that people play. These are no-win situations that we should avoid. I cover three: "I've Got You Now, You Little $$#@!," "Ain't It Awful," and "Yes, But." I also discuss the author, Dr. Eric Berne's solutions. Even though this book is sixty years old, it still sells...

Apparently, law school makes people strong, smart, and gives them mesmerizing stories to tell. Reed just completed his third semester; it was agonizing and exhilarating, and (in my view) it made him into a better man in every respect.  (This episode was recorded on Jan. 9, 2025.)

Law school is a stark adjustment for most people. How did Sam Dierberger fare? It lead him to question practically every aspect of his life, and also his beliefs. (This episode was recorded four days ago.)

Even though I've had a two-drink limit for myself for decades, I decided last March that maybe I'm done. Since then, life has gotten very interesting. Books & podcast resources included. (This episode was recorded Jan. 4, 2025.  The artwork features athletes drinking water.)

Awarded "Teacher of the Year" by his peers, Michael Consiglio is a teacher and a coach who, all his life, has been willing to take on brand new challenges. This is a replay of the very first episode of Seemingly Ordinary, which debuted in 2020.

I ask Lee Ann Oches, a smart lady with six kids, what she would do differently if she had $20M and unlimited help in educating her six kids. Plus, we discuss at least eight jobs that one or both of us think every person should have for six months or longer.  (We recorded this episode on Dec. 14, 2024.)

This is a new kind of school, although there are 300 of them, worldwide, and they've been around since 2009. They help kids perform 1, 2, or even 3 grade levels ahead, and they teach kids to start their own businesses, start their own charities, write their own plays, or otherwise build something that matters to the public. They are very different. Jacob & Caitlin McKnight are opening one...

Jacob McKnight is starting a brand new school, and he's also lived an incredible life. In this episode, I wanted to hear stories from his life--and what a shock! His two young daughters could have died. Not only that, if they lived, the chance that both would recover from what happened to them--nearly drowning--was under 4%. And yet...well, you'll just have to listen. Jacob also spent ti...

Money. Romance. Careers. Love. We all have opinions and attitudes on life's most important topics--but where did we get them? Chances are, we absorbed them when we were too young to do anything else, maybe from family, friends, enemies, the media, and more. And then, by the time were were 25, we have a whole range of beliefs that have shaped our lives--sometimes for greatness, and at other ti...

What is confidence and how do you get more of it? Marriage, addiction, trauma, and otherwise great therapist Adam Clement explains.

Peter King is a recent graduate of a very unique, traditionalist college in California.

Join Caroline Burkard (former TV reporter & current photographer) for a wide-ranging discussion on imposter syndrome, and how to develop confidence.

211. Adam Clement on Raising Good Kids

Reed Wilkinson didn't just have a faith journey or a faith metamorphosis...he's had a faith revolution. This powerful event changed his life.

Law school is famous for destroying many students, but Reed Wilkinson loved it, and got stronger mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Here's how he did it.

Mark and Ann Marie Wertin raise their seven children in a natural setting that emphasizes family, hard work, faith, and spontaneous fun. But how do you begin to live this dream life? Mark Wertin gives his very first steps. (This episode was recorded on June 10, 2024.)

Mark and Ann Marie Wertin raise their seven children in an idyllic setting--on a farm with cows, pigs, goats, rabbits, ducks, chickens, and horses. They garden, and raise almost all of their own food. Ann also has an M.A., and they homeschool. Their kids are wonderfully happy and social.  How did they come to lead this ideal life? In this episode, Mark covers what their family believes a true educ...

Just how good is Montessori? Very good, as Becky Coltrain explains.