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 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.
SILY 683- The Greatest of These
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This is the final episode in a three-part series based on 1 Corinthians 13:13, which says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” In December we examined faith in episode 674, “Faith on Trial.” In January we explored hope in episode 679, “Hope in the Unseen.” Today we conclude with love.
SILY 682- Getting To Your Happy Place
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I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to experience. I mean, I was 42 years old, less than a month away from turning 42, and I was about to do something many people have done by the time they were a teenager. I had done very little research to prepare me for the day, but as I look back on it, I’m not really sure how much research would have helped.
SILY 681- In the Company of Greatness
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He was universally hated by his men, removed from command for incompetence, and died alone and forgotten in a veterans’ home—yet he may have been the single most important reason the most legendary unit of World War II became legendary. This is the untold story of the man who sacrificed his reputation and relationships to save lives he would never see again, and how I found personal connection to his life.
SILY 680- The Root of My Gray Hair
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In that moment, I knew how Al Bundy from “Married with Children” must have felt every time Kelly brought home one of her boyfriends. I never expected that coping with the idea of my daughter having her first boyfriend would be easy, but I never thought it would be like this. On one hand, I appreciated his honesty. On the other hand, his honesty led him to tell me, “I just want you to know that I’ve been arrested and spent time at juvie.”