Many of us feel overwhelmed by today's crisis-filled world. Mythologist Michael Meade says we're in an apocalypse! My guest, bestselling author Diane Dreher, Ph.D., says it's time for a new Renaissance (the French word for “rebirth”). We cover how people survived the Dark Ages by finding their greatest gifts and important lessons from the Renaissance to help you discover your own personal greatness. Diane also talks about using the free ⁠VIA character survey⁠ to find your unique strengths and the importance of joining communities to thrive as your true self. Together, we make a positive difference in the world rather than fall victim to it.

My beautiful mother, Ingrid, passed away recently. This podcast shares the wonderful gifts I discovered she had while going through her things. It also covers why knowing what makes you different from your parents enables you to thrive as your true self. According to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, "the greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of its parents." Mythologist Michael Meade says we come into the world with our own gifts and life journeys, unique from our parents. The answer to finding your authentic purpose lies in living between these two poles.

Dr. Steve Koc joined an ashram at age 16 and became a rockstar chiropractor in Beverly Hills with clients such as Michael Jackson. We talk about how Steve combined his passion for spirituality with his expertise as a doctor of chiropractic to create a thriving practice and why having empathy for others is good for business. We also discuss how you can find your unique gifts and build a successful business. After working with celebrity clients, Steve shares what he learned about truly living a rockstar life. He now lives in Oregon and has produced award-winning music, videos, and art, including his inspiring metaphysical fiction book The Seeker.

Catherine Ming T'ien Duffly is an Associate Professor at Reed College in the Theatre Department. While pursuing her BA in History, Kate found her calling to combine social justice and theater and pursued a PhD in Performance Studies from UC, Berkeley. She now teaches socially engaged and community-based theatre, race theory and performance, directing, and puppetry. We talk about Kate's love of teaching and the cool parade she's putting on to boost community joy. This podcast shows you how to combine your gifts to find your bigger calling, too. It also gives you tips and clues for creating passion projects to boost your well-being and help make the world a better place. Kate is the president of the board of Oregon’s Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) theatre company ⁠Theatre Diaspora⁠. ⁠Learn more⁠ about her First Annual Everything Under the Sun Parade in Sellwood, Portland, OR, on June 15 and free puppet-building workshops on June 5, 8 and 12.

Laura Goff left a career as a graphic designer to follow her calling to become an extraordinary acupuncturist. In this fun interview, Laura discovers one of her superpowers on air. We explore how she uses this gift to design websites and diagnose clients and how our strengths often crossover into different areas of our lives. We also talk about how you can find your right career by discovering what puts you in a flow state and why sometimes your current occupation only needs to be tweaked a bit to become a calling. We also discuss how Laura decided to become a Qi Gong and Yoga teacher and integrates these "energy medicines" into her practice at Whitney Green Acupuncture. If you'd like to turn your career into a calling, this podcast can show you the way.

⁠Joel Kroeker is an internationally known pop star, music-centered psychotherapist, and psychoanalyst with a private practice in Victoria, British Columbia. We discuss how curiosity can lead us to discover our unique superpowers. We also talk about when it's time to answer our true calling and how to end one career and start another. Joel received a Master's in ethnomusicology but dropped out of the Ph.D. program to sign a record deal with Universal/True North Records. He spent ten years traveling the world as an award-winning singer-songwriter. Still, he felt called to get a second Master's in music-centered psychotherapy and eventually trained as a Jungian analyst in Switzerland. Joel blends his passions and expertise in his amazing TED talk and new book, Jungian Music Psychotherapy.

Eddie Watkins, Jr. is an amazing bass player, singer, and songwriter from Detroit, MI who has recorded with renowned musicians such as Barbra Streisand, Santana, Cher, and Diana Ross. We talk about how he discovered his musical talent at age seven and the best ways to identify your own superpowers. We also discuss how Eddie became a sought-after session bass player for Motown, but success and the fast life led him down a path of substance abuse and recovery. Hitting rock bottom became an opportunity for Eddie to experience a spiritual awakening and answer his higher calling. On January 13th, Eddie launched his Peace on Earth Tour to promote unity across our nation. Give his music a listen!

Jahmal Lake has a high-powered career in high-tech and is making the world a better place with his nonprofit organization ⁠Our Kids Read⁠. As its Executive Director, Jahmal is devoted to improving literacy in African-American, Indigenous, and Latinx elementary school children nationwide. His enthusiasm and energy are contagious! Jahmal and I talk about how you can answer your own greater calling by tapping into your authentic power and connecting to something bigger than you. For those living in Portland, OR, Boys and Girls of America recently partnered with Our Kids Read and is looking for local volunteers to read to students from February through April 2024. To learn more, check out ourkidsreadinc.org.