The Horizon Story

Everybody's got a manaʻo—a thought, a belief, a way of seeing the world. In the Season 1 finale, the questions come from many listeners, and the manaʻo from one: Norma Wong. The tables turn as Executive Producer Naʻalehu Anthony and guest Nan Stoops pose a series of challenging questions to host Norma. Together they explore the anxiety and isolation of this moment, the pull of othering and identity politics, and the role of creativity in finding our way back to each other. And finally, Norma takes on the question on all of our minds: is peace possible?In this episode:Mental health, young people, and the quiet epidemic of isolationHo'okipa: what it means and why it matters nowThe case for defiance: refusing to be dividedThe importance of creating small thingsIs peace possible?Resources for this episode:Story of the LeiStand with MinnesotaFind us: thehorizonstory.com | Substack | YouTube | wherever you get your podcastsIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who's ready to hear it. And if you'd like to help keep this work going, consider becoming a supporter of the show.Support the show

What if the most important element is missing from the periodic table? What if understanding that element could improve your strategy and help you take bigger, bolder leaps?In this episode, Norma sits down with guest Nan Stoops to get gloriously wonky, digging into chemistry, math, and the core question of this episode: what is the Human Quotient, and why might it determine whether we, as a species, make it fruitfully to the other side of this collapse? In this episode:Did scientists actually get the periodic table wrong?Why 1+1 is always more than twoWhat separates knowledge from wisdom?Why leaders and strategists should account for the Human Quotient (and what happens when they don't).Awake versus woke What does it look like to spread a useful contagion?Referenced in this episode:Scientific American, April 2026. Jeffrey Brandzburg, Limerick on InfinityWhen No Thing Works, page 80Who We are Becoming Matters, chapter 7Find us: thehorizonstory.com | Substack | YouTube | wherever you get your podcastsIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who's ready to hear it. And if you'd like to help keep this work going, consider becoming a supporter of the show.Support the show

We're living through a moment that demands more than business as usual. So what does it actually look like to interrupt old habits, make consequential choices, and pivot? If evolution begins with us, how do we rise to meet these conditions instead of retreating into what's familiar?Norma and Nan dig into the nature of courage, habit, and what it really takes to grow.In this episode:Identifying our habits & why interrupting them is an act of courageThe gift of not taking yourself too seriouslyWhat community organizer Grace Lee Boggs understood about revolution (and why it still matters). What it actually takes to evolve (and why most of us resist it)Referenced in this episode:Starre Vartan, The Stronger SexThe Boggs Center Find us: thehorizonstory.com | Substack | YouTube | wherever you get your podcastsIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who's ready to hear it. And if you'd like to help keep this work going, consider becoming a supporter of the show.Support the show

What does it cost when we subtract each other from the equation?In a world that makes division easy, host Norma Wong and guest Nan Stoops take time to do the math.  This episode adds up the real cost of othering, and makes the case for wholeness as the only equation that works.In this conversation, Norma and Nan discuss:Why Sun Tzu’s teachings on fire speak to this moment of social divisionThe difference between worldview and ideology-and why it mattersWhat Minneapolis taught usWhy this generation’s assignment is to choose humanityIf you’re feeling the weight of a divided world and looking for strategies and a sense of purpose, this conversation is for you. Visit us at thehorizonstory.com, subscribe on Substack, watch on YouTube, and listen wherever you get your podcasts. If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who is ready to hear it. To keep this work going, become a supporter of the show!Support the show

What happens when the systems and institutions we depend on start to fail us? In this episode, Norma Wong and guests Nan Stoops and Executive Producer Naʻalehu Anthony explore an important question: can struggling systems continue to deliver? And, if institutions stop working, do we fix the system, or look elsewhere?From potholes and policy works to the power of simple things, this conversation cuts through the noise of politics and polarization to ask something more fundamental: what can we do at this particular moment? P.S. Stay for a Buzz Lightyear reference and a nod to Seattle Mariners fans-people who know a thing or two about loyalty through the long haul!Visit us at thehorizonstory.com, subscribe on Substack, watch on YouTube, and listen wherever you get your podcasts. If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who is ready to hear it. To keep this work going, become a supporter of the show!Support the show

Where do you come from? Not just the place, but what are the stories that make you? In this episode, Norma Wong and guest Nan Stoops talk about origins: our personal, collective, and generational stories, and what it means to know where you come from in this moment of overlapping crises. Visit us at thehorizonstory.com and subscribe on Substack, watch on  YouTube, and listen wherever you get your podcasts. If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. To keep this work going, become a supporter of the show!Support the show

When everything feels like it's falling apart, how do we make sense of this moment? In this first-ever episode, host Norma Wong introduces the purpose of The Horizon Story podcast and how she makes sense of the world around her in a time of collapse. She is joined by Executive Producer Na'alehu Anthony, and they discuss accelerating change, how to handle anxiety, and what it means to meet this moment maka'ala, eyes wide open.Visit us at thehorizonstory.com, subscribe on Substack, watch on YouTube, and listen wherever you get your podcasts. If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who is ready to hear it.  To keep this work going, become a supporter of the show!Support the show

Exciting news...We are launching a podcast! The Horizon Story with Norma Wong is a new podcast grounded in a Native Hawaiian, Zen, and indigenous worldview.Each episode shares thought-provoking teachings, conversations, poetry, and humor in the context of complex local and global challenges. Building on the themes in Norma's first two books, "When No Thing Works" and "Who We Are Becoming Matters," The Horizon Story offers fresh perspectives on world events, navigating rapid change, and choosing who we become in this moment.Starting April 30th, we'll have a new episode every Thursday. This weekly podcast will be available to listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and to watch on YouTube. We encourage you to subscribe to The Horizon Story Substack community and connect with others. Learn more and join the Substack at thehorizonstory.com. Stay tuned next week for the first episode!Support the show