Like Streams To The Ocean: Jedidiah Jenkins

Feb 22, 2021

Jedidiah Jenkins, a former lawyer turned adventurous author, dives deep into the essence of life in this captivating discussion. He explores the transformative power of storytelling and personal experiences, emphasizing authenticity in our narratives. Jenkins reflects on navigating social connections during the pandemic, the complexities of identity, and the underlying influences of societal pressures. He shares insights on mental health, community, and the importance of genuine friendships, all while highlighting how these themes weave together in his latest New York Times bestseller.

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INSIGHT

Finding Fulfillment in Work

Pursuing a fulfilling career path often involves exploring different options and adjusting course.
Finding something useful and feeling worthy are more important than chasing a specific dream career.

ANECDOTE

Letter to Eric Goldberg

As a child, Jedediah wrote to animator Eric Goldberg and received a personalized drawing and encouraging letter.
This experience taught him that no one is beyond reach and instilled confidence in him.

INSIGHT

Podcast with Parents

A podcast with a parent can facilitate deeper conversations.
It helps preserve memories and understand different perspectives while creating a lasting record.

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Today we get esoteric on the things that matter most—ego, family, friendship, love, work, death, and the soul. The value of living an examined life. And how sharing our uniqueness gives glimpse into the universal.

Returning for his third appearance on the podcast, our cipher for said exploration is one of my very favorite humans—a former social entrepreneur, human rights activist, and lawyer turned world adventurer, magazine publisher & mystic memoirist.

Meet Jedidiah Jenkins.

Several years ago, I stumbled across Jedidiah’s Instagram feed. His photos are always great, but it was his prose that altered my state. Enamored by his unique lens on the human condition, he quickly become my favorite follow.

Determined to learn more, I invited Jedidiah on the show (RRP #186), wherein he shared insights gleaned from an epic sixteen-month, 10,000-mile bike journey pedaling from Oregon to Patagonia. This conversation remains one of my favorites to date.

I then made him promise to return (RRP #395) upon completion of his first book, To Shake The Sleeping Self. A coming-of-age memoir set against the technicolor backdrop of his bicycle adventure, the book went on to become a New York Times bestseller, crowning Jedidiah as a new and compelling literary voice.

An exquisite storyteller with an elegant gift for exploring the interior landscape, Jedidiah has continued to mature as a writer. His latest New York Times bestselling flex, Like Streams To The Ocean, is a touching and immersive deconstruction of the things that make us who we are and the decisions that shape our one and only life.

His best work to date, it’s a masterclass on leveraging the specifics of one’s experience as a vehicle to better connect with the universal the resides within us all.

So here we are again. Me wanting to know more.

This conversation isn’t about any one thing. It’s kind of about everything.

We discuss the writing process. How to find a voice. And what it means to be an observer of both nature and people.

We talk Enneagrams, the commodification of ‘authenticity’, and how to cultivate focus in a distracted world.

It’s also about identity. Belonging. Finding meaning in work. And what it means to live a creative life.

It’s about the empathy required to find common ground with people of divergent world views. And why cultivating community is critical.

But more than anything, this is a meditation on who we are. Why we’re here. And the struggle to glean truth from the intangible.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll582

YouTube: bit.ly/jedidiahjenkins582

As brilliant in conversation as he is on the page, I relish our conversations. And this one does not disappoint.

Let your love affair with Jedidiah begin!

Peace + Plants,

Rich