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 s...

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, ...

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 ar...

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 so...

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 als...

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 designe...

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 D...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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 the United 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...

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...

What can you imagine for yourself and your social world? What stories make you think: “that’s what I want for myself”? How can you make it so? ... Riley Carroll is a 26-year old cat mom, thinker, and author from Chicago. Since completing her master’s in Communication in 2022, Riley has strived to live authentically, imagine new ways of being, and make space for joy which helped lead to the release of her debut novel, What the Blood Sings. Today, Riley talks about the stories, people, and...

How can an investment in Art (any and all kinds) translate into an investment in ourselves, our wellbeing, and our communities? ... Sharon Cadja (she/they) is an Artist and Property Manager with a Bachelor’s in Business Marketing from Ball State University. She works full time, but dedicates her free time to her art business in hopes to invest in her ideal lifestyle. Sharing insight of her journey to aspiring creatives is what she believes is imperative to a building a more encouraging art...

Where can you find (or better yet, create) a soft space for yourself? What can you learn when you stop making assumptions and start asking ‘why’? ... Caitlin Metz (they/them) is an accidental author, wayward adjunct faculty, chronic project starter, designer and illustrator, parent, Mary Oliver evangelist, cloud watcher, and big feeler. Caitlin is the co-author of My Body, My Home and the author of Feel Something, Make Something. They run Saturday Morning Carton with their partner and host...

What would you create if you weren’t worried about producing? How can you embrace “regret” and acknowledge the things you would do differently as a sign of your own growth instead of failure? … hesitantdoodle (Sidney McLeod) is a non-binary illustrator and comic artist based just outside of Glasgow, Scotland. Their work combines the action of sports, the drama of romance novels, and the whimsy of magical girls to produce effervescent, queer, and colourful comics. They are the creator and...

How do we create space for ALL the emotions we experience? How can we find creative and constructive ways to engage with the world? … Tumelo Victoria is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows, sponsored by the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. The Fellows have created a comic book on mental health that will be available soon. She is 19 years old, lives in Norway, and is currently working and taking a gap year after completing her last year of high school. Today, Abbie and Tumelo...

How do we demonstrate our caring (for others) through sharing (our stories)? … MableAlexis is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows, sponsored by the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. The Fellows have created a comic book on mental health that will be available soon. MableAlexis is 23 years old and lives in Louisiana. Today, Abbie is joined by CosmoTeenz Fellow MableAlexis Jackson to discuss what it has meant to her to take the opportunity to share her experience with mental health in...

What change do you hope to see in your social worlds? And how can you be a part of making it happen? ... Johanna is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows, sponsored by the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. The Fellows have created a comic book on mental health that will be available soon. She lives in Denmark and is interested in a career in politics.  Today, Abbie and Johanna explore the desire to make change happen and finding opportunities to do so. Johanna shares the most...

Where in your life are there opportunities to find community and create connection by talking about experiences that have not been talked about? ... Haruka Suwabe is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows, sponsored by the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. The Fellows have created a comic book on mental health that will be available soon. She is interested in working in the STEM field. Today, Abbie is joined by Haruka Suwabe to discuss becoming a part of the CMM community, using...

What kinds of conversations about mental health are you having with the young people in your life?  How can you better take care of yourself (and others) when talking about mental health?  … At the time of recording this episode, Fatima was completing her senior of high school. Now, she is 19 and attending university. Fatima is studying psychology, as well as counseling and human services, with the goal of pursuing a career in school counseling. Fatima is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows,...

"Hi and welcome. As always, I’m Abbie, this is Stories Lived. Stories Told., and today, I invite you to join me as we embark on Season 3. This season is all about embodying a communication perspective. So let me explain that a little bit: 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 pay close attention to patterns and contexts, stories and relationships; and that we use curiosity, mindfulness,...

Listen to Part 1 with Abbie and Marit here. Abbie and Marit continue their conversation about the way we create better things in relationship with each other, change the moment in the moment, and embracing improvisation and practice in communication. Abbie and Marit discuss   mystery, hope, and looking ahead to Season 3! … 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...