Born without a choice

Victory Igberase
  • 5.0 (40)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Daily

Born Without a Choice is a podcast about growing up and trying to understand life in a world we never chose to enter. As teenagers, we’re suddenly faced with expectations, pressure, and questions we don’t always have answers to who we are, where we’re going, and what life really means. There’s no guide, no clear path, just experiences that shape us as we go. This podcast explores those thoughts, moments of confusion, self-discovery, school, relationships, and the quiet pressure to figure everything out. Through honest conversations and insights from people with more life experience.

  1. 20h ago

    Dreaming Beyond What We Can See: Faith, Purpose, and Discovering God’s Direction — Ara C. Trembly

    How do we find direction when we don’t have all the answers about our future? In this episode of Born Without a Choice, Ara C. Trembly explores the relationship between faith, psychology, dreams, and the search for purpose. Ara is a licensed counselor, practicing psychotherapist, Christian counselor, and author with 19 years of experience in the mental health field. Drawing on his background in psychology, counseling, communication, and hypnotherapy, he shares his perspective on how our conscious and unconscious experiences may influence the way we understand ourselves and navigate life. We discuss his book, Dreaming God’s Way, and the role dreams may play in reflecting on faith, personal direction, and life’s unanswered questions. We also explore dream interpretation, managing stress, understanding relationships, and what hypnotherapy really involves. For anyone feeling uncertain about their identity, purpose, or future, this conversation offers an opportunity to reflect on faith, listen to your inner world, and approach life’s questions with greater curiosity and openness. 📬 Guest Details Name: Ara C. Trembly, M.S., M.A., ACHtRoles: Licensed Counselor | Practicing Psychotherapist | Christian Counselor | Author | Consultant | Public SpeakerBook: Dreaming God’s WayOther Book: The Right Hand of GodBook Link: https://christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=dreaming-gods-wayProfessional Experience: 19 years in the mental health fieldEducation: Graduate study in psychology at New York University and Rutgers; master’s degrees in Counseling from Cairn University and Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityCredentials: Board-Certified HypnotherapistAreas of Expertise: Psychotherapy, Christian counseling, dream interpretation, hypnotherapy, interpersonal stress, relationship challenges, and mental and physical wellbeingKey Themes: Faith, purpose, dreams, the conscious and unconscious mind, stress, relationships, identity, and finding directionProfessional Background: Former adjunct faculty member at Cairn University’s Institute of Higher Learning; has worked with more than 1,000 people through hypnosisFocus: Helping people explore their inner experiences, understand personal challenges, and reflect on their faith and direction in life

  2. 1d ago

    What This Journey Has Taught Me — Lessons From the People I’ve Met Along the Way) 2 reminder!

    What happens when the person asking the questions starts realizing that the answers are changing them too? In this special listener episode of Born Without a Choice, Victory steps away from the usual guest format and reflects on the personal journey behind the podcast—and the lessons learned through conversations with the remarkable people who have shared their stories. From resilience and purpose to relationships, healing, community, forgiveness, and starting again, every guest has offered a different perspective on what it means to live a life we never chose the beginning of. Victory also reflects on a recent conversation with Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten and the powerful reminder that we don’t have to navigate life alone. Sometimes wellness, growth, and strength begin with the right people around us and the communities we choose to build. This episode is a thank-you to the listeners who have been part of the journey—and a personal reminder that although we may not choose where our story begins, we can still choose what comes next. Thank you for listening to Born Without a Choice.

  3. 1d ago

    What This Journey Has Taught Me — Lessons From the People I’ve Met Along the Way

    What happens when the person asking the questions starts realizing that the answers are changing them too? In this special listener episode of Born Without a Choice, Victory steps away from the usual guest format and reflects on the personal journey behind the podcast—and the lessons learned through conversations with the remarkable people who have shared their stories. From resilience and purpose to relationships, healing, community, forgiveness, and starting again, every guest has offered a different perspective on what it means to live a life we never chose the beginning of. Victory also reflects on a recent conversation with Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten and the powerful reminder that we don’t have to navigate life alone. Sometimes wellness, growth, and strength begin with the right people around us and the communities we choose to build. This episode is a thank-you to the listeners who have been part of the journey—and a personal reminder that although we may not choose where our story begins, we can still choose what comes next. Thank you for listening to Born Without a Choice.

  4. 1d ago

    Monks Meditate Together:Wellness,Learning to Care for Ourselves Together-Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten

    What if wellness was never meant to be something we figure out completely on our own? In this episode of Born Without a Choice, Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten explores the connection between individual wellbeing and the communities around us. As a sociologist, community development practitioner, parent, and partner, Maria brings both professional insight and personal experience to the question of how we can create healthier, more supportive environments. Maria discusses her upcoming book, Even Monks Meditate Together, and the idea of community-driven wellness—moving beyond the traditional idea of self-care as something we practice alone and recognizing the role that connection, support, and collective empowerment can play in our wellbeing. We talk about the pressure to handle everything independently, the influence of our communities on who we become, protecting our wellbeing while managing real-life responsibilities, and what to do when the people around us don’t support our growth. Ultimately, this conversation is a reminder that caring for ourselves doesn’t always mean standing alone. Sometimes, wellness begins with finding the right people to grow with—and becoming part of the kind of community that helps others thrive too. 📬 Guest Details Name: Dr. Maria Van Der MaatenRoles: Sociologist | Community Development Practitioner | Parent | Partner | AuthorWebsite: https://www.rootswingswellness.comUpcoming Book: Even Monks Meditate TogetherFocus: Community-driven wellness, collective empowerment, personal development, self-care, wellbeing and communityExpertise: Sociology, community development, holistic wellness, personal growth, empowerment and supportive communitiesKey Themes: Self-care, community, identity, wellness, connection, personal growth, collective empowerment and healthy support systemsPerspective: Exploring how the environments and communities around us can influence our ability to grow, recharge and thriveMessage: We don’t have to navigate wellness and personal growth completely alone; the right community can help us become stronger together.

  5. 1d ago

    From Performing to Becoming: Reclaiming Your Voice, Healing, Learning to Love Yourself-Julie Heaton

    What happens when you become so good at being who everyone expects you to be that you lose touch with who you actually are? In this episode of Born Without a Choice, Julie Heaton shares her journey from more than 30 years in the corporate world to a deeper calling centered on transformation, self-compassion, healing, and authenticity. Her story is about stepping beyond achievement and external expectations to reconnect with her own voice. Julie explores what it means to stop performing and start becoming, including the inherited beliefs, childhood stories, people-pleasing patterns, and expectations that can shape how we see ourselves. She also shares her perspective on forgiveness, self-love, manifestation, and navigating major life transitions. This conversation is an invitation to question the roles we’ve learned to play and consider what might be possible when we stop trying to become who everyone else wants us to be—and start coming home to ourselves. 📬 Guest Details Name: Julie HeatonRoles: Author | Transformational Mentor | Certified Health & Wellness Coach | Reiki MasterWebsite: https://hellojulieheaton.comBook: ROAR: A Guided Journey to Reclaim Your Voice, Own Your Story, Align with Truth & Radiate From WithinOther Books: The Manifester’s Playbook and The Manifester’s WorkbookChildren’s Series: The Adventures of the Fabulous ThreeProfessional Background: More than 30 years as a corporate executiveExpertise: Personal transformation, self-love, self-compassion, healing, identity, manifestation, authenticity, wellness, inherited beliefs and life transitionsKey Themes: Reclaiming your voice, overcoming people-pleasing, healing old stories, forgiveness, self-worth, radical self-compassion, and authentic livingFocus: Helping people reconnect with themselves, move beyond limiting stories and expectations, and create lives that feel more authentic and aligned

  6. 4d ago

    A Life Transformed by Grief: Choosing Gratitude After Loss — with Mark Stackpole

    How do you keep living when someone you love is no longer there to live alongside you? Mark Stackpole joins Born Without a Choice for a deeply personal conversation about grief, gratitude, family, resilience, and learning to move forward after unimaginable loss. Mark shares the story of his daughter, Corinne, who died at 22 following her battle with leukemia. Rather than allowing her illness and death to become the defining story of her life, Mark has chosen to remember Corinne for the person she was, the memories she created, and the impact she continues to have on those who knew and loved her. In this conversation, Mark reflects on being a parent through uncertainty, holding onto hope during difficult circumstances, finding moments of joy after loss, and allowing grief to transform you without allowing it to define your entire life. He also discusses honoring Corinne’s legacy through awareness of blood stem-cell and bone marrow donation, and the potential difference a donor can make for someone facing blood cancer. 📬 Guest Details Name: Mark StackpoleBackground: Educated professional with several advanced degrees; describes himself as a lifelong studentPersonal Story: Father of Corinne Stackpole, who died at age 22 following leukemiaKey Themes: Grief, gratitude, resilience, family, loss, hope, remembrance, legacy and finding a way forwardFocus: Choosing gratitude while acknowledging grief and remembering loved ones for the life they lived rather than only the circumstances of their deathAdvocacy: Raising awareness about blood stem-cell and bone marrow donationDonation Resource: NMDP — nmdp.org

  7. 4d ago

    The Person Behind the Label: Empathy, Trauma, and the Power of Human Connection — with Jody Zarn

    What happens when we stop seeing people through labels and start seeing the person underneath? Jody Zarn joins Born Without a Choice to share the unexpected friendship that changed her understanding of homelessness, mental health, trauma, empathy, and human connection. What began with something as simple as buying a man named Leroy a cup of coffee grew into a two-year journey of friendship, trust, healing, and transformation. As Jody got to know Leroy, she discovered a person whose experiences, intelligence, accomplishments, and talents challenged many of the assumptions people can make about someone experiencing homelessness. Their relationship also brought Jody face-to-face with her own experiences of childhood bullying and the loss of her father to dementia. Their story became the foundation for Jody’s book, Higher Power Betty and The Homeless Man Who Changed My Life, and a broader message about dignity, empathy, mental health, and learning to see the human being before the circumstances or label. This conversation explores what it truly means to help without trying to fix, how trust is built, and how sometimes the person we think we’re helping can end up teaching us something about ourselves. 📬 Guest Details Name: Jody ZarnRole: Author | Corporate Trainer | TEDx SpeakerWebsite: jodyzarn.comBook: Higher Power Betty and The Homeless Man Who Changed My LifeKey Story: A two-year friendship with Leroy, a man experiencing homelessness, that began with a simple cup of coffeeExpertise: Empathy, human connection, mental health awareness, trauma, personal growth and storytellingKey Themes: Homelessness, dignity, trust, empathy, mental health, trauma, friendship, compassion and overcoming labelsFocus: Encouraging people to look beyond circumstances and labels and recognize the humanity, experiences and individuality of every person

  8. 4d ago

    The Return: Finding Your Way Back to Yourself in a World That Never Stops — with Katharine Chestnut

    What happens when you become incredibly good at functioning—but forget how to simply be? Katharine Chestnut joins Born Without a Choice to explore survival mode, self-trust, mindfulness, nervous-system awareness, and the journey of reconnecting with yourself beneath the expectations and pressures of everyday life. After nearly three decades as a successful corporate executive, Katharine experienced her own journey of rebuilding after emotional trauma, eventually leading her toward mindfulness and a different way of living. Her approach, The Return, focuses on practical mindfulness, breathwork, awareness, self-trust, and learning to recognize when we have become disconnected from ourselves. Rather than constantly pushing harder, Katharine encourages people to pause, become aware, and reconnect with their own wisdom. Together, we explore why high achievers can become trapped in survival mode, how chronic stress can affect our relationship with ourselves, and what it means to embrace her philosophy: “This Moment Is Right and Perfect.” Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation to remember that sometimes we don’t need to become someone new—we simply need to return to who we already are. 📬 Guest Details Name: Katharine ChestnutRole: Mindfulness Teacher | Author | SpeakerBackground: Nearly 30 years as a corporate executiveApproach: The ReturnWebsite: katharinechestnut.comFree Resource: Mindfulness Quiz — katharinechestnut.com/mindfulness-quiz/Expertise: Mindfulness, self-trust, nervous-system awareness, breathwork, stress management, intentional awareness and personal growthKey Themes: Survival mode, chronic stress, high achievement, overwhelm, self-trust, mindfulness, authenticity and reconnecting with yourselfCore Philosophy: “This Moment Is Right and Perfect.”Focus: Helping high achievers move out of survival mode and reconnect with themselves through practical mindfulness and intentional awareness

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5
out of 5
40 Ratings

About

Born Without a Choice is a podcast about growing up and trying to understand life in a world we never chose to enter. As teenagers, we’re suddenly faced with expectations, pressure, and questions we don’t always have answers to who we are, where we’re going, and what life really means. There’s no guide, no clear path, just experiences that shape us as we go. This podcast explores those thoughts, moments of confusion, self-discovery, school, relationships, and the quiet pressure to figure everything out. Through honest conversations and insights from people with more life experience.

Information

  • Creator
    Victory Igberase
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    461
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Victory Igberase
  • Show Website
    Born without a choice