When Your Life Blows Up… Do This | Sage Steele on Faith, Courage & Conviction
When facing life's darkest moments, real transformation comes from honest prayer and surrendering control. Sage Steele's story teaches us that standing up for your principles—even when terrified—ultimately teaches those watching (especially your children) to live courageously. The greatest lesson: s
1h 3mKey Takeaway
When facing life's darkest moments, real transformation comes from honest prayer and surrendering control. Sage Steele's story teaches us that standing up for your principles—even when terrified—ultimately teaches those watching (especially your children) to live courageously. The greatest lesson: stop living in fear of others' opinions and model the courage you preach.
Episode Overview
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele shares her powerful journey through one of the most challenging periods of her life—being suspended and ultimately leaving ESPN after speaking out about COVID-19 vaccine mandates. She discusses the moment she was forced to get vaccinated despite her reservations, her subsequent comments on a podcast that led to her suspension, and the courage it took to file a lawsuit against Disney for what she saw as a double standard in allowing political speech. Throughout the conversation, she reveals how this crisis became a turning point, teaching her about resilience, the importance of standing up for principles, and the powerful example it set for her three children.
Key Insights
Prayer and Surrender Transform Dark Moments
During her darkest moment—sick with COVID, suspended from work, facing online threats—Steele reached a breaking point where she genuinely surrendered in prayer. She describes asking God for guidance with complete honesty and humility. This wasn't performative prayer but desperate surrender of control. The clarity and strength she needed came 'awfully fast' once she truly meant it and gave up trying to control everything herself.
Your Children Are Watching Your Courage (Or Lack Thereof)
When Steele told her teenage son she was filing a lawsuit against Disney and apologized for the backlash he'd face, his response stunned her: 'Mom, it's about time you stood up for yourself.' She realized she'd been preaching courage to her kids while practicing silence and compliance. This disconnect between her words and actions was teaching them the wrong lesson—to stay quiet and safe rather than stand for what they believe.
Compartmentalization Is a Survival Skill
Steele had to return to live national TV for two hours daily while half her colleagues hated her and she was dealing with personal crisis. She learned to 'kick problems to the back of your mind' during performance time, then deal with them later. This isn't avoidance—it's strategic management of when and how you process difficult emotions so you can still function and excel when it matters most.
Fear of Being Disliked Will Paralyze Your Life
Before her cancellation, Steele would walk through airports with 'eyes down, eyes at the ground' because she believed what social media and her bosses told her—that she was hated. She lived in constant fear. Getting through this crisis freed her from people-pleasing. She realized she couldn't control others' opinions anyway, and more importantly, discovered she was far tougher than she ever imagined.
Consistency and Principles Matter More Than Compliance
Steele didn't sue Disney for making her take the vaccine—she complied with that requirement. She sued for the hypocrisy of suspending her for expressing political opinions off-air while allowing (even encouraging) others to express their political views on ESPN airwaves. The principle wasn't about the vaccine itself, but about equal treatment and free speech. Sometimes the fight isn't about the rule, but about how it's applied.
Notable Quotes
"I took a deep breath and your mind goes, 'Careful, careful, careful, careful what you say.' And I said, 'Listen, I um had to take the shot today that I was um forced to take if I wanted to keep my job.' And here's what got me got me in trouble. I said, um, listened, listen, we're owned by Disney and Disney requires it. And I think it's sick and wrong for any company to require their employee to do anything to their bodies."
"Mom, it's about time you stood up for yourself."
"I'd been quiet. I'd bitten my tongue for so long doing what I thought was the right thing to protect my kids, protect my livelihood and my job, but protect my kids, protect people who love me from getting the shrapnel, right? And what was I teaching them? I'm preaching them to stand up and be tall and be strong and stand up for yourself. But then I'm practicing the opposite and I'm silent. What a copout. What a sellout."
"It was the darkest moment and I just was like I'm sorry God. I'm sorry. I'll do what like whatever it takes like just do you want me to keep apologizing? Do you want me to like just fix it?"
"Even if I lost, um I would would have won because my kids saw that their mom was like enough, no more. And then I I know now that they're not going to wait till they're 50 to take a stand."
Action Items
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1
Practice Genuine Surrender in Prayer
When facing overwhelming circumstances, move beyond performative or routine prayer to honest, desperate surrender. Ask God specifically for help, guidance, and clarity—then actually give up trying to control the outcome. Steele experienced rapid transformation once she genuinely meant her prayers and released control.
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2
Align Your Actions with Your Words
Examine areas where you preach one thing (courage, authenticity, standing up for yourself) but practice another (silence, compliance, people-pleasing). Your children, colleagues, and others are watching. Ask yourself: What am I actually teaching through my behavior, regardless of what I'm saying?
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3
Compartmentalize Strategically, Not Permanently
When you must perform or function during crisis, practice deliberately setting aside your problems for specific time periods. Tell yourself 'I'll deal with this later' and actually schedule when you'll process it. This isn't avoidance—it's strategic emotional management that allows you to still excel when needed.
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4
Release the Need to Be Universally Liked
Identify one area where fear of others' opinions is holding you back. Take one small action in that area without worrying about the response. Remember: you cannot control what others think, even if you treat them perfectly. Focus instead on what God and a small circle of trusted people think, and whether you're living with integrity.