Stuck in a rut at work (and not sure how to actually take the leap to leave?). Or wondering how to make friends as a male in your thirties or forties? Welcome to your next email installment from SOLO, Flash Pack’s online magazine. This week we’re covering all that – and more. So sit back and scroll slowly…
I BECAME INSTA-FAMOUS WITH DOG VIDEOS DURING THE LOWEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE
Charlie, of Life Like Charlie
“People know me for my goofball videos on the internet – often featuring my two rescue podencos, Nala and Monkey,” says Tik Tok star Charlie, of Life Like Charlie. “But what they don’t know is that my viral fame earlier this year – which came about entirely by accident – coincided with one of the most traumatic periods of my life.” In 2023 Charlie was living in a foreign city alone, unable to speak the language. “I could feel my anxiety levels creeping up by the day,” he says. “Things got much worse when my Dad died suddenly from a heart attack on a family holiday last summer. Grieving has been a horrible process. I was in bits. My creativity was crushed.” In January this year, Charlie’s life changed again when he posted a video of his rescue dog, Nala, on Instagram. The followers flooded in, meaning he’s now in a position to donate all the money he earns through TikTok to rescue charity Hope for Podencos. Read his inspiring story below.
HOW TO ESCAPE AN UNHAPPY JOB & FIND REAL WORK-LIFE FULFILLMENT
Anna Brech
Often, there is something – normally money, prestige, friends at work or convenience – that keeps us reeled in to work. But that doesn’t always mean we’re happy there. Sometimes unhappy people stay put in jobs far longer than they should, stuck fast in a mudflat of resentment. If this sounds scarily familiar, this practical guide will help. From raising cash to finding a mentor, these tips cover everything you need to know about ditching a job you don’t like.
As is so often the case, science has proven what we all suspected from painful experience: men over 30 are bad at making friends. A study published by the Survey Center on American Life in 2021 found that men have experienced a rapid decline in their number of close friends in recent times. Over 15% of men reported having “no close friends”, five times the number reported in 1990. Nearly half of men surveyed (49%) stated that they had three close friends or fewer. But new friendships can come from unexpected places – something anyone who has been on a Flash Pack adventure will know. Being abroad and sharing an experience is often what’s needed to break down the barriers that so often stand in the way of friendships – especially male friendships. Don’t believe us? Read more below.
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