Two Inconvenient Women

THROWBACK EPISODE: This podcast was first recorded in July 2025“I will never apologise for embracing joy and beauty - even when the world is falling apart – for joy and beauty are the fuel for my activism”. These words by Karen Walrond are one of the inspirations for this week’s conversation on 'Joy', exploring how cultivating joy is both a way to resource ourselves and build the resilience needed to meet the challenges of our world. Joy is often seen as being the same thing as happiness, and yet these two emotions are profoundly different; one coming from external sources, one being cultivated from within. It is not a surprise that the practice of joy is embedded into all world religions as it can become a deeply spiritual practice – as well as a beautifully infectious state to find ourselves in.In this week's conversation we dive into the meaning of joy, how it shows up in our lives; how activists across history have cultivated joy in their lives and work and what happens when we learn to practice joy as part of our daily rhythms.In this episode we reference the following:Mission: Joy – Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu (video)Habits for practising joy - ThoughtBox (PDF)Seeking Language Large Enough – David Whyte / On Being (podcast)Climate Courage Campaign – Climate Majority Project (website)Joy Over Fear – St Ebbe’s School (website)Schools of Dreams - Kimberley Oliff Cooper TEDx Talk (video)The Fun Habit - Mike Rucker (book)Glorious – MaMuse (Rachel’s current favourite joyful song) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All of us are former children and for most have memories of some of the stories we read or were told when we were children. As adults, many of us still encounter these stories - whether from reading to young ones or for our own enjoyment. As a medium, children's stories are doing more than just keeping young people entertained - they are pathways for growth; helping to navigate some of the challenges, hurdles and opportunities of life in a safe and supported way. When starting to explore why storytelling is a foundation stone for human evolution, our entire understanding of children's stories can begin to expand. As former English teachers, Holly and Rachel have read and taught a lot of fiction to younger readers and we both are avid readers of children's stories, advocating the deep wisdom to be found in many classic texts, no matter our age. In this conversation we explore the why, what and how of the values and constructs of children's fiction; explore how myth and storytelling has passed down through human history; think about the impact of films on story learning and reflect on some of the wisdom of key classic texts across the world. In this episode, we mention:Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise - Katherine Rundell (article)C. S. Lewis on Writing For Children - CS Lewis (article)Meister Eckhart's Book of Darkness & Light: Meditations on the Path of the Wayless Way - Jon M. Sweeney, Mark S. Burrows and Meister Eckhart (book)The Death of the Author - Roland Barthes (book)Triple WellBeing Storybooks - Rachel Musson & Alex Brenan (storybooks) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The concept of social contracts in modern culture came through the work and philosophies of folks such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau as a way of communities agreeing to behave and trust in collective ideals. Whilst intentions may be valid, the structures of this imposed model of organising communities falls down when trust is broken - and we're finding ourselves in that state of collapse in many countries and societies around the world. Which has the potential to open up different ways of belonging and living alongside one another - ways that come not from an imposed and centralised narrative, but that actually work within the contexts and communities we live in. In this week's episode we talk about the impact of the social contract falling away, and the reneging of social promise in many parts of our societies. We discuss where trust comes into the equation and explore models across our human story that shine a light on more robust and localised ways of building resilient and healthy communities. During the conversation we reference the following:The Social Contract - Jean-Jacques Rousseau (PDF)Local Futures (website and movement)The real Lord of the Flies - Rucker Bregnan (article)Beyond Civilisation - Daniel Quinn (PDF)Transforming Leadership - online short course (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many organisations and governments work within a strategy of Futures Thinking - a strategic concept to make predictions and pathways for probable and plausible futures. Yet how useful is this when the variables around us are changing so rapidly? And how plausible can any strategic planning be within structures only designed with short-term foundations? In this week's episode we explore the future (sort of) and whether we have any capacity to predict anything. We talk about the role of presence in enabling us to be rooted in the here and now, rather than living in the past or future; explore the concept of seven-generational thinking; think about the limits our future is being given as we flounder with some of the systemic challenges on a national and global scale and reflect on why it can feel both terrifying and liberating to 'let go' of knowing and start to sense our way forward instead. In this week's episode we reference the following:Berkana Two Loops model of systems change (framework & website)Berkana Institute (Website)Meg Wheatley (website)Imagination Activism - Phoebe Tickell (Website)Futures Thinking - UK Government (Website)Imagination Taking Power - Rob Hopkins (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are living in increasingly turbulent times and the shockwaves as old systems fall apart are starting to impact ever more people. Whilst we talk a lot in this podcast about why systems are changing and about the healthier systems waiting to emerge, it feels important to keep talking about the pain and discomfort of this 'in between part' as things fall away and new things arrive. Pressures of daily life mixed with increasing levels of geo-political unrest and extreme weather events is beginning to take its toll - on the nervous systems in particular. Being brave and resilient - and optimistic - whilst navigating turbulence can feel a real struggle. And yet the capacity of human resilience and strength to weather storms is humbling.In this podcast we explore the tension between discomfort and creativity; between growth and fear; light and dark and how turbulence can be a crucible for maturity. As well as sharing our own experiences of navigating complex times, we talk about the nervous system regulation and structures to support individual and collective resilience to allow us to be strong and weather storms as they come, growing in strength together.In this episode we reference the following:Everything we teach should be different from machines - Jack Ma, World Economic Forum (short video)Think like a tree - Wired Media (short video)Attached - Amir Levine, Rachel S. F. Heller (book)Learning for Life - ThoughtBox (Free learning resources) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In many modern cultures, we find ourselves spending ever more time indoors, sitting down and separated from nature - both the nature within us and the nature all around us. At the same time, we're drawn to want to spend time outdoors and in natural environments, and we have a deep sense of ease when connected to nature. So why is it so hard?In this week's thow-back episode, we explore the inconvenience of nature connection in a modern world and the many ways that our ways of living keep us in separation - sometimes isolation - from the natural world. We explore the impact of a sedentary, indoor lifestyle on our physical, emotional and spiritual health; explore how connecting to nature is infinitely good for our holistic wellbeing - as well as supporting the health of the natural world in return - and reflect on the many different ways to welcome more nature connection into our lives and learning spaces.In this episode we reference the following:Time in Nature report - Eden Project (website)National Trust nature connection report (website)Green Social Prescribing - NHS (website)Harmony - HRH Prince of Wales (Book)The Harmony Project (website & learning resources)Soil & Public Health - Soils Association (website)Guide to forest bathing - Forestry England (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What sort of learning do we need to support young people with in a rapidly changing world? What does it mean to be a life-long-learner? What qualities of learning do we all possess? What is 'unlearning' and how might it be a vital form of our own growth? What is spiral-learning and how does this shape the way we grow in the world? What if learning was as much about the why and the how as it is about the what?In this week's episode we dive into the qualities of learning; from pedagogy to process and practice. In particular we talk about the newly launched 'Learning for Life' programme for educators which helps young people make sense of the world they’re growing up in by seeing how it all fits together. Developed over the past decade, these learning resources are built around a simple idea: instead of leading with content, what if we allow learning to be shaped by a pedagogy which inspires critical, curious and compassionate learners. We are gifting all of these materials, shared freely under a Creative Commons Licence and intended for use and adaptation across a range of educational settings for all ages - children and young adults alike. In this week's episode we reference the following:Learning for Life - ThoughtBox (website & resources)Futures of Education - UNESCO (website & report)Times Education Commission - The Times (PDF report)Human Flourishing Report - PISA (PDF report)Rebooting Education Report 2023 - Reboot the Future (PDF report)The Future of Education & Skills 2030/2040 - OEDC (website & report)School Report – Pearson - Pearson Education (PDF report) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holly and Rachel are away this week, so we're re-sharing an episode from this time last year on the inconvenience of systems change.Systems thinking isn’t just a concept—it’s how life works. Every action, choice and relationship is part of something bigger. So why do we resist seeing the connections? In this episode, we explore what it really means to understand the world as an interconnected whole. It’s not about learning a framework, it’s about shifting how we see, think and act. This conversation explores what happens when we start noticing the patterns we’re part of—and begin to change them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Singing is a deeply healing and cathartic experience for humans - mentally, emotionally, neurologically and spiritually. It is a primal quality we all possess, and something that has formed an innate and constant part of human culture since the dawn of our species. Singing is a birthright, yet many of us have been told that 'we can't sing'. We often mention singing on this podcast as both Holly and myself (Rachel) are members of our local choirs. Both of us have had very different routes into singing - and perhaps represent some of the different ways that singing has shaped - or absented itself - from our lives.In this week's episode we dive deeply into the many different ways that singing is good for us - from the way it makes us feel, to how it helps soothe our nervous systems, to how it helps forge our connection to others and the wider world. We explore some of the science of singing, the qualities of song in different cultures; the resonance of singing in harmony with others and dabble a little in the profound and extraordinary mystery and magic of where and how music shapes the entire universe.In this episode we reference the following:Wednesday Lunchtime Fun Choir (event / website)The Universal Frequency (website)How flowers talk to bees - David Attenborough (video)Harriet - biopic of Harriet Tubman (film trailer)Spirituals - protest, sacredness and song (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. It is primal - something that we all yearn for constantly and can find in different places and spaces across our lives. So were are the places that we can find and really feel a sense of belonging? And what happens when belonging means a sacrifice of our authenticity? In this week's episode of Two Inconvenient Women, we explore what it means to belong, some of the places that we all can - and often do - find a sense of belonging; what it means to belong to ourselves and how this sense of inner belonging helps shape our authenticity in the world, allowing us to feel even more of a sense of connection.In this conversation we reference the following:Dr Dan Siegel - Interpersonal Neurobiology (website)Brene Browne - Atlas of the Heart (Book)Martin Shaw - The Woman who became a Fox (video)Dr Stephen Porges - Polyvagal Theory (website)Groups & Gangs - ThoughtBox Curriculum (website page) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There has been a lot emerging in the media recently about countries making decisions to ban social media for under 16s. Australia has been leading the way in this movement, with many other countries now passing legislation through government and widening the public discourse. So why social media? Why 16? Why now?In this week's podcast we begin to untangle many of the complexities that living in an online world is having on our mental, physical, emotional spiritual and social health, in particular how it is influencing the development of children and young people. Drawing wisdom from the depth research of social psychologists such as Jonathan Haidt (whose infamous book The Anxious Generation is waking up millions to the 'disconnection epidemic') we wrangle with some of the questions, complexities, possibilities and opportunities of shifting ourselves away from the trappings of an online world and 'rewiring ourselves' back into healthier connections.In this episode we reference the following:The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Haidt (book)The Social Dilemma - Exposure Labs (Film / documentary)No rush to ban social media - Sonia Livingstone (LSE article)How a handful of technology companies control billions of minds - Tristan Harris (TED talk)Is Social Media making us less social? ThoughtBox (inquiries for 5-18 year olds) **COMING SOONDigital Literacy - Ditch The Label (Lesson resources 13-16 years)**We will be releasing our full Learning for Life resources for free in mid-February- keep an eye on the ThoughtBox website for more details: www.thoughtboxeducation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whilst many parts of the world experience a climate of winter, how many of us allow ourselves to 'winter' during this season? Or anytime? What does it mean to 'winter' - to follow nature's rhythms and allow things to slow down, to fall away, to be still, quiet. What does it mean to sit in the dark (literally and metaphorically) - how might this be allowing us to grow on a much deeper level? And what is happening in our cultures that prevents this? What does it mean to be living in a culture of 'perpetual summer' where slowness and quiet are not part of the status-quo?In this episode, we dive into the literal and metaphorical resonance of wintering; thinking about how the feeling in the atmosphere can give us clues for how to behave, discussing what some of the inner emotions around 'wintering' may bring up and exploring some of the different ways to tether more of our lives to living in balance with the rest of nature - from how we eat, sleep and act to simply being more in tune with our own needs and rhythms.We reference the following:Wintering - Katharine May (book)How Wintering Replenishes - On Being podcast with Katherine May (podcast)Reconnection Retreat - ThoughtBox (event) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the world feels overwhelmingly complex, it is often hard to know where to put our energy; which 'crisis' to give our attention to as it were. You may have come across the term 'polycrisis' as it's fast becoming part of the public lexicon. It's not a particularly cheery term, but it is helpful in making sense of the many interconnected and overwhelming crises that we are facing in our lives. The polycrisis is characterised by feedback loops where one crisis exacerbates another, making simple, isolated solutions ineffective. Which is the greatest inconvenience we face when trying to address them. And yet diagnosing the crisis is the first step to addressing it - and this term is useful in doing just that. In this episode, we wrangle with the complexity of the times we're living in through the frame of the polycrisis; tapping into what we can appreciate from the framing of a 'metacrisis' at the same time, and how looking at changing our perspective on the world is a powerful way to focus on meeting the symptoms and addressing the root cause of a world in crisis. We reference the following during the conversation:Reconnection Retreat - ThoughtBox & Hawkwood College (in-person gathering)The Story of Triple WellBeing - Rachel Musson (free PDF)The Metacrisis is a crisis of meaning - Ernesto van Peborgh (article)Triple WellBeing Practitioner Course (online training course)Tasting the Pickle: Ten Flavours of Metacrisis and the Appetite for a New Civilisation - Jonathan Rowson (essay) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many in the world - those following the Gregorian calendar - January 1st marks the beginning of a new year. Midst the celebrations, revelry and resolutions is often an unspoken expectation of 'newness'. Pressures exist to have "resolutions" that make us somehow a better, fitter, happier, healthier version of ourself. But to what extent do we need this? To what extent do we want this? And to what extent is now the time for 'a fresh new world' anyway?In this week's episode of Two Inconvenient Women, we explore some of the different cultural celebrations for new year, thinking about how they map to the seasons, nature's rhythms or stories that other influences. We discuss the difference between having resolutions and intentions and how one can be a real support and guide, whilst the other can often feel like a burden or self-inflicted prison. We unpack some of the ways that new year has been coopted by a consumer culture fixated on 'bigger, better, shinier' and what this may be doing to our sense of ease. We think about what it means to be a 'new you' and whether a process of growth and becoming is a wiser step into a new year, rather than setting ourselves a goal to arrive at which has ever-moving goalposts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poem for a New YearBy Matt GoodfellowSomething’s moving in,I hear the weather in the wind,sense the tension of a sheep-fieldand the pilgrimage of fins. Something’s not the same,I taste the sap and feel the grain,hear the rolling of the rowanringing, singing in a change.Something’s set to start,there’s meadow-music in the darkand the clouds that shroud the mountainslowly, softly start to part. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're taking a break over the holidays and are not recording a new episode of Two Inconvenient Women today. Instead, we're sharing a gift - a whole range of stories of inspiring people from across the world working to create a healthier future for people and planet. From educators in Uganda focused on self-care in leadership to teachers challenging the mainstream to communities focused on nature connection at the heart of learning, our Triple WellBeing Fellows are ordinary people with extraordinary stories.Dive into the whole community and begin your listening journey: https://thoughtboxeducation.com/stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We begin each podcast episode with a moment of gratitude. But why so? Much more than a 'nice thing to do', the practice of gratitude is ancient - part of wisdom traditions across the world and deeply embedded into spiritual and religious practice. It is a way of strengthening our own sense of resilience and presence, finding meaning in the world and feeling more grounded, connected and present in the world. But what does it actually mean to be grateful and how can this practice shape the very structure of our brains?In this week's episode we explore the topic of gratitude, asking the question: Why is gratitude so powerful? In this episode we reference the following:Healing begins with gratitude - Joanna Macy (Article)Grateful Living (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why don't we talk to our neighbours? This question is asked not to be provocative but more to reflect on what has shifted in our cultures to mean that we can inhabit the same space as people we don't quite know. For some cultures around the world, community and neighbourhoods remain a vital - and vitalising part of daily life, yet for many living in the culture of modernity, our move into hyper-individualism has been at the detriment of our community. We may not have ever met the person or people who live above, below or beside us - and we may not know anything about them - not even their name. In this week's episode we explore some of the changes across time that have led to the erosion of gathering spaces; the impact of a culture of fear and distrust on how we respond to strangers and some of the blocks, challenges and opportunities that surround us when it comes to finding connection with those in our neighbourhood.In this conversation we reference the following:Love Thy Neighbour - World Values Survey (PDF)Everyone wants a village but no-one wants to be a villager - Cassie McCure (article)36 questions - how to fall in love - New York Times (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you successful yet? When do you know you've "made it"? And - more importantly - is it a place that we actually want to be 'arriving'? Many of us are living in cultures that have a dominant story of success - often associated with wealth, prosperity, career-ladders and progress. Our mainstream education systems teach us how to jump through the hoops on the journey towards success, and our media is filled with advertising and stories of what success looks like (normally glossy, shiny and always slightly out of reach). But who gets to decide when we've become successful, and is it worth it?In this week's episode we explore the notion of success, thinking about what it means, who grants us the title and what the possibilities are to look beyond the mainstream story and carve out a different approach to life. We explore questions such as: What happens when we don't fit the story or mould of what success looks like? What might it mean to carve out our own version of 'success'? What can we learn from failure? And what if, rather than a destination we arrive at, success is simply a way of living well?In this episode we reference the following:Steve Cutts - illustrator, satirist (website) Life & Music - Alan Watts (cartoon) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many people find themselves working within organisations or structures that don't necessarily practice the values that are being preached (or laminated, advertised or promoted). It can feel deeply uncomfortable when our actions are out of line with the values we hold within us, and yet it is often not our choice to have to at in ways that contradict our values. Bit what are values? Where do they come from, and how do we connect with the values that shape our lives so that we can align actions and intentions with integrity and authenticity.In this week's episode we explore the values that shape our lives, our cultural stories and the world we're living in; thinking about how to align with our own authentic self and some of the tools and practices we can tap into in order to help shape our lives through the direction of our inner 'north star'.In this episode we reference the following:Common Cause Foundation (website / organisation)Schwartz Values Map - Shalmon Shwartz (article)Rebecca Solnit - writer & activist (website)SMSC & British Values - Department for Education (website)Rutger Bregman on Veneer Theory - Big Think (video)Why you are not as selfish as you think - BBC Future (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sustainability movement has been going since the 1950s, and ‘sustainability’ is now part of mainstream narrative, awareness and growing action. Yet when sustainability continues to be seen and introduced into organisations as an add-on rather than a process or foundation, how much change is it actually supporting? In this week’s episode we explore the inconvenience of sustainability, thinking about where positive change has been enabled, the impact of greenwashing; what some of the limitations may be and what opportunities are emerging for wider-level transformation when sustainable is understood as a ‘verb rather than a product. In this episode we reference the following:There You Go - Survival International (short cartoon)Earth In Mind - David Orr (book)Schumacher College - Education College & movement (website)Inside COP: Is The US Still In? - Outrage & Optimism (podcast)Indigenous protestors demand to be heard - Washington Post (news video)Earthshot Prize - Global mission & award (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you think of when you think of home? For some it's a building, for some it's a country, culture or identity. For many it's a feeling. Whilst there can be no universal agreement on what home means to us, there is interesting resonance between home and feelings of safety, belonging and sanctuary. Understanding that feeling safe sits as one of our most basic needs as humans helps to elevate deep compassion and empathy for any experiencing homelessness or seeking refuge and asylum; a growing pattern right across our world as ever-more people are forced to leave their 'homes' in search of safety.In this week's episode of Two Inconvenient Women, we explore the meaning of home in many different guises, exploring some of the commonalities and biases that exist within us and reflecting on how and where we can satisfy the feeling of home in our daily lives.In this episode we reference the following:Home - Warsan Shire (poem)Where Children Sleep - James Mollison (video)What does Home mean to you? - Soul Pancake (video)Second a day video - Save the Children (video)"From the Shark's Mouth to the Deep, Dark Jungle" - Holly Everett (blog)Calais Jungle Ethiopian and Eritraean Church (photo)The Hope Trust - Community Non-Profit (website)"A charity is giving people money to stop homelessness - and it says it's working" - BBC News (article) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI technologies are becoming increasingly intertwined with our everyday lives. From healthcare, transportation and manufacturing to education, we are already in an entangled web of connection with AI being increasingly used by individuals and organisations, often without conscious awareness. Whilst we can see AI as being a really supportive tool to address so many of the challenges of modernity, to what extent is it actually robbing us of our humanity?This conversation is tricky, emotive and deeply complex. Whilst there are so many positive shifts and evolutions that AI can support us with and lots to appreciate, many of the downsides and dangers are only just being realised with the potential threats of generative AI and a super-intelligence beginning to come to life. We are choosing to open a very complex can of worms in this conversation and begin to dance through some of the conflicting feelings, possibilities and questions that arise when thinking about the past, present and future of AI.In this episode we reference the following:AI: What could go wrong? The Weekly Show - Jon Stewart, Geoffry Hinton (podcast video)AI 2027 - D Kokotajlo, S Alexander, T Larsen, E Lifland, R Dean (Website)Teenagers and AI relationships - Guardian Newspaper (article)Burnout from Humans - Aiden Cinnamon Tea & Dorothy Ladybugboss (ebook)Wayfarers and Monk & Robot - Becky Chambers (novel series)AI & Happiness - Mo Gowdat (website)Healing through ChatGPT? Insights from Research into Real-Life Experiences of AI Therapy - Steve Siddals (research)We Could Win the Climate Fight…Thanks to AI | Life With Machines (ep.12) - Gavin McCormick and Baratunde Thurston (podcast video)AI: how can we control an alien intelligence? - Yuval Noah Harari and Stephen Fry (interview)AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Generative AI Explained - IBM (video) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is half term for UK schools and we've taken time away from the 'day to day' work at ThoughtBox for a reading week - a week to really dive deep into some of the ideas that we're both currently exploring. In this episode we share some of the insights, explorations, wonderings and reflections from what we're currently learning about.In this episode we reference a large number of texts and ideas we've been exploring over the past months:His Dark Materials & The Book of Dust, Philip Pulman (novel trilogies)The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House - Audre Lorde (essays)Personality, Wholeness and Connection - Dan Siegel (lecture and book)The Story of Triple WellBeing - Rachel Musson (e-book)Rumsfield Matrix (website)Keys to the Enneagram - A H Almaas (book)Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë (novel) Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss (book)The Life Impossible - Matt Haig (novel)The Listening Book - R Ticic, E Kuschner, B Ecker (book)Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu, trans.Ursula K. Le Guin (spiritual text)How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy - Jenny Odell (book and talk)Earth in Mind - David Orr (book)Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi (novel) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast Rachel is off with the flu and so Holly is joined by guest inconvenient woman Sandy Glanfield, Immersive Experience Curator at Reboot the Future, to discuss the theme of naïvety.In this episode we explore questions around metrics of success, and how naivety plays an important role in bringing creativity, openness, relationship and curiosity to challenges we face. From its etymological roots of belonging to nature and innateness, to its modern association with foolishness - join us as we weave through questions around fear of failure, elderhood, reframing biases and celebrating our own unique ‘genius’. During this episode, we mention:Let’s Reboot the Future (podcast series)Assembly by Peter Burke (Sculpture Installation)We Could Win the Climate Fight…Thanks to AI | Gavin McCormick (Life with Machines, ep.12) (podcast episode)The Dunning Kruger Effect (graph)The Joy of Being Naïve | Chris Jones | TEDxPCL (TEDx Talk) Empathy Action Immersive Experiences (workshop)Sam Crosby (speaker and facilitator)Sending lots of love and a big hug to Rachel who is currently off with the flu - hopefully she'll be back with us next week! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having a 'gut feeling' about something is perhaps a familiar sensation to many, but what does this actually mean? When we 'trust our gut' what is it that we're listening to? And how are intuition and gut feeling connected?In this episode we dive deep into the 'wider senses' of the human body and think about what sort of additional intelligence we can be drawing on in our daily lives. Gut instinct is a primal element in all of us, but can become quite 'rusty' or dormant when not used - just like any other sense. What is energising is how there are many things we can do to re-awaken our sense of being intuitive and start to welcome in a wider form of intelligence. We look at many elements of both why it might be dormant in many of us, what we can do to re-liven our senses and what exactly might be happening when we tap into a deeper form of consciousness.In this episode we reference the following:The Neuroscience of trusting your gut - Dr Tara Swart (website / podcast) Talking about anxiety - Martha Beck & Sarah Wilson (podcast)Whole Intelligence - Malcolm Parlett (book)The brain-gut connection - John Hopkins Medicine (website)The Nettle Dress (film)Intuition and spirituality (article)Go with the gut - Joel Pearson (article)The Blind Men and the Elephant - fable (cartoon) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A painful truth in our current cultures is how much we are all struggling with our mental and emotional wellbeing. This is especially true in young people who are facing an increasing amount of overwhelm in their lives in this VUCA* world (*volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous). And yet the ways of suffering and the ways of wellbeing are actually two sides of the same coin...Holly and Rachel are just back from Europe's largest trauma, mental health and wellbeing conference hosted at Oxford University, under the title 'Healing our relational world'. Bringing together over 3000 educators, therapists, mental health practitioners and healers with world-renowned trauma and emotional health experts, the conference was an extraordinarily rich and deep insight and exploration of how to heal our connection with ourselves, each other and the wider world.In this episode we dive deeply into some of the 'brokenness' of our world (our inner and outer worlds) bringing in our own decade of research along with learnings from the conference. We look at some of the patterns in human behaviours that connect all of these elements of brokenness to better understand how to notice them and how to heal. We explore the impact of early attachment on shaping our relationships and the profound ways of healing in ourselves, our communities and with the planet. We touch on how the ways to respond to the symptoms and root causes of disconnection are the same and explore the foundational routes to healing.In this episode we reference the following:Dr Dan Siegel - professor (website)Dr Bessel van der Kolk - psychiatrist (website)Dr Richard Shwartz - therapist, author (website)Linda Thai - trauma therapist (website)Interpersonal Neurobiology - Dan Siegel (video)The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel van der Kolk (book / website)Internal Family Systems - Dr Richard Shwartz (website) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Holly and Rachel are 'on-tour' for the podcast, which was recorded live from underneath a fig tree in a beautiful quad at Exeter College in Oxford. The (slightly shorter this week) recording took place one lunchtime mid-way through Europe's largest trauma, mental health and wellbeing conference hosted at Oxford University, under the title 'Healing our relational world'. Bringing together over 3000 educators, therapists, mental health practitioners and healers with world-renowned trauma and emotional health experts, the conference was an extraordinarily rich and deep insight and exploration of how to heal our connection with ourselves, each other and the wider world.In this short episode we touch on some of the live inquiries that we're both engaged with, think about some of the provocations and illuminations that are being shared about emotional health and wellbeing and dig into some of the tricky issues we're grappling with. This podcast serves as an introduction to some of the bigger inquiries we'll be diving into next week when back home. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In many societies across the world, we find a dominant habit of record keeping as part of the daily focus. Paperwork, recording, data-capture, spreadsheets, documentation and report-writing have become a staple of many organisations across the world; whilst our education systems and business models are firmly structured around ‘capturing data’ - oftentimes valuing this data above all else. We can see this same pattern playing out in our social lives, with a fixation on capturing and sharing our life experiences via smartphones and through social media often infiltrating our enjoyment and engagement of simply being in the moment. But what happens when the capturing of life becomes more important than the living of it?In this week’s episode of Two Inconvenient Women, Holly Everett and I explore the different ways that our cultures are encouraging an shift away from ‘living’ and experiencing life towards a fixation on reporting on it. We explore questions such as ‘When did the record of what we’re doing become more important than what we’re doing?’ ‘What is it that we’re trying to do with our obsession with capturing and recording?’ ‘Are we starting to rely – even trust – data more than our own lived experience?’In this episode we reference the following:·      Photography Life – When the photographer doesn’t shoot (article)·      Engaging Iain McGilchrist: Ascetical practice, brain lateralization, and philosophy of mind (article)·      How do you know? Psychology Today (article)·      Bad Data - Peter Schryvers (book)·      The Master and his Emissary – Ian McGilchrist (book)·      RSA animation: The Divided Brain (video)·      Alan Watts – Be Here Now (articles & podcast series)·      Your Three brains – Centre for Health & Wellbeing (article)·      Ofsted – Office for Standards in Education, UK (website)·      “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” - Albert Einstein (image)·      The Blanchard bone (website)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There's laundry to do and a genocide to stop…”This first line of a short poem by Vinay Krishan hits hard, not least because it captures so powerfully the complex and confusing state we are finding ourselves in. How to we navigate the day to day process of living in the midst of so many overwhelming crisis all around us? How can we make sense of actions and unfoldings that literally cannot make sense? How do we stay sane in a world that feels like it’s falling apart?In this week’s episode we explore the notion of cognitive dissonance and how to navigate the endless contradictions, hypocrisies and complexities of our current world. We explore what it means to ‘live through collapse’, why so many of our systems are falling apart; how we can sustain our own sense of groundedness and vitality and what it means to practice active hope and turn towards the light.In this episode we reference the following:Outgrowing Modernity – panel discussion (video) What is cognitive dissonance? (video)‘On imagination’: Vanessa Andreotti & Rob Hopkins (video)Joanna Macy – A wild love for the world (podcast) The Four Mountains - Decolonial Futures (article)Wild – Sarah Wilson (podcast)Two Loops Theory – Berkana Institute (PDF)The Rise & Fall of Civilisations – Meg Wheatley (article)There’s laundry to do and a genocide to stop – Vinay Krishnan (poem) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time of year often beckons us to go "back to work". For some it's the beginning of a new academic year. For others it's a return to work after an extended holiday or summer break. For others it's the time to begin a new cycle. But do we really want to be 'going back' and do we really want to be 'working' for a living?In this week's podcast we inquire about the nature of work, and think about why so many of our lives have become centred around work - in particular 'going to work' - rather than about nurturing livelihood. We explore some of the significant shifts in our human evolution that led to this way of living; think about what it means to match purpose and passion with contributing to the larger whole; explore some of the limitations of life's focus being about contributing to the market economy and question the meaning of success.In this episode we reference the following:Ikigai - a Japanese framework for thriving (Website / framework)Gross National Happiness - Bhutan's wellbeing index (website)Buen Vivir - a social philosophy (article)The Story of Triple WellBeing - ThoughtBox (PDF download)The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction - Ursula Le Guin ( short story PDF)On New Beginnings - John O'Donoghue (Podcast / poem) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is national pride all about and where does it stem from? Following a recent surge in the flying of the Union flag and St George's flag in parts of England this episode dives deeply into the meaning of national pride, the complexities and emotions it stirs up and the painful histories involved in the creation of nation states. From exploring a brief potted history of countries and colonialism to diving into some of the inherent human behaviours that stem from a need to belong, this episode is a chance to explore some of the behaviours, controversies and complexities that accompany flags and how we can move through some of these current challenges with a deeper sense of connection.In this episode we mention the following:Beyond Civilisation - Daniel Quinn (PDF non-fiction)The Danger of a Single Story - Chimamanda Adiche (TedTalk)Tamar Nafar - Palestinian rapper and journalist (website)Notes on Nationalism, George Orwell (Essay)Politics JOE - Is the St George’s Cross Racist? (Video)Is England Flag Flying Campaign Patriotism or Provocation? (News report)Belonging, Owen Eastwood (Book)‘This is Our Flag… We are Proud British Muslims’ (News article)The Wheel of the Year, Fiona Cook (Book) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new season is upon many of us at this time of year. Summer shifting into Autumn, the beginning of a new school year, a new work cycle. Maybe just returning to work after a rest. In all of the excitement of 'beginning again' there often comes also a slight pause within us all, asking us "Am I wanting to keep doing this? Is this allowing me to be all I want to be?"This week, Rachel shares a poem from John O'Donohue called 'For a New Beginning' inviting us to listen to that quiet voice deep within us. We look forward to being back together for Season 4 of Two Inconvenient Women next week.For a New Beginningby John O'DonohueIn out-of-the-way places of the heart,Where your thoughts never think to wander,This beginning has been quietly forming,Waiting until you were ready to emerge.For a long time it has watched your desire,Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,Noticing how you willed yourself on,Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.It watched you play with the seduction of safetyAnd the gray promises that sameness whispered,Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,Wondered would you always live like this.Then the delight, when your courage kindled,And out you stepped onto new ground,Your eyes young again with energy and dream,A path of plenitude opening before you.Though your destination is not yet clearYou can trust the promise of this opening;Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginningThat is at one with your life's desire.Awaken your spirit to adventure;Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,For your soul senses the world that awaits you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our August break continues here at ThoughtBox, so this week we're sharing a short collection of previous episodes where we dive into the nuance of environmental wellbeing and what it means to learn to care for our planet. Some of the highlights from our past three seasons are this mini-series are below:Season 1, Episode 4: Falling in love with the worldSeason 2, Episode 7 (Exploring the inconvenience of nature connection): Are we connecting with nature, or just using it?Season 3, Episode 4 (Exploring the inconvenience of trees): What can a tree teach us about relationships?Season 3, Episode 12 (Exploring the inconvenience of earth-care): Why is caring for the planet essential for all life to flourish?If you'd like to join us for any of the Triple WellBeing opportunities mentioned in the podcast, you can find more information at:Triple WellBeing Introduction workshop: a free, one-hour session (Wednesday 27th August 2025, 1pm-2pm BST)Triple WellBeing Practitioner Course: a one-day, online workshop (Friday 26th September 2025, 10am-3pm BST)Transforming Education Retreat: a three-day residential programme (Monday 6th - Wednesday 8th October) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our August break continues here at ThoughtBox, so this week we're sharing a short collection of previous episodes where we dive into the nuance of social wellbeing and what it means to learn to care fully for our communities, both local and global. Holly also shares a poem by Rosemary Wahtola Trommer called 'Belonging'.Some of the highlights from our past three seasons are this mini-series are below:Season 1, Episode 14 (Gathering): Why do we gather—and what are we losing when we don’t?Season 2, Episode 3 (Empathy): Is the modern world making us less human?Season 3, Episode 1 (EDI): How do we hold onto humanity when the law lets go?Season 3, Episode 11 (People-Care): What can happen when we look to find our shared humanity in others?If you'd like to join us for any of the Triple WellBeing opportunities mentioned in the podcast, you can find more information at:Triple WellBeing Introduction workshop: a free, one-hour session (Wednesday 27th August 2025, 1pm-2pm BST)Triple WellBeing Practitioner Course: a one-day, online workshop (Friday 26th September 2025, 10am-3pm BST)Transforming Education Retreat: a three-day residential programme (Monday 6th - Wednesday 8th October) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This August, we're taking a break here at ThoughtBox, so we're sharing a collection of previous episodes where we dive into the nuance of personal wellbeing and what it means to learn to care fully for ourselves. In this mini episode, Holly shares a poem on the theme of personal wellbeing, and introduces some of the highlights from our past three seasons, which make up this week's mini series:Season 1, Episode 2 (Rest): What if rest is the most radical thing we can do?Season 2, Episode 10 (Spirituality) Are we living in a spiritual vacuum?Season 2, Episode 12 (Resourcing): What does it mean to re-source ourselves?Season 3, Episode 10 (Self-care): What is self-care was actually a self-less act?If you'd like to join us for any of the Triple WellBeing opportunities mentioned in the podcast, you can find more information at:Triple WellBeing Introduction workshop: a free, one-hour session (Wednesday 27th August 2025, 1pm-2pm BST)Triple WellBeing Practitioner Course: a one-day, online workshop (Friday 26th September 2025, 10am-3pm BST)Transforming Education Retreat: a three-day residential programme (Monday 6th - Wednesday 8th October) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when we allow ourselves to fall back in love with the world? For many people it may feel obvious why we need to protect the earth and prevent run-away climate change and species extinction. Yet it may not be so clear as to how changing our relationship with the natural world is just as pressing – if not more so – than any environmental activism. When we take time to notice how incredible the natural world is, to understand and witness how the thriving of nature enables the thriving of ourselves, our appreciation of the importance of earth-care naturally grows. It’s hard to ‘stop and smell the roses’ in a culture that continues to celebrate ‘doing’ over ‘being’ and being in domination over nature, rather than being in relationship with nature. And yet when we start to see ourselves as part of nature, and allow ourselves to feel genuine connection with the more than human world, everything changes.In this episode we talk about the inconvenience of earth-care and what it means to rewild ourselves, regenerate our thinking and reconnect with the whole of life.We reference the following:It's a wonderful world - David Attenborough (BBC video)Is it time to reassess our relationship with nature? Open University (video)Incredible Edible (movement /website)Birds of paradise mating dance (BBC video)Why is environmentalism failing - Morgan Phillips (TedX Talk)}Wilding - Isabella Tree (Book / film)Nature Connection activities - ThoughtBox (free resources)Earth in mind - David Orr (book) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humans are a social species by design, with an inbuilt need to be with others, whilst qualities of care and kindness are innate in us all. Many of us are, however, living in a hyper-individualised world which encourages us to 'other' and separate from our communities, creating a culture of segregation and loneliness. In response, tides are turning across the world, as more and more people choose to look beyond the mainstream media stories and start instead to connect with our common humanity. We cannot be human alone - and it is our differences which make us so fascinating, and our diversity which allows our societies to flourish. And so what does it look like to live a life of care for others, and why is this in fact deeply good for us too?In this week's episode, we explore the inconvenience of 'people-care', and the importance of nurturing caring and healthy communities in our lives - both near and far. We explore our connection to the behaviours of chimpanzees and bonobos; think about how to hold a deep legacy of colonialism within many cultures and reflect on some of the ways that acts of care for others can generate a deep sense of growth, healing and connection with ourselves.In this conversation we reference the following:How to Citizen podcast - Barathunde Thursston (podcast)Who we are - or could be - in times of crisis - Rebecca Solnit (article)Jon Alexander - Citizens (book / movement)Bonobos & chimps - what our closet relatives tell us about being human (article)Watching the English - Kate Fox (book)Stories of Triple WellBeing - ThoughtBox (podcast)Dr Ezideen Shebab - Doctor / writer (linktree)Permaculture Principles (website)Brene Brown on empathy (video)The philosophy of ujamaa (article)Interpersonal Neurobiology - Dr Dan Siegel (website)Long for the Coast - Jamie Gould, musician (album) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-care gets a bad wrap. It's often at the very bottom of our agenda, seen sometimes as self-indulgent - selfish even. And yet being aware of ourselves, being present in our emotions and actions, being kind and caring to our own needs is far from selfish. When we tend to our selves - the analogy of the 'oxygen mask first' we are able to better support others, as we are more resourced and resilient to do so. The growing appreciation for us to look after our personal wellbeing is growing - and is now becoming a conscious part of educational spaces - and yet too often it sits as an add-on or 'bonus' element of how we live and learn together. So how can we learn to embed habits and practices of self-care into our daily rhythms in a culture fixated on more, more, more?In this week's episode, we dive into the depths of personal wellbeing and acts of self-care, exploring what it means to drink deeply from the 'well of our being' and how we can bring self-care to the top of the agenda.In this episode we reference the following:The Triple WellBeing Framework (PDF download)Why resourcing ourselves is key to a sustainable future - Rachel Musson (blogpost)Mental Health First Aid (training course)Interpersonal Neurobiology - Dr Dan Siegel (website)MHFA Mental Health Continuum (website)DfE's new RSHE Guidance (website)Stories of Triple WellBeing (podcast series) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For reasons known and written about by many, there's been a shift over time which has enabled 'learning' within educational contexts to be mainly focused on the head and often ignoring the heart or the hands. With a knowledge-saturated curriculum and a mainstream structure built around sitting down at desks and absorbing information, we're recognising the absence of a holistic focus for many of the learning contexts around the world. Which is ironic and unhealthy, for all of us as humans learn best when we are engaging all of our senses, all of our being as it were. Head, Heart and Hands is a handily alliterative phrase coined to refer to a more holistic style of learning, and a way to enable a pedagogy of connection to our whole self. So why don't we bring more of this into our lives and learning spaces? In this week's episode, Holly and Rachel dive into the nourishing feeling of head, heart, hands learning, exploring where opportunities for this sort of connection to life are already happening and how we can embed a more holistic approach to learning across our communities.We reference the following:Waldorf Education - Rupert Steiner (a philosophy and pedagogy)Montessori Education - Maria Montessori (a philosophy and pedagogy)Schumacher College (a learning institute and movement)Triple WellBeing Framework (a framework and pedagogy) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world that glorifies busyness, rest can feel inconvenient—even rebellious. But what happens when we stop doing and simply allow ourselves to be? This episode explores rest as resistance against the belief that worth is tied to productivity. What happens when we slow down? Who benefits when we pause? And how might reclaiming rest help us build a healthier, more human way of living? This week's conversation is all about slowing down and redefining what it means to be a 'human being' rather than a 'human doing'.In this episode, we reference the following:PACTS (a new education initiative empowering UK students to engage in democracy)The Rebelliousness of Rest by Rachel Musson (blog article)Rest is Resistance: Free yourself from grind culture and reclaim your life by Tricia Hersey (book)Bayo Akomolafe (writer and speaker)Frederick by Leo Lionni (children's book)The Language of Emotions by Karla McLaren (book)The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck : A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson (book) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Inconvenience of Joy“I will never apologise for embracing joy and beauty - even when the world is falling apart – for joy and beauty are the fuel for my activism”. These words by Karen Walrond are one of the inspirations for this week’s conversation on 'Joy', exploring how cultivating joy is both a way to resource ourselves and build the resilience needed to meet the challenges of our world. Joy is often seen as being the same thing as happiness, and yet these two emotions are profoundly different; one coming from external sources, one being cultivated from within. It is not a surprise that the practice of joy is embedded into all world religions as it can become a deeply spiritual practice – as well as a beautifully infectious state to find ourselves in.In this week's conversation we dive into the meaning of joy, how it shows up in our lives; how activists across history have cultivated joy in their lives and work and what happens when we learn to practice joy as part of our daily rhythms.In this episode we reference the following:Mission: Joy – Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu (video)Habits for practising joy - ThoughtBox (PDF)Seeking Language Large Enough – David Whyte / On Being (podcast)Climate Courage Campaign – Climate Majority Project (website)Joy Over Fear – St Ebbe’s School (website)Schools of Dreams - Kimberley Oliff Cooper TEDx Talk (video)The Fun Habit - Mike Rucker (book)Glorious – MaMuse (Rachel’s current favourite joyful song) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world is feeling a very broken place right now, with all that is erupting out of the Middle East, and with continued suffering across the world. When we do engage in conversations about what is happening, we often find ourselves sidetracked into the dance of moral outrage and the opportunity for a conversation is lost. And yet simple human connection sits at the heart of all that we're yearning for - each of us carrying the innate need to be seen, to be heard and to belong. So what happens when we offer to meet those needs in others, simply by noticing their shared humanity?This week's conversation is raw, personal, honest and deeply human. With no apology. For we don't need to hide our humanity to be professional. In fact, that is perhaps the reason why so many of our institutions have become so inhumane and it also holds an invitation for how we can each start to re-humanise the landscapes we are part of.In this episode we reference the following:Most shocking second a day video - Save the Children (video)Human: A Portrait of our World - Yann Arthus-Betrand (film & photography)Immigration & Refugees curriculum -ThoughtBox (learning resource)Meeting a broken world - Rachel Musson (blogpost) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk a lot about change but living through it is something else entirely. Change is the only constant, and yet change can feel deeply uncomfortable - fearful at times - and not necessarily something that many of us openly embrace. In a world constantly talking about the need for change, systems-change and changemakers, there is a deep energy of possibility in this invitation - and a deep necessity when we realise that the current context is making us unwell - and yet which is the direction of change to follow?In this week's episode we reflect on the messy, non-linear and often uncomfortable nature of personal and systemic change. Whether that's the changing nature of relationships or the constantly shifting and changing climate; changes in culture and society to systems change and changes in our brains and bodies, we dive deep into the different ways we can embrace the uncertainty of change and find a more easeful relationship with a world in constant shift.In this episode we reference the following:Common Cause Foundation (website/organisation)The Three Horizons model - Bill Sharpe (website)Bio-leadership Fellowship (website / movement)Stories of Triple WellBeing - Rachel Musson (ebook)There are Rivers in the Sky - Elif Shafak (book)Luna Living - Kirsty Gallagher (book)Sacred Geometry (7 circles)Schools of Dreams - Kimberley Oliff Cooper (TedX talk) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've all probably experienced the feeling at some point in our lives where we're talking to someone and know that they are just pretending to listen. The feeling of disconnect that this creates within us may be subtle but it's felt. Listening is a gift - when we give our full attention, we are in presence and attentive to anything that may emerge. And yet, in many of our modern cultures, the art of listening is a dying act whilst silence is endangered species. Learning to listen to ourselves, to each other and to the wider world is a practice we can all inhabit and a hugely rich and deep way of forming seen and unseen connections with ourselves and the world.In this week's podcast, we talk about the inconvenience of listening, what it means to truly listen; why listening is so hard and what happens on a cellular level when we gift another person our full attention.In this conversation we reference the following:The Listening Project - ThoughtBox (downloadable resources)The Listening Book - Robin Ticic, Elise Kushner and Bruce Ecker (book)Listening Abyss (image and concept)Interpersonal Neurobiology - Dr Dan Siegel (website)Silence & the presence of everything - Gordon Hempton (On Being podcast)His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (book series)The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss (book) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holly is away this week, so we thought we'd re-share our very first episode of the Two Inconvenient Women podcast where we held a conversation about what it means to be "inconvenient", why talking about some of these inconveniences that get in the way of life flourishing is so important and how to 'be inconvenient' in a society that isn't set up for us to be healthy, resourced and connected. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.