Stuff I Learned Yesterday
About Stuff I Learned Yesterday
Stuff I Learned Yesterday is a podcast that aims to encourage, inspire, challenge, motivate, and improve the lives of those who listen to it. Stuff I Learned Yesterday is released each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each episode ranges from 5-15 minutes long and contain short stories based on real events and lessons learned by the hosts. Friday episodes are called the Friday Forum and are filled with inspirational and motivational thoughts submitted by Stuff I Learned Yesterday listeners. Submit your story for a Friday Forum episode by calling 304-837-2278, visiting our feedback page, or click on the Send a Voice Message button on the left hand side of this page.
SILY 693- Make the Call
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I’ve made it no secret on this podcast that I am a super fan of the TV show LOST. I love the mysteries, and the beautiful setting. I love the way the character stories interweave, I love the lore and history of the island. There are a lot of poignant moments and pieces of dialog that still echo in my mind today. But perhaps the most tragic line ever spoken in the series was, “Something tells me he never got around to making that call.”
SILY 692- Burying Your Best
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I love that the audience of this podcast is filled with many of those who consider themselves Christians and many of those who do not. Regardless of where you fall within those two categories, today’s episode is for you. Today we’ll be looking at a story Jesus told in Matthew chapter 25, and the lessons found in that story are ones that all of us can benefit from.
691- Monday Mailbag
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Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Darrell Darnell, I am looking forward to covering the Stranger Things spinoff, “Tales from ’85” next month with my daughter, and I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living. This quarter we have three mailbag contributions: Ryan, Upside Down, and Jason. Here they are:
SILY 690- Message in a Bottle
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Some evenings you take a walk and wonder if the tides are listening. In today’s story, the shore holds more than shells and driftwood. A mysterious traveler drifts ashore in a tale older than sand, bringing with him a question every one of us has asked themselves: If you could rewrite the past, what would you change? Three choices flicker like lanterns in the dusk, each one a doorway for you to walk through. What would you gain? Perhaps more importantly, what would you lose?
SILY 689- Does College Matter
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For generations, the path to success seemed clear: graduate high school, go to college, get a degree, land a good job, climb the corporate ladder. But what happens when that formula stops working? When the degree doesn’t lead to the career? When AI disrupts entire industries overnight? When companies value credentials over competence? The rules of education and career advancement are changing faster than ever before. It’s time to rethink everything we thought we knew about education, success, and what really matters.
SILY 688- Two Roads
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I recently finished watching the final season of Stranger Things. Without spoiling anything for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, there’s a profound conversation near the end of the season. One character is struggling with the weight of a painful loss and the guilt that comes with it. Another character, who’s been down a similar road, offers some wisdom about the choice we all face when dealing with difficult relationships and painful circumstances. The moment I heard the conversation tears began rolling down my face. It absolutely wrecked me and taught me something powerful.
SILY 687- I’ve Got This
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I thought I had it all figured out. I’d driven that route dozens of times. I knew exactly where I was going. I didn’t need any help. So I turned off the GPS and relied on my own knowledge and experience. And that’s exactly when things went sideways. Sometimes I turned it off too early and ended up heading the wrong direction. Other times I turned it on too late and missed my opportunity to avoid trouble altogether. In both cases, the problem was the same. I thought I knew better. I thought I could handle it on my own.
SILY 686- Holly the Heroic
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Heroes have been a part of American pop culture for decades. We’ve seen them come to life on the pages of comic books and movie screens, and heard them sung about by some of our favorite musical artists. Songs by David Bowie and Foo Fighters are some of my favorites, but I think Mariah Carey’s song about heroes is probably the best one to match up with today’s story.
SILY 685- The Honesty Advantage
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There’s something disarming about simple honesty. When someone messes up and immediately says, “I’m sorry. This was my fault. Here’s what happened, and here’s how I’m going to make it right,” it stops the blame game before it starts. It shifts the conversation from finger-pointing to problem-solving. It builds trust instead of eroding it.
SILY 684- The Greatest Investment
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Our date had been magical. The horse-drawn carriage ride through the Victorian town adorned with Christmas lights was beautiful and romantic. It was a cold evening, but the beauty and sparkle of the lights, seeing the smile on her face, and enjoying the peaceful moment together made it all worthwhile. But moments later I realized I’d made a critical error, and the rest of our evening was going to be ruined.