This conversation with Sedruola ran the gamut of emotions for me. At times I was inspired, hopeful, and motivated; at other times I was horrified, cynical, and depressed. In a weird way though I think that is the sign of a truly authentic, learning conversation. Whenever you are getting as deep as we did into topics like human nature, racism, "I vs. We", it has to feel hard, uncomfortable, and scary--otherwise you probably aren't doing it right.

To step back for a moment, Sedruola is a cancer survivor/thriver, dedicated to social justice, equity, inclusion, and sharing hope and love with anyone who cares to listen. She does this through her work as a consultant with businesses as well as through her own podcast "Diversity Dish." She started with the value of "being true to yourself" as the most important ingredient to figure out how to live a better life and maybe how to cure a lot of the ills that face our society today.

We jumped right in and started discussing what it really meant to be true to yourself? What happens if my version of truth is different than your version of truth? How do I know I am actually being true to myself vs. convincing myself I am because it serves me in some way? All of that lead to a discussion about the work Sedruola does and the challenges of combatting racism in our world. She gave some fantastic stories and examples to make these abstract points very real. 

By the end of the discussion we got deep into the question of human nature and if it has doomed us to a world where conflict and inequity is inevitable, or if there is reason for hope and optimism? Sedruola believes there is a reason to be optimistic and I really hope she is right, but my pessimistic side isn't so sure. A huge thanks to Sedruola for being on the show, sharing her experiences, and being so open to discussing these really sensitive and personal topics.