The noise we encounter can significantly impact how we perceive the world and what we believe about it. This can be multiplied tenfold for sensitive types who naturally absorb and respond to subtle environmental shifts and sensory disturbances. So, how do we learn to acknowledge and address the noise that can otherwise derail and distract us? I explore that question in this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, which follows from last week's exploration of personal sound and the...

We can lose connection with our "sound" if we experience over-empathy, people-pleasing, and an "I'm OK if you're OK" filter. This can happen if the nervous system learns to perceive danger and safety by taking responsibility for the well-being and reactions of people (and things) it can't control. Our creative spirit gets stifled when these patterns settle into our systems. It gets harder to locate our preferences, opinions, and desires. And choices become filtered through their...

Where does your mind go when you read the phrase, "The money changed everything"? In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I want to share points from our recent Haven discussion when we used this prompt to chat and play. Where did the money come from? What difference did it make? Before our gathering, I stumbled on an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents called "Reward to Finder". The story is about Carl, who finds some money in a gutter on his way home from...

Adam Grant explores how our practice can lead to boreout in Hidden Potential. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I dive into this idea and reflect on the role of playfulness in maintaining our motivation with the things that matter most. We consider the distinctions between burnout and boreout and delve into the contrast between obsession and passion. I ask how the demands and pace of hustle culture might lead to chronic boredom. We look at why we need not stress about...

Humour is a VERY important sense. Without it, we risk taking ourselves so seriously that we lose all perspective. Our sense of humour is a core part of gentleness (firm back, soft front) because it allows us to move through the world with greater flexibility and openness. We all have this sense! But it takes practice to remain humourously sensitised to the world around, within, and between us. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I share a Haven Courtyard...

Life coaching can be shrouded in confusion. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I chat with Megan Malone, delving into the joys and challenges of coaching. Together, we dissect why some view it sceptically and explore avenues for life coaches to reverse the negative trends and misconceptions. Megan is an International Coach Federation (ICF) certified coach and has a Master's in Organisational Development. She sheds clear light on the nature of coaching and what to...

After experiencing challenges with panic attacks, Aaron Espe figured out how to build a career that works for him. Aaron is currently a full-time songwriter based in Nashville Tennessee. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I chat with Aaron about songwriting, creativity, and adapting to creative adversity. I first heard his music in 2012 when I was presenting the music podcast, Lost on Radio. Aaron was our artist of the week with his track, Hanging By a Thread. I felt...

We're at the start of a new year. A time when many are thinking about projects, habits, and changes they want to focus on next. Whenever we seek advice on making a change, we're never far from a coach willing to help. But coaching has become a confusing and mysterious mixed bag. So I thought it might help to share some potential red flags to look out for if you're considering it this year. Growing Awareness of Bad Coaching Practices Have you noticed that everyone...

I’ve always felt uneasy about the use of "superpower" to describe high sensitivity. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, Scott Barry Kaufman and I talk about recent research indicating a shift in cultural frames around sensory processing sensitivity and potential issues with portraying high sensitivity as a superpower. Sensitivity is a "Beautiful and Complex Trait" Rather than being a “superpower”, Scott points out, sensory processing sensitivity is a...

While it's not a "Christmas Song", I felt compelled to release Still Time during the festive season because there's just something about it. My friend Peter seems to agree: "Big-hearted and tender loveliness for a December evening (and probably other months and times of day too, but this feels like a particularly good time for it)". So this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast is (not) a festive bonus. When asked what they would do if tomorrow were their last day...

In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I sit down with artist Ben Cowan who kindly invited me into his kitchen for a chat about "Art That Makes You Think". Through his visual satire, Ben adds dark and comedic twists to many of the familiar logos, brands, and packaging that have become part of our cultural furniture. I first encountered Ben earlier this year at the Spark-Ignite symposium at the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington. He appeared on a panel called "Creativity...

After turning a building due for demolition into a creative community space in the centre of Coventry, Alan Denyer had an epiphany. People aren't actually all that boring. He's a changed man. And a delightful guy! It was a joy to spend an hour chatting about the importance of accessible spaces for creativity and art in any community. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, you will hear my conversation with Alan, which we recorded in the Long Gallery of the LTB Showrooms in...

How do you respond when things don't turn out as you hoped they would? It was lovely to pause for a chat with my friend, Cameron Airen recently. It had been a while since our previous recorded conversation (back in 2018). A lot has changed for all of us since then! Cam is no exception. On this weeks episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we discuss what happens when things don't turn out as hoped. We explore areas of work/business, relationships, and hobbies. How do we not take it...

In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, Dorcas Cheng-Tozen joins me to discuss her book, Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul. What draws highly sensitive people towards it, and how can we navigate and engage with the issues without burning out? I was particularly interested in considering how sensitive nervous systems are attuned to the needs of a community as a core response to the biological imperative for personal survival. Humans are not wired to connect with and care...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed and confused by the unending conveyor belt of new labels and training programs professing to be the missing piece in the puzzle of your life? We are sold the latest systems and interventions requiring expert knowledge. We throw our money at solutions with no fixed destination and a never-ending supply of potential new up-sells and add-ons. Many of us get caught in personal development cycles, seeking the next thing that promises to help us get...

Rest is who we are beneath the noise. It is a sensing silence that sits beneath the pressure to maintain perceptions, manage expectations, and ceaselessly strive to be, do, and have more. And it can be hard to come by in our loud and fast-paced world. In this week's episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I share a conversation with Rashid Hughes who I discovered via The Compassion Revolution. Rashid seeks to bridge the worlds of contemplative practice and collective care. I was...

When navigating a season or environment of change, we need things we can trust. But what does it mean to trust someone or something? Where does it come from? The word derives from the root "Deru" (firm, solid, steadfast), the same etymological foundation as the word tree. It brings an image of strength through flexibility, adaptability, and dependability to meet the moment's needs. A tree is anchored in place by its roots. It starts growing beneath the...

This is the third and final part of our mini-series looking at questions around the theme of change. In the first episode, we explored the signs and signals that tell us something has changed or is ready to change. Last time we thought about how to take change from a hypothetical possibility to an embodied reality. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we are thinking about maintaining motivation when we're in the messy chaos of change. You know what needs to change....

This is the second of three episodes in a mini-series looking at questions around the theme of change. Last time, we explored the signs and signals that tell us something has changed or is ready to change. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we will take the next step in helping the change happen. You can download our digital cue cards to help you navigate a season of change. If the idea of a calm and connected 60-minute call with me sounds helpful, we can focus on an...

This is the first of three episodes in a mini-series looking at questions around the theme of change. The ideas I explore have come from our Haven Theme Kota at the start of September. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we explore the signs and signals that tell us something has changed or something is ready to change. You can download our digital cue cards that will help you navigate a season of change. If the idea of a calm and connected 60-minute call with me...

What is your biggest momentum killer when it comes to making a change, launching a project, or embarking on a meaningful pursuit? If you're anything like me, it might be…a lack of celebration. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we explore the importance of celebrating success and how intrinsic it is to momentum in almost any endeavour. By success, I don't mean external rewards and appearances. I'm talking about moments of "shine" that occur in the immediate wake...

A recent Photoyoga exercise sparked a fascinating Haven discussion about taking up space in the world and how uncomfortable some of us find it at times. If you ever feel bad about "being a burden", "holding people back", or "drawing too much attention", this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast is for you. In our June Open Kota session, Tuula encouraged us to capture our inner critic with a name and photograph and to think about the story it tells us and the words it uses. I...

"When we are anchored, we have a sense of being safely held so we can venture out without becoming adrift. We are connected to a state of regulation and have room to explore the world around us." - Deb Dana In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I talk about the themes and topics we will explore on the podcast and in The Haven during Autumn 2023. Drifting Into Another Wake-Up Call I look at the clock. It's too early to be called tomorrow but too late to...

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Berthold Auerbach Music brings us home. In time, within ourselves, and in connection with other people. It gives rise to voice, dance, and healing. As Leonard Bernstein said, it can "name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.” In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I want to share some reflections after our special Haven PopUp Kota last weekend. I sat behind my piano and played some songs on...