Peripheral Thinking

Our willingness to embrace and make space for all aspects of ourselves, both the good and the bad, can lead to greater peace and contentment in our lives. By practicing gratitude and mindfulness, we can shift our mindset and find joy in the present moment.

And the way we perceive the universe, whether as benevolent or something to fear, shapes our experiences and interactions with the world. Understanding the power of our perspectives can help us navigate life with more compassion and openness.

Ben is joined in this episode by Haemin Sunim, a Buddhist monk from South Korea. He has written several books and is known for his simple and evocative writing style. Haemin's work focuses on mindfulness, healing, and finding peace in our lives.

He combines Buddhist teachings with practical advice to help people navigate challenges and cultivate compassion and gratitude. In addition to writing, Haemin runs the School for Broken Hearts, where he invites people facing difficulties to have open-hearted conversations and learn from one another. In his discussion with Ben, he highlights the importance of embracing all aspects of ourselves and finding joy in the present moment.

• Follow Haemin on Instagram
• Haemin’s books:
• Love for Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection
• The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to be Calm in a Busy World
• When Things Don’t Go Your Way: Zen Wisdom for Difficult Times
• The School for Broken Hearts

Society is facing a crisis of masculinity, which is leading to harmful behaviour and violence towards women. Many cultures understand the need to initiate boys to men. We, in the west, have lost that understanding, that opportunity. As a consequence, are we inadvertently raising lost boys? Is it time to rediscover initiation?

This is some of Sujith's work. He is a champion of the contemporary men's movement, a space-holder for policy makers and organisational leaders across the globe, and a pioneer in the understanding and rehabilitation of masculinity in society. He is a prolific writer and wise teacher.

In this episode, Sujith and Ben explore the impact of societal conditioning on boys and how it contributes to harmful behaviour, as well as ways to facilitate conversations around masculinity to create a healthier and more respectful society for everyone.

• Connect with Sujith via LinkedIn
• The Being Leader: Tracing the 'Inner Path' of Legendary Leaders – Sujith’s book
• Mature Masculinity - Sujith's book.

Exchanging ideas too early and too often hinders innovation, but promoting absurdity in the workplace can lead to new and creative solutions. The workplace shouldn’t simply be a task-focused environment, but a place to nurture our human traits, like our capacity for absurdity.

Agustin Chevez is a workplace architect and researcher who focuses on studying work and the environments that support it. His book, The Pilgrim's Guide to the Workplace, **explores the idea of creating diversity of ideas through isolation and the importance of nurturing human traits in the workplace. He believes that workplaces should promote absurdity, embrace boredom, and encourage the exploration of ideas. Agustin's work challenges traditional notions of work and aims to create environments that foster innovation and creativity.

• Connect with Agustin via LinkedIn
• The Pilgrim’s Guide to the Workplace – Agustin’s book
• Agustin’s website

Life can take unexpected turns, inviting us to reevaluate our priorities and make difficult decisions. When that happens, it’s up to us to listen to our inner voice, and take up the challenge of living a life in alignment with our true selves.

Ray Martin is an author and former management consultant. He embarked on a journey of self-discovery after the ties in his life – including his marriage and career – were unexpectedly severed. Ray traveled extensively, living out of his backpack for 14 years, learning and reflecting on his own identity and true desires.

He eventually shared the experiences and insights gained from his transformative journey in a book, which he discusses with Ben. The book, Life Without a Tie, explores the importance of living a life true to oneself and not being bound by societal expectations. Ray's story presents an opportunity to reflect on our life and make courageous decisions that align with our authentic self.

• Life Without a Tie – Ray’s book
• Order a signed copy
• Connect with Ray via LinkedIn
• Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, by Bronnie Ware
• Ken Robinson

Embracing creativity and storytelling can help us navigate through uncertain times and find hope and connection. Through writing and sharing our thoughts and experiences, we can unlock new perspectives, gain a better understanding of ourselves and the world, and contribute to a more positive future.

This is the second of a two-part conversation with writer, poet, and storyteller, Richard Wain, who’s recently released a book of poetry, Beyond the Brink is the Beginning.

Richard's writing explores the concept of "thrutopia": a vision for a better future. He’s part of a community of writers and thinkers who are committed to weaving new stories into culture and envisioning a world that future generations can be proud of.

Richard and Ben’s conversation offers a reminder of the power of art and the importance of paying attention to the beauty in the world, recognising our interconnectedness, and looking beyond ourselves to make a meaningful impact.

• Other episodes of Peripheral Thinking
• Crafting a story for a world worth leaving to our children – Episode 27 (part 1 of this conversation)
• The caterpillar's poetry: a tale of transformation and creative expression – Episode 17 with Richard Wain
• The Web of Meaning – Episode 1 with Jeremy Lent
• Beyond the Brink is the Beginning – Richard’s book of poetry

Humans have the opportunity to imagine a better future and weave new stories into our culture. By embracing the uncertainty and ambiguity inherent in life, we can start the journey towards a world we’re proud to leave for future generations.

Through poetry and storytelling, we can create a narrative arc that inspires hope and encourages action in the face of the converging crises of our time. It is a time for problem-solving and collective growth, as we navigate the challenges and strive for positive change.

This is part one of a two-part conversation with writer, poet, and storyteller, Richard Wain, who’s recently released a book of poetry titled Beyond the Brink is the Beginning.

Richard's writing explores the concept of "thrutopia": a vision for a better future. He’s part of a community of writers and thinkers who are committed to weaving new stories into culture and envisioning a world that future generations can be proud of.

In this episode, Richard discusses his inspiration for the book and the importance of imagination in addressing the converging crises of our time. Stay tuned for part two of the conversation, in which Richard shares some of his poetry and the inspiration behind it.

• Other episodes of Peripheral Thinking
• The caterpillar's poetry: a tale of transformation and creative expression – Episode 17 with Richard Wain
• The Web of Meaning – Episode 1 with Jeremy Lent
• Beyond the Brink is the Beginning – Richard’s book of poetry
• Why we need thrutopia – Manda Scott
• From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want, by Rob Hopkins

Leaders who embody the qualities of availability, presence, and wisdom can create a culture of trust and empowerment within their organisations. When we prioritise personal responsibility and community, we foster a sense of safety and contentment among our team, ultimately leading to greater happiness.

Martin Aylward helps create a culture of trust and empowerment within organisations. He’s a meditation teacher and guide who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 30 years. He’s leads and runs retreats at his centre in the south of France.

Ben and Martin explore the significance of personal responsibility and community awareness in fostering safety and contentment among teams, as well as the importance of trust, slowing down, and creating space for clarity and effective decision-making in leadership roles.

• Martin’s website
• Follow @martinaylward on Instagram
• Who doesn’t want a little peace and calm? – Episode 8, with Martin Aylward

If we’re going to imagine an alternative to capitalism, we need to create spaces for ideation, thinking, and researching. We must cultivate reciprocity with people we trust, and experiment with different models of regenerative and healing systems.

We need to align with the poetic patterns of meaning that may be heard beneath the noise of everyday life, and find space to play, be generous, and experience radical joy.

Ben’s guest for this episode is Felipe Viveros, a troublemaker, researcher, and ideation facilitator who works on creating spaces for thinking and experimenting with alternative systems to capitalism. He wants to create spaces for rest, joy, and playfulness, and believes that regenerative and healing systems are vital alternatives to our current economic system.

• Connect with Felipe via LinkedIn
• Follow @theworldweare on Twitter
• Follow @nawelcura on Instagram
• Become crew on Spaceship Earth – Episode 16, with Dan Burgess
• The Dao of Civilization: A Letter to China
• Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities – by Rebecca Solnit
• Generation Wealth (2018)
• 60-year-old foundation to close and redistribute over £100m in assets
• Clover Hogan (@cloverhogan)
• The Spacesuit – Ram Dass

Economic growth can be responsible and in service of giving, rather than pure extraction and consumption.

In this final part of Ben’s conversation with James William Harrup, they explore the idea of “decent work”, what the Buddha has to say about earning well, how growth can be in the service of giving, and the importance of having a personal metaphor.

• The story of growth, part 2: Greed – Episode 23
• James’ Pure Story project
• Hear this conversation in full via James’ podcast

Pre-made mashed potato and out-of-season avocados won’t last forever. In this second part of Ben’s conversation with James William Harrup, we explore how a drive for perpetual growth and boundless consumption could be linked to an underlying trauma. It looks a lot like addiction, so if we can address that need to consume – and say a fond farewell to the things we used to take for granted – we can work towards a more relaxed cycle of growth and change.

• The story of growth part 1: Why things need to die – Episode 22
• At Work in the Ruins – Episode 18, with Dougald Hine
• The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, by David Graeber and David Wengrow
• In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, by Gabor Mate