The between stories: when the sky wasn’t black anymore–a story about awe, yosemite, and what happens when you hand someone a feeling they might not catch
"Awe doesn’t always translate. But what do we lose when we stop trying to share it?"Welcome to The Between Stories—a series where I take you into moments from my life that shaped the themes we explore in the main episodes. These are the in-between chapters that echo through everything you hear on the show.The landscape of the High Sierra has rearranged the scale of my life more times than I can count. It been a throughline throughout my life, a place I’ve returned to again and again, across decisions and different versions of myself. I think there’s a kind of awe that lives in the places we return to—quiet, familiar, and still able to catch us off guard.Sometimes if we're lucky, we get to experience awe—the feeling so profound it rearranges the scale of things—the parts of life that get too loud are pulled back into proportion.This episode looks at the quiet vulnerability in trying to share awe—and the human need to have our inner experiences seen by the people we care about. Awe can shift perspective. It can connect us to something larger. But what gets unlocked when someone else looks out at the same view, turns to you, and—without a word—you know they see it too?Maybe we don’t share things just to share them. Maybe it’s something else entirely we’re hoping they’ll see.I don’t think awe asks much of us. Perhaps just that we occasionally notice.—Molly—🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter What I Wish I Knew shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join—🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube—🔗 Follow for more:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedInSend us a text
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DR. KIM NOLAN—“The Moment I Chose to Stay” (A Buddhist Chaplain’s Journey Through the Veil), the Biological Power of Awe, How to Hack “Timelessness”
We think of awe as rare. A sunset. A mountain peak. A fleeting high.But what if we’ve got it backwards?Awe isn’t just something that happens to you—it’s a biological lever hiding in plain sight. One that can decrease stress hormones, stretch time, and rewire attention.In this conversation, Dr. Kim Nolan—Buddhist chaplain, psychologist, and one of the most grounded people I’ve ever known—shows us how to spot the extraordinary buried in the ordinary.We talk about:✅ How awe can reduce cortisol, expand time, and make you kinder ✅ The two-part formula scientists use to define awe (and how to reverse-engineer it in your life)✅ How experiencing awe rewires your brain and makes decision-making easier✅ The “sacred ordinary” moments most people miss (but you won’t anymore)✅ Why awe might be one of the most powerful (and overlooked) wellness tools we haveIn this week’s How-To segment, I’ll break down:→ The 2-part formula behind awe—and why it’s not just about feeling “wow”→ What the science says about awe and time perception, connection, and burnout→ A method to train your brain to experience more awe, anywhereThis episode changed how I walk down the street, wait in line, and look into the distance. Because Kim’s right: Awe isn’t scarce—we’re just not looking where it lives.With eyes wide open, — Molly🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter ‘What I Wish I Knew’ shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join—🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube—🔗 Follow for more:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedInConnect with Kim:LinkedIn | TED Talk | UVM Faculty Page—🕒 Timestamps00:00 Accidentally wishing a man at CVS Happy Mother’s Day02:22 Introducing Dr. Kim Nolan03:48 Dr. Kim Nolan's Health Crisis and Awakening17:05 Exploring the Concept of Awe19:29 Awe in Everyday Life49:21 The Importance of Consistency49:40 The Playful Quality of Awe51:11 Minimizing Harm and Doing Good51:56 Age, Maturity, and Speaking Freely53:24 Moments of Awe in Vulnerability54:52 The Power of Small Acts of Kindness57:33 The Concept of Timelessness in Awe57:55 The Impact of Awe on Time Perception01:00:14 Practical Steps to Cultivate Awe01:03:32 The Role of Calling in Decision Making01:07:35 Recognizing and Trusting Your Calling01:13:41 Awe in Relationships and Everyday Moments01:21:32 The How-To: How to Harness Awe in Your Own LifeSend us a text
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The between stories: The 3AM White House epiphany - a story about climate, burnout, and the uncomfortable truth that fear might not be what moves us after all
"Because really—why would anyone fight for a future they believe is already lost?”Welcome to The Between Stories—a series where I take you into moments from my life that shaped the themes we explore in the main episodes, and share the meaning I’m still trying to make from them. These are the in-between chapters that echo through everything you hear on the show.In this episode, I share a turning point that reshaped how I think about climate strategy, public engagement, and the emotional root of action. It’s about burnout, misplaced narratives, and the question that kept following me: How do you get people to act?This one’s for anyone who’s felt like the strategy isn’t landing—or like the real work starts with something more human than persuasion.There’s more ahead. There always is. — Molly—🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter What I Wish I Knew shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join—🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube—🔗 Follow for more:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedInSend us a text
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THE SILENT CLIMATE MAJORITY—How Behavioral Science Is Activating Millions, The NBA Pattern No One Can Explain, How to Hack Human Nature for Good
There’s a version of the story we’ve been told about climate: that it’s too late, that people don’t care, that politics will never catch up. But there’s another version. One where the real problem isn’t apathy—it’s activation. In this episode, I talk with Nathaniel Stinnett, the founder of the Environmental Voter Project—a behavioral science powerhouse that’s quietly turning millions of non-voting environmentalists into one of the most potent political forces in the country. No persuasion. No messaging wars. Just identity, data, and one simple truth: people act when they believe their role matters.We talk about:✅ The wild behavioral science strategy behind EVP's big results✅ Why most climate messaging backfires—and what actually works✅ The overlooked power of inevitability and identity to drive action✅ How EVP’s behavioral science playbook flips identity and FOMO into action✅ The hidden emotional barrier stopping most social engagement✅ How campaigns fail by chasing conversion instead of belief✅ What it means to change a system without waiting for permissionAnd in the How-To segment, I break down:→ Why “inevitability” can be more powerful than persuasion—and how to use it→ How to use identity-based framing to spark action (in yourself and others)→ The overlooked tactic that could change your team, org, or movementIf you’ve ever felt like the story is already written—this is your reminder it’s not. We are still shaping it. And the tools we need? They’re already here. The question is: how do we use them to keep going.With quiet hope,Molly—🗳 Learn more or get involved with the Environmental Voter Project: environmentalvoter.orgConnect with Nathaniel and EVP:Get Involved | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | Bluesky | Donate—🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter What I Wish I Knew shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join—🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube—🔗 Follow for more:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn—🕒 Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Full Spectrum and Climate Action03:11 The Role of Emotions in Climate Activism06:01 The Environmental Voter Project: A New Approach08:55 Understanding Voter Turnout and Climate Priorities12:14 The Importance of Systemic Change15:10 Behavioral Science and Voting Behavior18:01 Identifying Environmental Voters21:06 The Predictive Modeling Process23:51 Challenging Stereotypes in Environmentalism27:08 The Psychology of Voting and Social Norms29:55 Conclusion and Call to Action38:44 The Power of Social Identity in Voting45:51 Behavioral Science and Voting Behavior52:01 Impact of Local Elections on Climate Policy58:24 ReSend us a text
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The Between Stories: Laughing on the Way to the ER–A Story About Denial, Bipolar Highs, and the Cost of Feeling Invincible
A story about that moment of reckoning: when you finally ask yourself if the thing keeping you afloat is also the thing pulling you under.Welcome to The Between Series—a series where I take you into moments from my life that shaped the themes we explore in the main episodes, and share the meaning I’m still trying to make from them. These are the in-between chapters that echo through everything you hear on the show.In today’s story, I used to think the chaos was just part of me. Living with Bipolar II Disorder, I believed hypomania was the tradeoff for creativity, ambition, some kind of spark. Until an accident landed me in the ER laughing, with a brain contusion….and completely untouchable by reality.We talk a lot about strategy on this show—but the truth is, most of us are building things while still trying to make sense of who we are.This show isn’t just about answers—it’s about the questions we live through to find them.There’s more ahead. There always is. — Molly📬 Get Full Spectrum's actionable takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter What I Wish I Knew shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast🎥 Video episodes available on YouTubeFollow here for more:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedInSend us a text
The podcast focused on actionable tools for navigating uncertain times. Molly Kawahata has navigated the halls of the Obama White House, a Patagonia film, and life with Bipolar II—and always wondered one thing: what do you do when the stakes are high and nothing’s clear? On this show, Molly dives into unfiltered convos with founders, scientists, creatives, and wild humans to translate their experiences into real tools you can use in your own life.
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