What happens when you finally reach the top… and realize it still isn’t enough?

This week on I Choose Happy, Marilyn sits down with Cathy Compton — one of the winningest coaches in college softball history with 2 Halls of Fame — for a profound conversation about success, identity, pressure, purpose, and the climb we all face in life.

From building championship teams from the ground up to coaching at the highest levels of the sport, Cathy shares what it really felt like to “make it” — and why the fulfillment she expected at the top of the mountain never came. Together, she and Marilyn explore the hidden emotional cost of achievement, the pressure young athletes face today, the lasting impact of parents and coaches, and the universal feeling so many people carry of “not enough.”

But this conversation goes far beyond sports.

Cathy opens up about the moment she realized her true purpose wasn’t winning championships — it was helping people see their own worth and potential. Marilyn also shares an emotional reflection on her recent hospitalization and the profound clarity, gratitude, love, and presence that emerged during one of the hardest moments of her life.

This is an episode about learning to love the climb instead of chasing the summit. About belonging to yourself. About redefining success. And about understanding that the greatest victories in life often happen far away from the scoreboard.

Cathy started a movement called “Creating the One” where people can release what’s “not them” and remove the trapped emotions, disempowering beliefs, patterns and identity traits that keep them stuck and keep them from having what they really want whether it be love, optimal health, success, a purpose in life, or whatever is important to them.
Online programs, 1 on 1 or group coaching, retreats and more are available.

Connect with Cathy on Facebook messenger, or email at TeamCathyC@gmail.com
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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.

This week’s I Choose Happy Encore is shared in loving memory of Joseph “Joey” Pangilinan — honoring his extraordinary spirit, courage, and the light he so generously shared with others.

When 54-year-old Joseph Pangilinan went to urgent care for a nagging cough, he expected antibiotics and rest. Instead, he walked out with a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer — tumors in his lungs, lesions in his bones, even his brain. Told he might only have months to live, Joseph made a choice: to live fully, with humor, grit, and gratitude.

Four and a half years later, Joseph shares how he’s defied the odds, what it means to float from “lily pad to lily pad” with shifting treatments, and why his mantra “motion is medicine” keeps him moving forward. A raw and inspiring conversation about acceptance, family, advocacy, and finding light in the darkest of diagnoses.

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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.

In this episode of I Choose Happy, bestselling author of The Rise Back, Tiffaney Childers, shares her story of surviving the unimaginable: losing both of her parents to suicide just a year apart.

What followed wasn’t a clear path to healing… it was years of survival. Silence. Pushing forward the only way she knew how while raising her children, building a life, and carrying grief that had no place to go.

It wasn’t until nearly two decades later - when her body could no longer hold what had gone unspoken - that everything began to shift.

Tiffaney opens up about the moment that changed everything, the anger she carried, the full-circle realization that brought her closer to her mother’s experience, and the intentional work it took to move from surviving… to truly healing.

This is a difficult, but meaningful, discussion on grief, mental health, and what it means to rebuild a life after profound loss.

If you’ve ever experienced loss, or are navigating something heavy in your own life, we hope this episode reminds you: you are not alone.

A gentle note:

This episode includes discussion of suicide and may feel heavy at times. Please take care while listening.

This conversation is shared for connection and understanding, and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. If you are struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a qualified professional or someone you trust.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or having suicidal thoughts, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 in the United States, or visit 988lifeline.org to chat with a trained counselor.

Connect with Tiffaney:

Tiffaney is the author of the bestselling book The Rise Back, where she shares more of her journey through loss, survival, and intentional healing.

You can find The Rise Back on Amazon.
Learn more about her work, speaking, and resources at https://risesavage.com/
Connect with her on Instagram @tiffaneychilders
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Connect with Marilyn and be a part of the conversation in the I Choose Happy private Facebook group. This is your safe space to share and be inspired. Please join today by clicking here.
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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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I Choose Happy is made possible by The Comfy, a Shark Tank sensation whose wearable blankets make life happier. Find out for yourself with 20% off your first order with the code ichoosehappy at TheComfy.com.