The Upwording Podcast ’Words Change Worlds’

Upwording ORDERS

Don’t you just hate it when people give you orders? Do you hear the ‘must’ and ‘have to' and finding yourself feeling rebellious, and simply won't do it now. Or you do it, just that little slower, later and without much enthusiasm? Yet, even though we find orders demotivating, we easily give them to others. Sometimes even in the same breath. “Don’t tell me what to do!" then turning to a child  “Just do as I told you!”. What’s going on? And how can we ease the stress generated by orders, demands, commands and with the seasoning of urgency?
Rivca & Charles explore alternatives that take us to making requests, and conscious considered choice making.
Sound by Lyndon Lewis. Produced by Niall Connolly. 

Upwording NEEDS

Conflating need with want can easily create confusion and stress, be turned into a command, or force a course of action. This session looks at how differentiating what is wanted or desired from basic human needs (safety, belonging, health, autonomy, equality etc.) can ease the pressure and often gets things done at less cost to ourselves and others.
With Charles & Rivca. 
Sound by Lyndon Lewis. Produced by Niall Connolly.

Upwording BLAME

Don't you just hate when people imply wrongness or stupidity? Does anyone respond usefully when being blamed? Yet, we do it a lot. Blaming others, blaming circumstances, blaming ourselves. Blame invites retaliation, may evoke guilt, yet often refusal of responsibility. So, what could we do instead of seeking to blame? Find out with Charles, Rivca with Guest Jenn Wilson. 
Sound by Lyndon Lewis. Produced by Niall Connolly

Upwording LABELs Pt2

Labels; Tattoos or Temptoos
Exploring the positives of labels and how we can keep them flexible and fluid.  Labels are human made constructs to serve a purpose.  They can assist a sense of belonging, connection, and understanding of a shared condition.   They are also used to divide people, and make generalising assumptions.
How can we nurture the former without falling into the traps of the latter
Rivca & Charles with Guests Maurice Carlin and Chris Paul
Sound by Lyndon Lewis. Produced by Niall Connolly

Upwording LABELs Pt 1

Don’t label me! I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself.
There are a few fixed identities, and a miriad of those where conditions, tendencies or preferences have accidentally or intentionally been turned into fixed identities. They then tend to limit us by having a life of their own, or becoming self fulfilling prophesies.  How can we liberate ourselves from labels when they begin to harm rather than help.
Charles & Rivca with Guest Chris Paul
Sound by Lyndon Lewis. Produced by Niall Connolly

Upwording SHOULDs

We know we ‘should’, yet we don't. We might start something …and then give up. So what’s going on? 
With guest Jenn Wilson, Rivca Rubin and Charles Lauder explore the slippery little word should: how it masquerades as motivation, guilt-trips us into inertia, and generally acts like it knows what’s best. 
They ask:What exactly is should doing in our mouths?Who gave it so much power?And how might life unfold if we stopped outsourcing our desires to a bossy bit of grammar?
Featuring mild linguistic insurrection, if should’ and ‘should have’ aren’t getting us the outcomes we wish, let’s consider how we might avoid them altogether, and make the things we want happen.
Sound by Lyndon Lewis. Produced by Niall Connolly.

What is Upwording? the words we use and the impact they have on our daily interactions and more

Ever thought social discourse might be less confrontational and divisive? Rivca Rubin and Charles Lauder explore how we might think differently about our habitual use of language and practice a more constructive way. It’s a light-hearted look at what many of us already know deep down, motivated by the thought that a more desirable world for all is …well, desirable.
Sound by Lyndon Lewis. Produced by Niall Connolly