WEBVTT 00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:05.257 Välkommen till Montessori-podden. I det här avsnittet möter jag Dr. 00:00:05.637 --> 00:00:11.697 Katie Keller Wood, Montessori-pedagog, lärarutbildare och författare till boken 00:00:11.697 --> 00:00:17.377 Alignment – A Montessori Approach to Reimagining Work-Life Balance. 00:00:17.617 --> 00:00:23.317 Vi tar avstamp i en fråga som många av oss brottas med, inte minst i skolans värld. 00:00:23.577 --> 00:00:29.797 Hur får man egentligen ihop arbete och liv utan att den ena saken hela tiden 00:00:29.797 --> 00:00:31.737 sker på bekostnad av den andra. 00:00:32.777 --> 00:00:37.097 Katie menar att själva idén om balans kanske leder oss fel. 00:00:37.777 --> 00:00:43.477 Istället beskriver hon livet som en mosaik där olika delar ständigt förändras 00:00:43.477 --> 00:00:46.097 och behöver hitta sin plats i relation till varandra. 00:00:46.397 --> 00:00:52.617 Inte för att skapa en perfekt lösning utan för att få i helheten att fungera över tid. 00:00:52.617 --> 00:00:59.017 I samtalet pratar vi om hur Montessoris tankar som kosmisk uppgift, 00:00:59.597 --> 00:01:05.337 förberedd miljö och observation kan hjälpa oss att förstå både vårt arbete och 00:01:05.337 --> 00:01:07.277 våra liv på ett mer hållbart sätt. 00:01:08.097 --> 00:01:12.397 Det här är ett avsnitt för dig som bryder om ditt arbete men som också vill 00:01:12.397 --> 00:01:17.937 hålla över tid och kanske hitta ett sätt att låta livets olika delar stödja 00:01:17.937 --> 00:01:20.157 varandra snarare än att konkurrera. 00:01:21.157 --> 00:01:26.517 Jag länkar till var du kan hitta boken och också Katies TED-talk som hon berättar om. 00:01:27.257 --> 00:01:31.457 De länkarna hittar ni i texten som har till avsnittet i din poddspelare. 00:01:32.097 --> 00:01:37.377 Jag heter Maria Schacki och gör den här podden för Montessori Sverige. God lyssning! 00:01:54.807 --> 00:02:00.287 Katie, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much, Maria. I'm happy to be with you today. 00:02:00.867 --> 00:02:05.467 Before we begin, could you please introduce yourself to our listeners, 00:02:05.807 --> 00:02:10.867 who you are, what you do, and also how you came into Montessori? Yeah, sure. 00:02:11.767 --> 00:02:16.387 So my name is Dr. Katie Kellerwood. I do a number of things. 00:02:16.387 --> 00:02:22.667 My primary work in the world right now is to run CMSTEP, which is a secondary 00:02:22.667 --> 00:02:24.667 Montessori teacher education program. 00:02:25.187 --> 00:02:30.387 And that work happens in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then other locations as well. 00:02:30.487 --> 00:02:33.567 We're going to run a Barcelona cohort this summer, for example. 00:02:34.147 --> 00:02:37.187 So working with middle and high school Montessori teachers. 00:02:38.367 --> 00:02:45.207 I also teach at a handful of universities, including my alma mater, 00:02:45.427 --> 00:02:46.787 which is the University of Virginia. 00:02:47.067 --> 00:02:50.607 I teach undergraduates there in the School of Human Development. 00:02:51.487 --> 00:02:54.327 And I am an author, as you know. 00:02:54.967 --> 00:02:59.747 Alignment is my first book. And I'm so honored that thanks to the support of 00:02:59.747 --> 00:03:05.067 our Montessori community, it did hit number 19 on the USA Today bestseller list. 00:03:05.387 --> 00:03:09.407 Congratulations. Yes, thank you. So as far as I know, it's the first book with 00:03:09.407 --> 00:03:12.387 Montessori in the title to make a U.S. 00:03:12.587 --> 00:03:15.987 National bestseller list, which is very exciting. 00:03:16.287 --> 00:03:18.427 I feel proud for our Montessori community. 00:03:19.667 --> 00:03:23.687 So I do a lot of speaking and obviously some writing. 00:03:24.827 --> 00:03:30.167 And it's all joyful work. So I get to do a lot of different things. 00:03:30.387 --> 00:03:35.947 How I came to Montessori, like many people, was a little bit of happenstance. 00:03:35.947 --> 00:03:41.067 Jag har inte hört av Montessori och jag var en conventional teacher för fem år. 00:03:42.267 --> 00:03:45.987 Och en friend av mine simply sa, du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet, 00:03:45.987 --> 00:03:52.767 du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet, du vet. 00:03:55.307 --> 00:03:59.767 And so I didn't know anything about Montessori education and I went home and 00:03:59.767 --> 00:04:05.107 I started reading and doing some research and I toured at the school and I think 00:04:05.107 --> 00:04:07.027 like many people who come to Montessori, 00:04:07.287 --> 00:04:10.607 you find not only a pedagogy, 00:04:10.907 --> 00:04:13.787 right, but also a philosophy that really resonates. 00:04:13.787 --> 00:04:20.327 And so I was amazed to find, you know, this form of education that so deeply 00:04:20.327 --> 00:04:22.947 resonated with everything that I believed about the world. 00:04:24.534 --> 00:04:31.334 And so, you know, I went off and I got my Montessori training with the American Montessori Society. 00:04:31.834 --> 00:04:35.974 I came back and I was working and then I started doing work in the training program. 00:04:36.734 --> 00:04:43.534 But a big part of what led me to writing this book was realizing I was not a Montessori student. 00:04:43.534 --> 00:04:48.714 I didn't have a Montessori education myself. I had no exposure to Montessori 00:04:48.714 --> 00:04:52.914 ideas before I was already five years into my teaching career. 00:04:52.914 --> 00:05:00.254 And yet I found a philosophy that not only impacted how I taught in the classroom, 00:05:00.554 --> 00:05:04.454 but impacted how I moved through the world, you know, impacted how I lived my life. 00:05:05.574 --> 00:05:09.774 And then I became the director of this teacher education program in 2015. 00:05:10.374 --> 00:05:14.274 And so in that time, I've worked with hundreds of other adults, 00:05:14.414 --> 00:05:17.454 and most of them did not have a Montessori education. 00:05:17.754 --> 00:05:21.154 And so I've really just come to believe that, you know, we know Montessori can 00:05:21.154 --> 00:05:25.874 be wonderful for every child. I believe Montessori can be wonderful for every adult as well. 00:05:26.234 --> 00:05:30.654 And it can deeply impact how we do our work and how we think about our work, 00:05:30.874 --> 00:05:38.274 how we live our lives and how we connect to our deeper purpose in the way that Montessori, you know, 00:05:38.654 --> 00:05:43.894 is so eloquent with her, you know, cosmic education and cosmic vision and cosmic task. 00:05:44.154 --> 00:05:47.894 You know, I don't think, you know, anyone can learn about those ideas. 00:05:47.894 --> 00:05:52.854 And so part of what I hope to do with my book and my speaking and my work in 00:05:52.854 --> 00:05:59.734 the world now is bring some of these Montessori ideas to non-Montessori audiences as well. 00:05:59.734 --> 00:06:05.254 Så att, you know, parents of Montessori students and anyone who's doing this 00:06:05.254 --> 00:06:11.334 sort of mission-driven work in the world can see how they can apply Montessori 00:06:11.334 --> 00:06:15.294 principles to have a life of meaning and purpose, 00:06:15.554 --> 00:06:19.534 but also thriving so that they don't feel that they have to sacrifice everything 00:06:19.534 --> 00:06:21.554 to their important work. 00:06:22.694 --> 00:06:25.694 Your book that just came out, how long ago? 00:06:26.407 --> 00:06:32.027 October was our publication date in the U.S. Sorry, September 23rd and then 00:06:32.027 --> 00:06:35.467 October 1st was when it hit the list. Ah, okay. Yeah. 00:06:36.087 --> 00:06:41.927 And it's called Alignment, a Montessori approach to reimagining work-life balance. 00:06:42.287 --> 00:06:47.547 So your book, as I understand it, challenges the idea of work-life balance. 00:06:47.687 --> 00:06:50.507 What is problematic about that concept? 00:06:51.127 --> 00:06:55.927 Yes, thank you. So you're right. I don't believe in work-life balance. 00:06:56.407 --> 00:07:03.607 I gave a TEDx talk on this in 2023 that's titled Work-Life Balance is a Lie. 00:07:04.927 --> 00:07:09.867 And the reason that I, well, I have two problems with the idea of balance. 00:07:10.127 --> 00:07:17.087 And the first one is that I think it over-separates work from the rest of our 00:07:17.087 --> 00:07:19.467 lives, when in fact we are whole humans. 00:07:19.927 --> 00:07:22.947 And so work is an important part of our lives. 00:07:23.167 --> 00:07:29.187 It's not this wholly separate thing. And also, I think our lives are an important 00:07:29.187 --> 00:07:34.007 part of our work, because when we do our work in the world, we bring all of 00:07:34.007 --> 00:07:36.427 who we are to serve that mission. 00:07:36.807 --> 00:07:41.707 I sometimes like to say, you know, you have a personal brand of magic and you're 00:07:41.707 --> 00:07:44.107 bringing that to meet the needs of the world. 00:07:44.327 --> 00:07:48.447 So who you are and all of your experiences and all of your dispositions, 00:07:48.727 --> 00:07:52.987 your background, those things matter when it comes to serving your work as well. 00:07:52.987 --> 00:07:56.927 Work and life are not separate, that's the first problem that I have. 00:07:57.267 --> 00:08:02.487 And the second problem that I have with the idea of work-life balance is I picture this giant scale. 00:08:02.687 --> 00:08:07.047 And it implies that there's a correct answer. That if we could just find the 00:08:07.047 --> 00:08:13.447 right amount of life to balance whatever amount of work we have on our plates right now. 00:08:13.607 --> 00:08:18.147 Then everything would be magically solved and we would feel the delight of... 00:08:18.773 --> 00:08:24.073 Of this balance. But the fact is, you know, there's no correct ratio. 00:08:24.313 --> 00:08:28.933 There's no right answer. There's nothing that would be true for all people or 00:08:28.933 --> 00:08:33.773 even the same person across their whole lifespan, because our work is going 00:08:33.773 --> 00:08:37.733 to evolve as as we do. Right. Life is always bringing changes. 00:08:38.073 --> 00:08:43.633 And so I think just the whole the whole idea of trying to find this this perfect 00:08:43.633 --> 00:08:46.833 point of balance är ett falskt. 00:08:48.944 --> 00:08:55.004 And in fact, because I think it's actually impossible, because I think balance doesn't exist, 00:08:55.784 --> 00:09:02.604 I think that trying to find it actually is part of what fuels the burnout that 00:09:02.604 --> 00:09:05.264 sometimes mission-driven professionals can feel. 00:09:05.264 --> 00:09:10.784 Because when you look at burnout research, one of the main drivers of clinical 00:09:10.784 --> 00:09:16.984 burnout is when a person feels that what they should be able to accomplish or 00:09:16.984 --> 00:09:21.324 do exceeds their actual resources at the moment. 00:09:21.604 --> 00:09:25.864 So burnout is when you feel like you should be able to do something, 00:09:26.184 --> 00:09:28.404 but you're just not able to do it. 00:09:28.404 --> 00:09:32.804 And so if we feel that we should be able to achieve balance in our lives, 00:09:32.964 --> 00:09:37.924 and yet we don't feel that we have, that's only going to contribute to our inner 00:09:37.924 --> 00:09:40.264 turmoil and potentially our burnout. 00:09:40.564 --> 00:09:45.364 And so I think that, number one, we have to let go of that false idea. 00:09:45.824 --> 00:09:51.464 And I replace it with the idea of thinking of our lives as a mosaic and bringing 00:09:51.464 --> 00:09:54.504 all the different pieces into alignment, which is, of course, 00:09:54.624 --> 00:09:59.924 then the title of my book. So what does alignment mean in your framework? 00:10:00.684 --> 00:10:06.384 Yeah, so I like to think of Oxford Languages gives two definitions of alignment, 00:10:06.624 --> 00:10:10.004 and I actually like both of them just sort of as a thought exercise. 00:10:10.604 --> 00:10:15.224 So the first definition of alignment is that things can be said to be in alignment 00:10:15.224 --> 00:10:19.404 when they are in the correct or appropriate relative positions. 00:10:19.844 --> 00:10:23.824 And so again, if we think of our lives as an ever-evolving mosaic, 00:10:23.824 --> 00:10:24.124 Tack till elever och personer som hjälpte med videon! 00:10:24.499 --> 00:10:30.919 Alignment would mean all of the pieces are in the correct or appropriate relative position. 00:10:31.299 --> 00:10:35.459 So that would be based on who we are, what our life is like right now, 00:10:35.779 --> 00:10:39.319 what are the needs, and what is our highest calling to serve. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:44.139 It's always going to be evolving because, for example, children might be a very 00:10:44.139 --> 00:10:47.899 important part of your life mosaic, but they're not going to be an important 00:10:47.899 --> 00:10:50.159 part of your life mosaic before you have them. 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:55.659 And then the shape that they take in your life mosaic is going to evolve, 00:10:55.819 --> 00:11:00.379 you know, from when they're very young and very helpless to, 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:02.759 you know, growing through adolescence 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:07.399 to maybe when they move out and are living their own adult lives. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:12.359 They're still part of a parent's life mosaic, of course, but the needs that 00:11:12.359 --> 00:11:15.259 are there and the shape that it takes is always going to be evolving. 00:11:15.619 --> 00:11:19.459 So that's one part of alignment to me. The second part, 00:11:19.799 --> 00:11:24.319 the second definition of alignment is that things are in alignment when they're 00:11:24.319 --> 00:11:29.259 in a position of agreement or an alliance and I really like thinking about how 00:11:29.259 --> 00:11:34.299 could we bring all of the pieces both work pieces and non work pieces together. 00:11:34.491 --> 00:11:39.011 Of our life mosaic, so that they support each other, so that they are in an 00:11:39.011 --> 00:11:40.251 alliance with each other. 00:11:40.831 --> 00:11:44.411 And I draw on the Pantheon floor. 00:11:44.771 --> 00:11:52.251 The mosaic floor there in Rome, in that, you know, so many scholars estimate 00:11:52.251 --> 00:11:57.791 that those pieces are primarily, were primarily held in place by the strength 00:11:57.791 --> 00:11:59.111 of the fit of all the pieces. 00:11:59.331 --> 00:12:03.891 It wasn't so much the glue and the grout and the And other mosaic artists do 00:12:03.891 --> 00:12:08.771 the same thing, where the mosaic holds together because all the pieces support one another. 00:12:09.051 --> 00:12:15.031 Or the Roman arch, the Montessori material romer arch, where you have the keystone. 00:12:15.051 --> 00:12:16.751 And if you remove that, everything crumbles. 00:12:16.991 --> 00:12:20.411 Everything crumbles, right? So it's the way that they hold together. 00:12:20.411 --> 00:12:23.811 And so all the pieces matter in our life mosaic, right? 00:12:23.911 --> 00:12:28.151 And they can support one another as opposed to balance where they're on opposite 00:12:28.151 --> 00:12:31.051 ends and they're maybe pulling apart from each other. 00:12:31.351 --> 00:12:38.531 In Sweden, we often use the term livspussel, which literally means the life 00:12:38.531 --> 00:12:40.151 puzzle or the puzzle of life. 00:12:40.351 --> 00:12:44.631 And it suggests that different pieces of life, work, family, 00:12:44.751 --> 00:12:49.691 relationship, health are supposed to fit together in some sort of coherent whole. 00:12:49.891 --> 00:12:58.151 But the word is also often used with a sense of strain. Many family experiences 00:12:58.151 --> 00:13:02.011 is that the pieces don't quite fit. 00:13:02.311 --> 00:13:06.831 We traditionally in Sweden have two full-time working parents and children are 00:13:06.831 --> 00:13:08.911 in preschool and school for full days. 00:13:09.131 --> 00:13:11.511 Everybody comes home at five or six. 00:13:12.251 --> 00:13:16.071 And the puzzle can feel structurally difficult to solve. 00:13:16.171 --> 00:13:20.791 You know how to be a professional, a mother, a wife, a friend. 00:13:21.348 --> 00:13:25.148 That's what we call livs puzzle, life puzzle. 00:13:25.508 --> 00:13:30.508 So from the perspective of your book and alignment, how do you view that metaphor? 00:13:30.668 --> 00:13:33.128 Is that different or similar? 00:13:33.528 --> 00:13:37.548 Well, I think there's some similarities and people have asked me this before, 00:13:37.708 --> 00:13:44.328 but I did choose mosaic as opposed to a puzzle because puzzles do fit together in a particular way. 00:13:44.708 --> 00:13:49.948 Puzzles also have a right answer. And I think a mosaic, especially the way I 00:13:49.948 --> 00:13:53.808 sort of imagine, you know, our life mosaic is a little bit magical. 00:13:53.988 --> 00:13:56.068 It's not fixed. It's always changing. 00:13:56.608 --> 00:14:01.728 As I mentioned, you know, the shape of, you know, what a particular piece looks like. 00:14:02.308 --> 00:14:05.908 And different pieces are going to come into our lives and then go out of our 00:14:05.908 --> 00:14:12.268 lives, you know. And sometimes we have changes to our life mosaic also that we didn't choose. 00:14:12.628 --> 00:14:17.228 You know, sometimes it can feel like the mosaic is broken, you know, 00:14:17.288 --> 00:14:22.888 or an important piece has been lost and we're navigating the grief of those kinds of changes. 00:14:23.608 --> 00:14:27.548 So I do talk about that later on in the book. But I think that... 00:14:28.955 --> 00:14:35.795 What it does for me is it helps me have a little bit of a framework in terms 00:14:35.795 --> 00:14:39.495 of, are the pieces supporting one another, number one? 00:14:39.715 --> 00:14:45.495 And number two, how am I prioritizing my most important pieces right now? 00:14:45.615 --> 00:14:49.035 Because day to day, it is going to evolve. It is going to change. 00:14:49.035 --> 00:14:53.415 And so I love the I love what you just described, you know, a beautiful puzzle. 00:14:54.115 --> 00:14:58.975 The drawback of that metaphor to me is that, again, sort of implies a correct answer. 00:14:59.135 --> 00:15:03.435 And if we could just get all the pieces to fit correctly, then it would work. 00:15:03.595 --> 00:15:06.775 Whereas a life mosaic, it's always going to be changing. 00:15:06.995 --> 00:15:11.215 The pieces are going to change. I also think as we move through our lives, 00:15:11.375 --> 00:15:15.315 one of the beautiful things about adult development, and I do get to teach a 00:15:15.315 --> 00:15:16.695 little bit about adult development, 00:15:17.095 --> 00:15:22.115 is that that's how we grow our capacity and that's how we grow our mosaic. 00:15:22.825 --> 00:15:28.565 I use the example sometimes that, you know, if you're a mid-career professional 00:15:28.565 --> 00:15:32.845 and you look back or even a late career professional and you look back at your 00:15:32.845 --> 00:15:35.245 life, maybe when you were an early professional, 00:15:35.565 --> 00:15:40.105 you know, maybe, you know, early or mid-twenties, you know, just entering the workforce. 00:15:40.105 --> 00:15:45.705 I bet you can point to many things in your life now that you can manage without 00:15:45.705 --> 00:15:50.745 too much difficulty that would have felt really difficult or did feel really 00:15:50.745 --> 00:15:54.765 difficult when you were an early career professional because you just hadn't 00:15:54.765 --> 00:15:56.105 developed all of those skills. 00:15:56.405 --> 00:16:01.985 The first time as a headteacher when you meet a very angry and frustrated parent. 00:16:02.485 --> 00:16:07.085 Yes, exactly. And you think that, OK, that's it. The school is closing tomorrow. Right. 00:16:07.385 --> 00:16:11.085 I have to quit my job. I'm never I'm no good at this. You know, 00:16:11.245 --> 00:16:12.105 everything is terrible. 00:16:12.465 --> 00:16:16.445 And then, you know, 10 years into your career, you say, oh, I've seen this before. 00:16:16.665 --> 00:16:21.265 They need to be heard. They you know, I have the skills now to manage this. 00:16:21.385 --> 00:16:25.825 It doesn't have to ruin my day, my week, my month, you know, 00:16:25.985 --> 00:16:30.545 and and that is that comes from, you know, adult development in our own capacity. 00:16:30.545 --> 00:16:36.225 So our mosaic can hold more as we continue to grow our skills as well. 00:16:36.485 --> 00:16:41.445 And so I just love that hopeful approach that, you know, we're never done growing 00:16:41.445 --> 00:16:44.065 and developing over the course of our lifespan. 00:16:45.142 --> 00:16:50.442 So the thing with this book, and as you mentioned earlier, what is special with 00:16:50.442 --> 00:16:53.082 it, uses the Montessori approach. 00:16:53.322 --> 00:16:56.802 So you apply Montessori principles to adult life. 00:16:57.142 --> 00:16:59.702 What led you to make that connections? 00:17:00.082 --> 00:17:05.942 What core Montessori ideas are most central in this approach? 00:17:06.362 --> 00:17:13.002 Yeah, so I think the most central idea is the idea of cosmic task. 00:17:13.002 --> 00:17:19.642 And so, especially in America, we can have a challenge of kind of a workaholism culture. 00:17:20.262 --> 00:17:23.602 We can, and I don't think we're the only place in the world that has this, 00:17:23.842 --> 00:17:25.842 to be clear, but we can have this. 00:17:26.022 --> 00:17:31.502 And we can also over-identify with titles and our role in our work, right? 00:17:31.502 --> 00:17:34.502 And so to me. 00:17:35.202 --> 00:17:39.942 You know, one of the things that I really loved learning about Montessori was 00:17:39.942 --> 00:17:45.882 even the word work meant quite different things in a Montessori classroom than 00:17:45.882 --> 00:17:47.882 what I conventionally thought of. 00:17:47.962 --> 00:17:53.022 So my upbringing before Montessori, work was the opposite of play, right? 00:17:53.122 --> 00:17:57.482 Work was synonymous with drudgery, with toil, with hardship. 00:17:58.142 --> 00:18:02.782 A Montessori student going about their work in the classroom doesn't feel that 00:18:02.782 --> 00:18:04.462 way at all. They feel joy. 00:18:04.702 --> 00:18:10.822 They feel enlivened by the work that they get to do. And these young children 00:18:10.822 --> 00:18:16.822 learn that everything in our interconnected universe has a unique role that it fulfills. 00:18:17.022 --> 00:18:21.442 So they learn that an adjective's job is to describe a noun and the job of the 00:18:21.442 --> 00:18:22.982 wind is to purify the air. 00:18:23.182 --> 00:18:26.142 And so they start to ask questions like, well, what is my job? 00:18:26.262 --> 00:18:28.182 And what they mean is, what is my contribution? 00:18:28.882 --> 00:18:32.262 And so when I started to, you know, learn all of these things, 00:18:32.462 --> 00:18:36.782 I said, you know, this is so different. This Montessori approach to work. 00:18:37.454 --> 00:18:42.414 Is so different from how I conventionally thought of what is work. 00:18:42.634 --> 00:18:44.434 And so then I needed to draw a distinction. 00:18:44.674 --> 00:18:48.114 And I talk in my book about paycheck work and purpose work. 00:18:48.254 --> 00:18:52.854 Because this Montessori idea of cosmic task is really about purpose work. 00:18:53.094 --> 00:18:56.714 And that's what we can frame our whole life mosaic around. 00:18:57.114 --> 00:19:01.954 So for me, getting clear on paycheck work versus purpose work, 00:19:01.954 --> 00:19:09.414 It gave me a filter for deciding what belonged in my life mosaic and what I could let go of. 00:19:09.534 --> 00:19:13.154 If it was part of my paycheck work, then it needed to be part of my life mosaic. 00:19:13.394 --> 00:19:17.054 You know, I could maybe negotiate different pieces of it. 00:19:17.374 --> 00:19:21.934 But, you know, if it's part of my paycheck work, it's part of my employment, 00:19:22.174 --> 00:19:23.894 then I need to take care of those things. 00:19:24.714 --> 00:19:29.474 But if it wasn't part of my paycheck work, and it also wasn't part of my purpose work. 00:19:29.474 --> 00:19:34.054 If it wasn't what I felt like I was here to do and be and offer to the world 00:19:34.054 --> 00:19:41.114 right now, then I could say no to being a part of that committee or that opportunity 00:19:41.114 --> 00:19:43.454 and not feel guilty about it. 00:19:43.514 --> 00:19:47.714 It wasn't that I didn't think that that was useful work to do in the world, 00:19:47.794 --> 00:19:49.934 but it wasn't my work to do in the world. 00:19:49.934 --> 00:19:53.674 Because I'm the only one who can be a daughter to my parents or a partner to 00:19:53.674 --> 00:19:58.194 my spouse, right? I'm the only one who can fill some of these important roles 00:19:58.194 --> 00:20:02.174 that are part of my purpose work in the world. And if I say yes to everything... 00:20:03.120 --> 00:20:07.440 Then my life mosaic is going to get too crowded and the pieces that deserve 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:09.360 more attention aren't going to get them. 00:20:09.860 --> 00:20:14.800 So for me, getting clear on paycheck work and purpose work gave me a filter 00:20:14.800 --> 00:20:16.480 for how to think about that. 00:20:17.340 --> 00:20:21.640 The other benefit of paycheck work and purpose work, I've had an opportunity 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:24.040 to speak to folks of many ages, 00:20:24.580 --> 00:20:28.620 right, so early career professionals, very often it's mid-career professionals 00:20:28.620 --> 00:20:33.780 that are most worried about work-life balance, You know, when they have children and professionals. 00:20:34.100 --> 00:20:38.720 But I've also had the opportunity to speak with folks who are at the end of their working career. 00:20:39.320 --> 00:20:43.620 And some of them initially have reported to me like, oh, I didn't think that 00:20:43.620 --> 00:20:44.700 your book would be for me. 00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:47.640 I'm not in the workforce in the same way anymore. 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:53.400 It's not so difficult. I have much more time on my hands. But when I read about 00:20:53.400 --> 00:20:57.300 purpose work, you know, you can retire from your paycheck work, 00:20:57.420 --> 00:21:00.060 but you don't retire from your purpose work, right? 00:21:00.220 --> 00:21:03.320 Because as long as we're breathing, we have something to contribute. 00:21:03.600 --> 00:21:08.860 And so I've actually been very touched by a number of older adults who have 00:21:08.860 --> 00:21:14.040 read my book and come back to tell me what resonance they've found as they navigate 00:21:14.040 --> 00:21:20.580 their new chapter of life and make decisions about how they want to spend their remaining time. 00:21:20.980 --> 00:21:23.960 You know, as they think about their life mosaic in those years. 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:27.180 So I, I think it's true throughout the human lifespan. 00:21:28.497 --> 00:21:35.857 Så, vad gör ett prepared environment för en adult professionell? 00:21:36.097 --> 00:21:45.537 Ja, så vi vet i vår Montessori klassrums, det är en stor del av vad hjälper 00:21:45.537 --> 00:21:47.917 students att göra det här jobbetet och väl. 00:21:48.017 --> 00:21:52.157 Det är vad hjälper dem att jobba både inderpåd och interdespåd. 00:21:53.117 --> 00:21:59.477 And so I think about, you know, when we want to apply this principle to ourselves as adults, 00:21:59.957 --> 00:22:04.157 you know, I think we can think about both physical environment and I do, 00:22:04.357 --> 00:22:08.897 you know, I talk about, you know, when I'm sitting down to do my writing work, 00:22:09.037 --> 00:22:12.657 what is my prepared environment look like so that I'm not running off, 00:22:12.937 --> 00:22:15.837 you know, and being distracted from the work that I want to do. 00:22:15.837 --> 00:22:22.157 I have, you know, all the things that I need from my mug warmer to my notepad 00:22:22.157 --> 00:22:26.557 to, you know, the tissues or whatever it is that I that I might be needing. 00:22:27.677 --> 00:22:32.317 But I think, you know, we also can not just prepare our physical environment. 00:22:32.357 --> 00:22:35.937 We can think about our our environment. 00:22:36.491 --> 00:22:43.991 Environment of other humans as well. And so what are the norms and what are the collaborations? 00:22:44.351 --> 00:22:48.911 What are the agreements we need to have? How do we communicate with one another? 00:22:49.131 --> 00:22:53.451 How do we ensure psychological safety for one another? 00:22:54.351 --> 00:23:00.071 All of those things can contribute to a prepared environment where we feel held 00:23:00.071 --> 00:23:03.251 and respected and able to do our best work. 00:23:03.911 --> 00:23:09.331 I think it also comes down to respecting, you know, professional boundaries, 00:23:09.791 --> 00:23:14.471 you know, recognizing that every person in our organization has a life mosaic. 00:23:14.751 --> 00:23:18.391 And we, our life mosaics aren't separate. We're connected to one another in 00:23:18.391 --> 00:23:19.931 the capacity that we do our work. 00:23:20.051 --> 00:23:23.191 But these life mosaics are also connected to others outside. 00:23:23.491 --> 00:23:27.531 And so when they need to attend to their family members, and when they need 00:23:27.531 --> 00:23:33.271 to, you know, refresh themselves with other parts of their important lives, 00:23:33.411 --> 00:23:36.471 that we make And we honor those things as well. 00:23:36.951 --> 00:23:41.051 So I do get excited thinking about what it could look like organizationally. 00:23:41.231 --> 00:23:45.211 It's not something I talk as much about in this book, but it is workshops that 00:23:45.211 --> 00:23:49.351 I've offered for different organizations of how do we support the alignment 00:23:49.351 --> 00:23:54.671 of our individual people, but also our collective alignment of the organization. 00:23:57.286 --> 00:24:03.466 Any other Montessori, when you say Montessori approach, when you say Montessori 00:24:03.466 --> 00:24:07.366 approach to work-life balance, what an alignment, 00:24:07.686 --> 00:24:12.626 what other inspirations from Montessori principles have you drawn? 00:24:12.966 --> 00:24:17.466 Yeah, so I would say I think a lot about freedom and limits, 00:24:17.506 --> 00:24:23.646 as well as, you know, these principles of independence and interdependence. 00:24:23.646 --> 00:24:28.466 But when I talk about communicating our alignment. 00:24:28.886 --> 00:24:34.686 Right, so as we're paying attention and we're noticing our own life mosaic and 00:24:34.686 --> 00:24:39.446 are we giving attention to the pieces that we want to, well, 00:24:39.526 --> 00:24:41.966 again, our life mosaics are connected to others. 00:24:42.226 --> 00:24:47.506 So whether that's a partner or a boss or a colleague, you know, 00:24:47.586 --> 00:24:51.846 we have to communicate our alignment sometimes. And so that can mean both negotiation 00:24:51.846 --> 00:24:54.686 and it can mean setting boundaries. 00:24:55.086 --> 00:24:59.766 And so to me, you know, thinking about negotiation and boundaries, 00:25:00.086 --> 00:25:04.546 I come back to freedom within limits in terms of setting a boundary. 00:25:04.646 --> 00:25:10.086 And I think about the principle of rights and responsibilities when I think about negotiation. 00:25:10.466 --> 00:25:14.306 So just like in a classroom, you know, students think about, 00:25:14.546 --> 00:25:19.206 you know, we all have the right to be safe here. We also all have a responsibility 00:25:19.206 --> 00:25:22.726 to contribute to our beautiful classroom environment. 00:25:23.046 --> 00:25:27.266 And so I think the same is true when we're negotiating with important people 00:25:27.266 --> 00:25:30.906 in our lives. You know, we owe them things. We have responsibilities to them. 00:25:31.046 --> 00:25:35.926 But we also have rights that they need to understand and they need to honor as well. 00:25:36.026 --> 00:25:40.746 And so when we ground our communication of what we need or what we're looking 00:25:40.746 --> 00:25:46.706 for to support our life alignment, that's the principle that I draw on and that I come back to. 00:25:48.771 --> 00:25:55.971 How can we practice, for instance, observation, not only to children, but of ourselves? 00:25:56.471 --> 00:26:04.011 Yes. And I often am talking with teachers. 00:26:04.031 --> 00:26:07.251 We're so trained in observers, as observers. 00:26:07.691 --> 00:26:12.511 But we also, we focus all of those powers of observation externally. 00:26:12.631 --> 00:26:17.071 So we notice our environment, and we notice the child, and we notice, 00:26:17.251 --> 00:26:20.831 you know, the affect. and we notice the beauty of the room. 00:26:20.911 --> 00:26:25.671 I mean, we're just so well-trained in paying attention to those external things. 00:26:25.851 --> 00:26:31.571 And yet how many teachers have noticed that they needed to use the bathroom, 00:26:31.771 --> 00:26:37.051 for example, but didn't find an opportune moment and then sort of forgot that 00:26:37.051 --> 00:26:39.471 they needed to take care of that need. 00:26:39.771 --> 00:26:45.411 And so here it is many hours later and you just remember that you still need to use the restroom. 00:26:45.671 --> 00:26:52.751 And it's one of those things where it's like, How can we learn to tune in to ourselves as well? 00:26:52.931 --> 00:26:57.551 Because I do think alignment is a process. It's not a permanent destination. 00:26:57.931 --> 00:27:01.531 You're never going to arrive and say, now my life mosaic is perfect. 00:27:01.751 --> 00:27:04.631 I'm not touching anything. It's not going to change, right? 00:27:06.154 --> 00:27:12.674 Can't exist. So instead, what we need to do is tune into those powers of observation 00:27:12.674 --> 00:27:15.934 so that we start to notice when things are out of whack. 00:27:16.074 --> 00:27:21.394 Because what I think that can do is alert us to when we want to start to make a change. 00:27:21.614 --> 00:27:25.774 When do we need to pay attention to which pieces need attention? 00:27:26.114 --> 00:27:29.854 What kind of a change do we want to make to bring them back into alignment? 00:27:30.434 --> 00:27:33.534 And then And do those changes that we implement, are they working? 00:27:33.934 --> 00:27:39.714 That's the alignment process in a nutshell. But you can't start any of that if you can't notice. 00:27:39.974 --> 00:27:45.934 And I think that what I've seen sometimes when we are misattuned to ourselves 00:27:45.934 --> 00:27:49.794 is that we can get almost to a point of crisis. 00:27:50.154 --> 00:27:53.634 And this is why I am quite passionate about this topic. 00:27:54.154 --> 00:28:01.014 I've known heads of school, for example, that faced a critical crisis, either a health crisis, 00:28:01.454 --> 00:28:08.454 or a crisis in relationship, because they couldn't, their life alignment had 00:28:08.454 --> 00:28:12.894 gotten so out of whack that they did come to this crisis. 00:28:13.254 --> 00:28:17.274 And I do think that this can be, you know, not to be overly dramatic, 00:28:17.474 --> 00:28:18.554 but a life or death issue. 00:28:18.734 --> 00:28:21.654 You know, when you look at heart attacks and strokes and other things that can 00:28:21.654 --> 00:28:29.454 happen when a person moves so far, you know, sacrificing everything to their important work. 00:28:29.934 --> 00:28:34.434 And the work is important It's okay to love your work It's okay to feel passionate 00:28:34.434 --> 00:28:39.914 about your work I just don't think that we have to sacrifice Who we are To do 00:28:39.914 --> 00:28:41.354 our important work in the world. 00:28:42.145 --> 00:28:46.525 What are the early signs of misalignment? 00:28:48.145 --> 00:28:52.905 Yeah, generally I think people notice it most when they have this feeling of 00:28:52.905 --> 00:28:57.705 unease, when they feel like they're sort of dissatisfied, things aren't working 00:28:57.705 --> 00:29:00.885 the way that they want to, sometimes they're just more irritable than normal, 00:29:01.345 --> 00:29:04.725 you know, it's this sort of things aren't quite right. 00:29:04.725 --> 00:29:08.945 But if you push that down and you just sort of keep going and you don't pay 00:29:08.945 --> 00:29:12.845 attention to those signals, that's when I think we can, you know, 00:29:13.065 --> 00:29:16.765 get further and further away from ourselves, really, which is, 00:29:17.085 --> 00:29:18.765 you know, one of the things that's interesting. 00:29:19.245 --> 00:29:22.785 I've talked to, you know, on other podcasts and interestingly, 00:29:22.825 --> 00:29:27.205 the business world has been quite interested in these ideas and applying these 00:29:27.205 --> 00:29:29.625 Montessori principles to the world of work. 00:29:30.125 --> 00:29:34.245 But the business world can also sometimes say, okay, well, give me the five-step 00:29:34.245 --> 00:29:36.785 plan that leads to the answer. 00:29:37.445 --> 00:29:41.625 The checklist. Yeah. And in my book, you know, I really have to be careful because 00:29:41.625 --> 00:29:46.365 this isn't a situation that I think you can do step one, do step two and find 00:29:46.365 --> 00:29:47.705 enlightenment by Thursday. 00:29:48.165 --> 00:29:50.245 You know, I think this is a matter of 00:29:50.662 --> 00:29:54.822 Really, what I'm offering is a way of thinking about things that helps you come 00:29:54.822 --> 00:29:59.322 home to yourself and your own values and your own needs and your own life. 00:29:59.542 --> 00:30:03.862 Because you only have one life, right? And we're all here to make an important contribution. 00:30:04.142 --> 00:30:11.682 We all have a cosmic task. And yet, you know, I think we can get caught up in so many other things. 00:30:11.782 --> 00:30:14.622 I don't want us to miss our lives, right? We only get one. 00:30:14.722 --> 00:30:22.422 This is not a dress rehearsal for life. And so what I think I really offer to my reader is, you know, 00:30:22.542 --> 00:30:27.202 returning you to you and finding the right alignment for your life, 00:30:27.262 --> 00:30:29.742 because it's not going to be the same as anyone else's. 00:30:30.342 --> 00:30:36.402 What is then one practical step someone feeling misaligned could take this week? 00:30:36.402 --> 00:30:40.502 Yeah, so I think one practical step right now, if you're feeling like you're 00:30:40.502 --> 00:30:46.862 out of alignment, is to then think about which pieces of your life mosaic maybe 00:30:46.862 --> 00:30:48.082 aren't supporting each other. 00:30:48.302 --> 00:30:53.662 One thing that I've noticed is sometimes I think we say that work is the problem 00:30:53.662 --> 00:30:57.422 because work feels like the easiest thing to do. 00:30:58.287 --> 00:31:04.767 Change or to work on. When sometimes, and I use the example of my sister. 00:31:04.927 --> 00:31:06.607 My sister is an oncology nurse. 00:31:07.187 --> 00:31:08.907 She's very good at what she does. 00:31:09.587 --> 00:31:12.947 She's absolutely saving lives and making an impact. 00:31:13.107 --> 00:31:17.487 And she works with very acute cases. So it's inpatient at the hospital, 00:31:17.727 --> 00:31:19.907 stem cell transplant, and acute oncology. 00:31:20.047 --> 00:31:22.507 So her patients are there for sometimes many weeks. 00:31:23.047 --> 00:31:28.387 And she came to me And she was at the point where she wasn't sure if she could 00:31:28.387 --> 00:31:29.847 continue in her profession. 00:31:30.707 --> 00:31:36.407 You know, the work at the hospital had just gotten so hard. And it was during the pandemic. 00:31:36.747 --> 00:31:41.187 And we all know that hospitals were overwhelmed. Absolutely. 00:31:41.947 --> 00:31:45.787 Yeah, hospitals were overwhelmed in the pandemic. And so, yes, 00:31:45.947 --> 00:31:48.407 her work had gotten much, much harder. 00:31:48.667 --> 00:31:53.067 But when I talked to her, I said, but work isn't the only thing that had changed. 00:31:53.067 --> 00:31:56.407 Because her patients were immunocompromised she 00:31:56.407 --> 00:31:59.347 had had no other human contact outside of 00:31:59.347 --> 00:32:02.347 work for many months she hadn't seen any friends 00:32:02.347 --> 00:32:05.427 she hadn't seen any family members her gym 00:32:05.427 --> 00:32:10.387 had closed all the other parts of her life all the other pieces of her life 00:32:10.387 --> 00:32:15.067 mosaic that might have supported her when work was harder weren't doing their 00:32:15.067 --> 00:32:20.367 job either and so that's the example I like to come back to when I think it's 00:32:20.367 --> 00:32:23.347 important to say You know, work might be more challenging. 00:32:24.402 --> 00:32:28.742 Are the other pieces of my life mosaic doing their job and supporting? 00:32:29.042 --> 00:32:33.842 Or do I also need to pay attention to, you know, what's happening in my partnership? 00:32:34.142 --> 00:32:37.462 Or what's happening with my health? Or what's happening, you know, 00:32:37.702 --> 00:32:43.962 with am I able to give myself time to do the things that restore my joy and, 00:32:44.122 --> 00:32:45.862 you know, help me take care of myself? 00:32:46.402 --> 00:32:49.862 So that would be the question I would invite readers. If you're feeling out 00:32:49.862 --> 00:32:54.842 of alignment, which pieces of your life mosaic maybe feel like they need some attention? 00:32:55.142 --> 00:33:00.362 And are they work pieces or are there also some non-work pieces that maybe could 00:33:00.362 --> 00:33:04.402 be doing a better job of supporting your holistic well-being as well? 00:33:05.642 --> 00:33:08.962 Many of our listeners are our heads of school, school leaders. 00:33:09.302 --> 00:33:13.342 What does alignment look like in leadership now? 00:33:13.708 --> 00:33:17.888 Yeah, I think it's a critical point, actually. 00:33:18.308 --> 00:33:25.988 So leaders, I think, you know, we we know that the we're the final answer, 00:33:26.328 --> 00:33:29.528 you know, like things might go through many levels, many challenges. 00:33:29.908 --> 00:33:33.848 The idiom that we use in the US is the buck stops here. Right. 00:33:33.928 --> 00:33:35.488 You know, you're sort of the highest level. 00:33:35.728 --> 00:33:40.208 And this is where things are going to end up. You know, if it's a problem with 00:33:40.208 --> 00:33:43.228 a teacher, it's a problem with a student, it's a problem with a parent, 00:33:43.408 --> 00:33:45.788 it's a problem with, you know, maybe you're bored. 00:33:46.048 --> 00:33:48.968 All of those things are going to come to the leader at some point. 00:33:49.308 --> 00:33:54.048 And so that means you're carrying a lot and it means that you're responsible 00:33:54.048 --> 00:33:55.748 to a lot of different people. 00:33:55.748 --> 00:33:59.448 The fact of the matter is, though, just like a classroom teacher, 00:33:59.748 --> 00:34:05.348 we can't show up and serve our mission and do the work that we are called to 00:34:05.348 --> 00:34:10.328 do in the world if we are not whole and healthy human beings ourselves. 00:34:10.928 --> 00:34:16.768 And so I think that a lot of this is, number one, permission that we need to 00:34:16.768 --> 00:34:18.408 be taking care of ourselves as 00:34:18.408 --> 00:34:23.588 leaders. And number two, I think we have a responsibility to model that. 00:34:23.788 --> 00:34:27.968 Because if what we're modeling is continuous self-sacrifice, 00:34:28.128 --> 00:34:33.668 if it's modeling martyrdom, if it's modeling savior complexes. 00:34:34.088 --> 00:34:37.168 Those are not healthy places to be in. 00:34:37.168 --> 00:34:42.908 And I think that coming back to our own life alignment can save us from those 00:34:42.908 --> 00:34:46.188 extremes, from feeling that we have to be the martyr and we have to, 00:34:46.508 --> 00:34:49.008 you know, just keep going and do everything. 00:34:49.288 --> 00:34:54.448 And also the savior, that it all depends on us. It doesn't, right? We're one part. 00:34:54.648 --> 00:34:57.868 We have a cosmic task, but we're part of an interconnected universe. 00:34:57.868 --> 00:35:03.248 And so, you know, when we're a leader, how do we remember that we have a role 00:35:03.248 --> 00:35:08.268 to play in our organization, but we're not the only part of the organization, right? 00:35:08.388 --> 00:35:12.708 We can remember how to empower and how to equip and how to support. 00:35:13.096 --> 00:35:16.976 All the parts of our organization. I think, you know, if I, people say, 00:35:17.116 --> 00:35:17.756 what's your second book? 00:35:17.856 --> 00:35:21.136 I said, it took me four and a half years to bring this one into the world. 00:35:21.316 --> 00:35:23.756 I don't know that I have a second one right now. 00:35:24.016 --> 00:35:28.316 But the first version, the first idea of this book was actually about systems 00:35:28.316 --> 00:35:29.576 and about organizations. 00:35:29.916 --> 00:35:34.456 And so maybe that book will still come to pass. And I do like to talk to and 00:35:34.456 --> 00:35:37.876 give workshops on this because I think, you know, we can find personal alignment, 00:35:38.116 --> 00:35:40.916 but we can also find collective alignment in our organizations. 00:35:40.916 --> 00:35:44.116 And that starts with the leader. Finding that personal 00:35:44.116 --> 00:35:49.896 alignment Modeling that personal alignment And then helping The team and the 00:35:49.896 --> 00:35:54.656 community Understand these ideas And make space for these ideas as well And 00:35:54.656 --> 00:35:59.816 another Montessori principle That comes to mind is When Montessori talks about 00:35:59.816 --> 00:36:03.396 The inner preparation Or the spiritual preparation Of the teacher. 00:36:04.796 --> 00:36:12.996 As part of the responsibility Right To make sure that Whatever works for you, 00:36:13.636 --> 00:36:17.576 if it's reading, nature, go to museum, whatever, 00:36:18.316 --> 00:36:19.816 but identifying, 00:36:20.937 --> 00:36:25.697 what works and make sure that you use them and do that. 00:36:25.957 --> 00:36:28.937 Like the inner preparation, the spiritual preparation, I think of that as well, 00:36:28.997 --> 00:36:30.377 both for leaders and teachers. 00:36:30.617 --> 00:36:34.537 That's right. And I think it's another part of why I reject balance because 00:36:34.537 --> 00:36:37.557 that to me is part of our work. It's part of our responsibility. 00:36:38.237 --> 00:36:42.117 And even, you know, non-Montessori people, you say, well, have you ever had 00:36:42.117 --> 00:36:46.357 a great idea to solve a problem maybe when you were washing dishes or maybe 00:36:46.357 --> 00:36:47.377 when you were in the shower? 00:36:47.617 --> 00:36:50.977 So were you working when you had that great idea? Yeah, of course not. 00:36:51.177 --> 00:36:53.817 You know, you were living your life. You were living your whole life. 00:36:54.757 --> 00:36:58.277 But taking care of our whole lives, taking care of our spirits, 00:36:58.937 --> 00:37:03.917 nurturing ourselves in whatever format, as you say, that shows up for you. 00:37:04.737 --> 00:37:08.217 We shouldn't feel guilty about those things because it's actually part of our 00:37:08.217 --> 00:37:09.637 work. It's part of our responsibility. 00:37:10.357 --> 00:37:14.157 We had a lot of, we've been renovating our house here in Italy. 00:37:14.157 --> 00:37:17.737 And I remember especially early on in the renovation process, 00:37:17.957 --> 00:37:26.657 many of our best ideas for the renovation work was when we visited any former museum. 00:37:28.013 --> 00:37:32.593 Yes. To see structural work, layouts, the sign. 00:37:33.373 --> 00:37:38.073 Yes. We would see a garden and some gravel work and say, oh, 00:37:38.493 --> 00:37:41.653 did you notice that? Yeah. Yes. And that color. 00:37:43.273 --> 00:37:47.693 So... And I think writers, artists, other people, 00:37:48.313 --> 00:37:52.613 you know, sometimes it was challenging for me writing because so much of my 00:37:52.613 --> 00:37:55.833 other work, you know, in the training program and as a teacher, 00:37:56.053 --> 00:37:59.533 sometimes could be a little bit of, okay, here's my to-do list and I just need 00:37:59.533 --> 00:38:02.813 to check things off and here we go and get it done. 00:38:03.153 --> 00:38:07.713 But that's not how writing works. That's not how creative work happens, you know. 00:38:07.873 --> 00:38:13.653 And so writing, you know, my walk in the woods is just as important for the 00:38:13.653 --> 00:38:16.173 writing as sitting at the computer sometimes, you know. 00:38:17.113 --> 00:38:21.493 We're doing our work in lots of different ways and in lots of different spaces. 00:38:21.813 --> 00:38:26.913 And so I think remembering we're whole humans, we're not compartmentalized Widgets. 00:38:27.093 --> 00:38:30.933 And so We can take care of and nurture all the different Parts of ourselves. 00:38:31.193 --> 00:38:35.253 And that's going to impact our Work. We will do a better job Showing up for 00:38:35.253 --> 00:38:39.013 our most important Work in the world when we Do those things. 00:38:43.722 --> 00:38:49.762 And is alignment a destination or an ongoing process? 00:38:50.102 --> 00:38:55.682 It is 100% a process and one that I think we get to live through our whole lives. 00:38:56.042 --> 00:39:00.042 You can retire from your paycheck work, but you don't retire from your purpose work. 00:39:00.202 --> 00:39:01.642 I think that as long as we're breathing, 00:39:01.882 --> 00:39:05.522 we have something that we can contribute in some way to the world. 00:39:05.802 --> 00:39:09.622 I think our purpose work can also evolve over the course of our lifetime. 00:39:09.962 --> 00:39:13.222 Montessori says the cosmic task of the child is to become the adult. 00:39:13.742 --> 00:39:18.582 But then I think maybe our cosmic task as adults can evolve over the course 00:39:18.582 --> 00:39:20.742 of our adulthood and over the course of our lifetime. 00:39:21.322 --> 00:39:27.642 But for me, I just think of it as how do I come back to who am I meant to be 00:39:27.642 --> 00:39:31.182 and what am I meant to do in this moment of my life, right? 00:39:31.182 --> 00:39:38.142 And if I stay connected to that, then I know how to arrange all the pieces of 00:39:38.142 --> 00:39:43.562 my life mosaic and what I need to say no to and what I need to have more of 00:39:43.562 --> 00:39:48.122 in my life so that I can show up fully for the work that's mine to do. 00:39:48.962 --> 00:39:52.942 If you had to summarize alignment in one sentence, what would it be? 00:39:53.994 --> 00:40:00.194 Yeah, so alignment, I think, is a more holistic way of thinking about our lives 00:40:00.194 --> 00:40:05.674 and our work so that we can show up and do our work joyfully and well, 00:40:05.874 --> 00:40:10.774 but also not sacrifice everything to our important work so that we can find 00:40:10.774 --> 00:40:13.274 thriving in all parts of our lives. 00:40:13.894 --> 00:40:17.054 Who most needs to read this book? 00:40:17.714 --> 00:40:24.334 Well, I wrote my book for anyone who feels that their work matters in the world, 00:40:24.594 --> 00:40:31.574 who feels that their work and what they do is part of how they contribute to a better world. 00:40:31.794 --> 00:40:37.294 I have been told that people who maybe don't always or didn't feel that way 00:40:37.294 --> 00:40:41.394 initially have also found value, and I'm so honored that that's true. 00:40:41.394 --> 00:40:47.494 But the person that I imagined when I was writing my book is the person who, they love their work. 00:40:47.654 --> 00:40:50.174 They know that their work makes a difference in the world. 00:40:50.454 --> 00:40:55.794 And yet when that's true, I think that that person can wrestle with work-life 00:40:55.794 --> 00:40:58.634 balance maybe more acutely because you care. 00:40:58.774 --> 00:41:03.834 You care about your work. You don't want to turn it off. You don't want to compartmentalize it. 00:41:03.954 --> 00:41:08.374 But you also know that you can't sacrifice everything to your work. 00:41:08.374 --> 00:41:13.614 And so that's the person that I imagined would pick up my book and find a different 00:41:13.614 --> 00:41:17.494 model and a different way of thinking about work and life so that they would 00:41:17.494 --> 00:41:22.614 be able to come home to themselves and make decisions to find thriving and not 00:41:22.614 --> 00:41:26.994 get to the point of burnout and overwhelm and, you know, 00:41:27.074 --> 00:41:29.454 health or relationship challenges. Wow. 00:41:31.263 --> 00:41:40.203 Well, Katie, thank you for this conversation. And I'm just, I'm halfway through your book. 00:41:40.963 --> 00:41:46.743 So I'm really looking forward to completing it and hoping that more people can 00:41:46.743 --> 00:41:48.743 find it. Thank you so much Maria. 00:41:48.963 --> 00:41:53.163 I'm just so honored that you found my book and that you reached out and that 00:41:53.163 --> 00:41:56.343 you offered me the opportunity to share with your audience. 00:41:56.903 --> 00:42:03.023 I think alignment is for everyone and I'm so grateful and so honored to hear 00:42:03.023 --> 00:42:06.443 that these ideas can have resonance for your audience. 00:42:06.443 --> 00:42:14.703 I hope that if anyone is listening and wants to reach out, you can find me at katiekillerwood.com. 00:42:14.923 --> 00:42:18.723 I'm also on LinkedIn. It's the platform that I'm the most active. 00:42:19.383 --> 00:42:23.183 But I would love to stay in touch and serve however I can. 00:42:23.643 --> 00:42:31.363 And I will link to the audience where they can find the book in Sweden. Because you can. 00:42:31.983 --> 00:42:34.943 So that they can get it. 00:42:35.263 --> 00:42:44.203 Okay. Thank you. Tack för att du har lyssnat. 00:42:44.843 --> 00:42:50.243 Montessori-podden produceras för Montessori förskolor och skolor i Sverige AB. 00:42:50.943 --> 00:42:57.203 Du kan läsa mer om oss på www.montessorisverige.se När du har lyssnat, 00:42:57.403 --> 00:43:02.903 ge gärna podden ett betyg i din poddspelare och glöm inte att följa Montessori-podden 00:43:02.903 --> 00:43:04.443 på Facebook eller Instagram.