Spirit Talk Show - Bedtime Stories for Grown Ups

There is a quiet memory many of us carry — even if we don’t have language for it.

A sense that life was once gentler.
That cooperation came before competition.
That learning once meant becoming more human, not more efficient.

In this reflective episode of Spirit Talk Show: Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups, Doyle sits down with psychotherapist, yoga philosophy teacher, and author Catya Batalha to explore what it means to remember who we were before the world told us who to be.

Drawing from her book Echoes of the Timeless, Catya shares a vision of a civilization rooted in reciprocity rather than dominance — a world where spirit and nature were not separate, and where children were guided toward authenticity rather than comparison.

Together, they explore:

• The nervous system impact of prolonged competition and stress
• Why so many children enter school expecting kindness — and leave disillusioned
• Trauma as part of a larger soul journey
• The balance between “shadow work” and “light work” in healing
• How education might change if personal development came first
• The idea that remembering together may be the most revolutionary act of all

Catya speaks candidly about her own journey — from anger and despair to spiritual awakening — and how she now integrates Western psychotherapy with Eastern wisdom traditions in her healing work.

This conversation is not about fixing yourself.

It is about remembering.

If something in this episode feels familiar in a way you can’t quite name, stay with it. The ache may not be sadness alone. It may be recognition.

Learn more about Catya’s work, her book, and her offerings at:
https://catiabatalha.org/

And if you’re listening and thinking, “I thought it was just me,” it never was.

There are more stories to remember.

Spirit Talk Show – Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups
Hosted by Doyle

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What happens when someone decides to stop waiting for life and start sailing directly into it?

In this adventurous and reflective episode of Spirit Talk Show: Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups, Doyle welcomes sailor, author, and podcaster Paul Trammell, a man who quite literally followed the wind to a new life.

Paul lives aboard his sailboat in the Caribbean waters of Panama, writing novels, recording podcasts, surfing, and spearfishing for his dinner. But the journey that led him there wasn’t just across oceans — it was a personal transformation that began with sobriety, courage, and a decision to chase a dream many people quietly carry but rarely pursue.

In this conversation, Doyle, Howie, and Russ explore Paul’s extraordinary life at sea: what it’s like to sleep in 20-minute intervals while solo sailing, the moment he realized sailing would become his life, the risks and rewards of living far from land, and the deep difference between loneliness and solitude.

Paul also shares the inspiration behind his newest thriller Identity Crisis, a suspenseful story born from a real experience while sailing in the Bahamas. When his mother asked him to send daily photos while a mysterious passenger was aboard his boat, a chilling idea formed — what if someone murdered a sailor and impersonated them through text messages while stealing the boat?

Beyond the adventure stories, this episode explores something deeper: what holds people back from pursuing the lives they dream about — and what happens when someone decides to take the risk anyway.

You’ll also hear a special Spirit Talk tribute story and poem honoring Paul’s journey, along with reflections on creativity, surfing giant waves, spearfishing in Caribbean waters, and the quiet magic of living close to the sea.

Paul’s advice to listeners is simple but powerful:
Stay sober. Believe in yourself. Take the first step toward the life you really want.

This is a conversation about freedom, courage, and the stories that appear when you finally listen to the wind.

Paul Trammell is the author of multiple novels and sailing memoirs, including his newest thriller Identity Crisis, and the host of the podcasts Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell and Dream Chasers and Eccentrics.

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What if happiness isn’t something we force or choose on command, but something that slowly emerges as we come to understand ourselves more deeply?

In this thoughtful episode of Spirit Talk Show: Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups, Doyle sits down with Australian author and philosopher Adam Brownlie to explore happiness through the lenses of neuroscience, philosophy, and lived experience.

Drawing from his book Happypedia, Adam shares a science-informed perspective on how our brains shape emotions, decisions, and behavior. Together, Doyle and Adam explore forgiveness not as excusing the past, but as a way of easing emotional burden, and discuss how compassion and understanding can help create a steadier, more meaningful life.

This conversation explores:

How neuroscience helps explain emotional patterns

The difference between blame and understanding

Why forgiveness can be a deeply personal inner process

Practical foundations for a balanced and meaningful life

This is not a conversation about quick fixes or forced positivity. It is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and consider how patience, clarity, and understanding can quietly transform the way we experience the world.

To learn more about Adam Brownlie and his work, visit his website:  https://adambrownlie.com.au/ 

Spirit Talk Show – Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups
Hosted by Doyle

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Some stories take a lifetime to find their voice.

In this engaging and heartfelt episode of Spirit Talk Show: Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups, Doyle sits down with author Jean Burgess for a conversation that spans decades of storytelling—from childhood performances in the living room to a late-in-life journey into fiction writing.

With over 40 years in theater as a performer, director, and educator, Jean brings a rich and deeply human perspective to storytelling. Her work blends personal experience with imagination, creating what she calls “retro fiction”—stories set in the 1970s and 80s that explore identity, courage, and the search for one’s authentic voice.

Her newly released novel, That Summer She Found Her Voice, captures the journey of a young woman coming into her own during a time of cultural change, music, and self-discovery. In this episode, Jean shares the inspiration behind her writing, the real-life experiences that shape her characters, and the powerful themes woven throughout her work—including feminism, stigma, and the courage to choose your own path.

The conversation moves between laughter and reflection, touching on theater, teaching, creativity later in life, and the evolving role of storytelling in a changing world. Along the way, Jean reminds us that it’s never too late to begin again—and that every voice matters.

Whether you’re a writer, a dreamer, or someone still searching for your place in the story, this episode offers something real, thoughtful, and deeply human.

Explore Jean’s work and connect with her at:
https://jeanburgessauthor.com

Spirit Talk Show – Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups
Hosted by Doyle

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What if confidence isn’t something you earn—but something you remember?

In this inspiring, funny, and deeply affirming episode of Spirit Talk Show: Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups, Doyle and producer Howie welcome Simone Knego—international speaker, two-time TEDx presenter, bestselling author, podcast host, and the voice behind The Extraordinary Unordinary You and the upcoming book Real Confidence.

Simone’s story doesn’t begin on a stage. It begins at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro—far from home, far outside her comfort zone, and face-to-face with a question many of us carry quietly for years: Am I enough? With six kids waiting back home, a full life already in motion, and a long history of self-doubt, Simone chose to climb—not to prove anything to the world, but to finally believe herself.

From summiting Africa’s tallest mountain to navigating international adoption, parenting neurodiverse children, building a global speaking career, and learning how to silence the “what-if whisperer” in her own head, Simone shares her journey with humor, honesty, and zero pretense.

In this conversation, we explore:

Why confidence is a skill—not a personality trait

The moment her daughter stopped her mid-self-criticism—and changed everything

How discomfort builds belief from the inside out

The messy middle between doubt and self-trust

Her REAL Method: Respect yourself, Embrace failure, Ask what you want, Live without limits

Why leadership often happens around the kitchen table, not the boardroom

Along the way, Simone reads from her work—sharing stories that move effortlessly between laugh-out-loud moments and quiet revelations. As always, Spirit Talk Show weaves in a tribute poem and story, honoring not just Simone’s achievements, but the courage it takes to meet yourself honestly and choose differently.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t need to become someone new.
You need to stop being cruel to the person you already are.

Settle in. You might recognize yourself in this one.

Spirit Talk Show: now go tell a story worth telling.

Spirit Talk Show – Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups
Hosted by Doyle

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