The Resilience Files: Human Stories of Struggle an

This episode - ‘How to find resilience and healing in times of tragedy and uncertainty’ - will veer from our usual format on The Resilience Files. Today I will not be conducting the interview - but instead, will be the interviewee.  Andrew Morris - friend, advisor and supporter of both Resilimy and iheart, will be the one asking the questions.   Business leader, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author, Andrew has an incredibly rich and accomplished professional and personal history. He was a leading figure in the media and events industry for over 30 years, and launched the innovative Business Design Centre in Islington in London which became the most successful boutique venue in the UK. His impressive CV includes leading the management buy-in of Earls Court & Olympia, followed by CEO of the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, one of the largest events venues in Europe, where he transformed the culture from ‘council’ to ‘commercial’. He is also the former owner and CEO of the Academy for Chief Executives, is the Chairman of a highly impactful charity and a published author of two books.  I have been interviewed by Andrew once before in a different context. So I know that he will ask tough questions, though will no doubt be fair and considered in doing so.  The subject matter of this episode  is both sensitive and highly relevant in light of recent events in Israel and Gaza, and the impact it is having on us here in the UK and around the world. Many of us feel confused and overwhelmed by the scale of human loss and suffering that we have witnessed. It has touched  a raw place in most of us. How do we feel hope amidst so much pain and loss?  When we come across the worst and best of humanity, it can be difficult to locate a North Star, an anchor. But we need that anchor if we are to progress through this. Not only to get through it, but to emerge as better people.  I don’t have all the answers. And some of my answers will no doubt feel inadequate. But I, like so many of us, am learning from and during this time. I’m sharing the little I know and hoping that together we can become more aware of the light and fortitude within us, and at the same time, more willing to challenge the darkness and confusion that threatens to obscure it.  I hope you find this meaningful and helpful at such a challenging time for so many.

We have all been stunned, in light of the recent tragic events in Israel, by the barbaric brutality and extreme lack of humanity displayed by the Hamas terrorists. As our minds grapple to try to make sense of actions that are beyond human comprehension, it seems as if we have no words. Yet words are important to attempt to integrate what happened - and is still happening. Trauma is often a response to pushing away events as a protective mechanism, rather than integrating. We will address this in our discussion today.  This podcast was quickly and spontaneously arranged as a way to begin to psychologically and spiritually anchor ourselves in this confusing and uncertain moment; to attempt to uncover our own resilience, even as we hurt deeply. And we thought the perfect person to have this dialogue with is Rabbi Yaakov Klein. Though young, he is wise beyond his years.  Rabbi  Klein is an author, musician, and lecturer devoted to sharing the inner light of Torah and chassidic wisdom through his books, music and lectures. Along with his wife Shira and their two beautiful children, Yaakov moved to the UK to join Jewish Futures as the founding director of Eilecha, a new organisation focused on creating opportunities for spiritual growth and experiential education in the local community and beyond Before we begin, I want to emphasise that in keeping with the theme of The Resilience Files podcast, the purpose of this conversation is to focus on investigating resilience in the face of extreme challenges. Therefore, we will not be commenting on the specific events that occurred and are still occurring.  03:39 - Our feelings on hearing the news for the first time 13:26 - Limiting how much media we watch 21:02 - Embracing feeling lost and scared 25:42 - This is a moral conflict 36:36 - Conquering darkness with light and love 50:03 - Dealing with transient and confusing feelings

My guest today is Mitesh Sheth, MBE, the  Chief Investment Officer at Newton Investment Management. Mitesh was suggested as a podcast guest by various colleagues of mine after delivering a resilience training programme at Newton, which Mitesh himself attended. Mitesh obviously made an impression and when I met him a few weeks ago, I understood why. Not only is he an incredibly smart and accomplished individual, but he is a person who despite - or perhaps because of - some very significant challenges he experienced in his early life, is committed to learning, evolving and bettering himself and the world around him. That said, Mitesh is a wonderfully understated, humble and unassuming leader. He is what I would call: “A gentle changemaker.” Mitesh qualified from the London School of Economics with a BSc in Actuarial Science. After graduating, he spent a year in India studying at a monastery/school of philosophy. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and a member of the Diversity Project’s advisory board. Mitesh has been recognised for creating one of the industry’s most open, innovative and inclusive workplace cultures and for putting diversity at the top of the agenda when he was the CEO of Reddington. As a result, in part, of Mitesh’s efforts in this area and his committed leadership, Reddington was one of the first companies in financial services to close its gender pay gap in 2019. Unsurprisingly, Mitesh received an MBE in 2022 in recognition for his contributions. This conversation spans a childhood in environments as diverse as Bolton and India; being a member of a gang; spending a year in a monastery struggling to belong and be comfortable in your own skin; grappling as a teenager with mental health challenges; and being an impactful senior business leader in a successful financial institution.  00:00 - Introduction 03:16 - Not fitting in during childhood 15:32 - Desperation and finding faith 24:39 - Learning to live simply 36:45 - Spirituality as a foundation for life 47:10 – Supporting, rather than burdening children 01:03:45 - Opening up and revealing yourself 01:14:47 - Allowing children to experience their lives

One of the early Resilience Files episodes featured the powerful story of Max Gleason. Max movingly described his search for meaning and love after tragically losing his wife and two small children when their car was intentionally struck head-on by a man attempting suicide.  At the time of that podcast, Max asked me if his girlfriend Jasmine – and now fiancé – could join our conversation, as she herself was on a profound healing journey having experienced intense turmoil, abuse, and neglect as a child and young woman. I really connected with Jasmine during the podcast and we have since become friends, and met up online where she has facilitated some incredible deep-breathing yoga sessions. The more I learned about what she went through, the more I felt that Jasmine’s full story needed to be heard. So, I have invited Jaz back to tell her story in more detail; it is a remarkable testament to the innate capacity we have as humans – not only to heal from past trauma – but to find peace inside ourselves, after desperately searching for it outside ourselves.  3:15 - Living with an abusive and drug addicted stepmother 12:17 - Feeling responsibility for parents 20:39 - Not being protected as a young person 23:53 - Parents losing their way and finding forgiveness 29:50 - Teenage years: hyper-anxiety, binging, insomnia and substance abuse 39:15 - Is addiction genetic? Realising we are not stuck 50:45 - Making changes and the power of yoga 1:08:19 – Forgiving and loving https://www.jasminehansonyoga.com/

Our guest today, Linda Bloom is a formidable woman with an inspiring story that speaks to the human capacity to intuitively fight for our right to have a better life than the one we are often told we will have. Linda imbues an inner wisdom and is a role model of how to be a student of life especially as it throws some harsh curveballs at you.  Linda also  happens to be the wife of Tony Bloom, owner of Brighton FC, the premier football club, who are doing pretty well in the league at the moment (sorry but I do live with a houseful of boys!) However in 2002, her life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis  following debilitating symptoms.  Finding herself increasingly disabled and unable to move independently she was told to take medication and accept her illness. However Linda sought a different path to the conventional one . And after attending a retreat held by Professor Jelinek in Melbourne, Australia, she followed the OMS Program and within a year was healed from all symptoms. Linda attributes her healing to this evidence-based approach based primarily on lifestyle  changes and we will be exploring how that works in this episode. Linda subsequently moved to the UK  and established the OMS charity which is a resource for thousands of MS sufferers. Linda  is also a trustee of the Bloom foundation which  looks for effective ways to address social issues and help people help themselves. For me personally,  Linda’s voice is such an important one,  and I resonate deeply with her message. Through my own challenges with my physical health over the last two years (which I will definitely do a podcast on in the near future) I have come to appreciate more and more that part of being a psychologically resilient human  is understanding firstly that there is a mind/body connection and secondly how that works. This is something a lot of people (myself included ) have or do struggle with. Linda is someone who is super clear about this and as a result has made sound and brave  decisions about her health. So without further ado brace yourself for a deep conversation that covers the psychological impact of an  incurable diagnosis to making a  full recovery ,touches on what it means to be spiritual, surviving lockdown in Australia and being the child of holocaust survivors! 4:15 - First symptoms of MS and diagnosis 6:29 - Strange feelings of resilience despite the diagnosis 12:36 - Reconnecting with spirituality 21:38 - Resilience found in being the daughter of holocaust survivors 28:28 - What MS is 32:48 - Professor George Jelinek’s research 38:50 - Persevering with lifestyle changes and noticing changes 47:35 - Moving to the UK, becoming a mother, relapse and starting Overcoming MS charity 57:31 - Being trapped in Australia during Covid and separated from husband 1:02:39 - Learning from suffering 1:06:28 - Being the wife of a football club owner 1:11:00 - Security lies within 1:13:17 - Making a positive impact while taking care of oneself Imagine Overcoming MS | Overcoming MS

Michelle Leigh set up the Oli Leigh trust after she lost her beloved son Oli at 16 to suicide. The Oli Leigh trust is a suicide prevention and mental wellbeing trust, granting funds to small charities that can deliver suicide prevention and wellbeing training.​ Michelle is open, and honest, and I would venture to say damning on her perspective of how the system failed Oli and played a part in his taking his life by suicide. Michelle is a force to be reckoned with and you will no doubt pick up on her determination to provide the education that she feels is sorely lacking in our schools, to our teachers- around how to deal with children who are struggling like Oli.  The Oli Leigh Trust - https://www.theolileightrust.org/#/

It’s my absolute pleasure to introduce our guest today, Professor Anthony Kessel.  Anthony is a longtime friend, colleague and trustee of iheart, the Chairty I founded. During this episode we cover a range of subjects relevant to almost all human beings: how to deal with change; loving what we do; confronting our ego; our need for validation; the pain and learning in going through a relationship breakdown; and dealing with the darkest moments in our lives.  It was no easy task whittling down what has to be one of the most impressive biographies I have ever come across. But what's even more impressive - as you will no doubt hear in this conversation - is what a humble, down to earth, curious, openhearted, honest and genuine person Anthony is.   Professor Anthony Kessel is a public health physician, GP and academic. He is currently  working part time as Clinical Director at NHS England. Prior to this, Anthony worked for a decade as Director of Global Public Health at Public Health England and National Director of Public Health Strategy. He is also currently Senior Public Health Advisor to the Football Association (FA), and advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) on public health.   Anthony has over 100 publications in areas of public health, environmental health and the medical humanities. He has trained as an executive coach and writes a personal column exploring his leadership work. And then came a major transition: Anthony is now the author of the 4-book adventure series for children-  ‘DON’T DOUBT THE RAINBOW’. Threaded throughout the series is a unique and profound approach to support the mental health and resilience of children and young people. The first book, The Five Clues, has been short-listed for several national and international awards. The second book, Outside Chance, was published in July 2022.   0:00 - Introduction   4:00 - Becoming an author and loving what we do  16:08 - Overcoming fear to change   25:46 - Innate qualities of wellbeing   29:28 - Learning through loss   39:02 - Separation: Discovering that my heart can’t be broken   49:27 - Universality of resilience in personal suffering   55:39 - Societal mental health and wellbeing   1:15:27 - Creativity in mental health education   1:20:24 - Living in the present   You can find links to Anthony’s work and books in the notes below. Buy The Five Clues - Don't Doubt the Rainbow Buy Outside Chance - Don't Doubt the Rainbow 2

My guest today is Shelli Epstein, author of Flying High: Life Lessons from the Big Top.   Shelli went to see the Cirque du Soleil at London's Royal Albert Hall when she was just eleven years old. Mesmerized by the show, Shellie decided then and there that one day, she would be up there performing on the world's biggest stages as a member of the troupe. This dream came true a decade later when Shelli became the running woman in Cirque du Soleil’s critically acclaimed show, ‘Luzia’.   In today's podcast, Shelli and I investigate and explore the immense grit, sacrifice and discipline that often seems to be lacking in our youth today. We delve into the resilience and the perspective she was able to discover as she came up against rejection; being told to lose weight or lose her contract;  finding herself without a job during the covid pandemic; and facing debilitating, career ending injuries, which led her to ask herself : “If am not a circus performer, who am I?”   Shelli is an inspirational example of a young woman who had a big dream, and was willing to fall - in order to fly.  The link to Shelli’s book and website can be found in the notes.    0.00 - Introduction  2:07 - Childhood dreams and sacrifices   14:01 - Disappointment: Missing out on the Olympics   36:18 - Being told to lose weight   43:17 - Pinnacle: The Running Woman   47:41 - Dealing with praise and criticism   51:44 - Covid and job loss; what came next   55:34 - Injury and Identity crisis  1:00:52 - Leaving the Cirque du Soleil   1:09:55 - Resilience and life lessons  https://www.shelliepstein.co.uk  https://www.instagram.com/shelliepstein/   Flying High: Life Lessons from the Big Top 

In 2014, I was humbled to meet Paul Jones at a conference in Cape Town, South Africa where we were both invited to speak. His incredible story moved me deeply and left me filled with immense admiration for his presence, passion and purpose. In listening to this podcast, you will understand why he has spent almost 30 years years traversing the globe as an in-demand public speaker, advisor and thought leader. You will hear his moving story of his daughter Candice’s heroin addiction battle on the inner city streets of Hillbrow in Johannesburg that led to the creation of One Million Strong - an organisation committed to raising the next generation of leaders in countries across Africa.  Yet, there is a tragic twist that is revealed discover as we probe and investigate Paul's story. Just as he and his family thought they had finally found peace, they were confronted with more heartbreak, unexpected loss and grief. This inspirational story of struggle, courage, and remarkable resilience is one of the most moving you will ever hear.  0.00 - Introduction  2:30 - One Million Strong   8:34 - How it all started   22:04 - Tough love parenting   26:33 - Taking personal responsibility   33:44 - Be part of the solution, not part of the problem   43:10 - The strength to say yes to the right things - and no to the wrong things   49:40 - Candice’s recovery and subsequent illness  59:09 - Dealing with grief   1:07:45 - Intentionality and congruence  Click here to view One Million Strong's Website

This podcast on parenting and family features Jacqui and Julian Bull - a powerful husband and wife duo with a great amount of experience and knowledge to share.  Julian is a highly accomplished, humble and wise individual. His job title as Chief Commercial Officer at Endava only skims the surface of his accomplishments; he also proudly serves as trustee for iheart Charity, in addition to being a devoted parent, with Jacquie, to Phoebe and Aaron.   Jacqui is a powerhouse of talent and insight – her charisma captivates hearts! She has an impressive resume with experience as a coach, multi faith minister, breathwork facilitator and a certified iheart facilitator. On top of this, she founded Serenity Practice, a not-for-profit dedicated to reminding people them that joy and serenity is our birthright.  Both Jacqui & Julian were very open and transparent during our conversation - no sugar coating or romanticising here! It was a joy to be part of this raw yet genuine exchange between two incredible people exploring how they navigated their lives through the dark and messy moments of parenting, mental health challenges, mistakes made, and lessons learnt. Most of all, it was inspiring to spend time with a couple who profoundly understand that this life is one of grappling, ongoing learning and appreciation. 0:00 – Introduction 3:10 – Child-raising challenges and different approaches to parenting 13:23 – Their daughter’s overdose  20:10 – Learning that you can’t control everything 38:39 – Phoebe’s recovery and resilience 47:51 – “We had no expectations of her … but we could have done better” 52:00 – Impact on their relationship 59:40 – Social media and its challenges 1:02:46 – Believing that our children are not broken Link https://theserenitypractice.com/about/ Explore remarkable stories of resilience in our new podcast, The Resilience Files. Join us on this journey and be part of something truly special. Tune in, like, follow & subscribe for updates. Please leave a review as this helps raise our profile and reach more people. Join Ian Russell, leading online children’s safety campaigner, and Terry Rubenstein, Founder of iheart, for an unmissable virtual conversation on 27th February. 7pm – 9:30pm. Secure your free admission and read more by clicking HERE

If this conversation doesn't touch your soul, then we need to speak. Max Gleason is an artist based in California where he was living with his wife Vanessa and his two young children until a few years ago.   On October 25th 2019, Max’s life changed forever. Vanessa, a talented musician, their two-year-old daughter Luiceinne and four-month-old son Desmond were heading to a family gathering but tragically, en-route, their car was intentionally struck head on by a man attempting suicide.    After the murder of his family, Max went on a journey to understand why and how this could have happened and what life and death means to him. In this conversation, Max shares his profound and heart-breaking story with his new partner Jasmine.   0:00      Intro 8:46      The murder trial  16:29    Jasmine's story 24:40    Finding meaning in grief 31:47    Intuition, energies & dreams 38:12    Suffering with love 41:02    Love as a response 52:52    Acceptance 59:48    Finding love again 1:05:34 Reconciling with the past 1:14:03 Insight into healing   Max Gleason - https://www.maxgleason.com/ Jasmine Hanson's yoga - https://www.jasminehansonyoga.com/   iheart The Resilience Files on You Tube Please rate, follow and subscribe so that you can stay up to date with our latest episodes. Reviews and ratings really do make a difference to our exposure and we read every comment so please do take the time to share your thoughts. 

Our guest today Ian Russell, the leading campaigner for online safety for children.    Ian set up the Molly Rose foundation in 2017 after his beloved daughter Molly tragically took her own life. Molly, who was only fourteen-years-old at the time, had been constantly bombarded by social media algorithms consisting of harmful and horrifying content. Completely unbeknownst to her family, Molly had been sucked into a virtual world that glorified self-harm and suicide.   While trying to come to terms with the tragic loss of Molly, Ian decided to investigate how this tragedy could have occurred. His persistence led him to the realisation that some of the world largest technology and social media companies had to be held to account.     If you or your family engage with social media, this is a conversation that you need to hear. As Ian asks; “If we don't understand this new space we are co-living in, how can we use it responsibly and safely?”   0:00      Introduction 5:40      How life changes after losing a child to suicide 11:50    Finding innate resilience 17:16    Social media’s influence on her death 23:45    Making the decision to tell Molly’s story 29:21    “Social media leaders don’t know what they are creating” 35:14    The inquest  44:30    How do you tell the people you love that you don’t want to live 48:35    Uncomfortable feelings are part of the human experience 59:50    Living with grief 1:08:14   The complications of regulating social media 1:15:15   Advice for parents Join Ian Russell, leading online children’s safety campaigner, and Terry Rubenstein, Founder of iheart, for an unmissable virtual conversation on 27th February. 7pm – 9:30pm. Secure your free admission and read more by clicking HERE Molly Rose foundation  Molly Rose on Instagram Molly Rose on Twitter    iheart The Resilience Files on You Tube Please rate, follow and subscribe so that you can stay up to date with our latest episodes. Reviews and ratings really do make a difference to our exposure and we read every comment so please do take the time to share your thoughts. 

Welcome to The Resilience Files, our brand new podcast! During this series, Terry Rubenstein, author and inspirational thought leader, will be investigating stories of struggle and triumph in the quest to explore the true nature of wellbeing and a resilience that lasts. In this first episode, Terry shares her deeply moving personal story of battling with chronic depression and anxiety, acute anorexia, and extreme self harm that began in her early teenage years. At the age of 29, already a wife and mother of five young boys, she attempted to take her own life. Following her release from hospital, Terry unexpectedly discovered the ‘invincible summer’ and innate resilience that resides within her. Even more unexpected was the extraordinary discovery that this invincible summer exists within all human beings. Inspired by this life-changing knowledge, Terry went on to found iheart - a global non-profit dedicated to sharing the message that we have everything we need inside - not just to survive life, but to thrive in life. “Our mission,” explains Terry, “is to educate all people that they do not have a resilience deficit. Rather, we empower them with the confidence that they can uncover their built-in mental health, wellbeing and resilience so that they can overcome their challenges and realise their extraordinary potential.” 0:00 Introduction 1:28 Podcast purpose 4:04 Childhood struggles - a script for life? 7:19 Rejection and self-harm 11:45 Depression and attempted suicide 13:15 Discovering my invincible summer 15:55 Reading, research and realisation 19:35 Life-changing learning 26:52 Uncovering wellbeing 29:22 The hero’s journey Please rate, follow and subscribe so that you can stay up to date with our latest episodes. Reviews and ratings really do make a difference to our exposure and we read every comment so please do take the time to share your thoughts. iheart website The Resilience Files on You Tube