The Messy Part

Terrible Times are Temporary

People aren’t their worst moments. In this episode Adeline and Linda learn a new word together; equanimity: steadiness of the mind across circumstances. They spend the rest of the time grappling with what that looks like in practice, from the chaos of reality TV to a memoir they’re both reading. They learn there’s a distinction between finding the truth and telling the truth; verbalizing truth can offer release. They end up somewhere interesting: Grateful that their worst moments can’t be played on a loop for entertainment and with deeper empathy for what non-attachment and language can offer. Mantra #35: I can speak my truth.  For Your Consideration: Who can you share your truth with?

The Pursuit of Discipline

You are not a robot. In this episode Adeline and Linda unravel their idea of discipline, disconnecting it from rigidity and control. Instead of something forced or performed they began to see discipline as a relationship, one that asks for attunement, honesty, and care.They spend time exploring their natural rhythms and flows, by asking themselves what discipline has looked like for them. They discover that their definition of discipline has nothing to do with punishment. The kind of discipline they’re rejecting is one that expects you to show up no matter what. The discipline they are seeking is a more discerning one that prioritizes safety and sustainability first. Mantra #34: I can give my body what it needs, even if it’s not what I want. I listen to my body and pivot as needed. My highest form of discipline is restarting.  For Your Consideration: In what ways does discipline serve you? In what ways does it harm you?

You Have No Shame

The body knows, the body protects, the body is always a witness. In this episode, Adeline and Linda stop beating around the bush, and finally face their college experience.(Hint: The DRAMA) They have spent years building safety and trust in their friendship. As a result, they felt safe enough to lean in and untangle something intimate and violent. They explored all the ways that trauma changes you and can show up as a shadow next to you. They affirmed for themselves and hopefully all of you that there is no shame in delayed realizations and reactions. There is no shame in not reacting as expected.  Trauma can take a lifetime to uncover, verbalize or reconcile. They practiced staying gentle with all the versions of themselves that have survived. They giggled and held each other through this episode. Joy has always been medicinal. They landed somewhere soft; trauma reveals itself over time and we can choose to sit with, nourish, avoid, deny, interrogate, confront, resolve, transform, grapple with it all for as long as we want and need.  They return to the original intention of their podcast, to say things out loud to other people. We say we do hard things and here we are yet again. TW: Sexual violence is discussed in this episode. Mantra #33:  My body can recover with time and community  May my body hold me steady always  May I stay protected as the world gets hectic  I am also a warrior  For Your Consideration: What are the words you do not yet have? - Audre Lorde, our bestie

Peaks & Valleys

When we started this journey we committed to archiving our thinking and articulating what we were doing on and off -camera. The intention being to document the messy part of podcasting, relationships, friendships, and vulnerability. So far, we’ve learned: Ease is intuition. Iterate. Show Up. Stay in Conversation. Take a creative risk. Stay vulnerable. Be teachable. Choose and stay in your lane. Stay close to what you want. Keep the plan, please. Sometimes the fruit of your labor hasn’t come yet, don’t pivot.  In this episode, Adeline and Linda take a moment to pause. They notice what's changed in their inner world and they spend some time reflecting on what alignment looks like. This is a peak moment. Expect shiny objects, the fruit of your labor, deeper relationship to change, being in the same place, while being a completely different person. Valleys make way for peaks.  Mantra #32: Make a plan. Keep the plan. Maintain a plan. Show up for the plan. The plan is you.  Be like water, bro For Your Consideration: What happens when you stop seeking?

A lot to be mad about

Anger is our fiercest protector, yet it is often misunderstood and underexplored. In this episode, Adeline and Linda define anger and peel back its many layers, recognizing the ways anger shows up quietly. It turns out they each have different relationships to angers long after an incident has passed. They realize they relate to anger in very different ways: for one, it feels final and contained; for the other, it’s constant, shifting, and evolving. Needless to say, there’s a lot to be mad about - from work, to  the state of the world, and even at themselves. Together, they ask: what is anger trying to teach us, and what vital information and energy is it offering?  Mantra #31: My anger is necessary. I am allowed to feel my anger. For Your Consideration: What is your anger trying to tell you?