by Michael Pottern
Where Everyday Moments Become Sacred. Real people. Real stories. The real gifts of being present. The Finding Zen with Michael Pottern podcast explores how presence transforms everyday moments into sacred experiences through heartfelt conversations with diverse individuals—from CEOs and cowboys to veterans and artists—who bridge different worlds. The show reveals how slowing down and becoming present can help us discover meaning, connection, and the gifts hidden within ordinary life.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
1/19/2026
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June 15, 2026
What happens when your life has been built around intensity and it suddenly stops?<br /><br />In this conversation, retired Green Beret Chris Morris shares what it was like to live at full throttle for two decades and what followed when that pace caught up with him.<br /><br />He talks about leadership, loss, and the reality of coming home to a nervous system that never powered down. He also gets honest about where traditional approaches fell short and what finally started to shift things for him.<br /><br />This is a conversation about finding steadiness after years of pressure. Not by pushing harder, but by learning how to slow down.
June 2, 2026
<p>Tyler Martin is a thinker, father, and emerging psychotherapist whose work centers on lived experience, emotional growth, and personal transformation. Shaped by profound challenges within his family, he brings a deeply honest perspective on trust, faith, imagination, and how we evolve through real life.</p><p>What does it actually mean to have faith and trust?</p><p>In this conversation, Tyler Martin explores trust not as certainty, but as something we live through moment by moment.</p><p>We talk about faith as alignment rather than belief. Imagination as something often shaped and limited by our past. And the quiet realization that many of the systems we rely on, both personal and collective, are starting to break down.</p><p>From relationships to identity to the way we build our lives, this episode asks a simple question that is not always easy to sit with:</p><p>Can you trust what is happening, even when it is not what you expected?</p><p>This is a conversation about letting go of control, staying with uncertainty, and learning how to meet life as it is.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>7 Key Takeaways</strong></p><ul><li><p>Trust is not about certainty. It is about engaging with what is in front of you</p></li><li><p>You can trust where you are, even when it reflects your current limits</p></li><li><p>Faith shows up in how you act, not what you claim to believe</p></li><li><p>Imagination is often shaped by past experiences and fear</p></li><li><p>Trying to control outcomes creates tension and anxiety</p></li><li><p>Old patterns and systems eventually stop working</p></li><li><p>Growth begins when you stop avoiding the present and start getting curious about it</p></li></ul><p><strong>Closing Note</strong></p><p>Somewhere between what you expected and what actually happened, there is something worth paying attention to. Not something to fix. Not something to escape. Something to meet.</p>
May 15, 2026
<p>What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t what you don’t know—but what you’re avoiding?</p><p>In this episode, Michael Pottern sits down with executive coach Robert McNaughton to explore the hidden cost of inaction. From difficult conversations to leadership under pressure, Robert shares why the time between decision and action is the most expensive gap in business—and in life.</p><p>They unpack the tension between “being” and “becoming,” how avoidance shows up in CEOs and teenagers alike, and why presence isn’t passive—it’s the foundation for real change.</p><p>This conversation weaves together personal story, leadership insight, and a deeper look at how we confront (or avoid) what matters most.</p><p>If there’s something you’ve been putting off… this episode might be your invitation.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>7 Key Takeaways</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>The awareness–action gap is where most people get stuck</strong> Knowing what to do isn’t the problem—doing it is.</p></li><li><p><strong>The most expensive mistake is delay</strong> Time between decision and action directly impacts outcomes.</p></li><li><p><strong>Difficult conversations are unavoidable—and essential</strong> Avoidance compounds problems across relationships and systems.</p></li><li><p><strong>Presence is not passive—it’s transformative</strong> Being fully present creates clarity, connection, and better decisions.</p></li><li><p><strong>Leadership requires emotional courage</strong> Growth often means confronting discomfort, not bypassing it.</p></li><li><p><strong>Attachment is foundational to healing</strong> Whether in CEOs or teenagers, connection drives change.</p></li><li><p><strong>Integration matters more than insight</strong> Insight without action doesn’t create transformation.</p></li></ul><p><br /></p><p>This conversation is an invitation. Not to do more, but to notice more. To recognize where you already know the next step, and gently move toward it. Presence isn’t an escape from action, it’s what makes action possible.</p>
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Where Everyday Moments Become Sacred. Real people. Real stories. The real gifts of being present.
The Finding Zen with Michael Pottern podcast explores how presence transforms everyday moments into sacred experiences through heartfelt conversations with diverse individuals—from CEOs and cowboys to veterans and artists—who bridge different worlds. The show reveals how slowing down and becoming present can help us discover meaning, connection, and the gifts hidden within ordinary life.
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