61. Engaged Buddhism Practices and Pursuit of Passion through Self-Advocacy — Jess Cadorette

“Yeah, challenges suck, and life will come at you hard, and fast…. But if you are able to, in at least some corner of your mind, remember that actually, this hard time will help you grow. If you take on challenges as growth opportunities, that is one of the key pieces that I’ve seen in resilient people. If you can change your mindset to understanding that, I think your life will change within months. Almost within weeks… if you start looking at challenges as an opportunity, either to find a solution or to grow.” - Jess Cadorette

Welcome back to another episode of Discover More.

This week, we continue our conversation with Jess Cadorette.

Jess (@jesscadorette) is an environmental advocate who currently serves as the Field Director for the Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, the statewide political voice for the environment.

Last week, we discussed the environmental issues that we face as a society, as well as the ways that we can begin to make a difference through advocacy and sustainability.

She also shared about her personal journey into environmentalism, so we recommend starting there as an introduction for this episode.

This week, Jess courageously reflects on her experience with Crohn’s Disease and shares the many important lessons it taught her about life and health.

We discuss the importance of caring for not only our physical and mental health but also our spiritual health.

This leads to a conversation around “engaged Buddhism”, mindfulness, self-advocacy, and making the most of every moment.

To close the episode, in honor of Woman’s History Month, Jess delivers some powerful advice for women in their early 20’s looking to make a difference in this world.

We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us and Jess Cadorette.

 

Show notes:

Jess’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesscadorette/

Jess’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesscadorette/

Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania: https://www.conservationpa.org/about/staff

The 5 Mindfulness Trainings: https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/

Thich Nhat Hanh: https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/

GirlGov: https://wgfpa.org/our-work/girlgov/