#CR2.2: Heroically Defying the Odds: Is poverty deserved?

Agniola continues her poignant story: how difficult it was for her father to lose the love of his life, how that double grief plunged her in an abyss, how she found the strength to emerge from it and soar. I have watched her reconquer the world with might and optimism, in absolute awe of what her spirit can transcend. She taught me proactive healing and gave me new insights on the power of love. Love is the most potent motor there is and Agniola illustrates it beautifully.

This is a privilege for me: sharing the soul-stirring and inspiring story of my sister-friend Agniola. One where the power of love and the pain of loss battle to create the possibility of renewal. Her parents shared legendary love. They both passed away within 2 years of each other which brought her immense pain. And the need to define the meaning of crossing over, transitioning. Listening to her story, you will feel that love transcends all and never dies. Part 2 comes out on the 21st of February. Stay tuned.

My amazing friend Medesse shares with generosity and openness her perspective and experiences as a feminist. We talk about the life moments and the observations that ignited that light in her. We talk about womanhood: its joys, its challenges, and its shades. We talk about how society values women, the place it often assigns them to, and what can happen when they decide to choose their seat at the table. This conversation made me feel deeply grateful to be in sisterhood with her.

Miral Alaraj takes us on an empathy journey about the Palestinian experience. We revisit the sad events that erupted this summer. She talks about pain, anger, fear, and loss of dignity. She shares about life under occupation, and the immense sacrifices Palestinians have to make to move, to live and to merely exist. Miral makes us connect, in a way that awakens the soul and binds us to fellow humans in Palestine for a short while.

Owning your completeness as a woman without children. Building a legacy that does not include motherhood. Having the strength to determine what you will be defined by. Taking that power back. Yet maintaining grace in all circumstances and amidst hardships. My beautiful and soulful friend discusses her battle against endometriosis, a disease that stood in the way of her having children. She takes us on a journey of how she cultivated gratefulness, intention, and grace in building a full life, without children, and away from the burden of others’ expectations.

Is hard work the main driver of where we land in life? Is it that those who enjoy the benefit of excess, simply work harder and are more deserving than others? Is poverty a pathology? Is it the result of laziness, and hence deserved? Nelson challenges our narratives on what drives success. He pushes us to unpack what makes us lull ourselves with certain storylines. He calls us to recognize the randomness in our circumstances, and inspires us to empathize with those less fortunate than us. With a bit less luck, they are who we could have been. 

My friend Nelson Chiwara and I discuss the meanders, twists and turns of his improbable and mesmerizing life journey: from destitution and poverty in rural Zimbabwe to opportunity, excess and success in New York City. How much luck is needed to anesthetize bad luck? Can our ability to dream tangibly lift us up? Is it hard work that sets us on a different life trajectory? Who are the silent heroes and unexpected determinants of our wildest life turns? I am in awe of all that Nelson has defied to build his life; I am even more admirative of his state of mind, his general disposition and powerful wisdom. Pure inspiration. Happy listening.

The Common Reality Podcast is officially launched! This podcast is about enveloping ourselves in empathy, a central pillar of emotional intelligence. Who best to dissect this topic than my dear friend Tania Khojasteh - a fabulous educator, an expert in law, political science, and in fearless, integrative and interconnected knowledge. She is also the brilliant co-host of a podcast called Fearless Knowledge. In this conversation, we attempt to get a feel for emotional intelligence (pun very much intended) and unpack its importance and relevance in our lives, and by extension, in our societies. Happy Listening.