Fascinating interview with Lisa Carpenter! She's a powerful, dynamic and beautifully positive person (that's real, grounded positive, not fluffy positive!) who, after years of striving to be better, has come to the hard won realization that she's already good enough, and always has been.
I was fortunate to speak with Lisa for an hour earlier this year, and it was an amazing interview. She's a vital, vivacious person with compelling stories and much wisdom to share. Please listen and see what you think - and, of course, feel free to share!
I've listed below, some of my personal favourite quotes from Lisa, with time markers! Enjoy!
6.27 - "Yes we all like that external validation ... but when our entire self-worth and importance in this world is hung on somebody else's opinion of us, we're not going to get very far."
23,50 - "Get comfortable being uncomfortable ... it' really won't kill you!"
29.40 - "So we had a baby, and at six months old I discovered he (Lisa's husband) was an addict."
33.10 - "He really is that relationship I'd always dreamed of, I just didn't realise we'd have to walk through the gates of hell to get there."
36.34 - "We're all a hot mess, we all have stuff! And we have to stop thinking that other people have something we don't."
39.50 - "I realized that my entire life was living in a state of survival."
43.36 - Do you know who you are? "Yes. I do, and I'm still growing ... because it's not really about who I am, it's about who I'm becoming."
46.57 - In the end it all comes down to...? "How much I've loved and the impact I've made."
STORIES OF OUR LIVES is my attempt to bring people together by showing that despite our differences, and all the media noise that separates us, we're all just people trying to tell our stories, hoping for someone to listen. ​ So, in my quirky way, I will be that listener, I will give you my full attention. And through a simple conversation, I will encourage you to speak the truth of who you are, to tell the stories of your life, and to share them with others. ​ And let me say this. These conversations are not about entertainment. Not in the crass sense, at least. They're not about producing something that satisfies a need, that gives you a fleeting sugar rush, and is then discarded and forgotten. ​ These conversations are engagements, encounters. They're a record of a delicate, beautiful connection - between a person trying to articulate who they are, and a person listening in non-judgement as they do so. ​ There's something profound and simply human in that . ​ So there you have it, Stories of Our Lives! Below, you'll find the conversations I've recorded so far. It's been a privilege to be in the presence of such a range of different people as they tell their stories, and I hope to be present for many more! Enjoy!