Ten Years Sober: How I Came Back to Life One Day at a Time

Ten Years Sober: How I Came Back to Life One Day at a Time

Today is my ten-year sobriety birthday. Ten years without a drink. Ten years of showing up for life instead of running from it. In this episode I share honestly about how I first got sober in my 20s in AA in London, how I drifted away, and how one ordinary morning at the school gates changed everything. The woman I bumped into that day — someone I’d known from those early meetings — became my sponsor. Over coffee after the school run we talked recovery, motherhood, and how to get through just one more day. Those chats anchored me. Since then, I’ve stayed sober through divorce, burnout, homelessness, heartbreak, and the messy, beautiful realities of parenting and relationships. Sobriety has given me the chance to be a present mother, not a perfect one. It’s also given me the freedom to date without clinging, without losing myself. I talk about moving from digital marketing to nursing, from chaos to calm, from living to impress to living in truth. Most of all, I talk about joy — the kind that isn’t dependent on anyone or anything outside of me. This isn’t a how-to or a polished “ten steps to success” story. It’s just me, ten years sober, reflecting on what I’ve learned, what I’ve survived, and why I still only ever take it one day at a time.

Call with Laila El Shana direct from Gaza - Poetry, Motherhood, and Resistance

In this deeply moving episode, host Lucy Hutchings Hunt speaks with Laila Ezzat Al Shana — a 23-year-old poet, mother, and founder of Humans To Be, a grassroots project bringing joy and healing to children in Gaza. Laila shares her personal story of raising two young children amidst bombardment and displacement, and how poetry became her way to resist silence and keep hope alive. She speaks about carrying her babies through the rubble of her shelled home, finding strength in a single tree outside her window, and her mission to create spaces where Gaza’s children can laugh and simply be children again. This conversation is raw, honest, and profoundly human — a meeting of two mothers and poets, divided by geography but united by love, words, and the belief that even in devastation, hope can bloom. 🎧 Listen now and help amplify Laila’s voice. Guest Overview Name: Laila Ezzat Al Shana Roles: Poet, Mother, Founder of Humans To Be Location: Gaza Socials: @lailaezzatalshana @lailaezzatalshana2 @humanstobe Transcript below: Lucy: Laila, thank you for joining me. I’m sure you’ve got many important things you could be doing, so I’m really grateful you’re here talking to me. Laila: I’m grateful too. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to the world. Lucy: It’s my privilege. I wanted to record what’s going on in your world so my listeners can hear directly from Gaza. I’m particularly drawn to your story because, like me, you’re a mother, a poet, and someone who cares deeply about your community. Could you share a little of who you are and what shaped you as a poet, a mother, and a community leader? Laila: I’m 23 years old. I married at 18 and became a mother at 19, continuing my university studies even while pregnant. I stopped during the genocide, but I’ve now re-registered. For me, resistance is continuing with life. I fight with words and my voice because the world must listen—because we are human like them. I have two children, Ismail, almost four, and Ibrahim, nearly one. I raised my second baby during the genocide. It was so hard—bombardments, displacements, evacuation orders. My husband is disabled and can’t carry our sons, so all the burden fell on me. A week after giving birth, our home was shelled three times while I was inside with the babies. Miraculously, we survived. Lucy: Where are you now? Laila: In what’s left of my destroyed home, at Bridge Camp. Everywhere is destruction. But even here I find hope—a tree outside my window reminds me to dream of life. Lucy: I saw you post about two boys you knew who were killed trying to get food. Laila: Yes, they were my cousins. Soldiers shot them at an aid distribution center. One was deaf. Their younger brother, just 13, saw them murdered. He told me he picked up his brother’s brain from the ground and put it back inside his head. That scene will never leave him. Lucy: Tell me about the hospitals. Laila: Overcrowded, no beds, no supplies. I saw martyrs wrapped in plastic bags, injured people lying on the ground. Israel has destroyed everything—starving us, denying medical aid, turning Gaza into a prison. Lucy: It’s hard to know what to do. How can we support you? Laila: Through my project, Humans To Be. I started it for children, because I feel their pain. More than 50,000 here are orphans. I try to give them food, clothes, hugs, stories—moments to smile. It’s small now, but I dream of building it into an organization that helps thousands. Our children deserve joy like any child in the world. Lucy: It’s amazing what you’re doing, Laila. Thank you for sharing your story. Laila: Thank you for giving me this chance. Please don’t let the world be silent. Every second we lose more children, more mothers, more fathers. People must raise their voices and stop the genocide.

Live The Change with Sophie Benge, Midlife Feminine Energy & Embodiment Coach

Live The Change with Sophie Benge: Sophie Benge is an empowering force to be reckoned with. She is a seasoned veteran in the spa and holistic healing space. Her thirst for adventure led her to Hong Kong, where she was introduced to the spa industry. Here is where Sophie’s love for indigenous wellness was nurtured. Soon after, she began the role of Editor for Elle Decoration Magazine in Asia and is now a consultant in the international wellness spa industry. With over 25 years of experience under her belt, Sophie has pivoted her expertise to catering mid-life and menopausal women to help them reconnect with their bodies and femininity. Now as an energy guide, Sophie’s mission is to lift women up and motivate them to take charge of their feminine essence gracefully. Some questions I ask: How does menopause relate to women’s feminine nature? How do we connect back to our bodies post childbearing? What are key concepts to know for women to be able to embody their feminine essence? In this episode, you will learn: When we embody our feminine essence we connect with our body, allowing for a transformative moment How to connect with your sexual energy by; slowing down, remaining present, and becoming aware of your senses The four parts of the clitoris and its intention towards womanhood Sophie’s 3 gems: Balance Do lovely things for your body throughout the day Get out in nature

Janet Henson: Divorce and Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coach

Live The Change with Janet Henson, Divorce and Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coach Being in a relationship with a narcissist is no easy feat; learning your partner is a narcissist is even worse, but leaving the relationship can be unfathomably difficult. Janet Henson’s profession is just that; she is a divorce and narcissistic recovery coach. She helps people equip themselves in making the hardest transitions of their lives by empowering, affirming, and providing support every step of the way. Having had her own ordeal with a narcissist, Janet uses her experience as a roadmap on how to recognize red flags and navigate their personalities. She specializes in narcissistic abuse, ex-pat divorces, and late-in-life divorces, and her mission is to lift people out of the hole that was dug by a charmer who became a harmer. Some questions I ask: In what ways has narcissism become widely known as a personality disorder? How can people identify it? What would you say to someone who has a narcissistic person in their life? What is your experience being in a relationship with someone who is a narcissist? What would you say to people who are confronted by others for distancing yourself from the narcissist in your life? In this episode, you will learn: How to learn attributes of a narcissist; charming, clever, false compassion (the charmer and the harmer) Narcissist can develop their personality from their upbringing; ie helicopter parents with high expectations, parent who are narcissistic themselves and adopted behavior Narcissists tend to target people who are empathetic Janet’s 3 gems of wisdom: Listen to your gut instinct Enjoy and appreciate life Make sure to always keep healthy

Laura Shuckburgh: Menopause Coach and Founder of Marvellous Midlife

Live The Change with Laura Shuckburg: Laura Shuckburg is an agent of change and a champion for thriving. She is a life coach and menopausal consultant for women in their midlife. At the age of 47, Laura began experiencing unexplainable symptoms of anxiety and brain fog that felt like borderline dementia though to her surprise, it was Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). In a decision to live life to the fullest, rather than resentment, Laura left her marriage in 2020 and set off to France with her dog, a van, and a new zest for life. With Marvellous Midlife and Menopause Hive, Laura’s goal is to inspire women to pave their own path to happiness and fulfillment as they journey through the most pivotal moment of their life. Some questions I ask: How has PMDD define your life? What brought you to France? Why now? How did you decide to live and run your business in a van? In this episode, you will learn: Understanding how Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder affects your life and state of being The butterfly effect; why choices should always be examined carefully and come from a heartfelt place  Why outright hatred or judgment towards a person is often a reflection of ourselves that we refuse to acknowledge Laura’s 3 gems: Listen to your body Take up meditation  Try to be happy with what is present