ALIVE Is Open + WHEN ARE YOU EVER YOU? - I Am Being Interviewed | Love Letters From Flora | 30
Doors are open for ALIVE - a free live online experience. 9/29.
Part practice. Part transmission, teaching, story telling. Part your questions. Fully present. Fully alive.
JOIN
ALIVE
What happens when somebody else asks the questions? For 29 episodes, I largely created the inquiry. I chose the questions, told the stories, found the patterns, descend where I wanted to descend. I had some phenomenal guests I asked questions, following the natural lead of the conversation. In case you are interested in coming on, reach out.
I thought, this time we will switch it around. We role play.
ALIVE
THE STORY
I gave someone else the microphone. And not just anyone. But also, just anyone. Jay and I had met twice before I dropped the bomb and asked if he would be willing to interview me. To ask me his burning questions about my work. He seemed so representable of many guys - a successful career, having made it, father of four, divorced, some health crisis, and simply not content, knowing that there is more life to be experienced, but also not quite knowing how to. Not knowing the key, or how to put it into the hole (pun not intended).
Going in, I felt a bit nervous. I had no idea how deep this would go. And you know, crying on the internet is vulnerable af. But, his questions stayed very accessible, very relatable, for someone who is curious about working with me. I have a lot of appreciation for Jay’s approach. He came in as a practical-minded man, asking: how, when, why? Initially I had asked my best friend to interview me. And that will happen at some point. Right now, for where we are at in this creation, Jay was the ideal interviewer. He surprised me with a very thoughtful, simple structure. It almost felt a bit too easy and businesslike. In retrospect, I definitely have thoughts on the way of how I express myself. There is lots to practice and learn, which is super helpful intel, especially being a guest on a few more shows this year.
ALIVE
Once again I cannot help but notice the curious correlation of lived experience and creation arc- in Love Letter 29, I contemplated on power and surrender. And here I am, literally surrendering authorship. I had asked to not receive his questions ahead of time. It always is my intention to be as authentic and raw in the recordings as possible. And being spontaneous and real in this interview asked me to hand over some of my power. And yet, I felt a sense of authority and expertise. Who else would be better to speak to my work and methodology than yours truly?
I am grateful for Jay to accept my invitation, and bring his very logical, clear look at my work. And I am curious to read from you how this is landing with you. Did you learn something new? Does this one thing now make more sense to you? Where there any ahas, or maybe deepening questions?
It was a precious experience to let truth about my work emerge without a need to explain it and let somebody else ask what they really want to know.
ALIVE
Let me pull 3 questions from the conversation for you:
1. Why did you leave law/diplomacy for this work? I was so fed up with the high-level functioning, the pretence, the go, go, go, push, push, push. Suppression of aliveness is prerequisite of belonging. Major responsibilities are carried out with such little presence, it’s scary. One of the key takeaways from this decade is my observation that power without presence is dangerous.
2. What actually is Erotic Intelligence? Erotic Intelligence is the intelligence of the body. It’s the innate wisdom that moves us toward life, aliveness, creativity, capability, capacity. Achievement culture locates intelligence almost entirely in the head. This is wrong. We leave behind the majority of our intelligence. What happens when we bring the rest of this intelligence online? What superpowers do we unlock?
3. Why do successful people fall apart personally? Externally they got it together. Internally they are exhausted, disconnected, performing. They are constantly wearing masks which in itself requires a shit ton of energy. You are wasting your precious life force energy, trying to keep it together. We constantly put on bandaids: coffee for tiredness. Sleeping pill for sleep. Blue pills for sex. Keep pushing. Keep performing. And eventually something gives, something cracks, something explodes or implodes. You haven’t slept in months. You haven’t had sex in years. Your heart skips too many beats.
When are you ever you?
ALIVE
For SOCIETAL REFLECTIONS and EMBODIED INQUIRY, subscribe.
PS: Join Love Letters from Flora every Thursday and read each conversation before it goes online: https://www.florapetri.com/join