A Time for More Independent Thinking

February 2024: Inspiration, Resources and News

"The greatest thing I have ever done for myself is to learn how to think for myself. I began to do that at an early age but it’s really difficult to do that when there are things all around you telling you what to think. Capitalism is seductive. It limits your imagination and then tells you that you should feel free because you have choices, but your choices are limited to the products they put before you or to the limits of your now limited imagination."

Benjamin Zephaniah 1958-2023

Welcome! In this edition

• Sharpen Your Critical Thinking
• Finding Meaning, Purpose, Clarity & Agency - an Active Hope Workshop
• What Would Nature Say?
• The Thinking Partnership Programme
• Pick of the Podcasts
• Holding the Hope - Online Conference - 8 March 2024
• The Climate Majority Project
• People, Planet, Pint in Chipping Norton

Snowdrops Photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok on Unsplash

Sharpen Your Critical Thinking

In a recent Thinking Environment course the subject of "Critical Thinking” came up. It's the ability to question, analyse, reflect, assess information, and reach sound decisions, rather than take things at face value.

Several in the group realised they mostly use these skills and tools when challenging others' thinking, yet rarely use them to challenge themselves. Lightbulb moment!

We're flooded with information every day, including misinformation, fake news and AI, so I think it’s more important than ever that we cultivate our capacity to think for ourselves – and provide conditions for others to do the same.

This 5 minute BBC video offers 5 ways to sharpen your Critical Thinking skills.

Just click on the image to watch. I've been consciously applying these every day for a week and found it very helpful. If you do the same, I'd love to hear how you get on.

Finding Meaning, Purpose, Clarity and Agency - an Active Hope experience in North Cotswolds/South Midlands - 26 April 2024

Do you want to rebuild your motivation, rediscover your creativity, wisdom and courage, and make a shift from feeling isolated and confused to a fuller sense of participation and purpose in this tumultuous world?

Based on the "Work that Reconnects" and "Active Hope", the lifetime work of Joanna Macy, this 1 day small group experience offers you the opportunity to connect with your deeper self, with others, and with nature, and to explore how you can play a meaningful part in the transformation of our world. There are just 6 places.

"If you are looking for a way to develop or find some new meaning in your world, for 2024, I can recommend this as an antidote to despair and cynicism. It is a lovely, meaningful way to reflect with a few like minded people and take stock. Linda is an experienced facilitator and coach with the knack of leading you to discover new ideas and insights for a changing world." PJ

Come and experience deep reconnection



What Would Nature Say?

Back in 2022 the Directors of Faith in Nature asked themselves "How might business change if nature had a voice and a vote?" And their answer was to give "Nature" a seat on the Board!

It's easy to dismiss this as "greenwashing" but what if it inspires others to do the same?

What about yours?

Perhaps not as formally as Faith in Nature has done, but what if your thinking and every decision you made included how it impact the rest of nature, the wellbeing of all of life, and future beings?

Like to give this a go? To ask yourself or your team, before you make that decision:



"What would nature say?"

Thinking Partnership Course: North Cotswolds /South Midlands

Would you like to learn how to create simple yet amazing conditions for people’s thinking to truly flourish? Including your own?

Then come along to my next in-person Thinking Partnership course in the beautiful North Cotswolds / South Midlands area (CV36). We'll have two days in person on 15 & 16 May 2024, with a third day on Zoom on 17 June.

As faculty of Nancy Kline's "Time to Think" college, I've been teaching this deeply inspirational approach for many years. It will develop your skills, stillness and presence in listening to ignite, helping people to generate their own best thinking. And it’s highly likely that you’ll make significant breakthroughs in your own life by experiencing what it’s like to truly think for yourself.

There's lots of opportunity to connect, listen, reflect, share and gain new insights into how our minds can breakthrough - even when we think we're stuck.

Stillness nurtures movement in your thinking

Pick of the Podcasts

I usually share podcasts by or featuring other people; this time here is one with me

"It's all Mental"

This podcast series (on audio and You Tube) is from the not-for-profit organisation Everyturn Mental Health.

In this episode I talk with Kate Parkins, Head of Marketing and Comms, about climate anxiety - what it is, how it can feel, how to manage how you're feeling, and how to have compassionate conversations with others on the topic of climate change.

Holding the Hope Online Conference - 8 March 2024

At the online launch of our best-selling book "Holding the hope - reviving psychological & spiritual agency in the face of climate change" in Spring 2023 we were joined by over 250 people.

By popular request, we're holding a second event! Drawing on contributions to the book, PCCS Books, in association with Onlinevents, this online conference is for counsellors, coaches, psychotherapists, psychologists and others concerned about how we support our clients’ resilience in the face of climate crisis.

With Bayo Akomolafe, Mahmood Ahmad, Farah Ali, Roger Duncan, Hetty Einzig, Fred Ehresmann, Caroline Hickman, Chris Johnstone, Elouise Mayall, Jo McAndrews, Andy Miller, Matthew Painton, Robin Shohet, Maggie Turp and me.

"Politics has been seen as something done to us, but many of the authors in this book stress that health and healing can come from getting together with others to make politics what you do. Hope flowers in an act of guerrilla gardening, in the supporting of a vulnerable community member. It is not wishful thinking but mindful acting.

Natalie Bennett, former Green Party leader, now House of Lords member & author of Change Everything: How We Can Rethink, Repair and Rebuild Society

Join us for a day of workshops, talks and connections;

low cost places available



The Climate Majority Project

The Climate Majority Project aims to help a majority of people in the UK who care about climate change to understand that they are powerful together, and take meaningful action, relevant to themselves and their communities. As well as ‘practical’ action, it advocates the importance of cultures of support, political inclusivity and resilience: to help us face the trouble we’re in together.

I was pleased to be invited to be one of the speakers at the CMP's online gathering on the 5th of February, attended by over 300 people, for their Climate Distress Campaign calling for better access to resources and support to properly address the growing levels of climate distress we're seeing – starting in the classroom.



Representing the Climate Psychology Alliance, I spoke about how understanding some of the unconscious mental processes - aka defences - that can block engagement in climate change can help us to communicate well and be compassionate towards others when, for example, they seemingly "don't care", or avoid the subject, dismiss concerns, or want to get into an argument.

Want to join in the conversation?

People, Planet, Pint

People, Planet, Pint is a growing, informal free to join community bringing sustainability minded businesses and people together over a drink once a month.

In December 2023 we held our own alternative to COP28: "COPPP28: Congress of the People Planet Pints" event in Chipping Norton (OX7).

70 people came along to hear and share inspiring sustainability work and projects, generating lots of great conversations, and many new connections. Thanks to our generous sponsor EcoSunPower.

Started and sponsored by Small 99 there are now around 100 groups across the world The 1st 33 arrivals get a free drink sponsored by Krystal Web Hosting. And some locations also run a People, Planet, Pastry for daytime meetings.

Chipping Norton People, Planet, Pint meets on the first Thursday of every month - our next one is Thursday 7th March - come along anytime between 6 and 9 pm.

Join us in Chippy or find a PPP near you

Like a Time to Talk With Me?

If you would like to talk about anything you've read here, or how I could help you, your team or your organisation, then please get in touch.

I send out 2-4 of these a year; I hope you find them useful. If you don't please unsubscribe below.

 NB We've recently merged our subscription lists - if you previously unsubscribed and have been added back in error, please accept my apologies.