Words Matter

We've heard it before: the light shines in the darkness. But what happens when you have to live that? After Bonnie Kate was shot in an Aurora movie theater in 2012, her and her now-husband Max had to experience darkness firsthand and learn what it means for the light to shine through. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex, Max, and Bonnie Kate discuss what it means to accept joy in pain and keep embracing adventure. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/max-bonniekate

One of our biggest battles in life is believing we are loved and worth loving. Any love we share is a reflection of our own self-acceptance. Through Beauty for Ashes Uganda and SoulCare Retreats, Brandi Lea seeks to help people around the world recognize their belovedness. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Brandi discuss the value of learning to love yourself in the pursuit of loving others.

Evolution is a natural part of life. However, the decisions we make help determine the direction in which we'll evolve. Since his early days as an amateur photographer, Branden Harvey has taken risks that have propelled him into places and spaces he never saw possible. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Branden discuss the value of taking risks and moving in the direction of deeper change. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/branden

Life is scary. Adulting is hard. When faced with the challenges of building a life of your own, it’s all too easy to stake your hope and happiness in “someday.” Hannah Brencher invites you to see today as more important than the destination you dream of in her new book, Come Matter Here. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Hannah discuss what it means to stop the chasing and be here now. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/hannah

Emotions, like worry and fear, aren't always toxic. They can actually be wiser than we think; however, we rarely take time to get to know them. Amber Rae seeks to change that in her new book, Choose Wonder Over Worry. Through the lens of Wonder, she introduces us to the different characters in our emotional world and empowers us to learn from them instead of running away. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Amber discuss how befriending your emotions can help you journey deeper into wonder. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/amber

Curiosity has a way of opening the heart. Through Haiku Guys + Gals, Lisa Ann Markuson and hear team of 20+ poets work to spark that curiosity by writing personalized haiku poems on typewriters at various events around the world. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Lisa Ann discuss how one to two-minute interactions can result in poems that touch people's hearts and make them feel seen and known. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/lisa

We encounter people and situations on a daily basis that fill us with cynicism and lead us to worry. We forget that magic is all around us. Through his work as an illusionist and leading STORY, Harris III helps people rediscover wonder and live lives beyond their wildest imaginations. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Harris discuss how wonder can be reawakened in our lives and we can learn to believe in magic again. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/harrisiii

Two months before his death, Martin Luther King, Jr. shared these words: "If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song... then my living will not be in vain." Joel L. Daniels lives these words out daily, seeing every moment as an opportunity to change the world by impacting someone's life. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Joel discuss the idea of love as activism and kindness as social change. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/joel

As we've recently seen all over the United States, kids are catalysts for change. When they see injustice in the world, they act against it. At age 17, Sara Li started Project Consent, a non-profit against sexual assault and human trafficking. Now, a junior in college, Sara has seen Project Consent become a beacon for survivors and advocates alike. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Sara discuss the importance of pursuing your passions and fighting for what you believe in. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/sara

Kindness isn't usually our default setting. It's easy to go through our days focusing on our to-do lists and ignoring the people around us. For Houston Kraft, this isn't okay. He connects with people around the world empowering them to make kindness normal in their everyday lives. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Houston discuss how kindness isn't instinctual; it's something that has to be practiced. More: http://carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/houston

If we were really honest with ourselves, we all have things in our lives that hold us back. Lies that we've come to believe about ourselves. In his new book, Kill the Spider, Carlos Whittaker empowers you to destroy the root of deep-seated habits, ultimately bringing soul-relieving freedom. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Carlos discuss how to not only clear away the cobwebs but find the source of your issue and take it out. More: http://www.carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/carlos

Glennon Doyle once said, "Messy and beautiful are inseparable." It's in the mess where we often experience beauty in the form of deeper healing and connection.  Through singing, songwriting and poetry, Daje Morris seeks to create space for that healing and connection with words of truth and honesty. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Daje explore the power of words to open new worlds. Daje also shares her poem, "Blackbird." More: http://www.carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/daje

It takes bravery to face your story. It's another thing to bare your soul on a song with the intent of sharing it with others. That's what Julius Tunstall does on his debut album, Sir Cries A Lot, released in October 2017. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Julius explore the process of making an album and how artists often need their work just as much as those they hope to share it with. More: http://www.carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/julius

In isolation, we give room for shame to exist. But when we come together and fill that space with our own stories and experiences, shame is stomped out. Whether in the shadows of trafficking and sexual exploitation, apathy, or a lie of unworthiness, Kristie Dunnigan fiercely fights for women to know their unshakeable worth. In this Words Matter conversation, Alex and Kristie discuss the value of intimacy and storytelling in fighting shame. More: http://www.carwindowpoetry.com/wordsmatter/kristie