Making Meaning as Members of a Society: In Conversation with Emma Frampton

What a wonderful conversation I got to have with Emma! When Emma and I met through a mutual friend we immediately clicked. Not only do we have the same birthday, but we have a shared interest in astrology, the paranormal, and other metaphysical phenomena. I do want to note that, while these are things we discuss and have used in our lives to connect with our spirituality, this is not a recommendation to pursue those practices unless you feel drawn towards them. We are all differently spiritual, and the practices we use to connect with our spirituality should reflect those differences. So as you read this post, and listen to this episode, I recommend staying open minded to these concepts, but take what feels right for you and leave the rest.

As you probably know, I always begin every podcast conversation with the question, “What is your story?” Not only does this open-ended question allow the guest to take the conversation in any way they are drawn towards, but it also allows us to begin our conversation with vulnerability and openness. Emma began by expressing how her story is still being written, but in contrast to other guests that have shared this sentiment, she adds that the author is both herself, and the world around her. I found this an interesting depiction of her positionality, and it guided our conversation into the socio-economic impacts on anyone’s selfhood and meaning making journey.

For Emma, her positionality as a straight, white, plus-size woman, places her in an interesting dissonance with her status as an American, and as a global citizen. Not only does she believe herself to be a forward-thinking, conducive member of progress, but she also recognizes that she carries privilege and is a contributing member to the systemic injustices that our society deals in.

I have been wanting to discuss this personalized, and inescapable, tension that we all carry with us into our task of living in alignment with our values, our highest selves, and our spiritual purpose. We’ve discussed how personal these journeys are for each of us, but our personal life is still inextricable from our public life. And further, our public life is inextricable from our socio-political lives. While it’s necessary to examine our inner lives, it would be a half-fulfilled task if we did not examine the ways our experiences, interactions with others, and positionality impact every single step of our adventure. This includes acknowledging the inequities we’ve been dealt, the inequities we know we are complicit in, and doing what we can to unravel the innately immoral aspects of our society. This comes into stark contrast for me and Emma as Americans, but this impacts our role as global citizens as well. Wherever you are, physically and situationally, recognizing the reality we are faced with is the first step towards creating a world in which we all have the same opportunity to live the examined, intentional, and fulfilling lives that we deserve.

Emma brought such a powerful perspective to this conversation as she discussed the dissonance we all carry with us, regardless of our entry point into the conversation. Everyone carries a different relationship with society, and some are more attuned to this than others, but examining our role allows us to better live with meaning and fulfillment both for ourselves and for others.

Emma and I went on to discuss a variety of different things that I do think are worthy of being talked about, but I think it’s important to let this portion of conversation stand on its own. If you are interested in a discussion of the paranormal, astrology, or other metaphysical phenomena, stay tuned as this will certainly come up again in the future! But for today, I recommend focusing on your positionality, how that impacts living your life with meaning, and how that can influence the lives of those around us.

To further explore the things discussed in this blog post, check out the below resources and recommendations.

• Resources

• Books

• You are Your Best Thing by Tarana Burke and Brené Brown

• The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

• The Truth About Stories by Thomas King

• A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib

• Erasure by Percival Everett

• Broken Places and Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor

I hope you all got as much out of this conversation as I did. Emma is such a beautiful soul and helped me unpack some of my own dissonance during our conversation. If you want more content, subscribe to Making Meaning on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and subscribe online to receive bonus content, and so you never miss updates! If you want to join the conversation, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok @thecoherecollective and leave a comment sharing your thoughts on this episode. If you want more of Emma, you can follow her on Instagram @emframps or follow her foodie account @drinkingarounddallas. 

Until next time, so much love!

XX 

Reese, Founder

The Cohere Collective