Another wonderful interview. Thanks Eric and Kimberly. You’ve been through so much Eric, that might destroy a person, yet you opened yourself to internal change and overcame a huge struggle. Beautiful. The finding the ring story is spooky and opens all kinds of doors we prefer to keep shut. Loved it. It was also so pleasing (who am I to say but anyway it was) that you are such a good and genuinely nice person. So satisfying to see a life being led and not hidden from. Thanks so much for that interview.
Strange thing occurred reading your comment, the part about being a “good and genuinely nice person”… I have been working more not to identify with that lately, because it’s led me towards people pleasing/not acting in truth in the past. While I read that part a subconscious impulse landed to put my hand in my right pocket. And there was a crumbled up scrap of paper in there… from a Chinese fortune cookie:
Of course you're right not to want to identify with people pleasing Eric, and I apologise (I know it's not necessary) for my clumsy wording, it's just in today's world I think there's real value in kindness, and attentiveness and goodness. And I guess that's what I meant. But you and that fortune cookie are right, just embrace your goodness 🤣
No clumsiness at all — that’s got me grinning actually since you are one the LEAST clumsy with word choice on Substack who I’ve stumbled across, right up there with Kimberly W.
Excuse me, pardon me, while I squeeze myself, uninvited, into this little conversation, re; Jonathan’s response. I know , I do understand exactly what you mean, but I differentiate between ‘people pleasing’ and my own character defined. Here’s the thing; please do not ever shy away from your own kindness and compassion. Own it. Because neither are innate, both are learned. Sometimes it happens early on in life but often times it never happens at all. I am older than you , not to be misinterpreted as wiser, but now more than ever, I see the truth of it, being kind and compassionate is a label I have come to wear proudly. Unfortunately , I cannot say the same for everyone I meet. So call me kind, or nice or a good person, thank you very much, I will take that as a compliment.
A Comment of Lor is always welcome here. Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom. I went back and reread how I'd responded to Jonathan, and see how it seems a bit unaccepting of his gracious compliment, "anti-nice" even, which is not what I meant to convey at all! Funny how intent and reality don't always match up.
Spooky is the right word Jonathan! I find myself a bit envious of this opening Eric experienced. But I like how you say it, "opens all kinds of doors we prefer to keep shut," as if we all have access to this seeing, but life and culture and belief have kept us from experiencing them.
And I wholeheartedly agree. Eric is a genuinely good, kind person. His recovering people pleaser is just going to have to submit. ;)
I just sat through this whole video with such a smile, what a wonderful natural and down to earth conversation to listen to. Eric, you've been through so much and still you find a glimmer of light bright enough to keep going selflessly despite the pain and the fear and uncertainty! I haven't read your novel, I will - I have Chapter one, now, ready and waiting!
Kimberly and Eric - thank you - you are both a a forceful inspiration.
PS Eric I so agree when you said about Kimberly "You have an uncanny knack to hone in on the exact words that are perfect to either stimulate new questions, new journeys…" She does!
Thank you for taking the time to watch and to comment Susie... having never done anything like this before, at multiple points during the conversation I found myself thinking Who wants to listen to me talk for an hour? Especially in this half-crazed attention economy.
I think its safe to say our little community of friends here on Substack live in an entirely different kind of attention economy. Slow, deliberate, generous attention.
Oh Susie! You're going to LOVE it. Eric's voice is wise and deep but also playful and fresh, like a child discovering a box of toys for the first time.
Thank you for being here with us. Your reflections are always so cherished. x
What a wonderful interview! I leave knowing so much more about you both. We are all on that fool’s journey. It’s nice to be on it here together. Blessings to you both. See you in the spaces between the words. Never alone. 🙏❤️
The fool’s journey is so misunderstood in our culture. It was fun to bring him into the light with all his fluidity, grace, play and trust in the unknown. Eric is a perfect embodiment of these qualities!
I teared up for the first time like 10 minutes into this conversation. The fool archetype, the questions we ask whether we realize we’re asking or not, so much of what you two discussed resonated. And the conversation with future self is something I’d like to adopt more intentionally. So thank you for that. :)
Your responses to life‘s unexpected and often extremely difficult answers are beautiful and inspiring, Eric. And I agree with everything you said about Kimberly and her intuition and ability to see inside people and to find the perfect word.
Eric, I love that you changed the genre of your book, which I am now excited to dive into.
Thank you Holly! The answers definitely were not what I was expecting (or else I wouldn't've been asking in the first place). Wow I really like how you phrase that too... "responses to life's answers"...
Thank you for your kind words.
And thank you RE: the genre change. I originally thought it would be cool to call it autofiction/autobiographical fiction and let the reader decide what is true and what is fiction, but now I realize that's going to happen regardless of what I call it -- so why not call it what it is. :)
Eric’s top quote was enough to reel me in. Kimberly’s intro only pull me in further. And by the second or third question (whenever Eric started telling his story) I was completely damn hooked. A super interesting interview, and boy does Eric’s book sound good. The title alone is brilliant.
Oh gosh, yes. You two have both shared incredible stories about navigating pain and some of the more invisible and mysterious healings along the way. So happy you two are now connected!
Hey Michael just read your Part 12 Finale and it’s awesome. Recognized much of my own story in it. I think you’ll have a built in deep understanding of Coincidence Speaks based on your innate experience.
Eric and Kim, Listening to your conversation was so easy and fluid and juicy. There were so many between the lines invitations to sit with. I found myself stopping the recording and letting the inside ding or nudge have some space to say more to me. For many many many years I have been aware of the experience of 'sacred serendipities", or "spiritual docking stations". Moments when I found myself saying "You can't make this shit up!" I love love to hear it now in a more common term "coincidences". Most of the time the awareness of the coincidence was retrospective. Like a confirmation that there is woo wooo amidst. Now ,thank you Eric, I have this possibility emerging that is opening to explore the feeling of "it's happening...NOW" and then flow with it. I have not dove into your book Eric but can't wait to! Deep bow to you two. What a great harmony!
Shannon you beauty! I love how you express yourself. I’m right with you, even during our conversation I wished I could freeze time and sink more deeply into Eric’s wisdom. Spiritual docking stations, love that. As you both know, I have some doozies as well, life certainly likes to one-up fiction and fantasy.:) Cheers to you, cheers to your own radiance in this world, and cheers to woo woo. ❤️
Thanks Shannon - “you can’t make this shit up” - exactly! So cool you keyed into the possibility that it’s happening now, and not only retrospectively. The book shares multiple stories about life happening at the coincidence or convergence point of our inner and outer worlds — when they match up, there’s just no mistaking it.
Fascinating guest Kimberly! And he is right, you are an awesome interviewer, in that you pick up on the fragments your guests slip in there, or drop here and there, and then you tease it out so that we all can see it.
Thank you both for this powerful, inspiring, profound, loving, authentic ... conversation. I think it was the title of your substack, Eric, (and the uncanny parallels to my own) that attracted me to read and engage with your work, and I remember you commenting when I discovered Kimberly's 'Unfixed memoir' here on substack soon afterwards. So this conversation today feels to me like something coming full circle in a most perfectly unfixed and coincidental way.
So many things you both said here resonate so deeply... humming with the sense of being on parallel paths... each unique and different while connected through those invisible threads we can only see with our eyes closed.
As I'm preparing for my 'second season' on substack, I know I'll keep coming back to this conversation, listening into the well of the unknown.
I am reminded of a quote by Rebecca Solnit I read recently, "Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark. That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go."
I am deeply grateful for both of your work, both of your courage, your willingness to listen to that inner voice and follow its call despite all frustrations and uncertainties, despite that tedious 'outer voice' that keeps yapping at your heels asking "what about the bacon?"
I am grateful for what you say about money, Eric. I know many people who'd say similar things, but coming from a banker, it has a totally different weight and meaning!
I am grateful for your inspired questions and comments, Kimberly. I fully agree. You have a true gift of seeing people and shining your light backstage where hidden talents are waiting in the wings.
I had to laugh out loud, when you said "I do feel like life itself can be a real-life treasure hunt." Eric. "And I do feel led by my own life in response to the questions that I hold, whether they’re consciously asked or unconsciously asked. I feel that life is like an organic answering machine." (this reminds me of something I wrote myself...)
I look forward to continuing our conversations, to hearing your music Eric, to listening to your interviews Kim, to accompanying each other on this Fool's journey into the unknown.
Veronika ... thank you. It really does feel like a full circle moment, simultaneous beginnings and endings. You were one of the first, if not the first, to find my book and post on its preliminary chapters.
Not only do you have a deep understanding of the "mechanics" of coincidence, but also the ability to communicate them coherently through etymology and philosophy and scientific rigor and lived experience and ... Synchronosophy!! What a gift to have someone like you as a reader from the very start.
I have tried to communicate the "how-to" of the mechanics in the past, soon realizing it would take an entire new language and the patience of a saint to communicate, neither of which I possessed. Then here on Substack one of the first people who finds me is someone who's done just that, with decades of supporting research!
Synchronosophy: "the gathering of wisdom through the synchrony of events." I'd encourage anyone seeking a deeper dive into these themes to check out your Synchronosophy Substack... for an experience of how the Fool becomes Wise.
Thank you Eric! Indeed, it takes a new language, the patience of saints, and probably several life times of experience ~ which neither of us have, or can remember, on their own. That's why I was so excited to meet you (and 'Coincidence Speaks') here on substack. Someone who had similar or equivalent 'crazy' experiences, and 'weird' ways of looking at the world, PLUS the courage to traipse down that dark, painful, and often scary path.
Having spent the past 27 years or so trying to 'find the right words' to 'explain my experience' I've come to the conclusion that it would work much better in conversation with others who already know (in their own experience) what I was trying to express.
This conversation between you and Kimberly ~ and several budding exchanges with you both and a few other writers I've had here on substack ~ are confirming that hunch. I believe we can develop that language together. I feel we're doing it already.... each contributing our gifts... isn't that exciting...?
So much gratitude for you and your generous reflections Veronika! And that Solnit quote is wonderful. So much of how my own life has unfolded in the dark, the winding path, the places I never expected to go only to discover its exactly where I needed to be. And I love those quotes by Eric too. "Life is like an organic answering machine." I mean! I think we need a Part II with Eric so I can talk more about how he's cultivated this profoundly trusting, attentive listening. The level of coincidence he experienced and shared in his memoir were extraordinary.
Kimberly and Eric, your discussion cracked me open to so many rays of hope. Thank you for sharing (what I call) so many *shimmering moments*. Kimberly, you and your work constantly amaze me. THANK YOU.
I'm so happy to hear this Christine. I'm glad you honed in on the word HOPE. That's exactly the feeing I was left with after we finished our conversation. Hope and possibility. I've spent so much time trying to unwind from the New Age dogma and "self-actualization" movement I grew up with that sometimes I negate all the goodness from that movement as well. The dreaming, the invention, the possibility.
cant think of an hour lately passed under such a much appreciated spell of hypnotically attractive intellects (not to mention exteriors☺️ ) and to gratifying effect...Eric's writing i have no doubt is as compelling as his musical talent (which i had heard on this platform, co-incidence? probably not but substack is nothing if not serendipitous) and informed by the same resolute spirit which "allowed" him to meet physical challenges and the changes they demanded...
as for the interviewer one can only agree with his assesment of her "unbelievable" gift of intuitively
if modestly guiding reading the emotional compass of her colloborators for true north
Awwww, such penetrating seeing and kindness Appleton. Thank you for being with us here. If only you could see my inner compass! The needle is haphazard and spinning everywhere BUT true north!
Oh, what a wonderful gift this interview was to hear this morning! Thank you, Kimberly and Eric 💜 As I've mentioned, it was through a Google search on disequilibrium that I found your writing on Substack and then Eric through comments on Unfixed. Both of you have given me courage, inspiration, and hope through my challenges. I "knew" Coincidence Speaks was nonfiction! The energy of the writing shows that. Interesting that money is an exchange of energy and you were in banking which kind of hoards (banks) money, yet you felt good handing out money during Covid.
I don't remember reading about the moment of intense gratitude in your book, BUT a feeling of intense gratitude is the moment my life turned upside down. I had just gotten off a drama-filled phone call in Feb. 2016. I looked out my window towards the cove and gratitude like I didn't know was possible flooded over me. Not that my life was great but I felt so proud of myself. I felt physically and emotionally good, I'd quit drinking alcohol and coffee, gluten, etc. I felt like I was finally in a good spot. The trauma of 2012 was behind me. I stood up and experienced full-blown vertigo. The full spinning stopped after several weeks but that was the start of falling apart. That moment of gratitude has always remained a question for me, this interview helped. Where Eric started to listen and hear, I closed myself off from it. I'd catch glimpses but I let fear grab ahold of me. I'll be writing a post about this but when my soulmate German Shepherd passed the end of this October, for 10 days I felt like myself again. Brain fog and other symptoms were gone and I started receiving channeled messages. And then all the symptoms returned. But I had an opening and insights. I love that you mentioned allowing.
Wow. Thank you for sharing this Tania. And for mirroring your own experience of gratitude that then quickly turned into another chapter of learning, struggle, opening. It's almost as if something in us knows when we're "ready" for the next chapter. The bike accident that began my downward spiral also happened at a high point in my life, I had just wrapped my second film and was headed to Hollywood for a screening in a few weeks. That all changed dramatically... at first, such a hard blow. But 10 years later I can honestly say it was the best thing that ever happened to me. And if I could sum it up in one sentence, "I learned how to allow." :)
Yes! "Allowing"... that was a key part of the conversation for me too. "Allowing" more than "accepting." To me accepting has a positive context, which can be falsely forced, whereas allowing is neutral. And going through the thick of things is the last time to try and force a positive context. Similar to when you first commented on my book(!) ... why I find the term "coincidence" more resonant than "synchronicity."
Your note on banking -- hoarding money within the traditional model vs handing it out during covid... the irony is that every new fiat dollar that was put out on the street to help as part of the multi-trillion dollar covid stimulus package, was actually inflating away the value of every other dollar already in existence! So on one hand it gave immediate relief and assistance to local businesses and families, was extremely gratifying and valuable work, yet on the other it was accelerating economic disparity for the future. (Ultimately accelerating the collapse/transformation of the current unsustainable system).
Have you checked out the work of Dr Erica Matluck by chance? I find her substack "Becoming Whole" to be brilliant and very resonant.
hah !! i read the headline this morning as 'every fool is wondrous and wise' and took off on that idea / started planning a rohn report with that title / then when i looked closer that wasn't the title at all / oh well i'm still going to let it simmer in my brain before i read your post about something completely different : ) yes the world does reflect our questions and problems as if they were connected somehow / i just woke up from a deeply gratifying dream after spending all night in doubt and despair / actually went back into the same dream again after waking up from it once
I smiled when I saw your guest for today ~Hey Eric! (I’m waving from VT). Hmm, you don’t look familiar , but I’m fairly certain we know each other well. Like having a friend you’ve never seen before. Nice to actually see you Eric! I have been along for the ride for quite awhile now, I think your first post? I met Ivy, your cat, and I actually remember my response 🤭. Traveling through your stories with you has been my pleasure, though sometimes in fear, I ran frantically behind you down a wooded path, as you chased after wailing screams deep into the forest . For anyone who has not read ; How the Heart Tells Time (2/14) it is my favorite . And throughout Coincidence Speaks, your memoir, I have often sat in the back seat of your car while you were ‘on the road’ . And don’t get me started about the 11.11%. I won’t go into details here, though I did make Eric suffer my story of a magnificent , crazy, coincidence that only came to light as a result of reading Eric’s memoir. An astonishing revelation having to do with my own life. I just went back to find this beautiful gem from your January 24th post. I remembered this date, my father’s birthday, but I needed the exact quote;
“Just one chord, one note, has the power to resurrect an ancient memory like it’s happening for the very first time, all over again. It’s the power of resonance. The power of alchemy.”
Recently, you bravely opened the door to your own ‘studio’ . With the help from a small number of brilliant well known artists, your voice and musical talent, and a beautiful young voice, L’s. By combining and composing, rhythm, notes and lyrics, you stepped out on your own mountain top, creating an entirely new song, highlighting, giving new meaning to both lyrics as they dance together , never taking away from the original. A wonderful collaboration. And I believe the secret ingredient , well, not so secret, is born from this father/daughter bond ,and written into the music . If one listens closely, together you soar.
“My conversation with Eric was filled with warmth, insight , and the kind of passion that arises from someone who has learned to deeply trust the mystery of life.” I read this quote, Kimberly, and thought to myself, yes of course he is. A very appropriate choice of words, “warmth, insight, and passion”, I would add ; kind ,compassionate, humble and self- inspiring. You do not know me well, but like Kimberly, you know I read between the lines. I have enjoyed this conversation , and could add another page of thought and comments .
Like you Eric, while I have never deliberately looked within for answers, I would say, I just know, but I can’t tell you why. From one finder of lost things to another, I wish you a life of wonder and continuous self discoveries, those you have foreseen and those that are still unknown to you. And as long as you are on Substack, I’m excited to watch (read and listen) to it all play out. Perfectly stated Eric , this is where Kimberly truly shines;
“…you have an unbelievable gift in seeing people and seeing in people what they don't see. So you're the one that's lighting up the unseen bridges. And you're doing that with this very conversation.”
Oh, can’t tell you why, but this song popped into my head, Dan Fogelberg; Leader of the Band.
Dearest human, your heart knows know bounds. I'm always so moved by your comments, they need to be compiled into a book of their own. A primer on how to be attentive. How to be kind. How to love one another. You, are a master.
Leader of the Band is one of my all-time favorite songs. It makes me think of Charlie every time I hear it.
But Lor, this coincidence of yours—oh please make us all "suffer your story of a magnificent, crazy, coincidence!"
Thank you , K, such a compliment from you. Truly , my words come from bouncing off the words of others. I was going to go back and add an addendum to my comment. Eric is correct, sometimes we revisit what we wrote, and in my case, I would like to add; I am not trying to make myself out to be queen of nice. For many years, especially in my youth, ‘wearing the badge of kind and nice’ translated into being taken advantage of (no, thankfully, not physically) I also should have mentioned, I did not wear it well until I learned to speak up for myself. I do have quite a repertoire of swear words. Do I say them with kindness, umm, not necessarily.
Leader of the Band, whenever I hear it , I need to turn up the volume and quietly listen, like needing to ‘be’ with the song . Who knows, could be why it came to mind so suddenly while I was writing. I thought, for Eric, but not it seems it is for you, or both.
Maybe I’ll tell you my coincidence story…
P.S. I love that being called human feels like a compliment.
Your attention to detail is second to none. And I know it's partly a reflection of your engagement in my words and work and voice and I appreciate that more than is expressible.
In all truth, my one dream for Coincidence Speaks (beyond and well before the standard "people will find my book lifechanging and I will become a best-selling author" one) was that it would instill the irrefutable truth of magic in the life of any reader open to it. And you are the living legacy of that dream coming true.
As I mentioned previously, I could continue on with this inspiring conversation, but, I will leave you with ; best wishes on this New Years Eve day, and may all of your hopes and dreams come true in 2025. P.S. , I found my grandmother’s diamond ring , which unbeknownst to her, happened to fall out a three story building and came to rest in a pile of mulch under a bush. I just knew it would be there.
Wait, curious, I have to ask, did you know the lyrics to Leader of the Band ?
Another wonderful interview. Thanks Eric and Kimberly. You’ve been through so much Eric, that might destroy a person, yet you opened yourself to internal change and overcame a huge struggle. Beautiful. The finding the ring story is spooky and opens all kinds of doors we prefer to keep shut. Loved it. It was also so pleasing (who am I to say but anyway it was) that you are such a good and genuinely nice person. So satisfying to see a life being led and not hidden from. Thanks so much for that interview.
Thank you Jonathan for the heartfelt words 🙏
Strange thing occurred reading your comment, the part about being a “good and genuinely nice person”… I have been working more not to identify with that lately, because it’s led me towards people pleasing/not acting in truth in the past. While I read that part a subconscious impulse landed to put my hand in my right pocket. And there was a crumbled up scrap of paper in there… from a Chinese fortune cookie:
“Embrace the goodness within you.” 😆
Of course you're right not to want to identify with people pleasing Eric, and I apologise (I know it's not necessary) for my clumsy wording, it's just in today's world I think there's real value in kindness, and attentiveness and goodness. And I guess that's what I meant. But you and that fortune cookie are right, just embrace your goodness 🤣
Great interview pal, very enlightening, thanks.
No clumsiness at all — that’s got me grinning actually since you are one the LEAST clumsy with word choice on Substack who I’ve stumbled across, right up there with Kimberly W.
Excuse me, pardon me, while I squeeze myself, uninvited, into this little conversation, re; Jonathan’s response. I know , I do understand exactly what you mean, but I differentiate between ‘people pleasing’ and my own character defined. Here’s the thing; please do not ever shy away from your own kindness and compassion. Own it. Because neither are innate, both are learned. Sometimes it happens early on in life but often times it never happens at all. I am older than you , not to be misinterpreted as wiser, but now more than ever, I see the truth of it, being kind and compassionate is a label I have come to wear proudly. Unfortunately , I cannot say the same for everyone I meet. So call me kind, or nice or a good person, thank you very much, I will take that as a compliment.
A Comment of Lor is always welcome here. Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom. I went back and reread how I'd responded to Jonathan, and see how it seems a bit unaccepting of his gracious compliment, "anti-nice" even, which is not what I meant to convey at all! Funny how intent and reality don't always match up.
Woooooooohoooooo!!!! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Spooky is the right word Jonathan! I find myself a bit envious of this opening Eric experienced. But I like how you say it, "opens all kinds of doors we prefer to keep shut," as if we all have access to this seeing, but life and culture and belief have kept us from experiencing them.
And I wholeheartedly agree. Eric is a genuinely good, kind person. His recovering people pleaser is just going to have to submit. ;)
Argh... shall not submit...
Thank you so much for this conversation Kimberly. You are truly one of a kind!
:)
I just sat through this whole video with such a smile, what a wonderful natural and down to earth conversation to listen to. Eric, you've been through so much and still you find a glimmer of light bright enough to keep going selflessly despite the pain and the fear and uncertainty! I haven't read your novel, I will - I have Chapter one, now, ready and waiting!
Kimberly and Eric - thank you - you are both a a forceful inspiration.
PS Eric I so agree when you said about Kimberly "You have an uncanny knack to hone in on the exact words that are perfect to either stimulate new questions, new journeys…" She does!
Kimberly you are gifted!
She is indeed freaking gifted. :)
Thank you for taking the time to watch and to comment Susie... having never done anything like this before, at multiple points during the conversation I found myself thinking Who wants to listen to me talk for an hour? Especially in this half-crazed attention economy.
So gratifying to hear from you.
I think its safe to say our little community of friends here on Substack live in an entirely different kind of attention economy. Slow, deliberate, generous attention.
Oh Susie! You're going to LOVE it. Eric's voice is wise and deep but also playful and fresh, like a child discovering a box of toys for the first time.
Thank you for being here with us. Your reflections are always so cherished. x
What a wonderful interview! I leave knowing so much more about you both. We are all on that fool’s journey. It’s nice to be on it here together. Blessings to you both. See you in the spaces between the words. Never alone. 🙏❤️
Always a pleasure meeting you there, Jamie :)
The fool’s journey is so misunderstood in our culture. It was fun to bring him into the light with all his fluidity, grace, play and trust in the unknown. Eric is a perfect embodiment of these qualities!
I teared up for the first time like 10 minutes into this conversation. The fool archetype, the questions we ask whether we realize we’re asking or not, so much of what you two discussed resonated. And the conversation with future self is something I’d like to adopt more intentionally. So thank you for that. :)
Your responses to life‘s unexpected and often extremely difficult answers are beautiful and inspiring, Eric. And I agree with everything you said about Kimberly and her intuition and ability to see inside people and to find the perfect word.
Eric, I love that you changed the genre of your book, which I am now excited to dive into.
Thank you both for a wonderful conversation.
Thank you Holly! The answers definitely were not what I was expecting (or else I wouldn't've been asking in the first place). Wow I really like how you phrase that too... "responses to life's answers"...
Thank you for your kind words.
And thank you RE: the genre change. I originally thought it would be cool to call it autofiction/autobiographical fiction and let the reader decide what is true and what is fiction, but now I realize that's going to happen regardless of what I call it -- so why not call it what it is. :)
Oh! Thrilled you're going to dive in Holly. You will have shivers of recognition and truth throughout. x
Eric’s top quote was enough to reel me in. Kimberly’s intro only pull me in further. And by the second or third question (whenever Eric started telling his story) I was completely damn hooked. A super interesting interview, and boy does Eric’s book sound good. The title alone is brilliant.
Thank you both :)
Oh gosh, yes. You two have both shared incredible stories about navigating pain and some of the more invisible and mysterious healings along the way. So happy you two are now connected!
Thank you for fostering this connection Kimberly :)
Hey Michael just read your Part 12 Finale and it’s awesome. Recognized much of my own story in it. I think you’ll have a built in deep understanding of Coincidence Speaks based on your innate experience.
Hey Eric, that’s so wonderful to hear, I just saw your comment on my piece — and I’m about to reply!
I’m also looking forward checking out Coincidence Speaks! :)
Eric and Kim, Listening to your conversation was so easy and fluid and juicy. There were so many between the lines invitations to sit with. I found myself stopping the recording and letting the inside ding or nudge have some space to say more to me. For many many many years I have been aware of the experience of 'sacred serendipities", or "spiritual docking stations". Moments when I found myself saying "You can't make this shit up!" I love love to hear it now in a more common term "coincidences". Most of the time the awareness of the coincidence was retrospective. Like a confirmation that there is woo wooo amidst. Now ,thank you Eric, I have this possibility emerging that is opening to explore the feeling of "it's happening...NOW" and then flow with it. I have not dove into your book Eric but can't wait to! Deep bow to you two. What a great harmony!
Shannon you beauty! I love how you express yourself. I’m right with you, even during our conversation I wished I could freeze time and sink more deeply into Eric’s wisdom. Spiritual docking stations, love that. As you both know, I have some doozies as well, life certainly likes to one-up fiction and fantasy.:) Cheers to you, cheers to your own radiance in this world, and cheers to woo woo. ❤️
Thanks Shannon - “you can’t make this shit up” - exactly! So cool you keyed into the possibility that it’s happening now, and not only retrospectively. The book shares multiple stories about life happening at the coincidence or convergence point of our inner and outer worlds — when they match up, there’s just no mistaking it.
Fascinating guest Kimberly! And he is right, you are an awesome interviewer, in that you pick up on the fragments your guests slip in there, or drop here and there, and then you tease it out so that we all can see it.
What a lovely reflection Teyani. Thank you. I do love connecting in this way!
Thank you both for this powerful, inspiring, profound, loving, authentic ... conversation. I think it was the title of your substack, Eric, (and the uncanny parallels to my own) that attracted me to read and engage with your work, and I remember you commenting when I discovered Kimberly's 'Unfixed memoir' here on substack soon afterwards. So this conversation today feels to me like something coming full circle in a most perfectly unfixed and coincidental way.
So many things you both said here resonate so deeply... humming with the sense of being on parallel paths... each unique and different while connected through those invisible threads we can only see with our eyes closed.
As I'm preparing for my 'second season' on substack, I know I'll keep coming back to this conversation, listening into the well of the unknown.
I am reminded of a quote by Rebecca Solnit I read recently, "Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark. That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go."
I am deeply grateful for both of your work, both of your courage, your willingness to listen to that inner voice and follow its call despite all frustrations and uncertainties, despite that tedious 'outer voice' that keeps yapping at your heels asking "what about the bacon?"
I am grateful for what you say about money, Eric. I know many people who'd say similar things, but coming from a banker, it has a totally different weight and meaning!
I am grateful for your inspired questions and comments, Kimberly. I fully agree. You have a true gift of seeing people and shining your light backstage where hidden talents are waiting in the wings.
I had to laugh out loud, when you said "I do feel like life itself can be a real-life treasure hunt." Eric. "And I do feel led by my own life in response to the questions that I hold, whether they’re consciously asked or unconsciously asked. I feel that life is like an organic answering machine." (this reminds me of something I wrote myself...)
I look forward to continuing our conversations, to hearing your music Eric, to listening to your interviews Kim, to accompanying each other on this Fool's journey into the unknown.
Veronika ... thank you. It really does feel like a full circle moment, simultaneous beginnings and endings. You were one of the first, if not the first, to find my book and post on its preliminary chapters.
Not only do you have a deep understanding of the "mechanics" of coincidence, but also the ability to communicate them coherently through etymology and philosophy and scientific rigor and lived experience and ... Synchronosophy!! What a gift to have someone like you as a reader from the very start.
I have tried to communicate the "how-to" of the mechanics in the past, soon realizing it would take an entire new language and the patience of a saint to communicate, neither of which I possessed. Then here on Substack one of the first people who finds me is someone who's done just that, with decades of supporting research!
Synchronosophy: "the gathering of wisdom through the synchrony of events." I'd encourage anyone seeking a deeper dive into these themes to check out your Synchronosophy Substack... for an experience of how the Fool becomes Wise.
Thank you Eric! Indeed, it takes a new language, the patience of saints, and probably several life times of experience ~ which neither of us have, or can remember, on their own. That's why I was so excited to meet you (and 'Coincidence Speaks') here on substack. Someone who had similar or equivalent 'crazy' experiences, and 'weird' ways of looking at the world, PLUS the courage to traipse down that dark, painful, and often scary path.
Having spent the past 27 years or so trying to 'find the right words' to 'explain my experience' I've come to the conclusion that it would work much better in conversation with others who already know (in their own experience) what I was trying to express.
This conversation between you and Kimberly ~ and several budding exchanges with you both and a few other writers I've had here on substack ~ are confirming that hunch. I believe we can develop that language together. I feel we're doing it already.... each contributing our gifts... isn't that exciting...?
So much gratitude for you and your generous reflections Veronika! And that Solnit quote is wonderful. So much of how my own life has unfolded in the dark, the winding path, the places I never expected to go only to discover its exactly where I needed to be. And I love those quotes by Eric too. "Life is like an organic answering machine." I mean! I think we need a Part II with Eric so I can talk more about how he's cultivated this profoundly trusting, attentive listening. The level of coincidence he experienced and shared in his memoir were extraordinary.
I'd be game for that... it would compel me to recommit to some of the practices I've let lapse lately that cultivate it. :0
Kimberly and Eric, your discussion cracked me open to so many rays of hope. Thank you for sharing (what I call) so many *shimmering moments*. Kimberly, you and your work constantly amaze me. THANK YOU.
I'm so happy to hear this Christine. I'm glad you honed in on the word HOPE. That's exactly the feeing I was left with after we finished our conversation. Hope and possibility. I've spent so much time trying to unwind from the New Age dogma and "self-actualization" movement I grew up with that sometimes I negate all the goodness from that movement as well. The dreaming, the invention, the possibility.
cant think of an hour lately passed under such a much appreciated spell of hypnotically attractive intellects (not to mention exteriors☺️ ) and to gratifying effect...Eric's writing i have no doubt is as compelling as his musical talent (which i had heard on this platform, co-incidence? probably not but substack is nothing if not serendipitous) and informed by the same resolute spirit which "allowed" him to meet physical challenges and the changes they demanded...
as for the interviewer one can only agree with his assesment of her "unbelievable" gift of intuitively
if modestly guiding reading the emotional compass of her colloborators for true north
Awwww, such penetrating seeing and kindness Appleton. Thank you for being with us here. If only you could see my inner compass! The needle is haphazard and spinning everywhere BUT true north!
why do i find that not hard to believe given the extreme demands on your active little brain and oversize heart 🤣
Oh, what a wonderful gift this interview was to hear this morning! Thank you, Kimberly and Eric 💜 As I've mentioned, it was through a Google search on disequilibrium that I found your writing on Substack and then Eric through comments on Unfixed. Both of you have given me courage, inspiration, and hope through my challenges. I "knew" Coincidence Speaks was nonfiction! The energy of the writing shows that. Interesting that money is an exchange of energy and you were in banking which kind of hoards (banks) money, yet you felt good handing out money during Covid.
I don't remember reading about the moment of intense gratitude in your book, BUT a feeling of intense gratitude is the moment my life turned upside down. I had just gotten off a drama-filled phone call in Feb. 2016. I looked out my window towards the cove and gratitude like I didn't know was possible flooded over me. Not that my life was great but I felt so proud of myself. I felt physically and emotionally good, I'd quit drinking alcohol and coffee, gluten, etc. I felt like I was finally in a good spot. The trauma of 2012 was behind me. I stood up and experienced full-blown vertigo. The full spinning stopped after several weeks but that was the start of falling apart. That moment of gratitude has always remained a question for me, this interview helped. Where Eric started to listen and hear, I closed myself off from it. I'd catch glimpses but I let fear grab ahold of me. I'll be writing a post about this but when my soulmate German Shepherd passed the end of this October, for 10 days I felt like myself again. Brain fog and other symptoms were gone and I started receiving channeled messages. And then all the symptoms returned. But I had an opening and insights. I love that you mentioned allowing.
Wow. Thank you for sharing this Tania. And for mirroring your own experience of gratitude that then quickly turned into another chapter of learning, struggle, opening. It's almost as if something in us knows when we're "ready" for the next chapter. The bike accident that began my downward spiral also happened at a high point in my life, I had just wrapped my second film and was headed to Hollywood for a screening in a few weeks. That all changed dramatically... at first, such a hard blow. But 10 years later I can honestly say it was the best thing that ever happened to me. And if I could sum it up in one sentence, "I learned how to allow." :)
Yes! "Allowing"... that was a key part of the conversation for me too. "Allowing" more than "accepting." To me accepting has a positive context, which can be falsely forced, whereas allowing is neutral. And going through the thick of things is the last time to try and force a positive context. Similar to when you first commented on my book(!) ... why I find the term "coincidence" more resonant than "synchronicity."
Your note on banking -- hoarding money within the traditional model vs handing it out during covid... the irony is that every new fiat dollar that was put out on the street to help as part of the multi-trillion dollar covid stimulus package, was actually inflating away the value of every other dollar already in existence! So on one hand it gave immediate relief and assistance to local businesses and families, was extremely gratifying and valuable work, yet on the other it was accelerating economic disparity for the future. (Ultimately accelerating the collapse/transformation of the current unsustainable system).
Have you checked out the work of Dr Erica Matluck by chance? I find her substack "Becoming Whole" to be brilliant and very resonant.
So glad to have been found by you!
hah !! i read the headline this morning as 'every fool is wondrous and wise' and took off on that idea / started planning a rohn report with that title / then when i looked closer that wasn't the title at all / oh well i'm still going to let it simmer in my brain before i read your post about something completely different : ) yes the world does reflect our questions and problems as if they were connected somehow / i just woke up from a deeply gratifying dream after spending all night in doubt and despair / actually went back into the same dream again after waking up from it once
I can't wait to read your spin on it!
Ha! Your reading of it that way works perfectly.
Eric put a new spin on the coincidences I've experienced in my own life. Thanks for interviewing him, Kimberly!
He certainly does. If you haven't already, I highly recommend queuing up his book. It's full of them!
Good to know, thanks Linda! :)
I smiled when I saw your guest for today ~Hey Eric! (I’m waving from VT). Hmm, you don’t look familiar , but I’m fairly certain we know each other well. Like having a friend you’ve never seen before. Nice to actually see you Eric! I have been along for the ride for quite awhile now, I think your first post? I met Ivy, your cat, and I actually remember my response 🤭. Traveling through your stories with you has been my pleasure, though sometimes in fear, I ran frantically behind you down a wooded path, as you chased after wailing screams deep into the forest . For anyone who has not read ; How the Heart Tells Time (2/14) it is my favorite . And throughout Coincidence Speaks, your memoir, I have often sat in the back seat of your car while you were ‘on the road’ . And don’t get me started about the 11.11%. I won’t go into details here, though I did make Eric suffer my story of a magnificent , crazy, coincidence that only came to light as a result of reading Eric’s memoir. An astonishing revelation having to do with my own life. I just went back to find this beautiful gem from your January 24th post. I remembered this date, my father’s birthday, but I needed the exact quote;
“Just one chord, one note, has the power to resurrect an ancient memory like it’s happening for the very first time, all over again. It’s the power of resonance. The power of alchemy.”
Recently, you bravely opened the door to your own ‘studio’ . With the help from a small number of brilliant well known artists, your voice and musical talent, and a beautiful young voice, L’s. By combining and composing, rhythm, notes and lyrics, you stepped out on your own mountain top, creating an entirely new song, highlighting, giving new meaning to both lyrics as they dance together , never taking away from the original. A wonderful collaboration. And I believe the secret ingredient , well, not so secret, is born from this father/daughter bond ,and written into the music . If one listens closely, together you soar.
“My conversation with Eric was filled with warmth, insight , and the kind of passion that arises from someone who has learned to deeply trust the mystery of life.” I read this quote, Kimberly, and thought to myself, yes of course he is. A very appropriate choice of words, “warmth, insight, and passion”, I would add ; kind ,compassionate, humble and self- inspiring. You do not know me well, but like Kimberly, you know I read between the lines. I have enjoyed this conversation , and could add another page of thought and comments .
Like you Eric, while I have never deliberately looked within for answers, I would say, I just know, but I can’t tell you why. From one finder of lost things to another, I wish you a life of wonder and continuous self discoveries, those you have foreseen and those that are still unknown to you. And as long as you are on Substack, I’m excited to watch (read and listen) to it all play out. Perfectly stated Eric , this is where Kimberly truly shines;
“…you have an unbelievable gift in seeing people and seeing in people what they don't see. So you're the one that's lighting up the unseen bridges. And you're doing that with this very conversation.”
Oh, can’t tell you why, but this song popped into my head, Dan Fogelberg; Leader of the Band.
Dearest human, your heart knows know bounds. I'm always so moved by your comments, they need to be compiled into a book of their own. A primer on how to be attentive. How to be kind. How to love one another. You, are a master.
Leader of the Band is one of my all-time favorite songs. It makes me think of Charlie every time I hear it.
But Lor, this coincidence of yours—oh please make us all "suffer your story of a magnificent, crazy, coincidence!"
Thank you , K, such a compliment from you. Truly , my words come from bouncing off the words of others. I was going to go back and add an addendum to my comment. Eric is correct, sometimes we revisit what we wrote, and in my case, I would like to add; I am not trying to make myself out to be queen of nice. For many years, especially in my youth, ‘wearing the badge of kind and nice’ translated into being taken advantage of (no, thankfully, not physically) I also should have mentioned, I did not wear it well until I learned to speak up for myself. I do have quite a repertoire of swear words. Do I say them with kindness, umm, not necessarily.
Leader of the Band, whenever I hear it , I need to turn up the volume and quietly listen, like needing to ‘be’ with the song . Who knows, could be why it came to mind so suddenly while I was writing. I thought, for Eric, but not it seems it is for you, or both.
Maybe I’ll tell you my coincidence story…
P.S. I love that being called human feels like a compliment.
Swearing is so fun. I’m right with you in the nice = taken advantage of camp. Hurrah for aging’s wisdom!
-- Lor --
Your attention to detail is second to none. And I know it's partly a reflection of your engagement in my words and work and voice and I appreciate that more than is expressible.
In all truth, my one dream for Coincidence Speaks (beyond and well before the standard "people will find my book lifechanging and I will become a best-selling author" one) was that it would instill the irrefutable truth of magic in the life of any reader open to it. And you are the living legacy of that dream coming true.
FWIW, I was never the one driving 😆
As I mentioned previously, I could continue on with this inspiring conversation, but, I will leave you with ; best wishes on this New Years Eve day, and may all of your hopes and dreams come true in 2025. P.S. , I found my grandmother’s diamond ring , which unbeknownst to her, happened to fall out a three story building and came to rest in a pile of mulch under a bush. I just knew it would be there.
Wait, curious, I have to ask, did you know the lyrics to Leader of the Band ?
“I am a living legacy to the leader of the band.”
A fellow Ringfinder! I knew it!
I was listening to Leader of the Band while writing you