That 'meh' feeling isn’t gone, at least not for me. So I couldn’t help but want to share this account of Guardian writer Joel Golby trying out life coaching. Because, well, you know what I’m doing, right? [NB I am on my way to being a certified coach!]

I thought it particularly well timed after sharing my earlier musings on languishing, in this earlier Looking Forward post on how I rediscovered my flow (with a little help from a swim coach).

While there are a lot of types of coaching, Mr Golby's conclusion aligns with my experience: ‘Sometimes, all it takes is someone to nudge you in the right direction.’ I’ll add: it works for individuals and for businesses.

Go on, give it a try!

I’ve been mulling over a project called ‘We need a new word’ for just about four years now. So one day, when I came across an article about positive lexicography, I jumped on it and ended up reaching out to the author and professor Dr Tim Lomas. After lightly pursuing him on LinkedIn, he kindly agreed to be a guest on the podcast. Dr Lomas is a researcher on wellbeing, a lecturer in positive psychology and used to be in a ska band in London. For a few years, he has been exploring what he calls ‘untranslatable words’ that can help us expand our understanding of wellbeing, an approach which he considers both universal and inclusive. We also chat about the importance of balance and harmony, what eudaimonia means and lots more. Enjoy!

Fascinating essay, whose title will no doubt grab your attention as it grabbed mine: is Facebook the tobacco industry of the 21st century? Message me to discuss!

I haven’t watched ‘IT’ yet, the show of the season, the biggest ever hit on Netflix. But I’ve seen the references pop up everywhere. If you are like me, you probably want to get the goods without watching the South Korean TV series. I’m sure it’s amazing, it just looks so creepy... Anyways, thanks to Vogue Business, here’s a quick take on whether fashion houses should play with Squid Game.

I do a great job of dodging newsletters. I subscribe, then every morning, I enjoy a session of swiping left on my iPhone before I get a nice and clean inbox. Occasionally, an email slips through, and I read it. That’s how I got to this excellent article about sustainable self-care. Sure, we’ve been talking about this throughout the last fews months, but the writer argues most of us miss the point: it’s not a quick fix, it’s not self-indulgence. It can also feel annoying because, like other important things like social justice and our own inner journey, ‘Authentic self-care isn’t a quick fix and wellness doesn’t happen overnight.’ Developing a healthy lifestyle can suck, as does self-discipline. It feels good to acknowledge, as does the fact we sometimes need a community to support us as we tackle this essential task. A great read, adapted from the book ‘Sit down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World’ by Shelly Tygielski.

I regularly listen to Ten Percent Happier, the mindfulness podcast by ABC news anchor Dan Harris. I couldn’t resist the tantalising title of this new episode with guest Andreas Weber, named ‘An erotic approach to the climate crisis’. The philosopher, also author of books like ‘Matter & Desire: An Erotic Ecology’ makes clever points about the importance of relating to the world around us through sensuality (aka our senses), and argues that a greater intimacy with nature will foster a love relationship between us and the environment. One that could help us curb climate change. Dan Harris shows his skills as an interviewer, making this fascinating philosophical stance far easier to understand. I enjoyed it!

Tell me, are you like me and have you taken an online course recently? Was it good? bad? or maybe transformational?
If the last word sounds intriguing, let me ask you this: have you ever heard the words ‘transformational online courses'?

Well, look no further, my latest guest on the podcast is going to answer that for you (or rather, for us!). Andrew Barry is an online teacher extraordinaire, even known as 'the course guy'. I was lucky to meet him earlier this year when he lead a cohort of 150 of us in an intense learning program called ODCC, aka On Deck Course Creators.

Andrew has been formulating meaningful training for companies via his own, Curious Lion, and he has perfected the online teaching process after going through a few transformations of his own. We talk about curiosity, discovery, joy, and the importance of finding meaning in the learning process to engage students. Andrew offers a lot of thoughtful reflection on learning in general, which I believe everyone who listens will benefit from. Enjoy!

I was standing with a sea of tourists at Mykonos port, waiting to be herded onto a gigantic ferry, in boiling heat of the midday sun, when I listened to this interview by Tim Ferriss of writer Anne Lamott.
That morning, I’d managed to injure my left calf while attempting to catch a ball (read playing tennis), so I was also limping while pushing my suitcases around. You’ll agree that these are not optimal conditions for any listening experience, yet I fell in love with Anne Lamott right then and there while breathing in the ferry fumes.

Did you know Vogue Scandinavia’s first Issue was published this August? I almost missed it but thanks to their choice of a cover star, which made the headlines outside the region. Both bold (the climate activist doesn’t believe in new clothes) and smart (she is a powerful visionary after all, already nominated for the Nobel Prize three years in a row!) I applaud this first Vogue cover of Greta Thunberg. It is sold only online (whether in print or digital) in limited quantities, due to the desire to be sustainable. The new glossy is the 27th edition of Vogue and is published in English ‘to communicate freely between the 5 nations of the Nordic regions’.

I felt really lucky when a friend shared this article with me. The headline and feature image grabbed me: ‘Climate reporter burns out’ I’d never heard of Emily Atkin, a prominent climate journalist in the US, author, founder of Heated and contributor to MSNBC. Her story is short, powerful, and essential, full of parallels to the subject she covers:

‘The rationale I’ve used to burn myself out is the same rationale the fossil fuel industry uses to burn up the planet. Downplaying and denying the pain extraction brings. Overplaying the ability to heal from its wounds. Saying I’ll lose everything without endless growth.’

It happens to be the second article I read this week about burnout, specifically about a writer’s burnout. Both articles are really worth your time, and both publications are worth subscribing to.

Every - the Long Conversation
Heated.World