The David Magee Show

Sitting down with my friend Dr. David Weill, I was struck by the courage it takes to return to your past and ask a hard, lifelong question: Who am I really? In this episode, we talk about his new memoir, Tell Me I Belong, and the journey that shaped it—growing up in the Deep South as the son of a father with Jewish heritage and a Southern Baptist mother, in a home where faith was rarely discussed. That silence left him searching for identity, meaning, and a sense of belonging that wouldn’t come easily. This is a conversation about family, faith, and the quiet ways we inherit confusion, and how we begin to untangle it. If you’ve ever wrestled with where you fit, or who you were meant to become, this episode will stay with you. David Magee's Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://davidmagee.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Magee Foundation https://mageefoundation.org/ Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidmageeshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@davidmageeshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kent and I share the story behind our shared journey that led us to launching The Magee Foundation, work we are doing together. The Magee Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening community well-being through storytelling, education, recovery support, and collaboration. It’s the next step in the work that began and continues with our family’s own story. Find out more at mageefoundation.org David Magee's Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://davidmagee.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidmageeshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@davidmageeshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holidays are supposed to be a time to exhale — to reconnect, rest, and breathe again. But for many young people, from middle school through college and well into their twenties, this season can quietly become the most dangerous stretch of the year. Structure fades. Old pressures reappear. Sleep goes sideways. Substance misuse and emotional distress often surge. I see it every day in my work with students and families — and I’ve lived it inside my own home. In this episode, I break down what’s actually happening beneath the surface and how parents can show up with steadiness and purpose. We’ll talk about the mental-health traps this season creates, why substance misuse spikes, and how to build healthier connections that genuinely protect young people. My hope is simple: to help you make this holiday stretch safer, calmer, and more connected for the young people you love. David Magee's Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://davidmagee.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidmageeshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@davidmageeshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve always loved Thanksgiving for its simplicity—no gifts, no pressure, just a table and gratitude. But the one year I sat alone at mine, I learned more about grace than any other holiday I’ve lived through. This is the story of how a box at my door reminded me I wasn’t as alone as I thought… and it helped lead my family and me back to each other. David Magee's Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://davidmagee.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidmageeshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@davidmageeshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I was younger, I thought 60 meant slowing down, maybe coasting into the sunset. But I’ve learned the opposite — this season of life is sharper, clearer, and freer to try and make a difference in the world. Today, my wife Kent interviews me and ask what turning 60 means and about second chances, regret, aging with peace, and the strange beauty of realizing you have nothing left to prove. It’s not a story about growing old — it’s about finally growing into yourself. David Magee's Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://davidmagee.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidmageeshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@davidmageeshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices