While some colleagues and friends were already considering retirement, Pete found himself at a crossroads asking, “What am I going to do when I grow up?”. In this vulnerable conversation, Jason invites Pete to share his unexpected journey as he stepped away from nearly two decades of work in psychotherapy into an unchartered calling that carried with it various uncertainties. Pete dives into the movements of courage into the unknown, staring at fear in the face, and moving forward nonetheless into the direction of growth.
Summary
Central to this discussion around the use of Artificial Intelligence is the notion that virtue is not intrinsically baked into the technologies that are currently available to us. Given this fact, how do we – as consumers of all this technology – begin to consider how to use tech responsibly, with honour, and oriented towards the good? Further, how can we peel back layers of all that is bright and shiny in front of us so that we can see, with clear eyes and clear minds, the ulterior motives behind Silicon Valley’s technological masterminds? Pete and Jason continue to unpack their thoughts regarding what honourable use of technology can look like, urging listeners not to lose sight of the good, and not just for ourselves but for our neighbours as well. They paint a picture of what we might actually be after: a society filled with thriving human beings, unmastered by machines, humbly living embodied experiences. Pete and Jason round out the discussion by making a case for the type of environments that we need to foster in order to engage with technology with carefully discerned intentionality.
Speakers Bio
Pete White is the founder of Vocatio, an organization focused on restoring character and calling to the center of human life. Drawing from a wealth of life experiences – from his work as a carpenter in blue-collar environments, volunteering in homeless shelters, to nearly two decades as a therapist in private practice – Pete encountered the deep brokenness of the human experience in lives oriented away from the heart of God. He witnessed firsthand the fractures caused by addictions, poverty of mind, body, and spirit, broken relationships, and crises in identity and authenticity. His encounters have ignited in him a deep desire to see healing and wholeness, steeped in love, to the world around him. Today, Pete accompanies individuals and organizations in the process of clarifying purpose and life-calling, recovering their vocation as life-as-craft.
Bio retrieved from Vocatio.
Jason Jensen is the founding partner and CEO of Glass Canvas. He has set the tone for radical pursuit of the way of Jesus in every area of our business, leading with vulnerability, intentionality, and pursuit of the human heart. His personal mission is to help increase the accompaniment capacity of the Church, and he does so with his gifts of being with individuals and leaders to help draw them into an integrated Christian imagination. Jason leads the formation direction and overall vision of Glass Canvas.
Noteworthy quotes
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart
Resources for you
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation
by Parker Palmer
Order from Amazon
Timestamps
01:08 Realizing the need to iterate one’s calling
02:21 A theme in Pete’s life
03:15 Clinical psychology and its proposed remedies
06:43 Twenty-two thousand hours of stories, a human education
09:35 Realizing when the practice has come to an end
12:00 Am I still called to be where I am?
16:05 No language for soul responses
21:55 The last session and the long walk home
27:20 Grace and effort
30:00 A posture of blessing, hope, and trust
34:00 Jesus is in it with me
35:00 Provision and collaborative hope
37:18 The masculine genius: the men in the forge
40:35 Personal discovery is found in the territories regarded as risk
41:51 Fear, shame, and what do I do when I grow up?
44:27 3AM intrusive thoughts
46:16 Creativity + Introversion = Batman
47:00 Fear is always part of the aspiration towards growth
53:25 Imparting presence
56:40 Frackled dynamics of God’s image
01:01:38 What can you not not do? (Palmer)
01:03:21 Transcending psychotherapy
01:05:03 Surrogate “hope-r” and “believe-r”
01:07:40 Encounter with wisdom
01:08:17 Cushman’s Hermeneutic Circle
01:10:23 Meeting people at the “dead ends” of their being
01:11:35 Reclaiming love as central to all human story
01:12:40 You never have to game the system
01:14:50 From Pete’s heart to yours
01:18:23 A quest to do the best
01:20:40 An offering of something not yet perfected
01:23:08 A word of gratitude
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