“Everything that we think we can hold onto is going to go. And isn't that freeing?” — Jordan Kersten Jordan Kersten has learned to greet life's interruptions differently than most of us. Again and again, her body has asked her to stop. A knee that no longer held her. A concussion that slowed her mind. An illness without answers. Another injury that made independence impossible. None of them were experiences she would have chosen. Yet each one became a doorway into a deeper way of being alive. As Jordan shares her story, it becomes clear that this conversation isn't really about injury. It's about what happens after the life we expected gives way to the life that's actually unfolding. The body changes. Certainty disappears. Something familiar is lost. And in the space that's left behind, another way of seeing begins to emerge. Cari and Jordan wander through questions of mindfulness, vulnerability, safety, expression, and what it means to find your voice when the ground beneath you keeps changing. Together they explore how compassion grows through lived experience, why receiving can be harder than giving, and how even the most painful interruptions can deepen our connection to ourselves and to one another. There is a quiet wisdom running through this conversation. Not everything that breaks us is asking to be fixed. Sometimes it's asking us to become more awake. The Treasures in the TrashThe reliable becomes unreliable. That isn't failure—it's part of being human. Our deepest growth often begins the moment certainty falls away.Compassion is rarely learned through ideas. It is learned through lived experience. Our own struggles soften us toward the struggles of others.Finding your voice begins with feeling safe. Authentic expression isn't something we force; it's something that naturally emerges when we no longer have to protect ourselves.Healing isn't always returning to who we were. Sometimes it's becoming someone we couldn't have become any other way.Sometimes the body interrupts us before the soul can. The moments that stop us often become the moments that awaken us. Every episode of Finding Treasures in the Trash explores the places we'd rather avoid—the losses, disappointments, fears, and moments that seem to break us—and asks a different question: What if the treasure is already hidden inside the trash? About the Guest: Jordan Kersten is a passionate and grounded health coach, voice teacher, and yoga teacher dedicated to helping people reconnect with their innate creativity, resilience, and capacity for healing. She works with individuals from all walks of life, with particular experience supporting those recovering from injury and navigating complex health conditions. Inspired by the mindfulness traditions of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Plum Village, Jordan brings a deeply compassionate and curious approach to her work. She is endlessly fascinated by the connection between the body, mind, and creative spirit, and believes that even life's greatest challenges can become opportunities for growth, self-discovery, and transformation. When she's not teaching or coaching, Jordan can often be found backpacking, watching sunsets, or singing. https://www.jordankersten.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-kersten-b3b3bb24/ https://www.instagram.com/jordanswellnessandperformance/ Interested in exploring work with Jordan, get $135 off her 6 week Summer Jumpstart, and $245 off her Summer Season Reset (3 months)! Email her at jordankersten@gmail.com for more info. About Cari: Cari Jacobs-Crovetto is an executive and leadership coach and the founder of Brave Directions, where she works with senior leaders and C-suite executives to strengthen interpersonal and team relationships, navigate conflict skillfully, and deepen self-awareness, influence, and confidence. Before becoming a coach, Cari spent three decades in marketing and product leadership roles across Fortune 100 companies, media networks, consulting firms, and venture-backed startups. In 2019, she was named one of Forbes’ Top 50 Chief Marketing Officers. Cari brings together decades of operating experience with more than 45 years of Buddhist meditation study and practice, integrating deep inner work with practical leadership development. She facilitates the renowned Interpersonal Dynamics (“Touchy Feely”) course at Stanford Graduate School of Business where she also coaches grad school students, leads meditation classes and leadership workshops, and hosts the podcast Finding Treasures in the Trash. Her mantra: Fierce Heart — where compassion meets bold, badass leadership. https://www.bravedirections.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/carisf/ https://www.instagram.com/cari_bravedirections/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! 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