Two Inconvenient Women

Why is criticism often so hard to take? What is it inside us that shrinks when someone points out something we've missed, we lack or we've done 'wrong'? Who sets the parameters for 'right and wrong' and what does it actually mean to 'critique' someone?

In this week's episode we explore the qualities of criticism and why - all too often - it can elicit feelings of shame and worthlessness in the recipient. We explore some of the nuances of shame; explore the different qualities of 'lack' that are sometimes apparent in the giver and receiver of criticism and discuss at length the value and strength of criticism that allows both parties to grow together - something that is perhaps hard to do but so generative when it happens.

In the conversation we reference the following:

Listening to Shame - Brené Brown (TED talk video)
'How Not to Be Defensive in Relationships' - The School of Life (video)
The support/challenge matrix (PDF)
Peonies opening (video)
Being Nice vs Being Kind - Trevor Noah (video)

There's an inconvenient movement growing...
It's not rebellion, exactly. More of a quiet refusal to look away. We're inconvenient. And if you feel it, then maybe you are too. Join us.

Join The Inconvenient Club from £5 a month. Find out more at www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognise, accept, and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde

Across the world we're seeing polarisation, division and othering increase - exacerbated by political decisions which fuel division and a dismissal of difference. And at the same time, we're seeing a rise in diversity in communities, in the workplace, in communities, in mindsets, and a growing appreciation that the health and resilience of any community lies in its diversity.

In this week's podcast, we celebrate the wonder of diversity and difference, from cultural to psychological to ecological and everything in between. We discuss the issues surrounding the word 'tolerance' and the hierarchical othering that it connotates; explore some of the qualities of fear that keep us divided and reflect on the power, resourcing and resilient qualities that any system which is diverse brings.

In the conversation we reference the following:

The Danger of a single story - Chimamanda Adiche (TED Talk video)
The Tyranny of the should - Karen Horny (article)
Betwixt The Sheets - A History of Homophobia - Kate Lister with guest Dr Harry Tanner (podcast)
The Science and value of diversity - Talia H. Swartz, Ann-Gel S. Palermo, Sandra K. Masur and Judith A. Aberg (article)
The Wheel of power & privilege (PDF / website)
The Story of Triple WellBeing - Rachel Musson (PDF ebook)
Transforming Leadership Course - online workshop (website page)

There's an inconvenient movement growing...
It's not rebellion, exactly. More of a quiet refusal to look away. We're inconvenient. And if you feel it, then maybe you are too. Join us.

Join The Inconvenient Club from £5 a month. Find out more at www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel and Holly are having a reading week, so in this special short episode Holly shares about the books she's currently reading, including:

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Generation Hope by Arunjay Katakam

There's an inconvenient movement growing...
It's not rebellion, exactly. More of a quiet refusal to look away. We're inconvenient. And if you feel it, then maybe you are too. Join us.

Join The Inconvenient Club from £5 a month and support us to keep making Two Inconvenient Women and the rest of our work at ThoughtBox. Find out more at www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel and Holly are getting ready for some time off next week, so in this special short episode Rachel shares about the book she's currently reading, 'The Listening Book' by W.A Matheieu.

There's an inconvenient movement growing...
It's not rebellion, exactly. More of a quiet refusal to look away. We're inconvenient. And if you feel it, then maybe you are too. Join us.

Join The Inconvenient Club from £5 a month and support us to keep making Two Inconvenient Women and the rest of our work at ThoughtBox. Find out more at www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whilst systems-change, systems-thinking and systems-transformation are becoming much more common terms used in conversations these days, discussions around 'inner systems change' are only just beginning to emerge in more public discourse. When we start to focus on systems change from the inside out, it is an invitation into introspection and exploring some of the habits, mindsets, behaviours and thought patterns that may be keeping us stuck in external behaviours contributing to many of the crises we face.

This sort of 'inner work' - as it is often coined - can feel overwhelming, yet offers a doorway into profound change in the wider world as well as within ourselves, and begins by simply paying attention.

In this week's episode we dive into the connections between inner and outer systems transformation, with the appreciation that how we think, feel and connect with the world shapes our outward actions. We talk about our own personal journeys, struggles and growth points in the journey of systems change, and how the Triple WellBeing approach that sits at the heart of ThoughtBox is an invitation to be working from the inside out and outside in at the same time.

In this episode we reference the following:
Theory U - The Presencing Institute / Otto Scharmer (book & website)
Thinking in Systems - Donella Meadows (book)
The work of Joanna Macy (website / books)
Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet - Thich Nhat Hanh (book)
Impossible Choices - Gregory Bateson (article)
Warm Data - Nora Bateson (website)
The Triple WellBeing Framework (PDF / website)

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There's an inconvenient movement growing...
It's not rebellion, exactly. More of a quiet refusal to look away. We're inconvenient. And if you feel it, then maybe you are too. Join us.

Join The Inconvenient Club from £5 a month. Find out more at www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.