Episode 10: My Mother Invented the Plastic Kite

My mother used to say, "I'm not an inventor."

Which was interesting, because I'm pretty sure she invented the plastic kite.

Or at least she had the idea.

In this episode, I revisit three stories from my childhood: a kite, a fireplace, and a trip to the beach, and what they revealed about permission, self-concept, and the gap between having an idea and acting on it.

My mother was one of the strongest women I've ever known. Widowed young, she bought a home, raised two children, and built a life at a time when women weren't always expected to do those things on their own. Yet she often seemed unable to see herself the way I saw her.

For years, I thought I had outgrown her fears.

I learned to build fires.

I learned to drive.

I built a career.

I checked all the boxes.

But eventually I realized I hadn't outgrown her fears at all.

I had simply traded them for my own.

This episode is about the stories we tell ourselves about who we are allowed to be and the permission we spend years waiting for that only we can give ourselves.

In This Episode

• The story behind "My Mother Invented the Plastic Kite."
• Why having an idea and acting on it are two very different things
• The surprising lessons hidden in a fireplace and a family road trip
• The gap between capability and self-concept
• Why I delayed starting this podcast for more than a decade
• How inherited beliefs can show up in new forms
• The permission we keep waiting for

Memorable Quote"I thought I had outgrown my mother's fears. The truth is, I had only conquered the ones I could see."

If this episode resonated with you, please follow, rate, review, or share it with someone who might need the reminder.

Sometimes the distance between the life we imagine and the life we live isn't talent, intelligence, or opportunity.

Sometimes it's permission.