S2 Ep 3 | How Do We Steward Our Lives as Part of an Ecosystem? A Conversation w/ James-Olivia Chu Hillman

Written By Courtney Koester

I’m so thrilled to share this first guest conversation of Season Two with my dear friend, James-Olivia Chu Hillman. Our relationship has been a constant source of depth, curiosity, and sweetness in my life and this episode is an invitation to sit at the table with us as we move through big questions about devotion, attention, regard, belonging, and the everyday practices that root us in who we are becoming. Together, we explore what it means to live into devotion, to place our attention with care, to tend to “spiritual and relational hygiene,” to honor our changing bodies and seasons, to discern what is truly urgent within our collective, and to remember that belonging is both essential and reciprocal. This is a conversation about living into the questions of being human and I hope it meets you where you are as it did for me.

Connect with James-Olivia:

James-Olivia Chu Hillman is a facilitator, mediator, and lover of extraordinary, uncomfortable, life-changing conversations. They teach skills for relating across difference and guide people into deeper joy, connection, and right relationship — with themselves, their communities, and the world. Drawing on the lived experience of moving through life in the U.S. as an autistic, multi-racial and sometimes white-presenting “other,” James-Olivia brings relentless compassion, radical inquiry, and a wholehearted refusal to abandon discomfort in service of truth and belonging. At the heart of their work is a devotion to disobedience, regard, and the belief that we can learn (and unlearn) our way back into relationship even when it’s messy, uncertain, or hard.

James-Olivia’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/inquisitive_human

James-Olivia’s Website: https://inquisitivehuman.com/


Key Topics Discussed:

0:00:00 Intro

0:07:59 The Guiding Question

0:10:08 Attention as Devotion

0:14:42 Ritual of 50 Candles

0:21:05 Spiritual Hygiene

0:27:07 Hygiene as a Metaphor

0:35:51 Writing & Telling the Truth

0:39:21 Devotion & Consistency

0:43:32 Curiosity & Perimenopause

0:49:04 Spaciousness & Freedom

0:53:20 Choosing Kindness Under Stress

0:58:32 Urgency & Perspective

1:04:03 Flow of Resources

1:11:14 Beyond Transaction

1:13:46 Stewardship & Ecosystem

1:18:54 The Question of Needs

1:26:35 Belonging & Urgency'

References From Episode:

Andrea Gibson's Invitation: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/AndreaGibsonPoetry/posts/one-of-our-deepest-human-desires-is-to-be-known-and-ive-learned-that-to-know-peo/692232118929953/⁠

Christabel Mintah-Galloway, RN, BSN's Post: The West Teaches "You Can't Pour From An Empty Cup." But Collective Societies Say: "If Your Cup Has Even A Little, You Share.": https://www.instagram.com/p/DGdvIy3Om7s/?igsh=ZnlzZHBxeW5naG9h⁠


Share Your Voice

What questions are you currently living into? What’s been on your heart or mind—something you’re navigating, exploring, or trying to make sense of in your life? I’d love to hear from you. Leave a voice message at the link below, and your question might be featured on a future episode of Living the Questions. Let’s create a space for open, thoughtful conversation together. Leave a message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/LivingTheQuestions

Book a 1:1 Conversation Session

Feeling the pull to explore something more deeply? These 1:1 conversation sessions are a space to bring your questions, challenges, or curiosities and be met with presence and care. Whether you’re seeking clarity, support, or simply room to reflect, we’ll journey through it together. Learn more + book a session: https://www.ckoesterinspired.com/conversation-sessions

Ready to take these conversations deeper?

Living the Questions isn’t just about exploring big ideas — it’s about living them. If you’re craving a space to untangle what’s true for you, witness + relate differently with old patterns, and step into a more aligned, embodied way of being, my Rehumanizing YOU coaching offerings might be your next step.

This is a space for deep inquiry, integration, and transformation — where we invite curiosity to become clarity and insight to alchemize into action.

Curious? Let’s explore together: ⁠https://www.ckoesterinspired.com/coaching-offerings⁠

Resources:


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Courtney Koester https://www.ckoesterinspired.com
Next

S2 Ep 2 | How Do I Make Aligned Choices When I’m Still Untangling?