Blue Sky copertina

Blue Sky

Blue Sky

Di: Bill Burke
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A proposito di questo titolo

 Hosted by Bill Burke, founder of The Optimism Institute, this weekly podcast will feature inspiring leaders, authors, researchers, and big thinkers who are taking on some of our world's toughest challenges with an infectious sense of optimism. Blue Sky takes its name from the meditation reminder that there's always blue sky above, sometimes you just have to get your head above the clouds to see it.2025 Igiene e vita sana Psicologia Psicologia e salute mentale Scienze sociali
Episodi
  • Navy Pilot, Magician, Stand-Up Comic, and Nonprofit Founder Julie Roland Shares Her Optimistic View on How the Arts Can Build Community

    Navy Pilot, Magician, Stand-Up Comic, and Nonprofit Founder Julie Roland Shares Her Optimistic View on How the Arts Can Build Community
    Feb 18 2026
    Julie Roland's background is impressive and remarkably varied. She's a retired naval aviator, a stand-up comic, a law school graduate, a political staffer, and founder of the community-building nonprofit Just Tryna Make Friends. In this Blue Sky episode, Julie spreads her infectious optimism about how the arts can be used to connect people at a time when so many forces are pulling us apart. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Julie Roland Bill Burke introduces Julie Roland, highlighting her diverse background as a Navy Lieutenant Commander, helicopter pilot, and founder of a community-building nonprofit. Julie shares how 'The West Wing' inspired her patriotism and Harry Potter sparked her interest in flying and magic, leading her to ROTC and a career in the Navy. 05:00 Just Trying to Make Friends Julie discusses the genesis of her nonprofit, Just Tryna Make Friends, which she co-founded to foster community and promote the arts. She explains how the organization grew from backyard shows into a larger movement, especially after COVID-19 heightened the need for connection and live performances. 11:24 The Power of Art and Connection Julie elaborates on her broad definition of art and why it effectively brings people together, emphasizing vulnerability and authentic expression. She describes the diverse acts featured at 'Just Tryna Make Friends' shows, from music and comedy to fire sword dancing and crochet, all aimed at creating a welcoming stage for creative expression. 17:04 Restoring Faith in Humanity through Art Julie reflects on how art restores her faith in humanity, highlighting its unique ability to inspire wonder and beauty. She describes the grassroots setup of 'Just Tryna Make Friends' shows, designed to be free, accessible, and foster a childlike sense of community and connection among strangers. 25:57 Creative Outlets in the Navy Julie shares how she integrated her playful and creative side, including magic and music, into her regimented Navy career, even performing on aircraft carriers. She recounts anecdotes like painting a mural in her squadron and doing magic tricks for admirals, showcasing her consistent pursuit of creative outlets. 35:30 Future Endeavors and Community Engagement Julie discusses her future plans, including potentially taking the bar exam and her current role as a District Director for a New York State government official, focusing on community engagement.
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    47 min
  • Dr. Jennifer Wong on Connecting Older Adults Through the Remarkable Nonprofit, Life Story Club

    Dr. Jennifer Wong on Connecting Older Adults Through the Remarkable Nonprofit, Life Story Club
    Feb 11 2026
    Older Americans are struggling with social isolation more than ever. This can lead to challenges with mental and physical health as people age, and one nonprofit is having great success trying to do something about it. Life Story Club uses scheduled Zoom and phone calls form members to share stories about their past, present, and plans for their future. In this Blue Sky conversation, interim director and geriatric specialist Dr. Jennifer Wong describes how this life-changing organization operates. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and Jennifer's Background The episode introduces Blue Sky and its focus on optimism, then introduces guest Dr. Jennifer Wong. Dr. Wong shares her journey into experimental psychology and her passion for supporting older adults and those with disabilities, which stems from personal experiences with family health challenges. 05:00 Life Story Club's Mission Jennifer explains how she connected with the Life Story Club and describes its simple yet effective model. The club gathers older adults virtually each week to share life stories, aiming to combat social isolation and loneliness in a vulnerable population. 10:25 Story Rx Program and Partnerships Jennifer details the Story Rx program, a unique initiative where medical professionals can prescribe Life Story Club to patients. This program allows for powerful partnerships with leading healthcare institutions like Cleveland Clinic and Montefiore, leveraging medical data to track the program's effectiveness in improving patient well-being. 15:22 Facilitator's Impact and Wisdom The discussion highlights the profound impact facilitators have and the valuable insights they gain from older adults' stories. Facilitators, who are paid professionals, often share their own vulnerabilities, fostering deep connections and mutual support within the clubs, which also incorporate geographical and linguistic considerations. 22:34 Intergenerational Perspective and Progress Jennifer and Bill discuss how older adults' stories provide invaluable historical perspective, reminding younger generations of societal progress and the non-linear nature of change. These narratives offer optimism and a reminder that current challenges, while significant, have historical precedents that were overcome. 27:43 Data and Family Connection Jennifer shares the impressive data collected from Life Story Club participants, showing significant improvements in loneliness, belonging, and mood. The conversation also emphasizes how the club's story recording feature provides a precious gift to families, reconnecting them with their elders' unheard stories and fostering intergenerational connection. 35:20 Growth and Future Outlook Life Story Club is actively working on expanding its reach beyond New York, developing a working group for communities interested in replicating the model. They welcome partnerships with healthcare organizations and individual donors to meet the growing need for older adult support and enhance life for longer-living populations.
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    47 min
  • Lynda Ulrich and Liesl Ulrich-Verderber on Optimism and Their Drive to Create the Goodness Exchange

    Lynda Ulrich and Liesl Ulrich-Verderber on Optimism and Their Drive to Create the Goodness Exchange
    Feb 4 2026
    Lynda Ulrich and her daughter Liesl Ulrich-Verderber are the mother-daughter team behind the Goodness Exchange, a global positive-news platform founded in 2014 to help people cut through today's negative nose with research-backed, solutions-focused storytelling. On this Blue Sky episode, they describe how they came to their optimistic outlooks at different stages of their lives and have managed to work together to create a remarkable platform for hopeful and uplifting stories. Chapters: 00:00 Are Optimists Born or Made? Bill Burke introduces the mother-daughter team, Dr. Lynda Ulrich and Liesl Ulrich-Verderber, co-founders of The Goodness Exchange. Lynda shares how a childhood tragedy, coupled with her parents' optimistic worldview, led her to choose to see the good in the world from a young age. 04:22 From Jaded to Optimist Liesl describes her journey from a 'jaded Harvard student' to an optimist, influenced by working with her mother on The Goodness Exchange's positive content. Lynda discusses how she encouraged her children to 'change their state' and choose their perspective when facing adversity, modeling this through their family's extensive global travels. 08:05 The Power of Travel Lynda and Liesl reflect on how their extensive world travels, even to uncomfortable places, broadened their perspectives and fueled their optimism. Liesl emphasizes seeing both the vast differences and similarities in how people live globally, fostering connections across cultures and expanding comfort zones. 12:30 The Digital Divide and Disinformation Lynda explains her transition from dentistry to founding The Goodness Exchange, motivated by patients' increasing fear and negativity towards the future post-2010, linking it to negative news and social media. Liesl attributes this shift to the early, unregulated development of social media by young creators and a general lack of digital literacy, but notes a growing trend among younger generations to disengage from platforms that negatively impact them. 17:42 Battling Digital Overload Bill and Lynda discuss the unhealthy constant consumption of negative information through smartphones and social media, highlighting how clicks on alarming content inadvertently 'vote' for more of it. 22:30 Unplugging and Community Liesl, specializing in EdTech, advocates for removing phones from classrooms to foster community and better learning, viewing technology as a tool for connection rather than a constant distraction. 30:01 The Goodness Exchange's Evolution Lynda recounts starting The Goodness Exchange (originally Ever Widening Circles) as a blog to counter the world's negativity she observed in her dental practice, writing daily articles about positive stories. Liesl, upon graduating from Harvard, decided to join, seeing it as a way to transition her mother's passion into a sustainable and impactful publishing and media company focused on rigorously sourced positive content. 33:05 Rats to the Rescue! The Goodness Exchange primarily publishes positive news articles, a bi-weekly newsletter, and the 'Conspiracy of Goodness' podcast, focusing on engaging content formats as people skim rather than read. 41:02 AI in Education: Educated Bravery Liesl expresses excitement about AI in education, particularly tools like Khanmigo and Magic School AI, which move beyond cheating fears to empower teachers and students. 48:13 Bridging Generational Gaps Lynda shares an analogy about intergenerational collaboration, where her long life provides a broad 'back of the Earth' perspective, while Liesl, standing on the 'edge,' sees what's coming in the future.
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    54 min
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