Content vs Content

#73 Dawn Evans Podcast – Changing the Narrative

Sometimes the most powerful change begins with a conversation.

On 10 October, we mark World Mental Health Day, and this year's theme feels particularly important:

“Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.”

It's also at the heart of our latest Just Meee Podcast conversation with Dawn Evans.

Dawn is passionate about bringing people together, creating connection and changing the way we think and talk about mental health and wellbeing.

But perhaps the important word is change.

For years we've talked about raising awareness around mental health. And that matters enormously. But awareness on its own isn't enough.

We need to listen. Really listen.

To people's stories. Their experiences. What helped. What didn't. What they needed but couldn't find.

Because lived experience isn't simply a story to be heard. It is knowledge that can help us create better workplaces, communities, services and ways of supporting one another. That's also central to this year's World Mental Health Day campaign, which calls for people with lived experience to have a meaningful role in shaping the decisions that affect their lives.

As Dawn's work reminds us, changing the narrative means turning conversation into action.

So this World Mental Health Day, perhaps there's a question for all of us:
Are we really listening to people's experiences — and, if we are, what are we doing differently because of them?

Thank you, Dawn, for your passion, energy and commitment to creating spaces where people can be heard and where conversations can become positive change. ❤️

Just Meee Podcast, 

Are We Really That WEIRD?

I recently read Joseph Henrich’s fascinating book, The WEIRDest People in the World, and loved the way it challenged something we often take for granted:

Why are we the way we are?

WEIRD stands for Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic. Henrich explores how people in these societies have developed ways of thinking and behaving that are actually quite unusual when viewed across the breadth of human cultures.

What fascinated me most was the idea that our culture isn't simply something around us.

It gets inside us.

Our families, communities, institutions, beliefs, education and environments all help shape how we think about ourselves, how we relate to others, whom we trust and even how we make decisions.

And, of course, we're shaping that environment too.

Which feels particularly relevant today. Every post we share, conversation we have, organisation we build and behaviour we model becomes a tiny part of somebody else's environment.

Perhaps we should occasionally ask:

What is shaping me?
And what am I helping to shape in others?

Because culture isn't just something we inherit.

It's something we create.

When Is Enough, Enough?

We live in a world that constantly encourages us to want more.

More things.
More experiences.
More followers.
More success.
More information.
More content.

There's always another video to watch, podcast to hear, book to read, place to visit or thing to buy.

But here's a thought:

At what point does more stop making us more content?

The other meaning of content is wonderfully simple — to feel satisfied. At ease. To appreciate what we already have rather than constantly searching for what comes next.

That's not about losing ambition or curiosity. I love learning, discovering new ideas and meeting new people.

But perhaps there's a difference between wanting to grow and never feeling like we have enough.

Sometimes the richest moments are incredibly ordinary.

A conversation. A walk. A meal together. Sitting quietly. Laughing with someone you love. Noticing something you've passed a hundred times before.

None of them need to be posted, shared or liked to matter.

Perhaps being content isn't about having everything we want.

It's noticing the value in what we already have.

And maybe, in a world overflowing with content, that's the kind we need a little more of.

What Are You Filling Your Mind With?

Every day, we consume an extraordinary amount of content.

News. Messages. Videos. Opinions. Emails. Posts. Podcasts.

But how often do we stop and think about the content we're creating within ourselves?

Our thoughts. Our feelings. Our hopes. Our values. The things we're grateful for. The things that really matter.

That's where the My Meee app can help.

With daily reflections, mood check-ins, journalling, values and thoughtful prompts, My Meee gives you a moment to step away from everyone else's content and spend a little time with your own.

Just one minute to pause.

To notice how you're feeling.

To think about what's going well.

To reflect on what you might want to change.

Because in a world constantly telling us what to watch, read, buy and think, perhaps one of the most valuable things we can do is simply listen to ourselves.

So this month, take a minute each day to:

Pause. Notice. Reflect. Appreciate. Be.

There's more content available than we could consume in a lifetime.

But perhaps feeling content starts with paying attention to what's already inside us.

There will always be more.

More to watch. More to read. More to buy. More to know.

But more doesn't always mean better.

The opportunity is to become more thoughtful about what we consume, what we create, what deserves our attention and, importantly, how it makes us feel.

We can consume endlessly and still feel empty.

Or we can choose what informs us, inspires us, connects us and adds something meaningful to our lives.

Perhaps being content begins when we stop looking for more and start noticing what's already here.