What if talking about death could actually help us live more fully?

In this episode of Tell Me Something New, I’m joined by Monica Remis, a death doula and end-of-life planning specialist who is passionate about changing the way we think about death, dying, and the transitions that shape our lives.

Monica shares the story behind Mere Mortals, her vision for a social club and mutual aid society centered around mortality awareness. Inspired in part by the community and culture of New Orleans, she imagines a space where people can come together to talk openly about death, learn about end-of-life planning, connect with others, and support their communities when unexpected loss occurs.

But this conversation goes far beyond planning for the end of life. We explore how our relationship with death shapes the way we live, love, create, and connect with one another. Monica shares how losing her husband to cancer in 2017 transformed her understanding of mortality and inspired her to become the kind of support person she wishes she and her loved ones had during that difficult time.

We talk about why death remains such a taboo subject in our culture, what it means to honor death as a sacred part of life, and how facing the unknown can help us move through fear and toward greater connection. We also explore the idea of the “little deaths” we experience throughout our lives: the endings, losses, and transformations that invite us to let go of old versions of ourselves and learn how to navigate change.

One of the ideas that stayed with me is that the very thing we fear can sometimes be what helps us appreciate life more deeply. What if acknowledging our mortality doesn't diminish our lives but instead gives us a greater appreciation for the little moments, the people we love, and the opportunities we have to be present?

Join Monica and me as we follow these threads of curiosity, exploring mortality awareness, creativity, grief, intuition, community, and the courage it takes to face uncomfortable truths. We also reflect on how making space for conversations about death can help us find meaning in our experiences and discover new ways of living.

Because maybe learning how to face death is, in some ways, learning how to live.

Listen to this episode of Tell Me Something New and join us in exploring a new way of thinking about life, death, and everything in between.

If you or someone you know would like to connect with the delightful Monica Remis, you can contact her through her website Holding the Light:

https://www.holdingthelight.net/about-1

Be a STRANGER (Someone That Really Allows New Good Energy). Email me at newthoughtexperimentowner@gmail.com if you would like to be featured on my podcast next.

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Disclaimer: AI helped write the show notes above.

What happens when we stop looking at a movie as just a movie—and start asking what it might be trying to teach us?

In this episode of Tell Me Something New, I’m joined by Brent Scarpo, a former Hollywood casting director, intuitive life coach, and author of The Red Balloon: Transforming Your Life, One Inspirational Story at a Time. Brent has worked on films including The Shawshank Redemption, Air Force One, That Thing You Do, and wait for it... my favorite childhood movie... Matilda.

We talk about the power of movies, synchronicities, intuition, and the unexpected messages that can show up when we create space to actually listen. Brent shares his 10 life lessons from The Shawshank Redemption—including the importance of taking action, holding onto hope, staying connected to our strengths, cultivating meaningful relationships, taking risks, and practicing random acts of kindness.

We also talk about the “walls” we build around ourselves. Walls can protect us from things we don't want coming in, but they can also keep us from getting out. What happens when the very thing we built for protection starts limiting our freedom? Brent shares the deeply personal story behind his book, The Red Balloon, including a promise he made with his mother about finding a sign after death. His story becomes a conversation about grief, intuition, love, and the possibility that meaning can find us in unexpected ways.

And somewhere along the way, a new thought emerged for me: a termite-ridden wall can look exactly like a perfectly intact wall from a distance. Maybe some of the structures we build inside ourselves look healthy from the outside, while something underneath is quietly changing them. And maybe sometimes the “termites” aren't necessarily something to get rid of—they might actually be helping us break through a wall we no longer need.

This conversation is about being open to those moments of connection, curiosity, and possibility—and asking ourselves: What messages might we be missing because we haven't created the space to hear them? Listen to the full conversation with Brent Scarpo on Tell Me Something New.

• CONTACT BRENT SCARPO FOR COACHING SERVICE, INTUITIVE READINGS, AND SO MUCH MORE: https://www.theredballoonbook.com/
• BUY BRENT'S BOOK AT https://www.theredballoonbook.com/ AND USE DISCOUNT CODE REDBALLOON (NO SPACES) FOR A $5 DISCOUNT.

Be a STRANGER (Someone That Really Allows New Good Energy). Email me at NEWTHOUGHTEXPERIMENTOWNER@GMAIL.COM if you would like to be featured on my podcast next.

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Disclaimer: I used AI to write the shownotes above.

In this reflective episode, New Thought Doc looks back at conversations with guests from Episodes 7–12 and explores the patterns emerging across their very different experiences.

From a burn survivor finding balance, to a psychiatrist embracing uncertainty, an astronomer using emotion to fuel discovery, and a karate black belt transforming setbacks into purpose, one idea keeps resurfacing: creativity may be less about creating something entirely new and more about seeing existing things in a new relationship.

Shelby explores the role of questioning assumptions, reframing, accepting uncertainty, and making meaning from difficult experiences. She also leaves listeners with questions of their own: What distractions are keeping your creativity from emerging? What can you do with what has happened to you? And what patterns might exist underneath your patterns?

A reflection on creativity, growth, uncertainty, and the unique ways each of us is called to create.

Want to be on the podcast? Email me at newthoughtexperimentowner@gmail.com. :)

^Disclaimer, captioned with AI