Being Different Together

Renovation dust, barking dogs, mosquitoes, and a leaf blower become unlikely teachers in this honest and funny exploration of how we actually think, feel, and regulate.

As Kelly and Nyssa record from their jam-packed home addition during a noisy flooring renovation, they unpack how disruption, stress, and even judgment can become invitations into deeper empathy and self-awareness. 

They explore why we may need other people to think clearly (hello, nervous system co-regulation and body doubling), how metacognition works in real life, and why practices like morning pages, CBT-style thought reframing, and daily journaling can be so powerful for anxiety and overwhelm. 

Along the way they compare Jungian psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy, talk about the difference between writing by hand and typing, and share practical ways to use tools like 750words.com, “Letters from Love,” and Tonglen meditation to turn home renovation chaos—and any life transition—into a practice of compassion, clarity, and regulation.

Main Topics Covered:

• How living in a construction zone reveals our hidden judgments and self-centeredness
• Why our brains often think better with another person (nervous system co-regulation & body doubling)
• Morning pages, “Great Brain Drain,” and how journaling clears mental clutter
• A therapist’s real-life explanation of cognitive behavioral therapy and thought reframing
• Writing by hand vs typing: what changes in your mind when you pick up a pen
• Using 750words.com and “Letters from Love” as spiritual and creative practices
• Turning renovation rage, mosquitoes, and car trouble into hilariously human stories
• The map is not the territory: plans vs reality in home makeovers and in life
• How Tonglen practice (breathing in pain, breathing out compassion) supports empathy
• Reflecting on war, displacement, and shelter while dealing with “chosen” disruption at home

Links:

• VISIT: The Disco Dolls
• BOOK: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• BOOK: Feeling Great by David Burns
• www.750words.com (resource for writing more regularly)

Newsletter Sign Up:

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Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

Hey friends, it’s Nyssa here with a solo episode explaining why. 

Let me just tell you in one word: Renovations. 

Or listen here to this mini-episode with my reflections on the roller coaster we’ve been on lately. I’m sure we’ll both have more to say on that later!

We’ll be back to our usual schedule next week. Thank you for listening. 

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

What if your favorite ancient epic is actually a map for healing from war, conflict, and the feeling of being spiritually homeless? 

In this conversation, Kelly and Nyssa revisit The Odyssey through the lens of archetypes, the hero’s journey, and the trickster energy of Odysseus—woven together with reflections on the new Odyssey film, war trauma, and what it really means to “come home” to yourself. 

They explore themes like the Trojan Horse as a moral breaking point, Poseidon as a force of humbling, monsters as symbols of our psychological shadow, and how conflict (healthy and unhealthy) shapes us. Along the way, they connect Homer, Joseph Campbell, Jungian individuation, real dialog, and modern storytelling—from IMAX screens to podcasts as today’s bards—to offer listeners a soulful, curious, and grounded way to relate The Odyssey to their own lives.

Main Topics Covered:

• How a new Odyssey film sparked fresh reflections on war, trauma, and the hero’s journey
• Why Odysseus is the ultimate trickster—and when intelligence stops being wisdom
• The Trojan Horse as a “bridge too far” and what it reveals about moral injury in war
• Monsters as metaphors: Cyclops, sirens, lotus-eaters, and Scylla & Charybdis as inner states
• The ancient Greek code of hospitality and how Odysseus weaponizes it
• Wrestling with the “enemy button” and whether conflict can ever really be “healthy”
• The ache and complexity of “home” when your childhood house—and your inner life—have changed
• How Jung’s individuation and Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey show up in The Odyssey
• Screens, trance states, and why movies can feel like modern-day myths and rituals
• Podcasts as today’s bards: why storytelling is still one of our deepest medicines

Links:

• BOOK: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
• BOOK: The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock

Newsletter Sign Up:

• Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter here

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

In this episode of Being Different Together, Kelly shares a powerful Tibetan Buddhist myth about Queen Ramati / Palden Lhamo—a fierce female protector who turns the wound on her mule into an all-seeing eye—and she and Nyssa explore what it means to transform emotional wounds into wisdom, protection, and compassionate boundaries. 

Together they unpack the story’s rich psychological symbolism, dive into themes of fierce compassion, contextual morality, and the “feminine” beyond sugar-and-spice stereotypes, and connect it with Eastern texts like the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana, as well as Western imagery like The Wizard of Oz and Wicked. 

Along the way, they ask how our past trauma, family patterns, and ancestral history can become “eyes” that help us see more clearly, reduce suffering for ourselves and others, and stop cycles of harm—without romanticizing pain or bypassing real healing work.

Main Topics Covered:

• The Tibetan Buddhist story of Queen Ramati / Palden Lhamo and the mule’s wound that becomes an eye
• How wounds can become eyes: transforming emotional pain into insight and protection
• What “viewing the past in a friendly way” really means for healing and hindsight
• Why context matters in morality, from the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana to modern life
• Reimagining the feminine as fierce and whole, not just “good witch vs. bad witch”
• How culture splits women into Glinda vs. the Wicked Witch, and what Wicked gets right
• The lost art of guardianship and ancestral awareness in modern, forward-only culture
• Using myth and symbolism as practical tools for trauma healing and boundary-setting
• Everyday examples: from Achilles tendinitis to learning to see life differently through pain
• A cozy DC travel tangent: Talking Heads cover bands, ice cream, and unexpected joy

Newsletter Sign Up:

• Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter here

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

What does it really mean to be in the trenches of life—and how do you stop turning those seasons into a war against yourself? 

In this episode, we explore “trench seasons” like home renovations, burnout, caregiving, and overwhelm, and how they collide with time management, productivity, and our Type A perfectionist parts. We dive into optimization culture (biohacking, looksmaxing, sleep trackers, glucose monitors), Jung’s ideas about the shadow and fanaticism, and how our harsh judgments of others often reveal our own unmet needs. 

Along the way, we talk about intentionality, bed days as burnout prevention, self-compassion for both the over-doers and the under-doers, and how to recognize when you’re in a trench so you can ease up on yourself instead of doubling down on self-criticism.

Main Topics Covered:

• What “being in the trenches” looks like in everyday life (and why it’s not always existential crisis)
• How home renovations, car trouble, and heat waves become invisible emotional labor
• Why time management and productivity can turn fanatical—and how to notice when they do
• Jung’s idea of the shadow and how our harsh judgments of others are often secret confessions
• “Bed days” as both trench treatment and trench prevention for burnout
• The hidden costs of optimization culture: biohacking, looksmaxing, and going to war with your own body
• Type A vs. Type B: how each personality judges the other (and what that reveals inside us)
• The neighbor-with-the-body-shop story and what it teaches about boundaries and resentment
• Why flipping from one extreme to another rarely works (especially with diets and routines)
• How intentionality and self-compassion help us find a middle way through hard seasons

Links:

• BOOK: Cultish by Amanda Montell

Newsletter Sign Up:

• Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter here

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

Feeling extra tired this summer? In this episode we explore the summer solstice, yin–yang, and seasonal energy through the lens of traditional Chinese medicine—and why midsummer might actually be a time to do less, not more. We also talk about coping with heat, aging with more grace, and what it looks like to live in harmony with your body instead of trying to dominate it.

Main Topics Covered:

• Why you might feel unusually tired around the summer solstice (and why that’s not a failure)
• The real meaning of yin and yang in TCM—and why they’re not opposites
• How the daily and seasonal energy cycles mirror each other (including that 3 p.m. slump)
• “When it’s hot, don’t flap your arms”: a deceptively simple teaching about heat and emotion
• Living with the seasons vs. pushing for the same productivity all year long
• How hot climates use spicy food and hot tea to actually cool the body
• A kinder approach to aging, energy, and exercise as your body changes over time
• Rethinking the “feels like” temperature and collective anxiety about the heat
• Using the wheel of the year and natural cycles to orient your inner life
• Why midsummer might be the perfect time to weed, edit, and do less instead of more

Links:

• Episode #13 - The Spring Equinox Episode: Peaches, Pruning, and Becoming More Yourself
• Episode #12 - How to Use the Moon Phases for Goal Setting, Time Management, and Productivity

Newsletter Sign Up:

• Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter here

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

What if wisdom isn’t invented or owned, but discovered—ladled up from a shared “primordial soup” of stories, experiences, and ancestral knowing? 

Kelly and Nyssa riff on a listener’s question, tracing the roots of Uncle Murray’s intentionality sayings through 12‑step recovery rooms, counseling traditions at USF, spiritual practice, and the collective unconscious. 

Along the way, they weave in Jungian archetypes, Buddhism, religion vs. spirituality, childbirth and death, gardening, and the everyday “kitchen table” moments that season raw insight into lived, embodied wisdom. 

If you’ve ever wondered where wisdom really comes from, how sayings like “If nothing changes, nothing changes” take root in a life, or how mystery itself keeps us reflecting and growing, this conversational deep dive into intentionality, recovery, and meaning‑making is for you.

Main Topics Covered:

• How a listener’s simple question—“Where does wisdom come from?”—turns into a deep dive on intentionality and recovery
• The surprising 12‑step roots behind many of Uncle Murray’s most beloved sayings
• Whether we invent wisdom or discover it from a collective “primordial soup” of human experience
• How stories about spaghetti night, disco songs, and family nicknames quietly shape our beliefs
• What 12‑step programs, religion, and Jungian psychology all reveal about rituals, myths, and meaning
• Why our “human VR headset” (body + brain) might be the key to understanding wisdom, trauma, and growth
• The strange way birth, death, and grief pull us into archetypal territory while life insists we still make dinner
• How plants, mycelium, and Florida’s swampy ecosystem point to a wider, non‑human intelligence
• Why some trauma survivors heal more from ethical communities and role models than from talking about the past
• The essential role of mystery—why not knowing keeps us reflecting, creating, and seeking wiser ways to live

Links:

• Episode #16 - Intentionality, Part 1: Everything You’ve Done Prepared You For This Moment
• Episode #17 - Intentionality, Part 2: Feeling Good Needs No Excuse
• Episode #18 - Intentionality, Part 3: If You Think You Can Change the World, You Have a Better Chance
• Episode #19 - Intentionality, Part 4: Your Reality is as Good as Anyone Else’s
• Episode #20 - Intentionality, Part 5: It’s Useful to View the Past in a Friendly Way
• Episode #21 - Intentionality, Part 6: There’s More Than Two Ways to Skin a Cat
• Episode #22 - Intentionality, Part 7: Take the Hard Things Easy
• Episode #23 - Intentionality, Part 8: You’re Already Ready
• Episode #24 - Intentionality, Part 9: Life is a Joke – Either You Get It or You Don’t
• Episode #25 - Intentionality, Part 10: Whatever It Is You Feel, Remember You Don’t Have To
• Episode #26 - Intentionality, Part 11: Aim Yourself at Being with People Who Facilitate You Being the Person You Want to Be
• Episode #27 - Intentionality, Part 12: Find a Pleasant Path
• Episode #28 - Intentionality, Part 13: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Newsletter Sign Up:

• Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter here

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

What if the secret to reaching your goals is not grinding harder, but holding them more gently?

Kelly and Nyssa explore the final two intentionality slogans from Uncle Murray—“Keep your eyes on the prize” and “Easy does it”—and how together they create a powerful roadmap for pursuing meaningful goals without burning out.

Through stories of massage clients, canceled flights, blackout Airbnbs, nourishing meals, grandmothers in Depression‑era kitchens, and Buddhist teachings like “the obstacle is the path,” they show how attention, dedication, and ease can completely change your relationship to work, pain, and purpose. 

If you’re craving a more sustainable, compassionate way to stay focused on what matters—whether that’s healing, creative projects, or showing up better for the people you love—this conversation on intentionality, mindset, and choosing a pleasant path is for you.

Main Topics Covered:

• How “Keep your eyes on the prize” can completely change what you think your real goal is
• The surprising power of “Easy does it” when you’re ambitious, exhausted, or stuck in hustle mode
• Why three bricklayers—and three different answers—might reshape how you see your work and purpose
• A simple journaling ritual Nyssa uses to turn boring focus blocks into meaningful, motivated time
• What chronic pain, canceled flights, and traffic jams can teach us about intentionality and resilience
• How helping someone else (on purpose) can instantly shift you out of self‑absorbed suffering
• The hidden influence of grandmothers’ cooking, Depression‑era kitchens, and one unforgettable meal
• Why your “prize” is often other people—and how knowing that changes the way you show up
• The essential balance between caring deeply and not taking yourself (or your goals) too seriously
• A complete read‑through of all Uncle Murray’s intentionality slogans, woven into one poetic finale

Links:

• Episode #16 - Intentionality, Part 1: Everything You’ve Done Prepared You For This Moment
• Episode #17 - Intentionality, Part 2: Feeling Good Needs No Excuse
• Episode #18 - Intentionality, Part 3: If You Think You Can Change the World, You Have a Better Chance
• Episode #19 - Intentionality, Part 4: Your Reality is as Good as Anyone Else’s
• Episode #20 - Intentionality, Part 5: It’s Useful to View the Past in a Friendly Way
• Episode #21 - Intentionality, Part 6: There’s More Than Two Ways to Skin a Cat
• Episode #22 - Intentionality, Part 7: Take the Hard Things Easy
• Episode #23 - Intentionality, Part 8: You’re Already Ready
• Episode #24 - Intentionality, Part 9: Life is a Joke – Either You Get It or You Don’t
• Episode #25 - Intentionality, Part 10: Whatever It Is You Feel, Remember You Don’t Have To
• Episode #26 - Intentionality, Part 11: Aim Yourself at Being with People Who Facilitate You Being the Person You Want to Be
• Episode #27 - Intentionality, Part 12: Find a Pleasant Path
• Episode #11 - How to Get What You Want (Without Toxic Positivity or Wishful Thinking)
• Episode #12 - How to Use the Moon Phases for Goal Setting, Time Management, and Productivity

Newsletter Sign Up:

• Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter here

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

Want your life to actually feel different—not just look the same with new intentions on top? 

Kelly and Nyssa unpack two of Uncle Murray’s most quietly radical intentionality sayings, “You can’t be different by acting the same” and “Find a pleasant path,” exploring how tiny, sustainable shifts in behavior can transform habits, money choices, health, and even how you move through pain and aging. 

Through stories about changing grocery stores, managing back pain, navigating construction chaos, and wrestling with nostalgia and resistance, they show how incremental change plus genuine enjoyment is more powerful (and realistic) than white‑knuckled self‑improvement. 

If you’re craving practical, compassionate guidance on building new habits, aligning your daily actions with your values, and making your path more pleasant without spiritual bypassing, this conversation on intentionality, behavior change, and everyday joy is for you.

Main Topics Covered:

• How two simple sayings—“You can’t be different by acting the same” and “Find a pleasant path”—can quietly revolutionize your everyday choices
• Why tiny, almost laughably small changes (like putting on your shoes or switching grocery stores) can matter more than big dramatic goals
• The surprising emotional baggage hiding inside brand loyalty, money habits, and where you buy your food
• What chronic pain, back issues, and “mind medicine” teach about suffering versus sensation
• How 12‑step “slogans,” therapy wisdom, and Uncle Murray’s intentionality practices all weave together
• The Icelandic motto “it’ll work out,” antidepressants, and what truly happy cultures can teach us about resilience
• The role of curiosity, play, and even elves (yes, elves) in finding a more pleasant path through weird, hard human lives
• Why cutting expenses, changing habits, or aging well doesn’t have to feel like punishment or deprivation
• The difference between accepting life’s difficulty and unconsciously choosing a painful path you don’t actually have to stay on

Links:

• Episode #16 - Intentionality, Part 1: Everything You’ve Done Prepared You For This Moment
• Episode #17 - Intentionality, Part 2: Feeling Good Needs No Excuse
• Episode #18 - Intentionality, Part 3: If You Think You Can Change the World, You Have a Better Chance
• Episode #19 - Intentionality, Part 4: Your Reality is as Good as Anyone Else’s
• Episode #20 - Intentionality, Part 5: It’s Useful to View the Past in a Friendly Way
• Episode #21 - Intentionality, Part 6: There’s More Than Two Ways to Skin a Cat
• Episode #22 - Intentionality, Part 7: Take the Hard Things Easy
• Episode #23 - Intentionality, Part 8: You’re Already Ready
• Episode #24 - Intentionality, Part 9: Life is a Joke – Either You Get It or You Don’t
• Episode #25 - Intentionality, Part 10: Whatever It Is You Feel, Remember You Don’t Have To
• Episode #26 - Intentionality, Part 11: Aim Yourself at Being with People Who Facilitate You Being the Person You Want to Be

Newsletter Sign Up:

• Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter here

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

What if the people you spend time with — and the courage to ask for what you really want — are quietly shaping who you become?

Kelly and Nyssa dive into two of Uncle Murray’s core intentionality slogans, “Aim yourself at being with people who facilitate you being the person you want to be” and “The more I ask for what I want, the more likely I am to get it,” to explore how relationships, community, and self‑advocacy sculpt our lives.

They unpack the “bad apple” effect in groups, the link between unexpressed expectations and resentment, and why complaining is often just a wish in disguise, weaving in Jungian psychology, Buddhist ideas on noble friendship, family stories, and real‑life renovation drama.

If you’re navigating friendships, partnerships, work dynamics, or simply trying to live more intentionally aligned with your values, this conversation on boundaries, asking for what you want, and choosing your people with care is for you.

Main Topics Covered:

• How “aiming yourself” at certain people quietly shapes who you become (for better or worse)
• The surprising power of one “bad apple” to derail a whole group’s mood, focus, and productivity
• Why we stay around people who don’t actually support who we want to be — and what it takes to choose differently
• The hidden link between unexpressed expectations and growing resentment in relationships
• How complaining often masks an unspoken wish (and how to translate rants into real requests)
• The vulnerability — and radical payoff — of asking directly for what you want
• What childhood, family culture, and early socialization teach us about whether it’s “okay” to have wants
• Using intentionality to navigate group dynamics, friendships, and romantic partnerships more consciously
• How spiritual ideas like dharma, noble friendship, and shadow work intersect with everyday choices about who we spend time with

Links:

• Episode #16 - Intentionality, Part 1: Everything You’ve Done Prepared You For This Moment
• Episode #17 - Intentionality, Part 2: Feeling Good Needs No Excuse
• Episode #18 - Intentionality, Part 3: If You Think You Can Change the World, You Have a Better Chance
• Episode #19 - Intentionality, Part 4: Your Reality is as Good as Anyone Else’s
• Episode #20 - Intentionality, Part 5: It’s Useful to View the Past in a Friendly Way
• Episode #21 - Intentionality, Part 6: There’s More Than Two Ways to Skin a Cat
• Episode #22 - Intentionality, Part 7: Take the Hard Things Easy
• Episode #23 - Intentionality, Part 8: You’re Already Ready
• Episode #24 - Intentionality, Part 9: Life is a Joke – Either You Get It or You Don’t
• Episode #25 - Intentionality, Part 10: Whatever It Is You Feel, Remember You Don’t Have To

Newsletter Sign Up:

• Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter here

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady