Wild and Precious Conversations

Good morning — er, afternoon!

Photo by Andrea Tummons on Unsplash

Sixth episode of the Underbelly Project podcast. Kindness. Serendipity showed its hand this week and Kristene Perron, science fiction author and notably kind person agreed to speak with me about kindness. A couple quick notes:

* First, I learned a lot about sound editing this week! Please, if you feel like you need to give me feedback on sound quality, be kind <= see what I did there? But do take note! The first few seconds were cut from the beginning. You’ll figure it out. I only have really bright subscribers :)

* Second, Here are the cole’s notes for what we discuss — a group of friends offered to pay the way for Kristene to go to a science fiction conference and she accepted. She has started a “Caremongering” group in her community on Quadra Island, off the coast of British Columbia. Next, this winter, she started a Facebook group called “One Good Thing Per Day”. Honestly, if you could follow the discussion without these notes, you deserve a gold star.

What I learned:

* First, be kind to yourself first.

* Second, kindness begins and niceness end when you think about the other.

* Third, accept kindness. It’s rebellious, contagious, and possibly revolutionary…

We get to hear a great story about kindness via a road trip and a Stephen King short story.

Links and Resources:

* National Observer Caremongering Article

* Blog Post mentioned in last bit of podcast (coming in a few minutes…)

Onward to Grief. Look for a couple blog posts, the Monday morning newsletter, and a podcast episode with a mystery guest. Please join the Facebook page if you would like to, and look for stuff there, too.The Underbelly Project: CrossFit for your emotional health. If you’re not afraid to get dusty and maybe shed a few tears together, join me and let’s get emotionally strong!

And please, if you know anyone who might like to share this journey, share this project. Excited to stay in the arena with you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit underbelly.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning — er, afternoon!

Photo by Nils Rasmusson on Unsplash

Fifth episode of the Underbelly Project podcast. Solitude. With the huge gift of Deryn Collier, mystery writer (that is, writer of mysteries), and friend. So much more fun to do this solitude thing with someone (see what I did there?) What I learned:

* First, we need each other. Even introverts, even now (especially now).

* Second, solitude needs an “enriched environment” Make time to be playful.

* Third, we need to learn how to focus on the healthy stuff and limit the unhealthy stuff (duh) My solution around minute 5 (ish?)

We get to hear Deryn’s stories about being home alone with her first baby, the important lessons we can learn from cats, and her time spent as Writer in Residence.

Links and Resources:

* Deryn’s Website — Deryn Collier, Mystery Writer. She has a wonderful newsletter. Sign up!

* Self Control — App for Mac OS to limit screen time.

* Flipd — App for Android to limit screen time.

* Flipd — And here it is for IOS.

Onward to Kindness! Look for a couple blog posts, the Monday morning newsletter, and a podcast episode with a mystery guest.The Underbelly Project: CrossFit for your emotional health. If you’re not afraid to get dusty and maybe shed a few tears together, join me and let’s get emotionally strong!

And please, if you know anyone who might like to share this journey, share this project. Excited to stay in the arena with you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit underbelly.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning!

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

Fourth episode of the Underbelly Project podcast. Let’s just all be okay with Thursday morning each week. It’s official now. Joy this week — wow. Joy.

* First, it’s vital. Not frivolous, not an extra, not childish.

* Second, it requires present moment awareness. Joy lives in the present. Only.

* Third, joy without vulnerability becomes terrifying. We can use aversion therapy to up our tolerance for joy. (I’ll tell you how.)

I share stories about Homeboy Industries this week as my example of what can happen from a strong Joy-ful stance.

Links and Resources:

* Homeboy Industries — Father Greg Boyle

* Jump Start Your Joy — Paula Jenkins Podcast

Look for a blog post with more resources later today. I’m upping my social media game :) so look for a bit more joy on Instagram and then…Next: Solitude! We’ll dive into why and how-to do solitude well.

And please, if you know anyone who might like to share this journey, share this project. Excited to stay in the arena with you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit underbelly.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning!

Photo by Aaron Jean on Unsplash

We’re at the third episode of the Underbelly Project podcast. Still dropping Thursday morning…maybe that’s just where this is going to land. Talking about Commitment this week brought up a lot for me.What I realized is that much of what I know about commitment I have learned over the years by mentors and teachers of various kinds.So this week, I ended up sharing a couple personal stories. I hope they bring you up and are helpful.

Third episode finished. My next goal is to include your stories…so start thinking of them. This week’s newsletter is going to be about joy and rejoicing (here is my first blog post on that topic: Joy: A Posture Not a Feeling). God willing and the creeks don’t rise I’ll ask for your stories soon…

And please, if you know anyone who might like to share this journey, let them know about this project. Excited to stay in the arena with you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit underbelly.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning!

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

Wow! Welcome to the second episode of the Underbelly Project podcast. Easing slowly into the Wednesday morning slot :) — almost there! The theme this week was Uncertainty and man alive was that easier to do in a highly controlled written format.This week, after many, many, many iterations, I just hit record, entered the arena and started talking. See what you think: I start with a small 2-minute rant, then move into a lovely way to frame both unhelpful and helpful responses to uncertainty and finish with a story shared this week by a friend.

Yes, she shows up with a healthy dose of courage and vulnerability in the face of uncertainty and slays.

Links

* Medium — Facing the Scary Boundary Between Competence and Incompetence

* Life On the Lake — All About Growing Up and What Defines Our Very Selves

Second episode finished. I am looking forward to continual improvement! Looks like the Apple gods have smiled upon me again, so you should be able to find The Underbelly podcast wherever you like to listen to them. Hurray for small victories.

And please, if you know anyone who might like to share this journey, let them know about this project. Excited to stay in the arena with you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit underbelly.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning!

Photo by Kathleen Macgregor on Unsplash

Welcome to the first podcast episode for the Underbelly Project. Since the theme this week was Intentions, this week I chose two stories that I think highlight what can happen when we courageously take small actions that match our intentions.

Spoiler alert: Good stuff happens!

I then decided to acknowledge two kinds of “false intentions” <= my new term for this:

First, that thing where you say you intend to do something but just really apparently don’t intend to do anything…so your partner does it. When confronted, you say you were “going to do it.” BSSecond, that thing where you say you never intended to hurt someone. So what? Time to grow up. I say it in a way kinder manner in the podcast. <3

Links

* Good Men Project — Intentions VS Actions

* Good Men Project — Why ‘I Didn’t Mean To Hurt You’ is Always a BS Excuse

* Starter Story — Interview with Zach Katz of Framed Tweets

* BBC — Update on Dan Price’s Decision To Pay Employees $70,000 (5 Years In)

This is the first episode with this format. All I am certain of at this point is that the episodes will follow the weekly theme. Feedback is welcome!

So — wrt feedback is welcome: Stuff I already know includes the fact that you can absolutely find this on Spotify but I just recently got reinstated at Apple :) so that’s in the works…patience is welcome.Also, I am learning so much about sound (!) so please be gentle with feedback around this. Still super welcome, but lots of stuff is being learned and some of the stuff that I understand in principle I haven’t yet been able to implement. Thank you! Excited about storytelling in different ways. Modern Life!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit underbelly.substack.com/subscribe

Hello and welcome to the underbelly podcast. Come along and explore the vulnerable underside to story and learn that, in the real world, there are no heroes -- there are no bad guys -- it’s complicated.

 I’m Wendy, and I have been paid to tell people’s stories for decades. Along the way, what I have learned is that stories are powerful -- they can heal, but they can also kill. When they are used well, they’re medicine. In the wrong hands, they’re dangerous poison.

Over the next episodes, we’re going to vivisect stories -- learn that the heroes aren’t heroic, the villains are pure evil. We’re going to ask who wrote the story -- who benefited from the story...and who is missing from the story.

We’re going to learn to be wary of one dimensional stories -- to be aware of the single story.

We are going to get suspicious of stories -- be afraid of them

Good stories are simple. They have a strong narrative. You take your hero, throw them into a situation that they resist. Your hero decided to take on the bad guy but needs to learn something first. They meet a guide who teaches them, shows them what they need to learn. The hero trains, fights, loses, gets back up, fights again, gets lost, keeps going. The bad guy’s there, confronting the hero, manipulating the hero, fighting the hero.

It’s dicey, but the hero wins.

At this point, they might enter a cave, assimilate all they’ve learned, then journey back — renewed, stronger, better than ever.

The thing is, stories work. They make us do things we wouldn’t otherwise do. They’re the backbone of propaganda and public relations. When you need an entire population to do something they wouldn’t normally do...use story -- it’ll work. When something uncomfortable and complicated happens...tell a simple story and watch your troubles disappear.

It doesn’t matter whether you are young or old, rich or poor -- it doesn’t matter which country you’re from.

We all use, abuse, and are used and abused by story.

We needed women to en masse leave their homes and work in factories: Enter Rosie the Riveter.

We needed women to en masse leave their jobs and go back home: Enter June Cleaver -- never mind that the actress who played June Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver was in fact a single working mother.

We needed more revenue before the Christmas rush? Enter Black Friday...and then Cyber Monday..and whatever Tuesday...etc.

Heck, Iceland needed to recover from the 2008 recession so they started telling stories about Iceland and -- coupled with great airfares from Wow Airlines -- a thriving tourism industry was born.

Story has helped keep people enslaved, helped ensure we grew Victory gardens, vilify Hitler, and buy, buy, buy. Stories keep us separated and they bring us together.

When we tell stories, we own that version of truth. We have a great responsibility to tell our story well. When we take in a story, we need to do so with eyes wide open, aware that we are being entertained. Hopefully able to listen and retell the same story from another point of view. Hopefully with full knowledge that the storyteller has an agenda and we’re okay with it.

More Iceland tourism? Hell yes. Buying into a 24/7 consumer culture -- maybe not.

Join me as we explore the underbelly of story.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit underbelly.substack.com/subscribe