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S3 Ep107 Helen Lunnon-Wood: Transition Series #3
Description
Belonging sounds like a warm word until you realise how often we settle for fitting in, shaving off the edges of ourselves to survive a culture.
We talk about that difference, from early military moments where the team feels like “little and big brothers” to workplaces where everything becomes an adjustment and you start questioning your place. We talk about how culture, not demographics, shapes whether people feel safe, valued, and able to show up fully.
What happens when your sense of worth is tied to a uniform, a unit, a badge, or a calling like service before self? We explore the question “who am I now?” for veterans and especially for female veterans who adapted themselves to fit a masculine environment and then struggle to belong in civilian life. We also touch the sting of disillusionment, the idea that your last interaction with an organisation you love may disappoint you, and why Afghanistan continues to raise moral injury questions for many who served.
The second half turns practical: journalling as a thinking space, deliberate planning that replaces military structure, setting boundaries that protect family life, and learning to separate who you are from what you do so mistakes stop feeling like a verdict.
We close the series with a clear message: do not white-knuckle transition alone. Build your own table of mentors, coaches, friends, and peers.
Find Helen on LinkedIn or via her website.
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