163 How Much Life Are You Willing to Let In?

There are times when life looks fine on the outside - work is flowing, relationships are steady - yet something inside feels muted. A quiet flatness. That subtle hum of “blah.” In this solo episode, Barb explores how that feeling can often be a sign that we’ve drifted into our minds, narrating, managing, and interpreting life instead of living it directly. Drawing on a James Joyce quote, “Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from his body,” she reflects on how our mental protectors, once useful, can begin to constrict the very aliveness we long for. Through story and reflection, Barb invites you to notice where you might be living one step removed and to rediscover what happens when you let life in, not as something to fix or improve, but as an opening to more connection, richness, and felt presence. “Maybe the question isn’t how do I live more fully, but how much life am I willing to let in - even when it stirs me?” Thank you for listening to the Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast. For more resources like this, visit Barb's website at Barbarapatterson.com . SHOW NOTES [00:00] - Letting Life In: An Introduction [01:41] - The Distance from Our Bodies [04:23] - The Protection of Observation [06:02] - The Impact of Internal Guards [09:21] - The Call to Aliveness [12:34] - Exploring Direct Experience SHOW LINKS

You can listen to 163 How Much Life Are You Willing to Let In? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

163 How Much Life Are You Willing to Let In? is an episode from Real Business Real Lives by Barbara Patterson.

This episode is 16:27 long.

This episode was published on Nov 6, 2025.

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