It was a week of closing out, shutting down and staying in. Winter arrived suddenly, as it always does in this part of the world. No slow colourful fall of reds and yellows and an easing into colder weather. Our winter sneaks up on us, hides behind mild, sunny, blue-skied days, and then jumps out waving a heavy grey cloak of gasping cold. This year, winter wore a wet look too. Brr, cold and rain. For us in the highveld and Johannesburg it is not a look we like.
Finally finished
We finally, fi-na-lly, uploaded our Emotional Fitness Class for Anxiety onto our course platform. It took us weeks of planning, writing, videoing, recording, and editing, to get it to a place where we were comfortable to let it loose on the public.
Of course the minute it was up we found all kinds of reasons as to why we should have waited a bit longer, improved it just a bit more, added a few more clips for interest. We didn’t do any of it, of course. We left it as is and sat with our discomfort.
We also uploaded the first of five YouTube “tasters” or as we call them “cuppa soups”, instant relief from anxiety. If you have any curiosity about what it is we actually do, go and have a look. Please. Like it. Subscribe to our channel if you feel inclined. We will forever be in your debt. Algorithms!
We launched a podcast
You are probably aware that we launched our podcast this year. If you are not, where have you been and why have you not opened any of our newsletters?
The first 5th Place podcast episode was published on 8 March, 2022. This past weekend we recorded our twelfth and final episode of our first podcast season of Emotions Matter. Really! Twelve episodes researched, written, recorded, edited and uploaded. All by our fabulous team. Of two! There are some podcasters out there with ten or more people behind them. We listen to the lists of names and wonder - What do they all do?
The barrier to entry to having a podcast is pretty low. We’ve listened to one where the so-called host literally sat in a coffee shop and spoke to himself. It was rambling, disconnected and rather awful. There are thousands of podcasts out there, so why would we want to invest the time in another one?
We have a message about Emotional Fitness
We have a message about emotional fitness and we want to spread it. The podcasts that we have listened to in a similar genre to ours about mental health and emotional wellbeing are typically UK or US based. We want to bring a Southern Hemisphere, Southern African perspective.
Will it gain traction? Will we secure a bank of listeners? No-one really knows, unless of course you already are a celebrity, or have a team of people and a well known channel behind you.
We had fun
For us the biggest take out has been how much fun we have had and how much we have learnt! We know more about sleep, stress, burnout, freedom, creativity and how they all relate to emotional fitness than we ever expected.
As the cold front washed in we huddled around our notes and microphones to record the final episode focused on the C of our ABC of life teachings, Choose love, always. A fitting close out to have a look at choosing love. In line with our theme for the year which is It starts with me, we chose to look at what it would take to have a truly loving relationship with myself.
“Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.”
—Robert Holden
The steps to self love
The steps to that often elusive way of being are encapsulated in the following:
- Quality time with myself
- Communicating kindly and honestly to myself
- Being willing to forgive myself
- Being open to change in myself
- Having reasonable expectations of myself
- Trusting that I will do the best for myself
Yes, there will be a season 2. We are already in the planning stages. If you haven’t already subscribed - where have you been? Follow, Like, Review. We will forever be in your [algorithm] debt.
Until next time, remember to choose love, always!
About the author
5th Place
5th Place is a dynamic organization that's passionate about emotional fitness. We're the creators of Shape of Emotion, a revolutionary tool that's changing the way we understand and manage our emotions. But we're not just about theory - we're about practical, tangible change.
We offer Emotional Fitness Classes and courses that help individuals, from children to adults, build emotional resilience and well-being. For our younger audience, we've created the Vibarealm, a vibrant universe that encourages a healthier interaction with emotions.
Join us on this journey to emotional fitness and let's make the world a better place together.