The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life

Dr. David Bell has been fascinated with religion his entire life, and has come down on the side of being a "post-religious believer." He believes in the beauty of religion, but not in what he calls the supernatural. He challenges his students -- and his fellow faculty members -- to prove to him empirically that we have a soul. He loves taking his students on a journey of pulling out their intensely held religious beliefs that are mostly unexamined. All he asks is that we all strive to do the same. 

Besides being a senior lecturer, David is a father of three kids all under ten years old. He's taken on the task of being an ultimate do it yourself-er. He's deep into flipping houses and designing his own. From social construction to house construction, how did he get here? How does he manage it all? 

Do males feel more burdened to provide? Are there parts of us that are essentially instinctual? David takes us on a ride where we examine many of our beliefs -- both examined and unexamined.

Time Stamps:

2:18 David gives us a high-level overview of how our religious identity influences our being
5:20 The experience that caused David to question his beliefs surrounding religion and explore other philosophies
10:08 an objective look at Biology and science vs Mysticism
14:52 Shelley explains her reconciliation with her own spiritual beliefs and how it's ok to have these hard conversations.
17:13 How David Strives to make an impact as a professor
20:31 Our conversations shifts to how becoming a father has impacted David's beliefs and work.
24:08 David talks about his latest project--building his own home.
30:00 Shelley shares some great insight into finding and doing your Big Work
32:37 We ask David how he stays balanced
36:12 The conversation turns political and David shares an intriguing take on what's going on in our country and the western world
44:08 We wrap up our conversation by asking the 3 Big Self podcast questions we ask all of our guests.

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We have long-form conversations about self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits. 

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Everything changed this week. The response to the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus upended all of our lives. Workplaces shut down. Schools closed. Airlines cut their flight schedules. Major league sports suspended their seasons. Hospitals began preparing for a predicted surge of patients. And on Friday, President Trump declared a national emergency.

"Social distancing" is the new catchphrase for how we are advised to behave. Staying away from other people seems to be the best tool everyday people have to flatten the rising curve of contagion and lessen the potential impact on hospitals and caregivers. As of the recording of this podcast, there are now 3,000 confirmed cases and we know that’s with extremely limited testing available: and that’s part of what’s so scary! 

On this special edition podcast, Shelley and Chad discuss stressors and opportunities for us all on a personal and collective level. Things are changing by the minute and we need some community, even if it's digital. The time is now.

Time stamps:

1:42 The Coronavirus has brought out the best and the worst in people, and we're seeing wildly different responses to the crisis.
5:28 How we've talked to our kids about this upending of our normal lives
7:30 The conundrum that is self-isolating
9:20 We know the sobering facts, so what do we do with that now?
11:21 We discuss how consciousness plays into how we are dealing with this stressor on a personal level, as well as a collective level.
14:48 We're all familiar with the stress response "fight, flight, or freeze." But there's another intriguing stress response we're seeing play out that very few people have heard of.
17:10 Now IS the time for mindfulness and coming together
18:41 Chad shares a little about his big leap of faith and how he's intentionally building some habits
23:35 A little preview of what's to come from us on Facebook in the next few weeks and some very exciting news about an upcoming launch! 

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Kaysie Strickland went through a major bottoming out. Over the course of a year and a half, she and her husband both lost their jobs unexpectedly, they got pregnant, and her parents were bottoming out from a long battle with alcoholism, just to name a few of the stressors. She was left reeling emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Somehow, through the course of career and personal setbacks, she found her calling. It's the convergence of design and creativity -- all while making an impact in others' lives. Her mission is called Homes and Havens. Listen in to how she mended herself and, eventually, others through her journey.

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We have long-form conversations about self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits. 

Time Stamps:

2:26 Kaysie tells us about a turbulent time in her life and how she coped with it
7:44 Kaysie shares about her childhood and the story of her parents going through addiction
15:51 How Homes and Havens was born out of the trials Kaysie faced
22:09 We talk about the important role that environment plays in addiction recovery
27:09 How peace and stability can feel like death to some people
33:33 Kaysie tells us what it took for her to realize her true gifts
39:09 We have a conversation about what Big Self is really about
42:37 The conversation delves for a moment into our Enneagram types
46:06 Kaysie give some tips for creating a healing design in a home
51:54 Kaysie tells us what book she's reading, her morning routine, and what Big Self means to her.

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On this week's episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Matt McClanahan. 

Acute, chronic, or auto-immune pain, Matt McClanahan has seen a great deal over the past decade and a half. What do you do when medicines don't work, and diagnoses are tricky to figure out? What's the difference between pain and tissue damage? And even if it's not tissue damage, while pain is in the brain, it doesn't mean it's just made up. At the same time, dealing with pain is very much a mindset. 

We deep-dive into stress. Stress is there to protect us. But our bodies have a threshold depending on the input and output--and subjectivity--of stress. He talks about his own personal experiences in dealing with pain, and the processes involved in managing it, as well as the lightbulb moments. And are ice baths a real thing for health and wellness and longevity? 

Train you mind and body and autonomic nervous system with us on this week's episode!

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We have long-form conversations about self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits. 

Time Stamps:

2:53 Matt tells us a little bit about himself and why he focused his medical practice on Musculoskeletal Medicine
8:31 Matt discusses the questions, "how does pain work?" and "why does it persist in some people and not others?"
13:29 Matt describes how he helps people understand where their pain is coming from
18:29 An important distinction between stress and stressors
22:54 When there isn't an easy cure or surgery for pain, how does Matt help patients still strive to be their best selves?
26:36 Matt explains his approach to treating pain when it's related to psychology and shares his own personal experience with this issue.
35:20 What happened when moms reacted with no emotion or response to their babies during the Still Face Experiment.
38:39 Shelley discusses the detriment of disconnection
41:58 How giving up the judgment lens and replacing it with a curiosity lens equals a growth mindset that can actually alter your physical health
44:34 We discuss the cold plunge made popular by Tony Robbins, and whether there's any real benefit to it according to Matt.
51:11 Matt answers our 3 Big Self podcast questions. Find out what he's reading, what his morning routine looks like, and what "Big Self" means to him

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On this week's episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Patricia McLelland. 

Patricia is a physician, but does more than merely meet bodily symptoms. She coaches and guides her patients to understand the whole person, beginning with what is going on within. She's been on a mission to help women for years, but over the years she's learned how to communicate processes and how to begin where you're at. She also asks: Where do you want to go? 

She gives insights into how to manage stress, and fight back against overwhelm. It's not always easy to let go of the many things we feel we have to do, but among the things to let go is NOT self-care. 

McLelland is also a voracious reader of the latest literature on sleeping, stress and wellness. Check out some of the surprising things she has to say about what's important, and how to make the best decisions to lead a big and sustainable healthy self. As she says, "You don't have to listen to me, but I've spent the past few weeks reading all the world's literature on sleep studies." 

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We have long-form conversations about self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits. 

Time Stamps:

2:52 Patricia tells us about herself and how contracting a terrible illness in Africa when she was 16 shaped her decision to be a doctor.
10:46 How Patricia's love of Math influences how she practices as a leader in women's health
14:04 Patricia talks about the role of valuing yourself in overcoming health challenges
18:23 The important distinction between self-care and self-indulgence
21:35 Patricia talks about the two types of stress we face and tells us which type is most insidious
24:04 We have an in-depth conversation around the importance of sleep. Did you know sleep-deprivation is akin to being intoxicated? Also, the magic "sleep" hour when we should call it a night and go to bed.
33:32 Patricia talks about how critical proper nutrition is to being healthy and whole
38:50 We ask Patricia the age-old question: "what diet do you recommend?" Hint: it's probably different for me than for you.
46:52 The best place to start when you're striving for better health.
49:20 We wrap up with the three questions we ask each of our guests

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On this week's episode, we have a conversation with Hilarie Robison about the importance of listening well, and how that plays into good storytelling. 

Hilary tells us about what she does with her work in helping people find their family stories, as well as digitizing it and making it a part one's legacy. She also talks about the why and the how it's done. What does it mean to publish a life story? What is the process like in sharing our stories with our children? A lot of it is about intention, and there's more and more research backing up the power of family storytelling and how it makes us stronger. Especially in these times of social and family fragmentation, storytelling is all the more critical. She also talks about strategic planning with the whole family, and how her faith is a part of her evolving story.

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We have long-form conversations about self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits. 

Time Stamps:

2:06: Hilarie shares a little about her personal history and the events that led her family to Chattanooga
6:48: Hilarie tells us about how her career transitioned from Ethics and Policy Studies to Memory Keeping, Storytelling, and Personal Histories
9:56: Hilarie shares a cool story about how her work benefitted a young woman going through a tough experience
13:46: We discuss the power of storytelling and the strong positive impact it has on children, as well as the biggest challenge adults face in telling their personal stories to their kids
21:41 We learn about the 20 "do you know" questions and what those questions indicate about how
25:53: The importance of family dinner in staying connected to your immediate family as well as extended family, plus a cool tip and app for keeping family records and making them accessible for your whole family
33:56 A discussion on feeling disconnected from family and ways that we can remedy this while staying authentic to ourselves
40:17 Hilarie shares about her approach to strategic family planning
43:22 We close out the episode by asking Hilarie what book is impacting her right now, about her morning routine, and what Big Self means to her.

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On this week's episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Lakweshia Ewing. 

From her ten steps toward self-improvement to building a community for everyone to re-structuring our thinking to building the right kind of product to what her faith means to her, Lakweshia Ewing has a lot to offer. An eternal optimist, she gives us her authentic self, and her powerful thoughts and insights into the things she's seen and learned working with individuals and communities all over the world.

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We have long-form conversations about self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits. 

Time Stamps:

2:58 Lakweshia tells us a little about herself and a life-changing event in her life

5:57 Lakweshia shares what struggle in her life led to her developing her UNLEARN approach

10:56 Lakweshia dives into the steps in her UNLEARNing process, describing each one by one

17:50 Lakweshia teaches a great lesson on failure

29:13 the conversation shifts to Lakweshia's work with organizations and the importance of knowing the history of that organization

33:55 We dive into an enlightening conversation on the equity (or lack of equity) of self-care

42:39 Our conversation shifts the idea of "community". What a loaded question we asked her!

52:41 Hear what books are impacting Lakweshia right now

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On this week's episode, we turn the tables on Big Self Founder, Shelley Prevost, and ask her the questions. We aim at what brought us here to the Big Self table. It's a story that emerged over years, and after the result of a heart-rending, teeth-gnashing failure. Shelley gets vulnerable about how she felt during the low point, and then what she did to steadily rebuild and become an invested student in herself. She tackles co-host Chad's toughest questions until Chad finally "stumps the therapist." 

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We have long-form conversations about self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits. 

Time Stamps:

9:07: Shelley talks about a "pretty traumatic tender time" for her family.

11:55: Chad asks questions that lead to Shelley struggling not to cry.

14:29: Shelley talks about the process of becoming "a student of herself."

20:00: Shelley talks about starting to exercise because her body was "falling apart."

25:03: Shelley talks about her experience with doing intermittent fasting for the past year and a half.

27:45: Chad pushes back about gratitude and how it's harder than meets the eye even though.

30:00: The importance of family dinners as another way to rebuild.

38:22: Chad asks Shelley a big question and hear how she responds.

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On this week's episode, we have a fascinating conversation with CEO and founder Startup Champs, a fast-growing agency helping new ventures (both individual founders and corporate clients) with risk assessments, design thinking, market research services, and growth strategies before identifying and securing strategic investment partners. 

We hit on everything from how the startup scene needs a wellness checkup, to how do you define failure and success, to what does Big Self mean to Alex, and why his simulated near-death experiences in Columbia was tops among his most transformative experiences. 

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We have long-form conversations about self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits. 

4:30--Chad asks Alex about the increasing likelihood of startups leaving Silicon Valley and dispersing throughout various parts of the U.S.

9:25--If you help entrepreneurs build personal wealth first, the entrepreneurial journey becomes much easier

15:52--This Silicon Valley model of entrepreneurship is not working for everyone and it’s not helping build a stronger middle class

22:05--Every country has its unique challenges when it comes to innovation and wealth building

31:50--Venn diagram that shows us the four major quadrants for finding our purpose

36:50--After one personal transformation, Alex discusses his even more powerful one in Columbia, a “deep spiritual rebirth”

45:45--Alex discusses, Unstoppable, a book that is “saving him now”

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