Photo by aisvri on Unsplash I wonder. I mean, honestly, this morning, I have an image of Ukrainian grandmas on my mind. As I write this, as I say this, What would a benevolent world actually look like? It's been on my mind all week. This week has been interesting. I think what I came to at least for my own world is that a benevolent world would be …

It’s snowing lightly and the sun’s last glow is obscured by mist. My teenager is practicing cello in a small, quaint cabin nearby while I meander in the woods and along the lakefront, stopping briefly on the dock to see if I can see any stars emerging. I’m listening to a book by Iain McGilchrist called “The Master and His Emissary” and it’s in turn…

Welcome to another episode of Wild + Precious conversations — This week, a replay of our November 12, 2020 conversation with Lisa Richardson. This week I had a chance to speak for the first time with Lisa Richardson, a writer based in Pemberton, British Columbia. Lisa’s writing moves me. It would be wonderful if there were so much strategic plannin…

Wendy here: This is kind of scary to be honest. Welcome. To another episode of wild and precious conversations. An edited, abridged version of the podcast/video cast :) Yes, if you would like to actually look at someone very, very real, I uploaded this to YouTube. But let’s start with that quote, that's often miss attributed to Voltaire. “I disagre…

Invited to have a conversation about the book “The Dawn of Everything”, Jean Russell did her level best to stay on topic. :) I did not help, mostly because her life’s work on Thrivability is so compelling. A brief introduction of Jean: She has been passionate about co-creating a more thrivable world since 2007. <= How cool is that?!? What I find in…

Welcome to a world of collaboration, consent, intimacy and deep rich relationships based on trust! Erica Scott is a consent educator working hard to make consent culture a reality. I feel honored to share our converstaion with you. The book launch begins January 21, 2022, so I am going to make our show notes short this week, in order to get this ep…

Welcome! Wow — 2022. This week I am sharing a short 20 minute episode riffing on what I have learned about effortlessness over the past few days. Specifically, incorporating Julia Gillmor’s Facebook Livestream on Resistance and Russell Brand’s YouTube video on Laziness. Here is the script I read from for the podcast: Hi - Wendy here - welcome to an…

Cultivating Humility. Huge growth potential if you can get comfortable being uncomfortable. (And I would add, let’s make the uncomfortable place as welcoming and inviting as possible.) Joe Burgo’s website announced this course at the bottom of a blog post (as I recall). Marla Estes’ site was a humble outreach; I joined the class and am now an advoc…

Well, good morning! I recorded a new introduction to this, my second ever episode of this podcast. This morning as I was getting my coffee, I was overcome by a wave of hopelessness — things looked bleak. The hopelessness rises when things seem certain — and that’s when I remembered that the one thing we can count on is change and uncertainty. And t…

Recovery — Stephanie Bonastia is an intuitive eating coach who thought she could never feel sane around food — that she was “broken” and unfixable…what she discovered and what she shares in our conversation and in her practice is life changing and hope full. From her website: Life opens up to you. Creativity, passion, and purpose is a part of heali…

Good Enough — Welcome to a Wild and Precious conversation replay where I tell a story about a “Good Enough” life and give some ideas for how you can get one of your own. I forgot about using this photo. I needed one of me and took this with my phone as I was working. Why I look so surprised (and a little bemused, maybe?) For this week — as my young…

Response — Rebecca Hunter went to Fairy Creek to help in the kitchen. While there, she saw sadistic, cruel and unnecessary violence on the part of people whose sole job is to protect and serve. She saw this. Now what? That’s what we’re talking about in this two-part episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week we continue but focus on what…

Action — Rebecca Hunter went to Fairy Creek to help in the kitchen. The first morning there, RCMP raided the camp, arrested first only people of color (skipping over the young white women in the peaceful protest line) and wrecked havoc at the camp, taking pictures of their post-wrecking and lying to the public saying that the disarray was caused by…

Otherness: What happens when we are bullied, isolated, left out and “othered” — let’s learn how to heal that part of us so we can move into “Togetherness” I am so happy to have had a chance to talk with Dr. Stacee about her new book: The Healing Otherness Handbook. Our conversation goes from speaking about how to muck around in the compost of our l…

Sustainability: Andrea and I know each other from homeschool days — we’ve seen each other at our most unsustainable and we’re still friends. Andrea runs a {gorgeous} sustainable lifestyle magazine called Trend Privé, so that is how this conversation started… “The part that I think needs to be addressed is that it's totally okay to be overwhelmed an…

Organizing: We take on harm reduction, labour organizing, what happens if we succeed in dismantling capitalism, and why we need access to nature — Can we actually find labour that is not extractive but meaningful and fulfilling, and so. much. more! So…next time you’re at Thanksgiving Dinner, why don’t you ask around and find out a little more about…

Otherness: What happens when we are bullied, isolated, left out and “othered” — let’s learn how to heal that part of us so we can move into “Togetherness” New month, new podcast episode! I am so happy to have had a chance to talk with Dr. Stacee about her new book: The Healing Otherness Handbook. Our conversation goes from speaking about how to muc…

Flourish: To get to flourish, you start with learning how to care — for yourself, your work colleagues, your neighbour. This episode marks our return to podcasting. Season 2 let’s call it. Beginning in February, I needed to take a break due to a family situation. If you want to learn more, I have written about it here. Wild and Precious Conversatio…

Refresh: I know I needed a refresh this week and so I am delighted to share this conversation with Reena Friedman Watts: Entrepreneur, podcaster, mom of four kids, wife, coach, community grower, storytelling junkie. You’ll want to listen for the recurring chorus of fail better, keep doing your best, tell your story, your voice matters, shine on. Re…

Renwal: Our theme for the week led me to a new podcast series: “Loving the Unlovable” First up, a conversation with my sister, Tamara Brown. Her MA in Human Development is what got me to call her but it was our relationship as sisters that helped us talk about the unlovable. What makes us lovable? Why is that such a cringey question? My sister and …

Perception: It’s all in how you see — the angle, the lens, the depth. This week, we continue our conversation on family, immigration, vulnerability and beauty with Stan Smith, adjunct professor of social work at USC. You have to wait until the 37 minute mark to get there, but this is where we end up: “I think it's true. Family is beautiful. Not Jus…

Persist! It’s those little efforts we make that, over time, move mountains. Today I get to share the first part of a two part conversation with Stan Smith, social worker and adjunct professor of social work at USC (University of Southern California). So, awhile back, I asked Stan about children as possibly the most vulnerable members of our society…

Joy! This week, Anna Katarina and I speak about Rumour Mill, the band she created with Aline Daigle — and why you (we) should all sing, support live music, and music, music, music. Sing! Singing helps us move from our reactive (fight, flight, freeze or fawn) “lizard-brains” and into our grounded, responsive, fully-alive, fully-human selves. Singing…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, a conversation with Dr. Jennie Barron, executive director of the Mir Center for Peace. Jennie spoke with me about her dissertation which is her research into urban orchards. Urban orchards is code, I found, for some awfully subversive ideas. Jennie unpacked these for me as on…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, a conversation with Cam Brewer, lawyer, activist, author. I told Cam that we would be speaking about the commons. Ha. I planned to have this conversation and then put it out as a helpful adjunct to another couple conversations I am waiting to share with you about both our col…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, I speak with David Hall, soon-to-be Registered Nurse specializing in Geriatrics. This week I had a chance to speak with my cousin, David Hall. Deciding to make a career chaing in midlife is one thing, becoming a registered nurse specializing in geriatrics is another. First, f…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, I am introducing the idea of integrity. Due to a series of unfortunate events, which honestly included a trasnformer blowing up or catching fire (or something like that ) this week’s episode does not have a guest. But I think that’s exactly what needed to happen. Next week, w…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, I speak with Lisa Richardson, writer. This week I had a chance to speak for the first time with Lisa Richardson, a writer based in Pemberton, British Columbia. Lisa’s writing moves me. It would be wonderful if there were so much strategic planning around this project that I c…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, I speak with Jackie Tahara, licensed surface pattern designer, illustrator, and artist. This week feels really special because wild and precious conversations is again a real conversation! When I met Jackie Tahara years ago, she was a lawyer. Fast forward many years and she m…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, I contemplate the power of the curse in our modern lives: The nocebo effect. This week, I have been contemplating the power of our words. There’s quite an industry dedicated to the idea that affirmations, positive thinking, and the like can make you rich, powerful, beautiful …

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, I introduce you to the FREE Science of Well Being class taught through Cousera by Dr. Laurie Santos at Yale. This week, I think Dr. Laurie Santos’ Yale course was on my mind as I contemplated Magic vs Science. I took her “Happiness Class” a few years ago when my family needed…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week, you have an assignment: either go and listen to Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us episode interviewing Emily and Amelia Nagosky, or sign up for my free Self Care First Aid Kit Course. This week I spent a good amount of time editing again — I will admit that I had gotten lazy, but a …

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week contemplating happiness, as in why we should not strive for it. I tell the story of Nick Brown, who called “b******t” on a mathematical constant in positive psychology. This week I begin with the story of Nick Brown, a veteran IT guy who, after turning 50, changed into Human R…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week contemplating retreat. Using Norm MacDonald, Trader Joe, and Sun Tzu. So, this week, it’s just me again, no guest. Retreat. When my husband said he needed to retreat (not his words, but I think appropriate) and that I was welcome, I hesitated. I felt the transition was too muc…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week it’s just me again, this time contemplating value. What it is, what we value, and what we should value. I have been spending all my extra time over the last few weeks creating my website (underbel.li), creating courses (Create your own self care kit) and a little bookshop (Buy…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week it’s just me again, this time contemplating boundaries. What they are, how to know and set your limits, and why or why not this should start early. Of course as soon as I decided that I was going to take a look at mental flexibility via relationship boundaries, I knew I was in…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week it’s just me talking about how our environment affects our emotional well being…and stuff we can do to get stronger. As I researched this episode, lots of familiar favorite people ventured into my consciousness. A man named Dr. Bruce K Alexander, who famously led the “Rat Park…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week is a conversation with my sister and my cousins on our perfectly imperfect family. Chalk this up to yet another time I thought I was going to get off easy… After many many hours of deep thought, lots of laughing, and many conversations, text messages, and still more conversati…

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week is a short episode to queue up next week’s conversation with my sister and my cousins. We talk regularly, so we thought we’d give it a go with a basic theme and ample time to talk…but the conversation just didn’t work as an episode so we’re trying again. This week, you’ve got …

Nurturing/Mothering — Welcome to a Wild and Precious conversation with Jessica Hessels, Badass Mom of the Badass Moms Club. Our conversation begins at approximately the 5:20 mark with Jessica graciously accepting my affirmation that I wholeheartedly enjoy her youthfulness. I appreciate her young, open attitude toward mothering (and all care giving)…

I was on my pod social app Podyssey and someone recommended Weird Work, which was hard to find on Spotify even though it’s on there. And I binged through 3 episodes, which I talk about in today's show, before I was like, "oh shit, I have to write and record my own podcast." Haha! But I got it done! The Weird Work podcast had me thinking, "How I can…

Honestly I just learned about a tech start up, that built a software that allows pod hosts to connect to guests and vise versa. Because setting up interviews is a time consuming process and with Poddit, they are making it easier. I think they are doing a great job so far! And now that I know about them, I’ve already added them to my #Podtoolbox. An…

Today, Did you know that 67% of podcast listeners find new Podcasts through recommendations. Well, I have some recommendations of my own. Have you noticed the increase in Celebrity Podcasts how do you think it will affect the pod industry? Will it kick indie pods to the waist side? I have 3 personal finance podcasts to check out, if money is on you…

Today, As of August 2020 it’s been reported that there are over 1 million podcasts but 51% of podcast listeners are male and 63% of listeners are white. Where is the diversity in listenership? If you’re looking for optimism in a time of hardship, Vanity Fair has 5 podcast recommendations for the job. But here are 3 that I'm found of: Kind World by …

Connectedness — Welcome to the second half of a Wild and Precious conversation with Cate Baio, Transformational Coach. Our conversation begins with Cate speaking about the importance of community in connectedness and how challenging that is right now. She talks about a Brene Brown book, “Braving the Wilderness”, and how important shared experience …

Today, Time Magazine has listed 10 Podcasts as the Best Podcasts of 2020 for so far and I give a review on 3/10. The #1 Podcast show leaves crowded LA to seek freedom in Texas. AKA The Joe Rogan Experience. Apple announces it will join the daily podcast trend. But first, Spotify getting serious with it’s spoken word category, and the CEO telling ar…

Connectedness — Welcome to a Wild and Precious conversation with Cate Baio, Transformational Coach. Our conversation begins with Cate speaking to the fact that I view her life’s work as being about connection and connectedness. We wind out way through a conversation that goes to ideas put forth in Brene Brown’s book, “Braving the Wilderness” We mov…

Good Life — Welcome to a Wild and Precious conversation with Jeff Strong, pastor of Nelson Covenant Church. Our conversation begins as we dive in with the idea of a rule of life — Jeff speaks about the most recent time he worked on his, which was during vocational formation to become pastor in the Covenant church. We move from there to the idea of …

Goodness — Welcome to a Wild and Precious conversation that’s both about our Goodness and the first episode of my parallel project: People Are Good. The episode begins with a quote from my favorite podcast. I’m a Murderino, a huge fan of “My Favorite Murder” and in episode #185, Karen Kilgarith and Georgia Hardstark nailed it when they said the tit…