Pause, Purpose, Possibility

My guest today is my friend, the poet and educator Tristan Richards.  She talks with me about her own version of a journey that I’m guessing is familiar to many of you: a journey into overwhelm and burnout, fueled by the tangled morass of unrelenting professional demands and personal loss and grief, all while struggling to figure out the relationship – and distinction – between career and calling....

If you're like me, you're carrying around lots of "voices in your head," lots of internal self-talk that fuels a tendency to get in your own way. To what voices do you tend to give the most authority, and why? And what voices actually deserve your trust? What voices are worthy of your attention? How about these, for starters (in the words of a poem by adrienne maree brown): "You are enough ... / y...

This week’s episode features conversation with special guest, award-winning author and photographer John Noltner. We explore the power of story to bridge division and build community, and the importance of doing things in life that feed your soul. John is the founder of “A Peace of My Mind," a multimedia arts project that includes books, exhibits, workshops, onsite studios and public talks that us...

On a hot summer evening just after sunset, a child climbs to the peak of the granary roof, and finds the quiet, the space, and the questions that will fuel and sustain a lifetime. What does it mean to believe that you matter? Who has helped you know that you matter, and how have they done that? How do you help others to know that they matter?

Here's the quick, true (and somewhat embarrassing) origins of this work, around shifting from a story of burnout and breakdown to one of living into one's truest and best self.    On behalf of what kind of Story -- toward what vision of the world and your place in it -- do you want to live?  What is the Story that shapes, guides, orients, and sustains your work, your leadership, your daily life?

In this very first episode, host Chris Johnson shares stories, wonderings, and insights with friends and Milkweed Group colleagues Kelli, Colleen, and Kelsey about what it is to start something new.

Welcome to the trailer episode for "Pause, Purpose, Possibility" -- exploring meaning and connecting with true self. Give a listen to this quick overview introducing the podcast and your host Chris Johnson, and then be sure to subscribe, "like," and share. We're so glad you here!