Live Like You Are Dying with Fi Munro PhD

In this episode I’m joined by Courtney Carver. Courtney is the author of Project 333, The Minimalist Fashion Challenge that Proves Less is So Much More and Soulful Simplicity. She has been sharing her journey back to health, and adventures in simplicity; becoming debt free and living and dressing with less on her blog, Be More with Less since 2010. You can find out more about Courtney on her blog - https://bemorewithless.com And on Instagram @bemorewithless and @project333 I highly recommend you sign up for her mailing list!

In this very special podcast episode I have the absolute honour of interviewing one of my dearest friends, Carol, while she lies in her hospice bed. Carol is dying from stage three ovarian cancer and, yet, even during this personal and private time, wanted to take the opportunity to help others by breaking down some of the stigma and fear around death, dying and end of life care. But don’t for a second think this episode is sad or depressing. Carol, in typical Northern Irish style will have you laughing and reflecting as she shares her insights into life and love and what really matters most. What makes this episode so special is it is not only rare to get access to this personal insight into end of life care but it rarer still that the interviewer is friends with and dearly loves and cares for the interviewee. However, what makes this episode even more unique is that I am also living with the same disease as Carol and know that, one day, I too will be lying in a hospice bed receiving similar end of life care that she is receiving now. For the past four years Carol and I have developed an unshakable bond through our shared disease as we have supported one another through the highs and lows of living with late stage cancer with tears, laughter and very dark sense of humour. I struggle to imagine a world without her in it and I will be forever grateful to all she has guided and supported me through. I am so grateful to Carol that she has gifted you all this beautiful insight into her life and her death. May her words lift your spirit and guide you on with a heart filled with love. I know that my world will always be brighter because Carol was in it. I love you Carol. Always.

In this episode I am joined by the incredible Kate Manser. Kate is just so happy to be alive. After experiencing four separate sudden deaths of friends in two years, she experienced a radical shift in perspective: thinking about your death reminds you to live. Set on fire with zeal to live, Kate created YOU MIGHT DIE TOMORROW, a brand with a mission to help people really live before you die. Today, Kate spreads the message to live like you might die tomorrow through her writing, art installations, branded products, experiential events, and online content. YOU MIGHT DIE TOMORROW has a global following with thousands of stickers around the world, happy clients like Facebook, Inc. and a book, coming soon.

In this episode I had the privilege of talking about life, death and everything in between with Professor Dame Sue Black, a leading anatomist and forensic anthropologist with an exceptional career and personal insight into death and dying. Sue was the lead forensic anthropologist for the UK response to war crimes investigations in Kosovo and has also served in Sierra Leone, Grenada, Iraq and in Thailand following the Asian tsunami. She has been awarded two police commendations for her work in Disaster Victim Identification training and also for helping to secure convictions against perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Sue was awarded an OBE in 2001 and a DBE in 2016 for her services to education and forensic anthropology. She is a fellow and President of the Royal Anthropological Institute and a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of Biology as well as the lifetime professor of Anatomy for the Royal Scottish Academy. Her research portfolio has secured over £22M of funding and she is the author of 14 text books and in excess of 150 peer reviewed publications. She is also the author of the best-selling book ‘All That Remains’ - which is, in all honesty, one of the best books I’ve ever read! Despite the topic, Sue and I laughed throughout this episode as we shared our deep and dark Scottish humour. I hope you enjoy connecting with Sue as much as I did.

In this episode I am joined by the incredible Sarah Greene who shares her life affirming wisdom and compassion about love, loss and survival. Sarah Greene is an award-winning presenter and actress who has hosted and starred in iconic British TV shows ranging from Blue Peter, Going Live and Holiday to‪ Ghostwatch ‬and Dr Who. Sarah positively excels in a live tv environment and has interviewed everyone from Margaret Thatcher to Cher over her illustrious career. Starting out as an actress, Sarah was hand-picked by Blue Peter’s legendary editor, Biddy Baxter, to become it’s youngest ever presenter. Whilst Sarah was working on the show, it picked up the BAFTA for best children’s programme. Moving on from Blue Peter, Sarah presented Saturday Superstore, followed by Going Live! which she co-presented with Phillip Schofield. Both shows dominated the ratings and that popularity was very much down to Sarah’s great chemistry on screen, both with her co-presenters and her natural ability to interview guests, whilst also working with the likes of Gordon the Gopher! Moving across into primetime proved effortless for Sarah and she has presented and co-produced hundreds of successful shows including Posh Frocks and New Trousers, Hospital Watch, Holiday and programmes across the Food Network Channel. Along the way Sarah also anchored the London Monring Breakfast Show on BBC London Radio – solo hosting a live three hour phone-in show with the listeners discussing the daily news. Sarah’s skills at mediating, chairing & presenting events have also seen her hosting many awards shows and corporate evenings throughout her career, working for companies such asNestlé, Mars, Standard Life and the Government's Green Initiative to name but a few. I know I will never be the same again after having had this chat with Sarah. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.