Turning Adversity Into Opportunity and Suffering Into Purpose (a Superhero’s Perspective) | with Aaron Welty

The Zack Arnold Podcast

What if the way you see your struggles is the key to overcoming them?

In this episode, I talk with motivational speaker and all-around awesome human Aaron Welty—moderator of the Council of Nerds film series, former Two Geek Soup co-host, and Senior Legislative Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives. Born with cerebral palsy, Aaron brings a powerful lens to storytelling, shaped by his love of movies and his lived experience with disability. But instead of seeing himself as a victim, he calls his condition a “terrible privilege” and lives as the hero of his own story. We dig into how the stories we tell ourselves shape our mindset—and how rewriting that narrative can help us face life’s hardest challenges.

Key Takeaways

• How can your terrible privilege help you serve others? We all carry something painful we wish we didn’t but it can become the very thing that equips us to make an impact.
• Learn how to suffer well. Know how to go from suffering to perseverance, perseverance to deeper character, and from that deeper character to a place of hope.
• Choose the bigger life. Heroes are shaped not by the pain they face, but by the choices they make in response to it.

Episode Highlights

• Aaron’s origin story and early life
• We all have a disability in certain contexts
• How to turn your ‘disabilities’ into superpowers
• Exploring fandom: Star Wars, Marvel, and comic books as more than entertainment
• Finding meaning beyond yourself and transforming challenges into purpose
• The power of storytelling to influence and transform lives
• The importance of modern mythology for a new generation
• The impact of artificial intelligence on human dignity in entertainment
• How will AI change the way we engage with films
• Embracing the idea that suffering isn’t optional

Recommended Next Episode

Will Storr: Dive even deeper into the science of storytelling and why our brains are wired for narrative.

Useful Resources

Go Far - The Christopher Rush Story

Podcast with Christina Rasmussen

Viktor Frankl's The Man's Search for Meaning

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Writer's Journey by Chris Vogler

Podcast with Chris Vogler

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Guest Bio

Aaron Welty was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy as a newborn. He overcame those early years of low expectations and a presupposed poor quality of life to graduate from Cedarville University and serve as a Senior Legislative Assistant in the House of Representatives, wherein he worked on a variety of policy issues. Presently he lives and works in Washington, DC.

An avid fan of comic books superheroes and Star Wars, Aaron has shared his story with outlets such as NBC Nightly News, Facing Life Head On, Roll Call, The Daily Signal, and various radio programs. His writing has been featured by a variety of publications and presented at conferences and conventions.

He is the creator and/moderator of the Council of Nerds film discussion series at the Miracle Theatre in Washington, DC and served as a co-host for the Two Geek Soup podcast, focused on the intersection of faith and geek culture.

Aaron’s Website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter

Show Credits

Edited by: Curtis Fritsch

Produced by: Debby Germino

Shownotes and published by: Vim Pangantihon

Music by: Thomas Cepeda

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