In this episode of Ordinary People host Sylvie Barbier sits down with Natalia Lombardo, a multifaceted community developer and psychedelic guide. Natalia shares her journey from her roots in Argentina to her current endeavors in Europe, where she engages in community development, permaculture, and creative activism. She opens up about her personal healing journey following a severe brain injury and how this led her to explore and integrate psychedelics into her therapeutic practices. Natalia's story is one of transformation, resilience, and the continuous pursuit of innovative ways to foster collaboration and personal growth. #permaculture #collaborative #psychedelics #collective #activism #ordinarypeople #podcast About Natalia Lombardo Nati helps groups to cultivate a collaborative culture through values-driven behavioral change. Her focus is the self in "self-organising": the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours each of us brings into any collective endeavour. Co-founder and Collaboration Coach at The Hum . Co-owner of Loomio and member of Enspiral. About Sylvie Barbier Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community. Ordinary People is a podcast series that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey. Chapters 00:02:09: Current Projects and Passions 00:03:23: Nati's Childhood Journey from Argentina to Europe 00:15:51: Discovering Permaculture and Community Living in Argentina 00:21:43: Intergenerational Communication in Communities 00:29:37: Unlearning Societal Norms and Exploring New Models 00:36:14: Healing with Psychedelics 00:42:34: Embracing a New Identity Post-Trauma 00:45:33: Discovering New Energies and Capabilities This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit news.lifeitself.org

In this episode of Ordinary People Walking Extra-Ordinary Path, Life Itself Co-Founder Sylvie Barbier is joined by Liam Kavanagh. Liam reflects on his transition from observing environmental changes to spearheading initiatives like the Climate Majority Project. From his childhood curiosity and nourished creativity to his adult inquiries into the nature of thought and emotion, Liam shares how an openness to people from all walks of life, a thirst for understanding truth, and a dedicated meditation practice have shaped his unconventional journey. His story invites us to question societal norms and embark on our own journey of spiritual inquiry in service of an awakening society. #ordinarypeople #climatechange #meditation #buddism #curiosity #adhd #secondrenaissance About Liam Kavanagh Liam Kavanagh is co-founder of Life Itself and Director of the Climate Majority Project. About Sylvie Barbier Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community. Ordinary People is a podcast series that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey. Chapters0:00 - Liam's path from economist to climate activist 03:12 - Growing up, family values and curiosity 10:06 - Creativity, ADHD, and family support 14:47 - Living in a squat, visiting Compton, and encountering gang violence 25:45 - Buddhism and the book that opened my mind 35:40 - Economics, neuroscience, and understanding the emotional holes of economic ideas 42:35 - Meditation and practice 53:15 - Questioning societal norms and the thirst for enquiry This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit news.lifeitself.org

In this episode of Ordinary People Sylvie Barbier speaks with Elizabeth Debold in a thought-provoking dialogue exploring the intersections of gender, identity, and culture. Elizabeth shares her journey of questioning societal norms around gender roles and relationships, stemming from witnessing the destructive dynamic between her parents. She talks about her early spiritual experience that opened her up to a sense of unity, and her involvement in feminist activism and spiritual communities. The conversation explores themes of community, interbeing, postmodernism, and the tensions between different generations.#societalchange #genderidentity #growth #resilience #feminine #masculine #ordinarypeople #secondrenaissance #developmentalpsychology About Elizabeth Debold Elizabeth Debold is a developmental psychologist, gender futurist and author of the bestselling Mother Daughter Revolution. She has spent the past four decades working as an activist, researcher, journalist, spiritual explorer, and transformative educator in relation to gender and cultural evolution. About Sylvie BarbierSylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community.Ordinary People is a podcast series that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey.Chapters0:00 - Gender identity, spirituality, and creating sacred spaces for connection05:32 - Personal growth through writing and identity formation11:26 - Gender roles, expectations, and family betrayal19:38 - Gender roles and cultural divisions25:17 - Gender roles, femininity, and community life34:34 - Women's empowerment and interpersonal relationships41:40 - Family dynamics, and sibling relationships48:00 - Generational differences and the challenges of growing up in a postmodern society This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit news.lifeitself.org

In this episode of Ordinary People Rufus Pollock talks with Daniel Thorson. Daniel shares his unique journeys of finding faith, meaning, and personal growth through unexpected avenues of meditation, living at a Goenka center, and participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement. They delve into the critical roles of trust, courage, and support in navigating life's uncertainties and explore the intersection of Buddhism and technology, pondering the potential for online spaces to foster contemplative practices, and sustaining personal and societal transformation through commitment and deep inquiry.#monastic #emerge #buddhism #friendship #inquiry #technology #socialtransformation #courage #faith #meditationAbout Daniel ThorsonDaniel Thorson is a writer, a Monastic at Monastic Academy and the creator and host of the podcast Emerge – Making Sense of What's Next, where he explores meaning, responsibility, and human development in the age of automation and climate collapse, and the relationship between inner and outer transformation. About Rufus PollockRufus Pollock is an entrepreneur, activist and author as well as a long-term zen practitioner. He is passionate about finding wiser, weller ways to live together. He has founded several for-profit and nonprofit initiatives including Life Itself, Open Knowledge Foundation, and Datopian. His book Open Revolution is about making a radically freer and fairer information age. Previously he has been the Mead Fellow in Economics at the University of Cambridge as well as a Shuttleworth and Ashoka Fellow. A recognized global expert on the information society, he has worked with G7 governments, IGOs like the UN, Fortune 500s as well as many civil society organizations. He holds a PhD in Economics and a double first in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. Find out more about his work on his website: rufuspollock.com.Ordinary People is a podcast series that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey.Chapters00:05 Personal growth, meditation, and systems change with a focus on alienation and finding meaning in life06:48 Occupy Wall Street movement, Buddhist geeks, and hope, and power18:02 Creating a modern monastery to address planetary crisis27:18 Personal growth, breakthroughs, and the importance of faith and support39:41 The importance of friendship in personal growth and spiritual development47:19 Creating intentional communities for personal growth and service59:07 How to help people stay in a community and work through conflicts1:05:02 Commitment and transformation through structured programs1:10:53 desires through inquiry, letting go of preferences and avoiding manipulation.1:20:59 The nature of truth and goodness in a secular humanist society and its relationship to religion, culture, and personal transformation1:31:27 Truth, meaning, and values in post-conventional society This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit news.lifeitself.org

In this episode of Ordinary People Sylvie Barbier speaks with Valerie Duvauchelle on the transformative power of Zen and embodied practices. Valerie explains her personal journey as she navigates the complexities of cultural and generational trauma, exploring the profound impact Zen Buddhism had on her connection with self, others, and nature.#ordinarypeople #zen #wisdom #meditation #wiserworld #tenzo #bergeracpraxishub #consciouscollectives This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit news.lifeitself.org