Margaret sits down with Michael Todd Fink - licensed psychotherapist, mindfulness meditation teacher, host of the Kind Mind podcast, and co-founder of the folk rock group The Giving Tree Band - to discuss his beautiful new book of reflections and poetry, Losslessness: Reflections on Impermanence, Glimpses of Forever.

Todd shares the wisdom at the heart of his writing: that impermanence doesn't negate meaning - it undergirds it. Through the metaphor of waves rising and falling on the ocean, he explores how what falls away clarifies what abides, and how loss can orient us back to our true nature. Margaret and Todd also dive into his poem "Life is a Movie," examining how the challenges and "plot twists" of our lives might be embraced as part of a meaningful story rather than resisted as obstacles.

The conversation moves into Todd's clinical practice, where he discusses how creativity, ritual, and rites of passage help people navigate grief and transition. He shares the deeply personal story of how woodworking helped him heal after a painful loss, and how making small decisions through art can restore confidence and direction when we feel stuck. Drawing on his work with indigenous communities in New Mexico, Todd reflects on cultural humility and the many different ways of knowing beyond Western clinical research.

Margaret and Todd also explore the tension between attachment and fear, how our culture's compartmentalization of art, science, and spirituality limits us - and how integrating all three streams can open the door to transformation. Todd generously reads from his poem "The Root of Fear," offering an intimate look at his own lifelong relationship with anxiety and the practice of letting go.

Whether you're grieving a loss, facing a major life transition, or simply curious about how Buddhist wisdom intersects with modern psychology, this episode offers compassionate insight and practical wisdom for finding your center in a rapidly changing world.

Find his book: "Losslessness: Reflections on Impermanence, Glimpses of Forever" (available on Amazon, michaeltoddfink.com, and Luna and Luz in Albuquerque)

Find Michael:

· Website: michaeltoddfink.com

· Podcast: The Kind Mind Podcast (available on podcast platforms and YouTube)

· Psychology Today Blog Series: "The Circle of Compassion"

And do not forget:

· Artist: Mary Drury (Dryad Expressions) created the cover art and offers prints