We Can Do Hard Things

103. How to Be More Alive with Cole Arthur Riley

Jun 9, 2022

In a captivating discussion, Cole Arthur Riley, author of the best-selling "This Here Flesh," shares her unique perspective on spirituality and identity. She challenges the idea that self-perception dictates beauty, arguing instead that dignity is essential for truly experiencing life. Cole emphasizes the restorative power of wonder and the importance of grounding ourselves in our bodies. She also tackles the complex ties between shame and familial love, urging listeners to confront their insecurities while embracing their worth.

01:29:02

Episode guests

Cole Arthur Riley

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

Contemplation and Literary Connection

16min

Reclaiming the Present: The Urgency of Now

5min

Embracing the Present: Overcoming Arrival Fallacy

9min

Exploring the Contagion of Shame in Family Bonds

2min

Dignity and the Body: A Journey Within

20min

Redefining Ownership and Responsibility in Our Relationship with Place

3min

Reclaiming Connection: The Transformative Power of Wonder

15min

The Tensions of Control and Connection

14min

10.

Exploring Spirituality and Human Existence

2min

In this beautiful conversation–in which Glennon names Cole’s book “This Here Flesh” the Next Right Book–we discuss:

1. What we learned from Cole’s insight that, “If you’re not in your body, someone else is.”

2. A mind-blowing revelation about all of our own faces that we will never stop thinking about.

3. Why the phrase “If you don’t believe you’re beautiful, no one else will” is horseshit.

4. Why dignity is the bedrock to being alive–and how to find it when we haven’t been loved well.

5. The connection between fear and awe–and how to practice wonder as a cure for despair.

About Cole:

Cole Arthur Riley is a writer and poet. She is the author of the NYT bestseller, This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us. Her writing has been featured in The Atlantic, Guernica, and The Washington Post. Cole is also the creator and writer of Black Liturgies, a project that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body.

TW: @blackliturgist

IG: @colearthurriley @blackliturgies

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