Thoughts From My Thirties

Is Pop Culture Robbing Us of the Ability to Think for Ourselves? | A different perspective on Meg The Stallion & Emma Grede

In this episode, we’re unpacking a question that’s been sitting heavy: Are we actually thinking for ourselves anymore… or just repeating what we see online? Social media and pop culture used to be entertainment. Now? It’s shaping how we think, how we date, how we see ourselves — and most of us didn’t even realize when the shift happened. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, influenced, or disconnected from your own voice… this conversation is for you. In this episode, we get into: * How social media and pop culture quietly shape your worldview * The shift from entertainment → instruction (and why that matters) * Why we’ve started forming opinions based on other people’s lives * The difference between groupthink and original thought * How overconsumption disconnects you from your own voice * Why not everything needs a take… some things need time * The importance of sitting with your thoughts before outsourcing them * How to rebuild trust in your own perspective and lived experience Resources + Links: Download the episode companion guide: https://spring-basil-85806.myflodesk.com/e85zoionw0 [https://spring-basil-85806.myflodesk.com/e85zoionw0] Join my private community, Our Inner Thoughts: https://tinyurl.com/34c8hbpj [https://tinyurl.com/34c8hbpj] Inside the community: * Monthly Group Thoughts (live virtual discussions) * Inside My Mind Q&A sessions Let’s keep the conversation going: How much of what you think is actually yours? And what would it look like to sit with your thoughts… before the world tells you what to think? Connect with me: Instagram & TikTok: @KalaRiggins Website: https://kalariggins.com/ [https://kalariggins.com/] Email: Kala@KalaRiggins.com [Kala@KalaRiggins.com] About the show: Thoughts From My Thirties is a love letter to millennials who are just trying to figure it out. I’m Kala — content creator, storyteller, and your host. This is a space where we say the quiet part out loud, unpack real-life experiences, and have honest conversations about identity, creativity, relationships, and becoming. Over here, it’s about returning to yourself — your voice, your expression, and your truth.

Girl, Stop Waiting for a Reason to Look Good

This one is for the woman who wants to feel like herself again… but keeps saving her best self for a “real” reason. IN THIS EPISODE, WE GET INTO: * Why you’ve been saving your best self for special occasions — and how that’s actually limiting you * The deeper meaning behind personal style (it’s not vanity… it’s identity) * The subtle ways people project when they say “you’re doing too much” * Why looking good is a practice — not a performance * The connection between effort, confidence, and how you see yourself * Why your wardrobe (and how you use it) reflects what you believe about yourself * How to rebuild your confidence through everyday habits — not big moments RESOURCES + LINKS Download the episode companion resource: I created a companion guide to help you reconnect with your personal style and stop saving your best self for “someday.” → https://spring-basil-85806.myflodesk.com/e85zoionw0 [https://spring-basil-85806.myflodesk.com/e85zoionw0] JOIN MY PRIVATE COMMUNITY → https://kalariggins.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fkalariggins.substack.com%2F [https://kalariggins.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fkalariggins.substack.com%2F] Our Inner Thoughts is where we keep the conversation going: * Monthly Group Thoughts (live virtual discussions) * Inside My Mind Q&A sessions (ask me anything — creativity, strategy, life, love, becoming) QUESTION FOR YOU… What part of yourself have you been saving for later? And what would it look like to bring her into your everyday life? Drop it in the comments… let’s tell the truth out loud. LET’S STAY CONNECTED Socials: @KalaRiggins Website: https://kalariggins.com/ [https://kalariggins.com/] Contact: Kala@KalaRiggins.com [Kala@KalaRiggins.com] ABOUT ME I’m Kala — host, content creator, and storyteller. I create content and conversations that inspire women to stop hiding, stop diluting, and start telling the truth about who they are and what they actually want. Over here, it’s about returning to yourself — your voice, your expression, your identity… and having the courage to show up as her every single day.

Are You Actually Ready for What You’re Asking For? | Thinking It Through

I’m thinking through… wanting more… and wanting it now God’s timing vs. my impatience what it really means to be ready for what you’re asking for and the quiet realization that maybe… I’m still being prepared for it Join my private community: https://kalariggins.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fkalariggins.substack.com%2F [https://kalariggins.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fkalariggins.substack.com%2F] Our Inner Thoughts is a space to keep the conversation going with: • Monthly Group Thoughts (live virtual discussions) • Inside My Mind Q&A sessions (ask me anything — creativity, strategy, life, love, becoming) Let’s stay connected Socials: @KalaRiggins Website: https://kalariggins.com/ [https://kalariggins.com/] Contact: Kala@KalaRiggins.com [Kala@KalaRiggins.com] About Me: I’m Kala — host, content creator, and storyteller. I create content and conversations that inspire women to stop hiding, stop diluting, and start telling the truth about who they are and what they actually want. Over here, it’s about returning to yourself — your voice, your clarity, and your calling… and having the courage to act on it.

You’re Not Getting What You Want Because You’re Not Being Honest About What You Want

This one is for the woman who keeps saying she wants more… but hasn’t been fully honest about what “more” actually is. In this episode, we get into: * Why you might not have what you want because you’re not being honest about it * The difference between saying what you want vs. telling the truth about what you want * How I realized I was hiding my true identity behind more “understandable” titles * What successful creatives have in common and what it means to stay in your main character energy * Choosing what’s practical vs. choosing what’s actually meant for you * How being influenced can keep you stuck in the wrong lane * The truth about “realistic dreams” and why that concept might be a lie * Being honest in every area: career, relationships, friendships, and your relationship with God * What it looks like to talk to God like He’s your father and actually ask for what you want * Admitting you want new friends and why that doesn’t make you ungrateful * How conditioning — not fear — keeps us playing small * Why safe answers are blocking real outcomes * The difference between self-awareness and actual change * 5 ways I’m learning to get honest about what I want and take action toward it Resources + Links Download the episode companion resource: https://spring-basil-85806.myflodesk [https://spring-basil-85806.myflodesk.com/e85zoionw0].... Join my private community: https://kalariggins.substack.com/subs [https://kalariggins.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fkalariggins.substack.com%2F]... Our Inner Thoughts is a space to keep the conversation going with: Monthly Group Thoughts (live virtual discussions) Inside My Mind Q&A sessions (ask me anything — creativity, strategy, life, love, becoming) Question for you: What’s one thing you’ve been saying you want… but haven’t been fully honest about? Drop it in the comments — let’s tell the truth out loud. Let’s stay connected Socials: @KalaRiggins Website: https://kalariggins.com/ [https://kalariggins.com/] Contact: Kala@KalaRiggins.com [Kala@KalaRiggins.com] About Me: I’m Kala — host, content creator, and storyteller. I create content and conversations that inspire women to stop hiding, stop diluting, and start telling the truth about who they are and what they actually want. Over here, it’s about returning to yourself — your voice, your clarity, and your calling… and having the courage to act on it.

I Turned 35 and Here’s What I’m Proud Of | A Birthday Brag Session

Turning 35 made me realize something: you don’t need the traditional milestones to be proud of your life. In this birthday episode, I’m bragging on myself — petty and popping. If you’ve ever felt behind, in-between, or unsure if you’re doing life “right”… this one is for you. This one is for the girl who needs to brag on herself a little more. The thirty-something who’s tired of milestones being used as a measuring stick. The millennial who’s learning: two things can be true… and I’m still that girl. In this birthday episode, I’m not doing the usual deep dive. I’m doing a brag session. IN THIS EPISODE, WE GET INTO: • Why I’m proud I’m prompt (and why being late every time isn’t cute) • Being okay in silence + not needing constant stimulation • The freedom of not having the “traditional” milestones (house, marriage, kids) and not feeling less fulfilled • Starting over, starting from scratch, starting in the middle of chaos… and still showing up • My hygiene routine (yes, it’s petty… and yes, I smell good 😭) • My relationship with God: deepened discernment + no longer trying to live without Him • Having refined taste in people, places, and experiences • Being a good friend: safe, nonjudgmental, and built for real conversation • “No longer negotiating with my calling” + why hearing isn’t enough… it’s time to move A few thoughts from my thirties… TIMESTAMP BREAKDOWN 00:00 — Brag session rules + “She’s 35. She has arrived.” 02:10 — Golden birthday energy + why we’re not doing the deep reflective thing today 04:40 — Petty flex: I’m prompt, and I’m proud 07:10 — Silence, nervous systems, and not needing constant stimulation 10:30 — Not married, not a homeowner, no kids… and not feeling less than 14:10 — Starting over without reverting back to the “mundane” plan 16:30 — Petty but important: hygiene routine + “you’ll never say I was stink” 19:20 — My relationship with God + the 33-year-old resurrection year 23:40 — Community break: Our Inner Thoughts (keep the convo going) 26:10 — Taste, “outside,” and not living life in isolation 29:30 — I’m a really good friend (and what safe friendship actually looks like) 33:10 — “No longer negotiating with my calling” + James 1:22 36:10 — Face card, skills, and thanking the 2016 YouTube girlies 38:40 — Saying the quiet part out loud: loneliness + still being that girl 44:00 — The duality: low days don’t cancel your identity 47:20 — Closing: brag on yourself + peace in the process of figuring it out RESOURCES + LINKS Download the episode companion resource: I started a resource library for y’all. After each episode, I drop a Kala-coded companion guide so the conversation doesn’t end when the episode ends. Download here: https://spring-basil-85806.myflodesk.com/e85zoionw0 [https://spring-basil-85806.myflodesk.com/e85zoionw0] JOIN MY PRIVATE COMMUNITY https://kalariggins.substack.com/subscribe [https://kalariggins.substack.com/subscribe] Our Inner Thoughts is a space to keep the conversation going with: • Monthly Group Thoughts (live virtual discussions) • Inside My Mind Q&A sessions (ask me anything — creativity, strategy, life, love, becoming) QUESTION FOR YOU… What’s one petty thing and one popping thing you’re proud of in this season? Drop yours in the comments — and if you’re my friend, go ahead and “amen” me too. 😭 LET’S STAY CONNECTED Socials: @KalaRiggins Website: https://kalariggins.com/ [https://kalariggins.com/] Contact: Kala@KalaRiggins.com [Kala@KalaRiggins.com] ABOUT ME I’m Kala — host, content creator, and storyteller. I create content and conversations that inspire women to stop hiding, stop apologizing, and show up as their full selves. Over here, it’s about thoughts and conversations that help you return to yourself — your voice, your clarity, and what actually matters.