Thanks, Kate! I started the newsletter mainly to find a tribe to learn together how to embrace optimism... Almost 50 years of searching for cues alone was too much time!
Love your latest post, I for one would be happy to ditch the smalltalk... it would certainly make eavesdropping on other conversations in the hairdressers a lot more interesting! 😉 👏
me too, it's a lifelong journey for me learning to relax and let go of things - I hope that's what makes me a good coach, because I understand how my clients feel and I was in their shoes 10 years ago!
I get it. I worried about this, too, until I found that journal. Now, I don't have to worry about that. LOL. The longer stories come as the mood strikes.
2. Pushing For Ways To Make The World A Truly Better Place, Namely In Terms Of Social, Environmental, Economic, Political, Mental Health, & Human Behavioural Aspects.
3. Subscribers: 221
Thanks for this initiative, Kate! I too make it a point to check out someone else's Substack after they've subscribed to mine or commented on my posts.
2. It's a safe place where I share personal stories to connect my knowledge and experience on personal growth with our community. My intention is to help others to live their lives to the fullest, enjoying the journey, and I do this in two languages :)
hiiii! nice to meet you! what other language do you speak?
I am trying to bring the Italian audience here on substack, that's why I am committed to the bilingual publication, but it depends on your goals I'd say ☺️
Hi! I speak Dutch as well as English🙂. I wrote my book in Dutch and then translated it so that's available in both languages and my website is as well. I might do posts in both languages again after a while if people are interested.
That’s so nice! Well done ! 🤗🤍😍The feeling of having a book published can only be understood with first-hand experiences! And I cannot wait for my turn 🥰
English literature. Started at a bricks and mortar university (Southampton) in my 20s. Finished (via credit transfer) through the Open University in my 40s. (Others that I started (that I remember!) include theology and midwifery... 🙈😅) I love studying too, but haven't had good staying power.... (undiagnosed ADHD...)
Quite a long journey indeed! Mine are in clinical psychology, organisational psychology, criminology and forensic science&anthropology ☺️ I did start studying physics as my first degree but after a year I didn’t like it anymore and I left 😊 bricks and mortar sounds cool!x
I love this! I'm always fascinated by people's relationship to optimism and pessimism. As a natural optimist (who probably risked toxic positivity in my younger days) I've tried to temper my optimism a little over the years. My partner is a natural pessimist, and does the same but in the opposite direction (tries to lean into optimism a bit more).
lol He is wonderful and kind and very steady. I always describe myself as being like an April day - sunny, then a stormy shower, maybe some hail, and then back to sun! He is like a British summer, mostly warm and sunny, sometimes overcast. lol
Nice! I tend to be...uh more pessimistic (I prefer to classify myself as a realist!) But my partner is generally optimistic! I respect his overall sunny demeanor and "it will be ok" attitude. Being with him has helped me notice my pessimistic tendencies even more! So an entire Substack devoted to optimism sounds great!
YES! A big part of my Life Unbounded is being here and living here, working on Spanish and experiencing a different place with my family. At first my Substack was primarily about Mexico but I realized it was about so much more… thank you for subscribing!
2. Figuring out this wonderful and terrible world one step at a time. Mostly about books, reading and writing, with a big glug of irreverent nonsense about my stupidly tragic (so far) life! (Trying to remember to add trigger warnings...)
THE MIND SOUL SANCTUM I am a longtime college teacher who believes mental health includes everything that makes us human—represented by that word Soul. I have lots of education and experience living with mental illness. Wide ranging stories. 43 subscribers
Mental health is such a hot topic right now, am very aware of helping my own mental health by starting up Co-Work Corner, so we can have some IRL interactions during our 'working from home' days and not just staring at the same four walls. 👏
Thanks I will check it out. Yes mental illness is at an all time high, and I believe it is because of a process of losing our humanity. This has been going on for over a century, in my opinion. Now it has accelerated. But I see mental health as everything we are and don’t focus only on traditional topics. Thanks for doing this, it has been a titanic struggle to find readers.
What a beautiful topic. Mental health is both overly focused upon and at the same time...not focused on enough!? Navigating that nuance is a noble task.
Thank you. Well, I don’t look at mental health as being given too much attention. But, mental health is the most sound way to look at someone’s well being as a whole, and I think we are not alright as a human community. Plus, there is a mental health crisis going on. Another might say our spirituality is in trouble, or use some other word, but I use mental health. Maybe that’s the wrong word, but it’s due to my own experiences with mental illness.
Ahh, thanks for clarifying. All I meant by "too much attention" is it's talked about so much, we get misinformation in the form of mental health mini diagnosis posts galore on places like Instagram, etc. As someone who dealt with suicidal ideation, depression, self harm, and am recently acknowledging an autism diagnosis (an actual one from a therapist!), it troubles me to see all this info floating about on all these topics...and 1) some of it is factually wrong and 2) has increased awareness done anything to solve the crisis, as you adequately call it? I don't think so. And that bums me out.
2. Play the cards life deals as if you've already won. Playing life large, playing the best you can with what you have, and remaining unattached to the outcome.
3. Subscribers: 9
No newsletter published, yet. Posted my first note this Monday, so I went from ZERO to 9 through the value on interacting. How good is that! 🥳
I shall publish #1 TOMORROW.
As a 6'5" woman poker professional (on sabbatical from competing focusing on family caregiving), this week after my interaction on a Zoom group session, I was dubbed "The Betty White of Substack"... Hmm, the sweetness of engagement 🎯
I was caught on the poker player bit too, and care-giving, since I have had experience in both. :-). My grandmother, who was quite feeble in her last days, would perk up immediately when my mom got out the cards to play 7-Card Stud.
You got me with family stories, and accidentally retired 😜 Yepper, another like-minded soul. Subscribed and looking forward to sauntering down your lane
How cool is that!? My Mama Peggy had her "life graduation" (her words) at the age of 96, and before she knew how to play poker in 2005, she got my hubby to lay down poker Kings when she had nothing! Her go to was playing in the dirt
Thanks Emma! When we wait for all the information to arrive, we get stuck, like a deer in headlights. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I did tha
Something (maybe the main/only thing) I took away from reading The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss recently was the idea of 'just in time' information, not 'just in case' information.
1. THINGS I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED IN MASSAGE SCHOOL by Sharon L. Bryant (me, hi!)
2. Explorations of things I may or may not have learned in massage school as they relate to professionalism in the massage therapy and wellness industries.
I am new to Substack too. I think it might be good to follow someone like you, a Social Worker, since my family stories are full of . . .hmm what's the word. . . craziness? That's not PC, I know, but what else to call it? ;-) Just Subscribed to you.
1. OFF ON TANGENT with Kate Darracott
2. A collection of Life Hacks, Reviews, Business Start-up Ideas, Observations and the occasional Rant, written to make you smile.
3. Subscribers: 854
Wooo hooo! 901 subscribers now! 🤓 🎉
Thanks to YOU, who started following me, I could discover your fantastic newsletter! This is a great initiative; thanks for that!
Thank you for joining in! 👏
It all gets a bit easier once you start making connections, particularly with those at the same level as you, great fun growing together!
I love the concept of an Optimist’s Substack, what a great idea! 👏
Thanks, Kate! I started the newsletter mainly to find a tribe to learn together how to embrace optimism... Almost 50 years of searching for cues alone was too much time!
1. UNTAMED STRATEGY by Rose Radtke
2. Off the wall thoughts and inspiration for those who want to focus their talent and intuition on setting the world back on course.
3. Subscribers: 35
I'm a newbie! It's lovely to be here on Substack with writers like you, who are so supportive to writers like me. It's a magical platform.
Love your latest post, I for one would be happy to ditch the smalltalk... it would certainly make eavesdropping on other conversations in the hairdressers a lot more interesting! 😉 👏
"setting the world back on course."
Yes. That's what we need more of.
1. THE MINDFUL LIVING ACADEMY by Lucy Squire
2. Stories and strategies to help overthinkers switch off, relax and trust themselves EVEN if you think meditation and mindfulness aren't for you
3. 262 subscribers and SO damn proud of this 🥳
And SO damn proud you should be! 👏
Love your Substack, who doesn’t love a spot of overthinking? 🤓
paha yes we all do it don't we?! it's learning to do it in moderation, as with any good thing in life 🤭
I’ve always been an over thinker.
me too, it's a lifelong journey for me learning to relax and let go of things - I hope that's what makes me a good coach, because I understand how my clients feel and I was in their shoes 10 years ago!
Well done! 🥳
thank you 🥰
Following you now!
ditto, binged an article and loved it!
1. THE WOBBLY MIDDLE by Patsy Day
2. Writing about women navigating the path to their next career.
3. Subscribers: 100 today!
Also new and never imagined it could take me so very long to write each post.
Congratulations on reaching 100! 🎉
Rumour has it the Substack algorithm kicks in a bit more after that milestone! 👏
I hear you on the post-writing time, I can't believe how many hours I faddle around with them. 😘
And yes, about the time writing well takes. I told my sister how long each post takes me and she was horrified!
I reckon (hope) that over time we will become a little more fluent.
Oh, absolutely! It may never be easy but I think it will get easier, at least.
This made me chuckle 😂 takes so much longer than you think it's going to 😂
Interesting that the Substack algorithm may start to notice you a bit more once you reach 100 subscribers... I'm looking forward to reaching that!
Hey Patsy! I just subscribed! I'm your target audience! 😅
Same!
Then I must be yours as I'm super interested to hear about other women asking the same questions.
Oh that sounds great. I've definitely been renavigating this year so sounds like one for me :)
This is me!! And congratulations on reaching 100! 🥳 I'm following right behind...
I get it. I worried about this, too, until I found that journal. Now, I don't have to worry about that. LOL. The longer stories come as the mood strikes.
1. REFORM THE SYSTEM by Raveen
2. Pushing For Ways To Make The World A Truly Better Place, Namely In Terms Of Social, Environmental, Economic, Political, Mental Health, & Human Behavioural Aspects.
3. Subscribers: 221
Thanks for this initiative, Kate! I too make it a point to check out someone else's Substack after they've subscribed to mine or commented on my posts.
Loving the messages on your Substack, will check it out in more detail later! 👏
I’ve been enjoying your work, Raveen. Always very timely topics for me!
Hi all 🤍
1. A GLIMPSE OF LIFE by Annalisa Caminarecci
2. It's a safe place where I share personal stories to connect my knowledge and experience on personal growth with our community. My intention is to help others to live their lives to the fullest, enjoying the journey, and I do this in two languages :)
How amazing that you've found such a great connection already in Sarah! 👏
I love your Substack too!
Everyone: No need to have both languages, Annalisa is very good at separating them out, so it works very well for us plebs that only speak English. 😉
Thank you 🙏🏻🥰 so kind
I usually write in two languages as well but so far here on Substack I seem to default to English.
hiiii! nice to meet you! what other language do you speak?
I am trying to bring the Italian audience here on substack, that's why I am committed to the bilingual publication, but it depends on your goals I'd say ☺️
Hi! I speak Dutch as well as English🙂. I wrote my book in Dutch and then translated it so that's available in both languages and my website is as well. I might do posts in both languages again after a while if people are interested.
Amazing!!! what's the book about?
It's sharing recipes from my old chocolate shop and different Belgian holiday traditions 🙂, you can find it at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Festive-Belgian-Bakery-Chocolate-biscuits/dp/B0CP5YSWFZ/ if you're interested🙂.
I'm so hungry now... you must get that a lot? 😉 🍩
That’s so nice! Well done ! 🤗🤍😍The feeling of having a book published can only be understood with first-hand experiences! And I cannot wait for my turn 🥰
That's great - good luck! (Also, four degrees?! I'm impressed. I think I may have started four degrees, but only completed one!)
Thank you 🤗🤗 I love studying 📚 what’s your degree in?
English literature. Started at a bricks and mortar university (Southampton) in my 20s. Finished (via credit transfer) through the Open University in my 40s. (Others that I started (that I remember!) include theology and midwifery... 🙈😅) I love studying too, but haven't had good staying power.... (undiagnosed ADHD...)
What are your degrees in?
Quite a long journey indeed! Mine are in clinical psychology, organisational psychology, criminology and forensic science&anthropology ☺️ I did start studying physics as my first degree but after a year I didn’t like it anymore and I left 😊 bricks and mortar sounds cool!x
Living life to the fullest...hooray for that!!
🧡🧡🧡
1. THE OPTIMIST'S WAY
2. A newsletter about adopting OPTIMISM as a philosophy of life. I share some tools and tips for a mindset change based on my personal experience.
3. Subscribers: 14
I love this! I'm always fascinated by people's relationship to optimism and pessimism. As a natural optimist (who probably risked toxic positivity in my younger days) I've tried to temper my optimism a little over the years. My partner is a natural pessimist, and does the same but in the opposite direction (tries to lean into optimism a bit more).
What a big challenge to share your life with a pessimist! You deserve a double award!!!
lol He is wonderful and kind and very steady. I always describe myself as being like an April day - sunny, then a stormy shower, maybe some hail, and then back to sun! He is like a British summer, mostly warm and sunny, sometimes overcast. lol
That’s a funny analogy!!!
Thank you! I think what I am saying is he is the one who deserves an award! 🙈😅 (He loves my changeable nature though, tbf)
It seems you both are a dream team!!!
I have a good share of pessimism but believe I can use it for good.
Checked out your profile, and I think we may have some story styles in common. Just subscribed.
Honestly, I think pessimism is a gift as much as optimism. Both are good, just different!
You just collected another subscriber! :)
Thanks a lot, Bryce!!!!
Nice! I tend to be...uh more pessimistic (I prefer to classify myself as a realist!) But my partner is generally optimistic! I respect his overall sunny demeanor and "it will be ok" attitude. Being with him has helped me notice my pessimistic tendencies even more! So an entire Substack devoted to optimism sounds great!
1. Life Unbounded with Tracy Friedlander
2. A newsletter and community for self-improvement, audacious reinvention and breaking free from self-imposed limitations.
3. Subscribers: 36
Thanks for doing this thread, Kate! What a great idea! :)
Love the look of your Substack, looks like you’re having a fantastic Mexican adventure! 🥳
YES! A big part of my Life Unbounded is being here and living here, working on Spanish and experiencing a different place with my family. At first my Substack was primarily about Mexico but I realized it was about so much more… thank you for subscribing!
My pleasure! 👏
Intriguing theme!
Thanks!!!
Oh I love the idea of breaking free from self-imposed limitations.
Thank you!
1. WONDERING STEPS by Emma Reynolds
2. Figuring out this wonderful and terrible world one step at a time. Mostly about books, reading and writing, with a big glug of irreverent nonsense about my stupidly tragic (so far) life! (Trying to remember to add trigger warnings...)
3. 59
It looks fab! 👏
Thank you Kate!
Loved your post on truth and beauty. You've just gained another subscriber!
I'm glad you enjoyed that post! It wasn't easy to write, but I'm glad I persisted with it. And thank you for the subscription!
Loved your post about the not-to-do list. I'm going back for more.
Thank you Lynda! I had a lot of fun writing that post!
THE MIND SOUL SANCTUM I am a longtime college teacher who believes mental health includes everything that makes us human—represented by that word Soul. I have lots of education and experience living with mental illness. Wide ranging stories. 43 subscribers
Mental health is such a hot topic right now, am very aware of helping my own mental health by starting up Co-Work Corner, so we can have some IRL interactions during our 'working from home' days and not just staring at the same four walls. 👏
https://coworkhub.substack.com/
Thanks I will check it out. Yes mental illness is at an all time high, and I believe it is because of a process of losing our humanity. This has been going on for over a century, in my opinion. Now it has accelerated. But I see mental health as everything we are and don’t focus only on traditional topics. Thanks for doing this, it has been a titanic struggle to find readers.
Your newsletter resonates greatly with me, so I've just started following you!
Thank you. I always need optimism so your stories should be very helpful to me.
That’s so nice to hear…
What a beautiful topic. Mental health is both overly focused upon and at the same time...not focused on enough!? Navigating that nuance is a noble task.
Thank you. Well, I don’t look at mental health as being given too much attention. But, mental health is the most sound way to look at someone’s well being as a whole, and I think we are not alright as a human community. Plus, there is a mental health crisis going on. Another might say our spirituality is in trouble, or use some other word, but I use mental health. Maybe that’s the wrong word, but it’s due to my own experiences with mental illness.
Ahh, thanks for clarifying. All I meant by "too much attention" is it's talked about so much, we get misinformation in the form of mental health mini diagnosis posts galore on places like Instagram, etc. As someone who dealt with suicidal ideation, depression, self harm, and am recently acknowledging an autism diagnosis (an actual one from a therapist!), it troubles me to see all this info floating about on all these topics...and 1) some of it is factually wrong and 2) has increased awareness done anything to solve the crisis, as you adequately call it? I don't think so. And that bums me out.
1. LIFE'S A GAME with Donna Blevins
2. Play the cards life deals as if you've already won. Playing life large, playing the best you can with what you have, and remaining unattached to the outcome.
3. Subscribers: 9
No newsletter published, yet. Posted my first note this Monday, so I went from ZERO to 9 through the value on interacting. How good is that! 🥳
I shall publish #1 TOMORROW.
As a 6'5" woman poker professional (on sabbatical from competing focusing on family caregiving), this week after my interaction on a Zoom group session, I was dubbed "The Betty White of Substack"... Hmm, the sweetness of engagement 🎯
You had me at ‘poker professional’, looking forward to the launch! 🚀👏
Yay, Kate! Love your Type Club. I restacked this post on notes, but was unable to tag you from my phone.
Thanks so much Donna, it really helps people find it! 👏
I feel less lonely to take my first baby steps on Substack now! Good luck with your newsletter 🤞
It's good to have company for sure!
I was caught on the poker player bit too, and care-giving, since I have had experience in both. :-). My grandmother, who was quite feeble in her last days, would perk up immediately when my mom got out the cards to play 7-Card Stud.
You got me with family stories, and accidentally retired 😜 Yepper, another like-minded soul. Subscribed and looking forward to sauntering down your lane
And I already love your way with words: “Sauntering down your lane” —love it.
How cool is that!? My Mama Peggy had her "life graduation" (her words) at the age of 96, and before she knew how to play poker in 2005, she got my hubby to lay down poker Kings when she had nothing! Her go to was playing in the dirt
I spent half an hour on this thread BTW!
That's impressive work! "Playing the best you can with what you have" - I love this!
Thanks Emma! When we wait for all the information to arrive, we get stuck, like a deer in headlights. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I did tha
Something (maybe the main/only thing) I took away from reading The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss recently was the idea of 'just in time' information, not 'just in case' information.
I love your takeaway. Phew, "just in time" is so much better than "Crap, missed it... again!"
1. BREATHING MOTHERHOOD by Grace Chinn
2. Tips, tools and tales to help you find magic and mindfulness in the mess of motherhood.
3. Subscribers: 30
Thank you for doing this Kate - I’m a newbie to Substack so very much still working this all out 🤷🏼♀️🫶🏻
Hi Grace,
Being a working mother is a tough gig, whether self-employed or otherwise!
Lovely that you now have your Substack to share your top tips and perhaps vent a little when things don't go according to plan! 😉 👏
Thanks Kate, very kind of you to reply. It is indeed a tough gig but finding my way to breathe through it!
1. THINGS I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED IN MASSAGE SCHOOL by Sharon L. Bryant (me, hi!)
2. Explorations of things I may or may not have learned in massage school as they relate to professionalism in the massage therapy and wellness industries.
3. Subscribers: 70
OMG! The mind boggles… will have to check it out! 🤓
Thanks! And hopefully you can find something useful there. I know it’s a bit different 😂
I love this! I'm probably not your target audience, but I am following at least!
Thanks! I was just thinking this morning that it has become very targeted. That’s okay though. I think it can be valuable to “cross train” sometimes.
I think targeted is good though! I'm....aimlessly wandering... As always! lol
1. Sarah Frison, yes, I picked my own name.
2. PASTRY CHEF HELPING YOU BAKE PATISSERIE AT HOME
3. 3, literally. Well 4 if you include myself.
It's at least five now!
You had me at 'pastry chef'. 🥰
Just saw it, thank you 🙂. Welcome on board! Do you like baking?
I do the odd bit, but mainly mini quiches. 😂
Those, to be fair, are very yummy 🙂.
Also subscribed!
1. MARRIED TO THE (NARCISSISTIC MOB) with Violet Gray
2. Stories, strategies, how-to's for people partnered into a narcissistic family system
3. Subscribers 38
I am one month old and appreciate this!
I love that Substack is filled with all these niche subjects, when you find your tribe, you will have a very strong bond! 👏
I am new to Substack too. I think it might be good to follow someone like you, a Social Worker, since my family stories are full of . . .hmm what's the word. . . craziness? That's not PC, I know, but what else to call it? ;-) Just Subscribed to you.
I cannot post the photo I wanted as a reply so I will make a new post, but it’s ok with me to say “crazy”. Thank you for the follow!
Thank you for this, Kate! I started my Substack last month after reading around on here for a long while.
1. IN THE TADPOLE JAR with Katie Lloyd
2. Contemplations on life and our connections with the natural world, using my nearly two-year-old boy as my mentor.
3. Subscribers: 11 (I did not realise I was at double figures! Woo! Ok, one of them is me, but still...)
What a gorgeous Substack, and am very much enjoying thinking about jars of tadpoles which I have thought about since I had them as a child! 😂
12 now! I've just subscribed. You write so beautifully x
Thank you so much Rose!