Stories Sustain Us #24 – Season 1 Hope for the Future

In this special season finale of Stories Sustain Us, host Steven Schauer revisits the insights and inspiration shared by 20 extraordinary guests throughout Season 1. By answering three questions about hope, the guests reveal the common threads of resilience, connection, and purpose that fuel their work for a better future.

This episode is a celebration of the power of storytelling to ignite change. Discover how personal stories—more than facts or data—move us emotionally, inspire action, and make a lasting impact. Listen now for an uplifting conclusion to a remarkable season, and join us when Stories Sustain Us returns with new episodes on January 14, 2025!

🎙️ Stories Sustain Us is more than a podcast—it's a powerful platform that shares inspiring stories from people working to make the world a better place. Through honest, heartfelt conversations, host Steven Schauer explores the connections between people, planet, and purpose. From climate change and environmental justice to cultural preservation and human resilience, each episode aims to ignite meaningful action toward a more sustainable future.

🌍 Learn more about the podcast, explore past episodes, and discover how storytelling drives change at storiessustainus.com.

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💚 Your voice matters. Share the stories that move you—and help sustain us all.

Transcript

Steven 
Hello and welcome to Stories Sustain Us. I'm your host, Steven Schauer. And as we wind down the year 2024, I want to take a moment to thank you for joining me on this journey of stories, inspiration and action. It has been an incredible year and I'm so grateful for your continued support for this show. For the past three weeks during this holiday season, I have been replaying some of the highest rated episodes from season one, giving new listeners a chance to hear them for the first time.

and long-time listeners an opportunity to revisit the moments that resonated most. Today's episode is a little different though, and it's one I'm thrilled to bring to you as the final episode of 2024. This episode is a compilation of something near and dear to my heart. The answers from all 20 guests in season one to three questions about hope. Those questions are, one, what is your vision for a better future? Two,

Why is that your vision? And three, now imagine that vision is true today, how do you feel? I ask these questions because hope is powerful. It's not an emotion and it's much more than just wishful thinking. It's a tool for action and resilience. Psychologist Charles R. Snyder's Hope Theory defines hope as a combination of goals, pathways, and agency. In simpler terms,

Hope involves having a clear vision of what you want, knowing there are ways to achieve it despite all the obstacles and hardships that may block your path, and believing in your ability to make it happen. Why does this matter? Well, because hope has the ability to motivate us, even when we face challenges that seem insurmountable, like climate change and the urgency of building a sustainable future. Hope

helps us focus on solutions and inspires us to take meaningful action. When we envision a better world, we're not just dreaming, we're creating a roadmap to make it real. In this episode, you'll hear the heartfelt, thoughtful, and deeply inspiring responses from my guests, each of whom has their own unique vision of hope. From grassroots environmental advocates to global change makers, their answers remind us that even in the face of adversity,

there is so much potential for a brighter future. Now, I'll be honest, this episode is very long, but the beauty of the holiday season is that it gives us a little more time to pause and reflect. You can listen in one sitting or take it bit by bit as you unwind. Either way, I know these reflections on hope will leave you feeling inspired and ready to take on the challenges of a new year. And don't worry.

Stories Sustain Us will return with brand new episodes on January 14th, 2025. So let's close out 2024 together with hope in our hearts and a vision for a better tomorrow. Without further ado, here are the responses from the amazing season one guests to the three questions about hope here on Stories Sustain Us, where we are inspiring action through the power of storytelling.

Steven
So I've got some questions around hope. Hope being something that an individual can envision a better future.

for themselves or their community or the world or whatever, but a better future combined with the agency to help make it be, you know, help it, you know, so it's, you've got a vision and you've got some ability to make that vision a reality. So first question for you, and this kind of a rapid fire, just kind of give me your gut answer. What's your vision for a better future?

could be for you personally, professionally, globally, for the world. Just what's your vision for a better future?

Adam Stielstra 
Yeah.

Yeah, that's an easy one. It's one word, love.

Steven 
Okay, second.

Adam Stielstra 
My vision for a better future is actually if you wanted to add a few more words to that to really define it, it would be acts of love. To me, love is a verb. It speaks, those actions speak so much louder than words. So I think, you know, the more, and love comes in so many ways and it can be so,

Steven 
Please do, yeah.

Adam Stielstra 
significant but still so small, sometimes so easy. But you have to be intentional, you have to give it and then you receive it and it just makes you want to give it more because then you receive it more and it just it's its own reward. And so my hope and my vision for a better future would be if everyone pursued tiny acts of love.

more often than complaint or frustration. Honestly, most of the time, what people are complaining about, it's as if they have the luxury of complaint. And the way I see that is like, you know, you're whining about stuff that's just so meaningless, but it's building this dark.

Steven 
Mm, yeah.

Adam Stielstra 
eruption inside of you that eventually will explode and it's never going to be good. But if you rearrange that pursuit and that energy into acts of love, giving, not receiving, you will start to receive them and your world will open up and you'll let light in. And to me, that is, that's the power of God. And we all need to embrace that.

and that could absolutely lead more than anything else to a better future.

Steven 
I think you covered my next question, but just to throw it out there, why? I think you covered the why pretty thoroughly, but is there anything else you want to add on to why acts of love is your vision for the future?

Adam Stielstra 
cause love is the truth and the truth wins.

Steven 
Perfect. Third and final question. Now imagine that your vision for the better future has come to be and we are behaving and treating each other and showing acts of love more frequently. How does that make you feel?

Adam Stielstra 
I think it makes me feel free.

And because there's always gonna be some problems, there's always gonna be a little drama, there's always, you know, people are still gonna get sick, we're all still bound for not being on this planet forever. But what it allows you to do is shrug those worries and shrug those petty cares, release that frustration and just let it melt away so that now you've got this.

freedom and what can you do with your freedom? You can not only give more love out, but you can do it in forms that you really want to. So it would make me feel free to create more art.

Steven 
Perfect. Well, with that, thank you, Adam. I am going to try to work towards a world where I'm doing more acts of love because I want that same freedom that you just described. What a beautiful vision for the future.

Steven 
I want to end by asking you three questions about hope. So hope is our capability to envision a better future and our own ability to help create that. So it's something that we have some agency in making a better future. So three quick questions, real quick answers. Don't just...

Dash Desai 
for it.

Steven 
Just your first reaction to these three quick questions. First question is, what is your vision for a better future? Your personal, professional, or global, whatever comes to mind, what's your vision for a better future?

Dash Desai 
every business flows for good.

Steven 
Why is that? I think we know the answer because we just talked about that, but why is that your vision?

Dash Desai 
Like I explained earlier, to me, if everyone's doing the right things and then you start with the business, it has an impact on the people who work there. It has an impact on the actions the business takes, the environmental footprint, and it all kind of ties back together, which is why it's so pivotal to me. I don't know if I'm answering your question right, but to me, that to me is the nub of it.

Steven 
No, you are perfect.

Dash Desai 
If we can crack that somehow, everything starts falling in place in my little world, by the way. There are so many ways to create change.

Steven 
So the last question, now imagine your future vision has come to be. How do you feel right now?

Dash Desai 
Just as happy as I am today because I'm enjoying what I'm doing today.

Steven 
The first question is, what is your vision for a better future? And it can be for you personally, professionally, or for the world. Like what are you hopeful for? What's your vision for a better future?

Raman 
well that's a big question. I think I want, my vision would be people are kind, just because I think people, often you see on the news there's so much negativity and hate, but we don't need that in this world, but we need more kindness, love, support, and even if it's just a simple conversation or just a simple smile, like you never know where it could lead to and I think just...

Yeah, I think just we need more positivity. So I'd say encourage you where you can to be that positive person. And you never know that person might see you maybe having a really bad day and they just see the little pick me up and then they see you being really happy and then it brings spreads that joy to them. And I think just yeah, I guess often I found like a lot of people you see a lot of people want to there's a lot of division or people think like they're always competing with one another. Whereas I don't.

know why we do that, whereas everyone can, if we're like, I get it in like the corporate world and they're often like with how fast paced and everything, everyone always seems to think that they need to do better than everyone. But I think together I've seen like you're part of a bigger picture or a bigger difference. We can all make a big change together. And if you find those communities, those teams, you can all strive together. So I guess connecting with other people and

just sharing whatever skills or expertise you have because someone will benefit from them that you like I've found with a lot of alliances like when you're proud of that thing that you're really interested in there'll be someone out there that would benefit from you sharing that and then they might share their expertise with you and then together you're both benefiting and both growing so I guess sharing more and just yeah guessing yeah maybe being more kind and also I guess

Steven 
Yeah.

Raman 
Also, I guess sharing the narrative of also sometimes okay to take a slow day or take a breather because I know I'm not as good as that but I think when you do take those moments just to actually step back and enjoy life that you can actually appreciate a lot more like of the things that you have and yeah, just get to be grateful for what life can offer you, I guess. When you're in that fast pace all the time, you don't often sometimes take time to actually realise all the amazing things that you're doing or...

Steven 
Sure.

Raman 
that you have, I guess.

Steven 
Yeah. So I think you answered the second question already, but I'll put it out there just to see if there's anything else you want to add. So you have a vision for a future where there's people that are more kind and more loving and taking time to enjoy and appreciate and be grateful for life and helpful to each other. Now, why is that your vision? I think you already answered that, but is there anything else you'd like to?

to say around that.

Raman 
I think just because if people find that confidence within themselves it doesn't just help them, it helps everyone around them because then they're more likely to then want to share what they can with the world and I think I've seen it with like the Changemakers Alliance or other communities that I'm part of like it's infectious like you just feel so much more motivation and more inspiration when someone's just so kind or sharing like something that just has set that fire within them and you just...

It's contagious, like whenever I... I love something like TED Talks, which are like talks from when they're short, 10 to 20 minute talks from experts, and when you just see someone that's where they're meant to be and they're sharing those passions, those insights for the world, you just... I don't know, it just sets something within you and you just feel like, I can achieve anything that I want to and I think more people need to feel that feeling because...

Steven 
Yeah.

Raman 
As you say, it's not going to be easy, like if you want to chase your goals, chase your dreams, but who knows what you can achieve if you just set on that journey for going after them, whereas often people don't start that journey. We're not saying it will be easy, but who knows what's on the other side if you don't actually take the step and go for it.

Steven 
Right. Right. So last question. Imagine your future vision is a reality, that the world is a nicer, kinder place, and there's less hatred and division, and we're cooperating together and trying to make the world a better place. So your vision is real. It's happened. How do you feel? What's your feeling now?

Raman 
I guess like happy, just that it's come true and I just, I don't know, I just think yeah, just see when you see pockets of that it's just yeah, it makes you happy and it makes the world more positive and I guess yeah, just uplifted and...

Yeah, I don't know how to describe it, I just feel like you have that really nice fuzzy feeling that everyone always really likes and just feel warm and you just probably feel really content and yeah, I think it's just a really lovely feeling when people are just really, like I've had it when I've been to a few environments where there's just been the atmosphere being really lovely and then you, even after the event or the day after, you probably still have that same like uplifting positive.

energy from that event because that atmosphere, that energy is just kind of stayed with you throughout.

Maura Dudley 
Yeah, I think about this a lot just in my own work. My vision for the future is that all people have equal access to the resources that they need to be happy and support themselves. And that when that's achieved, there's still this room to...

coexist with diverse species that they still can be there and wonder us, just bring us wonder.

Steven 
Yeah. So why is that your vision for a better future?

Maura Dudley 
Because I think that is, it's a future that has a lot of empathy and compassion both for other people and for the world around us. And I think that if we all came to that place, it would be, I mean, it would just be,

I think if we find that empathy and compassion that would allow us to get to that place.

Steven 
Yeah, right on. So last question, imagine we get there. Imagine we're living in the future you just described of full of empathy and compassion and people living in diverse communities with diverse creatures and how does that make you feel now that that vision has come to be?

Maura Dudley 
Makes me feel great. Yeah, it makes me feel great. I like to keep that in my mind as I'm working because it does fill me with hope that that can be achieved. So yeah.

Steven 
Yeah.

Carrie Brown 
Wow, that's a great question. I guess I would say, you know, people really coming together in a much broader sense to tackle these issues that we're all facing. And I think we have all the resources. We have tons of smart people. We just need to come together and focus on this. And I totally think it's possible. And I think there's some great work that's happening already. It's just sort of connecting the dots.

working together, sharing resources, and just doing that on a much grander scale.

Steven Schauer 
Right on. Second question, why is that your vision? Why do we need to come together and connect more and why?

Carrie Brown 
Well, I'm a firm believer in you can't do everything yourself. I mean, even in my small team unit, I oftentimes will ask for feedback from my staff and ask for their points of view because I don't think my best work is going to come out of me sitting in my office by myself and figuring it out on my own. It might be good, but it's not going to be my best. And so I think that's when you see the best work is when you're.

Steven Schauer 
Sure.

Carrie Brown 
bringing people together, again, different perspectives, different points of view, they got their eyes on different things. And then you come to the solution that is the best solution and really gonna be the most beneficial to everybody. And I truly believe that that's when the best of us as humans kind of comes out when we're able to work together and bring all of our expertise and all of our points of view. It doesn't have to be like, I have a PhD in this and this is why I'm saying this. It could just be your point of view, your perspective as a community member.

living on this block, you know, and all of that's important. I think this brings the best in us out.

Steven Schauer 
Right on, I like that. So the final question, imagine your future vision of everybody coming together, connecting more, working together more harmoniously to find solutions to these difficult things that are challenging us. That has happened. How do you feel?

Carrie Brown 
wow. I feel proud, even more hopeful, excited, maybe even a little bit of relief.

Steven Schauer
And it can be for you personally, professionally, or for the globe. Just what's your vision for a better future?

Jennifer 
I would just... Yeah.

I think it's just that we see that we understand that everyone has value. And I think if we can, when we look at people, when we speak to people, when we first meet people, when we first hire them, whatever the situation is, if we can say to ourselves, maybe we don't know the value that they bring to the table, but yeah, they have value and that being different in whatever way doesn't necessarily make them less than.

Steven Schauer 
Yes.

Right. So why is that your vision for a better future?

Jennifer 
Because I think that we, as I've said previously, we all are individuals. We all are unique. You know, it's been so many things, whether it's nature, whether it's environment, you know, the journey to where we are today, right now having this conversation, you know, has made me who I am and you who you are. And we're very different, you know, people, we're all unique. And if we can actually understand that and appreciate,

Steven Schauer 
Right.

Jennifer 
and see the wonder, I think, in that as well, right? The wonder and the curiosity, you know, this is probably why kids in general, especially when they're younger, get along so much better. And I think we almost need to go back to that like childhood where we're inquisitive, where we don't assume we know all the answers because this is a previous experience that we've had, or this is what I've been taught, or this is what I've read, or, you know, or whatever it might be. So we can have that curiosity, that interest to really,

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

All right.

Jennifer 
You know, want to understand people and learn from them. And again, if we see something different, not necessarily go, well, that that's not for me, you know, why are they that way? but go, well, you know, approach it with curiosity. Well, you know, I wonder, I wonder, you know, how they do X, Y, and Z. And a lot of times, you know, ask us even because we don't, we don't mind, you know, we're humans, we're all, you know, inquisitive in some way, shape or form, aren't we?

Steven Schauer 
Right.

Just ask, yes.

Jennifer 
So yeah, just having those conversations and being curious and seeing the wonder I think in life in general is a biggie.

Steven Schauer 
Right.

So the final question, imagine your future scenario where everybody is seen as having inherent value and we're treating each other with kindness and compassion and inquisitive natures as opposed to boxing people into things. So that future is a reality. It's happening right now. How does that make you feel?

Jennifer 
content like job done.

Steven Schauer 
Nice.

Yemi Scott 
I know it will sound cliche.

But equality for all men, for me, will be one thing. Like everybody should be seen. Yes, we know that, yes. They say, well, the fingers are not equal, but equity for me is very important.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

equity. Yeah.

So tell me why, why is that your vision for the future?

Yemi Scott 
because I feel like if everybody's working as a collective, you know, when nobody feels like, you know, I'm better than that person or this person is better than me, you know, it removes a lot of the unnecessary bias, the unnecessary, you know, having to overthink things. Everybody's just there working for the same purpose, you know? So for me, it's how can we work together as a collective? Because humanity needs to come together. I mean,

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

Yemi Scott 
the planet that we are on, if anything, Kovu told us was that when humanity steps back, the planet can kill itself. So clearly we are the pests, you know? We are the pests on the planet. In fact, there was someone said that, what if we were all on Mars? Because Mars had water.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

Yemi Scott 
and then we destroyed it. and then adam and eve had to take a pod and escape pod and landed on earth and that was what caused the big bang theory you know the big bang and then that was how we had to start a new evolution in humanity. and like i won't i you know there's that possibility we clearly need to think as a unit and if we can't come together and it is focused on pure intentions you know it's everybody it's it's all for one and one for all

Steven Schauer 
You

Yeah.

Yemi Scott 
basically like we need to come together. That Ubuntu mentality that if I can do for one they can do for me and then I know it's it's it's a it's an utopian you know yeah I'm a very idealistic person I have been told that but I'm also again I'm like why not why not why can I not

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

Mmm.

Yeah.

Love it. Love it.

Well, it's...

Yeah, idealism and realism can come together. So the final question is now imagine your better future, an equitable future where we're all working together and striving for more pure intentions in the world and making sustainability and advantages equitable for everyone. Imagine that's happened. It is the world we're living in now. How do you feel?

Yemi Scott 
that i never have to work a day in my life. that i can finally travel the world. you know, visit the ancient sites. i feel, i feel at peace. not right now, i feel peace. but to have that at a larger scale, not just what you're creating within your own internal bubble, i think this would be such a breath of fresh air.

Steven Schauer 
Hahaha

Peace. Yeah

Yemi Scott 
you know, there'll be that sense of just belonging that, you know, there's no strife. Humanity can finally go back to what we're supposed to be. We're supposed to be nomads. We're never supposed to be sitting stagnant in one place. We're supposed to move like Moana. Yes, we're supposed to be conversing, traveling the sea, sharing our culture, bringing in new culture, you know, so that there is that oneness so that humanity starts to realize.

Steven Schauer 
Nice.

Yemi Scott 
that there's really no difference between all of us. We are all just the same.

Louis Chan
I think my vision for the better future is whereby business incentives and drivers are actually aligned with sustainability whereby there is a clear intersection between both of them and that both can go hand in hand.

Steven Schauer 
Now, second question is why? Help us understand why that's your vision for a better future.

Louis Chan 
I think after all, my opinion is that capital is a huge driver of growth and if we do not get businesses on board, then there's no way anything is going to progress forward. Businesses have a lot of capital. So we just need to get their buy -in and how do you get their buy -in is through individual actions and as I shared earlier about governmental regulations as well.

Steven Schauer 
Fantastic. So the last question is, imagine a future where what you hope to be is reality. We're now living in a future where businesses are aligned with sustainable goals and making profits. How does that make you feel now that we're living in that future vision?

Louis Chan 
I think it's just a life. I think I get to be in a place where I truly belong and that everything is aligned with me. I mean, that being said, I'm not idealistic in the sense that I believe that there will still be conflict and disagreements, but I think that's where further things can be more fine -tuned and therefore there can be more progress done. But that is a huge step forward, really, and I'm looking forward to that day.

Sarah Tober 
My vision for a better future is a more balanced political system that is representative of all the voices, not just two conflicting ideas. And one that is taking into account sustainability alongside the economic profitability of the work we're doing. That's, and of course I want to

of dark skies at night for all of us to enjoy those stars and be able to look up.

Steven Schauer
right on. So tell me, I think the whole interview has kind of led to this answer, but just why do you want there to be more balanced in our political discussions and more dark skies? Why?

Sarah Tober
Hehehe

For my son, Wyland, I'm at a point in my life where most of what I'm doing every day, it is with the purpose of giving him opportunities that maybe I didn't have to ensure that he has a better planet than what I had, than what I experienced. And he being representative of all of the children of this next generation and the generations to come.

So yeah, that's my big motivator. That's my big driver every day.

Steven Schauer 
That's awesome. So last question. Imagine the future that you've envisioned, this future where politics aren't so polarizing, we're actually communicating and sharing these complex ideas and looking for solutions together as opposed to yelling at each other and dark skies are everywhere, people can enjoy the amazing beauty of the Milky Way at night. How does that make you feel that that future is now a reality?

Sarah Tober 
Hmm, yeah, I mean, you painted a beautiful picture for me. So it, you know, I wouldn't ever rest on my laurels and think that all the work is done. And there's always room to do more and better, just like we talked about with capitalism. But I would certainly, I would certainly rest a little easier and maybe.

not have two and three jobs at a time. Just enjoy one at a time maybe with lovely us.

Steven Schauer
Yeah.

I feel like you could take a little bit of a break.

Sarah Tober 
Exactly. And they call that, and they call that here, by the way, they call that the Durango Tango. Everybody has multiple jobs. So yeah.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah, yeah.

Shaun Donovan 
My vision for better future is people valuing the space and the world around them as much or more than they value the material things. You can buy a new phone, can buy a new video game, you can buy a new whatever your thing is, but that forest, that river, that creek is the only one that's going to be

And you can have your phone, can have your video game, but you can also have that. So people valuing those spaces as much as maybe we do the things that are within our direct grasp all the

Steven Schauer 
Right on. Why is that your vision for a better future?

Shaun Donovan 
because I think it's a, I think it's a realistic thing. I think that, I think it's an attainable, you know, it may sound very lofty, but I think it's very attainable. we are, we all have a connection to that in some form or fashion. We may lose it. We may have a connection whenever we were an eight year old kid, you know, my, my wife talked about, she's an eight year old kid picking,

picking blackberries down on the coast of Texas when she was younger, and she wasn't a big outdoors person, but she kind of found that connection again. We can all find that and we can all have that. And as we have these opportunities to expand these spaces that are available to people, I think it's a realistic thing. So that's why I'd say like a vision for the future, because I don't think it's an unattainable thing.

Steven Schauer 
on. So the last question then, imagine your future vision is reality, that we do live in a world where people value that space as much or more than they might value the material things within their immediate grasp. So it's real, it's happened, we're there. How do

Shaun Donovan 
No.

Yep.

calm, you know, the, the, able to sit back and enjoy and not, you know, we have a lot of positive stories, but again, there are a lot of negative ones and I feel like maybe we'd be out of, or at least on the back end of that, of that constant churning of the wheel of trying to not take those two steps back after that one step forward. So, calm, relaxed.

enjoying a creek or river somewhere probably.

Nadia 
for harmony to happen between people and for people just to be kind and considerate and loving to each other. And also thinking about what what goodness can you give to that person and what goodness can they give back? Because when you leave this world, you're not taking your stuff with you, you're taking the goodness and you're taking the good deeds with you. And that's what I would love to see more of around the world, especially

what's going on with different countries and stuff like that. So yeah, that's what I would like to happen. Just more harmony between different faiths and cultures and understanding that we are all different and we just have to embrace

Steven Schauer 
Nice. I think you kind of answered the second question a little bit, but I want to give you a chance to dive a little bit deeper. Why is more harmony your vision for the better future?

Nadia 
just so that people embrace different cultures. When you have different cultures, you're learning different things, you're tasting different food, you've got different experiences. Life will be boring if we're all the same. So when we're all different, you know, it's brilliant and harmonizing between different cultures and faiths and the understanding, you know, brings more joy, brings more happiness, brings more fulfillment, brings more everything. So yeah, that's why.

Steven Schauer 
Fantastic. Now, the last question, imagine now we're living in that future where there's more harmony and everybody is embracing cultural differences and sharing kindness and compassion. It's happening right now. How does that make you feel?

Nadia 
even more fulfilled. Even though I am very fulfilled right now, I'll be overflowing with fulfillment that I think everybody around me will be radiating more and glowing more.

Suzanne Scott 
My vision for a better future is that people care about each other. I think kindness is important. And I think that if the more that people can see the kindness in others, then I think that they will want to take care of people and nature. So I'm hopeful about kindness.

Steven Schauer 
So I think the whole episode has kind of covered this answer, but just to give you a chance to add to it, why is kindness your vision for a better future?

Suzanne Scott 
Because I think we need it. If we don't take care of each other, I think that everything else is not, it's just worthless, right? I mean, you see so many times how people can be rude to each other or not take care of each other and that can impact people's mental health. It impacts their approach to their daily lives. And oftentimes,

When you see someone doing such a nice thing, it can change your day. It can change your outlook. It can really make you feel like it's all worth it. And of course, as you know, and we've talked many times in our personal lives, you know, I'm a very spiritual person and I really think that faith is so important. you know, Jesus' message to us is to be kind. And I think that's what we need to do. That's our that is our

purpose in life is to just be kind to other people. And I think being kind to other people is also being kind to creation. And we need to understand and appreciate what God has given us and what our role is while we're here.

Steven Schauer 
Right on. So last question. So imagine we are in that future. It is here, it exists, it's happening. People are being kind and compassionate to each other, to nature, and that's the world we're living in where kindness is the default that everybody functions with. How do you feel about that?

Suzanne Scott 
Yes, it would be beautiful. It would be beautiful. mean, it would be, I think that the future would be, I think we would still be a very thriving and successful creation and people would be kind to each other every day. And I think that the planet would be a better place because people would be understanding and have more, they would listen.

to other people's point of view and they wouldn't react so much. They would be in more dialogue rather than immediately trying to figure out a position, you know? So I think that if people were just kind to each other, they'd be more respectful to each other and they would listen and learn from each other. And by doing that, I think we would bridge so many gaps and it wouldn't be out for ourselves. We would be out for the common good of everyone.

Because if everyone succeeds, we all succeed. And I think kindness would be the foundation that would set us on that trajectory, that people would just have more care and compassion for individuals and the planet.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

Roy Mason Hudgens 
Living in the moment, barefoot in the grass.

Steven Schauer 
Tell me why.

Roy Mason Hudgens 
because I've had success in every area of my life that I've practiced the principles of our program. And it doesn't sustain me. What sustains me is being barefoot in the grass. I drove around San Antonio with four jobs, making piles of money, thinking, someday I'm gonna pull over, take my shoes and socks off. And I never did, I ate in my car. And now in LA, I don't.

pass grass without stopping and taking my shoes and socks off. It makes me a better person.

Steven Schauer 
So last question then. So imagine we're living in a future where everybody's following that advice and we're all taking the moment to enjoy a moment of barefooted contact with the grass, with the earth. How does it make you feel? How does that future make you feel?

Roy Mason Hudgens 
Hopeful, yes, hopeful. There's a park near my house and every evening it's unleashed. Dogs are off leash, running into the hills and living their best life. And I sit there with my barefoot and watch all this. And then we do a little body weight workout. And then when they leave, when the sun sets, they take all their dogs. You can feel the ground smiling. I mean, smiling.

from the doggy love and that's my higher power. That's what I feel. That's what I see when we're all sitting in your car barefoot. So hope, yeah.

Steven Schauer 
Awesome, beautiful.

Concetta Bencivenga 
Okay, I have two answers. Can I give you two answers? that all right? All right.

Steven Schauer 
Please, yeah, of course, yeah.

Concetta Bencivenga 
you know, Jeff is our, he graduated a behind us. I didn't even remember that story, but my hope for our future is a time where we can agree to disagree, to tussle, and then just go have a beer, right? Like to get back to that and remember who we are and to say, you know, nobody said it was a perfect union and we're supposed to be driving towards a more perfect union. Well, in order to do that, you have to disagree with people sometimes, right? And so to me, the thing that gives me hope sort of writ large is I think this is the moment for

everybody that's in the middle. There's a lot more of us in the middle of that bell curve. And we gotta, this is our time. This is our time to say like, this is the path forward. I'll be left to send a UV right, I don't particularly care, you know, but we're in the middle and we're gonna go disagree about things and then we're gonna grab a beer. So that's my hope for a new chapter for us to turn the page and to...

a little bit, it's personal, also organizationally, I cannot tell you how many tears I shed trying to get this museum through the pandemic. And if any other person that runs an arts and culture organization says anything different, they are not telling you the truth. It was brutal. It was really, I mean, everyone had varying degrees, but you know, New York was particularly difficult. And other places had it bad as well. But for me, anyway, this is probably the most challenging thing professionally I've ever been through. Was that?

pandemic and being forced closed for 18 months and being in New York and just the waves of it and the never -endingness of it. And what has sustained me was the notion that this museum was founded on a wing and a prayer against the backdrop of the city being literally hours away from being just busted broke. And somehow it persevered, right? And so there were minutes, hours, days when I felt like we were just pulling it through.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

Concetta Bencivenga 
And I truly believe, I truly believe that the best days of this institution are ahead of us, that they are yet to come. And that is what gives me hope, is to say that we're just getting started, you know? And I can't wait to see what happens for this museum's next 50 years. I won't be around for all 50 of it, but I plan on being around for a good chunk of it. And it's just...

that's not nothing. To orient yourself and say the best is yet to come and there's good stuff ahead of us. Especially if you're in the midst, don't care if it's any, if it's personal, if it's whatever trauma, you know, if you can have that as your line on the horizon, that's not nothing. It's a lot more than nothing, right?

Steven Schauer 
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. So second question, you got two visions for a better future, a vision where we can kind of disagree, but do so cordially and still go out and have a beer or dinner together or whatever afterwards, just still be civil to each other, even though we disagree, and your vision for the better future to come for the New York Transit Museum. So you kind of touched on a little bit, but the second question is why is that your vision?

Concetta Bencivenga 
You know, I just, I...

I don't know very many people who are content where we are right now. I just think we're better than that. We're just, we're better. I believe it. Yeah, that's my hope because I think we're better than that. People can do better. People ought to do better. We should strive to be better. And so I don't think any of these conversations are mutually exclusive. think

Steven Schauer 
you

Concetta Bencivenga 
you can strive to improve whatever it is and then you gotta call an audible and be like, all right, wait, who do we leave out? All right, come on, let's go figure that out. Let's bring those people along. What'd we miss? What'd we miss, right? It's all of a theme, right? It's all sort of like being that 30 something year old person in Philadelphia and being like, okay, I don't get that. Walk me through this, right? It's sort of, it's all the same thing. You're sort of moving through life being like, all right, work hard, ask hard questions, hold people accountable, bring your very best.

Steven Schauer 
Yes. Yeah.

Yeah.

Concetta Bencivenga 
And if you're not bringing it very, very best, go fix it and bring back a better version of yourself. And then leverage all that you have against whatever it is that's going on, audible, who do we forget, what we leave out, correct, keep going. It's kind of the whole reason why we're here, right? Like that's sort of, it's kind of the whole reason why we're here. And I think that that cadence can apply to everything. Your job, your life, you know?

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Concetta Bencivenga 
And it doesn't mean it's easy. I think so many people, what I say all the time, my personal mantra, this is like super personal, because all of us have experienced loss. Mine was just a little bit front loaded, right? And I will say one swear word, my mouth will be upset, but sorry. But my personal mantra, this is the truth, Steven, my personal mantra is this shit is really hard and it's a privilege to get to do it.

Steven Schauer 
No.

Yeah, yeah.

Dump.

Yes, I love the and, yes and. That's the way to do it. Yes, that's very similar to my personal mantra as well, that yes, that life is hard and it's a beautiful place to be. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, love it. Yeah, love it. So last question. So vision for a better future, why it's important. Now imagine for a second,

Concetta Bencivenga 
Where the grownups live, both things can be true. This is very hard.

Right, that's it. This is really hard and it's a privilege to get to do it because there are people that would give a limb, right? So.

Steven Schauer 
We're in that future. People are living in a way where they can disagree civilly and trying to better themselves and better the community without, you know, leaving others behind, bringing, bringing, making sure everybody's coming along. And the museum is just, you know, we're at a million people a year visiting now well beyond what pre -COVID numbers were like, your future is real. It's, it's a thing. How do you feel?

Concetta Bencivenga 
mean, this is sort of my great aspiration for now and I'd like to be two things at the same time always. I'd like to be content, but still curious, right? Like content, like, all right, like, you know, that's the thing is that like, and anyone that's ever worked with me, like there's all these funny sayings and you know, people, you know, I will never say anything about you that I won't say to you, which means we're gonna have some hard conversations and I'm gonna expect you to bring your best like all the time, cause I'm gonna do the same.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah, I love that. yep.

I it.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Concetta Bencivenga 
So you be your best, I'll be my best, sometimes I'll screw up, life happens, you just keep going. So I'd like to be content to be able to look back and be like, all right, I left most of it on the field, and still curious. Like, all right, well, what else is there? What haven't I seen? What didn't I think about? What don't I know? And so to me, that's like the magic elixir of life, really, to know that you left most of it on the field, you left everything a little bit better than when you got it, and you're still curious about what's next.

Steven Schauer (07:30)
Yeah. Love it.

Chad 
My vision for a better future would be...

would be seeing more of all of us exercising love for one another more. Yeah.

Steven Schauer 
Why is that your vision for a better future?

Chad 
You know.

It sounds really basic, but it's really complex. And if we are able to show and exercise more love for one another in our humanity, that there alone will defeat, will eliminate the racism, the bigotry, and the ignorance. Those are things that are stopping us.

as humanity are coming together on many different levels. And if we had that ability to do that, we as humans would be in a better place mentally and heartfelt for one another.

Steven Schauer 
Right on.

All right on. So last question. Imagine we're in that future. We're in that future where people are showing love and kindness and compassion to each other on a regular basis and bigotry and hatred is done away with. We don't have that anymore because we're loving each other and being kind and compassionate to each other. How does that make you feel, man, that we're living in that future?

Chad 
That would make me feel...

Wow, that would make me feel very relaxed. Yeah, yeah. How I moved through this world. I think that me saying relax is a deeper relax because, know.

Steven Schauer 
sure.

Chad 
You said race is a hard, it's a heavy, heavy issue, and it is. It's very heavy. Me as an African -American man and how I move through society every day, I don't have the luxury to relax. That's the same with women.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Chad 
That's the same with people who have disabilities. There's many people that have to put on a certain type of... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah. LGBTQ plus. Yeah. There's, yeah, there's a lot of, there's a lot of ugliness out there that I get when you say relaxed. means something different than maybe when I say relaxed. Yeah. Yeah. I don't, I don't get it, but I get it. You know? Yeah. All right, man. That's beautiful. I'm going to do everything I can with whatever, how many breaths I have left in this life to try to get us to that future where we're loving each other and

Chad 
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Steven Schauer 
you can feel relaxed. 

Tom Alletson 
Yeah, I guess my vision for a better future is waterways being given the prominence that they deserve. Just a few days ago, I flew across our part of the world and looking at our rivers and they're basically nude. It's like they've been shaved like a fish with no scales or a person with no skin running through the landscape. For me, I hope that everybody will realize that that's not

that's not good enough and that we need to put the cloves back on the body or the fur back on the beast. need waterways to have trees adjacent to them. That would be, it's only one tiny little thing. I could hope that the war in Ukraine finishes tomorrow. That would be probably just as if not more valid. But yeah, me, trees on creeks, I'll just keep it simple.

Steven Schauer 
Sure.

Yeah. So why that one? You know, because there is so many different things you could have picked. Why, why that particular vision for you?

Tom Alletson 
Okay, well water quality is so important. Trees on creeks protect water quality. They improve hydrology and yield with catchments. We're probably going to be in a more water scarce world. It provides carbon sequestration, movement corridors for animals. It provides a beautiful landscape. Waterways are the ultimate utility, but they're also the most beautiful things that you can see.

And yeah, if we can't value waterways, if we can't value the arteries of the land, what are we going to value?

Steven Schauer 
We're in trouble, right. So last question, use your imagination and we're in the future where what you've visioned is a reality. We have societies who care about our waterways. We've clawed back those riparian habitat corridors and we don't just have 10 or 20 meters of protection. We're at that hundred meter level of protection. Like your full vision has come to be and we're living in that world. How do you feel?

Tom Alletson 
Yeah, relieved, guess, vindicated that it, you know, the idea caught on. Yeah, I think the way that what I thought you were probably going to ask him is how do we do it? you know, I'd sort of think started thinking, well, perhaps the only way we could do it is if we converted the road budget into the waterway budget, you know, if we all had.

Steven Schauer 
Sure.

Tom Alletson 
you know little pods that we could just hover around and we no longer needed to maintain roads and and drive you know gas guzzling cars and we could convert all of that spend all the transport spending to a waterway management spend that's maybe how we could get there.

Steven Schauer 
What's your vision for a better future?

Kassandra Ayala-Najera 
Yep. Let's go.

get people educated. think it's more educational, it has a huge impact. So, knowledge is power, as we all know. So, think it's got to, yeah, just educate yourself and hopefully people will be more receptive and open.

Steven Schauer 
Okay, so why is that important? You just kind of touch on it, but you want to expand on why is that important?

Kassandra Ayala-Najera 
Hmm.

Because it's It's gonna be it's gonna decrease a bit of the hate And also decrease it's gonna bring more peace in general. I think that's my personal opinion obviously But yeah, I think that's more it can't that's why I'm more into education and bring awareness so people can be less Hateful in some ways it's just realized God we're just different there's nothing wrong with being different

Steven Schauer 
So last question, imagine we're living in that future where people are more educated and as a result they're more open and there's been a decrease of hate and misunderstandings because of being more educated. So we're living there in that future. How do you feel now?

Kassandra Ayala-Najera 
think I'll feel better. So yeah, think that's gonna be more. Feel better. I don't know how to respond to that question. Just think it'd feel better. The fact that I can just bring a bit of peace in some ways in different ways through my mission and stuff like that. I think it's kind of, I feel better knowing the fact I did whatever I could to make it happen.

Julie Claussen 
The appreciation that at its core people are good and want to do the right thing.

Steven Schauer 
Why is that your vision for the future better future?

Julie Claussen 
Because the more I travel, the more I meet people, the more diverse opinions and religions. And I just always walk away with that people are just good, right? I think at a core, I think oftentimes it's the opposite, right? People see the bad in humanity. And I think the more that I extensively travel, that there are connections that really people

do want a better life for their children. They do want clean water. They do want to continue to fish. They do appreciate nature. Sometimes we just have to promote more of that or connect more of that. And I think the more that we can connect humanity to nature, that that goodness will just grow.

Steven Schauer 
All right, so the last question. Imagine now we're in that future and it's exist, it's real, it's happening right now today where people are seeing the good in others more than they see the not so good or the unpleasant and people are connected more to nature in that kind of self-fulfilling circle of.

Seeing the good, connecting to nature helps you see more good, helps you connect to more nature. That's happening right now. How do you feel?

Julie Claussen 
Content.

Steven Schauer 
Perfect.

Julie Claussen 
Yeah, I think we all wake up sometimes and feel that anxiety of where the world is going. And sometimes it's just hard to sit back and feel content. I'm very fortunate on my cabin, my off the grid cabin here, I can go out and rock point and feel pretty content, but I realize that's in a bubble, right? Yeah, yeah. So I wanna be able to feel that.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Julie Claussen 
wherever I travel in the world.

Steven Schauer 
So you're ready for the hopeful questions? Yes. The first question is, what is your vision for a better future? It can be for you personally or professionally or for the world. Just what's your vision for a better future?

Monika Maeckle 
I hope so.

I think that accepting the fact that change is inevitable is a really important concept to embrace, to quote our presidential candidates, we're not going back, the world is changing. I always get a bit frustrated sometimes in the monarch debate because we see all these organizations talk about monarch butterfly populations are down 90 % in the...

the statistic that they cite is from one year in 1997, which could have just been a moment in time. We don't know if that was an aberration. We don't know if that was typical. That's always the statistic they cite. And it's very dramatic and it's very motivating and helps save the monarch butterflies. But it's kind of like, wait a minute, that was just one year. Why are we citing that? And we're not going back to 1997. We didn't have iPhones in 1997 either. So I mean, the world is changing and I think we all need to embrace that.

accept that and manage for that. And I think when we do that, there will be a whole new world opened up to us that will provide all kinds of new opportunities for us that we just need to make ourselves open to, to stop trying to make things like they used to be, because they're not going to be like that again.

Steven Schauer 
Yeah. So I think you touched on the answer to this next question by being open to the possibilities. But just to allow your chance to dig a little bit deeper into your hope for the future that people accept change and be open to it, tell me why that's important. I know you touched on it a little bit, but is there any more you want to add to why that's important?

Monika Maeckle 
I mean, hope is what keeps us going. We can't just resign ourselves to dismay and despair and depression. We have to keep striving. We have to keep pushing. We have to look to the future and try to figure out how to make it the best it can be. That is the nature of humanity. And that's what always has kept us going, I think.

Steven Schauer 
Perfect. So the last question, imagine now we're in a future where people are more open to change and accepting that things evolve and are different and we're looking to the possibilities as opposed to lamenting what was lost in the past. So we're in that future now, we're living there. How does that make you feel?

Monika Maeckle 
think it makes me feel reflective and while I agree and I try not to be that person that's waving their fingers saying I remember when. I do think context is important and I think history is a great teacher and history does repeat itself and hopefully we can apply those lessons going forward and learn from them rather than repeat them.

Ari 
My vision for a better future consists of one where we...

just find a way more loving way to do everything, period. And where we can, yeah, grieve together, honor things together, memorialize together, learn from each other, and just really, like, really commit to seeing that, when we, like, there's always gonna be stuff, there's always gonna be disagreement.

But I really think we can do this life in a more, in a less harmful way. And so like, just, yeah, realizing that like, we can just love each other and do our very best to cause as little harm as possible, I think is, that's my prayer hope.

Steven 
Nice. See, you touched on this a little bit in your answer, but just as a follow up to give you a little bit more space to explain, tell me why that's your vision.

Ari 
Hmm

You know, my Zen Buddhist teachers really come to mind on this and who really, I'm so grateful for this framework to really look at the oneness of all things and that there is no separateness and so much of what makes us suffer is this idea that you're you, I'm me, I'm not your stuff, you're not my stuff, them, those people there, that country, that, you know, and just like...

Steven 
Yep.

Ari 
It's literally killing us. so I think just, yeah, like, how do we not? I wanna see a world that finds its ways to navigate and move past suffering.

Steven 
Last question. Imagine we're there. Imagine the future that you just described exists today. How does that make you feel?

Ari 
I mean, the problem is it's delusional. Because there's always going to be suffering. But what do we do with it? I know, leaving you with such a like, of course, the Greek is like, suffering either way. But yeah, it's like, I think

Steven 
That is a Buddhist.

No, no, it's beautiful.

Ari 
Even if we're all aware that just like, okay, like suffering either way and we still are gonna do our best to end suffering, that leaves me just kind of laughing and with a smile and with this like, what a messy, weird, beautiful life this is.

Steven 
That's very hopeful. Laughter, smiling, even among suffering, that's beautiful. That's beautiful.

Steven 
As we wrap up this final episode of 2024, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible insights shared by the 20 guests who joined me on this inaugural season of Stories Sustain Us. Their thoughts about hope, what it means, where they find it, and how they nurture it inspired me, and I hope it moved you too. Across the board, hope was described not as a fleeting feeling, but as an active force.

commitment to resilience, to action, and to connection. For some, it's found in the natural world, a powerful reminder of renewal and endurance. For others, it's rooted in community, in the bonds of family, friendship, and shared purpose. And for many, hope is cultivated through storytelling, whether through art, advocacy, or amplifying the voices of those whose experiences need to be heard.

And that brings us to the very purpose of this show. Here on Stories Sustain Us, I've always believed that facts, figures, and data, while critically important, aren't what truly moves people into action. What grabs your heart, what inspires you to change your behavior, is a good story. A story that resonates with you emotionally, that makes you see the humanity in others, and that sparks a desire in you to make a difference.

That's what I've tried to accomplish with this show, to share stories that inspire action and illuminate the many ways we can contribute to a more sustainable and compassionate world. If you enjoyed this episode or any episode this season, I would ask you to share it with someone who might be inspired by these messages of hope. And please don't forget to follow, rate, and review Stories Sustain Us on your favorite podcast platform.

Your support helps ensure these stories continue to reach and inspire others. As we close out the year, I want to once again thank all my guests. And I want to thank you, the audience, for joining me on this journey. Your encouragement and engagement mean everything. I wish each and every one of you a safe and joyful holiday season and a very happy new year. And don't forget, mark your calendars.

The next new episode of Stories Sustain Us will air on January 14, 2025. So let's keep sustaining one another through the power of storytelling combined with kind, compassionate, and loving action. I'll see you in 2025. Until next time, I'm Steven Schauer. Please take care of yourself and each other. Take care.