I Choose Happy With Marilyn

John Borland, better known by his stage name Johnny Irish, has spent his life surrounded by music, but a near-fatal car accident changed the way he understood what really mattered.

Then, in an instant, everything shifted.

As his car flipped and he became convinced he was going to die, John wasn’t thinking about fame or the next album. He was thinking about the people he loved, the family he hadn’t yet built, and the life he still wanted to live.

Years later, sobriety became another defining turning point, deepening his relationship with music, strengthening his connection to others, and helping him rediscover happiness in a new way.

In this episode of I Choose Happy, Marilyn talks with Johnny Irish about survival, sobriety, family, teaching, connection, and the music that has carried him through every chapter.
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Harry Parker has spent more than three decades at the edge: jumping from airplanes and cliffs, traveling the world as a photographer, and finding family in the close-knit communities of skydiving and BASE jumping.

But a life spent confronting fear also brought Harry face-to-face with loss.

After a devastating period in which many friends in the BASE jumping community died, Harry found himself helping create memorials for the people left behind. That work eventually led him to Project Recover, where he helped locate, document, and bring home American service members missing since World War II; an experience he describes as one of the pinnacles of his life.

In this conversation with Marilyn, Harry shares what a lifetime spent close to death has taught him about actually living: moving through fear, making space for grief, choosing presence, nurturing the relationships that matter, and learning to practice happiness while we’re still here.

Today, Harry continues that work through conservation and community as a leader with Surfrider Monterey and co-creator of SkyFamily, an emerging nonprofit supporting the skydiving and BASE communities through loss, remembrance, and healing. He has also trained as a death doula, an experience that deepened his relationship with mortality and gave him a new way of looking at the life still ahead of him.

Because after all the jumps, risks, losses, and extraordinary adventures, Harry has come to believe that happiness isn’t simply something we find.

It’s something we practice.

Learn more about Harry Parker and his work:

Harry Parker: https://harryparkerphotography.com/

Substack: @hparkerphoto

Follow Harry on Instagram: @hparkerphoto
Surfrider Foundation Monterey Chapter & Blue Water Task Force: Learn more about Harry’s work with Surfrider Monterey
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

In honor of Purple Heart Day, we're honored to share this conversation with Colonel Timothy Karcher once again. His story is a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who have been wounded in service to our country.

In 2009, Colonel Timothy Karcher's vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad. The explosion took both of his legs and forever changed the course of his life.

What followed was a journey through pain, perseverance, and perspective—one that revealed the power of humor, leadership, and the will to keep moving forward.

As we recognize Purple Heart Day, we honor Colonel Karcher's extraordinary story and the countless service members whose sacrifices continue to inspire us.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order using the code ICHOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com
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When Julie Rosenau was diagnosed with breast cancer at 38, she never imagined that her greatest challenge was still ahead. Just a few years later, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, her four-year-old son, Ellis, was diagnosed with leukemia.

In this powerful conversation, Marilyn and Julie explore what it means to face the unimaginable—not once, but twice. Julie shares the fear, grief, resilience, and hard-earned wisdom that carried her family through both cancer journeys, and how those experiences inspired her to create Parent Strong, a program supporting caregivers of children with cancer.

Together, they discuss survivorship, motherhood, advocacy, learning to receive help, and the profound truth that healing doesn't end when treatment does. This is a moving conversation about choosing hope, finding purpose in pain, and discovering strength you never knew you had.

Support Julie's efforts for Blood Cancer United by clicking here.
To reach out to Julie about Parent Strong, send her an email at [email protected].
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

When life doesn't go according to plan, how do you respond?

This week, Marilyn sits down with Carolina Panthers quarterback Haynes King for a conversation about resilience, faith, and the mindset that carried him through injury, setbacks, and the pressure of competing at the highest levels of football.

From growing up in Longview, Texas, to playing quarterback at Texas A&M and Georgia Tech before beginning his NFL career, Haynes shares why staying present, trusting the process, and surrounding yourself with the right people can change everything.

This episode is a reminder that while we can't always control what happens to us, we can always choose our response.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

What if the feeling you've spent years calling anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, or imposter syndrome was actually something else entirely?

In this deeply insightful conversation, Marilyn sits down with licensed clinical social worker and trauma therapist Kristine Jensen, to explore the hidden role shame plays in our lives—and why naming it can be a first step toward real healing.

Together, they discuss how childhood experiences shape our inner dialogue, why so many successful people still struggle with feeling "not enough," the difference between insight and healing, and how curiosity, self-compassion, and presence can help us move through even our deepest emotional wounds.

Whether you're navigating grief, anxiety, difficult relationships, or simply longing for a greater sense of peace, this episode offers practical wisdom and gentle encouragement to help you understand yourself with more compassion.

About Kristine Jensen, LCSW

Kristine Jensen is a licensed psychotherapist, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and author of Bruised Not Broken: Healing the Shame of a Troubled Childhood. With more than four decades of clinical experience, Kristine has dedicated her career to helping people understand and heal the lasting effects of childhood shame and emotional trauma. Her work combines neuroscience, trauma research, and compassionate storytelling to remind us that we are not broken; we are capable of healing.

Learn more about Kristine at kristine-jensen.com.

Purchase Bruised Not Broken: Healing the Shame of a Troubled Childhood through Kristine's website: Bruised Not Broken.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

What if the biggest thing standing between you and your dream... is the fear of what other people might think?

In this episode of I Choose Happy, Marilyn sits down with singer-songwriter Tom Siletto, whose journey from a music-loving kid in Carmel, California, to signing with legendary Arista Records is anything but an overnight success.

Tom opens up about the song that changed his life, the years of self-doubt that almost held him back, and why he believes it's "more uncool not to try than to try." Together, he and Marilyn explore the power of perseverance, overcoming embarrassment, navigating comparison, and finding the courage to keep chasing your purpose—even when the outcome is uncertain.

Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, student, or simply standing at the edge of a dream, this conversation is a reminder that the life you want often begins the moment you stop letting fear make your decisions.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do... is simply try.

Want to hear more from Tom?

Follow Tom Siletto on Instagram at @tomsiletto, on TikTok at @tomsilettomusic, and stream his debut EP, Counting Horses, wherever you listen to music, including Spotify under Tom Siletto. 

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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired — join today by clicking here.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

Life can change in an instant.

In this deeply moving episode of I Choose Happy, Marilyn sits down with Kristen Vargas, a wife, mother, former teacher, and septic shock survivor whose ordinary Friday morning became a fight for her life.

After a sudden infection progressed to septic shock - the most severe stage of sepsis - Kristen spent weeks in the ICU before ultimately undergoing the amputation of both hands and portions of both feet. But as extraordinary as her survival story is, this conversation is about so much more than what happened to her.

Together, Marilyn and Kristen explore what it means to rebuild a life that looks different than the one you planned. They talk candidly about faith, motherhood, grief, purpose, asking for help, and the daily choice to focus on what is still possible instead of what has been lost.

Having recently faced her own battle with severe sepsis, Marilyn also shares why Kristen's story resonated so deeply with her, and how both experiences reinforce the power of gratitude, resilience, and hope.

This is a conversation about surviving the unimaginable... and discovering that life can still be beautiful on the other side.
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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.

This week, we're revisiting a conversation about what happens when survival becomes purpose—and how one life-changing diagnosis can shape the path forward.

At 13, Jonah Rosas was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Overnight, life shifted from water polo and middle school routines to chemotherapy, hospitals, and the relentless uncertainty of cancer.

In this episode of I Choose Happy, Jonah reflects on the resilience it took to keep moving forward, the humor and family support that carried him through, and the relief of finally being told he was “out of the woods.” Now, years later, he’s come full circle—pursuing a PhD in cancer research to help the very patients walking the path he once did.

This is a story about survival, perspective, and choosing to transform hardship into purpose.

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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.

As beach days, pool parties, and summer adventures begin, we're revisiting this important I Choose Happy conversation with Marianne Banister, whose daughter Claire's story changed the way many families think about pediatric melanoma and the importance of early detection.

When her 14-year-old daughter Claire noticed a mole on her ankle changing, Marianne Banister never imagined it would be the start of a fight for her daughter’s life. Despite careful screenings, sunscreen, and doing “all the right things,” Claire was diagnosed with adolescent melanoma — an aggressive cancer most families don’t even know children can get. By 17, Claire was gone. In this episode, Marianne shares the heartbreak of losing her daughter, the lessons she learned along the way, and how she and her family turned grief into purpose through the Claire Marie Foundation. A conversation about loss, advocacy, and the power of love that never leaves.
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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.