In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we explore integrity not as an abstract virtue, but as something actively created through courageous, often costly choices. Through the life of Ida B. Wells-Barnett—journalist, educator, and civil rights activist—we examine how integrity is formed by aligning one's beliefs with actions, even in the face of loss and opposition. From her early responsibility after losing her parents to her fearless exposure of the truth behind lynching, Ida’s life shows us that integrity is rooted in truth-telling and sustained through discipline, responsibility, and persistence.

We are invited to view integrity as a daily practice, rather than a single brave moment—one that produces action, contribution, and clarity, rather than comfort or approval. Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s legacy is directly connected to the heart of Happiness Through Creating: happiness emerges not from ease, but from wholeness—when who we are and how we live are in alignment. As we reflect on her story, we are encouraged to consider where integrity is asking to be expressed more fully in our own lives, and how small, honest acts of courage can create peace, self-respect, and a life grounded in truth.

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In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we explore powerful lessons on resilience, joy, and creativity through the story of Beethoven Lives Upstairs. Set at the beginning of a new year, the episode reflects on how Ludwig van Beethoven continued to compose music even after losing his hearing—one of the greatest challenges a musician can face. Through the eyes of a young boy named Christoph, the film reveals Beethoven not only as a musical genius but as a deeply human creator who remained passionate, stubborn, playful, and fully alive through his commitment to music.

This episode focuses on how Beethoven’s persistence, preparation, and love for creating sustained his happiness amid opposition. We explore the idea of “inner music”—the skills, habits, values, and creative practices we build over time that carry us through uncertainty and challenge. As we step into a new year, Beethoven’s story reminds us that happiness isn’t found only in finished goals, but in the act of creating itself. No matter what this year brings, your inner music matters—and continuing to create may be the very thing that sustains you.

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What does it really mean to survive, and why does love play such a powerful role in keeping us alive?

In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we explore the deeper meaning behind Gloria Gaynor’s iconic song “I Will Survive.” Beyond being a disco anthem, this song is a creation story born from injury, rejection, fear, and reinvention.

We unpack the real-life setbacks behind the song’s creation, reflect on the honest fear in its opening lines, and focus deeply on the message at its core: “As long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive.”

This episode explores how love — for yourself, for others, for creativity, for purpose — becomes a life force. We discuss boundaries, healing as creative work, identity rebirth, and the powerful shift from focusing on what we’ve lost to recognizing what we still have to offer.

If you’re rebuilding, starting over, or stepping into a new season of life, this episode is a reminder that survival is not just about endurance; it’s about contribution, creation, and becoming someone new.

Because once you’ve survived… the next question is: What will you create now?

Here is a link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVzA0-QeGnI

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In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we reflect on why beginnings matter more than resolutions, using the tradition of First Day Hikes as a powerful metaphor for how real change actually starts. Rather than focusing on big promises or dramatic goals, the episode explores how simple movement—like taking a walk on January 1st—can become a meaningful declaration of identity. A first step, however small, shifts us from standing at the edge of a new season into actively living within it.

Brian utilizes the Creation Cycle and the Insight Loop to demonstrate the importance of character. This episode is an invitation to stop waiting for clarity or inspiration and to begin through action instead. Whether it’s a walk, a conversation, or a single brave decision, taking a step creates trust, confidence, and forward motion. Happiness, the episode reminds us, doesn’t come from declarations—it comes from creating.

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In this extended episode of Happiness Through Creating, we are invited to learn from one of nature’s most overlooked teachers: trees. As we stand on the edge of a new year, we explore how trees embody timeless principles of creativity, resilience, patience, and contribution. Drawing lessons from trees around the world—from the water-storing Baobab and the intentionally shaped Bonsai, to storm-tested Mangroves and ancient Bristlecone Pines—we begin to see trees not as background scenery, but as living mentors for a meaningful, creative life.

Through these examples, the episode reveals how lasting creation is built through preparation, intentional growth, adaptability, and long-term vision. Trees remind us that beauty can emerge from imperfection, flexibility is strength, and what we create always shapes the environment around us. As the new year approaches, we’re invited to reflect: What are we growing? What roots are we strengthening? And what kind of tree are we becoming? Because if happiness truly comes through creating, trees show us how to create in ways that endure, contribute, and give life to others.

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In this episode, we explore the meaning and creative power of the New Year’s song “Auld Lang Syne,” tracing its origins from an 18th-century Scottish poem by Robert Burns to its place as a global ritual marking transition and renewal. The episode unpacks how remembering is not about clinging to the past, but about consciously deciding what we carry forward. Through the song’s central question—whether old acquaintances and experiences should be forgotten—we’re invited to see reflection as a necessary phase of creation, one that shapes character, motivation, and the direction of what comes next.

The episode highlights kindness as the key creative posture for closing one chapter and opening another. By taking “a cup of kindness” toward who we were, what we experienced, and how we’ve changed, we create the emotional space needed for growth, forgiveness, and intentional movement into the future. Rituals like New Year’s Eve matter because they anchor meaning, and meaning shapes identity. Rather than asking whether the next year will be good, the episode encourages listeners to ask what they want to create, what they need to release, and how reflection, gratitude, and kindness can help author a new chapter with clarity and purpose.

Here is a link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aop6YF1Xqqg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, we explore the idea that memory is not an individual possession but a shared, creative process shaped by our relationships and communities. Drawing on sociologist Maurice Halbwachs’ theory of collective memory, the episode examines how identity, meaning, and happiness are deeply relational—formed through the stories, traditions, and interpretations we inherit and reinforce together. Memory is presented not as static recall, but as a living system that evolves as relationships change, helping explain why belonging strengthens joy, why isolation erodes it, and why the same event can be remembered differently depending on one’s place within a group.

The episode then connects collective memory to creation, happiness, and repentance, inviting listeners to see themselves as stewards of remembered meaning. By reframing shared memories with compassion, creating meaningful rituals, speaking new stories into stuck relationships, and intentionally remembering goodness, we actively shape healthier futures. The central invitation is to recognize memory as one of the most powerful creative forces we possess—one that can heal rather than harden—and to choose, intentionally, the stories we reinforce and pass on as we create who we become together.

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In this special Christmas Eve episode of Happiness Through Creating, we reflect on the timeless song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and the story behind it. Inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s personal grief and the turmoil of the Civil War, the song reminds us how hope, joy, and meaning can be created even in the midst of hardship.

We explore how acknowledging reality, acting intentionally, celebrating small miracles, and believing in the power of goodness can transform despair into creativity, resilience, and lasting happiness. This episode is a heartfelt guide for turning Christmas Eve into a moment of reflection, hope, and intentional creation.

Here is a link to the song: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Vi0BxAbpg

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