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Episode 6: Hope in a Crazy World
Still Here, Still Trying with Mike Baker

There’s a strange heaviness in the air lately. People are tired in ways they can’t explain. The news is relentless. Politics feel like a battleground. The pressure to stay informed, stay productive, stay afloat — it adds up.

In this episode, I talk about what it means to survive without shutting down, and how we stay hopeful when the world around us feels chaotic. This is not a pep talk. It’s a pause. A place to name the weariness honestly — and still choose to keep our hearts open.

Hope, the kind I believe in, doesn’t shout. It doesn’t demand attention. It shows up in how we treat people. It grows slowly in the spaces we protect from cynicism. And it gives back in ways fear never will.

I share a few things that have grounded me lately — moments from my book The Optimist’s Way, the music I’ve been writing, the art that helps me process what words can’t always carry. There’s nothing polished about this season. But there’s still beauty in it, and I want to help us find it together.

Whether you’re a parent trying to hold it all together, a leader trying to stay steady for others, or just a human trying to stay soft in a world that keeps pushing you to harden up — this space is for you.

📖 The Optimist’s Way is available here: https://a.co/d/4RqPS6g
🎶 Stream the songs that grew from these reflections: https://linktr.ee/mikebakermusic

If this conversation means something to you, pass it along. Share it with someone who might need a little light. That’s how we keep building something worth believing in — not all at once, but one honest moment at a time.

Still here. Still trying. See you next time.

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Thanks for listening to Still Here, Still Trying.

If this episode gave you something to think about, please like, follow, subscribe, and share it with three people who could use it in their lives.

You can find more of my work — music, writing, art, and reflections — at:
🌐 mikebakerhq.com

Grab a copy of my book, The Optimist’s Way:
📚 https://a.co/d/4RqPS6g

Thanks for being here.
Still here. Still trying.

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In this episode, I’m walking through the songs from The Optimist’s Way — not as background music, but as part of the bigger conversation about staying hopeful, staying human, and finding connection through small acts of courage.

Each track carries something different. Let the Light In is about learning to open up again. The Quiet Kind of Bravehonors the everyday strength no one sees. What You Water Will Grow reminds us where we place our attention shapes what grows in our lives. These songs sit alongside the reflections in the book because they come from the same place — a desire to help people feel less alone on the days when trying feels like the hardest thing.

This episode isn’t just about music. It’s about how creativity can remind us to keep showing up, how small efforts add up, and how sharing our stories matters.

Thanks for listening, for sharing, and for walking this road with me.

🎧 Listen to the album, The Optimist’s Way, wherever you stream music.
📖 Get the book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/4RqPS6g
🎙️ Follow the podcast for future episodes.

Still here. Still trying.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Still Here, Still Trying.

If this episode gave you something to think about, please like, follow, subscribe, and share it with three people who could use it in their lives.

You can find more of my work — music, writing, art, and reflections — at:
🌐 mikebakerhq.com

Grab a copy of my book, The Optimist’s Way:
📚 https://a.co/d/4RqPS6g

Thanks for being here.
Still here. Still trying.

Support the Podcast Here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2516381/support

Send us a text

Raw honesty hits different when it comes straight from the creator's heart. Welcome to my first podcast episode, where I peel back the layers on my album "Too Much Noise" - a collection that didn't come from press releases or marketing strategies, but from watching people I love struggle silently while the world keeps spinning.

These songs weren't primarily born from my darkest moments (though I've had those too), but from sitting beside friends, family, and loved ones during theirs. They're for the people who keep showing up despite falling apart inside, who've mastered the art of looking okay when they're anything but. In a world where everyone's talking but few are listening, where we scroll endlessly yet feel increasingly disconnected, these tracks speak to the invisible loneliness many carry.

Track by track, I walk you through the emotional landscape behind each song - from the opening "Everyone's Talking" about our noise-filled but connection-starved world to the heartbreaking "The Friend I Don't Talk to Anymore" about losing someone who's still alive. I share how "Still Here" became the album's beating heart, a love letter to survival and staying alive even when it feels impossible. The final instrumental "Second Breath" offers sacred space to process everything that came before it. This album isn't about algorithms or streaming numbers - it's about creating something truthful that might sit beside someone when they're falling apart, reminding them they aren't alone. If you connect with these songs, please share them. You never know who's scrolling through their silence right now, waiting for something to remind them they matter. Follow my podcast and music journey on social media @MikeBakerHQ and at MikeBakerHQ.com.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Still Here, Still Trying.

If this episode gave you something to think about, please like, follow, subscribe, and share it with three people who could use it in their lives.

You can find more of my work — music, writing, art, and reflections — at:
🌐 mikebakerhq.com

Grab a copy of my book, The Optimist’s Way:
📚 https://a.co/d/4RqPS6g

Thanks for being here.
Still here. Still trying.

Support the Podcast Here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2516381/support

Send us a text

What if the space left behind by loss isn’t empty at all?

In this episode, I’m sitting with the idea that everything we lose — roles, relationships, old dreams, even outdated versions of ourselves — creates space for something new to take shape. Space for healing. Space for connection. Space for hope.

These seasons of letting go aren’t easy. They rarely come with clear answers or immediate relief. They often leave us standing still, wondering what’s next. But with time, those spaces begin to fill. Not with noise or distractions — but with what we actually need.

This conversation is for anyone who’s standing in that in-between. Anyone who’s learning to trust the quiet, trust the waiting, and trust that what’s ahead will meet them where they are.

🎙️ Still Here, Still Trying — Episode 3: Making Space — What We Lose, What We Find

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Still Here, Still Trying.

If this episode gave you something to think about, please like, follow, subscribe, and share it with three people who could use it in their lives.

You can find more of my work — music, writing, art, and reflections — at:
🌐 mikebakerhq.com

Grab a copy of my book, The Optimist’s Way:
📚 https://a.co/d/4RqPS6g

Thanks for being here.
Still here. Still trying.

Support the Podcast Here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2516381/support

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Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about connection. How easy it is to overlook. How much it matters. And how the smallest moments — a conversation, a laugh, someone asking how you’re really doing — can remind us we’re not alone.

This episode is about those moments. It’s about the ways we carry heavy things quietly, the ways connection can hold us up, and why showing up for each other matters more than we realize.

If you’re feeling worn down, disconnected, or just wondering if anyone else gets it — this one’s for you.

🎙️ Still Here, Still Trying — Episode 2: Why Connection Matters

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Still Here, Still Trying.

If this episode gave you something to think about, please like, follow, subscribe, and share it with three people who could use it in their lives.

You can find more of my work — music, writing, art, and reflections — at:
🌐 mikebakerhq.com

Grab a copy of my book, The Optimist’s Way:
📚 https://a.co/d/4RqPS6g

Thanks for being here.
Still here. Still trying.

Support the Podcast Here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2516381/support

Send us a text

This first episode is where it all begins — a conversation about showing up, staying open, and remembering that even on the hard days, we’re still here. Still trying.

I’m sharing the heart behind my music, the stories behind these songs, and why this podcast matters to me. It’s about connection, honesty, and creating something for the people who feel like they’re carrying a lot but still moving forward anyway.

If you’ve been looking for a space that feels real — a place where we talk about music, life, leadership, healing, and hope — you’ve found it.

🎙️ Still Here, Still Trying — Episode 1: I’m Still Here, You’re Still Here

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Still Here, Still Trying.

If this episode gave you something to think about, please like, follow, subscribe, and share it with three people who could use it in their lives.

You can find more of my work — music, writing, art, and reflections — at:
🌐 mikebakerhq.com

Grab a copy of my book, The Optimist’s Way:
📚 https://a.co/d/4RqPS6g

Thanks for being here.
Still here. Still trying.

Support the Podcast Here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2516381/support