Supernaut
Supernaut is a podcast about spirituality, sobriety, suicide, and the full spectrum of being human.
Hosted by Beth Kelling, the show opens space for honest conversations about healing, identity, and the parts of life we often keep quiet.
As the show has grown, mental health has become a defining theme. Many guests have shared deeply personal experiences with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and loss. In response, Supernaut is dedicating more space to conversations around suicide—approaching the topic with care, honesty, and compassion.
The goal is not to sensationalize pain, but to reduce stigma, encourage vulnerability, and remind people that struggling does not mean failing—and that help, connection, and light are possible.
Whether you’re sober-curious, spiritually inclined, or simply looking for real conversations that make you feel less alone, you’re welcome here.
If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available in the U.S. by calling or texting 988. If you’re outside the U.S., visit findahelpline.com.
Supernaut
Song Within
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We’re hitting pause after a full year of Supernaut, and it’s bittersweet. Sixty-one episodes taught us that growth rarely looks like a straight line, and that the most meaningful changes often come from small, repeated choices. We start with music and the idea of having a “heart of gold,” then follow that thread into what betterment really demands: discipline, honesty, and a willingness to keep learning even when we feel messy or uncertain.
We get personal about authenticity and shadow work, including the question that cuts through all the noise: who am I when no one’s watching? From there, we talk about sobriety in real life, including relapse, drinking habits that creep in through boredom, and why one day of refraining still matters. If you’ve ever told yourself “I can control it” right before a spiral, you’ll recognize the mental loop and the way shame tries to rewrite your whole story.
We also zoom out to the themes that kept showing up across our guests: nature as a doorway to God, the power of a truly judgment-free space, and how community can matter more than labels. Along the way we share the books shaping our spirituality right now, including Eckhart Tolle and the Bhagavad Gita, with its radical idea that there’s no single path to liberation and that duty can be lived right in the middle of ordinary life.
If Supernaut has been part of your week, we’d love to hear from you. Subscribe so you don’t miss what comes next, share this finale with a friend who needs it, and leave a review telling us what lesson you’re carrying forward.
0:00 Farewell For Now And Music
2:00 Heart Of Gold And Betterment
4:40 Shadow Work And Authentic Self
6:00 Relapse, Drinking, And Starting Again
10:50 Discipline As A Daily Muscle
12:50 Gratitude For Guests And Growth
19:10 Identity, Trust, And Patience
22:40 Space Story And Saving Earth
27:10 What A Year Of Conversations Changed
29:10 Books, Church, And Finding Community
33:20 Bhagavad Gita And Many Paths
41:35 Happy Childhood And Final Thanks
Farewell For Now And Music
SPEAKER_00Welcome to SuperNot where we explore the inner and outer dimensions of the self. This is our last recording for now. So kind of sad. But we need a creative break and a financial break and we need a new studio. But we want to talk about the last year. Like I can't believe it's been a year. I know. 61 episodes. That's a lot. My goal was 52, so but then I just couldn't stop.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00It's been so fun. So I did pick a song for us to listen to before we started. But first I want to ask you do you like music more for the lyrics or for the melody? Melody. Yeah, definitely melody. Um me too. I get jealous of people that like it for the lyrics because it's really hard for me to listen to the lyrics.
SPEAKER_02But yeah. Yeah. Sometimes I think it kind of depends on like the artist or the genre or where I'm at in my life. Sometimes I'm more focused on the lyrics, but yeah, typically melody.
SPEAKER_00Like sometimes I'll love a song and have no idea even what they're saying. Yeah. Yeah. Like that's pretty often. But I picked Heart of Gold by Neil Young, and I like it for both the lyrics and the melody. Like they both speak to me. And because to me, having a heart of gold is to love everyone and everything that happens unconditionally. And that's literally what I strive for. Like every situation is my friend, is a um post-it I have on my mirror upstairs. You know, like every obstacle on my path is my path, like that whole thing. That's what that song reminds me of. Yeah. Um, and I think it fits well with Super Not's definition, which is one who strives for betterment, someone who works to make their life and surroundings better. And I think spirituality and sobriety, whether that's refraining from overthinking or judging, eating less or controlling oneself from texting and driving, you know, like we all have things we can practice being better at. And some form of spirituality is usually required to get where we want to go, even if that's just like a belief in oneself. So, and I talked about this before on an episode. Um, a
Heart Of Gold And Betterment
SPEAKER_00big life changing moment for me was watching that movie about Mr. Rogers' life. It's called A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. And there's a guy writing a story on him, he's like a reporter, and at one point he's talking to Mr. Rogers' wife, and she says, like, you know that he's just not naturally this happy and kind and gentle. Like he really has to work at it. Sure. He had like a big spiritual practice and he went swimming every day. Really? And so that was like big for me because I thought those types of people were just naturally that way, and maybe some are. But it also made me like want to strive to be a happier, kinder, gentler person. But then it always makes me think like, how do we find authenticity and be ourselves, but try and be better? Cause like my authentic self is like pretty lazy, pretty selfish, pretty indulgent, like pretty delusional. Should we pause for a minute? I'm okay. No, I'm good. Okay. Um, but I just read in the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu scripture, Krishna tells Arjuna, the material world contains no lasting treasures, but there is meaning to life. There is purpose, but life's purpose goes beyond your concerns and operates for the good of the whole, not the good of the individual. And so, like, yeah, I'm selfish, but there's something in me, like deep down that urges me that that's not the way, you know? And the Gita says, make the intelligence that runs the universe your focus, and the miracle of life will unfold at your feet. The more of its wonder that you are able to realize, the more it will reveal to you. Like, kind of like how Jesus said, I can of my own self do nothing. So, like, I think we need something higher to guide us and direct us, and I just find it so beautiful how the Gita says it. Like, so to stay authentic is to make God or whatever you believe in your main focus, because the definition of authenticity is the quality of being genuine, real, and true to one's own original nature or origin. So, like, how do we find our original nature? Like, one way is through shadow work, and just today I was doing some shadow work, and anybody who doesn't know what that is, it's exploring the unconscious parts of your brain. So it had me today journal on who am I when no one's watching. And it's like, well, I'm quiet, I'm observant, and I realize that something has taught me in life that it's not safe to be myself, not safe to observe, because when I observe, observe when I'm around other people, I get hurt. Like I think I'm too sensitive to see the world how it is, you know. So um, I think that taught me. I also was taught like to be seen, I
Shadow Work And Authentic Self
SPEAKER_00have to be loud and funny and entertaining. Cause I think like everybody in my family is really loud, funny, and entertaining. So that's like the performative, yeah, kind of yeah. Yeah. So I think Beth might actually be like this quiet person, but to get any attention growing up, I had to be like loud and obnoxious. But I think that's why I love podcasting so much because it's like the only time that I feel like I can be completely present and really listen.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and be loud and out there in your own way, in your own space, yeah. Not you know, in front of a crowd of people or whatever.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. For sure. So I love it. Um, so I am sad that we're gonna be done because I do love it so much. And I have a list of 15 people that want to come on. So hopefully we do start again. I think we should just do porch. Maybe we should out here. Yeah, Cody hooked us up with these mice. Hopefully they work good and we don't have to redo this. Um, so the main thing that I realize is yeah, that I just love talking to people, love listening. Um, and when I drank, I was really bad at that. But I do believe that it is my purpose. So I really hope anyone out there struggling with sobriety or struggling with the big questions of God and the universe um reaches out because even if it's not on camera, we can just talk. Like if I've met you a million times or we've never met, I just want to keep
Relapse, Drinking, And Starting Again
SPEAKER_00having conversations like this because that's what just really lights me up. So, and I'm not saying I have all the answers or I'm perfect, I have plenty of struggles, but the conversations like help me more, and I haven't even told you, but a couple months ago, um, after 14 months of not drinking, I did drink. Oh, and I drank like 20 drinks, and uh, it was around people who haven't really been supportive of me not drinking, and maybe they have in their own way, but I wasn't able to see it, so it's just like one of those times where like I just kind of shut my brain off and just wanted to feel back to my old self. I wanted to feel comfortable around them, but it literally ended up being the worst night of my entire life. Um, I've trained my brain to see the good in situations, so I mean I can find the blessings right away. Sure, but it was like God told me instantly, like, nope, like you're gonna try it one time after 14 months. I'm gonna tell you right now it's not for you.
SPEAKER_02Was it had you been planning or was it just to like kind of spur the moment?
SPEAKER_00Just I don't know. We're like on vacation, like, oh I can just have one and then just like spiral. Yeah. To like this is so fun. Why am I not doing this all the time? Oh my gosh, I can control it. Like, what bad could happen? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, if I can be vulnerable for a moment too, I think um, I know I one don't talk in a lot of the episodes, and you don't always kind of acknowledge that I'm behind the camera. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. So for anybody who does know that I don't drink a lot, I have noticed just in the last like four or five months, I've my drinking habits have definitely upped. And that's something that I'm trying to also rework out, you know, to go back to what it was before, because you feel like shit. Like just last weekend I woke up and was so hungover on Father's Day and was supposed to come over to maybe take a picture of the family, and then I didn't, and blah blah blah, you know, whatever, whatever. It was uh everything was okay, but it was just that like icky feeling, and then you remember why you, you know, don't want to do that anymore. But it's hard, it has like a grip on you in some fashion.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, what what do you think is making you want to more? Just like society and friends?
SPEAKER_02Just boredom. Really? I mean, it's just you know, usually me and mom and or Jen. I think that's what it was too, is Jen, little Jen would come down like Friday nights and we'd all hang out on the porch. And it was nothing crazy, like I'm not getting shit faced by any means, but still just in my own like limits. I was like, okay, I'm going, you know, farther than I want to, and more frequently than I want to, and um it's something that I haven't been able to kind of reel in the way that I thought I was able to.
SPEAKER_01So yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so even talking about it like every week for a year, like it still doesn't make it easy. It's still right super hard. And I know that was a big reason why I wanted to do it because I know it would help me, and it has so much. Yeah. But it still doesn't mean that it's the easiest thing in the world. And also shit happens, like it's okay. You know, right, exactly. That's what I was gonna say is that like I have all these friends or like a couple friends that have relapsed lately, and then they feel like the whole 11 months or whatever they went wasn't worth it. And I wanted people, I wanted to say that like even one day of refraining from what you wish you didn't do is important and it matters, and it's not like you're throwing that all away or it's a waste.
SPEAKER_02No, and it's like a muscle that you need to exercise, it's not like just a magic fix that you know you decide to stop and then boom you're done. I mean, and it's so varying, and we've learned through all of the guests that we've had on and the varying addictions, and you know, it it's different for everybody, but it is there is not a magical fix.
SPEAKER_00That's something that you have to like you said, a muscle, so it's like practicing more and more, and like since we've been talking about from the beginning, like taking cold baths and doing the things that you don't want to do, the more that you do, the more that you don't fuck up and make those bad choices.
SPEAKER_02And then you like it, like using that same um metaphor. Like for me, I've been biking on the Peloton since like November, and for the first like four months, I was like, I don't want to do this, and now I've finally gotten to the like point where I enjoy it and look forward to it every day, and not just because it makes me feel good or I know that I'm like losing weight or you know, all the like reasons that anybody works out. It's like nope, it's just my brain.
SPEAKER_00My brain figured out that this is what makes you feel good, right?
SPEAKER_02Oh, cool. And now when I like don't for whatever reason, it's not so much a like I'm down on myself out of shame, it's more of like allow yourself to have a you know, it's okay. Like it's it's like brushing your teeth, you know, where you're like, that's just what you do every day.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you feel weird if you don't feel kind of icky.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah.
Discipline As A Daily Muscle
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's like I heard that it takes 14 minutes of running until like your endorphins kick in and that you enjoy the run. So it's like just a longer scale. It takes four months of doing something every single day until like all of a sudden those endorphins just maybe like Pablo's doll, you just kind of know they're coming until you want to do it. Yeah, that's great. I'm so sorry if anybody can see my sweat stains.
SPEAKER_02I'm not nervous like I was the first time. I'm just kind of warm.
SPEAKER_00It's like end of June and it's cooler than it could have been. But yeah, sorry you're in the sun. No, it's okay. I like it. If I could just sit like this the whole time, I would. But I know it was entertaining. Um, yeah, and I also wanted to say just how incredibly blessed I feel that so many people were willing to come on. Like I thought I was gonna have to do so many solo episodes, but like, gross, no thanks.
SPEAKER_02It was so fun for me. Like, and obviously, there's you know, I know you from the deli, but also as my mom's friend. Like, we're not peers ourselves, and so to meet so many people that I likely would not have and have not even really run into since it was so cool to just meet all the different people and hear all the different stories and like open up my own I don't know if I want to say naive, but young mind still, you know. I'm not perfect and I don't know everything, and sometimes I think that I do. So to like, you know, learn it was great, and I'm so grateful for that.
SPEAKER_00And you had said one time, like seeing people in the grocery store that you would have never known. Didn't you say that? Or did you agree with somebody else after that?
SPEAKER_02Like I mean 60 episodes.
SPEAKER_00How many people so that's I mean what also people are from more and somebody had commented on a Facebook post and said, like, isn't anybody outside of more ever gonna go on? Like, okay, I just like don't know anybody else. I don't know what you want. Do you want to come on?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah. Maybe I mean ten out of sixty sixty? Sixty-one. This is our sixty-first. Okay. Ten guests I probably knew already. So I mean fifty people. Yeah, I guess I probably
Gratitude For Guests And Growth
SPEAKER_02have run into somebody. I just can't think of it right now. But yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so some questions I have for you. After a year of conversations about consciousness, spirituality, creativity, suffering, purpose, AI, and just being human, what do you believe now that you didn't believe when we started?
SPEAKER_02That's a good question. Is this the one that you said to me yesterday? Maybe I don't remember. I didn't think about it. I should have.
SPEAKER_00Um I don't know. Yeah, I know. That was a really hard one to like just I mean.
SPEAKER_02I don't know if any of my beliefs have changed, but kind of like I was just saying, it's been really cool to like meet so many different people and maybe somebody that I knew of but hadn't officially met, you know what I mean? Just like everybody letting their walls down in this space and allowing for no judgment has been really cool. Because I think everybody judges in some capacity. I mean, just first impressions, that's a judgment right there. Whether it's literally human nature we have to judge to exist or to survive. Yeah. So, you know, I guess that would just be my biggest takeaway. I yeah, I don't know that my beliefs have changed necessarily. But I'm also so like just fluid in my own beliefs, anyways, that yeah, they're kind of constantly evolving, but not in a big way, just in the little nuances.
SPEAKER_00What do you think life is trying to teach you right now, like outside of uh the podcast?
SPEAKER_02Patience, I think. Um like just with work, I'm very I'm an impulsive person, so I'm like when I think of something, I want it to happen right then and there. And so like that just taking time to plan things and you know, things just take longer. You can't just, you know, magic wand have things right away. Um and it's summertime, so my brothers are around a lot more, so just patience and like you know, little things. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00What did you think, or is Supernot what you thought it was going to be?
SPEAKER_02No, no, I don't know what I thought it was gonna be, but it is not what I thought at like when we first started. I mean, I think everybody was, or at least I was kind of coming into it blind, and now to see what it's grown into, I'm like, oh yeah, that's cool. Like it it has a lot of meaning to a lot of people. Like hanging out with um Chris Sortman at um Layla's uh grad party, and um I had said that this was coming to a close, and she was like, I listen to it every Monday morning on my way to work. It is my like weekly ritual, and like just that, just one person. I mean, it's so cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. Like, I would have been so thrilled if 25 people would have watched every week, but it's been so many more, it's just been so yeah, so great. And it's like I had no idea what it was gonna turn into either. I was just like, it was a lesson of like putting in the work and not knowing, and then like God changed it completely of what I expected it to be, but it didn't matter because I knew that like it was the fruit of my labor, you know? And like just being open to being the vessel for whatever it could be.
SPEAKER_02Right. That's what I love about it is that we didn't have any rigid, like this is what it has to be the whole time. We just let it evolve into what it has become, and if we, you know, if when we start up again, it might evolve more from it.
SPEAKER_00Right, you know, right, like I'm all spent to it being like whatever.
SPEAKER_02Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um so here's a deep question. If you are not your thoughts, who are you? Who is Veda?
SPEAKER_02I am my thoughts. I am so my thoughts, I am just thought, basically. Um I don't know. I don't know. I right now, my birthday was a month ago today, and um 24 feels good, but I'm also in a I know and without putting my own like grip on it, I'm in a moment of like big change. I can just feel it. Like the last few years have been rough for me trying to figure out who I am and what I like and what I want and all the things, and now I still don't know the answers to those questions necessarily, but I'm like I I can feel myself evolving and becoming more of who I am.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's so exciting.
SPEAKER_02So I don't know though, I uh because my anxious self is just constantly thoughts in my brain all the time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Oh something fun to ponder. Um what's one thing you could do to trust life more? I think I trust life a lot, actually.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I you and me and Ryan have talked about this, and I think we talked about it in the last episode that that I was on, or maybe the one before that. Um I am steadfast in the everything happens for a reason. So yeah, I think I will always be that way, even the little bad things all the way to the great things.
SPEAKER_00What do you want to learn in the next year? Um patience, maybe you kind of brought that up, but yeah, patience.
SPEAKER_02Um it's just such a being the age that I am and the the circumstances of being at home, which is great, and I love being at home, but it's just kind of you had you went from high school, you know, where you live at home, that's the only place you live, to then being an adult, leaving, then coming back. And that's the like, you know, it's I don't have my own space the way that you do when you have your own home, even if you have a roommate kind of thing.
SPEAKER_00So patience, um but I bet in 10 or 20, 30 years you'll look back and be like, I wish I had enjoyed that time there more instead of just looking for the future.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, very true. And that is actually something that I'm trying to tell myself a lot. Like last weekend was rough. I just had no patience for anybody, any children, any voices. I just wanted to like be in my own bubble. Um, and this week has been much better. And um, it is really fun to like Soren is taller than me now. So like it's just we're all in this big season of change.
Identity, Trust, And Patience
SPEAKER_02But aside from patience, I re-enrolled in school, so I start in August. So I'm just excited to learn, you know, uh I can't think of the word. To learn, just to learn, really, and be able to take that knowledge just in my own life, but then also here, you know, at work because the two go hand in hand.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, super exciting. Um, okay, if you had a free trip to go to space, what would you?
SPEAKER_02Like just space or like a specific like a planet or the moon or just anywhere.
SPEAKER_00Like some people would probably never get in a space ship spacecraft.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I would. Me and my mom were just having a conversation about um she keeps talking about aliens. Like all the time she brings up aliens and um like a parallel universe, and we're big on would you rather questions in our house. So I I think I said to her, if there was uh like a basically a replica of Earth somewhere else where it had no bad people, would you stay here and help heal the earth or just go there and start anew? Um, and then it it brought us into this whole conversation about living somewhere else and blah blah blah blah. And I I said I would stay here, I wouldn't want to go to another planet. But yeah, I would totally go to space.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that makes me want to hang out with your mom more. We haven't in so long. But yeah, one time the like first time I ever did edible, like a cannabis edible, it was like 2016 or 2017, and um it hit me way too hard. It was a nerd rope, and I like all of it had to have been in the part that I ate because like I couldn't move for a couple hours. Oh no, this was 2020 because it was like spring 2020. That's the whole part part of the story is that like this other version of me came down, like was standing in front of me in my bed. And so like Jim's was what like in 10th grade at that point, and I just remember thinking, like, I'm so glad he's not home because if he came in and asked me to make him something to eat, like I couldn't I can't move, right? And um, but this other version of me was standing in front of me, like a perfect version, and she was like, Hey, like planet Earth is crazy right now. Do you want to come with me? Like, we can dip out, like you don't have to stay here. And I was like, No, I I want to see what happens and I want to be here like with the people that I love. Like, so I had the chance to leave. I don't know if I would have died if I had said yes or what happened, but then also like to ground myself back to Earth's time because I was like up there, I was like gone, I was like so high, highest I've ever been. I I could understand that on other planets time is different. Sure. So to get myself back to Earth's time, I had to like go Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, over and over in my head for what felt like 45 minutes. Really?
SPEAKER_02Until like I came like grounded again. Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. Yeah. Yeah, it launched us into this like very in depth. Conversation about like staying here and healing what has been destroyed, you know, and all the things are just starting fresh. And I think she wanted to start fresh, and I was like, nope, I I love Earth.
SPEAKER_00There's so many healers here. It's like everybody that I'm talking to because I think the planet needs it. Like everybody wants to quit their jobs and be some kind of healer.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Like your mom included, you know. So many people. So I'm like, I was thinking about that earlier today because literally two people wrote me today talking about how much they didn't like their job, and I'm like, let's figure it out. Like, can't just keep being miserable. Yeah. At what you do 40 plus hours a week. Right. So capitalism. Okay, so I asked a few people, a few big fans of the show,
Space Story And Saving Earth
SPEAKER_00to write down some questions for you to ask me. Okay.
SPEAKER_02What advice would you give yourself on day one looking back?
SPEAKER_00Um, just probably not to be nervous. I mean, even though I'm like still nervous right now because I don't know why, I just still do, but like compared to my first time, like zero percent compared to then, you know? So just have more trust in the process. Yeah. But yeah. What are you most proud of? Um of how many males wanted to come on. And maybe that's not the right thing to say, but honestly, like I just loved the males opening up and being vulnerable. And that I must have been a safe space for them to do that just makes me really proud. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02That was I could go on for hours about that, but yeah, that was pretty cool. Uh what mistakes stand out the most that you've learned from? Mistakes.
SPEAKER_00What mistakes did we make? Or I make. I don't know. I don't really think I mean just I would just wish I could be more confident so that I didn't say stupid stuff because just watching some of them it's like that wasn't what I was trying to say or whatever, but I think it all just comes down to confidence. Sure. So it's more more of that, I guess. Yeah. I don't think we made anything. Yeah. Uh top favorite guests? Um, well, my family for sure. Like being able to interview my parents and my brothers and my nephews is so great. Um, and then the people that I could talk about, like Nolan and Adam Kerr, who like believe the same things I do, like those were so fun. Yeah. Love that so much. But I think my two favorite um were probably Cody Cooper and Sam Truan, because they're like my nephew's younger friends, and like I saw them grow up and I saw them be rowdy, and then for them to come on and talk so professionally and eloquently, and like change so much and vulnerably. Yes, those are like the two that really stand out. But like, yeah, the one with my brother Mike was like really healing for me, and our relationship has blossomed so much from this podcast, and yeah, so there's a lot. Uh, what did you learn that you didn't expect? Um, oh, to be brave and courageous. Like now I'm not scared to do anything, even though this is still like scary for me, and I can like still hear the shaking in my voice. Like it may be because this is the last episode and I want it to be good. Um and we're not in our normal yeah, yeah, it's like new setting. Um, but yeah, like now if I'm ever challenged myself or somebody else challenges me to do something, like if it's something I want to do, I'm always gonna be able to look back on this and be like you did it. Like the year went by so fast.
SPEAKER_02So fast. But it feels like it's been three years.
SPEAKER_00It feels like not in a bad way, like three years, but also three months. Right. Like both ways, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Yes. What has the podcast given you?
SPEAKER_00Um just expansion, so much like diving into other people's brains. Have you formed any like new relationships from it? Yeah, definitely. Uh a couple really good friends. Um, a couple people I never expected to be friends with or build a relationship with. So yeah, it's been great. Do you feel that it was part of your purpose? Yeah, because I think like I was saying earlier now, um learning that listening is part of my purpose because I never used to be good at that. Um so yeah, I think it's helped with that a lot. Yeah. What was your hope during the podcast? Um, that people would also have expansion, open their minds to new ideas, and um that people would have healing when they came on. So, like both for the guests. I tried to think of myself as a tour guide for guests when they came on, you know, to make them feel comfortable and have an experience that you know they could look back on and see themselves through. Um yeah, but for listeners also, like not as much. I've tried to just like have it be more about the guest than the listeners, even, but I hope that listeners have learned things and yeah, yeah, and I mean from day one, like you never, you know, made it.
SPEAKER_02I think
What A Year Of Conversations Changed
SPEAKER_02because podcasting is such a popular thing now, there's like a whole system, and and like um having Cody kind of guide us through this process, and he's somebody who had a very large following on his. Yours was never to like go viral. Like obviously that would have been great, you know, to have a substantial following, but it was just about what we were doing and who the conversations we were having and who we were having them with, not about you know how many followers or listeners or yeah, which is pretty great. In your first episode, you said you wanted to talk about spirituality. Has your spirituality grown and do you still like to talk about it?
SPEAKER_00Yes, because like I said earlier, I hope people reach out so we can keep having these conversations, even not on camera, because I love it. It's been my favorite thing to talk about for 20 years, and every day it gets more and more. And um yeah. Yeah, has it changed? Um well it just yeah, I mean, it just keeps evolving and yeah, some of the relationships that I've built um because of the podcast, like you know, when they've um recommended books or just the conversations we've had, yeah. Right, yeah, so much. Have you noticed a common thread of the people? Um, well, I think why I was really excited was your idea to come sit out here, but I think one of the common threads of what people wanted more of in their life or when they felt closest to God was nature. So, like I think nature is a common thread, and then always asking at the end, like what would you what do you do right now that you hope your grandkids do and don't do? It's like I for some reason remember more of the don't, what people said don't do, and it was like don't doubt themselves, don't second guess, don't listen to other people's opinions. Like that seemed to be the thread of what people wish that they could stop doing overthinking and self-doubt. Yeah. So I think that is a thread. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And the men. That's all I can think of is just how many guys we had on, which again
Books, Church, And Finding Community
SPEAKER_02was so cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah. I loved it. Sorry.
SPEAKER_00Um, so I wanted to say that I'm on track with my 50 books for 2026. As of last night, I was at 23. So I have two more to read in June, and then I'll be halfway. Good for you. Um, I wanted to say what my favorite ones are of the year so far, and Happy Money by Ken Honda. It's the Japanese art of making peace with your money, is like literally so good. And then The Art of Contemplation by Richard Rudd and The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield, both amazing books, and The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. As soon as I listened to it, like it was like two and a half hours audiobook, just like bawling, just like replay, start over from the beginning, like so so good. And shout out to my friend Amy, who like texted me like randomly while I was listening to it, and like maybe not while I had it on, but like that same day, and was like, Have you ever read The Alchemist? And I'm like, I literally am right now, and that's like bonded us together so good a lot. Um, and then just last night I finished A New Earth by Eckhart Tolley, and that's the book that Nolan and I talked about a lot on our episode a couple weeks ago. Um, and I've read it a few times, but I do want to say that it will forever be my favorite best book for spiritual awakening. There's so many good things in it. Mine was the power of now.
SPEAKER_02That's what like really in my adulthood like pulled me into it.
SPEAKER_00Yes, he wrote that before New Earth.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think that was like that one's really well known too. I've heard a lot of people talk about it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, both so good. I read that this year also. Yeah. And now I'm reading two books, both by Matthew Barnes, and the first one is called Albert Einstein, Zen Master. It's so good. It's like 54 quotes that Albert said that coincide with what Zen Masters have said. Sure. And I love it so much because it's like adding up with what I keep saying that Andrew Huberman said about how like in five years all the woo-woo stuff is gonna be proven.
SPEAKER_02It's so fun when like science-y people have um, and maybe they've always been spiritual, but to like actually talk about it is like very satiating and it like makes you feel validated in your own spiritual belief.
SPEAKER_00So I think people think of Albert Einstein as an atheist, but he uh just said he didn't want to like worship somebody, he uh but he believed in all the energy, all the stuff, all the like so many things that he said were so close to what Jesus said and Buddha and everybody else. So he he just didn't want to like subscribe to one, I don't think. Right. But oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02And that's like for me too, yeah. I don't like the idea of um things being rigid and having to just like fit into this box. But yeah, Lily Peterson called me last night and um we were just chatting, and for a few weeks I've been wanting to go to church with her. I just hate getting up early. You know what I mean? On the weekend you want to sleep on. Um, and so I had kind of forgotten to like message her about it, and so we were talking about that, and um she said that she's starting a run slash walk club with a devotional at the beginning, and she's like, I know you're not really, you know, of the Christianity thing anymore, because I was baptized at Calvary. She's technically one of my godmothers, like we went to the same church, and I'm like, first of all, I love my friend enough that like I can put that stuff aside. But it's really about the community. Like, you don't have to, I think, and even for myself, because I know I've said a lot of things about Christianity on the podcast and just in my own life, but like I think the community is so much more valuable. Like, everybody believes what they're gonna believe in their own brain. Like you can talk about it all you want, but it's it's something that only you know. And so just to support other people and you know, be around the people that you love, I think is the most godly thing that you can do rather than going to church and worshiping and singing all the songs and yeah, I think so too.
SPEAKER_00And if there's like starting off with a devotion, like I bet it's gonna be something that you can relate to somewhat in your life. So if you're like pondering on that during it and talking about it with the people, or even if you're talking about something else during the walk, but you think about it later, like I don't think there's many verses out there that aren't worth honoring on no matter what you
Bhagavad Gita And Many Paths
SPEAKER_00believe. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Especially you, like as the curious person that you are, I'm sure. Yeah. Yeah. So it's great. Yeah. Cool. Um and the other book I'm reading by him is called the Bhagavad Gita 101. So it's like a summary of the Gita. And the Bhagavad Gita literally translates to Song of Life. And I thought that should be the name for this episode. Yeah. Because it starts with an S, all the episodes have started with S. And like the more that I meditate, the more I can literally feel the rhythm of life. Like sometimes in my meditations, I'll realize like I'm swaying, and then that like comes with me through the rest of the day too, where I'm just like swaying, like life literally is rhythm. So as soon as I read that, I was obsessed. Um, just started this book a couple days ago, but getting obsessed with the Hindu scripture, like it's beautiful. I cry almost every page because it resonates so much. Yeah, it's just like exactly what Jesus says, but in like a poem. Sure. Um, and the reasons I'm so drawn to it is that they say that there's no single path to salvation, like there's no correct path. It all depends on your individual personality. Says the two main paths are seeing God as a personified figure, like you do in Christianity, Judaism, and Muslim. Like they have a person. But the other way to see it is a force or intelligence that creates and binds all that exists, and that's like Star Wars, Taoism, Zen, and Buddhism. And uh, but they also say that atheists and agnostics can find liberation, like through serving others selfishly, selfishly, self-eself, selflessly or understanding the universe through knowledge, kind of like Albert Einstein did.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, kind of the science-y focus.
SPEAKER_00Like I was teasing Barry, like, oh, you have a chance at it too. He's like, you know, you're so intellectual. Um, but yeah, the Gita says all spiritual paths, if approached earnestly, eventually lead to God. And they say there's many messiahs that they call avatars. Um, so they like accept Jesus and Buddha just as much as they do Krishna. So, like, sorry, but sign me up. Um, they aren't into the monastery life because they think they believe we're here to participate in the world and help each other advance. Okay. So they're like, they're not going to like be bunks and stuff, which I've always wondered if I have to do. Like, you know, is that what I have to do to get to where I want to be? It's like go in silence, but they're like, no, avoiding people means avoiding lessons and struggles that are meant to propel us to higher and higher levels of consciousness. Every situation, every thought, and every struggle, every emotion of life is here to transform us. Mm-hmm. And so it's kind of about figuring out your duty. So, like, if you had to like, what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think, what's what's your duty in life? To communicate.
SPEAKER_02I don't shut up. Like, and I I don't mean that in like a, you know, I'm getting down on myself kind of way. Like, that is, I mean, I'm somebody who is into astrology, and two of my big three are air signs. We are the communicators, we are like that's just who I am. And I'm not of the like, we have to have a purpose to be here. I think maybe you do, maybe you don't. It I I don't know. I but I I again don't like the rigidness of that.
SPEAKER_00But um, if there is at least one thing that I'm supposed to do while I'm living this life, it is talk and communicate and I love that because that's expansion that like yeah brings new ideas, and like there's so many circumstances where I'm like, oh, this is stupid, I'm not gonna bring this up, and then I bring it up and somebody has like an idea to help it. Yeah, yeah, and not like why would I just keep that to myself?
SPEAKER_02I don't mean like a self-help person, or you know what I mean? Like I'm not gonna go up and give big speeches by any means, but just conversations with you know, one-on-one, one on yeah, you know, like that's healing for the planet.
SPEAKER_00Right. Yeah. All that um so Hinduism says everybody's are everybody already has divinity in them, they just have to realize it. So do you think that's true or do you think people have to become good?
SPEAKER_02That is a good question. I would like to immediately say I think everybody does have divinity in them, but then my brain immediately contradicts that by thinking of like awful, horrible murder people. You know what I mean? Like But who hurt them? I don't know. Right, and well, and I think that that's written into your like soul contract.
SPEAKER_00Like you you signed up to do whatever you did, and then you're gonna be the bad guy for the rest of us to judge and but help us evolve and help us find love. Right, and morals than learn right. So there has to be contrasts in the world. If everybody was good, we'd literally just be watching boring zombies, like you know. I think we're all on a spectrum, like God put us here on all these different spectrums of every type of personality trait that exists to experience.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I I guess maybe like on a soul level, there is divinity in everybody, but I think it varies on whether you're able to fulfill that or portray that in your actual like human life. If that makes sense.
SPEAKER_00Well, another thing I'm really thankful for about the podcasting is that we can talk about our beliefs. We've talked about this a lot of like talk about our beliefs without having to worry about being killed for saying the wrong thing or believing the wrong thing. You know, we can literally say anything we want on here and not worry on like our ancestors. Um so uh I think that's like stuck in our DNA though, that like it's we have to be scared to be different because like because that's bad. Right.
SPEAKER_02I mean, yeah, it's like a survival, like innate to think about it.
SPEAKER_00So like tying in with that, like I do think that we are all good. I think that every baby born, you know, every person is good, and society and life and all these things can make us bad, but God made us in his image, like he says. Um, so I have a big thing about changing our mind state from because I think we all think we're bad when we do things. Like when we text and drive and then we beat ourselves up, or overeat and then we beat ourselves up. You know, we have this like stuck in us that we're bad. And so I think one of the biggest things we have to change is that thought and just know that we are good. The person that is murdering, I mean, if somebody could slap them in the face and tell them that they're good, I mean, like let's say you do something bad and then you're just gonna like keep repeating it because you keep telling yourself you're bad and you're bad, you know?
SPEAKER_02I think I understand what you're saying, but I think it I think the science of things has a lot to do with that, of like mental illness and genetic things and so true, but then isn't it society's um job to uh like help like do more brain scans? Yeah, and I think like um, you know, nurture versus nature, like I I agree with you. I think every baby is born innately good, and then as you grow up in your environment and your, you know, again genetics and mental health, things that are out of your control, you know, cause our lives to go that the way the way that they do.
SPEAKER_00So if we're born good, do we have the chance to go back to being good and being redeemed for every bad thing that we do?
SPEAKER_02Like by yourself or by another, like by God or I don't know. That's a good question. Because I'm just not of the Christian, like, you know, you're good or you're bad, or you you go to heaven or you go to hell, or you have to be forgiven, or you ask for forgiveness. You know what I mean? All those things. I'm like, that's too complicated, man. I think we're just here to do what we're meant to do, and it's just our own thing, and but again, I don't know. Like that's yeah, it's fun to do it. No, it's great to talk about, yeah. Yeah, I just like then it gets so like I don't know.
SPEAKER_00And I want to know, but uh yeah, I don't know. There's some things we're just not meant to know.
Happy Childhood And Final Thanks
unknownYeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Well, I wanted to end with a quote from Tim Robbins. He said, It's never too late to have a happy childhood. I think that can mean that we don't have to keep the story in our minds that we have of our childhood, whether that's working on that ourselves, or I just heard Chase Hughes, the behavior expert, talk about how like through hypnotherapy, you can literally rewire the past in your brain where you believe it differently. But also, I think that quote means that we can act like children now.
SPEAKER_02That kind of reminds me of the that one scene from Inside Out. It's like towards the end, or maybe not, it's where um there's a happy memory and then sadness goes and touches it and it becomes blue, and then at the end of the movie, um there's all these multicolored memories, like one's green and purple, and one's yellow and red.
SPEAKER_00Kind of both paired memories. Right.
SPEAKER_02And so I think as adults, we can go back and do the same thing with our childhood memories and also still be a kid.
SPEAKER_00Be a kid, do the goofy thing, who cares? That's one of my mantras right now is like I am playful because with not drinking anymore. I don't feel like a playful person, but like, can't I? Can't I try? Right.
SPEAKER_02Like, go be silly and goofy. You could die tomorrow, and then you're gonna be like, oh, I was too serious. For what? Right? Who cares? Right, yeah. That's like where I'm at right now in my 24th year of like who cares? Yeah, just do it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Love that. Yeah. Uh so again, thank you so much everybody who has watched. Um, reach out and hopefully we'll start up again soon. And I lied, I want to do one more quote. By John Constable. I never saw an ugly thing in my life. For let the form of an object be what it may. Light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful. Thank you for helping me make Supernot beautiful. Yeah. I'm so proud of it.
SPEAKER_02Thanks for inviting me to be part of it. Oh, it's so fun. Now I just want to like do this all the time. Okay, let's figure it out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Okay.