The Dignity Lab

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode of The Dignity Lab, Melissa Anne Rogers, an associate pastor and trained marriage and family therapist, shares her journey with grief, both personal and professional. Drawing from her experiences of losing her high school sweetheart and later her husband, she discusses how grief is fundament...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. Episode Resources Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants , by Robin Wall Kimmerer Filled to be Emptied: The Path to Liberation for Privileged People , by Brandan J. Robertson For Her Own Good: 150 Years of the Experts’ Advice to Women , by Barbara Ehrenreic...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. This episode of The Dignity Lab explores the evolution and significance of gossip, from its origins as a term for spiritual kinship to its modern social functions. We explain the ways in which gossip can serve positive purposes like social bonding and norm enforcement while also examining when it becomes ha...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this distilled episode from season 1 of The Dignity Lab, Dr. Rachel Thienprayoon and host Dr. Jennifer Griggs discuss the importance of compassion and dignity in the workplace. Dr. Thienprayoon explains the concept of suffering and how it can be mitigated through organizational compassion. Dr. Thienprayo...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. This episode of The Dignity Lab features an interview with Tess Carichner, a senior honors nursing student at the University of Michigan who is minoring in disability studies and global health. Tess is the founder of Disability Justice @ Michigan and lead editor of the anthology Accessing Disability Culture...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode of the Dignity Lab, Jennifer explores the imposter phenomenon, a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their skills and fear being exposed as frauds. She discusses its origins, consequences, and offers strategies to overcome these feelings, emphasizing the importance of belonging, in...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode of the Dignity Lab, Jennifer explores the concept of purpose, addressing common objections and misconceptions. She emphasizes the importance of understanding one's purpose as a guiding framework for life and leadership. Jennifer discusses what purpose is not, highlighting the distinctio...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. Mary Heinen McPherson, a survivor of domestic violence, shares her experiences with the injustices of the prison system and the role of art in reclaiming dignity. She advocates for incarcerated people and prison reform, using her own experiences to support formerly incarcerated individuals. Mary discusses t...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this brief update, Vanessa Aron steps in for host Jennifer Griggs, who is taking the week off to recover from an illness. Vanessa reminds us that even doctors need to take a break and practice self-compassion. She encourages listeners to embrace self-kindness and suggests using this time to catch up on p...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode, Jennifer discusses the importance of core values and how they provide direction in decision-making and shaping one's life. She provides strategies for identifying core values, such as telling stories of peak experiences and thinking about people you admire. Jennifer also emphasizes the...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. Self-compassion is being open to and moved by one's own suffering, experiencing feelings of caring and kindness towards oneself, and taking an understanding, non-judgmental attitude towards one's inadequacies and failures. Self-compassion has three main components: self-kindness, recognizing our c...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. Welcome back to The Dignity Lab. This Labor Day, as we celebrate the dignity of work and workers, we’re replaying a vital conversation with Dr. Donna Hicks, an expert on the inherent value we all possess. Dr. Donna Hicks, an expert on dignity, discusses the concept of dignity and its role in conflicts. She...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. Hannah McNaughton discusses the importance of creating a culture of joy and the impact of dignity in the workplace. She shares her personal journey of overcoming self-doubt and the influence of her upbringing in shaping her beliefs. Hannah emphasizes the need for self-respect and self-care as the foundation...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode, Jennifer discusses the concept of non-attachment and provides practical strategies for releasing attachment to things that may hinder living and leading with joy and purpose. She identifies eight things to hold lightly, including the need for external validation, opinions of others, making...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode, Jennifer explores the concept of authenticity and its relationship to vulnerability. She defines authenticity as living in accordance with our values and being committed to personal growth. Jennifer discusses the importance of clarity on our values and boundaries in order to be authentic. S...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode of The Dignity Lab, host Dr. Jennifer Griggs and producer Vanessa Aron reflect on season 2's conversations, highlighting how dignity can be reclaimed through storytelling, community engagement, and embracing joy. They discuss insights from the seasons' guests, who shared experience...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode of The Dignity Lab , Shawn Askinosie, founder and CEO of Askinosie Chocolate, shares the personal and poignant experiences that have shaped his commitment to ethical entrepreneurship. From his early legal career to creating a business that deeply respects its community of cocoa farmers, Shaw...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode, Dr. Griggs shares a reading of the impactful poem "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann. This poem is a guide to living a life filled with dignity and peace, reminding us that we are all children of the universe, deserving respect and kindness. About the Author: This poem was written by Max...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode of The Dignity Lab , Dr. Griggs engages in a compelling conversation with Dr. Danielle Kramer, a board-certified clinical sexologist and expert on misogyny. Dr. Kramer delves into the complexities surrounding abortion care, reproductive autonomy, and the broader implications of bodily autono...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode of The Dignity Lab, Dr. Jennifer Griggs engages in a compelling conversation with Dr. Kim Cameron, a leading expert in organizational behavior and management. Dr. Cameron, who co-founded the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan, delves into the concept of virtuous...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode, Dr. Griggs interviews Dr. Mary Dixon-Woods, director of The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute at the University of Cambridge. They discuss the critical importance of giving people a voice in healthcare settings and its impact on dignity and organizational culture. Dr. Dixon-Woods rec...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode, Dan Green, Assistant Director at the University of Michigan's Office of Student Conflict Resolution, delves into restorative justice principles and practices. Dan recounts his journey into restorative justice, emphasizing its balance of high support and accountability. He explains how...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Griggs sits down with Milton Anderson to explore the themes of dignity, resilience, and the power of relationships. Milton shares his journey of maintaining dignity and equanimity in the face of adversity, the importance of building relationships across differences, and the ins...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. In this episode of The Dignity Lab, Dr. Jennifer Griggs interviews Sejal Shah, author of This is One Way to Dance and How to Make Your Mother Cry . Sejal and Jennifer discuss the concept of dignity and its importance in storytelling and personal healing. Sejal shares her experiences of reclaiming dignity af...

Join the dialogue - text your questions, insights, and feedback to The Dignity Lab podcast. The world is in a crisis of storytelling, with myths and narratives shaping our perception of reality. The Dignity Lab explores the impact of stories on dignity, kindness, and community. The conversation with Gareth Higgins delves into the power of storytelling, the scarcity narrative, and the practice of k...