This Tree and Me

"Tomorrow" is a thief that never pays what it owes. In this vulnerable session, Cory J Riggs explores the sacred 5:00 AM window where the day is born and the ego is silenced. Learn why surrender isn't a one-time event, but a daily requirement to stay grounded in a world trying to pull you in ten different directions. It doesn’t matter how good yesterday was—we start at zero today. ​Get more insigh...

Stop fighting yourself. In this episode, Cory J Riggs breaks down why the concept of "killing the ego" is a myth that keeps us stuck in a cycle of internal war. Cory shares the raw details of his morning ritual where he stopped trying to "exhale" the ego and instead started a dialogue with the protectors he created as a child and a teenager. Learn how to identify your own internal protectors, ask...

In this episode of "The Tree and Me," Cory J Riggs explores the "Illusion of Progress" and the trap of the New Year's resolution myth. When we rush, we mistake speed for direction. Cory shares his personal journey of "bringing it down" to a place of success by putting pen to paper and mapping out a daily structure that is almost scripted. It’s about doing the work when nobody is watching and makin...

In the season two premiere of "The Tree and Me," Cory J Riggs explores the "Industrial Arc"—the historical cycle of progress that often prioritizes the machine over the man. Cory shares a provocative perspective on why he is thankful for the stillness the pandemic forced upon us and how it stripped away our "armor" to reveal our shared humanity. ​This episode is a guide for anyone feeling outpaced...

What is more scary: letting go, or becoming? ​In this year-end finale, Cory J Riggs explores the irrationality of the human ego—the part of us that would rather stay in a familiar hell than risk an unknown heaven. Drawing from his own 45-year journey back to the "little dude" he left behind in the 5th grade, Cory challenges the idea that staying guarded is the safe path. ​As we stand on the edge o...

The bill always comes due. ​We tell ourselves that staying in that relationship is "safe." We tell ourselves that shrinking down to make others comfortable is just being "polite." But the cost isn't just your peace—it is your heart. ​In the Season 1 Finale of The Tree and Me, Cory J Riggs takes a hard look at the "ledger" of our lives. We discuss the "Hollow Man" syndrome, the exhausting price of...

This episode isn’t just about looking back at 2025—it’s about what 2025 taught me: how to look within. The hardest work isn’t what happens out there—it’s what happens inside. It’s facing the questions you’ve avoided, the truths you’ve buried, and the patterns that keep you stuck. Looking within is uncomfortable. It’s messy. It’s humbling. But it’s also where the real change begins. And here’s the...

There’s a moment in growth where movement feels like momentum—where improvement feels like transformation—yet something inside knows we’re still capable of more. This episode explores that tension: • the comfort of “better” • the plateau disguised as progress • the voice that says “good enough” • and the quiet intuition that says “not yet” This is not a message of shame. It’s a message of potentia...

This Blessed & Grateful Wednesday honors the season of my life known as Coach Cory—where discipline, humility, and growth were forged on the sidelines long before podcasting, wellness, or spirituality ever entered the frame.  This episode explores: • how coaching shaped the man I became • why humility was the turning point • the cultures and people who changed me • and the moment I knew it was tim...

Listen and Follow is not about listening to someone else. And it’s not about following an external path. It’s about learning how to listen inward — and having the courage to follow what’s already been trying to guide you. In this episode, I share a deeply personal reflection on what happens when life feels misaligned. Not broken. Not chaotic. Just… off. I talk about the difference between performi...

Tonight’s episode is a soft one. A vulnerable one. A necessary one. Blessed & Grateful Wednesday brings us into the quiet room where healing actually begins —  the room where our inner child still sits, still waits, still leads. For me, that child is Lil Riggo. He’s been whispering truths my entire life, long before I was ready to hear them. This episode explores: — how comfort became food   — how...

In this episode of *This Tree AND Me*, Cory J Riggs opens the door to one of the most profound and vulnerable stories of his life — the long, winding path of addiction, and all of the faces it wore before he ever touched a substance. Addiction is never just drugs or alcohol. Sometimes it looks like food. Sometimes anger. Sometimes approval. Sometimes escaping into work or relationships. Sometimes...

Today’s Blessed & Grateful Wednesday is about writing — as a guide, a teacher, and the place where every answer arrives. I start with an excerpt from today’s journal entry, where writing gave me clarity and direction the moment I began. Then I read a journal entry from a year ago — a simple record of the day — and reflect on how much my writing has transformed. Over this past year, especially afte...

In this episode of *This Tree & Me*, we explore the power of intentions —   not as vague hopes, but as real tools for alignment, clarity, and purpose. Your intentions shape your decisions.   Your core values shape your path.   And everything in your life should align with the foundation you set from within. I share my own intentions — love, grace, and compassion —   and how living through them has...

Today’s Blessed & Grateful Wednesday is about the journey — the real journey.   The one with no shortcuts. The one that teaches you through hard lessons,   setbacks, surprises, and the moments that test your spirit.   Because the blessing isn’t the destination.   It isn’t the reward. It isn’t anything external.   The true blessing is the path itself.   It’s learning who you are when life gets hard...

Episode 9 reflects on the lessons that have shaped my journey—what I've learned about slowing down, grounding, spiritual wellness, presence, and becoming more aligned with who I’m meant to be. These are the truths that continue to guide me as a Wellness Coach and storyteller, and I hope they bring clarity to your own path. If you're on a wellness journey and want guidance, my messages are open. We...

Today’s gratitude is wrapped in memory, love, and the kind of connection only siblings understand. This Blessed & Grateful Wednesday is a tribute to my sister — her heart, her presence in my life, and the ways her spirit continues to shape the man I’m becoming. Some bonds stay with us forever, quietly guiding us home. Stay connected: YouTube (Main Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@CoryJRiggs TikT...

Some weekends don’t just pass… they shape you. This Blessed & Grateful Wednesday honors a weekend of Becoming — a quiet retreat into myself, a chance to let old layers fall away and allow something truer, calmer, and more grounded to rise. Transformation isn’t loud. It’s steady. It’s sacred. And it begins with honesty. Stay connected: YouTube (Main Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@CoryJRiggs Tik...

Today’s gratitude is an invitation: Slow down. Notice yourself. Celebrate the small wins and the quiet strength it took to reach them.  We honor everyone else so easily — but today, Blessed & Grateful Wednesday is about honoring you. Take a breath. Take a moment. You matter more than you know. Stay connected: YouTube (Main Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@CoryJRiggs TikTok: https://www.tiktok.co...

Today’s gratitude lives deep in the heart. My mom. Her strength. Her love. Her presence in the stories that shaped me.  There are moments where memory meets grace, and today I honor the woman who gave me both. Blessed & Grateful Wednesday is about pausing long enough to truly feel the blessings that built us — and she is one of mine. Stay connected: YouTube (Main Channel): https://www.youtube.com/...

Today’s gratitude is simple and pure — my dog Kirby.   The way he greets me, grounds me, and reminds me to stay present is a blessing I never take for granted.   Sometimes the smallest companions carry the biggest pieces of our heart. Stay connected: YouTube (Main Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@CoryJRiggs TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coryjriggs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coryjrigg...

A simple beginning.   Blessed & Grateful Wednesday is my weekly moment to pause, honor the good, and remind myself — and all of us — that gratitude is a practice, not a performance.   Thank you for being here. Let’s build something beautiful, one Wednesday at a time. Stay connected: YouTube (Main Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@CoryJRiggs TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coryjriggs Instagram: ht...

In Episode 1 of *This Tree & Me*, we begin where all healing begins: with a single, honest breath. This opening chapter is about returning to yourself, grounding your spirit, and choosing to become again—one quiet truth at a time. If you're rebuilding peace, rediscovering your voice, or walking through a season of change, this episode invites you to slow down, breathe deeper, and reconnect with wh...

In Episode 2 of *This Tree & Me*, we explore the power of grounding—returning your body, mind, and spirit to a place of stability and calm. Grounding is where peace begins, where clarity rises, and where you remember that you are allowed to slow down and reconnect with yourself. If you’ve been overwhelmed, stretched thin, or drifting from your center, this episode brings you back home. Thank you f...

In Episode 3 of *This Tree & Me*, we explore the deep tension between fear and courage—the quiet war inside each of us. Fear tries to protect, but it also keeps us small. Courage doesn’t erase fear; it invites you to move anyway, to take one honest step toward becoming who you’re meant to be. If you’ve been held back by doubt, insecurity, or old stories, this episode helps you breathe through it a...