Discovering Our Scars

A lot of people say they want to write a book one day, or that they wish they could be self-employed. Other folks talk about making a career pivot. Steph and Beth dissect their experience with these challenges to discover how they made courage more than a concept. It was courageous for Steph to write a book, but Steph didn’t see it that way until Beth pointed it out. It was courageous for Beth to change careers, but she didn’t see it that way until Steph pointed it out. It takes courage to put together a podcast. How did they find the courage to get started? How do they find the courage to keep going? Also, in this episode, Steph and Beth explore the concept of “my truth,” and what that phrase actually means.

Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e20a

Every January, lots of people make New Year’s Resolutions and other goals. We hear lots of chatter about physical goals, but people rarely (ever?) talk about their mental health goals. People go for annual physical check-ups, but no one seems to talk about going for an annual mental health check-up. Why is it easier to talk about our physical health? People would rather talk about a colonoscopy than their decision to go to counseling! Steph and Beth think out loud by why we divide our mental health from our physical health when we have only one body. 

Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e19

It’s a song for children, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” But, it isn’t something we all know. In fact, there are a lot of people who call themselves Christians who don’t seem to really understand that Jesus loves them. Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about what they believe when it comes to Jesus loving them, and why.

Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e18

Every December, parents start telling their children that Santa is watching. Parents tell children they need to behave to make it onto the Nice List. No one wants to be on Santa’s Naughty List! But, isn’t this a lie? Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about the role Santa Claus plays in our culture. Steph says Santa is a lie. Beth says Santa is a metaphor. They talk about how they viewed Santa as children, what it was like for them to find out the truth about Santa Claus, and what role Santa plays in their life now. Steph talks about the time her parents convinced her Santa was real by finding a piece of his torn Santa suit in the fireplace. Beth confesses to deceiving her kids with fake “From Santa” labels, and more. Also, which dessert is the holiest? Should we be leaving Angel Food Cake for Santa instead of cookies? If we were to leave a dessert for Jesus what would we leave? Listen in as Beth explains why Steph shouldn’t leave ham for Jesus!

Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e17

We all know we need margin (or, in Christianese, Sabbath). And yet, we still give into societal pressure to fill our days. Important people are valuable people. Important people are also busy. Therefore, busy people are valuable. Busy-ness has become an excuse, a crutch. Steph and Beth mine their own lives to understand where this idea comes from. Was it TV? Did we learn it as children or did we pick it up in adulthood? Like our eyes need margin to process what we read in a book, our heart needs margin to process what we feel. How do we balance our desire to live a meaningful life with our need for margin? Do we really appreciate how the two are connected? Also, why did the people in Friends have so much free time? And is there a connection between their free time and the name of their favorite coffee shop? Does their time in Central Perk give time for what really matters to percolate to the surface?

Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e16

About the same time Steph and Beth started planning the podcast, Steph adopted a greyhound she named Mac. Adopting a dog was a big responsibility, but Steph was ready! Even with all of her research and preparation, Steph could not have predicted the amount of joy and emotional health Mac brings to her life. It turns out that having more responsibility in her life has made Steph less stressed. In this episode, Steph and Beth explore that paradox.

Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e15

Listen in as Steph shares her story at a Celebrate Recovery meeting. Steph explains what brought her to use Non-Suicidal Self-Injury as a coping mechanism, how the trauma of being admitted to a mental hospital resulted in PTSD, and how her mustard-seed sized faith led to a transformation. When she discovered she was sexually abused as a child, she knew she didn’t want that to define her life or her identity. To be emotionally healthy, she needed the right tools. In this bonus show, she shares a little about how she built that tool box and what she puts in it.

We all have invisible scars. Sometimes we think that because no one can see them, we don’t need to deal with them. Other times, they remain invisible to us even as they impact our relationships, our sense of self-worth, and more. In this episode, Steph and Beth welcome special guest Lori K. who facilitated their first 12-step study. The three talk about the painful reality of invisible scars and how a recovery group can awareness and healing to those hurting places.

Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e14

What’s it like to have dyslexia? What’s it like to have dyslexia and then decide to write a book? Steph shares some about her experience, including the anxiety she already feels about being put on the spot to read her book in public. Dealing with dyslexia has taught Steph about perseverance and hard work—skills that serve her well today as an online content creator. They also discover that Beth worked at one of the places Steph’s mom would take her as a reward for her hard work. You’ll get a loofah update and a special voicemail from a friend sparks a side conversation about noise-cancelling headphones.

Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e13

Welcome to the Discovering Our Scars podcast, where we have honest conversations about things that make us different.

Hosted by Steph & Beth. Visit dospod.us for more episodes!