Out of Exile & Back Into the Fire: A New Chapter Begins

A Discussion on How the Collapse of Empathy Is Costing Us Our Humanity & Nation

Aug 28, 2025

“Oh Yeah, It Feels So Good to Be Back Where We Belong” Bobby Brown & New Edition

Hello Beautiful People,

It’s been a minute.

I’ve spent the past few months on a creative hiatus recalibrating, realigning, and doing deep inner work up in the Appalachian Mountains. I've also been crisscrossing the country working, allowing me to test that inner growth in real time through connection, conversation, and community engagement.

Let’s just say I’ve been in the cocoon…and now I’m re-emerging.

Coming out of a midlife ~~crisis~~ realignment, I’ve got a lot to say. From the plight of Palestinians, to my first journey back to the Motherland, to the spiritual, social, and political reckoning we’re living through right now. I’ve been holding in a lot (with half rewritten articles to boot) and it’s time to share.

But before I dive into it all, I want to reintroduce myself through a recent conversation I had with a friend and colleague Amner Martinez on his Amner Martinez Podcast. We recorded this while I was doing some work in Des Moines, Iowa, and what came out was rich, layered, and honest. We dug into:

The collapse of empathy in America.
What it means to be truly connected to one another.
The work we must each do—internally and collectively—to shift the soul of this nation.

So whether you're commuting, cleaning, or prepping meals this weekend, I invite you to tune in. The links to your favorite podcast apps are below.

I love high-level conversations like this one, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop a comment, and I’ll respond to every one. Let’s rebuild connection, one soul-centered dialogue at a time.

It’s good to be back!

Joshua V. Barr

ENJOY!

YouTube:

A Higher Barr

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