The Clearing - Honest Conversations For Men In Midlife.

Matt Bagwell and Karl Monahan
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  • Mental Health

The Clearing is a podcast for honest conversations, support and guidance for men in their midlife. A space to pause, reflect, and speak more truthfully about life as it’s actually lived — relationships, identity, pressure, anger, growth, and what it means to be human in a busy, noisy world. Through thoughtful dialogue, lived experience, and moments of quiet clarity, The Clearing invites you to step out of the noise and into something more grounded, real, and connected. Find our website here - https://theclearing.life/

  1. From Surface to Soul: The Power and Evolution of Friendship

    3d ago

    From Surface to Soul: The Power and Evolution of Friendship

    Friendship is much more than a mere social formality; it is the fabric that grounds us, supports us, and guides us through the complex journey of human existence.  In today's world, where the synthetic often seems to overshadow the organic, the deep resonance and fulfillment that genuine human connections offer become even more significant. Beyond social formalities, the essence of true friendship lies in acceptance, trust, and the shared journey through both life's highs and lows.   ### Why Friends Matter Now In our podcast, Matt and Karl explore the multifaceted nature of friendships, emphasizing that while we might have countless acquaintances, it's the genuine bonds that truly impact us. These are people who embrace even the shadowy parts of our personalities. Friendships built over time are layered with tolerance, forgiveness, and kindness, elements that bind us together in profound ways.   ### Different Flavors of Friendship Friendships don't always follow a single pattern. They are like a rich tapestry of different flavors and shades. We may not always agree or share the same interests, but that diversity is what creates harmony within those relationships. The key is recognizing and celebrating these differences, forging connections that are based on multiple threads of mutual respect and understanding.   ### Threads, Seasons, and the Shifting Nature of Friendships As we wander through the seasons of our lives, friendships ebb and flow. Sometimes, circumstances change, leading to a natural evolution of relationships. What might begin as a deal friendship, bound by common interests or activities, can deepen into a real friendship—a bond that transcends mere convenience and enters the realm of profound mutual support.   ### Men's Circles and Loneliness Another critical area we delved into was the isolation faced by men today. Men's Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us of the importance of maintaining connections. We all crave a space where we can be vulnerable, share laughter, or endure life's challenges together. By participating in men's circles like The Clearing, we forge meaningful ties that stave off loneliness and cultivate community.   ### Finding Your Tribe It's vital to find your tribe—those who share your passions, whether they be for sports, music, or more niche interests like stamp collecting or surfing. These shared experiences serve as bridges, powerful enough to connect people from divergent backgrounds. Remember, every friendship starts with the simple act of reaching out.     ### Reach Out and Reconnect With the world rapidly changing around us, it's important to be proactive in our friendships. A simple message to an old friend can reignite bonds, reminding both parties of the value and depth of their connection. So, why not pick up the phone today and rekindle a friendship? It could lead to something truly enriching.   ### Subscribe and Stay Connected To stay updated with our podcast and engage with more content on nurturing friendships and personal growth, subscribe to our podcast. Visit our website for details on events and new episodes. Contribute to the dialogue on LinkedIn or follow us on Instagram for visual stories. We look forward to connecting with you in The Clearing.   Thought-provoking, honest, and occasionally very funny. The Clearing is a space for men navigating the questions that don't come with easy answers. We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.   Email us at matt@theclearing.life Follows us here: Instagram Website

    30 min

  2. Jun 22

    The Antidote to AI Anxiety: Storytelling, Consciousness, and Community

    In this 3rd episode covering the theme of AI in our lives Matt and Karl discuss how to respond optimistically to AI, especially fears about changing jobs, data use, and truth, while noting benefits like faster research and reduced regulatory timelines in areas such as vaccines. They argue that uniquely human strengths—storytelling, empathy/feeling, personality, and consciousness (noticing, awareness, connection)—remain valuable and cannot be truly synthesized, even if AI can mimic them through prompts. They emphasize continued frustration with automated customer service and a growing desire for “made by humans” trust marks in creative work. The conversation centers on the importance of community and in-person “collisions” that spark collaboration, citing examples from Japan, workplace design, and shared cultural celebrations like music and football. Matt and Karl .....   Grab your ticket here for the Shoreham.tech: Building Confidence with AI event, taking place on Wednesday, June 24  •  7 PM - 9 PM.   This evening is for answers. Join us for a 2 hour, small group, in person gathering in Shoreham. The evening will be led by Jeevan Thandi, founder of shoreham.tech, providing digital inclusion, coding & AI training for Shoreham-by-Sea. This event is for anyone who wants to get genuinely comfortable with AI — without the hype, without the overwhelm, and without feeling like the least qualified person in the room. All experience levels are welcome. Whether you're running a small business, working for yourself, or just trying to make sense of what's happening. What we'll cover: What AI actually is — and what it isn't The real opportunities — for your work, your thinking, your reinvention The tools, the mental models, and yes — what to do with the anxiety Expect open conversation, live demos, and honest answers. You'll leave with: A clearer sense of where you stand — and why your existing experience is often the advantage At least one new prompt, tool or technique you can put to use the next day A way to tell what's actually useful from what's hype, so you can keep building confidence on your own All ticket sales will be donated to TechResort (https://techresort.org/what-we-do/) A digital inclusion charity in East Sussex.   ....   Thought-provoking, honest, and occasionally very funny. The Clearing is a space for men navigating the questions that don't come with easy answers. We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.   Email us at matt@theclearing.life Follows us here: Instagram Website

    25 min

  3. Jun 15

    How to Live With Robots – Part 2

    In their second of several conversations about AI, Matt and Karl move from everyday use of tools like Claude and ChatGPT to the more anxiety-inducing threats: how flattering, appeasing bots can become more addictive than doomscrolling because they deliver both praise and high-speed output, blurring boundaries at home and sparking “are you here with me or with the robot?” tensions. They discuss how AI may soon feel like a constant presence in family life, and extend the worry into workplaces where agentive AI is already challenging roles in professional services and customer service, raising fears about redundancy, reskilling too slowly, and the shifting meaning of value and work. They question who is steering AI’s direction—unelected actors with massive power and unclear agendas—and close with practical advice to unplug, reconnect with people and nature, set device-free boundaries, and attend an in-person AI event on June 24 at Shoreham Yacht Club to learn healthier ways to engage with the technology.   Matt and Karl .....   Grab your ticket here for the Shoreham.tech: Building Confidence with AI event, taking place on Wednesday, June 24  •  7 PM - 9 PM.   This evening is for answers. Join us for a 2 hour, small group, in person gathering in Shoreham. The evening will be led by Jeevan Thandi, founder of shoreham.tech, providing digital inclusion, coding & AI training for Shoreham-by-Sea. This event is for anyone who wants to get genuinely comfortable with AI — without the hype, without the overwhelm, and without feeling like the least qualified person in the room. All experience levels are welcome. Whether you're running a small business, working for yourself, or just trying to make sense of what's happening. What we'll cover: What AI actually is — and what it isn't The real opportunities — for your work, your thinking, your reinvention The tools, the mental models, and yes — what to do with the anxiety Expect open conversation, live demos, and honest answers. You'll leave with: A clearer sense of where you stand — and why your existing experience is often the advantage At least one new prompt, tool or technique you can put to use the next day A way to tell what's actually useful from what's hype, so you can keep building confidence on your own All ticket sales will be donated to TechResort (https://techresort.org/what-we-do/) A digital inclusion charity in East Sussex.   ....   Thought-provoking, honest, and occasionally very funny. The Clearing is a space for men navigating the questions that don't come with easy answers. We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.   Email us at matt@theclearing.life Follows us here: Instagram Website

    27 min

  4. Jun 9

    How to live with the robots - Part 1

    In a new studio, Matt and Karl begin a three-part podcast series on artificial intelligence, defining AI broadly—from everyday automations and chat interfaces like Claude and Gemini to hidden uses like fraud detection and materials research—then zooming in on “agentive” AI that can run tasks semi-autonomously (like booking an entire trip end-to-end).    They discuss how they personally use AI as an assistant for research, spellcheck, document comparison, and curating wellbeing “signals,” but draw boundaries around publishing synthetic content and especially around medical advice, after a patient suggested building Matt a virtual assistant clinician.    They warn that AI outputs depend on inputs and can be dangerous if errors go unnoticed, argue that humans still excel at nonlinear connections and tone, and note creative industries may be most threatened. They close by teeing up an existential-risk episode, citing Elon Musk’s line, “I hope the robots are kind,” and sharing details for a June 24 Shoreham Yacht Club event on understanding digital tech and addressing the digital divide.   Matt and Karl .....   Grab your ticket here for the Shoreham.tech: Building Confidence with AI event, taking place on Wednesday, June 24  •  7 PM - 9 PM.   This evening is for answers. Join us for a 2 hour, small group, in person gathering in Shoreham. The evening will be led by Jeevan Thandi, founder of shoreham.tech, providing digital inclusion, coding & AI training for Shoreham-by-Sea. This event is for anyone who wants to get genuinely comfortable with AI — without the hype, without the overwhelm, and without feeling like the least qualified person in the room. All experience levels are welcome. Whether you're running a small business, working for yourself, or just trying to make sense of what's happening. What we'll cover: What AI actually is — and what it isn't The real opportunities — for your work, your thinking, your reinvention The tools, the mental models, and yes — what to do with the anxiety Expect open conversation, live demos, and honest answers. You'll leave with: A clearer sense of where you stand — and why your existing experience is often the advantage At least one new prompt, tool or technique you can put to use the next day A way to tell what's actually useful from what's hype, so you can keep building confidence on your own All ticket sales will be donated to TechResort (https://techresort.org/what-we-do/) A digital inclusion charity in East Sussex.   ....   Thought-provoking, honest, and occasionally very funny. The Clearing is a space for men navigating the questions that don't come with easy answers. We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.   Email us at matt@theclearing.life Follows us here: Instagram Website

    27 min

  5. May 26

    Health, Wealth, and the Search for Meaning

    In this podcast episode, Matt and Karl continue to explore the theme of work and relationships.  They cover fulfilment beyond the financial transaction of work, focusing on meaning, contentment, and purpose in midlife careers. They distinguish short-term gratification (dopamine rewards like bonuses, praise, and milestones) from longer-term satisfaction (deeper emotional nourishment and alignment with values), and discuss how people can be anesthetized to long-term dissatisfaction by repeated short-term rewards, including examples from sales, recruitment-style bonus cultures, and “golden handcuffs” in banking. Matt shares a personal journey from rapid career rise and material accumulation to questioning “Is this it?” and pivoting through multiple careers toward intrinsic motivation and health as key currencies. They both reference sabbaticals as a way to redistribute “retirement” across life, introduce “Sniper’s Alley” (50–60) as a period of health risks and mortality awareness, and close with gratitude moments from clinical work and a men’s circle where vulnerability created connection and mentorship. .... Thought-provoking, honest, and occasionally very funny. The Clearing is a space for men navigating the questions that don't come with easy answers. We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.   Email us at matt@theclearing.life Follows us here: Instagram Website

    1h 4m

  6. May 18

    From Identity to Impact: The Midlifers' work renaissance

    In this podcast episode, Matt and Karl continue a series on work, moving from identity to interpersonal relationships and how midlife men navigate colleagues, clients, and hybrid working. Karl describes running a solo pelvic pain clinic with patients aged 18–88 and how the pandemic forced a shift from hands-on sessions to telehealth, expanding his reach globally while coinciding with increased client suicidality, his own mental-health strain, homeschooling demands, and coping through drinking, smoking, and drugs. They discuss generational differences in remote work, blurred boundaries between colleagues and friends, and how AI both threatens and creates opportunities, including the idea of an “AI Karl” available 24/7. Practical tools include strengths-based team exercises with role-play, mapping workplace relationships by energy and interaction frequency, and using non-violent communication to improve difficult interactions, emphasizing midlife contributions of mentorship and “eldership.” .... Thought-provoking, honest, and occasionally very funny. The Clearing is a space for men navigating the questions that don't come with easy answers. We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.   Email us at matt@theclearing.life Follows us here: Instagram Website

    46 min

  7. May 4

    From Fighter Pilot to Therapist: Challenging Career Stereotypes - Pod 11

    Picture the scene. Someone at a party says they're a fighter pilot. The room lights up. Now imagine telling that same room you zigzagged from tennis coach to massage therapist to men's health specialist — via art college and a European Business degree. Different reaction. Same value. Very different story. In this episode, Matt and Karl challenge the unspoken hierarchy we've all absorbed around what counts as a impressive job, a meaningful career, or a "proper" path. Karl's unconventional route into men's health — dismissed by friends and family as a hobby that would never pay — sits at the heart of a conversation that asks why we rank careers, where that instinct comes from, and what it costs us when we wrap our identity too tightly around a job title. Matt and Karl explore the performative culture around status and work, the tribal roots of professional hierarchy, the midlife moment when the label you've spent decades earning starts to feel hollow, and what it actually means to do work that fits who you are — not who you were told to be. Topics covered in this episode include: career stereotypes and the hierarchy of "wow factor" jobs, identity and work, zigzag versus linear career paths, label gathering and title climbing, the identity void of retirement and transitions, and why "I'm between jobs" still sounds like an apology. Thought-provoking, honest, and occasionally very funny. The Clearing is a space for men navigating the questions that don't come with easy answers. We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.   Email us at matt@theclearing.life Follows us here: Instagram Website

    43 min

  8. Apr 27

    The Praise Muscle: Why Compliments Feel Clunky (And How to Fix That)

    We're wired for negativity. It kept us alive on the savannah, and it's keeping us stuck in our relationships today — noticing every open cupboard door, every pair of shoes left out, while the good stuff slides right off us like a fried egg on a non-stick pan. In this episode, Matt and Karl get into the other side of the feedback conversation: what happens when we stop just tolerating the people we love and actually start seeing them again. From a plate of food arriving unannounced at a desk, to complimenting a stranger on his trousers, to finally saying why you're grateful rather than just muttering "cheers" — this is about building the muscle of explicit appreciation. It turns out it's awkward at first. It turns out it's also worth it. Plus: the Harvard study that proves talking to strangers on trains makes your day better, the Nine Whys method applied to a dinner gesture, and why Karl can't bring himself to compliment another man's aftershave.   The Clearing — a space for men navigating questions without easy answers. We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.   Email us at matt@theclearing.life Follows us here: Instagram Website

    34 min
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About

The Clearing is a podcast for honest conversations, support and guidance for men in their midlife. A space to pause, reflect, and speak more truthfully about life as it’s actually lived — relationships, identity, pressure, anger, growth, and what it means to be human in a busy, noisy world. Through thoughtful dialogue, lived experience, and moments of quiet clarity, The Clearing invites you to step out of the noise and into something more grounded, real, and connected. Find our website here - https://theclearing.life/

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