Episode 1

About

Chris and Soren kick off the inaugural season of the Inspired Insights podcast by sharing stories from their unique and individual personal journeys navigating the world around them. Listeners will get to know more about who Chris and Soren are as they discuss a variety of topics, including the challenges of being in a world that often misunderstands or stigmatizes mental health issues, especially within the queer community.

*Please note that this episode contains sensitive behavioral health topics such as suicide and substance use. If you are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988 or visiting www.988lifeline.org.

**This podcast is for information and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered health advice. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Transcript

Chris: Welcome to the premier episode of The Inspired Insights podcast. Soren, why don’t you give our listeners a little preview of what they are about to hear?

Soren: Sure! So, we embarked on this journey fairly ignorant of the technology. I showed up late because I was taking a nap, and so did Chris. My mom couldn’t help us set up the recording business and this space that we’re in. One day, folks might see the space we’re in, but for today, there are a lot of buttons and pieces to bring this to fruition. Unbeknownst to us, our mics were muted. Fortunately, we were recording, and my mom, who is a brilliant editor and producer, helped us. Fortunately, artificial intelligence exists.

Chris: Absolutely. We want people to realize that part of the Inspired Consulting Group brand and what we want Inspired Insights podcast to be about is this idea that we are all human. Perfection is not even part of the journey that you and I are interested in being on. This is a work in progress. You and I, we are works in progress. Our best days are still ahead, and the best days for this podcast are still ahead. This premiere episode is a bit longer and serves as an introduction to you and me, and the dynamics that we bring to this podcast. It’s about grace, vulnerability, and asking our listeners to bear with us.

Soren: Yes, we hope that what you see in the next couple of episodes is an evolution of the process. We want to thank folks for joining us in this premiere episode and for sticking with us, learning with us, growing with us, evolving with us, and just being patient with us.

Chris: Exactly. I think we managed to put together something really great. I am very proud of what you, your mom, and I have built here, and I am excited for people to see what the future episodes hold.

Soren: Without further ado, you’re about to listen to episode one of the Inspired Insights podcast. Here we are, take one.

Chris: This is Inspired Insights’ first podcast. I am Chris McLaughlin, a licensed clinical social worker here in the Bangor area.

Soren: And I am Soren Peterson, a junior at Hampden Academy. Hi Chris, this is really exciting.

Chris: Hi Soren, yes it is. This is fun. I’d say this is my first time with anything podcast-related, and watching you put together all this setup has been pretty interesting.

Soren: Yeah, I’m no expert, but I try my best. It looks good; it looks like we know what we’re doing here. I’m excited to get chatting with you.

Chris: There are a ton of interesting conversational topics that we can explore with this. We talked at a coffee shop a while ago just prepping for this, and I think that we’ve got some natural chemistry.

Soren: I think so too. I think we’ve got a lot of interesting conversations ahead, a lot of discussions to have. I’m hoping that as this conversation goes on, we can get folks who are listening to give us other ideas, suggestions, and feedback and have this thing grow over time.

Chris: Absolutely. I think it has the potential to be something really cool. For me, a big reason why I’m doing this is to do a bit of outreach and try to get another experience like mine out for people to listen to and watch if they are seeing the video of this. Not a lot of youth that have had mental struggles can talk about it eloquently when they’re still fairly young, and I think that’s really an asset to me. Conversation has been important in my processing of everything and maintaining emotional stability and such.

Soren: Yes, and you are an external processor like myself. That ability to connect with other people, share experiences, and learn from others while hoping they can learn from you is a big part of who you are. As you come into your senior year of high school and start thinking about what comes next, I hope that this conversation will also help you develop some deeper insights into yourself that you can share with others in the future.

Chris: I hope so too. I hope that what we do here and what we express resonates with a lot of people because I think we can get at some really deep topics that not a lot of people spend time thinking about or have the capacity to explore deeply by themselves. I hope people relate to our experiences and wisdom.

Soren: So, as we’re getting ready to launch into this experiment, I think it would be helpful to share a bit about yourself and some of your experiences. Recognizing that your ability to process through it is still evolving, do you want to share anything right now?

Chris: Like a lot of teens, I had a very difficult pre-teen and early high school experience involving a lot of dysfunctional behaviors like self-injury, substance use, and such. I sort of lost who I was and was running from who I was because a lot of my issues were initially trauma-related and then festered. I ended up loathing everything I had been before the traumatic injury because it reminded me of that and was digging myself an emotional hole.

Soren: Here’s what I know about you. You are someone who is wise beyond your years and has always been insightful and analytical. You love to learn and dig into stuff. Your YouTube addiction might have been a way for you to process through and learn about what was going on, but it was also a distraction and a defense mechanism.

Chris: Yes, it was engaging material but ultimately escapism. I engaged with a lot of content about modern affairs, philosophy, and history, trying to put myself in a different world. But by looking at all these awful things going on around the world, it justified my really negative worldview. Now, I watch that content and think, “Wow, this is unfortunate. What can I do?” and I try to be more optimistic and active in contributing positively.

Soren: That distinction between being a passive consumer and an active, intentional one is so important. Kids today are born into this world and aren’t taught how to be active consumers or sort through what they view. It’s difficult because parents often don’t know what their children have access to.

Chris: You’re right. There’s a lot of discussion about social media addiction and doomscrolling. It’s chemically similar to other addictions, always searching for that little bit of dopamine. Kids nowadays are desensitized and don’t know how to pick through the content they consume.

Soren: Yes, and we need to teach small children how to be active consumers. If you have a Wi-Fi connection, your kid is exposed to a lot. It’s crucial to guide them on how to navigate this space safely.

Chris: Absolutely. It’s about balance. We want kids to explore healthy activities and make decisions organically. Forcing things on them often backfires, especially with teens who can be super rebellious.

Soren: Exactly. Let’s encourage children to make decisions organically. If they feel like something is being forced on them, they’ll hate it even if it’s awesome. Balance is key.

Chris: Well, Soren, this has been a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to many more of these conversations and getting feedback from our listeners. This has been amazing.

Soren: Yes, thank you so much for listening. Until next time, I’m Soren Peterson.

Chris: And I’m Chris McLaughlin. We’ll see you back on Inspired Insights.

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Inspired Insights Podcast brought to you by Inspired Consulting Group, LLC. Edited and produced by Amanda Sidell. Music by Derek Hurder. Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.