When Anne Abel hit an all-time low at 59, she never expected a Bruce Springsteen concert to change her life.

After years of battling severe recurrent depression and losing her memory to electroconvulsive therapy, Anne found a spark of hope in Springsteen — a spark that led her to travel alone to Australia for eight concerts in five cities. That trip became the start of a new life filled with courage, creativity, and connection.

Now at 72, Anne is a storyteller, author, and social media creator with nearly a million followers, inspiring others to keep going when life feels impossible.

Learn more about Anne’s new memoir, “High Hopes,” and her other work: https://anneabelauthor.com.
Follow Anne on social media (@annesimaabel): https://linktr.ee/anneabel

How do you handle the self-critical voices in your head? Or what’s something scary you’ve done lately that took real courage? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments, email us at uncomfy@byu.edu, or connect with us on social media.

LISTENER SURVEY - https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/yi9fSNB8NG

Episode transcript - https://uncomfypodcastbyu.blogspot.com/2025/10/how-bruce-springsteen-saved-my-life.html

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:38 Meet Anne Abel
01:41 The Life-Changing Bruce Springsteen Concert
03:31 A Journey to Australia: Finding Hope
05:12 Daily Struggles and Coping Mechanisms
6:48 Midroll for Listener Survey
7:16 Challenging Self-Critical Voices
12:35 The Power of Storytelling and Social Media
17:45 Conclusion