Wild with Sarah Wilson

An atheist chaplain shares his experience providing spiritual counsel to a convicted murderer on death row without invoking God. They discuss humanist approaches to death and life, offering peace and perspective in the face of existential threats. The conversation explores radical hope, embracing humanity in adversity, and the complexities of defining personal beliefs without traditional faith.

I’ve been doing a bunch of Substack meetups around Australia over the past few weeks (the Sydney and Northern NSW ones are happening in March and you can register in the Substack post here). And several people in the community have posed some related questions to do with balancing where the world is at with your need for creative freedom, our own mental health, our tendency to run from hard topics and emotions. Yes, we MUST create and make art in these difficult, “liminal” times. I reference Teju Cole and late 19th-century philosophers to make my case. I also answer: How do you stay sane and be of service? How do I motivate myself out of depression to be of service?I share how I’ve been navigating things, lying awake many nights in a row, trying to rise to the challenges inherent in these questions.If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious LifeLet’s connect on Instagram and WeAre8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award-winning author and journalist Maggie Jackson discusses the benefits of embracing uncertainty, building 'uncertainty tolerance', and the importance of not always knowing the answers. They also explore the wild idea of ocean swimming, using hedge words, and championing leaders who admit 'I don't know' as ways to navigate the complexities of our times.

This podcast explores the mental and physical benefits of hiking in nature, including stress reduction, improved immune function, creativity, and mood. It discusses the calming effect of nature's fractal patterns, the activation of the prefrontal cortex through walking, and the historical use of walking by famous thinkers. Hiking is shown to enhance clear thinking, anxiety modulation, and provide a break from daily torment, while also offering insights and opportunities for flow state.

Maggie Dent (the “queen of common sense”;  parenting expert) raised four sons, largely solo, and went on to write about her experiences and lessons learned. She soon became highly sought after for her candid and loving take on raising young men (she’s also known as the “boy champion”). Maggie is host of The Good Enough Dad and Parental As Anything podcasts, and the author of nine books, including her bestselling boys’ books From Boys to Men and Mothering Our Boys.I’ve been doing an occasional series here on Wild addressing the issues affecting boys and men and was super keen to get Maggie on to answer some of the questions that keep coming up. Thank you to everyone who sent in their questions for Maggie.In this episode we cover where the issues are stemming from, how we can benefit from boys’ “aggression nurturance”, what good men can be doing to plug the “Andrew Tate gap”, why parents need to buy boys a guinea pig, the need for a bro podcast on hacks for being an uber-productive life partner… and why mums need to fart in front of their sons!SHOW NOTESYou can get hold of Maggie’s books here Listen to The Good Enough Dad and Parental As Anything podcastsLearn more about Maggie and her work via her website and InstagramHere’s a Wild episode on men and porn with Connor BeatonI have written about issues relating to masculinity, toxic men and why we should be worried about boys on SubstackIf you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious LifeLet’s connect on Instagram and WeAre8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you see the results of the survey published in the Financial Times that showed there is a growing political gap between millennial men and women? I was asked this week what my thoughts were, what’s causing the drift in both directions and other gaps, between young people, should we be worried and what to do?I reference lots of different articles and data and put all the links over at Substack where you have the option to WATCH these bonus episodes and you can also join a conversation afterwards in the thread (and post a question for future AMAs).SHOW NOTESExplore the full episode on my Substack, complete with links to references, thought-provoking articles, and podcasts.If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious LifeLet’s connect on Instagram and WeAre8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris van Tulleken (doctor, TV host) is a London infectious diseases specialist known for his popular BBC health TV programs that he hosts with his identical twin brother (including the kids series Operation Ouch; they’ve won two BAFTAs). In his recent book Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop?, which has been a #1 Sunday Times bestseller for 9 weeks, he exposes how ultra-processed food (AKA junk food) is making us fat and sick, destroying the planet, eradicating traditional cultures, shrinking our faces and making us infertile.We talk about why Pringles are “crack in a cardboard tube”, why he thinks sugar and a lack of exercise are not the problem (!) and instead how the issue is the fact Big Food does NOTHING BUT refine their “profit-making product” to make us more perfectly addicted to it and to eat greater quantities. We also cover how to spot the worst food offenders and how the best fix for beating weight gain is to turn addiction into disgust.SHOW NOTESGet your copy of Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop?Connect with Chris on Instagram or X/TwitterI Quit Sugar: Your Complete 8-Week Detox Program and Cookbook and I Quit Sugar for Life are available on my websiteIf you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious LifeLet’s connect on Instagram and WeAre8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A quick, breezy episode that talks about how to navigate decision-making regret, honing in on landing in one's post-repro years and not having had kids. Thank you Megan from my Substack community who sent in the question: Do you regret not having had kids?You have the option to WATCH these bonus episodes over on Substack where you can also join a conversation afterwards in the thread (and post a question for future AMAs. I also post extra content, extracts from my book etc here. When you become a paid subscriber, you get access to bonus intimate conversations with me, as well as access to my one-on-one online coffee (or wine) sessions. This is how I’m doing things from now on – real, raw, intimate… and provocative. SHOW NOTESYou can watch this in full over on my SubstackBecome a paid subscriber to join the thread conversation and submit an Ask Me Anything question for an upcoming ep.You can book a One-on-One virtual coffee chat with me hereI reference a previous AMA episode in which I talked about my thoughts on marriage.If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious LifeLet’s connect on Instagram and WeAre8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alain de Botton (School of Life founder; author) has written 15 books about the philosophy of living – such as The Art of Travel; Status Anxiety; Art as Therapy; and The Course of Love – but he has recently turned his focus to mental health and how philosophy can be used as a therapeutic aid. Alain argues that a mental breakdown can provide the opening a despairing soul seeks. Indeed, anxiety so often is its own fix.We sat down in WeAre8’s London office for this two-way conversation about the philosophical wisdoms we personally use to have a life of meaning in the face of despair. We also talk about the writing process (and why it’s a salve), the healing effects of figs and dark chocolate, how to love, plus a super fresh take on “adult boredom” (embrace your impatience, get to the point!).SHOW NOTESGet hold of The Therapeutic Journey here and the School of Life range of books hereFirst, We Make the Beast Beautiful is available in more than a dozen languages hereI also mention my Wild chat with AC Grayling on how to have a philosophy of your ownAnd my conversation with Pico Iyer as well as the episode with David WhyteWe recorded the episode at WeAre8 HQ in London – big thanks to the team for being such wonderful hosts!If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious LifeLet’s connect on Instagram and WeAre8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beau Miles, Patagonia and Outward Bound ambassador, author and YouTube star, discusses his adventures, from running across the Australian Alps to spending a night in a tree. They explore flipping your day-to-day life into a flirtation, getting out of ruts, and the value of being weird. Topics include embracing uniqueness, making changes, facing fear, adventure in adulthood, and embracing fun in adventure activities.