Figures from NHS England show 2.7million referrals were made for suspected cancer in the last year.
Cancer checks: Record number of patients referred in England
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My Intentions for CGC Year 6
Yesterday was the last day of our 5th year in Conscious Growth Club. Today we’re beginning our 6th year together. You still have about 2.5 more days if you want to join us since the deadline for opting in is May 3rd.
I thought I’d take a moment to share some thoughts and intentions for Year 6. Some of these are personal. Some are club-related. And some are a mix of both.
One thing I love about CGC is that it’s so supportive on the personal side, so even though I facilitate the group, I also engage with it much like any other member.
Fitness
One intention for this new CGC year is to refine my fitness routine. That’s been going pretty well for many years, but with all the possible ways to balance it – running, weight training, HIIT, gym workouts, group fitness classes, etc. – I’d like to give it more structure. The tricky part is that my body adapts to predictable routines very easily, and then it doesn’t feel like I’m improving as much. On the flip side, I also like the simplicity of predictable routines like running. I’d love to figure out how to merge structure with enough variety while doing this sustainably too. This may take some experimentation.
I’m not sure if it’s even possible to come up with a “one fitness routine to rule them all” or if the key is really to keep mixing it up with a lot of randomness. I love the variety and the social aspect of group classes. What I don’t like as much is the time investment, including travel time. I also don’t find group classes particularly good for strength training – I tend to improve in that area much more efficiently on my own. However, group classes can be great for cardio, yoga, and some other dimensions of fitness.
Starting today in CGC, many members are kicking off the new CGC year with a 30-day fitness challenge. Rachelle and I are doing that too. In fact Rachelle recently passed 950 consecutive days of closing her Apple Watch rings, so she’ll hit 1000 sometime in June.
Fasting Integration
I may do some dietary experiments as well, but I also feel drawn to testing some additional forms of intermittent fasting. I tried the 16-8 version previously (only eating in an 8-hour window each day, then not eating for 16 hours) and found it worthless – it didn’t make any difference as far as I could tell. But I might try 18-6 or 20-4 to see if those patterns are any better. I’ve decided to lean into this today by not eating anything till after 2pm.
YouTubing
Creatively I intend to get into YouTubing this year. I have about 55 videos on my YouTube channel so far, most of them recorded when doing a 40-day water fast in 2017. In CGC we formed a new YouTubers group a few months ago for members with similar goals, including streaming, TikTok videos, and really any kind of video expression.
I love engaging in this pursuit collaboratively. It’s great to share tips, insights, and encouragement with other members.
I would love it if more people who want to get into making videos (or who are already into it) would join CGC this year. It would be fabulous to support each other on this path. I intend to host more Zoom calls this year where we can mastermind together.
My YouTube channel is fairly modest in size compared to some. It currently has 8253 subscribers. I think it would be fun to build that up to 100K+, however long it takes.
I feel very comfortable on camera, but I have way more experience being recorded live on Zoom with only minimal editing. In April I did about 100 hours of live video calls (all recorded). I don’t think that’s a great format for YouTube though. Tighter, shorter videos would likely be better received there.
This year and beyond, I want to explore how to leverage the skills I have while also building new video skills. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun experimenting with different ways to share personal growth ideas and insights through video. It’s going to take a lot of patience as well, but I’m not in a rush. I like the long-term trajectory of this – the outlook seems pretty rosy to me.
Video Production Skills
Coming up with interesting content for videos is easy for me, but what always held me back was a lack of know-how on the production side. So I’ve been educating myself on this quite a bit this year. I can see myself doing a lot of divergent experimentation this year. I’m not going to focus on trying to create hit videos per se. Rather I want to explore the skill set on the production side, and I also want to see what kinds of videos I most enjoy making. I sense that if I raise up my production skills a lot more, I’ll likely discover more enjoyment in the process.
For some reason I love learning about video lighting. I bought a bunch of new lights this year, all from Aputure, including a Lightstorm 60X (bicolor), an Amaran 200X (bicolor), two Amaran P60C panel lights (RGBWW), and a 4-pack of MC lights (RGBWW). I love that these lights are all controllable via an app, so I can sit in one spot and change all of the lights (brightness, color, etc) from my phone. Working with LED lights is so nice because they’re energy efficient and don’t get very hot. I think I’m becoming a fanboy of Aputure since they keep coming up with new lights with great features at great prices. I could easily see myself investing in more lights from them over time. But for now I have plenty to get started with.
I also bought 4 C-stands and some other rigging pieces, and I watched a ton of gaffer videos, so now I know many different ways to rig lights. What I lack, however, is experience. It’s one thing to watch a video to learn what’s possible. It’s different when you have to actually apply the skills yourself.
I’m not sure why I like this so much. You’d think that being color blind, learning about lighting and especially investing in RGB ones wouldn’t be the best fit for me. But for some reason I’m really curious about it. There’s something undeniably enticing about playing around with lighting to see what I can do with it. I just have to accept that how the colors look to me won’t be the same as how other people see them. So maybe some of my videos may have unusual color choices. I can also lean on Rachelle for help since she’s experienced with lighting, given her background in theater, and she can see all the colors too. Amazing!
Learning about lighting adds more appreciation when I watch movies and shows now. I notice the lighting, especially on people’s faces, way more than I ever did before. I sometimes ponder why the cinematographer (or whoever else made those choices) lit a scene they way they did. I often watch cinematography videos while making lunch or while relaxing in the evening.
As I build better video skills, I may also want to explore how to apply them in other ways. It could be really interesting to create a structured video course that’s pre-recorded and nicely edited instead of always delivering it live like I’ve done in the past. I could do such a course that today, but it would take an inordinate amount of time since I’d be so slow at it. I’d like to build up a lot more practice and experience first, one micro-skill at a time, so I can get faster too.
This sort of thing can be outsourced, but I’m really enjoying exploring it as a personal growth adventure. I’m not 100% sure why, but I can tell that this is a path with a heart for me. It also seems like a very aligned opportunity and a delightful way to build upon my existing skills.
I would do this on my own anyway, but doing this as a social journey with other CGCers just makes it even sweeter. I feel more motivated to upgrade these skills because then I can immediately share what I’m learning with other members. I think it will be especially helpful to learn gear tips from each other (lighting, mics, cameras, etc). And there’s tons we can share with each other on the editing side as well.
Balancing Rhythms of Work and Personal Time
In the last CGC year, I was really good at focusing deeply on one project or another. Sometimes I put my all into a creative project. At other times of the year, I invested obsessively in personal projects. I definitely got a lot done, which was very satisfying. But I think that for the months ahead, I’d like to explore a more relaxed and balanced rhythm instead of spending so much time in deep focus mode for weeks at a stretch.
It’s been interesting to create new courses with an all-in strategy. For the recent Guild course, I probably averaged about 10-12 hours a day for 30 days straight, usually starting at 6am and going till around 6pm. I had short meal and rest breaks, but it was still a very obsessive experience, like going through a tunnel. Sometimes I didn’t finish till around 10pm if there was a CGC coaching call on a given day too. Plus there was a lot of advance prep for the course before it began. This intense strategy really does get the job done, but it requires putting so many other parts of life on pause.
I feel like my obsessive creative mode is really well developed now. The inspiration to create just never seems to run dry. I like taking breaks from it now and then, but I always know that it’s there for me when I want to engage with it.
This year I’d like to explore a different relationship with creativity. I think video creation will be part of that. But I also sense there’s more to it, something having to do with rhythm and balance. If my creative output across the span of a year is like a song, you could say that I want to explore different style of music this year, so I can learn how to align with different creative rhythms.
In terms of my working and personal rhythms, I’d like this upcoming CGC year to sound like a combo of Oh Yeah by Yello, She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby, One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head, and Down Under by Men at Work – playful, simple, and fun and without major spikes of intensity. Definitely 80s all the way. Maybe a splash of The B-52’s Loveshack here and there. 😁
I know that I can always fall back on the tried and true, but I’d like to see what other creative rhythms might emerge this year if I gently coax them to the surface. I can’t articulate what that’s going to look like, but my intention is to do a lot more divergent exploration this year.
Divergent Creative Exploration
For previous years in CGC, I would pre-announce the topic of a major course to be delivered during the year. This year I feel inclined to allow for more flexibility and adaptability. I intend to create and publish at least one new course this year. But I might create multiple smaller works instead of one giant new course each year like I’ve done for the past few years.
Whatever interesting forms I create this year, such as new courses or workshops, CGC members will have them included as part of their membership at no extra cost. I just say in advance what it will be.
I also want to see what emerges in CGC (and in my wider audience) this year in terms of what people want to upgrade in their lives. I love connecting the dots between people’s desires and my own explorations. That could lead to something like a course or workshop on life balance, for instance, if there seems to be some demand for it.
For now I feel it would be premature to lock onto a particular form or topic right now. I want to roll into the new CGC year first, engage with our members, and get a sense of where CGC’s energy wants to flow. I also want to explore video production and YouTubing with others in the group. I don’t know how the dots will connect up ahead. I just know that they will.
Join Us for CGC Year 6
I love how rewarding it is to engage with CGC each day, especially its playful side. It’s immensely gratifying to share this human journey with other growth-oriented people in such an intimate way. It’s wonderful to explore so much depth together while also having so much fun and sharing so many laughs. 😁
I hope you’ll join us for some part of this journey in Conscious Growth Club, if not this year then in some future year. The door is open. If it’s to be this year, you have till May 3rd to enroll.
‘I Was Regularly Touched Up By Senior MPs,’ Says Labour’s Chris Bryant
Labour MP Chris Bryant has told how he was “regularly touched up” by older colleagues in parliament.
The senior MP said he felt he could not report it because he did not want to “end up being part of the story”.
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The Commons Standards Committee chair said he was targeted by “older, senior” men.
His comments come after MPs’ conduct was called into question amid a number of sexual misconduct allegations.
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Bryant told LBC Radio: “I remember when I came in, in 2001, I was regularly touched up by older, senior gay – well, they weren’t out but – MPs.
“I never felt I was able to report it because you end up being part of the story, and that’s the last thing you want.
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“And I think a lot of women have been through that.”
Bryant said he could think of four MPs but he did not name them, adding: “I was shocked at the time…none of them are out of course. I think that now if anybody would do that I would be absolutely robust.
“I would a call the person out immediately and I would make a complaint.”
Calls are growing for a shake-up of Westminster’s culture in the wake of sexual misconduct claims.
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Tory MP Neil Parish stood down over the weekend after he was allegedly seen by two female MPs watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber.
Separately, there are reports that 56 MPs are currently facing sexual misconduct investigations, including three cabinet ministers and two shadow cabinet ministers.
The Sunday Times has also outlined a number of claims against MPs today, including a senior MP accused of repeatedly licking the faces of male researchers in parliamentary bars.
Other allegations include a female Tory MP who was sent an explicit photograph, known as a “dick pic”, by a male colleague and another MP repeatedly warned about his use of prostitutes, according to sources.
Meanwhile, the Mail on Sunday outlined fresh claims that a senior Conservative MP pestered a female staff member for “sexual favours”.
The allegations were so serious that party bosses were advised to take them “straight to the police”, according to the paper.
The Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle is calling for a review of current working practices in Parliament.
He said a review is “needed urgently” to examine the current structure whereby MPs employ their staff directly.
Speaker Calls For Review Of Parliament’s Work Practices After Sexual Misconduct Claims
The Speaker of the House of Commons is calling for a review of current working practices in Parliament.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said a review is “needed urgently” to examine the current structure whereby MPs employ their staff directly.
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It follows a spate of allegations by MPs and staff of bullying and sexual misconduct across the parliamentary estate.
Hoyle’s office said he was working with political parties and house authorities to establish a “Speaker’s Conference” as soon as possible to consider the problems.
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Made up of MPs, the committee would review current working practices and conditions, take expert advice and consider if there is a case for change.
Sir Lindsay said: “I take recent allegations of bullying and sexual impropriety, comments and advances very seriously, which is why it is time we reviewed our working practices, particularly whether it is right that individual MPs are the employers of their staff.
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“The question is: should someone else – or an outside body – employ the staff, as long as the MP has the right to choose them?”
The mechanism was last used in 2008 to provide advice on parliamentary representation and requires both the government and house to approve it.
Hoyle hopes the conference will reach cross-party agreement and make recommendations to the house on a case for change.
Meanwhile, Dame Andrea Leadsom, the former leader of the House of Commons, has called for the creation of a human resources service.
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It comes after Tory MP Neil Parish stood down after he was allegedly seen by two female MPs watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber.
It prompted senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes to say her party is institutionally sexist and that there was a culture of “male entitlement” in the party.
Separately, there are reports that 56 MPs are currently facing sexual misconduct investigations, including three cabinet ministers and two shadow cabinet ministers.
The Sunday Times has also outlined a number of claims against MPs today, including a senior MP accused of repeatedly licking the faces of male researchers in parliamentary bars.
Other allegations include a female Tory MP who was sent an explicit photograph, known as a “dick pic”, by a male colleague and another MP repeatedly warned about his use of prostitutes, according to sources.
HRT shortage UK: Davina McCall says crisis is ridiculous
Davina McCall says she was “a mush” when the menopause hit, as she calls for shortages to be sorted out.
The Pandemic Warped Our Sense Of Time. Here’s How To Gain It Back.
At this point of the pandemic, it still feels like we’re stuck in a bit of a time warp.
Yes, offices are opening back up and many people are carrying on with their events and travel plans. But there’s still a layer of uncertainty about what might happen next with Covid and when the pandemic will truly end — especially as more variants pop up.
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Life doesn’t exactly feel normal yet, and as a result, time drags by. Here’s why, and how you can “gain” some of it back:
1. We lost our routines.
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According to Ruth Ogden, an experimental psychologist at Liverpool John Moores University who studies how humans process time, this sensation that time is warped has been a global phenomenon. Through her research, she’s found that people across the globe have experienced distorted time during the pandemic.
The biggest culprit of the time warp: the loss of our routines.
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“All the things in our day that helped us know what time it was ― they were gone. That meant it became easy for time to slip and slide around,” Ogden said.
During the pandemic, time stood still for many of us. We canceled our activities and we distanced from friends. People did everything — sleep, eat, work, socialise, parent, exercise — from their homes.
“We’re all heavily routinised creatures, but this routine is important because it keeps us in time,” Ogden said.
Our day-to-day activities help us perceive time — if we are commuting, we know it’s morning, if we’re running out for lunch, it’s midday, and so on and so forth. Without daily routines, which act as markers of time, it becomes easy to get lost in time. The things that made your Saturday a Saturday, or your Tuesday a Tuesday, may no longer be there.
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Research also suggests that emotions significantly impact our perception of time. When we’re happy and physiologically aroused, time feels like it’s flying by; conversely, depression can make time feel sluggish.
Furthermore, our expectations of how things will occur (i.e., the pandemic is over!) versus the reality of how things play out (there’s a new variant coming for us) can make time feel faster or slower, depending on if the actual outcome was better or worse than our predictions.
2. Memories help us process time, and our memories are different from the last few years.
Think back to the beginning of the pandemic, when news of Covid spreading around China first leaked. How long ago does that feel to you? Months? Years? It’s probably hard to tell.
Ogden and her research team have been studying how people feel about the length of the pandemic and have discovered that the brain processes length of time through memories.
“If we’ve got loads of memories, then it says, ‘Oh, it must have been a long time,’ but if it has very few memories, then we think it must have been a short period of time,” Ogden said.
In theory, most of us should remember the pandemic as being short — because we didn’t do a lot, Ogden said. But she’s found the opposite: most people feel like we’ve been stuck in the pandemic for much longer than we have been.
The reason, it seems, is that while we didn’t necessarily form a ton of fun, new memories for a period of time, we still formed memories. We learned how to bake bread, we got into puzzles and crafts and packed our days with Zoom meetings. We navigated life through restrictions, masking and distancing; we developed new skills and fell into new routines. Time moved forward.
Delmaine Donson via Getty Images
3. People process time differently.
Just how distorted time feels varies from person to person. It ultimately depends each person’s personal experience with Covid and how much the pandemic has influenced or changed their daily activities, said Nicole Dudukovic, the director of the neuroscience major at the University of Oregon.
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Ogden’s research, for example, has found that social satisfaction is one of the biggest factors behind how people process time.
“The more socially satisfied you were, the ‘quicker’ the pandemic went,” Ogden said, noting that this didn’t just involve being around people, like family in your household, but seeking out and enjoying social connections.
People who have engaged in “normal life” again, and are traveling and commuting to the office and engaged in activities, are probably going to have a more normal sense of time right now. People who are at-risk and are hunkering down, along with those who are stressed about returning to pre-pandemic activities, may continue to feel disoriented about time.
“For some people, this experience will continue for a long time and that will continue to cause distortion to their experience of time,” Ogden said.
4. We’re more aware of time now.
Ultimately, the pandemic has made people much more aware of time. We’ve had more time on our hands, which has caused us to become hyper aware of time and how it’s passing, Ogden said.
At the same time, we often don’t remember time accurately. It’s very hard for people to remember how we felt about things, like time, in the past — it’s largely influenced by how we feel about things now. Memories of how time once passed can be very inaccurate, according to Dudukovic. While it may feel like time is passing differently now, it’s totally plausible that we’re just misremembering how time felt pre-pandemic.
“It’s possible that if you’d asked me in 2019 about how fast time was going that maybe it would be not that different from how I’m feeling about it now,” Dudukovic said.
Here’s how to overcome the time warp.
Ogden said it’s important to recognise that we are not going to return to life before the pandemic.
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“So much in the world has changed as a result of the pandemic,” she said. We’ve carried on and adapted to new ways of work and socialising.
One of the best ways to mitigate the feeling that we’re stuck in a time warp is to create new routines.
“There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that your routine, and also the number of activities that you’re engaged in, that that’s going to influence how you’re perceiving time,” Dudukovic said.
Changing your environments — stepping out of the house, going on walks, or even switching up the room you work in — can trick your brain into thinking more is happening, so that time passes more regularly.
If your days blend together, save certain activities and routines for specific days of the week.
“Make your Tuesday a Tuesday because of the things you do in it,” Ogden said.
Finally, try to keep busy. The busier we are, the less we tend to focus on how time is passing.
What To Do If You Don’t Like Your Kid’s Friend
It’s an issue many parents will run into at one point or another: Your kid is hanging out with someone you’re not crazy about.
You might think this friend is a bad influence because of the language they use, the way they treat other kids or speak to adults, or their attitude toward school. Maybe this friend has been mean, controlling or otherwise inconsiderate toward your child.
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Whatever the reason, it can be a tricky issue to navigate. Below, parenting experts offer advice on how to handle the situation.
Do some self-reflection.
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First, take a little time to consider what exactly is rubbing you the wrong way about this friendship. Are your feelings warranted – or is it possible you’re bringing your own baggage to the table?
“Do you dislike the child because of your personal values, prejudice or opinion?” Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and author of The Me, Me, Me Epidemic, told HuffPost. “Your child may be benefitting from this friendship or have more in common with the child than you may realise — even if you wouldn’t choose this friend for yourself.”
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Or perhaps your feelings toward this friend are misplaced. You think you don’t like the kid when really, it’s the parents you have an issue with.
“In today’s charged political and social climate, parents can be faced with interacting with families that don’t align with their views,” clinical psychologist Cindy T. Graham — founder of Brighter Hope Wellness Center — told HuffPost.
Ask your kid about the friendship
Put aside your preconceived notions for a moment and have a conversation with your kid about this friend. Ask why they like hanging out with them and what they enjoy doing together. Be curious and listen to what they have to say. This requires an open heart and mind, Graham said.
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“Aside from being a great opportunity to connect with your child, it gives you the chance to learn about aspects of the friend’s personality, demeanour or circumstances that you may not have previously been aware of,” she said.
“For example, sometimes kids can present as immature or standoffish when under stressful situations,” Graham continued. “Moments that trigger anxiety ― such as meeting unfamiliar adults ― can lead to behaviours that may be perceived as disrespectful.”
Try also putting yourself in the kid’s shoes. Think about the struggles they — or their family — might be facing that could be affecting their behaviour.
“Take into consideration what they may be going through or have gone through,” McCready said. “Your own kid or family may be just what this child needs!”
Get to know the friend and their parents better
Spend some time with the friend and their family — it might show you a different side of them. Go into the experience hoping to see what your child sees in them.
“It’s also helpful for the parent to be willing to get to know the family on a few different occasions,” Graham said. “This will give everyone a greater chance of getting past the initial anxieties of making a good first impression to instead get to know one another.”
Judge the behaviour, not the person
If the friend in question does something you don’t like, it’s OK to tell your child that their behaviour concerned you. But resist making accusations or assumptions about the friend’s character because of it.
“You can comment on a friend’s behaviour that you disapprove of and help your child problem-solve why that behaviour may be something they shouldn’t mimic,” McCready said. “The bottom line: Judge the behaviour, not the person.”
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“Friendships that are less-than-ideal aren’t necessarily a recipe for disaster or a path to trouble.”
– Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions
If you think the friendship is a danger to your child, step in
There’s a difference between not being particularly fond of your kid’s friend and feeling like this person could be a true threat to your child’s safety or well-being. If it’s the latter case, you should intervene immediately, McCready said.
“If you’re concerned, set limits – without prohibiting the friendship,” she said. “Keep a close eye on behaviours and offer your home as a hang-out spot to keep your eye on the kids, or set an earlier curfew when your child is hanging out with that friend.”
Look out for negative changes in your child’s behaviour that could indicate the friendship is an unhealthy one. For your child, that might mean a worsening mood, a sudden change in their grades or withdrawing from activities they once enjoyed.
If you notice any of these signs, “then parents would want to look into the social dynamics with the friend more closely,” Graham said.
Talk about what it means to be a good friend.
Use this situation as an opportunity to have conversations about what healthy friendships look and feel like. Discuss important qualities like trust, respect and standing up for one another.
“Highlight the differences in how you feel in a healthy friendship – inspired, accepted, safe, encouraged, hopeful, versus the emotions that come from unhealthy, toxic relationships – feeling anxious, disrespected, put out, pressured to do things you don’t want to do, or like you’re constantly in competition with your friend,” McCready said.
Try to remember what it was like to be a kid yourself
It’s normal for kids and teens to go through different phases as they try to figure out who they are.
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“Many kids who may have seemingly off-putting personalities are going through a phase that many of us go through,” Graham said.
Consider this: When you were younger, perhaps you weren’t always the kind of kid your friends’ parents were thrilled about, either. Keeping that in mind “could help you to be more kind towards your kids’ friends,” Graham said.
Also, remember that your kids are growing up in a different time than you did.
“Often what was once considered unacceptable can change over time,” Graham added.
Keep things in perspective
Friends come in and out of our kids’ lives. Just because these two are buddy-buddy right now doesn’t mean they’re going to be inseparable forever (even if it feels that way).
“Understand that these may not be your child’s friends for life and statistically, they probably won’t be,” McCready said. “According to a study, only one percent of friendships formed in middle school are still going strong by the 12th grade.”
Agree to disagree
It’s a fact of life: you’re not going to like everyone your kid is friends with, and that’s OK. Sometimes an “agree to disagree” approach is the best thing for the health of your relationship with your child. (As McCready pointed out, trying to forbid the friendship could create a power struggle between you and your child — one that could push them away from you and closer to this friend.)
“There is a lot to be said for social relationships that allow a child to thrive and feel supported,” Graham said. “As long as the friend isn’t having a detrimental effect on your child, it may be best to accept that you may not always like your child’s choices, including their friendships.”
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And remember: Even not-great friendships can turn out to be positive learning experiences for your kid. For example, it may help them figure out which qualities they value in a friend or teach them how to set and hold boundaries.
“Friendships that are less-than-ideal aren’t necessarily a recipe for disaster or a path to trouble,” McCready said. “With your open mind and willingness to offer counsel, your kids will navigate friendships with the proper support.”
This is part of a HuffPost Parents series called Enjoy the Ride. Read more here.
People with Covid in Scotland no longer need to self-isolate
Public health advice has changed to a “stay at home” message for people who are unwell.
All 30 Guild Course Lessons Are Complete
Wow… what a journey the Guild course has been! We delivered the whole experience live April 1-30, in the form of a daily Zoom call – around 3 hours per day on average. It was such a beautiful and rewarding journey into connection, intimacy, social alignment, and more.
All 30 lessons were recorded, and they’re fully published now. We’re keeping the course available for anyone who wants to go through the recorded version. The live version included breakout rooms for group discussions, which aren’t included with the recordings, but I’d say the recorded versions are still around 60 hours of material. This is our longest course ever, equivalent to perhaps 5 back-to-back 3-day workshops.
We’re going to add two more bonuses to Guild in May, but for now I’m delighted that the core course is complete. It was a very memorable experience to be sure.
Access to the Guild course is included with a Conscious Growth Club membership as well, and there are just over 3 days left to join CGC for the upcoming Year 6. The deadline to decide is midnight Pacific time on May 3, 2022. Our next CGC opening after that won’t be till April 2023.
Guild Lesson Topics
Here’s the full list of topics we covered in Guild:
- Welcoming & Social Joy
- Your Social Why + Finding Matches
- Social Resistance
- Trust Wounds
- Boundaries
- Social Expansion
- Depth & Intimacy
- Deeper Depth
- Belongingness
- Invitations
- Social Time & Energy Management
- Social Gravity
- Social Realignment
- Social Leadership
- Social Visibility
- Rejection
- Conflict Resolution
- Masterminding
- Humor
- Romantic Connections
- Social Interfaces
- Inner Relationships
- Social Courage
- Flirting
- Managing Expectations
- Sex
- More Sex
- Awkwardness
- Receiving
- Transitions & New Beginnings
Truthfully we covered many more topics than are listed here. This is just the main list of core topics for each day of the course. Lots of ideas were shared organically and spontaneously as well since it was a very co-creative experience. Interestingly this list wasn’t created in advance. At the end of each day, we had a quick discussion about what to cover for the next lesson, so what we covered in the course was co-creatively chosen as well.
I’m delighted with how Guild turned out. It was a lot of work but definitely a labor of love. I think that many people who go through the recorded version in the years ahead will find it transformational. I almost can’t believe how much we packed into the experience. It was intense!
Some CGC members may be going through the Guild course again together during the upcoming CGC year, possibly soon, so if you join CGC by May 3rd, you may have the opportunity to do the course with a group as well. Otherwise the course can also work well as a solo experience. It’s packed with so many insights about how to create a more abundant and satisfying social life, it’s hard to imagine anyone not getting their money’s worth from it… probably many times over.
Moreover, there’s a lot of humor in the course, including a whole lesson on humor skills, so I think you’ll find it very entertaining as well. Most of that was unplanned… just a lot of spontaneous fun along the way.
I thought I might feel a bit tired or drained by the end of the course, but actually I feel pretty jazzed. I feel like some parts of my brain could use a nice rest while other parts are still amped up from the experience. The intimacy that people shared was a lot to take in, but it’s left me feeling a lot more connected to people. I’m also very grateful for how supportive and encouraging people were throughout the course, both of me and of each other. Bringing this to a close was bittersweet. It’s a great feeling to have crossed the finish line today, but part of me is also a bit sad that it’s over.
After this I’m really looking forward to flowing into CGC Year 6 and seeing what this new year in the club brings. Year 5 was such a good year that I feeling super optimistic about another year in CGC. It’s pretty obvious that we’re on the right path here and that we have something special that many people appreciate. I look forward to continuing to invest in more blogging, videos, courses, workshops, and community in the years ahead. It’s a joy to serve such wonderfully engaged people. 😀
CGC Q&A and “Meet the Members” Zoom Call on May 2nd
On Monday, May 2nd at 11am Pacific time, we’re hosting a free Q&A Zoom call to answer your questions about Conscious Growth Club. Some members may be on the call as well to share what it’s like inside.
You’ll find the details about the Q&A call in the News post about it, or register for the Q&A call here. If you’re thinking about joining us for Year 6 in CGC, I encourage you to attend the call.
I promise that the call won’t be salesy. We’re here to answer your questions and to help you figure out if you’re a match for CGC – because not everyone is.
Changing climate impacts biodiversity in protected areas globally
Protected areas — such as nature reserves, national parks, and wilderness areas — are essential to conserving biodiversity. New research published in Environmental Research Letters provides insights for developing climate-smart conservation strategies. The study looked at the global network of protected areas, evaluated potential for shifts in where plants and animals occur due to climate change, and as a result identifies the need for strategic conservation plans that transcend international borders and protect at-risk species.
“As the planet continues to warm, we expect a number of species to move out of some protected areas and into others as they shift their ranges in response to climate change,” says lead-author Sean Parks, a research ecologist with the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute.
The researchers found that some species currently in protected areas may have to cross international boundaries to find more suitable climate conditions. As they move, they may face physical barriers, such as border fences, and non-physical barriers, such as inconsistent conservation policies in different areas and countries.
Climate conditions are expected to change in over a quarter of the current land-based global network of protected areas under a scenario of 2°C warming. The study found that more than a third of protected lands could gain new climates. Understanding these shifts away from known to new climate conditions within protected areas helps the international conservation community forecast planning needs and make more strategic investment decisions for limited conservation funding.
“The Rocky Mountain Research Station is committed to addressing the threat of climate change, by providing research needed to support new strategies for stewarding protected areas and other wildlands within the United States and internationally,” says Jason Taylor, Director of the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute.
Story Source:
Materials provided by USDA Forest Service – Rocky Mountain Research Station. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
