In this companion episode to Jennifer's conversation with Bayo Akomolafe on breaking the trance of pragmatism, she invites you to notice your usual response when something needs fixing, solving, or resolving.

What have you been taught to do? What feels expected? And what other responses might be available, even if they are less visible, less legible, or more strange?

The idea behind this practice is not to uncover a better solution, as tempting as it is. Rather Jennifer invites you into a practice of noticing your default response — and then staying curious about what else might be happening.

In this episode you'll:

• notice your own or others' "obvious" or "expected" responses
• observe the pressure to act quickly and efficiently
• stay open to less obvious possibilities
• explore bewilderment, ripples, and generative cracks as sites of generativity

Jennifer reminds us that this practice will not solve the problem, but it may disturb the waters of conditioned seeing and widen our sense of what's possible.

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro.

How do we respond to harm and injustice without reinforcing the very systems we want to tear down? What if our most pragmatic responses—fixing, solving, demanding—are part of a trance that keeps us under the thumb of power?

In this episode, Jennifer speaks with philosopher, writer, and teacher Bayo Akomolafe, whose work invites a sideways glance at activism, politics, and the idea that we can simply repair the world if we try hard enough.

Together, they explore:

• How activism can sometimes reinforce the “myth of repair” and the logic of pragmatic solutions
• Why saying “no” is not always refusal, and how resistance can still participate in the systems it opposes
• Bayo’s concept of parapolitics—an ethically experimental space beyond conventional political choreography
• Fugitivity as a form of transformation rather than escape
• How the “obvious” response to crisis can hide deeper entanglements and possibilities
• The seasonal tension between saving and savoring, urgency and presence.

Come listen as Jennifer and Bayo explore what it might mean to break the trance of pragmatism—and discover new possibilities for aliveness, creativity, and ethical response in uncertain times.

Links & resources—

• Learn more about Bayo Akomolafe and his work
• Pre-order or explore Bayo’s new book: Selah: A Bayo Akomolafe Reader
• Get Jennifer’s Substack Newsletter
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn
• Listen for the bonus micro-episode following this conversation for a short integration practice.

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro.

In this short guided practice, Jennifer builds on her conversation with Zen teacher Diane Musho Hamilton and facilitator & executive coach Gabe Kaigen Wilson to explore one underrated superpower in our “growing up” toolkit: listening well.

We’ve all been in those harder conversations—at work, with a partner, a teen, or a family member—where we’re either talking over each other or shutting down. In this episode, Jennifer offers a simple, relational practice to slow things down and listen in a way that softens defensiveness and deepens connection.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why reflective listening is such a powerful practice in conflict and everyday conversations
• How to shift from listening to confirm you’re “right” to listening from a place of not knowing
• How slowing the pace of a conversation can change the entire field of relationship

Jennifer reminds us that reflecting back doesn’t mean you agree. It simply shows that you’ve heard what matters to the other person and are willing to be with it—without rushing to fix, solve, or convince.

Links & Resources:

• Get Diane Musho Hamilton and Gabe Kaigen Wilson's new book Waking Up and Growing Up: Spiritual Cross Training for an Evolving World
• Get Jennifer's bi-monthly newsletter or reach out here

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro.