The Tortoise with Brooke McAlary

Today Brooke chats with Justin Morrissey, the founder of Toolo, the Blue Mountains’ first tool library and co-op. As you probably know, a huge part of slow living is based in both community and environmental stewardship, and tool libraries are a big step in the right direction. In this episode Justin and Brooke get really practical, as he explains how he began the library (and what drove him to do so in the first place) as well as his advice for people who may want to start a library in their own community. They also look at how the organisation is structured and the work that went in to it before launching, as well as the vital role that volunteers play in its ongoing success. Brooke and Justin also talk about the issue of convenience, and why our mindset needs to shift from one of immediacy to one of preparation (we can’t expect these resources to operate in the same way as the local Bunnings or big box store) and how learning to let go of the ego of ownership is a big part in the change too. If you listen to today’s episode and want to know more about starting or running a tool library yourself, head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/185 and click the link to get in touch with the team at Toolo, as they’re a wealth of expertise and are happy to work with other communities looking to make the change. And if you live in the Blue Mountains, sign up and support Toolo! They need to make it to 150 members by 2018 in order to keep running and that means it’s on the community to support them. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve got something a little different lined up for the next four weeks, and while at first glance it might not seem to be too closely related to the practicalities of slow living, Brooke and Ben think that anyone currently struggling with certain areas of slow living is going to benefit from it a lot. The next few weeks they're going to explore slow learning. Why?   One of the common obstacles people face in learning to slow down and simplify is the one-step-forward, two-steps-back dance that often accompanies it. There is so much information available for us as we try to establish what approach works, and often we simply immerse ourselves in as much of it as possible. The problems arise when either we don’t spend our time in the doing, or when we try to learn in a way that doesn’t work for us personally. Today Ben explains the three different types of learner and how we can harness the strengths and limitations of them, and why it matters. The full blog post is over at http://www.slowyourhome.com/184 Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join us for our live monthly calls.  And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This will probably come as a surprise to exactly no-one, but Brooke used to really over-complicate things (and sometimes still does). She would over-engineer solutions and spend huge amounts of time trying to get right down deep in to the specific thoughts, behaviours or actions that were causing problems. And while she believes we sometimes need to ruminate on things for a while before clarity comes knocking, other times we just need to simplify. In today’s poggie Brooke finds herself coming back to the same handful of answers time and time again. They’re ideas she refers to in her own quest to slow down and simplify life, and they apply to all of the questions in today’s hostful episode. As always, the questions are insightful and challenging, and Ben and Brooke try their best to answer them: How do you manage different personality types within a family (introvert v extrovert, the needs of solitude v constant companionship, etc)? How do you adjust to things being out of control / out of what you had planned? And how do you regain calm / slow when life takes over? What to do when one of your kids is a hoarder and leaves their many belongings all over the house? What do you grow in your garden and what are your best tips for a serial plant killer? What sorts of mindful exercise do you enjoy (aside from yoga and hiking?) What are you reading/listening to? And what do you enjoy reading aloud to your children? The full blog post is over at http://www.slowyourhome.com/183 as well as links to pre-order Brooke’s books and to learn more about next month’s Patreon live call. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a bit of a departure from the usual themes of the Monday shows, but Brooke was involved in a fascinating Twitter conversation a few weeks ago that got her thinking about simplicity writers, their gender and why the most popular ones are overwhelmingly male. Brooke and Ben talk through the genesis of the conversation, as well as the fact that Brooke has noticed this trend for quite some time and believes it’s in part due to the fact that men and women (broadly speaking, of course) deal with problems differently. Neither approach is right or wrong, and neither can effectively solve every problem without dipping in to the other approach occasionally, but it does beg the question of why one approach seems to be more popular than the other (at least in terms of Amazon best-selling lists, anyway). Brooke thinks at least part of it has to do with confidence and fear of being judged (that’s definitely been a personal obstacle for her) and the impact this has on the directness of her writing. But there’s also the different ways of teaching and learning, and the different ways men and women approach problems. It’s a really interesting conversation, and the full blog post is over at http://www.slowyourhome.com/182. Head over there and let Brooke and Ben know your thoughts on this one. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Silverwood is one of Brooke’s environmental role models. He maintains that he’s just an ordinary guy who somehow found himself at the forefront of environmental activism in Australia, but his passion and knowledge means that while he may be an ordinary guy, the impact he’s having on the growing environmental movement in Australia is anything but ordinary. As one of the founders of Take 3 for the Sea and a powerful voice in the movement away from single-use plastics, Tim is having a massive impact both in Australia and around the world. In today’s episode Tim and Brooke talk about the Plastic-Free July campaign and why it’s so important, but they also go back to the catalyst for Tim’s shift to environmentalism. Perhaps not surprisingly, Tim’s passion for protecting the ocean started in his passion for the waves and like so many people now heavily invested in protecting our wild spaces, Tim was a surfer who used his love of the ocean to drive changes in his own life. They also talk about the importance of small steps, and why Tim believes it’s the only way to convert the apathetic in to the passionate, but also why these small steps are only the first part of creating global change. One of the beautiful themes that keeps emerging in Brooke and Tim’s conversation is the idea of connection - both to each other and the environment we all live in - and Tim specifically talks about the ways in which we’re all connected to the health of the oceans. It’s far too easy to think the issue of plastic pollution isn’t one we’re part of, and Tim gets very passionate as he talks about the different ways our actions can have an impact - both positive and negative. They also talk about the problematic issue of recycling and why so much of what we think of as ‘good recycling’ is actually exacerbating the problem, and why the circular economy and circular design is the way of the future. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/181 for links to Tim’s online store, website and other links we discussed in today’s episode. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us have heard of (and experienced) FOMO at some point. FOMO is the Fear of Missing Out and it strikes at the heart of modern life. We do things, attend things or buy things in order to avoid it, but there will always be things we miss out on. So why do we struggle with it so much? A couple of weeks ago a friend of the show (Mr Andy McLean - you may know him from such programs as Episode 124 of The Slow Home Podcast) sent Brooke and Ben a photo of a Leunig poem about JOMO, and they thought it would be a great topic to chat about on today’s poggie. JOMO is the Joy of Missing Out and the antidote to FOMO. It’s the utter delight that is saying no and doing less and choosing to not compete in the Busy Olympics. JOMO is a breath of fresh air when it feels like we’re choking on the idea that in order to be successful we need to be constantly in motion, striving and chasing the life that will make others envious. JOMO comes from a place of abundance (everything, right now, is enough) while FOMO comes from a place of scarcity (I’m scared that this will never be enough) and Brooke and Ben talk about the many different ways to apply it in life. JOMO can apply to our stuff, busy-ness, excess, social media, comparisons, keeping up with the Joneses… In all of those areas of life we can joyfully choose to see that we have enough, after which saying no becomes a relief. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/180 for the full Leunig poem and the complete blog post. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The lovely Linda Esposito, Brooke’s favourite psychotherapist, returns to the poggie today! Linda can always be relied on to cut through the BS that occasionally attaches itself to conversations about health, mindfulness and wellness, and today’s conversation is no different. Recently Linda posted on Instagram about the overcomplification of mindfulness and why we need to bring it back to its simplest form, and she and Brooke talk about that idea in today’s episode. They also talk about the importance of boredom and the benefits and value in simply not doing. Brooke also asks Linda a very common question: As we begin to make positive changes in our lives, as we begin to live more mindfully, why do we so often find ourselves feeling better in some ways but actually worse in others? Why do we feel more aware of the discomfort and overwhelm in our lives when we’re actively trying to reduce these things? And, importantly, what can we do about it? Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/179 for links to Linda’s website and social media, as well as more info on our upcoming Patreon-exclusive video call. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On last Thursday's poggie Brooke and Ben went deep in to some upcoming changes in their life and have been completely blown away by your support and generosity as a result. From emails and travel suggestions to guest introductions and offers of accomodation, it's been incredible.  In today's show they talk briefly about that support, as well as the underlying thought that has been part of many of these changes - that we can't wait for things to be perfect before we act. The time is now.  Brooke recently shared one such thought over on Instagram, and uses it as the basis of today's poggie.  In it she wrote about embracing the moment, not being overly concerned with the aesthetics and not becoming trapped by the imperfections. She wrote specifically about swimming with the kids at the beach on a recent holiday and how the Brooke of a year ago would have sat it out, watching from afar. Instead, she raced down the sand and jumped in the surf alongside her family, and was rewarded ten-fold with laughter and play and joy.  In today's Brooke shares how she arrived at that place of embracing the imperfect moment, and not suprisingly, it all stems back to her eulogy. Who does she want to look back and see? The person who sat it out or the person who was gleefully splashing in the water?  Turns out this idea of legacy is central to so many of the shifts Brooke and Ben are currently in the process of making, and to wind up today's episode they encourage you to start tapping in to your legacy whenever you're faced with the tension of who you want to be versus where you feel most unchallenged.  Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/178 to read the full Instagram caption, to check out the links for info on Brooke’s books and to find out more about the live video call later this month. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s poggie is a hostful with a difference. This week it’s all about Brooke and Ben and the challenges they’ve been facing over the past few months, the changes they're making, what they mean for the show and what life is going to look like for them over the coming months. Ben and Brooke share that they’ve both been struggling, feeling overwhelmed and lost as they realised they needed to revisit their Why. A recent camping trip gave them the space and time to do that deep thinking, and today they share the decisions they came to and why they’re so excited about the next chapter. To get all the juicy details you’ll need to listen to the show, but essentially Ben and Brooke are going through another radical simplification. As part of that they’ve decided to dissolve Jackrabbit.FM and help each of the shows on the network to exist independently instead. Brooke will be focusing more on her writing (lots of news on that front in today’s show too) and, very excitingly, they’re heading off on a big adventure next year! They also talk about all the release dates for Brooke’s new book and where to pre-order your copy, as well as the upcoming live video call for Patreon supporters. There’s a lot to cover, and Brooke and Ben were both quite nervous as they shared everything in this show, but hopefully you enjoy it. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/177 to share your suggestions for the trip next year and to check out the links for info on Brooke’s books and the live video call later this month. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's poggie, Carolyn Tate returns to talk about purpose. And while the current iteration of "purpose" seems to involve quitting your job, becoming a digital nomad and freelancing your way through life (all of which are valid choices!) Carolyn is here to talk about finding purpose in your current work.  So often the conversation about purpose revolves around huge changes, or the fact that big corporations simply aren't interested in creating workplaces of purpose or intention, but as someone who has worked for 15 years in the corporate sector and the past 10 years in small business, Carolyn believes that there are opportunities for purposeful work and living, regardless of vocation.  This is such an interesting conversation, and as always Carolyn has so many beautiful insights to share.  Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/175 for the full blog post and links to Carolyn's new book.  Enjoy!  ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.