Thrive Solo

Send us a textIn this week's minisode, I'm talking about courage.I was inspired by the following quote - "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage." - to talk about how we must learn to cultivate courage if we want to grow, change, and become more of who we want to be.Whatever it is we desire in life, if it's something we've never been, done or had before,  then without doubt it will require courage. Whilst our comfort zones are safe, familiar and secure, they will never allow us to get to where we truly want to go in life. So we have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.And it's worth remembering that those people who seem to be courageous are actually no different to the likes of you and I; it's simply that they have taken action in spite of their inevitable fears.Although courage doesn't come overnight, we can start flexing that muscle by taking some baby steps - every day 'small' acts of courage - like making that scary phone call, buying that pair of shoes that are a bit more whacky than our usual taste, or saying hello to that old boyfriend standing a few people ahead of us in the supermarket queue! So go on...do something that scares you this weekend! And watch your confidence grow as a result.    Support the showPre-Order 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 text***TRIGGER WARNING***Towards the end of this episode, I talk about a very serious rape case, including some of the details of what happened. If you are in any way triggered by sexual assault, please stop the episode at  43" 58'.In this week's episode, I talk to psychotherapist, Lisa Bruton. Lisa is a psychotherapist, trainer and guest tutor at Oxford University. With over 13 years experience in the field of psychotherapy, she is passionate about the potential of therapy to help people feel differently about their lives. At its’ best, Lisa believes that therapy is a tool that helps people relate to all parts of themselves, including as social beings with inherited norms about how to live, how to be etc.  With women, Lisa has found that this can result in shame and anger that life hasn’t turned out the way they hoped. With her clients, Lisa works to identify with women what some of their inherited dictates are, so that they gain some freedom from those beliefs, and subsequently engage with their lives with all their unique challenges and opportunities. She loves her work, and wants to help change the stereotype of therapy being a place of self-centredness and inaction, and rather see it as a place for real self-enquiry and authentic and grateful engagement with life. In this conversation, Lisa and I talk about her work as a psychotherapist with single and childless women; the internal narratives that impact the way women feel about themselves; how single women can sometimes feel as though they haven’t been ‘chosen’; and the concept of ’social parenting’ as a way to have meaningful contact with children.We also discuss the grief that many women experience when they don’t end up having children; the importance of being mindful of what you’re consuming when going through grief around not having a baby, and how you can choose to not participate in e.g. social media; and the idea of shame, how it is felt in the body, and how the antidote to shame is contact and community. Our conversation also includes how negative feelings around being single are often more to do with missing regular contact than with actually wanting a relationship; how being alone is very different to the internal state of loneliness, and how the difference is whether it’s chosen or not; how the sense of failure that some women feel at being alone is often wrapped up in feelings of anger about life not having turned out the way they expected; and how important it is to forgive ourselves and understand that we’re not si Support the showPre-Order 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 this week's minisode, I'm talking about '19 Rules For A Better Life' - at least in the mind of Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, who believed that "our life is what our thoughts make it." I couldn't agree more, Marcus.Marcus Aurelius is known as one of the biggest proponents of Stoic philosphy, a philosophy practiced for centuries by the likes of  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Theodore Roosevelt, Walt Whitman, Thomas Jefferson and many others.  Stoicism is, among other things, a tool in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, wisdom and peace.In this episode, I read out a newsletter from another great thinker, Ryan Holiday - author of Ego Is The Enemy and The Obstacle Is The Way - who picks out his favourite of Aurelius' rules for a better life, including 'never be overheard complaining', 'waste no time worrying about other people's opinions', and 'treat success and failure the same.' Listen, digest, implement, and you can't fail to see an improvement in your life.  Support the showPre-Order 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 textHappy Birthday To YouHappy Birthday To YouHappy Birthday, Spinsterhood ReimaginedHappy Birthday To You!Believe it or not, my little podcast turns one...ok it's not actually today, but it's tomorrow!On 22/2/22, I embarked upon an adventure which has changed my life. I've met so many wonderful women (and men), learnt a hell of alot along the way, and have grown in ways that I didn't anticipate. And...I've bloody loved every minute of it.To celebrate, I thought I'd give you a little behind-the-scenes look at what producing two episodes a week actually involves; and also what I've learnt along the way during this crazy, bonkers, wild, amazing journey!To all of you who have listened for the last year, thank you thank you thank you. I am grateful for every, single one of you.Love,Lucy x Support the showPre-Order 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 this week's minisode, I'm talking about why we should learn to listen to ourselves, rather than the 'noise' from those around us.Whenever we want to make a change in our lives or do something different, be it big or small, there will always be people weighing in with their opinions on the subject. As women in particular, we can often be people pleasers meaning we may take (or not take) action based on the approval or disapproval of someone we would rather not upset, offend, or hurt.  But why is it that we have a tendency to disregard our own wants and needs, in favour of someone else's thoughts on those wants and needs? After all, nobody else can see inside our minds or our hearts; and nobody else can or is experiencing our life first hand in the way that we are. Perhaps we need to learn to trust ourselves a little bit more - and listen to the sometimes faint voice of our intuition which - after all - is usually telling us exactly what we need to hear.  Support the showPre-Order 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 textSupport the showThis week, it's a solo episode. It also happens to be Valentine's Day so I wanted to talk about L.O.V.E. love! But, not the romantic kind...I'm talking about SELF love.In my humble opinion, self love is the most important kind of love, and it trumps every other kind. Why? Because not only are we the one person who we literally spend every waking (and sleeping) hour with, but how we feel about ourselves affects absolutely every aspect of our lives. But what does 'loving ourself' actually look like? Well, it can look like saying no to the things we don't want to do; it can look like accepting the good, the bad and the ugly that makes us the human we see in the mirror; and most importantly it can look like living in alignment with who we really, truly are.  When we love ourselves, and when we believe in ourselves, we are more likely to experience the kind of inner confidence that has us reaching for the things we truly desire in life. Whereas when we're lacking self love, we're more likely to live a life that is less than we deserve and are capable of, not to mention less than we want.  It is not arrogant to love ourselves - it is necessary in order to become the best version of us, the person we really aspire to be.  So go on...buy that bunch of red roses and give them to YOU.  Support the showPre-Order 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 textSupport the showIn this week's minisode, I'm talking about why it's ALWAYS better to be single than be in the wrong relationship. Period. The End.The pressure that comes from societal narratives around avoiding singlehood at all costs should not be underestimated. And subsequently, when we're feeling motivated by a desperate desire to couple up, there's a danger that we may find ourselves in a relationship that is toxic, abusive or just...not right for us.   Feelings of failure - whether conscious or unconscious - because we haven't followed the hallowed path of marriage and children, can cloud our judgement when it comes to choosing a partner; so it's important to be mindful about our reasons for dating someone.Being with the wrong person comes with more problems than being single ever could, and will only make your life harder, not easier. So if you're aware that your primary focus in life is to un-single yourself, proceed with caution. Because none of us deserve to be with someone who isn't right for us, just for the sake of not being single. We're worth more than that.  Support the showPre-Order 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 this week's episode, I talk to sociologist, demographer and author, Dr. Kris Marsh. Dr. Kris Marsh received her PhD from the University of Southern California in 2005. She was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina before joining the faculty of the University of Maryland where she has been tenured since 2014. She is the author of ‘The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class.’ In this conversation, Kris and I talk about why she chose the title of her book, The Love Jones Cohort; the reasons behind the rise of singles in the black middle class and beyond; how gendered racism constrains personal choices; and how racial discrimination in the housing market can be the reason why some people remain single. We also discuss colourism, and the argument that the lighter skinned you are, the more choice you potentially have when it comes to finding a partner; how gendered racism feeds into why some people are single; and how black women may have an even harder time being single due to racism coupled with the stigma of being single.Our conversation also includes how people always ask why people are single, but never why they’re married; how some people are willing to get into / remain in toxic or abusive relationships in order to avoid the label of ‘single’; and how it seems to be acceptable to ask single people about their sex lives in a way we wouldn’t ask married people.  Kris also tells me how the research for her book found that single women tend to thrive as singles, whereas men tend to bide their time until finding a relationship; how the subjects in Kris’ book tended to suffer from situational loneliness rather than chronic loneliness; and how people tend to think of marriage and partnership as a panacea.     Finally, we talk about how important it is to be confident and content in our singlehood before we consider a relationship; and the racial aspect of the recent and tragic death of Tyre Nichols.    Buy Kris’ book, (UK link) The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Jones-Cohort-Cambridge-Stratification-ebook/dp/B0BSR25D47 Buy Kris’ book, (US link): https://www.amazon.com/Love-Jones-Cohort-Cambridge-Stratification/dp/1316612910 Follow Kris on Instagram: @drkrismarshOn Twitter: @drkrismarshFind out more at Kriss website:https://drkrismarsh.com/ Support the showPre-Order 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 this week's minisode, I'm talking about how, as single women, we should be thriving, not just surviving.So many of us are weighed down by the societal narrative that appears to only celebrate couples; in addition, many of our negative thought patterns around being single and childless stem from beliefs that were chosen for us in childhood and beyond, rather than beliefs we chose for ourselves. The simple fact is that our happiness is not determined by our relationship status, and therefore we can experience the same amount of joy and contentment as any of our coupled counterparts.With these things in mind, plus the fact that our inbuilt freedom is something to take advantage of and relish, let's strive to thrive, not just survive. (I'm a poet and I don't know it. ) Press 'Play' and let me know what you think! Support the showPre-Order 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 textSupport the showIn this week's episode, I talk to manifestation coach, Matt Cooke. In February 2019, Matt connected with his mother for the first time, following her passing in July 2017. This experience triggered an extraordinary spiritual awakening and realisation for Matt that there is so much more to life than we know. He subsequently made it his mission to understand what had happened, and how, and this kicked off months of research into all things energy and power of the mind, not least the laws that govern our universe, specifically The Law of Vibration and The Law of Attraction. Matt’s journey led him to become the highly successful manifestation coach that he is today, helping clients from all over the world manifest the lives that they truly desire. In this conversation, Matt and I talk about the first time he connected with his darling Mum; how absolutely everything is energy; how time is an illusion and a man-made concept; and how we can all learn how to tune into the frequency of the things we desire.We also discuss how Matt discovered The Law of Attraction; how we are all pure consciousness; how manifestation means deciding to be a conscious creator in order to create the life you want; and how our subconscious minds control 95% of who we are and what we do.Our conversation also includes how we are all creators who are either consciously, or unconsciously, manifesting our lives; how our state of being becomes our personality; how we need to become aware of what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling; and how the key is to become aware that we are not our thoughts.Matt and I chat about how we are all magnets who draw into our realities what we’re vibrating out; how the key to manifestation is becoming the personality of your future by changing your core vibration; how, if we want a loving relationship, we need to start acting as though we already have love; and how we can reprogram our subconscious limiting beliefs using meditation.Finally, we talk about how gratitude is one of the most powerful manifestation tools that we should all be incorporating into our days; and how alignment is largely about ‘being present’ throughout your day.   Follow Matt on Instagram: @mattcookecoachOn Twitter: @mattcookecoachOn TikTok: mattcooke_Find out more at Matt’s website:https://www.mattcooke.me/  Support the showPre-Order 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!