26-23. Who Are You Really?


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from May

Who are we really, beneath all the labels, expectations, and identities we have gathered throughout life? From the moment we are born, the world begins shaping us. Parents, schools, religion, culture, media, relationships, and life experiences all begin telling us who we should be, how we should behave, what success should look like, what is acceptable, and what is not. Little by little, many people stop listening to themselves and begin living according to the expectations of others. They become who they were taught to be rather than who they truly are.

Some people become the caretaker because they learned early that love came through service. Others become the achiever because approval only came when they succeeded. Some become quiet, invisible, or emotionally guarded because life taught them it was safer not to shine too brightly. Over time, survival patterns can become identity, and many people no longer remember who they were before fear, criticism, rejection, comparison, or pain entered their lives. They spend years performing versions of themselves that fit into society while feeling deeply disconnected inside.

But underneath all of that conditioning lives the authentic essence of who we truly are. Before the world told us what we should be, there was a natural spirit within us — curious, creative, feeling, intuitive, and uniquely our own. There was a knowingness, an energy, a truth that belonged to us before the noise of the world became louder than our own inner voice. The real tragedy is not that the world influences us, because life itself is a journey of learning and interaction. The tragedy is when we completely abandon ourselves in order to gain acceptance, approval, or survival.

And truly, who has the right to decide who and what we are? No institution, relationship, government, social pressure, diagnosis, or expectation should own our identity. Others may guide us, influence us, teach us, or inspire us, but they should never define the entirety of who we are. The ownership of self belongs to each individual soul. Yet many people spend most of their lives seeking permission to simply be themselves.

The journey of self-discovery is often not about becoming someone new. It is about peeling back the layers of conditioning and remembering who you were before the world placed limitations upon you. That remembering can be uncomfortable because it asks us to question everything: the roles we play, the beliefs we carry, the relationships we tolerate, and the masks we wear to survive. We begin asking ourselves difficult but necessary questions: What do I truly feel? What matters to me? What brings me peace, joy, meaning, and purpose? What no longer belongs to me? Where have I betrayed myself to fit into someone else’s expectations?

This awakening is not about rebellion for the sake of rebellion. It is about authenticity. It is about learning to stand in your own truth with compassion, responsibility, and self-awareness. It is about understanding that you were never meant to be a copy of someone else’s idea of success or worthiness. You were meant to discover your own path, your own voice, your own rhythm, and your own contribution to life.

Perhaps one of the greatest acts of courage today is not becoming more impressive to the world, but becoming more truthful with yourself. To stop performing. To stop shrinking. To stop apologizing for who you are. And instead, to reconnect with the person you were always meant to be before the world told you otherwise.



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Self Discovery Wisdom is sustained by those who believe in conscious conversation. If this episode resonated with you, subscribe and, if you feel called, make a donation. Your support helps us keep amplifying voices that inspire growth, courage, and compassion. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.


26-22. Graduating Through Life


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air June 2nd

Graduation is not just about caps, gowns, diplomas, or walking across a stage. Graduation is life’s way of saying, “You have grown beyond where you once were.”

Right now, thousands of young people are stepping out of schools and into a world that feels uncertain, demanding, exciting, and sometimes overwhelming. They are told they must know who they are, what they want, and where they are going. But truthfully, life is not a straight staircase, it is a series of graduations.

We graduate from innocence into awareness.
From fear into courage.
From limitation into possibility.
From surviving into living

From doubt to clarity

And the beautiful thing is, we never stop graduating.

For our young people, this moment can feel both thrilling and terrifying. Some are celebrating with certainty, while others are silently asking themselves, “What now?” Some are stepping into university, trades, travel, work, or entrepreneurship. Others are simply trying to figure out who they are in a world constantly telling them who they should be.

But perhaps the greatest graduation is not academic at all.

It is the graduation into self.

The moment we stop living only by expectation and begin listening to our own knowingness. The moment we understand that success is not merely measured by money, titles, followers, or status, but by whether we are becoming whole within ourselves.

Life itself is an ongoing upscaling.

Each challenge asks us to grow larger than the fear.
Each heartbreak asks us to deepen in compassion and understanding.
Each failure asks us to become wiser and listen in.
Each success asks us to become more responsible with our gifts and use them wisely.

Upscaling is not about becoming “better than” others. It is about becoming more fully aligned with who we truly are.

For many graduates today, the pressure is immense. Social media has created a world of comparison where people feel behind before they have even begun. Yet every soul has its own timing, its own curriculum, its own classroom of growth.

Some people graduate early in wisdom.
Some graduate through adversity, lack of health, wealth, connection .
Some through loss and fear, facing the inner devil.
Some through service, understanding their unique role in life.
Some through love, self love , love of life, love of whom you serve in life.

And many adults listening today may realize they too are graduating right now, from old beliefs, old careers, old identities, old wounds, or old limitations

Life keeps calling us forward.

Perhaps we need to stop asking children, “What are you going to do?” and instead ask, “Who are you becoming?”

Because when people know who they are, what they do begins to align naturally.

This show is a celebration not only of school graduates, but of every person willing to rise into the next version of themselves. Every person choosing growth over stagnation. Every person brave enough to begin again.

Graduation is not an ending.
It is an invitation.

An invitation to explore.
To discover.
To stumble and rise again.
To trust your own voice.
To bring your gifts to the world.
To understand that life itself is a continual education of the soul.

And no matter your age, you are never too old to upscale your life, your thinking, your compassion, your purpose, or your dreams.

So to all graduates of every age and stage of life:

May you walk forward not in fear of the unknown, but in curiosity of what is possible.
May you understand that your worth is not dependent on perfection.
May you remember that every experience is shaping your wisdom.
And may you always allow life to keep graduating you into greater awareness, service, and truth.

Because the real diploma in life is not paper.
It is the wisdom we embody.



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Self Discovery Wisdom is sustained by those who believe in conscious conversation. If this episode resonated with you, subscribe and, if you feel called, make a donation. Your support helps us keep amplifying voices that inspire growth, courage, and compassion. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.


26-22. “When is it OK to be old?”


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from May 26th

There comes a point in life where holding on to youth is no longer about vitality, curiosity, or joy… but about fear. Fear of becoming invisible. Fear of no longer mattering. Fear that aging somehow means less value in a world obsessed with appearance, speed, and productivity.

But aging is not a failure of youth. It is the graduation from it.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel alive, vibrant, engaged, sensual, creative, adventurous, or healthy at any age. That is not “trying to stay young.” That is honoring life itself. The problem comes when society tells us that to be worthy, we must erase every sign that we have lived.

When did wrinkles become something to apologize for?
When did slowing down become weakness?

When do Gaining weight, going softer become something wrong?
When did wisdom become less marketable than youthful image?

There is a sacredness in aging that many cultures once honored. Elders were the storytellers, the memory keepers, the guides who had walked through storms and survived them. Today, many older people feel pressured to perform youth instead of embodying wisdom.

Perhaps the real question is not:
“When is it OK to be old?”
but:
“When did we stop respecting what age brings?”

Being older should not mean giving up on life.
Nor should it mean exhausting ourselves pretending we are still thirty.

There is a difference between aliveness and denial.

You can dye your hair purple at eighty and still fully embrace aging.
You can wear comfortable shoes, speak softly, rest more often, and still be wildly alive.
You can choose peace over proving.
You can choose authenticity over performance.

Aging invites us into a different rhythm.
Less rushing.
More knowing.
Less chasing.
More presence.
Less needing approval.
More understanding of what truly matters.

The tragedy is not growing old.
The tragedy is never allowing yourself to arrive there with grace because you spent all your energy trying to outrun it.

There is enormous freedom in saying:
“This is my age. These are my years. This is the body that carried me through life. These are the scars that taught me. This is the wisdom I earned.”

Not everybody gets to grow old.
To age is a privilege.

And perhaps one of the most radical acts today is an older person who does not apologize for being older, who still shines, still contributes, still loves, still learns, but no longer feels the need to pretend they are young to deserve a place in the world.

I am at peace with being older, wiser, calmer, softer, and rounder. I no longer feel the need to chase youth or apologize for the years I have lived. Every line, every lesson, every joy and sorrow has shaped the woman I am today. I am aligned with myself, comfortable in my own skin, and grateful for the maturity and understanding that age has brought me. I am no longer trying to become someone else, I am simply, authentically me, wrinkles plus, and I love being so.


“Our Forgotten Seniors” is a book in development that gathers the voices, wisdom, and lived experiences of our seniors, celebrating the gifts they have shared with humanity throughout their lives. It shines a light on the challenges many elders face today, from loneliness and health struggles to financial insecurity and being overlooked by society. At the same time, it serves as a heartfelt message to younger generations, encouraging them to prepare for their own senior years with awareness, compassion, and respect. This book is not only a tribute to our elders, but a call to honor the wisdom of aging and ensure that no senior is forgotten.

Come and be an author with us, more details here



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See this wonderful video on getting old here.

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Self Discovery Wisdom is sustained by those who believe in conscious conversation. If this episode resonated with you, subscribe and, if you feel called, make a donation. Your support helps us keep amplifying voices that inspire growth, courage, and compassion. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.


BB26-22 Cate Rainy Arnold is Branding from the Heart.


Building Your Business with Sara Troy and her guest Cate Rainy Artnold, on air from June 3rd.

I help business owners when they get stuck in branding miscommunication. I often find business owners are struggling to attract the right target audience to their business, customers are confused about what services they offer, or they are making assumptions about the business based on the branding. The root of all of these issues is a visual miscommunication. Often we will visually judge a logo or branded item in about 5 seconds based on colour alone. I help purpose-driven businesses create brands that clearly communicate who you are, what you stand for, and connect you to people who truly value your work. I do this by understanding the core emotional feeling that we want their target audience to feel when looking at their logo, print collateral or illustrations. This visual realignment builds trust with their customers and confidence in the businesses professionalism. It’s a similar feeling to put on a great fitting outfit for a networking meeting that you feel confident in for your business. I want business owners to feel confident about how they visually show up in their business. 



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A brief narrative of where you started, how you arrived at your current work, and who you are behind the profession.

I started as a visual artist, I was very excited and engaged with my art classes in school. I got a bachelors in graphic design and worked for an agency after school. I decided to start my own business and recently transitioned from part-time running my business to full-time business owner of Cate Rainy Creative. As a business owner, it’s given me the flexibility to work with my strengths and my weaknesses to schedule my days how I like. I also love that I created this business that’s queer and neurodivergent friendly as I’m deeply connected to these communities. This is where my passion for advocacy and business blends into one. 

Free Offer
I happy to offer a 15 min meeting brand consultation for the first 10 people who email me the code CATERAINYPODCAST mail.cate.arnold375@gmail.com

CateRainy.com
www.linkedin.com/in/caterainy-graphicdesigner
www.instagram.com/caterainy

https://www.alignable.com/nanaimo-bc/cate-rainy-graphic-design


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BB26-21. Mike Qu & Total Freedom


Building Your Business with Sara Troy and her guest Mike Qu, on air from May 26th

THE FUTURE IS UNPREDICTABLE…

But it does NOT mean you leave your family’s future up to chance!

You are here because you take charge over your family’s future, and consider these factors independently:

My personal mission in life is to help families achieve their freedom. Of course, it varies by family. However, the critical overlap is in financial freedom. Imagine family function if every family can make decisions without financial scarcity , and the children growing up in a household where their upbringing isn’t bound by finances. I am fortunate enough to know at least one way to achieve this, and that’s the method I want to share with the audience. The fact that I’m at an oil and gas company providing direct oil and gas well ownership to investors is just a slice of that mission. 

It’s one thing for me to share the concept and roadmap with folks and say good luck. But much more impactful if I can share the roadmap AND give concrete steps to take this year for people. That’s how I can actually achieve impact for families.



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I started in the software industry and while the salary was great, life was just passing, with very little freedom to show for it. After close to a decade, it was enough for me. I went off to build my financial freedom first, and then show that path so people have at least one proven way to do it.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-lga
https://totalfreedom.io
https://crownforge.energy

crownforgeenergy@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel


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All of our shows/interviews are done by donation; if you enjoyed this show, please support us here with either a one-time donation and subscribe. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.