🌳 Field Notes - 20 January 2024

Welcome to 2024, have you arrived yet? I am not completely sure I have. Do you have any intentions, any wishes, dreams for the coming year?

Go easy on yourself, it is winter after all.

I have always loved setting intentions. Regular moments of reorientation are a foundational part of my personal practice. Quiet reflection, turning the page, the possibility of being something else (someone else?), or as a friend said to me yesterday ‘burn-your-whole-life-to-the-ground-and-start-again energy’ - exercise with caution!

A new year is as good a moment as any - although I really hear you if you feel aligning the rhythms of our lives to the seasons that surround us, rather than the Gregorian calendar, might more successfully support a flourishing society. You’ll probably find me re-setting my intentions on Imbolic.

For many years now, I have set a word-of-the-year. A self-directed talisman. One year I chose attention (thank you Mary Oliver). Last year was alignment. For 2024 - I have landed on presence.

My teacher, Jonny White reminds us that the words we often attribute to the ‘ultimate goal’, or ‘enlightenment’ (if you like!) - such as ‘being’ or ‘presence’ - are not neutral. They have a deeply embedded cultural lens. We imagine that someone who is ‘present’ is calm, is still - but perhaps someone who is ‘present’ is expressive, emotional, freer in their bodies and their minds, they sing and dance and praise and chant.

Here’s to twelve months of expression, emotion, being freer in our bodies, and our minds. With singing, dancing, and peace - for all beings.

🕊️🕊️🕊️

January: blue skies, cold cheeks & community at the fire side

💡 Field Notes are inspiration for the week ahead… supplies that you can explore now or store away in your backpack for later when you most need them.

This week, we’re with our ears 👂🏻 When you think about it, it’s pretty extraordinary that we live in a time where we can learn from the very best teachers, thinkers and creators, for free, with a tiny computer in your pocket. May this curated list of some of my favourites be of guidance, support and inspiration for your journey.

• First, The Sacred with

  Elizabeth Oldfield
  . Recently I took a lot from this episode with professor of psychology, cognitive science, and Buddhist psychology, John Vervaeke. John speaks about his fundamentalist Christian upbringing, the impact of therapy on his life and a theory he has coined to describe the current state of the world, a ‘meaning crisis’. It’s a deep conversation of head & of heart. Other notable mentions to Elizabeth’s conversations with author Clover Stroud on grief, God, creativity and horses and writer and speaker Thordis Elva who is best known for her Ted talk on forgiveness, where she shares the stage with Tom, the man who raped her. I found both conversations extremely moving.

• Another podcast that never disappoints is Accidental Gods - ‘the podcast where we believe that another world is still possible, and that together, we can create a future we’d be proud to leave to the generations that come after us.’ ❤️ Host Manda Scott sits down on the solstice with fellow podcasters, renegade economist Della Duncan and polymath Nathalie Nahai (who I’ll come to again in a minute) - what unfurls is a deep reflection on this moment in human history, and a rich tapestry of resources and stories, generously shared, that influence their work in the world. A door that opens many doors. An honourable mention to Building Lifeboats to Emerging Futures - with Sophia Parker, Director at JRF where some of the most interesting work on imagination infrastructure and reimagining investment, wealth and philanthropy is happening. I am looking forward listening to this episode with authors of Post Capitalist Philanthropy, Alnoor Ladha and Lynn Murphy, next.

• I have often said that when I grow up I would like to be Krista Tippet, journalist and host of the long running podcast On Being. And so I enjoyed listening to the interviewer be interviewed. Krista speaks to fellow formidable journalist Dan Harris in a conversation titled Staying Calm, Sane and Open in Chaotic World which explores the relationship between God and religion, staying with open questions rather than rushing to answers and how we might live ‘wise lives’ as well as many other things. Pragmatic, warm and a welcome balm for an anxious soul.

• Next, and staying with the theme of conversations with journalists (they know how to tell a good story I guess?) is Jo Cofino with Nathalie Nahai. As well as a journalist, coach and sustainability expert, Jo was a student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn and hosts a podcast - The Way Out is In with Brother Phap Huu, Thich Nhat Hanh’s personal attendant. Jo is openhearted, curious and clear-eyed about the relationship between reality, right-livelihood and the sacred. I deeply enjoyed spending an hour in his company.

• Perhaps another intention for me this year might be - If in doubt, ask Esther Perel. We’re not actually friends (yet) but her wise insights are always on hand to guide me. This particular conversation with

  Elise Loehnen
  explores turning conflict into connection. As Elise says in the show notes ‘our fights are not actually about the dishes, they’re about power, control, respect and foundation questions like: Do I matter? Do you value me?’ Esther is as direct as they come, drawing from a deep well of love, care & experience. I also enjoyed Esther’s powerfully personal conversation with Steven Bartlett on Diary of a CEO (not my usual listen!) as well as pretty much every episode of Esther’s own podcast - where she shares real therapy sessions with couples - We Should We Begin.

• And finally, this playlist of hopeful teachers - each of whom embody so perfectly the essence of Soft Front, Strong Back - would not be complete without a nod to psychologist and teacher of meditation, Tara Brach. Tara’s weekly teachings and accompanying mediations are the heart-beat to my week. A gift of great comfort, insight and energy, given freely. My life would be much poorer without them. Sometimes Tara offers interviews, and this one with Lama Rod Owens offers both teachings & practices to awake our longing for freedom. I am looking forward to reading his new book, The New Saints - From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors.

“Knowing that there are no easy answers to truly complex problems, system leaders cultivate the conditions wherein collective wisdom emerges over time through a ripening process that gradually brings about new ways of thinking, acting, and being.”
- Peter Senge, Systems Scientist

Shared with gratitude for those who have joined us here recently. Knowing some of you might take a little inspiration, a little comfort, a little energy for the journey from these words, means everything to me.

Wishing you blue skies, warm homes and good conversation

- Stella 🙏🏻

Ps. Welcome to everyone who has joined us in the last few days and weeks - you can introduce yourself here. And if you find are enjoying this community and our newsletter, then please do tell a few friends about us. If we are to change everything, we are going to need everyone.

Pps. For the best experience, I would encourage you to download the Substack App onto your phone or tablet. There are a so many amazing writers and thinkers publishing here -

Sarah Wilson

,

Jonathan Rowson

,

Dr Sharon Blackie

- and I find the app is the best experience to find, save and read them all.

Image accessed under Creative Commons-Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license (CC-BY-NC-SA). Artist is @sptsam 🙏🏻