School of Purpose

#100. Is Purpose a Mission Statement or an Action? Psychologist and Author Todd Kashdan

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0400

How we understand purpose in life affects what we do to obtain it. How can we gain a more robust understanding of what purpose is?
Todd Kashdan is a professor of psychology at George Mason University where he studies purpose and other facets of well-being. He's currently working on an article that reconceptualizes the concept of purpose. In this episode, he shares how we can think about purpose more accurately.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Purpose as articulated understanding vs. behavior
Recognizing other people's purpose
How we spend our time, money, and energy point to what's purposeful to us
Does acting purposefully require making other people's lives better?
Excavating our strengths

Todd's links

***
Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#99. Fully Living Your Dream Life: 14-Year Sailing Family Jamie and Behan Gifford

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0400

What would your life look like if you devoted everything to following your dreams?
The Giffords did just that. In 2002, they realized they wanted something different than the typical American life of house and job. They created a six-year plan to live sailing about the world with their three children. Since 2008, they have done just that. As a family, they go where their sails take them.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Converting "someday" plans to "now" plans
Making long-term plans for purpose
Creating a map of dreams
How friends and family can negatively react to our dreams
Learning how to adapt to change

Gifford's Links:
Sailing Totem Website
Instagram
Voyaging with Kids Book

***
Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#98. The Four Pillars of Purpose: YouMap Creator Kristin Sherry

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Purpose is idiosyncratic. Everyone has their own view on what matters most in their life. However, is it possible to create a single system that many people can use to find purpose?
Kristin Sherry has spent years helping people find purpose. In that time, she's asked countless questions about what people find fulfilling in work. From her investigation, she has identified four essential aspects of career fit. If you have these four, you'll have a deep, rich, and meaningful career. In this episode of the School of Purpose podcast, Kristin shares her insight on finding purpose.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The power of self-awareness for finding purpose
How others' concern for us can hinder us
Developing skill stacks for purpose
How we can think of our strengths as weaknesses
How to uncover our values

Kristin's Links
Website
LinkedIn
Books
***
Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#97. How Colleges Creatively Guide Students into Purpose: Sociologist and Vice Provost Time Clydesdale

Bradley Wright PhD — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Colleges have extraordinary responsibilities in the lives of their students. Sometimes overlooked is guiding students into purposeful careers.
Tim Clydesdale is the author of The Purposeful Graduate. It's an evaluation of a large-scale program funded by the Lilly Foundation that paid for 88 colleges to create purpose programs for their students. In this episode, you'll learn the lessons from these programs, including what worked and what didn't.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Research on fostering purpose among college students
The power of narrative in exploring purpose
The longterm effect of college students finding purpose
The value of hands-on experience related to purpose
The best year in college for exploring matters of purpose

Tim's Links
Website
Books
The Purposeful Graduate
The Twentysomething Soul
The First Year Out
***
Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#96. Finding Purpose after Severe Trauma: Author and Survivor Michael Unbroken

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Severe childhood trauma changes one's life--often for the worse. Sometimes, however, it has a redemptive effect as it leads one into purpose.
Michael Unbroken experienced a level of trauma in childhood that's difficult to fathom. Yet, today he feels fully alive and health, and he works with people around the world to help them overcome their own trauma. He's used the pain in the past as a prompt for purpose. In this episode he tells his story.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

How to find clarity in life
How to tap into what's next in your life
Agency and purpose
The need to start with values in finding purpose
The importance of specificity in purpose

Michael's links
LinkedIn
Instagram
Podcast
Website

***
Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#95. From $500 Million to Prison to Purpose: Author and Musician John Lefebvre

Bradley Wright PhD — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0400

How do you make sense of the world when you had a lot and then lost just about all of it?
John Lefebvre co-founded Neteller, a publicly traded online payment company often used by gamblers. In 2007, John ran into legal problems and lost almost $500 million dollars that he had earned by starting the company. He went to jail and started his life again in hi mid-fifties. Now John writes and advocates for good in the world, including addressing climate change.
In this episode, he shares his journey and the lessons that he learned along the way.
John's links
All's Well
Good with Money
DeSmog.com
***
Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#94. How Adolescents Find Purpose in Life: Developmental Psychologist Kendall Cotton Bronk

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Young people face many difficult decisions in their transition to adulthood. Chief among them is identifying what matters most in life so as to live with purpose. Some young people do this successfully. How do they do it? How do then differ from other young people?
Kendall Cotton Bronk has studied purpose for decades. She has interviewed thousands of adolescents about their path into purpose. In her work, she has identified key factors that enable young people to find purpose. In this episode, she shares these factors along with how we can apply them in our own lives.
In this episode, you'll learn about

Purpose as a multifaceted concept
Purpose coming from within
A one hour conversation shown to increase people's sense of purpose
How to synthesize purpose experiences
Five steps for helping people find purpose

Kendall's links:
Moral Development Lab
Faculty page

#93. Telling Our Own Stories of Purpose: Experience Designer and Executive Coach Julia Winston

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0400

When it comes to purpose, we often think of making goals. However, we live our lives in terms of stories. Especially important are the stories that we tell ourselves about our lives.
Julia Winston guides people in creating the stories of their lives. She walks them through a process of intentional story making that is rooted in life purpose. This gives a dramatic arc to our lives that takes us even deeper into purpose.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Stories versus goals
The role of intentions in finding purpose
Casting our own lives as stories
Applying experience design to finding purpose
How to create illuminating moments

Julia's links:
Website
LinkedIn
Podcast

#92. How to Connect with Your Truest Self: CEO and Author Jaclyn Gallo

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0400

In today's world, it's so easy to become disconnected from our inner, true self. When this happens, what should we do?
CEO and author Jaclyn Gallo joins us in this episode to point the way forward. She shares effective strategies and techniques for finding authentic meaning and purpose in a world of distraction and busyness.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Taking back ownership of your life
How to change your identity
How to discern what you really want in life
How to follow your intuition into purpose
Effective vision exercises

Jaclyn's links:
Homepage
Instagram
LinkedIn

#91. How to Find Your Calling in Your Social Context: Communities of Calling's Jane Patterson and Jessie Bazan

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 15:00:00 -0500

Do you ever wonder if you were created for a specific purpose in life? That's the logic of having a calling. It extends to communities as well as individuals.
This week we're joined by Jane Patterson and Jesse Bazan of Communities of Calling-A network of congregations and organizations working on calling in their own contexts with the aim of revitalizing the church’s mission in the world today. They'll share their unique insights into the interplay between one's calling and the context in which we live.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Theologies of work and calling
How to discern your calling
How callings evolve
Whether purpose makes someone happy and cheerful
Questions about having a vocation

Jane and Jesse'l links:
Communities of Calling
Collegeville Institute
***
Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#90. Guiding High School Students into Greater Purpose: Wayfinder Founder Patrick Cook-Deegan

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 04:00:00 -0500

How would you guide high school students into a greater sense of life purpose? Is it even possible?
Patrick Cook-Deegan has not only figured out how to do it, his company, Wayfinder, is doing it at scale. Patrick's approach combines research on adolescent purpose with design thinking to create exercises and strategies that high schools can add to their curriculum. Here he shares how Wayfinder came about, and their approach to teaching purpose in school.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Schools not answering the big questions of life
The power of experiences and relationships for bringing about purpose
How design thinking can be used to create purposeful experiences
The translation of purpose research into practice
The ages at which young people should start engaging purpose

Patrick's Links
Project Wayfinder
LinkedIn
***
Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#89. The Great Benefits of Purpose for Organizations: Chief Purposologist Haley Rushing

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 14:00:00 -0500

Why should an organization care about purpose? They exist for profit, don't they?
Haley Rushing is the cofounder and chief purposologist at The Purpose Institute. in this context, she advises large corporations on how to incorporate purpose into their mission. Often the results from doing this are nothing short of spectacular. She shares both why organizations should engage purpose, and she gives practical advise for how they can do so.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

How businesses use purpose to connect with needs
The three elements of a purpose-driven organization
Purpose discovery versus purpose activation
The relationship between profit and purpose
The benefits of purpose for an organization

Haley's links
The Purpose Institute
Book
LinkedIn

#88. Being a Purposeful Artist in Every Aspect of Life: Multidisciplinary Artist Katie Chonacas

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Artists epitomize purpose. They bring something out from inside of themselves to share with and contribute to the world. For most artists, art equals purpose.
Katie Chonacas knows about art because she's done many different mediums of it. She's an actor, podcaster, voiceover artist, musician, filmmaker, and writer. Here she shares her unique perspective about art and its relationship with purpose.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Why artists create art
The difficulties of having a calling in life
What happens when a calling is followed
Why being domesticated is the opposite of being an artist
Having courage in purpose

Katie's Links:
Website
Instagram
LinkedIn
ThriveGlobal
* **
Want help in finding your own purpose? Email us at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com.
Want to connect? Make a connection on Bradley's LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#87: Spiritual Health and Finding Purpose: Author, Priest, and Sage Sally Nash

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 04:00:00 -0500

What's the relationship between spiritual health and purpose? They are related--but not identical--concepts. How can each one be used to increase the other?
Sally Nash PhD is a priest, author, and expert on shame. She guides people into living purposeful, spiritually healthy lives. In this episode, she shares her experiences in spiritual living as it relates to purpose.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

A stable life and purpose
Spirituality and purpose
Avoiding regrets
How shame is a barrier to finding purpose
Creating spaces for purpose

Sally's Links
Personal Website
LinkedIn
Books
***
Want help in finding your own purpose? Email us at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com.
Want to connect? Make a connection on Bradley's LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#86. The Magic of Personal and Professional Purpose: PurposePoint CEO and Author Davin Salvagno

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0500

What does it mean to integrate purpose in our life? How is that different than having work-life balance? How is it different than "finding our why"?
Davin Salvagno is an expert on Purpose. He is a coach, consultant, speaker, and author. He is the founder of PurposePoint--a leadership and organizational development company. He's also organized The Purpose Summit, an annual conference on leadership and purpose. In this episode, Dan addresses critical questions about integrating purpose into personal life and organizations.

Making space for purpose
The difference between finding "your why" and "purpose"
The magic of combining personal and organizational purpose
Work-live balance vs. work-life integration
The relationship between purpose and profit

Connect with Davin....
LinkedIn
Purposepoint.com
Thepurposesummit.com
Book

***
Want help in finding your own purpose? Email us at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com.
Want to connect? Make a connection on Bradley's LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#85. Purpose in Work and Leadership: Professor and Center Director Stuart Bunderson

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0500

What is true leadership? Some view it as effective influence--getting more people to do what you want. But it's more than that. When leadership is rooted in values, it has the potential to change the world.
Stuart Bunderson studies meaningful work and leadership. He is an organizational psychologist, and he heads the Bauer Leadership Center at Washington University. One of Stuart's seminal works explored how zookeepers find meaning in their work and the implications this has for them.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Value-based leadership
Starting with one's own values as a leader
The difference between values and purpose
Finding meaning in work
One's calling as destiny

Connect with Stuart:
Website
Bauer Leadership Center
Publications
The Zookeeper's Secret

#84. Creating and Telling Your Life Story: Publisher and Storyteller Jeremy Brown

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Do you have a life story waiting to be told? Storytelling provides a powerful structure for organizing how we think about our lives. It can be used to create a life of greater purpose.
Jeremy Brown started is the founder and CEO of Throne Publishing. He works with people to convert their own life stories into books. This has given him insight into what makes for a meaningful, purposeful life. Here, he shares his perspective on living a life worthy of telling about.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Fitting a business model to your lifestyle
Proactive vs. reactive purpose seeking
Being passionate about people
Processing your life story
Using our life experiences to help other people

Connect with Jeremy:
LinkedIn
Throne Publishing Group
***
Want help in finding your own purpose? Email us at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com.
Want to connect? Make a connection on Bradley's LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#83. A Journey of the Mind through Great Difficulties: CEO and Activist Leon El-Alamin

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Leon El-Alamin started out life on the wrong path. Growing up in Flint, Michigan he got into the street life. He was a drug dealer. He was shot in the head. He was incarcerated. In prison, he was put into 22-hour-a-day lockdown. Amid these difficulties, he had a revelation. He discovered who he really was, and what he wanted to become. Upon release, he went looking for work, but no one would hire him because of his record. Rather than returning to crime, Leon decided to change the community. He started a non-profit to support at-risk youth and formerly incarcerated individuals.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Taking a radically new path in life
The need to focus on one's self
The power of reading
Creating yourself into who you want to be
The impact of spirituality on self-discipline

Connect with Leon:
Made Institute
Facebook
LinkedIn
***
Want help in finding your own purpose? Email us at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com.
Want to connect? Make a connection on Bradley's LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#82. Using Self-Hypnosis to Find Purpose: Professor of Psychiatry & Reveri Co-Founder David Spiegel

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 04:00:00 -0500

You've heard about hypnosis. Did you know that you can hypnotize yourself--easily and safely? Doing this can be a powerful way of clarifying lots of issues--including your purpose.
David Spiegel is the Wilson Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His life work--for forty years--has been studying hypnosis using stringent scientific protocols. He knows what it is, how it works, and how it benefits people. He's also hypnotized thousands of people. Here he demystifies hypnosis and explains how to start practicing it.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

What hypnosis is
How hypnosis works
The connection between hypnosis and the unconscious
The Reveri app-an easy, safe way to hypnotize yourself
How self-hypnosis can clarify purpose

Reveri App
David's publications

***
Want help in finding your own purpose? Email us at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com.
Want to connect? Make a connection on Bradley's LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#81. How to Find Your Calling in Life: Psychologist and Chief Science Officer Bryan Dik

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Do you have calling in life? Do you want one? How would you know if you have a calling?
Bryan Dik is an expert on callings. As a professor of psychology, at Colorado State University, he has studied them for two decades. He even started a company to help young people choose purposeful careers. In this episode of the School of Purpose Podcast, Bryan teaches about callings--what they are and how to find your own.
In this episode, you'll learn :

What a calling is
How knowing our gifts and strengths guides us to our calling
How to assess our deepest values
The power of starting with what we're most interested in
Starting with possibilities and making informed choices

Where to find Bryan:
Personal Website
PathwayU
The Purposeful Work Podcast

#80. Being Brave Enough to Suck at Something New: Master Woodworker and YouTube Star Cam Anderson of Blacktail Studio

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Have you ever dreamed of doing something that was entirely new, but you have no idea how to do it? All too many people don't act on such a dream. It's too different, too difficult. Some people, however, try it. They take the risk and boldly walk into the unknown.
Cam Anderson is a woodworker doing really interesting things. He makes extraordinarily beautiful tables--thick slabs of wood with gaps filled with resin. He also films himself making these tables, and posts the videos to YouTube. Many, many people watch these videos. The channel has 1.2 million subscribers! In this episode, Cam shares his secrets for getting into something new that feels purposeful.
In this episode, you'll learn about

Being brave enough to suck at something new
Serendipitous input from others
Core vs. manifest purpose in life
Educating others about their purpose
The relationship between ability and purpose

Connect with Cam:
YouTube Channel
Instagram
Blacktail Studio
***
Thank you for listening to the School of Purpose Podcast.
Would you like assistance in finding your own purpose? Email us at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. We'll do what we can.
Want to connect? Make a connection on Bradley's LinkedIn page.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

#79. What to Do When You Have Many Passions: Social Entrepreneur Sierra RyanWallick

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 04:00:00 -0500

What should a young person do when they passionate about doing many different things?
Sierra RyanWallick is one such person. She's been a go-getter from early on. At age 11, she founded a fundraising organization that has since raised over $100,000 for local charities. Now, Sierra has turned her attention to social entrepreneurship and mentoring. In this episode, she shares her stories and struggles in creating something that will make the world a better place.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Narrowing one's passions when you have many of them
Whether passion precedes or follows purposeful behavior
Parental support for one's purpose
Using social entrepreneurship to create meaning in life
The impact of mentoring on enacting purpose

Sierra's Links:
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube Channel
Upcycle Design
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#78. "Passionate about Helping People Become Who God Made Them to Be": Pastor and Author Chase Davis

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 04:00:00 -0500

How can Christians find their calling in life? There's lots of teaching in the Church about God's "general" will-that is for all people. What about God's "particular" will-His individualized plans for a specific person?
Chase Davis is the pastor of a thriving church in Boulder, Colorado. He's also a deep thinker-having recently authored the book Trinitarian Formation. He has both personal and professional insight into how Christians find purpose and calling in life. In this episode, he shares how to think about these issues, and he gives practical advice on finding one's calling.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Finding purpose and identity in God
Feeling called to participate in a local church
The difference between a general and particular calling
The value of getting feedback from others
The first question that Chase asks people when they want to know their calling

Chase's links:
LinkedIn
Website
Book
The Well Church

***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#77. Growing Up with Cancer: Writer, Educator, and Survivor Amber Hovanec-Carey

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 04:00:00 -0500

As much joy as purpose gives us, it's often born in pain.
Amber Hovanec-Carey grew up with suffering. At age 9, she was diagnosed with stage 4 of a very rare form of childhood cancer. She went through extensive treatment. At one point, she asked her father, "Daddy, am I going to make it?" Eventually, the cancer went into remission. At in mid-twenties, she was diagnosed with breast cancer--likely resulting from her earlier radiation therapy. She battles that today. This life of overcoming illness has given Amber a unique, deeply empathetic outlook on the world. In this episode, she shares how her suffering has resulted in a daily sense of purpose.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The link between empathy and purpose
How writing can be a calling
What it feels like to be called to an activity
Acting purposefully in a situation versus finding purposeful situations
How past pain produces future purpose

Amber's links:
LinkedIn
Free-Form Feminist Blog
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#76. How Emotions and Relationships Point Us to Purpose: Developmental Scientist and CEO Ben Houltberg

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Purpose is multifaceted. We experience it in different areas of our lives. Many different factors come together to move us into it. How do they come together?
Ben Houltberg has done a lot of things that gives him insight into life purpose. He has been an elite track athlete, a marriage and family therapist, a developmental psychologist, and now the CEO of the Search Institute ("Helping Young People Thrive.") His professional life has been devoted to helping people live their best lives. In this episode, he shares lessons that he's learned along the way for living more purposefully.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

How fear robs us of purpose
Purpose being what holds our life narratives together
A simple definition of purpose
How relationships foster purpose
How painful events can lead us to greater purpose

Ben's links
LinkedIn
Search Institute
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#75. Overcoming the Challenges of Living Purposefully: Jiu Jitsu Fighter and Business Founder Maya Nazareth

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 04:00:00 -0500

What's keeps us from pursuing purpose? For many, it's what's inside of us. Our fears, worries, even negative expectations keep us from moving forward.
Maya Nazareth knows all about this. When she started practicing jiu jitsu, she realized that the available gear was made for men, not women. As an aspiring entrepreneur, she saw an opportunity, and she started her own business making fightwear for women. There were many obstacles to overcome. The first and foremost was inside of her. Her internal chatter told her that she shouldn't do this and that she couldn't do this. In this episode, Maya shares how she overcame this barrier to launch a successful business.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The importance of finding people pursuing purpose in a similar way
What it means to gamble on finding purpose
How our internal chatter blocks us acting on what matters most
Building the muscle of believing in yourself
How to use purpose in branding

Maya's links:
LinkedIn
Alchemize Fightwear
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#74. Living Purposefully in a World of Digital Distraction: Writer and Contemplative Ed Cyzewski

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 11:00:00 -0400

Living in a digital world has many advantages, but living purposefully isn't one of them. Digital distraction affects us and our relationships in so many ways. What can we do to overcome it and live a life that matters?
Ed Cyzewski is a writer and thinker who explores the boundaries of theology, spiritual practice, and daily living. His book Reconnect: Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction guides readers in living deeply in a shallow world. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on the many ways that digital distraction pulls us away from living meaningful, authentic lives and what we can do about it.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The effect of digital distraction
How to figure out what matters most in life
Choosing intentional versus reactionary actions
Connecting contemplation with purpose
Why social media is toxic for living purposefully

Ed's website
Reconnect book
LinkedIn

#73. Finding Purpose on the Appalachian Trail: Logan McDonald (After the Hike)

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 04:00:00 -0400

(Part two of a two-part series)
Have you ever wanted to get away from it all for a wild adventure? If you did, what would you learn about yourself? How would you be different?
Logan McDonald did this. He was a student in my class his senior year. After he graduated, he planned to hike the Appalachian trail by himself. Logan graciously agreed to a two-part interview--one shortly before he left for the trip and the other right after he got back. He shares with us thoughts about why to do such an adventure and what can gotten out of it.
In these episodes, you'll learn about:

The connection between challenge and purpose
Grit, gratitude, and purpose
The value of solitude in discerning what's important
Finding purpose even in social interactions
How challenging difficulties change us

Logan's Instagram page
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#72. Finding Purpose on the Appalachian Trail: Logan McDonald (Before the Hike)

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 04:00:00 -0400

(Part one of a two part series)
Have you ever wanted to get away from it all for a wild adventure? If you did, what would you learn about yourself? How would you be different?
Logan McDonald did this. He was a student in my class his senior year. After he graduated, he planned to hike the Appalachian trail by himself. Logan graciously agreed to a two-part interview--one shortly before he left for the trip and the other right after he got back. He shares with us thoughts about why to do such an adventure and what can gotten out of it.
In these episodes, you'll learn about:

The connection between challenge and purpose
Grit, gratitude, and purpose
The value of solitude in discerning what's important
Finding purpose even in social interactions
How challenging difficulties change us

#71. How Decluttering Promotes Purpose: Writer and Coach Shawna Scafe

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Which aspects of your life do you need to manage to have more purpose? Naturally, we think of money, time, and energy. But, what about the space that you live in?
Shawna Scafe, at Simple on Purpose, teaches people how to live on purpose. One of her main tools is decluttering. Decluttering is much more than just getting rid of things. It forces us to understand who we are and what is important to us. It's also a way of gaining control over our lives. Finally, we can set up our space to support our purpose as we understand it. Shawna shares her deep insight into this topic with us.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The devastating effect of "safe" jobs
Decluttering and purpose
Using space as a resource, just as we do money and time
How to remember your why
Nine areas of life in which to find purpose

Instagram
Simple on Purpose website
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#70. Finding Purpose as a Leader: Business Instructor and Executive Coach Ryan Sanders

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Leadership in intrinsically bound to purpose. The best leaders know their own purpose, and they lead others with purpose. How can leaders learn to be more purposeful?
Ryan Sanders approaches this issue from both a theoretical and an applied perspective. As a business school instructor, he knows the research literature on leadership. As an executive coach, he has plenty of hands-on experience helping leaders. From this background, Ryan shares a wealth of ideas about finding and using purpose as a leader.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Why leaders need to continually ask "why am I doing this"
Purpose vs. money as a motivator for leaders
Good and bad reasons for getting into leadership
The ego and purpose
Creating vs. helping others as two basic forms of purpose expression

Ryan's LinkedIn page
Educate, Innovate, and Inspire Consulting
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#69. The Cyclical Nature of Purpose: Author Jonathon Tucker

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 04:00:00 -0400

In life, we go through different seasons. What about purpose? How does it reflect these changing seasons of our life?
Jonathon Tucker played competitive soccer, started up a soccer coaching business, and became a teacher. In all of these, he had to work out what purpose meant in that stage of life. Each stage taught him something new about purpose. From his experience, he's developed a model of how purpose unfolds and what we can do to have more of it--at any time of our life.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The cyclical nature of purpose
Why purpose is necessarily idiosyncratic to the person
How to equip people for purpose
Becoming disillusioned with conventional success
Learning lessons from any situation

Jonathon's LinkedIn page
The Purpose Cycle book
Jonathon's Indiegogo page
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#68. Redeeming Work with Purpose: Purpose Researcher Zach Mercurio

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Purpose is usually talked about as a destination. "What is the purpose of my life?" But, is it something that can be experienced every day? What does purpose mean as a day-to-day experience?
Zach Mercurio spent two years studying how janitors found purpose and meaning in their work. Even though they were doing menial work, some of them found greater purpose in what they did. This research gave him deep insight into the lived experience of purpose. It involves less of what we actually do and more how we do it. This powerful idea opens up the door for any experience--no matter how seemingly mundane--being deeply purposeful. Zach explains how we can do this in our own lives as well.
In this episode, you will learn about

Being educated for purpose vs. success
Extraordinary people doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways
Purpose as a lived experience
Why organizations must actively maintain purpose
The importance of helping people know that they matter

Zach's LinkedIn page
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#67. From Prison to Purpose: Recovered Addict Shay Walters

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What do you do when you hit absolute rock bottom in your life--when you've lost all that matters in your past and in your future? You start living out any purpose that you can find.
Shay Walters is a wife, mother, and a nine-time convicted felon. She delved into the abyss of drug addiction. Having lost custody of her son and facing a possible two-decade prison sentence, she changed her life around completely. She gave up her previous impulsive ways of living only for momentary pleasure. She committed herself to vision for her life that was bigger than her. Now, out of prison, she and her husband run an out-treatment rehabilitation center for others in addiction.
In this episode, you'll learn about

Why some young people don't engage purpose
How to live purposefully with few, if any, resources
Having a bigger picture for your life
Using the problems of our past to help others
How a sense of entitlement can block finding purpose

Shay's Prison to Purpose Facebook page
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#66. Mindfulness, The Brain, and Purpose: Research Scientist and Chief Contemplative Officer Cortland Dahl

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Awareness is an often overlooked aspect of experiencing purpose. This raises the question of how awareness increases purpose, and, conversely, how purpose increases awareness. It also ties purpose into mindfulness and other contemplative practices.
Cortland Dahl works in the intersection of science and the spirit. In science, he is a research scientist working at the prestigious University of Wisconsin Center for Health Minds. He's spent his career studying contemplative practices--even going on a one-year silent retreat. He brings a wealth of insight about the relationship between the brain and our experiences of purpose.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The relationship between mediation and purpose
How we experience purpose in everyday life
The power of reflecting on our own mortality
Looking on people who inspire us
How post-traumatic growth can lead to purpose

***
Find more at my Instagram page.
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#65: Following Inner Wisdom into Purpose: Life Coach and Mentor Audrey Seymour

Bradley Wright PhD — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0400

When people find purpose, it often involves an inner compunction. Something inside of us "knows" that we should do something. This can be called inner wisdom. The question becomes how do we find this inner wisdom?
Audrey Seymour started out as a software engineer with a background in mathematics. About 20 years ago, she changed to life coaching with an emphasis on helping people find purpose. She brings a deep and thoughtful approach to her work. She shares her insights on best practices for finding purpose.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The three sources of trusted inner wisdom
Whether purpose is chosen, discovered, or imposed
The role of doubt and fear in finding purpose
The need to feel safe when looking for purpose
The value of the ego in our lives

***
Find more at our Instagram page.
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#64: Having Purpose Literally Saved His Life: Entrepreneur and Non-Profit Executive William McNeely

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What would you do if knew that you had a terminal illness and would die soon--would it change what mattered to you? Change what you did?
William McNeely knows the answer to this question. In his early 50s, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable and terminal disease. For three years, his medical chart was marked EOL for end of life. Yet, William had a long-term vision for making a difference in his hometown of Charlotte. When he was within a week or two of dying, he received a double-lung transplant. He's recovered fully, and is now doing great things with his non-profit Do Greater Charlotte. He credits his sense of purpose for his community as keeping him alive.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Making an impact locally
Stating your purpose as an elevator pitch
The power of knowing that you've got things to do in life
How to plan a yearly family dinner for visioneering
Helping children to find purpose

Do Greater Charlotte website

#63: Pain, Service, & Purpose: Tech Executive and Altruist Ferose V R

Bradley Wright PhD — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 12:00:00 -0400

How is purpose linked to the most painful moments of our lives?
Ferose VR was living his dream life--a successful career, marriage, and a child on his way. Then his child was born with autism. Ferose was in anguish. Then he spoke to a mentor about it. Instead of grieving, she congratulated him. She told him that now he knew his purpose in life. Beautiful things have resulted, including Ferose's starting a movement to integrate people with autism into the workplace. These experiences, combined with extensive reading in the philosophy of Gandi, give Ferose a deep perspective how we live purposefully.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Why purpose is complex but not complicated
The potentially negative side of purpose
How purpose finds us rather our finding it
The importance of purity of intention
Preparing your inner-being for purpose

***
Find more on my Instagram page.
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#62: Self-Discovery, Security, and Finding Purpose: Attorney, Author, and Guide Lauren Krasnodembski

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:00:00 -0400

We often think of living a life of purpose as being extreme--quitting your job and taking up something brand new. This happens sometimes. But, how can purpose be meaningfully integrated into our existing lives?
Attorney and self-discovery guide Lauren Krasnodembski sheds light on how to live purposefully in your current life. She's a successful privacy attorney and is raising a family. She also has found a way to help others find their way. She guides them in her writing, speaking, and coaching through the process of self-discovery.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

How following purpose leads to discomfort
Balancing personal security and the risks of purpose
How to know what your heart is telling you to do
Living purposefully even when you're really busy
Responding to live vs. reacting

#61: Mindfulness, Teams, and Purpose: Mindfulness Teacher and Retired Navy SEAL Jon Macaskill

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Mindfulness and purpose are two common themes in research on how to live a good life. How do they interlink? Does one lead to the other?
Jon Macaskill turned to meditation out of need. He had experienced severe trauma in the battlefield. It lead him to find another side of himself such that when he retired from the Navy, he turned full time to helping others find mindfulness for themselves as well. Mindfulness, in turn, sets the stage for purpose. As both a mindfulness practitioner and a retired SEAL, Jon has a unique, insightful perspective on what makes humans thrive.
In this episode you'll learn about:

The importance of being in a tribe for living out purpose
Growing a side interest into a full-time, purposeful activity
A common pattern of purposeful activities
The relationship between mindfulness and purpose
Common mistakes people make when they start mindfulness

#60: Finding Work in Middle Age Stirs Your Soul: Rehabilitation Aide Burt Fleischner

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 16:00:00 -0400

How does purpose intrude into our everyday life? Even in middle age, can we turn our careers into something profoundly purposeful?
Burton Fleischner has a successful career as the manager of a large retail bookstore. But, it didn't engage him at a deep level. Then, one day, a customer asked him a question that caused him to reevaluate everything. Not long after that, he left the safe, known world of retail and moved into medical care. He was inspired by a tragedy that his family had experienced decades prior. He's now a celebrated rehabilitation aide who powerfully helps patients in a rehabilitation hospital. He's so full of purpose that it doesn't even feel like he's doing work.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

How we can us our careers to complete unfinished business from our youth
What it feels like being in an organization that doesn't have a compelling mission
How empathy brings us closer to our purpose
How friends and family can actually keep us from exploring our purpose as they encourage us to be risk averse
How a single conversation can change our whole lives

#59: The Power of Reprogramming Your Mindset into Purpose: Coach and Author Joey Drolshagen

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Why aren't more people able to find their purpose? What is it about our past that makes it difficult to do so?
This week's guest explores this topic with his work. Joey Drolshagen helps people overcome their blocks to living fully and purposefully. He has developed a system that enables people to overcome their unhelpful conditioning and move more fully into the life they are meant to live. Removing these barriers can make all the difference.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

What it feels like to not be doing what's purposeful to you
Creating time to do what is purposeful
How past conditioning can take us away from our purpose
Three things that everyone should do for more purpose
The distinction between hard work and inspired work

Links to Joey's work:
Book
Website
Promotional
***
Find more at our Instagram page.
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#58: How Does Man's Quest for Purpose Align with God's Path? Author Dustan Christensen

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400

If you're a person of faith, how do you connect what you're doing in life with what God wants for you?
This is a big, meaty question that this week's guest, Dustan Christensen, unpacks for us. He identifies several steps that we can take to align our actions with God's will. He anchors this discussion the in the distinction between sacrifice and obedience, and he prescribes the right ordering of them.
In this book, you'll learn about

How writing a book enables you to leave a legacy
Asking yourself "who am I supposed to be?"
Sharing our purpose with others in the context of a relationship
How God uses pain and love to align us with our purpose
Purpose can be found in all areas of our lives

Dustan's book: Obedience vs. Sacrifice
***
Find more at our Instagram page.
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#57: Creating Life Stories of Purpose: Life Coach, Author, and Caregiver Robert Pardi

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What is the story of your life? Are you willing to give yourself over to it fully?
Robert Pardi lives a beautiful, meaningful life. He got there through living out stories. His wife died at a tragically young age, and Robert was her caregiver for 11 years. He transitioned from Wall Street to being a life coach. He stumbled upon a small town in central Italy where his family emigrated from and he made it his home. He shares the wealth of knowledge that he's gained through all of this about living a meaningful life.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The value of sharing our life experiences with others
Using a vision board to plot our purpose
How to think of your life in terms of the stories that you create
The need to surrender completely to what life asks of us
Supporting others into the life that they want to live

Robert's website (check out the view from his balcony!)
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#56. Mentoring Boys with Purpose: Teacher, Author, and Mentor Kenneth Joyner

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What does a young person need to find purpose in their lives? What are the skills, abilities, and experiences that will push them into a life that matters?
As a fifth grade teacher, Kenneth Joyner saw a problem. Some of the boys in his school were lost. They didn't have father figures in their lives. They didn't apply themselves in school. They didn't know how to present themselves to others. They were acting out. In response, Kenneth and another teacher started an afterschool program called "Boys with a Purpose." They started off simply: teaching the boys how to dress well and observe basic etiquette. From there, they developed training for academic success as well as a wide range of life skills. Boys with a Purpose now partners with Boeing, the Charlotte Hornets, and other sponsors to make a profound difference in these boys' lives. At the heart of what Kenneth is doing is the question of what are the preconditions for finding purpose in life?
In this episode, you'll learn about:

How pain points us to our purpose
The power of new experiences for showing us what is possible
The power of thinking differently to act differently
How to mentor others in finding their purpose
The difference between passion and purpose

Boys with a Purpose FB Page
Kenneth's book: Without a Father
***
Find more at our Instagram page.
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#55. The Purpose in Life is Serving Others. The Only Question is How. College President Steven Lavine

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Do you need to be qualified to do what you find most purposeful? Probably not.
Steven Lavine was the president of the California Institute of the Arts for 29 years. He had a very successful tenure, despite not being an artist. He got the job through "dumb luck," and he constantly had to face what he didn't feel qualified to do. His story is that of following your passion regardless of perceived ability to do it.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Surrounding yourself with people of purpose
The powerful role dumb luck plays in finding purpose
Learning by making mistakes
The value of throwing ourselves into our incompetency
Why purpose carries with it the idea of struggle

Biography of Steven
***
Find more at our Instagram page.
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#54. Meaning is Everywhere. Here's How to Find It: "Dr. Meaning" Alex Pattakos

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What, exactly, is meaning? How can we continually find it in our physical and spiritual world?
Alex Pattakos is one of the world's leading experts in the study of meaning. He founded the Global Meaning Institute and is a scientist and philosopher. Guess who encouraged him to write a book about meaning? Viktor Frankl himself! Alex has thought deeply and lived fully when it comes to meaning. He shares his insights with us.
In this episode, you'll learn about

Finding meaning in every moment
Definitions of meaning and purpose
Logotherapy as developed by Viktor Frankl
Why leadership is always spiritual
Why awareness is the entry point into meaning

#53: A Cumulative Journey into Purpose: Executive Turned Mandolin Maker Steve Sorensen

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What is it like to being willing to go wherever your sense of purpose takes you?
Steve Sorensen has been wine grower, film maker, executive, and, now, a highly successful mandolin maker. He's been willing to go wherever his interests take them, and he's created a rich, purposeful life in which each stage prepares him for the next. This week he tells us his story.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The twists and turns in life that happen when we pursue purpose
How our natural skills and abilities can show us our purpose
When it's time to leave a job that doesn't feel purposeful
How starting a hobby can lead to purpose
How purpose can organically grow with what we're doing

#52: Purpose at the End of Life: Founder of Purpose Equation Anna Hall

Bradley Wright PhD — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 13:00:00 -0400

When we talk about finding purpose, our minds often go to young people who are just starting out or maybe people in the middle of life who want to make a course correction. Anna Hall makes a compelling case this week that we're overlooking a group that may need purpose more than others--senior citizens.
Anna is the founder of The Purpose Equation. She brings years of research into the topic of purpose, and she uses her expertise to help people--not just seniors--to find more purpose in their lives.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

why purpose might be more important in old age than at any other time of life
living without purpose is heartbreaking
why each of us have a unique way of living purposefully
how purpose changes our perceptions of the world
how we can make assisted living homes meccas of wisdom

#51: How Taking Action Leads to Purpose: Entrepreneur, Lawyer, and Life Coach Wayne Gill

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 26 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400

It's easy to think that we need to find our purpose before we act on it. But, maybe it's the other way around. We act on what we think is purposeful--however little we understand it--and we then get clarity about our purpose as well as the resources to enact it. In short, take action first, find purpose second.
Wayne Gill is someone who takes action. He started a very successful law firm. He has overseen a highly impactful non-profit organization. He's an accomplished speaker. From his experience, he has plenty of wisdom to share about finding purpose.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Becoming a dream enactor
Not being able to see the end from the beginning
The importance of having partners who believe in you
How action opens up possibilities
That gifts determine destiny

#50: How to Create a Mission Driven Organization-Leadership Experts Jeff Ikler and Kirsten Richert

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 19 May 2021 09:00:00 -0400

Purpose is usually thought about in individual terms-"What is the purpose of my life?" But, organizations can have a sense of purpose as well. It's their mission. Having a sense of mission benefits organizations in many ways.
Jeff Ikler and Kirsten Richert study organizational mission, especially in schools. They have written a book together and host their own podcast on the topic They bring unique insights into what it takes for organizations to develop a sense of mission as well as the problems in getting there.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

What is a mission driven organization?
Types of organizations by how clearly they understand their mission
The impact of having a clear mission in an organization
Best practices for creating organizational mission
The similarities between individual purpose and organizational mission

#49: Busyness as a Barrier to Purpose (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 17 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What prevents us from finding purpose? Knowing this guides us in arranging our lives so that we are able to find purpose. A major barrier to purpose is being overly busy. Busyness diminishes our capacity to find purpose in multiple ways, as explored in this week's mini-lesson.

#48: Ikigai is Not a Venn Diagram. Founder of Ikigai Tribe Nick Kemp

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 12 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Have you seen that Venn diagram about purpose that's popular online these days? It has four circles, and in the middle is the word ikigai. We're told this is a Japanese word for purpose.

Well, it turns out that this Venn diagram, as with much of what we see online, is not accurate. Ikigai is a Japanese word, and it does relate to purpose, but it has a much richer meaning than being the overlap of four circles. In fact, the Venn diagram was created by someone who actually didn't really know what ikigai is.

Here to set us straight is Nick Kemp. He has lived in Japan and studied the concept of ikigai with those scholars who know it best. In this interview, he shares what he's learned about it and its implications for his life. Nick's work in this area is so impactful that once he started teaching about it, he received requests from people around the world to train them in it. This started Ikigai Tribe.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

How ikigai relates to what makes life worth living
The relationship between ikigai and social roles
The importance of daily living in ikigai
Why feelings are the most important indicators of ikigai
Seven things we should all experience to have full ikigai

#47: Is Purpose Relevant for the Poor? (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 10 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400

A commonly expressed reservation about discovering purpose is that it's limited to the well-to-do. This mini-lesson explores how purpose is relevant to the poor and how poverty affects the attainment of purpose.
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#46: Finding Purpose in the C-Suite-Business Executive and Performance Expert Berta Aldrich

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 05 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400

How do you find purpose amid great power and privilege? By using it to help others.
Berta Aldrich entered the corporate world with a good heart and more than a little naïveté. She thought people would act ethically and focus on doing great things together. While she was able to climb the latter to the top, she encountered people trying to sabotage her career-both because she was a high performer and because she's a woman. Now, Berta is dedicated to helping other people who are entering business, like her college-aged daughter, to navigate these obstacles as they find their own way forward.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

How we can be energized for purpose by younger people
The value of standing up for the oppressed
The need to figure out our strengths and going with them
The power of a difficult path
Why we should follow our purpose and not our position

#45: What, Exactly, is Purpose? (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 03 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Knowing what purpose is, and how to define it, makes it easier to discover it. This mini-lesson identifies the five characteristics of purpose found in most definitions of it. It also contrasts purpose versus the larger concept of meaning.
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#44: Finding Purpose on the Prison Yard-Former Gang Member, Altruist, and Author Quan Huynh

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Can we find purpose in terrible situations that we can't change? If so, how?
Have you ever been sentenced to life in prison for murder? Me neither. But Quan Huynh was at age 23. In prison, he only wanted to establish a reputation as dangerous and to be feared. Then, in his eleventh year, something happened. Several circumstances prompted him to reevaluate his reason for being. He committed himself to living as purposely even single day, even if his legacy never left the prison yard. Eventually, he was paroled. Now he's living a deeply purposeful life helping others, including recently released prisoners.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

How purpose can be found even in antisocial behavior such as gang activities
How reinterpreting our circumstances can change our whole life
The power of creating a legacy where we're at
The need to let go of other people's expectations for us
The goodness in life that arises when we do the right thing

***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.

Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#43: Adolescent's Pathways into Purpose (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Adolescence is a time of exploring the options that life gives us. This mini-lesson reviews research on how high-purpose adolescents found their way into deeply meaningful activities. It identifies three basic pathways by which this happens.
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Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#42: The Four Key Elements of Purpose-Millennial Expert and Purpose Author Gabrielle Bosche

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Would you like to have more clarity about your purpose in life? Would you like to better understand the process of finding purpose?
Gabrielle Bosche is an expert on purpose. She has studied it. She has lived it. She helps others to find it. Along with her husband, Brian, she wrote the bestselling book The Purpose Factor. She has a wealth of knowledge that she shares about finding purpose. She brings a clarity of thought to what is often a murky subject. Her principles for finding purpose are both clear and actionable.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Giving yourself permission to pursue purpose
Why living our purpose usually requires lots of hard work
Four key elements of finding purpose
Why picking "who" to help is more powerful than "why" to help
The biggest barriers to living a purposeful life

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Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.

Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#41: Creating Purpose Sparks in Children (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400

How do we prepare children for a lifetime of purposeful living? Before adolescence, they are too young to think deeply about and plan their purpose in life. However, we can encourage them to find activities that they find enjoyable, interesting, and meaningful. Once they find these activities, we can encourage them to pursue them further. Researchers have termed these "purpose sparks."
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Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#40: Purpose in Entrepreneurship-Serial Entrepreneur and Happiness Coach Mine Dedekoca

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What does it look like to bring purpose into entrepreneurship? Entrepreneurship focuses on making money, but purpose is so much more.
Mine Dedekoca is a serial entrepreneur. It's her nature to start new businesses, and she has done well for herself in the tech industry. She's also a deeply purposeful individual. There's more to life, she knows, than just making more money. Over time, she's developed interesting ways to incorporate purpose into her entrepreneurship. Mine has developed a series of purpose clubs. In these clubs, she mentors women who are starting off as entrepreneurs. She teaches not just the business but also how to find a sense of purpose in what they are doing.
In this podcast, you'll learn about:

The balance of finding purpose in work versus the family
The obstacles often faced by women entrepreneurs
The power of networking in helping others find their purpose
How stories communicate purpose so well
The value of helping "your" people rather than just the masses

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Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.

Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#39: Creating a Question Board to Answer Our Life Questions (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400

The answers that we get in life are related to the question that we ask. We want to be intentional about asking the best questions possible of ourselves. About a year ago, I created a question board in my office to keep my life questions in mind. It's worked surprisingly well. This mini-lesson reviews the power of right questions and describes how to create a question board for yourself.
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Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.

Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#38: The Power of Mentorship for Finding Purpose-Speaker and Scholar Marcus Goodloe

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400

Purpose isn't just an individual-level activity. Invariably, other people contribute to our development and enactment of purpose. This is especially true with mentoring relationships. Mentors commit to intentionally guiding us in our way.
Marcus Goodloe felt lost as an adolescent. Growing up in Compton, California he faced various difficulties. In this context, he connected with various adult mentors--teachers, coaches, and clergy. They invested in him. They gave him the resources, opportunities, support and guidance that enabled him to become the person that he was capable of being.
In this episode, you'll learn about

The importance of mentorship for finding purpose
How to mentor others
Our responsibility for others when it comes to purpose
The distinction between resume and eulogy virtues
The relationship between social justice and purpose

***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would enjoy hearing from you.

Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#37: Three Pathways into Purpose (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400

A well-known conceptual model identifies three general pathways into purpose. This mini-lesson reviews and expands this model.

#36: How to Interpret Your Dreams for Purpose-Spiritual Director and Dream Expert Pam Muller

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0400

The subconscious plays a surprisingly big role in our ability to find purpose. How can we cultivate it further? What can we do to better understand our subconscious' guidance.
Many years ago, Pam Muller faced a series of personal and professional crises. On a whim, she turned to her dreams to find guidance. This proved to be powerful, so she sought out education and training on dream interpretation. She's now a spiritual director who specializes in teaching people to interpret their dreams. She is also a mentor for the Dream Work Training Program of the Haden Institute.
In this episode, you'll learn:

The role that emotions play in guiding us into purpose
How dreams serve as an "inner counsel"
How dreams change our lives for the better
Three ways that dreams communicate purpose to us
Four practical steps for interpreting your dreams

Pam's website
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Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Learn more at schoolofpurpose.org.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#35: Create a Life that You Love-Author, Coach, and Consultant Brooke Erol

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What should we do if we're stuck in a job that doesn't give us purpose? How do we find our way out?
Brooke Erol was a successful business executive years ago, but deep inside she knew that it wasn't the right job for her. She embarked on a journey to find a more purposeful career. She found it helping others find their purpose, and she became a life coach. After about a decade of this, she also started consulting businesses on finding purpose as an organization. She brings a wealth of practical strategies for finding purpose as individuals and groups.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Why knowing what you don't want is as important as knowing what you do want
How companies can have purpose and what it looks like
The first step for anyone seeking a more purposeful career
The one exercise that any group or organization can do to find purpose together
How leaders can foster purpose in their organizations

***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Learn more at schoolofpurpose.org.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#34: The Pain, Distress, and Joy of Purpose Moments (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What does it feel like when we moments of clarity with our purpose? It would be easy to assume that these moments are light and cheery, but in reality they often come amid distress. This mini-episode explores how this works.

#33: Creating Purpose with Leadership-Executive and Career Coach Tony Martignetti

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0400

How does purpose play into leadership? What does it mean to be a purposeful leader?
Tony Martignetti is a former business executive who now coaches leaders in finding purpose in their own lives and leading others with purpose. He's written a book and has his own podcast. He uses his experience and wisdom to be a "chief inspiration officer" for others. He makes clear that purpose isn't just for us. We use it to make other people's lives better too-especially through leadership.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Why we unearth things within ourselves in order to help others
The strategy of making "small bets" with experiences to find purpose
The difference between achievement and purpose
The relationship between purpose and effective leadership
How to inspire other people into purpose

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You can find Tony online at: https://www.inspiredpurposecoach.com/
His podcast: https://thevirtualcampfire.libsyn.com/
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Learn more at schoolofpurpose.org.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#32: The Relationship between Money and Purpose (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0400

What is the relationship between money and purpose? This week's mini-lesson reflects on whether money is necessary for purpose, if it's a by-product of purpose, or if it's a hinderance to purpose.

#31: Reinventing Yourself at 50+ -Career Coach and Branding Expert Wendy Marx

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500

How do we intentionally reinvent our lives into something better? What does this look like when we're over 50?

Wendy Marx has had a peripatetic career. She's been a social worker, a journalist, marketer, PR agency owner, and now she's a career coach and branding expert. Along the way she has gathered three master's degrees. This rich experience gives her unique insight in how and why we reinvent ourselves--becoming our better selves both in the workplace at home. Into this she layers in the experience of aging.

In this episode, you'll learn about

What it means to reinvent yourself into something better
How being over 50 actually benefits us in finding purpose
How and why to walk into discomfort
What to do when you feel stuck in a career
The importance of resilience for finding a purposeful career

Here are links for learning more about Wendy's work
Website
LinkedIn
Twitter
Email: wendy@thrivingat50plus.com
Mailing List

***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Learn more at schoolofpurpose.org.

Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#30: Forget Bucket Lists, Create a Casket List Instead (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Do you have a bucket list? You might want to add something similar but far more powerful-a casket list. These are the most meaningful things that you want to bring forth in your life before you die.
This mini-lesson explains how to create a bucket list and why it's so powerful.

#29: How to Create Moments of Purpose-Award-Winning Photojournalist Mark Mirko

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500

How can we find purpose in a given moment?
Mark Mirko is an award-winning photojournalist. He thinks deeply about his craft. His job is to enter situations and capture their essence in a rectangular, digital image. This requires work, patience, and skill as well as a deep understanding of how to engage moments. Mark gives us a deep dive into what it means to be an image maker. The principles for doing this readily apply to creating purpose in a moment as well.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

Finding layers of meaning in a situation
The importance of active observation
Using our vocations to create value for other people
Creating purpose in a moment
How photography serves as a metaphor for creating purpose

#28: Seeing Your Purpose in Other People's Lives (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Purpose is an intensely individual experience. Yet, we sometimes find more of it by seeing it in others. This mini-lesson gives a simple exercise that takes advantage of the principle of gestalt. Using it, we can look to others to better understand our own purpose.

#27: Fear, Service, and Purpose-Writer and Business Polymath Jeff Haden

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500

How can we apply the pragmatic effectiveness of business strategy to the pursuit of purpose?
Jeff Haden thinks and he writes, and he does a lot of both. He has written millions of words and has had millions of people read them in outlets such as Inc. magazine and his book The Motivation Myth. In all of this, he's developed a keen eye for what matters in life and how to get it done. He joins the School of Purpose for a wide-ranging discussion of both.
In this episode, you'll learn about:

The impact of fear on purpose and how to manage it
How purpose leads to serving others in all circumstances
How businesses can integrate a purposeful mission into their profit-making
How to find more time for what's purposeful for you
How purpose leads us to be the CEOs of our own lives

#26: A Simple Exercise for Interpreting Your Dreams re: Purpose (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Finding purpose happens at multiple levels of awareness. Sometimes rich guidance comes from our subconscious, and the subconscious can speak to us through our dreams. This mini-lesson gives a simple practice for interpreting dreams to find more purpose in our lives.

#25: Trust Your Gut in Finding Purpose-Intuition Expert Sunil Godse

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500

How can we intuition to find more purpose in our lives?
Sunil Godse has made a career of studying intuition. He accurately refers to himself as an intuitionologist. With a background in engineering, Sunil takes a rigorous approach to understanding how intuition works. He's interviewed countless people on the topic, and he's even written a book: Gut! He enthusiastically shares both how intuition works in our lives and what we can do to have more of it.
In this episode, you'll learn about

How intuition identifies breadcrumb trails in our lives into where we should be going
How ego is a barrier to following our intuition
How to recognize intuitive signals
The ways we can strengthen our intuition
Fostering intuition and purpose in our children

#24: The Four Categories of Purpose Messages (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500

The pursuit of purpose is multifaceted. It incorporates not only different aspects of our life but also different ways of engaging knowledge. This mini-lesson reviews the four basic ways of learning about our purpose. Identifying them helps us to use them more effectively.

#23: Write Your Own Story of Purpose-Tribute Writer and Adoption Advocate Paul Batura

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500

What story will people tell about you after we're gone? Is it a beautiful, powerful, meaningful story?

Paul Batura writes tributes and biographies of people who have lived impactful lives. This includes his book Good Day!: The Paul Harvey Story. He has a knack for telling stories about what matters in a person's life. These stories point to purpose. Paul and his wife adopted three children and actively advocate for adoption.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

The power of writing your own obituary
A radically different definition of success
How life prepares us for our purpose
Preparing children for a life of purpose
Writing your own story

#22: Finding Purpose is a Foggy Road, Not a Combination Lock (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500

What we expect going into a search for purpose affects whether we actually find it. This mini-lesson identifies a common wrong expectation as well as a more helpful one.

#21: The Man Who Fell 100 Feet and Survived into Greater Purpose-Engineer and Outdoorsman Steve Nelson

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Can a single event change the purpose in our life?
Steve Nelson has adventurous hobbies. Among them is rock climbing. One day, there was a mistake on the side of mountain, and Steve fell off a 100' cliff. (That's as high as ten story building!). Miraculously, Steve survived, but the experience changed him. Relationships with others became more important to him. He became less focused on just reaching ambitious goals that he had set for himself.
In this episode, you'll learn about
* The relationship between purpose and goals
* How to think about leaving a legacy for the next generation
* How the scarcity of time can motivate us into purpose
* Taking responsibility for whatever happens to us
* Why it's a good idea to laugh, think and cry everyday
***
Want to connect? Have a question? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Learn more at schoolofpurpose.org.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#20: Finding Purpose by Creating Purpose for Others: Monica Spooner - Weaver and Mother of a Daughter with Down Syndrome

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0500

How can sacrificing for someone else create purpose for us?
Monica Spooner has eight children-six biological and two adopted. Her youngest biological child, Abby, has Down Syndrome. Over the years, Monica has made many changes to her life to love and nurture Abby. In recent years, she created a weaving workshop where Abby and other disabled young adults come together and create beautiful textiles. This gives them--as well as Monica--a joyful sense of purpose.
In this episode, you're learn about:
* Bringing purpose out of what might initially feel like tragedy
* How to create purpose for other people
* The role of creativity and productivity in purpose
* The sometimes sacrificial nature of purpose

Learn more about Monica's textile workshop at: https://www.threadbendertextiles.org/
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Questions? Comments? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Learn more at schoolofpurpose.org.
Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. He does a great job and is a joy to work with. Contact him at joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#19: Is There a Single Answer to the Question: "How Do I Find My Purpose in Life?" (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Everyone's path to purpose looks different. Yet, is there a way of answering this question-"How do I find my purpose in life?"-that is helpful to everyone?

#18: Recovering from Substance Abuse into Purpose: Psychotherapist Sarah Jenkins

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 05:00:00 -0500

How can being in a very dark place in our lives into finding purpose?
Sarah Jenkins was there. Nine years ago, she was facing five years in prison on a felony charge rooted in her substance abuse. Her life was tragic. Now, she's is clean and sober and thriving. She's found her purpose as a psychotherapist helping others--often with their addiction issues. In this episode, she shares her journey.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
* The impact of self-image on finding purpose
* The need to both connect and separate from other people as we pursue purpose
* How purpose can feel like a calling
* The use of love as a proxy for our purpose
* The relationship between pain and purpose

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The School of Purpose is a place to learn the process of finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org.
Questions? Comments? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert, Music also by Josh Gilbert.
Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Send Josh an email. He will get you going and make you sound good. joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#17: How Does Being Older Affect Finding Purpose? (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 09:00:00 -0500

Many people find themselves getting older every year. Some of us have had this happen long enough that we're officially old--at least not young anymore. How does this affect finding purpose? This mini-lesson explores the pros and cons of age when it comes to finding purpose.

#16: Developing Purpose in College-UConn Honors Student Lily Forand

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0500

How can college students effectively find purpose in their lives? They have so many options--which is best?
Today's guest is Lily Forand. She is gifted at finding purpose. Though just a sophomore, she has already made courageous--at times risky--decisions to pursue purpose. She turned down acceptance at an Ivy League school because she believed that attending a state university would better fit her discovery of purpose. At 17 she took a gap year to intern for a Senator in Washington DC. She even tried out beekeeping.
From Lily's story, we learn important principles about finding purpose. They include:
* The true cost of pursuing conventional success for its own sake
* The need to prioritize our day-to-day emotions and experiences in planning a career
* How to assess opportunities in our life in terms of how they will affect our purpose
* The value of sampling small experiences for discerning what is purposeful
* How we can be the director of our own life experience

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The School of Purpose is a place to learn the process of finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org.
Questions? Comments? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert, Music also by Josh Gilbert.
Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Send Josh an email. He will get you going and make you sound good. joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#15: Can We Find Purpose Intentionally? (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Here are three ways of thinking about whether purpose can be intentionally found.

#14: Using Spiritual Practices to Discern Purpose-Sociologist Jaime Kucinskas

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 02:00:00 -0500

Spirituality and life purpose are closely intertwined for many people. This raises an interesting question: Can spiritual practices lead us into greater purpose?

Jaime Kucinskas is an accomplished sociologist at Hamilton College where she studies religion, morality, and social inequality. Due to a series of tragedies in her life, Jaime turned to various spiritual practices while in graduate school. From this blossomed an interest in studying spirituality, which she did in an award-winning book The Mindful Elite. She has also researched the everyday experience of purpose and meaning.

In this episode, you'll learn about:
* The role that mindfulness plays in finding purpose
* The connection between short-term planning and long-term purpose
* The interplay between spirituality and meaning
* How our immediate social environment affects our experience of purpose
* The impact of social roles on the discovery of purpose

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The School of Purpose is a place to learn about finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org.

Questions? Comments? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert, Music also by Josh Gilbert.
Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Send Josh an email. He will get you going and make you sound really good. joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#13: Acting on Purpose without a Destination (Mini-Lesson)

Bradley Wright PhD — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0500

This week we start something new. Every Monday there will be mini-lessons on purpose. These are short, practical ideas about how to think about purpose and act on it most effectively. Enjoy!

#12: Identifying Life Purpose as It Starts in Our Childhood-Purpose Coach Holly Woods

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 02:00:00 -0500

When does purpose first show up in our life? Does it span our life, taking different forms at different ages?

Holly Woods has made a career of helping other people find their life purpose. She is a coach, consultant, and author. In addition, she founded the group Global Purpose Leaders. Holly's work focuses on what happened in our childhood and how it affects our pursuit of purpose as adults. On one hand, themes of life purpose often show up in childhood, and our task as adults is to remember them and enact them. On the other hand, childhood suffering can create dark spots, shadows, in our lives which we need to work through to find purpose. Holly explains how this works with the clarity and wisdom of someone who has made a life of studying purpose.

In this episode, you'll learn about:
* How to identify our childhood expressions of purpose
* The relationship between our past wounds and our current purpose
* Whether we waste steps toward purpose by taking "wrong" turns
* The discrete, nuanced nature of purpose
* The value of not doing things that aren't purposeful

You can find Holly online at https://emergenceinstitute.net/.

Her book is entitled: The Golden Thread: Where to Find Purpose in the Stages of Your Life

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The School of Purpose is a place to learn the process of finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org.

Questions? Comments? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert, Music also by Josh Gilbert.
Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Send Josh an email. He will get you going and make you sound good. joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#11: The Power of Reading and Learning in Finding Purpose-Catholic Convert Glenn Stanton

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 02:00:00 -0500

How can reading books and other forms of learning be gateways into finding our purpose in life?

Glenn Stanton is the Director of Global Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family. He's also a recent convert to Catholicism. Glenn spends his days engaging morally-related social issues that matter deeply to him. He researches and teaches about these issues with speaking and writing. But, he wasn't always engaged. In high school, he was the epitome of an apathetic student. In fact, he didn't read his first book until his early twenties, but that book set him on fire for engaging moral issues. Ever sense then, reading and learning have played an instrumental role in Glenn living out his purpose.

In this episode you'll learn about:
* The powerful role that books can play in our finding our purpose
* Why failure can actually make it easier to find our purpose
* What it feels like at an emotional level to have found your purpose
* How purpose intermingles with our religious beliefs
* The challenges and beauty of helping our children find their purpose

The School of Purpose is a place to learn the process of finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org.

Questions? Comments? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert, Music also by Josh Gilbert.
Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Send Josh an email. He will get you going and make you sound good. joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#10: Creating a Career with Multiple Sources of Purpose-Literature Professor Julie Cyzewski

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 02:00:00 -0500

How do our careers give us purpose? It turns out that there are a variety of ways, and we can combine them into a wonderful career.

Julie Cyzewski worked as an elementary school teacher, but she knew that wasn't the right place for her. She decided to return to the passion of her childhood: books. She enrolled in graduate school in English and worked her way through a PhD. Now she's a tenure-track professor. She has shaped her current position so that it provides purpose in multiple domains of life-intellectual, relational, and society. This makes her career deeply life-giving to her.

In this episode, you'll learn
- What it feels like to be in the wrong career
- The power of childhood interests in guiding our later career
- How our purpose pulls us back to it when we try to leave
- The significance of relationships in all aspects of our purpose
- The different ways careers can give us purpose
- What to know if you're in the right career

The book that Julie mentions is Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing.

Enjoy!

The School of Purpose is a place to learn the process of finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org.

Questions? Comments? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert, Music also by Josh Gilbert.
Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Send Josh an email. He will get you going and make you sound good. joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#9: How and Why to Act on Purpose-Richard Lopez, Psychology at Bard College

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 05:00:00 -0500

What is the relationship between what we want in life and what we do day-to-day? How do our actions affect our sense of purpose?

Richard Lopez is an expert in neurocognitive science and behavior change. He is an assistant professor at Bard College. Richard shares with us the science of enacting our purpose in life. A purposeful life is not jus a one-time decision. Rather, there's an interplay between what is most important to us (our values), our perceptions of what we are able to do (agency), and what we actually do (behavior). Understanding the scientific principles underlying this interplay makes it easier to live a more purposeful lives.

In this episode, you'll learn
- What agency is and why it matters so much
- The connection of values with purpose
- How to bring other people into our purpose-related decisions
- How our self-understanding affects our actions
- How our actions affect our self-understanding

Enjoy!

The School of Purpose is a place to discover the process of finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org.

Questions? Comments? Just want to say "hi"? Send me an email at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert, Music also by Josh Gilbert.
Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Send Josh an email. He will get you going and make you sound good. joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

#8: Following Purpose into a Forgotten Form of Art-Faux Bois Sculpturer Diane Husson

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 05:00:00 -0500

How do artists find their purpose and express it through their work? How does purpose fuel creativity?

In this episode, Sculptor Diane Husson passionately engages the role of purpose in her life and work. She is a sculpture who specializes in the all-but-forgotten art form of faux bois. She uses concrete to make beautiful garden furniture in the shape of tree branches. Diane takes us through her journey from the corporate world into art. It was a path with unexpected and even mystical mystical twists. Though a success in another form of sculpting, she knew it wasn't the right one for her. She explored other options for years before finding faux bois.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

The interplay between skills and purpose
Why the worst day in the corporate world is easier (but not better) than the best day at being an artist
A powerful definition of life calling
The importance of crafting our life circumstances to support our purpose
Comfort being a barrier to living our purpose

You can learn more about Diane's work at https://fauxboisfurniture.com/. Make sure to check out her beautiful work. She's also on Facebook and Instagram.

Enjoy!

The School of Purpose is a place to discover the process of finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org. Questions, comments, or suggestions for improvement about the podcast? Send me an email at schoolofpurposeorg@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert
joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com
Music also by Josh Gilbert

#7: From Planning to Be a "Miserable Lawyer" to a Career that He Loves-Nick Copenhaver, an Honors University Senior

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 05:00:00 -0500

How important is it for college students to aim for a career that would give them a sense of purpose? What happens when they make plans without purpose?

Nick is a smart student who entered college with no sense of what he really wanted to do. So, he decided to do something that would make him a lot of money. If I can't be happy, I might as well be rich he thought. So, he decided to become a corporate lawyer. There was a problem, though, with this plan. Each year he got less happy with it. Something inside prodded him that there's more to life. Finally, in this, his senior year, he has made a complete reversal in his career path, and it's changed everything.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

Following intuition in picking a career
The hazards of succeeding at something that's not meaningful to you
The powerful and potentially harmful effect of other people's expectations for us
How to know if you're making purposeful plans for the future.
What it feels like to be finally doing something that feels right

Enjoy!

The School of Purpose is a place to discover the process of finding purpose in life. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org. Questions, comments, or suggestions about this podcast? Send me an email at schoolofpurposeorg@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert
joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com
Music also by Josh Gilbert

#6: A Life Purpose Statement Unfolding over 50 Years-Bob Turner of The Navigators

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 05:00:00 -0500

How does a sense of purpose change our life? Does it really make a difference?

At 24 years old, Bob Turner wrote out a life purpose statement. He's now in his 70s. This purpose statement has been his guide for a half century. It led him into remarkable experiences, rich relationships, and a profound impact on many people's lives. It even had him attend one of the most significant historical events of the 20th century. He's not done, either. He still follows this purpose statement daily.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

What makes for a great life purpose statement
How life purpose statements guide our lives
How to have an influence across generations
Why having purpose steers us away from needless busyness
The importance of letting our life purpose unfold on its own.

Enjoy!

#5: A Meandering Journey into Becoming a Writer

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0500

What do you do when you don't know what you want to do in life? You try new things. You look for glimpses of what's interesting to you and what you're good at. Nancy Franson is a writer, but it took her decades to get there. As she puts it, she discovered that she was a writer in her fifties. She shares her journey in this episode.

From her story, we learn about getting feedback from other people about who we are, doing free writing to see what comes out of our hearts, and serendipitous encounters. She shares a remarkable story about getting a job as a writer in the most random of circumstances.

You can learn more about Nancy at https://nancyfranson.com/. She's on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nancyfranson.

The School of Purpose shares knowledge about finding purpose in life. This knowledge comes from both research and life experiences. Visit us at schoolofpurpose.org.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert
joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com
Music also by Josh Gilbert

#4: Uprooting Everything to Pursue Purpose-on a Boat, in His 70s

Bradley Wright PhD — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0500

Things were going just fine for Bud Brown. He lived a comfortable life as a church consultant. His kids were raised. He lived in a beautiful city. Then he got a whiff of a dream. It’s not just any dream. It’s a change-everything, wouldn’t-it-be-amazing dream. Most people would just talk about such dreams. Not Bud. He took action. He and his wife planned out how to have a remarkable third act to their lives. They sold the house and are now exploring how to put this plan in place.

This episode is about being in transition into purpose. How is purpose initially discerned? What has to be done to bring it about? Topics covered include finishing life well; using love, joy, and peace to identify what is purposeful; taking steps forward when the destination isn’t clear; and exploratory road trips.

Do you feel adrift in life? Are you unclear about your goals? If you don’t find direction, you won’t live the life that you want. The School of Purpose will lead you into knowing what matters most to you and how to bring it about. It takes you on an exploratory journey of purpose in your life. You’ll receive articles and exercises that show you how to find your way (and it’s free). Sign up now at schoolofpurpose.org.

You can connect with Bud at Budbrown.net.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert
joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com
Music also by Josh Gilbert

#3: Lessons in Purpose from Surviving Cancer a Second Time

Bradley Wright PhD — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 13:00:00 -0400

Sheri Blackmon is a cancer survivor-twice over. The most recent occurrence was harrowing. For a year, she could do little each day except try to heal. Even the smallest moments became meaningful. From this experience, she learned to view the world differently. While the chemotherapy was killing the cancer, the cancer was killing triviality.

In this episode, Sheri describes how she now engages the world differently. Among the topics that come up are: the difference between active and passive purpose, the role of control in living purposefully, the significance of small choices, and why dreams might be better than goals.

If you’d like to learn more about your own purpose in life, visit schoolofpurpose.org for training materials, articles, and more.

You can learn more about Sheri's story at lifeafterwhy.com.

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert
joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

Music also by Josh Gilbert

#2: Creating a Purposeful, Flourishing Retirement with Compassion International

Bradley Wright PhD — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 12:00:00 -0400

Tom Andrix has had a long and varied career. Her served as a naval aviator, a dry wall installer, a staff person for a Christian ministry, and a data base manager for a hedge fund. When it came time to retire, Tom wanted to do something that used his skills to make the world a better place. He wanted something that moved him at a deep level. After investigating possibilities for several years, he found a retirement activity that perfectly fits these criteria.

In discussing his story, we talk about the role of chance encounters in finding our purpose, the use of our gifts and skills, and our responsibility to the world.

If you’d like to learn more about your own purpose in life, visit schoolofpurpose.org for training materials, articles, and more.

To contact Tom about his work with Compassion International, you can email him at tomlike2bike@gmail.com

Edited and Produced by Josh Gilbert
joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com

Music also by Josh Gilbert

#1: Learning about Purpose from Lifelong Activists

Bradley Wright — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 16:00:00 -0400

Manisha Desai is a sociologist who has studied activists for many years. Over that time, she’s had countless conversations with them about why they get into activism. Purpose is at the core of their motivation, and it expresses itself in different ways. Among the topics that come up are the distinction between social-purpose and self-purpose, how purpose relates to both change and acceptance, and different pathways into a purposeful vocation.

To learn more about finding your own purpose, visit schoolofpurpose.org.

Produced and Edited by Josh Gilbert
joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com