Small Stories about Big Things

Sometimes life nicks below the surface - and maybe that’s a gift. An insight gleaned from the day I showed up to a Zoom call with a cut from my recent shaving. Enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Sometimes the story is the one unfolding in your head. Recently, I had one of those unfold - and it evolved into a fundamental, timely question for all of us: what makes you come alive? Enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

A few moments at a skate park pretending to live the early 90’s good life quickly shifted into a few days of pain - and an important reminder about the things that break and the things that don’t. Enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Moving forward is essential. It’s just that some movements are better than others, and the very best forward movement is always born of deep-rooted stillness. Root-to-rise as they say in yoga, no? Enjoy the latest Small Story born of a few moments from a recent car-honking, lavender-scented yoga class!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

One moment you're touring through a magical escape, the next you’re holding a postcard - and the one person you most want to send that postcard to is… not here anymore. Grief sneaks up on us at the strangest times… and it illuminates our understanding of hope and how we want to navigate the days we are given.It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Oftentimes the frustrating pace, presence, principles, or personality of others is, in fact, our best teacher. I recently rediscovered that truth - and a timely insight for us all - through my youngest son’s excruciatingly slow pace. It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

"There are a lot of rests in music," our eight-year-old's violin teacher recently said. Turns out it’s the same in life. The most impactful, creative, and inspiring lives have a rhythm of rest - though perhaps some of us are struggling to believe that in a society where it often feels that playing note-after-note-after-note is the only way to press forward.It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Rocket Fuel elixir to get us to our Next Big Thing is on sale everywhere. Usually, though, it’s fear masquerading as promise. Far more powerful is another potent, revolutionary, albeit quiet fuel - one I received afresh at the recent National Speaker’s Association annual conference. It’s also one that is readily available to you right this very moment.It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

My three-year-old caught me - I had not really apologized to him. In the process of fixing my mistake, I also gained fresh insights about the power and importance of forgiveness - especially in our time, and perhaps especially for where things are in your life vis-a-vie another?It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

A one-minute wait for my coffee turned into an internal rage around my unmet (and ridiculous) expectations - and then it morphed into a few unexpected surprises, including a central reminder in life: we are not victims, we are creators. Always, somehow and someway - we have agency.It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

I showed up in the second grade and knew nobody. Nerves. Anxiety. Fears of every kind. And then Casey passed me the football during recess one day - and it changed everything because there is profound power, possibility, and healing available to us when we discover where and how we belong - and when we help others know the same. And in a country in which we are facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, giving and receiving this gift is an urgent need. It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

A Lyft ride turned into a rich, deep, and surprising reflection on the challenges that we face when we do something new, the possibilities we never dreamed of, and The Thing that matters most in every season of life. It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Grief, it seems, plays by the same rules as impromptu Toastmasters speeches. It arrives with no warning, provides you with no preparation for its wave, and then calls forth something you had no idea sat like a volcano under the surface. What I discovered about dealing with it one Friday morning when it snuck up on me? You have to go through it.It’s the lastest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Some days go nowhere obvious. They happen the way clouds float by without any obvious engine, motivation, or direction. But then sometimes those same days can end with lightning. Like a blazing, awakening streak of light that is almost too much to behold and is forever seared into the memory. That was a recent Tuesday for me. It’s the latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

What if the best way to offer your life with full generosity, creativity, and vitality begins not with pushing harder but letting go? In particular, what if you could just a little more sleep? My overly scheduled-self recently rediscovered the simple, timeless, and empowering wisdom regarding rest. Enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

The best place to discover and live our most compelling visions? Offer our true voice? Put forth our best and most creative work? The messy space of grace - and I stumbled into that space while recording a video interview for BHL Coaching. Enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

I recently asked a sampling of clients and colleagues about a time when they made a notable gearshift, transition, or change in their work and/or life - and in this podcast I share briefly about…1. What brought them to their moment of change/transition2. What then unfolded for these folks3. How these stories intersect with my coachingEnjoy! More at bhl.coachThe Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Perfect, polished, and profound - who doesn’t want their work to be just that?! And yet I recently tried to make that happen in a speaking competition and realized (again) that ‘perfect’ does not connect. A genuine heart does - and that is the secret ingredient that not only makes for great storytelling but greatness in all facets of life.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

So many things are a mess these days, including our backyard. Usually, I jump into the mess with action. But a recent moment sipping coffee next to our ridiculous backyard had me noticing how attention is its own kind of generative action. It even got me wondering… what if less action and more attention is precisely what we need in order to best address the mess that is before us (as well as the one within us)?The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Many of us love to go fast. We drive fast. We move fast. We work fast. But what if that Mission Pace is racing right by the things that matter most? What might be gained from learning to live in the Moment Pace instead? The latest Small Story unpacks a couple of stories about both paces - and what is underneath each of them.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

A small coffee shop moment reminded me that there are countless moments every single day where we can choose to disconnect in order to connect… and it is a gift every time we make that choice.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

We usually avoid dumpster fires at all costs. But what if the fires we usually avoid or deeply lament have a profound and surprising good at work in them? My three-year-old’s recent desire to ‘walk on fire’ spurred this latest Small Story - enjoy!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Ever tried out for something and got cut? I got cut from an acapella group in college, and the experience taught me a great deal about how to make it big in today’s ever-changing, ever-unpredictable world. The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Following your call, stepping by faith, and doing the next right thing… noble sentiments for sure. The reality? It’s usually a lot messier. And that’s not such a bad thing. Enjoy the latest Small Story about stepping in mud, the blessing of discomfort, and some timely questions for anyone looking to follow a call.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Sometimes we lose our way - but the way to fresh clarity is closer than we might think. Enjoy the latest Small Story!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

As a child, I learned that you are supposed to color inside the lines. As an adult, I see there is a great deal of wisdom in learning about coloring outside of them, too. In fact, the best art (and the most authentic lives) do just that. Enjoy the latest Small Story!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Sometimes life feels like one big waiting room… things are smaller, less inspiring, and less big than we had wanted. But, then sometimes a simple prick wakes us up and we see that same room in a whole new way. Enjoy the latest Small Story!The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Feeling like you’re not old enough, young enough, credentialed enough, experienced enough, or good enough? Maybe it’s time to get in the reps. Enjoy the latest Small Story about beating imposter syndrome and living more fully into the call emerging in your life.—The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.The original story can be read here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Sometimes we spend our days swimming quietly below the waters - and other times we find the courage to leap. To dance. To live fueled by joy. Enjoy the latest story about a Pacific boat outing, whale ballet, and what it looks like to make some real waves in this world.—The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.The original story can be read here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Sheet music is great. Until it’s not. Eventually, all of us arrive at a time in our life when the sheet music/script/recipe we had been following no longer works. And we realize what we have to do: try some improv.Which can be terrifying! Fortunately, there’s a way through that fear, and even a surprising gift amid those first unscripted notes. Enjoy the latest Small Story about the time when I learned to play improv in my college jazz band.—The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.The original story is found below: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

The glow of screens dominates modern life. And while screens are beneficial and even essential in modern society - they sometimes obscure a more sublime glow that humans have known about for a very long time. And it’s a glow that is ever at hand, especially as the days get shorter and colder. The original story can be read here.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

We love the sentiment, “Go Big or Go Home!” But the real secret to building something big (that lasts)? Start much, much smaller. A small story from a recent Camping 101 outing - and what campfires teach us about the good work we are trying to grow.The original story can be read here.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

It’s the thing we spend most of our time avoiding - and yet the very thing that can free us for the focus, vitality, and meaningful productivity for which we long. And it was my seven-year year old who brought it up during a recent trip in the car. Enjoy the latest Small Story about a (very) Big Thing.The original story can be read here.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

Sometimes the story we’re telling ourselves isn’t true. And sometimes it takes a little embarrassment to help us see more clearly how much we simply had not been seeing. Enjoy a story about cornhole, harshly judging a 10-year-old, and our continual need for fresh humility. The original story can be read here.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com

We love the light - but sometimes we see more clearly when the lights go out. An insight drawn from navigating my seven-year-old's toy-strewn bedroom in the pitch dark. The original story can be read here.The Small Stories about Big Things Podcast is also on Spotify, and it will be on other podcast outlets shortly! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bobbyhulmelippert.substack.com