Eloise Skinner is an author, therapist and teacher based in London. Her work focuses on meaning, purpose and identity, and she is a graduate of the Hatch Launchpad programme (her social impact venture One Typical Day provides resources for students entering the world of work). Eloise’s newest book, ‘But Are You Alive?’ explores depth and meaning in everyday life.
But Are You Alive?
‘But Are You Alive?’ is a book about finding depth and meaning in everyday life. It’s a book that explores the experience of ‘aliveness’ through multiple perspectives and traditions, including existential therapy, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, monastic and spiritual disciplines. Ultimately, it’s a book that introduces the reader to some practical ways to dive deeper into their own experience of being alive.
I’ve always been fascinated by the questions of meaning, purpose and depth – I’ve been on the hunt for answers to the big questions of life for almost a decade! I started my career in corporate law, but wanted to go deeper – I trained as a yoga instructor, meditation and mindfulness teacher, and even spent a year in a monastic community, training as a monk! Later, I switched careers from corporate law to psychotherapy.
The work of the book reflects the work I’ve done over the last decade, in chasing meaning, purpose, direction, depth and an enhanced experience of feeling fully alive.
The Inspiration
I’ve heard it said before that writers often write the books they wish they’d had – and that’s definitely true for me! All of my books are a mix of theory and practice: first, explaining the ideas I’ve learned, and second, providing some practical exercises for people to try it for themselves. I see my work as more like a teacher, or like a guide: not instructing people on the answers, but offering some new perspectives to try out.
I hope people will explore some new ideas they might not have otherwise come across: existential therapy, for example, or monastic and spiritual practices. And I hope it raises some questions for people – about what they want, and about where they find meaning and purpose in their lives. I hope it accompanies people on a journey to developing a meaningful, deep and fulfilling life for themselves, whatever that looks like for them!
The Perfect Book for Entrepreneurs
As I left my corporate job, and started to build my first business, I really felt the loss of my previous working environment. One of the things I missed the most was the sense of community, and the relationships that I had with my colleagues and peers.
Building a business can be a lonely experience – especially when your team is small. I joined a Hatch Launchpad to get involved with a community focused on similar values to my own – and to benefit from the networking, support and accountability the community offered!
Even a few years later, I’m still closely integrated with the other founders from my programme, and with the wider Hatch community as well. It’s been a fantastic support on my journey to becoming a founder.
Starting a business is an incredibly personal journey – an opportunity to explore your own life, as well as build a practical business venture. It can be a time of reflection, where you really look at the work you’re putting into the world, and ask yourself: what do I want to achieve here? What am I contributing? What are my values, and how do they align with my business?
This is, of course, especially the case for the Hatch community, who hold social and community impact as a central feature of their ventures! I think the book will provide some interesting ideas for socially-conscious business builders who are beginning to define themselves as founders and creators.
Available to buy from 13th April
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