Lessons from the Neighborhood: Discovering Strength and Support in Unexpected Places with Seana Murphy
To Be and Do Podcast: Show Notes
Host: Phil Amerson | Guest: Seana Murphy
In this deeply engaging episode of the To Be and Do podcast, host Phil Amerson welcomes Seana Murphy, a proud parent, experienced professional, and lifelong learner, for a conversation full of wisdom, reflection, and encouragement. Phil, ever grateful to his many "teachers," counts Seana among them—though she reminds us that the lessons go both ways, especially when it comes to building community and finding abundance in unexpected places.
Seana invites listeners to reconsider preconceived ideas about poverty and resilience, drawing from her own experiences growing up in a so-called “low wealth neighborhood.” While acknowledging that material poverty offers little romance in the day-to-day, she highlights the essential “invisible economies” that often exist in such communities—networks of support, food, stories, and skill-sharing that sustain neighbors even when outside institutions close their doors. Phil and Seana reminisce about local figures like Mister Danner, who hired kids and taught practical life skills, or community members who shared meals and gardens, emphasizing the wealth of gifts and talents already present if only we pause to look.
Their conversation explores the challenges and unintended consequences of well-meaning but sometimes poorly executed interventions, such as school desegregation and external social programs. Seana raises critical questions around who defines what help is needed, and who is consulted in the process, urging an asset-based approach that recognizes and uplifts those existing sources of abundance.
As the episode transitions to issues like healthcare and education, Seana shares practical ways abundance shows up—and can be tapped—in the everyday lives of families and communities. Whether it’s encouraging doctors to ask about their patients’ lives beyond medical charts or joining GirlTrek walking groups to overcome isolation, Seana’s stories offer practical wisdom for finding connection and healing.
Top Takeaways:
- Abundance Exists All Around Us. Even in under-resourced neighborhoods, networks of support, knowledge, and skill abound. The key is learning to “strain your eyes” to see it.
- Ask Different Questions. Real connection begins when we ask about the whole person: their joys, their stories, and what makes them dance—not just statistics or symptoms.
- Resilience Is a Community Virtue. Seana’s story illustrates how resilience is forged through both challenge and support, and how demanding too much of it—especially from children—is an injustice.
- Health and Healing Are Community Matters. Trust and wellness aren’t built in institutions alone, but in relationships—among neighbors, caregivers, and longstanding community “healers.”
- Interdependence Is Strength. Echoing the podcast’s core, Seana and Phil remind us that belonging and mutual support are more powerful than any single hero’s journey.
Tune in to be encouraged—and inspired to look again at the hidden abundance that surrounds us every day.
