On July 4th, 2025, lightning ignited the Dragon Bravo Fire — a massive wildfire that consumed over 145,000 acres of the Kaibab Plateau and destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim.

But in the aftermath of destruction comes an unexpected lesson—from the thick bark of a tree, to the quiet resilience of those who choose to rebuild.

This episode of FORWARD explores the power of standing tall in the face of loss, finding meaning in devastation, and discovering that sometimes, fire isn’t the end of the story… it’s the beginning of a new one.

If you're walking through something hard, this story is for you.

Let it remind you: "Maybe the fire isn’t the end of the story. Maybe it’s the beginning of a new one."

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.

Welcome to a brand new season of FORWARD! If you're worried about the future, this episode is a compelling reminder to hold onto faith and move forward with courage.

With mental health issues on the rise and a prevailing sense of hopelessness, author Seth Adam Smith shares the timeless, inspirational wisdom of C.S. Lewis.

Through an impactful reading of Lewis's essay "On Living In An Atomic Age," listeners are encouraged to reflect on their fears and embrace faith in an uncertain future. Join Seth on this thought-provoking exploration, discovering how faith and doing your best to move forward can bring hope and meaning in challenging times.

The essay shared in this episode is from C.S. Lewis's book "Present Concerns." To order a copy, click here: https://amzn.to/3YbeDmO

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.

My name is Seth Adam Smith and this is FORWARD. If you’re feeling stuck in life then this podcast is for you. I’ve spent the past two decades gathering inspirational content—interviews, quotes, books, and stories—things that inspire people to move forward.

So, if you’re feeling exhausted with life—or even struggling to find a reason to live—I invite you to subscribe to this podcast and then do whatever you can to move forward. 

In the words of Sir Winston Churchill:

“What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone? How else can we put ourselves in harmonious relation with the great verities and consolations of the infinite and the eternal? And I avow my faith that we are marching towards better days. Humanity will not be cast down. We are going on swinging bravely forward along the grand high road and already behind the distant mountains is the promise of the sun.”

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.

An interview Nate-Mitchell, one of the co-directors of Anasazi Foundation. In this episode of FORWARD, Nate and I talk about the "gift of choice" and our inherent ability to find light and move forward.

"One of the things that I really find fascinating is that FINDING light is not the necessary piece. The act of LOOKING for light—THAT'S when the change has already happened. Just the fact that I'm LOOKING for light changes my heart. I use that gift of choice to walk forward and I become an agent unto myself and that's when change can occur." -Nate Mitchell, co-director of Anasazi Foundation.

SHOW NOTES:

Learn more about Anasazi Foundation: https://www.anasazi.org
Read "The Seven Paths" by Anasazi Foundation: https://amzn.to/37FNBdv
Read "The Five Legends" by Anasazi Foundation: https://amzn.to/39PUbkc

ABOUT ME:

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I'm a husband, father, author, YouTuber, and podcaster on a mission to create positive content that inspires people to move forward.

Subscribe to my podcast “FORWARD” at: https://forward.buzzsprout.com

My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
My Blog: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/SethAdamSmith
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/SethAdamSmith

Thank you for watching and thank you for your support!

Music from SoundStripe.

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of FORWARD, I share a portion of my interview with Sean Astin, a philanthropist and actor most famous for his roles in The Lord of the Rings, The Goonies, Rudy, and many other movies!

During our interview, Sean shared some pretty profound thoughts about what makes a good story. He then shared the story behind that inspirational speech from The Two Towers.

SPEECH BY SAMWISE GAMGEE IN THE TWO TOWERS:

“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding on to something... That there is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for.”

SHOW NOTES:

• The Lord of the Rings - Watch the epic series again (you know you want to).
• Sean Astin's official website
• RUN3rd (Sean Astin's charity organization)
• ANASAZI Foundation

ABOUT SETH:

Check out my blog at SethAdamSmith.com or read my books Your Life Isn't For You or any of my other books by clicking here.

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.

"You have to have faith in yourself—in what you're trying to do. You just have to keep the fire burning." -Jonathan Stroud

In this episode of FORWARD, I share a portion of my interview with Jonathan Stroud, author of the bestselling Bartimaeus Sequence and (my personal favorite) the Lockwood & Co. series.

ABOUT JONATHAN STROUD:

• Lockwood & Co.
• The Bartimaeus Sequence

Visit JonathanStroud.com to learn more about Jonathan, his books, and upcoming projects.

ABOUT SETH:

Check out my blog at SethAdamSmith.com or read my books Your Life Isn't For You or any of my other books by clicking here.

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.

The Magic Yarn Project and how one *seemingly* small act of service can change the world...

A couple of years ago, I cried after watching a State Farm commercial.

There. I admitted it.

The commercial, if you must know, was not your typical buy-our-insurance-because-something-bad-might-happen-to-you-and-you-can-trust-us-because-we-are-friendlier-than-our-competition type of commercial.

No. THIS commercial was actually about four minutes long and shared the story of The Magic Yarn Project—a non-profit that makes character wigs for children going through cancer treatments.

In this episode, I interview Holly Christensen, the founder of The Magic Yarn Project. To learn more about this incredible non-profit, please visit The Magic Yarn Project.

(Based on my own experience, tissues are advised.)

Check out my blog at SethAdamSmith.com or read my books by clicking here.

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.

Some people think that it's the end of the world. If so, I'm pretty optimistic...

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” -Marcus Aurelius

"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." -Joseph Campbell

"For each of us comes a time when we must be more than what we are." -Lloyd Alexander

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

• The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holliday
• The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Check out my blog at SethAdamSmith.com or read my books by clicking here.

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.

In this podcast, Seth Adam Smith shares stories, thoughts, and interviews meant to inspire people to move forward. Because—in a very literal way—taking just a few steps forward can change your life—and quite possibly change the world.

FORWARD is written, produced, and narrated by Seth Adam Smith.

Seth's Books: https://amzn.to/3Kiueet

Seth's Website: https://www.SethAdamSmith.com

© 2020-2023, Fire Fish Media, All Rights Reserved.