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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Find out more about Marilyn at marilyngetasbyrne.com.
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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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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.

Just days before the NFL Draft, Marilyn sits down with someone she’s known his entire life: her son, JT Byrne.

This is a moment years in the making. But what you’ll hear in this conversation isn’t just about football. It’s about the work behind the dream, the discipline no one sees, and the kind of integrity that’s built long before the moment ever arrives.

JT shares what it means to truly discover who you are, how to stay grounded in the face of pressure, and why the work you do when no one’s watching is what ultimately defines you.

Together, they reflect on the role of family, the lessons learned through adversity, and the importance of becoming someone you’re proud to be— on and off the field.

As JT prepares for the 2026 NFL Draft, this conversation is a reminder that success isn’t just about where you end up. It’s about who you become along the way, and who you share that moment with.
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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 using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

On September 11th, 2001, Jack Grandcolas lost his wife, Lauren, aboard United Flight 93.

What followed was a journey no one is ever prepared for.

But before that day, Lauren was a woman who lived life wide open—full of curiosity, courage, and heart. And in this conversation, Jack brings us back to that life… while also sharing what it has meant to carry her memory forward.

From grief and trauma to healing and perspective, Jack speaks with honesty about what it looks like to move forward without ever leaving love behind.

This episode honors Lauren’s life, the courage of those aboard Flight 93, and the quiet strength it takes to keep living after loss.

Jack shares more of his journey in his book, Like a River to the Sea. It's a powerful reflection on love, loss, and the enduring nature of the human spirit.
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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 using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

At 19 years old, Katie Mahon had a chilling encounter in San Francisco with a man she would only later realize was the notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. What happened that day — and the stranger who appeared at just the right moment — would stay with her for the rest of her life.

But this conversation is about more than survival.

In this powerful episode, Katie shares how that experience shaped her understanding of intuition, fear, and the mysteries we can’t always explain — and how life continued to bring wave after wave in the years that followed. From devastating grief and anxiety to motherhood, perspective, and her daughter’s current health battle, Katie reflects on what it means to keep overcoming… not just once, but again and again.

This is a moving conversation about miracles, presence, and learning to find beauty, gratitude, and meaning even in life’s hardest seasons.

Katie is the co-author of The Miracle Chase and The Miracle Collectors, books that explore the extraordinary, unexplainable moments that shape our lives. Available wherever books are sold.

Connect with Katie:
Instagram: @miraclecollectors
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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 — 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 using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

This week on I Choose Happy, Marilyn sits down with her longtime friend Steve Georgeson for a deeply honest conversation about what it means to keep living fully when your body begins to change in ways you never expected.

Steve was just 29 years old — a new dad, a husband, and a firefighter in the prime of his life — when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In this episode, he shares what it’s been like to live with MS for more than 26 years: the grief of losing ease and mobility, the invisible mental and physical toll of the disease, and the long journey of learning to adapt without losing himself in the process.

He also opens up about the challenge of accepting help, the freedom he found in redefining independence, and the perspective that has helped him keep choosing gratitude, connection, and joy.

In honor of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, this is a conversation about more than the diagnosis. It’s about identity, family, resilience, and the quiet strength it takes to keep showing up for life... even when life starts to look very different than you imagined.
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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 using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com

At 55 years old, Irene Audet was stepping into a new chapter of life—her children grown, her career evolving, and a sense that life was finally opening up in a new way.
Then, everything changed.

Diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer despite never having smoked, Irene found herself facing a reality she never expected.

In this deeply moving conversation, Irene shares her journey through diagnosis and treatment, and the mindset that has carried her through it. She speaks with honesty about the limits of positive thinking, the power of appreciation, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who love and support you.

She also opens up about a deeply personal decision—to live her life fully, without chasing more time, and to choose dignity at the end of her life when she is no longer able to care for herself.

This is a conversation about clarity, courage, and what it truly means to live.

It also serves as a reminder that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death—even among people who have never smoked—and that listening to your body and advocating for your health matters.

Connect with Irene:
TikTok: @oneamazinglife
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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 — 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 using the code ICHOOSEHAPPY at TheComfy.com