On October 1st, 1995, Pep Torres’ heart stopped after a devastating car accident on an early morning drive through Watsonville, California.

What followed was not darkness, but a near-death experience that would alter the course of his life forever.

In this moving conversation, Pep takes Marilyn inside the moments before the crash, the surreal calm that followed, and the strange space between life and what comes next - a place he would later come to call the Boulevard of the Dead.

At the time, Pep was a school teacher and basketball coach, focused on his students, his growing family, and the responsibilities of everyday life. But in a single moment, everything changed.

As Pep recounts his journey, from survival and raw acceptance to the long road of rehabilitation, he reflects on the experiences that stayed with him long after his physical wounds began to heal, shaping the way he understands life, loss, and the time we’re given.

Pep’s book, On the Outskirts of Heaven: A Near-Death Experience Tale of Soul Retrieval, is available now on Amazon.
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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.

Journalist, mother, and advocate Erika Mahoney shares her story of life after her father was killed in a mass shooting in her hometown of Boulder, Colorado.

Erika reflects on the shock and disorientation that followed his death, the love and human connection that helped carry her through those early days, and the complexity of grieving while preparing to welcome new life as a first-time mother.

She also speaks to what came next: how loss began to take the shape of purpose, and how she committed to staying open, choosing love, and stepping into advocacy in the aftermath of violence.

This is a conversation about resilience, and the strength it takes to keep your heart open.

Connect with Erika:
Instagram: @eri_mahoney
Substack: erikamahoney.substack.com
TikTok: @erika.mahoney

Listen to Senseless with Erika Mahoney.

As part of her advocacy, Erika supports March Fourth, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to reducing gun violence.
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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.

In this episode of I Choose Happy, Marilyn sits down with Jamie Estelle Roth, best-selling author of Should’ve Seen That Coming: Navigating the In-Between Moments of Acceptance, Surrender, & Resilience, to talk about what happens when life changes without warning - and how we learn to meet what comes next.

After suddenly losing her eyesight in 2021, Jamie was forced to slow down in ways she never had before. What began as fear and uncertainty became a journey into presence, healing, and a deeper way of seeing herself and the world around her.

With honesty, humor, and heart, Jamie shares how losing her sight led her to confront old patterns, release the need to stay busy and brave, and step into a new relationship with her body, her emotions, and most importantly, her spirit. From the quiet in-between moments to the power of surrender without despair, this conversation is a reminder that even when we lose something we thought defined us, so much meaning can still be found.

This is a story about resilience, clarity, and choosing to live fully... even when the path looks nothing like what we expected.

Connect with Jamie on instagram @jamieestelleroth, or on her website at jamieestelleroth.com
Purchase Should've Seen That Coming: Navigating the In-Between Moments of Acceptance, Surrender, & Resilience.
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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
------
Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
------
I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.