Jeremy is the author of The Pursuit of Clarity - a book which documents his journey through different levels of awareness as he gave up the distractions and numbing habits of the Western World, and entered deep states of meditation. Jeremy is also a gardener, musician, poet, and artist. I first met Jeremy in 2018 while attending the New Warrior Training Adventure run by the ManKind Project in Western Australia. Jeremy was a facilitator and guided me through a particularly challenging experience at the workshop. I was intrigued by Jeremy's compassionate and grounded nature as he interacted with me and others even in demanding situations. In this episode, Jeremy and I talk about the practicalities and obstacles to experiencing states of oneness, how to tune into different frequencies of consciousness, the process of letting go of an undesired habit, and much more. Please enjoy this insightful and heartfelt talk with Jeremy Albertsen.

B is for Being

056: Jeremy Albertsen - Navigating the Obstacles to Oneness

Kemane Bâ (@kemaneba) is an artist, musician, and multi-talented being who is deep on the journey of self-discovery. Kemane has a passion for teaching art and removing the internal obstacles to allow creativity to flow. He lives off-grid in his self-built garden hut in Frankfurt, Germany and is the founder of the Konduktum – an online learning 'playground' for artists to learn and share from each other's artistic experiences while developing their technical skills. I first learned about Kemane through the marvellous Simon Höfer while I was living in Berlin. Simon told me of Kemane's various explorations into consciousness during dreams states and meditation, and also introduced me to his creative work. In each animation, painting, and song, I sensed Kemane's deep appreciation and curiosity for life. Kemane's art has frequently brought me to states of wondrous calm and has been a reminder for me to walk gently on my journey. It's now been four years that I've followed Kemane's work online and I've finally invited him to the podcast - and I'm very glad I did! In this long-form discussion, we dive deep into the origins of Kemane's journey, different approaches to self-growth, daytime lucidity, social media fasting, and much more. Please enjoy this nutritious discussion with the delightful Kemane Bâ.

055: Kemane Bâ – On Slow Growth, Self-Honesty, and Practices for Restoring Inner Harmony

Take a tour of the new home of B is for Being. We start this episode with a realisation which has brought more compassion to my creative process and removed the pressure from me to produce content on a hard deadline. Then, we take a tour of the new site of B is for Being. I guide you through each section of the site, including a brand new section dedicated to rest and reflection. If this is your first time on the site, this episode will provide a good overview of B is for Being. Hit play and let's dive in! The Realisation Which Brought Compassion to My Creative Process How I burned myself out and caused myself creative trauma. [01:22] The realisation which changed the way I look at creating. [02:53] Doubts! Others will lose interest if I don't release content on a regular schedule! [05:20] Trusting the people who are interested in what I'm saying, creating, making, will make the time to watch or listen. [06:20] Tour of B is for Being Version 2 Introduction to the new site. [07:30] Podcast - Conversations with friends, psychologists, and thought leaders on authentic expression and self-discovery. [08:07] Slow Video - Gentle videos for rest and reflection. (An essential part of my self-discovery process.) [08:50] Blog - An open journal of thoughts and observations as I uncover my authenticity. Including how I'm navigating the obstacles which come up along the way. [12:11] Selected Links from this Episode Slow Videos on B is for Being Slow Videos on YouTube

054: Welcome to B is for Being Version 2

I've been on an extended break from the podcast after burning myself out. I realised I was forcing myself to produce episode after episode from a place of fear instead of a genuine desire to create. I forced myself to keep producing episodes because I thought if I stopped, you might lose interest in what I’m doing and never come back. Sounds familiar, right? So in this episode, I explain what kept me in this fear as well as the new agreement I've made with myself to stop creating if I’m not having fun or being kind to myself. Also, did somebody say ‘new video series?’ Yes, yes they did! Tune-in to learn about the new series where I will be exploring the courage to express my creativity openly. (Note: Apologies for the clicking sound in this episode. I recorded this with my earbuds and the microphone was tapping against the zip of my jacket every time I moved :/)

053: Pausing the Podcast + The Courage to Create (new video series)

I've struggled with anxiety for the greater part of my life.It wasn't until I went through a particularly anxious period that I went on a search to find an 'off' button for my incessant anxious thinking.I discovered that by bringing my attention to the present moment the intensity of my anxiety began to lessen. Over time, by continuing to practice present moment awareness, I’ve experienced such a significant reduction in my anxious thinking that I often forget how much I was suffering previously.In this episode, I share how we can use the present moment to diminish the power of our anxiety and begin experiencing effective relief from our worrisome thoughts.Disclaimer: The technique outlined in this episode assumes that a low, to moderate level of anxiety is present. Practicing this technique may become difficult when experiencing high levels of anxiety.

052: The Most Effective Technique for Relieving Anxiety

A short episode outlining the benefits of recording the compliments we receive.After realising how much negative self-talk I was doing, I went searching for some ways to bring more positivity back into the picture.I didn’t expect that writing down the compliments I received would have such a great effect on my self-worth and provide me with a source of support during times of intense self-doubt.In this episode, I let you know why I started keeping a compliments journal and how it’s allowed me to receive the nice things people say about me, while simultaneously reducing my bias towards self-negativity.

051: Why I Started Keeping a Compliments Journal

I had my first performance review at work this week.After receiving feedback that I needed to improve in certain areas, I felt my self-worth drop. However, my supervisors weren't unhappy with me nor had they delivered an ultimatum that I either improve or lose my job.I left work with a big question: Why does our competency in certain areas of life dictate our level of self-worth? In this episode, I take a walk through the city and break down what was behind my feelings of worthlessness. I also share my thoughts on how particular parenting styles serve to connect a child's actions with their sense of worth, and how this connection can be broken by practicing self-acceptance.

050: Why Do I Feel Worthless When I’m Told I Need to Improve?

You might have realised by now, expressing myself authentically is pretty important.I’ve written about it many times on the site, yet I find myself drifting back into not speaking and writing from my current level of knowledge and understanding. I change how I write and speak to sound like I know more than you about the topics I share.In this episode, I explore the reasons why I stop sharing myself authentically with you, and how my inauthenticity always guides me back to being myself.

049: Why Do I Stop Sharing Myself Authentically with You?

I went to a workshop about overcoming fear.While I was there, I became highly critical and judgemental of a particular person who was sitting calmly, meditating, and sharing helpful techniques on how to overcome fear.What?!Why was I being so critical of a person who wasn’t doing anything to annoy me or make me feel uncomfortable?This episode is a live exploration of the feelings which came up during the workshop, and an attempt to explore the deeper roots of my critical judgements.

048: Why Am I So Critical of Others?

I remember when I started to do friendly things for myself consciously it felt a bit awkward. But when I began experiencing some big positive changes I knew I was doing something very right.The most significant change (which I didn't see coming) was being able to express myself more freely around other people. Instead of overthinking how to say what I wanted to say, I would just say it.I realised later this was happening because I wasn't as concerned about other people’s thoughts and ideas because I was providing myself with the validation and support that I needed when I needed it.Over the years I've continued exploring the different ways of being a self-friend, and in this episode, I share some of the most effective ways I've discovered for developing this friendship and the situations in which they can be used.I’ve also included some of the small yet powerful internal actions which I often overlooked when I first started this self-friendly exploration.

047: 6 Ways to Be a Friend to Yourself

I run a website about authenticity, so I should know what authenticity is, right?Well, I forgot.I had that feeling when you say a word out loud over and over again and you stop understanding the word’s meaning and begin to only hear the word's sounds.I used this episode to put everything out on the table and remind myself of what authenticity is (and also what authenticity is not.)In this episode, I answer three big questions:What defines authentic self-expression?How do we know when we're acting authentically?How do we uncover our own authenticity and bring more of it into our creativity and relationships?

046: What is Authenticity?

I'm about to start a new job and have decided to take a month off podcasting.I’m doing this so I can adjust to the new time and energy requirements of the job without placing additional stress on myself to create a podcast every week.So, I’m preparing four podcasts in advance so I can ensure there is always a new episode for you on Sunday no matter how crazy life becomes.I thought this was a brilliant idea, but my old friend procrastination began to telling me otherwise. I was completely blocked from producing these episodes.In this episode, I explore the cause of my procrastination and share some relieving perspective shifts which have helped me work through it and free me to do what I need to do.

045: A Live Exploration of Procrastination

Marc Thomas King is a family friend and actor living in Los Angeles.Every time I visit my American family on the East Coast I stop over in L.A., and we’ve had some great chats over the years.During my latest visit, he played an audio recording for me on his phone. It was a spontaneous free flow session where he allowed himself to express whatever he felt like at that moment.We keep in touch via Whatsapp, and I receive regular ‘audio sketches’ from Marc every week. They become more elaborate and entertaining as he continues to allow himself to express freely without filtering his creative impulses.I was intrigued by the raw creativity that was running through every sketch and wanted to know how Marc creates a safe space for himself to just express himself without being shut down by self-censoring or criticism.This is an extensive talk about creativity, the things which make it flow and connecting authentically in our interactions with others.

044: Safe Spaces for Your Creativity to Flow – A Talk with Marc Thomas King

I first heard about Joe from my housemate, Michael. He told me that Joe ran weekend workshops for healing trauma and helping people form a relationship with their emotions.I was curious and checked out Joe’s site. I went straight to the video section and began watching a video of Joe explaining the different types of anger. The content was fascinating, but the way he was speaking fascinated me even more.He was relaxed and spoke as if he were talking with a good friend. It didn’t feel like he was trying to sell me anything or talk me into his point of view. He was simply sharing what he knew about anger.I clicked on the ‘About’ section of his site and read, “[…] My approach is dedicated to equipping you with the awareness and the tools you need to remove the obstacles that are preventing you from being the person you wish to be.” After reading that, I knew I needed to have a talk with Joe.In this episode, we go to the heart of what’s stopping us from being us.A useful talk if you want to know what’s stopping you from being yourself, or you’re thinking about embarking on some of your own self-development work.Joe Douglas is a psychotherapist who helps people take responsibility for their lives and runs regular weekend workshops for people to understand and remove their emotional blocks so they can live a full and happy life as themselves.

043: What’s Stopping Us From Being Us? – A Talk with Joe Douglas

Constant worry and fear about the possibility of something terrible happening make it really difficult to take action on the things which matter to us.I've suffered from anxiety and many of my friends and family have as well, but what actually is it? Where does it come from? How can we find effective relief from it?I needed some answers.It just so happens, Neil Hughes knows a lot about anxiety. He’s the author of Walking On Custard: A Guide for Anxious Humans and regularly shares his experiences of managing anxiety on his blog, and more recently, his entertaining TED Talk: A New Plan for Anxious Feelings: Escape the Custard!Neil used to think of himself as a worrier but it wasn’t until his late-twenties he realised he was dealing with anxiety.In this talk, Neil shares how anxiety is different from genuine fear, why self-awareness is key to relieving anxiety, and the importance of talking with others and asking for help.

042: Dealing with Anxiety – A Talk with Neil Hughes

Uncovering Authentic Expression – Ben is on a quest to uncover his authenticity after spending most of his life blocked by crippling self-doubt and anxiety.

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B is for Being

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