In this episode we’ve got both of the Waller sisters on the show at the same time talking about relationship patterns. As identical twin sisters Philippa and Penelope Waller  know a lot about understanding the self through relationship. And the truth is that whether we or not we are a twins, in a romantic partnership, or on only child, we are always in relationship. And always have been. We are shaped by the relationships we are in because we do not live in a bubble. We exist within two contexts, the environment and our shared culture. Today’s episode consider how the people in our lives and the relational patterns we form with them are constantly shaping who we are and who we will become. To quote Jacob Moreno, one of the 20th century’s foremost advocates of human interaction defined his fellow human beings as the following: “Man is a relational being.”

In this episode Philippa Waller is talking with Anna Melville-James about portfolio identity, or rather the ‘what do you do’ question.

Anna Melville-James has been a travel writer for 20 years, writing and editing on national papers and magazines. She also helped to set up the Daily Mail’s first ever travel website in 2001. These days she is also...a podcaster on women in business, a journalist with particular interest in later life, environmental issues and the English countryside, a copywriter for luxury brands and a professional face painter. Just to make things *really* confusing when she tries to explain what she does for a living. 

The question “What do you do?” has basically become synonymous with “Who are you?”  And it can be helpful way of quickly giving others a snapshot of who we are and what we do. But there’s also a dark side to introducing ourselves with this kind of shorthand: because labels can  lead to stereotypes. 

In this episode Katie Churchman talks with Danny Hill (aka The Monk on a Motorbike) about meditation and mindfulness. Danny is a meditation teacher and mindfulness and happiness coach who is helping people around the planet make sense of meditation.

Danny is a passionate advocate of mindfulness as a powerful yet simple and accessible tool for personal transformation. He is keen to explain this is a straightforward holistic practice that brings greater awareness to every aspect of our lives and with it a sense of calm and joy.

A former Buddhist monk, he has spent long periods on silent, intensive meditation retreats in Asia and the UK and has been practicing meditation since 1995.

Danny Hill lives in London, loves to get around on his motorbike, and is known to his friends and students as the ‘Monk on a Motorbike’. He also hosts a podcast of the same name.

Website link: https://monkonamotorbike.com/

In episode 14, Katie Churchman and Philippa Waller explore our shadow selves: the parts of self that we shy away from admitting and sharing with the world. This episode is all about understanding and embracing our shadow sides in order to step into a more whole and balanced way of being. Our shadow side doesn’t have to stay in the dark: it can be an asset for stepping into a much more rounded, accepting and open way of being. 

As Carl Jung writes in Psychology and Alchemy: “There is no light without shadow and no psychic wholeness without imperfection.”

In this episode, Katie Churchman and Philippa Waller continue their exploration into the stories we tell ourselves. Remember: you are not your thoughts. And you are not your stories.

We cannot determine life events – they are a given – but you are not defined by them either. The proof is that people faced with similar tragedies have often shaped themselves very different destinies. This was done through the decisions they made and the stories they created. Becoming more conscious of the stories playing out in our lives empowers us with the ability to choose our response to any given set of circumstances; to choose our life rather than undergo it helplessly. It’s the only way our future can be different from our past.

In this episode Philippa Waller and Claire Galmiche flip the fear of dying on it’s head by exploring the ways in which a fear of living can hold us back and stop us from really living the lives that we want to lead…

In this episode Katie Churchman talks with Felicity Bown about career challenge and change. Felicity is a business development manager at a large multi national. After a highly successful career at a specialised publishing firm, Felicity moved into a large corporation looking for a career change. And she’s been speedily climbing the corporate ladder ever since. However, as with all change, the career move presented its own challenges...

This episode is for anyone who has or is currently dealing with difficulties at work whether that’s due to purpose, motivation or isolation. In this episode we discuss a range of topics including:

-The ever elusive concept of work life balance 

-How to blend your passions into your work

-How to shape a positive professional persona? For both yourself and others

-And how to stretch yourself into new ways of being, in order to change your experience of work. 

In this episode Katie Churchman and Penelope Waller explore how our everyday journeys reflect the way we live our lives. Many of us live our lives rushing from A to B, so much so that we often miss the beautiful journey along the way. How can we reshape our relationships with journeys so that we can live with more purpose and meaning in the everyday? And how might we see our journeys as a destination in their own right? 

In this episode Katie and Philippa talk about becoming the author of your own life ’story.’ Life is “happening” to a lot of people. It may even be “happening” to you. And if you like what’s happening then that’s great. However, we're sure many of you reading this might not be so happy about the “happenings.” And if so you might want to consider changing the story. Because the stories you tell yourself hugely impact your experience of life. What stories are no longer serving you? And what stories would you like to be telling instead?

In this episode Philippa and Katie discuss Grace Hopper’s famous axiom:  “It’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission.” Is it really better to beg forgiveness? The advantages to acting first apologising later, are that it encourages autonomy, creativity and innovative thinking. However, it can also lead to egotistic and self-centred behaviour. In contrast, asking for permission can be limiting, slow and frustrating. Yet, it's also a behaviour that considers the wider impact of one’s actions. How can we hold this paradox and operate from both of these value sets, in order to better serve ourselves, our loved ones and our wider communities?