Posts tagged resilience
인간의 지형 | The One With Dr. Xin She – The Geography of Being Human: Across Borders, Between Worlds | Episode 34 (2025)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 인간의 지형 | The One With Dr. Xin She – The Geography of Being Human: Across Borders, Between Worlds | Episode 34 (2025)

What does it mean to belong everywhere and nowhere at once?

In this episode of The More Sibyl Podcast, I sit with Dr. Xin She, a pediatrician, global health scholar, researcher, mindfulness educator, polyglot, and Fulbright Fellow, whose life spans continents, cultures, and ways of knowing. Together, we explore what it means to heal beyond medicine, to find wholeness not in prescriptions but in purpose, compassion, and connection.

Born in 1980s Shanghai, in a one-room home without hot running water, Dr. She’s earliest lessons in resilience came from bucket showers and blackouts long before she ever entered a clinic. Those childhood experiences later shaped her calling to global health, from Haiti’s pediatric wards to the U.S.–Mexico border, where a simple Coke bottle filled with stones can spark joy for a child processing trauma.

We talk about motherhood and migration, burnout and rebirth, and the tender work of raising a global citizen; a child who learns empathy not from textbooks, but from refugee camps, shared meals, and birthday cakes at the border. We also reflect on our Fulbright journeys, hers in Mexico and mine in Korea, and the quiet, unseen sacrifices our families make so we can stand in the places we feel called to. Our conversation moves through the meaning of work-life integration, the courage to say no without guilt, and the discipline of creating joy even in places marked by pain.

And woven through it all is a simple truth: despite our differences, people everywhere long for the same things: wellness, dignity, connection, and meaning. This episode is a reminder that across borders and experiences, there is always common ground.

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잘 세워진 남자| The One with Dr. Timi Adepoju On Becoming a Well-Built Man: Faith, Balance, and the Architecture of Leadership| Episode 33 (2025)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 잘 세워진 남자| The One with Dr. Timi Adepoju On Becoming a Well-Built Man: Faith, Balance, and the Architecture of Leadership| Episode 33 (2025)

To close out our Prostate Cancer & Men’s Wellness Awareness Series, we sit with Dr. Timi Adepoju, a physician, leadership coach, entrepreneur, and living proof that adversity can be a launchpad.

From growing up in Ibadan during Nigeria’s era of scarcity to building thriving clinics and leadership programs in the U.S., his story is a masterclass in grit, grace, and growth. He reflects on how childhood lessons, faith, and a “make the most of what you have” mindset shaped the man he is today and why he refused to abandon his dream of becoming a physician, even when others urged him to take an easier road.

But this conversation isn’t just about achievement. It’s a full reset on men’s wellness and balance; a candid look at why men around the world are dying younger, how the “provider” mindset fuels silent exhaustion, and why rest, nutrition, yearly checkups, and breathing space are not indulgences, but survival tools.

Dr. Adepoju shares his own transformation from 100-hour workweeks to building rhythms of rest, intentional vacations, and sustainable balance. For leaders and multitaskers, his thoughts on clarity, structure, and letting go will resonate deeply: how to create systems, trust your team, set weekly anchors, and accept that the world will keep spinning even when you take a day off.

We also explore how he built Empower Children’s Clinic in Mississippi by turning barriers into blueprints — seeing poverty, health disparities, and limited pediatric access as opportunities to serve. “Light comes out of darkness,” he says, and his clinics, now in multiple locations, prove it.

In the end, we return to what greatness truly means. Vulnerability. Accountability. The courage to grow and evolve year after year. If you’re a physician with a vision, a man redefining strength, or anyone learning to balance ambition with well-being, this episode will both ground and inspire you.

Tune in to hear the full conversation; available now on all podcast streaming platforms.


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깊은 믿음의 자리| The One with Mr. Mark Harris on Breaking the Silence on Prostate Cancer | Episode 32 (2025)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 깊은 믿음의 자리| The One with Mr. Mark Harris on Breaking the Silence on Prostate Cancer | Episode 32 (2025)

In this episode, I sit down with Mr. Mark Harris, a men's health advocate whose story redefines what it means to face illness with faith, courage, and community.

Recorded on Father’s Day, this conversation goes beyond prostate cancer; it’s about legacy, love, and learning to “do it afraid.” Mr. Harris opens up about his prostate cancer diagnosis, the heartbreaking loss of his son to a rare cancer, and how both experiences shaped his mission to help men speak up, get checked, and live fully.

From the power of early detection to breaking the silence around men’s health, Mr. Harris reminds us that strength and softness can coexist, and that sharing your story doesn’t make you weak; it makes you a guide for others finding their strength.

🎧 Tune in to hear:

  • Why fear and shame shouldn’t stop men from seeking help

  • How illness reshapes relationships and faith

  • The importance of early detection and open conversations

  • What true advocacy looks like when love meets loss

This episode will move you, challenge you, and remind you that healing isn’t just about the body, it’s about connection, courage, and community.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that it’s okay to be strong and soft at the same time.

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암 너머의 인간| The One with Dr. Andrew Roth — Men, Medicine, and Meaning: The Emotional Landscape of Prostate Cancer| Episode 31 (2025)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 암 너머의 인간| The One with Dr. Andrew Roth — Men, Medicine, and Meaning: The Emotional Landscape of Prostate Cancer| Episode 31 (2025)

What does it mean to live well, even in the face of illness? How do we care for those navigating both the physical and emotional realities of cancer?

In this episode of The More Sibyl Podcast, we sit down with one of the pioneers of psycho-oncology, Dr. Andrew Roth, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and longtime attending psychiatrist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Together, we explore the emotional ripple effects of a cancer diagnosis, how anxiety and shame often hide beneath stoicism, and why naming our fears can sometimes be the most courageous act of all. Dr. Roth introduces tools like the Distress Thermometer and MAX-PC (Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer), simple yet profound ways clinicians can detect emotional suffering early, before it turns into isolation. These tools, he explains, aren’t just checklists; they’re bridges that reconnect patients to language, to care, and to hope.

But perhaps the most powerful insight from Dr. Roth is this: healing doesn’t always mean cure. Sometimes it means learning how to live with uncertainty, reclaiming joy in moments that medicine can’t measure, and building relationships that remind us we are more than our diagnosis.

He speaks of the courage it takes for men to open up, for partners to listen without judgment, and for doctors to lead with empathy rather than ego. In sharing his own journey, from community organizing in Brooklyn to a lifetime of helping patients find meaning in the midst of uncertainty, Dr. Roth shows how emotional honesty can transform medical care and what it truly means to “live better” with illness.

Whether you’re a clinician, caregiver, patient, or loved one walking beside someone in pain, this conversation will leave you with a renewed understanding of how connection, courage, and curiosity can shape the way we heal and the way we live. Because healing, as Dr. Roth reminds us, isn’t just medical. It’s profoundly human.


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학교와 집 사이| On Belonging and Advocacy: For Ourselves and Our Children — The One with Dr. Otito Iwuchukwu | Episode 24 (2025)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 학교와 집 사이| On Belonging and Advocacy: For Ourselves and Our Children — The One with Dr. Otito Iwuchukwu | Episode 24 (2025)

Welcome to July! We’re kicking off the month with a deeply resonant episode featuring my dear friend, Dr. Otito Iwuchukwu. She’s no stranger to this space; it’s not her first rodeo! But this time, we welcome her back in a role that’s even more intimate and relatable: as a mother and, as you’ll hear, a fierce advocate.

As immigrant parents prepare for another school year, it’s about more than just backpacks and supply lists. It’s about the emotional load we carry, navigating unfamiliar systems, decoding school emails that make our hearts race, and resisting the urge to turn our frustration inward on our children.

In this timely and personal conversation, Otito shares how her son’s early struggles in school became a mirror, reflecting a lifelong journey of being misunderstood. We unpack the silent burdens immigrant parents bear while navigating Western education, especially in the U.S., with stories that will resonate deeply.

One of the most significant aspects of our conversation centers on neurodiversity. As a mom to two neurodivergent sons, Otito reframes ADHD not as a deficit, but as a different kind of brilliance, changing not just how she supports her children, but how she affirms herself.

We also explore the cultural dissonance between Nigerian and American schooling. For many of us who grew up trusting that teachers had our best interests at heart, it’s jarring to now feel the need to constantly explain, advocate for, and defend our position.

As another school year begins, many immigrant families will return to systems not built with their context in mind. This episode offers solidarity. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or ally, now is the time to rethink what advocacy, success, and belonging really mean.

Listen. Save. Share. Come back to it when August rolls around and you need a reminder: you are not alone in this journey. And if you know a parent trying to raise a child who feels seen, safe, and strong, send this their way.

Also, go read The Belonging Paradox, Dr. Otito’s incredible book (available on Amazon). The episode only scratches the surface—its pages offer deeper truths about identity, parenting, and reclaiming belonging across cultures and systems. No spoilers here. Just go read it.

Oh—and something BIG is coming this month. Mark your calendars for July 19th: More Than a Backpack is a live panel session featuring moms, dads, and a behavioral specialist, digging even deeper into how we can collectively advocate for our kids in the North American education system. That’s right—both the U.S. and Canada. Save the date, and we’ll see you there!

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희망과 사랑| The One with Poojee - On Cross-Cultural Friendships & Resilience: Episode 35 (2018)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Poojee

This is one episode you should not miss as it features my very own Poojee!

In this episode, Poojee aka Omonike (my mother gave her this name, and it means ‘a child to be cherished’ in Yoruba – A Nigerian language) and I gush shamelessly about the love we have for each other. Pu, as I love to call her, and I went to grad school together in Austin, and she now lives in London. If you’re my friend on Facebook, you would have seen posts of me her and together. In this episode, we explored Poo’s story: growing up (female) in India; dropping out of grad school; how she coped with managing those expectations and from others too; our friendship and its oddities; and why we will not be breaking up anytime soon.

Poo is about one of the very few friends I chased (I am usually the one being chased), and I explain why this was so and why I would shamelessly do it over and over again. Poo is as geeky and nerdy as I am and loves Korean drama too. We also both share a mutual disdain for Apple® products. Suffice to say, our friendship will irretrievably break if either one of us cheats on the other by taking a bite from any of the already-bitten Apple products that are Mac and all of its i-Friends.

TL; DR: It’s a story of an odd love, friendship, and sisterhood between two most unlikely people who share different beliefs on religion (she is Hindu, I am Christian) and food (she eats rabbit food (aka vegetarian), and I eat rabbits (aka non-vegetarian), and even personalities (she’s introvertish, and I am hella extravertish, yup it’s a word!). How we make it work and how a little understanding and radical acceptance is needed in cross-cultural friendships. It’s also a story of resilience, dealing with the fear of failure, and keeping things moving.

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