Need A Lift? with Tim Shriver

Before running 26 marathons and winning 6 gold medals in the Special Olympics, Loretta Claiborne dealt with a lot of anger. She was bullied for her intellectual disability by both her peers and teachers. But when Loretta discovered running, she found a way to process her emotions as well as a community where she was cherished. She compares discovering her identity as an athlete to finding a new pair of pants that fit perfectly. Loretta believes that teamwork and play have a spiritual quality, one that can bring us together. “Everybody says, ‘Oh, we're all the same.’ We're not all the same. We are different. But it doesn't matter, we have a common bond,” Loretta says.***Our theme music was written by Andy Ogden and produced by Tim Lauer, Andy Ogden and Julian Raymond. All other music that you hear in this episode is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. 

Simon Sinek’s mission is to figure out how to build a world where we’re more connected to each other through shared purpose and service. His research, which included studying businesses around the country and being embedded in the military, has brought Simon to some surprisingly simple truths. “Every single person who is at work is a human being,” he told Tim. “And it turns out all human beings want the exact same things. They want to feel seen. They want to feel heard. They want to feel understood. They want to feel like they're a part of something bigger than themselves.” His TED Talks have been seen by millions of people, and his book “Leaders Eat Last” is a bestseller. But his approach isn’t complicated. He told Tim that if we treat people better, they’ll be more engaged and ready to treat other people better, too. That ripple effect could have world-changing possibilities. “I believe in idealism. And if you want to call me naive, I think every idealist on the planet is naive. We're so stupid to believe that we can actually build a better world… Idealism is naive. That is the exact point.” ***Simon Sinek is an author and host of the podcast "A Bit of Optimism". You can find out more about his work at his website: simonsinek.com***Our theme music was written by Andy Ogden and produced by Tim Lauer, Andy Ogden and Julian Raymond. All other music that you hear in this episode is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. 

It’s hard to admit when we’ve failed. What if we’re judged? What if our shame is too heavy to bear? Or what if we’re seen as unlovable because of what we’ve done? Father Mike Schmitz believes that in order to be loved, we need to take that risk and show others our true selves, flaws included. “As long as I hold the mask on,” he told Tim, “...as long as I say this is the version of me that I want others to see, [that] I want God to see… We will never let ourselves be loved.” As a Catholic priest, Fr. Schmitz sees the act of confession, also called reconciliation, as an opportunity to let go of shame and to let another person (and God) see your whole self, the good and the bad. “What reconciliation is meant to be is not only… reconciled to God, but also reconciled to the community.”In this practice episode, we explore why the act of confession is an important practice for Catholics, and why it is a vital skill for all of us to learn.***Fr. Mike Schmitz is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and Chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He hosts "The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast" and "The Bible in a Year" podcast. You can find out more at: bulldogcatholic.com***Our theme music was written by Andy Ogden and produced by Tim Lauer, Andy Ogden and Julian Raymond. All other music that you hear in this episode is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. 

How do you stay in relationship with someone when you deeply disagree? Especially when the stakes are high? For Aziz Abu Sarah, Robi Damelin, and Yonatan Zeigen, Palestinian and Israeli peace activists, the answer lies in finding humor and empathy in each other’s stories, and not avoiding the hard conversations, especially when it comes to the areas that they do agree on: an end to violence in their region, justice and equality. “I think to have an equal relationship is something very hard… because we live in an unequal reality, ” Aziz told Tim. “There is still an occupation, an occupier and an occupied.” Aziz, Robi and Yonatan met through their work with The Parents Circle, which brings together Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones due to violence and are pushing for peace in the region. Robi lost her son, Aziz his brother, and Yonatan his mother, Vivian, who was murdered in her home on October 7th, 2023. Even though loss brought them together, their sense of humor keeps them connected. They joke around. They tease each other. In fact, as they told Tim, being able to laugh together is essential to how they build bonds and maintain relationships while doing the difficult work of peacebuilding.***You can find more about The Parents Circle Families Forum at their website: parentscirclefriends.org. You can find Aziz’s work at: AzizAbuSarah.com.***Our theme music was written by Andy Ogden and produced by Tim Lauer, Andy Ogden and Julian Raymond. All other music that you hear in this episode is courtesy of Epidemic Sound.

Michael and Nicole Phelps are experienced competitors – and winners. In 2010, Nicole won Miss California USA, and Michael is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 Olympic Medals (23 of those gold). But the Phelps also know that winning sometimes comes at a cost.  In 2014, Michael hit an all-time low in his struggle with mental health, but he found the courage to seek help. Michael checked himself into The Meadows, a residential treatment facility in the desert of Arizona, where he spent 45 days, addressing his depression and anxiety. Michael often felt like he couldn’t talk about his struggles while competing as a swimmer, but the tools he learned in treatment helped him bounce back even stronger than before. In 2015, Phelps opened up about his mental health challenges, becoming one of the first and most prominent athletes to do so. “My last go at the Olympics, it was completely different…I was basically just like, I don't care. I'm going to share and I'm going to be vulnerable. And to me it almost felt like a superpower.”  Michael’s focus on vulnerability was not only the catalyst to his healing but it also helped restore his relationship with his then girlfriend, now wife, Nicole. Today, as strong advocates for mental health, together they’ve learned to balance high achievement with emotional well-being and embrace both wins and losses. Nicole says they use these skills to instill a sense of resilience in their four young boys. “Please don't ever hand our children a participation trophy, because that's not how we function in this house. There is winning and there is losing. And we have to be able to understand both because you're gonna come out from both still alive, still safe, still breathing.” ***Michael and Nicole Phelps are experienced competitors and advocates for mental health. Find out more about the wonderful work they’re doing in the world of sports and mental health by visiting their website: michaelphelpsfoundation.org. ***Our theme music was written by Andy Ogden and produced by Tim Lauer, Andy Ogden and Julian Raymond. All other music that you hear in this episode is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. 

When life gets overwhelming and hard, where do you turn? Rainn Wilson–best known as Dwight Schrute, the ambitious, beet-loving paper salesman on The Office–turns to “the notorious G-O-D.” Rainn’s parents raised him in the Baha’i faith and he put it aside in his 20s when he was a struggling actor exploring life in NYC. Years later, after finding success in Hollywood, he realized fame was not enough to calm his anxieties nor soothe the longing in his soul. So Rainn turned inward, returning to the Baha’i faith and discovering the value that spirituality brings to us as individuals and as a community. This “spiritual revolution,” is one that Rainn sees as containing multiple religions and faith traditions, where spiritual tools such as prayer and meditation can go hand in hand. Instead of “throwing the spiritual baby out with the religious bathwater,” as Rainn says, collectively engaging with matters of the soul will help us all find strength and deeper meaning when faced with the highs and lows of life.***Rainn Wilson is an actor, comedian, podcast host and author of the New York Times bestseller Soul Boom: Why We Need A Spiritual Revolution. You can listen to Rainn every Tuesday on his podcast, Soul Boom, available wherever you listen to podcasts. ***Our theme music was written by Andy Ogden and produced by Tim Lauer, Andy Ogden and Julian Raymond. All other music that you hear in this episode is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. 

We’re living in a time where disunity has taken a toll on our spirit. And now more than ever, we need connection. As chair of Special Olympics International, as a social leader of healing from our divisions, and a key figure in the field of social and emotional learning in education, Tim Shriver has dedicated his life to serving others and building community, with the faith that we can make a greater difference if we work together. Tim believes the BEST way to connect is at the soul level – where we find each other’s dignity and meet each other as we are. On his new podcast “Need A Lift?” Tim invites world-changers to share the spiritual practices and rituals that sustain and allow them to transform some of the most painful moments in their lives into purpose.  “Need A Lift?” premieres on September 30th wherever you listen to podcasts!