22. Well, This Is Embarrassing - Aaron Rittenour

Today’s episode is going to be two short-form episodes that have only been on our Instagram page up to this point. I am embarrassed to say that I didn’t have a guest prepared for this week but I hope what I do share in this episode leaves you inspired and encourages you to follow our Instagram page for more short-form episodes.

A couple years ago I was in a small village outside of Rajamundry, India, when I spotted a young boy. He may have only been six or seven years old, and he was watching me from behind a small brick wall. He had no shit shirt and his pants were riddled with holes. He was so shy that every time I looked at him he would run away. Eventually he got up the courage to come closer, and when he did, he took my hand and wouldn't let it go. When we were getting ready to leave the village sometime later, I got down on one knee to say goodbye to this boy when he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden cross and placed it into my hand. The act of this young boy has always stuck in my mind. The boy seemed to have so little, and yet he still wanted me to have something that to me seemed very valuable to him. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's Erin. You guessed it with the Simply Overcoming Podcast. As I am recording this episode, my wife and I just returned from a 36 miles backpacking trip over the weekend for our two year anniversary. We enjoyed this time of solitude in the WillowA Mountains, which is a mountain range in northeast Oregon. As incredible of a weekend it was. I returned home this Monday with a heavy heart. Why? Well, I'm sad to say that I dropped the ball this week. I have no guest for this week's episode. Now I could have simply ignored this and skipped this week's episode altogether. After all, at 06:00 p.m. On Monday. This episode should be out in 13 hours and I have absolutely nothing to share. Well, I have to give credit where credit is due because while talking to my friend Nick Mana Scalco this evening, I told him my predicament and he said, Aaron, if you don't post this week, then it will become easier to skip episodes in the future due to lack of convenience. And for people who listen to the podcast regularly, it will be a disappointment when a new episode doesn't drop. This hit me really hard. First of all, I have a really bad habit of putting myself down when I fail and not being satisfied even when I succeed. Now I would almost say that this has been a good thing in my life because it's got me where I am today. Nick's comment to me made me realize that I cannot skip an episode because it will absolutely eat me inside all week because I didn't follow my passion and my goals, and I didn't provide the world with a story of inspiration that could possibly help someone through their personal journey. So a little bit of honesty this week, I know. For those who don't follow the Simply Overcoming Podcast Instagram page, I have released short form episodes periodically as things come to my heart and mind that I want to share. These episodes are normally under ten minutes long, and I decided for today's episode I would like to share two of those short form episodes with you. If you enjoy today's episode, consider following the Simply Overcoming Podcast Instagram page where you can hear many more of these short form episodes, along with meaningful sound bites from the podcast itself. I will start this off with a short episode from December of 2020 called The World Needs You. Now these episodes don't need any explanations. So directly. After that, I will play an episode that I recorded for giving Tuesday back in 2020. I really hope you enjoy these short episodes and thank you so much for listening to the podcast. It means the world to me. Every single time I sit down to record one of these, I realize really why I truly do this and so thank you so much.

Hi, everyone. It's Aaron with the Simply Overcoming Podcast. Welcome back today. I want to share something with you that has changed my life. A couple of years ago, I was in a small village outside of Rajamundry, India, when I spotted a young boy. He may have only been six or seven years old, and he was watching me from behind a small brick wall. He had no shoes or shirt, and his pants were riddled with holes. He was so shy that every time I looked at him, he would run away. Eventually he got up the courage to come closer, and when he did, he took my hand and wouldn't let it go. When we were getting ready to leave the village sometime later, I got down on one knee to say goodbye to this boy when he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden cross and placed it into my hand. The act of this young boy has always stuck in my mind. The boy seemed to have so little, and yet he still wanted me to have something that to me seemed very valuable to him. The impact that little boy made on my life that day is something I will never forget. Many people struggle with the feeling that they may not have anything to offer the world. Maybe they feel like they have no talents. I know it may sound a little cliche, but everybody has been given a unique gift. They can offer the world just like that little boy. You have the unique opportunity of being a gift to people you meet every single day without even realizing it. That little boy changed the way that I think so. If you are at a place in your life where you feel as if you don't belong, like you don't have something to contribute to the world. Don't be discouraged. You are unique and you bring something to the world to the people around you that nobody else can. Don't let your discouragement keep you from being a light to the people around you. Just like that little boy. You too, can change someone's day, maybe even someone's life. Thanks for sticking around and listening to the short form content today. If you like what you're hearing right here on social media, I encourage you to go and check out the Simply Overcoming Podcast on Apple and Google Podcast. We have some really amazing stories on there. The last episode was called The Mission Minded Drug Dealer. You should go check it out. Go up and I stormed. Knock on the door, storm into the room, said, you got to take this back and give me my money back. And he put a loaded clip into his pistol and he put it to my head. He says, what do you think now? It's an amazing story about a man who overcame a major accident that he had in which he lost his leg. And now he is reaching thousands and thousands of people in India and other places around the world. So go give that a listen comment below. Let us know what you think and thank you for being a part of the Simply Overcoming movement.

Hey, it's Aaron with the Simply Overcoming Podcast. And today I am recording an episode that is strictly for social media. This will not be on Apple or Google podcasts, but I want to talk a little bit about something called Giving Tuesday. Today, the day that I have released this episode is Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Now Giving Tuesday began in 2012. It's a global generosity movement. When Giving Tuesday first became a movement for the first year, they raised around $28 million. Last year. In 2019, they raised around $1.9 billion. Now you may ask me, why am I sharing this on my podcast? Well, I believe that giving is a very important act in overcoming things in your life. The simple act of generosity can give you a sense of purpose and make you feel happier and more satisfied about your own life. I truly believe that giving to others in some way helps you shift your perception away from yourself and in turn starts to change your mental patterns. People often say they have nothing to give, but giving is not limited to monetary value. Everyone has something to give, and every act of generosity counts. Giving is lending a helping hand. It's having an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on. Giving is selflessly performing an act of kindness just to show you care. Giving is being a part of something so much bigger than yourself. So I ask you, how will you give today? What will you do to make a difference in someone's life.