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Christopher Johnson introduces Calm, Clear Curiosity with a James Earl Jones quote about the pain of holding words in your heart that you can’t utter, reflecting on the contrast between Jones’ iconic voice and his childhood stutter. He connects the quote to common moments of hesitation, such as asking questions, sharing ideas, starting creative work, or having difficult conversations, and suggests that speaking can be part of becoming ready, with confidence sometimes following imperfect expression.

Johnson discusses Carol Dweck’s book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, contrasting fixed and growth mindsets and applying the idea of development to finding one’s voice. He recounts how a teacher encouraged Jones to read poetry aloud, helping him speak without stuttering, and invites listeners to consider what they’re still holding back and why.

Book Recommendation

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Dweck explores the difference between fixed and growth mindsets and how seeing our abilities as something we can develop can change how we approach learning, challenges, setbacks, and growth.

Listen More

James Earl Jones: An Incredible Journey
The Interview, BBC World Service

In this 2011 conversation with BBC interviewer Stephen Sackur, James Earl Jones reflects on his extraordinary journey from a childhood marked by poverty, segregation, and difficulty speaking to becoming one of the world’s most recognizable actors and voices. The BBC rebroadcast the interview following Jones’s death in September 2024.

Listen: https://pca.st/episode/276cc855-beac-4258-9bf7-7f1113d09443

In This Episode

00:00 Opening Quote
00:17 Show Welcome
00:48 Jones and Silence
01:35 Words Unspoken
02:48 Mindset Framework
03:30 Developing Your Voice
04:01 Practice and Poetry
04:56 Question to Reflect
05:35 Book Recommendation
06:08 Closing and Credits

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About Calm, Clear Curiosity

Calm, Clear Curiosity is a weekly exploration of ideas worth thinking about. Each episode begins with a quote and follows the questions it raises through books, podcasts, journalism, conversations, and other discoveries.

Hosted and produced by Christopher G. Johnson of Calm Clear Media.

Music by Jerome Gray of Cleveland Heads.

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Connect with me on LinkedIn for more ideas about curiosity, communication, media, and the ways we connect with one another.

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