The bittersweetness of closing season three with the fifth conversation with each and every one of my meandering conversation-partners is matched by the seasonal shift that’s upon me – fall is coming. There’s still vegetables and fruit to harvest, the warmth from sunshine makes me toss my jacket aside, and trees are only just starting to change color and let go of their leaves…

All of which is part of the similarity, it’s in the letting go. That just so happens to be part of one of my favorite expressions: Let go, to let come.

I cannot find new people to meander with, if I didn’t let go (of recording conversations) of these five, in the same way I had to at the end of season two, and the end of season one.

“A lot of what I see is how we intellectualize things. We say, ‘how are you?’ and you go ‘I’m fine’. Even when you actually are not fine…

Am I fine? How’s my body right now? What’s my state of mind? Is there any aches? Is there any tingling, any bubbles? Is there anything that wants to move? There’s so much more to find out both physically and emotionally about where I am, how I am.”

~ Helena

And this is just such a place, where I am fine, absolutely, but at the same time…

A bit sad. A touch of excitement for what’s to come, mingled with a slight sense of exhaustion. Should I consider taking a short break before starting season four? Or record a handful of episodes where I read my own blog posts, similar to the style of the first one hundred episodes of the pod?

As you can see, it’s possible to go deep and wide when asked How are you? regardless if the one asking is someone else or yourself. But there’s more goodies in this episode:

“One of Mark Stewart’s [coach in the altMBA] favorite questions to ask people is ‘How is your heart today?’ So he doesn’t say ‘How are you doing?’ He says ‘How’s your heart today?’ And every single time everyone’s like ‘Huh!’ because it makes you go inside, and ask yourself ‘How is my heart today?”. ~ Mandell

How is my heart today?

I answered that question yesterday in my kernel journal. (A bit tender, that’s the state of my heart right now.) That question is a keeper for me. Perhaps for you too? Or maybe there will be some other tidbit in this episode that will be tankespjärn to last you a day, or week, or… a lifetime?

Links:

Find Mandell Conway through his website Giving is like or on LinkedIn

Kaninängen, communal gardening project

Svinnbruket, ‘grown-up dumpstering project’

Muhammad Yunus of Grameen Bank

Barefoot College and grandmother’s learning solar power

Rescued Fruits AB