An Intentional Life: Lessons from Season 2 of 92,000 Hours
We created the 92,000 Hours podcast to explore how we can bring our full, authentic selves to every aspect of our lives—at home, in our workplaces, in our communities, or even on the public stage. From resilience to belonging to courage, the second season of 92,000 Hours tackled some of the core values and barriers that keep us from being our authentic selves.
As we begin production of season 3, we spent time reflecting on the inspiring guests who shared their stories and wisdom with us this year. They are writers, PhD recipients, police officers, consultants, executives, lawyers—and they wowed us with their insights on human nature, the role of work, and how we can lead an intentional life.
Lessons in self-care
If this season (and this year) taught us anything, it’s that moving forward with confidence requires us to be gentle with ourselves and others. Even among our team, we all had times this year when we had to say “Sorry, I can’t do that.” As a collective, we are relying on each other’s understanding, forgiveness, and grace.
Our ability to extend that to others begins with our ability to understand, forgive, and give grace to ourselves. As Shamby Polychronis, a clinical instructor in severe disabilities and disability rights advocate, said in her episode on resilience, “We revere resilience, but not what it takes to be resilient. A lot of self-care is resting and re-energizing.”
It’s okay to feel tired. It’s okay to take a rest. It’s okay to say no and hide with a cup of coffee and Netflix (we swear, the world will still be there when you re-emerge. And you’ll be much happier for it!)
Anne-Marie Vivienne, a poet enthralled by the rituals and rhythms of life, taught us to listen to our bodies and find what makes our heart sing—then do more of it. Rather than drudging through the day-to-day tasks that fill our time like washing dishes or commuting, and reinvent them as rituals for self-care and reflection.
An important part of self-care is enforcing boundaries, a tenet Laurel Smylie knows well as an organizational culture consultant and Dare to Lead facilitator (that’s Brene Brown’s leadership certification program). “Don’t confuse being courageous with being vulnerable,” she advised in her episode on courage. “Empathy without boundaries is self-destruction.”
Lessons in connection
Covid inherently changed the way we communicate and connect. Our circles of trust and connection shrank — or even disappeared in a meaningful or tangible way. We saw our loved ones through the glow of a screen, imagined their laughs when we reminisced over text instead of coffee.
In Omid Fotuhi’s episode on belonging, he talked about the anxiety of wondering whether you belong and how pervasive it becomes, making you question every thought and action of the people around you.
It’s easy to understand and empathize with our loved ones, but it’s harder to do so with a complete stranger—and the separation and othering we’ve experienced in recent years make that gap seem even more insurmountable. In his legal work, Engels Tejeda is often faced with that insurmountable task—to understand the context and actions of people in completely different circumstances than his own.
“It’s not a philosophical discussion, it’s a matter of life and death,” he said. “It’s hard to empathize with the people who are taking advantage of the system, but if you were in their position, would you? Would you pursue peace, safety, prosperity for your family?”
Connecting with others requires you to understand their values and communicate with them in a way they can understand. Communications expert Alana Dunagan said connecting with others requires you to communicate what that person needs to know to move forward—which may be different from what you want to say to feel heard. “It feels good to think we understand something complex, but it’s far better to explain simply,” she said.
Lessons in identity
When we think of the complexity of identity, we think of John Littlewolf. In his episode on compassion, John dove into his identity as an Indigenous man—one of a tribe of only 3,000 people whose greatest accomplishment has been recognizing and embracing his own Indigenous identity. He is a PhD recipient, a poet, and a police officer—and he is faced daily with difficult decisions that intersect his values and lived experiences.
We were also moved by Liz Tinkham’s story of reinvention as she transitioned from a highly successful executive career to “pretirement”—a term she uses to describe the time in her life where she is using her time, talent, and treasure to pursue her passions and purpose in her third act. She reflected on how people’s sense of identity changes as they go through transitions, and what it means when you have built your worth (whether subconsciously or consciously) around your career. What does it mean when you are no longer in that career? Who are you? How do you stand in your worth? It’s difficult to find yourself again and grapple with your new identity.
Start where you are
Omid’s episode on belonging taught us a key lesson: the importance of simply “being”. Allowing yourself to be the you that’s appropriate for each situation; your authentic self may not look exactly the same at home and at work, but give yourself the space to reflect on who that person is and engage in the process of growth. Omid explained he is constantly focused on “being”—”It’s ever-present and something I’m constantly working on. It’s obnoxious to many people, because it’s a flame that burns very strong and not everyone can relate to. But that’s my reality and my place of strength.”
Giving herself time for reflection gave Cheri Wood the space to realize she had a dream for her city—and could take simple steps to make that happen. Now Mayor of South Salt Lake, Cheri encouraged listeners in her episode on integrity to get started now. “Don’t wait for permission. Run for office,” she said. “Consider this your permission slip to do something big and scary.”
When we sit with ourselves and reflect on the reality of our situation, we have to embrace the shadow side. Brody Leven is an adventure skier and storyteller, and while sounds like a “dream job” (and was indeed his), it often means early mornings, weeks-long expeditions into desolate areas, and a complete blur between his personal and professional lives. As he taught us in his episode on authenticity, “There is always a shadow side. Embrace the suck.”
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This season of 92,000 Hours taught us so much: how to be resilient, how to belong, the importance of reflection and gratitude. As we move forward to season three, and into new endeavors in the years to come, we ask ourselves the same question Liz asked herself in the midst of her big transition: “What do I want to do? Maybe it’s not about purpose or meaning, it’s about happiness.”
We hope these important lessons help you find the courage and strength to pursue your happiness with intention.