#114: Robbie Swale - The Power to Choose: Calm, Complexity, and the Courage to Be Fully Yourself

In this special episode, Alex Whitton and Alex Swallow take the reins to interview Robbie about the release of his new book, The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World.

What unfolds is a warm, honest and surprisingly vulnerable exploration of choice, mindset, relationships, and the inner work that helps us meet complexity with more skill and less fear.

Across the conversation, Robbie shares the nine-year journey behind the book - from a powerful coaching question asked by Joel Monk in 2016 through to the resistance, the rewrites, and the emotional cost of releasing something deeply personal into the world.

Together, the three of them explore themes at the heart of both the book and coaching itself.

In this episode they explore:

Why in almost every moment, there’s more choice available than we think.

The idea of the Higher Self - and why we all have moments where we forget it.

How curiosity becomes an antidote to reactivity and contraction.

What really happens when we assume others are doing their best.

Why connection and calm matter so much in a complex world.

How writing a book becomes its own developmental journey.

The castle metaphor for working with shadow parts of ourselves.

The stories that shape us - and the ones we get to rewrite.

Why none of this work is ever really finished.

Robbie also shares two stories that bring these ideas to life in very human ways: a tense exchange with a neighbour, and a moment on a crowded train that turned into a masterclass in choosing calm rather than escalating conflict.

This episode is thoughtful, grounded and full of practical wisdom - for coaches, and for anyone navigating the complexity of modern life.

For more information about Robbie, visit https://www.robbieswale.com/

To buy The Power to Choose, visit http://geni.us/powertochoose

For more information about Alex Whitton, visit http://www.exploregrowbe.com/

For more information about Alex Swallow, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexswallow/

Read more about The Coach's Journey at www.thecoachsjourney.com.

Get Robbie’s ebook for coaches, An Introduction to The Coach’s Journey Flywheel at https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel

Music by My Good Man William: listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQg

To support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community.

THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:

The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World http://geni.us/powertochoose

Joel Monk on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-6-joel-monk-conversations-at-the-cutting-edge-of-coaching

Gay Hendricks’ idea, The Zone of Genius https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2022/2/3/the-zone-of-genius-the-most-powerful-thought-experiment-for-personal-transformation

Robbie interviewing Alex Swallow on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-62-alex-swallow-life-is-better-when-we-choose

Jennifer Garvey Berger on The Coach’s Journey Podcast
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-42-jennifer-garvey-berger-the-answer-to-either-or-is-both

Philip Crocker on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/88-philip-crocker-coaching-is-the-most-natural-thing-in-the-world

Minor Arias on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-3-minor-arias-living-by-design-glz56

Robbie on Neil Mackinnon’s podcast, Creative Practice https://creative-practice.net/2021/01/29/robbie-swale-coach/

Rising Strong — Brené Brown (referenced re: “everyone is doing their best”)
https://brenebrown.com/book/rising-strong/

Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor Frankl
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1033737/man-s-search-for-meaning

Useful Not True — Derek Sivers (idea referenced about beliefs & utility)
https://sive.rs/useful

Robbie’s article about Harry Kane https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2021/12/15/sometimes-it-doesnt-matter-if-what-you-believe-is-true-it-matters-whether-it-is-useful

Meaningful Productivity Blueprint (Robbie’s framework mentioned in the conversation)
https://www.robbieswale.com/meaningful-productivity

An Introduction to The Coach’s Journey Flywheel https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel

“It’s Not About the Chicken” — Fred Kofman story referenced in the episode
https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2023/2/3/its-not-about-the-chicken-harry-its-about-the-last-20-years

The early Choose Your Own Adventure reference
https://www.cyoa.com/

David Gemmell (author referenced)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell

How to Start When You’re Stuck (12-Minute Method Book 1) https://geni.us/startwhenyourestuck