A boy who nearly died after losing his mother at age seven grew up to become one of West Texas's most pioneering oncologists — and he's now telling the full story.

Dr. Fazlur Rahman joins Brigitte Cutshall on Real Things Living for his second visit, this time diving into his newly republished memoir "Temple Road."

It's a book about the literal jungle path he walked from his small Bangladesh village to school, and the metaphorical roads that carried him from there to medical school in Dhaka, residency in New York, and decades of groundbreaking cancer care in rural West Texas.

3 Takeaways:

(1) Your origin story is your fuel.

(2) Wisdom doesn't require a diploma.

(3) Find your temple roads.

Pick up Dr. Rahman's books — "Our Connected Lives: Caring for Cancer Patients in Rural Texas" and the newly republished "Temple Road" — available on Amazon.

Visit him at https://fazlurrahmanmd.com

If this story moved you, share it with someone who needs a reminder that it's never too late to find your purpose.

Imagine waiting ten days for important biopsy results only to discover the patient sample was entirely lost; meaning someone has to go under the knife all over again. In modern medical systems, this chaotic scenario is more common than you think.

Sam Yeruva, Founder and CEO of PyCube, sat down with Brigitte Cutshall on Real Things Living to discuss how modernizing and digitizing the workflows behind the scenes can dramatically reduce medical errors, lower provider burnout, and save lives.

"When your processes are not digitized... you can't improve. You just have to look at things from the outside. When [healthcare workers] know that they can solve and take care of a patient better, their eyes get lit up." — Sam Yeruva

Key Takeaways:

(1) Solutions Sell, Not Just Technology

(2) The Necessity of a "Curiosity Quotient" (CQ)

(3) Digitize before you can optimize

Visit https://PyCube.com to explore their latest case studies.

Connect directly with Sam Yeruva on LinkedIn to join the conversation on modernizing patient care - https://www.linkedin.com/in/srikarpycube/

Getting hit by a car cracked Tyler's femur — and shattered everything he thought he knew about fitness.

Tyler Bramlett, co-founder of WeShape, joins Brigitte Cutshall on Real Things Living to flip the fitness script. After a cycling accident forced him to relearn movement from scratch, Tyler discovered that the industry's obsession with intensity is exactly what keeps people stuck — or injured.

His approach starts at the foundation: quality of movement, foot mechanics, and the self-worth that makes healthy habits actually last.

WeShape's smart algorithm builds daily, personalized workouts based on how you're actually feeling that day — no cookie-cutter routines, no shame spirals.

3 Key Takeaways:

(1) Quality before intensity. If you don't learn how your body is supposed to move first, the method doesn't matter — you'll get hurt.

(2) Your body is one system. Flat arches can cause shoulder pain. Fix the root, not just the symptom.

(3) Shame doesn't stick. Lasting change comes from valuing your body, not punishing it.

Head over to https://weshape.com/realthings to take their movement quiz and start your free two-week trial today!

She woke up to a video of her drunk self begging her sober self to change — and that was the moment everything shifted.

Hannah Turner is a poet, author, and coach whose debut poetry collection, The Clarity of Chaos, was born in the most unlikely place: a Paris apartment, a year into sobriety, in the middle of writing a graduate thesis.

In this conversation with Brigitte Cutshall, Hannah opens up about how writing became her lifeline — from silencing her inner critic to processing the raw edges of addiction and finally asking for help.

With honesty, humor, and a whole lot of heart, she shares how poetry helped her find her voice when alcohol had been doing the talking.

3 Takeaways:

(1) Humor is a coping skill.

(2) Writing heals what words can't always say.

(3) Connection over perfection.

If Hannah's story resonated with you, grab a copy of "The Clarity of Chaos" on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZTFQHVV

Connect with her at https://www.hannahturner.net/

Follow her on Instagram at @TheClarityOfChaos

After a 30-year marriage ended, most people wouldn't buy a house alone in rural France. Roberta Samuels did and then wrote four books about it.

Roberta is an author, painter, and lifelong Francophile who studied at the Sorbonne, led small-group tours through the hidden corners of France, and ultimately traded her old life for a medieval townhouse in the southwest.

In this conversation with Brigitte Cutshall, Roberta shares how a COVID-era writing course unlocked a creative second act, why her mystery novels are packed with real-world issues like immigration and stolen art, and the one mindset shift every aspiring writer needs.

3 Takeaways:

(1) Reinvention is a choice.

(2) The richest stories come from real life.

(3) Start with patience, not perfection.

Inspired by art, travel, and the courage to start over?

Visit https://RobertaSamuels.com to explore her books and artwork, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Reach out. She'd love to hear from you.

Grief doesn't ask you to move on. It asks you to carry love forward.

Brigitte Cutshall speaks with Enya Flack, an actress, reporter, and Infinity Garden advocate for an honest, heartfelt conversation about navigating loss. Drawing from personal experience — including losing her husband in 2018 — Enya shares how grief reshaped her perspective on healing, remembrance, and connection.

Together, they explore why grief doesn’t follow a schedule, how the words we use around loss can either isolate or comfort, and how Infinity Garden is helping fill the quiet gap that often comes after the casseroles stop coming and the calls fade out.

3 Takeaways:

(1) Grief has no timeline — healing looks different for everyone.

(2) Small acts of remembrance can create comfort, connection, and peace.

(3) Kindness and human connection help carry us through loss.

If you or someone you love is navigating loss, check out Infinity Garden at https://infinitygarden.org — a gentle digital space to remember, reflect, and heal on your own timeline.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it.

A system designed to heal shouldn’t wait for people to get sick.

In this episode of Real Things Living, Brigitte Cutshall speaks with Gil Bashe, Chair of Global Health & Purpose at FINN Partners and author of Healing the Sick Care System: Why People Matter.

With decades of experience across healthcare, business, and caregiving, Gil shares a powerful perspective on why today’s healthcare system often prioritizes processes over people.

Through personal stories and real-world examples, Brigitte and Gil dive into the importance of communication, curiosity, and human connection in creating better health outcomes.

Key Takeaways

(1) Prevention is undervalued. The system often delays care until conditions worsen—costing more in the long run.

(2) Connection drives better care. The strongest outcomes come from providers who listen, communicate, and build trust.

(3) You are your own advocate. Asking questions, staying curious, and choosing the right providers can transform your health journey.

Resources & Links:

"Healing the Sick Care System: Why People Matter" by Gil Bashe

https://www.finnpartners.com/bio/gil-bashe/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbashe/

Share this with someone who cares about their health or someone navigating the healthcare system.

Let’s create a healthier future together.

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Survival shouldn't be a guessing game.

Diagnosed with advanced T-cell lymphoma in 2009, Army veteran and attorney Glenn Sturm refused to leave his survival to chance. He built his own integrated, multidisciplinary cancer care team before most hospitals even knew what that meant.

Now he's writing the book on it — literally — and the data behind his approach is staggering: a 70% reduction in mortality rates for cancer patients who use this model.

3 Takeaways:

(1) Your cancer team should have more than just a doctor. Glenn's research identified 46 potential specialists — from psychiatrists and exercise physiologists to epidemiologists and music therapists. Most people need five. Almost no one has them.

(2) Mindset isn't a cliché — it's medicine. From making someone laugh every day to finding a passion worth fighting for, Glenn lives by one phrase: "We must give up hope for a better yesterday." Move forward, on purpose.

(3) Children spell love as T-I-M-E. Not quality time — quantity. The people and passions that fill your days are what slow the disease and extend the life.

Connect with Glenn at https://glensturm.com — his upcoming book, More Than Hope, and his full list of multidisciplinary cancer care specialists are there.

If something's missing, he genuinely wants to hear from you.