It is profoundly therapeutic to be able to stand up in your world, whatever that world may be,

private, public, whatever, and say, I am all of the above. This is who I am. I am my darkness

and I am my light. And that became part of my ongoing healing.

So what happens when a legendary spiritual teacher and God finds himself in such a deep depression

he can barely leave his bedroom?

When the person others look to for wisdom about life's meaning spends months hiding behind

closed blinds with blankets over the windows because he can't bear to see

the light. And what if the path back to that light and eventually defining your true calling

requires letting go of everything you thought you, quote, should be? These are some of the powerful

questions at the heart of today's conversation. As we head into this next season, wondering what might happen if we created space for our

lives to show us what they truly earned to be, this exploration feels particularly timely.

My guest today is Parker Palmer, a writer, speaker, and activist focused on education,

community, leadership, spirituality, and social change.

He's the founder and senior partner, Emeritus, of the Center for Courage and Renewal,

holds a PhD from UC Berkeley and has authored several influential books, influential

in particular to me. Through really three profound seasons of depression, Parker discovered

something surprising that embracing our shadows can become a powerful

catalyst for authentic living and meaningful work. And he shares how leaving academia for activism and then

spending 11 unexpected years in a Quaker learning community led him to a deeper understanding of what it

means to truly listen to your life. And what unfolds is a profound exploration

of finding purpose not in spite of our struggles, but through them. We explore why real growth

often requires letting go of who we think we should be, how to discern truth from the inside

...