Welcome to EXHALE

Welcome to EXHALE.

In this first episode, I share why this space exists and invite you into the kind of conversations we'll be having here.

Together, we'll explore curiosity over certainty, possibility over rigid thinking, and what it means to create space for reflection in an increasingly noisy world.

This isn't a space that asks you to agree with everything you hear.

It's a space that invites you to explore.

To question.

To sit with ideas.

To entertain the possibility that there may be more than one way of understanding ourselves, each other and the world around us.

So take a breath, get comfortable, and let's begin.

Welcome to EXHALE.

If EXHALE resonates with you, the conversation continues in RETURN circle.

www.lisawestgate.com/EXHALE 

Music credit: Trolldans - Ström

Transcript

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Welcome to the very first episode of Exhale. These ideas, these conversations that I intend to have in this space have been floating around in my mind and in my body for a very long time, years and it's taken me to give myself space to reflect, to heal, to learn, to let go and to create a space in my life large enough to hold space for Exhale and for all of you and for what comes next. And I'm so grateful that you're here. I truly hope that the conversations that we have here resonate. My hope is that you will find this a different sort of space whether you listen to lots of podcasts, whether you are new to having someone in your ears. So what I wanted to do is before we begin, before we get into some really interesting and perhaps different types of conversations, let's take a breath together, let's breathe. In and out and before you start worrying that you know this is some kind of hippy-dippy-woo-woo wellness well-being podcast and maybe it's not for you, I implore you to give it a little chance experience just to have an explore. So dear explorer, I wanted to talk to you about what this space is, what this space isn't and invite you to maybe step a little bit towards the edges of your comfort zone. In this space, in these conversations there's no need to agree with everything I say. I'm absolutely nobody's guru and I definitely do not have all the answers. You don't need to feel comfortable adopting every idea. However, you might find that some ideas will resonate with you immediately. And I invite you to recognize what that feels like for you. What does it feel like in your body when something hits just right and you think, yeah, that makes a lot of sense or that's what I've been trying to put my finger on but I didn't have words for. I want you to notice, give yourself the opportunity to notice what that feels like when it happens. And other ideas or concepts or philosophies may need time. May need you just to sit with it for a little while. Might take a couple of days to just spin around in your brain. Cogitate is a word that a dear friend of mine tends to use. Just notice what's happening in terms of that sitting with it. Are you challenged by it? And if you are challenged by an idea, what is that bringing to your awareness for further exploration? And the reason that I sort of preface this first episode with these kinds of ideas of allowing is because we live in a very binary world. We live in a very divisive world where we are encouraged, sometimes pushed to to pick a side, draw a line in the sand, it's one or the other, right or wrong, up or down, yes or no, are you for it, are you against it. It's a very binary way of engaging with the world. And I don't necessarily think that for a lot of the conversations that we are having in the world at a familial level, at an interpersonal level, at a workplace level, and also at a grander level, you know, in terms of politics and social issues, I'm not convinced that that either or frame is working for us. And so I really wanted to cultivate a space where it's okay to sit in the grey. It's okay to sit in the I don't know. It's okay to sit in the I haven't made up my mind on that yet. It's okay because fundamentally here, in exhale, curiosity is more important than certainty. And exploration of possibilities is more important than being right. So this is really a space to entertain what if questions or what if I believe that or what if I felt that way or what if that was my truth or the truth. Just softening the edges a little around who you are, what you believe, what you've got to carry with you and fight to the death for and, you know, what do they say, die on the hill, right? It's just about having a space to take some time to take your time here. So if you're willing to explore and if you're willing to question, if you're willing to become a little less certain, a little more curious, then I think you'll feel at home here. One of my mentors many years ago, no doubt quoting somebody else, which I haven't Googled, said that the quality of your life is determined by the quality of questions. And what was meant by that was quite often people that feel stuck or trapped or anxious or depressed or in a state of life or a frame of mind that they're not enjoying, often are asking why questions. Why is this happening to me? Why do I need to do that? Why do I feel like this? Why does this, you know, why does this happen? And those why questions support somewhat of a downward spiral of thinking, right? When you're asking why questions, it creates a bit of a deepening into what can sometimes be a justification of those uncomfortable circumstances. And so by changing the quality of the question, you can change the quality of life. So rather than asking why questions, start asking how questions. So using that example, how can I feel better? How can I become the version of me that I want to be? How can I be happier? How can I improve my relationships? How can I get up out of this muck? And what you'll notice by shifting from why questions to how questions, how questions open that door for exploration, how questions invite you to get creative in the search for solutions, how questions expand possibilities of thinking. And so I wanted to take that idea of your quality of life is determined by the quality of questions that you're asking and take it further into quality conversations. And so my intention for Exhale is for it to be a space where we can explore and expand possibilities for having high quality conversations, where we ask high quality questions that grow awareness, expand potential, create options, and improve lives. So if you feel willing to come and explore with me, then I'm so grateful you are here. And I welcome you to Exhale.