Throwback Thursday: A Maker’s Journey to a Good Life with Jonathan Fields
Release Date: 08/18/2022
Mother's Quest Podcast
As I bring you this episode, we are less than two weeks from the 2024 U.S. Election. In preparation for this moment, I seized the opportunity to sit down with Melissa Walker, a children's book author turned powerful political advocate, instrumental in the founding of an organization called The States Project. Melissa’s path to The States Project was paved in the election results of 2016 which, like it did for so many of us, became a catalyst for activism. Looking for a way to get more intimately involved in our democratic process, her journey took a powerful turn when she attended a...
info_outline Ep 105: The Evolution of Parenting Teens and Beyond with Parent Coach Casey O’RoartyMother's Quest Podcast
I’m excited to share this conversation with my longtime fellow podcasting friend and parenting guide, Casey O’Roarty. Casey is a positive discipline trainer, certified coach and facilitator of personal growth and development, who encourages parents to discover the purpose of our journey. Through workshops, live and online classes, individual coaching, a published book, and her Joyful Courage Podcast, Casey helps us reconnect to our own empowerment and excitement in parenting, providing us with tools and a shift of mindset that allows us to deepen relationships with ourselves and our...
info_outline Ep 104: Calm, Compassion, Clarity: Election 2024Mother's Quest Podcast
I’m excited to share with you this special episode featuring bite-sized messages from past podcast guests with practices to help us stay grounded, find calm, and regulate our nervous systems in these final days leading up to the 2024 U.S. election! The inspiration for it… A few weeks ago, amid some election anxiety and inspired by my friend Katie Hanus, I committed to just 10 minutes of meditation. Lying on my back, I looked up at the wind moving through a beautiful redwood tree in my backyard. As I watched, I listened to the sound of a nearby wind chime. My breath began to slow, my...
info_outline Ep 103: Knowing Our History: Civil Rights Insights for Today’s World with Sojourn Project's Jeff SteinbergMother's Quest Podcast
I’m honored to share this special Father’s Day edition of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. This episode features my friend Jeff Steinberg, whose commitment to the lessons of the civil rights movement can shine a light for us now, during another pivotal time in our nation’s history. Jeff and I first crossed paths when our sons, Ryan and Journey, now 20 years old, became inseparable friends in preschool. While waiting to pick up our kids, I instantly connected with Jeff as I learned about the transformative work he was doing as Executive Director of Sojourn to the Past, also known as...
info_outline Ep 102: Milestone Hike Revisited: A Mother Son Neurodiversity JourneyMother's Quest Podcast
Welcome to this first episode of Season Nine of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with a returning and special guest, my own son Ryan Neale. I first sat down to record an episode with Ryan in 2017, on his 13th birthday, after we embarked on a milestone hike, using the ascent and descent at our local Sugarloaf Peak to pack up the lessons of his first 13 years of life and my first 13 years of motherhood. At that time, Ryan knew he wanted to close out his teenage years the same way he began them. So this past March, in what felt like the blink of an eye, his 20th birthday approached and Ryan...
info_outline Ep 101: Stoking our Soul Fire for a Revolution from Home with Beth BerryMother's Quest Podcast
Welcome to this last conversation of 2023, with coach, teacher, small group and retreat facilitator at Revolution from Home, mother of four daughters and author of the book , Beth Berry. Beth says she has revolution in her bones. It began when she was seventeen and pumping milk in the bathroom of her high school for her now-grown eldest daughter. It has since gradually evolved into a tender, fiery conviction to reclaim motherhood from every disempowering personal and cultural story she can wrap her head and heart around. Beth has spent thousands of hours mentoring and supporting mothers...
info_outline Ep 100: Mothering as Revolutionary LoveMother's Quest Podcast
This September 11, 2023, I had the honor of holding space for an intimate conversation with civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, and best-selling author of the book The fact that we were recording on September 11th was meaningful, because the tragic event that had taken place 22 years ago shaped Valarie in profound ways and set her on a path that she never expected. Valarie became an activist after a man of the same Sikh faith, a father and family friend she called uncle, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was the first person murdered in hate violence in the aftermath of 9/11. ...
info_outline Dear Body Revisited: And Then I Got ShinglesMother's Quest Podcast
This month, I was planning to record a special solocast to welcome in our 100th episode of the podcast. Instead, three days before my son Jacob’s scheduled knee surgery on July 11th, I got diagnosed with shingles. I’m recovering well and so is Jacob thankfully. But it really caused me to revisit my relationship with my body. There was a need for forgiveness all the way around, a rebuilding of trust and a recommitment to myself. In case you’re not familiar, shingles is the re-emergence of the chicken pox virus, which if you’ve ever had chicken pox lives dormant in your nerves and tends...
info_outline Ep 99: Building and Thinking Outside the Box with David NealeMother's Quest Podcast
I’m honored to share this special Father’s Day Episode featuring my very own father-in-law, David Neale. I started dating my husband Chris when I was only 19, so I realize David has been a source of inspiration and guidance in my life for over 30 years. How lucky I am to have had his example of leadership, impact, and joy for life to light my way for my entire adulthood! The inspiration for this episode was sparked several months ago at a big milestone birthday celebration David organized to honor his 80th year. That celebration was also the launch of a new fund he initiated...
info_outline Ep 98: Sometimes Change Sucks "Reflections at the 5 year Anniversary of the Manifesto Challenge” With Graeme SeabrookMother's Quest Podcast
In 2018, I sat down for a special Mother's Day episode with Graeme Seabrook, a life coach and maternal health advocate, affectionately known by the thousands of mothers she supported as the "Mom for Moms." We hit it off immediately, delving deep into her Motherhood Bill of Rights and my E.P.I.C. life framework, and noticing that both had become manifestos for how we wanted to live our lives while raising our children. During that episode, we co-created what we called a Manifesto Challenge, inviting other mothers to create their own. And afterward, we would reconnect in some way each May,...
info_outlineAs I record this opening today, I’m filled with emotion because I just dropped off my son Ryan at UCLA for his freshmen orientation. Check the show notes for more reflections about this epic snapshot moment.
Last night, Ryan and I stayed up late talking about what he wants to study in college and more importantly, how we hope his college and career journey will be one that lights him up.
It had me thinking about this conversation with Good Life Project podcaster Jonathan Fields. Jonathan is the creator of SparkTypes and a new podcast Sparked, which helps you find work that makes you come alive.
Jonathan and I recorded this episode a few years ago, just before Jonathan was getting ready to take his daughter to her freshmen year in college. It’s filled with heart, insight and wisdom and a reminder that no matter what chapter we or our children are starting, it’s always the right time to ask ourselves the big questions about who we are and what we are here to do.
Epic Snapshot Moment Reflections with Ryan
He’s off to orientation and going to UCLA a month from now
I didn’t do the college reveal post in the spring, though I’ve told many of you personally, because I think so much emphasis during that time gets placed on what school kids do or don’t get into. I want to be part of the conversation that reminds us that college is not the only path our children can take after high school and that there are so many schools that are beautiful matches for students.
But today, with tears streaming down my face as I go on a walk post orientation drop-off, I really wanted to share this with you…
Ryan is going to UCLA! Omg Ryan is going to UCLA!!
I want to share it because:
- UCLA is where Chris and I met over 30 years ago and where I took my first independent moves to becoming the person I am today.
- From the time we started going to UCLA’s family camp Bruin Woods, Ryan has dreamed about attending, mastering the 8 clap at a young age, going to UCLA basketball sleepaway camp and putting UCLA on his 9th grade vision board.
- Ryan worked with my dear friend from UCLA @cindykmcc on his college search application and essays. With neurodivergent boys of her own, she was so patient with Ryan and adapted the process to meet him where he was.
- Ryan’s conversation last fall with Julie Lythcott-Haims on the podcast was part of Ryan’s journey to embracing and celebrating who he is, prompted him to do his college essays voice to text, and to be authentic about his life journey and identity in his essays.
- Finally…because my Dad, who died in December, would be so thrilled that he is here, with my mother down the street, and a family support system of aunts uncles and cousins if Ryan needs them.
While there were challenging days on his journey where we could not imagine him ready to do this, Ryan has grown so much. He is as prepared as he could be for this next chapter. We are so proud of him and excited for him, but more than that he is so proud of himself and excited himself.
It seems Ryan was fated to go to UCLA. Dreams can come true. But they do when, as my Dad always said, you pursue your fate. And wow did Ryan do that!
To hear more about Ryan’s journey:
YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with Ryan Neale
Embracing Neurodiversity and Being an Adult with Julie Lythcott-Haims and Ryan Neale
Full Episode Show Notes
Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 63: A Maker’s Journey to a Good Life with Jonathan Fields
Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).
Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/