The Story of Us: From Cosmic Dawn to the Depths of Being

Jeff Ellison
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Philosophy

Tell Us Your Story - A captivating and thought provoking podcast that intricately weaves together personal stories with timeless ancient wisdom and groundbreaking modern discoveries to unlock the profound mysteries of life. Personal stories, special edition episodes, guest hosts and our Next Gen series, celebrating the young voices that are helping make the world a kinder and less divided place. Our conversations, preserved for future generations will send the same message as the oldest known hand stenciled cave paintings made by our Neanderthal cousins over 64,000 years ago "I was here. My life was meaningful." www.thestoryofusproject.com Make sure to check out our blog and social media feeds to get the most out of your enjoyment of our show,

  1. 4h ago

    Always Be Grateful. Always Be Kind | Deremiah *CPE on Mentorship, Legacy, and the Courage to Let Others Become Themselves

    What can happen when one person sees possibility in you before you can see it in yourself? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with artist, author, educator, mentor, and speaker *Deremiah CPE for a deeply personal conversation about resilience, faith, creativity, mentorship, and the people who help shape who we become. Deremiah’s story begins in the Chicago housing projects, where life was difficult but curiosity kept pulling him toward something larger. As a child, he raced toward the mobile library, eager to read and imagine what might exist beyond the world immediately around him. His life would eventually take him through Alaska, Germany, Oklahoma, and back to Chicago. Along the way came racial prejudice, family disruption, homelessness, academic setbacks, faith struggles, and moments of profound despair. But there were also people who noticed him, encouraged him, opened doors, and believed in who he might become. At age twenty, Deremiah made a decision that would define much of his life’s purpose. He took in his twelve-year-old cousin Christopher. Christopher stayed through high school, went on to college, and eventually became an internationally recognized artist himself. Deremiah describes the experience as a way of giving back to the younger version of himself who had once needed someone to believe in him. In This Episode Growing up in the Chicago housing projectsCuriosity, books, and seeing beyond your circumstancesHomelessness, instability, and rebuilding confidenceFaith, doubt, and sufferingThe mentors who changed Deremiah’s pathBecoming the first college graduate in his family line since slaveryTaking in Christopher at age twentyWhy mentorship changes the mentor tooArt, creativity, and Deremiah’s evolving *CPE identityWhy we are not really competing with anyone but ourselvesThe difference between helping someone and believing in themGratitude, kindness, and refusing to give up on your futureOne of Deremiah’s strongest ideas is that belief can be more powerful than assistance. Some of the people who changed his life had no money to give him. What they gave him was confidence, encouragement, and the sense that his future could be larger than his circumstances. “Believing in somebody is way more important…their belief in me gave me the fuel to keep pushing.” Memorable Ideas “You're not competing with anybody but your best self.” “If it is to be, it's up to me.” “You never know what someone is going through. So be nice.” And in one of the episode’s most moving moments, Deremiah reflects on gratitude: “I'm thankful to be alive…because I remember when I thought that I wanted to die.” A Question to Carry With You Who believed in you before you fully believed in yourself? And who might need that kind of belief from you now? Sometimes changing a life doesn’t begin with money, advice, or a grand plan. Sometimes it begins with simply saying: I see something in you. Keep going. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All. If this conversation reminds you of someone who once believed in you—or someone who needs encouragement today—share it with them. Every life changes when someone sees possibility where everyone else sees limitation.

    Always Be Grateful. Always Be Kind | Deremiah *CPE on Mentorship, Legacy, and the Courage to Let Others Become Themselves

  2. 2d ago

    Bloom Where You’re Planted | Cleveland Bell III on Redemption, Reentry, and the Power of Human Potential

    What if the worst thing you ever did became the only thing people were willing to remember about you? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Cleveland Bell III, whose remarkable life has taken him from addiction and incarceration to decades of service helping others rebuild their lives. Cleveland eventually became the leader of Riverside House, a faith-based reentry organization in Miami supporting formerly incarcerated men and women through housing, counseling, employment preparation, recovery services, family support, faith, and community. But this conversation isn't really about prison. It's about what happens next. Cleveland speaks candidly about growing up feeling powerless, struggling to find purpose, addiction, incarceration, faith, forgiveness, and the difficult work of becoming someone different without pretending the past never happened. One of his most powerful realizations came during his own transformation: “The person that I had to convince that I had changed was me. Not my mother. Not my cousin. I had to convince me that I had changed.” That distinction becomes central to the conversation. Transformation isn't perfection. It's a process. In This Episode Cleveland's childhood and the experiences that shaped himAddiction, incarceration, and finding purposeWhy reentry can become “the sentence after the sentence”Trauma, addiction, and unresolved painLearning to forgive yourselfWhy being truly heard mattersFaith, recovery, and personal responsibilityWhy acceptance is the beginning of changeThe meaning behind “Bloom Where You're Planted”Why second chances require both accountability and opportunityCleveland's work at Riverside HouseContinuing to grow while caring for his wife through dementiaCleveland offers a wonderfully simple principle: “I can't change what I don't accept.” For him, blooming where you're planted doesn't mean pretending difficult circumstances are good. It means honestly acknowledging where you are so you can begin doing something about it. And when asked what he would tell the younger Cleveland who once felt alone and without encouragement, he eventually arrives at four words: “It will work out okay.” Perhaps that's the heart of this episode. Accountability and hope are not opposites. People can cause harm. Choices have consequences. Trust can be broken. But acknowledging someone's past doesn't require claiming to know the limits of their future. A record is not a prophecy. It tells us something about what a person has done. It cannot tell us everything about who that person may still become. Sometimes the human being society has written off is still writing the most meaningful chapter of their life. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more conversations and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, our weekly reflection on meaning, family, spirituality, wonder, connection, and the experience of being human. If Cleveland's story makes you think of someone rebuilding their life, carrying shame from their past, or simply needing to hear that change is still possible, send them this episode. Sometimes a second chance doesn't deny the past. It simply refuses to let the past have the final word.

    Bloom Where You’re Planted | Cleveland Bell III on Redemption, Reentry, and the Power of Human Potential

  3. 5d ago

    A Difference of Opinion Isn't an Attack | Eric Brazau on Islamaphobia, Belief, Identity and the Art of Disagreement

    In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with Eric Brazau for a challenging and wide-ranging conversation about religion, Islam, identity, certainty, prejudice, and the assumptions beneath what we believe. Eric's story is unusual because his interest in Islam did not begin academically. It grew out of conflict, fear, strong opinions, and eventually personal experiences that forced him to look more closely at both Muslims and the ideas he associated with them. The result wasn't a simple conversion from one worldview to another. Instead, Eric became fascinated with how human beings form beliefs—and why changing them can be so difficult. Throughout the conversation, Eric argues that facts alone rarely change deeply held convictions. Beliefs are connected to identity, community, emotion, experience, and underlying assumptions. Attack the conclusion, and people often defend it. Question the foundation respectfully, and something different can happen. Sometimes the goal isn't to win the argument. It's to ask a question worth thinking about. To plant the seed and walk away. The conversation also moves into more controversial territory as Eric shares his interpretation of Islamic history, scripture, Muhammad, Sunni and Shia traditions, jihad, and the distinction he draws between criticizing religious ideas and judging individual Muslims. Jeff repeatedly brings the conversation back to the larger human question: Can we disagree deeply without treating disagreement as an attack? In This Episode Eric's early assumptions about Islam and MuslimsHow fear and certainty can reinforce one anotherEric's study and interpretation of Islamic theology and historyMuhammad, the Quran, Sunni and Shia traditions, Hajj, and jihadSeparating criticism of ideas from judgment of peopleThe difference between disagreement and personal attackWhy facts alone often fail to change deeply held beliefsAsking questions instead of trying to win argumentsGiving people room to reconsider without humiliationMemorable Ideas “Plant the seed and walk away.” “A difference of opinion is not an attack.” One of Eric's central ideas is that meaningful conversations don't always end with someone changing their mind. Sometimes success is much smaller. A question gets asked.An assumption becomes visible.Certainty develops a crack.And the other person walks away thinking about something differently than they did before.So instead of asking only: Why do they believe that? Try asking: Why do I believe what I believe? And can I listen to someone I strongly disagree with without confusing their disagreement with an attack on who I am? That doesn't require abandoning conviction. It requires making room for curiosity. And maybe that's where better conversations begin. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly reflections on meaning, family, spirituality, identity, wonder, and the complicated experience of being human. If this conversation challenges you, share it with someone willing to have difficult conversations with curiosity rather than contempt. Sometimes changing a conversation doesn't begin with a better argument. It begins with a better

    A Difference of Opinion Isn't an Attack | Eric Brazau on Islamaphobia, Belief, Identity and the Art of Disagreement

  4. Sep 11

    You Die Once, But You Live Every Day | Helena Hamlet on Reinvention, Presence, and Building a Life That Feels Like Yours

    What happens when the life you worked so hard to build suddenly stops feeling like your own? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with coach and founder of EAT Life Academy, Helena Hamlet, for a deeply personal conversation about identity, motherhood, cancer, anxiety, reinvention, purpose, and learning to slow down long enough to hear yourself again. Helena grew up surrounded by family, Caribbean culture, creativity, freedom, and connection. But like so many of us, she eventually absorbed a more conventional definition of success: career, marriage, children, house, car, responsibilities. Somewhere along the way, the child who felt free to simply be Helena became an adult trying very hard to meet everyone else's expectations. Then, in 2017, cancer stopped her in her tracks. Helena remembers telling her mother that if she died the next day, her eulogy would be boring because she hadn't really lived. That realization became the beginning of a much deeper reckoning. Even after treatment, she returned to work while privately struggling with panic, exhaustion, and the pressure to appear fine. Eventually, she had to let go... of the life she thought she was supposed to be living so she could begin building the one she actually wanted. In This Episode Growing up with family, freedom, creativity, and Caribbean influenceHow adulthood slowly replaces curiosity with conformityThe pressure of motherhood and single parentingWhy we attach timelines to successMasking anxiety and pretending to be okayLearning to ask for helpLetting go of perfection and controlWhy slowing down can make time feel more abundantReconnecting with values, creativity, and purposeMental health, stigma, and giving ourselves more graceWhy consistency matters more than perfectionHelena's EAT Life philosophy and coaching workHelena offers a powerful reframe around setbacks: what feels like failure may simply be another turn in the process of becoming. When we stop racing toward the next milestone, she believes we create enough quiet to actually hear what life is trying to teach us. She also learned that caring for herself didn't make her a worse mother or friend. It made her more present. In her words, once you “top up yourself,” you have more to give the people around you. Memorable Quotes “Time isn't running away with you. Time is moving with you.” “I can show up imperfectly.” “It's all about productivity over perfection.” Asked what she would tell her younger self, Helena says: “You've got everything you need within you. Trust yourself.” And to her future self: “Keep going...what is meant for you will be and it will not pass you.” Then comes the line that may capture the whole episode: “You die once, but you live every single day.” A Question to Carry With You Are you living your life—or simply managing it? Helena's story is a reminder that there is still time to change direction, slow down, reconnect with yourself, and begin making small choices toward the life you actually want. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly reflections on family, meaning, aging, spirituality, wonder, and the experience of figuring life out while we're still living it. If this conversation reminds you of someone who's been existing more than living, share it with them.

    You Die Once, But You Live Every Day | Helena Hamlet on Reinvention, Presence, and Building a Life That Feels Like Yours

  5. Sep 9

    You'll Have Time to Talk. Listen for Now | Byron Easterling on Storytelling, Deep Listening, and the Power of Asking Good Questions.

    What happens when a life refuses to stay in one lane? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with author, musician, former professional golfer, humanitarian, mentor, and lifelong storyteller Byron Easterling for a wide-ranging conversation about identity, courage, service, faith, and the stories we leave behind. Byron's life has moved through remarkably different chapters: touring musician, recording pianist, leadership advisor, professional golfer, global traveler, humanitarian, husband, father, and novelist. But beneath all of those identities is one recurring instinct: Pay attention. Ask better questions. And don't be afraid to follow what keeps calling you. One turning point came when a business leader invited Byron to lunch and asked for help. Byron didn't have a polished answer. Instead, he asked: “Have you considered that maybe you're not asking the right question?” That question eventually opened doors to decades of work with leaders around the world. In This Episode Growing up a shy, imaginative kid in small-town MissouriWhat Byron learned from his parents about courage and saying helloLife on the road as a touring musicianChoosing music over golf scholarshipsBecoming a professional golfer in his 50sWhy fear can reveal the very thing we're meant to attemptAsking better questions in leadership and lifeHumanitarian work in Nicaragua“Stop for the One” and the difference between serving and savingWhat families around the world have taught Byron about our shared humanityWhy stories can sometimes teach more powerfully than direct instructionKeeping dreams alive without forcing their timingLegacy, mentoring, and passing wisdom forwardMemorable Ideas “Have you considered that maybe you're not asking the right question?” “Don't be afraid to dream, and then consider the dream.” “When I do the things that are in me, it's not just about me.” Asked what he would tell his younger self, Byron's answer is simple: “Listen.” And when Jeff asks what message he wants to leave for his future self, Byron returns to the same idea—then adds another: Listen deeply. And keep asking good questions. Perhaps that's the thread running through Byron's entire life. Listen closely enough to notice what life is asking of you. Stay curious enough to question the identity you've outgrown. And remain courageous enough to follow the next chapter when it appears. Connect Learn more about Byron's books at BysBooks.com and his broader work at ByronEasterling.com. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly reflections on family, meaning, aging, spirituality, wonder, and the strange experience of being human. If this episode reminds you of someone sitting on a dream they've been afraid to pursue, share it with them. Because sometimes the next chapter doesn't begin with an answer. It begins with a better question.

    You'll Have Time to Talk. Listen for Now | Byron Easterling on Storytelling, Deep Listening, and the Power of Asking Good Questions.

  6. Sep 6

    Continue Being Creative | Arlo Edlin and Seeing the World Through the Eyes of an 8-Year-Old

    What can an eight-year-old teach the rest of us about living a meaningful life? Quite a lot, actually. In this special Next Gen episode of The Story of Us, Jeff sits down with his eight-year-old nephew, Arlo Edlin, for a conversation about books, animals, math, infinity, video games, friendship, creativity, family, and a few questions about the universe that most adults stopped asking a long time ago. Arlo is entering third grade, reads at least two hours a day—sometimes four—and is already coding his own video game, Reckin' Warrior. He's also a Chicago Bears fan, proving that wisdom and questionable life choices can coexist at any age. The conversation moves quickly from Beast Quest books and the qualities of a great story to why Arlo would rather free the beast than destroy it: “because I feel like it would help me build a magical bond.” There are debates about peanut butter, the possibility of having a tiger locked in your bedroom, why math might “unlock everything,” and what Arlo would do if his video game made him rich. His financial plan, incidentally, is to save at least 95%—which means he's already more disciplined than most adults. But beneath all the fun is something deeper. Asked what kids understand better than adults, Arlo doesn't hesitate: Creativity. He believes the average child is simply more creative than the average adult. And when Jeff gives Arlo the same future-self question he asks every guest, his answer becomes the heart of the episode: “Continue being creative.” Then Arlo explains why: “Creativity is everything.” In This Episode Why Arlo reads two to four hours a dayBeast Quest, adventure, and what makes a great storyCoding his own video game at eightWhy math “unlocks everything”Infinity and some very big questions about the universeFriendship, family, animals, sports, and schoolWhy peanut butter may apparently be a terrible inventionWhat adults worry about too muchWhy kids may be more creative than grown-upsThe importance of curiosity, imagination, and wonderA Question to Carry With You Adults spend years trying to rediscover things children seem to possess naturally: Curiosity. Imagination. Wonder. The freedom to ask strange questions without worrying whether they sound intelligent. Maybe growing wiser doesn't require leaving those things behind. Maybe it means protecting them. So take Arlo's advice: Continue being creative. Build something. Read something. Ask a ridiculous question. Explore something simply because you're curious. And if you have a kid like Arlo in your life, sit down and ask them what they're wondering about. You might be surprised by what they teach you. Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly reflections on family, meaning, aging, spirituality, wonder, and this strange experience of being human. If this conversation makes you smile, share it with a kid—or with an adult who could stand to feel like one again. Growing older is mandatory. Growing up completely might be optional.

    Continue Being Creative | Arlo Edlin and Seeing the World Through the Eyes of an 8-Year-Old

  7. Sep 4

    Did You Keep Saying Yes? | Sara Roccisano on Transformational Travel, Trusting Your Intuition, and the Journey Back to Yourself

    What happens when the life you've built no longer fits the person you're becoming? In this episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with traveler, writer, entrepreneur, and founder of Embolden Adventures, Sara Roccisano, for a conversation about walking away from certainty, answering life's quieter invitations, and discovering that the greatest journey is often the one within. Sara's path has been anything but predictable. She built a successful career that included Wall Street , but beneath the achievement was a persistent call toward something more. Eventually, after reaching a breaking point in 2022, she stopped, let go, and began rebuilding her life around travel, writing, transformation, and adventure. Having traveled to more than 40 countries, Sara sees travel as far more than collecting passport stamps. She believes stepping into unfamiliar places builds courage, challenges assumptions, and reminds us that wherever we go, people are remarkably proud of their homes, cultures, and stories—and often eager to welcome us into them. Her adventures have included scuba diving, climbing Mount Fuji and Kilimanjaro, journeys through the Amazon, encounters with ancient spiritual traditions, and experiences with ayahuasca that became part of her forthcoming book and transformational work. But beneath all the adventure is a much more universal story: What do we do when we hear the call to change? Sara's answer is simple: Pick up the phone. She believes our calling has a way of finding us—and if we ignore it, it may keep ringing until it becomes impossible not to hear. In This Episode Leaving a successful career when the old life no longer fitsWhy preparation creates opportunities that look like luckTraveling to more than 40 countriesWhat adventure teaches us about courage and humanityClimbing Mount Fuji and KilimanjaroThe Amazon, ayahuasca, and spiritual explorationMoving from control toward surrenderWhy travel can become pilgrimage and transformationBuilding Embolden AdventuresSara's upcoming book and transformation seriesLearning to trust curiosity, intuition, and the next stepMemorable Quotes “Chance favors the prepared mind.” When Jeff asks what Sara would tell her five- or six-year-old self—the little girl fascinated by pyramids, maps, flags, nature, and faraway places—she answers: “You're beautiful. You're amazing, and it actually is going to come true. I promise you.” Her message to her future self is even more unexpected. Rather than giving future Sara advice, she realizes future Sara may be the one guiding her: “I think I need to listen instead of be the boss, because the future Sarah's the boss.” Maybe that's the invitation for all of us. Listen for the restlessness. Trust the curiosity. Take the next step before the entire path becomes visible. Because every passport stamp eventually fades and every destination becomes a memory. The person you become along the way—that's the real adventure. Connect Follow Sara and learn more about Embolden Adventures Visit TheStoryOfUsProject.com for more episodes and subscribe free to Letters from the Middle of It All, Jeff's weekly Thursday reflections If this episode reminds you of someone standing at the edge of a new chapter, share it with them. Sometimes the path appears only after we're brave enough to take the first step.

    Did You Keep Saying Yes? | Sara Roccisano on Transformational Travel, Trusting Your Intuition, and the Journey Back to Yourself

  8. Sep 2

    You're Loved and Connected | Colin Chenery on Mindfulness, Staying on the Path and Remembering to Slow Down.

    What if the peace we're searching for isn't somewhere out in the world... What if it's already here? In this deeply contemplative episode of The Story of Us, Jeff Ellison sits down with mindfulness teacher, psychotherapist, martial artist, entrepreneur, and author Colin Chenery for a conversation that spans more than four decades of seeking wisdom across cultures, disciplines, and traditions. From studying martial arts and Eastern philosophy to working as a psychotherapist, addiction counselor, business leader, and meditation teacher, Colin has spent a lifetime asking some of humanity's oldest questions: Why do we suffer? How do we heal? And what does it truly mean to live well? Rather than offering easy answers, Colin gently invites us toward something simpler—and perhaps much more profound. Presence. Acceptance. And the realization that wisdom is not something we acquire. It is something we gradually uncover. Together, Jeff and Colin explore mindfulness, Zen, psychotherapy, addiction recovery, consciousness and the surprising truth that our greatest teacher may ultimately be our own direct experience of life. In This Episode Colin's remarkable journey through martial arts, psychotherapy, and mindfulnessWhat Eastern philosophy and Western psychology can learn from one anotherWhy suffering is often created by our relationship to experience rather than the experience itselfAddiction, recovery, and the search for wholenessThe role of meditation in everyday lifeThe Japanese concept of ikigai and living with purposeWhy wisdom accumulates quietly rather than arriving all at onceFinding peace in the present moment instead of chasing it somewhere elseLiving a life of service, compassion, and mindful awarenessMemorable Quotes "You don't need to become enlightened. Just relax and open up to what's already there." "Peace be with you. May you be full of love, full of life, and be of benefit in love and life to others." About Colin Chenery Colin Chenery is a psychotherapist, mindfulness teacher, martial artist, author, and educator whose work integrates decades of experience in psychology, addiction recovery, contemplative practice, and Eastern philosophy. Through his writing, teaching, and guided meditations, he helps people cultivate greater awareness, resilience, and compassion while discovering the wisdom already present within themselves. Connect with Colin Chenery 🌐 Website: https://sixcirclesmindfulness.com Explore Colin's books, guided meditations, mindfulness resources, and courses, including his contemplative meditation recordings and practices. Connect with The Story of Us 🌐 Website: https://thestoryofusproject.com/start-here If this conversation brought you a moment of stillness or helped you see your own life through a new lens, please leave a rating and review. Sharing the show helps us continue exploring the stories that connect us all—from cosmic dawn to the depths of being. Because perhaps wisdom isn't waiting for us at the top of some distant mountain. Perhaps it has been quietly walking beside us all along... Waiting for us to slow down long enough to notice.

    You're Loved and Connected | Colin Chenery on Mindfulness, Staying on the Path and Remembering to Slow Down.
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About

Tell Us Your Story - A captivating and thought provoking podcast that intricately weaves together personal stories with timeless ancient wisdom and groundbreaking modern discoveries to unlock the profound mysteries of life. Personal stories, special edition episodes, guest hosts and our Next Gen series, celebrating the young voices that are helping make the world a kinder and less divided place. Our conversations, preserved for future generations will send the same message as the oldest known hand stenciled cave paintings made by our Neanderthal cousins over 64,000 years ago "I was here. My life was meaningful." www.thestoryofusproject.com Make sure to check out our blog and social media feeds to get the most out of your enjoyment of our show,

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