Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.
In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same.
Today, we’re bringing back Preston Bowers (he/him), from Season 2 | Episode 12, to have an open dialogue around religion and spirituality in the 21st century. Preston is an atheist turned non-denominational Christian after some life-altering, heart-opening experiences from his college years that forced him to come face-to-face with himself, ultimately deciding to study Philosophy and Biblical Studies. We talk about self-righteousness, religion as a psychological crutch, boundaries, spirituality vs religion, morality, death, conviction, loneliness, the purpose of religion + spirituality in the 21st century, self-reliance vs faith, and learning zoom backgrounds. We start slow, but it really ramps up into a deep conversation about how faith can play a role in our lives during these shifting times.
*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- #amplifymelanatedvoices @iammiketodd
- #amplifymelanatedvoices @queenafua
- #amplifymelanatedvoices @innerlightwarrior
- AllTrails
- Vibram
- Dallas Baptist University
- Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
- Duncan Trussel Family Hour Podcast
- Brene Brown podcast: Unlocking
- Brother David
- Harvard Divinity School article - Religion is changing not dying
- Harvard Divinity School article - future study of religion
- Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/
3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Have you allowed religion (or anything for that matter) to be a psychological crutch? A crutch that allows you to avoid taking responsibility for your life or gives you a perceived easy way out from facing your life? Pay attention to the things you deploy in an effort to avoid actually taking ownership for your life. Pay attention to the things that you use to give yourself permission to act in ways that are actually out of integrity for you. And yes, even things that are supposed to be “good for you” or “helpful”, can be used in ways that allow us to avoid taking responsibility and ownership.
- What do you believe? What do you build your world view around? What are your boundaries that allow you to live into your beliefs? There is an invitation to find your clarity around what is important and what your beliefs are that create your world. Without clarity of these beliefs, you will still have beliefs, they just may not be yours.. So, get curious about what your beliefs are and what beliefs exist within you that maybe want to shift and evolve. And when you land those beliefs, have the courage to be a stand for them while having an open heart for those who may have their own different set of beliefs so that both of you can honor your own journeys without dishonoring someone else’s and visa versa.
- Keep digging in. Get curious. Poke holes. Research new ideas and find YOUR answers. Just because you land on one worldview that works for you today doesn’t mean that you have “gotten there”. See if you can use that as a foundational framework, then keep looking to ideas and concepts outside of your chosen path to challenge your views and see if your current view still sticks. Or maybe it shifts and that is ok too. Keep learning and growing and evolving and getting YOUR answers, even if it takes you down a path you never thought you would have considered. You will either get more confirmation that the path you are on is the right one for you, or you will learn something and adjust to a shifted path that is more right for you. Either way, you are closer to your path if you continue to question, get curious, unpack, challenge and grow vs staying stagnant and dogmatic.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
- [1:40] Zoom background explorations
- [4:35] Jenell almost kills her Tinder date
- [12:10] AD: Join us for THE COLLECTIVE, a live community zoom conversation on different topics related to authenticity + living your TRUE NORTH. September (9/3 @6pm CST) is all about reconnecting with your inner child(ren). Sign up via our email list (at the top of our website) or in the link in our IG bio.
- [12:44] Welcome back, Preston!
- [18:00] Self-righteousness pushes people away
- [21:00] Using religion as a psychological crutch
- [24:00] There are lots of paths to death + life
- [30:00] Religion vs spirituality
- [45:00] Boundaries
- [48:10] AD: McAlister Training (remember Lauren McAlister from Season 3 | Episode 27) is offering online classes that you can join today. Two weeks of unlimited classes for only $35! Sign-up here. Enjoy!
- [50:00] What is moral?
- [56:00] Things have come + gone, but religion has always been around
- [1:01:00] Do your research + genuinely dig in
- [1:03:30] Ignorance is not bliss
- [1:06:00] Universal essence AND my unique experience
- [1:09:00] Conviction
- [1:14:00] Role of religion + spirituality today
- [1:27:00] Self-reliance vs faith
- [1:34:45] How do you live your TRUE NORTH through religion or spirituality?
- [1:37:10] Reach out to Preston via email at prestonbowers.ltc@gmail.com or via IG @aprestonbowers