Welcome to Episode 148 of the Sheep Dressed Like Wolves Podcast. It's the start of a brand new year and I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about some of the questions I've been asking myself as I step into 2016.

It’s great to be back after a few weeks off. Sorry that I didn't manage to get this episode with you last week as I intended. I couldn't quite get my wheels turning fast enough in time. I was tempted to rush something together but then decided, 'no, I’m going to start as I mean to go on this year and live at a better and intentional pace'.

Something In the Air

Towards the end of 2015 I struggled for motivation. I felt pretty low and found it really hard to write or record any posts/podcasts. This was due to mixture of things, not least some overwhelm from work. But I also noticed that there seems to be a 'lowness' in the world at large right now.

For example I've spoken to a handful of people who feel compelled to take a break from social media for the sake of their own mental wellbeing. I was resonating with this, especially in the aftermath of the November attacks in Paris.

It was as if some really insane part of our collective psyche had taken over and mixed with social media, and turned us into some kind of inhumane monster.

...Seasons, Stories, Themes

It's important to identify collective moods. These are key clues to what is going on in the world.

In this episode I look at the role I see themes, story archs, narratives playing in our lives, and how I'm using them to shape how I am approaching the next year. Over the past few weeks I've been asking myself some serious questions that have been bringing up patterns and repetitions in the answers that come back.

I take you through these questions and hope they will stimulate some thoughts of your own about how your year might go.

Over to You
What would you like 2016 to be the year of for you? What story do you want to see take hold over the next 12 months? Please leave your response in the comments below.