EP6: V, U or L shaped recovery? Viktor Frankl, Nick Leeson and Sleep

I open this weeks episode with a powerful clip from Viktor Frankl, a professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Vienna Medical school until his death in 1997. During World War 2, Mr Frankl spent three years at Auschwitz and other concentration camps.  Given the magnitude of pain, anxiety and adversity in society right now, I felt compelled to introduce you to Mr Frankl in this weeks episode.  I introduce a new feature of the podcast this week in the form of my "Rant of the Week".  This will be where I share some of my frustrations of the last number of days on the pod.  In this episode, I talk about the phenomenon around Mc Donalds reopening this week, in the context of over 16 million people dying of heart disease every year.  British Conservative Politician Mr Michael Gove also gets a mention in this section this week, so well done to him for that.  I'm sure he will be delighted, as I'm sure he is a listener, I move on to the main body of the episode where I get into the recovery of our economy and how that might play out. The economists tell us it can only look one of three ways, V, U, or L shaped recovery - but what does this mean, and how long might it be before we get things back to some kind of normality? This is a very difficult thing to predict, but already we have enough information to start to form some kind of opinion on this. I was delighted Nick Lesson makes his second contribution to Money & Plants in this episode, and yet again we have a wide ranging conversation about global affairs, and I get Nick's view on what the recovery might look like.   His views on this particular issue are very interesting, given his experience and knowledge of booms and bust cycles over the last thirty years. We discuss a range of matters including why what is happening in Hong Kong and China is important, and also why if there were to be a vaccine found in the next few months, that might help get Donald Trump reelected in November, at the Presidential election in the USA.  Nick, a huge mental health advocate also shares how he has bought a new bike and found a new love for cycling, and how his exercise regime is helping him deal with the lockdown.  The health segment in this episode is all about the important role Sleep plays in all of our health, and I set out very clearly, why it is so important we all start to get a better understanding of this. I share with you one of the best books I read last year, Dr Matthew Walker's "Why We Sleep" and encourage all of you to read it - I think it will help you.  The big takeaway I hope from EP6 has to be the message coming from Dr Frankl in the opening section of the show.   His message and the example he set in his own life is truly wonderful and inspirational. The fact it is possible to turn personal tragedies into human triumphs is something all of us should be aware of particularly in the times we are in.  His view that it is those people who are orientated towards a "meaning of the future" who are most likely to survive and thrive, is something I really would like you to have a think about and consider.  Finally I would like to thank all of you for listening to my show.  It's been quite the experience pulling all of this together over the last number of weeks from a standing start, and I am delighted so many of you are enjoying the podcasts.  Keep the feedback coming in, and if there is a way you think I might be able to improve the experience or maybe there is an important topic you think I should cover, please let me know.  Best place to get me is at [email protected]  Until next time, look after yourself and look after each other. CD 💰🌾 Books recommended this week (1) Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl (2) Why We Sleep  - Dr Matthew Walker