NO CHECKING OUT, PLEASE

THIS EPISODE IS DEDICATED TO SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH.

A REFLECTION ON THE SILENCE, ISOLATION, AND INTERNAL WEIGHT THAT CAN GO UNNOTICED. SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE SURROUNDED BY OTHERS AND STILL FEEL COMPLETELY ALONE. THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT NOT PRETENDING, LETTING THE TRUTH OUT, AND RECOGNIZING WHEN SOMEONE MAY NEED TO BE HEARD.

SOMETIMES, ALL IT TAKES IS ONE MOMENT OF CONNECTION TO INTERRUPT THE SILENCE.

NO CHECKING OUT. PLEASE.

AWARENESS BEHIND YOUR BACK

A LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEEING SOMETHING IN TIME AND ONLY SEEING IT AFTER THE FACT. SOMETIMES AWARENESS SAVES SO MUCH TIME. OTHER TIMES, YOU’RE LEFT THINKING, “DAMN, IF YOU HAD ONLY SAW IT.”

DON’T FORGET IT. BE AWARE.

OPEN TO——HONESTY

HONESTY ISN’T ALWAYS ABOUT SAYING EVERYTHING THE MOMENT YOU THINK IT. SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES ENOUGH SELF-AWARENESS TO KNOW WHEN TO SPEAK, WHEN TO HOLD SOMETHING, AND WHETHER WHAT YOU’RE SAYING IS ACTUALLY COMING FROM A PLACE YOU CAN STAND BEHIND.

THIS EPISODE EXPLORES THE SPACE BETWEEN BEING HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND BEING HONEST WITH OTHERS—AND HOW EASILY THE TWO CAN BECOME CONNECTED.

THERE’S ALSO THE PART PEOPLE DON’T ALWAYS TALK ABOUT: YOU CAN SAY WHAT’S TRUE AND STILL WALK AWAY FEELING WRONG ABOUT IT. NOT BECAUSE YOU WERE LYING, BUT BECAUSE HONESTY CAN STILL COME WITH WEIGHT.

SOMETIMES, ALL THAT’S LEFT IS TO SIT WITH IT.

SOMEDAYS HIGH, SOMEDAYS LOW

SOME DAYS, EVERYTHING MOVES NATURALLY. OTHER DAYS, THE FLOW CHANGES WITHOUT WARNING. WHAT ONCE CAME EASILY CAN BEGIN TO REQUIRE MORE, AND QUESTIONS THAT WERE ONCE QUIET CAN START DEMANDING YOUR ATTENTION.

THIS EPISODE SITS IN THE CONTRAST BETWEEN BEING HIGH AND BEING LOW—THE MOMENTUM, THE OVERTHINKING, THE QUESTIONS, THE PRESSURE, AND EVERYTHING WE ATTACH TO WHERE WE ARE.

THERE’S NO SOLUTION WAITING AT THE END OF THIS ONE. NO PERFECT WAY TO MOVE THROUGH IT. JUST AN HONEST LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CURRENT CHANGES AND YOU FIND YOURSELF SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT THAN YOU WERE BEFORE.

THE PHASE(S)

THE START. THE CENTER. THE NEVER-ENDING FINISH LINE.

EVERYTHING BEGINS SOMEWHERE. FROM ENTERING INTO SOMETHING NEW TO SPENDING TIME IN THE CENTER OF IT, EACH PART CARRIES ITS OWN EXPERIENCE. THE CENTER CAN BECOME A PLACE WHERE DISCIPLINE DEVELOPS AND PERSEVERANCE IS FOUND.

THROUGH EACH PHASE, SOMETHING CAN BE TAKEN FROM THE EXPERIENCE. AND EVENTUALLY, WHAT FEELS LIKE A FINISH LINE MAY NOT BE AS FINAL AS IT ONCE SEEMED. AFTER ONE CYCLE ENDS, ANOTHER MAY BEGIN.

THE PHASE(S) CAN APPLY TO ANYTHING.

THE START. THE CENTER. THE NEVER-ENDING FINISH LINE.

AND MAYBE… THE CYCLE REPEATS.

SEEN IT BEFORE, SAW IT AGAIN

A SETTING CAN FEEL SO FAMILIAR THAT IT MAKES YOU STOP AND WONDER IF YOU’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE.

IN THIS EPISODE, THE EXPERIENCE OF DÉJÀ VU TAKES CENTER STAGE THROUGH A MOMENT WHERE THE SURROUNDINGS FEEL STRANGELY KNOWN, EVEN WHEN YOU CAN’T QUITE PLACE WHY.

FROM THE INITIAL FEELING TO THE QUESTION, “DOES ANYONE ELSE FEEL THIS THE WAY I DO?”, THIS EPISODE MOVES THROUGH THE STRANGE SENSE OF FAMILIARITY THAT CAN APPEAR WITHOUT WARNING.

“SEEN IT BEFORE, SAW IT AGAIN” IS A BRIEF POCKET INTO THE FEELING OF BEING SOMEWHERE… AND FEELING LIKE YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN THERE.

ON-TRACK

SOMETIMES STAYING ON TRACK DOESN’T MEAN HAVING EVERYTHING FIGURED OUT.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE WHAT REMAINS TRUE WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE BREAKS DOWN, THE MEANING BEHIND ANOTHER DAY AND ANOTHER ATTEMPT, AND HOW EFFORT CAN LEAD TO OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE RECEIVED THROUGH THE WORK THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.

WE ALSO REFLECT ON KNOWING WHAT’S WITHIN YOU, RECOGNIZING WHEN IT’S TIME TO SLOW DOWN WITHOUT STOPPING, AND TAKING A MOMENT TO REINTRODUCE YOURSELF TO WHO YOU ARE NOW.

“ON TRACK” IS A REMINDER THAT SOME THINGS CAN REMAIN WITHIN YOU.

FIND - YOUR - BALANCE

BALANCE DOESN’T MEAN GIVING EVERYTHING THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, ENERGY, OR EFFORT. IT’S ABOUT KNOWING WHAT EACH AREA OF YOUR LIFE REQUIRES AND LEARNING HOW TO MAKE ROOM FOR IT.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT PLACES LIFE CAN HAVE YOU—SCHOOL, WORK, YOUR CRAFT, FAMILY, PERSONAL GOALS, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN SYSTEM, THEIR OWN RHYTHM, AND THEIR OWN WAY OF MAKING THINGS FIT.

SOMETIMES BALANCE MEANS ADJUSTING. SOMETIMES IT MEANS SHIFTING YOUR PRIORITIES. SOMETIMES IT SIMPLY MEANS GIVING ENOUGH TO EACH AREA WITHOUT ALLOWING ONE THING TO TAKE OVER EVERYTHING ELSE.

FIND YOUR BALANCE.

STILLNESS*

IT’S HARDER TO STAND STILL THAN TO KEEP EVERYTHING IN MOTION.

THIS EPISODE EXPLORES THE CONSTANT NEED TO KEEP THINGS MOVING, WHAT THAT PACE CAN COST, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN STILLNESS FINALLY BECOMES NECESSARY.

FROM THE THINGS THAT BUILD UP WHEN NOTHING EVER GETS A CHANCE TO SETTLE, TO THE MOMENTS THAT FORCE A PAUSE, STILLNESS BECOMES A QUESTION OF TIMING.

WHEN IS IT TIME TO KEEP GOING?

WHEN IS IT TIME TO STOP?

CAN A MOMENT OF STILLNESS REALLY MAKE YOU LOSE MOMENTUM?

SEASON FOR LOSS

SOME SEASONS FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING IS SLOWLY SLIPPING AWAY. THIS EPISODE REFLECTS ON WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO KEEP TRYING, KEEP GETTING BACK UP, AND STILL EXPERIENCE LOSS ALONG THE WAY.

WHEN CERTAIN AREAS OF LIFE BEGIN TO FEEL EMPTY, IT CAN BE EASY TO POUR MORE TIME, ENERGY, AND EFFORT INTO THEM, HOPING SOMETHING WILL FINALLY FLOW BACK OUT. BUT SOMETIMES, TRYING HARDER DOESN’T CHANGE THE OUTCOME.

THIS EPISODE SITS WITH THE FRUSTRATION, THE EXHAUSTION, THE EMPTY SPACES, AND THE UNCERTAINTY THAT CAN COME WITH LOSING THINGS YOU THOUGHT WOULD STAY.

IT ALSO LOOKS AT RESISTANCE, GROWTH, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER FOR WHAT COMES NEXT.

SOME THINGS DON’T NEED CLOSURE.

THEY JUST STOP.