Journeying

Second solo podcast with Dr. Dee Duffy ... musings from the month of January 2021 and Lockdown 3:0. 

Topics discussed include: 

• A continuing proposition for integrating a Human Hibernation in January 
• The possibility that humans once hibernated!
• Struggling to beat my own circadian rhythm this month 
• Why do we accept ideas such as 'Seasonal Affective Disorder'? 
• Home-schooling developments in my own home ...
• Are 8 years old too young to start cooking their own breakfast?? 
• My discontent with our new home guest ... Amazon's Alexa - a helpful home gadget, or an archaic, antiquated handmaid?! 

Ideas mentioned:

• Can People Hibernate? on NewsTalk's Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea and Professor Kelly Drew from the University of Alaska: https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/futureproof-with-jonathan-mccrea/can-people-hibernate-2
• Weaving Wellness and Fiona Forman on the Journeying podcast, Episode #20: https://bit.ly/38UcmVi

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This week’s chat is a very personal and very real, maybe even surreal story, of one man’s efforts to turn his life around. A series of events led Ger Redmond into a life of criminal activity. It was not his first choice. At the age of 16, he was on a very different life trajectory, forging a professional soccer career in the UK.  However, his father’s actions led Ger to leave his dream behind him, and instead take up the role as head of the household when his father was sent to prison. As so often happens, after years of crime, Ger followed his father’s footsteps and was sent to prison himself, leaving behind his own young family. 

 The intergenerational transmission of crime is well researched with one recent UK report stating that 65% of sons of prisoners end up in the criminal justice system themselves. Ger tells how he became aware, partially through attending counselling, that he was treating his kids and family as he had been treated. And he knew it was down to him, and only him, to break the cycle. This is not easy, and it takes strength of character to break away from old patterns and habits. 

 Not only did Ger go on the straight and narrow, but he found an outlet to channel his energies in a healthier way – he took up triathlon racing and became a pro-triathlete. He was determined to make his family proud of him and give his children a father they could look up to and be proud of. 

 Ger is now a highly regarded coach in Dublin training many athletes to achieve their personal goals. I would highly recommend listeners to take a look at his website, gerredmond.com to check out all his achievements to date. The website also highlights the community talks Ger offers to youth centres, schools, and prisons, sharing his story to show vulnerable young adults that there is another route in life. I think Ger’s story is one that needs to be shared widely to protect another at-risk generation from falling through the cracks. 

Topics discussed include:

• Scouted at 16 years of age to play soccer with Falkirk - living the dream 
• An unfortunate turn of events forced Ger to return home to take care of his family 
• Generational patterns of abuse & neglect
• "Manning up" - what does that mean?
• Embarking on a life of criminal gang activity and recreational drug use
• The stark realities of serving  a 2-year prison sentence 
• Pivotal life moment when his friend overdosed on drugs, leaving his son fatherless 
• Counseling helped him to work through all his weaknesses to make him a stronger person 
• Hurdles to move out of criminal lifestyle into a mainstream job 
• Believes if you change and persist, over time, people's perception of you can change too 
• Becoming a pro-athlete - completing an Iron Man in 9hrs 26mins, in spite of all the doubters!
• Giving back - talks in schools and prisons to show people it is possible to take another path
• Seeking sponsorship to support his community development work, talks and training 

Mentions:

Ger Redmond website: https://gerredmond.com/
RTE Hell Week: https://presspack.rte.ie/2019/04/18/special-forces-ultimate-hell-week-new-series/

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Visit the Journeyin

My guest today is entrepreneur Sheelin Conlon of The Kind Ethical Lifestyle Store. I was an admirer of The Kind brand before realising it was the lovely Sheelin behind this new sustainability store. We had shared an office in a previous life, both starting on a Ph.D. doctoral research journey over a decade ago. Our paths diverted as Sheelin chose a creative direction into digital advertising before going the entrepreneurial route, setting up The Kind in 2018.  I was so keen to chat with her and hear how the store came to be. She was so busy before Christmas that we had to postpone our chat, but I am so glad to share her story here today. I believe there will be a need for people to create their own business opportunities and revive the retail scene in the coming years. Both on account of COVID-19, and the need to build more sustainable and ethical alternatives. And so I was grateful that Sheelin was willing to share the highs and the lows of starting out in business. She shares honest and practical advice that may well encourage any aspiring entrepreneurs listening in, to take the brave next step and just go for it! 

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Female Entrepreneurship
• Pivoting in business - listening to your consumer's needs and wants
• The practicalities of investing in your business idea
• The necessity of Instagram and other social media tools for online retail - substitute for the in-store experience and personal relationship with customers 
• Personal Branding 
• The perils of shelving in retail! 
• Storytelling - sharing 'behind the scenes' in retail - gives personality to the brand 
• Customer feedback & reviews are key
• Finding 'the right' business -  a series of ideas before The Kind came to be
• The pitfalls of an entrepreneur
• 'Search Inside Yourself' 
• Asking yourself, 'What is my passion?' 
• Local Enterprise Office supports and mentors 
• Offering mentorship to aspiring entrepreneurs 
• Growth Mindset and The Entrepreneur 
• Virtual Workshops & Events: building The Kind community 
• "Career satisfaction doesn't come from what you do, it comes from who you get to be when you do it" 

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Search Inside Yourself: https://siyli.org/about
Local Enterprise Office: https://www.localenterprise.ie/Discover-Business-Supports/Training-Programmes/
Tony Robbins: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/

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Today's episode is for all those parents out there who are looking for tips & tools to survive Lockdown 3.0!
My guest is Fiona Forman, a Well-Being and Positive Psychology facilitator and trainer with an M. Sc. in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP). She is an author and a primary school teacher with over 30 years of classroom experience.  She reassuringly advises us to practice self-compassion and to trust our own instincts with our children. I took comfort from her advice in this chat and I hope you do too!

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Coping in Lockdown 3.0
• Parents should not feel they are substituting their child's teacher 
• Prioritise children's emotional wellbeing over academic curriculum 
• Irish Education Department specifically requested a focus on Emotional Wellbeing this year
• Supporting children's emotional wellbeing sets the foundation for their learning and development 
• The 'community' of school life 
• Need a holistic view of education
• "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire" WB Yeats  
• Real learning does not necessarily come from a textbook 
• Child-led play and learning is invaluable to their own growth 
• Trust your own instinct with your child
• How can parents ensure they are mindfully supporting their child's emotional wellbeing?
• The power of listening, without offering advice!
• Micro-moments of positivity 
• The Positivity Ratio 
• Negativity Bias 
• Building resiliency 
• Ann Masten's "Ordinary Magic" and children's resilience 
• Family meetings & involving the child
• 15-minute slots of full connection and presence with your child in the day
• Parents need to practise self-compassion and prioritise their own wellbeing! 
• 'Connection not Content' 

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Fiona Forman's Weaving Wellbeing Programme:  https://weavingwellbeing.com/

Fiona Forman's Resources: https://fionaformanwellbeing.com/

'Ordinary Magic' by Ann Masten:
https://www.guilford.com/books/Ordinary-Magic/Ann-Masten/9781462523719/reviews

Glennon Doyle: https://momastery.com/

Dr Kristen Neff and Self-compassion: https://self-compassion.org/

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Welcome to my first "solocast"!

I pushed myself out of my comfort zone for this one, and drew on my old Ph.D. mantra to resist a tendency toward procrastination ... "Just Do It!"

Musings include: 

• Goal-setting versus Taking a Break!
• Weak versus Rest
• 'Human Hibernation'
• Generational behaviour traits in my family 
• An Irish stampede for a 2021 paperback diary?! 

I would love to hear any feedback on this episode or indeed any others. And also if you have any suggestions for suitable guests in 2021, please do get in touch:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdeeduffy/
Email: [email protected]

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This is a very special and personal conversation, and I feel very honoured to be able to share my guest’s story with you this week. I knew I wanted to do a podcast around the rising popularity of sea-swimming before 2020 came to a close. I just wasn’t sure how I would like to cover it, or who I would like to talk to. As with most things this year, I’ve been learning to trust the universe and allow things to happen as they are meant to. And sure enough, through a series of serendipitous events, I crossed paths with today’s guest. Annmargaret Nolan is a lecturer, Mindfulness & Positive Psychology therapist, Leadership Coach, and more recently, a daily sea swimmer! 

We are now both part of a sea-swimming group in our local community. I had noticed Annmargaret was swimming at least once a day, if not twice. I was intrigued by how committed she was – especially as she is in a similar boat to myself, juggling work and young kids. Eventually, she shared with us that she had made a quiet commitment to herself to swim for 100 consecutive days. I really admired her subtle dedication. And I was delighted to be one of a tribe of brave, strong women from our community who came out on possibly the iciest cold December morning of this month so far to support her 100th day of sea-swimming. One woman’s quiet promise culminated in a joyous, community-oriented occasion that also raised over €3.5k for Focus Ireland.  

But I still was curious to know what drove Annmargaret to be so committed to her personal goal. And I am so pleased that she was willing to share her story here with me. I believe Annmargaret’s motivation to share her story is to help normalise these conversations for us all and accept that these thoughts are ok. That 'it’s ok not to feel ok'. We just need to learn the language to ask for help. I hope this episode does take another step toward normalising tough conversations around loss, grief and finding help. And a deeply sincere thank you to Annmargaret for her honesty and bravery. 

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Loss and allowing time to grieve
• Suicide ideation - normalising the understanding that 'it's ok not to be ok'
• Committed action
• Suffering and forming deeper connection 
• The tyranny of positivity - need to embrace our dark shadow side also
• Building strength and resilience through sea-swimming
• Embodiment, and self-care in the act of sea swimming
• Motherhood and unhealthy perfectionism - seeking approval externally
• 100 days consecutive sea-swimming - a quiet promise to herself
• A relaxed mind is a creative mind
• Her impromptu sea-swimming fundraiser raised €3.5k for Focus Ireland
• The importance of listening when someone expresses suicidal thought
• "where there's great love, there's great longing" 

SOME RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Charlie Mackesy's book: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse': https://www.kennys.ie/bestsellers/the-boy-the-mole-the-fox-and-the-horse-1
Susan David - Emotional Agility: https://www.susandavid.com/new-index
Dr Brendan Kelly, Psychiatrist: https://www.tcd.ie/medicine/staff/KELLYB19
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This week I chat with filmmaker Gerry Nelson about his new documentary about Cork’s hurling legend Christy Ring. I would be lying if I was to say I have a deep affinity to Cork hurling, and to the legend that is Christy Ring. I have nothing against him either, or Cork hurling. But what I am interested in, is the history of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and how this mighty sporting institution weaves its way into the lives and communities of almost every parish on the island of Ireland. And that is how I crossed paths with Gerry earlier in the year – when he was carrying out research for this documentary. 

I love Gerry’s energy and enthusiasm for his art – the art of filmmaking. And I was curious to learn more about how to weave a story through the medium of film. From our chats I realised that I never really appreciated the thousands of hours of research and unseen work that goes on behind the scenes of say a 1hr documentary. I really have to say hats off to all those involved. And I am very much looking forward to seeing the final edit on RTE TV in a couple of weeks (Thursday 17th December).  

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Narrative Arcs & Storytelling
• Graham Norton's interviewing skills
• Limited career options in 1980s Ireland
• Discuss the merits of learning their skill on the job, versus a university degree
• The art of editing - team's creative effort
• The evolution of stories, from cavemen times to fireside storytelling 
• The documentary 'makes itself' after a point - the director 'impels' things to happen
• Every great story has the human emotional element
• Developing the compelling story around GAA hurling hero, Christy Ring
• Embedding your storyline in the era it occurred 
• The story of Christy Ring, an ordinary guy that did an extraordinary thing 
• The Game: The Story of Hurling 4-part documentary (2018-19)
• The female voice in his GAA documentaries
• New documentary on Christy Ring out on Thursday 17th December 2020 

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

About Christy Ring documentary: https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40072805.html

More about Gerry Nelson: https://www.gerrynelson.com/selected-scenes

Cross the Line Productions and The Game: The Story of Hurling:
http://ctlfilms.com/recent-production/2019/6/7/the-game-the-story-of-hurling.html

Len Gaynor autobiography:
https://www.omahonys.ie/chiselled-from-ash-an-autobiography-p-10484240.html

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This week on the Journeying podcast I chat with Eamonn Toland about his debut book, The Pursuit of Kindness. In it, Eamonn argues that there is compelling evidence from evolutionary biology, psychology and archaeology that for 95% of the time that sapiens have walked the earth, Survival of the Fittest for our species has meant survival of the kindest.

This is a really interesting argument, one that gives a narrative to the possibility of us returning to a way of life where we could once again collaborate together and show kindness to one another.

While this book is 30-years in the making (as Eamonn had the idea to write it when he was a student of Modern History & Economics at the University of Oxford 30 yrs ago!), I thought it couldn't have arrived at a more opportune time. Just this week here in Ireland we saw an overwhelming outpouring of kindness and generosity on our beloved The Late Late Toy Show where the nation donated €5.2 million EURO in the space of 2 hours to help children in need. We know we have the capacity for kindness, maybe this book will give us reassuring historical and evolutionary evidence that it is also our more natural default!

TOPICS DISCUSSED: 

• A 30-year journey to write this book 
• Argues human beings are not inherently selfish and predisposed to acts of violence, but actually, we had an incentive to COLLABORATE and BE KIND. 
• Puppetry experiments with infants show their innate attraction to the 'good' puppets
• Toolkit of hunter-gathers - to be kind and collaborate 
• The Trolley Problem test by Joshua Green - moral dilemmas and calculation
• The Fertile Crescent, human settlement and agriculture development
• Warfare and violence increases as human beings settle in territories 
• Patriarchy as mechanism to enforce Kin Altruism - a story we tell ourselves for societal organization 
• Evolved our conscience over thousands of years 
• Cognitive Dissonance 
• The Tragedy of Capitalism 
• Justification of slavery in the US to persuade the moral conscience 
• The Irony of Thomas Jefferson, (the "Apostle of Liberty") and his 400 slaves 
• Use cognitive bias to persuade ourselves we are good
• Who voted the Nazis into power?  Instilling the fearful story of immigrants - a similar anti-immigrant narrative spun during Brexit campaign in UK 
• Minority groups tend to support efforts for social change 
• The Hunger Plan and the Nazis 
• Dehumanizing other individuals allows us to commit atrocities 
• Rejecting other group's narratives - dangerous dynamic
• US Republican versus Democrats: polarizing viewpoints is dangerous for society
• Need to accept other's points of view, find a compromise to live together 
• Need for Self-Awareness 
• Need to move from Passion, to Compassion 

 
SOURCES MENTIONED:

The Pursuit of Kindness website: http://thepursuitofkindness.org/

The Pursuit of Kindness book at Liberties Press: https://libertiespress.com/product/the-pursuit-of-kindness/
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My guest this week, Dr Caroline Sheedy, researches gender inequalities in the area of technology workplaces . Caroline is a recipient of the very prestigious Fulbright Tech Impact Scholarship, and is also a member of INGENICS, The Irish Network for Gender Equality in Computing. 

 Caroline talks about the importance of creating inclusive, supportive workspaces for all members of society, including our young men. And that we need to reimagine our overall work-life-caring roles for the benefit of everyone’s wellbeing, as oppose to viewing ourselves always in a productive manner, here solely to serve a workforce.

As we conclude in our chat today, this is a conversation of many conversations that need to persist until we all find a healthier solution to toxic workspaces and unbalanced work lives. 

TOPICS DISCUSSED: 

• Caroline’s motivation to study STEM subjects as a young girl –engaging teachers who encouraged girl’s participation in STEM 
•  Recognises a distinct minority of female lecturers in STEM subjects 
•  The Art of Cryptography! 
• The trajectory of women in technology & the importance of social inclusion 
• “You can’t be, what you can’t see” applies to women working within the tech industry
• Sense of Belonging so important in the workplace
• ‘The right to reply’ 
• Technochauvinism / “Hi-tech is Guy-tech” 
• Universal Design in Technology 
• Technology facilitating social connection
• Unconscious Bias 
• Fertility – women putting off starting families due to precarious working conditions 
• Women carrying the carer’s burden in society
• Lack of adequate, affordable childcare the major factor in carers dropping out of full-time workforce
• Failing future generations by not providing them adequate and equal early education opportunities 
• All caring professions need to be valued more in our society 
• We need to invest more in our own wellbeing, rather than serving the workforce 
• The pace of change in tech – rapidly changes our pace of social change 

SOURCES MENTIONED:
Fulbright Irish Scholar Awards: https://www.fulbright.ie/going-to-the-usa/fulbright-irish-scholar-awards/
Code: Debugging the Gender Gap movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code:_Debugging_the_Gender_Gap
Work Equal - a campaign to raise awareness of workplace gender inequalities and related issues: https://workequal.ie/
Dr Mary L. Gray, (MacArthur Fellow) Anthropologist & Media Scholar: https://www.macfound.org/fellows/1061/
Prof Nicola Ingram: https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/nicola-ingram
Dr Theresa O'Keefe (UCC) research on gender inequality and precarious work situations in academia as referenced in The Journal.ie : https://www.thejournal.ie/academic-uncertainty-pt2-5265743-Nov2020/
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

•  Growing up in a sport-oriented family – fosters interest and commitment
•  The GAA – bringing communities together particularly now, in lockdown 
•  Limited structure and systems in place to facilitate women continuing in sport at a range of levels 
•  Huges pressure on teenage girls 
•  20x20 campaign: improving women’s visibility in sport but a long way to go 
•  Life transitions: Motherhood & Exercising 
•  Gender Equality & Gender Pay Gap: Women’s lost years in the workforce 
•  Working in sport: a traditionally male-dominated arena 
•  Freedom to make mistakes and accept the humanity of it 
•  Jacqui’s first book ‘Girls Play Too’ – wrote the book she wished she had growing up 
•  Book shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Girls Play Too:
https://irishacademicpress.ie/product/girls-play-too-inspiring-stories-of-irish-sportswomen/

An Post Irish Book Awards:
https://www.irishbookawards.irish/award/specsavers-childrens-book-of-the-year-senior-2020/

20x20 If She Can't See It, She Can't Be It Campaign:
https://20x20.ie/

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