Podcast appearances and mentions of sarah lindsay

Sarah Lindsay was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and earned her BA from St. Olaf College and MFA from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She is the author of the full-length poetry collections Primate Behavior (Grove Press, 1997), which was a finalist for the National Book Award, Mount Clutter (Grove Press, 2002), Twigs and Knucklebones (Copper Canyon Press, 2008), and Debt to the Bone-Eating Snotflower (Copper Canyon Press, 2013).Her honors and awards include a Pushcart Prize, the Carolyn Kizer Prize, and J. Howard and Barbara M.J. Wood Prize as well as a Lannan Literary Fellowship. She lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she works as a copy editor.-bio via Poetry Foundation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

A sermon for the Eighteenth Week after Pentecost, during Savior's Sermon Series, God Has Feelings Too.Text: Mark 3:1-6Access Order of Service here for Saturday, September 21st for this week.

Sarah Lindsay is a 3 x British Olympic Speed Skater and founder of ROAR Dubai.The 2 x World Silver Medalist joined Kitch and Neeil in studio:They discussed: How she discovered Speed SkatingThe discipline required to become an OlympianWhy she decided to start ROAR and their 12 week challengesDoes the weight loss drug Ozempic really work? And what are its effects?https://www.roar-fitness.com/. Instagram: Kitch/.Instagram: Neeil/.Instagram: Producer Pranav/.Instagram: Producer Errol/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tributes Pour In For Dubai-Based Chef Who Passed Away In London After A Knife Attack The UAE Ranks #1 Globally In Women's Advancement In 33 Indicators!Dubai 7s 2024: Unveiling the Ultimate Theme! These sunnies are a clue!!A Dubai Real Estate CEO Gifts Property To His Daughter For Her 18th BirthdayOzempic Vs Exercise: 3-Time Olympian Sarah Lindsay Shares Her Thoughts

Ozempic Vs Exercise: 3-Time Olympian Sarah Lindsay Shares Her Thoughts

A sermon for the Eighth Week after Pentecost, during Savior's Sermon Series, Summer School with Jesus as Teacher.Text: Mark 6:14-29Access Order of Service here for Saturday, July 13th along with our coloring sheet for this week.

A sermon for The Trinity, the First Week after Pentecost, during Savior's Sermon Series, Turning Points.Text: John 3:1-17Access Order of Service here for Saturday, May 25th along with our coloring sheet for this week.

This week we welcomed back one of our favourite guests, Sarah Lindsay who runs SALA, the most amazing reformer pilates, yoga and barre studio in Auckland. The original episode we recorded with her was so popular that we thought it would be rude not to have her back to give us some updates and share some of her successful business-owner wisdom with us. Feeling defeated in achieving work-life feels like a tale as old as time and a struggle I think every one of us can say we face regularly. This is a chat about getting your priorities in order, setting boundaries, and defining what you want for yourself now, versus what future you will appreciate the most. Hilarious, a little bit woo-woo and incredibly eye-opening, we were so happy to have Sarah back in the studio to chat with us again. Watch this episode on YouTube. To listen to the original podcast we recorded with Sarah, click here. For more from The Curve:InstagramYouTubeWebsiteTikTokNewsletter Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tell us what you like or dislike about this episode!! Be honest, we don't bite!This week on The Matt Haycox Show, join us for an inspiring journey with an athlete-turned-entrepreneur. From her competitive start at age 10 to Olympic training and retirement, we uncover the athlete mentality and transition to personal training with the creation of ROAR Fitness. Explore highs and lows, from securing investment to managing fallout, and gain insights into partner dynamics, trainer recruitment, and program development. With celebrity clients like Piers Morgan, tune in for a captivating conversation on sports, business, and beyond.Time Stamps:0:00 - Intro + Chat4:11 - Let's Rewind6:47 - Becoming Competitive at 1010:40 - How serious were you off the rink? Drinking, Takeaways etc.12:10 - What was your goal? Money and a Future in the Olympics15:17 - Any Behind the Scenes Olympic Goss?16:15 - Different Winter Sports?18:16 - Olympic Athlete Mentality20:35 - How to block out the problems22:33 - Is it a lonely sport or a team sport?23:54 - Does the sport become more financially lucrative as you work up the ranks?25:52 - 2007's Back Injury Accident30:56 - Did you recover in time for the next competition?36:29 - Retirement41:27 - Qualifications to become a PT42:56 - Was PTing the Future Career?43:47 - How long were you PTing for before Roar?46:37 - Rewind to How Roar Started49:50 - Why is your Business Model what it is?51:42 - How did you get Investment and Clientele55:42 - Old Investor Fall Out58:51 - Investor Experiences vs. Ice Skating Crashes01:01:46 - What would you have done differently with the first investor?01:04:04 - Why did you come to Dubai?01:09:58 - What's it like working with the husband?01:12:54 - How do you find and maintain good quality in PTs?01:16:05 - Who sets the programmes?01:17:25 - What was Piers Morgan like to train?01:18:18 - Do you encourage clients to do more on days off?01:19:46 - Weight Trainings Recent Popularity Boost01:21:33 - Thoughts on TRT, Steroids, Doping etc.01:26:05 - Predictions for Upcoming Olympics in Paris01:27:49 - ConclusionThanks for watching!We'd love to hear your thoughts on today's episode! Reach out to us on social media or visit our website below…—Thanks for watching!SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR MORE TIPS—WebsiteInstagramTik TokFacebookTwitterLinkedIn—LISTEN TO THE PODCAST!SpotifyApple—Who Is Matt Haycox? - Click for BADASS TrailerAs an entrepreneur, investor, funding expert and mentor who has been building and growing businesses for both myself and my clients for more than 20 years, my fundamental principles are suitable for all industries and businesses of all stages and size.I'm constantly involved in funding and advising multiple business ventures and successful entrepreneurs.My goal is to help YOU achieve YOUR financial success! I know how to spot and nurture great business opportunities and as someone who has ‘been there and got the t-shirt' many times, overall strategies and advice are honest, tangible and grounded in reality.

A Sermon for The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple during the Season of Epiphany.Text: Luke 2:22-40Access Order of Worship here for Saturday, February 3rd, along with our coloring sheet for this week.

2023, aka the year of incredible guests. From Jess Quinn's inspirational chat about the cost of her prosthetic leg to Frances Cook's life-changing advice about money diaries, Equity Mates' deep dive into lifestyle creep to Sarah Lindsay's challenging childhood, Sophie's beloved grandma's ground-breaking investment portfolio and Allegra Bambi Haines' journey through transitioning – we've loved each and every one of them (and are desperate to be friends with them all). This might inspire you to go back to the episodes, or make you realise you're ok with just the highlights … either way, these guests were fire. This episode was made possible by the team at HelloFresh AND to give you the chance to try before you buy, HelloFresh is offering up to $175 off by using our code HELLOCURVE. Full T&Cs on the discount are available at https://www.hellofresh.co.nz/about/termsandconditions. Episodes mentioned in this ep: RTC62: Jess Quinn talks about the price of losing her leg (literally) RTC64: How a money diary can change your life with Frances Cook RTC67: Low-maintenance investing and how the $100 challenge could make you RICH in 40 years with Bryce & Alec from Equity Mates RTC70: Embracing your broken pieces and buying expensive shoes with Sarah Lindsay RTC74: My Grandma left behind a million dollar portfolio RTC82: The Millionaire's Wife: Freedom, feminism and $80 lattes. RTC90: The cost of transitioning with Allegra Bambi Haines. For more from The Curve:InstagramWebsiteTikTokNewsletter Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah Lindsay a 3 x Olympian speed skater and UK's leading body transformation specialist cofounded Roar Fitness personal training company able to offer its clients an Olympic training experience like no other in its field. With famous transformations on the BBC and ITV as well as Men's Health, Men's Fitness and Women's Health Magazines, Sarah's number one passion remains in helping transform the lives and bodies of everyday men and women.Meet Sarah https://www.instagram.com/roarfitnessgirl/ Grow your personal brand strategy with Kelly Lundberg book a call today.

After moving across the world to New Zealand with her partner Josh, British born Sarah Lindsay didn't set out to own a yoga studio, she set out to find her community. When they heard about an empty space in a London-esque brick building in Auckland, Sarah and Josh put all their savings into starting SALA, a multidisciplinary movement studio. But this episode isn't all about founding a prolific business, it's about having deep self awareness, creating space for inner healing, and overcoming barriers that most of us could never imagine. It was nothing short of a privilege to sit with Sarah as she shared her story with us - we know you're going to love this one! This is not a sponsored episode, however we love SALA and everything it stands for. If you're in Auckland and would like to - use the code 'thecurve' to try a class for free.  Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the podcast, I speak to Sarah Lindsay – founder of Sala, a multidisciplinary movement community in the heart of Ponsonby, Auckland.Sala is more than just sweating. Born from the desire to create impactful experiences, integrated living and community, Sala hosts over 85 weekly classes in 12 disciplines, including yoga, reformer pilates, barre, HIIT, sound healing and more.When Sarah moved to Auckland from London in 2018, she struggled to find her ‘place' or her ‘people', and after letting her loneliness transform into action, Sala was born. Over the last four years Sala has evolved and transformed in early 2023 became a full wellness mecca by doubling its physical space to host a new reformer pilates studio, healing room, concept store and a community co-working space.I'm not going to lie; for those that know me, exercise and movement are often more of a chore than a passion, and I certainly don't spend as much time as I should focusing on mindfulness and spiritual connection. And so, while I was really excited to talk to Sarah about SALA and the amazing business she has built and is growing, I wasn't sure how much I would relate to the chat. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I took from our conversation. I absolutely loved learning about Sarah's life and business journey – from her life in the UK, yoga training in India, meeting a kiwi and moving to NZ before ever having visited and everything about the conception, creation and growth of SALA. I was captivated by every word!After this episode, you will want to learn more about SALA and the beautiful community-driven business that Sarah has created. You can find SALA at www.sala.studio or on Instagram @sala_aklI know you will love my chat with Sarah as much as I did.For more podcast information visit supercreativepodcast.com Hosted by Catie DawsonBought to you by Somewhere CreativeFind us on Instagram - @supercreativepodcast

A sermon for the Sixth Week of Easter in Savior's Sermon Series, “Power & Persecution: Learning from the First Christians.”Text: Acts 17:22-31Access Order of Worship here for Saturday, May 13th, along with our coloring sheet for this week.

A sermon for the Third Week of Lent in Savior's Sermon Series, “He Has Shown You What Is Good.”Text: John 4:5-42Access Order of Worship here for Saturday, March 11th, along with our coloring sheet for this week.

After spending time in Dubai during Covid, British three-time Olympian, celebrity personal trainer and body transformation specialist Sarah Lindsay decided it would be the perfect location for the first outpost of her London-based personal training gym Roar.   The 42-year-old trainer and nutrition coach tells us all about her latest venture and dives into some of the latest in wellness and fitness. Highlights include:   Why she chose Dubai for her fourth location What is...

A sermon for the Eighteenth Week of Pentecost, during Savior's Sermon series, Prayer Lab.Text: Luke 17:11-19Access Order of Worship here for Saturday, October 8th, along with our coloring sheet for this week.

Our guests in this episode are architects Josh Crossin and Sarah Lindsay who are the directors of LXN Architects based in Hobart Tasmania. Josh and Sarah share their experiences of working closely with building companies, the importance of mutual respect when negotiating with builders, and the element of trust in a project team.

A sermon for the 4th week of Easter, during Savior's Eastertide series “Jesus: Back, and Bringing Gifts”.Text: John 10:22-30Access Order of Worship here for Saturday, May 7. Along with our coloring page for this week.

Sarah Lyndsay is a Self-Portrait & Landscape Photographer based in the beautiful Canadian Rockies. She specialises in ethereal self-portrait work, putting herself in the landscapes she photographs no matter the season or weather. Rain or shine, she will walk out in that lake in a flowing gown. She is widely known for her breathtaking long exposure work and her signature yellow dress.    Link to images mentioned on the podcast - https://www.sarahlyndsayphotography.com/Portfolio-/Self-portraits/   If you want to learn more about Sarah's work, you can find it here:   • Website - www.sarahlyndsayphotography.com • Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73iAchNebceqyF3I0qskiA • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahlyndsayphotography/ • Twitter - https://twitter.com/sarahlyndsay_ • NFTs - https://opensea.io/sarahlyndsay   Other ways to listen and subscribe to the podcast: • Spotify - http://bit.ly/twhspotify   • Apple Podcast - https://bit.ly/Theartofphotography   • Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/TheArtOfPhotographyWithStanleyAr   • Website: https://podcast.thewickedhunt.com      • Tune In (Alexa) - https://bit.ly/TuneInTheArtOfPhotographyPodcastWithStanleyAr     For those of you who want to learn more about The Wicked Hunt Photography by Stanley Aryanto: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewickedhunt/      • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewickedhunt/ • Masterclass: https://www.TheWickedHuntPhotography.com      • Photo print: https://www.TheWickedHunt.com/    Don't forget to leave a review on the podcast if you enjoy this conversation. It would help us to get found and help to inspire other photographers.  ----------------------------- Transcription: Sarah Lyndsay  0:00   So when you hit that rock bottom moment, I think you, it doesn't matter if it's with your career or your relationships or whatever, you're at rock bottom, and you're at this place where you just feel like you have no one, you're completely alone. And you're just faced with yourself, like you're faced with all those inner demons that you have. And we all have them. And I feel like this is the defining moment of where people either blossom into this amazing person or they go down even further and they go down the wrong path. And I think when you're when you're at the rock bottom, you have to make like a choice there. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  0:40   Hey, weekenders Welcome back to The Art of Photography podcast, where we talk to other photographers and share their journey and how photography have given them hope, purpose and happiness. And today, we have somebody from the Canadian Rockies, someone who's really good at taking self portrait. Sarah, how are you doing, sir? Sarah Lyndsay  1:00   I'm good. How are you? Thank you for having me come and do this. I'm really excited to be here. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  1:06   Very excited to have you. And I've been following your work, you know, ever since I got into the NFT world, and it's it's incredible that you know, your your, your art is just great. And I love the commitment that you put in to get those self portraits. Yeah, I'm so glad to have you here. Now, before we get started, can you give us a short introduction of who Sarah is? Sarah Lyndsay  1:29   Okay, yes, I can do that. So in this current moment, this year, we will say, I am a self portrait and landscape photographer. I've been a photographer for 12 years. But the self portrait part has definitely just been in the last few years. And I do pretty much photography, or at least I have done it. All right now what I'm doing for work is I do photo tours and FTS YouTube, that's a big one as well. And just focusing on those with my photography and just trying to grow it and working at it every single day. And that's pretty much me in a nutshell. And how Wait, how could I forget this? You may see me around in a yellow dress. Yes, pretty important part. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  2:13   You call yourself the bananas? It's It's hilarious. It's great. Sarah Lyndsay  2:19   That started in the NFT space. That's where that came from. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  2:23   So how did that come about? What's why the bananas? I'm not Sarah Lyndsay  2:27   sure I just everybody was talking about you. I think you know like what the apes the board apes because the banana was a thing with them as well. And I just saw everybody talking about a banana. And I was like, Well, I can I am a banana on all the time. And then it just took off from there. So now everyone pretty much refers to me as the banana. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  2:46   That's hilarious. Yeah, it's really funny when it when they come out. And it's just so funny. And so what, what makes you what makes you love photography? Why are you doing? You've been doing this for 12 years, you say, right, yes. And you're still here. And you know, you've done a lot of different stuff. And I know you know, like doing YouTube and you know, getting all this thing happening is not easy. So what makes you what makes you fall in love with photography and what makes you stay as a photographer? Sarah Lyndsay  3:17   That's a good question. Okay, so Paul, I have like it's the same answer to both of those questions why I love it is that I was just actually out shooting the other evening and it was a really great reminder of why I love it. Just when I was done shooting the feeling that I had of just creating something was so good. And like I noticed when I was shooting and I was so you know invested in my camera and the process of creating the image I was thinking about nothing but that moment and creating and that's why I love it and that's why I keep doing it because it's a when you're doing it you're out there in the field creating things you're in a mindful space that no problems can enter no people can enter it's just the camera and you and you're focused on something that is that that's why that's why I love it that's why I'm gonna continue doing it. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  4:07   It's as simple as that a like yes what did they call it the whole meditation of being a photographer being there with the nature so do you get this feeling when you like do a different type of photography as well because you say like you have done few different genres as well. Does does that give you the same feeling or is is the the landscape and self portrait are the one that gives you the most and that's why you're doing it Sarah Lyndsay  4:31   that's a tough question to answer I'm because okay, I've have photographed everything like I have worked in all of the genres. I think just creating no matter what gives me that feeling like it honestly doesn't matter if it's a landscape or if I was shooting weddings, well wedding is a lot more work so but when I'm creating images for them, I'm pretty excited about it. I think it can can be anything and I'll feel pretty happy creating it but I just gravitate towards like landscape with the self portraits because that feels like that's my heart. You And a best represents, like who I am and what I want to build. But yeah, I could probably be shooting anything and have a good time. It's just the creation, like the whole process of creating something is what keeps me there. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  5:12   That's awesome. That's fantastic. Yeah, I think, I don't know many people that can say the same thing, you know, enjoying the whole genre, but it's good that you're enjoying the whole thing. And I, you know, I, myself have tried a whole bunch of different things. And I don't think I could say I enjoy everything. So that's good on you. Sarah Lyndsay  5:32   Whatever I'm photographing, like I used, I do it in my style. So like, just thinking back, I used to photograph family shoots. And I remember just I loved like, I mean, there's the whole point of customer service. That's not always the fun part. But like, even just bringing back their images to edit and creating something really special. I just loved it. I loved being absorbed in that. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  5:53   That's awesome. And so do you have like, a certain moment that you can pinpoint that makes you like that, that reminds you of how you started photography in the first place? Like, what was that one moment that make you pick up a camera? Like, for me, the first thing that made me follow my passion was when I went to Europe. And you know, it was a five weeks trip. And you know, it was a great trip. But I was so disappointed when I came back, you know, with my photos. So do you have a moment like that, that makes you say, You know what, this thing is awesome. And I want to do more of Sarah Lyndsay  6:29   it. Yes. So this goes back to when I started photography, like when it all began the whole journey. It's kind of funny because it's backwards. Like I didn't pick up a camera first. I actually found Photoshop first, which not many people do. I know. Oh, so I was on a this was such a long time ago, I think I was 22 or 23. And I was on a date. And I remember we were just sitting on his couch. We were having some drinks, just hanging out listening to music. And he brought out a quote, he brought up Photoshop. So he was a photographer. But just like a hobbyist photographer, not he didn't do it professionally, but he liked to make album covers so he would go and photograph like Barnes and I don't know just anything and then he would come into Photoshop and you know, layer it and put textures on. And I just loved watching this process of him creating something so I asked him I was like, Oh, could you help me get this programme from my computer? So I got Photoshop, I didn't have a plan to be a photographer. I just wanted to play around like I'm a little bit computer nerdy. So yeah, I got Photoshop. And then I was like, Well, what am I going to do from here? I need to, I need something to work on. So I found my parents like old vacation point and shoot in the cupboard. And I was like, okay, and I just went outside and I started taking photos of things like everything, even jewellery, I would photographic jewellery. I love to like, I love playing around with depth of field, I first picked up the camera Anyways, that was Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  7:52   on f 2.8. I would Sarah Lyndsay  7:56   I can't remember what the point and shoot like what it would go down to or what Yeah, I don't know. But I just I just remembered I picked up the camera. And again, it was that feeling of I'm creating something, because I think like my backstory, and I was coming out with something that was quite, I guess traumatic in a way. And then when you latch on to something, when you're feeling so alone, it's like, the camera gave me purpose again. And I will forever like I am forever grateful for that moment, because it breathes like life back into me and then put me on this path that and now I'm here. Like, it's amazing. The whole journey is really, really incredible. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  8:35   That's incredible. And, you know, I think, you know, not only me, but a lot of other photographer are the same thing, right? Photography have kind of something that, you know, for the public, like, basically help them to give them a new purpose, a new direction in life. And it looks like I get you know, we see the same thing and you and what was what was that like, like, you know, like, you know, from your, you know, the experience that you said it was difficult, and then you know, moving through and then being where you are today. I know that like, you know, the transition, especially it's never easy. So would you be able to share a little bit about that and maybe, perhaps give some inspiration to our listeners? Sarah Lyndsay  9:17   Yeah, so I mean, I come from because this is pretty, like a pretty big part of my story. And I do share it quite a bit. So I come from, like a family of abuse there was it just wasn't a childhood to grow up in and like I'm in I'm in a lot of therapy now, which is amazing. It really, really helps me. But I what I've learned is that, you know, if you're not coming from a stable home, you don't really know what to do you you don't know what path to go on. It really really messes with you. And I guess I just didn't I didn't ever know who I was and I was so like, I was into relationships way too early on in life, you know, way too invested with men and it just wasn't good. So I didn't I didn't Know Who Sarah was. So when that moment when I picked up like the camera and I just kept doing it, honestly, it was like, it was just this moment of okay, this is me, this is who I am. This is Sarah and then it like the camera alongside of my own growth, like it plays a really big part in who I am today. It's it's wild to see that and because of the because of my past, I just, I don't know, I feel like I latched on to photography, because it was finally something that was mine. No one else is not my parents, not my not a boyfriend. It was just me and the camera. And yeah, it's an amazing feeling. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  10:39   That is such a inspiring story. You know, like, I think it a lot of people don't know where you know who they are, and where to go. And you know, you're coming from a past that's quite difficult like yours. It's just incredible that how you're able to turn that around. So, you know, made massive congratulations to you. And you know, massive kudos to you for making that happen. That is very inspiring. So if I were to just, you know, hypothetically, if you can no longer touch a camera, how would life be? Sarah Lyndsay  11:14   Oh, man, obviously, that could become a reality for anybody. Really? I mean, I'd accept it, it would definitely suck. But I would I would have to obviously change career paths, which I probably don't what I would already want to do. It would really suck. I just, I feel like I could handle it for a little bit. But I feel like I would start really missing it. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  11:35   That's yeah, it's fun. You're on? Yeah, how the camera something that is so simple that basically capture lights and shapes can can really change your life and can really give us new identity. Newhall? Yes. Yeah. So I am so glad that you share that. You know, I think that, that that is someone that, you know, that is something that people kind of maybe aware, but not exactly latch on to. So one of the things that I find most people, most people kind of never follow through with photography, right? Is because they kind of buy a camera, they start taking a photo with their phone, he's like, this is awesome. And then they're like, they buy a camera. And and after a while, it's like, you know what, this is too hard. It's not working out, you know, I can't I'm not good enough. I can take photos like all these great people do. And looks like you have pushed through that, that, that time or stage and get to where you are right now, which is you know, incredible. You know, 12 years of being a photographer is just absolutely incredible. And there's so much commitment to it. So what are Do you ever go through some struggles? While you you know, like, while you're learning and you know, carving your path into this photography world? And how, how do you keep track of it like, so how do you stay on track and keep going to where you are today? Sarah Lyndsay  13:02   Yes, I definitely go through struggles, I go through struggles with how much obviously things change like it. It's kind of like you learn you learn social media, you learn how to operate the camera, you learn how to create art, you learn all these things, and then you're kind of like, okay, yeah, I'm set. I'm good. Now you, you just want to keep doing that. But it just seems like that. There's always something new, there's always a new thing to learn. And I find that that I really struggle with that because I since I've been a photographer for 12 years, you can get really stuck in your ways that you shoot, like I, I still shoot the same way that I did say, five, six years ago. So I often feel like I'm behind the times. And actually a lot with editing, I feel like I'm behind the times because I like to stay with the way that I do it. But I think that can be bad. If you don't evolve, I really, really do. So I struggle with that. Just like I want to stay on my one path of how I know how to do things. Yet I know it's important to keep learning and evolving and change with the times and new cameras coming out. That's what I struggle with. And I do I just I mean, you have to look at it almost like work, right? Well, it is work for me. But you, you, you got to show up even when it's not fun even when you don't want to learn those things. And then I think honestly, I think that's where a lot of photographers start to fall off the waggon of like turning it into a career because they don't understand it's a lot of hard work to do this and not just one time hard work every day hard work and constantly learning. That's my struggle, but I just know mentally, like you just have to show up and you have to push yourself to learn and keep evolving. You really really do. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  14:37   That is such a great advice you know, I think it's it's funny that a lot of the things that kind of happen in whether in our head or you know, it's usually doesn't it's not going to happen in real life right and it looks like you have guarded your mind and your mindset really well and just push through with whatever you know. You no doubt struggle was with a change of platform change of technology and everything. My question is, how do you do that? Like, what do you do? You know, because because the mind is very powerful, right? When you believe you can, and you can, and when you believe you cannot, then you cannot, it's as simple as that. But what do you do to guard that, to have that positive outlook to keep pushing through even the hardest time to you know, all these changes and so forth? Sarah Lyndsay  15:29   So well? Since this is a tough question to answer, because I do photography as a career, so I know that and like, I know, a lot of hobbyists, you know, listen in on a lot of these things, and, and people that do it as a career, so I'm doing this for a living. And it's not just like, it's not just my passion. So I think this is important. So I did started as a hobby, I did not, I did not jump into photography as a career until like, probably eight years in. So for a long, long, it was simply because I lacked calm, I obviously lacked confidence, and just the knowledge of how to run a business. Those are the two main things that hold people back. So eventually, it got to the point because I was just working as a server, well, I was hobbyist photographer. And you know, I, as I get older, you know, you got to the point where it's like, okay, I need to do something with career wise with my life. So it's either I turn this photography obsession into a career, or I go off and go to school, and I actually have this crossroads, I almost went almost quit photography, and almost became a police officer. And it was because I was doubting that, like photography would pay the bills, basically. So I know many people end up in this position. So I mean, you know, at that time, when I was at that crossroads, I was making some income from photography, but it wasn't like I, you know, wouldn't sustain me for the year. So I just kept plugging away at it. And obviously, I noticed, like, I didn't go off and do these other jobs, you know, I kept going out and taking photos, and it was around 2017 2018 2019. Slowly, the business just kept, like evolving for me by word of mouth, because obviously, I got better. So it started to look like okay, I could really do this. But I can, I was so afraid to honestly take that plunge. And this is the important part of the story. Because I really was afraid I needed like a major catalyst in my life to push me to go full time into photography. So COVID was obviously one of those things, even though COVID took away all the work in the first place. It's kind of weird, it took everything away, but pushed me to go at it full time, if that makes sense. Because it it just took away everything. And I also went through a divorce at the same time. So I had these, these two major things happen in my life. And if you like those things change you. And I do a lot of like, why I wasn't doing photography as a career, and actually why I got divorce was was because of me. So I had to become very self aware. And I did that and I became like mentally strong with a different mindset by I put myself in therapy, and I knew I just needed to learn and keep learning and learning and learning and learning. That's how I changed my mindset. Honestly, if it wasn't for those two major moments in my life, I probably wouldn't have like this strong of a mindset because it all changed the way I see photography. And I, I now am at this point where like anybody is capable of doing this. Anybody is but like you have to understand what is involved to do it. And like, you really got to humble yourself to eat. If you take pretty pictures, that simply is just not enough. And your mind needs to understand that. And if you can get to that point, and you are patient, you can you can do anything. Honestly, anything with photography. There's my answer. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  18:50   Inspiring. Yeah, that's that's crazy, right? Like, sometimes we need that push right in life, to to put us at rock bottom so that we can Yeah, we have a good foundation to blast off. That's that's what I usually say. Right? And so how did you I mean, you kind of, you know, scraped through that whole experience. But what is it? That makes a big difference when you turn that around? Because, you know, when when people go through that kind of thing? I think most people would get discouraged instead of encourage. Sarah Lyndsay  19:20   Wait, you have to ask that again because it froze. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  19:23   Ah, sorry. So when when people go through that kind of experience when it's going through a difficult experience, many people would get discouraged, not encouraged, right. But you turn this really tough time into something that you can strive in your life and actually doing something that you are passionate about that you love, you know as as your main way of living as your lifestyle. So how does that mindset shift change and what is it that makes a big difference? What is it that make you encourage instead of discourage? Sarah Lyndsay  19:58   I love this question. Okay, so when you hit that rock bottom moment, I think you, it doesn't matter if it's with your career or your relationships or whatever, you're at rock bottom, and you're at this place where you just feel like you have no one, you're completely alone. And you're just faced with yourself, like you're faced with all those inner demons that you have. And we all have them. And I feel like this is the defining moment of where people either blossom into this amazing person, or they go down even further, and they go down the wrong path. And I think when you're, when you're at the rock bottom, you have to make, like a choice there. So how I saw it was it was like, okay, my career wasn't really taking off, I'll be like, my marriage failed, everything just seemed like it was failing. And I'm a big believer in being self aware, and that we actually create a lot of our own homes no matter what it is. So I just thought to myself, I was like, All right, I can keep doing what I was doing before. Because that clearly drove me to the bottom like it did, all of the steps that I was doing did not help me at all. Or I could take a step back, and try to properly learn how to do this and do the right steps and start listening to people who know a lot more than I do. And really, really, like, follow those proper mentors and those healthy people. And that's what I decided to do, because I felt like I had no choice. It was either it's gonna get worse, or you can turn this around and start doing things differently. And it'll get better, and it got better. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  21:27   That is great. Yeah, I think, you know, one of the biggest thing that I got from Loyola, your answer is they're like, if you, regardless where you are in your your life, or your struggle, you never really lose that belief in yourself, you know, you decided to go back and build, you know, build, build it over again, start over again. And that's, that's amazing. You know, I'm, I'm so inspired just by listening to this. Sarah Lyndsay  21:52   We're all capable. Totally in the mind, and it but like, the thing is, is it took these really hard moments to get there's eight like, flips a switch almost. So I'm grateful, not well, not grateful for the bad things, but I wouldn't be who I am without them. Surely, yeah. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  22:11   Yeah. For now, for sure. You know, the hard times is the things that define who we are today. Right? So that's yeah, that is such a great answer. So thanks for sharing that. And what, so for people out there, you say that like, anyone want to pursue this full time, or you know, want to pursue this passion and make it your lifestyle, you can do it. But you also mentioned that, you just need to make sure that you have you understand that it's not a path to heaven, or so they're like, there, it's not gonna be as smooth sailing. So it goes through your experience as a professional photographer, and some of the things that some of the challenges that you came across, and how can people learn from this journey so that if they do decide to pursue their passion full time, they it kind of, you know, it makes things easier for them? What, what would that be that you would share to these people? Sarah Lyndsay  23:11   Well, I think I'll start off with like, the struggles. So we're talking we're debt, we're talking about it like as a professional career at this at this point, right. Okay. So the struggles are, okay, you definitely have to recognise the struggles first, because it helps it helps understand, Okay, well, this is hard. Why is it hard? So it's not really the being a professional photographer. It's not like, you don't really go to school for this, you don't, there's not really like a road map laid out. And a lot of other photographers are very, very private, and you can hire mentors, you can do mentoring sessions. But there's not really like this laid out step by step plan for photographers, and most people will always kind of drill it in your mind. Career, like a lot of people look at it, and it's like, oh, okay, that's not, you know, photography is I have a fancy camera, I can just do it, right. Like, there's this, this whole stigma around it, that it's very challenging to do as a career, which it is not gonna lie, but I think the reason why it's so challenging is because you are a business owner. Like there's no really other way to do photography as a career other than running your own photography show. I'm sure you could get some jobs in big cities with other people, but you're running a business and not everybody is a business owner. So there's all these skills that you have to learn and you don't really have anywhere to look other than YouTube or trying to read about it online. So you feel you don't really have like that support. It's not like you're going to university, you have all your classmates with you you have a teacher that is kind of accountable for you, right it's it's just different. So your end because you're alone. Like there's just no one to turn to. So those those are the struggles and I find it with photography and doing photography as a career. It's very like you have to mentally understand what it's it's the mindset like you just have to be aware of these things. But know that there still is a way forward. And if you can keep pushing and keep learning and keep growing, and change your perspective about it, like you will succeed. So how I do this is, I mean, I constantly feel like I'm learning, always, always learning, but I look at it like, Okay, I've chosen this as a career. Let's say I chose to be a nurse, you know, that's for five years of university. Why is my photography, learning and my photography, career business growing any different, you know, give myself a few years to do it, right. And you kind of have to like it just as if you're deciding to go to school to be a nurse, you know, you have to figure out your your finances to be able to go back to school, right? Your you got to sort out your living situation, look at photography the exact same way, and just be patient and give yourself that time to actually properly grow a business. Most business owners fail in the first year. They do. And that's okay, though. Because how do you learn you learn from every mistake that you make? So those were the struggles, but with the right mindset, it's totally doable. Anything is doable? It all is. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  26:09   I love how you say that. Because I have I gone through this phase, exactly the same thing where I thought by the first year, everything would just be right. And you know, I go the first year, and then the second year, and then I was like, Huh, you know, it hasn't happened the way I want it yet. And then I had exactly that exact thinking, like, you know, I was an engineer, and it took me four years to become an engineer. And I expect that this thing will happen in a year. Right. So that is such a great thing for you to say and mentioned. I think that really grounded us. Right? Yeah. Because like, so give Sarah Lyndsay  26:48   yourself time. That's all like, it's simple. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  26:51   And like, I get it, like, you know, like Instagram and stuff. Like, you know, some people are really made it overnight and stuff. Okay, you know that that's their path. And you know, for most case, there are a lot of things that kind of line up with that. And also, this, the reason why I made this podcast is that most people that look like it's an overnight success, actually, and put a lot of work behind it. And you just see that change. And you're like, Well, he was like this yesterday, and then he's like this today, but why they didn't see is this all these years and months and weeks of, you know, being depressed being struggle being having that. Yeah, yeah. So that's yeah, that's, that is such a great thing for you to share. Yeah, thanks for sharing that. So you, like you know, like, recently, the NFT world can come in, and you jump ahead in first and you just get in there and you know, put yourself in there. So tell me, what is it that make you make make NFT intrigued you that make you want to be part of the NFT community as well as the NFT movement in the web? 3.0. Sarah Lyndsay  28:02   I, this NFT thing has been such a wild ride, I definitely did not think I would be there, like here in the NFT space. Like last year, at the same time, I didn't even have a clue. So I'm think I'm like everybody else. All other photographers that were curious, you know, you just come in and start listening and see what's going on. And then by how it's like everybody's supporting each other and the community building, which is great and amazing. But I do think that there's a lot of negative stuff in the NFT space around this community around the community stuff. So yeah, I just kept listening and kept showing up every day. And then I was like, Okay, well try to start building something here and seeing like, where it can go. And I just kept I just noticed, I kept showing up every day. So obviously I had an interest in it. And then you know, you get to your first collection that you put out and then something happens there that's like oh yes, I can keep doing this. And then your your second collection and you keep going on and on and on. Now I'm about four months in and I would say I'm pretty invested into this NFT world and like how I see it now is like this is we are I truthfully believe we are on like the edge of that this change. And especially for like web three and all of that. I believe it's the future. And then I thought to myself, I was like, Okay, well what if it's not? And what if all this fails? If it fails, it's okay, because I can always go back and do something else, right? I can go to other one other income arm of photography and start investing in that and take this year of failure, whatever. It's not that big of a deal. But if I don't give it a shot, and let's say it does take off, right? If I invest in it and it just skyrockets while I'm here and I'm ready for it. So that's that's where I say that what the NFT space right now is I do believe it's the future. And if it's not going to be the future, I've accepted like I'm okay with that loss, and that I can fall back and go and do something else. Like I'm okay with the failure if it fails, but I don't believe it's going to fail. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  29:59   You Wow, that's, that's great. Thanks for the insights. And, you know, you mentioned there, there are a lot of positive and negative and, you know, having been in this space for quite some time, what are some of the positive things that you have seen from this NFT space and make you kind of think that this is a great way for artists to be recognised, to be able to sell their art, as well as to be, you know, to authenticate there are? Sarah Lyndsay  30:27   Well, it's so funny, I don't know if you are the same, but I will probably say a lot of photographers before, if they're in the energy space before they came in the NFT. Space, they likely didn't see their work as art. So there's that that's, that's definitely changed my perspective with photography is I now am like, Okay, this totally photography fits into the art world. I mean, photography is a medium of art. So it's changed my perspective on how I see my own photography, definitely. But there still is a difference between like wedding photography, and your fine art landscape prints there there is, so I don't really consider you know, going to shoot a wedding and delivering them 1100 image images aren't like what maybe it is, but in my mind, it isn't. So there's that it's definitely changed my perspective on how I view photography. And now I'm more so looking at like, an artist path because an artist path is actually a lot different than a photographer path. But photography is just the medium. So that's really important to note, if you do decide to come into the NFT space, like you're, you're turning yourself into like an artist basically. And then you're great, there's a different way to like build your brand as an artist. And it's been fascinating, the learning journey of the NFT space. And like what I noticed, like the positives again, so obviously the community building, how we do all want to succeed, and we do all want to support each other, it is very, very connecting. The only thing I will say with the community building and a little bit of the negative is that we're all still human. And we still have those other sides of human emotions, like jealousy and anger, like just because we're community building doesn't mean everything else goes away. And I don't like I think people you can't be naive when you come in there use it's not all sunshine and roses. It's like anything else in life. So that's, that's the negative that I don't think people really realise when they come in. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  32:25   Yeah, no, I think I think you're absolutely right. You know, people kind of see this, actually, you know, before I go through this, I would like to ask you, what are some of the negative thoughts that people you know, if you ever have people come across to you, and you know, say like, you know, like, what are you doing this? Like, you know, an SD is a scam or whatever it is? Do you have any objection? Or any doubts from people about NFT? And what are those negative thoughts that people think NFT is, it's not here to stay? Sarah Lyndsay  33:00   Well, I haven't like other than negative comments, I haven't come across like a negative conversation with someone, I've definitely seen some of their comments on like my Youtube, Instagram, or they'll send a message, like in response to a story I post about NFCs. Right now, I choose not to respond simply because a lot of it is about the environmental impacts that NF T's are causing, but I just look, I know that that subject is a lot bigger than what I know. So a that's why I don't engage in that conversation. And I think for the person, the people who are constantly complaining about the impacts it has, I don't even think that they have the knowledge to understand it right now. And let's just say if it you know, if it is bad, whatever, it's clearly being worked on, and it's evolving, like it's innovating, it's not always going to be this negative way that they think. So that and that's usually the thing they try to kind of counter you with is the negative impacts on the environment. I believe that if people are being negative about it, it's not it's not going to be for everybody, and that's okay. But if they are constantly being negative about it, it's simply it's because they're afraid they don't understand. And that's our reaction when we don't understand is to be negative. So if I know it's going to turn into a battle, honestly, I don't respond. And I just I just let it go. Because I also feel that like the NF T space is going to prove itself over time. Yeah, Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  34:24   absolutely. And, you know, I love that how you say that because it's funny, like people will come to me and say, you know, like, oh NFT world is this and that and this and that. And you know, and I would ask them, it's like, okay, you say all this, right? You know, where, where do you know this? Or there is this article and this article, and it's like, okay, well, do you own an NFT? It's like, no, do you know how they work? No, it's like okay, if you're not in it, then how do you know that it is all these bad things? Right? It's it's like it's like when you when you when you're running a business versus you're looking at business from the outside. We we could look at this Does that look like it's striving but it's it's struggling, you know, and about to go bankrupt. And it could be the other way around. It looks like it's struggling, but it's actually building a foundation and it's suddenly take off, right? Tesla was a good example where, you know, many, many hedge fund was betting against them because they think it's not the future. But Elon, just keep investing on on the on the company to build that foundation. And now it takes off like there's no tomorrow. So it's really funny when when I heard people have this negative comment, and one of the things that I would always say is like, well, you maybe try to be in it, immerse yourself in it, and then judge it, right? Read the whole book before you judge it by its cover. And with the environmental bed is, you know, everything every change, go through struggle, every change, there's always gonna be pain when you go when you go through change. So it's the same with electric cars, electric cars, you know, was disposable when there is any small changes or any small problems? They need to buy a whole new one? So? Yeah, I'm so glad that you share that. I think, you know, I'm a big advocate on the NFT. Yeah, just because I know, the potential that the technology has, right, because people think NFT is this like, way of selling, but it's actually a tool? And you know, the utility is just absolutely, we haven't even come across like 9% of it. Yeah, it's just like, just the tip, the very tip of the iceberg. So, and I'm a big advocate to help other artists to be able to use this medium, because I know it's so yeah, I'm glad that, that you share that and going back to your photography. What are some of your most memorable moments in photography? And and why? Like, you know, the photo that if there is one photo that you could pick, which one would it be, and you know why it is so memorable? Sarah Lyndsay  37:09   I want to say, Okay, well, this, this will probably change in about a year. But like looking back, the fondest memories that I had was actually right before COVID, shut down the world, I went to New Zealand, and at the time, I was dating this fella, and he's from Australia. So me and him went to New Zealand together for two weeks. And he is not a professional photographer. He's a hobbyist. And that's all we did the whole two weeks was photography, but for ourselves, and we just like toured around the South Island. And I remember just not even being on my phone. Nothing. We just toured New Zealand and took photos. Like, it does not get any better than that. But sadly after that, though, COVID obviously came with her as soon as I got back home to Canada, and he was in Australia. And we were separated for two years. Because of because of Australia, Australia is tough. And yeah, so it's like, I have so many fond memories of that trip, but also a little bit of sadness, too, because it was probably the last time like, I've ever fully felt content actually in my whole life. So yeah, fine, but sad memories at the same time. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  38:20   Oh, that's great. You know, like, I guess, you know, the big thing is like, you know, be thankful that it happened, right? Yes. Because it ends. So I'm glad that you had that experience, because I think it's really important. You know, what you say there earlier is that you create for yourself? And I think that's when we really happy as photography photographer, isn't it? So? Yeah. Yeah, that's, that's definitely something to learn there. Yeah, that's, that's awesome. And so, with, going back with, you know, like, now that you have your NFT you have all this means of you know, being a professional photographer. When it comes to, like, you know, life in general, right, like being photography and being everything that you're supposed to be in as a person, it's very difficult. How do you find that time? How do you find that, that balance that, you know, between spending time with your friends and families between going out shooting between hustling and grinding between you know, social media and so forth? What what are some of your advice to, to face that? Well, Sarah Lyndsay  39:34   I feel like when you run a business, you're obviously you have you have flexibility, which is good, like you can you can schedule all your own things in but I just feel like naturally I'm, I'm constantly always working on it. But if I want to go out with like my friends, or I want to go do something that is not photography related, which is actually very rare, like my life is photography, because even my friends are all photographers. I just schedule it in like I don't I honestly don't worry about it. But the thing with me and this is probably important to note is that I don't have kids. I don't have like, I'm not married. So I don't even have family around me. So I'm fully able right now at this stage of my life, to invest in photography. But if I want to go on a trip, or I want to, again, go out for dinner or something or go for coffee, I just do it. And that's kind of the the good thing about being a business owner is you don't have to ask for permission to have time off. Because it's like I and then I figure it out. Like it's getting to the point though, where I would say I probably can't just take off as much as I want, especially with the NFT space because of how important right now in these early stages we are in with the NF T space to brand build. So I've right now I've kind of made this choice, you know, to like, keep myself very grounded at home and not go off and do too many things, because I'm focusing on the brand building, but I know that that will lift and then I'll be able to incorporate more back into my life. I feel like for people who have kids, though, it's very tough. Like, it's you've definitely got to work on your balance and schedules and roof. Yeah. So I'm fortunate in a way that I'm alone, and I have all this opportunity to put into Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  41:14   it. It's funny how you say, you know, like the work never ends, because every time my friend asked me, it's like, so it was like How was your day you finish your work? So like, well, it kind of never ends. Sarah Lyndsay  41:25   It never ends. Like, there's always something that I always something to work on with your brand building. Yeah, it's either it's things that people don't really understand is work. Yeah, updating your website, your website always needs to kind of be like worked on. There's endless things, endless things, collections, videos, YouTube, like the I'm always working on something, I think it's really the one thing I'm bad at, because I'm a bit of a, I'm a scattered person, like, I'm just because of my upbringing, I feel like, I'm a little bit quirky, the kind of weird, I guess, I'm not very good at creating my own structure, I actually work much better under someone else. Well as in like, they will keep me on task. But if I'm given the brute like freedom to myself, it's hard to create a routine for yourself. So I'm actually also in therapy for business and to get help with all of this stuff as well, because it is challenging to grow. And I know I need a little bit of guidance. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  42:24   So that's great. You know, I'm glad that you say that, because I think many people are either not humble enough or don't have or don't think that, you know, asking for help is important. And it was an eye opener for me as well. Like, you know, like, I was like, I think I need to like learn this thing. And you know, I could learn it myself and go through, you know, all these years of trial and error. Or I could just go to someone who already know what they're doing and try to model them. Right. And of course, you have to, you know, fit it to your life and your, your business and everything. But at the end of the day, you have most of the answer there that you can, you know, try trial and error instead of trial and error during the trial and errors. Make sense? Sarah Lyndsay  43:07   Yes, yes, yes. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  43:10   That's amazing is there and, you know, we come to our mark, and it's been such a great conversation, you have dropped so many wisdom and advice it is and it's just been so inspiring to Italy to to learn your journey. And you know, how you turn a lot of that struggle into your strength. And that is that is something that most people doesn't do enough that usually if there is a struggle, there are strength that you could turn it into. So that's fantastic. So one of the things that I always ask my guests is that if there is one advice that you can give to, you know, either photographers or even just people in general that you know, might have come come across the journey that you are in today, what is that one advice that you would give them. Sarah Lyndsay  44:01   Honestly, give yourself a lot of patience, no matter what you're doing. If you want to be a photographer, you want to be anything else, give yourself patience to grow it and to show like show up for it every day. Even if it like even if you show up and put 30 minutes of work into it every day, it will still grow. Probably not going to grow as fast as someone putting eight hours a day in, but just showing up and doing something for you. Let's just say photography, your photography each day, it will grow and it will keep growing. And then also to give yourself that patience and have integrity. So if you're going to fall if you're going to do something, follow through with it. And that speaks volumes. actions always speak louder than words. So like yeah, that would be my voice patients and just show up. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  44:44   Fantastic. Well, Sarah, it's been a pleasure to have you here. You know, do you want to like let us know how can the listener you know, learn more about you or connect with you and get to know you better? Yes, Sarah Lyndsay  44:59   so All probably right now the best way to learn about me and get to know me as a person is my YouTube, which is Sarah Lindsay. Next would be Instagram. Again, that is Sarah Lindsey photography, I'm assuming we'll have links somewhere as well. Okay. And then Twitter if you want. I think this is important for in people wanting to get into the NFT space because I offer a lot of help there. So if you want to learn about NF TS or any of that stuff, come find me on Twitter with the same handle. And then of course, my website, I have my website, which is Sarah, Lindsey photography.com. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  45:33   Fantastic. I will include all that in, in the link on the description. So you could literally just go to the description and find those link. And don't forget to say hi, I see is such an amazing person as you already listened to. And just so grounded, so chill. Very approachable. So yeah, it's been such a pleasure, pleasure. Hopefully, I get a chance to go back to Canadian Rockies and spend money on COVID. Again, it's, it's fun, you know, because I was there for two and a half years and, and then I left. And I got into the NFT space. And I was like, man, there's so many ographers there and like, how come I never come across them. So it's it's funny how that works. Sarah Lyndsay  46:16   I just moved here. I just moved to the Rockies. So I'm past your time. But yes, there is. I do not care. I live here now. But I will say a lot of people do kind of stick within their own little groups. I noticed that. Yeah. But when Oh, well, that's okay. It's hard to meet people as an adult very hard. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  46:32   That's true, especially when everyone else in the mountain and the mountain is so bad. Sarah Lyndsay  46:36   Yes, yes. Yes, definitely. Definitely. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  46:41   All right. Well, is there thank you very much for being here for sharing your journey for, you know, sharing all those wisdom with us. There's a lot of inspiration to be taken from that. Sarah Lyndsay  46:52   Well, thank you. Thanks for having me. I always love chatting. Stanley Aryanto - The Wicked Hunt  46:56   While we get into this, thank you very much for tuning in. If you haven't already subscribed, do hit the subscribe button so that you don't miss out on the next chat we have. And don't forget to give Sarah a visit. Give her a shout out. You know, whatever you do, and check out her work per banana work. It's work. Yes. You know, with that being said, thank you very much for tuning in. And I'll catch you guys next week.

Remember, we welcome comments, questions and suggested topics at thewonderpodcastQs@gmail.com   S3E5 TRANSCRIPT: ----more---- Yucca: Welcome back to the Wonder Science-based Paganism. I'm one of your hosts, Yucca.  Mark: And I'm the other one, Mark.  Yucca: And today we're talking about imagination, fantasy and Richard. Mark: Right?  Yucca: And we thought this was a, a lovely time to talk about it because for many people we're just coming out of are still really in a season of that, that we associate with new beginnings, with planning, with with planting those seeds for the, for the year to come. Mark: Right. Because in many places like yours, Yucca the ground is frozen and there's not a whole lot that you can be doing towards making something new, grow for the rest for the coming year, other than to think about it and imagine the future.  Yucca: And play on it and. Mark: And plan, you know, based on your imagined picture of that future, then you can plan the steps to get there. Right. And that is really the human special trick of all of all. I mean, we talk about our thumbs and they're great. Of all the things that humans are particularly capable of and adept at it's our ability to envision the imagined. And that includes the imagined future. and. what that means is that we have become creatures who are built around storytelling. There was an anthropologist, I don't remember his name, who, who actually called us homo something. I don't remember what it was, which meant the storytelling ape. Yeah.  Yucca: Yeah. I mean, that makes sense. 'cause that's what we do. Whatever, whatever culture you look at, wherever in the world, we're all telling stories. And we start that at a very, very young age, even before we're, we've really figured out the grammar of our mother language. We're telling stories we're playing. And that's, you know, when you look at at mammals mammals, And they play at whatever it is that they need to learn to succeed and survive as an adult. So you look at the low line Cubs and they're wrestling with each other and chasing each other and grabbing each other's tails. Well, humans, yeah, we run around and rough and tumble, but we play make-believe. From very, very early on, you know, we're picking up the sock and, you know, the feather and their characters in our minds, and they have incredible stories and personalities and interactions and, and all of that. And, and so that's what we really do. And that's, that's what that's part of what makes us successful. As a species and as individuals in our species is our ability to tell those stories, imagine, and to share those stories. Mark: Yes, exactly. And what this tells us of course is because this is happening at such an early age, is that this really is baked into us. This is, you know, something that comes in at a very low level of our development. And it's essential to us, you know, our ability to understand the idea of causality of action and consequence is, you know, and that things happen along a timeline, right? That there are, there are actors and those actors do things and those things have consequences. And so there's a result. And that that's the order that things happen. All of those are things that we have to learn, but we get them really early. And one of the things about our capacity for imagination is that our brains are not really built to distinguish the imagined from the. And this is the great paradox with memory, of course, because memories get edited all the time. You know, they, they, every time we retell a story to ourselves things get a little fuzzy around the edges and we just touch them up.  Yucca: Just fill that in.  Mark: Yeah. Just, you know, because we want the memory to be complete. It is not a volitional activity. There's nothing wrong with it. It's not about being dishonest. It's the way our brains work.  Yucca: Yeah. And it's, it's not really a conscious thing that we're doing. That's it's not like you're choosing, usually you're usually not choosing to modify that memory, but. And you're just filling in the details then  Mark: Right, right.  Yucca: it's like with our vision, you, you can actually see this. If you take your finger out, put it all the way to the edge of your vision, your peripheral vision, and slowly move your finger into the, in the front of your vision. You're going to find that you've got some blind spots. But we don't notice those blind spots. Our brain just fills it in for us, unless you're really, really looking for that blind spot. Mark: Right. Yeah. And that of course is caused by the place where the optic nerve connects with the retina. It doesn't have any light sensing cells over it. There's an actual hole in our vision, in our brains. Well, they do two things they fill in that hole to start with. And then they flip the whole thing upside down because our eyes actually project the lens in our eyes projects, an upside down image onto the retina at the back of the eye.  Yucca: Right. Just like a telescope, right? It works the same way. Is there a refractor? Yeah. Mark: Yeah. So. You know, our brains are doing a lot of stuff to massage our experience. Right. And this is something that we talk about a lot in non theists, paganism in terms of understanding supposedly supernatural experiences. Right. Because in every case with every experience we have, there is the, the perception. And then there's the story we developed to explain the perception  Yucca: Right. Mark: and the story. We actually have some choices about the perception. Our brain just does what it does and frequently it's trying to fill in very poor data. So we hear things that. That sound didn't actually come into our ears to create, or we see things that aren't created. My favorite example, I've used this before is when you're driving on the highway and there's a sign for an exit far, far down the road, and you could read it barely. You can see, you know, what road it is that that is the exit for, and as you get about halfway closer, those letters all rearrange themselves into what it actually said. Because your brain was trying to make sense out of the sign and it gave you one determination and the truth is it was something else.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: So the, our, our minds are incredibly powerful in how they can develop imagination in order to fill in the holes of what we perceive.  Yucca: Right. Another example is when you, somebody says something to you and you didn't really quite catch it and you hear something that's completely different than what they said. And you know, you have to say, wait, what did you say? Because what I heard.  Mark: Okay.  Yucca: Definitely was not what you said, and then they say it again and he couldn't. Oh, then it makes sense. Right. But we just fill it in. We hear something that's not really there.  Mark: Right. And that, in my opinion is where a lot of experiences of the supernatural come from. It's a. Femoral data that the brain fills in, and then it develops a story that this isn't a supernatural experience. Other people have different opinions about that, but it seems to me given what we know about the brain and about the universe, it's a lot more likely than the supernatural explanations that are often presented by people.  Yucca: Okay. That's what I suspect as well. Yeah.  Mark: So  Yucca: this is, oh.  Mark: Oh, go ahead.  Yucca: I was going to say, this is a little bit about the, so some of the why's we have this powerful imagination. But once we, we know and acknowledge that about ourselves, we can do so much with it and it can be a really empowering and just fun and delightful thing. Mark: Right. Which is why we love to read fiction. It's why we love to watch movies and television presentations and all  Yucca: Play games and yeah. Mark: yeah, we love our stories and we, we love, you know, Waiting to find out what happens at the end because we know that something will happen at the end and we're, we're, we're interested in what that is. So yes, playing with our imaginations become something that we do from a very, very early age. And the only reason. The only real bucket that we have in our minds that helps us to see what is likely not likely to be a fantasy rather than an a reality is that category of things that we see as happening in the future,  Yucca: Hm. Mark: because we know we're not there yet. We know that we can't see the future. Right. Most of us know that we can't see the future. So, There are those imagined outcomes. And then we can plan for those or plan against them depending on what we're imagining.  Yucca: Although, I'm just going to say, when you're driving on the road, And you see something on the side of the road and you don't want to hit it. Don't keep focusing on it because you will drive into it.  Mark: yes.  Yucca: So focus on what he, where you want to go instead of where you don't. And with my experience, you can apply that to planning as well. Instead of trying to plan against something it's often much more effective to plan towards something. Mark: Yes. Yes. When I was first learning to drive the guy who was teaching me said, okay, now look where you want to go and go there.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: That was, it was very simple instruction and it taught me to steer.  Yucca: Yeah.  Mark: Look where you want to go and go there.  Yucca: Yep.  Do not look at the pedestrian to not look at the pedestrian. Yes. Mark: Yeah. So we have this powerful imagination and it's so powerful that it can blur the distinction between what our real experiences are, which as we've said, can be heavily massaged and, and changed by our brains. Right.  Yucca: And just filling in that lack of lack of data. Mark: even, even that is somewhat questionable, which is why the scientific method is so powerful because it works to take that subjectivity out of our conclusions about what's real. And then we have the imagined experiences and those can be super vivid and wonderful. And that's why we, once again, like movies and, you know, reading and all that great kind of stuff. We can use this and we're going to talk about this later on. We can use this in our pig and practice in our ritual practice because a ritual can be informed by a story. Right. I'm going to do this and that symbolizes this and I'm going to do that. And it symbolizes that, and then this transformation will take place and it will lead to this result at the end. And either I will be changed or the world will be changed depending on what you believe. And. You can even create rituals that are built around mythological stories, right. I'm going to do the fool's journey I'm going to do per Stephanie's descent or, or a non as descent. Right. And I've, I've been to some rituals that are like that and they can be incredibly powerful. The problem that we get into is where I talked about how we can blur the imagined and the real. Yucca: Right. Mark: And that can lead to lots of problems. I mean, I believe that that's the fundamental issue with theism.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: It involves the, the blurring of reality with imagination in a way that draws erroneous conclusions. That's what I think.  Yucca: Yeah, well, and there's so many different directions to go with this, but one of the places where it can be really harmful as we start to create these narratives about groups, about my group and that group, and you know, everything there. You know, your escape group, scapegoat group where, you know, where you can start demonizing people just through the stories and imagination, you come up with whatever the group is, right? It's the other political party, or it's the, you know, whatever religion or the opposite of your particular food dogma group or that, you know, and you start to, to. Blur between, you know, what, what maybe is real. And what's kind of imagined and, and what may have some seeds of truth that have been been exaggerated. And, and and it's hard for us to know. To peel that back and try and distinguish between them, especially when we start wrapping our own identity and our stories about ourselves and our own worth and to all of that. Mark: right, exactly. So, and that brings us to the wonderful term confirmation bias. Because all of us have a prejudice in favor of our own stories. We, whether they're imaginary or whether they're based in some pretty solid factual information, we still, as we look out into the world, we will look for pieces of data that will reinforce what we already want to believe. And that is. Another piece of fee ism. I believe once you've decided that you're an atheist and you have this idea, you know, I'm a Christian, I'm a Muslim, I'm a, I'm a follower of Zeus. Then you, you start filtering your experience of the world in order to be consistent with what that tells you with what that. is supposed to look like. Right. And it's very tricky. It's subtle stuff because. So much of what happens with our sensorium happens underneath the surface. It's the processing that the mind does And, then shows you something on the screen. Yucca: Right. Mark: Very challenging.  Yucca: and we need to be really clear that this is, this is a human thing, right? This is something that we all do, and we can become more aware of. And be able to make choices about it, but it's, it's completely natural. This is just part of how we work, how we're wired. Mark: Right, right. This, this. What's this concretion of different evolved systems. That is our brain. You know, it wasn't engineered from the bottom up. It's a, it's a series of evolutionary steps that are all glommed onto one another. And this is part of the result is that, you know, we, we are really not very good at subjective. As a single individual person detecting what's likely to be true and what's likely not to be true. We teach ourselves critical thinking in order to try to do a better job of that. But the best system that we've found so far for determining what really is likely to be true is the scientific method with peer review and Ockham's razor Yucca: Yeah. Mark: and oh, go ahead.  Yucca: I was gonna say, I'm, you know, I'm not someone who thinks that we really should be dictating, you know, what peoples, what classes people should take. But you know, if I had one that I could say everybody has to take it would be logic, right? I think that it would make sense. It would help people so much. As long as the. You know, it was a good instructor and understood it just to be aware of the different kinds of fallacies there are. And how do you actually think through, and, and challenge your own beliefs and also how to argue, how to argue on a position that's not yours.  Mark: yeah. Yes. Well, that's why the, the first atheopagan principle is skepticism and critical thinking.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: It's, you know, you start from there that, that, that will help you to understand the world as Well, as a person can. Yucca: Yeah. Mark: So we have this imagination. And we have this perceptual system, which gets monkeyed with, by the brain a lot and may not be telling you exactly the truth. And then what you base. Then you base a story on the experience that this brain process delivers you. So, so it's possible for things that are completely imagined to seem very, very real. Whether it's just that you're watching a movie and you're, you know, you're suspended, you're, you're completely submerged into the world of the film. Or it can be something like  Yucca: Your anxiety at two in the morning. Mark: Yes about terrible things that are likely to happen or a memory that I have of flying naked over the golden gate bridge. It was a perfect day. It was sunset. Beautiful. And for some reason, I had no clothes on and I was standing at the bus stop at the golden gate bridge and then rose into the air and flew over the towers, did kind of a back flip. The air was perfectly warm. It was so comfortable. It was a beautiful experience. And it was a lucid dream that I had. But I remember it as absolutely clearly as if it was a real experience. And I have no, there's no context within that. Memory, except for the fact that impossible things happened to tell me that I didn't really have that experience.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: So we have this. And that leads me to some of the ways that the pagan community has developed in relation to imagination and fantasy starting really from Gerald Gardner, know, from the 1930s. Because Gardner posited a fantasy story. And the fantasy story was that the witchcraft that he was presenting in his books was part of an unbroken lineage of lore handed down from time and Memorial, at least from the middle ages. And this created a sort of conflation of paganism, middle ages, middle ages, paganism. And in the late 1960s, at least in the United States, what ended up happening was that Renaissance fairs got invented. And a lot of people that were performers and participants in Renaissance fairs were also pagans. And so this sort of aesthetic, and this idea of this golden old age began to arise.  Yucca: Right. And the, the John era of fantasy was really taking off as well.  Mark: we, we have to name, check Lord of the  Yucca: out. Yep. I'm a huge fan here,  Mark: Me too.  Yucca: named from it even, you know, but and, and other, you know, many, many other names and it, it really became. I think not just within the pagan community, but just in the, in the larger community, really a cultural force. Mark: Yes. Very much. So in certainly from an aesthetic standpoint, it took, it really took over in many ways, certainly in the eighties and nineties pigging, where was medieval flash Renaissance, where,  Yucca: yeah, Mark: you know, what, what people wore were, you know, flowing velvets and  Yucca: the long sleeves.  Mark: the, with the long, you know, bill like sleeves  Yucca: And the open V shirts with the little ties across them. And yeah,  Mark: Yeah, exactly. So, and,  Yucca: I adore all of this, you  Mark: well, I do  Yucca: yeah, this is not, don't take this as us being like, oh, this is all terrible. No, we're just talking about it though and saying, you know, where's this from? Yeah. Mark: And so this, this aesthetic of ye all the England D became something that  Yucca: don't mention all the other places, sorry. Mark: Right. Yeah, That's another topic that we could talk about, which is paganism outside of the sphere of England and English speaking countries. Right. Because of. You know, not, not everything is going to be practiced in a Wiccan kind of way.  Yucca: yeah.  Mark: but  Yucca: Anyways, that's another Mark: it's a, it's another topic. either that, or it's going to be the mother of all tangents and we're going to spend the rest of our time on it. So this, this, you know, jolly old England kind of. Idea, which has so much overlap with talking for example, except that talking mixed in habits and elves and dwarves and wizards and all that kind of stuff became very, very popular. And to my mind, unfortunately, what some of what that has done is it has turned, it has turned the imagination into what people want to make re. their paganism, they want to be wizards. They, they want to be elves. In some cases they and you know, aspiration towards a fantasy of something that's imaginary is inherently dissociated from the real world. And what are. Naturalistic paganism is about is the real world. You know, one. of the quibbles that I've always had with the sort of mainstream pagan community in the United States, at least where I'm familiar with it is that it's got this weird kind of dual loyalty. It's like we Revere the earth and then we have these gods  Yucca: Yes, but these higher beings, you know, higher than what you're talking about higher than the earth, you know, they're not. Mark: the gods come from the earth? No. Did the gods create the earth? Maybe? There are all kinds of different stories, which I believe are imagined stories, but the, the question of exactly where does the earth fit into all of that is a real one. I think I'm glad that people are saying that they Revere the earth, whatever that means to them. To me, the earth is central. There's nothing more central because we are it. We are the earth standing up on legs and talking to itself.  Yucca: Right.  Really? I mean, think about that for a moment. We are little pieces of earth that your whole body think about. Where's the carbon in your hands, the oxygen, the nitrogen. Where's all of that from, and where's it going back? Mark: Right. And it's not like there's some amazing border where it's like, you, you know, the carbon presents its passport and says, I'm going to be human. Now it's just carbon. It's just carbon, like any other carbon on earth, right. At least of that ice.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: So. This is something that I think is, is problematic in the pagan community. And it's interesting because some different there've been a series of sort of aesthetic layers that have gone along with the pagan community. I saw the, the golf sort of BDSM aesthetic enter the community in the mid nineties. And it's kind of gotten folded into all. well,  Yucca: Yeah. The boundaries between them really blurred between, you know, what is, and even if you go to like a Ren fair that it's all there too,  Mark: right.  Yucca: Even within folks that, that are into that, that aren't pagan, you know, that there's a lot of mixing there. Mark: Yes. And yes, there's a lot of the, the dress-up is still. Reminiscent of some other age. Right. And so, you know, I, I think this is problematic because it pulls us away from earth. I love playing dress up and I'm, I'm happy to play dress up and I have done it in many, I mean, literally dozens of different kinds of ways, because we used to do all these theme parties and blah, blah, blah. And I was a performer at Renaissance fairs for many years as well, and Dickens fairs as well. So I don't have any problem with, you know, playing let's pretend the challenge, I think is when we lose track of the fact that we're playing, let's pretend.  Yucca: Right because there are, I think there are ways that we'll talk about this too, to do it in a way that it is inspiring. It speaks to us in this very you know, deep level, the Indian symbols. But what you're talking about is the, is the losing sight of is this really, really. This is what's really happening versus what are we imagining? And we can, I think that we can definitely w one of the purposes of imagination is that can work towards making that a reality. So we can, some of our imagined things can, can become reality, but there's also a difference between imagining things about other people and about. Past stories, you know, as much as we want. We could, we referenced sort of the rings. So as much as, as Gollum wants to believe that it was his birthday present it, he can believe that. And imagine that as long as he wants, it's not, that's not what happened.  Mark: Right.  Yucca: Right. And. With the old ways, as much as we want to imagine, and really want to believe that there's some unbroken path there. That's very unlikely that that's what happened. And you know, we probably aren't star children put here from aliens and,  Mark: Right.  Yucca: the TAF ELLs and all of that stuff. Mark: Right. And the w where was I going to go with this?  Yucca: The connection between what is real and what is not, and the earth being central. That's where you were at before. Mark: Well, yeah, this is a little different it's about suspension of disbelief. And one of the things that adults learn to do when their brains are developed enough is to try to make a differentiation between the imagined and the. Right. And some people think that's a tragedy, right. That they lose their childish sense of playfulness and imagination and everything can be just super magical. Right. I don't feel that way. I, I think that our brains develop in the way they do for a reason. And when we start having to imagine futures that we need to plan for being able to distinguish between the imaginary that we suspend our disbelief for and the real that we're working towards, even in the ineffectual way that we do because of the way our brains work. It's very important. Yucca: Right. Mark: That way we don't set a goal of becoming an elf,  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: right. Because that's not possible.  Yucca: Yeah.  Now we could think about what are the characteristics that, that embodies that we value and how can we work towards, you know, that sort of thing. But, but you're not actually going to be right.  Mark: right. Or You maybe maybe more, a better example is you're not going to be a wizard. Right. Because in the, in the fantasy sense, what a wizard is, is something that doesn't exist on planet earth. Now You can be buried in the aesthetics of wizardry. You can con you know, Yucca: can be an incredible scholar, right? They're often, you know, very learned individuals and. Mark: And you can make yourself look like a wizard and make all of your environs look like what you imagine a wizard's environs would look like, but you're still not going to snap your fingers and have flame appear, you know? And. To kid ourselves that those kinds of outcomes, the sort of Harry Potter magic, right. That that those outcomes are actually possible in some way is to become further away from engagement with the world. The actual world that we're in here and the kind of paganism that Yucca and I talk about here is really about immersion in this world. Getting to know it better and better, you know, becoming familiar with what our local ecosystems are and really being in love with it because there's so much there to love. Giving getting sidetracked on fantasies. It eats up bandwidth that could be applied to the love for the world. and. that I think is. Critique that I have of a lot of mainstream paganism in the United States is that, and maybe in England too, I don't know. But certainly, or, you know, in other English speaking countries, but certainly in north America Canada and Mexico in the us that's, that seems to be what I'm seeing.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: So let's talk a second about. About using our imagination to create those story arcs where we begin as naturalist pagans is with a healthy suspension of disbelief. Right.  Yucca: And with a, with an awareness that that's what word.  Mark: Right,  Yucca: Right, because what you're talking about about the difference between what the children and adult brain and people talking about, oh, the, the what a, a shame it is. I think that some of what they might be talking about is the ability to let go the way kids can let go. Right. And I think that's something that we don't need to leave. Is being able to let go and go into that playful place, but we also have the ability to step back and be very critical and, and see the differences. But when we want to, we can suspend that belief  Mark: Right,  Yucca: disbelief, right? Mark: that's very well said. Because the. The playfulness that you're describing that that is something that our over culture really stomps on for adults. We've got all this conformity expectation around how we dress around how we behave. That's why I love flashmob. I love. I love, you know, people suddenly behave me behaving in really unexpected ways that are delightful and creative and artistic. They're just super fun. Ritual is a way for adults to play well or children to children can be involved in rituals, but but adults, unless it's some formal sport or game. They don't get permission much to just go and play, you know, you take the afternoon off, go and play.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: And and rituals enable us to do that around fee Matic storylines, you know, whether it's. Whether it's something from, from a myth, whether it's a story that, or, or simply a story of, I am powerful. Now I am, I am, I am filled with my power. I have created a space where magic can occur and I'm going to go and do this thing. And it's going to help me to be much more effective at X, whatever X.  Yucca: Yeah, well, and even our our, our stories and narratives of the season. Right. That that is a story as well. And we understand it in with the narrative structure. Mark: Yes, it's true because the reality is every year.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: Yeah. every year is different. The weather on any given day is not the same as it was last year. Weather is a chaotic system and it's never going to be predictable. And all we can talk about is broad stroke generalizations about what is likely to happen in the month of February, as opposed to the month of August. And we understand some of the drivers of that in terms of the axial tilt and. Climate change and all of those things, but that doesn't make it predictable. So we have a story, a narrative about it instead that kind of guides us through well it's may, so we should be doing this. Yucca: Yeah.  Mark: Yeah.  Yucca: And that's, again, as we were talking about in the beginning, that's just sort of how our, our, our minds are built is to understand things as story as, as a narrative. And then the imagination piece is, well, we get to build that story.  Mark: Right.  Yucca: So in our ritual, we're building those stories and, and it's very convenient in ritual that we do have the blur between what our, what our minds understand as true and not. Mark: Right Because we can invoke an imagined scenario and effect real profound change in ourselves as people. I  Yucca: believe it. And it's okay that we know that we made it up and we're believing it, but then it really makes that change. Mark: I did a ritual at Penn FIA con God, it's gotta be eight years ago now, something like that. And it was, it was specifically in atheopagan ritual that happened after a presentation about atheopagan ism and. What the whole point of this, we, you know, we invoked a circle and we we called qualities that we wanted to be with us of openness and a willingness to change and kindness and compassion. And the, the whole working of the root of the ritual was simply, I had a little. Vial of oil. And I went from person to person anointing their forehead. But what I told them before I did that was now, what I want you to do is to call up that most cringe-worthy a shame, shame, filling moment of your life. You know what it is. We all know  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: right? You, you don't have to say anything about it, but we know what it is. The thing that you really wish you had never done. Right. And hold that forward in your mind. And so all I did was I went from person to person and said, it's forgotten it's over. It's gone  With each person. And people cried  Yucca: right. Yeah.  Mark: story that they had been telling themselves about the bad thing that they done, or the embarrassing thing that they'd done or whatever it was, the story had a new ending, right? The story was given a new ending that absolves them of the feelings of shame or embarrassment or whatever it was. And I mean, I, I didn't realize it was going to be as powerful as it was. But I wanted, I wanted to do something that was very personal work to really illustrate the power of doing ritual like that without invoking God's, without believing in magic. right. And. That's the kind of thing that we can do with rituals and story narratives. People, people are filled with stories. They're filled with stories about themselves and about the world and about humanity and about their families and all that kind of stuff. And we can change those stories in ways that empower people and help them to be happier and help them to be kinder in the world. That's what I'm in this for. Yucca: Yeah  Mark: and so imagination becomes, you know, the primary tool, the, the cloth that you lay down before setting out anything for a focus or an alter imagination is the foundation.  Yucca: I like that even rhymes. Yeah. And again, just to really, really be very clear on this, neither of us are being down on the fantasy genre or B we're both huge fans and bring a D and D nerds and all of that stuff. But we're, we're talking about the, the ways that, you know, what's the purpose of each and where the. Where we can use imagination in a really constructive way and where it's maybe more harmful, right? Mark: Right or just where we may be stuck.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: And you know, people do get stuck. That's in cultures get stuck. I think it's a lot easier for a culture that's based in a holy text to get stuck than it is for kind of a fluid subculture, like a pagan. Is to get stuck. But there's nothing shameful about that, except that if you become aware of it, then you can start to evolve again.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: And I think that, you know, moving away from the good old days, a lineage of ancient ways. Kind of model and, and sort of Renaissance see sort of aesthetic of paganism. We'll do a couple of things that would be good for the pagan community. One of them is that I think it would make it less of a challenge to bridge the gap to other people that are not pagans because it won't seem quite so fantasied. Right. It, it won't seem. Quite so, frivolous in that way.  Yucca: Well, and, and also more welcoming to the people who don't particularly connect with that aesthetic,  Mark: right, right?  Yucca: Where the, the ideas are interesting, but the aesthetic is is just difficult to get past, right. Mark: For sure. So that's a good thing. And then the other way that I think that it can really benefit the pagan community is that it, it enables it, it would create kind of a vacuum that would enable new stuff to arise. There, and, and I think that some of this is happening because you know, the, the sixties and seventies, generation of pagans is leaving us. Most of, most of them came to it in adulthood. And so by now they're, they're getting elderly. And there there's enough conversation and enough pagan thought happening now that I think that people are starting to reconsider some of those. Good old days, unbroken lineage kind of models. Certainly with Ronald Hutton's book, the triumph of the moon, he pretty well-documented that modern paganism was a modern creation. I think it would be a wonderful thing for modern paganism to stand up and say, yes, we're a modern creation. were informed by modern values, which means we don't have. Holy book that's full of slavery and abuse and misogyny. We, we stand for, for the good stuff that humans have learned about how the dignity of the individual and the ecosystem. And we think that those are value and that good enough,  Yucca: Yeah. And we don't need some, some distant past authority to make it valid. Right. Mark: As as Tim mentioned said I don't believe that just because I ideas are tenacious that they're worthy.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: So going back to talking about rituals again one thing that can be helpful when you're planning a ritual is to write out the story. Right. you know, or, or at least speak it out loud, we're going to do this and this and this and this and this, and the result is going to be that. Because what that does is it creates expectation in people's minds. In your own mind if you're working alone or in the group's mind. Oh, okay. Well that's, what's going to happen. And then it's going to result in that cool, magical new thing. That's going to transform us. Great. Sign me up. I'm I'm I'm here  Yucca: can follow that path and follow that. And there you go.  Mark: Yeah.  Yucca: Yeah. So I think this is a, I mean, like so many things that we talk about on this podcast, it, it takes a little bit of awareness, but takes some reflection and just paying attention to. How things work, how you work, how you respond and, and going from there, going, okay, well, how do I get, how do I make this work for me? What's the story that I want. What's the story that I want to live. What's the story that I can tell and imagination is that's what connects the pieces. Mark: Yes. Yes. So I think, I don't know. I could go on and on, but I think, I think we should stop here.  Yucca: I think this is a wonderful  Mark: I think it's a good place to stop.  Yucca: assist the app and to just invite some dreams for the future. Right.  Mark: Right. And this is, as you say, a great time of year to be doing that you know, as, as spring either, you know, is happening with the light, but not with the weather or or maybe it is happening starting to happen as it is where I live. Then you know, imagine a little, imagine. Who do I want to be? What's, what's my highest vision for myself.  Yucca: Yeah. Mark: some of that can be circumstantial. Like, you know, what kind of work I want to be doing, or, you know, whatever that is. But some of it is, well, what kind of person do I want to be?  Yucca: Yeah.  Mark: You know? Am I impatient? Well, can I work on that? Am I irritable? Can I work on that? Yucca: And that's ultimately the stuff that you really do have control over. Right? The, what. You know what job you have or what kind of world you want to live in. Those are all wonderful things, but ultimately you don't actually have control over that. Right. But you do have control over what kind of person you're going to be and how you're going to respond when certain types of things happen. Mark: Right. Not to say that activism isn't important  Yucca: Right. Exactly. You can definitely.  Mark: You can definitely. advocate and work to bring about improvements to the world that we live in. And it's essential. That is many of us as possible. Do that. So not, not to say that your highest vision of yourself should Trump your vision for the world. But.  Yucca: But you aren't a personal failure. If you aren't the chosen one from the stories that saves the world from global warming and on all of that, you can, you can be part of that solution, but don't, but don't beat yourself up that like, That are that real life doesn't work the same way. Fantasy novelists work. Yeah.  Mark: Yeah. I mean, one of the things, one of the most pernicious things, I think about the children's stories that we tell people is, and they lived happily ever after. I mean, that's a terrible thing to tell people, because the expectation then is okay, you get married and then you lived happily ever after until you have a knock-down, drag-out fight over something super trivial that neither one of you is willing to get off of until a day later, when you finally got all the quarters all out of your system, and you're ready to start actually having a conversation. This is the way the world really works.  Yucca: Yes. Oh, on the poor. Yeah. And when, and when you've been raised on those stories and think that that's how it works, then you suddenly, is this not true? Love  Mark: Right.  Yucca: This is not meant to be. Relationships take work anyways. Now we're going on a tangent.  Mark: we are. Yes.  Yucca: That's a, well, maybe that'll be something to talk about as we get closer to Valentines. Mark: Yeah, That's a good idea of, although we actually have. Next week we have Sarah Lindsay coming. We're going to do an interview with the YouTuber known as the, the skeptical, which and if you haven't seen her channel, I really encourage you to take a look at some of her stuff. She's a PhD candidate in religious studies, and she's very, very interesting to talk with and listen to. So we're going to be doing that interview Next week. I am too. It's going to be great. So. In the meantime, we hope you all have a wonderful week, enjoy the season and be sure to contact us at the email address. We always tell you thewonderpodcastQs@gmail.com. If you have comments or suggested topics or any of that. Thanks So much, everybody.  Yucca: Thanks everyone. 

A sermon for the Third Week of Advent, in Savior's “Advent & Christmas ” sermon series.Text: Matthew 3:1-17Access Order of Worship here for Saturday, December 11. Along with our coloring page for this week!

Sarah Lindsay is a three-time Olympian, European gold medallist, 10-time British speed skating champion and is also one of London's most recognised celebrity and personal trainers. Having retired as an athlete, she now focusses full time on her fitness company Roar - achieving incredible results with their clients and inspiring people to reach their personal best by empowering them to take control of their lives! In this episode Sarah discusses her three inspiring sliding doors moments, and discusses all about her experiences at the Olympics. We chat all about how a moment of failure and disappointment nearly led her to quit her sport and how sometimes we need to accept that timing is everything. She delves into how some decisions she took had short term regret but actually led her to find the love of her life! Sarah is such a positive and inspirational person and gives wisdom and perspective on the paths our lives can take. @slidingdoorspod Hosted by: @jenbecks28 Guest: @roarfitnessgirl

This week on Monday Mile, we head into the City to meet up with 3 X Olympic Speed Skater turned entrepreneur, Sarah Lindsay. Sarah is now a Personal Trainer, and the owner and founder of Roar Fitness in East London. We catch up in a rare spare hour in-between clients at her Gym, Roar 2. We chat Olympics, the importance of routine, and the knock -on effects of a positive mindset.  We learn how that attitude of Olympic greatness, speed skating around corners on one leg at 30mph plus, has translated into the tough business mindset that she has today. Sarah is quite literally writing her own stamp on the fitness space, and with bespoke tailored one-to-one physical training she is positively changing people's lives. She's humble, innovative and radiates positive energy in all that she does. Former Team GB double winter Olympian Aimee Fuller is on a mission to find the secrets for Monday motivation from some of the most successful sports men and women of our time and other well-known celebrities which will drop every week.  Aimee will be probing for answers from the full spectrum of routines; the early birds who have finely tuned Monday mornings, to the late risers who struggle to get up before 11am. How do elite athletes find the motivation to kick start their week come rain or shine? How do celebrities deliver no matter what the time of day? What knowledge can they pass on?'  Each episode will drop on a Monday morning and plays out in real time. Aimee will meet each of her guests for a walk and a chat and over the course of the mile she will find out how they cope on a Monday morning - their idiosyncrasies, breakfast routines, alarm noises - and how, when they need to, find the motivation to kick-on through the week.  Dropping every Monday as a bitesize 20/25 minute piece of content and weekly dose of motivation - right when you need it - sharing some of Britain's greatest athletes' secrets on self-motivation, candid thoughts on what they struggle with and a sideways look at some of their more unusual morning habits. Head over to IG to watch the visuals of our episode and what we get up to on our Monday Mile. https://www.instagram.com/aimee_fuller/   Filmed - Saunders CB Edited - Shea Jozana  Produced - Aimee Fuller 

A sermon for Ascension, the 7th and final week of Eastertide. Text: Acts 1:1-11 Access Order of Worship here for Saturday, May 15.

In the fourteenth episode of season three of the Her Spirit podcast BBC Breakfast Louise Minchin and BBC Triathlon presenter Annie Emmerson talk to 3 x Winter Olympian Sarah Lindsay.Sarah is a British short track speed skater who has competed at the Winter Olympic Games on three occasions. Lindsay made her debut for the Great Britain team in 1996 and from 2000 was British Ladies Champion for nine consecutive years.A three-time Olympian is now a personal trainer like no other. A European gold medalist, 2x world silver medalist and 10x British speed skating champion, Sarah is an inspiration to anyone looking to reach their full potential. After finally retiring as an athlete in 2010, Sarah made the transition into full time coaching and crossed over into the personal training industry. She has steadily become one of London's most recognised female personal trainers, and the incredible results she achieves with clients are a reflection of her innate ability to inspire people to achieving their own personal best.Sarah has trained the likes of Ellie Goulding, Nick Grimshaw, Mel B, Pixie Lott, Christine Lampard, Professor Green and Sheridan Smith to name a few. Passionate about health and fitness, Sarah truly practices what she preaches and has a unique ability to inspire, empowering her clients to take control of their lives.Sarah talks to Annie and Louise about the importance of being strong for everyday life.  She also talks about the living a healthy life and eating well.These podcasts have been made possible through the support of Medichecks www.medichecks.com and Sport England www.sportengland.org. Medichecks offers an easy and affordable way to check your health from the comfort of your own home with their simple and personal at-home blood tests. From hormones and nutrition, to cholesterol and diabetes, there is something for everyone. For more information on Her Spirit and "Your Best Year Yet" go to http://herspirit.co.uk and come and join us for one of our challenges this spring and summer https://herspirit.co.uk/our-programmes/We believes in inspiring EVERY woman to become fitter, stronger and healthier. We believe your Mind, Body and Fuel are intrinsically linked and taking small achievable steps will lead to big changes.Her Spirit supports women of all shapes to sizes to achieve goals you never thought possible and have your #BestYearYet.

What will be different in 2021? What dreams for our lives and our community have been shaped by the pandemic, the racial justice uprising, and the questions still unanswered of whether or not the United States can actually become a pluralistic, equitable, multi-racial democracy? What dreams of yours – and what collective dreams of ours – might come to life in 2021? For dreams to be born, we must choose change, be courageous and brave, and let old habits and patterns fade and die, so something new and life giving can blossom. Story for All Ages- Aimee K. Bryant (:21) Hymn- Voice Still and Small, Erin Segrue (6:40) Sermon- Impossible Dreams, Rev. Justin Schroeder (8:16) Closing Hymn- We'll Build a Land, Sarah Lindsay

Can you imagine deeply loving a child who calls you Mama, while having to remind yourself that it could all be ripped away at any moment? Today we are honoring National Adoption Month and hearing from Lindsay Laster as she shares the beautiful, yet traumatic truth of being a foster parent and about the journey to adoption.From the CPS home visits, grounds for kin unification, handing over your child to strangers, your options when it comes to the CPS case worker, fighting for the best interests of the child, to the moments when you finally can breathe knowing this child you've fallen in love with is all yours, Lindsay's honest conversation is one you have to hear if you are considering adoption. Lindsay shared some of her favorite resources for you below. If you are feeling called to foster or adopt or know someone who is exploring this path to parenthood, please share this episode!  It means the world! All the love, Sarah  Lindsay's Resource List: A Family for Every Child Adoption SupportFoster the Family Blog  Do you want to share a story through your own journey in motherhood? I want to hear it! Click HERE to fill out the Guest Interview Application! I can't wait to connect!   Want to share your own story? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVgRxfI1Y5oqzxcPgp6yCAC8eQ1xDDUtdWT2OXylKNqRWPwg/viewform?usp=pp_url FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mamainspiredcollectiveIG: @mamainspiredpodcastwww.mamainspired.com

A sermon for the 23rd week of Pentecost, in Savior’s current sermon series “How God Sets People Free: and how we collaborate with him”.Text: Exodus 12:1-5, 21-27Access Order of Worship here for Saturday, November 7.

PRAYER Every day I want to speak with you. And every day something more important calls for my attention – the downloads, the books-to-read, the collapsible dog bowls I need to buy on Amazon. Even now I can hardly sit here among the falling piles of paper and clothing, the garbage trucks outside screeching and banging. The mystics say you are as close as my own breath. Why do I flee from you? My days and nights pour through me like complaints and become a story I forgot to tell. Help me. Even as I write these words I am planning to rise from the chair as soon as I finish this sentence. -Marie Howe In this episode, I explore through the above koan the challenges of living with our fidgety and distractible minds. Why are our minds like this, and is there anything we can do to bring ourselves more into flow? Joining me on this journey: Melville's Bartleby and his I-would-prefer-not-to mantra; Nir Eyal and his book Indistractible; a couple of philosophers (Bentham and Epicurus), as well as a few more poets (Kim Addonizio, Carlos Drummond Andrade, Sarah Lindsay, and Robert Burns writing a poem to a homeless mouse). The physicist Jim Al-Khalili muses on universal entropy; psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (me-high cheek-sent-me-high) and William James muse on psychic entropy, and Jenny Odell does "nothing". Transcript and shownote: http://stevewasserman.co.uk/and-every-day-something-more-important-calls-for-my-attention-marie-howes-prayer/

Sarah Lindsay is a 3x Olympian speed skater who competed at the Salt Lake City games in 2002, the Turin games in 2006 and the Vancouver games in 2010. She set the British speed skating record in her final race and since retiring has built arguably the most respected, thought out and truly impactful personal training gym in London (Roar Fitness) that provides clients with real long lasting transformation both physically and mentally. Sarah changes peoples lives and on this episode we discuss how we can all transform our selves for the better long term, plus find our own version of a gold medal. Enjoy! Roar Fitness : https://roar-fitness.com/ Sarah IG : https://www.instagram.com/roarfitnessgirl/?hl=en

A sermon for Epiphany.Text: Matthew 2:1-12

Hey guys, on this episode I am joined by Three-Time Olympian, entrepreneur and strength coach Sarah Lindsay. We discuss how Sarah turned early career setbacks into motivations to move push on. We also speak about the performance mindset of an Olympian, really delving into the psychological and mindset tactics that Sarah used to perform at the highest level. We also discuss the benefits of strength training for women and entrepreneurship + building a fitness brand following life as an athlete. It's a really interesting conversation and there is a tonne of actionable information packed into this episode, hope you enjoy! 

Sarah Lindsay spent the best part of 20 years training to be and then achieving her dream of being an Olympic skater but then at the age of 30 she decided to change her life completely and fulfilled another ambition, becoming one of the country's most renowned personal trainers. Since then, Sarah has opened a fitness and wellbeing empire called Roar Fitness and is an incredibly successful entrpreneur.In this episode of Outspoken Beauty, Sarah talks about fulfilling dreams, living the Olympic life, how to deal with major changes and the importance of looking after our health. Nicola and Sarah also talk through her beauty routine and favourite products.Later on Nicola talks about hot flushes, an amazing new product from Emma Hardie and the most spectacular highlighter. 

Join Kate Thornton as she poses three questions to three well-known friends over three glasses of wine. On our International Women’s Day episode, we’re joined by Sugababe Heidi Range, four-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott and speed skating champion Sarah Lindsay for a discussion of how they’ve made it in male-dominated industries, the women who support them, and the minds they wish they could spend time in. CreditsMusic by Andy BellProduced by Kate Thornton and Yahoo UK See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Epiphany sermons: When Jesus Enters My WorldText: Luke 4:21-30

Everyone considers reinventing themselves either professionally or physically at some point in their life, and January tends to be the month. But it can be daunting to start afresh, and even harder to keep it going. So what are they keys to a successful reinvention? This week Simon sits down with Winter Olympian turned celebrity personal trainer and businesswoman Sarah Lindsay to look at the key attributes and mindsets you need to pursue a new path. Sarah competed at three Winter Olympics, and was a two time world silver medalist and ten time British speed skating champion. After she retired she fell into something of a funk for a year, then saw one business collapse before clawing her way back and building a successful new company up that has become a big favourite with celebrities. These are the lessons she learnt along the way.

Revelation 2:12-17, 3:7-13From the sermon series "Revelation: Visions for a Church Under Pressure."

In this podcast Sara Dimerman chats with Sarah Lindsay. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Sarah's personal journey before and after being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder How she is helping others learn from her experience Ways to monitor one's own mental health Ways to get assessed and treated How to advocate on behalf of your mental health needs