Dr. Pam King joins longtime friend, entrepreneur, and inspiring podcast host Nada Jones on for a conversation on thriving and self-discovery in mid-life. Nada Jones is the founder and CEO of Liberty Road, a podcast and organization for entrepreneurial women focused on growth, wisdom, sharing stories, and finding purpose. She has a regular podcast where women in the middle third of their lives share their journeys of self-discovery.

Together they discuss Pam’s approach to thriving as a developmental psychologist; the adventure of women entering and exploring the middle third of their lives; Pam’s definition of thriving; and what might get in the way of thriving during this challenging period of life.

Pam shares resources from psychology and spirituality that can provide for people to grow and support others, describing three pillars for a thriving life: individual, relational, and aspirational.

Show Notes

• About Liberty Road podcast and organization
• “Pursuing your future doesn't end at 40. In fact, it may mark the beginning of knowing who you are, what you're capable of, and what you really want.”
• What is the Thrive Center?
• The intersection of psychological science and spiritual wisdom
• “The irony of the term of mental health is that it's actually defined by mental illness, or pathology, or depression, or anxiety.”
• What can go right with people?
• Explicit interest in spirituality: “There’s gotta be something more.”
• “A historical rift between religiously or spiritual things and psychological science.”
• Research-backed spirituality
• “A thriving life is a life on-purpose.”
• “It’s not just the journey, it’s the direction.”
• Thriving at the intersection of three pillars of life: individual, relational, and aspirational.
• “In the deepest part of my being, I really want to enable people to thrive in a very holistic way. And live more fully into who they are. Living more authentically, living with deeper connection and, and with deeper purpose.”
• Not just another self-help platform
• “How do you help us understand purpose or thriving when maybe we haven't put ourselves first?”
• Balance and moving through extremes
• Life is fluid and dynamic
• Middle age as a period of flux
• Looking at opportunities in challenges
• Motherhood and service for others
• Finding joy
• Examples for each three pillars
• Stay-at-home mom moving into a new phase of life
• “Start with loving ourselves and giving ourselves grace.”
• “Bring out the best in yourself. Love yourself.”
• What images come to mind as positive memories of competency and strength?
• Obligations in relationships
• What are we actually living out? Is it consistent with our values?
• Change your environment or change yourself.
• What is spirituality?
• “Spirituality is people’s perception and experience of transcendence. … But also our response to transcendence.”
• Spiritual health and psychology—”Not all spirituality is helpful or healthful.”
• “I think we're living in a spiritually void time.”
• “Have we deprived ourselves of something in an effort to not deprive ourselves of anything?”
• Pam King on life in the “middle third”
• Reprioritizing and making professional shifts
• What keeps you grounded? 10 minutes of silence of meditation.
• What are you currently reading? Open and Unafraid by W. David Taylor / Strength That Remains, by Tracy Kidder
• What is a skincare musthave? SBLA Facial Wand
• What has surprised you about the good life? There’s more losses than anticipated.
• What has your work done to liberate you? Reworking and reconsidering purpose; “Diving deep in conversations with people has been liberating and wonderful.”

About Nada Jones

Nada Jones is the founder and CEO of Liberty Road, a podcast and organization for entrepreneurial women focused on growth, wisdom, sharing stories, and finding purpose. Discover more of her work at www.liberty-road.com.

About the Thrive Center

• Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.
• Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter
• Follow us on X @thrivecenter
• Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter

About Dr. Pam King

Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.

About With & For

• Host: Pam King
• Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook
• Operations Manager: Lauren Kim
• Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen
• Consulting Producer: Evan Rosa

Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.