One of the things I really love about podcasting is how much I learn from my guests. Their backgrounds, expertise and advice have opened my eyes over the past year, and I look forward to continuing to learn and share these guests with you.
A piece of my new vision board
Episode 13: Journey Into Yourself With Art
In Journey Into Yourself With Art, Tiesha Harrison shared some of the ways she was using art during these difficult times and gave advice on how we can take this time to explore ourselves more through art and creativity. Based on our conversation, I decided to take action on a couple of the items we discussed.
I took on Tiesha’s I Love Your Smile Challenge and posted a photo on social media of myself smiling with a book I was reading. I read a lot of books, but they are usually self-help or business books, and I finally gave myself a break to read just for fun. I ordered myself a care package from Changing Hands Bookstore and told them to surprise me with a book they thought I would like. I enjoyed reading The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley, and from there, I have been picking out some more books for the joy of story. I also gifted some of these care packages to my family, who enjoyed this fun treat. You can order them online to be shipped as a gift to someone or yourself and support a local business. This made me smile!
I also created a new vision board that would help me through the unexpected challenges of 2020. In the past, my vision board would have probably included pictures of travel destinations, my dream boyfriend, an engagement ring or other similar items. With the restrictions currently in place, a vision board like that did not seem realistic and maybe depressing. I decided to focus the board on who I wanted to be and created visions that aligned with personal growth, who I want to be and some actions I could take to bring more joy through these times. I highly recommend making one, as it shows you how much is possible.
Episode 14: Protect Yourself From a Narcissistic Relationship
In Protect Yourself From a Narcissistic Relationship, Laurel Lee Cozzuli shared some vivid examples of narcissism and how you can protect yourself from this abusive behavior. I did not know a lot about narcissism before our conversation, and I walked away with some great tools to watch for red flags to protect myself.
Laurel shared how narcissists find your emotional wounds and prey on them. At first, they will make you believe they are filling that wound or unmet need. Then, when you are hooked, they will hurt you by attacking that wound even further.
I saw an example of this while I was watching Married at First Sight. One of the brides had an emotional wound around abandonment because her mother moved away when she was young. She told her new husband (who she just met) about this deep emotional wound. At first, he was very attentive and always there. After he knew she was infatuated with him, he started to stay out all night with his friends and not return home to their apartment until the morning. When she questioned him about it, he made her feel like she was crazy, and she kept thinking she was doing something wrong that made him not want to come home. I think I found myself screaming at the screen “It’s not you, he’s a narcissist.”
This made me think about my own approach to relationships. I realized that the gift of this physical distancing time is for me to work on my own emotional wounds and to do some healing work. It helped me realize how this will allow for a real connection when I return to the dating world.
Thank you to Tiesha and Laurel Lee for sharing your wisdom with the world. I encourage you to listen to these episodes and check out their resources and social media pages in the links in the episode notes, as these two ladies have a lot of inspirational projects.
If you have any ideas for future topics or guests for the podcast, please let me know.