NACHOS S4E20: Kierkegaard, Anxiety, and the Courage to Become

NACHOS S4E21: The Beauty of Not Knowing

What if not having all the answers isn’t a flaw, but a kind of freedom? In this season finale of NACHOS: Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach & Support, Dr. Hazlett reflects on the strange pressure so many of us carry to have life figured out—our future, our purpose, our next step, our healing, our timeline. But what if wisdom isn’t certainty? What if growth begins when we stop demanding perfect clarity from ourselves and start making peace with the unknown? In this episode, we explore the quiet courage of uncertainty, the difference between confusion and possibility, and why not knowing can sometimes be the very space where joy, healing, reinvention, and self-trust begin. Along the way, Dr. Hazlett weaves together reflection, affirmation, humor, and research in the way only NACHOS can—offering a finale that feels both grounding and gently liberating. Whether you’re in a season of transition, burnout, grief, reinvention, or simply trying to make sense of what comes next, this conversation is a reminder that you do not need every answer in order to keep going. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is loosen your grip, take the next step anyway, and trust that clarity will meet you on the road. So take a breath, settle in, and join us for a finale about uncertainty, becoming, and the unexpected beauty of not knowing.

NACHOS S4E20: Kierkegaard, Anxiety, and the Courage to Become

What if some of the discomfort you feel isn’t a sign that something is wrong—but a sign that you’re alive, growing, and standing on the edge of becoming? In this episode of NACHOS: Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach & Support, Dr. Hazlett takes listeners into the world of Søren Kierkegaard—the Danish philosopher who understood that anxiety, uncertainty, and the struggle to become yourself are not side effects of life, but part of the human condition itself. Together, we explore what Kierkegaard can teach us about fear, freedom, choice, authenticity, and the strange burden of being a person in a complicated world. This episode reflects on the tension between who we are, who we’ve been, and who we are still trying to become—and why growth so often feels uncomfortable before it feels meaningful. As always, NACHOS blends philosophy with lived experience, warmth, humor, and practical reflection, making big ideas feel personal, accessible, and deeply human. Whether you’re wrestling with anxiety, standing at a crossroads, trying to make peace with uncertainty, or simply craving a deeper conversation about what it means to live honestly, this episode offers a thoughtful companion for the journey. Join us for a conversation about Kierkegaard, courage, becoming, and what it means to keep choosing yourself—even when the path ahead isn’t clear.

NACHOS S4E19 - Self-Discovery is Bliss

What does it really mean to “follow your bliss” when life is complicated, your nervous system is tired, and the world was not designed for every kind of mind or body? In this episode of NACHOS: Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach & Support, Dr. Adam “Dutch” Hazlett explores Joseph Campbell’s famous idea of “following your bliss” through a neuro-affirming, disability-conscious, and humanities-centered lens. This is not an episode about chasing easy happiness. It is about listening for the deeper things that call us back to ourselves: joy, meaning, purpose, connection, creativity, community, and the quiet reminders that we are still human. But we also ask the bigger question: Who actually gets the chance to follow their bliss? This episode connects self-discovery to universal design, academic ableism, accessibility, education, disability justice, and the ways our classrooms, workplaces, institutions, and communities often define success, intelligence, productivity, and “normal” too narrowly. We also move through ancient cuneiform tablets, visual art and wellbeing, parasocial relationships, online connection, YouTube communities, and the power of being seen. Along the way, we remember that human beings have always searched for meaning through stories, art, rituals, records, relationships, and spaces of belonging. Dr. Hazlett also discusses the upcoming Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference in Dearborn in October 2026 and the larger work of building a more neuro-affirming, accessible, and humane future. This episode is for anyone thinking about neurodiversity, autism acceptance, ADHD, disability justice, burnout, education, accessibility, self-discovery, meaning-making, or how to build a life that actually feels like yours. You are not a machine. Your worth is not your productivity. Rest is revolutionary. Access is love in action. Joy is not extra. And you are enough. Learn more, support the work, or connect with Humanities 101 Foundation: Humanities101.org #NACHOS #Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #ADHD #DisabilityJustice #UniversalDesign #Accessibility #SelfDiscovery #FollowYourBliss #AcademicAbleism #BurnoutRecovery #Humanities

NACHOS S4E18 - June Doorways and Softer Strength

Strong Enough to Stay Soft In this episode of NACHOS, the Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach and Support, we begin at the edge of June with a gentle reflection on change, rest, routines, and the invitation to enter a new season without turning it into another pressure-filled self-improvement project. From there, we explore the idea of “true nobility,” not as being better than someone else, but as growing with grace beyond who we used to be. That reflection leads us into Disability Pride Month, the Breaking Barriers celebration on July 23, 2026, with MiDDC and Self Advocates of Michigan, and the larger work of disability empowerment, access, and belonging. This episode also connects to my upcoming Fulbright lectures on American culture and America’s 250th anniversary, my recently submitted book manuscript with my UK publisher, and the question of who gets included in the stories we tell about America, masculinity, disability, and community. A major focus of this episode is masculinity. We discuss recent research and cultural conversations about healthier masculinity, including how boys and men are shaped by emotional silence, rigid gender expectations, media representation, loneliness, shame, and the pressure to mask. We also talk about Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s desire to see more caring, affectionate, emotionally available men and fathers in movies and television. At the heart of the episode is a simple but powerful idea: boys and men should not have to choose between being strong and being soft. We also celebrate giving away two tickets to Kesha this week and remind listeners that the Summer Ticket Giveaway is still live at Humanities101.org/giveaway. Whether you are a student, parent, educator, self-advocate, neurodivergent adult, or someone trying to build a more compassionate world, this episode is an invitation to enter June gently and remember: You are not a machine. Rest is revolutionary. Access is love in action. Community is how we survive. And you are enough. Learn more and support the mission at Humanities101.org.

NACHOS S4E17 - The Rough Winds of May

In this episode of NACHOS, we begin with Shakespeare’s line, “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,” and use it to reflect on growth, tenderness, dignity, and what it means to remain human in a world that often asks us to rush, produce, and perform. We discuss the HUM 101 midterm film Crip Camp and why disability history is also human history. From there, we explore human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence, including the importance of protecting judgment, care, access, and connection in a rapidly changing world. We also spend time thinking about summer as an invitation to reconnect with our humanity through simple, meaningful practices that do not have to cost money: rest, movement, conversation, laughter, time outside, and moments of joy. This episode is a reminder that we are not machines. We are bodies, minds, stories, relationships, and communities. We deserve access, dignity, rest, connection, and joy. Students: remember to comment on this week’s video for participation and prepare for the midterm by watching Crip Camp. Learn more about the Humanities 101 Foundation and the Summer Concert Ticket Giveaway at humanities101.org/giveaway.