the tortoise & the hare

Latest Episodes:

Does slow living have a branding problem? With James Wallman - The Slow Home Summer Series Jan 25, 2017

Show notes

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF THE PAST TWO YEARS.

James Wallman is an ex-adman and trend forecaster - which doesn’t necessarily sound like Brooke’s typical guest - but when you learn he is also the author of Stuffocation and the person who coined the phrase ‘experientialism’ it starts to make a lot of sense.

Brooke and James talk about minimalism’s branding issue and why he thinks that experientialism is the way to make a life of less stuff more appealing to the mainstream. They also look at the overwhelming number of choices we all face each day and why experiences will almost always trump stuff.

James also had some ridiculously straightforward advice for Brooke when she admits she sometimes feels so defeated by the rampant consumerism happening across the globe.

Such a thought-provoking conversation, sure to raise as many questions as it answers. Enjoy!

Head over to the blog for a full list of links and books mentioned in today's show.

Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

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Happiness and habits with Gretchen Rubin - The Slow Home Summer Series Jan 18, 2017

Show notes

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF THE PAST TWO YEARS.

In this super enlightening episode, Brooke chats with Gretchen Rubin, the New York Times best-selling author of Better Than Before, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home.

This show starts out as any other - a regular conversation - in this instance, about happiness and habits and the changes Gretchen is most proud of in her own life. But somewhere around the middle it shifts into something different… A personalised habits counselling session, as Gretchen digs into why Brooke is inclined to take on too many projects and burn out in a big way.

They also discuss the Four Tendencies of Habits, and why that means Brooke is less likely to do a morning yoga class by herself, but more likely to turn up if Ben joins her.

This is such a fun conversation with plenty of insight into why we do and do not find making changes easy. And for anyone looking to make a shift towards a slower, simpler life, there are plenty of tips and tricks from Gretchen to help you make those changes as seamlessly as possible.

Head over to the blog for links to everything discussed in today's episode.

Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unsubscribe from the rat race with Paul Jarvis - The Slow Home Summer Series Jan 11, 2017

Show notes

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF 2016.

Brooke is a long-time reader of Paul Jarvis’ Sunday Dispatches and long-time listener of his Invisible Office Hours podcast, so she was super delighted to sit and chat with him about simplicity, writing our wills, Netflix and priorities.

They also spend quite a bit of time talking about the importance of being our true self online, and the BIG difference between that and sharing things we haven’t actually processed yet. Paul has written a lot about comparison and the myth that everyone else is living more interesting, photogenic lives that us, so we dive in to that too.

Paul also talks about his lack of routine, why busy-ness is a crutch we lean on to avoid feeling our feelings, and what his most recent purchase was.

For notes and links to everything mentioned in today's episode, head over to the blog.

Enjoy!

Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How slow living can save you… in a zombie apocalypse - The Slow Home Summer Series Jan 04, 2017

Show notes

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF 2016.

In Episode 108 Brooke and Ben answered some excellent listener questions about birthday presents, advice for their 20-year-old selves, and how they manage to balance home duties while also working from home. But the question that got the most feedback was one about zombies.

As big fans of The Walking Dead and other zombie/apocalyptic TV and movies, Brooke and Ben had a lot of fun briefly discussing their chances of survival in a post-apocalyptic zombie world, as well as establishing which weapons they’d be most likely to pick up if the undead came for them.

But it also got them thinking about the different ways slow living could actually impact your ability to survive (and perhaps even thrive?) in the apocalypse, and in a discussion over on Facebook earlier this week, a lot of people weighed in on the question: “What is it about slow living that would prepare you for a zombie apocalypse?”

So here it is - a possibly-slightly-ridiculous but-very-well-researched episode that addresses the incredibly serious issue of how slow living could save your life if ever you find yourself living through a zombie apocalypse.

Enjoy!

For links to movies and TV shows mentioned in today’s episode head over to the blog.

Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to Live a Good Life with Jonathan Fields - The Slow Home Summer Series Dec 28, 2016

Show notes

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF 2016.

In today's episode, Brooke sits down with Jonathan Fields - founder and host of The Good Life Project, author, father, life-long learner and all-round wonderful human.

Brooke and Jonathan talk about what it means to live a good life, why the power of choice is a game-changer in how we choose to spend our days, and the hugely traumatic event that led Jonathan to question his definition of 'a good life'.

They also chat about the delicious irony of advocating a slower, simpler way of life when in the midst of a busy season (Jonathan is in the midst of launching his new book and all the work that entails) but also why it's not necessarily a bad thing to experience the busy-ness some times.

Jonathan explains the difference between mindful living and practicing mindfulness, and has some incredibly practical tips on using technology to live more intentionally - flipping on its head the idea that technology is only good for distraction and faux-connection.

Such a wide-ranging and beautiful conversation, that is certain to leave you feeling inspired and motivated to continue the quest for your own version of a 'good life'.

Head over to the blog for links to Jonathan's manifesto, his new book and The Good Life Project, as well as links to A Simple Year registration.

Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Long-Lost Hobbit Poem Revealed! Dec 25, 2016

Show notes

For years people would ask Brooke what her biggest decluttering regret was and she never had a good answer because she genuinely couldn’t think of anything that she missed.
That was, until the day she realised her beloved Hobbit poem (a reimagining of Tolkien’s epic tale that Brooke wrote as an 11-year-old and was ridiculously, if somewhat unfoundedly proud of) had been accidentally decluttered. Not a big deal, sure. But at least it gave her an interesting story to tell people when the inevitable question arose.

A few weeks ago, as she was looking for some paperwork, she found her poem tucked in a folder of academic transcripts. As an end of year treat (for Brooke and Ben, anyway!) and as a thank you to this amazing community of Slow Home listeners and readers, here is a live Boxing Day reading of this previously lost masterpiece.

Happy Holidays!

Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Holiday Hostful Dec 21, 2016

Show notes

In today’s poggie, a special ‘year in review’ kind of hostful, Brooke and Ben talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of 2016. They look at the Slow Home Experiments - which ones have stuck, which ones have fallen by the wayside - and which ones they’ve learnt the most from.

They also talk more about the year that was, their personal highlights, the biggest challenges they faced and the toughest lessons they each learnt, as well as the things they’ll be doing more and less of in the year ahead. Inspired by Kelly Exeter, both Brooke and Ben have decided on guiding words for the year ahead and they reveal what they are (and why) in this episode as well.

They wrap up with some talk about the poggie in 2017 - they’re taking a break from today through to early February, but will be hosting a Summer Series every Thursday to give you a chance to revisit some of their favourite episodes of the past two years. There’s also a special, silly treat for you next Monday, so be sure to check it out.

From Brooke and Ben: We just want to say an enormous thank you to everyone who has listened, shared, reviewed, laughed at, or enjoyed one of our shows this year. We wouldn’t be anything without the amazing people who listen, ask questions or appear as guests and we want you to know just how much we love and appreciate you all.

Knowledge Nugs for all these holidays!

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

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Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slow December #3 Dec 18, 2016

Show notes

This is the final Slow Home Experiment episode of 2016 (next Monday is Boxing Day and there’s something a little special planned for you!) and Ben and Brooke take the opportunity to wrap up their Slow December experiment.

They’ve taken December super easy by adding little pockets of peace and slow to their days and in today’s episode they talk about the different things they’ve tried this week, and the slowing down techniques they’ve got in mind for the last working week of 2016.

Brooke talks about yin yoga (a slower type yoga where you hold poses for up to three minutes, and focus on softening in to the pose, rather than moving quickly in to another) and finding something beautiful to focus on every day. Her and Ben also talk about the parallel idea of softening in to stress and problems, as opposed to meeting them with resistance and tension, which has been really helpful over the past few days as they’ve put in a lot of hours in the hope of taking a full break over January.

Ben talks about his efforts to say no more this month, and how it’s been more difficult but also more rewarding than he thought it would be, and why this is going to be a focus for both he and Brooke in 2017.

Enjoy!

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting Off The Wheel with Caro Ryan Dec 14, 2016

Show notes

In today’s episode - the last non-hostful conversation of the year - Brooke has the pleasure of chatting with Caro Ryan, whose story is an amazing reminder that there is always choice and always another way, we just need to be ready to see it.

Having recently moved from a hectic, fast-paced life in Sydney to a much more intentionally paced life in the Blue Mountains, Caro talks about the catalyst for change and why getting her hands dirty and growing some veggies was one of the most important changes she’s ever made.

Caro and Brooke also talk about the challenges she’s faced as she decided to make the move to the mountains, as well as the benefits and confidence that have come from becoming part of a new community.

The second part of the conversation is centred on Caro’s big passion of bushwalking, and her and Brooke talk at length about learning to love and treasure something (in this case, nature) by spending time immersed in it. As an avid multi-day hiker Caro also talks about the mental health benefits of bushwalking and why one of her favourite things to do is go off-trail and walk in silence.

Head over to the blog for links to Caro's websites and social media profiles, and enjoy this inspiring, uplifting episode.

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slow December #2 (or is that #1?) Dec 11, 2016

Show notes

After the slightly hectic end to November, Ben and Brooke decided to make their final Slow Home Experiment of the year a simple one - to make time for slow every day. They probably took the theme a litte too far last week when they completely forgot to record a Monday episode, but the experiment remains nonetheless!

Today they look at the different ways they've uncovered pockets of slow (most) days, and the impact it's been having on their December - a typically busy month. Ben talks through the successes and failures he's felt, and Brooke gives a list of the strategies she's been using.

Head over to the blog for a list of suggestions for finding moments of slow in the busy season of the holidays, and in the meantime, enjoy your week!

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2 or head over to the Patreon page http://www.patreon.com/slow to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

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Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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