E11 | Life is Based On a Reward System

You ARE Capable of Doing HARD Things (My Devotional)

In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Morgan discusses the deeply personal journey behind training for and completing her first marathon. In this episode, she opens up about the mental, emotional, and physical battles she faced during her 6-month training block, including trauma, suicidal ideation, sobriety, identity work, self-sabotage, and learning how to sit alone with herself in solitude. This episode serves as her devotional and a reflection on faith, purpose, and the ways God works through even our darkest moments. Through the pain, setbacks, and unexpected moments of encouragement, she discusses how this journey strengthened her relationship with God in a way that changed her forever. Discipline, delayed gratification, authenticity, healing, faith, purpose, and the realization that growth is never linear. Morgan discusses the connection between mental health and endurance sports, the lessons learned through pain and perseverance, and why putting yourself in uncomfortable situations can completely change what you believe is possible for your life. Most importantly, this is a reminder that you never truly know what someone else is carrying. Be kind. Check on your people. And remember: even in your darkest moments, you ARE capable of doing HARD things. If you have letters to write, you have a reason to stay. If you don’t have letters to write, write to me.  If this episode resonates with you, know that you are seen, validated, and loved. 🤍 Book recommendations on ⁠my storefront⁠ [https://www.amazon.com/shop/thevirtualra?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_9P51GHFR86ZBZ57A7JNH] ⁠Substack⁠ [https://substack.com/@thevirtualra?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page], ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thevirtualra/], TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thevirtualra]: @thevirtualra

Male vs Female Rage

This week, Morgan discusses why rage isn’t random—it’s accumulated. She unpacks how suppressed emotions, unmet needs, and being taught to avoid anger altogether lead to the very outbursts we later feel ashamed of. She blends her writing with personal perspective to challenge the idea that anger is “bad,” reframing it instead as a signal we were never taught how to read. This episode leans into the uncomfortable truth: if we don’t learn to process our emotions, they will process us—and that’s why conversations about anger and mental health aren’t optional; they’re necessary. All sources listed at the bottom of my Substack articles: Rage Part I [https://thevirtualra1.substack.com/p/rage-isnt-random] Rage Part II [https://thevirtualra1.substack.com/p/we-were-never-taught-how-to-be-angry]

What listening to podcasts is actually doing for your brain

This week, we unpack how listening to long-form conversations helps you understand different perspectives, challenge your own beliefs, question ideas, build real intellectual confidence, and develop deeper curiosity about the world around you. Morgan discusses how doomscrolling is quietly weakening our attention spans and ability to reason. Think of this as a reset for your brain.

You feel dumb because you stopped asking questions

Kicking off the rebrand strong, this episode lays the foundation for building your intellectual curiosity. We're covering distractions that are hindering your attention spans, the benefits of "asking stupid questions", learned coping mechanisms set in childhood, and of course, a quick therapy sesh from a big sister on the internet. Enjoy :) Mel Robbins 5 Second Rule video [https://youtu.be/PWE4haP88Gw?si=4Y07qvQpbCgbk5NR] Book recommendations on my storefront [https://www.amazon.com/shop/thevirtualra?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_9P51GHFR86ZBZ57A7JNH] Substack [https://substack.com/@thevirtualra?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thevirtualra/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thevirtualra]

E11 | Life is Based On a Reward System

In this first episode of the Dark Psychology series, Morgan discusses how life is built on a reward system and the ways it shapes our habits, addictions, and daily choices. From the habit feedback loop explained in Atomic Habits (cue → craving → response → reward) to real-world examples like social media addiction, peer pressure in college, career competition, and even unhealthy family dynamics, Morgan breaks down how our brains are wired to chase satisfaction — and what that means for you. She dives into the subtle addictions beyond alcohol and drugs, like validation, control, or appearance, and explores how society reinforces them. You’ll also hear strategies for breaking free of bad patterns, reinforcing good ones, and learning how to recognize the systems (not yourself) as the root of the problem. Chapters: 00:00 Intro   01:34 Dark psychology topic intro 07:01 The Habit Feedback Loop 15:01 Example 1: Addiction to Dissociation  19:15 Example 2: Finding yourself by watching others 21:51 Comparison has two options: study and envy 23:14 Example 3: Careers, interviews, and promotions 24:01 Example 4: Some parents want obedient dogs. 26:55 The People Pleasing Pipeline 29:57 Siituationships, love bombing, and settling 32:18 Curing a bad habit 37:18 The world doesn’t want you to have sentience 38:02 Outro