Creating Meaning and Purpose
Dr. Robin Owens and Dr. Patrick Reyes offer perspective
Labyrinth of the Chartres Cathedral, France. Photo: Sylvain Sonnet/Corbis
Dr. Patrick Reyes, author of the recent book The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive (Westminster John Knox Press, 2021), talks to Dr. Robin Owens about their shared passion for helping others find meaning and purpose. Dr. Owens—author of the forthcoming book Purpose-Based Decisions: An Inspirational Guide to More Meaning, Purpose, and Passion in Your Leadership, Business or Career (Balboa Press, 2022)—combines her experience in business, social work, and higher education to help students, women entrepreneurs, and leaders unlock their purpose.
Dr. Owens has been thinking about the “big questions” since she was a young girl. “In the end, if you have some people in some way who are supporting you, that is the key to move on through any adversity,” she tells Dr. Reyes. “I will always, always encourage [students and others]… to think about different ways of being in community and what that means to them.” If the pandemic has taught us anything, she says, it is that people long to be with others and that building community is an essential way to move beyond challenges.
Dr. Owens urges listeners to meditate on the following personal big questions:
To what extent am I using my natural abilities at this phase, at this stage?
To what extent am I doing the things that I love, that I have some passion around?
To what extent am I doing the things that really matter to me?
To what extent am I using a combination of the above in service to someone or something other than myself now?
RELATED PODCASTS
Leadership Purpose with Dr. Robin - Dr. Robin Owens
“If you’re a high achieving woman who leads others and are looking for a place where you can be encouraged, inspired, motivated, and supported, then this is the show for you.”
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Sound of the Genuine - FTP Leaders - Dr. Patrick Reyes
This forum for the Theological Exploration’s podcast explores meaning and purpose, inviting listeners into the vocational journey of leaders of the church and academy.
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RECENT PUBLICATION
The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive - Patrick Reyes (Westminster John Knox Press, 2021)
“Reyes has written a 200+ page love letter to future generations of Black and Brown people, by both calling out unjust systems and calling in community to practice abundant life and love together.”
—Lakisha R. Lockhart, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology,
Chicago Theological Seminary
