Stories and Stanza

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Stories and Stanza. This is episode 3 of the Fail with Me series. In a world where success is celebrated, and failure is often whispered about in hushed tones, "Fail with Me" flips the script. Here, we shed light on the shadows of defeat, recognizing them as fertile ground where seeds of growth are sown.
Please join me in welcoming Sarah Zink as a guest speaker. Sarah is a retired consultant and behaviourist living in Central America in the beautiful mountains of Boquete, Panama. She is passionate about emotional intelligence and mindful living. Sarah has authored several books, hosted radio and TV shows, and built and sold several businesses.
Today, we are discussing the feeling wheel created by Gloria Wilcox: “You cannot heal what you cannot feel”.
You can download the feeling wheel here. 
In relation to failure, we explore what failure truly is and link it with emotional intelligence in a supportive space to embrace the messy, imperfect, and ultimately enriching process of failure.

Welcome to the latest episode of 'Stories and Stanza.' Today, I want to discuss a problem that has troubled me for a long time — anger. 
I recently attended a somatic workshop by Eva Angvert that helped me understand this better. Anger is a defence mechanism activated through triggers. It can be a natural human emotion that signals something is wrong, unfair, or threatening. However, social and emotional threats can trigger anger in modern life despite no material danger. It's time to unpack anger, to control our emotions and not let them control us. I hope this episode helps you better understand anger and how it can affect your life. It is possible to rewire our brain, and our healing journey starts here.
I will leave Eva's coordinates here for anyone wanting to know more about it. 

Hey everyone, welcome back to 'Stories and Stanza', a podcast that explores poetry and the stories behind them. On today's episode, we will share a powerful poem that reflects on the cultural footprint of time and the lasting impact of our actions on the environment.
History has always fascinated me, and today's story is about the often-overlooked role of Australia's first cameleers. These skilled camel handlers, many from regions like Baloch and Sindh, were crucial in building infrastructure across the harsh outback in the 1860s. But what happened to them? We'll explore the challenges they faced and the surprising bond they formed with Indigenous Australians. We'll also discuss the legacy of these cameleers - the feral camel population that now thrives in Australia, and the environmental issues it presents.
Much like the one about rabbits in Australia, this story highlights the unintended consequences of introduced species. To wrap it up, I'll share a touching poem titled "Our Footprints Remain" by Elyas Alavi.

"For a long time, I had thought that because of my lack of presence, this story would not be worthy - and for many, it still might not be. But perhaps for the few in this world who, like me, have also been chosen to carry this burden, they will, if nothing else, find comfort knowing they are not alone. Though most names and characters of my recount have been changed, the story I share is real. The voice that tells this story is real. It has been real not only for me but for my closest family and friends, who have watched helplessly on the sidelines. It certainly has been real for many others who have been struggling to find their sense of self in the face of this cruel fate.
Call this whatever you deem fit – a memoir, personal essay, a work of nonfiction, or a blend of everything in between. There will be things unresolved and events likely remembered wrong. But in the end, labels, and categories aside, this is a recount of just one person’s journey. It is the retelling of my story, a long-awaited attempt to pick up the scattered pieces of whatever that has been left in a tattered memory bank in hopes that there is still a future for me to live in."
Please joining me in welcoming Natasha Chai, a public servant working in Learning and Development from Canada, and listen to her inspiring journey from experiencing a life-threatening migraine attack to finding therapy and solace in writing. This episode of Stories and Stanza takes you along Natasha's path of numerous health trials and triumphs, unveiling her strength and resilience expressed through her stories. Natasha shares her journey of dealing with hemiplegic migraines and relearning life skills narrated in her memoir aiming to spread awareness about the condition. Discover how writing evolved to be her sanctuary, offering her a medium to articulate her emotions and reclaim the control lost due to her health conditions.
Natasha relives her fond memories of her mother fostering her love for writing and the creation of her first children's book, 'The Little Lost Cat'. You'll hear about her journey from winning her first Golden Pen Award to being recognized as one of the youngest writers by her local newspaper. Explore her unique, unstructured writing process and her views on the essence of writing deriving from personal satisfaction and not merely monetary goals. Be inspired by her story of balancing her professional life with her passion for writing, battling writer's block, and the lovely coincidence of her son sharing the same name with her book's protagonist.
Dive deep into the notion of self-promotion and the role it plays in the journey of modern authors, especially for those who identify as introverts. Natasha discusses the importance of writing as a tool for mental health, providing a snippet from her memoir exemplifying the transformative power of words. Moving away from the competitive aspect of writing, Natasha shares her belief in the benefit of collaboration among writers. Find encouragement in her advice for budding writers on the joy of writing for oneself and the importance of relishing the journey more than the outcome. Immerse yourself in this intimate dialogue with Natasha, where writing, resilience, and recovery walk hand in hand.

Please join me in welcoming Stephen Gyde to the show today. Stephen is 44 years old and lives in London where he works in the corporate business sector. He is a passionate advocate for equality and enjoys writing. His interests include sports and the arts. He is a keen runner and plays golf. Stephen's love for writing began after his father read him The Hobbit.
During our conversation, we will discuss Stephen's creative journey, his struggles with Dyslexia, his inspiration from grief, his impromptu writing, and his learning path to becoming a writer. I hope you enjoy listening to our discussion.

Please join me in welcoming Sarah Zink to the show today. In a series of episodes, titled Fail with me, we will navigate many aspects of failure and healing. 
Sarah is a retired consultant and behaviourist living in Central America in the beautiful mountains of Boquete, Panama. She is passionate about emotional intelligence and mindful living. Sarah has authored several books, hosted radio and TV shows, and built and sold several businesses. An avid learner of all things spiritual, she spent an entire year studying the nature of forgiveness and has developed a theory on how everyone can learn to forgive and move forward. It is essential to know that Sarah doesn’t just *theorize* about the power of changing your life; she has lived it. She grew up in an impoverished home and was the victim of both sexual abuse as a child and domestic abuse as an adult. She has known grief, loss, and despair. And yet – she prevailed to live a full and passionate life.
Thank you. I hope you enjoyed the episode. See you in the next one. 
 

The episode is named after a poem, in my last book - "Language of Water" 
In the creative world, a lot of pepole go through a period of void - from fear of failure to perfectionism and everything in between. This episode tackles the dreaded writer's block, that nemesis of storytellers everywhere.
Is life a constant state of "waiting?" In this episode, we unpack the pressure to be perpetually happy and explore a different perspective. 
As usual, the episode includes a poem. 

Welcome to a new episode of Stories and Stanza - where we will discuss the writing process. I welcome our guest, Steven Ross.
Steven Ross is a Canadian Author and Poet from outside the Nation’s Capital. A weaver of dark words with a penchant for penning tales both visceral and disturbing, you will often find him lurking in the bloodstained shadows of the horror genre. Never one to be satisfied with being cast in a single mould, he also enjoys writing poetry focused on all aspects of life: from pain, loss and suffering to tales of romance and erotic desire to good old-fashioned humour. So come, gentle reader, he has something behind the curtain just for you. But a word of caution: it may have teeth… or bite.
Website 
Amazon  
X/Twitter  
Tiktok  
Facebook
Goodreads