One brave act can inspire someone to step back from the ledge and try again (Episode 337)

One brave act can inspire someone to step back from the ledge and try again | Ep 337
Courage doesn’t always look like a polished speech or a perfect plan; sometimes it’s a shaky voice, a high platform, and a song that isn’t in your range—sung anyway to prove that trying matters. We open our hearts to the story of Elliston Berry and her family, honoring her as our 2024 Voice of the Year and reflecting on how their painful experience helped catalyze the Take It Down Act into federal law. Recognition from TIME’s top 100 AI voices can’t erase what happened, but it does spotlight a truth we live by: when people speak up, systems can change.

From there, we get honest about the behind-the-scenes work that few see. Building meaningful projects means wrestling with impatience, managing privacy, and protecting ideas until they’re ready. As a team—and as a host living with ADHD, anxiety, and major depression—we talk about the mental load of slow progress and the discipline of showing up every day. There’s a reason we keep experimenting with unconventional segments, including a cappella performances and that scissor lift guitar set. It’s not theater; it’s a living lesson in stepping into fear and giving others permission to try, even when the odds of awkwardness are high.

We also share the practical pathways for staying connected: five titles through Voices for Voices Publishing, a thriving Mythical Creatures Around the World community on Facebook, and active channels on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, X, and more. Across nearly 90 countries and close to 900 cities, this growing network is where stories meet resources and where a single moment of resonance can make someone pause and choose differently. If one listener steps back from the ledge or sends a text instead of going silent, that is the impact we measure.

Thank you for being part of this journey. If the message moved you, subscribe, download past episodes, and share this conversation with someone who might need it today. Leave a review to help more people find these stories—and tell us: what fear will you face next?

Chapter Markers
0:02 Welcome & Mission Check
2:14 Honoring Elliston Berry
4:24 From Trauma to Federal Law
6:28 Projects, Growth, and Patience
9:03 Mental Health: Managing Impatience
12:27 Privacy, Pace, and Protection
14:22 Gratitude for a Global Community
16:05 Books, Community, and Social Channels
18:03 Why the A Cappella Segments Exist
21:15 Facing Fears on a Scissor Lift
24:08 Imperfect Action as Inspiration
27:05 Laugh, Learn, Keep Going
30:45 Closing Thanks and Blessings

#Inspiration #Bravery #MentalHealthAwareness #Resilience #Hope #MotivationMonday #CourageToChange #TakeTheLeap #SupportEachOther #PositiveVibesOnly #StepBackFromTheLedge #ActsOfKindness #FindingStrengthWithin #EncouragementMatters #YouAreNotAlone #justiceforsurvivors #justice4survivors #VoicesforVoices #VoicesforVoicesPodcast #JustinAlanHayes #JustinHayes #help3billion #TikTok #Instagram #truth #factoverfictionmatters #transparency #VoiceForChange #HealingTogether #VoicesForVoices337