In this episode of Sacred Tension, I’m joined by author, activist, and storyteller Gareth Higgins to talk about his new book How Not To Be Afraid. We discuss the challenges some modern men face, how growing up during the Troubles in northern Ireland informs his storytelling, how to tell stories that are both true and empowering, and much more. 

Gareth Higgins was born in Belfast in 1975, grew up during the northern Ireland Troubles, and now lives in the US. He writes and speaks about the power of storytelling to shape our lives and world, peace and making justice, and how to take life seriously without believing your own propaganda. He has been involved in peace-building and violence reduction in northern Ireland and helping address the legacy of conflict, received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Queen’s University Belfast, and helped teach the world’s first graduate course in Reconciliation Studies at Trinity College Dublin. He also helped found the Wild Goose, New Story and Movies & Meaning festivals. Gareth leads retreats in North America and Ireland; and he founded The Porch Magazine.

Find his book here

You can listen to this episode on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, your favorite podcast app, or on the player below.

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Music for the show is by Eleventyseven and The Jellyrox.