Sarah Durham Wilson is a women’s rites of passage leader and writer. She has taught courses and led retreats for thousands of women over the past decade. She previously worked as an arts and music writer in New York City, for Rolling Stone, VH1, GQ, Vanity Fair and Interview Magazine.
Sarah is also the author of ‘Maiden to Mother’ - her first book, published by Sounds True in 2022.
https://themotherspirit.com
Live Free or Dialogue is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the etymology of the word dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
You can support this podcast and access bonus content here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
(Music “Obscurity” by Lowercase Noises)
Please consider supporting this podcast via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind Thank you!
When you stop trying to get it, you got it.
It may sound counterintuitive given the popularity of law of attraction.
But doesn't the affirming and manifesting work also reinforce the sense of lack in the first place?
Studies show that we are not accurate at predicting what would make us happy... because it is never really the thing but the feeling that we seek.
Therefore, the pursuit of happiness can make it hard to positively appreciate the present moment.
Consider health, career, love or revolution and how urgency or desperation tempts us to resort to interventions that push it away or us out of harmony with the original vision.
Most importantly, this law of reverse effort applies to spirituality and inner peace, as there is no process to still the mind.
There is only a process to disturb it.
(intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew, with “Twilight Reflections” by Ethereal Ephemera, episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest and podcast logo design by Jon Marro)
You can support this podcast and connect with me online and in-person for as little $5 via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind
There are many famous failures that led to unexpected opportunities and wild success. In our own lives, how can we failure forward or understand the implications of defeat?
This episode was a special collaboration with many reflections from the Kind Mind community during the live gathering recorded in May of 2022.
Music intro “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “The Ellipse” by Bing Satellites. Podcast logo design is by Jon Marro, and episode artwork on the website is by Emily Dawn Duforest.
You can support this podcast on Patreon and access bonus content: https://patreon.com/kindmind
There is a baseline of magic in life.
But it can get covered up by routines and the illusion of control.
Moments of uncertainty open up the space for it to manifest and new ways of being are possible.
If we rush to resolve ourselves too soon, we may miss the opportunity for genuine psychological growth.
Unfamiliar circumstances prompt the brain to dedicate more resources to the hippocampus for learning and memory.
I have started trying to tolerate cold water. It is pretty uncomfortable at first, then a mental equilibrium dawns and finally the body emerges with more vitality.
There is a similar tripartite when we wade into our feelings and wait for clarity...for the right idea to arise by itself.
Music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew (intro) and “Dark Sky Explorations” by Ethereal Ephemera. Kind Mind logo design by Jon Marro and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest.
Jay L. Garfield chairs the Philosophy department and directs the Tibetan Studies in India program at Smith College. He is also visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School.
Academicinfluence.com has identified him as one of the 50 most influential philosophers in the world over the past decade.
https://jaygarfield.org
"Live Free or Dialogue" is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the etymology of the word dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
You can support this podcast and access bonus content here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
You can support this show and connect with me on Zoom via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind
Our relationship to food is often complex, especially with the rapid-changing nature of its production against the background of millions of years of evolution.
Today there is much science around the benefits of different kinds of fasting - from water fasts and juice fasts for detoxing to intermittent fasting weekly.
In many wisdom traditions, there are practices of fasting for enhancing awareness and tuning the mind to spiritual growth.
Maintaining silence is also a type of fast. So, fasting is not only from food but anything we might be too dependent upon to thereby attenuate its role so that energy can be harnessed and redirected towards healing, creativity or transformation.
This episode shares personal experiences and explores how to safely and joyfully experiment with the right attitude and understanding.
(Music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “A Lonely Speck in the Great Enveloping Cosmic Dark” by Bing Satellites; artwork on website by Emily Dawn; Kind Mind podcast logo design by Jon Marro)
Todd gives an introduction to the podcast for new listeners.
Additionally, the show now sometimes features dialogues with transformational thought leaders in the fields of art, music, science, philosophy, public service and beyond. Look for episodes with “Live Free or Dialogue” in the title.
You can support this work and access bonus content via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind
and send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
from the Dawn Chorus artist retreat at the Grand Canyon, New Year's Eve 2020.
you can join the virtual Kind Mind Gathering each month and access the Kind Mind Studio meditation page by becoming a patron of this podcast on Patreon for as little as $5/month:
https://patreon.com/kindmind
(music “Sunlight on Still Water” by The Lovely Moon and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Please consider supporting this podcast and accessing bonus content the Kind Mind Gatherings via https://patreon.com/kindmind
Send feedback and mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
This episode was recorded over 3 consecutive weeks 1 year ago in June 2021 at Speakeasy Spiritual Community. It’s called The Seahorse Series because of the uniqueness of the male seahorse and subtitled mending masculinity.
This series is about the energy and quality of masculinity as distinct from manhood but then its also about men and perspectives on life and wisdom for males.
This is an invitation to hear from all people to better understand our place in the world and history, how we impact one another and recognize and regard our interdependence and our unique opportunities for correction, redemption and progress for all.
(Music by The Lovely Moon called “Music for Dreams” and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
support this show: https://patreon.com/kindmind
An attitude is a lot like a musical score, a kind of outline or map for the potential expression or organization of sounds and rhythms.
Similarly, an attitude, in the psychological sense is a set of thoughts, feelings and most importantly behavioral tendencies towards someone or something. So, both are mental constructs with the potential to manifest certain actions in the environment.
When parts of the music do not fit as intended, it is called dissonance. And when one of the components of attitude is discovered to be out of alignment, it creates cognitive dissonance, the catalyst for its transformation, which points to a fundamental urge towards harmony.
Just as there is no universal agreement on good and bad music, there is also a lack of consensus on good and bad attitudes.
This episode explores the formation of attitude and how it can be changed, while inquiring about how real or important are our attitudes in the context of personal growth and self-discovery.
(music “Dream” and “Innocence” by Bing Satellites and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Kute Blackson is a transformational teacher, speaker, visionary, guide and national best-selling author of You.Are.The.One. and The Magic of Surrender.
https://www.kuteblackson.com
"Live Free or Dialogue" is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the qualities of dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
https://www.michaeltoddfink.com
Support this podcast and access bonus content here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
Todd talks with Sandy Gibson.
Sandy Gibson is the Founder of Better Place Forests, America's first conservation memorial forest. Instead of graves, Better Places offers a sustainable alternative to cemeteries for families who choose cremation.
Launching in 2017, the 130+ acre woodland based in San Francisco has raised more than $75M in venture capital! Better Place Forests has also been featured in the New York Times, and on the Today Show.
https://www.betterplaceforests.com
"Live Free or Dialogue" is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the qualities of dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
Image by Chung Chow
Todd talks with Jeff Booth on 12/6/21. You can also watch this conversation on the Michael Todd Fink Youtube Channel.
Jeff Booth is a visionary leader who has lived at the forefront of technology change for 20 years. He led BuildDirect, a technology company that aimed to simplify the building industry, for nearly two decades through the dot-com meltdown, the 2008 financial crisis, and many waves of technological disruption. He has been featured in Forbes, Bloomber, TIME and The Wall Street Journal.
Jeff is also the author of the extraordinary book The Price of Tomorrow: Why Deflation is the Key to an Abundant Future. Follow Jeff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffBooth
"Live Free or Dialogue" is a video conversation series within the "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the qualities of dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
You can support this podcast and enjoy bonus content and access to the Kind Mind studio and virtual meetings by becoming a patron at https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
Are people more skeptical than ever? Or are certain groups more skeptical than others when it comes to science, religion or certain knowledge? When is it good and when is not good to be skeptical?
The word "skeptic" has origins in ancient Greece and the philosophy of Pyrrho. It is derived from the root sound "spek" which meant to look but more specifically to inquire and reflect.
Skepticism has evolved to simply mean doubt, which has its benefits and costs. Trust and doubt is regulated by the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in the brain, which tends to decline beyond 60 years of age.
This is consistent with reports from the National Institute of Justice estimating that 12% of adults over 60 are exploited in financial crimes each year. It also explains why highly intelligent patients with injury to this brain region are more likely to fall victim to seemingly obvious online scams.
But when it comes to skepticism in the broader sense, perhaps we could upgrade our lenses. Generally speaking, we tend to be skeptical of anything that falls outside our worldview and overly welcoming towards that which resides within it.
With subtle meliorating, we can exchange some of our near-sightedness for far-sightedness when it comes to our outlook on life and the nature of things in order to strike a healthier balance that is cautiously optimistic, happily dissatisfied and taking our own thoughts with a grain of salt.
Music “Sunset Serenade” by Ethereal Ephemera and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn.
You can support this podcast and access additional content via https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
Thank you for your support!
Perhaps seasonal affect disorder and winter blues were selected by evolution to help mammals, including humans, withdraw and survive the harsh outer conditions.
Meditation is looking for the inner light, a mini version of the winter solstice. The winter solstice is a mini version of a longer dark period in the world like the pandemic.
Therefore, the equanimity cultivated through contemplative practice prepares the mind to accept the cycles of life and nature and respond wisely.
After long retreat and outer difficulty, there are signs of hope and rare reminders, like the grand planetary conjunction, to look to the stars at night. Rebirth is coming.
This episode considers some evidence and benefits of human hibernation and draws parallels with meditation.
Also, you are invited to reflect on what gifts we have been gestating and would like to give when the time is ripe to birth into the world.
Music “A Calming Influence” by Bing Satellites and episode artwork by Emily Dawn.
https://www.patreon.com/kindmind - please consider becoming a patron of the Kind Mind podcast and access bonus content.
The etymology of the word 'frustration' traces back to 1500's Latin 'frustratio' which meant a deception.
It's Medieval origin is also relevant in these troubling times as the road ahead is not only fraught with uncertainty due to the novel pathogen but also some groups' novel sense of deception... whether from authority or society or history or even themselves.
However, inside the soil of hardship lies the seeds of clarity. With proper attention and understanding, a real breakthrough is possible with the potential for a blossoming of transformation on the other side - personally and collectively.
If life were really but a dream, then what would be the goal?
If the point is to "wake up," then sailing merrily, merrily down life's stream might delay things. That pleasantness is likely to uphold the reverie and bind you to the dreamboat.
Hence, the wisdom of frustration...
(music "Drifting Light" by Bing Satellites and episode artwork on podcast website by Emily Dawn)
You can support this podcast on patreon and access bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
Often times, elegance is conflated with extravagance or opulence. There is a relationship insofar as all three involve style, but those other two are meretricious whereas elegance is actually something akin to their inverse.
In elegance, the outward style is simple but behind the appearance lies something powerful and substantive.
In nature, think of the uncomplicated beauty of falling snow. At a glance, it is quite plain in form and color and yet upon closer inspection, one finds countless unique snowflake designs containing exquisite symmetrical patterns. The same can be true of a forest from afar or the ocean or the desert - and the depth of life and meaning within.
Seeking elegance is not synonymous with seeking luxury.
Encounters with elegance can be difficult to put into words. In other disciplines like physics, great scientists have merely suggested "you know it when you see it" like in famous equations E=mc2 or F=MA. A few common letters point to far-reaching theories of special relativity and the laws of motion.
fMRI studies of the brains of mathematicians reveal activation in the same regions associated with the pleasure of viewing a beautiful painting, when their eyes are shown formulas that are simple but powerful and self-reported as elegant.
In life, perhaps "you know it when you feel it."
This episode explores the way of elegance as it relates to the art of choice and leading a life of inner goodness.
Music “Eight Hours” by Bing Satellites; episode artwork on website is by Emily Dawn; podcast logo by Jon Marro.
Support this podcast via patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
Living more in the now is like working on a million piece jigsaw puzzle.
The attitude is present-forward. There is some vision or mission and a gradual building towards it materially and spiritually.
But it’s not a race and you can only bring two pieces together at a time in the moment.
If they don’t fit, you accept. If they all fit the first time, it would spoil the game.
Studies show that people are not good at predicting what would make them happy.
Therefore, it is probably wiser to have a personal mission and make choices based on core values.
Not chasing, not grasping - happiness happens.
Music by Bing Satellites, “The Songs of Summer I” and artwork by Emily Dawn.
They say patience is a virtue, but it is impatience that society seems to nurture. Technological developments have greatly reduced the times of travel, communication and the fulfillment of desires - reinforcing our expectations for quick results.
However, the pandemic crisis has forced most people to slow down and wait for the storm to pass. If ever there was a time when we needed more patience, it is now.
Psychologists have recently began to study the wellness enjoyed by patient people. They have also identified three kinds of patience: interpersonal flexibility, enduring periods of hardship, and tolerating daily hassles.
This episode explores the health benefits of all three and offers simple yet effective strategies for cultivating patience in our lives.
Music “Ethereral Ephemera - Escape to Dreamscape II” by Bing Satellites. Episode artwork by Emily Dawn
You can become a patron of this podcast on Patreon and access bonus content:
https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
"Dialogue" is a Greek word. "Di" implies two and "logos" translates as meaning.
So much communication around difficult topics quickly deteriorates into debate, argument and judging - especially on social media.
Even the word seeming benign word "discussion" means to strike apart, similar to percussion or concussion.
A dialogue is an open and respectful conversation with the aim of finding new meaning together and adding more context. It is not a zero sum game but rather a win-win process.
Music is by Bing Satellites "Ethereal Ephemera - Escape to Dreamscape I"
Episode artwork on the website is also the logo to the youtube video conversation series "Live Free or Dialogue" (https://www.youtube.com/michaeltoddfink) and was designed by Cunningham Falconer.