Honest 🗞️ Slow News Day #24

Hey,

Remember last week? I told you I was on my way up to Bristol to attend a Radical Honesty workshop over the weekend.

Well, I did it. I did it and I’m struggling to find the words to explain it.

I’ve never, in my entire life, done something so challenging. Nor have I done something so rewarding.

I’ve had people look into my eyes, crying, and tell me they resent me. I’ve had people share their innermost worries and fears with me, showing bravery I could never have imagined. And I’ve done the same back to them.

I never realised how much of my life and reality are just stories that I’ve made up. I feel things in my body, notice them and react, and spin stories out of them. Having the space to scrap those stories, get in touch with my body and its sensations, and report my truth and my reactions and my judgements and all the rest of it was revolutionary.

Radical comes from the Latin 'radix', meaning 'root'. As I experienced it last weekend, Radical Honesty isn't about going wild and saying whatever the fuck I want. Instead, it's about going bravely into noticing and reporting my own experience... and the stories I create as a result of that experience. It's about being truthful with myself, so I can be truthful with others.

There’s no way I can do the experience justice in an email. All I can say is this:

• If you’ve ever felt like you hold things back from people because you’re afraid of how it might affect them (or make you look), check out Radical Honesty.

• If you’ve ever imagined that you can’t be yourself around others, check out Radical Honesty.

• If you’ve ever wanted to feel more at peace, check out Radical Honesty.

And if you’ve ever got any questions about it, please hit reply and ask me.

Slow down guide

Need a little help moving slower?

Ease your way out of Friday afternoon with this newsletter, a nice cup of something, and a little background music. Steal my setup if you aren't sure where to start.

After I press send, I’m giving Full Court Press’ Midnight Flyer a whirl in the Clever Dripper. When I bought these beans, the guy behind the counter showed me a photo of the farmers holding a couple of bags of the finished roast. Direct trade means you can literally see the smile on the grower’s face sometimes. How sick is that?

I realised I forgot to share a song to go with last week’s coffee. Nobody’s perfect, eh? This week, to get you through the chilly temperatures and the Christmas rush, see if Bad Nerves’ Can’t Be Mine can give you a boost of energy. They describe themselves as ‘the bastard child of a Ramones/Strokes one night stand’, if that helps you picture what you’re getting into. A+ energy, A+ song.

Take it easy,