Ty O'Callaghan, an experiential marketing professional, shares his transformative journey of overcoming burnout. He highlights the critical signs of stress and the importance of recognizing when to make lifestyle changes. The conversation dives deep into practical mindfulness strategies amidst chaotic work demands, and the necessity of mental recovery. Ty also discusses rediscovering joy through tennis and emphasizes building healthy relationships to combat isolation and enhance well-being. Listeners are encouraged to prioritize self-care and find balance in their hectic lives.

True leadership comes not from domination and control, but from attunement to natural rhythms, deep respect for interconnectedness, and embracing a more humble, spacious approach to guiding ourselves and others.In this episode, Ben is joined by Mimi Kuo-Deemer. She is a sixth generation lineage holder teaching Baguazhang, and a Qigong teacher with over 20 years of practice. She’s based in Oxfordshire where she teaches and livestreams sessions.This discussion covers the revolutionary perspective on leadership offered by Daoist principles, offers practical ways to find steadiness and calm in your busy life, and explores a different way of relating to nature and change that moves beyond control and separation.LinksMimi’s websiteMysticism, sacred and profane : an inquiry into some varieties of praeter-natural exerienceMight Daoism be a home for you in '22 (and beyond) – Episode 7, with George ThompsonWho doesn’t want a little peace and calm? – Episode 8, with Martin AlywardLeanMind - helping leaders back to clarity and calm.

That feeling of being in the zone is a measurable neurochemical state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best. This optimal state – flow state, as it’s called – isn't limited to hobbies and sport, but can be achieved in various forms of work, and can lead to increased creativity, productivity, and personal fulfilment.In this conversation, Ben and his guest Dave Murphy explore the value of understanding and cultivating flow state at work, transforming how we approach our professional lives and overall wellbeing.Dave is an expert, helping people understand and achieve flow state, particularly in the context of work. Prior to this, Dave had a career in advertising, working for one of the best agencies in the world. His journey to understanding and teaching flow was influenced by an ayahuasca experience in Amsterdam, which opened a door of insight for him.LinksConnect with Dave via LinkedInThe Flow Advantage – Dave’s programmeBreathe New Life Into Your Work – Episode 38, with Giles HutchinsFinding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Embracing cycles of rest is essential for our own ability to grow and create. Rather than continuously striving, reaching for the next thing and going ever faster, we need to pause and recharge, acknowledging that rest is as crucial as productivity.By honouring the natural cycles of action and rest, we give ourselves the chance to integrate experiences, reflect deeply, and ultimately emerge renewed, ready to bring our full selves to the work we care about.Emma Chow is a regenerative designer and leader who learned this the hard way in 2020. Since then, she’s journeyed from global consulting to pioneering work in service of the circular economy, following a passion for nature and the climate she’s held since the age of 18.In her conversation with Ben, Emma shares how embracing rest as part of life’s natural rhythm can open up space for resilience, creativity, and a deeper connection to purpose.LinksConnect with Emma via LinkedInEmma’s website

Giles Hutchins, a coach specializing in regenerative leadership and nature-inspired business, dives into the transformative journey of moving from an egocentric mindset to a purpose-driven life. He discusses the power of nature as a backdrop for personal growth, emphasizing its role in reshaping identities and leadership approaches. Through personal anecdotes, Giles highlights the importance of self-awareness and vulnerability during midlife transitions. He also explores navigating organizational change, stressing collaboration and reflection in fostering impactful transformations.

Embracing different perspectives and understanding the long-term impacts of our actions, particularly in terms of cultural shifts and societal evolution, can give us valuable insights to navigate our present and future more effectively.Author Dougald Hine rejoins Ben to discuss a new book by Tyson Yunkaporta, who suggested that the best thing to do is maybe not to read a book, but to discuss it with someone else.In their conversation, they explore how deep time diligence impacts cultural changes, the role of violence in human societies, and what imposing limitations can mean to those around us.LinksAt Work in the Ruins – Episode 18Right Story, Wrong Story: Adventures in Indigenous Thinking, by Tyson YunkaportaSand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World, by Tyson YunkaportaA School Called HomeThe Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, by Jonathan HaidtFurther Adventures in Regrowing a Living Culture – Dougald’s spring 2024 series

Where do new ideas come from? Your mind regenerates from the outside in, teased to life by artists, innovators, agitators playing on the margins. Their work inspires yours. This is the spark, the stuff of new ideas. As with your mind, so too an old city. Berlin in 1992 was a tired place, run dry by 50 years of division, devoid of life, energy and new story. Until it was woken up. The same today in Detroit. A husked out old powerhouse finding new form, courtesy of the peripheral thinkers and players, sparking new story, seeding new ideas. Like an old city, your mind wakes up from the outside in, seeds of ideas taking root on the margins, the periphery, before bleeding into the mainstream of your mind. In this episode, we talk about Berlin and Detroit and waking you up from the outside in. It's only a little episode; short enough to consume on a dog walk or journey to work. Or even on the toilet, if you're that way inclined. And if you like what you hear, why not sign up to keep up at www.Peripheral-Thinking.com ?

There’s a way of seeing personal growth and transformation as a cycle of rupture, descent, emergence, and return – an inward journey that challenges us to confront our own demons, integrate different aspects of ourselves, and ultimately find a way to contribute to the collective good.Christine Raine is a speaker, facilitator, and podcaster. She developed an interpretation of Maureen Murdoch’s Heroine’s Journey, a psychological framework for personal growth and transformation that integrates this cycle. In her discussion with Ben, she explains how the journey typically unfolds more like a spiral than a circle, emphasising its impact no matter your gender identity.LinksConnect with Christine via LinkedInChristine’s websiteListen to the Heroine’s Journey podcast

Bringing movement into our daily routines is beneficial not only for our physical health, but our mental and emotional wellbeing too. Consciously integrating activity into our lifestyles helps us counteract the sedentary nature of modern life, especially for leaders and entrepreneurs sat in front of a laptop all day.Sal Jefferies is an embodiment specialist, focusing on movement and the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and emotional health. He’s deeply interested in how humans function, drawing from fields like psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, cognitive science, and embodied cognition. He discusses the importance of incorporating movement into daily life along with the negative impacts of a sedentary lifestyle. Sal also coaches entrepreneurs and business owners, applying his knowledge of movement and health to improve their performance and wellbeing.If you like this episode, don't forget you can find all our conversations at www.peripheral-thinking.com or sign up here!LinksConnect with Sal via LinkedInMindset, Mood & Movement – Sal’s podcastTED talks by Sir Ken Robinson

Embracing discomfort and experiencing emotions to the fullest can give us the guidance needed to navigate positive life changes, even in difficult circumstances. But sometimes those emotions are too difficult or too stark, and so we use things like alcohol to turn down the volume. But by doing so, we dim ourselves.Today, Ben is in conversation with Cecily Mak. Cecily writes a newsletter on living a life free of alcohol (without labels like “sober” or “recovery”), and reveals how little most of us know about the carcinogenic nature of alcohol.Cecily is also a cofounder of a venture fund called Wisdom Ventures, which seeks to add spirituality, purpose and impact to the results they delivers partners and investors.LinksConnect with Cecily via LinkedInClearLife – Cecily’s newsletterFollow @clearlifejourney on Instagram