What does it mean to embody a communication perspective? To use communication as a lens? To take a communication perspective is to consider what we’re making and how we’re making it through our communication practices. This means we look at patterns, contexts, stories, relationships; and that we use curiosity, mindfulness, collaboration, and dialogue to create better social worlds for ourselves. I invite you to join me (Abbie) in conversation with a guest as we learn what it means to use a communication perspective on a new topic each week- all in the hopes of creating better social worlds.
Abbie VanMeter and The CMM Institute
What are responsible ways of engaging with ambitions around change? ...Karina Solsø is a self-employed organizational psychologist, who works part-time at the Doctor of Management Programme at University of Hertfordshire, where she supervises Ph.D. students researching complexity in organizations. She also works as an external lecturer at Aalborg University supervising students doing a masters degree. Except from the work at universities, most of her clients work in senior roles in public and private sector companies in Denmark.Karina works with organizational change and leadership development, based on an approach of joint reflective inquiry into the social complexity of the situation at hand. She draws on her background as a psychologist to understand the relational situation in organizations, which she sees as key when working with change, but her work is also informed by philosophy, sociology and practice theories.Today, Abbie and Karina discuss emergent sensemaking; designing conversational arenas for exploring change; the conditions for and possibilities of upstream and downstream thinking; navigating the tensions of plurality by embracing “not knowing;” not erasing the otherness of the other; developing a practice of noticing; and creating social coherence through the responsibility of ethics....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How are we generating possibilities in every moment?...Rana Kökçinar is a Systemic Psychotherapist and Family Therapist working on unceded Kaurna Land, South Australia.Anokh Goodman is a Systemic Psychotherapist, Clinical Lead and Training Consultant with Sikh heritage and a working-class background, living in Leeds, North England. Passionate about relationships, narratives, social justice, poetry, and spoken word, he brings an intersectional lens to his work, exploring ideas of radical love to foster inclusive, culturally responsive change. Through deep listening and dialogue, he believes untold stories can transform how we heal, connect, and reimagine our world.Today, Abbie, Rana, and Anokh explore the ideas of super-coherence and incoherence; the beautiful emergence of transient interactions; changes in moving from a loop of 'doing' and ‘having' to a state of ‘being;' and ongoing de/re-construction of the scenery of our social worlds....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
Is your communication relationship-enhancing or relationship-destroying?...Dr. Whitney is a global social entrepreneur. She is the founder of Corporation for Positive Change, a global consulting cooperative; co-founder of the Taos Institute, an international think tank dedicated to relational processes in business, education, families and communities; and a founding advisor to the United Religions Initiative, a global network of interfaith cooperation circles working for peace and social justice. Diana is a prolific, provocative, and practical author. Her award-winning books on Appreciative Leadership and Appreciative Inquiry, the revolutionary process she helped to develop, have been translated into over a dozen languages and are used as textbooks in business schools, universities, and corporate learning centers around the world. As a master consultant, Dr. Whitney's work spans the globe. Diana consults with executives and their teams in support of strategic planning and organization development, organization culture creation and transformation, and leadership capacity building. Diana serves as Distinguished Consulting Faculty with Saybrook University, and a Ph.D. advisor with the Taos Institute. She is Expert Faculty for the NCR Picker Patient Centered Care Institute and a Fellow of the World Business Academy.Today, Abbie and Diana explore Appreciative Inquiry as focusing on what we do when we are at our best; Positive Change as a process for shifting narratives, not people; and Appreciative Leadership as an implicitly relational process....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How do we create conversations in the world that make us feel inspired?...Pedro Martins, Ph.D., is a Brazilian psychologist. He obtained his Doctoral and Master's degree at the University of São Paulo. He is interested in the practice of therapy as social construction in different contexts, and his main goal is to create generative conversational resources that bridge academic and practical knowledge. He works as a clinical psychologist in his private practice. His research focuses on the workings of therapeutic conversation, particularly aiming to expand traditional, individual practices toward more socially and relationally sensitive ones. He is the author of Practicing Therapy as Social Construction (with Sheila McNamee and Emerson Rasera) and “Dialogic Communication in the Practice of Family Consultations in Mental Health" (with Carla Guanaes Lorenzi). Today, Abbie and Pedro explore the power of telling the untold stories, recognizing the co-creative nature of meaning, and moving from a focus on outcome to process in Pedro's field of psychology and beyond....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What agency can you identify in the systems you are in? And how can you use it to invite others to design with intention together? ...Josina Vink is a designer and researcher with expertise in health system transformation. They have extensive experience leading and facilitating participatory system and service design processes in health care, government, non-profit and community settings. Josina has worked as a service and systemic designer in healthcare internationally including at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada, and Experio Lab in Sweden. In their practice, they have developed new services, supported policy change, facilitated shifts in practices across sectors, and led social lab processes. Josina is currently Associate Professor of Service Design at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design in Norway. Their research explores how design can create profound and significant change in health and care by reshaping social structures. Today, Abbie and Josina explore Josina's emerging approach to design- specifically in health care systems, but also beyond that in our everyday lives, relationships, and social worlds- which empowers every member of the system to participate through dialogue, supports designing driven by adaptation, and sustains collective reflexivity that nurtures plurality and our ability to coordinate through discomfort....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How can we design in ways that are "conducive to life"?...Edona Arnesen is highly passionate about food, farming, food systems, relationships and regeneration in unison, and how we can co-create better communities and systems for the common health of everything on Earth; the human and the non-human, and Nature whom we're all a tiny, connected part of. She finds systems thinking and systemic design fantastically interesting as philosophies and practices to act through. Edona went on to explore the world of resilient and regenerative food systems through participatory action learning at NMBU with her MSc in Agroecology, after a BSc in civil engineering. Her Master's thesis focused on social sustainability and leadership in the restaurant industry, and how that affects especially environmental sustainability in the industry. She has spent half her life closely connected to hospitality through work, both in service, in kitchens and bakeries, and in managerial positions. Practical experience on several organic and biodynamic farms has broadened her perspective and taught her to understand the reality of food producers with the joys, challenges, hinders and opportunities they find in their everyday lives as part of larger systems. Combining these competences lead Edona to Dagens, where she has been part of building a transparent, fair and resilient food system for the future, through data-driven direct trade between sustainable producers and professional buyers, locally.Today, Abbie and Edona explore the social and relational elements involved in creating resilient, regenerative food systems through stories; systems thinking; and localized, context-driven participation....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
Please be aware that this conversation contains references to sexual abuse and suicide....Where in your life can you create the conditions for tenderness?...In 1989, Richard Propes left downtown Indianapolis in his wheelchair with $20 in his pocket, a backpack on his wheelchair, and a handful of press releases announcing his "Tenderness Tour." A paraplegic/double amputee born with spina bifida, Propes traveled for 41 days and over 1,000 miles alone around Indiana in an effort to look for good in the world after a life that had been defined by disability, sexual abuse, and the recent suicide of his wife and death of his newborn daughter. He returned from that successful journey determined to break his own cycles of abuse and to do what he could do to make the world a better and safer place for everyone. 35 years later, Propes has traveled over 6,000 miles by wheelchair, raised over $1 million for charitable organizations worldwide, and is living what he calls his "good life." Propes is the founder of the Race Away From Domestic Violence, a 5k event in Indianapolis raising funds for the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and is the author of The Hallelujah Life. Propes graduated summa cum laude from Martin University and is a graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary. He's the founder of TheIndependentCritic.com and is a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association with his reviews carried by Rotten Tomatoes. Richard currently serves as the director of provider services for the Bureau of Disabilities Services (state of Indiana) and has produced a wide variety of fundraising events including poetry readings, concerts, the benefit CD "Give a Girl a Chance," the IndyFringe show "Laughing Sober," and served as executive producer of comic Rick Garrett's comedy DVD "Straight Outta Cowan." Richard has received numerous honors for his violence prevention work and disability advocacy including Indiana Minority Business Magazine's "Champions of Diversity" Award, Indiana's Sagamore of the Wabash, Prevent Child Abuse America's highest honor the Donna J. Stone Award, and the Jefferson Award. Academy Award-qualifying Heartland International Film Festival and Indy Shorts both present the Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award annually to filmmakers whose works exemplify a dedication to social impact. Having beaten cancer twice in the past year, Richard just completed a 160-mile wheelchair ride in September 2024 that raised $115,000 and eliminated nearly $17 million in medical debt for hoosiers.Today, Abbie and Richard discuss the creation and evolution of the Tenderness Tour, un-defining and redefining love, and learning to embrace the beautiful complexity that is interdependence. ...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
Where can you create care and connection in unexpected places?...Chistiaan Rhodius is a Dutch doctor specialized in palliative medicine. Together with his wife and four children he currently lives and works in Oslo (Norway). He is convinced that 'if we ignore death we miss out on life'. He is passionate for stories and the shaping of new stories (through the process of improvisation). At this moment he explores ways of how the artwork of Edvard Munch can stimulate our storytelling. Today, Abbie and Christiaan explore Christiaan's work in palliative care and the perspective that has emerged out of his experience. Christiaan introduces the Patient Dignity Question- What do I need to know about you as a person in order for me to give you the best possible care? Abbie and Christiaan discuss improvisation as “plan A,” navigating “tender conversations,” and the “palliative paradox."...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
Introducing CosmoParenting! This new podcast from the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution is a continuation of CosmoActivities- our free resources for kids of all ages. In this year-long podcast, host Abbie VanMeter is joined by people who are parenting, educators, therapists, and communicators to explore what it means to parent. CosmoParenting is designed to support all who are parenting in the journey of figuring out what it means to parent by enriching their parenting toolbox, offering one short episode each week that provides opportunities to reflect, listen, connect, practice, and engage in meaningful conversations. Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack to get every weekly episode sent straight to your inbox!
Where can you be looking back in order to look forward?...Vernon Cronen is a co-creator of the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory of communication. In 1963, Vernon graduated from Ripon College and served for two years as Lieutenant in the US Army, Intelligence branch. After acquiring his Master and PhD from University of Illinois, Urbana, he went on to teach at University of Massachusetts, Amherst from 1970 to 2011. In 1979, Vernon began working with Barnett Pearce to create CMM and has been evolving the theory ever since. He is now part-time faculty at University of North Carolina at wilmington, teaching courses in History, Communication Theory, and CMM. Claire Craddock graduated from University of North Carolina Wilmington in December 2023 with a bachelor's degree in communication studies. She is passionate about creative arts, especially photography, and enjoys taking part in community service projects. Claire deeply values the art of storytelling and our ability to make connections. Claire was introduced to CMM theory by Dr. Cronen in the last year of her undergraduate studies. Since 2023, she has worked with Dr. Cronen to improve the dynamism in CMM theory by extending and further accounting for the aesthetic dimension, as well as the position of the observer.Today, Abbie, Vernon, and Claire discuss the aesthetic dimension of communication, context and reflexivity, and dynamism and disorientation....Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What are you constructing in your relationships?...Sheila McNamee is Professor Emerita of Communication at the University of New Hampshire and co-founder and Vice President of the Taos Institute. Her work is focused on dialogic transformation within a variety of social and institutional contexts including psychotherapy, education, healthcare, organizations, and communities. She is author of several books and articles, including – most recently – Design Thinking and Social Construction (with C. Camargo-Borges, BIS, 2022) and Practicing Therapy as Social Construction (with E. Rasera & P. Martins, Sage Publications, 2022). Other books include Research and Social Change: A Relational Constructionist Approach (with D. M. Hosking, Routledge, 2012), Relational Responsibility: Resources for Sustainable Dialogue (with K. Gergen, Sage, 1999), The Sage Handbook of Social Constructionist Practice (co-edited with M. Gergen, C. Camargo-Borges, & E. Rasera, Sage, 2020), and Education as Social Construction: Contributions to Theory, Research, and Practice, (co-edited with T. Dragonas, K. Gergen, E. Tseliou, Taos WorldShare, 2015). Today, Abbie and Sheila explore relational construction as a way of being in the world. Sheila shares stories of transformation through dialogue....Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How can we leave ourselves open to more spontaneity by letting go of some of our expectations?How do we suffer when we try to fit ourselves into the mold of "should"? Why do we need personal AND social evolution to create a more welcoming and curious culture?...Rik Spann is an organizational consultant, applied musicologist, artist, and jazz musician. In his work, he is interested in exploring what happens at the crossroads of various disciplinary fields, including science, art, design, music, theatre, dance, film, and beyond. He also loves to play with weird combinations, humor, paradox, everyday life, blue notes, and stuff that can't be defined. Rik is the author (with Simon Martin) of Resounding: Introducing an Alternative Metaphor for Organizational Change. You can support Rik and his work by donating here.In this conversation, originally published in May 2022, Rik shares his journey into musicology. Abbie and Rik discuss bricolage, expectations, and ultra-stability. Rik and Abbie explore saying 'no' from a deeper 'yes' and how 'and' lets us build something richer. Rik talks about conversational jazz, curiosity, and perspective in his work as an organization consultant. Finally, Rik shares how he is working to create better social worlds through helpful noise....Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How can you embody democratic values?...Hossein in a clinical psychologist, with a PhD awarded by King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychotherapist. He is also a researcher and a writer of both Novels and Psychology Books.Today, Abbie and Hossein explore the relationships between ignorance and knowledge; culture and behavior; and psycho-social factors and democratic values. Hossein talks about his work translating the CosmoKidz activities to Farsi and Pashto, as well as his most recent book, The Valley of Loneliness....Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What are the real ways that we can embrace the complexity of our experiences? How can we let go of a scarcity mindset in favor of a mindset of abundance? How can we see the stories of others as adding something important rather than taking something away from us?What does it actually look like to make more space for people and their stories? How can we start to “build a bigger table”? Instead of dismissing our vision as unrealistic or unattainable, how can we learn to use imagination and hope as tools to make our dreams a reality? …Dr. Paul Porter is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA). Like Abbie, Paul graduated from Ball State University and was a member of the Ball State Speech Team. Paul went on to earn his Master's in Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Eastern Michigan University and his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Indiana State University. Paul has worked on the development of programs and initiatives designed to help create inclusive environments for diverse student populations, as well as diversity strategic plans and program assessments. Paul has presented on topics such as multicultural competence and unconscious bias across the state of Indiana and nationwide.In this conversation, originally published in April 2023, Abbie and Paul reflect on meaningful experiences in their lives. Paul and Abbie discuss multicultural competence, cognitive schemas, and puzzles. Paul shares his journey into the world of communication, from 3rd grade tests, to junior high morning announcements, to high school and college speech, and beyond. Paul talks about when he first learned what ADHD and depression are, when he was diagnosed, and how this language changed how he saw himself. Abbie and Paul consider what it looks like to live out values around diversity, equity, and inclusion on a personal and organizational level. ..."If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other” -Mother Teresa “We are only but one conversation from the relationship that changes the rest of our lives” -Lee Mun Wah...Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!Register for the 2024 CMMi Fellows Presentation here!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What power do you have in your community? ...Sue Wells is a New Zealander. Now living in the North Island's beautiful Kapiti Coast, she is originally from Christchurch in the South Island. There, she grew up, studied at Canterbury University, and had a highly successful broadcasting career in radio and television, including starring in her own show, "Susan Sells", on CTV. She moved from there into local government as an elected city councillor in Christchurch from 1998-2013. She chaired the Council's important planning and regulatory committees including during the terms of the terrible Canterbury Earthquake sequence which took at least 185 lives, many of whom were colleagues of hers from CTV. Sue has a passionate interest in how urban planning and community development work together, and continues that interest in her work today.Today, Sue and Abbie talk about Sue's time as a city councillor in Christchurch and what she learned from her experience of the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence. ...Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!Register for the 2024 CMMi Fellows Presentation here!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How do we, as a community of individuals with individual experiences, thoughts, and feelings, come together to create shared meaning?How has our understanding of communication evolved to more accurately encompass the complexities and nuances of human relationships?Whether or not we consider ourselves "creative" or "leaders," how can we still find ways to create and lead?...Mike is the Director of Leadership Development for the Clinton Foundation and co-directs the Presidential Leadership Scholars program. He is also a Professor of Practice at the Clinton School of Public Service where he teaches courses on communication and the leadership of social change.In this conversation, originally published in July 2023, Mike introduces himself and shares about the experiences that have shaped him. Mike and Abbie discuss how they define communication, consider how meaning is made, and explore what it means to be both a scholar and a practitioner of communication. Mike and Abbie talk about illusions within communication; mindfulness and reflection, and leadership and creativity. Finally, Mike and Abbie explore ways to define better social worlds.Please note that this conversation was recorded prior to the United States Supreme Court's June 29, 2023 decision on affirmative action, which makes it unlawful for colleges to take race into consideration as a specific factor in admissions....Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!Register for the 2024 CMMi Fellows Presentation here!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How can you create a sense of “Mattering” for yourself and others in your communities? ...Ottar works as a Professor of Counselling at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and also as Head of NTNU WellFare: Nordic Research Center for Well-being and Social Sustainability. Ottar is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Agder (Norway) and an Honorary Professor at Aalborg University (Denmark). He has worked as a systemic family therapist for many years and his research interests concerns Recovery processes in mental health and substance abuse, Mattering, Well-being and Social Justice. Ottar did his PhD in the Taos Institute PhD program. Ottar is the co-author of How People Thrive: Promoting the Synergy of Wellness, Fairness, and Worthiness. Today, Ottar and Abbie explore definitions and examples of “mattering,” wellness, and social sustainability. Ottar shares how his upcoming co-authored book, “How People Thrive,” emerged out of his work. Abbie and Ottar discuss dignity in the context of poverty; conditions, experiences, and outcomes as a framework; and embodying mattering in our lives. ...Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!Register for the 2024 CMMi Fellows Presentation here!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What does it look like for you to celebrate?Where in your life can you pursue creation (in any of its many forms) as a way to check in with yourself and reflect?What stories do you have around death and dying?…Madison Wood-Gonzalez is a National Public Speaker, Storyteller of the Year Award-Winner, Best-Selling Author, and Published Poet. She is also the Executive Director for an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, Morning Light, that fosters community programs in Indiana for the terminally ill, seniors, and families. Madison speaks on topics related to storytelling, mental health, wellness, leadership, and more. It is her mission to empower others to harness the power of community and self-expression to make a positive difference. Madison is a wife, mother to two, daughter, sister, and friend. Her strongest belief is that life should be celebrated and that each day counts.In this conversation, originally published in February 2023, Madison shares how she learned to stop running from herself and listen to what her Postpartum Depression had to teach her. Abbie and Madison discuss "the creative power of communication;” Madison's book of poetry, Dear Mirror, and what it means to her; and the stories we are told and the ones Abbie and Madison hope to tell. Madison shares about the work that she does with Morning Light Inc., as they provide a home, comfort, and community to those in hospice care with nowhere else to go. Madison shares stories from the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home. Finally, Abbie and Madison explore some Next Turns to keep this conversation going in our social worlds. ...Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!Register for the 2024 CMMi Fellows Presentation here!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What are your “Undigested Stories”?…Tracey currently lives and works in Aberdeen, Scotland within an independent therapy service at Possibilities Counselling and Psychotherapy. Her professional training was initially in Social Work and she worked with children and families, before retraining in Systemic Psychotherapy. Tracey currently works with children, adults, couples and families. She has also been involved in running parenting groups and bereavement groups. Tracey uses CMM ideas and tools in her day to day therapy practice; she is interested in how we tell our stories and re-edit our stories. Tracey considers herself a story holder, story teller and story co-creator. She is a white Scottish woman, a wife, mother of 3 children, and lover of her Golden Retriever Grace and her puppy Flora.Today, Tracey and Abbie share about the people they are bringing with them into this conversation. Tracy describes her experience as a CMM Institute Fellow developing the latest addition to the LUUUUUTT Model- “Undigested Stories.”...LUUUUUTT Model PodcastLUUUUUTT Model VideoLUUUUUTT Model Infographic...Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What are you creating in your relationships?What does 'healing' mean to you- both individually and collectively?...La Shanda Sugg describes herself as a storyteller, storyholder, reflector, and soul hugger. She is the co-host of the Labors of Love Podcast and “Chief Love Officer” of Labors of Love Counseling and Consulting.Heddy Nam is a liberatory coach and facilitator for people, organizations, and networks working towards social change through Rosalee Consulting. She is a healer, speaker, writer, and co-host of The Labors of Love podcast. She lives with her husband and rescue dog as guest settlers on occupied Tongva territory, colonially known as Los Angeles, California.Today, Shanda and Heddy introduce themselves and describe their relationship as podcast co-hosts, friends, and chosen family and what it means to them to have their relationship be a “practice ground.” Abbie, Heddy, and Shanda talk about healing, presence, communication, and curiosity. ...Take the Survey here!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
Please be aware that this conversation contains mentions of disordered eating, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. …What does it mean to take a "not knowing position?" How can you change the moment in the moment?What else can you listen for?…John Burnham is a consultant systemic psychotherapist and supervisor, with over forty years of working with families, couples and individuals. He works at Parkview Clinic, Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital where he was formerly Director of Systemic Training, and continues as course lead for the supervision training course and a supervisor on the MSc in systemic psychotherapy. He is formerly Director of Training at KCC in London. As well as training in the UK he teaches in a variety of contexts overseas including, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, the United States and South America. He is a past Visiting Fellow at Northumbria University and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He has written extensively about systemic practice, training and supervision.In this conversation, originally published in October 2022, John shares when he first became a storyteller and why it is important to take the risk of sharing your story so that others feel safe to do the same. Abbie and John discuss learning to appreciate the process of "unbecoming" and celebrating (not judging) others for their experiences and growth; using John's PPRR (Problems, Potential, Resources, and Restraints) to understand the many, many layers of everything we do; and exploring explore the wonders of Systemic Therapy. John shares the things he has learned from those he works with, including the resoluteness of the human spirit, experiencing real awe, and how he learned to be less certain and seek clarity instead. Finally, John explains finding a willingness to understand and being deliberate in every interaction and what it means to “Listen to Speak” and “Speak to Listen.”...Take the Survey here!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
Where in your life are you living or telling a singular story? How can you make space to explore more stories for yourself and others?…Nana Bonsu is an experienced senior leader. Nana is a qualified social worker, family and systemic psychotherapist, and systemic supervisor. Nana is the Director of Relational Practice in Camden. Nana has worked in children's services for over twenty years, both in children's statutory services and CAMHs (Child Adolescent and Mental Health Services). Nana has a proven track record of developing clinical services in several London local authorities, transforming practice culture. Nana has led on the design and delivery of systemic practice as a whole system approach to practice and innovation. Nana is passionate about developing services that challenge social injustice, is collaborative and draws upon unorthodoxy. Nana is keenly aware of the impact of racism, poverty, and powerlessness on life chances, and passionately believes in the importance of possibilities. Nana is an experienced lecturer, teaching at the Tavistock and Portman, Institute of Family Therapy, and for the Association of Family Therapy. Nana was one of four Directors at the Institute of Family Therapy. Nana has written several publications:Bonsu, N. (2020). How can we further embed systemic social work while working in this way? Murmurations: Journal of Transformative Systemic Practice, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.28963/3.1.14Bonsu, N. and Smith, E. (2023) Understanding, exploring, and supporting children's identity development: Practice Tool (Research in Practice, Dartington Trust)Today, Nana shares stories of the experiences she has had that led her to be who she is and do what she does today. Abbie and Nana explore the power of stories to expand imagination; the power of celebrating and honoring the lived experiences of children; and the power of using a “whole system apporach” to create interdependent communities....Take the Survey here!...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How can you begin to embrace communication as a transformative force for change in your life?…Kongit Farrell is a licensed marriage and family therapist with specialties in conflict resolution, trauma, couples therapy, and human sexuality. She is the founder of the Center for Healthy Marriage and is an adjunct professor of Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine University. Kongit is an alumna of the CMM Institute and AC4 Fellowship programs at Columbia University and serves on the executive board of YPO's Peace Action Network. She splits her time between the US and Central America.Today, Kongit and Abbie discuss their shared curiosity around interpersonal communication, explore some ways to define and describe healthy relationships, and offer some practical tools for naming and creating the relationships and social worlds you want....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
Where in your relationships can you name the meaning you are making? Where can ask others to name the meaning they are making?… Laurie Budlong-Morse is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and an AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapist with a private practice in Indianapolis; she also creates educational content and offers online services with a focus on mixed-neurotype relationships. Laurie holds training in postmodern and social constructionist methods of therapy as well as mindful self-compassion, both of which deeply inform her work to facilitate what she calls "cross-neurological dialogue". As a person with lots of lived experiences within neurodiverse relationships up, down, and all around her family tree, Laurie is passionate about helping others appreciate and meaningfully navigate neurological differences. Today, Laurie introduces herself and her experience navigating neurodiverse relationships both personally and professionally. Abbie and Laurie discuss meaning-making, storytelling, and assumptions in relationships. Abbie and Laurie explore the role of common humanity and self compassion in helping us better understand ourselves and others....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What is "perceived oughtness"? How does it show up in our lives? How can we reflect on this force and make new choices?How can we embody curiosity to understand ourselves and others well?What is the relationship between “beliefs,” "meaning," "action," and "emotion"? How can we come to understand the complex dynamics that exist to find healing for our past and a new way forward for our future?...Dr. Barbara McKay is a systemic psychotherapist, supervisor, and teacher. She has served on the Board of Trustees for the Association for Family Therapy and the Board of Stewards for the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. She worked as Director of the Institute of Family Therapy for 13 years. Barbara works with social work leaders to enhance their systemic and communication abilities.Today, Barbara shares her journey into Systemic Psychotherapy and how she first encountered the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) Theory in her work. Barbara explains "unwanted repetitive patterns" and why it's so important to understand and deconstruct them. Abbie and Barbara explore what it means to be "CMM-ish," what it looks like to bring curiosity into our relationships, and what "cosmopolitan communication" can change in our lives. Both Barbara and Abbie discuss the stories they hold around gender and the ways that CMM shows up in their lives. Finally, Barbara explains how she uses the language and tools of CMM to create better social worlds in her overlapping professional and personal life....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
What are the tangible changes that you can be a part of making in your social worlds? …Gro Emmertsen Lund is an independent scholar, education specialist, author and researcher; she is a part of The Taos Institute, USA, serving as a Taos Associate and Faculty Advisor. She is also part of NO!SE (Network of Independent Scholars in Education) in Denmark. She has published a number of articles and books and are active in public debates in Denmark and Norway. Gro has a bachelor's degree in teaching and a master's in evaluation from the University of Southern Denmark, as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Gro gives keynote speeches, teaches, holds presentations, participates in podcasts, and facilitates organizational and cultural development and change processes in schools, educational institutions, day care, health care, psychiatry and the social sector.Today, Gro and Abbie discuss social constructionism, change processes, and absenteeism in schools. Gro explains combating school exclusion with school inclusion; differentiating between problem-deficit thinking and relationship-resource focused thinking; and balancing the positive and negative impacts of diagnoses for students. Finally, Gro shares examples from her work of schools that have done significant, meaningful, and ongoing work to becoming learning organizations and better support students and teachers....Gro's English Publications:Haslebo, G. & Lund, G.E. (2015). Practicing Relational Thinking in Dealing with Bullying in Schools. In: Dragonas, Gergen, McNamee, Tseliou (Edt). Educations as Social Construction. TAOS Publications Worldshare. Read here. (pp.168-190)Lund, G. E. (2017). Making Exclusionary Processes in Schools Visible. Ph.D.-thesis. Twente University.Lund, G. E. and Winslade, J. M. (2018). Responding to Interactive Troubles – Implications for School Culture, Wisdom in Education: Vol. 8: Iss. 1 , Article 1. California State University San Bernardino. Lund, G. E. (2020). Creating school harmony. In S. McNamee, M. M. Gergen, C. Camargo Borges, & E. Rasera (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Social Constructionist Practice. London: Sage Publications....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Explore all things CMM Institute here.
How can we celebrate our own individuality (and the individuality of others) by being honest about our needs, finding unique ways to meet them, and saying out loud the things we appreciate about each other? How can we celebrate children's individuality in school settings and beyond?What happens when we learn, not only how to tell our own story, but to hear the stories of others as well?What does it look like to set boundaries that allow us to say our "Best Yes"?...Stephanie Higgs is, above all else, a passionate educator. Since graduating with her Master's Degree in Education she has taught pre-K, second grade, and fourth grade; she now works as a gifted educator and differentiation coach, where she supports both students and her fellow teachers in accommodating individual learning needs. In 2021, Stephanie was named the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) Teacher of the Year. After 13 years in education, Stephanie is expanding her reach by sharing resources, ideas, and advice for educators around the world on her Instagram page.In this conversation- originally published in February 2023- Stephanie tells the story of her path to becoming a gifted educator. Abbie and Stephanie discuss differentiation, what it looks like for her to balance educational standards with individual needs, and the value of the support system of teachers that Stephanie collaborates with. Stephanie shares her teacher's perspective on storyliving, storytelling, and storyhearing. Stephanie and Abbie reflect on mystery in our lives. Stephanie shares how learning about self-regulation has helped her heal and find more empathy for herself and others. Abbie and Stephanie talk about the classroom through the lens of social worlds. Finally, Stephanie describes her idea of a better social world....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Subscribe to the CosmoParenting Substack.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
Where can you find paths to engagement?How can you redefine excellence for yourself?What would it look like for you to embrace curiosity in your own life and stories?...Emily Ruth Rutter is Professor of English, Associate Dean of the Honors College, and affiliate faculty in Women's, Gender, and African American Studies at Ball State University. She is the author of four monographs, most recently White Lies and Allies in Contemporary Black Media (Routledge, 2023). She is co-editor of Revisiting the Elegy in the Black Lives Matter Era (Routledge, 2020) and the forthcoming Black Saturation: Selected Works of Stephen E. Henderson (University Press of Mississippi, 2025). She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her essays have appeared in African American Review, MELUS, South Atlantic Review, and Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, among other journals and edited collections.Today, Emily introduces herself and shares some of the stories that make her believe that education transforms lives. Abbie and Emily explore the paths to engagement in conversation about antiracism, bias, and intersectionality, especially for white people. Emily explains inclusive excellence as a framework and explores how to make it in our social worlds. Abbie and Emily discuss mythical norms, epistemology (how we know what we know), imagination, and curiosity. ...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
How can research help us change the stories we tell about ourselves, our mental health, and our shared trauma?…Spozhmay Oriya is a PhD candidate in the Educational Psychology program with focus on collective trauma, faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. She has BA in psychology and MA in Education. She was assistant professor at faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Kabul University in Afghanistan since 2007 until 2021. Most of her teaching and research is in psychology. She is learning trauma and collective trauma integration and group facilitation with Pocket Project and Academy of Inner Science based in Germany since 2019. Her research interests are collective trauma, war, and trauma-informed education. She has conducted research with national and international researchers and has some publication in international journals.Today, Spozhmay describes her journey into being an educator and researcher. Spozhmay explains one of her early research projects studying the mental health of female students at Kabul University. Abbie and Spozhmay talk about the practical benefits of conducting research for helping us better address issues in our social worlds. Spozhmay discusses collective trauma in the context of ongoing war, poverty,and violence in Afghanistan. Abbie and Spozhmay discuss a researchers job to make meaning from research. Finally, Spozhmay shares about her efforts to provide support to her students following the November 2020 Kabul University attack. ...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
Please be aware that this conversation contains discussion of suicide, addiction, and mental illness....What resonates with you from the Theory of Positive Disintegration?How can we start to challenge the framework we have about cognition and emotion? How might we use TPD and CMM to equip ourselves to lean into the challenge of deconstructing and reconstructing our values?...Dr. Chris Wells is a writer, social worker, and founder of the Dabrowski Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD). They are also the co-host of the Positive Disintegration Podcast.Emma is the co-host of the Positive Disintegration Podcast, and creates content for people learning about the TPD for her website Tragic Gift, and YouTube channel, Adults With Overexcitabilities.In this conversation, originally recorded in early 2023, Emma and Chris share some stories about themselves, including their relationships to the Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) and their own experiences with giftedness. Abbie, Emma, and Chris discuss stereotypes, “spurs to self-correction,” and what it could look like to transform overexcitability in order to live with intense experiences. Emma and Chris break down the Theory of Positive Disintegration. Emma and Chris talk about “authentic voice,” multilevel and unilevel disintegration, and supportive relationships. Abbie explains the similarities she sees between CMM and TPD. Finally, Abbie, Chris, and Emma discuss their shared passions for making the content of their theories more accessible.Purchase the Dabrowski Congress Recordings here....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about
What examples of indigenous representation have you encountered?For both indigenous and non-indigenous people, how can you seek out more stories told by indigenous people about indigenous experiences?...Jessica Engelking (she/her) is a descendant of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. She has a bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota, Morris and a master's degree in Philosophy from the University of Iowa. Her research interests included the philosophy of fiction, metaphysics, and logic. While in Iowa, she became involved in the efforts to protect the land and water. She continues to work with Great Plains Action Society from her residence in Minnesota. Jessica is the author of Peggy Flanagan: Ogimaa Kwe, Lieutenant Governor as part of the Minnesota Native American Lives series. Today, Jessica introduces herself and the work she does as Representation Director at the Great Plains Action Society. Abbie and Jessica discuss why representation matters, how Jessica's background in philosophy shapes her work, and what impacts better representation and more access to indigenous stories has had for both indigenous and non-indigenous people. Jessica shares about her experience writing a biography of Peggy Flanagan as part of the Minnesota Native American Lives series. Finally, Abbie and Jessica explore the effects of both positive and negative representation. ...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
How did you (or did you not) see yourself represented in stories growing up and how did that shape your understanding of yourself?How has your story changed?...Hannah Soyer is a queer disabled writer living in the Midwest. She has written fornationally acclaimed publications such as The Sun Magazine, Bustle, and Cosmopolitan and is the editor of The Ending Hasn't Happened Yet: An Anthology of Disability Poetics from Sable Books (2022). Her debut lyric memoir, Dreams in Which I'm Almost Human, is forthcoming from Red Hen Press. Hannah also happens to be a cat and chocolate enthusiast.Today, Hannah begins by introducing herself, including how her creative work centers around her neuromuscular disability, was largely prompted by mental health struggles she had a young adult, and how it has become a sacred and magical place. Abbie and Hannah discuss why they both love stories, what it means that Hannah sees storytelling as “beautiful acts of survival, resistance, and community building,” and how our stories change with us. ...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
How can you practice both authenticity and empathy as you interact with others?How can you create a “Neurodiverse Affirming” space in your social worlds?...Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.Ed., LPC, inspired by her own experiences as a neurodivergent person, is dedicated to destigmatizing neurodiversity and supporting neurodivergent people of all ages. Emily currently works as a mental health counselor in private practice at Unlimited Potential Counseling & Education Center in O'Fallon, Missouri. Emily is the author of “Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom" and "Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids”. Emily hosts The Neurodiversity Podcast, which explores the psychological, educational, and social needs for enriching the lives of neurodivergent people. Today, Emily introduces herself, her personal and professional background with neurodiversity, and her passion for creating empowering language for all to better embrace who they are. Abbie and Emily discuss accommodations, authenticity and empathy, and masking and camouflaging. Finally, Emily defines her “better social world” as one that is “neurodiverse affirming.”...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
How can we find the courage to tell our stories, knowing that it matters for us to tell them?What is the story that you want to tell about yourself? How is it different from the story the world is telling you?What is your current understanding of disability? How do you relate to those who are disabled?How can we embrace the experience of having a body in a way that empowers us as we age and our bodies change?...Rebekah Taussig is a Kansas City writer, educator, and parent. Bolstered by academic knowledge and personal experience, she strives to tell stories that enhance and complicate the way we think about disability. You can find her writing on Instagram, in her memoir, on her website, and Substack.In this conversation, originally publish in three parts in August 2023, Rebekah shares about her experience growing up and the stories (or lack thereof) that most shaped her. Abbie and Rebekah discuss the intersecting ideas of “pluralistic truths,” “both/and,” and “this too;” the power of when Rebekah began to hear and tell more stories that reflected her experiences; and the fact that we have choices about the kinds of stories we tell about ourselves. Next, Abbie and Rebekah define “collaborative re-imagination.” Abbie and Rebekah discuss the deeply personal, but also widely impactful, language that we use to talk about people with disabilities. Rebekah describes her first experience teaching high school English and makes the distinction between the medical and social models of disability. Abbie asks Rebekah about where she experiences “awe.” Finally, Abbie and Rebekah talk next turns: “Ask. Listen. Adapt. Expand.”...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
Please be aware that this conversation contains brief references to sexual violence and wrongful imprisonment....What is your “sphere of influence” and how can you change how you show up to it?...John Stewart served on the faculty of the Department of Communication at the University of Washington from 1969 to 2001; was Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Dubuque; and became Special Assistant to the President of UD in 2010, retiring in 2016 to focus his training and consulting efforts on diversity-equity-inclusion (DEI) projects. Between 1973 and 2013, John published 11 editions of the widely-adopted Bridges Not Walls: A Book About Interpersonal Communication. In 2017 he published Personal Communicating and Racial Equity, 2nd. ed. (2017), and his most recent book is Dismantling Racism One On One: Uniqueness Narrative Equity (2023). John contributed the chapter “Through Empathizing to Co-constructing Uniquenesses” to the open access book, Through Your Eyes: Research and New Perspectives on Empathy (2024). Today, John and Abbie discuss the power of communication, “co-constructing uniquenesses,” and interpersonal instances of racism in a larger context of systemic racism and white supremacy. John offers three ways to dismantle racism one on one: offering and inviting reflections, offering and inviting choices, and offering and inviting feelings. Abbie and John explore the importance of offerings and invitations in conversation for creating felt trust. John describes “co-constructing uniqueness” as a step beyond empathy. ...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
Where in your life can you practice critical thinking?How can you think critically about your communication?…John Chetro Szivos is a semi-retired professor but still an active author who recently published On Becoming a Critical Thinker: Awakening Your Business Superpower. A student of Vern Cronen's at UMass, Amherst and a dedicated CMM researcher and follower of the philosophy of John Dewey, he offered this manuscript to help others improve their thinking to make better social worlds.Today, John and Abbie discuss communication and critical thinking, not as skill sets, but as embodied ways of being. Abbie and John explore an experience of John's as a metaphor for the practice of critical thinking, consider the (potentially) complimentary relationships between individuality and sociality, and break down what it looks like to practice critical thinking. John discusses the difference between technical and adaptive problems and how critical thinking shapes our responses. Finally, Abbie and John discuss choice, joint action, and interdependence....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
What is going on with your physiological self right now? What do you need to do to slow down and get quiet enough to pay attention to this? How might your interactions and relationships change if you show up using what you learned about Polyvagal Theory today?…Michael Allison is the developer of The Play Zone; a contributing author for Psychology Today with his platform, The Pressure Paradox; an educational partner with Polyvagal Institute; and a Polyvagal Performance Consultant for high profile organizations, executives, coaches, teams, athletes & creatives.Today, Michael and Abbie make connections between Polyvagal Theory and Coordinated Management of Meaning, discussing freedom, choice, context, and emergence. Michael explains Polyvagal Theory and what it looks like to tune into our physiological experiences; create safety, healing, and growth through practice; and be “polyvagal-informed” in our relationships. Michael and Abbie use a polyvagal lens to unpack a story that Abbie shares about her own experience with pressure, performance, and physiology. Finally, Michael explains what changes in our lives when we orient toward “play" and move away from a default of stress. ...What is Polyvagal Theory?...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
How are you showing up?Where can you learn to “hold space”?…Aminata Cairo is an anthropologist, psychologist, educator, storyteller, and “love-worker”." She is an independent consultant “who works with people." She is the former lector of Inclusive Education at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and the former lector of Social Justice and Diversity in the Arts at the Amsterdam University of the Arts. She is particularly interested in using her academic, artistic and community skills to support, honor and celebrate the voices and stories unheard, overlooked, silenced and marginalized. Her work is exemplified in her 2021 book, Holding Space: A Storytelling Approach to Trampling Diversity and Inclusion, in which Aminata presents her own, unique vision in the promotion of inclusion that far surpasses the standard diversity & inclusion approach.Today, Aminata introduces the idea of “holding space” within our relationships and within ourselves. Abbie and Aminata discuss the importance of taking risks by leaning into the discomfort we feel when faced with different or unfamiliar stories. Abbie and Aminata compare their communication and storytelling perspectives. Finally, Aminata shares about her experiences with and understanding of holding space across cultures. ...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
How do you show up for your community? For people outside your community?What could we do together if we were all committed to protecting the human dignity of all people?…Janie Mac is a co-founder of Refugee Community Kitchen, a volunteer-run organization that has been serving hot, nourishing meals to displaced people in Northern France and the UK since 2015. Today, Janie explains her work with the Refugee Community Kitchen, exploring why she and her co-founders were motivated to create RCK, how RCK supports displaced people by providing nourishing meals, and what communication looks like for an organization that is adapting to an ever-changing situation. Janie and Abbie discuss the “new story” that Janie is hoping to tell in her work and why the current state of the world makes that story more important than ever. Finally, Janie shares about meeting people where they are, serving them on their journey, and inspiring action in volunteers....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
What communities are you a part of?How can you engage in action around immigration?..Sandy Ovalle Martínez is a table-setter and space-curator, rooting her work in the deep faith and strength of Chicane and Latine spiritual teachers. She is a native of Mexico City. A mujerista theologian and an organizer, she currently directs campaigns and mobilizing for a faith-based non-profit in Washington, D.C., where she oversees mobilization and activist engagement around different justice areas including climate and environmental justice, immigration, women and girls, and peace and nonviolence. Before this, she worked with immigrant and refugee communities, providing direct legal and resettlement services as well as mobilizing faith groups for advocacy around issues that impacted these communities. She has worked in campus ministry with college students in Texas and California. She holds an M.A. in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Sandy loves writing poetry and gathering people around a table full of homemade pozole.Today, Sandy introduces herself as a table-setter and a space-curator; Abbie and Sandy discuss what that means. Sandy shares stories about her experience engaging, mobilizing, and empowering both immigrant and non-immigrant communities in action. Abbie and Sandy explore the most challenging and most rewarding experiences of Sandy's work....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
What stories have you been told about migration?…Karen Gonzalez is a speaker, writer, storyteller, and immigrant advocate, who herself immigrated from Guatemala as a child. Karen is a former public school teacher and attended Fuller Theological Seminary, where she studied theology and missiology. For the last 15 years, she has been a non-profit professional, currently working for an organization that serves refugees and other immigrants. She wrote a book about her own immigration story and some of the immigrants found in the Bible: The God Who Sees: Immigrants, The Bible, and the Journey to Belong (Herald Press, May 2019) as well as Karen her second book, Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in our Christian Response to Immigration (Brazos Press, October 2022. She also has bylines in Sojourners, Christianity Today, The Christian Century, and others. She is the co-host of the Latina-focused podcast Cafe with Comadres. Today, Karen and Abbie explore the stories we hold around migration: starting with Karen's own experiences; the stories that inspire Karen to do the work she does; and the complicated (and often contradictory) stories of immigration in the United States, the world beyond, and throughout history. Karen discusses examples of harmful, inaccurate, and wrong narratives about refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers that persist in the United States. As an alternative, Karen offers a few more hopeful, complex, and humanizing stories. Finally, Karen explains the need for an active hope and Abbie describes what it means to lean into the power of shaping our social worlds through our stories....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
How does hearing Dora's story shape your perception of immigration? How can you seek out more stories that humanize those who migrate? …Dora Rodriguez, an unwavering advocate for migrant rights, survived the 1980 tragedy in Organ Pipe National Monument, AZ, where Salvadorans fled civil war, resulting in 13 deaths, including 3 minors. This experience propelled her into the forefront of the sanctuary movement in Tucson, AZ. Residing in Tucson, AZ, with her husband and five children, Dora is also a proud grandmother. She serves as the Director of Salvavision, a nonprofit offering aid and support to migrants and deportees. Today, Dora describes the work she does with Humane Borders, Tucson Samatitans, and Salvavision to support those who immigrate to the United States by crossing the southern border. Dora shares her own experience immigrating to the United States from El Salvador and why it motivates her to serve others who are immigrating. Abbie and Dora explore the importance of telling our stories (as well as hearing the stories of others- whether they are similar to your stories or not) for easing fear in our social worlds. ...Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
What changes when we go beyond sustainability and strive for “regeneration” instead?…Abrah Dresdale, MA, is a bold and visionary social designer of cultural change at the intersection of land and justice. She consults through the national organization she co-founded, Regenerate Change, serves as faculty at UMass-Amherst and Omega Institute, and is the author of Regenerative Design for Changemakers: A Social Permaculture Guide.Today, Abrah and Abbie discuss what it means to be a social designer using systems thinking; to tell “new stories” that expand our imagination of what is possible; and to embrace our personal power to be changemakers for ourselves and our our social worlds. Continuing the vocab lesson, Abrah breaks down what social permaculture is and the difference between sustainability and regeneration. Abbie and Abrah further explore the practice of making knowledge, language, and tools accessible; the work Abrah has done with prison food justice efforts and how it all connects; and the ways Abrah's Jewish heritage shapes her approach to healing, cultural amnesia, and ancestral lineages.…Hierarchy Model Video.Hierarchy Model Episode....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
Please be aware this conversation contains descriptions of violence perpetrated by white colonizers against indigenous people. (46:04-49:11)...How can we “decolonize” our ways of thinking and being?What does it look like to “re-indigenize”?What does it mean to “rematriate”?…Sikowis Nobiss (she/her) is Nêhiyaw/Saulteaux of the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She has been living in Iowa for 19 years and is the founder and Executive Director of Great Plains Action Society and is an organizer, speaker, writer and an artist. She fights for a better future for her two young children.Today, Sikowis shares her story and the story of the Great Plains Action Society (GPAS). Sikowis unpacks the “Society” and “Action”part of the Great Plains Action Society, explaining each of their 3 initiatives: Protect the Sacred, Land Offense, and Representation. Abbie and Sikowis talk stories, perspectives, and meaning; unpacking the dominant Christian colonial-capitalist perspective; and defining re-indigenizing and rematriating....Read the Huffington Post Article Sikows mentioned here.Learn more about Truthsgiving here.Read more from Sikowis on ICWA here.…Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
Why does it matter how we talk about climate action?How does better language inspire better action?...Miriam Kashia is a self-proclaimed “climate action warrior.” Based in Iowa, she is involved with 100 Grannies for a Livable Future. In 2014, at the age of 71, she participated in the Great March for Climate Action, where she walked 3,100 miles over 8 months across the United States. She was named a “Climate Hero” by the Guardian's Down to Earth Environmental Newsletter in 2022. You can hear more about her story in “The Race to Save the World” Documentary.In this conversation, originally published in September 2022, Miriam shares her story, detailing different chapters of her life and reflecting on the journey that has led her to where (and who) she is now. Using the Daisy Model, Abbie and Miriam discuss the petals (lessons, people, and experiences) that transformed Miriam from a concerned citizen to a "climate action warrior" and how Miriam is using her platform to educate and empower others. Miriam shares with us a quote that was shared with her, "We will not give into the fear because it is fear that feeds the darkness" and how she is striving to take on daunting issues with love, truth, and justice. Finally, Abbie and Miriam explore the roles, relationships, and rest that help Miriam stay whole and balanced; Miriam's advice for activists and how her perspective has changed; and what it looks like to lean into the chaos that comes when we start to change our social worlds. Listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of our conversation with Aline Mugisho.…Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.
What can you change today about the way you relate to food that would minimize your food waste?What is the “highest level context” that is guiding you when it comes to how your actions affect the planet?...Yolanda Soto has been the CEO President of Borderlands Produce Rescue for 30 years. Borderlands Produce Rescue is located in the border community of Nogales, Arizona and goes beyond the limits of traditional Food Banks by addressing the issue of food waste at the intersection of hunger. Today, Yoli introduces herself and the Borderlands Produce Rescue. Abbie and Yoli explore the issue of food waste, including the lack of knowledge around the issue, the impact of food waste on the environment, and the opportunities that exist to combat food waste through the Borderlands Produce Rescue and beyond. Using a communication perspective, Abbie offers some new insight around the stories we tell about the issue of food waste and the work of the Borderlands Produce Rescue. Finally, Yoli offers a call to action to all of us. …Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Visit the Stories Lived. Stories Told. website.Follow Stories Lived. Stories Told. on Instagram.Subscribe to Stories Lived. Stories Told. on YouTube.Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here.Subscribe to CMM Institute on Substack.Connect with the CMM Institute on LinkedIn and Facebook.Access all CosmoActivities for FREE!Participate in the CosmoParents Survey.Visit the CMM Institute website.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.
How can you embrace wildness in yourself?What opportunities do you have to experience nature, beauty, and wilderness in your own backyard?...Mark Edwards is a 76-year-old naturalist, is a leader in BeWildReWild and its Big River Connectivity project, and is retired from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, where he lead restoration efforts for 30 years. You can join the "Rewilding Iowa and Beyond" Facebook Group and check out this podcast with Mark from the Iowa Nature Summit. In this conversation, Mark shares his story, including how moving throughout his childhood and being exposed to many different cultures and environments shaped him; how he learned to take care of himself; and how he connected with wilderness through his own travels and finding his way back to Iowa, where he has remained ever since. Abbie and Mark discuss the meaning of rewilding and how we can make new choices around the meaning we make around our relationship to wilderness, nature, and non-human beings. Mark and Abbie explore our own wildness, rewilding as overcoming fear, and moving from imagination to embodiment as we navigate the need to do things differently. Finally, Abbie and Mark talk about the wildness in Iowa (the most biologically altered state in North America) and within ourselves.…Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Find Rik on YouTube.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told.Learn more about the CMM Institute.Learn more about CMM.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.Access CosmoActivities for FREE.Contribute to the CosmoParents Survey.
Please be aware this conversation contains references to sexual assault and gender-based violence. …What ideas about gender have you learned from your culture, peers, and family? How can you find ways to call people in instead of calling them out? How can you practice approaching defensiveness with curiosity in yourself and others?How can we begin to embrace our full humanity by allowing ourselves to engage in all ways of being, not just the ones that were assigned to us based on our sex?What is a small thing you can do this week to create a next turn/ ripple from this conversation? ...Burton Patterson is a social worker by trade with experience in the fields of Harm Reduction and Mental Health and Addiction, Sexual Violence Prevention, and Healthy Sexual Education. He specializes working with male-identifying folks in gender-based violence prevention. In this conversation from July 2023, Burton shares his story. Abbie and Burton discuss the narratives and norms around gender that we internalize (whether we recognize it or not). Burton explains why it matters to call men into the conversation, rejecting the idea that the conversation around gender-based violence and sexual assault is simply a “women's issue.” Abbie and Burton discuss “The Man Box” and doing the internal work. In the second half of this conversation, Burton shares stories about his experience educating groups of young men about toxic and healthy masculinity, rape culture, and gender-based violence. Abbie and Burton explore the way meaning is made when it comes to “femininity” and “masculinity” and how we can embrace the power we have to make new meaning. Finally, Abbie asks Burton what new stories we can start telling about gender to create a better social world for all of us.…Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann. Find Rik on YouTube. Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told.Learn more about the CMM Institute.Learn more about CMM.Learn more about Cosmopolis 2045.Access CosmoActivities for FREE.
Where do we start?How do we bring an awareness of systems and structures and also redefine power within our own selves?...Sarah Urech is senior strategist and a founding staff member of the Omega Women's Leadership Center (OWLC), where she designs, coordinates, and leads innovative, holistic education programs, including workshops, conferences, and online courses. Sarah holds a Bachelor's in Drama from Duke University and studied theater in Berlin, Paris, and London, where she first saw Playback Theatre—improvisational theatre that honors audience members' true stories through spontaneous enactment. 30 years ago, she moved to New York's Hudson Valley to study Playback with its cofounders and immediately joined Hudson River Playback Theatre. Her Playback work has taken her around the world and rooted her in an embodied listening practice that is committed to social justice and collective artmaking. Today, Sarah introduces herself and the Omega Women's Leadership Center (OWLC). Abbie and Sarah explore shifting consciousness and building awareness around women's relationships to power and leadership. Abbie and Sarah discuss the old stories we have internalized that have kept women out of leadership roles as well as the new stories we hope to tell to empower women to claim leadership for themselves. Sarah explains Playback Theater; Abbie talks about emergence, improvisation, and collaboration. Finally, Abbie and Sarah consider the relationship between communication, creating space, and wellbeing. …Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann. Find Rik on YouTube. Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told.Email me! storieslived.storiestold@gmail.comFollow me on Instagram.Subscribe on YouTube.Check out my website.Learn more about the CMM Institute.Learn more about CMM.
How can we seek to tell and hear stories that encourage empathy-based communication?Where can you seek out more (or new to you) information about women in history? ...Leah Leach is the founder of Gal's Guide, the first women's history lending library in theUnited States. She is a teacher, author, and Buddhist. She is also one of the hosts of the Gal's Guide to the Galaxy Podcast.Today, Leah introduces herself and her work with Gal's Guide. Leah and Abbie discuss why it matters to know and share the (many and complex) stories of women from history. Leah and Abbie explore the night sky as a metaphor for understanding the existence of and our relationship to women's stories. Finally, Abbie and Leah discuss expansion, personal evolution, and holding space. ...Here is a list of all the women we mentioned in today's epsiode, plus links to more information about each:Conchita CintrónAgojieSister Rosetta TharpAlice Guy BlacheMurasaki ShikibuMary ShelleyGail SheildMarie CurieJulia ChildPenny MarshallTiamatElizabeth LesserHedy LamarrGreta GerwigBig Mama Thorton…Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told.Email me!Follow me on Instagram.Subscribe on YouTube.Check out my website.
What do you negotiate in your life?What is your relationship to belonging? What is your identity? How do these things affect the way you show up in the world?What is something new you can try to better advocate for yourself or negotiate with others?How can we rewire our ways of thinking and being to better celebrate the ways we show up?What does it look like to empower ourselves in our storytelling?...Beth Fisher-Yoshida (PhD, CCS) is a facilitator, educator, and executive coach. She is President and CEO of Fisher Yoshida International, LLC. Beth is Professor of Professional Practice; Program Director of the MS in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution program; Vice-Chair of Faculty at School of Professional Studies; Chair of Advanced Consortium for Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity (AC4); and Director of the Youth, Peace and Security Project all at Columbia University. She also serves on several Boards including the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. She is the author of New Story New Power: A Woman's Guide to Negotiation.In this conversation from October of 2023, Beth and Abbie discuss women, negotiation, and Beth's book, New Story New Power: A Women's Guide to Negotiation. Beth shares her thoughts on cultivating belonging in the systems of organizations, the stories that create our identities, and when a “no is a no” in negotiation. Abbie and Beth talk about equity, reconciliation, and co-creation. In the second half of this conversation, Abbie and Beth discuss internalized stories, agency, and discomfort. Beth talks about practicing negotiation by starting small and shares stories from her experiences studying art in Japan. Abbie and Beth discuss cultural differences in meaning-making, the “new story” Beth hopes for women to know, and next turns for continuing the conversation.…Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann.Listen to our conversation with Rik in Ep. 8....Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told.Email me!Follow me on Instagram.Subscribe on YouTube.Check out my website.Learn more about the CMM Institute.Learn more about CMM.
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