Finding Meaning Through Caregiving, Loss, and Writing with Nickolas Butler

Finding Meaning Through Caregiving, Loss, and Writing with Nickolas Butler

In this episode, Nickolas Butler explores finding meaning through caregiving, loss, and writing. At just 20 years old, Nick became his father’s legal guardian after a sudden brain aneurysm — a role he held for 23 years. What began as a family emergency became a long, complex journey that shaped his identity, his values, and his voice as a novelist. In this honest and moving conversation, Nick shares the emotional toll and unexpected wisdom that caregiving can bring, the power of presence, and how life’s hardest roles can also become its most transformative. Nick also discusses his latest novel, A 40 Year Kiss — a tender, hopeful story of second chances, aging, and old love — and how paying attention to real people’s stories fuels his fiction. If you’re navigating caregiving, grieving a loved one, or wondering how to stay open to creativity during hard seasons, this episode offers comfort, insight, and quiet strength.

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Key Takeaways:

  • Caregiving and the emotional complexities involved in becoming a legal guardian at a young age.
  • The impact of caregiving on personal identity and life experiences over a long duration.
  • The evolution of storytelling and the importance of listening to others’ stories in writing.
  • The contrast between Butler’s darker previous works and his latest novel, which focuses on themes of love, family, and redemption.
  • The exploration of “old love” and the realities of long-term relationships versus contemporary portrayals of romance.
  • The challenges and nuances of aging, wisdom, and the search for guidance in later life.
  • The personal relationship between the writer and their craft, including the writing process and routines.
  • The complexities of addiction and recovery, particularly in relation to alcohol use.
  • The significance of community and shared experiences, as illustrated through sports and personal anecdotes.
  • The importance of embracing ambiguity and the nuanced nature of human relationships in both life and art.


If you enjoyed this conversation with Nickolas Butler, check out these other episodes:

How to Embrace the Important Elements of Life with Nickolas Butler

A Journey to Self-Discovery and Sobriety with Matthew Quick


For full show notes, click here!

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Episoder(928)

Timber Hawkeye

Timber Hawkeye

This week we talk to Timber HawkeyeTimber Hawkeye is the author of the very popular book Buddhist Boot Camp. He offers a non-sectarian approach to being at peace with the world. His book was created from a series of blog posts and emails that friends encouraged him to publish. The book is a straightforward, plain spoken discussion of ways to live a better life. In This Interview Timber and I Discuss...The One You Feed parable.How feeding one wolf makes it stronger and more likely to show up again.The process of creating his book.Fight Club and the Parable of the Two Wolves.Leaving  his corporate job to live in Hawaii and live a simple life."It's not the table, it's who is with you at dinner."That happiness is not waiting for us in the distance but is available to us now.How exhausting the pursuit of happiness can be.The difference between feelings and emotions.Making our own choices, paying our own prices.We are the victims of our own choices.The suffering we create for ourselves.That pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.Feeling are not facts.Naming our demons and feeding our faith.Going beyond setting intention to setting actions.Explaining our anger instead of expressing it.How quickly we cross the line from discussion to argument.How vulnerability helps us to connect,That your mind is like a spoiled rich kid.How what you will allow will continue.Timber Hawkeye LinksBuddhist Boot Camp homepageBuddhist Boot Camp FacebookBuddhist Bootcamp on TwitterTimber's TEDX talk Some of our most popular interviews that you might also enjoy:Kino MacGregorStrand of OaksMike Scott of the WaterboysTodd Henry- author of Die EmptyRandy Scott HydeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Aug 201440min

Bonus Re-Release- Watsky

Bonus Re-Release- Watsky

Watsky: In celebration of Watsky's new album and our 300,000 listen we decided to re-release our very first episode. It remains our most downloaded episode and one of my favorites. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Aug 201431min

Julien Smith

Julien Smith

This week we talk to Julien Smith.Julien Smith is the CEO of Breather, an on-demand space company, as well as the New York Times bestselling author of three books. Two of these, Trust Agents and The Impact Equation, were written with Chris Brogan (a previous guest). The third, The Flinch, has consistently remained one of the top read Kindle books since it was published in 2011.Julien has been an author, a CEO, a professional voice actor, a radio broadcaster, and a consultant and speaker at some of the largest corporations in the world, including Google, Microsoft, American Express, Heineken International, and more. His work has also appeared in Cosmopolitan, GQ, CNN, and a host of other publications. His online work has been read by millions, literally.  In This Interview Julien and I Discuss...The One You Feed parable.Building the habits to become the person you want to be.The difference between his life as an author and his life as a CEO of a start-up company.How hard it is to focus on personal development in the midst of a very busy, hectic life.His new company, Breather.The value in changing everything about yourself once in awhile.The Flinch.How often we talk about doing things but never do them.The hidden, unknown thing that stops us from doing things.We learn lessons the best when we are burned by them.Experiencing something is very different than hearing about it.How what we do now reinforces what we will do next time.New ideas come from looking at new things in new ways.Everything we do right now makes us into the person we are.Learning to recognize the flight or flight response as it happens.The power of tiny habits.Breaking things down into the smallest possible chunks.Using the principle of momentum.How we want the glory without the suffering.How there is no courage without fear.Eliminating the pointless, cowardly and habitual in favor of the useful.Making the choice to train ourselves.Remembering that we are making choices every day.Julien Smith LinksJulien Smith homepageBreather Buy Julien's booksJulien on Twitter Some of our most popular interviews that you might also enjoy:Kino MacGregorStrand of OaksMike Scott of the WaterboysTodd Henry- author of Die EmptyRandy Scott HydeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Aug 201437min

Srini Pillay

Srini Pillay

Srini Pillay M.D. Founder and CEO of NeuroBusiness GroupSrini Pillay, M.D. is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Invited Faculty at Harvard Business School. He is also the Founder and CEO of NeuroBusiness Group. He graduated with the highest number of awards during his residency training at Harvard. He is also a Certified Master Coach. His specific expertise is on helping companies reach their goals by coaching strategy acceleration, change management, innovation, sales optimization, stress management and many other corporate goals. He has 17 years of experience in brain imaging and has an international reputation as a human behavior expert with special emphasis on stress and anxiety. His latest book is: Life Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome Fear.  In This Interview Srini and I Discuss...The One You Feed parable.The power of possibility.The difference between conscious fear and unconscious fear.What brain science tells us about unconscious fear.How unconscious fear is a major factor in our lives.The CIRCA method to manage unconscious fear.Chunking your issues into smaller, more manageable pieces.Ignoring the mind's chatter.Giving your self a reality check.Remembering that "this too shall pass"Keeping our thoughts on what we can control.Focusing our attention on positive things for some amount of time."Yoga Rage"Turning on the default node network.Dealing with "bottom up anxiety".How to handle emotional flooding.Being willing to make mistakes and be wrong.How simple action can be the highest form of intelligence.Taking small risks by tinkering.Using preemptive perception to make better decisions.Embracing the complexity of who we are.How we are wired to manage disappointment versus achieving fulfillment.Probability vs possibility thinking.Mimicking the exceptions rather than the rules.Srini Pillay LinksNeuroBusiness GroupSrini Pillay on TwitterSrini articles in the Harvard Business ReviewLife Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome FearYour Brain and Business: The Neuroscience of Great LeadersSome of our most popular interviews that you might also enjoy:Kino MacGregorStrand of OaksMike Scott of the WaterboysTodd Henry- author of Die EmptyRandy Scott HydeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Aug 201445min

Paul Gilmartin of The Mental Illness Happy Hour

Paul Gilmartin of The Mental Illness Happy Hour

Paul Gilmartin, host of the Mental Illness Happy Hour.Paul is a funny guy who hosts one of the most best podcasts on the market today. We have a great chat with Paul and we play a game at the end; borrowed from his show where he, Chris and I take turns exchanging things we are afraid of and things we love. It is certainly the most we have ever gotten from Chris on the air.The Mental Illness Happy Hour is an interview show known for it's candor, depth and intensity. In addition to the interviews Paul reads surveys about their lives filled out by his listeners that are in turn enlightening, horrifying and heartrending. However, the show is ultimately very hopeful. The combination of Paul's' humor, and the hope that is generated when people know they are not alone, gives the show an optimism that transcends the difficult subject matter.From 1995 to 2011 Paul Gilmartin co-hosted TBS’ Dinner and a Movie, and has been a stand-up comedian since 1987. His credits include Comedy Central Presents: Paul Gilmartin, numerous Bob and Tom albums, comedy festivals and the Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He is also a frequent guest on the Adam Carolla podcast, performing political satire as right-wing Congressman Richard Martin.  In This Interview Paul and I Discuss...The One You Feed parable.Forgiving ourselves for past misdeeds.The healing power of humor when used correctly.Not using humor to avoid feelings or intimacy.How we all have the lightest light and the darkest dark within.The cinematography of The Godfather.His battles with depression both present and past.Not being an expert.That there are no easy answers.That there are no fast fixes.When does positive thinking become denial.Accepting ourselves as we are, and working to change ourselves at the same time.Letting the mistakes of the past inform our decisions for the future.Apologizing without expecting something in return.How we think the way we feel now is the way we will feel forever.How evolution has made us fear based.Avoiding useless rumination.An unshakeable peace....sometimes.Treating depression like the emotional flu.We take Paul's show staple of Love Off and Fear Off and all three of us do it.Paul Gilmartin LinksMental Illness Happy Hour homepagePaul Gilmartin homepagePaul Gilmartin on Twitter  Some of our most popular interviews you might also enjoy:Kino MacGregorStrand of OaksMike Scott of the WaterboysTodd Henry- author of Die EmptyRandy Scott HydeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Jul 201452min

Krista Tippett (On Being)

Krista Tippett (On Being)

This week on The One You Feed we have Krista Tippett from On Being.  In This Interview Krista and I Discuss...The One You Feed parable.How modern news feeds our bad wolf.How science and religion ask different questions.How modern society looks for the most polarizing and strident views.Listening as a spiritual virtue.Being open to be surprised and amazed.Not needing to have the answers.Loving the questions themselves.Paradox and ambiguity.A reverence for mystery.Arriving at some of the best places in our lives through mistakes.Depression as a black pandoras box.The things that go wrong for us become part of our gifts to the world.We become great not in spite of the hardships but because of them.The path to spiritual genius is through being fully human.Krista's definition of spirituality- the inner work that accompanies our outer lives.Humor as a virtue.How she has never met a wise person who does not laugh often.Krista Tippett LinksOn Being homepageOn Being on TwitterRead Krista's books Some of our most popular interviews you might also enjoy:Kino MacGregorStrand of OaksMike Scott of the WaterboysTodd Henry- author of Die EmptyRandy Scott HydeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Jul 201442min

Strand of Oaks (Timothy Showalter)

Strand of Oaks (Timothy Showalter)

This week on The One You Feed we have Timothy Showalter from Strand of Oaks.Strand of Oaks aka Timothy Showalter just released one of the years best records. Heal has been celebrated by NPR, Pitchfork, Mojo and Uncut among many others. It's one of our favorite records of the year. The story behind Heal:"From the first bars of HEAL, the exhilarating melodic stomp of 'Goshen '97' puts you right into Tim Showalter's fervent teenage mindset. We find him in his family's basement den in Goshen, IN, feeling alienated but even at 15 years old, believing in the alchemy and power of music to heal your troubles. "The record is called HEAL, but it's not a soft, gentle healing, it's like scream therapy, a command, because I ripped out my subconscious, looked through it, and saw the worst parts. And that's how I got better." HEAL embodies that feeling of catharsis and rebirth, desperation and euphoria, confusion and clarity. It is deeply personal and unwittingly anthemic.Showalter was on tour, walking home on a mild autumn night in Malmo, Sweden, when he first felt the weight of the personal crisis that would ignite him to write HEAL. "It was a culmination of pressure," Showalter recalls. "My marriage was suffering, I'd released a record I was disappointed in, I didn't like how I looked or acted...so I'd gone on tour, I was gone about two years! I didn't take time to think about failure, but I knew I was going deeper and deeper...I was thinking, I have this life, but it's not my life, I haven't done it right..."When Showalter returned, he wrote 30 songs in three weeks, a process that proved difficult, but cathartic and at times invigorating. Previous Strand Of Oaks records were more skeletal, raw examples of folk-rooted Americana with occasional rock and electronic currents, that have now come to the fore. HEAL is a bold new beginning, with a thrilling full-tilt sound that draws on Showalter's love of '70s, '80s and '90s rock and pop, with the singer and guitarist playing the intense valedictory confessor.In This Interview Tim and I Discuss...The One You Feed parable.The great success of his new record.The saddest line on his new record.The importance of feeling all of our emotions, not just the good ones.How hard it is to write uplifting music that isn't cheesy.Disliking ironic music.The redemptive power of rock and roll.How we care less about what people think as we age.The power of being our authentic selves.Becoming who we are.Avoiding the victim/villain mindset.Jason Molina of Songs:Ohia.Fighting the dark times.Strand of Oaks LinksStrand of Oaks homepageBuy Heal on AmazonStrand of Oaks on TwitterStrand of Oaks on FacebookStrand of Oaks playlist on YouTube Some of our most popular interviews you might also enjoy:Kino MacGregorMike Scott of the WaterboysTodd Henry- author of Die EmptyRandy Scott HydeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Jul 201432min

Kino MacGregor

Kino MacGregor

This week on The One You Feed we have Kino MacGregor.We interviewed Kino after one of her weekend yoga retreats that she held in Columbus. We talked upstairs in a loft above the meeting space. She was warm, engaging and wise.She is an international yoga teacher, author of two books, producer of six Ashtanga Yoga DVDs, writer, vlogger, world traveler, co-founder of Miami Life Center (www.miamilifecenter.com) and founder of Miami Yoga Magazine (www.miamiyogamagazine.com). Her YouTube channel reached more than 2 million views within the last year(www.youtube.com/kinoyoga). She is one of a select group of people to receive the Certification to teach Ashtanga Yoga by its founder Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India and practices through the Fourth Series of Ashtanga Yoga.Without any background in movement training Kino tried her first yoga class when she was nineteen. Three years later, she joined Govinda Kai’s Mysore-style classes in New York City and became a dedicated Ashtanga yoga practitioner. After seven months of traditional Ashtanga practice Kino traveled to Mysore, India to meet her true teacher, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (“Guruji”). Upon her return she began real self-practice by practicing alone and devoting herself entirely to the study and teaching of Ashtanga yoga. After seven years of consistent trips to Mysore, at the age of 29, she received from Guruji the Certification to teach Ashtanga yoga and has since worked to pass on the inspiration to practice to countless others.In This Interview Kino and I Discuss...The One You Feed parable.Keeping your peace of mind regardless of the circumstances.How hard yoga can be.How yoga intentionally challenges your nervous system.Save Time, Save Money and Support the Show!! Go to Harry's and Use Promo Code: oneyoufeed to get $5 off your first order.Retraining the habit pattern of your nervous system.Walking the middle path.Not craving pleasure and pushing away pain.Taking what you learn during yoga out into the world.The value of surrendering to a method.Finding a genuine teacher.Yoga as a spiritual practice.Yoga and meditation in a secular setting.Using physical limits as a mirror for the inner journey.Her story of becoming a yoga teacher.Her depression, searching and questioning.Learning to not force everything.Meeting her teacher.The definition of truth as "what works".How what works one day may not work the next day.The multiple versions of the truth.The paradox of ambition versus acceptance.Balancing efforts between striving and not attachment to results.How depression can be the ultimate quitting.That love doesn’t make the pain go away but love is still bigger.Kino MacGregor LinksKino MacGregor homepageYoga for Beginners with KinoAshtanga Yoga:Primary Series with Kino MacGregorAshtanga Yoga: Intermediate Series with Kino MacGregorThe Power of Ashtanga Yoga: Developing a Practice That Will Bring You Strength, Flexibility, and Inner PeaceSacred Fire: My Journey Into Ashtanga YogaKino MacGregor You Tube channelKino MacGregor on Twitter Some of our most popular interviews you might also enjoy:Mike Scott of the WaterboysRich RollTodd Henry- author of Die EmptyRandy Scott HydeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

9 Jul 201432min

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