In this episode our guest is New Zealander Mason Ludlow, author of the recently released book called Becoming Diamond.Here we discuss the core of his book and go into detail on some of the key concepts of Wisdom, Jungian thought and dream analysis, specializing in life as compared to being a generalist and other topics designed to help the reader/listener comprehend the idea of becoming diamond and work toward living a life of meaning.The links to Mason's book can be found here:AMAZON    https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Diamond-Mason-Ludlow-ebook/dp/B0CTHRDN8B/ref=sr_1_1crid=1IGHUIEI6ARBW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HVa1n9FC5fLvk60AZVP0fsK7UvgSbnZzq_zigzq5jWvGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps._AI1UfKwasLoSbFLXy7_WVugjRAHTB_jc9jeTmCLUo&dib_tag=se&keywords=mason+ludlow&qid=1713833555&s=digital-text&sprefix=%2Cdigital-text%2C2954&sr=1-1KOBOhttps://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/becoming-diamond-1B&Nhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-diamond-mason-ludlow/1145011043?ean=2940185703991APPLEhttps://books.apple.com/us/book/becoming-diamond/id6479930150Please follow alone with Unabridged You wherever you feel comfortable, there are our links:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode, our guest Hazel joins us via zoom from Ireland.  Hazel begins her story by reminding us of the fairytale character Rumpelstiltskin and how he teaches us what power there is in naming a thing.  In this episode the named things that are addressed include acknowledging histories of trauma and experiences such as abuse, gaslighting, narcissism and the lived experience of being a female with ADHD.  In this conversation we also consider Story in a different light.  In this podcast I hold the idea and vehicle of story quite high for how it can help with personal growth and social impact, but Hazel explains how story can be used to bend reality to the tellers will and I feel this is something important to be aware of going forwards. At the same time, Hazel reminds us that our stories are our stories and it is up to us what we do with them, how or when or if we share them.  I acknowledge Hazel's honesty, because by her naming her experiences it may help others understand their own journeys to becoming unabridged.If you would like to be in contact with Hazel these are the link to her webpage where you will also find the link to her podcasthttps://traumarecovery.ie/Please follow alone with Unabridged You wherever you feel comfortable, there are our links:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

Welcome back to Unabridged You.Our guest this week is Rachel Fowler who talkes about becoming Grief Literate and her journey to her understandings.  She speaks of her award winning short film titles STILLNESS and her soon to be created Somewhere Very Near.  In this episode with Rachel we cover a lot from grief to international travel, AI and mixed tapes.  If you would like to contact Rachel directly, either regarding her grief coaching or her creative side, this is the best way to do so:www.rachelfowlergriefcoach.comMain Takeaways from this episode include:Understanding that Grief is not only about bereavement but also endings.We talked about the idea of allowing someone to feeling their emotions, just witnessing it without the need to make ourselves feel more comfortable.We also talked about and revisited the idea of giving ourselves some grace and being gentle on ourselves as we go through this journey of life.Please follow alone with Unabridged You wherever you feel comfortable, there are our links:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode UK woman Lucinda Roberts shares her lived experience of receiving the diagnosis of an incurable autoimmune disease at 17.  She shares the story of her health journey and it has been a journey full of ups and downs and twists and turns including the realization of her mortality, her hedonist phase, being in liver failure and her hope for the future by being an organ donor recipient in her early thirties.   She also spoke of her passion for art, and the written word, her joy of animals, and her lived experience of being an organ donor recipient.  I appreciated Lucinda’s candour, her willingness to share her experience and bring more light to the reality of needing an organ transplant and how accessible that is or is not in the UK, as well as sharing her learnings on health and wellbeing.  Part of shining a light on this area of health has been to make the information assessable in a children’s book called Lucy’s Liver Transplant which is currently translated into nine different languages.You can follow along with Lucinda or learn more on alternative healing modalities on her website www.thishealingfeeling.com or at her podcast This Healing Feeling available on both Apple and Spotify or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thishealingfeelingYou can follow along with Unabridged You here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.comNext Episode due 7 May 2024

Bill covers so much this episode.  The power lies in how he speaks first hand about his lived experience of life. Everything from the recognition of how contemporary society effected his health to motivate him to leave a traditional job, to witnessing the way people were effected by the way they were spoken to and spoke to themselves, to his conscious choice to heal through and thrive after his shock cancer diagnosis.Among the jewels of wisdom Bill shares is the power of our self narrative.  Of obtaining a download of 24hours worth of self talk.  What do you think?  For me all of the thoughts aren’t totally thought out, but the negativity that can happen in my head some times… I wouldn’t talk to someone else like that and I would not be proud for someone to hear me talking to myself like that… Thank you Bill for offering this simple illustration to share your point.  The narrative we tell ourselves is very important.Previous guests have spoken about meaning and in our last episode I spoke about meaning, truth and perspective.   I think that, in general, we can see how we give meaning to the would around us.  I had not taken the idea further to consider if the meaning I give a thing, an experience, a thought, a perspective, an understanding, is useful or not.  Bill asks us to consider it the meaning you prescribe to a thing have use, and what is that use?  Is it constructive or is it necessary?  Not that those two things are mutually exclusive, but this is a way of thinking I will employ more in the future.If you would like further guidance from Bill here are his social media links and you can find his program through his website www.thrivingaftercancer.infohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/billlee-emery/https://www.facebook.com/bill.lee.emeryYou can follow along with Unabridged You here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.comAs always, please give this episode a thumbs up, hit subscribe wherever you have listened to the podcast, leave a review or share it with someone who you think might find it interesting, helpful or supportive.Thanks for listening!

In this episode Perspective, Meaning and Truth take center stage as we consider How To Get Along With People.I share my understandings, how the episodes to date are inspiration for this episode, a story of how I came to my understandings and evidence of why the answer I offer to this question can be seen to make sense.Please like, subscribe, review, share, tag Unabridged You any  traction goes a long way to getting your stories more ears.You can follow along with Unabridged You here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode Leslie Maloney, host of the podcast Meaning And Moxie After 50, shares her story.  Having been an educator for a lot of her life, helping people explore other perspectives she comments that she recognizes there is wisdom at all ages and has a current focus on positive ageing which she is promoting with her story based podcast.In this episode particularly enjoy hearing about Leslie's desire to inspire and provide role models through the stories on her podcast.  She explains that she is also living the life she talks about by actually living life, taking chances, showing moxie and going on adventures such as the trip she will take in a few weeks to walk the 512mile Camino Del Norte trail in Spain. I am really keen to have her back to share about this journey, hopefully this will not be the last we hear from Leslie.If you think to hear more from Leslie, or find out about the life of a full time Santa and real life treasure hunter among other awesome guests, you can check out her website to find all the ways to connect with her including her podcast and bookshttps://meaningandmoxieafter50.com/ You can follow along with Unabridged You here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.comAs always, please give this episode a thumbs up, hit subscribe wherever you have listened to the podcast, leave a review or share it with someone who you think might find it interesting or helpful.Thanks for listening!

In this episode Nikki shares her story which was sparked by grief.  Nikki speaks of her Dad passing and how this deeply affected and effects her, how it lead to her being broken down and busted open.  An experience she can now look at with gratitude as it prompted her to explore her beliefs, stories and energies.  All of this lead to Nikki to begin to comprehend Grief as an alchemist which has helped her understand herself better; why she was showing up in the world in the way she was and how she would like to show up going forwards. Unraveling or unfurling these beliefs, stories and energies, slowly but surely also allowed her to alter her experience of imposter syndrome.Nikki and I talk about creating something, planting a seed, showing up how we want to be in the world and recognizing that the way the created thing, the experience, the seed is taken and nurtured or not by another person is up to the perspective of that person.  You worth or value is not tied up in their perspective and in that way, it becomes even more precious to explore the way you want to be in the world. I quoted the Eagles "don’t let the  sound of your own wheels drive you crazy", be at peace with your actions and the choices you make for yourself without waiting for validation.   I hope you get something out of this conversation, I certainly did.  Each of these episodes teaches me something and opens my eyes to another way to view the world.If you think Nikki might be a person to help you on your journey through grief or connecting with your self you can find her here: https://www.facebook.com/kindsoulrisingYou can follow along with Unabridged You here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode LAPIZ shares his story. He explains he has travelled and lived in a few places in the world, that art was a hobby that became his full time.  As a scientist, his PhD helped him learn a way to think that he now applies to art.  The experience allowed him to learn a lot about resilience and his experience living in different places adds to his political art as a type of social commentary.When LAPIZ speaks about art he explains that as an artist he feels he has a responsibility to create discussion, continue discussion, and change discussion, with his art.  Although people have his prints in their houses and he has displayed his work in galleries, creating a mural in a public place is one way his art opens those discussions, by making available ideas in the form of images that one may not normally consider or be aware of.LAPIZ mentions, and I think it is a really interesting discussion point even by itself,  that “art is only whole with an audience”.  What do you think?These social media and website links for LAPIZ are https://www.instagram.com/lapizgraffitihttps://lapiz.caYou can follow along with Unabridged you here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode I have taken time to focus on a theme that has come up in some of the episodes when considering the unabridged self and the way that we learn or were taught at secondary school.I share my experience of learning through the discipline of Anthropology once I went to university.  I compare this type of cross curricular learning to the way we were taught at secondary school, where English literature was just about english literature and Statistics was just about statistics and History was just about history.  This episode takes a short visit into the history of schooling in New Zealand to help the listener consider WHY we were taught the way we were at secondary school and HOW we can see that changing in some schools and WHY it is changing.You can follow along with Unabridged you here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode Bart shares his story of crystals, covid and being an entrepreneur.  We hear how Bart had a childhood interest that was resparked when he was in Romania and wanted to buy a meteorite from the states.  Being the thinking person that he is he realized if he brought a couple more smaller meteorites he could sell them online and make back his shipping costs.  After that Bart started to look for a niche, first with amber and then the business grew as he and his partner paid attention to what people wanted to buy and provided that opportunity for them.To me, Bart's story is unabridged because he was able to take things he has learned and apply them to interests he has and create a viable income (even if people didn’t think it was possible when first proposed).Bart shares with us some tips about how to turn an interest into an income.  He suggests Social Media is a good option to become known by but that it is a game of patience.  He says to do your research and stay at the front of where people are looking for what you are selling.  Bart also touches upon the idea that as well as being able to tell a good story to sell you product it is also very important to listen to your customers, that way you learn what they need and you can provide that.  You can’t sell what people are not willing to buy.You can find the links to Bart's websiteshttps://www.debarnsteenspecialist.nlhttps://www.kristalkartel.com/You can follow along with Unabridged you here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode Stuart Packer shares his journey of how he came to story.  How he can see the thread of story in all he has done, from civil engineering through to acting and facilitating communication skills.  He shares details about the experience of acting and what he learns from the characters he plays.  He also shares the idea of unlearning.  In my world this has been a word used in education the idea being to unlearn ways that we were originally taught to be in the world.  Stu applied this concept to his experience of acting and unlearning to be a character, and idea that I believe is applicable across many of our lives I think, as we unlearn parts of roles that we have held that may not serve us in other roles, or that we begin to unabridge ourselves.Stu also talks about the idea of Truth and we discuss what this could be or how we can see it as different, or as a matter of perception depending on one, the teller and two the audience or consumer.  You can find Stu's social media and linktree in his bio here:https://www.instagram.com/stuartpackeractorYou can follow along with Unabridged you here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

This mini episode informs of two important points:1. Episode 8 was the final episode of season one of Unabridged You2. The next episode of Unabridged You will be published on the Tuesday 13 February 2024Until then you can follow along with Unabridged You here:Our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UnabridgedYou Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youWebsite: https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have any questions or are interested to be a guest you can contact me via DM or email at: unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode Dutchman and philosopher Jan Leendert Van Der Mooren shares his story of losing his religion and later finding Socratic Discussion as a way to make meaning in the world.    He explains Socratic Discussion and demonstrates to us how the meaning we give a concept can change, or evolve based on a person’s experiences of the world. Jan Leendert also raises the idea of not only the unabridged person, but an unabridged world, an idea proposed as quite important given the super global state of contemporary society.  He suggests that a start of a solution is learning to listen to other people, no matter how different their experiences, ideas, beliefs or political thoughts may be to your own.  This is the link to Jan Leendert's website:https://destadsfilosoof.nl/You may notice that this website is in Dutch, but as evident by this episode Jan Leendert is very capable of communicating in English.  If you would like to be in contact with him you can contact him through his website.You can follow along with the Unabridged You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youThe podcast webpage is currently https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/

In this episode Sebastian he shared his philosophies on living an unabridged life and his top life value of respect.  He spoke of his internal value compass which he checks in with regularly and how this compass helps him by aligning his values, beliefs, needs and expectations.  Sebastian posed two questions to help when wanting to live consciously the first was ‘what breaks your heart?’ like really cracks it open so it can not close. He then explained his answer and how he started a coaching business once he realized what was important to him and that he wanted to help others.  The second was How are you?  Not just a passing throw away comment but a real question, how are you really?  How do you normally answer this question?I will leave these questions with you but I would really love to hear your answers.  You can DM me on Instagram, or flick me through an email to unabridgedyou@gmail.com.The link to Sebastian's LinkedIn is:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-gerlach-064303185?trk=contact-infoYou can follow along with the Unabridged You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youThe podcast webpage is currently https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/

The guest on episode 6 of Unabridged You is New Zealander Amber Harris.Amber is the owner and crafter of the hoodoo botanica store Roomie and Wilde and the dynamic host of the podcast Wilde.  She has been a radio host and is an internationally published tourism and indigenous rights journalist. Among other talents she is an Iridologist, conjure and rootworker woman and her self professed most important role is Mum to her wee daughter.In this episode with Amber she shares her journey from small town New Zealand to self discovery through solo travel and ancestry to get to know herself and figure out how she would like to be in the world.  Particularly, she shared with us about the hoodoo wisdom tradition, iridology and her experience of the New York minute.I mention that one of my favorite quotes is “Wherever you go, there you are” it is a simple idea that you may have heard in many different ways.  I grew up listening to the Eagles in their song Take it Easy they say “you may lose or you may win, but you will never be here again, don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy”.  This all relates back to what Amber called Destination Cheating and what we could consider as the idea of consciously living or being mindful of being present in the moment.  This idea is explored a bit further in the next episode of Unabridged You.These are the links to Amber's worldSocial media Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/romiandwilde/This link will take you to her shop and her podcast Wilde https://linktr.ee/romiandwildeYou can follow along with the Unabridged You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youThe podcast webpage is currently https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have a story to share you can contact us directly at unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode with Karen  she shares her motivation for becoming a storyteller, the logistics of the trade and stories and adventures she has had while storytelling. I do not think that I will ever forget that Redwood seeds need fire to germinate and I will always be curious about the special thing that is invisible in the box!  Karen also shares the spark that started her journey as founder of the Creative Learning Place, the academic and arts learning center for homeschooled children inspired by her own daughters experiences of being homeschooled.Further to this we speak about being our authentic selves Karen commenting that in her opinion “being your authentic self means embracing the story of your unfolding self without feeling a lot of pressure from society about how your life ought to be”. This episode with Karen reinforces the ideas discussed in episode 1 with Ronni about how storytelling can aid in personal growth and with social impact.These are the links to Karen's worldHer website is: https://www.karengolden.com/Her social media links are: https://www.facebook.com/karen.golden.547/https://www.instagram.com/karengoldenstoryYou can follow along with the Unabridged You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youThe podcast webpage is currently https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have a story to share you can contact us directly at unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode Mike shares his unabridged story of fighting for creativity.   He speaks of the experience of being a novelist, creative writer and screenwriter in the far north of New Zealand.  With seasoned expertise, he unveils the secrets of crafting unforgettable characters and demonstrates the myriad ways in which a person could choose 1000 words to paint a picture. Further to this, Mike delves into his deliberate choice of to become a horror fiction specialist, adding an extra layer of intrigue to his insights. Mike gives us details about his personal journey marked by embracing rather than suppressing creativity.  He passionately advocates for the transformative power that embracing one's creative side. One powerful tool  which helped Mike on this quest Steven Pressfield's book The War of Art, a book which guides the creative to be like seaweed, tethered to the sand but able to move with the waves.   Like Laura in episode 3, Mike underscores the significance of discovering or reconnecting with one's tribe - community of likeminded people.  Mike advocates for unapologetic self-care and emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and nurturing all aspects of ourselves to attain true satisfaction in life.  The links to Mikael's world are here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBoturWriterNZ Short Stories: https://nzshortstories.com/bloodalcohol-ten-tales-the-new-horror-collection-by-michael-botur/You can follow along with the Unabridged You onInstagram https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youThe podcast webpage is currently https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have a story to share you can contact us directly at unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode with Laura, mastermind behind Is Olde Upcycle we explore:1. The World of Upcycled FashionLaura shares her journey into the world of upcycled clothing and how her business promotes sustainability.How shopping at opportunity shops and thrift stores can be beneficial to the environment, your bank account and can help with self expression. 2. Embracing Life's Ebb and FlowLiving in sync with the seasons of our energy, interests, and needs.Understanding that finding balance varies from day to day and how surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals can provide crucial support.3. The 'Give it a go' AttitudeThe positive reward of adopting a fearless approach in life, being unafraid of messiness of failure.Applying this mindset not just to adults but also in parenting, encouraging children to explore without fear.The links to Laura's world are here:Website: www.isoldeupcycle.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/is_olde/You can follow along with the Unabridged You onInstagram https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youThe podcast webpage is currently https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have a story to share you can contact us directly at unabridgedyou@gmail.com

In this episode we hear from Mark Samson, graphic designer, photographer, videographer, multisport and conservation enthusiast, traveler and ultrarunner.  In Mark, the convergence of trail running, photography, conservation, and travel creates a narrative of adventure, discovery and a deep connection with the great outdoors.  Join us as we delve into this unabridged world and hear about Mark’s latest adventure from September 2023 where he was set to participate in the For Rangers Untramarathon, A 230km, 5 day ultramarathon in Kenya.  Links to Mark's world are here:YouTube: @MarkSamson-NZInstagram: www.instagram.com/mark.samson.nzFacebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/780338986598794You can follow along with the Unabridged You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/unabridged_youThe podcast webpage is currently https://unabridgedyou.buzzsprout.com/ If you have a story to share you can contact us directly at unabridgedyou@gmail.com