Podcasts about literate

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm guiding you through a gentle restorative reading and writing session for when things need to change in your life or you simply want them to.Here's a quick overview of how the guided sessions work:* First, we begin with a bit of grounding and a few breaths to settle us.* Then, I share a powerful short reading to orient our focus and launch our reflective writing. * Following the reading, I guide you through three journaling invitations that build on each other and shift the energy on the page and in your body.* Finally, we end with a short, yet powerful, affirmation to carry throughout your day and beyond. Let me be clear: this is NOT your run-of-the-mill journaling session where we end up more overwhelmed than when we started because we're listing and diving into all the changes we want and need. Nope. Instead, we'll begin by uncovering all the things we THINK we need to change in our lives and then zero in on the ACTUAL thing that resides within us that must change first.For me, it was first listing that my physical body needed need change. I needed to lose a few pounds. I needed to get stronger. I needed to build mobility and flexibility. I needed to change the clothes I wore. I needed to fix my hair. I needed to change my skincare. And on and on…until I realized through this session that ACTUALLY, the way I talked to myself and thought about myself is what needed to change instead.I also had a long list of things other people should change. My kids should stop making a mess on the kitchen counter. My husband should start throwing his laundry in the chute instead of leaving it on the floor. The dogs should stop leaving their dog toys everywhere (seriously). But what ACTUALLY needed to change? My need to keep everything perfect, do everything myself and in a particular way. You know, leaving co-dependency behind and adopting healthy boundaries. That's. Big. This guided session will help you reach some epiphanies of your own, I am sure. Grab your notebook, your favorite writing utensil and let's write together.Here are the books and writing prompts mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!SELF LOVE POETRY FOR THINKERS & FEELERS by Melody Godfred (Amazon / Bookshop)Writing Prompts:First:* What feels ready for change in my life right now?* What NEEDS to change in my life right now?Second:* Which changes are those that I can actually control?* What are the patterns that point to a deeper change that's needed within me?* If this part of my life could speak, what would it say?Third:* The smallest step I can take toward this change is...* What feels possible?* What feels kind?* What feels true?Affirmation:May you trust what is unfolding. May you honor what is ending. May you welcome what is emerging. And may you remember that every meaningful change can begin on the safe space of the page. Here's the audio I used in the episode: Nature Healing SocietyOnce you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

SummaryGarth and Jason have been asking a lot of questions this season on Beard's Book Club. Questions about what it means to lead well, to show up with intention, and to stay human in a world that keeps moving faster than most of us feel ready for.This conversation with Kate Arthur might be the one that reframes all of those questions.We have been thinking a lot lately about what it actually means to be literate. Not just able to read. Not just able to decode text on a page. But truly literate in a world where the machines generating that text are getting smarter by the day.Kate brought some of the most grounded thinking on this that we have encountered in Season 3. Her journey with literacy is personal before it is professional, and that is exactly what makes her perspective so compelling. She is not coming at AI with alarm or with uncritical enthusiasm. She is coming at it the way a thoughtful educator should: with open curiosity and a deep commitment to the humans in the room.What stayed with us from this conversation is her reminder that trust is built slowly and lost in a second. In a world flooded with AI-generated content, that is not just a philosophical observation. It is a design challenge for every school leader trying to build culture right now.If you are wrestling with how to approach AI in your school, or how to help your students and staff develop the discernment they need, this conversation is a good place to start.Chapters00:00 Introduction to literacy and AI06:08 Kate's journey and what literacy really means09:10 The kipu knots: a story about communication across cultures12:11 Foundational skills and the literacy gap15:09 AI literacy and understanding how machines think18:00 Trust, authenticity, and AI-generated content21:04 Mental health and the societal impact of AI24:16 Advice for school leaders navigating AI and literacy27:04 Closing thoughts and where this is all going30:07 Beard's Book Club outroKey TakeawaysLiteracy has always evolved. Kate traces this beautifully, from the kipu knots of the Inca to the printing press to the screen in your pocket. What counts as literacy has never been fixed, and leaders who understand that history are better equipped to navigate what is coming next.Foundational skills are not optional. Before students can think critically about AI-generated content, they need the foundational literacy tools to engage with any content. The gap between students who have those tools and those who do not is widening, and the arrival of AI is making it more urgent, not less.Open curiosity is a leadership stance. Kate frames this not as naive optimism but as a deliberate choice to engage with the unknown rather than retreat from it. That applies to how we lead our staffs, how we talk to students, and how we show up in our own professional development.Mental health is part of this conversation. The pressure that AI is placing on young people's sense of identity, authenticity, and belonging is real. School leaders need to be thinking about AI policy and student well-being in the same breath.Quotes"Trust is built slowly and lost in a second." — Kate Arthur"We need to protect mental health in the age of AI." — Kate Arthur"Open curiosity helps us navigate the unknown." — Kate ArthurConnect with KateWebsite: https://katewebsite.comSubstack: https://substack.com/@kate

While reading may be a solitary act, it doesn't mean that we are alone. Books and reading can not only become the catalyst for restoration and inspired action in your own life, it can spark community and connection with others too.In today's episode, I explore how to create a restorative summer reading circle with friends: a gathering that prioritizes connection and conversation over completion and performance. This isn't your usual book club. It's an invitation to restore yourself through connections with others with books as the catalyst.Here's what's inside:* Why shared reading and bookish connections with others matters.* How to gather friends around books without creating pressure.* Ways to incorporate restorative writing into your reading conversations.* Simple ideas for creating a meaningful literary community this summer.As you listen, consider:* What kind of reading community are you longing for this season?I hope this episode inspires you to extend one small invitation to a bookish friend and discover what becomes possible when stories are shared.Once you've listened, I'd love to know what your ideal restorative reading circle with friends might look like and what small action you plan to take to bring it to life. And remember, you are always welcome to join my restorative reading and writing community here on Substack across any season!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

SummaryThere is a question we keep coming back to.Not as a thought experiment. As a genuine, uncomfortable, sit-with-it question: where does the authority lie now?That is what Kate Arthur put on the table when Garth and I sat down with her for this episode of Season 3. Kate is a thinker at the crossroads of literacy, generative AI, and what it means to know something in a world where the answer is always a prompt away. Her book, Am I Literate?, is the kind of read that does not give you easy answers. It gives you better questions.What struck us most was not the AI conversation, honestly. It was the mental health thread running underneath it. Because if we are honest with ourselves as school leaders, the tools our students are using are changing faster than our understanding of what those tools are doing to them. Kate brought that tension into the open in a way we found clarifying.We talked about the role of storytelling in a generated world, what critical thinking actually demands now, and why you cannot shortcut your way to wellness. Not with a product. Not with an app. Not with AI.This one stayed with us. We think it will stay with you too.Chapters00:00 introduction to Beard's Book Club and a bit about where this conversation came from04:53 pulling on the mental health thread in education and why school leaders can't afford to look away09:40 the intersection of AI and literacy, and the question of where authority lives in a generated world16:03 how educators and leaders can navigate change without losing what matters most21:39 preparing students and systems for what learning actually looks like going forward24:06 Beard's Book Club outroKey TakeawaysGratitude is not a gesture. Kate's reminder that it needs to be specific, timely, and personal landed for us as a leadership reminder more than a wellness tip. We do a lot of general acknowledgment in schools. The specific stuff takes more intention, but it is the only kind that actually lands.You cannot generative AI your way to wellness. Full stop. This line came out of a conversation about mental health in education, and it is one we will be repeating. There is no tool, platform, or productivity hack that replaces genuine human connection. The shortcut does not exist.The authority question is real and it is unresolved. When Kate asked "where does the authority lie now?" in the context of AI-generated knowledge, we felt the room shift a little. As educators, we have built entire systems around the idea that we curate, evaluate, and deliver reliable information. Generative AI has complicated that arrangement in ways we are still working through.Literacy is not a fixed destination. What it means to be literate has always evolved, and Kate makes a compelling case that we are in one of those inflection moments right now. The question for school leaders is not whether to respond. It is how to build the critical thinking and self-regulation muscles that will outlast whatever the current tools are.Storytelling still matters. Maybe more than ever. In a world where content is generated at scale, narrative grounded in genuine human experience carries a different kind of weight. Kate made that case quietly and convincingly.Quotes"Make gratitude specific, timely, and personal." — Kate Arthur"You can't generative AI to wellness." — Kate Arthur"Where does the authority lie now?" — Kate ArthurResourcesAm I Literate? by Kate Arthur: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Am+I+Literate+Kate+ArthurKate Arthur on LinkedIn (G7 and government influence): https://www.linkedin.com/in/katearthurCIS Ontario Impact Report: https://cisontario.org/impact-reportConnect with Kate ArthurLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katearthurTwitter: https://twitter.com/katearthur

Himmel's on a family trip so Hall brought in a ringer: Chicago's Finn Birach.

Francis Rose discusses the U.S. military's efforts to integrate AI by "gamifying" systems to make them intuitive for young, video-game-literate service members. He also highlights CISA's work in rebuilding its workforce to protect private-sector cyber infrastructure and the Army's Joint Innovation Outpost, which aims to accelerate the transition of technology from private inventors to the battlefield. (16)1606

I am a creature of habit and often prisoner to my default personality to get things done check things off the list and move onto the next thing. This hustle mentality is as natural as breathing is to me and I have to fight to slow down and smell the roses. I know I am not alone. That's why today's episode invites you to consider reading and writing slooooowly all summer long: less pages read, but more time pondering and fewer pages written, but more time soaking in the insights that appear. This is completely counter to the towering summer TBR and notebook stacks we see on social media, but I say let's topple them down and read them in ways that change us instead of flying through them. It's kind of like that saying: Life isn't about the amount of breaths you take, it's about the number of moments that take your breath away. Reading isn't about the number of books you read, it's about the ways your life changes as a result of reading them. Writing isn't about the number of notebooks you fill, it's about the number of reflections that give you insight into your own life.Today's episode is about giving ourselves permission to read and write slowly this summer. Here's what you'll find once you press play:* Why slow reading and writing are restorative practices.* Permission to finish fewer books and write fewer pages.* What slow writing and writing could look like.* A simple summer reading and writing ritual you can begin today.* A list of summer permissions you may not realize you need.If you've been craving a slower, softer season, this episode is for you!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what slow reading and writing could look like for you and what permissions you're granting yourself this summer. It's time!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar dive into financial literacy and how students in the United States are going through quizzes to test each others' financial knowledge. From the Magnificent Seven to how dividends are being paid, the trio decide to attempt a quiz on their own, with Hongbin testing Nadiah and Naz to see whether they are more financially literate than a bunch of high schoolers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From 06/05 Hour 2: The Sports Junkies debate if they are financially literate.

So many of us look forward to the summer season of reading and writing: longer days that could equate to longer stretches of reading, bright skies and patches of sunshine that invite writing in nature and the pace of the season that makes everything feel a bit less rushed and a bit more to enjoy. But sometimes, the summer reading season can become hijacked by goals: reading a certain number of books, writing across a certain number of pages, keeping up with all the beautiful people on Instagram who seem to read and write MUCH more you do and even have time to create beautiful posts about it. Today's episode is about reclaiming our summer reading and writing season and embracing tiny, restorative reading and writing rituals over setting metrics-based (even if all in good fun!) goals and outcomes. Here's what you'll find inside:First, we'll talk about why these tiny rituals are so important to our wellbeing and I'll offer a few guiding questions to consider as you plan for own summer season of reading, writing and living. Reflect silently, talk in the air or grab your notebook, if you can. Here they are:* What kind of reading/writing life do I want to have?* What helps me feel grounded?* When do I feel most like myself?* What tiny practice could support me in feeling this way?Then, I'll share a simple framework for creating tiny rituals of our own. Here's a sneak peek into what it is:time + place + tiny practice + feeling= restorative reading and writing ritualsHere are two examples:* After dinner, I'll sit outside for 10 minutes and read to end my day feeling calm.* When I wake up, I'll sit at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee and write in my notebook to feel present and intentional for the day ahead.This episode is exactly what you need to welcome a season of true restoration made possible through reading and writing in ways that work for you and feel really good, too. But there's more. =)If you're a member of my private Restorative Reading & Writing Circle here on Substack, then you're getting more in just a few days: a printable to walk you through creating tiny restorative rituals for yourself this summer. Here it is!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what YOUR tiny, restorative reading and writing rituals are. Share them in the comments and let's help each other celebrate them!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

D&P Highlight: Would you consider yourself financially literate? full 454 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:58:00 +0000 tV9K8arq3DnCCkIpKqppaL2beqDXOCGb news The Dana & Parks Podcast news D&P Highlight: Would you consider yourself financially literate? You wanted it... Now here it is! Listen to each hour of the Dana & Parks Show whenever and wherever you want! © 2025 Audacy, Inc. News https://player.amperwavepodcas

Hall is, once again, FUNemployed. Himmel discovers the family Guiness Book of Records connection. It's tough being a man these days. Plus an ApeSac that has some teeth.

Welcome to a new season of the podcast!I've been podcasting since 2022 and have never divided my episodes into calendar seasons, but am feeling called to now. So much of our lives revolves around seasons: seasons of life, seasons of parenting, seasons of work and seasons of the calendar. It makes sense to create seasons of the podcast, too. This summer, I'm renewing my commitment to my own restorative reading and writing life and am embracing seasonal rhythms to help prioritize my own wellness. I'm truly looking forward to sharing those seasonal rhythms with you, both here on my public podcast and inside my private Restorative Reading & Writing Circle here on Substack. So, without further ado, let me officially welcome you to our first seasonal theme together: a summer of restorative reading and writing across June, July and August! Together, we'll read and write our way to a restorative summer season with short (around 15 minutes!) podcast episodes to spark long sessions of reading and writing.On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm previewing the new season ahead, including a sneak-peek to the themes and episodes you'll find here. Here they are:June: SETTLING INTO SUMMERTogether, we'll create gentle rhythms, restorative rituals and spaces for reading and writing across the summer season.July: RESTORATION & JOYTogether, we'll reclaim delight, creativity and hope throughout our summer days. August: REFLECTION & TRANSITIONTogether, we'll reflect on the season and prepare for what our reading and writing lives might look like in the Fall. Now, don't worry. I did not just reveal my summer one-word themes inside my private Substack community. Those will still be revealed month by month and you'll also see additional seasonal aspects there, but I wanted everyone to have a sense of what's coming. So, press play and let's begin this new season together!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. How are you planning your summer reading and writing season? What special requests do you have for the podcast or my private circle? Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

Lou Hynes is a Grief Specialist on a mission to create a more grief literate society and supporting those living with traumatic grief.It isn't a job for her, it's a purpose, given to her after her incredible husband Pete died suddenly in 2022, leaving her a widow, traumatised, in shock and with three grieving children. Lou re-trained and pivoted her business to supporting others in their grief and making sure the rest of the world know how to compassionately support them.Lou lives in Leeds with her three children, dog Rosie and was most recently at The Buckingham Palace Garden Party in recognition of her charitable work since her husbands sudden death.TRIGGER WARNINGS: From 21 minutes 30 seconds to 24 minutes 11 seconds Lou speaks about the decline of her husband's health and consequent passing away.From 35 minutes to 38 minutes 20 seconds Lou speaks about early pregnancy loss (aka miscarriage).In this episode we speak about:a bit about what Lou does and her visionhow we dress and the psychology of colourthe passionate and heart-led why in Lou's worksome of the awful ways people can treat a grieving person; turning their backs, asking the wrong questionsthe hurdles there can be and how poor some counselling services can be in their onboarding process (re-traumatising people)the various types of grief we can experience (and ways our body can hold it)Lou's experience(s) of matrescence and the births of her 3 childrenliving in survival mode, nervous system health and giving ourselves a break (plus giving less fucks about others' opinions!)Themes: grief, parenting, emotional literacy, counselling, early pregnancy loss, matrescence, solo parenting, nervous system careWe mention Lou's husband Pete, Jenny Evans and Samantha Murrell (Episode #109)At the end, I read a poem called 'Dash' by Linda Ellis.To learn more about Lou see here on Instagram and here for The Grief Lounge. Lou supports grieving people in 1:1 work, through her monthly FREE grief support group The Grief Lounge and is soon to be launching a private membership for those with traumatic grief.Did you enjoy this episode? If so, I would really appreciate it if you could please leave a review on the platform that you listen.For more insights and to contact me you can find me on Instagram, and/or on my website: www.lucywyldecoaching.com.

Woof! Lessons of Himmel's 47th turns into a therapy session with the least qualified therapist on record plus an ApeSac who doesn't think the Apes are funny!

In this episode from last year, we explain how a return to orality is frying our politics and our brains. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jolie Myers and Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Denise Guerra, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DOWNLOAD THE DV RADIO APP ON ANDROID RIGHT NOW!!   The latest BARRACKS TALK podcast episode is waiting, press 'play' now!   In this week's episode of BARRACKS TALK from DV Radio: The DV Radio Crew dives into the gritty reality of surviving Alaskan winters, absurdity of internet celebrity brawls, and the skyrocketing costs of gentrification in American cities. The conversation explores nuances of "smart" versus "toilet" humor while navigating the cultural minefields of modern comedy and social media fame. Finally, the DV Radio Crew unloads on the bureaucratic nightmares of the healthcare system and the high-stakes reality of military mental health assessments. - GOFUNDME CAMPAIGNS MENTIONED Ms Lynn:: https://www.gofundme.com/f/standing-with-lynn-through-her-cancer-battle - Grab Your DV Radio Merch! https://bit.ly/DVR-StreamLabs-Merch - Respawn Finance + Free Budgeting App https://respawnfinance.com/ - Star Spangled Brewing Co. [THE OFFICIAL BEER OF DV RADIO] https://www.starspangledbrewingco.com/ - Hard Of Hearing, Deaf, or Have Other Hearing Issues? READ THE TRANSCRIPT! https://dvradio.net/accessibility - Hope For 22 A Day [Pin-Ups For the 22 A Day] https://hopefor22aday.org/ - Liberty Risk Podcast [Brothers Like None Other] https://beacons.ai/libertyriskpodcast - INERT Mugs [OFFICIAL SPONSOR] www.inertmugs.com - Laugh It Off [The Comedy Wing of DV Radio] https://www.laughitoff.org/ - Want To Sponsor DV Radio? No pricing model beats DV Radio when it comes to sponsorship. https://bit.ly/SponsorDVRadio DV Radio on Rumble https://rumble.com/c/DVRadio DV Radio on twitch.tv https://www.twitch.tv/dvradio - [NOTE: Click these links!] ---------- DV Farm Septic System Fundraiser https://donorbox.org/dv-farm-septic-system ---------- Parental Control Apps https://bit.ly/ChildSafeInternet ---------- Backpacks For Life https://backpacksforlife.org/ ---------- Wah-Tie Woodturning https://wahtiewoodturning.com/ ---------- Backpacks For Life Fundraiser https://ko-fi.com/dvradio/goal?g=1 ---------- Edited by Munkee Bawlz Media https://www.munkeebawlzmedia.com/ ---------- Are you a Veteran Owned Business? Have unique, handmade items that we can buy and review on a show? Contact us, show us what you have, and we'll (at least Bo) will spend up to $50 per month and speak openly about your product(s)!! ---------- Find Out More About Betsy Ross At Her Website https://bit.ly/Fight-With-Betsy-Ross ---------- *Got an idea for BARRACKS TALK or any other show? Want to be a guest? Then please feel free to contact us by sending an email to info[at]dvradio.net or oink[at]dvradio.net.* ---------- **LINKS TO CHECK OUT** EVERYTHING DYSFUNCTIONAL VETERANS https://whereisdv.carrd.co  ---------- DV RADIO PARTNERS, SPONSORS, and AFFILIATES https://dvr-listen-support.carrd.co       #Veterans #MilitaryHumor #Alaska #VABenefits #Comedy #EddieHall #SocialMedia #MentalHealth #DenverRent #MilitaryLife #DarkHumor #BARRACKSTALK #DVRadio #VeteranSupport #VAHealthcare

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm chatting with Abby to help her build a book apothecary for the season ahead. Join me as I talk all things books with a listener and build a book apothecary that will serve, soothe and nudge.Abby is a literacy educator who is content in her life, but also feels a bit of unrest. She wants to build a book apothecary focused on four key words: freedom, grow, nourish and connect. In addition to growing her reading life in nourishing ways, she'd also like to grow her writing life to help her uncover and decide upon her next steps in the season ahead. I have a feeling a lot of us are going to be nodding our heads and writing down titles in this episode!Here are the books mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!WAYS TO FIND YOURSELF by Angela Brown (Amazon / Bookshop)STRESS LESS, ACCOMPLISH MORE by Emily Fletcher (Amazon / Bookshop)THE DAILY ARTIST'S WAY by Julia Cameron (Amazon / Bookshop)YOU ARE A BADASS AT MAKING MONEY by Jen Sincero (Amazon / Bookshop)COUNTDOWN TO RICHES by Rhonda Byrne (Amazon / Bookshop)WHAT IF YOU ARE THE ANSWER by Rachel Hollis (Amazon / Bookshop)ABUNDANT EVER AFTER by Cathy Heller (Amazon / Bookshop)If YOU would like to build your book apothecary with me on the podcast, click here to apply! I'd love to connect and collaborate!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

Send us Fan Mail Being Literate Isn't Being Educated: Real Success Skills for Life & Career Can a person score high marks… and still feel completely unprepared for life?Absolutely.In this deeply reflective and practical episode of The Kapeel Gupta Career PodShow, we explore a powerful truth that every student, parent, teacher, and young professional needs to hear:

The chimps get busy talking Elliot Page, a horse in the suburbs, the elites at Delta Airlines, and how to be individual in a world run by algorithms.

Questions remain following President Trump's multi-day meeting with Chinese leaders End-of-week recap of Supreme Court decisions International Family Day Utah school threats Common hormone condition affecting women gets new name: PCOS changed to PMOS Utah State Parks set to see record-low water levels Previewing this week's big move: "In the Grey"

Here's a fun little juxtaposition for you: Utah teens have taken the top spot for budgeting education and financial literacy. At the same time, more than half of Americans say they don't have the financial knowledge they need, so they turn to AI for help. Today's Inside Sources begins with a closer look at financial literacy, something super important given the higher prices of … well, just about everything. Certified financial planner at DMBA Shane Stewart joins the conversation.

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm guiding you through a gentle restorative reading and writing session for when you need a bit of hope. It's ideal for when things feel hard, for when life seems overwhelming and for when you'd like to brighten your outlook for the future.Here's a quick overview of how the guided sessions work:* First, we begin with a bit of grounding and a few breaths to settle us.* Then, I share a powerful short reading to orient our focus and launch our reflective writing. * Following the reading, I guide you through three journaling invitations that build on each other and shift the energy on the page and in your body.* Finally, we end with a short, yet powerful, affirmation to carry throughout your day and beyond. Here are the books and writing prompts mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy edited by James Crews (Amazon / Bookshop)Writing Prompts:First:* What line stayed with me?* What did I feel as I read it?* Where did I feel it? In my body? In my thoughts? In my emotions?Second:* What am I carrying right now that makes hope feel distant or fragile?* Where, even faintly, might hope still be present in my life?Third:* What would it look like to stay close to hope, just for today?Affirmation:I choose hope.Here's the audio I used in the episode: Nature Healing SocietyOnce you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!One more thing: If you'd like printable restorative writing cards that help you explore hope in your life, join my Restorative Reading & Writing Circle on Substack!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

This week, the Pugs discuss an article by our friend Aaron Renn dealing with the loss of literacy and the decline of Protestantism in America. Is there a connection between the two? If so, which causes the other? What is the historic connection between literacy and Protestantism? The guys discuss these and other related subjects in this episode. Article: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/post-protestant-post-literate?triedRedirect=true Support the Theology Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 Learn more about First Pres. Battle Ground: https://www.solochristo.org/ Connect with WileyCraft Productions: https://wileycraftproductions.com/

This week, the Pugs discuss an article by our friend Aaron Renn dealing with the loss of literacy and the decline of Protestantism in America. Is there a connection between the two? If so, which causes the other? What is the historic connection between literacy and Protestantism? The guys discuss these and other related subjects in this episode.Article: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/post-protestant-post-literate?triedRedirect=trueSupport the Theology Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8Learn more about First Pres. Battle Ground: https://www.solochristo.org/Connect with WileyCraft Productions: https://wileycraftproductions.com/

This week, the Pugs discuss an article by our friend Aaron Renn dealing with the loss of literacy and the decline of Protestantism in America. Is there a connection between the two? If so, which causes the other? What is the historic connection between literacy and Protestantism? The guys discuss these and other related subjects in this episode. Article: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/post-protestant-post-literate?triedRedirect=true Support the Theology Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 Learn more about First Pres. Battle Ground: https://www.solochristo.org/ Connect with WileyCraft Productions: https://wileycraftproductions.com/

This one is packed full of controversy and gauranteed to both enrage and titillate you!

This week, the Pugs discuss an article by our friend Aaron Renn dealing with the loss of literacy and the decline of Protestantism in America. Is there a connection between the two? If so, which causes the other? What is the historic connection between literacy and Protestantism? The guys discuss these and other related subjects in this episode. Article: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/post-protestant-post-literate?triedRedirect=true Support the Theology Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 Learn more about First Pres. Battle Ground: https://www.solochristo.org/ Connect with WileyCraft Productions: https://wileycraftproductions.com/

Andy Briggs, chief executive of Standard Life, joins the Big Boss Interview to discuss the war in Iran, pension reform,and the growing risk that millions of people are not putting enough aside for later life.Briggs says pension savers should not panic about the conflict in the Middle East, arguing that most economists expect short-term volatility rather than lasting structural damage to investments. Standard Life, which looks after 12 million customers and manages more than £300 billion in assets, believes pensions should be viewed over decades. Workplace retirement saving continued through COVID, the Ukraine inflation shock and the Liz Truss mini-budget fallout, because contributions are taken from gross pay before workers see their wages.Briggs addresses concerns about a potential AI bubble, noting that much of the funding flowing into artificial intelligence is now debt-based, which could create risks if companies fail to generate sufficient cash to service that debt.The new Pension Schemes Act — the biggest overhaul of the sector in more than a decade — has his broad support, particularly the push for greater scale and investment in productive assets such as infrastructure and growth equity. UK pension savers have generated real returns of around 4% per annum over the past decade, compared with 5.2% in Canada and 5.5% in Australia. The biggest difference, he says, is exposure to private assets. He draws a clear line at mandation, however, arguing that investment decisions should remain a matter of customer choice rather than government compulsion.Briggs is emphatic that pensions policy needs long-term, cross-party consensus rather than budget-cycle speculation. He points to the damage caused by rumours ahead of Rachel Reeves's budget, when thousands of customers withdrew their tax-free cash prematurely — only for the policy to remain unchanged, leaving those savers worse off.The current auto-enrolment minimum of 8% of salary is no longer sufficient, he warns, calling for a gradual increase to 12%. Without change, 60% of people could reach retirement in the 2040s without enough for a decent standard of living. The crisis is partly hidden because today's retirees still benefit from defined benefit pensions built up earlier in their careers — a cushion that is rapidly disappearing.Briggs concedes the UK is "not sufficiently financially literate" on pensions and expresses concern for younger generations struggling to find secure work. Greater pension investment in the UK economy, he argues, could stimulate growth, improve infrastructure and create better jobs — benefiting both savers and the wider economy.Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Olie D'Albertanson Editor: Henry Jones01:54 Andy Briggs joins the pod - discusses political upheaval. 06:00 War in Iran impact on pension savers 08:19 AI bubble concerns & tech stock exposure 09:58 Pension drawdowns around the Reeves budget 11:32 Pension Scheme Act & mandation 17:02 Returns gap vs Canada & Australia 22:20 Pension adequacy & the case for 12% 24:05 60% face inadequate retirement by the 2040s 26:35 Young people & the retirement challenge 30:50 Financial literacy admission 36:10 Personal reflections on careers & opportunity

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing all the details on my personal book apothecary for May 2026.Each month, I choose a one-word theme to guide my intentions and create a book apothecary to help me breathe that word into existence through reading, writing and learning. This month, my chosen one word theme is: HOPE.It was sparked by an email from Omega with an invitation inside:This month, we encourage you to reflect on what hope means in your life right now and how that understanding shapes the way you move forward. What are you willing to believe in? What feels ready to emerge? And how might hope guide your next step?That invitation seemed to be written just for me and has sparked an exploration into HOPE ever since then. It's the perfect word to follow my own-word theme of RELEASE from last month. Now that I've released some things that no longer serve me, I can make space for the hope that does. As you likely already know, the best way to welcome a new way of thinking, feeling and being into my life is through reading and writing, paying careful attention to the books I surround myself with and the prompts I write from so I can take inspired action in my life.Here's my current book apothecary to explore what HOPE means to me this month. Scroll to see the contents below and press play on the podcast episode talking all about it.Restorative Reading:I've chosen a mix of books to explore themes of HOPE and to bring more of it into my life. I admit, I have built a pretty tall stack, but I am hopeful that I'll read them all (yes, pun intended). Here are the books in my apothecary along with the publishers blurb for each of them:WAYS TO FIND YOURSELF by Angela Brown (Amazon / Bookshop)Technically, I've already read an advanced copy of the book, but it's going to sit on my shoulders all month long. It will be one of my top books of 2026 (if not ever) and has the kind of quiet power to help you move forward with hope while better appreciating all previous versions of yourself. It's breath-taking. Here's the overview:Grace Whittaker's life is coming apart.In the wake of her mother's death, a stalled writing career, and a slow-motion separation from her husband, Grace is more directionless than ever. But when she returns to Sea Drift, the beach town where she and her mother summered for years, Grace's life comes together in the most unexpected ways.Soon after arriving on the picturesque coastline that meant so much to her, Grace discovers more than she remembers, and for reasons she can't possibly fathom. Amid the weathered surf shops, pastel motels, and sloping beaches, Grace begins to encounter younger versions of herself. Each one is vivid, alive, and breathtakingly real.As she navigates this most surreal week—reconnecting with old friends, trying to solve a quiet mystery about her mother, and revisiting a love she left behind—Grace is forced to remember who she used to be. It's the only way she can figure out who she can still become.THE HOPE CHEST by Viola Shipman (Amazon / Bookshop)Personally, I think all of Viola Shipman's books have threads of hope on the pages and I cannot wait to find them in this book. Here's what I'm looking forward to:The discovery of one woman's heirloom hope chest unveils precious memories and helps three people who have each lost a part of themselves find joy once again.Ever since she was diagnosed with ALS, fiercely independent Mattie doesn't feel like herself. She can't navigate her beloved home, she can't go for a boat ride, and she can barely even feed herself. Her devoted husband, Don, doesn't want to imagine life without his wife of nearly fifty years, but Mattie isn't likely to make it past their anniversary.But when Rose, Mattie's new caretaker, and her young daughter, Jeri, enter the couple's life, happiness and the possibility for new memories return. Together they form a family, and Mattie is finally able to pass on her memories from the hope chest she received from her mother.With each item—including a favorite doll, family dishes, an embroidered apron, and an antique Christmas ornament—the hope chest connects Mattie, Don and Rose to each other and helps them find hope again in the face of overwhelming life challenges.THE PRAYER BOX by Lisa Wingate (Amazon / Bookshop)Do you have a prayer box? I do, but I only have one that my daughter gifted to me. I'm enchanted with the idea of having one for each year of my life as a way to archive it and reflect on who I've become, kind of like my notebooks. Here's the overview:When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house. Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.A SPRINKLE OF SWEET SERENDIPITY by Rachel Linden (Amazon / Bookshop)I have had this book preordered for months and I absolutely cannot wait for the latest book from one of my favorite authors. Here's the set-up:Paris trained chocolatier and single mother Emmie Wynne gave up her own dreams six years ago when she returned to her Pacific Northwest coastal tourist town to run her family's struggling candy store. Now on her thirty-fourth birthday, Emmie has only one wish, to be granted the vision that every Wynne woman is given once in her lifetime—a shimmering glimpse of her true destiny. This year, when she blows out her candles, it finally comes true.Her vision is more delectable than she could've imagined—her very own artisanal chocolate shop filled with decadent truffles and caramels, and her celebrity crush, Henry Summers, down on one knee. And when Henry suddenly arrives in town for the summer, offering Emmie the opportunity of a lifetime, the future in her vision suddenly seems possible.But a rekindled connection with Jakob, her former high school best friend turned hunky, brooding tattooed baker, forces Emmie to grapple with the bittersweet realization that her destiny may not be what her heart truly longs for. As the culmination of her vision draws nearer, can Emmie find the courage to create a happiness of her own making?29 GIFTS: HOW A MONTH OF GIVING CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Cami Walker (Amazon / Bookshop)If this book doesn't scream HOPE, then I don't know what does:At age thirty-five, Cami Walker was burdened by a battle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological condition that made it difficult for her to walk, work, or enjoy her life. Seeking a remedy for her depression after being hospitalized, she received an uncommon prescription from an African medicine man: Give to others for 29 days . 29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author's life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving and receiving. Many of Walker's gifts were simple —a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By Day 29, not only had Walker's health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement. The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.These are the central texts that make up my apothecary this month, but I'm always open to new suggestions and adding along the way. If you have suggestions, let me know in the comments!Plus, if you'd like to get access to my bibliotherapy book calendar embracing this theme with a book recommendation for every day of the month, join my Restorative Reading & Writing Circle here on Substack!Restorative Writing:I'm focused on two kinds of restorative writing this month that I believe will boost my mood and explore what hope means to me: gratitude journaling and letter-writing.First, gratitude journaling. I've always been the kind of person who tries to plan everything and that means scanning for all that could go wrong so I can avoid it. The problem there is that, as much as I hate it, it's harder for me to truly see and notice the good that is all around me. But when I do, everything changes. So this month, I plan to capture my gratitude in my 5 Year Journal (as always), but also in my weekly planner. I've changed what goes inside this planner more times than I'd like to admit, but for now, it's going to capture gratitude. =)Second, letters to my younger self. Last month, I read Jennae Cecelia' poetry book: healing for no one but me. You might know her from her viral ‘I met my younger self for coffee' posts on Instagram inspired by one of her recent poems. Combine this with the plot of WAYS TO FIND YOURSELF and you've got the perfect alchemy to look back at all the past versions of ourselves through the lens of love and with a kind heart. I hope to spend time in my notebook writing letters to the earlier versions of me so I can continue to release the past and look forward to a future bursting with hope.Curiosities to Explore for Inspired Action:I'd like to take another stab at a vegetable garden this summer. Last year, I tried the garden bucket method and it worked pretty well, but this year, my son wants to grow an actual garden with me. I'm talking raised beds, special fencing and all the seeds. Since I have absolutely no idea how to go about this, I'll be searching the Internet for helpful advice and people to follow. Send reinforcements!I've got another BIG thing on my want to learn list that has been there for YEARS, but maybe there is hope for me yet: I'd like to learn how to make things on Procreate: handlettered book quotes, monthly calendars, coloring pages and more. I purchased a course years ago and hope I can still access it. I just need to drop a chunk of change on an Apple pencil….or a knockoff. Someone, please hold me accountable for this goal and nudge me with pushy kindness. =)Things to Love:As I begin to define what HOPE means to me, I keep returning to this gorgeous visual reminder of the word from Christie Zimmer:This video is both beautiful and informative and I haven't stopped thinking about a key nugget found inside: Hope is about believing AND doing. For so long, I've defined hope as passive actions: hoping, wishing, praying for things to get better or to happen. But this video (and the research Christie cites) reminds me that hope is also an action, too. The tiny hopeful steps we take in the moment pave the road ahead for the things we hope for to actually happen. Plus, I really want to see if I can make one of those beautiful HOPE booklets! =)Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!If YOU would like to build your book apothecary with me on the podcast, click here to apply!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

The Chimps in Charge discuss magical thinking, hot chicks farting, violent political rhetoric, and their first cars.

1. ‘Summer House' star West Wilson's cousin arrested for murdering their grandmother (Page Six) (22:09) 2. Taylor Swift's 'Spotify clause' is paying artists real money now (USA Today) (34:38) 3. Cara Delevingne Launches Music Career and Announces Tour: 'My Biggest Fear and My Greatest Love' (PEOPLE) (41:09) 4. Queen Camilla in the City! Royal Teams Up with Sarah Jessica Parker, Anna Wintour and More at New York Public Library (PEOPLE) (53:13) 5. Christine Quinn and Heather Rae El Moussa Are Officially Returning to Selling Sunset: ‘Growth Can Still Come with an Edge' (PEOPLE) (1:03:09) The Toast with Jackie (@JackieOshry) and Claudia Oshry (@girlwithnojob) ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Toast Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toast Merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Girl With No Job by Claudia Oshry ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Camper & The Counselor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lean In⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Disclaimer: Yasso awarded as product coupons. No purchase necessary. Open to 50 US/DC, 18+. Ends 11:59pm ET 4/30. Rules: ⁠⁠⁠⁠yasso.com/TOAST⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recently (and very quietly!) celebrated an important milestone on the Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness podcast: I reached the 225 episode milestone!It truly seems like yesterday when I nervously hit record and uploaded a very real, raw episode into the world and it's been a wonderful journey of learning ever since. Recently, I've started posting some of these backlist episodes in my current show notes as they relate to the current theme in case you missed it or are new to the podcast and I've loved seeing new life brought to these old episodes. So, I've decided to periodically bring back a backlist episode that relates to my current one-word theme in hopes that it re-energizes your reading and writing life, too. Starting today!Spring is in the air and that means Spring cleaning, organizing and freshening. This kind of work pairs perfectly with my RELEASE theme and might help you let go of the old and make space for the new on your bookshelf….and your life. Today, I am talking about shelf-care or showing love to your bookshelf in mindful and intentional ways to rejuvenate your reading life and how it can lead to self-care in our actual lives, too. Here's a quick overview of the steps I shared in the episode:Know Your WhyFirst, before you even get started, articulate why you are choosing to cull your book collection. Clearly stating your ‘why' behind this work will give you the energy your bookish heart will need to tackle it. Say it out loud. Are you sorting through your books to gain:* a cleaner and refreshed look to your bookshelves?* additional space for new titles and genres?* a chance to sift through your reading life past and plan for the future?Whatever the reason, define your why and hold it close throughout the process.Remove & SortNext, pull all the books off of your shelf so you can literally see and touch each one. This contact is important. Quickly glancing at the titles on your self will not suffice. Pick up each book and sort them into two piles: read and not read yet.Review the Books You've ReadThen, head to the stack of books you've already read. Pick up each book, say the title and author out loud and fan the pages. Saying the title out loud will jog your memory of the book and fanning the pages will highlight any dog-earned passages, bookmarks or sticky notes, all signs you loved the book. If this process does NOT jog your memory of the book, then that's a sure sign you might let it go.Make a decision to keep or donate each book. Is it a book that you read, loved, remembered and want to keep? Yes? Well, why? If you have a compelling reason to keep the book on your shelf waiting patiently for another reader that might never come, then do so. If not, set it aside so you can pay it forward to share with a reader who will love and appreciate it. Continue the process until you have sorted all of the books into KEEP and SHARE piles.But don't put them back on the shelf. Not yet!Review the Books You Haven't Read YetNext, it's time to head to the stack of books you have not read yet. Just as with the books you've already read, pick up each book and say the title and author aloud. How do you feel? Does the book register in your memory? Does it tug at your reading heart? Or do you feel nothing at all? Use that gut feeling to decide whether to keep the book on your shelves or donate to others. These questions might help you decide:* Do you remember when and why you purchased the book?* Are those reasons still relevant in your life today?* Do you remember who recommended it to you and why they thought you might enjoy it?If you can answer these questions and are still interested in the book, keep it. If not and you do not feel any tug at your reading heart, then pay it forward to another reader.Now, there are two steps left: to reorganize your newly culled reading shelves and decide on your donation strategy.Reorganize & ReshelveFirst, let's reorganize. Organization of your bookshelves is a personal process that should be based on your preferences and wishes as a reader AND your desire for organization and accessibility. Here are a few methods you might try:* Shelve books by reading status: read and not yet read* Arrange books alphabetically by author last name* Categorize books by genre and/or format* Sort books by hardcover and paperback* Cluster books by your mood for reading* Visually display books by color, size and/or shape* Celebrate favorite books in a showcaseChoose a method that speaks to your bookish heart and experiment with combinations of strategies, too. You might have a TBR shelf arranged by genre. Or an alphabetically arranged shelf within a certain genre. The choice is yours.Donate Books ForwardLastly, it's time to get your excess books into the hands of its next reader. Here are a few possibilities:* Donate adult books to your local library.* Donate children's literature books to your local school.* Add a few books to a Free Little Library in your neighborhood (or start your own!)* Gift them to family and friends with handwritten recommendations* Declare yourself a book fairy and leave a book in a random place for the next reader to find.Once you see the possibilities for pressing books into the hands of its next reader and making space for the books that need to find you next, it doesn't seem quite so daunting, does it?! Culling your book collections is a necessary stage of the reading life: sharing books that no longer serves you to others and making space for those that need to find you in this season of life:Shelf-Care to Self-Care MagicMoving through this book-culling process and releasing the books that no longer serve you in this particular season of life can feel quite thrilling and leave you with a sense of accomplishment. It also leaves you with new space: space to connect with new books that are just what you need in this moment. So, your last step is to reflect on these three questions, even better if you jot them down in your notebook:* Who do you want to be in this current season?* How do you want to feel?* What do you want to do?Use your unfiltered, gut-reaction responses to connect with new books that can offer you the kind of care you need right now. Here are the books originally mentioned in the backlist episode that I made space for on my newly refreshed bookshelf:ABOVE GROUND by Clint Smith (Amazon / Bookshop)WHEN THE RAIN ENDS by Mary Ellen Taylor (Amazon / Bookshop)ADELAIDE by Genevieve Wheeler (Amazon / Bookshop)And here are the current books I've made space for inspired by the re-airing of this episode:THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi (Amazon / Bookshop)A SPRINKLE OF SWEET SERENDIPITY by Rachel Linden (Amazon / Bookshop)LOVE, FINALLY: UNTANGLING THE KNOT BETWEEN MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, AND FOOD by Geneen Roth (Amazon / Bookshop)I'd love to hear what you think of this episode! How has culling your book collection helped you move into a new season of your reading life AND your actual one, too? What books are on your newly-curated bookshelf? Share in the comments below!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

The Apes crack each other up, discuss anger management, and whether Lena Dunham should have two memories out before she turns 40.

Participants:  Ian Campbell Jacob Gray Everett Vroon Garrett White Chad  Skankenstein (Matt)

If you didn't know this already, this podcast is truly a week-by-week sharing of my own reading and writing life, what I'm learning and how I'm growing in my own restorative practice. I talk about the books I'm actually reading, the things I'm actually writing and the ways I'm furthering my own knowledge in this little niche that I love so much. This week is no exception.I stumbled upon a key piece of research that could be the one thing standing in your way of a reading and writing life that is interesting and passes the time to a restorative reading and writing practice that actually calms your nervous system and makes you feel better.As a quick review, there are a few key steps to a restorative reading and writing practice that alchemizes the healing power of them both:* Carve out a block of time and create soothing conditions to read and write.* Choose the book or passage that you need right now in this season of life.* Read with an open mind and heart.* Write about the nudges you feel in your body and mind.* Take inspired action from the page to make life better. As is with many things, the first step can be the hardest part: finding the time and creating the optimal conditions for your own reading and writing. But honestly, if we do, such beautiful changes can happen in your mind, body and life, especially when we layer our reading and writing practices with soothing signals from our senses. Why?Well, I used to think it was because those sensory signals provided a soothing message to our nervous systems that we could calm down and sink into our practice, elevating our reading and writing experience. And that is still true. But I know know it is much, much more than that. The sensory layers we add to our practice actually signal SAFETY to our bodies.Let me explain, courtesy of my learning from Brett Larkin in HEALING WITH SOMATIC YOGA, a book from my RELEASE book apothecary this month:Our bodies do not speak in words. That's why, even though we truly want to, we can't tell it to stop worrying and to stop overthinking and to stop ruminating and have it easily respond. It simply cannot listen to us in the language we are using. Why? Because it speaks a different language: the language of movement, sensation, breath, sound and touch. When we speak in THAT language and give our body messages at the somatic and sensory level, our bodies can finally listen. That's why paying close attention to the sensory elements in our restorative reading and writing practice is critical.Armed with this new information, I think it's the perfect time to take a sensory audit of our current restorative practice and give it a bit of a refresh for the Spring season. To begin, take an honest look at your current reading and writing practices:* What signals of safety are you currently providing your system during your reading and writing time?* How do they align to the season of the calendar we are in to take advantage of Mother Nature's rhythms? Take a minute and list some ideas for your own personal practice and then borrow some from my own brainstorming below:Sight: Spring invites us to notice nature and the world around us.* Take your practice outside or read and writing with a visible view of the outdoor world. * Add a plant or flower to your reading and writing space.* Choose books, notebooks and bookish bling with Spring-like colors.Hearing: Spring invites us to listen to sounds of renewal and growth. * Read outside and listen to the birdsong or play nature-infused audio tracks while reading and writing. * Press play on a nature-themed ASMR room on YouTube.Smell: Spring invites us to embrace the scents of the blooming season. * Diffuse fruity and floral flavors in your essential oil diffuser.* Light a citrus, floral or minty candle while reading and writing. Taste: Spring invites us to explore personal flavors of joy and presence.* Choose a beverage or snack that feels like comfort and presence for you, even if not aligned to the Spring flavor profile.* Experiment with Spring flavor drinks, like flowery herbal teas or LMNT (my favorite is citrus and lemonade!).Touch: Spring invites us to ground ourselves in the physical world. * Read with your bare feet touching the grass for additional grounding. * Read with a natural stone to rub for presence.These are just a few of the ideas I'm trying in my own personal practice and I'd love to know your recommendations, too. Leave your thoughts in the comments below and let's build a restorative Spring reading and writing practice together!Here are the other episodes mentioned in the podcast:E218: Why a Personal Curriculum Isn't a Book Apothecary & Why That MattersE202: Create a Restorative Reading & Writing AltarLet's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

Technology is moving faster than ever, and many of us feel the pressure to keep up without losing our human touch. We need a clear path to help our teams embrace change while building a culture of trust and growth. In this episode, Lisa Coulson, SVP and Chief Human Resource Officer at Principal Financial Group, joins me to talk about what it means to build an AI-literate workforce at its core within financial services. We explore how their data literacy and employee training program reached 90% of workers and how internal AI tools like "Page" and "Penny" helped with their AI adoption. Lisa shares their step-by-step "funnel" approach to reskilling and upskilling, the impact of AI in leadership development, and how to build an internal talent marketplace to match employee skills with new roles. We also tackle the necessity of governance in a regulated industry and the ongoing challenge of measuring AI's ROI and productivity gains during a workforce transformation. This episode is every CHRO's clear guide for leading a digital shift while keeping the employee experience strong. Watch the full video on YouTube ---------- Start your day with the world's top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/ Quick heads-up: my new book, The 8 Laws of Employee Experience, is a practical playbook for building an environment where people do their best work—order a copy here: 8EXlaws.com

Tommy Mills asks an ApeSac that brings out the worst in both chimps and Rory Zacher is a non-verbal guest.

The most treasured part of my day is the early morning. I brew a cup of coffee, light a candle and sink into a beautiful restorative reading and writing practice themed around something I need or want in my life. It's magical and I thought I'd start sharing snippets of it with you here on the podcast.So…On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm guiding you through my first-ever guided restorative reading and writing session for when life feels hard and you need some care.Come listen as I explain how this episode came to be, walk you through a 15-minute restorative reading and writing session for when you need care and offer a powerful affirmation for the week ahead.Here are the books and writing prompts mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!HEART MINDED by Sarah Blondin (Amazon / Bookshop)Writing Prompts:* Lately I have been taking care of…* Right now, what I need most is…* One way I could take care of myself this week is…Affirmation:* I give myself permission to take care of myself. It's the best thing I can do for myself and others.Here's the audio I used in the episode: Nature Healing SocietyOnce you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Would you like more episodes like these? Or a live online gathering inside our Restorative Reading and Writing Circle? Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

Plenty going on but with Hall's Steve Austin Memory Hole, the Apes go in deep on Charlie's Angels, the Love Boat, water beds, you name it…

The average metropolitan person now is exposed to more media in a single day than someone a few generations ago would absorb in a lifetime. Amid the deluge of hot takes and commentary on today's image culture, and its effects on our brains, many people have also been looking back to an older figure for guidance, one who seems to have been something of a prophet: the philosopher Vilém Flusser. Born in 1920 in Prague, Flusser lived a fascinating life, working in São Paulo, Brazil for decades, before returning to Europe, where he died in 1991. In his writings of the 1980s, Flusser created a unique body of theory about how new genres of media were giving birth to a new form of consciousness, one defined by images over the written word. Flusser thought this transformation would reshape the world, and he developed a whole vocabulary to think about it, concepts like the “technical image,” “the apparatus,” and “techno-imagination.” These have had a huge impact on media studies, and yet remain under-known. Long in the works but now just in time to serve as a guide, Martha Schwendener's The Society of the Screen: Vilem Flusser's Radical Prescience, is just out from MIT Press. Schwendener is a teacher, an art historian, and a long-time art critic for the New York Times. The Society of the Screen tackles what Flusser's wide-ranging and experimental body of thought means for art today and how his theories might help us find a way through our media-saturated moment.

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm exploring the how and why behind harnessing the power of picture books as portable life coaches.Come listen as I share what a life coach is and why a picture book fits the bill, why picture books are powerful coaching tools for adults, how we might use them to make life better and the three that I love recommending to everyone no matter that season of life they are in. Here are the three books I recommended:The Blur by Minh Lê & Dan Santat (Amazon / Bookshop)Time passes quickly and this book so beautifully captures just how fast. This is the perfect book to spark conversation on what matters most, what we do not want to pass us by and how we can savor our days.Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman (Amazon / Bookshop)This beautifully illustrated book sets us squarely in nature to marvel at the transformations that occur. It's perfect for choosing new goals and regrouping when we feel stuck and need or want to unfurl and grow.The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater (Amazon / Bookshop)Who knew that a big orange splot could transform a cookie-cutter neighborhood into a collection of people pursuing their passions? This book is perfect to spark dormant dreams and break out of a rut.I hope you'll give these portable life coaches a try and would love to know what you think of this idea. Share your thoughts and book recommendations below. Plus, if you have a special request for a picture book title, please add that below and I'll pop back with a reply. Interested in my whole collection? You can get that here! I continually add to it and you get those updates, too. Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

John Beardmore has some work to making signs after this one.

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing all the details on my personal book apothecary for April 2026.Each month, I choose a one-word theme to guide my intentions and create a book apothecary to help me breathe that word into existence through reading, writing and learning. This month, my chosen one word theme is: RELEASE.If you follow the astrological calendar, then you know we just ended the year of the snake and just entered the year of the horse. Apparently, that means we've been shedding what no longer serves us to make room for more of what does. Technically, according to the calendar, I should be done shedding by now, but I'm not. =)I'm feeling called to release old expectations, leave old routines and rituals behind and even throw out at least half of the clothes in my closet. I'm wanting to let go of old grudges, release lingering negativity and reduce inflammation in my body, too. Hence, the word RELEASE.For me, the best way to welcome a new way of thinking, feeling and being into my life is through reading and writing, paying careful attention to the books I surround myself with and the prompts I write from so I can take inspired action in my life.Here's my current book apothecary ready to help me RELEASE this month. Scroll to see the contents below and press play on the podcast episode talking all about it.Restorative Reading:The three books I've chosen focusing on three different aspects of RELEASE I'd like to explore: release in my physical body, release in my emotional mind and release in my object-filled home. Here are the books in my apothecary this month along with the publishers blurb for each of them:Healing with Somatic Yoga: A 6-Week Journey to Release Emotions, Rewire Your Nervous System, and Reclaim Your Body by Brett LarkinAmazonIn 6 weeks, learn a groundbreaking somatic system that blends the three essential models of body-based healing. Whether you crave gentle nervous system regulation, cathartic emotional release, or the healing power of self-touch, this book offers a revolutionary approach to coming home to your body—not just another collection of gentle poses.Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Amazon / BookshopIn the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series translated from Japanese, the mysterious café where customers arrive hoping to travel back in time welcomes four new guests:- The father who could not allow his daughter to get married- A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one- A boy who wants to show his smile to his divorced parents- A wife holding a child with no name . . .They must follow the café's strict rules, however, and come back to the present before their coffee goes cold. Another moving and heartwarming tale from Toshikazu Kawaguchi, in Before We Forget Kindness our new visitors wish to go back into their past to move on their present, finding closure and comfort so they can embark on a beautiful future.They Left Us Everything: A Memoir by Plum Johnson (Amazon / Bookshop)After almost twenty years of caring for elderly parents—first for their senile father, and then for their cantankerous ninety-three-year-old mother—author Plum Johnson and her three younger brothers experience conflicted feelings of grief and relief when their mother, the surviving parent, dies.Now they must empty and sell the beloved family home, which hasn't been de-cluttered in more than half a century. Twenty-three rooms bulge with history, antiques, and oxygen tanks. Plum remembers her loving but difficult parents who could not have been more different: the British father, a handsome, disciplined patriarch who nonetheless could not control his opinionated, extroverted Southern-belle wife who loved tennis and gin gimlets. The task consumes her, becoming more rewarding than she ever imagined.Items from childhood trigger memories of her eccentric family growing up in a small town on the shores of Lake Ontario in the 1950's and 60's. But unearthing new facts about her parents helps her reconcile those relationships with a more accepting perspective about who they were and what they valued.They Left Us Everything is a funny, touching memoir about the importance of preserving family history to make sense of the past and nurturing family bonds to safeguard the future.These are the three central texts that make up my apothecary this month, but I'm always open to new suggestions and adding along the way. If you have suggestions, let me know in the comments!Plus, if you'd like to get access to my bibliotherapy book calendar embracing this theme with a book recommendation for every day of the month, join my Restorative Reading & Writing Circle here on Substack!Restorative Writing:I'm focused on two kinds of restorative writing this month: expressive and affirmative. My expressive writing practice has truly brought so much release and pain relief in the past and I'm doubling down on that practice this month. I plan to listen to my body and heart and write freely about what needs to go. If you want to learn more about this special kind of writing, listen here. Another important aspect of my writing life will focus on affirmations this month. Here's a podcast episode talking through why this kind of writing matters. For whatever reason, I have a hard time letting go of the typical way I do things and the usual way I think. I plan to write and embody this affirmation from Cathy Heller on repeat throughout the month:I trust myself to acknowledge what nourishes me and release what no longer does. I imagine I might delve into some listicle writing too: lists of things to organize, donate and toss will certainly be one of them!Curiosities to Explore for Inspired Action:Somatic yoga has been calling my name for a while and this month, I'm truly sinking into it to help me release stress and negativity from my body. Brett Larkin's book is helping me learn, explore and grow and I'll press play on one or two or ten of her somatic yoga videos, too. Here they are!I'm hoping to learn more about lymphatic release, too. This topic seems to be EVERYWHERE on social media and I want to go underneath the posts to the science and see how it might benefit my health and wellness. This isn't a curiosity, but it is something I want to do: CLEAN MY CLOSET! Out with the old, in with the new. Out with the old stories, in with the new ones. Clearing clutter is emotional and cleaning your closet is an experience I hope to tackle. Things to Love:Everything. =) I do not want my focus on RELEASE to seem negative: out with the old and in with the new. Instead, I want to embrace that theme with a loving mindset and use love as the guidepost for moving forward. I recently found this poem and cannot get it out of my mind: The Question by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer:All day, I replay these words:Is this the path of love?I think of them as I rise, asI wake my children, as I wash dishes,as I drive too close behind the slowblue Subaru, Is this the path of love?Think of these words as I stand in lineat the grocery store,think of them as I sit on the couchwith my daughter. Amazing howquickly six words become compass,the new lens through which to see myselfin the world. I notice what the question is not.Not, “Is this right?” Not,“Is this wrong?” It just longs to knowhow the action of existencelinks us to the path to love.And is it this? Is it this? All day,I let myself be led by the question.All day I let myself not be too certainof the answer. Is it this?Is this the path of love? I askas I wait for the next word to come.This poem is stunningly beautiful, isn't it?! This lens of love will guide me all month long, running parallel along with theme of RELEASE, and I hope it guides you, too. If you want more poems like these, add this book to your book apothecary this month.One more thing: Here's my aromatherapy tincture I'm creating for Spring release: 2 drops Lemon, 2 drops Lavender, 2 drops Peppermint. Heavenly.If YOU would like to build your book apothecary with me on the podcast, click here to apply!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

The Chimps have things to say today. You may not be interested but we sure are!

Are you raising your kids to survive the spiritual war or just survive Sunday school? Melissa Dougherty (apologist, author, and fellow YouTube creator) is back on Remnant Radio, and this time she's brought a children's gospel allegory and a straight-talking framework for raising kids who can actually defend their faith in the real world.Most Christian parents want to pass the faith to their kids, but somewhere between memorizing Psalm 23 and answering questions about dinosaurs and reincarnation, the strategy gets fuzzy. Melissa Dougherty, known for her work on new thought, new age, and Christian apologetics, brings her background in early childhood education to a conversation that every Christian parent needs to hear.We dig into the real challenge facing Christian parents today: how do you disciple kids in a world that is actively working to undo everything you teach them? Melissa offers practical wisdom for every parenting stage, from toddlers asking "Who made God?" to teenagers staring blankly through family devotion time. Additionally, we discuss how to celebrate the resurrection with joy and intentionality, why Christians should be making a bigger deal of Easter than Christmas, and how to think through the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs, and commercial culture without either being legalistic or losing the point. 0:00 – Introduction1:29 – Melissa Dougherty Background2:32 – Brave Books Partnership6:11 – Allegory & Gospel13:06 – Human Sin Nature19:44 – Teaching Kids Theology27:44 – Family Devotions39:14 – Easter & Resurrection53:00 – Book & ClosingABOUT THE GUEST:

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm chatting with Dawn to help her build a book apothecary for the season ahead. Join me as I talk all things books with a listener and build a book apothecary that will serve, soothe and nudge.Dawn is a retired educator who is looking for more grace, more kindness and more peace in this season of her life. She's been a longtime member of my private Substack community and posed a special challenge for me: to select books for per book apothecary that she already owns as we #readourshelves together throughout the month of March. Challenge accepted! I've got just the stack of books for Dawn and bet there are a few that you'll love, too!Here are the books mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page (Amazon / Bookshop)Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Amazon / Bookshop)The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye (Amazon / Bookshop)The Practice by Seth Godin (Amazon / Bookshop)Soul Shift: The Weary Human's Guide to Getting Unstuck and Reclaiming Your Path to Joy by Rachel Macy Stafford (Amazon / Bookshop)The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron (Amazon / Bookshop)Healing with Somatic Yoga: A 6-Week Journey to Release Emotions, Rewire Your Nervous System, and Reclaim Your Body by Brett Larkin (Amazon)Find Dawn on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/dawndevoursbooks/If YOU would like to build your book apothecary with me on the podcast, click here to apply!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

Yup. We dare. We dare hard.

Himmel is back in Chicago from Vegas and ApeCast buddy Brandon Bruce throws down an epic challenge for the ApeSac.

The literacy crisis is one of the most profound problems facing Gen Z and Gen Alpha. As my generation ages up into the workforce and the citizenry, lower literacy rates mean a decline in the ability to understand the world around us — including the laws and political texts upon which this country was built. And if fewer Americans understand the texts that shape our society, our society will be susceptible to changing for the worse, forgetting the whys and the hows that built the most successful, prosperous nation on earth. In the belly of that forgetting lies the possibility of national decline.Ad-free podcasts are here!To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was written by: Audrey Moorehead and audio edited and mixed by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.