The Growth Found in Grief and Kindness with Nahla Summers

In this episode I’m joined by Courtney Carver. Courtney is the author of Project 333, The Minimalist Fashion Challenge that Proves Less is So Much More and Soulful Simplicity. She has been sharing her journey back to health, and adventures in simplicity; becoming debt free and living and dressing with less on her blog, Be More with Less since 2010. You can find out more about Courtney on her blog - https://bemorewithless.com And on Instagram @bemorewithless and @project333 I highly recommend you sign up for her mailing list!

In this very special podcast episode I have the absolute honour of interviewing one of my dearest friends, Carol, while she lies in her hospice bed. Carol is dying from stage three ovarian cancer and, yet, even during this personal and private time, wanted to take the opportunity to help others by breaking down some of the stigma and fear around death, dying and end of life care. But don’t for a second think this episode is sad or depressing. Carol, in typical Northern Irish style will have you laughing and reflecting as she shares her insights into life and love and what really matters most. What makes this episode so special is it is not only rare to get access to this personal insight into end of life care but it rarer still that the interviewer is friends with and dearly loves and cares for the interviewee. However, what makes this episode even more unique is that I am also living with the same disease as Carol and know that, one day, I too will be lying in a hospice bed receiving similar end of life care that she is receiving now. For the past four years Carol and I have developed an unshakable bond through our shared disease as we have supported one another through the highs and lows of living with late stage cancer with tears, laughter and very dark sense of humour. I struggle to imagine a world without her in it and I will be forever grateful to all she has guided and supported me through. I am so grateful to Carol that she has gifted you all this beautiful insight into her life and her death. May her words lift your spirit and guide you on with a heart filled with love. I know that my world will always be brighter because Carol was in it. I love you Carol. Always.

In this episode I am joined by the incredible Kate Manser. Kate is just so happy to be alive. After experiencing four separate sudden deaths of friends in two years, she experienced a radical shift in perspective: thinking about your death reminds you to live. Set on fire with zeal to live, Kate created YOU MIGHT DIE TOMORROW, a brand with a mission to help people really live before you die. Today, Kate spreads the message to live like you might die tomorrow through her writing, art installations, branded products, experiential events, and online content. YOU MIGHT DIE TOMORROW has a global following with thousands of stickers around the world, happy clients like Facebook, Inc. and a book, coming soon.

In this episode I had the privilege of talking about life, death and everything in between with Professor Dame Sue Black, a leading anatomist and forensic anthropologist with an exceptional career and personal insight into death and dying. Sue was the lead forensic anthropologist for the UK response to war crimes investigations in Kosovo and has also served in Sierra Leone, Grenada, Iraq and in Thailand following the Asian tsunami. She has been awarded two police commendations for her work in Disaster Victim Identification training and also for helping to secure convictions against perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Sue was awarded an OBE in 2001 and a DBE in 2016 for her services to education and forensic anthropology. She is a fellow and President of the Royal Anthropological Institute and a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of Biology as well as the lifetime professor of Anatomy for the Royal Scottish Academy. Her research portfolio has secured over £22M of funding and she is the author of 14 text books and in excess of 150 peer reviewed publications. She is also the author of the best-selling book ‘All That Remains’ - which is, in all honesty, one of the best books I’ve ever read! Despite the topic, Sue and I laughed throughout this episode as we shared our deep and dark Scottish humour. I hope you enjoy connecting with Sue as much as I did.

In this episode I am joined by the incredible Sarah Greene who shares her life affirming wisdom and compassion about love, loss and survival. Sarah Greene is an award-winning presenter and actress who has hosted and starred in iconic British TV shows ranging from Blue Peter, Going Live and Holiday to‪ Ghostwatch ‬and Dr Who. Sarah positively excels in a live tv environment and has interviewed everyone from Margaret Thatcher to Cher over her illustrious career. Starting out as an actress, Sarah was hand-picked by Blue Peter’s legendary editor, Biddy Baxter, to become it’s youngest ever presenter. Whilst Sarah was working on the show, it picked up the BAFTA for best children’s programme. Moving on from Blue Peter, Sarah presented Saturday Superstore, followed by Going Live! which she co-presented with Phillip Schofield. Both shows dominated the ratings and that popularity was very much down to Sarah’s great chemistry on screen, both with her co-presenters and her natural ability to interview guests, whilst also working with the likes of Gordon the Gopher! Moving across into primetime proved effortless for Sarah and she has presented and co-produced hundreds of successful shows including Posh Frocks and New Trousers, Hospital Watch, Holiday and programmes across the Food Network Channel. Along the way Sarah also anchored the London Monring Breakfast Show on BBC London Radio – solo hosting a live three hour phone-in show with the listeners discussing the daily news. Sarah’s skills at mediating, chairing & presenting events have also seen her hosting many awards shows and corporate evenings throughout her career, working for companies such asNestlé, Mars, Standard Life and the Government's Green Initiative to name but a few. I know I will never be the same again after having had this chat with Sarah. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In this episode I speak with Nahla Summers. Nahla is a social change maker, a transformative coach, a podcaster, an accidental adventurer and a speaker. She is also the author of the book 44 Rays of Sunshine. A book she never expected to write until the day her life changed. Her story and how she overcame adversity has been inspiring people around the world. In fact she won an award for most inspirational book in 2017 with a ‘stellar piece of writing by a very talented author’. However, she says it is not that that she is most proud, but simply the people who have told her they are reading the book for a second time. She has been awarded a points of light award from the Prime Minister for ‘transforming the concept of sponsorship’. After cycling 3000 miles across America and walking 500 miles from South to North England asking people to show their support by simply doing an act of kindness. With her second book launching called a Culture of Kindness and her podcast of the same name, she is looking to change the world of work into a kinder and more productive place. Her books are available to buy on Amazon. Find out more about her on her websites where you can ask join her mailing list: www.Nahlasummers.com www.sunshinepeople.org.uk

In this episode I speak with Finlay Wilson aka ‘The Kilted Yogi’. Finlay is a certified Forrest Yoga teacher, Forrest Yoga Guardian-in-training and Senior Yoga Alliance teacher. Currently, he is based in Dundee and is the co-founder and principal teacher of Heart Space Yoga & Bodyworks. He began yoga in 2007 following surgical procedures on both legs and used Yoga for his rehabilitation. Kilted Yoga has launched him and his practice into the spotlight with over 100 million worldwide views of his videos from the original Kilted Yoga video on BBC The Social to campaigns with companies and other Kilted friends. Kilted Yoga was released as a book in October 2017 and has been attracting people’s attention to yoga, Scotland and a healthier way of being and thinking. Today Finlay teaches classes all over the world, posts classes online, hosts online courses, presents at yoga conferences and performs asana demonstrations at events and fundraisers. Through his own rehabilitation physically and mentally, he feels that safe therapeutic touch was a cornerstone in his development and he delights in sharing that when he travels and teaches.  For the last two years, he has spoken publicly and online through BBC The Social on LGBT issues, Male Mental Health, and the issues around suicide. This is something he is really passionate about being a voice for and the book, Kilted Yoga, has opened the doors for him to speak to people about how a yoga practice can help with mental health struggles but also about how to get fierce about what you are passionate about.

In this episode we hear from Saima Thomason (aka Curry and Cancer) talking about food, self love and the importance of living for today. Saima Thompson runs award winning restaurant Masala Wala Cafe in South London, an entrepreneur and thanks to a recent cancer diagnosis now writer and public speaker. After being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at 29 years old Saima’s life changed forever, now a cancer patient she was determined to bring her worlds of food and health together. Proving to herself and others that palliative care isn’t the end of living. She suffered mentally after the news but through sheer determination she worked through life’s traumas with coping strategies and looks to carry the diagnosis with her. Her focus has been to raise awareness in BAME Communities as there is a total lack of conversation around disease let alone cancer, this is due to taboo and lack of education, integration especially with elders. Saima has written for Refinery 29, Huffington Post, VICE and featured in national campaigns for Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK and Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. She guest cohosted the BBC 5 podcast You Me and The Big C speaking about the topic of culture and cancer and is currently working on a cook book. @curryandcancer

In this episode I speak with Dr David Hamilton about the importance of bringing play and kindness into our lives. David has a PhD in organic chemistry and spent 4 years in the pharmaceutical industry, developing drugs for cardiovascular disease and cancer. Inspired by the placebo effect, he left the industry to write books and educate people in how they can harness their mind and emotions to improve their health. He is now author of 10 books, including, ‘The Little Book of Kindness’, ‘How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body’, ‘I Heart Me’ and the Amazon bestseller, ‘The Five Side Effects of Kindness’. He writes a regular blog on his website and occasional blogs for the Huffington Post (US version). David is the ‘Kindness Tsar’ for Psychologies Magazine and writes ‘The Kindness Conversation’ and the ‘Kindness Project’. He is also the ‘Life Hacks’ monthly columnist for Soul & Spirit Magazine and in 2016, he was voted ‘Best writer’ by readers of Kindred Spirit Magazine. David is featured in the award-winning documentary, ‘HEAL’. He appears regularly in the media and was recently featured on Channel 4’s live show, ‘Sunday Brunch’, in the UK and ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ in the USA. David is an advocate for kindness and is working passionately to help inspire a kinder world.