The Power of Sharing Pain When someone’s hurting, our instinct is to fix their problems or offer comforting words. But what if real support isn’t about solving at all? In this episode, we explore the art of holding space, pausing our urge to fix, truly listening, and sharing another’s burden. Pain, like a glowing ember, often needs to be witnessed …

Why Do Some Loves Last While Others Fade? We often think deep connection comes from instant chemistry, but the truth is the opposite. Real love, real meaning, and real fulfillment begin after the spark fades. Relationships, careers, even passions only become truly valuable when we’ve seen them at their worst—and chosen to stay. The breaking point i…

Ambition vs. Purpose: What Really Drives You? We celebrate ambition, but without purpose, it’s just motion without meaning. In this episode, I share stories from corporate America that reveal how ego and status-chasing can waste time, fuel politics, and drain creativity. Discover how shifting from ambition to purpose builds resilience, fuels joy, a…

Why We Should Rethink Our “Enemies” Why do some people get under our skin so easily? In this Skipping Stones episode, we explore the surprising truth about conflict: both sides usually believe they’re right, yet we’re all wrong sometimes. The real reason to “love your enemies” isn’t for their benefit—it’s for yours. Understanding those who hurt us …

Can Pain Be a Path to Growth? We’ve spent centuries trying to avoid pain, but what if it’s the key to real growth? In this episode of Skipping Stones, Seth Roberts explores how pain becomes unbearable when it feels meaningless. But when pain has a purpose, it becomes a challenge we can grow from. Through powerful stories and insights, learn how to …

Why Being “Perfect” Is Pushing People Away Trying to be perfect might be the very thing keeping you from a real connection. In this episode of Skipping Stones, we explore how vulnerability, authenticity, and emotional honesty are key to building stronger relationships. Hear how one shift in a dating profile led to deeper conversations and why being…

Turning Hardship Into Strength: The Hidden Power of Adversity Why do we wear our struggles like badges of honor? In this episode, we explore the strange relationship between hardship, identity, and personal growth. Discover how adversity builds resilience, confidence, and character in ways that privilege often can't. With powerful insights from psy…

Emotions spread fast. One person panics, and suddenly everyone feels on edge. But what if you could be the calm in the chaos? After witnessing a friend's apartment ceiling collapse, I was reminded how powerful a steady presence can be during a crisis. In this episode of Skipping Stones, we explore how active listening, emotional awareness, and calm…

In this episode of Skipping Stones, we explore the powerful contrast between two mindsets: prey and predator. Prey scans for danger. Predator locks in on a goal. As humans, we can do both but knowing when to switch might change everything. Whether it’s avoiding that new opportunity because you’re afraid to look foolish, or holding back from an hone…

How Kids Really Build Confidence (Hint: It's Not Hand-Holding) When should parents step back and let their kids struggle? Inspired by a scene from The Chronicles of Narnia where Aslan says, “Let the prince win his spurs,” this episode dives into how real confidence is built, not given. From ancient rites of passage to modern over-parenting, we expl…

Divorce breaks more than vows. It can unravel your identity, future, and sense of self. In this honest episode of Skipping Stones, we explore the quiet collapse that begins long before the paperwork, the emotional crash that follows, and the deep identity shift that comes after. From lonely nights to painful choices, this is a look at what really h…

Is It Love or Just Infatuation? In this episode of Skipping Stones, we break down the difference between true love and infatuation. Real love isn’t about constant excitement or missing someone every second. It’s about calm, trust, and feeling safe with someone who makes your life better, not more dramatic. We explore why many people confuse fantasy…

Drowning in Self-Help? Try This Instead Feeling behind because you're not cold plunging at 5 AM, journaling daily, or starting your dream business by lunch? You’re not the only one. The self-improvement world often pushes us to overhaul our lives all at once, but that’s a fast track to burnout, not real progress. In this episode of Skipping Stones,…

Why You're Not as Behind as You Think It’s easy to believe others are ahead, more successful, more fulfilled, more everything. But that feeling often says more about where you're looking than where you truly are. In this episode of Skipping Stones, we explore how comparison distorts our view of progress and keeps us chasing someone else’s idea of s…

What men want in relationships beyond sex might surprise you, especially when it comes to emotional needs. In this episode of Skipping Stones, we dive into the often-overlooked truth behind masculine and feminine dynamics. Men don’t just want respect or physical connection, they crave nurturing love. Not in a maternal sense, but in the form of warm…

Why do some of the smartest people struggle to succeed? It turns out that intelligence alone isn’t enough. In this episode of Skipping Stones, we explore two surprising ways smart people sabotage their own potential: overconfidence that blocks learning and a constant craving for novelty that prevents long-term progress. We’ll unpack why slow, stead…

Why do we always want more even when we already have so much? That car, that phone, that dream vacation... they thrill us for a moment, then fade. Meanwhile, the quiet beauty of everyday life goes unnoticed. In this week’s episode of Skipping Stones, we explore how to shift our attention from what’s missing to what’s already amazing. From kids turn…

Have you ever noticed how destruction grabs our attention, but beauty quietly waits for it? This episode explores why we’re drawn to negative things more than uplifting ones and what that says about how we live. We chase quick pleasures like success or comfort, but they rarely satisfy. The truly powerful moments, like watching a sunrise, hearing mo…

Have you noticed how tightly we cling to certainty, even when the evidence says otherwise? This episode explores the hidden power of embracing uncertainty. From Galileo to Einstein, history shows that breakthroughs often come when we admit we do not have all the answers. Our mental maps help us navigate life, but true growth happens when we dare to…

What fills your cup—success, admiration, wealth? Many of us chase these things, only to find our fulfillment draining away, like a cup with hidden holes. This episode explores the difference between fleeting happiness and lasting contentment. True satisfaction doesn’t come from achievement alone, but from living in alignment with our values. Even g…

That harsh inner voice constantly pointing out flaws and mistakes, doesn’t have to define your self-image. We’ve been taught that self-criticism drives improvement, but what if it’s holding us back instead? A personal story about a childhood photo reveals how we’re often needlessly cruel to ourselves. Would you speak to a child the way you speak to…

What happens when we stop standing up for ourselves? When do we become so focused on pleasing others that we fade into the background? Boundaries shape our relationships, yet many struggle to set them. From childhood, we learn through resistance, testing limits to understand the world. In adulthood, when we offer no resistance, we paradoxically bec…

Naming emotions gives us power over them. When we misidentify what we're feeling, we become controlled by unseen forces instead of responding thoughtfully. Seth Roberts explores how accurately naming emotions—like realizing irritability stems from hunger, not anger—helps us break reactive patterns. Drawing from Spirited Away and horror films, he il…

Pride can be an invisible barrier, quietly stealing joy from life’s simplest moments. Why do experiences that should bring happiness often create tension instead? How can a game of foosball shift from fun to frustration the moment your self-image feels threatened? In this episode, Seth Roberts explores how the mental pictures we create of ourselves…

What happens when a man who expected to be Superman can’t even land a role as a henchman? His soul weeps. Men often define themselves by what they contribute, so when that crumbles, they’re left with a deep sense of defeat. The defeated man takes many forms: the executive battling imposter syndrome, the divorced father losing touch with his childre…

These days, we’re all told to want more — more money, more stuff, more experiences. But no matter how much we get, it never feels like enough. What if the secret to happiness isn’t having more, but actually needing less? This episode looks at how life has become way too complicated. We have endless options from streaming shows to places to travel t…

Are you tired of letting others dictate your emotions? Discover the intricacies of personal power in maintaining emotional independence while navigating everyday relationships. In this episode, we delve deep into sibling rivalry as a catalyst for exploring who we allow to control our emotional reactions. From humorous tales of children’s squabbles,…

What if the fear of others' opinions no longer held you back from being truly authentic? Join me, Seth Roberts, in our latest episode of Skipping Stones as we unravel the complex relationship between vulnerability and the pursuit of genuine connection. Explore the courage it takes to live authentically in a world that's often overwhelmed with super…

What truly deserves our time and attention? This haunting question has lingered in my mind as I, Seth Roberts, navigate the profound impact of loss and the tumultuous journey of healing on this episode of Skipping Stones. Imagine standing still while the world spins on, grappling with the deep emotional scars left by losing a loved one—whether thro…

Have you ever wondered if your name shapes your destiny? Join me, Seth Roberts, on Skipping Stones, as we wander through the mystical realms of identity and intention. Inspired by the magical world of "Spirited Away," we unravel the enchanting power names have over our lives. From a witch controlling spirits by taking their names to real-life stori…

Ever find yourself questioning what truly deserves your time and energy? Join me, Seth Roberts, as I share some personal anecdotes from parenting that shed light on how belief shapes our capabilities. Consider this: my son, adamant he couldn't stomach a new food, eventually overcame his resistance when a sweet treat was on the line. This simple yet…

What if the wrinkles and scars we often view as imperfections are actually the most beautiful parts of our story? Join me, Seth Roberts, on Skipping Stones as we reimagine the very essence of aging, not as a process to be resisted, but as a rich tapestry of life's experiences. Through the lens of the Japanese art of Kintsugi, we explore the notion …

Have you ever wondered if the challenges you face could be the key to unlocking your true potential? Join me, Seth Roberts, on Skipping Stones as I make the case that hardships are not hindrances but stepping stones to self-discovery. Drawing parallels between the resilience of weeds and the human spirit, this episode examines how living intentiona…

Have you ever wondered why our 'shoulds' often lead to unnecessary frustration and conflict? Join me, Seth Roberts, as we break down the barriers of rigid expectations and explore the art of meeting people where they are on Skipping Stones. Through stories from both my professional sphere and personal encounters, let's challenge the notion of impos…

What if our dream homes were less about grandeur and more about reflecting our true values and aspirations? Join me, Seth Roberts, as we explore this intriguing idea through heartfelt conversations with my children and a nostalgic look back at my childhood fantasies. Together, we'll challenge the conventional notion of a dream home and reveal how o…

What does it really mean to be brave in the face of fear? On this journey with Skipping Stones, I share my own encounters with fear, from the spine-chilling amusement park rides of my childhood to stepping back into the dating world after a divorce. These personal stories are woven together with experiences from soldiers whose fears have evolved an…

Can you imagine a world where waiting for perfection keeps us from achieving greatness? On this episode of Skipping Stones, I, Seth Roberts, share insights from my journey with excavation teams and how sometimes we overlook the power of simplicity—a trusted shovel—while waiting for an elusive excavator. My reflections extend beyond dirt and machine…

What if living a more fulfilled life was simply a matter of changing your perspective? Join me, Seth Roberts, in this episode of Skipping Stones as we explore the transformative art of finding joy in the journey rather than just the destination. Inspired by insights from an Andrew Huberman video, we uncover how embracing the effort, not just the re…

Maybe it isn’t always a bad thing that we can be a little crazy at times. Straddling reality and fantasy is where people can make amazing things happen. Influences: Taylor Swift, Time Travel, and Malcolm Gladwell Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]저자 Seth Roberts

The people we think we know usually have much more to them than we may ever realize. We like to hide behind walls that conceal who we are from others, but those same walls can become a prison. Influences: Shrek, Fortresses, and Friendship Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]…

It is better to do a good job than to strive to do a perfect job. Reaching for perfection is like flying too close to the sun. Influences: Icarus, Mother Teresa, and Pottery Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]저자 Seth Roberts

Are our efforts to leave a mark on this planet in vain? Is it even possible to leave a lasting legacy? If we want to make a lasting impact on the world, where will our efforts make the biggest impact? Influences: Presidents of the United States, Industrial Tycoons, and Big Fancy Buildings Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]…

At what point does it become the right decision to let something go? Is there a person, belief, idea, dream or fear that we need to let go of? Sometimes, in order to hang on to these we stop ourselves from growing in a healthier way. Influences: Frozen, Weightlifting, and Pretzels Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]…

Journaling is possibly the best pathway we have to truly understand ourselves, as well as our own thoughts. It is so much more than simply recording the details of your day. Influences: Podcasting, Anxiety, and Depression Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]저자 Seth Roberts

How do we want to be admired, and what things do we do in pursuit of that admiration? It is easy to rely on symbols and associations to promote our individuality and worth, but the best strategy has always been, and always will be, to actually be admirable, independent of those things. Influences: Elephants, Rap Music, Ambition Website: skippingsto…

Standards, apathy, joy, happiness, freedom, religion, and nautical metaphors. What would we be willing to die for and why should we even bother caring about anything? Influences: Star Wars, Ukraine, Trees, Boat Anchors, and Unanchored People Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]…

How can a person stay connected to reality when they have no one around them but worshippers and opportunists? Are these the right people for us to be placing on pedestals? Influences: The “Me Too” Movement, Tabloids Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]저자 Seth Roberts

What things do you spend your time and attention on that are not moving you closer to where you want to be? The cost is high when we fail to properly estimate the value of things in our lives. Influences: Benjamin Franklin Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]저자 Seth Roberts

Are we trying to convince ourselves of our own importance by pursuing status? Is it even possible to give up status? Maybe, in the end, the only status that matters is that which is associated with having lived a good life. Influences: Hair Salons, Money, Jesus Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]…

Simple kindness begins with a hello. We take the simplest greeting for granted, but it exists because it has value. Consider giving a stranger the gift of acknowledging their existence. Influences: Small Towns, High School, and The South Website: skippingstonessr.com Email: [email protected]저자 Seth Roberts