Soul Forge Podcast

This week's episode is kind of an update show. What has been happening in the life of your host? He has been living and working on total drama island! Actually, his personal life is going pretty well for once. Work, however, is quite another matter. Perhaps this episode reveals a bit too much about the inner workings of the post office. Maybe you will learn a few behind-the-scenes details that you...

Cory Robin visits the Soul Forge Podcast to talk about his brush with fame and the aftermath of the experience. In 2018 Cory ran for a seat as city councillor for Ward 5 in Timmins.  Although he did not win a seat, he learned a great deal about how to handle loss and fame. Cory tells us about how he ran his campaign, the money spent, and the heart and soul he put into the effort. Listen in to lear...

Money talks. Money matters. It's all about that money on this week's Soul Forge. Join me as I discuss financial matters. I will be delving deep into my past for a look at how I grew up and how I gained my attitudes towards money. Because I grew up poor, I have always had an appreciation for money. In this episode, you'll learn about the vehicle I'm too frugal to purchase. You will hear about my ho...

Sometimes the universe gives you exactly what you asked for. However, the universe also likes to play tricks to keep you on your toes. It will not always give you what you ask for in the ways in which you hoped it would. This episode tells the tale of last weekend and the events that occurred. As you will recall from the previous episode, my first love, Stephanie, was having a birthday celebration...

Love and heartbreak both lead to poetry. This week, we take a little trip down memory lane. I'm going through my archives and sharing some of my poetry with you. We will be thinking about love, happiness, longing, anger, acceptance, and so many other emotions. First though, there is some feedback to share. And I have a self-help book to recommend, although I do not agree with the term 'self-help'...

My son stops by for a quick father and son chat. What does Bishop want to do with his life? What are his thoughts about the future? We discuss what he has been learning in school. Is he actually learning anything? Well, it's hard to tell from what he says, but it does appear some things are getting through to him. We talk about my education, my dreams of opening a bar, and what it would be like if...

Radical honesty and the future of the Soul Forge Podcast. So we all have an idea of what our lives are supposed to be; a vision for what we want, what we need, and how we wish to be seen. This year, I've put a lot of thought into who I am, who I am becoming, and my 2020 vision for the podcast. The plan is to focus on success stories. Past episodes have focused on mental health. That is all well an...

2019 taught me a lot about myself. In fact, this has probably been the most progress I have made in a year since 2015. So this episode will detail some of the realizations I have come to. Also, this episode is filled with all kinds of media clips. I have tried to even out the sound levels and think I have mostly succeeded. My apologies if it is not perfect. However, none of us are. Some topics inc...

Brother Robin opens up about his struggle with mental health. He lights up a fancy cigarette and unloads many years worth of thoughts. This is Robin's rambling rant! Robin moved in with his eldest brother about 6 months ago. This was an attempt to get his life back on track. More and more, he has been focusing on his mental well-being. As a cab driver, he often speaks with his clients and tells th...

Mister Rogers is played by Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Where are the television shows for kids these days that are similar? They simply do not exist. Having gone to the theatre to see the movie, it got me thinking about my own childhood and the shows I grew up on. In this episode, I give a quick review of the movie, and then go through the list of similar shows that I was bro...

An open discussion between 2 men and 2 women on the nature of masturbation. It's normal, it's natural and it's been around since the beginning of time. Not always an easy discussion, yet most people do it. Masturbation has been depicted in art since prehistoric times, and is both mentioned and discussed in very early writings. On this episode, your 4 co-hosts cover a wide range of topics having to...

Can we go home again? This week we explore the idea of returning to our roots. The idea of going home again can be very powerful and intoxicating. We must realize, of course, that we are not the people we once were. As time moves on people change. Our homes, even if our family is still living there, are not the same. The structure may be identical, but everyone involved has grown, matured, or chan...

Random updates, general thoughts, and feedback. This week Shawn is here to provide you with some much needed updates. He figured it was time to just check it on the situation and fill you in. General chit-chat is never a bad idea! We start the episode with a mini tribute to Shawn's uncle Frank who recently passed away at the age of 84. You will get a brief background on Frank and the Vanderloo cla...

Laughter really is the best medicine. Jokes, comedians and laughter are on the agenda for this week's Soul Forge Podcast. Shawn and Tracy are telling jokes, and trying to make each other laugh. They are discussing some of their favourite comedians. Movies that they find funny are also mentioned. Shawn's brother Robin has dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian. Or at the very least, going up on sta...

Ghosting! The Non-Hallowe'en Special! Everyone is in love, falling out of love, or looking for love. Or maybe it's really just about the sex. Whatever you are looking for, perhaps you've tried your hand at online dating. There are many apps to help you do just that. Sex, love, marriage and heartache can be yours with a few quick swipes. Our episode begins with a look at the world of online dating....

We love memes. Memes are how we communicate, and how we express what we are feeling. They often say things that we think but cannot put into words of our own. So, here we have In The Meme Time. It's kind of a play on words. And it's a freaking hilarious episode. I will be telling you what I think each meme means. Also, I will be using my own personal experience to make many of these memes relatabl...

The happiness equation was born out of a feeling of being doomed to unhappiness. As if the universe would not allow joy to exist. The technical name is cherophobia or fear of happiness. It is an attitude towards happiness in which individuals may deliberately avoid experiences that invoke positive emotions or happiness. There is the belief that when one becomes happy, a negative event will soon oc...

Talking about those things that make your day. The small, seemingly insignificant moments that add up to so much. Those things that make you say, "that really made my day!" On this week's episode, Shawn is joined by Deidre. They laugh and carry on and discuss all the things that help us get through our days. Deidre has an amazing practice she calls Priming. She wakes up early, but stays in bed. Sh...

Who are the climate crusader girls? They are not a superhero group, but they are super in their own ways. These are young girls who are doing everything in their power to try to save the world. Whether it be fighting for water rights, or preventing climate change, they all have strong voices. This episode is going to tell you a little bit about several of these climate crusader girls. For more inf...

Are we living in the best possible version of reality? Did the decisions that we made when we were younger result in the older version of us being the most content? How can we ever know if we made the correct choices? Can we imagine what life we could be living right now if only we had made a different decision? Obvioulsy there is no way to peer behind the curtain of reality. We cannot ever hope t...

My ex-fiance gives me some insight and advice while I stand here at the crossroads. Trish and I were together for 9 years. She has seen me go through quite the transformation over the years. There is probably no one who knows me better. On this week's episode, she tells me like it is. Trish has never been one to hold back on anything. One of my issues is that I've always felt as if everyone else i...

Yup, it's time for a change. When things become stale, old or boring, we must look for a fresh perspective. We cannot continue to live by our old patterns. Like a snake that sheds its skin, we too must start over, begin again. This episode of the Soul Forge will take on the topic of change. Your host Shawn is joined by his brother Robin, and together they discuss and examine the changes in their l...

DragonCon 2019 is over, but it was an amazing experience. On this episode, Shawn talks about all the adventures experienced, incredible people met, the panels attended, and so much more. DragonCon is held in Atlanta, Georgia over the Labor Day weekend. This was the 33rd event. To get to Atlanta, Shawn drove his little black car from Timmins, Ontario. He crossed the province of Ontario, and then dr...

Geek roots run deep. What is the fake eyeball sneeze story and how does it provide the jump into this episode? You can thank Chantale for this.... Shawn has always been into the worlds of science fiction and fastasy. He also strives for deeper meanings and connections in the world. On this episode, Shawn takes you on a journey into the heart of himself. You will discover why his geek roots run so...

In conversation with Jarman, the skeptical atheist and co-host of A Play On Nerds Podcast. Friend of the show, Jarman, whom you all know at the voice of the opening narration of this very podcast, sits down for a chat with Shawn. They engage in an animated discussion regarding the world the atheism. We learn about Jarman's religious upbringing, what changed, and where he is today. Topics includes...