100 episodes

In-depth exploration into purpose in life. What is purpose? How does it change lives? How do we find more of it? Interviews include researchers who study it, practitioners who guide people to it, and people who have experienced it. New episode every Wednesday morning.

School of Purpose Bradley Wright PhD

    • Education
    • 5.0 • 58 Ratings

In-depth exploration into purpose in life. What is purpose? How does it change lives? How do we find more of it? Interviews include researchers who study it, practitioners who guide people to it, and people who have experienced it. New episode every Wednesday morning.

    #100. Is Purpose a Mission Statement or an Action? Psychologist and Author Todd Kashdan

    #100. Is Purpose a Mission Statement or an Action? Psychologist and Author Todd Kashdan

    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 links
    WebsiteBooksInstagram***
    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.

    • 57 min
    #99. Fully Living Your Dream Life: 14-Year Sailing Family Jamie and Behan Gifford

    #99. Fully Living Your Dream Life: 14-Year Sailing Family Jamie and Behan Gifford

    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 change
    Gifford's Links:
    Sailing Totem Website
    Instagram
    Voyaging 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.

    • 59 min
    #98. The Four Pillars of Purpose: YouMap Creator Kristin Sherry

    #98. The Four Pillars of Purpose: YouMap Creator Kristin Sherry

    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 Links
    Website
    LinkedIn
    Books
    ***
    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.

    • 46 min
    #97. How Colleges Creatively Guide Students into Purpose: Sociologist and Vice Provost Time Clydesdale

    #97. How Colleges Creatively Guide Students into Purpose: Sociologist and Vice Provost Time Clydesdale

    Colleges have extraordinary responsibilities in the lives of their students. Sometimes overlooked is guiding students into purposeful careers.
    Tim Clydesdale is the author of The Purposeful Graduate. It's an evaluation of a large-scale program funded by the Lilly Foundation that paid for 88 colleges to create purpose programs for their students. In this episode, you'll learn the lessons from these programs, including  what worked and what didn't. 
    In this episode, you'll learn about:
    Research on fostering purpose among college studentsThe power of narrative in exploring purposeThe longterm effect of college students finding purposeThe value of hands-on experience related to purposeThe best year in college for exploring matters of purposeTim's Links
    Website
    Books
    The Purposeful Graduate
    The Twentysomething Soul
    The First Year Out
    ***
    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.

    • 46 min
    #96. Finding Purpose after Severe Trauma: Author and Survivor Michael Unbroken

    #96. Finding Purpose after Severe Trauma: Author and Survivor Michael Unbroken

    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 links
    LinkedIn
    Instagram
    Podcast
    Website

    ***
    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.

    • 39 min
    #95. From $500 Million to Prison to Purpose: Author and Musician John Lefebvre

    #95. From $500 Million to Prison to Purpose: Author and Musician John Lefebvre

    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 links
    All's Well
    Good with Money
    DeSmog.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.

    • 43 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
58 Ratings

58 Ratings

Andrew Spearing ,

My one regret is not discovering this earlier

Prof. Wright’s unique blend of humor and insight is always a pleasure to listen to. Coolest sociologist at UConn, bar none.

Googly eyes 4000 ,

Intriguing and Inspiring

This podcast is a delight to listen to. Each episode will leave you feeling happy and inspired to find more purpose in your own life. It is great to hear from experts as well as experiencers of purpose. I look forward to listening to this podcast for years to come!

Łïžźÿ bæ😘💗 ,

Prison to Purpose

Thanks for sharing such an empowering story! And congratulations for your sobriety and and accomplishments. I know that your story resonates with many!

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