This week’s episode is the second of what will be a three-part series featuring my rich and delightful conversation with none other than the renowned author and educator Parker J. Palmer. You can see a more complete introduction of him in the show notes for Episode 23, or on the website for the Center for Courage and Renewal: couragerenewal.org

A highlight of this part of the conversation revolves around stories and reflections on the importance of (quoting Thomas Merton) "being present in the world in hiddenness and compassion" -- the power of showing up with and for others as we really are.

Parker has written:

“My personal legacy? I’d like it to be one of good humor, good will and generosity. I’d like it to be said that we had a lot of laughs, we extended a lot of kindness, and we built an abundant storehouse of heart-and-soul resources that anyone can draw on.”

That’s exactly what you’ll get a taste of as you listen in on my conversation with Parker Palmer. Welcome, and enjoy!

This week’s episode is the first of what will be a three-part series featuring my rich and delightful conversation with none other than the renowned author and educator Parker J. Palmer.

I am grateful and honored beyond words by Parker’s generosity of spirit and time, every morsel of which begs to be savored – so again, this is the first course of three-course meal, a feast, a bounty of ideas and laughter, mystery and wisdom.

As you’ll hear shortly, Parker’s own introduction of himself is grounded in and reflective of “soul” rather than “ego,” so it falls to me here to offer a brief sketch of some of the highlights of his decades-long, globally impactful work:

Parker J. Palmer is a writer, speaker and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He is founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, whose work “nurtures deep integrity and relational trust, building the foundation for a more loving, equitable, and healthy world. Through Circle of Trust retreats and other programs rooted in the Courage & Renewal approach we nurture supportive communities of reflection and practice to help people come alive with a renewed sense of purpose, build trustworthy relationships, and cultivate the courage to rise to today’s challenges, making a difference within themselves and their communities.”

Parker holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley, thirteen honorary doctorates, and many, many other awards, honors, and distinctions.

Palmer is the author of ten books—including several award-winning titles—that have sold over two million copies and been translated into twelve languages:

On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old.

Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit,

The Heart of Higher Education (co-authored with Arthur Zajonc),

A Hidden Wholeness,

Let Your Life Speak,

The Courage to Teach,

The Active Life,

To Know As We Are Known,

The Company of Strangers, and

The Promise of Paradox.

A member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker), Dr. Palmer and his wife, Sharon Palmer, live in Madison, Wisconsin.

Parker has written:

“My personal legacy? I’d like it to be one of good humor, good will and generosity. I’d like it to be said that we had a lot of laughs, we extended a lot of kindness, and we built an abundant storehouse of heart-and-soul resources that anyone can draw on.”

That’s exactly what you’ll get a taste of as you listen in on my conversation with Parker Palmer. Welcome, and enjoy!

This episode continues our exploration of “pause” by inviting stories of models or exemplars of pause. Who comes to mind and heart as practicing pause as an act of love? As solitude? As an expression of care or connection? Rest and renewal? Simply noticing? We hear stories of a wide range of inspiration around pause -- where it can come from, what it can consist of, and how it can make for deep and necessary change: work colleagues, family members, animals, children, music. And how about pause as resistance or justice-seeking? Or, in a world where the need and yearning for justice is constant, where there’s always WORK to be done, what keeps pause from being simply an indulgence that’s available only to those who can afford it? In an average human lifespan of “4000 weeks,” is there really room for pause? As you’ll hear, the consequences are greater and even more dire if we don’t pause. It’s at the heart and soul of who the broken world needs us to be as we live fully into our callings, into the invitation to be fully alive and present to the world right in front of us.