Brandi Stanley is a walking and talking paradox and you are, too. This episode is a long-form podcast between two people that don’t know how to be bite-sized. Often discussed through the lens of paradox where paradox is the answer and not the problem, and pleasure is found in the pursuit of all the questions. In it, Brandi discusses finding purpose in her life as a generalist for whom curiosity is always burning. We talk about aliveness as a North Star for purpose in that, according to Brandi, “whatever wakes up aliveness is your purpose.” We talk about connection - both connecting disparate ideas and also what happens when we become disconnected and it manifests as illness in our bodies, divisiveness in our culture, and breakdowns in our ecology. Brandi shares about the role of religion in her life and her exploration of the intentional split between matter and the sacred, and how she is reintegrating them in her life. We explore the idea of ‘living in the gift’ and how we can share our gifts with the world and how we can receive the gifts of others.

We also talk about:

The intersection of eroticism + aliveness
Learning to stop cutting off pieces of yourself to belong
Holding complexity
Finding purpose in illness

Find Brandi

Instagram: @thisplusthatpod

Website: thisplusthat.com

For a full list of books, essays, and other resources mentioned please see Episode Website

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Exploring the Nature of Paradox with Brandi Stanley