Whether internal or outward, the circumstances we’re thrust into invariably shape who we become, and the mark we make on the world. Here are the stories of three people who’ve adapted to exceptionally harsh environments by tapping into untold reserves of imagination and moral courage: Ed Dwight, a former Air Force pilot who faced insurmountable hostility in training to become the first African-American astronaut, and later emerged as a world- renowned sculptor whose art honors racial progress; Monther Altiti, a Mercy Corps officer who endured life-altering trauma while growing up in the Middle East, then created a wilderness therapy program to provide similarly troubled youth with the same sense of peace he discovered in nature; and Cecilia McGough, a radio astronomer whose work in astrophysics has granted a powerful escape from the inner chaos of schizophrenia. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy