225: Parker Palmer: Courage, Vocation, and Paradox (Best of NSE)

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September 1, 2025 • 50 mins

“Things didn’t come together vocationally for me until I was 50.” At 86 years old, Quaker writer, speaker, and activist Parker Palmer has much to say about living a good life. And in his experience, a good life is often hard-won and counterintuitive. In this episode, Parker covers a lot of ground, offering wisdom gleaned from a life lived with attention to the makings of a good life. He tells about his experience seeking and finding vocation, discovering how a rich life entails the embrace of paradox, and living through three major bouts of depression, which gave him an increased attention to life’s small things. Show Notes Resources: Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Similar Episodes: ⁠Actor and Activist: Martin Sheen Author of The Shack: William Paul Young ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Want more NSE? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JOIN NSE+ Today!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our subscriber only community comes with bonus content, ad-free listening, and early access to tickets for our live shows. Great Feeling Studios, the team behind No Small Endeavor and other award-winning podcasts, helps nonprofits and brands tell stories that inspire action. Start your podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠helpmemakeapodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe to episodes:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Google⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Lee:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Email List:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ nosmallendeavor.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ See Privacy Policy:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Privacy Policy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}225: Parker Palmer: Courage, Vocation, and Paradox (Best of NSE)