What if everything you've been taught about failure was designed to keep you small?

In the debut episode of Forever Pondering, Jasmine Elahee deconstructs one of the most loaded words in the human experience. Drawing from a live keynote delivered at The Consortium Convenes in Calgary, this conversation goes deep into how society defines success and failure, what it actually costs us, and why the pressure to perform is more calculated than we think.

This episode touches on mental health, systemic pressures, and includes references to suicide rates as a lens into how deeply failure has been weaponized against us. Please take care of yourself while listening.

From ancient Spartan civilization to Carl Jung, Buddhist philosophy to her own life, Jasmine weaves together history, psychology, and lived experience to challenge everything you thought you knew about falling short. And she leaves you with a new framework for moving through it entirely.

"Failure is not a destination. It is a trampoline or a platform to help you move upwards."

Watch the original keynote on the Forever Pondering YouTube channel and see where this conversation started.

If this episode stirred something in you, we want to hear about it. Share your experiences, your failures, your turning points. This podcast exists because of the relentlessly curious, and that means you.

Subscribe wherever you listen and stay relentlessly curious.

LINKS AND CREDITS

Watch the keynote: https://youtu.be/ybUz8iW587s

The Consortium Convenes: https://www.consortiumconvenes.com/

Follow Forever Pondering on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreverponderingca?igsh=MXNhNm41cXYzczN5dg==

Want to be a guest on Forever Pondering? Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfoiA9dSXfuSHuEtCbMaV4WUYt1xEXlo0oka6-mRxFUHBRlyA/viewform?usp=header

Forever Yours listener submission: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2j-fR5oFBv2-ohc5oeIBvWHRezUYzxTlZM9kVIXemhtoDDQ/viewform?usp=header

MUSIC

MetzMusic & Xavien
https://youtu.be/NjQ2pbOhzec?si=rjcFuzM1-M6qNb2T https://youtu.be/CNOGd3-ClRo?si=PaxsX2sSRQWi_56A https://youtu.be/JeEDXiKL3iI?si=kGojVGveaS5JFHiJ

ADVERTISING

Interested in a pre-roll or mid-roll placement on Forever Pondering? Reach out to us to arrange something via dm on instagram.

Unlock the power of endless inquisition with Forever Pondering, hosted by Jasmine Elahee. The podcast is designed for the relentlessly curious. If you’ve ever had a shower thought that sent your mind racing into big questions about identity, existence, or the mysteries of the universe, this is your next must-listen. Jasmine invited you into a space where the most bizarre, controversial, profound, and thought-provoking ideas unfold through dialogue, reflection, and exploration.

Here's where you’ll discover how to embrace uncertainty and unlock deeper self-awareness. Season on, titled Know Thyself, dives into the core of introspection by sharing real stories, unravelling the intricate layers of what it means to be our true selves and to challenge our own relationships with perspective. Whether you’re curious about the nature of consciousness, the essence of identity, or how the most taboo topics hold the bigger truth, Jasmine creates a conversation that sparks thoughtful pondering and actionable insight.

We break down:

• The raw & uncomfortable truths of taboo
• ​On relationships with others and ourselves
• ​How our coding and goals structure us
• ​On our reactions to humility
• ​How do we contribute to the bigger picture as individuals with our own missions?

Missing out on these ideas can mean staying stuck in superficial thinking in a world dedicated to staying on the surface. But this podcast opens perfectly for anyone eager to expand their mind, challenge assumptions, detach from trends and live more deliberately.

Curiosity is the driving force behind progress, so don’t miss your chance to tap into it. Tune in, think bigger, and start asking your most important questions today. Because the quest for understanding is endless, and so is the potential within you.

Keep an eye out for our launch on May 20, 2026.

Music by: ⁠Silk (Instrumental) by metzmusic1657⁠

Follow us on Instagram @⁠foreverponderingca⁠

Join our book club on ⁠Fable⁠

Check us out on YouTube