The Wisdom of Wow Podcast

Imagination and anxiety are powered by the same engine.

The ability to picture a future that doesn't exist yet — that's the same muscle whether you're dreaming up a brilliant idea or rehearsing a worst-case scenario at 3 a.m. The question isn't whether you're imagining. It's what you're aiming your imagination at.

In the season one finale of The Wisdom of Wow, Harris and Kate sit down for one of the most personal conversations of the season. They open on the wow/how tension in their marriage and end up somewhere much bigger: a working theory of anxiety as a creative act, and a case for why the people who are best at catastrophizing might be the most gifted imaginations of all — aimed in the wrong direction.

Kate tells the story of a full panic attack over the Atlantic Ocean. Harris explains where "worry is a misuse of imagination" actually came from — Seneca, then Viktor Frankl, then The Wonder Switch. Kate names the mountaintop-not-the-tornado practice she leans on at STORY when someone is spiraling. Harris makes the case that the American Psychological Association is telling us the truth — seven out of ten adults are reporting real health impacts from stories they are simply imagining.

They close on a turn worth hearing twice: the red flags you've built your whole worldview around might actually be green.

In this episode:
  • Why imagination and anxiety are the same muscle aimed different directions
  • The Oscar for the horror screenplay some of us are writing every day
  • Kate's panic attack over the Atlantic — and what she learned about grounding
  • The APA stat that reframes what stress is actually costing us
  • Where "worry is a misuse of imagination" actually comes from
  • Viktor Frankl on pain vs. suffering, and the redemptive perspective
  • Be the mountain, not the tornado — Kate's practice at STORY
  • Cynicism is fear posing as confidence (Bob Goff)
  • Redeeming the red flags — some of them are green
Key takeaway: Pain is real. Suffering is often a story. You may not have control over the pain, but you always have agency over the story.

This is the season one finale. If you want a season two, email wonder@istoria.com — the inbox hits both Harris and Kate.

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For more from Harris and Kate, visit istoria.com.
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Creators and Guests

Host
Harris III
Bestselling Author, Top-Rated Speaker, Award-Winning Illusionist and Founder + CEO of Istoria and the Istoria Foundation.
Host
Kate Harris
Bestselling Author, Sought After Coach & Consultant, and Co-Founder + Chief Creative Officer of Istoria

What is The Wisdom of Wow Podcast?

The Wisdom of Wow Podcast is an invitation to slow down, look deeper, and rediscover the power of wonder in leadership and life. Hosted by Harris and Kate, each episode explores the ideas, stories, and conversations that help us move beyond information and certainty—and into wisdom, imagination, and meaningful impact.

In a world obsessed with answers and efficiency, The Wisdom of Wow creates space for curiosity, creativity, and the kinds of questions that actually change us. This is a podcast for leaders, creators, and humans who believe that the future belongs not to those who know the most—but to those who can see the most clearly.