Episode 55: Influence vs. Control – and how to walk with strength and compassion in a world at war

It’s been a minute! Jacob and Scott are back after a six-month hiatus with the first episode of Season 3. After a fairly brief catch-up, they don’t waste much time before diving into the deep end and discussing the collective response to the war between Israel and Palestine. How do we keep our hearts open, how do we stay connected to compassion and love in the face of such monstrous actions? The friends talk about how difficult it is to stay centered in love when invitations all around us are calling on us to hate. They discuss how they navigate these waters and what practices help them to remember their hearts. It’s a doozy of an episode after so much time away and highlights the honesty and vulnerability we’ve come to expect from and appreciate about them both. Don’t forget to get Scott’s new book, Enough as You Are, available everywhere on October 17th! Find it here: https://amzn.to/46sBYE0   Here’s the piece of writing by Ori Hanan Weisberg, an Israeli citizen, that Scott began to share: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2276492825888934&set=a.122696751268563   Here’s the compassion practice Jacob shared: https://www.mindful.org/just-like-me-compassion-practice/   Jacob’s retreat in Sayulita in February: https://events.healcreate.org/mexico-yoga-creativity-retreat/   Scott’s retreat with David Gandelman in Bali in May: https://www.meditationschool.us/bali-retreat-2024 A Writing Room Collective – a place for writers and those who want to be. https://awritingroom.com/   “We're not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.” ― Joseph Campbell

In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about giving and receiving feedback, and how easy it is to get triggered by someone’s experience of you, and to shut down to feedback even from those closest to you. They discuss the importance of looking at what you value in your life — in both an embodied and aspirational sense — and giving energy to creating more alignment with your values. Values are foundational and the more we consider them, the more likely we are to live meaningful, fulfilling lives. The friends also talk about how complex getting honest with yourself can be, and sometimes in our eagerness to eliminate what we see as unhealthy and untrue may actually be a true part of our nature. Scott’s Writing Yourself Workshop on April 29th: https://writingyourselfapril.eventbrite.com Scott’s Spain retreat with David Gandelman: https://www.meditationschool.us/spain-retreat-2023

In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about giving and receiving feedback, and how easy it is to get triggered by someone’s experience of you, and to shut down to feedback even from those closest to you. They discuss the importance of looking at what you value in your life — in both an embodied and aspirational sense — and giving the energy to create more alignment with your values. Values are foundational and the more we consider them, the more likely we to live meaningful, fulfilling lives. The friends also talk about how complex getting honest with yourself can be, and sometimes in our eagerness to eliminate what we see as unhealthy and untrue conditions may actually be a true part of our nature.   Scott’s Writing Yourself Workshop on April 29th: https://writingyourselfapril.eventbrite.com Scott’s Spain retreat with David Gandelman: https://www.meditationschool.us/spain-retreat-2023

In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about Scott’s rough entrance into New Orleans and his attempts to jibe with the Mardi Gras vibe, even though drunken crowds are decidedly not his thing. They discuss the importance of honoring where you are, and at the same time not being bound to stories about yourself that may prevent you from moving forward. The friends talk about the witness again, that place within each of us that only observes the mind and its thoughts, without becoming attached to any of them.  They leave listeners with a question to consider, in general, and especially when we find ourselves in a circumstance we’re not excited about: what do I need right now? Scott’s Writing Yourself Workshop on Feb. 25th: https://writingyourself.eventbrite.com Scott’s Spain Retreat with David Gandelman: https://www.meditationschool.us/spain-retreat-2023 Scott’s Breathwork Journeys: https://www.scottstabile.com/events

In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about the ways in which they’ve been navigating despair and overwhelm in recent months. For Jacob, keeping steady with his daily journaling practice has been a consistent source of grounding. For Scott, remembering to bear witness rather than become the thoughts of his despairing mind has helped create a bit more peace. The friends talk about accepting rather than resisting what is, and moving forward and creating change from this place of acceptance. As well, they remind us that we all have an inner knowing that will (if we let listen) guide us to choices and practices that are likely to serve our growth and healing. Scott’s Spain retreat with David Gandelman: https://www.meditationschool.us/spain-retreat-2023 Breathwork with Scott on Wednesday, January 25th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/online-breath-belonging-with-scott-stabile-tickets-520667028097 Breathwork with Scott on Thursday, January 26th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/online-breath-belonging-with-scott-stabile-tickets-520676997917

In this conversation — the 50th episode of Hey Jacob, Hi Scott! — Jacob and Scott talk about the importance of community, and the power within each of us to create community in our lives, whether in person or online. Sometimes, when we’re in compassionate communion with others, we are most able to find our way back to ourselves. They talk about integrating rituals into our lives, especially during the times of year that tend to be most difficult. Jacob offers up some great ideas for easy rituals that can be integrated at any time. The friends speak to how difficult the holiday season can be for many, and to remember the importance of the mantra, “this too shall pass.” Sometimes that’s the one thing we can hold onto when we’re going through a funk. Scott’s visualization workshop “Imagine It” to start 2023: https://imagineimagine.eventbrite.com Order signed copies of Scott’s books for the holidays: https://www.scottstabile.com/books-1 Julia Cameron Virtual Workshop: Write for Life – https://www.healcreate.org/write-for-life-creative-tools-for-every-writer-workshop-with-julia-cameron/ December Stress Relief Sessions: https://www.healcreate.org/december-stress-relief-sessions/ These include Breathwork with Scott Stabile and Therapeutic Doodling with Carin Channing!

In this conversation, Scott talks about the funk he’s been in, the loneliness he’s been feeling, and how his mind has had the reins for days and is hellbent on making him miserable. The friends talk about feeling destabilized and how difficult it can be sometimes, even if you’ve got all the tools, to work your way back to a more grounded place. They discuss holding space for life’s many contradictions, and that truth can live in exact opposite perspectives. They talk about how, as teachers, they approach discussing the times they’re struggling: whether to share while you’re in the midst of the struggle or to wait until you have some insights on the other side of it.

In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about the shift from "Can I …?"  (or "Why can't I ...?")to "How can I…?" – and the way in which the latter question automatically assumes a yes and invites into play our creativity and imagination. They talk about conditioned responses versus authentic responses, and how one necessary component of self-growth is bringing awareness to the ways in which we’ve been conditioned, followed by concrete actions that represent what is most true for us. The friends also invite us all to look at the ways in which we can integrate healing actions into our days in bite-sized increments, trusting that even five minutes of intentional action each day will add up to sizable payoffs in time. Heal + Create Writer’s Retreat: https://www.healcreate.org/writer-retreat/ref/5/ Scott’s new workshop, How to Love Yourself (when your mind is determined not to): https://howtoloveyourself.eventbrite.com Scott’s breathwork session on October 26th: https://breathbelong.eventbrite.com

*Note: The previous episode 47 was deleted due to Scott’s audio disappearing at the 10-minute mark. This is the rerecorded episode 47. In this conversation, Jacob and Scott take a deep dive into creating more abundance in our lives — financial, spiritual, creative, emotional, and every other type of abundance we seek to call forth. They talk about their current experiences doing the daily practices from The Abundance Book, by John Randolph Price, and how beneficial resting in the boundless energy of abundance can be for even five minutes a day. They describe their shared understanding that the Source energy within us all is the foundation and the supply for unlimited abundance, and their belief that this energy is working on our behalf. Though some of the ideas may seem a bit woo-woo, Jacob and Scott bring a clear groundedness to the topic of abundance and offer up practices that can help shift you from a scarcity to an abundant mentality. Heal + Create Writers' Retreat with Anne Lamott, Julia Cameron, SARK, and other teachers: https://www.healcreate.org/writer-retreat/ref/5/ Join Scott for Online Breath & Belonging on Wednesday, October 19th: https://yestothebreath.eventbrite.com Join Scott for Online Breath & Belonging on Thursday, October 20th: https://breathworkrocks.eventbrite.com Join Scott for a FREE guided breathwork session through Jacob’s Heal + Create community on Sunday, October 23rd: https://www.healcreate.org/event/breathe-your-way-home-a-special-breathwork-session-with-scott-stabile/ Check out The Abundance Book, by John Randolph Price, that Jacob and Scott refer to throughout this episode: https://www.amazon.com/Abundance-Book-John-Randolph-Price/dp/1561703478

In this conversation, nearly six weeks after their last episode, Jacob and Scott catch up on their final weeks of summer and talk about rituals for heading into the Autumn Equinox. Jacob takes us through his recent plant medicine journey in the City of Rocks in Idaho, detailing some wildly profound experiences within which are lessons for us all. The friends talk about the importance of transcending expectations and assumptions, about others and about our own lives, thereby centering us more readily in the present moment. Jacob shares some of the healing he’s created in his relationship with money and how much more available to abundance he’s become. Jacob’s Writer’s Retreat with Anne Lamotte, Julia Cameron, and SARK! CLICK HERE FOR ALL DETAILS AND TO ENROLL Scott’s online breathwork journey on Wednesday, September 21st: https://inhaleandexhale.eventbrite.com The Abundance Book – 40-Day Practice (Jacob mentioned this book) Six Rituals for Honoring the September Equinox (provided by Chani Nicholas)