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On today's minisode, I'm talking about quitting.

We're often lead to believe that quitting something means we've 'failed', and that it's mainly a bad thing to quit. But I don't believe this to be the case.

We have to know when quitting is actually a win, and we need to muster the courage to do it - when we know in our hearts it's right for us - despite disappointing others.

Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

On today's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about anxiety.

We share our own experiences with anxiety, exploring how it effects us differently, and discussing potential causes.

We offer some practical tips and strategies for managing and mitigating anxiety, that work for us.

We also highlight the significant impact of starting your day right, sharing how our morning routines have become powerful tools in our anxiety management.

We hope you'll find something useful in here.

Love,
Polly & Lucy x

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

In this week’s episode, the fabulous Marianne Power is back for Part 2 of our conversation!

Marianne is a freelance journalist and author who lives in London. Her first book, ‘Help Me! How Self-Help Has Not Changed My Life’, an international bestseller, is an irresistibly funny and incredibly moving book about a wild and ultimately redemptive journey that will resonate with anyone who’s ever dreamed of finding happiness.

Her second book which comes out in August but is available for pre-order right now, is called ‘Love Me! One Woman’s Search For A Different Happy Ever After’. Honest, intimate and inspiring, Love Me! is about the freedom to envision the life you want, and finding the courage to choose it.

Marianne is single and childfree, but surrounded by love in the form of friends and lovers. 

Topics that Marianne & I cover are:

• how Marianne’s Irish catholic upbringing meant that boys were alien to her;
• the AIDS adverts from the 80s, and their impact on Marianne;
• how she always had insecurities around sex;
• the first tantra retreat that Marianne was invited to attend, and how it went;
• how tantra is actually a spiritual practice that includes physical connections and relationships;
• how the first retreat was utterly petrifying, but ultimately a beautiful experience;
• when Marianne exclaimed “I want to practice touching a penis!”, and how she practised on her friend;
• how we all have areas of shame around sex;
• why there’s no such thing as being good or bad at sex;
• how we would all benefit from voicing our insecurities around sex;
• how Marianne is now more relaxed around sex, and has let go of the shame she once felt;
• why being honest about the things we’re ashamed or embarrassed about can be so freeing;
• the 80 year old woman who’d never had sex, and who attended the tantra retreat;
• how Marianne wants to celebrate and lift up both single women, and women in relationships;
• why we should try and think about love as being something we give, rather than something we get.

Follow Marianne on Instagram:
@marianne_power_writer

Buy the book on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Me-womans-search-happy/dp/1529057884 

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

On today's minisode, I'm talking about why our past does not have to determine our future.

So many of us look back and assume that our lives so far are a measure of what is possible for us going forwards. But this is only true if we allow it to be...

Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

In this week's episode, Polly and I are talking about limiting beliefs.

All of us have limiting beliefs of some sort, whether we’re aware of them or not; and they are holding many of us back from living into our potential.

Polly and I talk about what limiting beliefs actually are, how to identify them, and how to change them and create new beliefs that will actually serve us.

We hope you’ll find something useful in here!

Love,
Polly & Lucy x

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

In this week’s episode, I’m talking to the fabulous Marianne Power.

Marianne is a freelance journalist and author who lives in London. Her first book, ‘Help Me! How Self-Help Has Not Changed My Life’, an international bestseller, is an irresistibly funny and incredibly moving book about a wild and ultimately redemptive journey that will resonate with anyone who’s ever dreamed of finding happiness.

Her second book which comes out in August but is available for pre-order right now, is called ‘Love Me! One Woman’s Search For A Different Happy Ever After’. Honest, intimate and inspiring, Love Me! is about the freedom to envision the life you want, and finding the courage to choose it.

Marianne is single and childfree, but surrounded by love in the form of friends and lovers. 

Topics that Marianne & I cover are:

• Marianne’s first book, Help Me!, and what prompted her to write it;
• how initially, she thought self-help books would help her to be ‘perfect’;
• why stepping outside of our comfort zones is important, but why baby steps are essential;
• the downsides of the self-help industry;
• how Marianne is now living a life of love, and friendship, and sex, and freedom - which is exactly what she wanted when she started writing the book;
• the idea that intentionally single people are ‘running away’ from intimacy;
• how during her years of being single, Marianne always wanted to be ‘normal’;
• how the statistics show that single people are generally very happy, and that marriage doesn’t actually make you happier;
• how Marianne discovered Bella DePaulo, and her concept of being ‘single at heart’;
• the book that made her realise she had negative beliefs about women;
• how women have been conditioned to be more concerned with the needs of others than their own needs;
• the time Marianne interviewed Gabor Mate, and the fascinating topics they talked about;
• why we need to fill our own cups before serving the needs of others;
• how women tend to bond over their woes rather than their strengths;
• why we as women need to start ‘bragging’;
• how the words we use about ourselves are more important than we realise;
• why we all need to start being kinder to ourselves.

Follow Marianne on Instagram:
@marianne_power_writer

Buy the book on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Me-womans-search-happy/dp/1529057884 

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

On today's minisode, I'm talking about why we should embrace enthusiasm.

Taylor Swift once said: "The worst kind of person is someone who makes someone feel bad, dumb or stupid for being excited about something.” And I couldn't agree more. (As if I needed another reason to love her.)

As someone who has always been a very enthusiastic person myself, I know what it feels like to be laughed at or shamed for getting 'over-excited' about things, whether that be my new favourite song, or a beautiful butterfly.

But despite those who may sneer at our joy, there are many reasons why it's a really good thing to be enthusiastic and why, actually, we should turn the dial up on our passion, rather than dial it down.

Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

In this week's episode, Polly and I are talking about visualisation.

David Cameron Gikandi wrote that “life is images of the mind expressed”, and he isn’t the only one who believes / believed that everything starts in our imagination.

There are multiple scientific studies that show how visualising can be an incredibly powerful tool when it comes to bringing the things we desire into our lives.

Like anything else, it’s a practice, and one that Polly and I both find quite hard. But if we can hold a vision of what we want in our minds, and take a few minutes every day to allow our imagination to wander, then we’re training our brains to be on the lookout for the people, opportunities and circumstances that can help us get to where we want to go.

We hope you’ll find something useful in here!

Love,
Polly & Lucy x

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

In this week’s episode, I’m talking to the fabulous Caroline Magennis.

Caroline is an Associate Professor in Contemporary Literature at the University of Salford. She’s also an author, and her brand new book from Icon Books, which came out in May, is called Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women.

She lives in north-west England and is happily childfree.

Topics that Caroline & I cover are:

• how it never really occurred to Caroline to have children;
• how for many people, it’s a feeling rather than a decision, to not have kids;
• how much women’s experience of the stigma varies according to their cultural and socio-economic backgrounds;
• how people used to tell Caroline that she would change her mind about having kids;
• how the people who ask the most prying questions tend to not have very much going on in their own lives;
• why Caroline used the word ‘Harpy’ in the title of her book;
• the cultural messaging around childless women that motivated Caroline to write the book;
• the older women Caroline interviewed who didn’t regret not having kids, and who had led wonderful lives;
• why Caroline wanted to look into the nuance of childless women’s experiences;
• how almost all of Caroline’s interviewees spoke to the freedom of not having children;
• how there is a pressure on childless women to ‘do something amazing’, in order to justify their existence;
• why loneliness isn’t just reserved for single, childfree women;
• the different ways women without kids describe themselves;
• why being childfree is the least interesting thing about us!
• how Caroline’s Irish upbringing affected her experience of not having children.

Follow Caroline on Instagram:
@drmagennis

Buy the book on Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harpy-Manifesto-Childfree-Caroline-Magennis-ebook/dp/B0CT7B2JYF 

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

On today's minisode, I'm talking about finding your tribe.

As single women, it's particularly important that we find other singles to spend time with, not least because it's the fastest way to feel less like there's something wrong with you.

Whether online or in person, surrounding yourself with other single women is key to feeling good about yourself and your life, because we all need that shared experience that only other solos can relate to.

Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!