Tangential Inspiration

It's almost Christmas!  Teresa and Colleen wish everyone a very merry holiday season and some peace on earth.  We could really use that right now.  But to help you get inspired for the season of giving, we have three great stories for you.  Teresa talks about a teen who is giving new life to Legos and actor/director Henry Winkler, who really is just a great guy.   Colleen tells the amazing tale of...

Hello and welcome to another episode of Tangential Inspiration.  This episode is a long one, but oh so good and inspiring.  Colleen talks about bone marrow transplants and how someone can help give the gift of life and Teresa talks about the incredible women of the U.S. Supreme Court.  These are some amazing women!  Come have a listen. #BeKind #WeStandWithUkraine We would love to hear from you. Se...

Yep, we are late with this episode.  Such a busy time of year.  But don't despair, there is a lot of inspiration to be found in this podcast.  Colleen talks about the amazing life of actor and activist Christopher Reeve and how a Superman still did super things after being paralyzed from the neck down.  Teresa talks about a young man who brought power to his African village and about a little know...

Happy Thanksgiving!  Time to gather with family and friends and be thankful for what we have.  We are thankful for all of our listeners!  We hope that this episode will brighten your holiday.  Colleen talks about a rapper who runs a daycare and how Jeopardy fame is helping fight pancreatic cancer.  What is awesome?  Teresa talks about the story of the Boys in the Boat, and the struggles and triump...

Next week is Thanksgiving and we are excited!  Time to share our gratitude and spend time with family.  Colleen is coming at you with some helpful tips on how to make your holiday preparations more enjoyable at Thanksgiving.   Thanksgiving does not have to be stressful!  Teresa has some stories about some "superheroes" that you are going to love and one about a brave boy who despite his disabiliti...

Three very inspirational stories this week.  First Colleen talks about how Lego MRI machines are making hospital visits less scary.  Teresa talks about Diana Nyad, the first person to swim from Cuba to the Florida Keys, through shark-infested water, without a shark cage, at 64.  Her never give-up attitude is contagious.  And Colleen finishes with a story about Source America, an agency that helps...

We hope everyone had a great Halloween last night.  Now that the spooky is over, we can focus on inspiring stories.  Sadly, we lost Matthew Perry over the weekend, so Teresa has a bit of a memorial for this very funny Friend, who did more than make people laugh.  Then Colleen talks about the tragic start for AMBER Alerts, and how it these alerts are making a difference and saving lives, as well as...

It's starting to get dark out early.  As winter settles in, there is just more darkness.  But if you look for it, you can find the light.  Whether it is a nice cozy fire or a friend's smile, there is light to find.  We are bringing the light with three stories this week.  First, Colleen tells a tale of community and friendship, as a town takes care of their own.  Teresa then talks about Ana's Stor...

Wow!  150 episodes.  It has gone by so fast.  This is a wonderful episode.  Colleen talks about the civilian astronauts of Space X's Inspiration 4 mission and how that mission raised millions for St. Jude's Childrens Hospital.  You will love this story!  It has all the good feels to it!  Teresa tells the tale of how tragedy sometimes leads to good things with a story that starts with an act of evi...

Welcome to another episode of the Tangential Inspiration Podcast!  Some great stories for you this episode.  Colleen shares two stories about people sharing with others.  The first is a little girl who shares her love of books with senior citizens, and the second is about a group of friends that get together to give extraordinary tips to unexpecting servers.  Teresa shares the story of Oogy, which...

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Tangential Inspiration Podcast.  So glad you are joining us.  In this episode, Colleen talks about setting healthy boundaries and gives six great tips on how boundaries can make life better.  Teresa talks about how new farming practices may be a powerful tool to combat climate change and how a failed suicide set a man on a mission to help others who are...

What a great week for inspiration!  Teresa brings you the amazing story of Jann Mardenborough, a video gamer who was so skilled at racing games, he actually became a successful racecar driver.  The movie currently in theaters, Gran Turismo, is about this amazing young man.  Colleen has two awesome stories.  One is a heartwarming story about some college folks who paid back an older co-worker for a...

What a great week this is for inspiration.  Colleen tells the story of Fred Astaire, one of the most famous and talented dancers of all time.  Teresa tells the story of a kindergarten kid who is making a difference for the victims of the Maui Fires, and the story of Scout, a determined dog who is also making a difference with seniors.  This is a fun episode.  Come have a listen! #BeKind #WeStandWi...

This episode is all kinds of inspirational.  First, you have Colleen talking about one of my favorite stories, Musa Motha, an incredible one-legged dancer.  If you haven't seen him dance, watch the YouTube video link below.  You will be in awe!  Colleen also talks about a special camp that is set up to help kids with missing or different limbs learn to cope with their differences in a positive way...

This week as been a little cooler, particularly after the scorching weeks we have had recently.  Doesn't seem like Fall is just around the corner, but it is.  Colleen has some great tips on how to mindfully transition into Fall and hacks on surviving the holidays.  Teresa is going to talk about the creator of Barbie and a mom who turned a horrible tragedy into a mission to make things better for o...

We are back!  Just a short little break to get some summer fun in.  In this episode, Teresa will talk about the heroes out of the Maui Fires.  Colleen will talk about the town who so lovingly honored the town milkman when he retired, happy tears!  And then she talks about a restaurant that is taking a chance on kids and doing amazing things in their lives!  Come have a listen in the twilight summe...

Yep, we're late this week.  Sometimes summer just gets in the way.  But we have a great episode that was worth the wait.  Colleen talks about the Titanic survivor and all-around girl-powered Molly Brown and Teresa talks about a recent advance in the fight against the deadly disease malaria and a chef who is doing amazing things for others.  Come have a listen! #BeKind #WeStandWithUkraine We would...

Yay!  Colleen is back to Tangential Inspiration.  And this is a great episode.  Colleen talks a little bit about her recent surgery and the process of getting a Cochlear implant to restore hearing in one of her ears, and later she talks about Dr. House (not the tv one) who invented the Cochlear implant and pioneered some other hearing-related treatments.  Teresa continues her deep dive into Navy S...

Hello there!  Welcome to the Tangential Inspiration Podcast.  Another solo episode with Teresa as Colleen recovers.  We hope Colleen will be back next week.  Teresa has a healthy serving of inspiration this week, with two stories about amazing medical stories you will surely enjoy and Part I of a two-part look at Navy SEAL Admiral William McRaven, who is a pretty amazing guy.  Considering all of t...

We are missing Colleen this week who is out for a surgery, but she will be returning soon.  Teresa still brings the inspiration this week, starting off with a story of how two women changed an unhoused man's life after 17 years on the streets.  Then Teresa does her deep dive on the amazing Navajo Code Talkers who were instrumental in winning the War in the Pacific during World War II.  And finally...

Loving the summer weather here in the Pacific Northwest.  Beautiful skies, not too hot, and of course, our home state of Oregon is beautiful.  Something about all that blue sky puts a smile on my face and makes a little more room to be inspired.  This week, Teresa talks about Tina Welling and how she helped prisoners learn about themselves through journaling, and how it helped her find herself.  C...

Yes, we are a day late.  4th of July put us a little behind, but that doesn't mean there isn't a fabulous episode awaiting you.  This week, Teresa talks about the Vietnamese Mother Teresa, a basketball-playing spelling bee machine, and a rock climber who won't let a little thing like being in his 90s stop him.  And then Colleen is going to give us an amazing guide to finding inspiration (when your...

We are back from a little rest and ready to inspire once again!  Colleen is going to talk about her trip to Arlington, Virginia, and her visit to the historic Torpedo Factory.  It is 100% not what you are thinking.  It's so cool!  She also talks about an Instagram and YouTube project that gives voices and comfort to differently-abled people, that started with a classroom project and now is huge. ...

We are taking the week off with college students coming home and graduations to celebrate.  Teresa has a quick story about an Oregon artist who is celebrating an early Black Oregon pioneer just to keep the inspiration flowing until we return next week! #BeKind #WeStandWithUkraine We would love to hear from you. Send us your comments or even your own inspirational stories at tangentialinspiration@g...

Need an inspiration break?  Here it is.  Three great stories to inspire you and to remember the good in the world.  Colleen shares a story about a grumpy cat that inspired her owner to help elderly pet owners and the author of the Mitford series, who against the odds became a New York Times Best Selling Author and created the charming people of Mitford.  Teresa talks about Clara Hale, who took in...