This Most Unbelievable Life!

This Most Unbelievable Life!

By Paul Fitzgerald and Cheri SpiegelSociety & CultureEducationSelf-Improvement
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This Most Unbelievable Life! episodes

  • Episode 19: Does the Body Lie?
    Hey folks! Here’s a question for you… how do things move through your body, and what sorts of information do they convey when such things become known? What a question, right?? So how do we start a conversation like this? Obviously, with a brief conversation about music! One of our cherished listeners once asked us about our tastes in music, and, in honor of Ringo Starr’s 80th birthday, we thought we’d take a little time today to start to unpack that in the context of our bodies and our relationship with music. From there, we talk through the biology of anxiety and how it shows up in our bodies, the role of music in human evolution, and our relationship with the concept of “grit” as it pertains to the decisions we make about how to spend our time. Is “grind it out” a good thing? If you think you’re grinding it out, what does that inform you about yourself, your values, and the decisions you make on how to spend your time and your life?
    Also, in the spirit of music, we’ve been talking a bit about what a This Most Unbelievable Life playlist might look like! What is your relationship with music, and what one or two songs would you contribute to a playlist for your most unbelievable life? Send them in on any of the social channels and we’ll compile.
    1 hr 30 min
  • Episode 18: Space
    This episode kicks off the first in a series of four episodes Cheri and Paul are doing this summer on the subject of "The Body." In the first half, they explore what it means to manage a human body and the various strategies folks use to take care of and monitor their human needs. Why do we have all of these fitness trackers and devices to monitor the state of our bodies, yet not always have it in us to act on that information, and how might we best serve ourselves by taking a little more time to listen to what our bodies have to say? In the second half, they shift their discussion to how bodies negotiate space. What is personal space? How much space does your body tell you that it needs? What does your personal space, and what you place into, on, and around it, inform you about yourself? How does your interaction with space reflect who you are? Explored in this episode - the eternal travel question... how do you divide four airplane seat armrests between three people? We're not sure that we offer a definitive answer to this question, but give it a listen, and let us know what you think!
    1 hr 7 min
  • Episode 17: Summer
    Welcome to Summer! The temperature goes up, and many of us, in response, try to slow down a little. When we were young, summer was about family vacations in the car, barbecue in the back yard, baseball games, long days outside with friends, and warm summer nights. Nostalgia, indeed, for a time long past. We still carry those feelings of summer as a time for a break, and some space to wind down and get some relaxation. These days, however, we find that we may be just as busy in the summer as we were in the previous nine months. Is that because we're still doing the same things we were, or are we finally taking the time to do all the other things that we wanted to do, but didn't have the time or energy to do before? What is your summer routine like? Do you have a "summer brain" mode that you slip into? How would you describe your summer self? In this episode, we unpack some of the experiences from our own summers growing up, and wonder if we try to recapture those experiences or feelings as adults, or are we doing altogether different things? We'd love to know what summer was/is like for you! Give this one a listen, and let us know what you think and how your summer is going.
    1 hr 8 min
  • Episode 16: All Things, Known!
    All things, known! You may have heard us use this phrase before, and we thought we would take a little time to talk through what we mean when we say it, and in what circumstances we find it to be an appropriate response. Is it an acknowledgement of what the other person said? Does it indicate a greater understanding of the universe and our place in it? Is it even possible for either of us to know all things? We think the answer might be both "no" and "yes," and that is OK! In this episode, we talk this through. We actually get a little philosophical in this one, and do a deep dive on the true nature of the rules that we develop to live our lives as things become... known. This is also the last episode of Season 1! Season 2 becoming known!
    1 hr 9 min
  • Episode 15: The Rates of Things
    Paul and Cheri tend to talk about the “rates of things.”  In their conversations, this phrase has a specific meaning: the “things” they’re talking about are the heart, the mind, and the body; the “rates” are the speeds at which each of these aspects of understanding are processed and move through a person. In this episode, they start to unpack what it looks like to process things in the mind, the body, and the heart. Together they explore how they process, which parts of the processing come most easily to them, and where they feel resistance. How do you process new information? Does it start with logic and then move to the body and emotion? Do you notice how things impact you physically before you understand how you feel about them? Take a listen and see how this podcast lands!
    1 hr 19 min
  • Episode 14: A Pause Before the Work Begins

    We originally planned this conversation to be about productivity, and how to stay productive during these dog days of summer. However, rather than recording on Tuesday as has been our custom, we elected to press pause on the podcast, participating in #theshowmustbepaused an initiative started by Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang. During our normal podcast time, we instead reflected upon ourselves and our work together. This podcast is the product of that conversation. We still tackle productivity, but we ask: what does it mean to be a productive ally right now? What does it mean to contribute productively to anti-racist efforts? And what is the most productive work for us to do with ourselves right now? Please give this podcast a listen and let us know what you think, and maybe offer what you think the best work is for you right now. 

    1 hr 7 min
  • Episode 13: BONUS EPISODE - Principles of Community - Pandemic Edition UNVEILED!!!

    In episode 6, we introduced and talked through what we referred to as our Principles of Community - Pandemic Edition. In that episode, we listed each one of our principles, provided a little context to each one, and talked about why we thought they were necessary. We posted that episode with a promise to release them for public viewing and comment. In this, our first bonus episode, Cheri and Paul officially release our Principles of Community for listener and community response and feedback, and acknowledge both the attempt, as well as the imperfections and potential shortcomings in these, our first-draft guidelines for community engagement. You can find the link to them on the Shared Spaces section of our website, and we would love to hear what you have to say about them upon further inspection.

    56 min
  • Episode 12: Spring!

    Welcome to Spring! With social distancing in place and social routines disrupted, the changing of the seasons may not be so evident as they have been in past years. How have your routines changed over the past few months? When did you notice that the seasons have changed? What marks the coming of Spring for you? In this episode of This Most Unbelievable Podcast, Cheri and Paul talk about renewal, rebirth, new growth, and the opportunities that come with the changing of season from Winter to Spring. We talk about the purpose of Spring as a time to bring new opportunities, and reflect on how this podcast, throughout this first season, has paralleled the astronomical cycle. We also talk about the upcoming second season - Summer!

    1 hr 9 min
  • Episode 11: Resistance

    Today on the podcast, Cheri and Paul talk about one of the biggies that we both engage with on a pretty daily basis: resistance. But what is resistance? Is it an organized action against an oppressor? Is it the suppression of an urge or compulsion? Is it a feeling of discomfort when the narrative you have written for yourself conflicts with your known sense of present reality? Well, it can be all of those, and it could be something else entirely. Give this podcast a listen and let us know what the basis of your resistance is! We’d love to hear from you!

    1 hr 11 min
  • Episode 10: What If…?

    Asking the question “What if...?” can change the way we see the situations we face. As listeners probably know by now, Cheri and Paul love questions. Today’s podcast starts with the question: “What if...?” Together, they think through the "What if...?" of limiting beliefs, the stories we tell about ourselves, the foundational model of higher education, and the ways in which humans, as individuals, access and integrate information. We started this podcast in one place, and it led to some unexpected places! What is the "What if...?" that you ask yourself? Give this a listen and let us know! Enjoy!

    1 hr 12 min

About This Most Unbelievable Life!

From the publisher's feed

This podcast, hosted by Drs. Cheri Spiegel and Paul Fitzgerald, covers all things as they relate to two college professors in this modern age. Enjoy! If you have a topic that you would like us to…