Clarity on Fire

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

Just quoting some casual Hamlet at you today! But hey, the Bard was right—most of what we perceive as good or bad, right or wrong isn't set in stone. How we decide to label things matters.

And maybe it's not so much our thoughts that are the problem, but our thoughts about our thoughts.

On that philosophical note we're diving into a brand-new Side Chat. Listen in as we get into…

• A conundrum a client brought up recently—should she heed the impulse to burn everything down and start over, or mistrust that desire?
• Signs your thoughts are untrustworthy and unhealthy
• And what to do if you can't figure out whether to trust your thoughts or not

Leave a comment after you've listened to share how this mind-bender resonated with you!

JOIN THE CLARITY ON FIRE COMMUNITY!

You should definitely come check us out on Patreon!

• Join the $3/month tier (The Spark) for access to occasional bonus episodes and other special content. Think of this like our virtual "tip jar." If you're not interested in the community aspect, but appreciate our work and want to send a little love our way every month, plus get access to bonus content, this is for you!

• Join the $6/month tier (The Flame) for occasional bonus content, and … monthly patron-only Zoom meetups (hosted by our Community Ambassador, Alyx), quarterly Zoom hangouts with Krachel, and access to a private Discord server where conversations are going on every week.

For those of you who join "The Flame" tier, you'll be able to join us for a monthly community meetup on Sunday, February 20 at 4pm EST. This month we're doing a group meditation focused on self-love!

Become a patron, here. And then introduce yourself in Discord, so you can start making friends with other COF people!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Burn This: Labeling emotions "good" or "bad" (June 2020)

Side Chat: A mind-blowing, time-bending analogy (May 2020)

Side Chat: Problem transfiguration (November 2019)

Side Chat: 7 signs that you're in denial (September 2019)

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Ever seen The Tower card show up in a tarot reading? In the classic image, lighting strikes the top of a stone structure while two people hurtle through midair, falling toward the rocks below.

Yeahhh, so, it's admittedly not anyone's favorite. It heralds shocking change, chaos, and things crumbling around you. But … sometimes, you're trapped in the tower. And the only way to liberate you is for it to fall apart.

My former client, Samantha, had a series of "tower moments" a couple years ago that sent her careening onto an entirely new life path.

Listen in to this month's brand-new interview with a normal person, as Samantha and I dive into…

• The waves of chaos and grief she struggled through, including natural disasters, the pandemic, the loss of an old friend, and the end of a long-term romantic partnership.
• How experiencing so much turmoil, back to back, affected her outlook on life.
• How, inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's story of coming back to life after heartbreak, she created her own version of the Eat, Pray, Love journey … while stuck in lockdown, unable to travel anywhere.

This one will give you a renewed appreciation for the resilience of the human spirit, and leave you a little more hopeful, especially if you're going through your own "tower moment" right now.

Leave a comment after you've listened to share how Samantha's story resonates with you!

JOIN THE CLARITY ON FIRE COMMUNITY!

You should definitely come check us out on Patreon!

• Join the $3/month tier (The Spark) for access to occasional bonus episodes and other special content. Think of this like our virtual "tip jar." If you're not interested in the community aspect, but appreciate our work and want to send a little love our way every month, plus get access to bonus content, this is for you!

• Join the $6/month tier (The Flame) for occasional bonus content, and … monthly patron-only Zoom meetups (hosted by our Community Ambassador, Alyx), quarterly Zoom hangouts with Krachel, and access to a private Discord server where conversations are going on every week.

For those of you who join "The Flame" tier, get excited because we're doing another quarterly Krachel Zoom hangout on Thursday, February 17 at 7pm EST!

Become a patron, here. And then introduce yourself in Discord, so you can start making friends with other COF people!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Taking a year-long sabbatical from work with Francine Mends (January 2022)

Finding a new job in 24 hours with Christina Hart (January 2021)

Side Chat: Is it not working? Or is it not working yet? (November 2020)

Magic 8-Ball: The grief of transitions (April 2020)

LINKS

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Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.

This month we answered questions from:

• Holly, whose business partner is her total opposite. She's upset about something that could negatively impact their business, but he can't see what the problem is. How can she get him to take her concerns—and her feelings—seriously?
• Stacy, who's recently been told by a potential romantic partner that they "need time to love themselves" before they can love her. What advice do we have for someone waiting on another person to be ready for a relationship?
• Alex, a parent with a job that leaves plenty of time to spend with their toddler—but that's the only good thing it. Alex's partner (and even their therapist!) says not to go looking for another job, because what if the next one isn't as flexible? Should Alex try to be happy with the job they already have? And if so … how?

Come leave a comment after you've listened to share how our advice for these listeners resonated with you!

LAST DAY FOR 1:1 COACHING!

Today, Friday, February 4 is the final day of our current 1:1 coaching enrollment window!

• If you're seriously considering 1:1 coaching, fill out the "sign me up" form on this page and one of us will be in touch to talk about it.
• This is for people interested in getting started ASAP (within the next 4-6 weeks).
• Now is a GREAT time to decide to do coaching because next time around (later in the spring/early summer) our coaching rates are going up significantly!
• You don't have to be 100% certain that this is right for you — but serious enough to want to discuss it.
• If you're seeing this after February 4, you can add your name to the wait list and we'll contact you if and when we have an availability.

And if you want to hear more about how coaching with us works, check out our episode from October 2020: Why career coaching has (almost) nothing to do with your career.

If you're seriously considering coaching, fill out the form on this page and we'll talk about it!

LINKS

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Honing your intuition is one of the most important parts of getting clear on who you are, what you want, and where you're headed. Without it, you're like a GPS with bad reception — you're not going to get very clear guidance, and you may end up driving in circles.

But honing your intuition can take time and practice, so sometimes it's nice to piggyback off of another GPS you can trust, even if it's just long enough to check your directions.

So, in that spirit, here's another Message from the Universe episode for you! Tune in if you need a little clarity, guidance, or just a fun pick-me-up.

Today we pulled a few cards from the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck. One or all has a message for you — come find out what it is!

As usual, the messages were BANG ON. You're going to want to hear this one. 😉

Click here to see the cards, as well as read the description of each! And after you listen, come leave a comment to share how this one spoke to you.

1:1 COACHING IS BACK!

If you need more guidance than one half-hour message from the universe episode can give you, then you're in luck because…

One-on-one coaching is open for enrollment NOW through Friday, February 4! A few pointers to keep in mind:

• We're only taking on about 10-15 people, max, this time! If you're seriously considering 1:1 coaching, fill out the "sign me up" form on this page and one of us will be in touch to talk about it.
• This is for people interested in getting started ASAP (within the next 4-6 weeks).
• Now is a GREAT time to decide to do coaching because next time around (later in the spring/early summer) our coaching rates are going up significantly!
• You don't have to be 100% certain that this is right for you — but serious enough to want to discuss it.

And if you want to hear more about how coaching with us works, check out our episode from October 2020: Why career coaching has (almost) nothing to do with your career.

If you're seriously considering coaching, check out this page for all the details so you know what to expect!

LINKS

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Last month during the side chat where we processed 2021, I shared that one of the big lessons I got hit with (and am very much still trying to learn) was about pain. Namely, that just because you're in pain doesn't mean that something is going wrong.

The more Kristen and I mulled that one over, the more obvious it became that we needed to have a whole separate conversation about it to do the thing justice!

So, in this month's side chat we're getting into …

• When is pain necessary vs. unnecessary?
• Where's the line between pain, suffering, and plain old torture? And how do we end up torturing ourselves without meaning to?
• How to use pain and turmoil as a catalyst for growth, rather than end up stagnating in it.

Come leave a comment after you've listened to share how this one resonated with you!

1:1 COACHING IS BACK!

If some of the pain you've found yourself in lately is of the "confused, overwhelmed, lost, no idea what to do with myself" variety, then you're in luck, because …

One-on-one coaching is open for enrollment NOW through Friday, February 4! A few pointers to keep in mind:

• We'll be taking on a small number of clients this time — around 10-15, max!
• This is for people interested in getting started in January or February.
• You don't have to know for sure that you want to move ahead with coaching. You just have to be serious enough about it to want to have a conversation.
• If you're not ready now, or you've found us in-between "official" enrollment periods, then you can add your name to the wait list and we'll contact you if and when we have an availability.

And if you want to hear more about how coaching with us works, check out our episode from October, 2020: Why career coaching has (almost) nothing to do with your career.

If you're seriously considering coaching, check out this page for all the details so you know what to expect!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Side Chat: Two big questions to help process your year (& the year ahead) (December 2021)

Bonus Side Chat: How to create light at the end of the tunnel (February 2021)

Side Chat: Is it not working? Or is it not working YET? (November 2020)

LINKS

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Francine Mends' life is unrecognizable from several years ago when she was feeling trapped and miserable in her highly specialized field of neuroradiology, with no escape in sight.

After a series of personal tragedies that emotionally shook her to her core, she decided to finally make some serious (and scary) changes in her life, including doing something she never imagined she could do: take a year-long sabbatical from work.

Since then, she's quit her job, lived internationally, worked as a digital nomad, and started her own business.

Listen in to this replay interview with a normal person from 2019 that's even more relevant now than it was back then! You'll hear Kristen and Francine talk about…

• How she broke through her self-imposed limitations to finally make big life changes that she never imagined she could make.
• How she was able to take a year-long sabbatical from work to travel the world and get right within herself.
• Once she realized she wanted to work for herself, how she figured out what business to start.
• Her criteria for choosing a bridge job to support her new business, without sacrificing her newfound freedom.
• What advice she wishes she could give her past self or anyone who's feeling trapped in a career they don't love.

After you've listened, leave a comment to let us know how Francine's story resonated with you.

1:1 COACHING IS COMING BACK!

One-on-one coaching will be open for enrollment again next Friday, January 21st! A few pointers to keep in mind:

• We'll be taking on a small number of clients this time — probably fewer than 10!
• This is for people interested in getting started in January or February.
• You don't have to know for sure that you want to move ahead with coaching. You just have to be serious enough about it to want to have a conversation.
• If you're not ready now, or you've found us in-between "official" enrollment periods, then you can add your name to the wait list and we'll contact you if and when we have an availability.

And if you want to hear more about how coaching with us works, check out our episode from October, 2020: Why career coaching has (almost) nothing to do with your career.

If you're seriously considering coaching, check out this page for all the details so you know what to expect!

MORE ABOUT FRANCINE

Francine doesn't have a passion. At least not in the traditional sense. She's curious, and embracing her passionless curiosity has made coping with life's uncertainties (like breaking her collarbone in Myanmar) tolerable and even fun.

As a recovering perfectionist, a recovering physician, a writer, and a formerly shy person, Francine loves hearing people's stories and sharing lessons from her journey. Although she is currently nomadic, having last lived in Portugal, her heart is firmly planted in NYC. She relishes not having to wake up early, eating freshly made guacamole, and listening to water sounds (including but not limited to waterfalls, fountains, ocean waves).

Francine is the founder of Evolving Conversations, a platform for anyone who loves deep thought and deep conversation and wishes it was easier to make better connections in their everyday lives. She firmly believes that you can talk deeply about anything, and she helps other do so on her site Evolving Conversations (onevolving.com). She's on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at Onevolving. You can also find her on Medium, where she regularly writes guest posts that are the stimuli for the deep, provocative conversations she loves to have with people in her growing community.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU'LL ALSO LOVE…

Ghosting your job with Lana Jackson (May 2018)

How to work less, live more, and make great money with Katie Mongelli (July 2018)

Finding a dream job after years of searching with Teanca Shepherd (September 2018)

LINKS

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Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Join our Patreon community

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Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.

This month we answered questions from:

• Higher Thoughts, who's in a "mental breakdown, rock bottom, everything spiral out of control" phase … how do they regain focus and positivity when everything is falling apart?
• Tasha, whose passion is cooking and whose dream is to open her own restaurant. But she's done research into what it takes to become a chef, and the low pay, long hours, and weekend work is making her think again. Should she pursue her dream anyway and ignore the disadvantages?
• Loving Shiny Objects, who can't seem to stop bouncing from one amazing opportunity to the next, often before they finish the last thing they started. How do they tame their incessant fascination with everything and actually decide what to pursue?

We also got an update from Murphy's Law, a listener who wrote us back in April of last year when she was in a phase where everything was going wrong—listen in to hear how things turned out!

And come leave a comment after you've listened to share how our advice for these listeners resonated with you!

CHECK OUT OUR FREE E-BOOKS!

At the end of the episode you'll hear us mention one of our free e-books: AM I DOING 'LIFE' RIGHT? Wisdom, relief, & tough love for getting through difficult times. Find that, and the other three e-books, here!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Side Chat: Passion Profiles & The scale of ambition (October 2021)

Dear Krachel: Tell me how to stop thinking, "This will never happen!" (May 2021)

Dear Krachel: How do I ask people to meet my needs? (April 2021)

Dear Krachel: Will I regret pursuing a career that's not aligned with my Passion Profile? (December 2020)

Bonus Book Club! Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver (November 2018)

LINKS

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First things first – Happy birthday to Kristen!! We know how I feel about birthdays, but Kristen is the Tiny Tim to my Ebenezer Scrooge, so feel free to celebrate her and congratulate her on getting older as much as you want today!

And if you want a deal that even Scrooge couldn't find fault with, then by all means, scroll down.

Now, allow us to move on to the last podcast episode of this year! And what a year it's been, hmm? How ever will we process it? Or prepare for 2022? I mean, aren't most of us still trying to process 2020?!

So, listen in as we share two questions to help you process what you learned this year, and set you up for more growth in the year ahead. We talked about:

• Giving yourself credit for not just what you learned, but what you actually mastered in the last year.
• Pinpointing what you still need to work on in the year ahead.
• And plenty of stories of what we mastered, what we're still struggling to integrate, and how we intend to move ahead in 2022.

This one will give you a lot of food for thought (maybe even a whole Christmas goose's worth??). At the very least, the ghosts of your years' past shouldn't haunt you too much anymore after this one. And as for the years yet to come? Well, revel in the spirit of the season and delight in the fact that…

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF OUR HOLIDAY PROMO!

Today, Friday the 17th, is the last day to take advantage of our special discount on the Passion Profile Short Course, our intro course that helps you get clear on your career direction in as little as 1 day.

Until the end of today, the course is 30% off its usual price ($174 instead of $249). No discount code needed! The price is automatically lower on our site.

The PPSC is our quickest, easiest, and most affordable way to stop stagnating. Because it's only 5 hours, it's not overwhelming or a huge commitment. We know a HUGE reason that people never get started is because the task feels so unmanageable ... that's why we've tried to make it as simple (but powerful!) as possible.

This course is ideal for you if:

• You're looking for a way to get un-stuck that doesn't involve a lot of time, money, or complication (it's a 5-ish hour, video-based DIY course with workbook prompts).
• You've been hoping for a simple answer to this whole "finding career direction" thing.
• You don't know where to start and wish someone would tell you what to do about your career situation.
• You loved your Passion Profile Quiz result and want your life to actually align with what you read.

Check out all the details and buy the course here!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Special Episode! Why Kristen just got a JOB (July 2021)

Bonus Side Chat: How to create a light at the end of the tunnel (February 2021)

Dear Krachel: I lost ALL the progress I thought I'd made. What now?! (January 2021)

Side Chat: End-of-2020 Confessions (December 2020)

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Six months ago, my friend (and former client) Alex and I embarked on an adventure: Me quitting a part-time gig, and her quitting a full-time job.

We had one thing in common: No real plans for what happened next.

It was the start of what's become a very interesting, surprising, rollercoaster of a journey … and I thought I'd let you in on it.

Alex and I originally recorded this episode for the Clarity on Fire Patreon Community, but today we're gifting it to all of you (happy holidays, I guess?!). In fact, it's the first episode in a series — every 3 months, we get back together and talk about how the most recent leg of the quitting journey has gone.

So, listen in as Alex and I get into…

• How to sense when it's time to cut your losses.
• Why sometimes the only way you can get something better is by quitting before you have another job lined up.
• The inevitable guilt and freak-outs that happen after making this huge of a decision, and how to navigate those big feelings.
• Our ideas for what we thought we'd do next (funny, given some of it happened and some definitely didn't).

Want to hear the next two episodes in my quitting series with Alex? Become a member of our Patreon for bonus content, monthly community events, quarterly Zooms with Krachel, and a private Discord server!

OUR HOLIDAY PROMO IS GOING ON NOW!

Now through Friday, December 17, we're bringing back the super-popular promotion we did this time last year! We've got two treats for you:

• Get the Passion Profile Short Course, our intro course that helps you get clear on your career direction in as little as 1 day, for 30% off its usual price ($174 instead of $249). No discount code needed! The price is automatically lower on our site.

• Get a single coaching session with one of us! We normally only offer single sessions to former clients, but this option will be open to everyone for a very limited time (we only have about 10 sessions, and when they're gone, they're gone).

Whichever (or both!) you choose will be an excellent way to get out of your own way and get some momentum going for 2022. Enjoy!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Blog: Why you don't need to feel guilty about quitting your job (April 2019)

Blog: How to know when it's time to quit (a job, or anything else) (May 2019)

Bonus Side Chat: All of the (embarrassing) things we've quit (October 2020)

LINKS

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Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

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Check out our YouTube channel

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.

This month we answered questions from:

• Dates-ed & Confused, who's been dating a guy for a few weeks and is already thinking about ending it. But are their reasons good enough? So much of the relationship advice floating around says no person is perfect. How do you tell what's reasonable to expect and what isn't, and whose advice do we actually listen to?
• Holly, who just got a job in a very niche field. She knows she's being underpaid, but is finding it hard to do research about how much to ask for. How can she figure out what she's worth and make a good case, when there's so little information to go off of?
• Second Bestie, who's feeling down about the fact that the person she calls her best friend wouldn't say the same about her, in return. How can she make peace with the idea that such an important relationship isn't mutual?

And come leave a comment after you've listened to share how our advice for these listeners resonated with you!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM US TO YOU!

Starting next Wednesday, December 8, through Friday, December 17, we're bringing back the super-popular promotion we did this time last year! We've got two treats for you:

• Get the Passion Profile Short Course, our intro course that helps you get clear on your career direction in as little as 1 day, for 30% off its usual price ($174 instead of $249). No discount code needed! The price will be automatically lower on our site.

• Get a single coaching session with one of us! We normally only offer single sessions to former clients, but this option will be open to everyone for a very limited time (we only have about 10 sessions, and when they're gone, they're gone).

Either of these will be a simple and super helpful way to rid yourself of some 2021 gunk and gear up for a much better 2022. ☺

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Side Chat: Stop being reasonable! (May 2021)

How to negotiate anything (even if you're a people pleaser) with Devon Smiley (May 2019)

The new way of finding your dream job with AJ Mizes (April 2021)

Dear Krachel: Should I do a job I hate for a few years (for the money)? (March 2019)

LINKS

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Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

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