Medusa’s Mic

Body hair, men's preferences and healthy love

Is it okay for men to have preferences about our bodies? Why do we leap to defend a man's "preference" about what our bodies should look like? If you want to build a long-term, healthy, intimate relationship, shouldn't he accept you as you are? In this episode we ask: - Are they really "preferences" or "expectations" and why do we think we have to meet them? - If we adjust our goals, looks and hair (down there!) because he "prefers it" does that create a healthy love dynamic? - Are we losing ourselves because we want to be loved, rather than expecting to be loved as we choose to be? - If someone expects you to change how you are - is that healthy love or something else? - Have unrealistic portrayals of women on social media and in *orn created bizarre ideas for men about what women should look like? Projecting our expectations onto someone else doesn't help us create solid, loving or grounded connections. Instead, it creates relationships that are shallow, and unlikely to be sustainable or fulfilling in the long-term. What kind of relationship do you desire? Medusa's Mic is produced by author and advocate for healthy love, Lucretia Ackfield. Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lucretiaswords_/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Lucretiaswords/]. Watch on YouTube [https://youtu.be/-3Ak-KozCTA]. Subscribe to the Medusa's Mic Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/medusa-s-mic-6918087126362308608/] on Linkedin for interview highlights. Subscribe to Lucretia's Letters [https://lucretiasletters.substack.com/] on Substack for more insights about women, love and power.

Unhealthy families: Should you stay or should you go?

You can love your family, but it might be unhealthy to stay closely connected to them. Estrangement is also far more common than you think.  This episode explores the following topics: - Believing you have to forgive your family, no matter what, can be harmful and not serve your best interests - Leaving an unhealthy family can be difficult because society says you should stay and work it out because "it's family" - Choosing estrangement is a huge decision and often an act of pure survival. When this happens, society should look more closely at the family and ask, "What would drive someone to take such radical action?" The conversation includes tips on: - Healthy boundaries - Why "good girls" get stuck in unhealthy families - Being realistic about someone's capacity or willingness to change - How to find your peace Medusa's Mic is produced by author and advocate for healthy love, Lucretia Ackfield. Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lucretiaswords_/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Lucretiaswords/]. Watch on YouTube [https://youtu.be/-3Ak-KozCTA]. Subscribe to the Medusa's Mic Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/medusa-s-mic-6918087126362308608/] on Linkedin for interview highlights. Subscribe to Lucretia's Letters [https://lucretiasletters.substack.com/] on Substack for more insights about women, love and power.

What does healthy love mean to you?

We have so many conversations about sex, dating, relationship styles, but we rarely talk about love in any detail. What is it? How do we define it? We have been taught and internalised unhealthy love stories through our families, religions, culture, film, social media and celebrities. This is not leading us to the beautiful love relationships we all deserve and desire. * We need to start the journey to understand what healthy love is. * We need to unravel the unhealthy stories we have been told. If we do this work, we will create better communities and a better planet because when you love yourself in healthy ways, you love others in healthier ways too. Today's episode includes some simple exercises to help you understand what healthy love means to you. Are you ready to begin this journey? Medusa's Mic is produced by author and advocate for healthy love, Lucretia Ackfield. Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lucretiaswords_/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Lucretiaswords/]. Watch on YouTube [https://youtu.be/-3Ak-KozCTA]. Subscribe to the Medusa's Mic Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/medusa-s-mic-6918087126362308608/] on Linkedin for interview highlights. Subscribe to Lucretia's Letters [https://lucretiasletters.substack.com/] on Substack for more insights about women, love and power.

5 ways we are taught to excuse abuse (and how to kick the habit!)

Some of us are conditioned from a young age to excuse, overlook and bypass abuse - but we're not even aware that we are doing it. This episode covers five ways we are taught to excuse abuse and how you can kick the habit. It explores how societal, religious and cultural norms, films, media, social media and families shape our ideas about relationships and love, and may normalise unhealthy and destructive behaviours. Medusa's Mic is produced by author and advocate for healthy love, Lucretia Ackfield. Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lucretiaswords_/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Lucretiaswords/]. Watch on YouTube [https://youtu.be/-3Ak-KozCTA]. Subscribe to the Medusa's Mic Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/medusa-s-mic-6918087126362308608/] on Linkedin for interview highlights. Subscribe to Lucretia's Letters [https://lucretiasletters.substack.com/] on Substack for more insights about women, love and power.

"But I love him." Words we say in unhealthy relationships.

If you've ever said, "But I love him" to excuse disrespect or worse, this episode of Medusa's Mic may provide some insights about how you reached that point. Toxic rom-com storylines, destructive celebrity role models, outdated societal norms and dysfunctional family patterns can shape our ideas about love and our thinking about what relationships should look like. Unhealthy love behaviours become normalised and unconsciously mold our expectations.   This doesn't help us achieve the beautiful love relationships we all deserve and desire. We are conditioned to view his behaviours through our lens of love (how we feel). But if we want healthy love connections, we need to stop saying, "But I love him" and instead ask, "Is he showing love towards me?" Medusa's Mic is produced by author and advocate for healthy love, Lucretia Ackfield. Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lucretiaswords_/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Lucretiaswords/]. Subscribe to the Medusa's Mic Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/medusa-s-mic-6918087126362308608/] on Linkedin for interview highlights. Subscribe to Lucretia's Letters [https://lucretiasletters.substack.com/] on Substack for more insights about women, love and power.