Welcome to our Valentine's episode! Buckle up: episode might feel UNCOMFY. Romantic love is not for the faint of heart. When you're talking about building a life together, we've got to understand each other--and ourselves-- DEEP to really make that work in a healthy way....which may come only after years of trying to make it work in unhealthy ways. Or maybe it's just me.

A college counselor tells Corinne the best she can hope for out of her University time is an MRS degree. Battling the insecurity and discouragement Corinne makes an astounding declaration: why should that idiot decide what I get to do in my life?

Following both her heart and her mind, Corinne learned to navigate the muddy waters of pursuing your dreams while navigating relationships that allow the achievement of those dreams. Her unconventional outlook and methods of pursuit led her to orthodontics, becoming a naval officer, and competing all over the world as a pageant queen.

It's Love Month! Love can motivate us to make seriously grand gestures. What would we do for love? WHAT WOULDN'T WE?? This week our guest is Elizabeth, a mother determined to make her daughter's dream--of having a merbaby--a reality. In treading that path, Elizabeth explores the unhelpful realm of home hair dye kits, the serious business of Doll Hospitals, and accidentally becomes embroiled in an international drug smuggling operation, all to make the wishes of a child come true. Love knows NO bounds.

Fay started as a comfortable stay-at-home-mom, went to school to become a nurse, ran her husband's company for several years, then went back to school again to become a licensed therapist. She reinvented her occupation three times during a time of life when most people would say, not only is it not necessary, It's also too late. But Fay listened to the inside voice. The one that said, there's more to do. Despite starting her last career change at almost 50, Fay went on to have a successful and decades-long private practice that contributed to the health and well-being of countless people, and served her EXACTLY when she needed it to.

This week we hear more from Kevin. Before he ever faced the Vietnam war he faced loss on many levels. He and his twin sister were taken from their poor-but-loving family home in Greece and given away by the Greek government for adoption into the U.S., unbeknownst to his birth parents. Here they were adopted by a cruel and abusive man and raised to believe nobody wanted them.

Later, Kevin reconnected with his Greek family in some miraculous ways that taught him love can be learned, healing is worth it, and it's never too late to feel like you belong.

In the second of 2021's Captain of My Soul series we meet Kevin. Trying to avoid going to Vietnam led Kevin straight to the shores of the war he hoped to evade. Then, a one in a billion shot injured him and ended the two career paths he'd ever pursued. It also led him to a surprising career path that made him explore parts of himself he never knew existed.

True control in one's life comes from understanding just what it is we ACTUALLY control. Meet Kimberlee and Alisha, two women who've gone through the wringer enough to know that control is meant for yourself only, and life's challenges can bring a whole lot of clarity.

Kimberlee and Alisha host the podcast The Clarity Call, and have created a supportive community for parents of special needs children, or anyone who wants help balancing really heavy loads and their own well-being. Check them out wherever you listen to podcasts!

We're closing out Season 5 with our 100th episode! We caught up with several guests from previous seasons to get updates on where they are now and how things have gone for them since their interviews. Big thanks to all our guests, contributors, and listeners for making this show so rich and fascinating.

Alli Mangrum, of Living Consciously, comes back to talk anxiety, emotional health, and resilience. She's got some great tools that can be put to use immediately, and some ways to bring yourself back from the worries of the future to what you can control, right here, right now.

Our listeners weigh in on things they're grateful for during a difficult year like 2020....they're even grateful for the difficulties of  2020.