How Not to Be Afraid with storyteller, writer, and community activists Gareth Higgins

James Navé here (www.jamesnave.com), your host for Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm pleased to welcome storyteller, author, and community activist Gareth Higgins (www.garethhiggins.net) to the microphone for this week's Twice 5 Miles show titled How Not to Be Afraid, which is the name of his current book: https://amzn.to/3J527gp.  I met Gareth a few years ago, soon after, I learned he was one of the producers for a new film festival in Asheville called Movies and Meaning. I was drawn to the title because it told me exactly what to expect when I attended Gareth's Festival, movies and meaning. What more could you want?  
 As I said, I loved the title, so I reached out to Gareth and invited him to be a guest on this show, Twice 5 Miles radio. When we sat down for our first interview, I had no idea of Gareth's range as a storyteller, author, radio personality, and community activist with a Ph.D. in sociology from Queen's University of Belfast. I opened by asking Gareth to tell me about Movies and Meaning, and he said, "it's an event about storytelling that uses cinema lens through which we engage in storytelling."  Gareth pointed out that storytelling is a birthright that belongs to us all. 
 That morning sitting on Gareth's couch in East Asheville was the beginning of our friendship which, I’m thankful to say, has given me ongoing insight int0 how we find meaning in all aspects of our lives. So a few weeks ago, when Gareth sent me an email saying he would like to drop by and visit me in Taos on his way to California for a workshop in collaboration with singer-songwriter David Wilcox, I was thrilled.  
  I knew Gareth had just recently published his book How Not to Be Afraid, and I was itching to have him return to the Twice 5 Miles microphone. I was excited to inquire into Gareth's ideas about how we can transform our fears into actions that add meaning and value to our communities, our lives and those around us. So when we sat down on my brown couch in the New Mexico sun shining through the window, Gareth’s thoughts flowed out. Of course, they did, because Gareth, after all, is a master storyteller. When you finish enjoying this conversation, I suspect you will declare essential listening and share it with your friends. Thanks for that. Enjoy.