464: Breaking Open

A conversation about meeting one another's 'falling apart', the cultural pressure to stay buttoned up, the fertile potential hidden inside our moments of undoing, and what it means to be a person who can welcome and hold space for another's becoming rather than trying to put the lid back on. How genuine care for another might involve staying faithful to the life inside them, which is something deeper than their current circumstances, their current identity, or the version of them we first fell in love with. This week is hosted as always by Lizzie Winn and Justin Wise of Thirdspace. This is Turning Towards Life, a weekly live 30 minute conversation hosted by Thirdspace in which Justin Wise and Lizzie Winn dive deep into big questions of human living. 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 in all the usual podcast places. Episode Overview 00:00 Welcome 02:56 Exploring Total Breakdown by Chelan Harkin 05:52 Embracing Undoing 09:05 Cultural Norms and Fears 12:09 Keeping It Together vs. Falling Apart 15:03 Finding Safe Spaces for Breaking Apart 18:04 Context and Timing in Personal Growth 20:56 Creating Relational Safety for Vulnerability 24:01 The Moral Responsibility in Relationships 27:13 The Power of Seeing Each Other's Life 30:06 Conclusion and Invitation to Engage Our source for this week: Total Breakdown June 2026 (Vol. XXXIX, No. 6) "She's having a total breakdown," one put together and very self-satisfied seed with no cracks in it whispered to another about a third seed who had begun to germinate. "She's completely falling apart— her life is a mess!" They gazed superiorly at the smooth, intact facade of their shells so perfectly upholding expectations of the status quo. Clearly, compared to that wild, sprouting seed disrupting the peace, they were doing something right...right? But now and then, they secretly looked up with longing at the tall-stemmed, bravely opened flower wondering if there might be more to themselves. Chelan Harkin, from WILD GRACE: POEMS poetrycooperative.org/chelan-harkin Photo by David Clode on Unsplash Join Our Weekly Mailing: www.turningtowards.life/subscribe Support Us: www.buymeacoffee.com/turningtowardslife --- Join Us Live in 2026 Turning Towards Life Live Season 3, from 16 September 2026 Our Turning Towards Life live programme of community, learning and reflection runs in six month seasons, 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: www.turningtowards.life/live Learn Coaching with Thirdspace Foundations of Integral Development Coaching Our two-day immersive introduction to integral development coaching, led by Lizzie and Justin from Turning Towards Life. An opportunity to begin to learn to support others in deep, life giving discovery and development. You can read more 'Foundations' and book a place here: www.wearethirdspace.org/foundations-of-coaching You can hear us talk about the philosophy of our coaching programmes here: www.turningtowards.life/coaching And our year-long Professional Coaching Course details are here: www.wearethirdspace.org/professional-coaching-course