This conversation is part of an ongoing series of conversations with fellow writers, including several on Substack such as and Sex at Dawn author as well as others including addiction expert Dr. Adi Jaffe, master coaches Michael Lipson and Robert Ellis, ultra-runner Charlie Engle and legendary sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson.

Today’s conversation is between the writer behind and who writes at , which includes his serialized memoir [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/s/memoir] of the same name.

Donna and I got together recently a conversation focused on change, including why we are sometimes so resistant to making changes, how we’ve overcome that resistance, some big changes that we’ve made in our own lives, the role of physicality and intuition in change — and, of course, what we’re working on next.

If you value authentic, honest, deep, vulnerable conversations between working writers, we think you’ll get a lot out of this discussion.

Following the interview are links to some of our writing, some other writers of memoir on Substack, and some questions for you. We’d love to hear from you!

Our Conversation

I usually record video as well, but I screwed it up this time, so just use the audio player at the top of the page ⬆️

⭐️⭐️ THANK YOU FOR LISTENING⭐️⭐️

We’ve got some questions for you

* What’s the biggest change you’ve made in your own life?

* Have you experienced resistance to change—and how have you overcome that resistance?

* How do you make your best decisions? What’s your relationship with intuition, and how has that evolved over time?

* How do you prepare for making changes?

Some of our own writing

Subscribe for more

Donna writes — a guide to a life of possibility and well-being by examining what lies below the layers of daily life, and taking steps to shift and grow.

Bowen’s writing at includes memoir and personal essay on men, adventure, addiction, depression, love and money.

Other writers we recommend on Substack

Just Enough to Get Me in Trouble [https://open.substack.com/pub/lyle] ’s Born Without Borders [https://bornwithoutborders.substack.com/] ’s Altered States of Monetary Consciousness [https://brettscott.substack.com/]

Did you enjoy this conversation? Use the heart ♡ below to let us know

👇🏻



Get full access to An Ordinary Disaster at bowendwelle.substack.com/subscribe [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

"We get good at what we do."

This conversation is part of an ongoing series of conversations with fellow writers including several on Substack such as and Sex at Dawn author as well as others including addiction expert Dr. Adi Jaffe, master coaches Michael Lipson and Robert Ellis, ultra-runner Charlie Engle and legendary sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson.

Today’s conversation is between the writer behind and who writes at , which includes his serialized memoir [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/s/memoir] of the same name.

Latham and I got together recently for a deep and wide-ranging conversation covering writing to explore, how “adventure doesn’t happen by accident [https://open.substack.com/pub/bowendwelle/p/adventure-doesnt-happen-by-accident?r=1y0xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web],” writing as men and the transition into being an older man, using research in storytelling, how “we all need our own philosophy,” the challenge of positive confrontation and “the Goat Work [https://open.substack.com/pub/bowendwelle/p/life-as-a-goat?r=1y0xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web],” how we relate to our immediate geography, long-distance walking, wayfinding, personal spirituality, the gods we’re praying as — and, of course, what we’re working on next.

If you value authentic, honest, deep, vulnerable conversations between working writers, we think you’ll get a lot out of this discussion.

Following the interview are links to some of our writing, some other writers of memoir on Substack, and some questions for you. We’d love to hear from you!

Our Conversation

Use the audio player at the top of the page, or watch the interview here ⬇️

⭐️⭐️ THANK YOU FOR LISTENING⭐️⭐️

Some of our own writing

* Latham: The Men’s Movement is Dead; Long Live the Men’s Movement

* Bowen: The Man Pays—on the bittersweet joy of being child-free

* Latham: What Will You Die For —on developing a personal philosophy of life

* Bowen: I’m Here to Tell the Truth—the introduction and table of contents to my serialized memoir, An Ordinary Disaster.

Latham and I will both be posting a piece this coming week on the theme of “Recovery” from a group of men including ourselves, Joshua Doležal [https://open.substack.com/users/2000333-joshua-dolezal?utm_source=mentions] Michael Mohr [https://open.substack.com/users/10309900-michael-mohr?utm_source=mentions] Dee Rambeau [https://open.substack.com/users/1562634-dee-rambeau?utm_source=mentions] and . You may recall our previous series on “Fatherhood” [https://open.substack.com/pub/bowendwelle/p/six-men-writing-about-fatherhood?r=1y0xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web] from September. Be on the lookout for Latham’s piece on December 11 and Bowen’s on the 13th!

Subscribe for more

Latham writes — a newsletter about growing up after you’ve become an adult. It’s part memoir, part essays, but always exploration of an authentic life.

Bowen’s writing at includes memoir and personal essay on men, adventure, addiction, depression, love and money.

Other writers we recommend on Substack

and Just Enough to Get Me in Trouble [https://open.substack.com/pub/lyle] The Bright Life [https://open.substack.com/pub/donnamcarthur] Make Me Good Soil [https://open.substack.com/pub/sophiestrand]

Further Reading and Listening

* 📚 The Denial of Death, by Ernest Becker

* 📚 The Flowering Wand: Rewilding the Sacre

“We all need our own philosophy”

This conversation is part of an ongoing series of conversations with fellow writers including several on Substack such as Michael Mohr, Lyle McKeany, and Sex at Dawn author Chris Ryan as well as others including master coaches Michael Lipson and Robert Ellis, ultra-ultra-runner Charlie Engle and legendary sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson.

Today’s conversation is between, the writer behind , who also writes as part of the collective, and who writes, which includes his serialized memoir [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/s/memoir] of the same name.

Sam and I got together for a deep and wide-ranging conversation covering how we came to writing on Substack, the questions of why write? and is it hard?, figuring out how to tell the truth, the challenges of editing, using addiction as the “hinge” for writing, how life can seem like “a series of compulsions,” how writing can be “salvational,” as well as the power of community for writers. We also get to one of my favorite topics: masculinity and identity, which is as complicated—or as simple—as you want to make it. Either way, as Sam puts it, “it’s a valid topic.” Finally, the epistemological boundary between arguing a point of meaning vs. speaking from personal experience, reconnecting with our wild center, and, of course, what we’re working on next.

If you’re someone who values authentic, honest, deep, vulnerable conversations between working writers, we think you’ll get a lot out of this discussion.

Following the interview are links to some of our writing, some other writers of memoir on Substack, and some questions for you. We’d love to hear from you!

Our Conversation

Listen in the player at the top of the page, or watch the interview on Youtube ⬇️

⭐️⭐️ THANK YOU FOR LISTENING⭐️⭐️

Please subscribe

Sam writes at on literature, politics, and personal reflections.

Bowen writes memoir [https://open.substack.com/pub/bowendwelle/p/an-ordinary-disaster?r=1y0xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web] and personal essay on topics including identity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=identity], masculinity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=masculinity], adventure [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=adventure], alcohol [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=alcohol], addiction [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=addiction], depression [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=depression], sports [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=sports], not having children [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=childfree], and love [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=love], among other things.

Some of our writing

* Sam: Against Branding (and Sarah Fay) [https://castaliajournal.substack.com/p/against-branding-and-sarah-fay] 

* Bowen: Sex is Better Sober [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/p/sex-is-better-sober]

* Sam: Gentlemen Prefer B*** [https://castaliajournal.substack.com/p/gentlemen-prefer-b*****s-7bd]

Salvational or "a series of compulsions"?

is the writer behind and writes which includes his serialized memoir [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/s/memoir] of the same name. In addition to their writing, Bowen offers his intuitive Guide Service, and Michael works with writers as a developmental editor [https://www.michaelmohrwriter.com].

Michael and I got together for a deep and wide-ranging conversation that covered a number of topics including how our own writing has changed us, patriarchy and personal responsibility, the psychosexual realm between mothers and sons, love, commitment and addiction, women who inspire and support us, and, of course, what we’re working on next.

If you’re a writer who values authentic, no B.S., honest, vulnerable conversations, we think you’ll get a lot out of this discussion.

Following the interview are links to some of our writing, some other writers of memoir on Substack, further reading on memoir, and some questions for you. We’d love to hear from you!

Use the ♡ and comments below 👇🏻

Our Conversation

Listen in the player at the top of the page, or watch the interview on Youtube

⭐️⭐️ THANK YOU FOR LISTENING⭐️⭐️

Please SUBSCRIBE to both of our Substacks

Bowen writes memoir [https://open.substack.com/pub/bowendwelle/p/an-ordinary-disaster?r=1y0xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web] and personal essay on topics including alcohol [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=alcohol], addiction [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=addiction] and depression [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=depression]… adventure [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=adventure], fitness [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=fitness], sports [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=sports], and nature [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=nature]… identity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=identity], masculinity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=masculinity], fatherhood [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=fatherhood] and being child-free [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=childfree], love [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=love], relationships [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=relationships] and sex [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=sex], among other things. If you’re not already a subscriber to Bowen’s substack, please do take this opportunity to subscribe now.

Michael writes about everything from identity politics to AA and sobriety to existentialism and death to meditation and more. At Sincere American Writing you get a mix of fiction, memoir, personal essay, book reviews, cultural commentary and much more. If you’re not already a subscriber to Michael’s ‘Stack, please take this opportunity to subscribe now.

Our Writing

Here are two of the more popular pieces we’ve written on Substack:

Writers Versus The World — How [https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelmohr/p/writers-versus-the-world?r=1y0xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web]

We'd all do well to "grow a spiritual pair"

My friend Michael Lipson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lipson-9853/] and I recorded this interview the other day, and I then added an intro a few mornings later sitting in my van Hood River, Oregon, on my way to Seattle and then on to Vancouver Island as part of a summer road trip [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1C7IfBRhiAlXyxwiZk0xiFttFWExEOHY&ll=42.23479425025712%2C-125.9676596875&z=6 https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1C7IfBRhiAlXyxwiZk0xiFttFWExEOHY&ll=42.23479425025712%2C-125.9676596875&z=6].

As you know if you’ve been following the progress of my memoir, An Ordinary Disaster is just about finished. I published chapter 26 [https://open.substack.com/pub/bowendwelle/p/who-holds-you?r=1y0xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web] earlier this week, and there are three or four more short chapters that are just about entirely already written that I’ll be releasing over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, after seven months solid of full-time writing, I feel free enough to jump in the van and visit some friends up and down the coast and also to spend some time in the high Sierra. When I get back from all of that around mid-September, I’ll begin the process of editing and publishing.

Collectors Edition + Golden Ticket

Speaking of publishing, I am planning on producing a special first edition for subscribers and early supporters—a collectors edition, you could say, each copy of which will include a ⭐️⭐️ GOLDEN TICKET ⭐️⭐️

Each golden ticket is unique to the ticket holder, and will be redeemable when the correct moment presents itself for a specific piece of magic applicable to the unique situation, field, or relationship that exists between the two of us.

Especially if you’ve been following my work with interest, now is the time to become a paying subscriber. Paying subscribers will be able to order a FREE* copy of the first edition of the book (you pay only shipping), and, also, just as importantly, your commitment will show your appreciation for the work I’m doing here, and your support as I move into the next chapter of the book’s journey.

An interview with the author

The following conversation is part of the body of work surrounding my book-length memoir An Ordinary Disaster—one man's proof that despite what may seem like our inability to hear it, and all of our attempts to avoid it, we can all learn to listen to ourselves, and to act upon the inner voice of our self, our sanity and our soul.

I'd love to hear from you after listening, so don't be shy about leaving a comment or a question. In particular, as you listen, please take note of the timestamp of any passages that really hit home for you, and share those with me in a comments below. That will help me assemble the transcript, and a short edit to share around later.

Use the Substack audio player at the top of the page ⬆️ to listen to the interview.

Highlights

13:39 …how it's possible to forget something as important as what I was supposed to be, and then, a long ways down the road, come back to fully remembering—not coincidentally, a the point when I was also finally in a position to pursue that.

14:39 What was it like to begin and what were you seeking by doing that?

15:19 …part of the reason that writing began to resurface was my experience changing my relationship with alcohol.

17:19 I was asked to state my purpose and I said, “I'm here to tell the truth.” That felt true, and a very clear, spontaneous expression of the answer to the question of what I'm here to do in this chapter of life.

19:59 I was tired of feeling l

The creative act is a form of dreaming

This conversation is part of a series of interviews with various brothers and teachers, including many fellow writers, all of which are part of the body of work surrounding my book-length memoir An Ordinary Disaster—one man's proof that we can all learn to listen to ourselves, and to act upon the inner voice of our self, our sanity and our soul.

An interview with the author

My friend Michael Lipson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lipson-9853/] interviewed me recently about the development and writing of my book-length memoir An Ordinary Disaster.

I'd love to hear from you after listening, so don't be shy about leaving a comment or a question.

Use the Substack audio player at the top of the page ⬆️ to listen to the interview.

Highlights

13:39 …how it's possible to forget something as important as what I was supposed to be, and then, a long ways down the road, come back to fully remembering—not coincidentally, a the point when I was also finally in a position to pursue that.

14:39 What was it like to begin and what were you seeking by doing that?

15:19 …part of the reason that writing began to resurface was my experience changing my relationship with alcohol.

17:19 I was asked to state my purpose and I said, “I'm here to tell the truth.” That felt true, and a very clear, spontaneous expression of the answer to the question of what I'm here to do in this chapter of life.

19:59 I was tired of feeling like I wasn't expressing myself—and also that I didn't know how to.

21:09 I felt like I needed to speak myself into existence.

23:09 …The process of ‘becoming a writer…’ “I had to let the material work with me.”

27:09 “As I confronted myself with the truth…that cemented my sense of self...”

36:09 …having people that I've known for a long time read my work has “made me feel like another person, like another whole part of myself is alive and present and being seen and active in relationship.”

40:39 “I now have the confidence that I am doing what I should be doing and I will get where I'm going by being myself. I don't really have to think about it much at all. I just now am able to be myself, and let that lead.”

43:39 Q: Where is the book in terms of the pathway of Campbell's hero's journey? A: The book is the return, the gold, the treasure.

46:10 “The creative act is a form of dreaming. When I'm writing and imagery or metaphors come in, it's the dream state—it's the colors arising from the unconscious psyche.”

64:09 “…intuition refuses to be named because it's a function of the unconscious and therefore it cannot be named directly. It’s a defining characteristic of working with anything in the unconscious—the shadow, intuition, dreams. You have to move towards them indirectly.”

1:13:00 “the spiritual power of sport is hugely underappreciated. Outdoor sports have been the primary path to reconnection with myself, and to wayfinding in my own life in a way that feels whole and satisfying.”

1:15:00 “you tell the story of how you responded to those things as you’ve aged, and I see this as you’re actively wrestling with de-adulterating yourself and getting to your pure state. ... the gravity field is reducing, and your presence, your aura, your perimeter is expanding at the same time...”

⭐️⭐️ THANK YOU FOR LISTENING⭐️⭐️

Thanks 100K to my dear friend for the interview! Michael is a

is the writer behind here on Substack and creator of the Clues.life [https://www.clues.life] platform. He brings his personal experience with perfectionism, anxiety, and depression to his work on mental health, personal transformation, and the pursuit of meaning and purpose.

Andy and I got together recently for a deep and wide-ranging conversation on the infinity of consciousness, the connection between identity and purpose, and how to build a sense of identity, finding flow in the outdoors, the shapes and patterns of the natural world, and how physical activity can be a key to identity, the Grail myth and how it reveals that how “the absolute truth can only be nothing,” and how the search for purpose may never end, but we can still find a way to a satisfactory answer.

Especially if you’re someone with questions about purpose, identity, and the meaning of life, or if you’ve dealt with depression, anxiety, or a sense of not knowing yourself or where you’re headed, we think you’ll get a lot out of this conversation.

Following the interview are links to some of our writing, some further reading, and some questions for you — we’d love to hear from you! Use the ♡ and comments below 👇🏻

Andy and Bowen on Meaning and Purpose

Listen to the audio right here on Substack or watch us on YouTube above.

⭐️⭐️ THANK YOU FOR LISTENING⭐️⭐️

Please SUBSCRIBE for more of our writing

Bowen writes memoir [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/s/memoir] and personal essay on topics including alcohol [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=alcohol], addiction [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=addiction] and depression [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=depression]… adventure [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=adventure], fitness [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=fitness], sports [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=sports], and nature [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=nature]… identity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=identity], masculinity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=masculinity], fatherhood [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=fatherhood] and being child-free [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=childfree], advertising [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=advertising], entrepreneurship [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=entrepreneur], and conferences [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=conference]… creativity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=creativity], intuition [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=intuition], archetypes [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=archetypes], consciousness [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=consciousness], symbols [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=symbols], a

I'm here to be myself as much as possible—and the absolute truth can only be...nothing.

Like most people who’ve lived in San Francisco for many years, I’ve been doing yoga on and off since my twenties. I didn’t discover pilates until much later—but I sure wish it had been the other way around! I blew a disc in my back at the age of thirty and had surgery at that time, and now that I know how transformational—and how simple—pilates can be, I’m sure that I never would have injured myself in the first place if I’d been doing it back then.

When I did start doing pilates, I thought it was all about expensive equipment with springs and straps—and mostly taught by and for women. At a certain point I began to seek out more male teachers for all sorts of things, and when I went looking for a man teaching pilates, for men, Sean Vigue came up as the guy who was doing exactly that. I loved his honest, straightforward, kinda goofy vibe from the start, and his approach to pilates—outdoors with just a mat and no equipment—felt much more me.

I got to know Sean to some extent from using his workouts as part of my own fitness routine [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/p/getting-stronger], and I could tell that he’s a really unique person with his own deep wisdom about the body, a strong positive presence, and a philosophy about living that comes through in his teaching, and so I was curious to meet him face to face, which is what led me to invite him for an interview on BROTHERS AND TEACHERS.

Sean Vigue is leading online fitness instructor and a true pioneer in bringing simple, effective, mat-based pilates to millions of people through his fitness videos. Before he became an athlete and fitness instructor he was an actor, dancer, and singer, and all of that comes through when you see him teach. He puts his experience as a performer to work as an instructor, and he’s also just really good at being himself. Sean’s been an inspiration both in terms of physical fitness, and for his powerful presence.

If you do enjoy this episode, please do take a moment to click the little heart button 🤍 to like this post here on Substack.

As you listen, you might scan the questions at the bottom of the show notes, or just consider this one: What is your relationship with your own body and your physicality—and how does your body, your strength and your physical wellness relate to your identity as a person,  and to your mental health?

Interview

You can listen using the built-in audio player above or watch the video below, although the audio is cleaned up a bit, while the video is just the raw footage.

Sean and I cover a lot in the interview, including Sean’s history as a performer — From theater to fitness — dance and Pilates — pilates for back injuries — Good posture — Health and fitness in our fifties — Fitness and mental health [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/p/getting-stronger] — Massage — Discipline and serving others — Being himself — Singing — old habits — Losing his father — Are those ducks real? — Getting outside — Flow [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66354.Flow?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=aXO8uRL7bN&rank=6] — Entrepreneurship — Never call when you can talk in person — Getting out of your own way — Fitness for kids — how Pilates is transformational — The ‘core’ message — Do it now — Get off your phone — and, perhaps most important of all: Joy through movement.

Further Reading

You can find Sean at https://www.seanviguefitness.com/ and on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SeanVigueFitness] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/seanviguefitness/]. Below are just two of Sean’s books—you can find them all on his site [https://www.seanviguefitness.com/books/]. </

E20 / Pilates for Men with Sean Vigue

is the writer behind as well as a creative coach [http://lyle.coach], and writes , which includes his serialized memoir in progress An Ordinary Disaster, about a man learning to listen to himself.

One of the most powerful things about Substack is community and connection with other writers. Our goal with this new collaborative interview format is to share something deeper about each others’ work with our readers.

We got together on May 11, 2023 for a deep and wide-ranging conversation that covered why we chose to write memoir, the power of story as a way to write oneself into existence, what memoir is (and isn’t), how writing is like music, the power of reading aloud, the value of having a writing group, the biggest pros and cons of Substack, whether we invested in Substack, writing about writing, what we’re afraid to write about, how men can say “sex”, what it’s like to be writing memoir as a man, the value of writing groups, telling the truth, and our biggest challenge as writers.

If you’re a writer who shares pieces of their personal life on the page, if you’re curious about what it’s like to do so, or if you’re a reader of memoir, we think you’ll get a lot out of this conversation.

Following the interview are links to some of our writing, some other writers of memoir on Substack, further reading on memoir, and some questions for you— we’d love to hear from you! Use the ♡ and comments below 👇🏻

Bowen and Lyle on Men Writing Memoir

Listen to the audio right here on Substack or watch us on YouTube above. We haven’t included a transcript because it’s so darn long, but if you’d like to read this instead of listen, just ask in the comments below ⬇️

⭐️⭐️ THANK YOU FOR LISTENING⭐️⭐️

Please SUBSCRIBE for more of our writing

Bowen writes memoir [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/s/memoir] and personal essay on topics including alcohol [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=alcohol], addiction [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=addiction] and depression [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=depression]… adventure [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=adventure], fitness [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=fitness], sports [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=sports], and nature [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=nature]… identity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=identity], masculinity [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=masculinity], fatherhood [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=fatherhood] and being child-free [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=childfree], advertising [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=advertising], entrepreneurship [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=entrepreneur], and conferences [https://bowendwelle.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=conference]…

A conversation about men writing memoir with Bowen Dwelle and Lyle McKeany

Today, I'm speaking with

Scott is a fellow writer, who runs two Substacks, and . He’s also a fellow entrepreneur as a co-founder of Troops.ai, which was acquired by Salesforce in 2022. Scott has written extensively about his own spiritual journey, in particular about the impact that ten-plus years of meditation [https://scottbritton.substack.com/p/reflecting-on-10-years-of-meditating] and on “exploring consciousness and the boundless self while enjoying the human experience.”

In addition to all of my writing and podcast episodes, paid subscribers get full access to my entire memoir in progress, access to occasional bonus and AMA posts and chats—and the opportunity to order a copy of my book when it comes out for just the cost of shipping. If you’re enjoying my writing and podcast and would like to see more episodes like this one, please consider becoming a paying subscriber [https://decidenothing.substack.com/subscribe].

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In the meantime, if you do enjoy this episode, please do take a moment to click the little heart button 🤍 to “Like” this post here on Substack. Think of it this way: your click on that little heart is the answer to the question—if someone asked you about it, would you recommend this piece to a friend?

As you listen, you might scan the questions at the bottom of the show notes, or just consider this one: what is your own understanding of what meditation is, what it’s for, and what kind of impact it can have on one’s life?

Show Notes

Meditation as a sport. Harder to feel the feedback loop of change or progress. Feeling something different in your body. “people get discouraged”

…the thing about a sport is that you can feel yourself getting better.

…awakening the feedback loop with meditation and tuning into the physical aspects…

…when I think about all the awesome experiences, that I've had doing various sports, I've thought of those as like putting awesome in the bank… being able to see that meditation could perhaps deliver that same sort of awesomeness…

“cascading perceived benefits” “the supreme benefit is a still mind — and, what does a still mind get you?” “the source of creativity or breakthrough ideas or insights…derives from…a still mind.”

“We're taught to fill the mind versus create space in the mind.”

“…now we are effectively unlearning all of the learned behaviors.”

“when you talk to most leaders in society, many will cite that the best decisions they ever made were from their gut, like from their intuition…we don't really intentionally practice a skillset around cultivation of that…there's clear attribution to this thing that is really good for decision making. And then there's low investment or unclear directive onto how to do more of it.”

“I actually do think that one can learn how to create more direct and consistent intuitive guidance. …the way to do that in my own experience has been to learn how to still the mind and present a question and patiently.”

“it actually very much is an active practice… There comes a point in time where you can develop a level of stillness and you can effectively present something and then wait for an answer to emerge.”

“when I'm getting that type of clear guidance in a quiet mind, I'm connecting to source, I'm connecting to the highest divinity that my consciousness is an expression of, and that divinity is all knowing, it's all aware.”

one of my own tools is to recognize the state of trying to decide, and to stop and allow space for something to emerge.

a lot of people have described intuition as pattern recognition — patterns that we recognize, but that we can also get better at recogn

E19 / Meditation and Intuition with Scott Britton

This show is a series of conversations with and about people who embody positive presence, masculinity, and identity, talking about identity, addiction, depression, intuition, love, relationships, sexuality—and becoming ourselves as much as possible. It's also an effort to honor people who who have been teachers, who I love and respect, and who I want to get to know more deeply. In short, a way to highlight men doing and being good in the world. 

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