Listen Again: Standing in the Gap with Parker Palmer

Listen Again: Standing in the Gap with Parker Palmer

How do we stay hopeful in the face of despair and disillusionment—especially when politics threaten to tear us in two? Kate speaks with Parker Palmer, a writer, teacher, and activist. As you’ll hear, he has gone through seasons of deep clinical depression, and has hard-won wisdom to share with us on how to survive, how to regain a sense of agency, how to remain hopeful despite it all.

In this episode, Kate and Parker discuss:

  • finding agency in the midst of depression and despair (including his trick of redefining achievement)

  • why it is important to recalibrate our sense of reality—especially in the face of 24-hour news cycles and social media algorithms

  • how a broken heart can either shatter or break open into a larger, more compassionate way of being

So on a day like today when we all might be thinking about the state of our nation or the state of our world or the realities at stake for our families and friends (....or perhaps, more tempted to keep our head in the sand to just make it through Thanksgiving), might we pull up close and listen to what Parker has to teach us about how to keep our hearts soft and remain hopeful, still.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love:

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

This episode originally aired in November 2024.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episoder(282)

Mark Lukach: True Believers

Mark Lukach: True Believers

Mark Lukach felt like he was hit with a tsunami when his beautiful marriage was upended by mental illness. With one diagnosis, he lost his wife and gained a lifelong patient. Mark and Kate explore the...

18 Des 201834min

Barbara Brown Taylor: Life after Dark

Barbara Brown Taylor: Life after Dark

Author and Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor is no stranger to darkness. After experiencing devastating loss, Barbara explores our culture’s pursuit of the sunny side of life. But perhaps there ar...

4 Des 201831min

Emily McDowell: There's No Good Card for That

Emily McDowell: There's No Good Card for That

Why is it so hard to say the right thing to those going through difficult circumstances? Artist Emily McDowell was on the receiving end of some terrible responses after her own diagnosis. Now, she cre...

20 Nov 201830min

Alan Alda: Can You Hear Me Now?

Alan Alda: Can You Hear Me Now?

Alan Alda is best known for his prolific acting career. But he has also spent years learning about, and teaching, communication. The Emmy-winning actor and star of television's M*A*S*H* teaches doctor...

20 Mar 201833min

Wes Moore: Fork in the Road

Wes Moore: Fork in the Road

Wes Moore had a rough childhood growing up in Baltimore. His father died when he was a child, he struggled in school and was arrested for vandalism before something shifted. Moore grew up to be a Rhod...

13 Mar 201834min

Margaret Feinberg: Learning to Be Happy Again

Margaret Feinberg: Learning to Be Happy Again

Bestselling author and speaker Margaret Feinberg was writing a book about joy when her world fell apart. Suddenly she was fighting for her life and re-writing the book from scratch. Feinberg talks abo...

6 Mar 201829min

Alexandra Petri: Awkward

Alexandra Petri: Awkward

Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri is the queen of awkwardness. She didn't audition for "America's Next Top Model" and become a yodeling champion without a high tolerance for the sound of peopl...

20 Feb 201826min

Lucy Kalanithi: Costly Love

Lucy Kalanithi: Costly Love

When Lucy Kalanithi fell for another doctor, she couldn't know how much love would teach her about suffering. Lucy Kalanithi is the widow of Dr. Paul Kalanithi, author of the bestselling memoir, “When...

14 Feb 201829min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
konspirasjonspodden
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
min-barneoppdragelse
wolfgang-wee-uncut
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
grenselos
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
fladseth
frokostshowet-pa-p5
synnve-og-vanessa
alt-fortalt
opptur-med-annette-og-ingeborg