018 - Celebrating One Year of Life with Purpose - Podcast Anniversary Episode 🎉

In this special solo episode, I’m celebrating one full year of the podcast - and reflecting on the standout moments, guests, and themes that have shaped the journey so far.

Join me as I share:

• Why I started the podcast (and who asked the key question that launched it!)
• The unexpected theme that’s emerged from every single episode
• My personal reflections on connection, self-honouring, and ripple effects
• Listener feedback that’s genuinely touched my heart
• How guest insights have changed the way I travel, interact, and show up

From migraines to birthdays, divorce to digital nomads, every conversation has brought something powerful. And at the heart of it all? Connection - to others, to nature, and most of all, to self.

So grab a sausage roll from the metaphorical buffet, settle in with a slice of birthday cake, and thank you for being part of this incredible year.

For more insights, tips, and guidance on living a meaningful life, visit Mel Harrowsmith Coaching. Ready to dive deeper? Reach out to book a session and start your journey towards purpose today.

Edited with finesse, transcribed and produced by Mike Roberts at Making Digital Real

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this very special episode of the Life With Purpose podcast. Today we are celebrating the first anniversary of this podcast, so I'd like to thank you for supporting these episodes and for joining me today for our Life With Purpose birthday party. And of course, I'd love to thank all of the wonderful guests who've been a part of the podcast over the last 12 months. 

And so I thank you for joining us too. So grab yourself a sausage roll from the buffet, take a slice of birthday cake and settle in as I reflect on the first year of the Life With Purpose podcast. So 12 months ago, I recorded my first set of episodes focusing on what purpose is, why it's important and how to find it. 

But prior to that, there was a whole set of discussions with my business mentor and podcast editor, Mike Roberts, from Making Digital Real. And I'd just like to pause here to raise a birthday toast to Mike, who has been fundamental to the success of this podcast. Through his encouragement and digital wizardry, we made these episodes happen. 

But it was Mike who, all those months ago, asked me a key question, which was basically, what is your vision for the podcast? And my answer was really simple, to make a difference. If one person takes away a new way of thinking or is inspired to investigate one of the topics in more detail, maybe read one of the books recommended or refer the episode to someone else who might find it interesting or helpful. That's what I wanted. 

So I was absolutely thrilled when I put a call out on socials to ask for feedback. And that's exactly what you told me. Thank you to those of you who got in touch to let me know what you think and to share your thoughts.

One listener told me that she'd referred her sister, who was struggling with the dating game, to the episode I recorded with Ima Draper, the straight-talking dating coach. And numerous listeners all found the episode on migraine freedom inspiring and said it gave them hope when they too have been struggling with migraine for years. So to hear how the episodes have been making a difference to you and your lives is just wonderful and it really warms my heart.

And what I really wanted to share with you today is my own personal reflection on the episodes, what I've learned and the key moments that have stayed with me from the variety of people I've met and had the absolute pleasure of speaking to. And that really links to why I decided to do a birthday review episode in the first place. So a few months ago, Tamar Howitz-Fleming was my guest and she came on the podcast to talk about her book, How to Have a Happy Birthday. 

Now, if you've listened to the episode, you may remember me saying I was a little sceptical about the need for a book to tell us how to celebrate birthdays. But by the end, I was an absolute convert. Tamar talked about the importance of honouring yourself, celebrating the birthday you want, not the birthday you think you should have, and making time to reflect on the previous year and maybe think ahead to the next. 

And after reading her book and speaking to Tamar, not only did I realise I needed to change my attitude to my own birthday, but I was also inspired to celebrate the anniversary of this podcast. If we should be honouring ourselves, why not honour other significant milestones too? So Tamar, thank you for your inspiring words and cheers. Although the spotlight of the episode with Tamar was birthdays, it was very clear that Tamar was also giving a strong message about honouring yourself. 

And this theme of connecting with self is one of my key takeaways from all the guests I've spoken to over the last 12 months. Now, when I choose guests for the podcast, I have some basic criteria. Do they have something interesting, important to say about living a life with purpose? Do I think you will find them interesting? And do I find them interesting? So if you were to ask me what assumptions I might have made before recording all the episodes, I think I would have said I would expect there to be common themes relating to what has led them all to their purpose. 

Maybe they've all experienced a major life event or a change in circumstances, recognising that they needed to follow a particular path. What I wouldn't have said 12 months ago is this. The common theme throughout all the episodes from the last 12 months and the biggest personal takeaway for me from all the episodes and guests is connection. 

Genuine, heartfelt connection. And that might be with other people, family, friends, colleagues, strangers even, through random acts of kindness. It might be with animals or nature. 

But for me, there stands out a connection with others and connection with yourself. My episode with Dr Adam Dorsey focused solely on this topic, as Adam talked about his book, Super Psyched, The Power of Connection, and why connection is so important to our health and well-being. I loved recording this episode with Adam. 

He was so much fun and I felt like I'd made a friend for life in just 90 minutes, and it was abundantly clear why his friends call him EnthusiAdam. Not only did I have a great time recording the episode, but he was talking about something that really resonated with me and made me reflect on the types and quality of connection I have with others, with nature, and even with what Adam described as something bigger than yourself, which for some is God and for me is a spiritual side and how the spiritual connects us all. What he talked about really made me think about the connections that were not serving me, the ones that weren't positive, that didn't leave me feeling energised and enthused. 

So I took some time to consider if these were connections that needed severing, was there something toxic going on that needed removing, or was it my attitude or behaviour that was causing the connection to be less than ideal? What blockers did I have in place that was stopping the connection from being much more positive? So let me give you a real example. So I travel quite a lot for work and sometimes I can be travelling for several days at a time just to get to my destination, and travelling and working away from home can be a lonely experience. In the past I've faced travel as something I have to endure to get to the meetings I'm going to, but after listening to Adam, I reconsidered this and wondered if travelling really is a lonely experience or was I choosing to make it lonely? So I decided to be open to conversations with strangers. 

Instead of burying my head in a book at the airport, I looked around, I smiled at the people near me, if of course they looked up long enough from their phones to make eye contact, and I ended up having a number of random chats with strangers. I spoke to an IT project manager who was heading out to work on a project in New Zealand for six months, I met a wonderful lady and her mum from California who were cattle ranchers and heading to Australia to tour around for a month, a group of four friends from Cardiff heading off on a two-month adventure through Asia and Australia, and all these conversations were genuinely interesting and uplifting. So even for the briefest of time I had a connection with these people that brought me interest, company and joy, and all because I'd changed my attitude before setting off on my travels, allowing myself to be open to connecting with strangers. 

One of the other big themes in Adam's work on connection is connecting with self, and this was also the topic of conversation with Jules Currida who came on to talk about her work and book on the innate self and how we can reconnect with our true self, our core being. And this theme of honouring ourselves and getting to know who we are was expressed by Ema Draper as a key to successful dating, by Lindsay Hall, the divorce and intimacy coach who helps people reconnect with themselves and learn how to live after disconnecting with a spouse. It was expressed by Rebecca Gill who shared her stories of living a digital nomad lifestyle, converting work with opportunity to be herself and connect with different cultures, and Angeline Hennessy-Thompson who came on to the podcast to talk about the six pillars of wellness and how we can apply them to make ourselves healthier and happier. 

But away from the podcast, a recurring theme I see is a reluctance from people to put themselves first, to honour who they are, put their needs at the forefront and invest in themselves. For some, the idea of this is absolutely abhorrent. Cultures and societies have taught us that putting ourselves first is somehow wrong, it's selfish and we're taught to feel guilt and shame for even thinking about ourselves and what we want. 

But if we don't put ourselves first, if we don't take the time to connect with who we really are, we suffer. You only have to look around at the society around us to see a whole host of unfulfilled, disillusioned, unhappy and lost people. And yes, there's a whole host of reasons and circumstances surrounding those feelings and yet for many at the core, they don't know who they are or they don't know how to allow themselves to be who they are. 

They're not living in alignment with who they truly are and they are suffering. What's more, if one person is suffering, then the people around them will be suffering in some way too. And conversely, if one person is happy and living in alignment with their true self, then the people around them are positively impacted by that happiness too. 

And that's not just me saying it, there is actual science to prove it. A study by Fowler and Christakis published in 2008 followed just over 4,700 people, their relationships with one another and levels of happiness over 20 years. They found that when a person becomes happy, a friend living within a mile has a 25% increased chance of becoming happy too.

Then the friend of the friend had a 10% increased chance of happiness and the friend of that friend had a 6% increased chance. So if you're happy, then those around you have an increased chance of happiness. That's not to say if you're thinking your happiness levels could go up a notch or two, then the motivation should be because it helps everyone else around you. 

Not at all. That way lies the people pleaser trap. Rather, that connecting with yourself, being true to who you are will have a profound effect on how you feel about yourself, your life and ultimately lead to greater happiness. 

And for those who need scientific proof, you now know there is scientific evidence to support the long known ripple effect of that positivity and happiness flowing out into society around you. And when I spoke to Dr. Kevin Wissman about TAMI Migraine, a positive mindset and being surrounded by a supportive, positive environment were key aspects of migraine success too, along with developing the connection to self. It wasn't explicitly stated as such, but from speaking to Kevin and having gone through the migraine programme myself, I know what a huge part identifying and connecting to aspects of myself that I haven't spoken to for a while has played in my migraine recovery. 

So yet again, this episode also emphasised the importance of connection to self and to others to provide support and encouragement. Now, just a few moments ago, I mentioned the ripple effect of positivity and my episode with Pato, more formally known as Andrew Patterson, was an absolute masterclass in the ripple effect of positivity. Pato, a former international cricketer and teacher, received a life-changing diagnosis that has left his mobility severely restricted and the prospect of life bound to a wheelchair. 

Pato talked about great levels of resilience connecting to his core being and his family to find the motivation and strength to recover from major surgery and gain some of his former mobility and independence. Now a motivational speaker, Pato is the epitome of turning adversity into opportunity and recognising that identity is not what you do, it's who you are. So if positive, genuine connection really is at the heart of the matter, I started wondering what might happen if we all took the time to connect with our true self, with our innate self. 

Imagine the increase in happiness, contentment and fulfilment, not only for yourself but for those around you and see it ripple out through the society and community around you. And what would be the implications of that for the big issues we are facing in the world today? If as individuals we are true to ourselves, think about what we could achieve collectively to solve some of the biggest challenges facing us as we observe a mental health crisis, climate crisis and political crisis. So as my final thought, I ask you, what could you achieve alongside your loved ones, your colleagues, your community, your society and as a global community if you first took some time to truly connect with you? And so my lovely listeners that brings me to the end of this episode of the Life with Purpose podcast. 

Thank you so much for listening to this episode and previous episodes and for joining me as I celebrate and reflect on the last 12 months. Maybe you have been inspired to reflect too or even motivated to live life with a little more fulfilment and joy and maybe a little more purpose.