I recorded this one as the light was fading, choosing to leave the lamps off and let the shadows of the plants play across the wall. Perhaps that set the tone for where we went.

I’ve been writing a new Field Note, sparked by listening back to an episode I recorded in 2021 about our non-negotiables. I was struck by how many threads were already there five years ago, and by how they’ve matured and softened since. In this episode I wonder about what happens when certainty becomes a cage, why I think non-negotiables can be both an anchor and a limit, and how a week of so much happening in the wider world led me somewhere I hadn’t expected: to hope.

I close with a poem from My Darling Girl.

This is the last episode of season 21. Thank you, as always, for being here. The new season begins in a few weeks.

• Field Note: how our non-negotiables shift
• Circle - I’ve shared an invitation to reflect on how your own non-negotiables have changed. You’d be so welcome to join us. Enter through the mailing list
• IMMERSE - my year-long small-group programme begins on 20/11/2026. If you’ve been circling it, there’s still time, and still time to have a chat with me to see if it's right for you.
• A gift with your books - order any of my books before the end of November and I’d love to send you one of the blank page journals from Inner Work Project, while stocks last. There’s also a book bundle. Details and Ts & Cs here.