Another Great Mistake

Disability. A complex topic, but we could see it coming as Maks and his developmental delay with autism is a part of our everyday life.

Many of our friends have asked us, "What's it like to have a disabled child?" or "Will Maks ever be independent? And to be honest, I - Klaudia - am not surprised because I wasn't very familiar with disability, and I had to learn how to act and behave around Maks. Ekhm... I'm still learning! Why do I think it had to learn so late? Cause I was born in times, and a country where disabled children were sent to different schools. There were no facilities in mainstream schools for disabled children! So I wasn't exposed and used to this.

Maybe.

One thing we both know now is that we can't worry about Maks' future all the time. Concentrating on loving Maks and trying to live a little more in his world is better.

Listen to the full episode for more. Niko got quite emotional!

As always, we love you!

Niko &Klaudia

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Books mentioned:

The A Word: Heartfelt Journey through Autism, written from a father's perspective.

https://www.amazon.com/Word-Heartfelt-journey-through-perspective-ebook/dp/B09K5X99HK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DB7REE8TU27R&keywords=niko+sadlowski&qid=1686640274&s=digital-text&sprefix=niko+sadlowski%2Cdigital-text%2C157&sr=1-1

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258

Today's episode will be different. Instead of focusing on one topic, we are talking about the interesting, fascinating and touching things we've come across over the past few days. 

As you can see, there are many topics, and the only glue between them is us - Niko and Klaudia!

As always, we love you!

Niko & Klaudia

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258

Today's episode begins with the theme of jealousy and envy. Two much-scrutinised emotions that have no place in the human heart and are seen as something to be ashamed of. To the point where we have started using the word "positive" to ensure people know they don't mean bad!

Are they? Let's start with the difference between the two. Many of us don't even know that these two words are not the same! The problem begins with the fact that both terms are interchangeable in English! Semantics is at the core of expressing and explaining most of our emotions, so we invite you to develop an understanding of them by starting with jealousy and envy.

As usual, we will detour to other topics. Starting with the solution to "negative" envy and jealousy is a feeling of having enough and being enough for yourself and the people around you. Then we move on to communication in romantic relationships and briefly discuss how we do it.

As always, we love you!

With kindness,

Niko and Klaudia

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Books mentioned in the episode:

"Atlas of the Heart" by Brené Brown

Research mentioned:

"'I'm not envious, I'm just jealous!': On the Difference Between Envy and Jealousy"

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258

Finding a source of joy and passion is a short journey for some. You pick something, do it, fall in love, and keep going. For others, it is a trial by fire. You try repeatedly, have a bit of fun or no fun at all. Then, you wake up one day at 40 and still don't know what to put in the hobby section of your CV or dating profile. Is it OK to say, "My hobby is finding sources of joy"?

We wonder why having one or two hobbies has been a social requirement for years. Is it a generational issue?

In this episode, we discuss our relationship with finding passions and how the person closest to you can change your perspective on the whole issue. From "You're inconsistent. You never stick to anything. You're a flash in the pan" to "Go for it if you like it - great! If you don't - move on".

We end with an invitation to be curious, to search for something to tickle your tickle. We encourage our children to try new things, but when we grow up, we don't allow ourselves to explore. What about creating a hobby library for adults?

With kindness,

Niko and Klaudia

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258

Back after a short break! The pause was caused by... a literal break! Klaudia broke two bones in her right leg and ended up with an operation and a week in hospital.

Today's episode is about struggle, split-second situations and involuntary loss of control. Giving up control of your body to pain, discomfort and work time is hard. Unfortunately, there's no rush to recovery, no quick fixes.

And yet the whole world is used to quick fixes. In medicine, physical activity, in technology, in logistics. And don't get us wrong, how technology has changed our lives is amazing. Look at Klaudia's leg! One week after surgery, she had no cast and could walk with crutches! But there are no quick fixes for things like losing weight, building muscle, or healing your soul or body. It's not Amazon Prime. And as much as waiting can be frustrating and depressing, part of the drill is building a habit.

We wanted to end with two pieces of advice. First, cherish every moment of your life because shitty and beautiful moments can happen in the blink of an eye. Secondly, get some bloody accident insurance!

With kindness,

Niko and Klaudia

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258

This episode is about self-awareness, using the power of communication and, ultimately, our insignificance in the universe.

We're just a speck on our own planet, not to mention the whole universe. Yet many of us deny the likelihood that there are forms of life that are better than us, more skilled, more intelligent, and more sophisticated ways of expressing our thoughts.

And yes, as creatures living on our planet, we are incredibly fortunate to have many ways to communicate. Words (so many words), music, vibrations, non-verbal cues. Yet so many of us are unable to name more than four emotions! Lack of time to stop and observe, especially inwardly, makes us coexist with our guilt, disappointment, shame, envy, wonder and need to belong, utterly unaware of their existence.

Our amazing friends said, "People who are aware hurt more but deal with it differently than people who are not aware". And it is true, being aware makes you more vulnerable, makes you feel more, and so creates opportunity upon the opportunity for healing, change, and understanding who you are. Without it, all the pain, suffering, joy, and happiness will remain undiscovered and dormant in the depths of your beautiful heart and capable mind.

So yes... read more, write more, use pen and paper, stop more often, talk to yourself and leave some space for the possibility that we're just dust.

As always, we love you!

With kindness,

Niko and Klaudia

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Books mentioned:

"Atlas of the Heart" - Brené Brown - a book about emotions

"Myth of Normal" - Daniel Maté and Gabor Maté - a book about trauma

Other mentioned:

"Stoned Ape Theory” by Terrence McKenna and Dennis McKenna

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258

The work-life balance trend is not new. The first baby boomers in the 70s wanted to balance work, family and other aspects of their lives. The movement took off when the millennials (that's us!!!) decided that the right way to lead their lives was to build their work around their lifestyle. Today, 56% of people would accept a lower salary in exchange for a better work-life balance. People opt for hybrid working and flexible hours and are willing to change the jobs they love to stay at home instead of commuting to the office across town. I'm guessing, but maybe that's the only thing we can thank COVID for.

So what if we change the story? What if we could revolutionise the trend and start using the term "work-life balance"?

Dive into the serious discussion about the dreamy idea and how to make it happen. Is the change possible? Can we change the private sector to encourage caring for people's well-being, mental health and their lives at home? Again, our favourite questions of "why?" and "how?" help us to design the idea.

You might be surprised to hear that we have actually found a way!

As always, we love you!

With kindness,

Niko and Klaudia

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258

"Middle age" is a concept in our minds, but the truth is the average UK life expectancy is 81.7. However, many physical effects of ageing can start just before age 40, such as arthritis, high blood pressure and, in women, the slow onset of menopause. We can feel our bodies handling tiredness, stress and pain differently.

The magical yet sombre conversation with the man in the sauna changed Klaudia's view of the importance of finding time to live, enjoy, be courageous, and be prepared to fail. Now we want you to hear it. If there's one thing that can encourage you to change your mind, whatever your age, it's the words of that brave, suffering older man in the sauna.

Listen to find out!

And don't forget, while you're doing your best to stay active, close to your community and stimulate your brain, you're in control! Ageing is about what your body gives you and what you give to it.

As always, we love you!

With kindness,

Niko and Klaudia

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258

Today's episode is a little late. We recorded it last week, and the recording was unusable due to a technical error. So, first of all, our apologies!

So what are we on about today? Do you regularly check your feelings for your significant other? Recently, Niko surprised Klaudia by saying he is checking with himself whether he loves her most in the morning when he first sees her during the day. This led to a larger conversation about the 'love check' mechanism and how we express surprise, semantics, and what's generally accepted.

We discuss whether it is possible to change how we respond to the behaviour of neurodivergent people and their way of perceiving the world and expressing emotions and how to achieve this.

Do you check in with yourself to see how strong your love is for your partner? And what do you think about the changes? Can we transform how we talk about things which are unknown to us and surprising?

As always, we love you!

With kindness,

Niko and Klaudia

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected]

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

If you would prefer not to speak but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258