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.
414- The Joy of Friendship
Podcast: Play in new window | Download () | Embed
When you hear the word, “friends,” what do think of first? Is it a good personal friend, maybe your BFF? Is it the TV show that aired for 10 seasons, beginning in 1994? Is it a song, such as “Whenever I Call You Friend,” written by Kenny Loggins and Melissa Manchester, and released in 1978? Do you think of Quakers, who are more formally known as The Religious Society of Friends?
What image does the word “friend” evoke for you? Read more…
413- You Want Fries with That?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:27 — 8.2MB) | Embed
When I feel myself losing my temper, I take a deep breath. I will also leave the room most of the time. I know that I need to step away and calm down. Once I calm down, the issue is nearly always easily resolved. When I get angry like that, I’m not thinking clearly nor am I open to reason. If I’m not open to reason, I’m not open to discussion. If I’m not open to discussion, I’m not open to resolution. If I’m not open to resolution, the only thing left is conflict. Read More…
412- Friday Flashback: Have Patience and Slow Down
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:10 — 7.6MB) | Embed
Today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday is a Friday Flashback. Friday Flashback episodes feature some of the most popular episodes of Stuff I Learned Yesterday. Today we take a trip back to an episode that we ran last December from Mark DesCotes. It’s an episode where Mark used a story from his daughter’s volleyball tournament that helped him realize that everyone is in a hurry these days. It’s Stuff I Learned Yesterday Episode 363-Have Patience and Slow Down. Read More…
411- DeChristmasifinication
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:05 — 5.3MB) | Embed
As I write this we’re in the process of deChristmasifinication—a term I made up several years ago to describe the arduous process of putting (placing, cramming) all of the Christmas decorations back in their eleven-month storage spot. In my house our stuff takes up an amazing amount of space and every year I’m both happy and sad to see it all go.Read More…
410- The Power of Music
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:08 — 5.9MB) | Embed
Music may not be the central focus of your life. But if you stop and think about it you will realize the power of music has a huge impact in your life. Our lives don’t have an epic John Williams, Hans Zimmer, or Bear McCreary soundtrack playing as we go about our lives. Or does it? Read more…
409- Small Gesture, Big Impact
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:23 — 6.0MB) | Embed
It takes only a small gesture to positively influence your own or someone else’s life – just changing your hot cocoa mug to a different color can make your enjoyment of an already delicious beverage even sweeter. Well, during a very normal conversation in my car recently, something equally small really made me stop and think.
It was early afternoon on a Thursday. I had just picked up my daughter, Lila, who’s in second grade, from her elementary school, and as we often do on our drive home, we were talking about the highlights of the day. In between all the discussions of the fun she had in technology class and what games she played during recess, Lila announced with a great amount of enthusiasm, “Mom put a raspberry in with my blackberries in my lunchbox!”
Now my wife is always very careful to pack Lila nutritious things in her lunch, but the fruits are pretty much interchangeable depending on what’s seasonal and available at the grocery store. Lila enjoys raspberries and blackberries equally; in fact, blackberries might have a slight edge in her order of fruit preferences. So why would one red raspberry sitting atop her container of blackberries cause such a moment of happiness? Read more…
408- When the Odds Are Not in Your Favor
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:05 — 13.1MB) | Embed
Today’s episode will be a bit different. Rather than share a story of a lesson from my own life, I’m having a conversation with my 11 year old son, Colby. His team won the state academic championship over the weekend, but had to overcome some significant hurdles while doing it.
I was really inspired by not only the positivity and resilience of the team of 6th graders, but I was also inspired by the actions of their coach. What was Colby thinking throughout the whole day? Did he lose focus or confidence? Did he give up or think they were going to lose? What did he learn during the process? Let’s find out! Read More…
407- Friday Forum
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:02 — 6.2MB) | Embed
Today is the Friday Forum!! In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share a contribution from Bonita. Bonita shares lessons she’s learning about parenting as one of her children becomes an adult. You can participate in the Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page or calling our voice feedback line at 304-837-2278. Read More…
406- Starting Right
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:54 — 20.6MB) | Embed
Starting right is important. Frank Herbert’s “Dune” beginning saying “A beginning is a very delicate time.” Much rides on how we start things, but we must start. So how do we focus on starting right? Read more…
405- Bite Size Pieces
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:23 — 6.0MB) | Embed
Have you ever been confronted with a monumental task that you’ve procrastinated on for so long that as more time passes, the job keeps getting bigger and bigger? Perhaps you have a backlog in your filing at work, or maybe you have a dripping faucet that you just haven’t gotten around to fixing, or you’re dreading the prospect of having to call a plumber. Perhaps you’ve let the bills pile up and some of them are past due, and you can’t seem to get ahead of the deadlines, making the financial burden worse than it would have been.
The stress of an unfinished project can be paralyzing, and the obstacles in your way are as varied as the examples I just listed. Sometimes, your schedule is just so busy you don’t know when you’re going to find the time to tackle the task. Other times, money is the issue, and timing things in your monthly budget would require an MBA. But most of the time it’s just the sheer magnitude of what you’re trying to confront that becomes too daunting to mentally get past. You want to knock out the entire task and be done with it, but it’s just too darn BIG! Read more…