Playing the Second Half

About Playing the Second Half

Conversations and stories about life, purpose, transitions, and living the second half well. playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Heraldo Sales Cavalcante

Category

society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 May 2026

Latest episode

10 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

18 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Oct 2026

   The Diary

   A travel diary my mother wrote in 1989 changed the way I remember one of the biggest journeys of our lives - and, many years later, changed the way I saw my parents.It starts with something else: small regrets. Those seemingly insignificant moments that somehow stay with us for decades.When I was 27, my parents came from Brazil to visit Annika and me in Sweden. What began as a visit became a journey across Europe - Stockholm, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Lourdes, Madrid, Lisbon, Nazaré, Fátima, Rome and even Åland.At the time, part of me worried about the money, the timing and the inconvenience.Thirty years later, when my mother was very ill, one of my sisters showed me the diary she had kept from that trip.Through her words, I saw it all again.The places. The trains. The food. Pope John Paul II. Gorbachev. My parents crying at the prison traditionally associated with Saint Peter and Saint Paul. And what my mother called The Miracle of Lourdes - a story I had almost forgotten.But perhaps the biggest discovery was much simpler.Looking at an old photograph, I realised that my parents were then about the age I am today.They had always simply been my parents.The diary helped me see them as two people living their own lives.And today I keep it beside my bed.Maybe because when I open it, my parents feel a little less far away.Playing the Second Half is about life, ageing, reinvention, relationships, memory and everything that can still happen in the second half of our lives.Image creditsHummingbird photo: Dulcey Lima / UnsplashWooden boards photo: cottonbro studio / PexelsMemory scenes marked “Reconstruction from Memory” were created as visual reconstructions.Music licensed through Soundstripe.After the fallCode: BUS9NMRTY05XSFEIWondermentCode: 4DA0KV7LZS8CSMYZ We like it hereCode: EC5WOLEGXPNTGMXA Mon AmourCode: T6N7LGSKIKYCQNJW This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   3 Oct 2026

   Erik Granström - All is All | Connections, Coincidences and the Patterns of a Life

   What if the child you once were never really disappeared?Erik Granström has spent much of his life creating worlds - as a writer, game designer and storyteller. But his own life has also taken some remarkable and unexpected turns.In this conversation, we explore the theme: All is All - Connections, Coincidences and the Patterns of a Life.We talk about Erik's childhood imagination and the little book he began writing at six years old called All is All, his journey from veterinary medicine to MySQL, fantasy writing and role-playing games, music, illness, relationships, creativity and the strange coincidences that can change the direction of a life.But perhaps the strongest thread running through the conversation is curiosity.Erik talks about still feeling connected to the six-year-old he once was - the child who notices small things, becomes fascinated by the world and keeps asking questions.We also talk about time, ageing, taking leaps of faith, finding meaning in unexpected places and why inspiring another person may ultimately be one of the greatest rewards of creating anything.As Erik says, perhaps we don't simply discover the patterns in our lives. Perhaps we also create them as we try to connect the dots and make sense of the world.This is a conversation about writing, creativity, coincidence, time and curiosity.And very much about Playing the Second Half.Viva a Vida in a nutshell!If something in Erik's story makes you think differently about your own life, I would love to hear it in the comments.Subscribe to Playing the Second Half for more conversations and stories about people continuing to learn, create, change and live fully.Music licensed through Soundstripe.Endless MotionCode: ISR7PSBKUTG4YVDP This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   26 Sept 2026

   The Taxi

   In Brazil we have a saying: Recordar é viver - to remember is to live.For years, one scene repeated itself in our family: waiting for the taxi that would take my son John David to school.There were routines, music, patience, wonderful drivers, stress, laughter, difficult mornings, small victories - and always the clock.At the time, I often saw those mornings as something I had to get through before the rest of my day could begin. I needed to get John David into the taxi so I could run to work, to the meeting, to everything that seemed so important.Looking back now, I see those mornings differently.The drivers who learned his rituals.The people who helped.The waiting.The noise.The laughter.The love.Those moments were not interruptions to life.They were life.Part of Playing the Second Half - looking back, not to live in the past, but to understand more clearly the life we were already living.Viva a vida!Music licensed through Soundstripe.Bright Morning SunCode: KYX6NIR7NJ7LRCDG This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

4. 

   19 Sept 2026

   The Nine Meet

   Nine conversations. One summer. And then we met.Over the summer, I had nine conversations with nine very different people. At the end of it, we came together to reflect on what had happened - and on what we had heard in each other’s stories.We talked about loneliness, connection and community. Recovery and healing. What we choose to share — and what we keep private. Authenticity in an age of AI. Time, hope, curiosity and the generosity of telling our stories.For me, those conversations became something more than individual interviews. They became connections between people who, in many cases, had never met.And now, finally, we have.The full individual conversations - and the 18-minute Summer 2026 film with Nala and the grain fields - are all below. You can also find the complete series on the Playing the Second Half YouTube channel.What Lives Between Us - with Pontus Holmgren: Constant Remenbering - with Marie-Louise Larsson From Banking to Self-Awareness - with Tina Tornell Reinventing Myself - with Leonardo Fuks Finding Joy and Peace After Trauma - with Aminah Ådin Where the Lantern Hangs - with Steve Newman Ancora Imparo - with Henning von Beetzen The Adventure of the Spirit - with Ida Helena Rust Crisis. Healing. Leadership - with Andreas Granström Summer 2026 (18 minutes video mentioned) Viva a vida!Music licensed through Soundstripe.Endless MotionCode: UKVAJTSKOHNEOO81 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

5. 

   12 Sept 2026

   What Is Playing the Second Half?

   Playing the Second Half is about lived stories, not recipes for how to live.Through personal reflections, conversations and films, I explore the many second halves we experience in life - the ones we choose and the ones life chooses for us.A place for curiosity, connection, time, change and people trying, in their own way, to live a good life.Viva a vida!Music licensed through Soundstripe.Endless MotionCode: XZJ69AQVUOZYBUR5 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

6. 

   5 Sept 2026

   The Forest

   For ten years, the little forest behind our house was simply there.We threw garden waste over the hawthorn. An old and rather sinister bird trap stood hidden among the trees. Parts of it were overgrown and forgotten.We bought it after a long process.Then we started clearing it.What began as weeks of cleaning, cutting and carrying slowly became something completely different - a place I began to know, care for and spend time in.Along the way there were chainsaws, ravens, a little Nordic mythology, Rachmaninoff - and eventually three hammocks among the trees.This is a story about a small forest. But perhaps also about what happens when we begin to pay attention to something that has been beside us all along.Playing the Second Half.Viva a vida!Music licensed through Soundstripe.Beethoven’s 5th GradeCode: RA0HH0FJZUQXVS4A, Lucky DuckCode: CYIIJQVAHTVFEIWRSergei Rachmaninoff — Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18II. Adagio sostenutoRecording: MusopenSource: Wikimedia CommonsRecording released into the public domain by Musopen.#PlayingTheSecondHalf #TheForest #Nature #LifeAfter60 #SecondHalfOfLife #Sweden #VivaAVida This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

7. 

   29 Aug 2026

   The Photobooth – and the Look in Those Eyes

   There are moments when you can see happiness in someone’s eyes. Moments when you can see sadness. And there are moments when you simply don’t know. This is a story about my daughter Maria, a memory from when she was little, and a day we recently spent together in Malmö. A train journey. A beautiful city. A restaurant she had long wanted to visit. An unexpected first job interview in her new career. And, at the end of the day, a photobooth. A small story about parenthood, what we sometimes fail to see in the people we love, and those wonderful moments when happiness becomes impossible to miss. Playing the Second Half. Viva a vida! PlaytimeMusic licensed through Soundstripe.Code: 4C8QJHXMITQ2HNI7 Lucky DuckMusic licensed through Soundstripe Code: GKNSFUXZM6SFH7OMSunrise Music Licensed through SoundstripeCode: CL2C3VG5DLFNV8HR RadiantMusic Licensed through SoundstripeCode: PXWTOBJWE6Z94K3G This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

8. 

   22 Aug 2026

   Summer 2026

   Nine Saturdays. Nine stories. One unforgettable summer.I never imagined that Playing the Second Half - Summer 2026 would become something that, in many ways, changed me as a person.Nine very different lives.Stories of crisis, healing, reinvention, adventure, contentment, curiosity, community - and what it means to keep playing the many second halves of life.In this film, I look back at one moment from each conversation that meant something special to me.Some made me laugh. Some made me think. And some moved me deeply.I laughed a lot this summer. And yes, sometimes I cried after these conversations. But never out of sadness. Out of admiration.And perhaps one of the most beautiful things happened afterwards.Henning shared his conversation with his daughter, who was deeply moved by it. Marie-Louise shared hers with her mother, opening new conversations between them.That was when I began to understand that perhaps these conversations had become something more than I imagined when I started.Thank you, Pontus, Marie-Louise, Tina, Leonardo, Aminah, Steve, Henning, Ida and Andreas, for trusting me with your stories.Thank you for making this summer so special.And for changing my life.Viva a Vida! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

9. 

   15 Aug 2026

   Playing the Second Half - Conversation #12: Crisis. Healing. Leadership - with Andreas Granström

   And here we are. Our Episode 9 with Andreas Granström and indeed a Grand Finale! Crisis. Healing. Leadership - was the theme chosen by Andreas. Crisis – Diagnosed with Bipolar Type I, Andreas had to fight through periods of depression and mania. It was so courageous and moving to hear him so openly describe his struggles. Healing – Father of four, a loving father and an impressing work life and career. What defines Andreas is not his diagnosis but the belief that we should never be prisoners of our existing thought behaviour. Learn more about that and his path to healing. And finally, Leadership. Honestly, having worked with Executive Development myself, I thought I had seen all different sorts of perspectives about leadership. But what Andreas means and believes leadership is all about is the most powerful perspective I have ever witnessed. Enjoy this conversation. Afterwards it took me a while, and I must admit I cried quite a bit of admiration. This is the end of the Summer series…well, no way. Hope you, like Churchill, also think that: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Viva a vida! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

10. 

    8 Aug 2026

    Playing the Second Half - Conversation #11: The Adventure of the Spirit

    Wow! Our Episode 8 takes us to the Azores for a fascinating conversation with Ida and The Adventure of the Spirit. A conversation about what it means to keep becoming. So many second halves in one remarkable life. Dutch team chess champion at the age of 12. Theatre, photography and filmmaking. Philosophy and high-tech. A break in Mongolia to ride horses across the open steppe. And eventually, the Azores. From there, Ida is now exploring one of the biggest questions of our time through her PhD: Human Critical Thinking and Creativity and the Rise of the Artificial Superintelligence God. What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? And how do we continue to think critically, creatively and deeply in a world increasingly shaped by intelligent machines? What struck me most, however, was not Ida’s impressive journey or her remarkable intellect. It was her curiosity, her openness to life, and her willingness to keep choosing adventure over certainty. I have rarely met someone so intellectually curious and so passionate about life. I have a feeling you too will fall in love with Ida during this conversation. Enjoy Episode 8 of the Summer Series. Nine Saturdays. Nine Stories. Nine Wonderful People. Viva a vida! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

11. 

    1 Aug 2026

    Playing the Second Half - Conversation #10: Ancora Imparo with Henning von Beetzen

    I met Henning only once, face to face. He arrived at my summer house in his beautiful Aston Martin, together with Sana, a friend of my wife Annika. We had dinner, they stayed overnight, and during that short time, I simply felt that I wanted Henning to be part of the Summer Series. And I was so right to trust that instinct. What does it mean to keep learning throughout an entire life? Henning chose the words Ancora imparo - “I am still learning” - as the theme of our conversation. He spent 40 years with DHL, joining when the company was still largely unknown in Sweden and growing with it into the global organization it is today. But this conversation is not mainly about his career. It is about what comes next. After losing several people close to him far too early, Henning decided to leave work while he still had the time and health to explore life in a different way. Today, he is learning Italian, playing the saxophone with his daughter, restoring an old wooden sailing boat, caring for the island that has been part of his life since childhood - and, yes, enjoying his beautiful Aston Martin. But perhaps the most important thing he is learning is something much simpler: how to be content. How to appreciate what is already here. And how to give something back. This is a warm conversation about curiosity, friendship, family, retirement, and the preciousness of time. Enjoy my conversation with Henning von Beetzen. Viva a vida! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

12. 

    25 Jul 2026

    Playing the Second Half - Conversation #9: Where the Lantern Hangs with Steve Newman

    I first met Steve Newman in New York when I was taking over his role at Ericsson. We spent a year working closely together, and I learned an enormous amount from him - not only about leadership, but about life. Steve has lived on several continents, hitchhiked across America, served in the Peace Corps in Uganda, taught, travelled, and collected extraordinary stories. But after reading his beautiful memoir, Where the Lantern Hangs, I realized that the real thread running through his life is not only adventure. It is curiosity... and laughter. Steve has this remarkable ability to find humor almost everywhere. Even life’s hardest moments become stories that make you smile and, somehow, also make you think. This conversation is about finding home, about leaving and returning, about love, and about living with an open mind. You will hear about memorable encounters - with Marilyn Monroe, Idi Amin, and an America I never knew existed. But above all, you will discover how Steve’s curiosity opened doors. Whether sharing a long beer straw in Uganda or meeting people from completely different walks of life, he shows how approaching every encounter with curiosity and an open mind can transform the way we experience the world. Before someone turns Where the Lantern Hangs into a movie - which I sincerely hope happens one day - don’t miss reading Steve’s wonderful memoir. And until then, don’t miss this conversation either. You will love Episode 6. Even if you know Steve, I think you’ll be surprised by the sheer number of adventures he has experienced. You’ll laugh as much as we did - and be reminded of what an extraordinary gift a well-lived life can be. Summer 2026 is going by far too quickly! Viva a vida! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

13. 

    18 Jul 2026

    Playing the Second Half - Conversation #8: Finding peace and joy after trauma with Aminah Ådin

    We often say about a great book, “I started reading it and simply couldn’t put it down.” With Aminah’s book, Flickan som blev kvar – Att finna lugn och lycka efter trauma - or, translated into English, The Girl Left Behind – Finding Peace and Joy After Trauma - I had almost the opposite experience. I had to stop reading several times. Not because I wanted to stop reading. Quite the opposite. It is now among the best books I have ever read. I stopped because I needed to catch my breath. I needed to stop crying. There are books that teach us something. And then there are books that change the way we look at life. For me, this was one of those books. When Aminah was only ten years old, her father killed her mother. She was separated from her family, had a father in prison and was placed in a foster home, where she was later sexually abused by someone close to that family. Most people would understand if that became the defining story of her life. But it didn’t. What defines Aminah today is not what happened to her, but what she has done with her life since. She healed. She found peace. She found joy. And today she dedicates her life to helping others find their own strength, as well as being a voice for children who experience trauma. Her book, and her life story, are ultimately stories of resilience. They are about the triumph of life. As Helen Keller - who, despite being both deaf and blind, became one of the most inspiring human beings of the twentieth century - once said: “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” I have never met anyone who embodies those words more than Aminah. After getting to know her, I found myself thinking differently about the title of her book. While the English translation is The Girl Left Behind, I almost think of it as The Girl Who Remained. Because despite everything that happened, she somehow preserved something essential from the little girl she was before that terrible night. Not untouched by life, but still guided by the same kindness, curiosity, and capacity to love. To me, that is the real miracle of her story. I hope this conversation stays with you long after you’ve listened. And if, afterwards, you feel inspired to read Aminah’s remarkable book, I think we will have accomplished something truly worthwhile. Viva a vida! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

14. 

    11 Jul 2026

    Playing the Second Half - Conversation #7: Reinventing myself with Leonardo Fuks

    A well-known neuroscientist from Karolinska in Stockholm - one of the world’s leading medical institutions - and a fun fact it is also home to the commitee that selects the Nobel Prize in Medicine - well this neurocientist said it was impossible to both play musical instruments and ride a bicycle at the same time and at different rhythms. He presumed that the pedaling cadence might be coupled to the musical tempo, as it happens with the legs motion in marching bands. Leonardo proved him wrong. Not only did he perform while cycling, he created an entire Cyclophonica – Bicycle Chamber Orchestra.Having invented more than 200 musical instruments, Leonardo is a musician, engineer, inventor... and the list goes on.Yet beyond all his talents, Leonardo is one of the kindest, funniest, most curious people - and one of the best listeners - I have ever met.I admire him deeply. So when I decided to create this Summer Series, he was one of the first people I reached out to. I wanted to reconnect with an old friend and learn more about the many chapters of his remarkable life.What followed was a wonderful conversation - interrupted for a few minutes by a monkey! And not a small one. Just one of many unexpected moments in this fascinating interview.Thank you, Leonardo, for sharing your life story so openly, including the Kafkaesque legal process you are currently facing. We are all cheering for justice to prevail and for this story to reach the happy and fair ending it deserves.Enjoy Episode 4 of the Summer Series. “Reinventing Myself” is a story of second halves, new paths, creativity, courage, and the joy of continually becoming.It was fantastic reconnecting with you Leonardo!Viva a vida! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

15. 

    4 Jul 2026

    Playing the Second Half – Conversation #6: From banking to self-awareness with Tina Tornell

    I was a little nervous before this conversation with Tina. We had never met before.I didn’t need to be.From the very first minutes, it felt like we had known each other for a long time. We had so much fun.Tina Tornell’s big life transition did not come after a dramatic event, but through the slow realization that, after twenty years in banking, she wanted something more meaningful. She left it all behind to devote her life to helping others understand themselves better.From Banking to Self-Awareness is the theme Tina chose for her life story.If you’re Swedish, you probably know Alfons Åberg. Tina’s childhood was a little like Alfons’. After her parents separated, she was raised by her father - something quite unusual at the time. As you’ll discover, that close relationship would later bring both love and conflict, making Tina’s life story so unique and deeply human.You’ll love Tina’s positive energy and passion for life.And if you’re watching the video podcast, you’ll also love her beautiful smile.Together, we explore the Enneagram - a fascinating framework describing nine personality patterns that can help us better understand ourselves and the people around us. Interestingly, ennea means nine.Maybe there is something special about that number.Enjoy Episode 3 of our summer series.9 Saturdays. 9 Stories. 9 Wonderful People.And yes... the more I meet these nine wonderful people and reflect on their journeys, the more I find myself thinking:Viva the summer of 2026! Viva la vida! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

16. 

    27 Jun 2026

    Playing the Second Half – Conversation #5: Constant remembering with Marie-Louise Larsson

    To start with: what a generous person. In the very first days of her vacation in Spain, Marie-Louise found time for this conversation.As you will learn during our conversation, no child should have to go through what Marie-Louise experienced. Her willingness to share her story is therefore a profound act of generosity and service to others who may have lived through similar experiences.Later in life, Marie-Louise faced yet another lifequake: a serious bicycle accident that became a doorway into spirituality and inner exploration.I loved listening to and learning about her rich and fascinating life, which includes theatre and co-founding the famous Ängsbacka in Sweden.And then there is constant remembering. I have thought a lot about that phrase. I now understand it as perhaps one of the most precious quests we have in life: remembering who we truly are and reconnecting with the strength of our inner core.The rest of Marie-Louise’s story unfolds in our conversation. To discover more of her second halves, watch the full episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

17. 

    20 Jun 2026

    Playing the Second Half – Conversation #4: What Lives Between Us with Pontus Holmgren

    Pontus has lived many lives. From a near-death experience as a young man to working as a fisherman in the Faroe Islands, his journey has been full of transitions, discoveries and new beginnings. If there is one theme that captures Pontus’ life, it is this: What lives between us. It is a theme that has shaped much of Pontus’ life and work, and his lifelong quest for the magic and wisdom that lives between us. Just days after we recorded this interview, Pontus was awarded the Penguin Prize – Organizational Psychologist of the Year 2026. And I can understand why. He literally lights up when he speaks about people, relationships, and what we can achieve together. And now for the fun part. We may actually have the legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman to thank for Pontus becoming a psychologist in the first place. To find out why, and much more, enjoy the conversation. Wherever you prefer to listen, you’ll also find Playing the Second Half on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

18. 

    15 May 2026

    Playing the Second Half

    I mainly knew Jonas Selen from work. Like many others, I experienced him as someone with great presence, calmness, and self-confidence - a person people naturally listen to when he speaks. Once, many years ago, he described me as a bit “ängslig” as a person. In English, maybe something close to anxious or worried. And perhaps he was right. That is one reason why I was so curious about this conversation. I had always looked at Jonas almost as the opposite of me: calm in the storm, grounded, self-confident. But where did that come from? Had he always been like that? As a child, Jonas struggled with both dyslexia and dyscalculia. Dyslexia is much better understood today, but dyscalculia still remains surprisingly unknown - even among many math teachers. It affects the ability to understand numbers and mathematical concepts, and it has nothing to do with intelligence. Yet many children go through school feeling stupid, broken, or lazy, simply because no one around them has the tools to recognize what is actually going on. At this very moment, many children are fighting this battle - and even being bullied, sometimes by teachers who simply don’t know better. We need to raise awareness of dyscalculia. What struck me most in this conversation is how Jonas gradually transformed those difficulties into strengths that later came to define him. And that is only the beginning of his story. We both left Ericsson in 2023. Some time ago, when we met for coffee, I asked him if he missed work. His answer surprised me: “Heraldo, I don’t miss work at all. I worked hard my whole life. If I had to work today just to fill my time, I think I would like to be a dishwasher. Just having water on my hands and not needing to think.” I did not expect that answer from someone I had always seen as so strong and composed. So during the conversation I asked him why. What he said next was not what I had imagined. Because even when you appear strong, calm, and self-confident, it does not necessarily come naturally. Sometimes it is something you build consciously, every single day. I think you will love this conversation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playingthesecondhalf.substack.com (https://playingthesecondhalf.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

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