#pod: directionally challenged

[jjinpang]

Thank you for being the navigator friend. Without you our pod would be lost. Literally, actually literally.

My friend just. Didn't know where north was???

[honestgrins]

NikMik: hm, i didn't quite get that vibe when i listened to the ep. i think they are appreciative of fans but being public figures, their experience/perspective of fandom is different since they deal with it on a much larger scale - both good & bad. like with candice, i think the fandom got kinda intense for her with all the klaroline/jodice shipping. plus the fandom experience is amplified with technology & social media. (pt1)

Oh, absolutely. That’s why I’m a little confused they tried to hit the fandom angle so hard, I guess. 

NikMik: like you mentioned, i like that anna stuck to her guts when it came to getting her story published & made as a movie. i felt for her when she talked about her broken relationship with her mom. (pt2)

That was definitely the rough part of the episode, and it seems like she’s put in a lot of work to put her feelings about it all into perspective so as not to let old wounds keep festering. Especially when she was talking about her sister, I liked how careful she was in choosing her words to explain the situation. Word choice in emotional conversations is not my strong suit, at all, so it was kind of nice to hear her work through what she actually wanted to say instead of what she almost did.

NikMik: what were your takeaways from leesa's ep? sometimes i see the ep description & i think "what could i possibly get from this?" but then i'm surprised. here 1) style can contribute to your well-being. (2) find an outfit that makes you feel good & replicate it./i'm basically how leesa described amy schumer when she first started working as her stylist. (pt3)

So I love clothes. A lot. I have more closet space than any one person needs, and it is still stuffed to the gills with pretty dresses. What I loved about Leesa’s discussion was the focus on costume design over fashion, because her job is to dress the character, not feature the clothes. I relate a lot to the idea of putting together a look for the sake of representing who I want to be that day, what persona I’m trying to project. Confidence and comfort in my skin usually starts with my outfit, and I love that Leesa wants to make sure people have access to that same confidence and comfort by finding their “uniform.” At work, mine is a twirly dress and a colorful blazer.

And if you relate to Amy’s take, I loved that moment where Leesa affirmed that she had great legs, where she could build confidence starting with that one feature. 

[fyrecatpickles]

Strawhats in order of favourite to least favourite!

😜

Aaa! I’ve been trying to put them in order for so long! >//< But I shall try, just for you~!

1. Sanji: Are you really surprised? This noodle is baby. As much as he’s an idiot in canon he’s also has so much character and life inside of him. Tragic backstory is also a plus XD We stan Genderfluid Bi Sanji in this house! I love him, and want only good things and more terrible things to happen for him. He’s such a complex character, and I just have so many feelings for him. So SO many feelings. I could talk for hours about how much I love Sanji. Don’t even get me started. XD

2. Luffy: I. Love. Luffy! This motherfucker is SO GOOD. He would be number one if I wasn’t such a simp for tragic backstoried blonds with daddy issues. Luffy is sunshine and chaos. He would end the world for his family. He’s selfish, feral, and such a moron. Luffy is the hype. He’s also hysterical! I just, I love Luffy. I want to see him reach his dream so goddamn badly.

3. Zoro: I mean, c’mon! It’s the Moss head. Directionally challenged, sword obsessed, bit titties, shares a brain cell with Luffy Marimo. He loves his crew, and is an amazing First mate to the future Pirate King. This bad boy can fit so many head canons it’s unreal! He’s also just as feral as Luffy. They are like two peas in a pod. Also he’s Sanji’s husband.

4. Robin: Robin is Queen! She’s so mysterious, but once you really get to know her she’s just as quirky as the rest of the Strawhats. Her comedic timing with Sanji in Skypei always had me dying. Her and Chopper’s friendship? Best. Top Tier. Get those nerds together and they will talk for hours. I love how she plays board games with him, and just really loves her found family. Robin coming out of the wood works to say something creepy and smiling? I love it. Give me more. Step on my face queen.

5. Chopper: I am a sucker for cute, but it’s more than that. Chopper wants to prove himself So Much. He’s a reindeer who braved the desert for his new friends, watched over the Merry Go and tried to protect her from fire, is strong as hell and he’s a genius! This little nugget has to deal with the Monster Trio’s stupidity constantly when they get hurt. Do you realize how much shit he has to put up with those morons? He may be part of the Coward Trio, but he’s honestly the bravest of them. He may cry as he’s doing it, but he will stand up to enemies a lot faster than Usopp will.

6. Usopp: Yo, okay. Real talk. I slept on this man when I first started. I was wrong. Usopp is bae. His growth from his introduction to now is MASSIVE! His comedic timing and out right determination is so perfect. He’s smart af and stood up to Luffy. Luffy! He knew he would loose, but he tried so damn hard and made Luffy work for that win. He cares about his friends, and when push comes to shove he will always be there for his friends. And Haki. Yo. Usopp has the most growth out of all the Strawhats, and I love him for it.

7. Nami: Don’t get me wrong, I love my girl. It was hard to figure out where to put her. She keeps her beloved morons in line as best she can. She knows her boys share one brain cell, and works with it the best she can. I only put her here because after awhile her obsession with money gets a little stale? I understand why, and it’s hard to make that gag fresh I guess you could say? She’s smart as all hell, and I love me some Nami, but her growth seemed to have stagnated, or more so slowed down, for a bit there.

8. Brook: His panty obsession aside, Brook is a dork. He just wants to be with his friends and be included. Underdog of WCI and standing up to Big Mom? Fuckin’ savage! Brook’s backstory huuurts, and I just want good things for him. When Laboon’s name came back I lost my shit the first time. Like, calling back to something that early in their journey? I loved that! I can’t wait to see their reunion. I will cry. There will be tears.

9. Franky: He would have been 8, but I just prefer his pre-TS design more. He’s a nerd, and I love him and Robin’s dynamic. Franky is great, but the speedo bro. I’m currently rewatching Water 7 right now, and I love how eccentric he is. Super smart and talented. A+ nerd.

10. Jimbei: Don’t get me wrong, I love fish dad! I just haven’t gotten to really get to know him as much as I have the rest of the crew. The East Blue crew holds a special place in my heart, and I will always go back and watch those early seasons. I’m learning to love the newer characters just as much them. Fish dad loves Luffy and I love his dedication to the Strawhats. Jimbei is badass! The relationships he will get to create with the rest of the crew? I am stoked for more!

11. Vivi: I just...I love Vivi. I do. She’s Nami’s future wife. We all know, but I guess the extent she went to for peace was hard for me to watch. I was with Luffy in the house of ‘Let’s punch Crocodile!’ Her dedication was admirable, and I do like her but she didn’t resonate with me as much as the others.

That was SO DIFFICULT! Oh man. I love all the Strawhats! I want them to achieve their dreams and reign chaos upon the world. Thank you for the ask! asljdfs <3 <3 <3

[honestgrins]

NikMik, where are you??? Our fears came true!!!

[honestgrins]

NikMik: ha, let's be real though. we figured julie would be a guest on the show. did you listen to her ep?-- they said they have something good for their last ep. i think claire will be one of the last few guests. i'm waiting for nina to come on. she's been a guest on everyone else's podcast. but then again, it would also be nice to have other TVD/TO guests during later episodes too, not all at once.

I knowwww, and I’m more annoyed than ever that I actually liked the ep. I could have done with less showering praise of the producers and writers that did nothing but show disdain for fan opinion, but I knew that would be a struggle going in. Nina surely has to be a guest at some point, right? I saw that Claire’s ep is going to be released around Mother’s Day, so that’s something to look forward to. 

[honestgrins]

NikMik: i tried to message you earlier about this but it wouldn't go through. i know we haven't talked in a while but when i saw julie's name, i knew had to come here. was just waiting for some free time. i burst out laughing when i saw your post with my name at the top of your page. yesterday on instagram, they said they'd have an epic guest for today's ep. when i saw julie's name, my reaction was just "....oh...." (pt 1)

That’s hilarious, and I’m so glad we were on the same page once we saw the post! I’m super nervous about their captions (all about their favorite person and inspiration and the shows) and what will actually come from the conversation they have. But their best eps have been with actual friends, so maybe that’ll even the scales for the overall quality???

[honestgrins]

NikMik: thoughts on anna todd's episode?

While I definitely enjoyed hearing about Anna’s story and how her life has influenced her work, I...struggled with the focus on fandom and the subtle jokes peppered throughout. I don’t think they were making fun of the fangirl thing, exactly, but I didn’t love the image of it just being a teen thing or for their teen listeners (hi, 27, an adult who can spend her time developing an assortment of hobbies). Anna was talking about how her experience in fandom led her to a fulfilling career, then how becoming an author kind of excluded her from participating - at least with her own fans. I definitely think fandom works best when creators and casts aren’t super involved, but I was also uncomfortable with their conversation being removed from the fan perspective (and more the ever-suffering subject). Maybe that’s just me being sensitive to the issue, I don’t know. Did you get that vibe at all?

I did appreciate her drive to do things her way, like recognizing when her publisher wasn’t working with her vision and not settling for anything less than that. Her experience as a military wife who had trouble making friends with a constant stream of people just passing through? Super relatable, even if I didn’t expect it to.

Anything stand out for you in this ep?

[honestgrins]

NikMik: also julie likes to hear herself talk but it was interesting to hear how she struggled early on. some of my other takeaways...1) the story of how she didn't want to write after writing a poor script in college - just because you do something bad once doesn't necessarily mean you're bad at it completely. sometimes, you just have to keep working at it or approach it differently.

I do like the idea of revisiting things that didn’t work the first time around, especially when it comes to certain skills. As a perfectionist (to a fault), I really struggle with failure and moving past it to get better. The whole ‘practice makes perfect’ thing takes too long for me to get any real joy out of the final product if it’s objectively bad, and I won’t allow myself the time to grow and improve. It’s easier to just…give up.

NikMik (2) knowing your place & respecting the hierarchy. the one thing that annoyed me about this though was that candice kept trying to push that this happened because julie was a woman who spoke up. i’m not dismissing the fact that this does happen…but it kinda seems like candice & kayla put julie on a pedestal, sometimes to a point where flaws don’t exist.

NikMik: of course, she’s done so much for them career wise…but i think it takes alot of self-awareness & maturity for julie to admit that she was wrong. way too many people want to blame everyone else rather than acknowledge that they’ve messed up.

In my experience, work interactions are vastly improved by my ability to recognize my role in the conversation. For example, just on Friday, my boss was chatting with another director, and the gossip was good. Instead of just listening and soaking up all the dirty details, I kept inserting myself at the wrong moments. Am I still mortified? Yes. Beating myself up over it? Always. But does my gender play into these circumstances? I don’t think so, though it helps that my boss is a woman herself. I really hate that the question is always a possibility in the back of my mind, though, depending on who the conversation is with.

What I would have preferred in that episode, I guess, is for Candice to have waited for Julie to float that possibility. Maybe it is the pedestal problem, but I think it corners the conversation to a real concern in the workplace that doesn’t necessarily apply to that anecdote. If Julie presented it that way, then I might have been more interested in the ensuing discussion. But that wasn’t the impression I got from her telling, just that she’d ticked off the wrong bigwig with her particular brand of work ethic. Is it possible that her behavior wouldn’t have been so annoying coming from a man of similar age and job description? Probably, but I don’t think that’s the place Julie was telling her story from, and I hope Candice and Kayla adapt their interviewing style to be more flexible and sensitive to what their guest is trying to say.

NikMik: 3) when you don’t know what to do in life, just go in a direction when the opportunity presents itself. that may not be for you but now you’ll have a better idea of what you want to do & you’ll have learned from that experience. (4) helping to build up other people’s strengths

Yes! It’s like when trying to pick a restaurant. I don’t know where I want to go, I only know I don’t want to go there. Though it sounds like a good exercise, to go through some of our bad work experiences and pick out what we’ve learned and applied since then.

And building up others is an excellent goal, even if I’m not a huge fan of the people Julie pulled up the ladder with her. I could say a lot about the content created from those she’s mentored, but I have to admit that they seem to be succeeding despite my grudges.

[honestgrins]

NikMik: hey! it's been a while! let me know when you listen to this week's episode with michael trevino. i liked it. i think you will too. i was smiling all throughout while listening.

NikMik: i really liked their take on a 10 year challenge

I’m so sorry!! I was saving your asks for when I listened to the pod during my Tuesday workout, but the stupid weather blocked my safe access to the gym. I literally just finished this ep, and couldn’t wait to tell you how much I loved it, too!

Seriously, their inside jokes, the memories, the way they would imitate each other, it was such a cute discussion. I think it cements the idea that episodes are better when they truly connect, know, and love the guest. The ten year challenge was an excellent theme, and I appreciated the thought they put into the answers. I really liked Candice sharing that she actively reflected on her goals and hopes, and that she does that with her husband to make sure they and their family are all on the same page. It’s definitely something I work on, which is nice to relate to.

I still have no desire to watch Roswell, but I am glad Trevino is enjoying his time, enriching himself and his career. That’s something I’d like to hear Candice and Kayla talk about more, how they’re navigating the industry now that they’re older and still figuring things out. They mentioned auditions, so that’s something, I guess.

Is there something you wish you could tell your ten-years-younger self? Or a wish for your ten-years-older self?

[honestgrins]

NikMik: my cousin & i are always talking about celeb entertainment. that's what this podcast ep felt like. i was fangirling when candice told her story about AJ (Team BSB!). i could relate to kayla about not being into pop culture when she was younger. growing up, i wasn't either. i got into it when i was a little older. but i don't think there's anything wrong with that. sometimes ppl will say "you weren't into --- growing up?" & i just shrug cause it's not a big deal. life still goes on (pt1)

I was definitely more like Kayla growing up (pretty sheltered), and I definitely wouldn’t have been allowed to hang out with a Candice. Watching MTV and going to teeny bopper concerts??? Nooooo. Although the slumber party DRAMA was real, and I do not miss those days for anything.

I think BSB was my first foray into pop music, we were raised on golden oldies and country music radio. Funnily enough, my brother was the first one to play me any BSB (and he does his damnedest to continue that music education to this day), and his wife still thinks they only went to the BSB/NKOTB concert for her.

But yeah, the Spice Girls craze? Way over my head except for the Barbie collection (I WANTED). I did not have my SG Renaissance until college, unfortunately. My “borrow that power” music was always Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody and Another One Bites the Dust) and ABBA (Dancing Queen nonstop), then eventually Broadway tunes (Wickeeeeed!). I regret nothing.

NikMik: in contrast to last week where i talked about nostalgia & wasting time wishing i could go back to the “good old days”, kayla said we should look back on who we were, learn from it & be a better version of that. i really felt candice’s point about being excited when you were younger to grow into who you were supposed to be & now that we’re older…feeling like we have to have it all together. but it’s okay to not have it all figured out! (pt2)

I thought that was a really nice tie-in, and it plays into the “supposed to be” not necessarily being what’s best for us. As my mom would say, things happen for a reason (both as a coping mechanism and a bolstering hope for what comes next). 

NikMik: i also really related to candice always wondering if she was being an annoying friend. but i didn’t quite agree with kayla saying “your friends will love you anyway.” i think it depends on what the behavior is. to sum up this episode…own who you are. (pt 3).

Agreed, I’m definitely the annoying one in my office and I hate it. It’s so upsetting to second guess every interaction, then grade myself poorly as a result. My constant goal is to shut up and listen a bit more, but that strategy has yet to come to fruition. And absolutely, some behavior can’t and shouldn’t be tolerated. I think there’s a line between being supportive (“I’m sorry the guy you like isn’t texting you back, that really sucks”) and enabling (“I’m sorry the guy you like - who has already told you he’s not interested in a relationship and continues to dick around with your feelings - isn’t texting you back - after you told him to block you so you get some space and perspective on the nonrelationship where you’re being used - that really sucks - for me, because I’m sick and tired of hearing this for the hundredth time and the third bad relationship you’ve fallen into, headfirst”). With some friends in some situations, tough love is the only way to go, and I’m not here to waste my time with constant and repeated poor decisions. Mean? Maybe. But they know that…and still love me. Go figure.

NikMik: also a question they asked during the podcast - do you journal?

I do! It’s a little obsessive at this point, but I love Erin Condren products. I keep a daily diary (mainly yelling at myself or general whining), a gratitude journal (something positive from the day), a wellness log (healthy eating and activity progress), and a writing tracker (I’m doing pretty well with my 444 word goal each day, but there’s always room for improvement). Reflection is something I take seriously, even if it’s to acknowledge where I can do better. 

What I find interesting is that I don’t think my voice has changed over the years that I’ve kept a journal. Candice talked about her younger self with fondness, but noted how she’s grown. I’m still just as self-absorbed and dramatic in tone, I just think I’ve grown to appreciate that aspect of my personality and have even gotten better at keeping it in perspective. Or I’m wallowing in a bubble of my own making, none the wiser. 

Let’s not decide which is true, we’ll just keep the mystery alive.

What about you??? Do you journal/has your voice changed over the years? Was BSB your power-borrowing phase? Do you have any idols that you’ve outgrown/collected as you’ve grown (I’ll admit, I couldn’t think of any)?

I also loved this episode, I think it touched on a lot of fun topics and flowed really well.

[honestgrins]

NikMik: i listened to julie's ep. there were some good points i took away from it. i made a face when she said michael narducci was good at writing klaus.

SAME. All the name dropping made me cringe so hard, the lady on the treadmill next to me thought I was judging her. I do appreciate the lesson that connections are important (made more clearly in the Intern Queen ep, I thought), but I did not enjoy that so much praise was dropped on producers that alienated a lot of fans throughout their shows. 

Still, it’s nice to hear about work failures and growing from mistakes. I know I overstep a lot in my office, which is something I have to actively acknowledge and correct before I’m the one alienating people I need to keep on my side. What was your big takeaway?

[honestgrins]

NikMik: i've been really busy lately so i'm behind on podcasts. the last one i listened to was with gail simmons. how did you like that one? i'm such a foodie! i liked hearing her story about how she worked her way up to where she is now. we often want to just go straight to the top without doing the work. i also liked candice's parents approach when it came to trying new food- just try at least one bite, it's ok if you don't like it. i think that's the approach i want to take if i have kids.

I was all about the food in that ep, and as a reformed picky eater, I also liked the “try it and then decide what you really think” attitude when it comes to trying something new. My favorite part, though, was the way she doesn’t let her job bleed into everything else. When she’s at home, she just wants to be home, and ordering a pizza is fine. She likes cooking with friends, it doesn’t have to be fancy! Work is work, life is life - and I love that. It’s definitely a balance I need to put more effort into keeping, made all the more difficult when work takes up more time than anything else.

NikMik:i saw a couple of comments on instagram saying the episode was good. for me, it’s going to be the same as it was with carina’s episode. although i’m not a fan of her, i took away a lot of good points in her episode. i’m still mad at julie for messing up the originals but i’m (eventually) going to listen to the episode & just separate the message from the person. (pt 2)

I want to be an evolved person that doesn’t blindly hate a stranger for creative decisions, I do. But, I just know in my heart that the ep is going to turn into a lovefest and I’m not mature enough not to make faces. I’m also afraid it’s going to fall into the “free promo for Plec’s shows” ditch again, and I have to say, I’m not their ideal customer for that sales pitch. 

Still, you’re right. It’s better to take what we can from the eps, maybe strive to be kind in listening. I have to hit the gym tomorrow, so I’ll try to warn you if anything is especially cringeworthy. 

[honestgrins]

NikMik: respond whenever you listen. i liked the Q&A ep! esp how at the end, they said the podcast was a love letter to the fans. i think they gave good advice for the most part. my fave bit advice was about making friends. candice said sometimes, you just gotta make the first move & sometimes it'll be awkward & how she tried to get to know her neighbors, sometimes not seeing them again after hanging out with them that first time. & that's ok! that's something i want to try.

Me, too! I like the idea of first friend dates and just giving it a shot when the opportunity arises. I also loved their approach to criticism, especially since that’s a conversation that tends to float around fandom a lot. It’s important to recognize when feedback isn’t helpful and when to just…put the phone down. 

NikMik: i knew candice wouldn’t answer when kayla asked about having a crush on a co-star lol.

Right? There’s no good way for her to answer that question. :D But it’s cute that they’re taking questions like that and willing to engage with a lot of the fans they’ve earned up to this point.

[honestgrins]

NikMik: YES! to everything you said. i too need to actively reflect on my goals. i think i tend to make goals and not keep in touch with what i want. which leads to me losing focus & not getting anywhere. what did you think of the previous 2 episodes? with brittany louise taylor & the girl from wild woman...i think her name was rachel?

I hear you on that, and it can be really hard to define what it is we really want when needs take an irritating priority. My issue with goals is that I’m usually focused on the short-term without really keeping long-term plans in perspective. A silly example would be my exercise regimen. I’m pretty good at checking off the ‘Go to the Gym’ box in my planner, but I haven’t really considered what my overall goal is other than “Exercise more, you couch potato.” 

A more substantive example would be high school, then college. I was so absorbed with the experience and the short term (grades or organizations), only to be incredibly cavalier over what came next. I didn’t put a lot of thought into the school or program I chose for college, wasn’t prepared to start a career afterward. Now, I’ve been extremely lucky to fall into a job and a home I love, but not through any long-term plan of my own - just a series of little checkboxes along the way. I’m sure there’s some lesson in that for me, if only I had the patience to really think about that and plan for the future.

I really liked the “Sucky Love Story” episode, and I’ve added the book to my reading list. My heart broke for both Brittany and Candice in sharing about bad relationships and the habits they’ve had to unlearn since facing certain abuses, but I’m also impressed with the strength it takes to speak about it publicly in the hope of helping others. Even as a super single lady, I appreciate the importance of recognizing red flags, reaching out when someone is being isolated, and knowing specific advice on rebuilding life afterward. It really drives home the point that I may not know what’s going on behind closed doors, and to be understanding when someone tries to share their experience with me. 

The “Wild Woman” ep was…not my cup of tea? While I think there’s value to accepting and loving your body and embracing the confidence it can give you, my immediate reaction is still, “That’s easy to say when you’re an objectively hot person.” I don’t know, it just didn’t click with me as an average-looking fat woman. What’d you think of them?

NikMik: to my younger self 10 years ago - work harder. take better care of your health. don’t be afraid to ask for help. stop worrying about not being good enough. step out of your comfort zone & enrich your life with new experiences & opportunities. // to my future self, 10 years from now - i hope you are physically, emotionally, mentally healthier.

I love those!! What’s an experience you wish you would have done ten years ago? I would have been 17. That was year after I missed out on a Paris trip our school organized. My mom tried to talk me into going with the next round (started planning around that time), and I wish I would have taken her advice. I don’t travel very much, but maybe it would have sparked a wanderlust that might have rearranged some of my priorities.

Cheers to a healthier future! At least we’re trying here, right?

[honestgrins]

NikMik: oh i see what you're saying. your point about the mumu girls goes back to your other point about how the conversation flows alot more freely when they're more comfortable with their guests. as someone who isn't planning on having kids anytime soon, i thought i wouldn't get as much from this episode. but i like some of the points cammy made. 1) everyone struggles with something during pregnancy. what may be easy for one may be hard for another.

NikMik: (2) your baby needs you to be the best version of yourself. work if you have to, don’t work if you don’t want to. (3) learn to use your energy wisely./ it’s also just interesting to hear people’s pregnancy stories, like tanya. (you know, just in case for the future). (pt 2)

I’m all about my aunt life, and I’m so excited for one of my best friends who’s expecting her first baby, but parenthood’s not exactly on my radar either. I agree, everyone’s experience in life is different, even with something as universal as pregnancy. I loved Candice’s story about how she needed to roll with the changes to her plan and the lengths she went to just because she could (can you just imagine how those pool somersaults must have looked???), and it’s a good reminder to just take life as it comes. As a control freak, it’s not my favorite advice (which means it’s likely what I need to hear). 

You really hit the nail on the head for those second points, and I’m going to piggyback with Cammy sharing how invaluable it was to have her husband at home with her; I think it’s a lucky thing to manage a parenting plan that fulfills the whole family. And sharing pregnancy stories is so important, it’s such an emotional process that I know I’d be devouring whatever information I could get to feel even a little prepared (again, control freak). Bless the mothers, my own included, who soldier on and figure it out.

NikMik: i haven’t watched FAM yet. my opinion was just based on the trailer. but i’ll try to check it out soon. too many shows to keep up with! also in 2 episodes, Directionally Challenged is going to have a TVD guest! i’m excited for that! my guess is Nina, since they just attended her birthday party. they’re also going to have some male guests on the show. i think it’d be cute if both their husbands were guests. (pt 3).

Tell me about it, I’m slogging through Daredevil S3 so I can catch up on Karen before I watch the new Punisher season. AND Grace & Frankie S5 is up, so I’ll be on my couch eating nachos while watching until further notice. 

Nina is a good guess, but my fear is still Plec showing up to sell us more Roswell. Although the birthday party did look fun! Their husbands should totally be guests, discussing how family life/marriage/commitment affect their decisions, making room for the unexpected, settling long-term goals with a partner, all that jazz. Directionally challenged, maybe, but with co-pilots!

[honestgrins]

NikMik: i loved this week's ep! i'm going to listen to it again. i've wasted so much of my life because i'm stuck on fear. one of my biggest takeaways was learning to adapt to change. there was also the point of how we hold on to our fears because it's comfortable. she said something along the lines of my desire to do great things should be bigger than the fears holding me back. (pt1)

I’m so glad you got a lot from it! While it wasn’t my favorite ep, I do think there’s a lot of value to check in with yourself about what you’re truly afraid of, then doing something about it. I really liked the question, “What would you do if fear wasn’t in the passenger seat?” If I weren’t afraid to commit my time and sacrifice some freedom, I would probably put more effort into finding a side hustle in addition to my full-time job. Then I could probably relax a bit when it comes to money and not waste so much time on the couch. But what if it affects my main job? What if I miss out on family and friend time because I’m too busy? What if I bite off more than I can chew and get fired? What if I screw up my taxes? (My brain isn’t always a fun place, and these are dumb things for  it to get stuck on.) Or maybe I could put more effort into writing, somehow turn this hobby into a modest career as a retirement plan. (Never happening until I write original work or find a shady publisher, but still…a girl can dream.)

What would you do if fear wasn’t a factor?

NikMik: i also liked the “to be” list idea. & i think i wanna check out monica’s book. i feel like my thoughts aren’t as put together because i’m still just like “whoa” after listening. this was definitely the best episode yet. (pt2).

To-do lists are kind of my jam, but I definitely agree that focusing on the “To Be” can be more motivating as a final result - which I could then break down into the to-dos to satisfy my deep need to cross things off a list. You do seem really touched by this ep, and you’ll have to tell me how the book is!