Edge of Comfort Unknown

On this episode of the Edge of Comfort Podcast I introduce my next adventure: Running Lake Michigan! 
Starting early 2021 (aiming for January), I am running over 1,100 miles around the perimeter of Lake Michigan in 36 days to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Learn about the Why behind the run and details about the run itself. I also answer a few fan questions throughout the episode and at the end. 
To learn more about the run, go to https://www.runninglakemichigan.com/.
You can also follow the journey on my Instagram, @leethornquist. 
Thank you for listening!

You can find the full episode description and show notes at edgeofcomfort.com/eocp31/
 
"When I push, my body responds…How we talk to ourselves, what we say to ourselves, what we’re thinking, it makes all the difference." - Lee Thornquist
On this episode of the Edge of Comfort Podcast I reflect on running 505 miles in July 2020 to complete the Calendar Club running challenge and I answer questions from listeners regarding physicality, mentality, nutrition, and other aspects of the month.

You can find the full episode description and show notes at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp30/
 
"We reject other people because we have rejected ourselves. We are separate from other people because we are separate from who we are. Through the conditioning, we learn to become someone else and we deny our truth so often and live out these limiting beliefs that we develop. The unhappiness that exists within us is projected out into the world.” - Lena Papadopoulos 
 
On this episode of the Edge of Comfort Podcast, Lena Papadopoulos and I talk about her work as an intercultural educator, the impact and expectations created from cultural conditioning, examining and breaking our limiting beliefs, how to catalyze self-discovery, understanding identity, and more.
 
Lena Papadopoulos (IG) is an award-winning interculturalist, facilitator, and coach. Lena believes the division between us is a projection of the pain within us. This means that healing the collective begins with healing ourselves.
 
Lena empowers individuals to break free from their conditioning so they can reconnect with themselves, embrace who they truly are, and embody their unique potential. Lena’s approach is a unique alchemy of her educational and professional background in sociology, psychology, cultural anthropology, intercultural education, and leadership development.
 

You can find the full episode description and show notes at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp29/
 
On this episode of the Edge of Comfort Podcast, I share updates on the status of Edge of Comfort and my life from the last 6-7 months. This includes starting work at a luxury travel company, international and domestic travels, experimenting with a strict plant-based vegan diet, signing up for a 50-mile trail run, and more.

You can find the full episode description and show notes at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp28/
 
"Build what you want to build, create the life that you want to create, and enjoy the fruits of your labors.”
- Celinne Da Costa
On this episode of the Edge of Comfort Podcast, Celinne Da Costa and I talk about her couch surfing trip around the world, completely changing her lifestyle and career to work from anywhere, how to gain clarity on your own story, and completing her latest personal challenge, 30 Days of Radical Rawness.
Celinne Da Costa (IG / TW / FB) is a brand story & life design coach for visionary leaders who want to master the art of storytelling so they can deeply connect with their audience, create a captivating brand that sells, and scale their business with impact.
In 2016, she left her unfulfilling corporate marketing career in New York City to become the architect of her own life. This meant crafting a story that allowed her to infuse every day with meaningful moments of human connection, internal space for self-discovery, and opportunities to pursue her passions… all while seeing the world.
Celinne’s mission is to create a life story that is full of joy, meaning, and purpose—and to empower you to do the same, so that you can manifest your life and business vision into a reality that fulfills you and inspires others.
Since leaving corporate America, Celinne has helped her 6 and 7 figure clients become confident leaders with powerful stories, influential brands, gain international media coverage, and thousands of raving followers.
Celinne graduated from University of Pennsylvania, is a master NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Communication practitioner, and a certified Life, Social and Emotional Intelligence, and Motivational coach.
She has visited over 50 countries and now travels full-time while running her business. Celinne has been featured in major publications around the world, including Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider, and has a loyal community of over 50,000 dreamers following her adventures around the world.
Celinne’s story is fascinating and we could only get in to it a little bit today, so I highly encourage you to learn more about her at celinnedacosta.com.
 
You can find the full episode description and show notes at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp28/

You can find the full episode description and show notes at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp27/
 
"Trusting someone else is more of a reflection of whether or not you trust yourself to overcome any adversity." - Erin O'Neil, Author of Gui Ren.
On this episode of the Edge of Comfort Podcast I talk with Erin O’Neil, world-traveler and first-time author of the book, Gui Ren. Erin and I discuss her unexpected experiences from living in China, lessons from the Chinese phrase Gui Ren, and how a new side of life opens up when you are vulnerable and trusting.
Many recent university graduates feel immense self and external pressure to immediately go into the workforce and begin climbing the ladder of corporate America. Heck, getting a professional job and setting yourself up for new opportunities in life is the reason most people go to a university.
In other countries, people are encouraged to delay their entrance into the workforce to travel for an extended period of time, often referred to as a gap year.
People take these periods of exploration to experience more of the world, break from the bubble of their life and culture, expose themselves to new ideas and possibilities, and catalyze internal change and growth.
This doesn’t always happen and if it does, it happens in various degrees for each individual. But, most people feel some sort of change, growth, or self confidence from an extended journey.
My guest today, Erin O’Neil (@_itsonmylist), decided to adopt a variation of the gap year mentality when she moved to China right after graduation for what was supposed to be a 6-month work experience in Shanghai. I say supposed to be, because things didn’t quite go as planned.
Erin O’Neil is an enthusiastic digital storyteller and conversationalist with a serious case of wanderlust. By the time she turned 23, she had visited 22 countries on 4 different continents.
But, perhaps the most life-changing adventure for Erin was living alone in China for 6 months.
Despite the culture shock, severe language barrier, and struggle to figure out how chopsticks work, Asia taught her how to trust herself and create a world in which authenticity, mindfulness, and vulnerability were the only survival tools she needed.
Upon returning, Erin devotes her time to sharing stories from abroad and life lessons in travel. She is currently finishing writing her first book entitled, Gui Ren. Gui Ren is a written Chinese phrase that encompasses the right people coming into your life with synchronicity to help guide and inspire you.
Her book Gui Ren, which her editor described as an Eat, Pray, Love for millennials, is a narrative devoted to illustrating moments of phenomenal connection and celebrating the lessons learned through travel. It’s an immersion into the comedic reality of navigating a world without verbal communication, finding stability and routine in an unfamiliar world, and abandoning comfort zones to catalyze personal growth and adventure.
Erin writes about many of her adventures and lessons of Gui Ren, including topics like trust, vulnerability, friendship, and connection, on her blog Out Collecting Stamps. Erin also speaks about her experiences at local libraries near Columbus Ohio and gives helpful tips for traveling and navigating life abroad.
You can also watch these talks on her website, OnMyList.org.
 
You can find the full episode description and show notes at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp27/