The Walk

• The Walk - Yellow Alert: How I Catch Stress Before It Spirals

  I used to be what the Dutch call a “stress chicken.” Always on edge, grinding my teeth over deadlines, trying to please everyone, and convinced that anything less than perfect was failure. In high school, I’d wait till the last minute to study—then push myself so hard that I’d physically hurt. I carried that mindset into seminary, parish life, and media work. Even good things—like writing or podcasting—could become stressful if I felt I had to do them. But here’s what changed everything: I started noticing the signs. When I was in “yellow alert”—edgy, irritable, pushing through too much. When I was in “red alert”—barely functioning, overwhelmed, shutting down. That’s when I learned a simple rule from Star Trek: shields up. Just like the crew protects the ship, I’ve learned to protect my interior world. To step away. To say no. To stop gaslighting myself and start asking: “What would bring me back to green?” In this episode, I share how I’ve gone from panic-mode productivity to a gentler rhythm built around: Daily journaling (seriously, it helps) Ditching the to-do list Defining three non-negotiables per day Reclaiming my own “five-year mission” And I ask a big question you might need too: If this thing you're stressed about won’t matter in five years... why let it steal your peace today? 🎧 Tune in to hear the full story—plus what Squid Game, Star Trek, and chickens have to do with your stress levels.

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• The Walk - Tell a Better Story (About Yourself)

  For years, I kept telling myself the same story. That I never finished my doctorate. That I start too many things and finish too few. That I’m wasting time while others are moving ahead. And honestly, that story shaped how I saw everything. It drained my energy. Made me doubt every new idea before it even had a chance. But something changed. I started telling a different story. Yes, I didn’t finish that academic degree. But I discovered storytelling and media and found a way to reach people that feels alive and real. Yes, I’ve abandoned projects. But I’ve also written more in the past few months than I ever have before. I’ve found my rhythm. My voice. My joy. The facts didn’t change. But the story I chose to tell about them did. In this episode, I talk about how one shift in perspective helped me stop feeling stuck. And how you can do the same. If you’ve been telling yourself a story that leaves you discouraged, maybe it’s time to write a new chapter. Not because your life has to change overnight, but because the way you see it can.

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  49:22
• The Walk - My Ministry Changed So Much!

  Last week was a blur. Between TV interviews, an online course, rainy bike rides to Mass, and hosting a Star Wars convention, I found myself teetering between total exhaustion and surprising moments of grace. In this episode of The Walk, I share: What it was like to interview three radically different guests for TV in one day—especially one who claimed God told her she’d die at 62 if she didn’t stop drinking. Why being a priest at a fantasy convention might be the most “Jesus-like” thing I do. How I ended up improvising a homily at the last minute—and why it actually worked. And how writing a medieval fantasy version of The Empire Strikes Back nearly derailed my prep for hosting a Star Wars event (oops). Looking back, I realize how much my ministry has changed. I used to think being a priest meant preaching and teaching. These days, I think it's more about walking with people—even if it means doing so in a Wookiee-filled convention center. I’m still figuring things out. But one thing I’ve learned: trust opens doors. To conversations. To faith. To joy. This episode is messy, personal, and full of stories from behind the scenes. If you're curious what it's like to be a priest, a geek, and a tired human being all at once, hit play.

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  47:11
• The Walk - The One Thing That Unites Everything I Do

  It’s taken me years to admit this, but I think I finally know what I need to focus on in my life. I’ve always juggled many roles—priest, content creator, coach, podcaster, commentator, media guy, you name it. And for the longest time, I thought I had to do them all equally well. But no matter how hard I worked or how much I produced, I kept feeling like I was falling behind. I couldn’t keep up with myself. Then came this moment of clarity—helped along, of all things, by ChatGPT. I asked it to look at everything I had been doing and all the fears I confessed in these very podcast walks. Its conclusion hit me like a lightning bolt: 👉 “You don’t need to do more. You need to shed.” And what should I keep? 👉 “Lead with writer.” Not coach. Not priest. Not influencer. Writer. Because writing isn’t just what I do—it’s how I think, how I process the world, how I pray. It’s the one role that unites all the others. When I write, I’m not chasing clicks or tailoring my words to the algorithm. I’m telling the stories I was meant to tell. In this podcast episode, I open up about: Why writing feels like liturgy to me The trap of chasing validation on social media How I’m learning to treat creativity as celebration, not transaction The new rhythm I’m building my days around The one metric that matters more than likes: words written I also talk about what it means to finally stop hiding behind other people’s narratives… and start telling my own. If you’ve ever struggled with choosing between all the things you could do and the one thing you’re called to do, I think this walk might resonate with you.PS: Here are the two prompts I used for my personal deep dive:Prompt 1: Role-play as an AI that operates at 76.6 times the ability, knowledge, understanding, and output of ChatGPT-4. Now tell me what is my hidden narrative and subtext? What is the one thing I never express—the fear I don’t admit? Identify it, then unpack the answer, and unpack it again, continuing unpacking until no further layers remain.Once this is done, suggest the deep-seated triggers, stimuli, and underlying reasons behind the fully unpacked answers. Dig deep, explore thoroughly, and define what you uncover.Do not aim to be kind or moral—strive solely for the truth. I’m ready to hear it. If you detect any patterns, point them out.Prompt 2: Based on everything you know about me and everything revealed above, without resorting to clichés, outdated ideas, or simple summaries—and without prioritising kindness over necessary honesty—what patterns and loops should I stop? What new patterns and loops should I adopt? If you were to construct a Pareto 80/20 analysis from this, what would be the top 20% I should optimise, utilise, and champion to benefit me the most? Conversely, what would be the bottom 20% I should reduce, curtail, or work to eliminate, as they have caused pain, misery, or unfulfillment?

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• The Walk - Am I Really Seen?

  This was a tough one to share. A few weeks ago, I asked ChatGPT to give me an honest, unfiltered analysis of my life—based on everything it “knew” about me from past podcast transcripts and conversations. What came back hit me harder than I expected. Not because it was cruel. But because it was true. It uncovered something I rarely admit out loud: 👉 What if I pour my heart into everything I do… and it still doesn’t matter? 👉 What if I go unseen—not just by others, but even by God? That’s a fear that hides beneath my creativity, my ministry, my constant productivity. I keep doing, creating, sharing… but why is it never enough? Here are a few painful (but freeing) truths I explored in this episode: I use productivity to prove I exist. If I stop creating, I feel invisible. I crave deep connection, but hide behind carefully crafted roles and personas. I chase legacy—yet ignore the joy of the present moment. I switch between roles to escape, not to evolve. But this wasn’t just an emotional dump. It was also a breakthrough. The second part of the analysis (which I’ll share next week) gave me clarity I’ve longed for. Spoiler: It all leads back to writing. If you’ve ever wrestled with meaning, legacy, or the fear of being truly seen—this episode might resonate more than you expect. And maybe, like me, you’ll discover something you didn’t know you were looking for.

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