The Resilience and Grit Podcast

A couple of weeks ago, I learned a new word that immediately stopped me in my tracks: Lifequake, a term coined by Dr. Bruce Feiler to describe a season that shakes the very foundation of our lives. I instantly knew what mine was. In 2002, within just four and a half months, I lost both of my parents while trying to build a new business. I thought I had lost my anchors. Looking back twenty-four yea...

Caregiving for a loved one is one of the most loving, and most difficult, roles many of us will ever experience. I know this personally from when my six siblings and I cared for our sick mother for six years until she went off to heaven. Whether you're caring for an aging parent, supporting a spouse or grandchildren, or walking alongside someone you love through illness, caregiving asks more of us...

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of an extraordinary week I spent at MEA Retreat Center outside of Santa Fe, studying with Arthur Brooks and his team around the ideas in his newest book, The Meaning of Your Life . All 14 of us class members showed up as strangers, bonded like super glue and departed as deeply connected souls. While the week was filled with powerful lessons about purpo...

In this episode of The Resilience and Grit Podcast, I share the simple practice that has helped guide my life with greater clarity and intention: choosing one word for the year. My word for 2026? Flourish. You'll hear reflections on what it means to stop merely surviving and instead grow emotionally, spiritually, relationally and professionally. Drawing inspiration from Harvard professor Arthur Br...

In this heartfelt episode of The Resilience and Grit Podcast, I welcome fellow podcaster and my niece, Bernadette Pohl, to share her deeply personal story about motherhood, miscarriage, suffering, resilience and faith. This episode unfolds a little differently than many of my others. Bernadette courageously and thoughtfully shares her journey in her own words--and what a powerful story it is. She...

In this episode, I’m reflecting on something that has become absolutely essential in my own life: gratitude. I share three powerful reasons why gratitude matters so much to me: Gratitude can help carry us through hard times The best way to receive more of what we want in life is to become deeply grateful for what we already have Gratitude has the power to interrupt negative thinking and rewire how...

In this episode of The Resilience and Grit Podcast, I share the story of attending a personal development seminar years ago with my friend Laura and several others… and the unforgettable day we tackled a high ropes adventure course. What started as a morning of exhaustion, shaky nerves quickly turned into one of the most memorable moments of my life. Faced with the decision between the smaller “Ch...

What started as a hiking adventure in Peru became something much deeper. In this episode (and that's Percy and Edson on today's podcast cover), I share the story of trekking the legendary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu--from acclimating to the altitude in Cusco, to climbing up, up, up to Dead Woman’s Pass at nearly 14,000 feet, to finally arriving at the breathtaking Sun Gate entrance overlooking Mach...

Oof! This episode took me four hours to record. Not because it was long… but because I kept stopping. Starting. Stopping again. Distracting myself. Chicken soup. Gourmet marshmallows from a gift box my friend Amanda sent me. A walk for fresh air. And somewhere in all of that, I realized… This is resilience and grit. Not the polished moments. Not when everything flows. But showing up again and agai...

In today’s episode, I reflect on the power of decluttering and how it reaches far beyond simply organizing your home. Inspired by the work of Marie Kondo, I share how letting go of what no longer serves us can create clarity, strengthen resilience, and open space for more joy in our lives. This process is not always easy. Decluttering asks us to make decisions, to release attachments, and to be ho...

Just a week ago, I returned home from 11 days in Alaska visiting my family there. I also had the gift of traveling from the East Coast to Anchorage with my dear friend Nancy--we laughed the entire way across the USA. It felt like one of those small but meaningful moments of synchronicity. Since being home, I’ve been reflecting on what really creates happiness and heart connections. In this episode...

In this episode, I reflect on the power of persistence and what it takes to not give up on the life we truly want. Lately, I’ve been leaning into persistence in two areas: Building friendships in my town and church Continuing to show up for this podcast Neither has come easily, and both have stretched me more than I expected. What I’m realizing is that persistence isn’t just about achieving someth...

In this episode, I explore two important questions we can ask ourselves (these will shake up your brain cells!): 1) Do I feel my life has meaning? 2) Would I like to have more meaning in my life? After attending a powerful event led by Arthur Brooks and reflecting on the teachings of Viktor Frankl and other thought leaders, I share why meaning is not just a “nice to have”, it is essential. We’ll t...

In this episode, I share a couple of real-life experiences that got me thinking about how we navigate people who aren’t showing up at their best—from a snippy ticket booth attendant interaction to a confusing moment at a tavern (with an unexpected twist). Drawing on insights I have learned from the classroom of life, I walk through three practical ways to handle these moments with more clarity and...

Hello everyone! I thought social media was my problem. So for Lent, I deleted it all. But what I discovered surprised me… social media wasn’t the problem. My phone was. Even without Apps, I was still reaching for my phone: scrolling, checking, searching, distracting. In this episode, I share what I’m learning about breaking free from that constant pull, what the research says about our habits, and...

Life will always bring challenges. Some are everyday frustrations. Others are truly heartbreaking. What often shapes our lives most is not the challenge itself, but how we respond to it. In this episode, I share two real situations from my own week that tested my emotional reactions and helped me to grow. One involved a difficult dinner with a friend when both of us were struggling. The other was...

In this episode, I share a personal story about starting over, rebuilding connection, and the unexpected ways community can begin. Here's what I cover: • Relationships as the strongest predictor of happiness and well being • The surprising power of small, meaningful moments • How stepping outside your comfort zone creates connection • How helping others connect can heal our own sense of disconnect...

In this episode, I share my experience from signing up for an adult beginner ballet class six months ago (and I've stuck with it!). What started as a simple idea to try something new quickly turned into a humbling crash course in French dance terminology, awkwardness, comparison and the uncomfortable reality of being a true beginner again. Not easy, for us high achievers! Just a few weeks in, I le...

In today’s episode, I am joined by a very special guest, my dear friend Beth Walker , who recently retired after nine years as an elected official on West Virginia’s highest court (including Chief Justice). Beth's story personifies resilience, grit, strong leadership and making hard decisions that affect positive behavior change. In this heartfelt conversation, Beth shares how she triumphed over c...

Today is a big day for me. I am exactly eight years alcohol-free. What started as a 90-day challenge during Lent turned into one of the most life-changing decisions I have ever made. In this episode, I share the personal story of my relationship with alcohol, how it quietly shaped my choices, my coping mechanisms, and my identity, and what ultimately led me to stop. For decades, drinking was woven...

Life does not come with a roadmap. Getting through hard things is a skill we build that serves us throughout our entire lives In this episode of The Resilience and Grit Podcast , I share four lessons on navigating life’s challenges. They are inspired by my own personal journeys, including a hiking accident that left me with two broken bones, seven weeks in a bright pink cast, four weeks in a brace...

Hello there everyone! I am a talker. Always have been. So choosing to spend three days in complete silence at a monastery felt equal parts intriguing and terrifying. No talking. No phone. Eating in silence. No distractions. Just quiet, chapel bells, wooded trails, hospitable Monks, and my own thoughts. In this episode, I take you inside that experience. What it felt like to arrive, how the silence...

Arthur Brooks' Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/office-hours-with-arthur-brooks/id1832119842

In this inaugural episode of Resilience and Grit , Kathleen DuBois shares the deeply personal story of preparing for and trekking Mount Kilimanjaro, and the stinging decision to turn back just shy of the summit. What was meant to be a crowning achievement became a profound lesson in listening to the body, honoring limits, and redefining what resilience and grit truly mean. After returning home, Ka...

Hello and welcome to The Resilience and Grit Podcast ! This weekly show is all about navigating through hard--and sometimes excruciatingly painful-- things and coming out the other side a better version of ourselves. Through real stories and inspiring conversations, Kathleen DuBois and her occasional guests explore how life’s hardest moments can lead to growth, healing, and lasting happiness. If y...