Robin Gabbert: the healing power of poetry

Robin Gabbert: the healing power of poetry

EPISODE REFLECTION: There’s a quiet courage in choosing not to rush past a moment. I was struck by how poetry becomes less about expression—and more about permission. Permission to sit with what’s unresolved. Permission to revisit what resurfaces. Permission to be honest, even when that honesty feels sharp. Her work reminds us that our lives aren’t linear stories—they’re ecosystems. Interwoven. Contradictory. Alive with both beauty and rupture. And maybe that’s where poetry enters. WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE • Why brain aging is not inevitable • What it really means to be a “super-ager” • How neuroplasticity works in everyday life • The five pillars of brain health • Why midlife can be a new beginning for the brain ABOUT THE GUEST Robin Gabbert is an Ekphrastic poet, the winner of Redwood Writers' 2025 Fran Claggett-Holland Award and is a Pushcart Poetry Prize nominee for her poem The Palm Reader. In 2024, her poem Invisible was a finalist in the San Francisco Writers' Conference Poetry Contest and she was long-listed for the Frontier PoetryTanka Challenge. Her book of ekphrastic poetry—The Clandestine Life of Paintings, in Poems was published in 2022 and a full-length book of poetry Somehow, I Haven't Drowned was published by Blue Light Press in August 2025. She has poetry in state, national, and international poetry anthologies including the Ekphrastic Review. LINKS & RESOURCES *Robin Gabbert’s Website [https://www.robingabbert.com] *Somehow, I Haven’t Drowned [https://www.robingabbert.com/somehow-i-havent-drowned] *Robin Gabbert on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-gabbert-31338575/] *Robin Gabbert on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/imaginationvineyard/] ABOUT THOUGHT ECHOES Thought Echoes is a monthly podcast hosted by Beth Bonness, featuring conversations with authors, thinkers, and creatives exploring the nature of our thoughts — how they shape our lives, our work, and the meaning we make from experience. THOUGHT ECHOES NEWSLETTER If you enjoy conversations that explore the nature of our thoughts and the meaning we make from experience, you can subscribe to the Thought Echoes newsletter for deeper reflections: 👉https://bethbonness.com/newsletter [https://bethbonness.com/newsletter] Thank you for listening — until next time, keep exploring the echoes that shape your world.

Dr. Majid Fotuhi: become a brain super-ager

EPISODE REFLECTION: Rather than framing aging as loss, this conversation invites a shift in perspective: the brain is always adapting. Dr. Fotuhi shows how consistent, intentional choices quietly accumulate — shaping who we become cognitively, emotionally, and physically. WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE • Why brain aging is not inevitable • What it really means to be a “super-ager” • How neuroplasticity works in everyday life • The five pillars of brain health • Why midlife can be a new beginning for the brain ABOUT THE GUEST Dr. Majid Fotuhi is a neurologist, neuroscientist, and author of The Invincible Brain. He is an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins and founder of NeuroGrow Brain Fitness Center, where he focuses on preventing and reversing cognitive decline. LINKS & RESOURCES *Dr. Majid’s website [https://neurogrow.com/about-us/dr-majid-fotuhi-md-phd/] *Invincible Brain [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-invincible-brain-majid-fotuhi?variant=43878812614690] *Dr. Majid on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/majid-fotuhi-md-phd-363ab118/] *Dr. Majid on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/DrFotuhi] ABOUT THOUGHT ECHOES Thought Echoes is a monthly podcast hosted by Beth Bonness, featuring conversations with authors, thinkers, and creatives exploring the nature of our thoughts — how they shape our lives, our work, and the meaning we make from experience. THOUGHT ECHOES NEWSLETTER If you enjoy conversations that explore the nature of our thoughts and the meaning we make from experience, you can subscribe to the Thought Echoes newsletter for deeper reflections: 👉https://bethbonness.com/newsletter [https://bethbonness.com/newsletter] Thank you for listening — until next time, keep exploring the echoes that shape your world.

Anna Citrino: what are the stories that shape us?

EPISODE REFLECTION: Through poetry, history, and reflection, Anna explores silence, belonging, and the quiet inheritance of stories passed down through generations. This conversation is an invitation to notice the patterns beneath our lives—and to listen more closely to what’s been echoing all along. WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE *How we can live out stories before we’re conscious of them *Why land and place hold emotional and historical memory *The role of poetry in giving voice to what was never spoken *What it means to look back—not to stay there, but to understand ourselves more fully ABOUT THE GUEST Anna Citrino is a poet and the author of Stories We Didn’t Tell. Her work explores land, memory, silence, and the inner lives of women and families shaped by place and history. LINKS & RESOURCES *Anna Citrino’s website [https://annacitrino.com/] *Stories We Didn’t Tell [https://annacitrino.com/publications/] *Anna on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-citrino-43334614/] *Anna on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/annajcitrino] ABOUT THOUGHT ECHOES Thought Echoes is a monthly podcast hosted by Beth Bonness, featuring conversations with authors, thinkers, and creatives exploring the nature of our thoughts — how they shape our lives, our work, and the meaning we make from experience. THOUGHT ECHOES NEWSLETTER If you enjoy conversations that explore the nature of our thoughts and the meaning we make from experience, you can subscribe to the Thought Echoes newsletter for deeper reflections: 👉https://bethbonness.com/newsletter [https://bethbonness.com/newsletter] Thank you for listening — until next time, keep exploring the echoes that shape your world.

Amy Leneker: break the hold stress has on you by bringing more joy into your life

EPISODE REFLECTION: Stress is often framed as something to eliminate, outrun, or endure. But what if that framing itself is part of the problem? In this conversation, I was curious about whether our cultural relationship with stress leaves room for something more humane — and more sustainable. Amy Leneker shares how her own experience with burnout led her to question the false choice between stress or joy. Drawing on research and lived experience, she reframes joy not as a reward for surviving stress, but as a practical strategy for buffering against it. We explore why delaying joy only deepens burnout, how uncertainty (“suspense”) quietly erodes our nervous systems, and why resilience can become harmful when it’s misunderstood. What stayed with me most is the idea that stress and joy are not opposites, but companions in a resilient dance. The invitation here isn’t to do less caring, less striving, or less meaningful work — but to notice where small interludes of joy might restore what stress slowly depletes. ABOUT THE GUEST Amy Leneker is an author, speaker, and recovering workaholic turned joy specialist. She is the author of Cheers to Monday, where she explores the intersection of stress, joy, and resilience in modern work and life. LINKS & RESOURCES *Amy Leneker’s website: https://www.amyleneker.com [https://www.amyleneker.com] *Cheers to Monday: https://www.amyleneker.com/book#order [https://www.amyleneker.com/book#order] *Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyleneker/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyleneker/] ABOUT THOUGHT ECHOES Thought Echoes is a monthly podcast hosted by Beth Bonness, featuring conversations with authors, thinkers, and creatives exploring the nature of our thoughts — how they shape our lives, our work, and the meaning we make from experience. THOUGHT ECHOES NEWSLETTER If you enjoy conversations that explore the nature of our thoughts and the meaning we make from experience, you can subscribe to the Thought Echoes newsletter for deeper reflections: 👉 https://bethbonness.com/newsletter [https://bethbonness.com/newsletter] Thank you for listening — until next time, keep exploring the echoes that shape your world.

Hiroko Yoda: what does it mean to be grateful?

EPISODE REFLECTION: What does it mean to stay creative—and even hopeful—when life feels uncertain? In this conversation, Hiroko Yoda explores the relationship between creativity, healing, and the unknown. Rather than waiting for certainty before moving forward, she invites us to cultivate a deeper trust in the unfolding process of life. We talk about how creativity can serve as both a compass and a companion during times of transition. By listening more deeply—to ourselves, to others, and to the moment—we may discover that uncertainty is not something to eliminate, but something that can open unexpected possibilities. This conversation is a reminder that imagination, presence, and curiosity can help us navigate complexity with more grace and resilience. ABOUT THE GUEST Hiroko Yoda is an executive advisor, teacher, and author who works at the intersection of leadership, creativity, and human development. Drawing from decades of experience supporting entrepreneurs, executives, and creatives, she helps individuals cultivate deeper awareness, clarity, and purpose in their work and lives. Her work explores themes of imagination, possibility, and the role of creative thinking in navigating uncertainty. Through her writing, teaching, and advising, Hiro invites people to engage more fully with the unknown and to approach leadership and life as evolving creative processes. LINKS & RESOURCES *Hiroko Yoda’s website: https://www.hirokoyoda.com/ [https://www.hirokoyoda.com/] *Eight Million Ways to Happiness: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735293/eight-million-ways-to-happiness-by-hiroko-yoda/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735293/eight-million-ways-to-happiness-by-hiroko-yoda/] ABOUT THOUGHT ECHOES Thought Echoes is a monthly podcast hosted by Beth Bonness, featuring conversations with authors, thinkers, and creatives exploring the nature of our thoughts — how they shape our lives, our work, and the meaning we make from experience. THOUGHT ECHOES NEWSLETTER If you enjoy conversations that explore the nature of our thoughts and the meaning we make from experience, you can subscribe to the Thought Echoes newsletter for deeper reflections: 👉 https://bethbonness.com/newsletter [https://bethbonness.com/newsletter] Thank you for listening — until next time, keep exploring the echoes that shape your world.