Hopeful Aromantic

18. Pedastalizing romance limits the love you receive

When romance is prioritized over all other types of connection, we end up missing out on a lot. If you’re looking to cultivate real, authentic, connection, it starts with questioning the stories we’ve been sold about love and relationships so we can create space for possibility… including but not limited to, better friendships. In this episode, we explore: * The power of authentic connection * Romance and relationship hierarchies * Cultural norms that hinder deep friendship * Ace perspectives on friendship * Setting standards for friendship * Homework at 40:11 - NEWS list Resources mentioned: * Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown * The short instructional manifesto for relationship anarchy, Andie Nordgren [https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/andie-nordgren-the-short-instructional-manifesto-for-relationship-anarchy] * Relationship Anarchy Smorgasbord [https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/the-relationship-anarchy-smorgasbord] * NEWS list example [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RZbQm4ty-1Opd5XHhlDff0LbUp8y_TsE8c-1qkhaNgE/edit?usp=sharing] Send in your relationship-related question for a chance to be featured on a future episode! You can send in a short ~1 minute voicenote or short written question to hopefularomantic@gmail.com [hopefularomantic@gmail.com], with the subject line: Podcast question. Book a free 30-minute coaching consult call ⁠here [https://calendly.com/hopefularomantic/free-consult]⁠. Let’s connect! @hopefularomantic [https://www.instagram.com/hopefularomantic] on ig <3 https://victoriayeung.coach/ [https://victoriayeung.coach/]

17. How to be with yourself

Being able to connect with others means first connecting deeply with yourself, by yourself. Labels and identities aside, what does it look like to fully be with oneself? To live life where you are at the center of it? In this episode, we explore: * Embracing periods of freedom and solitude * Detachment * Meeting your needs * Life as a personal experiment * Living in full presence * Homework at 24:02 - Imagination experiment Books mentioned: * The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm * You Are The One You’ve Been Waiting For, Richard Schwartz Send in your relationship-related question for a chance to be featured on a future episode! You can send in a short ~1 minute voicenote or short written question to hopefularomantic@gmail.com [hopefularomantic@gmail.com], with the subject line: Podcast question. Book a free 30-minute 1:1 coaching consult call ⁠here [https://calendly.com/hopefularomantic/free-consult]⁠. Let’s connect! @hopefularomantic [https://www.instagram.com/hopefularomantic] on ig <3 https://victoriayeung.coach/ [https://victoriayeung.coach/]

16. Everyone wants intimacy, no one wants to be vulnerable - The Drama Analysis

This week we’re breaking down romantic tropes and myths vs. true intimacy using scenes from THE DRAMA (2026). Warning: there are light character development spoilers within, but the main plot twist will not be revealed, however feel free to bookmark this one and come back to it if you want to go into the movie totally blind. In this episode, we explore: * Romance as performance * Why intimacy can’t be rushed * How intensity gets mistaken for intimacy * Building trust in relationships * Key parts of a strong relationship foundation * Homework at 41:55 - Shadow work Resources mentioned: * THE DRAMA, Kristoffer Borgli (2026) * I Stumbled Across My Boyfriend's ChatGPT and It Ended Our Relationship, Lindsey Hall [https://lindseyhallwrites.substack.com/p/i-read-my-boyfriends-chatgpt-and] * The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity, Esther Perel More movies: * CERTIFIED COPY, Abbas Kiarostami (2010) * SICK OF MYSELF, Kristoffer Borgli (2022) * COMRADES, ALMOST A LOVE STORY, Peter Chan Ho-Sun (1996) * IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, Wong Kar Wai (2000) * PAST LIVES, Celine Song (2023) * BEFORE SUNSET, Richard Linklater (2004) * SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, Ingmar Bergman (1974) * FORCE MAJEURE, Ruben Östlund (2014) * THE ONE I LOVE, Charlie McDowell (2014) Shadow Work: * Meeting the Shadow, Connie Zweig, Jeremiah Abrams * The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, Debbie Ford * Existential Kink, Carolyn Elliott Send in your relationship-related question to be potentially featured on a future episode! You can send in a short ~1 minute voicenote or short written question to hopefularomantic@gmail.com [hopefularomantic@gmail.com], with the subject line: Podcast question. Book a free 30-minute coaching consult call ⁠here [https://calendly.com/hopefularomantic/free-consult]⁠. Let’s connect! @hopefularomantic [https://www.instagram.com/hopefularomantic] on ig <3 https://victoriayeung.coach/ [https://victoriayeung.coach/]

15. Situationships: A natural byproduct of an uncertain world

Writer Carina Hsieh coined the term situationship in Cosmopolitan back in the 2010’s as “a hookup with emotional benefits”. It’s 2026 and it seems like since then, people have only grown more uncertain, more fearful, yet crave that emotional closeness more than ever. How did we get here, but more importantly, how do we move forward? In this episode, we explore: * Romantic propaganda * The myth of not getting your feelings involved * The anxiety that comes with freedom * Our low trust society and antisocial behavior * Unsuccessfully managing doubt and the search for certainty * The role of meaning making * Homework at 36:53 - Avoidance Audit Resources mentioned: * NEXT (2007) * What Love Is, Carrie Jenkins * WALL STREET (1987) * Is the 'Situationship' Ruining Modern Romance?, Carina Hsieh * You don’t have to gamble for gambling to ruin your life [https://substack.com/@hannahorvath/p-191797857], Hannah Horvath * Escape from Freedom, Erich Fromm * We Do This ‘Til We Free Us, Mariame Kaba Book a free 30-minute coaching consult call ⁠here [https://calendly.com/hopefularomantic/free-consult]⁠. Let’s connect! @hopefularomantic [http://www.instagram.com/hopefularomantic] on ig <3 https://victoriayeung.coach/ [https://victoriayeung.coach/]

14. Ok, so you met The One... now what?

When it comes to dating, all you have to do is find that one person, The One, and then all will be well. Right? What if I told you that was the easiest part? If all you do is work on becoming the version of you who can be in that relationship, it will all flow. This week we will get into the energetics and mechanics of finding someone who matches your freq. In this episode, we explore: * Quantum leaps as unsustainable * Becoming an energetic match to your goals * Why maintaining results requires an inner transformation * What is means when you lose opportunities * Expanding belief * Getting vs. maintaining * Creating momentum through tiny changes * Letting relationships be easy * Homework at 36:12 Resources mentioned: * Feelings Wheel [https://feelingswheel.com/] * Map of Consciousness [https://life-longlearner.com/how-to-measure-consciousness-using-the-map-of-consciousness-3-of-7/] Book a free 30-minute coaching consult call ⁠here [https://calendly.com/hopefularomantic/free-consult]⁠. Let’s connect! @hopefularomantic [http://www.instagram.com/hopefularomantic] on ig <3 https://victoriayeung.coach/ [https://victoriayeung.coach/]