Send us a text Support the show TRIGGER ALERT: Please note that towards the end of the episode, Diane mentions the attempted rape of a friend of hers, as well as an assault that she suffered herself. If these are triggers for you, please turn off at 52”00. In this week's episode, I’m talking to writer, Diane Connell. Diane was born and educated in New Zealand and has lived and worked in Japan, France and the UK. She began her writing career in a newspaper office in Tokyo before becoming an adver...
Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Send us a text Support the show On this week's minisode, I'm talking about motivation and more specifically, what to do when we're struggling to find it. We all have goals, but it's not always easy to find the motivation to do what's required to reach them. Months, years even, may go by as we wait for motivation to arrive and - more often than not - it never does. And so we don't do the thing or achieve the goal. But what if we looked at motivation from a different perspective? What if we realis...
Jul 15, 2023•13 min
Send us a text Support the show On today's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I talk all things meditation - from how we started and what our own practices look like, to the mental and physical benefits of this incredible practice that we could all gain from tapping into! Enjoy. 🧘♀️🧘♀️🧘♀️ Support the show Pre-Order my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Download my FREE PDF 'The Top 10 Answers To The Most Irritating Questions That ...
Jul 13, 2023•32 min
Send us a text Support the show TRIGGER ALERT:Please note that Leigh and I talk about domestic abuse in the first half of this episode. In this week's episode, I’m talking to another of my wonderful listeners, Leigh Doran. Leigh is the founder of D.A.I.S.Y. (Domestic Abuse Intervention Supporting You) a domestic abuse charity she founded in 2015, as well as a counsellor and coach. She is single, has a grown up son, and lives in a motorhome with her dog, Tia. Topics that Leigh & I cover are: ...
Jul 11, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Send us a text Support the show On today's minisode, I'm talking about the importance of embodying the version of ourselves that we hope to be in the future. Much as this might sound a bit (or alot) woowoo, it's something that I consciously do every day, and with good reason. Press 'Play' to find out why! Support the show Pre-Order my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Download my FREE PDF 'The Top 10 Answers To The Most Irritatin...
Jul 08, 2023•22 min
Send us a text Support the show In this first 'Thursday Thoughts' episode, my friend Polly and I talk about how we both got into personal development work and why we love it so much. Support the show Pre-Order my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Download my FREE PDF 'The Top 10 Answers To The Most Irritating Questions That Single People Get Asked On The Regular...& How To (Devilishly) Respond'? Go to: https://www.lucymeggeso...
Jul 06, 2023•24 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to one of my old school friends, Marie Phillips. Marie is a writer and storyteller, based in London and publishing and performing across the world. Her debut novel, Gods Behaving Badly was released in 2007, was an international bestseller, and was made into a film starring Christopher Walken and Sharon Stone. Her subsequent novels include the Baileys Prize-nominated, The Table of Less Valued Knights, Oh I Do Like To Be…, and Create Y...
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Send us a text Support the show On this week's minisode, I'm getting on my soap box about taking responsibility for our own lives because, after all...no one is coming to save you. Harsh as this may sound, not only is it true, but it's important to understand that we need to take ownership of our lives, rather than waiting for a relationship to come along and rescue us. Forget knights in shining armour, WE get to be the hero of our own story. Support the show Pre-Order my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGL...
Jul 01, 2023•14 min
Send us a text Support the show My very special guest this week is one of my fabulous listeners, the lovely Maddie Southorn, who works in communications and business development for a legal educational charity. She is also a singer-songwriter, musician, and knitter of cat toys! (Check out her Etsy store - link below). Topics that Maddie & I cover are: how Maddie is single by circumstance and her struggles around that; her most recent relationship and how they were engaged to be married; how ...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Send us a text Support the show On this week's minisode, I'm sharing 11 of my favourite quotes and the reasons why I love them. You can't move for quotes on social media these days, but my own love of them stems from waaaayyy back when I was but a wee thing. As well as reading out these 11 fabulous quotes, I'm also talking about exactly why I love them, and how - if you let them - they may just change your life...;) Support the show Pre-Order my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US &...
Jun 24, 2023•29 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to history professor and author, Peggy O’Donnell Heffington. Peggy O’Donnell Heffington is a professor in the Department of History at the University of Chicago, where she teaches courses on gender and women’s history as well as historical research and writing methods. When she’s not answering email, you can usually find her trail running, baking gluten free cake, and looking at clothes on the internet. Peggy lives outside of Chicago...
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Send us a text Support the show On this week's minisode, I'm talking about how much better life gets when we stop giving a sh*t what other people think. This is a biggie, because we all suffer from the fear of judgement to one degree or another; but do we realise how much it's holding us back? Letting go of our worries and concerns about the opinions of others might just be the best damn thing we can do for ourselves and our lives, because with it comes liberation and the freedom to live our liv...
Jun 17, 2023•25 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to journalist, life coach and podcaster, Ariana Dunne. Ariana Dunne is a journalist, a life coach, a celebrant, and an entrepreneur. She has worked for major publications including DMG, Bauer, Telegraph, Dennis and Maximum Media. Perpetually single by choice, Ariana has lived a fabulous solo life for most of her twenties and thirties. In 2017 she bought an apartment by herself, in 2018 she set up her own businesses, and in 2022 she s...
Jun 13, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Send us a text Support the show On this week's minisode, I'm talking about some of the assumptions people make about single women when they cannot wrap their heads around the fact that they might actually be single, childless, and...happy. In my case, those assumptions have included me being a lesbian and...a virgin. WTF?! Press 'Play' and prepare to be amused. ;) Support the show Pre-Order my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Do...
Jun 10, 2023•19 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to Director of Events and podcaster, Jennie Becker. Jennie is the Director of Events and Activations UKI at WeWork. She has over 13 years of experience in the world of Events & Partnerships working for companies such as the British Fashion Council, LTK and Stella McCartney and organising events such as London Fashion Week & The British Fashion Awards. She now plays a key role in the scaling and elevation of events and activat...
Jun 06, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Send us a text Support the show In today's minisode, I'm sharing my thoughts on why there's nothing wrong with you just because you happen to be single. There is sometimes an assumption amongst partnered people, that if a person has been single for any length of time - particularly a woman of a 'certain age' - there must be 'something wrong' with her. I beg to differ... Because let's be honest, any old fu*kwit with red flags flying out of every orifice, can find themselves in a relationship. Peo...
Jun 03, 2023•16 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to financial coach, Tess Waresmith. Tess is a single, childless woman who currently runs a financial education business, @wealthwithtess, that teaches women how to take control of their finances by improving their money mindset and learning simple ways to invest their money so they can live life on their terms and step into their full power. Topics that Tess & I cover are: how Tess came to be a financial coach, following the loss...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Send us a text Support the show In this week's minisode, I'm talking about why the term 'single not by choice' is a source of frustration for me. Much like the many shades of grey between the words 'childless' and 'childfree', people often forget that the term 'single not by choice' can also be subject to nuance - and doesn't necessarily translate as 'desperate for a partner.' Among other things, I talk about the assumptions around women who are 'single not by choice', as well as why I've decide...
May 27, 2023•11 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to journalist and author, Rebecca Traister. Rebecca Traister is writer at large for New York magazine. A National Magazine Award winner, she has written about women in politics, media, and entertainment from a feminist perspective for The New Republic and Salon and has also contributed to The Nation , The New York Observer , The New York Times and The Washington Post . She is the author of Good and Mad, and All The Single Ladies, bot...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Send us a text In this week's minisode, I'm talking about why we shouldn't give up so easily when it comes to the practices we know will help us. There is a tendency, particularly when it comes to self help and mindfulness practices, to quit when we don't see instant results. But the truth is that, like most great things in life, it takes time, discipline and consistency to reap the benefits. And although it can be disheartening when we're implementing something new into our lives and we feel li...
May 20, 2023•16 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to childfree lifestyle advocate, LeNora Faye. LeNora is a childfree lifestyle advocate who creates public and private global platforms for people choosing not to have / birth or raise children. She began her public advocacy work in 2018 after realising a need for more conversation about not wanting to have kids. Following a year of blogging, she co-created the international podcast and web series Childfree Girls which led to the deve...
May 16, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Send us a text Support the show In this week's minisode, I'm talking about the tale of the old Cherokee who tells his grandson about the battle that goes on inside of him - and all of us - between the good wolf and the bad wolf. When his grandson asks him "Which wolf will win?", the old man replies simply, "The one you feed." So the question is, which wolf will you feed? In other words, which version of yourself will get to run the show? Support the show Pre-Order my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (U...
May 13, 2023•14 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to writer Kerry Graham. Kerry is a Baltimore-based writer and former English teacher. She is a Creative-in-Residence at the Baltimore Banner, and her essays and vignettes have appeared in dozens of publications. Huffington Post published her essay about being childfree by choice in three languages. Dan Rather said of Kerry’s writing, “in a sea of doom scrolling, a beautiful island of hope.” Topics that Kerry & I cover are: why sh...
May 09, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Send us a text Support the show In this week's minisode, I'm talking about a book by Australian author, Bronnie Ware, called The Top 5 Regrets Of The Dying. Whilst the title may not immediately spark joy, both the book and this episode are far more about life than they are about death. Bronnie spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which garnered so much at...
May 06, 2023•25 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to writers Joan DelFattore & Christina Campbell. Joan DelFattore writes about living a single life in a world geared towards couples. Following her own experience of discrimination against being single in relation to her own cancer treatment, Joan wrote a peer-reviewed article that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019, showing that patients with cancer are more likely to receive surgery or radiotherapy if ...
May 02, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Send us a text Support the show This week, it's a very mini minisode all about the joy of walking. As a kid, I was dragged on walks with my siblings by our Dad, every Sunday, in the woods behind the house I grew up in. And whilst back then I would roll my eyes at the mere mention of yet another walk, I'm so glad that it was implemented into my life at a young age. I've subsequently carried the habit of regular walks with me into adulthood, and barely a day goes by where you won't find me walking...
Apr 29, 2023•14 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to award-winning writer, actor, comedian and musician, Lane Moore. Lane’s first book, How To Be Alone: If You Want To And Even If You Don’t, became an instant No.1 bestseller and was praised as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, New York Magazine, NPR, Good Morning America, Fast Company, Marie Claire, and many others. She also gave a TEDx Talk based on the book, called How To Be Alone. Her second book, You Will ...
Apr 25, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Send us a text Support the show In this week's minisode, I'm talking about the power of awe, and how it turns out that experiencing awe for just a few moments each day has a positive impact on both our emotional and physical health. Researchers Michael Amster and Jake Eagle have found that practicing their 'A.W.E Method' just a few times a day for mere seconds, decreases stress, anxiety, and even depression. Awe can also improve our overall well-being, connectedness, generosity, and happiness. W...
Apr 22, 2023•23 min
Send us a text Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to professor Ketaki Chowkhani. Dr Ketaki Chowkhani is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Manipal Centre for Humanities. Single and childfree herself, Ketaki designed and teaches India's first ever course on Singles Studies, and her writing on singlehood has appeared in the New York Times, The Hindu, Psychology Today, and Square Peg UK, among others. Her writing and teaching on singlehood has been mentioned in The Guardian, the N...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Send us a text Support the show On today's minisode, I'm talking about why the most important asset we have is our energy. Whilst we may worry about people's opinions and judgements when it comes to our single, childfree lives, we need to wise up to this one truth: the energy that we radiate carries far more weight than our relationship status, our qualifications, our bank balance, or anything else. It's not about whether or not we've ticked all the boxes of society's expectations. When it reall...
Apr 15, 2023•22 min
