David Pearl is a true Renaissance man. A self-title “experience engineer,” David has done it all—from writing books and starting a nonprofit to advocating for social change and even working as an opera star. Our current reality may seem anything but magical, that’s far from the truth in David’s eyes.
On this episode of The Sidewalk Talk podcast, Traci gets the chance to sit down with one of her new favorite European friends to talk about his nonprofit Street Wisdom, doing soul-work in the paradox of the here and now, and why simplicity is at the heart of what David and Traci are both doing with Street Wisdom and Sidewalk Talk. This is a playful and fun conversation between two people with an urgency to see our society, and the world at large, become a more inclusive, and magical, place. Come along for the ride and discover your own version of magic, today!
Episode Milestones
[00:07] Intro
[03:34] Meet David
[11:09] David’s time on the street and what it taught him
[15:00] Street Wisdom and serendipity
[19:37] Making connections with perfect strangers on the street
[23:30] How Street Wisdom is finding its future
[27:42] Finding the magic in the everyday
[35:25] Play and breaking the rules
[39:23] Doing work in the paradox
[45:14] The urgency to grow Street Wisdom and Sidewalk Talk
[47:25] Embodied intelligence
[49:40] Simplicity and a shared sense of being seen
[57:49] David’s word and song for you
[1:03:02] Outro
Resources Mentioned
Street Wisdom
Wanderful: Find wonder in the every day. Every day.
Standout Quotes from the Episode
“For me, the brushes I had with mental breakdown were the wellspring of why I’m here today.”
—David Pearl
“Serendipity is only surprising if you think you’re a separate human being who ends at your skin.”
—David Pearl
“How could you be the perfect stranger for those strangers?”
—David Pearl
“As soon as we take the problems to be real, they become heavy and difficult to move.”
—David Pearl
“People don’t always see the work behind the apparent spontaneity.”
—David Pearl
“The wandering is the new straight and narrow. When the world is as wobbly as ours, you’d have to be nuts to go in a straight line—you’d end up in the wrong place.”
—David Pearl
“The way we change things is through a million simple things.”
—David Pearl
“If you’re prepared to see the magic in the ordinary you can have a conversation, you can have a dialogue. And we need a dialogue because the one inside your head isn’t great.”
—David Pearl
“There’s a certain urgency, and yet we can enjoy everything that happens.”
—David Pearl
“Being lost and feeling lost are not the same thing.”
—David Pearl
Connect:
Find | Sidewalk Talk Podcast
At sidewalk-talk.org
On Instagram: @sidewalktalkorg
On Twitter: @sidewalktalkorg
Find | Traci Ruble
At Traciruble.com
On Instagram: @TraciRubleMFT
On Twitter: @TraciRubleMFT
On Facebook: @TraciRubleMFT
Find | David Pearl
At DavidPearl.net
On Twitter: @DavidPearlHere
On LinkedIn: David Pearl
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PODCAST
On Apple Podcasts
On Google Podcasts
On Spotify
Dr. Tania Israel on making perspective-taking sexy | Dr. Tania Israel
Antoinette Weibel on trust in the workplace | Antoinette Weibel
Joe Koehane on the power—and magic—of strangers
Squish Talks’ Stuart Chittenden on the power of conversation | Stuart Chittenden
Dr. Fernando Castrillon on psychoanalysis, capitalism, and loneliness | Dr. Fernando Castrillon
Teaching, connection, and transforming pain in kids with Michael McKnight | Michael McKnight
Dr. Kristin Moody on how empathy can change the world | Dr. Kristin Moody
The Art of Hosting’s Toke Paludan Moeller on learning and spiritual practice | Toke Paludan Moeller
Dr. Niobe Way on solving the crisis of connection | Dr. Niobe Way
Dr. Dwight Turner on otherness, race, and the benefits of psychotherapy | Dr. Dwight Turner
Meredith Bell shares her 30+ years of knowledge on connecting more effectively | Meredith Bell
Nicola Lipscombe on bringing belonging and heart-centered connection into the workplace | Nicola Lipscombe
Artist Daren Todd talks art, love, and accountability | Daren Todd
Dr. Kelsey Crowe on empathy and listening well | Dr. Kelsey Crowe
Thomas C Knox shows us how to connect again | Thomas C Knox
Open Bubble’s George de la Ville Bauge on combatting loneliness | George de la Ville Bauge
Sorry I Haven’t Texted You Back author Alicia Cook tells us the stories we need to hear | Alicia Cook
Frank Carbajal on building the Latino future | Frank Carbajal
Kern Beare on how to have difficult conversations | Kern Beare
Lambers Fisher teaches us how to empathize and heal our political divides | Lambers Fisher
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL