The Turn Outward Podcast

Today I sit down with my close friend and fellow psychology graduate Kris Urbina, as we discuss topics such as why bad things happen, how to avoid toxic comparison, how to receive feedback with grace, and the importance of cultivating non-transactional relationships.

In the age of influencing, we think of travel as something selfish, something we do for our own interest, or to show off on social media. I sit down with Paul Victor, entrepreneur and avid traveler, and discuss how travel is made more fulfilling by embracing discomfort, being vulnerable, turning outward, and making connections. We also discuss the importance of being where your feet are, living with wonder and gratitude, and learning to reinvent ourselves.

There's a narrative in self-care that we need take of our ourselves before focusing on others. This philosophy can be dangerous and cause us to isolate when we are experiencing emotional pain so as to avoid spreading our pain to others. In this episode I discuss how using our pain to build meaning and connection with others gives purpose to our suffering and is a crucial form of self-care.

Today we have our first ever podcast guest, André Hurtado! Andre and I delve into a philosophical, pyschological, and theological discussion about topics such as vulnerability: (how much of myself do I share and how much do I hold back?); relationship conflict: (why is it sometimes easier to forgive a different a stranger than someone close to us?); and empathy: (why do we feel a need to hurt someone that has hurt us?).

In this episode I discuss principles from the book You Are the One You've Been Waiting For by Richard C. Schwartz. First: that each of us is multi-dimensional and made up of several parts, and second: that there is a wounded child inside all of us. Understanding these principles allows us to view others through a lens of compassion rather than judgment.

In this episode I get vulnerable and talk about some of the challenges I have faced that have tempted me to cope by distracting, numbing, and isolating. Why do I spend endless amounts of time on my phone? Why do I procrastinate? Why do I find it difficult to connect with others? Asking these difficult questions allows us to find the underlying emotions behind our behavior and begin turning outward.

In this episode I tell the story of backpacking and camping in Hawaii with my friends, and the lessons learned from when things don't go ideally.

In this episode I talk about various lessons I learned throughout the week while completing assignments for my graduate program. How should we treat those that are different then us? How can we connect with those that believe differently than us? How can we find peace and purpose when things don't go our way? Find out in episode 3!