Episode 0 Transcript:
A First Look at The Hope People
Dr. Greg Jones: Our world is facing significant challenges, and at every turn, another conflict seems to await. Yet, we survive, we overcome, we even thrive by relying on an intangible and undeniable gift, hope. It fills us, connects us, highlights our individual purpose, and unites us in the goal to do more together. Hope fuels us toward flourishing as people and as a community. My name is Greg Jones, President of Belmont University, and I'm honored to be your guide through candid conversations with people who demonstrate what it really means to live with hope and lean into the lessons they've picked up along their journey. They are The Hope People.
CeCe Winans: A lot of people think when you give, then you're going to lose or you are going to subtract from your life, but I've always found, the more I give, the more it's added.
Marcus Whitney: That's one of the most beautiful things about entrepreneurship. It's a method by which we do some of the most fundamental human things, creating and orchestrating.
Dr. Greg Jones: These are stories of hope from those who, even in the darkest times, found a reason to shine, to inspire others, and learn from their own losses.
Dr. Anderson Spickard: I'm learning to live with this hole in my heart that is shaping me, because we know it will never go away. It just becomes a part of our story.
Annie F. Downs: One of the things that I really appreciate about hope is that it isn't free, right? It's not one of the fruits of the spirit. It's not one of the things that we get just for signing up. It is our suffering that produces perseverance in us, that builds our character, that gives us hope.
Dr. Greg Jones: They are stories of unlikely friendships, lifelong bonds, that serve as a beautiful reminder that, despite all our differences, the true measure of hope is our willingness to trust in each other.
Jon Roebuck: There are a lot of really good people with a lot of really good thoughts who are doing a lot of really good work, and if there was a way to begin to stitch that together, great things could be accomplished.
Mark Schiftan: We don't duck the issues. And I think that has allowed for real deep friendships to be created and not just created, but sustained over time.
Gov. Phil Bredesen: I like to think that, if you looked around a little bit, that this kind of a friendship is not unique, that there are plenty of other places in the country where it certainly could exist. He's a good guy. He's a little mixed up on his politics, but he's a good guy.
Dr. Greg Jones: Launching this October at our Annual Hope Summit, we hope you'll join us on our journey and learn from some of these amazing conversations. Our aim is to inspire you to become an agent of hope yourself and help us cultivate a sense of wellbeing for everyone.
Cordia Harrington: When I felt hopeless or had a big setback, it was my faith that renewed the hope and the belief that tomorrow's going to be better than today.
Dr. Greg Jones: To join our mission and learn how you can become an agent of hope, visit thehopepeoplepodcast.com and please follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.