x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious Connection in a Disconnected World

Kelly Penrod & Geoff Wheeler

“Tired of feeling disconnected?” Yeah, we thought so. Blueprints for Belonging is here to help you ditch the small talk, stop the endless scroll, and actually build connection that feels real in a noisy world. Hosts Geoff Wheeler and Kelly Penrod bring you practical communication tools, personal growth hacks, and unfiltered conversations that won’t put you to sleep. Want to handle conflict without ghosting people? Stop people-pleasing without becoming a jerk? Find your place in the world without

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

00:29:58

Micro-Memes: The Tiny Words Running Your Relationships

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2026/04/10

In “Micro-Memes: The Tiny Words Running Your Relationships,” Kelly & Geoff explore how small, habitual words—especially the word “but”—can subtly shift the emotional tone of conversations and create unintended disconnection. Introducing the idea of micro-memes of communication, they examine how everyday language patterns are learned culturally and used automatically, often without awareness of their psychological impact.The episode highlights how the brain relies on linguistic shortcuts for

en-us

00:34:23

The Blame Boomerang: Return to Sender (With Curiosity)

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2026/04/03

In “The Blame Boomerang: Return to Sender (With Curiosity),” Kelly & Geoff close out the cognitive distortions series by exploring three powerful thinking patterns that shape how we interpret relationships and conflict: blame shifting, negativity bias, and the fundamental attribution error.They discuss how blame shifting moves us away from shared responsibility, how negativity bias pulls our attention toward negative experiences more strongly than positive ones, and how fundamental attribution

en-us

00:25:01

The Story Factory: Quality Control Week

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2026/03/27

In “The Story Factory: Quality Control Week,” Kelly & Geoff explore three common cognitive distortions—overgeneralization, personalization, and black-and-white thinking—and how these mental shortcuts shape the way we interpret ourselves, others, and our relationships. Rather than framing these patterns as problems to fix, they discuss how the brain uses them to create certainty and safety, while also examining how these habits can limit curiosity, connection, and nuance.Through relatable

en-us

00:33:56

Threat Level Midnight (Starring: Your Interpretations)

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2026/03/20

In “Threat Level Midnight (Starring: Your Interpretations),” Kelly & Geoff explore three cognitive distortions that quietly influence connection and belonging: catastrophizing, should statements, and discounting the positive. Rather than treating these as mistakes, they frame them as natural mental patterns the brain uses to manage uncertainty—patterns that can unintentionally narrow how we see others and interpret relationships.Catastrophizing turns uncertainty into worst-case certainty,

en-us

00:36:20

Power With: Put the Crown Down

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2026/03/13

In “Power With: Put the Crown Down,” Kelly & Geoff explore how conscious connection requires intentional awareness, especially when automatic thinking patterns quietly shape our relationships. They examine how protective mental strategies can pull us into power over or power under dynamics that disconnect us from others and ourselves.Through real-life examples and practical reflection, the episode introduces power with as an alternative approach grounded in curiosity, clarity, and presence

en-us

00:35:10

Confirmation Bias: Your Brain’s Favorite Yes-Man

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2026/03/06

In “Confirmation Bias: Your Brain’s Favorite Yes-Man,” Kelly & Geoff explore how awareness helps us stay connected and grounded in our relationships. Through personal check-ins and stories, they model the practice of listening without fixing, highlighting how being heard can create clarity and connection.The conversation introduces Bowen Family Systems Theory, emphasizing how anxiety moves through relationships and leads to predictable coping patterns—conflict, distancing, over-involvement, or

en-us

00:42:56

Home for the Holidays: Building Belonging, One...

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/11/21

The holidays are here—and so are the old patterns. Geoff and Kelly offer five Blueprint Principles for staying grounded, generous, and connected when the table gets crowded and emotions get loud.This is our final episode for our first season. We wish you ease and cheer this holiday season.And we would like to thank each of you for staying with us this long. We will be back in the spring! See you then!

en-us

01:18:45

The Story of Us, in Progress

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/11/14

For this special episode, Geoff and Kelly turn the microphones toward each other. They ask the questions they usually ask their guests—and discover new layers of their own friendship, creativity, and shared mission to build belonging.💬 In this conversation:What belonging feels like in the bodyHow judgment, grief, and play shape connectionThe ongoing architecture of trust between collaborators

en-us

01:04:42

Being Human: No Final Draft Incoming

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/11/07

Kelly and Geoff sit down with Brooke Summers Perry for a heartfelt talk about belonging while still becoming. Together they unpack the beauty of being “in process,” the myth of the finished self, and the quiet courage it takes to be seen before you’re polished.

en-us

00:47:15

How We Create Belonging on Purpose

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/10/31

Episode 17In this conversation with Brenen Blair, founder of Ligaré Gatherings, Geoff and Kelly explore how intentional spaces help strangers become community. They talk about why belonging doesn’t happen by accident, the courage it takes to show up authentically, and how play, ritual, and curiosity can bridge modern disconnection.

en-us

00:32:14

From Storage to Story: Opening the Garage of Belonging.

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/10/24

In episode 16 of Blueprints for Belonging, Kelly and Geoff step into the garage — the space of overflow, hidden clutter, unfinished projects, and seasonal storage. Using the garage as a metaphor, they explore what happens when we keep parts of our lives walled off, how trust grows when we let someone see our “in-process” selves, and why hidden hazards can quietly erode relationships. The conversation highlights that empathy plus integrity equals respect, and that disconnection — when no one feels

en-us

00:32:18

Emotional Draino: Because shame is a clog you don’t...

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/10/17

In episode 15 of Blueprints for Belonging, Geoff and Kelly explore two of the most overlooked but essential rooms in the “house of belonging”: the Kitchen and the Release Room. Kitchens remind us of the daily nourishment relationships require — small, steady acts of kindness, presence, and gratitude. The Release Room highlights the need for emotional hygiene — letting go of stress, judgments, and shame so they don’t leak into every other part of life. Together, nourishment and release keep

en-us

00:28:30

Knock, Knock — Who’s There? Belonging.

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/10/10

In episode 14 of Blueprints for Belonging, Geoff and Kelly continue their Architecture of Belonging mini-series by looking at two overlooked skills: choice and perspective. Using the simple image of doors and windows, they explore how everyday language often signals whether we feel trapped or free, closed or open. Closed doors sound like “I can’t, I have to” while open doors sound like “I’m choosing to, I’d prefer to.” Closed windows sound like “You’re wrong, that’s just the way it is” while open

en-us

00:23:25

If These Walls Could Talk… They’d File a Complaint

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/10/03

In Episode 13 of Blueprints for Belonging, Geoff and Kelly kick off their new mini-series, The Architecture of Belonging, by exploring the walls and roofs that make connection possible. Walls represent boundaries — not punishment or rejection, but clarity that supports trust and collaboration. Roofs symbolize safety — the protection that allows relationships to be livable and resilient. Through practical tools like clear, kind communication, NVC’s requests versus demands, and the improv principle

en-us

00:31:08

Your Captain Has Turned on The Judgement Light

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/09/26

In this episode, we tell the true story of Qantas Flight 32, where five pilots worked together to land a severely damaged plane and save over 400 lives. We use this moment of collective clarity under pressure as a metaphor for what we often lack in daily communication. While they had training, systems, and support to navigate the crisis, most of us are flying blind in our conversations—without tools or awareness. We introduce the four common Nonviolent Communication disconnects that sabotage

en-us

00:30:33

When Stories Run The Show (And How to Reclaim the Pen)

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/09/19

In this episode, we explore the powerful role of personal and cultural narratives in shaping how we see ourselves, others, and the world. These stories, often mistaken for facts, are deeply rooted in upbringing, trauma, media, and inherited social memes. When left unexamined. they quietly dictate our relationships, reactions, and sense of identity. Kelly introduces the concept of memetic scripting, showing how these inherited beliefs pass down through generations like outdated software. Geoff

en-us

00:34:09

AutoPilot Malfunction: Please Reclaim the Wheel

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/09/12

In this episode, we explore what it really means to generate choice—and why it’s often harder than it sounds. We dig into the invisible memetic scripts that make us believe we don’t have a choice (“It’s just the way things are,” “I didn’t get to choose”), and show how autopilot behavior, judgment, and inherited expectations limit our agency. Judgment, in particular, becomes a clue—often signaling grief over choices we didn’t know we had. We talk about how to slow down, become more aware, and start

en-us

00:31:38

You Inherited the Script, But the Rewrite Is Yours

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/09/05

In Episode 9, Kelly and Geoff explore how old stories—personal and cultural—can quietly run our lives. From memetic scripts like “That’s just how it is” to childhood narratives that still steer adult choices, they unpack how to spot these hidden authors and reclaim the pen. With help from Wayne Dyer’s “7 Faces of Intention,” this episode invites listeners to stop quoting outdated lines and start writing with intention, one conscious choice at a time.

en-us

00:38:53

Your Mouth Said ‘Ask’, But Your Eyebrows Said ‘Now’

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/08/29

Why do so many of our “requests” sound more like demands—and why does that matter? In this episode, we untangle the subtle but critical differences between asking and pressuring. We explore how cultural and familial memes like “Don’t be needy” or “I shouldn’t have to ask” sabotage honest communication, and how our tone, timing, and trust level often speak louder than our words. We discuss how inherited scripts and unexamined expectations can turn even simple requests into threats—shutting down

en-us

00:30:52

Needs Are the Compass. Strategies Are… the Detour

Blueprints for Belonging - Building Conscious... ·

2025/08/22

Episode 7 centers on the importance of human needs as the root of emotions and conflict. Kelly and Geoff explain that unmet needs—like respect, support, or clarity—drive our reactions, while met needs bring ease. They distinguish needs from strategies and show how emotional awareness can lead to more authentic communication. The episode prepares listeners to turn self-awareness into clear, respectful requests.

en-us

27 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger