Thrive Solo

Send us a textMy guest on the podcast today is the wonderful Helen Taylor. Helen is 77 years old, a retired academic, and the author of Childless By Choice: The Meaning & Legacy Of A Childfree Life. It was absolutely fascinating to talk to a woman who went against the grain at a time when motherhood was not only expected, but really was seen as totally central to the lives of women. From a very young age, Helen decided not to have children, and in her new book she shares her reasons for choosing to remain childfree as well as the very complex feelings that have accompanied her choice. In our conversation, Helen tells me all about how her own mother’s attitude towards motherhood impacted her choice to not have kids; we also talk about the issue of regret, we talk about how women without kids are still often seen as outliers, we talk about how families can come in all shapes and sizes, and Helen also shares her thoughts about the later stages of a child-free life. 02:15 Guest Introduction: Helen Taylor04:51 Helen's Early Life and Decision07:26 Impact of Societal Expectations11:39 Contraception and Abortion19:05 Challenging Family Pressures27:51 Redefining Family and Friendships30:45 The Legacy of a ChildFree Life31:08 Exploring Fulfillment Without Children35:13 Regret and the ChildFree Choice37:33 Grandparenting and Childcare Challenges39:33 Writing 'Childless by Choice'40:56 Reactions to the Book52:28 Alternative Families and Friendships54:16 Final Thoughts and Future Outlook57:54 Wrapping Up and How to ConnectBuy Helen's Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Childless-Choice-Meaning-Legacy-Childfree/dp/1917523300Check out Helen's website: https://www.helen-taylor.co.uk/Support the showOrder 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.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us a textIn Week 2 of my mini series ‘10 Weeks To A Joyful Christmas’, I’m talking about embracing autumn — soaking up the light, the cosy routines and solo joys, and deliberately looking for beauty instead of letting your brain spiral towards negativity around the upcoming festive season.Support the showOrder 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.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us a textOn this week's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking all about the perils of social media…and screens in general.The global average daily time spent on social media is approximately 2.5 hours - shocking when you really think about it. And as we doom scroll through our feeds, it’s worth noting that we aren’t actually living our lives during that time - we’re watching the lives of others.The truth is that social media is highly addictive, and it’s up to us to bring awareness to our own consumption. So ask yourself: how much of your time and attention are you giving away to it? And how does a 60 minute scroll actually make you feel?We hope you’ll find this conversation useful.Love,Polly & Lucy xSupport the showOrder 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.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Cindy Sheehan, a former office worker and mother of four, transformed her life after a hike in Ireland led her to embrace full-time travel. She shares her journey of leaving a 30-year marriage and discusses the support from her children. Cindy describes the thrill of solo travel, the unique dynamics of her long-distance relationship with her French partner, and the challenges of obtaining European citizenship through her Italian ancestry. With tales of adventure, favorite destinations like Sri Lanka and Turkey, and practical advice, she inspires living joyfully and independently.

Send us a textIn Week 1 of my mini series ‘10 Weeks To A Joyful Christmas’, I’m talking about a Mindset Reset — reframing autumn-into-Christmas as a season you design (not a test), and choosing what you’ll notice so the next ten weeks don’t become a downhill slide.Support the showOrder 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.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us a textOn this week’s Thursday's Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about stillness.We explore what really happens when you pause — how your nervous system softens, your clarity returns, and life begins to feel a little more spacious again.But stillness isn’t just about sitting cross-legged in silence. Sometimes it’s a quiet walk without your headphones, where your mind finally gets a moment to be still.We also chat about how meditation doesn’t just calm your mind — it’s scientifically proven to boost your health and spark moments of real inspiration.The truth is, we only perceive a tiny slice of reality… and stillness helps us sense that there’s so much more available to us — beyond what we can see, do, or measure.We hope you find something useful in here.Love Polly & Lucy xxSupport the showOrder 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.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Join the dynamic Marianne Power, acclaimed author and journalist behind 'Help Me' and 'Love Me,' as she dives deep into the world of singlehood and the vulnerability of sharing personal narratives. They unpack societal expectations around relationships, explore the importance of self-validation, and challenge beliefs about connection. Marianne shares her fascinating journey into tantra and ethical intimacy, highlighting how genuine connections extend beyond romance. Their candid conversation proves that thriving solo can open doors to unexpected joys and deeper life satisfaction.

Send us a textToday is Part Six of a new mini series, 6 Steps To Move Out Of Fear & Into A Life You Love, which is all about the steps I myself have taken to change my life over the last five years. In Part 6, I’m talking about aligned action. Mindset is the foundation – but action builds the life you want. This episode brings all six steps together so you can take intentional, values-led action towards the future you deserve.Support the showOrder 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.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us a textOn today's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about the importance of having fun.Fun is essential for living a good life, especially with everything that's going on in the world at the moment. But fun can look very different for everyone (Polly and I have very different ideas of what fun is!), and that's ok.Whether fun for you is a work 'away day' playing rounders in the park, or a quiet dinner with your bestie, it all matters. And we need to be intentional about incorporating more of it into our lives.We hope you'll find something useful in here!Love,Polly & Lucy x Support the showOrder 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.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us a textMy guest on the podcast today is the fabulous Krista St-Germain, a Master Certified Life Coach, single mum, grief expert, widow, and host of The Widowed Mom Podcast. When her husband was killed by a drunk driver in 2016, Krista’s life was completely flipped upside down. And while it would have been easy to believe her best days were behind her, thankfully Krista discovered Life Coaching and Post Traumatic Growth and was able to move forward and create a future she could get excited about. Now she coaches and teaches other widows so they can love life again, too. Now although Krista works primarily with widowed mums, she is an expert in grief in general, and this conversation is no doubt interesting for anyone who has experienced grief, or is currently experiencing it, not to mention that we will all experience it at some point. Krista and I talk about the loss of her husband, Hugo, how she ended up getting into life coaching and subsequently grief coaching; we talk all about grief and how it is anything but linear, we also talk about post traumatic growth and how it is possible to take your experience of grief and use it to intentionally build a better life for yourself. You guys will all find something of value in this conversation.03:23 Krista's Journey Through Grief07:58 Understanding Grief: Beyond the Five Stages11:31 The Dual Process Model of Grief15:08 Grief in Childlessness and Secondary Losses21:16 Redefining Happiness and Self-Love29:58 Navigating Early Stages of Grief30:44 Societal Reactions to Grief32:32 The Loneliness of Grief36:31 Understanding Post-Traumatic Growth40:43 Personal Reflections on Grief and Healing43:49 Current Relationship Status and Reflections50:19 Final Thoughts and Advice for the GrievingCheck out Krista's website: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/Listen to The Widowed Mom Podcast: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/podcast/Support the showOrder 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.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!