Please visit https://www.axonleadership.com/friendsbetweenworlds to be part of the conversation. The world feels on edge. Unsettled. Like we’re standing at a threshold between what was and what might be. If you feel this too—if you sense that something fundamental is shifting, that the old ways aren’t working—you’re not alone. And that’s exactly why this podcast exists. Welcome to Friends Between Worlds. This is a space for those of us who refuse to burrow deeper into separate foxholes. It’s for those who want to come above ground and figure things out together. Here’s what I believe: separation is the root of so much of our suffering right now. I am not the first to say this – many people have been saying this, some for a very long time. I want to add my voice to that chorus. We’ve been scattered by systems that have made us into empires of one—overly burdened, overly responsible, increasingly isolated. And when we’re divided like this, we can’t come together to solve problems. We can’t create solutions that are good for community, good for Earth, or good for the whole. The dangers are real. We’re watching polarization intensify. Mental health decline. We’re at risk of succumbing to the environmental and social pollutions we’re creating, precisely because we’re trying to face them alone. And there’s an old truth at work here: divide and conquer. When people are scattered and isolated, they don’t unite around what matters most. But here’s what gives me hope: we are social creatures. Problem-solving together is what human beings have always done. It’s our nature. We really are made for times like these. Friends Between Worlds offers two things: First, connection. A place to feel less alone. To discover that others are grappling with the same questions and recognizing we need new ways forward. And second, provocative thinking. Because as the saying goes, the level of thinking that created the problem can’t solve the problem. We need perspectives that challenge the status quo—cutting-edge thinkers who can help us see differently, relate differently, and imagine new possibilities together. My guests will be people who inspire me, who challenge me to think differently. This podcast is guided by three principles from a book I published at the end of 2023 called Getting Over Ourselves: Moving beyond a culture of burnout, loneliness and narcissism. Those principles from the book are moving slowly, loving fiercely, and listening deeply. Moving slowly means taking time to really sit with ideas, to let complexity breathe rather than rushing to conclusions. Loving fiercely means knowing what we stand for and what we value. There will be a baseline of respect and appreciation here. And listening deeply means genuinely trying to understand what’s being said—unpacking concepts, exploring ideas, seeking comprehension rather than ammunition for debate. I’m looking for friends rather than enemies. That doesn’t mean naive agreement or pretending all ideas are equally valid—it means seeing the good in each other and creating space for genuine understanding. At this time of ecological upheaval, social violence, proposals of colonizing outer space, and the emergence of technologies like artificial intelligence, we are in some ways redefining or rediscovering what it means to be human. The word “human” shares its root with “humility”—it means to be of the earth, grounded, part of the ecosystem. Those of us who deeply value humanity need to figure out how to operate together—with each other and all of life. So if you’re ready for these conversations, welcome. Let’s find our way forward, together.
