School, Pharma, Religion: Finding the Courage to Leave Institutions That Limit You & Your Family

Do you ever feel like you’re doing “all the right things” but not seeing real results?

In this episode, Greg & Rachel Denning challenge the sacred cows of school, pharma, and religion—not to burn it all down, but to help you keep what serves your family and release what doesn’t. You’ll learn how to shift from transactional box-checking to transformational growth, so your kids develop inner authority, critical thinking, and personal responsibility.

Big idea: You can honor helpful traditions and raise kids who can question wisely, choose higher standards, and own their outcomes—in education, health, spirituality, and life.

What we cover:

• Why outsourcing your child’s education, spirituality, or health stalls growth

• How to “keep the good” in institutions while ditching deadweight rules

• The path from conformity to character—raising autodidacts who learn for life

• Practical habits that create palpable progress in mind, body, spirit, and family culture

Key Takeaways

✅ Transactional → Transformational: Results > routines.

✅ Inner Authority: Teach kids to think, not just comply.

✅ Keep & Elevate: Honor useful rules; raise the standard at home.

✅ Autodidact Mindset: Light the fire, don’t fill the bucket.

✅ Measure Progress: If outcomes don’t improve, change the method.

Chapters

00:00 Challenging Sacred Cows

02:32 The Importance of Questioning Traditions

04:58 Individual Authority and Personal Growth

07:22 Outsourcing Education and Spirituality

10:29 Transformational vs. Transactional Experiences

13:05 The Role of Institutions in Personal Development

15:25 The Quest for Holistic Progress

18:27 Facing Fears and Embracing Truth

21:28 The Labyrinth of Personal Growth

28:40 Facing Fears and Doubts

29:32 The Nature of True Education

30:51 The Challenge of Conformity

32:22 Resisting Authority Thoughtfully

33:41 The Importance of Imagination

35:03 Faith at the Edge of the Abyss

36:18 Questioning Conventional Wisdom

38:01 Learning from Others' Experiences

40:41 Walking the Labyrinth of Faith

41:48 Understanding Meta Truths

44:10 The Concept of the Fringe

46:44 Navigating the Lower and Upper Fringe

49:03 Living Beyond Conformity

50:31 Transformational Living Beyond the Basics

Memorable Quotes

🗣 “You can’t outsource growth—nobody can do your pushups for you.”

🗣 “If there’s no palpable progress, the method must change.”

🗣 “Keep what’s good in tradition—raise the standard on everything else.”

🗣 “Education isn’t filling a bucket; it’s lighting a fire.”

RESOURCES:

Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.

• How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)

• Rachel’s ⁠⁠Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms⁠⁠

• Greg's ⁠⁠Recommended Reading List for Parents & Youth⁠⁠

• Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@worldschoolfamily⁠ or ⁠@greg.denning⁠

• Don’t miss out on the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method class!

• Get Rachel's ⁠⁠Family Systems & Charts⁠⁠

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