104. Jill Heinerth – Into the Planet: Lessons from 30 Years of Cave Diving

Jill Heinerth is a cave diver, underwater explorer, filmmaker, author of the memoir, Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver, and producer of the documentary, We Are Water. She is the first Explorer in Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and for over 30 years, she has worked in film, photography, and exploration. As an explorer, Jill documents deep ocean environments and other places where humans have never been, making fascinating contributions to climate change and geology. Jill is a recipient of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration, granted by the RCGS for her lifetime achievement. Jill joins me today to explore the role of cave divers as the hands and eyes of scientists. She shares some of the biggest fears she faced in her life and explains how fear can be transformative experiences. She illustrates the experience of cave diving and how she prepares for a diving mission. She underscores the importance of water and describes how we’re already fighting wars over water supply, and what we can contribute as individuals in response to climate change. She also shares her writing process, reveals the most challenging part about having her book written, and explains why it’s essential that we run towards, not away from, fear. “Fear is genuine, no matter the source or expression. Whether it’s a dark cave we’re swimming or of our own making, there are strategies to employ to deal with that fear.” – Jill Heinerth This week on The School for Good Living Podcast: How Jill’s relationship with water began and how she transitioned from her career in advertising to become a cave diving explorerWhat sump diving is and why it’s the most dangerous form of divingWhat it’s like to cave dive, why it’s not for amateurs, and exploring “The Pit” in MexicoPhotographing the cover of Into the Planet and surviving a near-death experience while diving in The PitWhat discovery learning means and how failures can become giftsHow a terrifying night became a transformative experience for Jill and why experience is the best teacherHow Jill prepares for an exploration mission and why she chooses people who have fear to become part of her teamJill’s contributions to science as a cave diving explorerClimate refugees in the US and why we’ll start fighting wars for waterThe differences a person could make for climate changeShooting Under Thin Ice and consulting for James CameronThe most challenging part of writing, publishing, and marketing Into the PlanetWhat it’s like to write vulnerable and emotional experiences into a bookThe power of running towards fearResources Mentioned: Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver by Jill HeinerthAgainst All Odds: The Inside Account of the Thai Cave Rescue by Craig Challen and Richard HarrisThe SAS Survival Handbook by John Lofty WisemanJill Heinerth: The Mysterious World of Underwater Caves, TEDYouth 2015Connect with Jill Heinerth Into The Planet WebsiteJill Heinerth on TwitterJill Heinerth on FacebookJill Heinerth on InstagramJill Heinerth on YouTubeJill Heinerth on VimeoJill Heinerth on LinkedInSubscribe, Rate & Share! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the School for Good Living Podcast, with your host, Brilliant Miller. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. And be sure to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to inspire others to improve their lives and reach their full potential.The post 104. Jill Heinerth – Into the Planet: Lessons from 30 Years of Cave Diving first appeared on School for Good Living Podcasts.