Two Inconvenient Women

In this season's conversations, Holly & Rachel each bring something that has caught their attention during the week, and spend time exploring what these provocations inspire and ignite.

This week's conversation was a beautiful exploration of the soul. Each of us brought very different provocations and explorations, but each in their way were portals to explore what happens when we stay open to life's wonders, and allow ourselves to bring our souls to life. From talking about 'warm spaces' where we can feel safe enough to 'feel' with someone, to exploring the beautiful poem 'Things I believe' by young Afghan poet, this conversation was a rich exploration of what it means to be human, and why keeping our humanity alive in these times feels more important than ever.

What I Truly Believe
I believe some books are so clever
that they read you back. That teapots
have feelings and spoons remember
what they stir. I believe the moon
tucks in lonely children when no one
else remembers. That the stars
know all our secrets but won’t tell.
That silence can shout louder than thunder
And dreams have wings but only fly
when you whisper them secrets.
That some people shine even when
the lights are off. That being small
doesn't mean you’re powerless, just
still growing. I believe I am writing poems
in invisible ink, and one day, someone
will read every word out loud.

Some of the references mentioned in this podcast include:

Reading Matilda in Afghanistan - The story of young poet Neda (website)
Extract from The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - Charlie McKay (image)
Quote from poet Robert Bly (website)
The lifelong impact of going to boarding school - Guardian (news article)
Shakespeare behind bars - organisation (website)
Cate Blanchett talking about doubt, silence and language (video)

If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support us to continue, come and join The Inconvenient Club for just £5 per month and be part of the movement towards a healthier way of living for people and planet: www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this season's conversations, Holly & Rachel each bring something that has caught their attention during the week, and spend time exploring what these provocations inspire and ignite.

This week's conversation ended up being quite deep, despite two foggy brains. Holly brought 'Samhain' to the table, the pagan ritual celebrated on the 31st October / 1st November, which has evolved into All Hallows Eve and Halloween in some of our cultures. Whilst the latter has been co-opted by a commercial lens, there remains something deeply wondrous in the celebrations of Halloween, with folks being out at night, under full moons, conjuring spirits. So our conversation wandered into the depths of meaning of such rituals, and the different ways we honour or avoid death, spirit and the passing of souls. This led us on to discuss the recently announced "Be Ready" campaign from the UK government to prepare citizens for disaster, and offer ways of staying resilient. Whilst helpful, the means of it being delivered was nothing short of absurd, and so it was interesting to talk about some of the cultural disconnects when discussing "big, tricky issues" and how to move past these into more authentic conversations. As ever, we were grateful for the space to explore in conversation.

Some of the references mentioned in this podcast include:

Be Ready Campaign - UK Government (website)
Everything is Waiting for You - David Whyte (poem)
Dios de los Muertos - cultural celebration (website)
Everything's an illusion, isn't it? - Notes on a Shopping List - Megan Winter (short story)

If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support us to continue, come and join The Inconvenient Club for just £5 per month and be part of the movement towards a healthier way of living for people and planet: www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this season's conversations, Holly & Rachel each bring something that has caught their attention during the week, and spend time exploring what these provocations inspire and ignite.

After breaking news about the UK government UK’s approval of the Jackdaw gas-field, Holly brought the hard news of this decision to the table with a wider-perspective beyond the shoulds and should nots of more fossil-fuel extraction; so supportive in shifting us towards the story of "the great turning" (as Joanna Macy coined it), and away from the limits of 'business as usual'. In our companion conversation, we talked about the menopause; following Rachel attending a cinematic event on 'Menopause Awareness Day' and wishing to explore one of the provocations raised in the film: Is the menopause inconvenient to capitalism? This week our conversation moved from two seemingly disparate topics into a convergence on energy, power and tending to the social fabric.

Some of the references mentioned in this podcast include:

What does the UK's approval of the Jackdaw gasfield mean? The Guardian (article)
My Cinema Clinic; Menopause (website & film)
Baba Yaga - a myth (PDF story)
The Miracle Inn - Membership group (website)
National Emergency Briefing (website, film & campaign)

If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support us to continue, come and join The Inconvenient Club for just £5 per month and be part of the movement towards a healthier way of living for people and planet: www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this season's conversations, Holly and Rachel each bring something that has caught their attention during the week, and spend time exploring some of the learning, unlearning, wisdom and practices that these provocations inspire.

This week, Holly started us off with a poem: Small Inconveniences by Elise M. Powers which touches on the perils and potential of convenience in our lives and invites us to step more into appreciating the process. This provocation inspired an interesting discussion about food, time, the washing up and our endless pursuit of happiness and meaning. Following this - and threading quite wonderfully - we reflected together on a provocation brought by Rachel asking if conformity was the opposite of courage. From being authentic to the challenges of culture and belonging, conversations were rich and went in all sorts of unexpected and delicious directions.

Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast include:

Small Inconveniences - Elise M. Powers (poem)
The Story of Stuff - Annie Leonard (short video)
The Care Calculator - a ThoughtBox resource (PDF)
Slow Food University - venue and movement (website)
For a Student Who Used AI to Submit a Paper - Joseph Fasano (poem)
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas - Ursula K. Le Guin (short story/ PDF)
Perhaps the World Ends Here - Joy Harjo (poem)
The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Haidt (book)
Triple WellBeing in Practice - ThoughtBox (online course)

If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support us to continue, come and join The Inconvenient Club for just £5 per month and be part of the movement towards a healthier way of living for people and planet: www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this season's conversations, Holly and Rachel each bring something that has caught their attention during the week, and spend time exploring some of the learning, unlearning, wisdom and practices that these provocations inspire.

This week, Rachel brought her interest resonance and what is happening when there is resonance - or dissonance - in the air between us. This was sparked by some of the reflections from a group of strangers after a weekend of singing together. This discussion linked quite pertinently to Holly's inquiry, provoked by recent protests in different parts of the world. She has been reflecting on the role that anger plays in protest, and whether it is an emotion that supports us to move more into a state of health. As ever, conversations were rich and went in all sorts of unexpected directions.

Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast include:

Finding your voice - Schumacher College (singing workshop)
Triple WellBeing in Practice - ThoughtBox (online course)
Karpman Drama Triangle (website)
Jon Alexander - Citizens (website)
Inner Resonance - singing workshops and resources (website)

If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support us to continue, come and join The Inconvenient Club for just £5 per month and be part of the movement towards a healthier way of living for people and planet: www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.