Bradley Wright, Life Purpose Lab

How we understand purpose in life affects what we do to obtain it. How can we gain a more robust understanding of what purpose is?Todd Kashdan is a professor of psychology at George Mason University where he studies purpose and other facets of well-being. He's currently working on an article that reconceptualizes the concept of purpose. In this episode, he shares how we can think about purpose more accurately. In this episode, you'll learn about:Purpose as articulated understanding vs. behaviorRecognizing other people's purposeHow we spend our time, money, and energy point to what's purposeful to usDoes acting purposefully require making other people's lives better?Excavating our strengthsTodd's linksWebsiteBooksInstagram***Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page. Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at   joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

What would your life look like if you devoted everything to following your dreams?The Giffords did just that. In 2002, they realized they wanted something different than the typical American life of house and job. They created a six-year plan to live sailing about the world with their three children. Since 2008, they have done just that. As a family, they go where their sails take them.In this episode, you'll learn about:Converting "someday" plans to "now" plansMaking long-term plans for purposeCreating a map of dreamsHow friends and family can negatively react to our dreamsLearning how to adapt to changeGifford's Links:Sailing Totem WebsiteInstagramVoyaging with Kids Book***Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page. Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at   joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

Purpose is idiosyncratic. Everyone has their own view on what matters most in their life. However, is it possible to create a single system that many people can use to find purpose?Kristin Sherry has spent years helping people find purpose. In that time, she's asked countless questions about what people find fulfilling in work. From her investigation, she has identified four essential aspects of career fit. If you have these four, you'll have a deep, rich, and meaningful career. In this episode of the School of Purpose podcast, Kristin shares her insight on finding purpose.In this episode, you'll learn about:The power of self-awareness for finding purposeHow others' concern for us can hinder usDeveloping skill stacks for purposeHow we can think of our strengths as weaknessesHow to uncover our valuesKristin's LinksWebsiteLinkedInBooks***Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page. Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at   joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

Tim Clydesdale, a leading sociologist and Vice Provost, explores how colleges can better guide students towards purposeful careers. He shares insights from his research on vocation programs funded by the Lilly Endowment, revealing what strategies effectively engage students. The power of narrative and hands-on experiences emerge as key elements in fostering long-term resilience and purpose. Clydesdale also emphasizes the sophomore year as an ideal time to deepen vocation discussions, offering creative suggestions like themed residence halls to enhance student engagement.

Severe childhood trauma changes one's life--often for the worse. Sometimes, however, it has a redemptive effect as it leads one into purpose.Michael Unbroken experienced a level of trauma in childhood that's difficult to fathom. Yet, today he feels fully alive and health, and he works with people around the world to help them overcome their own trauma. He's used the pain in the past as a prompt for purpose. In this episode he tells his story.In this episode, you'll learn about:How to find clarity in lifeHow to tap into what's next in your lifeAgency and purposeThe need to start with values in finding purposeThe importance of specificity in purposeMichael's linksLinkedInInstagramPodcastWebsite***Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page. Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at   joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

How do you make sense of the world when you had a lot and then lost just about all of it?John Lefebvre co-founded Neteller, a publicly traded online payment company often used by gamblers. In 2007, John ran into legal problems and lost almost $500 million dollars that he had earned by starting the company. He went to jail and started his life again in hi mid-fifties. Now John writes and advocates for good in the world, including addressing climate change. In this episode, he shares his journey and the lessons that he learned along the way. John's linksAll's WellGood with MoneyDeSmog.com***Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page. Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at   joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

Kendall Cotton Bronk, a developmental psychologist and professor at Claremont Graduate University, dives into the complex world of adolescent purpose. She shares insights from her extensive research, including how purpose is multidimensional and can be cultivated over time. Kendall discusses the significant role of self-reflection and how creative pursuits contribute to a sense of purpose. She also offers practical strategies for parents and educators, emphasizing the importance of guiding youth to discover their own meaningful paths.

When it comes to purpose, we often think of making goals. However, we live our lives in terms of stories. Especially important are the stories that we tell ourselves about our lives.Julia Winston guides people in creating the stories of their lives. She walks them through a process of intentional story making that is rooted in life purpose. This gives a dramatic arc to our lives that takes us even deeper into purpose. In this episode, you'll learn about:Stories versus goalsThe role of intentions in finding purposeCasting our own lives as storiesApplying experience design to finding purposeHow to create illuminating momentsJulia's links:WebsiteLinkedInPodcast***Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page. Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at   joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

In today's world, it's so easy to become disconnected from our inner, true self. When this happens, what should we do?CEO and author Jaclyn Gallo joins us in this episode to point the way forward. She shares effective strategies and techniques for finding authentic meaning and purpose in a world of distraction and busyness. In this episode, you'll learn about:Taking back ownership of your lifeHow to change your identityHow to discern what you really want in lifeHow to follow your intuition into purposeEffective vision exercisesJaclyn's links:HomepageInstagramLinkedIn***Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page. Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at   joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.

Do you ever wonder if you were created for a specific purpose in life? That's the logic of having a calling. It extends to communities as well as individuals.This week we're joined by Jane Patterson and Jesse Bazan of Communities of Calling-A network of congregations and organizations working on calling in their own contexts with the aim of revitalizing the church’s mission in the world today. They'll share their unique insights into the interplay between one's calling and the context in which we live. In this episode, you'll learn about:Theologies of work and callingHow to discern your calling How callings evolveWhether purpose makes someone happy and cheerfulQuestions about having a vocationJane and Jesse'l links:Communities of CallingCollegeville Institute***Want to connect? Email me at bradleywrightphd@gmail.com or connect on my LinkedIn page. Want to start your own podcast? This podcast is edited and produced (and music too) by Josh Gilbert. Contact him at   joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com. He specializes in working with early podcasters.