S8e15: Jessica Kizer – Finding Belonging Through Our Commonalities

Jessica Kizer, PhD and Professor of Sociology, shares her powerful life story. One of the main threads of her story is the deep feeling and sense of not belonging. Through her story, we can understand how identities, roles, and circumstances can cause us to feel as if we do not belong in this world as we are for who we are. You'll also hear Drew reflect to Jessica: "...that's stereophonic not-belonging on overdrive." Through her studies in Sociology, Jessica began to understand how societal forces shape our lives societal constructions, and choices made by others. A myriad of steps and people brought Jessica to the Hoffman Process. On her first day, she felt that all-too-familiar pang of not belonging. She saw that she was the only Black person there.  This was the reality. Immediately, she felt a familiar pain of distance from everyone. But in the first few days, she experienced a shift. You'll hear Jessica share a moment when she saw that we can have very different life stories but arrive at the same place, feeling the same things about ourselves and our place in the world. This was when she began to focus on "our commonalities and not on our differences" in her time at the Process and after. As a mixed-race, neurodivergent person who teaches Sociology at a top university, perhaps Jessica's story is one we can identify with because we don't share those same identities. The patterns of not belonging, having to prove our worth, and feeling like we are in the wrong place, are common patterns among us.  Jessica's experience, wisdom, and understanding, both academically and personally, shed a powerful light on the human experience. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Jessica and Drew. More about Jessica Kizer: Jessica Kizer was born and raised in a multigenerational, multiracial family in the South Bay of Los Angeles County. Her spiritual journey led her first to Hoffman Essentials and then the Hoffman Process in June 2023, where she experienced deep healing for herself and her family. As a result of her experiences growing up Black, Puerto Rican, and Indonesian and neurodivergent in a neurotypical world, she developed a strong sense of justice, equity, and inclusion, which led her to a career as a sociology professor. In her courses, Jessica creates educational experiences so that everyone can learn and, in turn, helps students learn how to communicate sociological research in a way anyone can understand. In her courses, students tutor elementary school students and then write and illustrate sociological storybooks for the children’s home libraries. They also participate in intergenerational and interracial dialogues on race, research, and create podcasts on racial inequality, which they share with elders. Jessica loves going on walks and talks, journaling, and finding adventure in the everyday. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, their two cats, and two dogs. Follow Jessica on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Hoffman Essentials Jehovah's Witness Marni Battista - Listen to Marni on the Hoffman Podcast EMDR Brainspotting Kristin Neff - Listen to Kristin on the Hoffman Podcast Quad Check: The Quad Check is a practice to support you in checking in with all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body. To practice Quad Checks with others, join our virtual Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. We also hold an Appreciation and Gratitude practice each day at 6:00 pm on Instagram. Left Road, Right Road

Om Podcasten

Love’s everyday radius is an inspiring collection of conversations with graduates of the Hoffman Process and those impacted by their ripple of change. Our aim is to highlight how the Process enhances reciprocity, gratitude, and responsibility toward the whole. The Hoffman Process is about more than individuals healing themselves. When you change yourself from within, your actions change and you become an integral part of the healing of the world through your own “everyday radius.” Podcast Host: Drew Horning | Sound Engineer: Walt Hubis | Executive Producer: Julie Daley | Podcast Music: Radius of Spirit by Walt Hubis. The Hoffman Quadrinity Process®, founded by Bob Hoffman in 1967 is a week-long residential and personal growth retreat that helps participants identify negative behaviors, moods, and ways of thinking that developed unconsciously and were conditioned in childhood. The Hoffman Process will help you become conscious of and disconnected from negative patterns of thought and behaviors on an emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual level in order to make significant positive changes in your life. You will learn to remove habitual ways of thinking and behaving, align with your authentic self, and respond to situations in your life from a place of conscious choice. The Hoffman Institute Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to transformative adult education, spiritual growth, and the personal dimensions of leadership. We serve a diverse population from all walks of life, including business professionals, stay-at-home parents, therapists, students, tradespeople, and those seeking clarity in all aspects of their lives.