Amy Key: Romance Isn't Everything

Amy Key: Romance Isn't Everything

Author: Ben Schuman-Stoler. Making big ideas personal. Get personal growth and business lessons from thought leaders and entrepreneurs. January 25, 2024 Duration: 32:57
In 1971, Joni Mitchell released Blue, an album teeming with stories of a life shaped by romance, desire, longing, and the default path of sharing life with another person. The ideal might persist to this day, but what happens if the romance we are told will give life meaning... never shows up? How gorgeous and fulfilling can we make our lives, sans romantic partner? Amy Key, the celebrated British essayist and poet, sets out to explore exactly these questions in her memoir, Arrangements in Blue, with Joni's seminal album as its scaffolding. Amy embarks on an intimate, sometimes painfully candid journey to search for all the things a soulmate was supposed to deliver, working out how to live well in this culture that prizes romantic love. And she shares her findings with us. Amy’s wisdom and tenderness guide us from an important shift in ideas about intimacy and solitude to the painful feelings we are often too ashamed to discuss: loneliness, envy, grief, and the sensation of wanting. In this episode, learn about the importance of building a home, how to travel alone, the importance of recognizing your own milestones, and why we should consider expanding the remit of friendship. Recommended by Caitlin and Ben: Living Your Best Single Life Simplify episode - Rebecca Traister and The Power of Being Single All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab Recommended by Amy: Kick the Latch by Katherine Scanlan Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to [https://www.blinkist.com/simplify\][2], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code arrangement. Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [2], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [3]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [4]. This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Maria Levacic & Stéphane Obadia at Blinkist

Hosted by Ben Schuman-Stoler, the Blinkist Podcast is a series of conversations that feel more like a focused chat than a formal interview. The premise is straightforward: take the expansive concepts from psychology, business strategy, and personal development and translate them into practical, personal terms. Each episode sits down with a thought leader or entrepreneur, not just to recap their ideas, but to unpack the real-world application behind them. You’ll hear how these principles actually function outside of a book or a theory, focusing on the lessons that can be directly applied to your own growth and daily challenges. The discussions naturally weave through topics like productivity systems, the psychology of decision-making, and the nuanced realities of building a business. This isn't about abstract inspiration; it's about finding actionable insight. By making big ideas personal, the podcast serves as a companion for anyone looking to cut through the noise and extract meaningful, usable knowledge from today's leading minds. Tune in for thoughtful dialogues that prioritize depth and clarity, offering a tangible takeaway from every conversation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Blinkist Podcast - Interviews | Personal Development | Productivity | Business | Psychology
Podcast Episodes
Sonya Renee Taylor: Love Yourself, Save the World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:51
In this episode of Simplify, Sonya Renee Taylor explains how our language and mindset about our bodies impact us in ways that we are often entirely unaware of. Increasing our awareness of this factor enables us to better…
Randolph Nesse: It’s Not You— It's Evolution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:03
In this episode of Simplify, Caitlin asks Randolph Nesse why he believes that humans have evolved to experience hardships such as depression, anxiety and grief. As it turns out, while many of our most painful emotions of…
Ingrid Fetell Lee: Make Your Own Joy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:48
Can we make joy, on-demand? Ingrid Fetell Lee, joy researcher and former IDEO designer, reveals how in transforming our spaces, we also have the power to transform our wellbeing. Find out how color brought life back into…
Johann Hari: Depression’s Not (Just) In Your Head [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:09
In this episode of Simplify, journalist and two-time New York Times-bestselling author Johann Hari reveals the cultural causes of depression: loss of connection to meaningful work, meaningful relationships, a future that…
Susan Cain: It's Okay To Be Quiet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:59
In this episode of Simplify, Susan Cain discusses the ways in which introverts and extroverts react differently to stimulation and why we often overlook the strengths of introverts. Giving introverts permission to be the…
Amanda Siebert: It's Just a Plant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:51
Picture a person who uses cannabis regularly. Did you imagine an Olympic medal-winning athlete, or a successful entrepreneur? Or did you think of someone who fits the standard stoner stereotype? If, like most people, you…
Robin DiAngelo: Think Impact, Not Intention [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:31
What does whiteness mean? If you're a white person, the occasions on which you've thought about it might be few. If you're a person of color, the time you spend reckoning with its meaning & consequences are likely far to…
Jen Sincero: Believe Better Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:41
Coach & writer Jen Sincero tried every self-help technique out there, then condensed the most powerful practices into one straight-talking bestseller that thousands have used to kickstart their lives. Listen in as Sincer…
Melissa Hartwig: Create Your Own Food Rules [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:12
If you've got a pulse and like eating food, you've likely either been on a diet, or felt obligated to start one. Yet the fact remains that diets, in the traditional cut-and-count-calories format, rarely work long term. T…
Ayelet Waldman: Microdose, Maybe? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:34
The turning point came for Ayelet Waldman when she found herself frozen before her medicine cabinet, wondering "What's going to kill me fastest?" She knew it was time to try a new tactic to improve her mental health. In…