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.
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58:11
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58:11
Exploring the inconvenience of joy
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.
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59:39
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59:39
Exploring the inconvenience of our humanity
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.
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1:09:47
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1:09:47
Exploring the inconvenience of change
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.
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1:02:33
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1:02:33
Exploring the inconvenience of listening
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.
In a world which can feel increasingly volatile and uncertain, join Holly and Rachel from ThoughtBox as we explore some of the inconvenient truths, possibilities and opportunities of our rapidly changing world.Each episode we’ll be diving deep into the big, tricky issues of our time, exploring what it means to be ‘inconvenient’ in our work to transform lives, communities and mindsets towards a healthier future for people and planet.To find out more about the work we do at ThoughtBox Education, visit www.thoughtboxeducation.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
UK