In this conversation, Claire Fitzsimmons and Emma Simpson explore the profound question of 'What's the worst that can happen?' as a guiding principle in life. Emma shares her journey of transforming fear into adventure, resilience through grief, and the balance between safety and freedom in parenting. They discuss the importance of emotional energy in nurturing friendships and the challenges of making connections as adults. The conversation emphasizes the value of community, the courage to embrace change, and the necessity of facing life's uncertainties with a positive mindset.

Takeaways

• The phrase 'What's the worst that can happen?' can shift from fear to adventure.
• Resilience is built through experiences of grief and loss.
• Emotional energy is crucial in nurturing relationships and friendships.
• Finding a balance between safety and freedom is essential in parenting.
• Embracing change can lead to fulfilling new paths in life.
• Community and connection are vital for overcoming loneliness.
• It's important to invest in friendships and seek nurturing connections.
• Life's challenges can be faced with a positive mindset and adaptability.
• The journey of personal growth often involves taking risks.
• Emotional energy can be replenished through creative expression and meaningful interactions.

Chapters

01:02 The Power of 'What's the Worst That Can Happen?'

02:35 Evolution of a Mindset: From Fear to Adventure

05:43 Resilience Through Grief and Loss

08:33 Balancing Safety and Freedom in Parenting

11:22 Embracing Life's Waves: Adapt and Overcome

14:27 Taking Risks: A New Chapter in Life

17:26 Facing Fear and Embracing Change

19:48 The Emotional Energy Exchange

24:36 Nurturing Friendships and Connections

28:54 Overcoming Loneliness and Finding Community

About Emma Simpson

Emma Simpson is an award-winning debut author, wild swimmer and tea sommelier. Having spent a couple of decades being distracted by a career in air traffic control, and experiencing two life-wrenching events, Emma rediscovered her pen and her passion for storytelling at the same time as discovering how transformational cold-water swimming was for her health, wellbeing, and sense of connection with the world. Her book, Breaking Waves, is now available to order.

Emma lives in the South of England with her fire-fighter husband, teenage daughters and a sixty-year-old tortoise and is currently writing her second book on tea: stories of tea and how we translate our own heritage, rituals and cultures in ways other than words.

Buy Breaking Waves

Substack @emmasimpsonauthor

Instagram @emmasimpsonauthor

About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps people navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives. Claire writes on Substack about all things wellbeing at MoreGoodDays.

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