WHYLD - Podcast for Bold Authentic People (And Those Who Wish They Were)

Do you know who you are? “You're not white enough for the white people. You're not brown enough for the brown people, and it's our own people judging us.”Summary of what we talk about in the episode:Cultural belonging, financial pressures & mental health - what is it like being a Latino in the US?Vulnerability is strength? From “machismo” to authenticity.What crucial conversations shouldn’t you avoid in a relationship?International development work (and beyond) – how can LISTENING be a game changer?Trailblazers – what qualities can first-generation immigrants tap into to make an impact?In more words: Dr. Paul Rivera was raised between worlds. Growing up in the US as the son of a Mexican mother and a Salvadorian father, he spoke English at school, and Spanish at home. And there were more dualities: Blue-collar background, white-collar aspirations. Public appearance, private struggles. Machismo versus vulnerability, people-pleasing versus authenticity.The latter opposing forces became a fight that defined many years of his life. Limiting gender norms and lack of communication stood in the way of his authentic self-expression as well as a fulfilled marriage.“I became a very inauthentic version of myself. I got to the point where I didn't recognise who I was.“But Paul always knew there was more to life and more to himself. He learned to speak multiple languages, travelled to 115 countries, became a father, a professor, and a diplomat (to name just a few of his roles).Today, Paul values authenticity more than people-pleasing and makes sure he has all the crucial conversations with Esther, his second wife. With their mutual business “Be. Act. Change”, Esther and Paul help individuals and organisations harness their full potential and achieve more.Mentioned in this episode: Book “Brown Enough” written by Christopher Rivas Own book, “Creating Your Limitless Life”, by Paul Rivera & Esther Zeledon: You can listen to the story of another person who grew up with dualities and became a bridge builder: Lobsterbird, WHYLD Episode 43  If you listen carefully to WHYLD Episode 7, you can hear Francesco’s Italian hand gestures...Dish of the Dominican Republic we spoke about: "Sancocho"One of Paul’s favourite books: “The Practice Effect” by David BrinDo you want to connect with Paul (& Esther)?Website: Be Act ChangeInstagram: @be.act.change & @riveraeconFacebook: Be Act ChangeYouTube: @be.act.changeDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

How authentic do you allow yourself to be, truly? “Given the big role working plays in our lives, it would be a big loss if we couldn’t be ourselves at work, wouldn’t it?”In short, we talk about this in the episode:How does your body let you know when you are in alignment – and when you are straying from your truth?In which situations or environments do you suppress your authenticity?How could you change that?If you made that change, how would your life be different? This episode is special. You are not going to meet a stranger and hear about their version of an authentic life. Instead, it is all about YOU. This episode is a guided visualization exercise, an invitation to reflect on your level of authenticity in important areas of your life, namely your relationships and your work life (no matter what you consider your work to be, e.g. employment, self-employment, volunteering, studying, homemaking, care work, studying etc.). You will be tuning into the language your body uses to signal that you are straying from your truth in unhealthy ways. And what it feels like when you are in alignment. You will be able to identify situations and environments in which you suppress your authentic self… and, thus, identify opportunities to change thanks to your heightened awareness. I will be guiding you to reflect on questions like:Do you alter your appearance for work, and how does that make you feel?Who are the people in whose presence you feel tense and inhibited?Is it uncomfortable for you just to sit with yourself – exposed to your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations – without a distraction?When do you feel most alive, and how can you tell? I invite you to give this episode - this guided journey - an honest try. If you prefer READING the exercise instructions, you can find them in the corresponding blog article on www.whyld.one.Let me know what you think of the exercise and this format of a guided visualization / reflection in general! Thank you & much love TinaDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

Can you imagine paying for a sexual service? “My goal is that a client is not booking me again.”  In short, we talk about this in the episode:Why do women pay for sex? And is it a bad thing?How does one become a callboy… and why?Why does a sex worker say, “my aim is that no woman calls twice”?Is this even legal? Germany’s Prostitution Protection Act and what introducing the “Nordic Model” would mean for consumers.Why might it feel safer for someone to book an escort than to go on a dating site?In more words:If this question appals you, please don’t run away just yet. Sex work is an edgy topic and people tend to have strong opinions about it. As always with this podcast, you are invited to explore your (dis)comfort zone and respectfully meet perspectives different from your own. In this episode, you’ll meet Ben Nordmann. Ben is passionate about creating positive, inclusive, and empowering spaces for people - in his job as a designer… and as a “supportive” escort. Typical job combination, right? The latter profession takes Ben on international travel to meet with his female “hosts” and explore their desires… Why Ben chose this path, what the motives of his clients are, and how it all works - learn that and more from this rare and very open account of a male “callboy”. Contrasting Ben’s happy and self-determined situation, we also spoke about the darker sides of sex work – and why the current political push in Germany to criminalize “consumers” in general might not solve the issues after all while punishing an entire industry. Mentioned in this episode:Ben is a member of the Germany-based Professional Association for Erotic and Sexual Services (BesD e.V.): www.berufsverband-sexarbeit.de (English translation available) Currently, the “Prostitute Protection Act” / “Prostituiertenschutzgesetz" is the legal foundation for sex work in Germany.There is a political push in Germany to introduce the „Nordic Model” which would penalize the clients of sex workers. Ben offers a “Trusted Guest Program” on his website www.justnotbed.com - potential clients can contact Ben's former hosts to learn what the experience was like.Do you want to connect with Ben?Platform (for himself & other professionals sharing the same values): www.justnotbed.comPersonal website: www.ben-nordmann.comIG (platform): @justnotbed_ IG (just Ben): @ben_nordmannTwitter: @justnotbedDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

What is a Lobsterbird? “As the saying goes: A fish and a bird could fall in love. But where would they live?” In short, we talk about this in the episode: White-Asian, male-female, arts-science - what is it like to be a builder of bridges between polarities? 88 temples in 24 days – why Lobsterbird completed Japan’s Shikoku pilgrimage in record time and what a rice field can teach you. Wormholes, wisdom, wonders – how Tina was challenged by Lobsterbird’s language but found: We are not that different after all.In more words: Imagine recording a whole podcast episode on the topic of your name, just so you don’t have to repeat the whole story to every new person you meet individually. Welcome to the world of Lobsterbird!Like their name, Lobsterbird as a person defies a short, unidimensional description. Multiprismatic, neuroemergent, and non-binary are but a few descriptors they like to use for themself. Born to “an Asian woman and a white dude”, Lobsterbird’s path as a social chameleon, a wanderer between worlds, was predestined. As an artist, a healer, a guide, Lobsterbird’s mission is to help people find their purpose and transcend their limitations, in order to help build a better world. This episode was born out of hesitation, a tension between different universes. Instead of turning away from the initial insecurities with one another, host and guest instead decided to go for exposure, exploration, and radical honesty with each other. What a magical experience! Enjoy the episode to learn more about barkeeping crustaceans, virtual pilgrimages, and the transformational powers of rice fields. Mentioned in this episode: Lobsterbird’s Bridge to Being PodcastBridge to Being #43 “What the hell is a Lobsterbird?”Lobsterbird's Books: “Phase Out” and “Level Up”Tibetan Vajrayana BuddhismShikoku Pilgrimage Do you want to connect with Lobsterbird? Website: www.lobsterbird.comInstagram: @thelobsterbirdFacebook: @thelobsterbirdDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

How long can you hold your breath? “90% of the blackouts happen near the surface at the very end of the dive.”  In short, we talk about this in the episode: How dangerous is freediving really? Step by step, what happens during a vertical freedive?  What surprising reflexes help humans survive longer underwater? Who was Stephen Keenan to Lily and what happened on July 22nd, 2017?  In more words: Imagine walking 120 meters (131 yards) on one breath. Think you can make it?  And now imagine doing the same thing… diving. Miscalculated, ran out of oxygen? Tough luck, no way to breathe before you reach the surface! What sounds like a crazy, dangerous endeavour is Lily Crespy’s passion and the most peaceful activity she can imagine. Freediving. Upon discovering this niche sport, not even a broken leg could stop Lily from diving into a new life. Formerly a molecular biologist, Lily became an athlete, competing in the world championships, and working internationally as a freediving instructor. In 2017, a tragic accident (“The Deepest Breath” movie, available on Netflix) involving Lily’s friends - world-renowned safety diver Stephen Keenan and record-breaking freediving champion Alessia Zecchini – changed the trajectory of Lily’s career.  Let Lily take you on a deep dive and explain the intriguing physiological reflexes that help humans survive longer underwater. Listen to her personal account of Stephen Keenan’s fatal accident. And learn what she is up to now, writing a new chapter back home in Nice, France. Mentioned in this episode: “The Deepest Breath” movie“The Big Blue” movieWim Hof breathing method (NOT to be used for freediving in the water; can be used for static apnea)Mammalian Dive Reflex (set of physiological responses to immersion in water)Laryngospasm (protective reflex against pulmonary aspiration)Blow-Tap-Talk (method to recover blacked-out diver)Alexey Molchanov  & Natalia Molchanova († 2nd August 2015)Dahab Freedivers (freediving school in Dahab, Egypt, founded by Pascal Berger, Miguel Lozano, and Stephen Keenan, later run by Lily Crespy as manager)Alessia ZecchiniStephen Keenan († 22nd July 2017)Do you want to connect with Lily?www.enki-coaching.comIG: @lilycrespyFB: @lily.crespyDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

Do I have to have kids? “Moms reach out to me all the time and share their stories and say that they just weren't aware that they had the choice.” In short, we talk about this in the episode:How can you find out if you (don’t) want to have kids? Is being childfree different for men vs. women? Should “kids, yes or no” be a topic on your first date?  Why is this such a sensitive topic? In more words:Veronica grew up in a very traditional Hispanic home where the father worked and the mom… worked, too. This came on top of taking care of the household and children, “of course”.Being overworked and last on the to-care-for list was not a model young Veronica fancied for her future. Yet, for a long time, she didn’t know she had a choice.Now 47 and confidently childfree, Veronica knows all about the pressure and the prejudice society applies to people for whom having children is not a given but an option - one that is considered very consciously.Together with her partner Rick, the Austin-based woman with a captivating smile founded “The Childfree Connection” – a global membership community for like-minded individuals.In the episode, we discuss the many stereotypes about childfree people, why many parents feel offended by this topic, what Veronica calls the “But Trap”, and how Veronica thinks about her old age without kids. Resources mentioned in this episode:Earth Overshoot Day – incorrectly addressed as “Earth Day” in the episode: The day of each year when humanity has used up the natural resources available in a year. The more people we become and the less sustainably we act, the earlier the date on which humanity passes this troublesome mark each passing year.“Is childfree for me?” - program + private community offered by VeronicaDo you want to connect with Veronica?Website: www.thechildfreeconnection.comInstagram: @thechildfreeconnectionFacebook: @thechildfreeconnectionDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

Is “should” still part of your vocabulary? If it’s not a F*** YES, it’s a F*** NO!  In short, we talk about this in the episode:How the way you are eating might reflect your connection with yourself.How a “head person” might find access to their heart’s voice.What you might want to know about the local culture before moving to the Azores…In more words:Alexandra “Allie” Elle has not always been this connected with the callings of her inner voice. The passionate writer lived with a severe eating disorder for nearly two decades. The anorexia that had once filled a void, lies slumbering now and serves as a beacon for when Allie strays from her truth.  Equipped with a wild curiosity, a fearlessness, and a radical love for what’s authentically human, she followed her soul on a nomad journey to self. From Canada, where she grew up, past a small island in the Atlantic, where she leaped and fell, all the way to Poland, where her roots called. Listen to Allie share about her difficulties in navigating cultural clashes, reconciling the intellect and heart, making truthful decisions - and erroring at times.  Resources mentioned in this episode:Gabor Maté - www.drgabormate.com“Wise Mind”- Concept of Dialectic Behavior TherapyDo you want to connect with Allie?Instagram: @alexandraelle.writerDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

Is it just a phase? “For that whole time, I was not being authentic. I was low-level terrified on a daily basis. And it doesn't take an expert to think about the effect that has on someone's nervous system. That repression is deadly.” In short, we talk about this in the episode: What are the stereotypes around bisexuality?Can gender-fluid people find partners?How are authenticity & mental health connected?In more words: “Promiscuous, unreliable, secretly gay or straight” – bisexual (or pansexual) individuals find themselves stereotyped and often even rejected by potential partners.Mark Cusack makes it a point to debunk these and other myths about sexuality, romance, and gender on his social media platform “notdefining”.Growing up, Mark (he/they) felt alienated by gender expectations and unable to grasp his fluid sexual orientation. Out of fear that his full self might be rejected, he remained closeted, repressed what was queer about him, and questioned his identity in silence.Unfortunately, repression doesn’t go well with one’s mental health. Battling with severe depression and anxiety is the price Mark paid for that life in the closet. But not anymore. Today, by being unapologetically authentic, Mark is the mentor he wished he had back then. “Every pot has its lid”, a popular German proverb, meaning: While you might think you are just too weird, too queer, too in-between to be lovable, remember that there are always people who are attracted specifically to who you are. And no matter their orientation: Everyone is attracted to authenticity and self-love. If you are questioning your sexuality or facing mental health struggles because of it, don’t do it on your own. Go check out @notdefining across social media to find a supportive community led by the incredibly kind, and welcoming Mark Cusack. Do you want to connect with Mark?All-in-one-go: www.campsite.bio/notdefiningInstagram: @notdefiningYouTube: @notdefiningTikTok: @notdefiningTwitter: @notdefiningPatreon: @notdefining Do you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

Do poverty, war, and health crises really lie outside of your responsibility? "I grew up with this sense of how inappropriate and unfair the world is. And how I shouldn't be passive in this injustice and that I shouldn't just take care of myself."  In short, we talk about this in the episode: How to become THAT person who saves lives worldwide on a Doctors Without Borders mission. What day-to-day humanitarian aid work is really like, beyond what you learn on the news. The emotional impact of working in crisis zones, how to cope with and grow through them.In more words: With an English-Canadian mother and a refugee from Iran for a father, Reza Eshaghian grew up with an awareness of multiculturalism and differences in living standards. Not wanting to follow in the footsteps of his father, a doctor, young Reza aspired to become a computer game developer instead - until a fateful book, “An Imperfect Offering” by James Orbinski, changed his path in life dramatically. With commendable persistence, Reza took each step of his education and career so he would eventually become eligible for his goal: Signing up as a humanitarian physician with Doctors Without Border / Médecins Sans Frontières and helping those fighting for survival in crisis zones around the world. In nine years of working with MSF, Reza has served in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine. This episode offers a first-person account of the things you did not expect humanitarian aid work to be like. Among others, we delve into the following questions: What do you need to do to become a humanitarian doctor with MSF in the first place? Can you choose where to go? How can you reconcile a career at home with being abroad for months on end? In what ways is the fieldwork not all like you would expect? What emotional impact does this work have and how does one deal with it?  Thank you, Reza, for these valuable insights and the existential work you do. If you, dear listener/reader, want to help Reza and his colleagues help others, maybe you want to consider donating to MSF? Resources mentioned in this episode: Médecins Sans Frontières: www.msf.orgDonate here: www.msf.org/donateReza playing piano – “Kercha” on YouTube Reza’s favourite Iranian dish - “Fezenjan”Book by James Orbinski - “An Imperfect Offering” Do you want to connect with Reza? Twitter: @reshaghian Do you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

Do you know how to ask for what you desire, embrace a “no” response, and respect your own boundaries?“I'm learning that to be a whole person and a happier person, I need to have conversations that are challenging all the time. Almost daily.”In short, in this episode, we talk about:What professional cuddling is and why it is valuable work.How cuddling events can teach you about boundary setting and navigating difficult situations.Why having an intimacy coordinator professional on set is an important asset in keeping actors and actresses safe throughout intimate scenes. With more words:Being a professional cuddler, the founder of “Cuddle Sanctuary”, as well as an intimacy professional for theatre, film, and TV, Jean Franzblau does not find it easy to explain what she does for a living.In her role as “Cuddle Queen Jean”, she bridges the gap between the astonishingly prevalent notion that there is not much to be taught about cuddling and the striking deficits in our culture regarding voicing needs and acting with consent. Especially when it comes to sexuality and other forms of vulnerable human interaction.Thus, Jean is on a mission to educate people on boundary-aware intimacy and to create safer environments for its exploration.Those who dare, join Jean in Cuddle Sanctuary’s events in California to practice navigating boundaries and to invite the nurturing experiences they seek. Jean also trains people around the world to become facilitators of cuddle events themselves. As an intimacy professional, Jean coordinates between actors, writers, directors and others involved, to ensure emotional safety during a scene that involves nudity, played sexuality or even sexual violence.Resources mentioned in this episode:Buzzfeed Video: “People Spoon With Professional Cuddlers For The First Time” Movie: "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (Wikipedia)IFS – Internal Family Systems (Wikipedia)Book: Creating Consent Culture: A Handbook for Educators (von Marcia Baczynski (Author), Erica Scott (Author))Me Too Movement & Emily MeadePioneer intimacy coordinator: Alicia RodisYouTube yoga channel: "Yoga with Adriene" (& Benji)Do you want to connect with Jean?Website: www.jeanfranzblau.comYouTube: @CuddleSanctuaryInstagram: @hollywoodintimacycoordinator & @cuddlesanctuaryFacebook: @cuddlesanctuaryDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? “The Camino de Santiago […], known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain.” (Wikipedia) On May 17th 2023, Tina is starting off on a big adventure and physical challenge: Walking the Camino Portugués, a 250+ (depending on the variation) kilometre path from Porto, Portugal, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. On foot, in about 2 weeks.The Camino Portugués is part of the Camino de Santiago’s network of paths spanning Europe. Hundreds of thousands are arriving at Santiago’s cathedral each year, celebrating their accomplishment, and hugging fellow strangers who, too, have come from far to experience the transformative magic of Camino.In an age when fast-and-far travel is available to many, witnessing every step of the way, like a chain of hundreds of thousands of moments, is a unique call for presence and deceleration. The slowness and sweat, the repetition and reflection, offer the kind of answers and change that many a pilgrim sets out for.In this semi episode of WHYLD Podcast, you learn about the Camino de Santiago and are invited to follow Tina’s journey.Do check out WHYLD’s Instagram & Facebook accounts for a personal pilgrimage report by Tina.Would you like more info on the Camino? Check out:Pilgrim's Office in SantiagoStingy Nomads blog post with lots of valuable info on the Camino PortuguésInfo on the "Spiritual" detour Tina plans on taking Do you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

What story will we tell when we are dead?   “There's all sorts of scenarios of death that can be embarrassing. […] It's just very private and very intimate and they're forced into almost having to expose themselves to someone.” In short, we talk about this in the episode:  What made Kari decide to become a mortician and what is it like to be in this job? How is caring for the living often more challenging than working with the dead?   What questions about the dead is Kari being asked most?How does Kari handle the tension between living her life and expecting a distressed caller any minute? What did more than 25 years of caring for the dead teach her about living?  With more words: Upon entering adult life, most of us focus on being full of choices, full of life, and making the most out of it. If we are lucky, getting older, sicker, and eventually dying is not on our to-think-about list at this age. So how come some young people choose to enter a profession that places death at the center of attention? What is it like dealing with loved ones in crisis, grieving and lost, all the time? And what happens to a body once handed over to the care of a funeral home? Kari Northey, single mom and mortician from Michigan, USA, has answers. Even though we generally like to push the thought of death away, we have so many questions and hope that if only we knew more about what’s coming it would make us better prepared and feel more in control, when a loved one dies or when we are confronted with our own looming deaths. On her YouTube channel “Kari the Mortician”, it is Kari’s mission to make the processes of a funeral home transparent, tangible, and less frightening. Whether it is embalming, cremating, or talking financials, Kari answers the questions of her audience – and does so with lightness and charisma.Resources mentioned in this episode: Kari's interview with "Hospice Nurse Julie": you can watch it on Kari's YouTube channel A tour of a crematory Kari captured for her channel A tour of an embalming room in which Kari explains the use of items like a "head block" "My Girl" -  the movie in which a girl grows up in a house that also holds her father's funeral home in the basement Do you want to connect with Kari? Website: www.karithemortician.com YouTube: @karithemortician Instagram: @kari_the_mortician Facebook: @karithemortician TikTok: @karithemorticianLinkedIn:  @Kari Northey Do you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

What if what you thought you wanted does not hold true anymore?  “The issue with phases of transitions is that they are exactly that: phases. They might start overnight and surprise the hell out of you. But then they will patiently accompany you until you figure out how to solidify the person soup that you have become.” It feels good to be consistent, to stay true to past statements and beliefs, to be the reliable, steady type of person. But what if things that were valid in the past are overcome by reality? Can you be a consistent person AND change? This solo episode is a vulnerable account of a difficult time, when three pillars of Tina’s identity began to sway at once, shaken by the tremors of a personal earthquake. In this episode, Tina talks about: Liquefaction of soil and of an identityReorienting after losing interest in a dream careerAcknowledging the need for fewer stimuli in life Daring to navigate two romantic relationships at onceFinding the one thing that matters in this lifetimeResources mentioned in this episode:Quake City – Exhibition by Canterbury MuseumSoil Liquefaction – some info on WikipediaWHYLD Podcast episode 3, “The Hidden Superpower”WHYLD Podcast episode 33 with Nanda Jansson, “Why Fight the Winter? A Long COVID Journey”Blog post by Martha Beck, “Growing Wings: The Power of Change” Do you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch!  Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast  Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one   Do you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

Will life ever be the same again?“I felt sick for about 10 days. On the 10th day, I went to bed and I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling literally like there was an elephant on my chest.”Nanda Jansson is one of the unlucky ones who made the acquaintance of COVID-19 in March 2020, while the other billions of us followed cases like hers on the media, safely locked into our homes, not sure what we should believe about this strange new disease that was quickly taking over the planet.A lot of us had lived in some degree of denial, not believing the possible severity of an infection – and its potential to completely change the life which came afterwards.It took Nanda 71 weeks to return to work again. She documented the long journey to recovery on her blog called “Living My Truth”. Her “Corona Chronicles" spread around the planet and helped others navigate their own COVID story.“I don't feel I've been suffering from COVID. I've been surfing the waves. I like to see myself as a resilient surfer.” Nanda, a Dutch woman who found love and a new home in Sweden (“we actually believe we are the world's first internet couple”), is a joy to listen to, as she radiates a deep curiosity and gratitude for life. In this episode, we talk about:A “first waver’s” experience of almost dying and ever so slowly recovering from (Long) COVID-19Finding the gift and beauty in slowing downLearning to accept not only the “positive” aspects of our authentic selvesWelcoming challenging times for they change who we are for goodBecoming “person soup”Resources mentioned in this episode:Martha Beck: “The Way of Integrity” (book); “Growing Wings: The Power of Change” (blog post)Katherine May: “Wintering” (book)Nanda Jansson:  “Corona Chronicles” (blog post series)“Wintering” (blog post)"The Elephant on my Lungs” (blog post)Do you want to connect with Nanda?"Living My Truth" blog: www.livingmytruth.seInstagram: @livingmytruth.seFacebook: @livingmytruth.seLinkedIn: Nanda JanssonDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

👩‍🍳 Like sweet and sour: Contrast makes a wholesome recipe – even a recipe for happiness? 😍Contentment, joy, satisfaction, happiness, well-being… we use various words 💬 to describe a phenomenon that all of us seek to maximize in our lives.Do the aforementioned terms really refer to the same thing? In what ways are they related? And what do we need to do to attain happiness and its linguistic siblings? 🤔👱 Leonard Gabriel Heygster wanted answers. And he had a hypothesis: “What you focus on is what you get more of.” ☝️ So, he mused, if he spent more time thinking about happiness… would he then get happier automatically? 🚀 Worth a try! And what better way to delve into a topic than to interview scientists and experts on the matter? The 🎙️ HumansAreHappy 🎧 podcast was born. In this episode, we ask Leonard about: What are the preliminary findings on his quest to understand happiness? Is there an actionable recipe for happiness? Which deep beliefs made him choose a rational, scientific approach for HumansAreHappy… and why does he now know that this alone cannot complete his journey? Did spending that much time thinking about happiness actually make him a happier person? Join us for this deep conversation 🤿 and get just one step closer to authentic fulfilment in your life. 😃 Resources mentioned in this episode:SelfHealers Soundboard PodcastHumans Are Happy Podcast (German language)Ep. 1 - Dr Ernst Fritz-Schubert – „Make sure that which gives you short-term pleasure also gives you long-term satisfaction”Ep. 2 – Dr Burkhard Pleger – „It is not about happiness… satisfaction is the supreme discipline"Do you want to connect 😉 with Leonard?Website (German language): www.humansarehappy.orgLinkTree: humansarehappyInstagram: humansarehappyTikTok: humansarehappy.orgLinkedIn: Leonard HeygsterDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

🤗 Do you feel safe relating your authentic truth? 🗫 “When I was in college, I got really interested in studying intentional living communities, co-ops, cohousing communes. 🏡 […] A lot of what the co-ops would run into were these continuous communication problems. […]🤫There were conflicts, they just wouldn't get dealt with because no one knew how to do it.” Often, we find ourselves in challenging situations of socializing and communicating: 🍸 the awkward small talk at our friend’s party 😰 the job interview that we do not know how to conduct in a light and relaxed atmosphere  🧑‍🤝‍🧑 the difficult topic we want to bring up with our partners or housemates Sara Ness used to struggle with this, too, thinking she was lacking the social skills 🔧 required. Until she discovered practices that have the power to 😃 boost connection, trust, and communication in any setting: Authentic Relating. Sara is a connector, facilitator, community builder, founder, curious soul, and relentless researcher. 🦄 Listen to her share what she learned through years of facilitating 👩‍🏫 Authentic Relating, why she never actually liked being the CEO of her company Authentic Revolution, and what her latest research project 📚 on Relating Languages is about. Do you want to connect  😉 with Sara?You can support Sara here: https://www.patreon.com/snessWebsite: https://www.authrev.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/spesmiraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/instigatress/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthRev/   Do you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

🤔 Is it okay to not want sex? ❤️‍🔥  💬 “I just thought I was a broken gay guy for 20 years.” 💬 When Cody Daigle-Orians first posted a video 📹 on TikTok, outing 📣 himself as asexual, he immediately received hundreds of comments from young ace (asexual) people saying “Wow, I didn't know ace adults existed!” 🙏🏽 He was 42 back then.  In our culture, love and sex are dominant themes everywhere you look – in movies, books, advertisements, conversations with friends, expectations imposed by the family… 👩‍❤️‍👩 Many of us, including folks in the diversity-aware queer community, have never called into question 🤔 whether the need for physical and romantic intimacy actually applied to everyone. It does not. In this episode, actor and playwright Cody shares his journey of self-discovery, from identifying as a gay man with a “problem” 😒 to living life as a confident, out-and-authentic homoromantic ace person. 😃 Ace, homoromantic… say whaaaat? 😵 If your head is spinning from all the unfamiliar terms: No worries, we’ll explain all of them and more in the episode. Which is Cody’s specialty. 👨‍🏫 Through his social-media-based educational project called “Ace Dad Advice”, Cody is busy busting myths 🤜 and giving an authentic voice to the ace community. He particularly aims at supporting young people questioning their sexual and romantic needs and letting them know: You are not broken, your experience is valid as it is. 🌈 👉 Cody’s first book, “I AM ACE: ADVICE ON LIVING YOUR BEST ACE LIFE”, will come out in January 2023. 📖   Terms explained in the episode: ace (asexual) allosexual and alloromantic aro(mantic) greysexual and greyromantic demisexual and demiromantic … listen to the episode for Cody’s explanations (minutes 21 – 27)  Mentioned in the episode:  Cody on Dr. Joe Kort’s Podcast Do you want to connect with Cody? Website: www.acedadadvice.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@acedadadvice  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/acedadadvice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acedadadvice Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acedadadvice Twitter: https://twitter.com/acedadadvice Do you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

🖌️ What if the most vulnerable parts of your story were painted on your skin? 🎨 This can be a scary thought. We all navigate the sweet tension between wanting to be SEEN for who we are and wanting to hide 🙈 certain aspects we feel uncomfortable showing.While the latter might apply to arguably “minor” things like bad moods, particular quirks we are embarrassed about, or our perceived weaknesses, it especially applies to more delicate parts of our story: 😨 😥 Traumatic experiences we survived, physical illnesses or mental health issues we suffer from, violence and abuse we had to go through et cetera. Shame and guilt can lure us into silence and isolation, which might not help our healing. 🤫 Kristen Zamora (Adams), a professional face and body painter from 🐾 Paw Paw, Michigan (USA), breaks the silence and does the radical opposite: Painting people’s vulnerable stories 📖 in full scale on their naked bodies. It had started with artistic intentions at Grand Rapids🏆 ArtPrize 2017. It has evolved into much more: a healing modality, a full-on passion for Kristen, and an invitation to 🔍 look at her own hiding more closely… And she did it again: 5 years after the premiere, Kristen again contested at Grand Rapids Art Prize 2022... and won in the category "Time-Based Visitor Award Winner". Deservedly so. Congratulations, Kristen, and thank you for making invisible stories visible. Do you want to connect with Kristen?Website: www.kfxembodyart.comFacebook group: ArtPrize 2022 Embodied- Healing Through Body Art ProjectInstagram: @kfxbodyartDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

😳 Is disability a tragedy? 🤔 “We shouldn’t think of disability as a tragedy but it was that I could have died - which was the tragedy.” 💬 At 28 weeks of her pregnancy, Anja Christoffersen’s mom was told that her baby 👶 had no stomach and would not be able to survive. 17 years later, her beautiful daughter was walking the runway of Amsterdam Fashion Week. 💃 Between those two moments lie years of 🏥 👩‍⚕️ hospital admittances, surgeries, the fight for self-determination in Australia’s health care system … as well as the ordinary life 👧 of a happy, self-confident girl growing up. Anja was born without a normal stomach indeed. Affected by the rare complex of birth defects called VACTERL association, there was even more unusual about the newborn’s body 😧: an extra vertebra, missing bones, no anus but two vaginas, a hole in the heart, the food pipe leading into her lungs, just one kidney…  Reading this list of abnormalities, it is hard to imagine that this girl survived 💪 and keeps on defying all the hardships life throws at her. 24 surgeries, some as early as 5 hours post-birth, and 150+ hospital admissions helped her on this path. Anja is a champion. Being veered off her academic career path due to her health condition, she got on her feet again and created a different path for herself 🦄: As a model on international runways showing her scars, as a speaker and author, she has become for others what she lacked in her childhood: A role model who makes visible what you cannot see on the outside. Because behind every beautiful smile is a story, sometimes a story of disability and chronic illnesses. And behind every one of such stories is a champion. Today, Anja is the founder of Champion Health Agency 🥇, a 'talent agency' for lived experience representing people with disability, chronic illness and carers. Mentioned in the episode:Video by "truly":  "My Rare Condition Meant I Couldn't Eat Food | BORN DIFFERENT" (YouTube)Anja's book called: "Behind the Smile: An Inspirational Journey from Disability to Ability"Do you want to connect with Anja?Website: www.championhealthagency.comFacebook: @championhealthagencyInstagram: @championhealthagencyEpisode cover: photo courtesy of  Anthony ByronDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one

🏝️ A life happening on land, a vacation on a boat - we have heard of that option before. But who says it can’t be the other way round? ⛵  Former electrical engineer Brian Trautman figured an 18-month sabbatical at sea would get him over a “freakout about life” 👻 when he left shore in Seattle back in 2009. He went all in, sold his house 🏡, his cars 🚗, his career 🕴️ – all in exchange for a 53-foot, 2-mast beauty called Delos and the promises of a vague future.12 years later, the land is where Brian retreats for a sabbatical whenever he feels like taking a break from sailing. For 12 years – impressive even for the most ambitious among globetrotters and sabbaticalists 😃 – he has rewritten what a “normal life” for him could look like: Diving, beach walking, collecting visa stamps in his passport, seeing the world’s most beautiful spots – and sharing it all with the community on YouTube 📹 for a living.Speaking of community, “SV Delos” ⛵ is more than just Brian. Over the years, many crews, including total strangers and sailing rookies, have enjoyed their time underneath the sails of Delos. Nowadays, it is mostly Karin 👱‍♀️, Brian’s wife and Swedish princess, as well as little 👶 Sierra, their daughter, who rock the boat alongside Brian. In this episode, Brian shares 💬with you his experience and practical advice on a number of topics, such as: 🌊 how to prepare for travelling the earth on a sailboat 🌊 what the perks and the nightmares of a life at sea really are 🌊 how to get over “I am not ready yet” 🌊 what to think about when planning to raise a child on a boat Now, what is a dream YOU have and risk forgetting until you retire (or maybe never)? Are you sure that this dream would stand in the way 🚧 of you creating a sustainable life for yourself… or could it well be the start of it? 🌈 Do you want to connect with Brian? YouTube: /svdelosInstagram: @svdelosFacebook: @svdelosWebsite: www.svdelos.comDo you enjoy WHYLD? Then get in touch! Quick one-stop-shop: www.linktr.ee/whyld.podcast Follow us on Instagram: @whyld.thepodcast Find us on Facebook: @whyld.one Or visit our website: www.whyld.one