What does it look like when a man stands in a thunderstorm, dares lightning to strike him, and discovers his entire purpose instead? Steve Gamlin -- keynote speaker, stand-up comedian, vision board coach, and self-described "beach bum philanthropist" -- has built a life out of beautiful wreckage. A ten-year radio career that imploded. A divorce. Tens of thousands of dollars in debt at 35. And then, one afternoon on a golf course in the middle of a thunderstorm, something shifted. That moment launched everything: a speaking career, seven years of stand-up comedy, the Vision Board Mastery program, Beach Bum Philanthropy (his official 501c3 nonprofit), and a personal development philosophy he calls "blue collar woo" -- no glitter, no fluff, just roll up your sleeves and do the work. But the heart of this episode is a love story. In June of 2007, after 21 years of silence, Steve received an email from a girl he had a crush on in high school and never had the courage to ask out. Her name was Tina. Four weeks later, she texted him: "Can I tell you something if you promise not to freak out?" What followed was 6,386 days of the kind of love most people only put on vision boards. Tina died suddenly in Steve's arms in a London hotel room in December of 2024, less than 24 hours after the two of them shared what Steve calls the most honest conversation of their lives together. And still, every single morning, his foot slides across to her side of the bed. In this conversation, Steve brings all of it -- the grief, the humor, the heartbreak, the hopefulness, and yes, the standing ovation he admits he cheated to get -- into the Spirit Talk Show studio. We also perform a short radio play, read him a tribute story, and close with a poem that left the whole room quiet. If you have ever felt like your failures were just firewood waiting to be lit, this episode is for you. Find Steve and explore his work -- including Vision Board Mastery, his humor coaching, and his speaking events -- at www.stevegamlinspeaker.com. You can also connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter at @SteveGamlin. Spirit Talk Show – Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups Hosted by Doyle Follow Spirit Talk Show on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spirittalkshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doylespirittalkshow/ X: https://x.com/doylespirittalk Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/spirittalkshow www.spirittalkshow.info If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and share it with someone who might need it. Sponsored by Incogni — they remove your personal data from broker sites automatically so strangers cannot buy your information. Get protected: https://deal.incogni.io/spirittalkshow

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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