In today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce you to Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides in a truly out of this world conversation. If you have followed me for any length of time, you’ll know my fascination with, and goal of one day going to space. Loretta has a similar dream and is on her way to realizing it as she has had a ticket to space since 2005 and expects it to happen in the next couple of years! Loretta currently teaches leadership development and the practice of mindfulness to the staff of Virgin Galactic, and she sees her purpose as building a sort of bridge between the science and space worlds alongside the spiritual worlds.

As I tell Loretta during this interview, I truly think she is a magical human being. She has done so many truly amazing things including having studied astrobiology at Stanford and Caltech, conducting research on plant life in the Canadian Arctic with NASA, diving to the bottom of the ocean with Titanic Director James Cameron, and floating weightless hundreds of times as a Flight Director for Zero Gravity Corporation. 

In this conversation, we talk about Loretta’s childhood and her personal journey to how she got to where she is now, including the “explorer genes” of her immigrant family. She shares that when she was a kid that she always felt like she was from the future. She speaks honestly about her experience becoming a mother and also having big, audacious dreams and passions, and what it’s been like to navigate her professional world as a woman. 

In these uncertain times Loretta shares her unique perspective of what the idea and exploration of space can teach us and help us with life here on Earth. She highlights some similarities between this moment we find ourselves in currently, and what was happening in 1968 during the last wave of space missions. It’s truly astounding!

 

“What space brings us is perspective. The ability to take a step back and remember what is important; being together, taking care of our homeworld, and finding solutions to our problems.”

 ~ Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides

 

I hope that this conversation helps you find hope and meaning at a time when that may be harder to come by. I asked Loretta at the end of the conversation, what is the one thing she wants my listeners to remember and she left us with this, “You are not alone. You are unique in all the universe, and you have something extraordinary to give to the cosmos. And please have fun while you’re doing it!”

If you are needing support during this pandemic, I invite you to join my free Facebook Group that I have created for you. It is so important to me that we are ready to exit the Waiting Room when it’s time to re-enter our new lives on the other side of this.

More About Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides

Having dreamed of space since she was a girl, Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides works to use the power of space to shift our human perspectives, and connect us with each other and our home planet. Loretta studied astrobiology at Stanford and Caltech, did research on plant life in the Canadian Arctic with NASA, dove to the bottom of the ocean with Titanic Director James Cameron, and has floated weightless hundreds of times as a Flight Director for Zero Gravity Corporation. She currently teaches leadership development and the practice of mindfulness to the staff of Virgin Galactic.

You can connect with her via her website, Instagram, and Twitter.

Things We Mention In This Episode

• Websites: SpaceKind and SoulBar and Loretta’s personal site
• Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen
• Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen
• Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter 

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