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On today's minisode, I'm talking about 6 things we should leave behind in 2023.

From people pleasing to negative self-talk, as well as shame around being single, I hope you'll find something useful in here.

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 self-love.

From learning to accept all parts of ourselves, having the courage to get out of a bad situation, or refusing to dumb down the parts of ourselves that are ‘too much’, self love is more important than we might realise. Because how we feel about ourselves affects every area of our lives.

We hope you’ll find something useful in here.

Love,
Polly & Lucy

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 very cool and very awesome, Jayne Archer.

Jayne works in the field of mental health, specifically children and young people, and has done so for 20 years. She also has her own small business called Grow In Your Own Direction, in which she offers counselling and coaching for people who are looking for meaning, direction, or purpose in their lives, including single, childfree women. 

She has been single for 10 years, and lives alone in Bristol.

Topics that Jayne & I cover are:

• how her journey of being single and childfree has been full of twists and turns;
• how she grew up with two conflicting female role models in her life, and how this caused her confusion in terms of what she wanted for herself;
• how Jayne always knew that she didn’t want kids or a ‘traditional’ life;
• her love of music and how that and the community around it helped her to feel a sense of self for many years;
• feeling as though she was an outsider whilst all of her peers were getting married and having babies;
• how she’s always found her sense of belonging and ‘forward motion’ through her career in mental health;
• being in and out of relationships since her teens, and how a part of her wanted to be with somebody;
• how the end of her most recent relationship was the catalyst for Jayne to focus inwards and work on building the relationship with herself;
• how she quit online dating, and how that allowed her to let go of any control or time frame around any future relationship;
• whether or not Jayne feels she is the best version of herself when she’s alone;
• Jayne’s experience of living in a spiritual community;
• what spirituality means to Jayne, and how it can look very different for different people;
• why Jayne feels so strongly that there shouldn’t be any shame in admitting to feeling lonely;
• how being single and childfree gives us an opportunity to cultivate intergenerational friendships, and how Jayne truly loves having those relationships in her life;
• our shadow selves, and how to confront those darker parts of us;
• Jayne’s thoughts on the possibility of being single forever;
• why living a simple life is equally valid if you’re single and childfree.

Check out Jane’s website:
www.growinyourowndirection.co.uk

Email Jayne:
[email protected] 

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 the power of consistency.

We sometimes overlook how much can be achieved by taking small steps...consistently. It’s not about the grand, sweeping actions, but the tiny little things that we do over and over again that create the big wins. It’s not about the scope of what we do, it’s about the consistency with which we do it.

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 this week’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about ageing, very apt after Polly turning 50 recently!

We discuss how our beliefs about ageing can accelerate or decelerate the ageing process, and how important it is to challenge societal narratives around ageing.

We hope there may be something helpful in here for you.

Polly & Lucy xx

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

This week’s episode is Part 2 of my conversation with Bella DePaulo.

Bella DePaulo, PhD, is the leading expert on single life and has been described by The Atlantic as “America’s foremost thinker and writer on the single experience.” Bella coined the term ‘single at heart’, and her new book, Single At Heart, comes out on 5th December 2023. She is the author of Singled Out and How We Live Now, among other titles; has written the “Living Single” blog for Psychology Today since 2008; and has been published by the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time magazine, The Atlantic, and many others. She has appeared on shows including The Today Show and Good Morning America. She has been interviewed on NPR , as well as on podcasts by CNN, The Atlantic, and others. 

Bella’s TEDx talk, “What no one ever told you about people who are single,” has been viewed more than 1.6 million times. 

In Part 2 of this interview about Bella’s new book, Single At Heart, topics that we cover are:

• how our preoccupation with loneliness has obscured the joys and wonders of solitude;
• how loving solitude is linked with better psychological health, and how it can be fulfilment and contentment for the single at heart;
• how solitude for Bella means that she can think with her whole mind and feel with her whole heart;
• how the single at heart tend to have ‘the ones’ instead of ‘the one’;
• the idea of being open to all sorts of relationships, including spiritual figures, nature, or pets;
• how children can actually benefit from having a single at heart parent;
• how singles can still have children in their life in the form of nieces, nephews, students and beyond;
• asexuality, and how a significant number of single at heart people are asexual;
• how during her research, Bella found that people who are single at heart tend to savour the simple joys in life;
• how, despite what people may think, the long-term single actually enjoy their older years more than those who have been long-termed coupled;
• the shocking research that shows that people simply do not believe it when single people ‘claim’ to be happy;
• the most unexpected finding that Bella discovered about those who are single at heart.

Check out Bella’s website:
https://belladepaulo.com/ 

Buy Bella’s new book, Single At Heart (Amazon US):
https://www.amazon.com/Single-Heart-Power-Rewards-Uncoupled/dp/1954641281/?tag=wwwbelladepau-20 

Buy Bella’s new book, Single At Heart (Amazon UK):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Single-Heart-Rewards-Fulfillment-Singlehood/dp/1954641281 

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 minds work in the same way as the Instagram algorithm.

If we watch a reel of a cute puppy, the algorithm will serve us up more reels of cute puppies. And if we keep watching reels of cute puppies, then we're guaranteed to see more and more of them in our feeds. 

It's the same with our minds. Whatever it is that we place our attention on, we will find more of in life. Constantly thinking about how shit the world is? Expect to see more things that prove it to you. Constantly thinking about how fabulous the world is? Then you can expect your brain to find more things to feel fabulous about.

It's so simple. Place your attention on the things you want, take your attention off the things you don't want, and watch your life change for the better.

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 & I are talking about early morning routines.

Both of us get up pretty early in order to cross things off our list, such as meditation and exercise; but if this fills you with horror…keep listening!

We talk about why carving out time early in the morning is incredibly beneficial not only to your day, but also to your life. We share tips on how to actually get your ar*e out of bed, and also discuss what our own routines look like.

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 one-and-only Bella DePaulo.

Bella DePaulo, PhD, is the leading expert on single life and has been described by The Atlantic as “America’s foremost thinker and writer on the single experience.” Bella coined the term ‘single at heart’, and her new book, Single At Heart, comes out on 5th December 2023. She is the author of Singled Out and How We Live Now, among other titles; has written the “Living Single” blog for Psychology Today since 2008; and has been published by the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time magazine, The Atlantic, and many other outlets. She has appeared on shows including The Today Show and Good Morning America. She has been interviewed on NPR, as well as on podcasts by CNN, The Atlantic, and others.

Bella’s TEDx talk, “What no one ever told you about people who are single,” has been viewed more than 1.6 million times. 

In Part 1 of this interview about Bella’s new book, Single At Heart, topics that we cover are:

• being ‘single at heart’ refers to those who live their best lives, and who flourish, being single;
• how the stigma surrounding singles remains prevalent and how singles are still considered to be living a lesser life;
• the idea that you cannot be truly fulfilled or ‘adult’ until you are part of a couple;
• how the research studies show that a large number of people do not desire a partner, despite the assumption that everybody wants a romantic relationship;
• the findings that show how many singles find that their lives get better and better the longer they’re single;
• how singles are getting happier after the age of forty;
• those people in relationships who are unable to live an authentic life as part of a couple;
• how the single at heart relish having opportunities and possibilities, meaning that they live ‘psychologically rich’ lives;
• how, if you’re single at heart, coupled life would be a smaller life, and single life can be an expansive life;
• how when you’re single at heart, you can be genuinely happy for the married people with kids around you;
• how Bella found that everyone she interviewed for Single At Heart cited freedom as one of the main benefits of being single;

Check out Bella’s website:
https://belladepaulo.com/ 

Pre-Order Bella’s New Book, Single At Heart (Amazon US):
https://www.amazon.com/Single-Heart-Power-Rewards-Uncoupled/dp/1954641281/?tag=wwwbelladepau-20 

Pre-Order Bella’s New Book, Single At Heart (Amazon UK):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Single-Heart-Rewards-Fulfillment-Singlehood/dp/1954641281 

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, and how, we should make the most of the final 5 weeks and 2 days of 2023!

There is a tendency to wind down as soon as November arrives, telling ourselves: "Ah well - it's nearly Christmas, so I might as well leave it until next year." The 'it' being anything from our exercise regime, our healthy eating plan, or a life goal that we've been working towards. 

I think this is a mistake. We can still achieve more than we think before Big Ben chimes midnight on New Year's Eve, and wouldn't it feel better to nail the rest of this year so we start 2024 as we mean to go on?

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!