CATW # 2 — with Susan Buss Roth on the Light and the Dark of the Path

Reflections on anger, based on a tennis game gone south and focusing on how my adolescent self (Hothead) has no real sense of proportionality. 

This inaugural episode of Talking Amongst My Selves — a companion series to Conversations Along the Way (see the trailer for it for more information) —  takes on a light little topic: death. I reflect on how returning home to Berlin to be with my aging parents and struggling to find work brings up existential fears, with all of the different parts of me (Little Guy, Hothead, Mediator and Observer) having a different take on what is going on.

I'm joined by my good friend Paula Friedland, a counselor, certified coach, corporate and public speaking trainer, as well as an actor and singer. We talk about the meaning and importance of art and artistic expression in our lives and its close relationship with personal growth and the spiritual quest. Our guiding questions for the conversation:
- At its core, what is art (the appreciation of it, the pursuit of it, the creation of it) about for you?
- When did you first know you were an artist?
- When did you first come to think of yourself as a spiritual seeker?
- What are the similarities and differences between these two goals/identities? 

Introducing a companion series to Conversations Along The Way: Talking Amongst My Selves, personal reflections from Henrik on his personal and spiritual path. Meet The Little Guy, Hothead, Dr. Stentorian, the Mediator and the Observer, all aspects or characters that  make up the beautiful mess that is Henrik. 

A conversation with my good friends at the Boulder Valley Men's Group, about the importance of men's work. The questions we discussed were:
- What does it mean to you to be a man?
- Who were your male role models and what did you learn from them?
- How did you first encounter men’s work?
- Why did it call you?
If you are interested in learning more about men's work, here are a few suggestions for where to turn. (For those of you not in the U.S., note that the first organization listed also has chapters in other parts of the world.)

Mankind Project – one of the older men's group organizations out there.  A good way to find a local group.

Spiritual Warfare Effectiveness Training – this is the program out in Pennsylvania whose weekend I attended.

Kai Abelkis is a pioneer in the sustainability movement, which he has been a part of for 25 years. He was the first full-time sustainability professional in the health-care industry in the United States and is now the Sustainability Manager at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. He and I discuss the following questions:
- what was your relationship to the outdoors / the environment growing up?
- what formative messages did you receive about the environment when you were young?
- when did you first realize the environment was an important issue for you?
- how do you see the link between the environment and spiritual growth? 

David and I have a conversations around the following four questions:
- what is your earliest memory or conception of God?
- how has it evolved over the years?
- what conception of God / the Ultimate do you find most off-putting?
- what understanding of God / the Ultimate does the world need to hear more of?

My conversation with professional coach and Enneagram teacher Margot Burns on how the Enneagram has changed our way of being in the world. We talk about what Enneagram type we are working with, how we know that it fits us and what we see as the fascinating parallels (and differences) between the Enneagram and Buddhism. 

Never heard of the Enneagram? Need a quick refresher? Sink your teeth into this delectable snack-sized introduction to this beautiful tool of transformation. Learn about the nine types and how they can be grouped into body, heart and head triads. Don't worry: it'll all make sense when you hear it. Enjoy!