410: The Singing Bird

How do we attend to the something in each of us that longs to break free through the cracks of our self-image? A conversation about discovering that sacred uniqueness within ourselves and others in the everyday mundane acts of living, loving, working and being genuinely present with one another. This week’s conversation is hosted, as always, by Lizzie Winn and Justin Wise of Thirdspace. Episode Overview 00:00 Introduction to Turning Towards Life 02:50 The Singing Bird: A Poetic Exploration 06:03 Longing and Creativity: Uncovering the Singing Bird 08:57 The Unique Expression of Each Of Us 12:00 Navigating Self-Criticism and Inquiry 14:50 Vulnerability and Authenticity in Relationships 18:07 Embracing the Messiness of Life 21:08 The Complexity of Human Experience 23:56 The Interconnectedness of Our Stories 26:50 The Importance of Community and Conversation 30:02 Conclusion and Looking Ahead Here’s our source for this week: The Singing Bird The singing bird I have a hundred ways Of keeping the singing bird Pushed down, Hidden, Anaesthetised, Comfort-numb, Silenced. But I have learned How easily she Can break free And Sing Anyway. She sneaks out Through the cracks That get made By laughter And poetry And art And honesty And dancing And sunshine. I wonder if you know The ways you keep the singing bird Quiet? And if you know how to forget yourself So that she can sneak out And remind you of the song You’ve always wanted to sing. Hollie Holden Photo by Lukáš Kadava on Unsplash ---- Join Us Live in 2025 Turning Towards Life Live Season 1, from 17 September 2025 Our Turning Towards Life live programme of community, learning and reflection runs in six month seasons from September. It's going to be in person on Zoom once a month. We're very excited about it. A chance to expand beyond the bounds of a podcast into forming a community of learning and practice. You can find out more and join us here. ---- About Turning Towards Life Turning Towards Life, a week-by-week conversation inviting us deeply into our lives, is a live 30 minute conversation hosted by Justin Wise and Lizzie Winn of Thirdspace. Find us on FaceBook to join in the lively conversation on this episode. You can find videos of every episode, and more about the project on the Turning Towards Life website, and you can also watch and listen on Instagram, YouTube, and as a podcast on Apple, Amazon Music and Spotify. Join Our Weekly Mailing: www.turningtowards.life/subscribe Support Us: www.buymeacoffee.com/turningtowardslife Keywords singing bird, creative expression, authentic presence, vulnerability sharing, sacred uniqueness, forget yourself, honest presence, creative practice, inner critic, right sizing, vast universe, cultural expectations, sacred something, judgement softening, unfolding process, kerfuffle acceptance, contactful being, depth confidence, whoness discovery, messy glory, genuine presence, practical spirituality, learning process, turning towards life, creative longing, existential wondering People Mentioned Hollie Holden (author of this week's source)