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At some point, we’ve all encountered the messaging that it pays to be a “Yes!” person. Whether from our parents, the endless barrage of self-help materials, or the 2008 titular classic starring Jim Carrey, the wisdom is always the same: say yes to life, push past your comfort zone, abandon your boundaries, put others first, take risks! And while there’s certainly value in these principles for some people and situations, there’s also the real risk of self-abandonment and burnout when we overcommit and forget to honor our own needs—when we forget how to say “No.”

In this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John say no to the popular philosophy of perpetual affirmatives and try to discern what a healthy balance looks like: between saying yes to life’s opportunities and others’ requests, and saying no to ignoring one’s own needs for rest, nourishment, and healthy boundaries. 

-How do we overcome the tendency to overcommit in ways that lead to exhaustion and burnout? Are there benefits to saying yes to everything?

-In what ways do FOMO, scarcity mindset, and black-and-white thinking fuel this pattern? Can reframing an outward “no” into a “yes, to myself” make it easier to set boundaries?

-Does the mere mention of having needs and saying no to others on a recorded podcast fill John with extra anxiety?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers (well, except that last one—the answer is yes, absolutely yes); it’s just the ongoing negotiation of two negative Nellies. However, if you find yourself a stranger to your own needs, stretched in every direction by your inability to trust that “no” is okay, this podcast is for you.

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us Fan Mail

In all of our incessant thoughts of “not good enough,”  “not successful enough,” “not far enough along” how often do we stop and actually consider what exactly we are measuring our supposed insufficiencies against? There must be some basis for comparison. Maybe it’s the mythologized overnight success stories that Hollywood crafts around our heroes or maybe it’s just a generalized societal expectation for how—and at what rate—a worthwhile life ought to unfold, but the point is, they are seldom helpful and even less frequently true.

In this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John work to tear down these faulty monuments we both simultaneously worship and cower in the shadows of—all in the hope of right-sizing expectations and taking our true measure against the one and only figure we can: ourselves, and in so doing, we come to realize that we are always, automatically, outgrowing who we were yesterday. 

-Why is it unhealthy to compare our own output and rate of growth with our heroes—those who often come from different eras and who have undoubtedly had their own creative struggles downplayed by mythologized retellings?

-How can shifting our focus to consistent action and merely cultivating the belief in life’s possibilities help to relieve the misery that comes from constant comparison?

-With the discussion of physical activity being a useful counterbalance to an overactive mind—and, you know, millennia of proof for the benefits of exercise—will John ever actually go to the gym?

As always this podcast doesn’t offer any definitive answers to these questions (well except maybe that last one. Answer: ha, unlikely); it is but the reassuring rambling. However, if you find yourself robbing yourself of feeling joy and accomplishment in your creativity because you’re too busy watching others (seemingly) pass you by, this podcast is for you.

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us Fan Mail

Webster’s Dictionary defines burnout as—just kidding, this isn’t a middle school book report (it’s worse). The point is, you probably don’t need burnout defined for you because, let’s face it, if you’re listening to this podcast—and reading its description—you know exactly what it feels like. It can be just brutal to find yourself desperately in pursuit of your longing only to get lost in an endless desert of depleted energy and willpower.

In this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John attempt to throw some water on the feeling that burnout is permanent by breaking down what factors seem to lead to it; what methods can be employed to help lessen it; and in what ways art, specifically, lends itself to these heinous droughts of exhaustion and hopelessness. 

-In what ways do our expectations and sense of urgency contribute to our burnout? Are they its source?

-Can we help mitigate and heal our burnout by taking on new hobbies and working to be more self forgiving when we engage in them?

-Do all the inanimate captives of Brett and John’s model train village who are forced to listen to this podcast count as legitimate listeners?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (well, other than that last one—Answer: Just no, guys. Just no.). It is but the bumbling of the bored. However, if you find yourself bereft of inspiration, exhausted from the pursuit, and just all around too burned out to do anything but watch your dreams seemingly float further and further into the distance, this podcast is for you. 

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us Fan Mail

You know the type. Sometimes when we find ourselves hurling sheepishly through our own galaxy wondering if there’s any other life out there, and, if there is, whether they’ll find any priceless minerals beneath our stony exterior—yep, really going for it with the comet metaphor. However, sometimes we might find our celestial path caught in the gravitational pull of a proud and boisterous (gaseous?) giant and spend our days stuck in its orbit. Okay, that’s enough. 

On this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John discuss those extreme personalities we encounter which can sometimes eclipse (okay, but for real though) our own worth, our own needs, and our own visions for our life. The idea isn’t necessarily to demonize high ego individuals, but rather to discern what a healthy relationship can look like which celebrates the confidently well endowed among us while also protecting and celebrating those of us who are more modestly endowed. It is after all, not the size of the boat, but the… okay, actually you know what, let’s go back to the space metaphors. 

-How can one discern whether they’re caught in the orbit of someone whose ego is overpowering their ability to take good care of themselves?

-What does a healthy confidence level look like? How much of our tendency towards handing our power over to those more outwardly confident than us is our responsibility to change? 

-Do Brett and John realize the paradox between the inherent ego required to host an opinion based discussion podcast and what has to be a painfully humbling reality of having their names on this?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions; (well except maybe that last one. Answer: yes, obviously, we just try to balance it out with space metaphors and putting our names on amateur music as well!) it is but the mumbles of humbles—thanks, pretty proud of that one. However, if you find yourself endlessly losing your own star’s shine while getting sucked into the black hole of big egos, this podcast is for you… okay, metaphors over. 

Come, overthink with us! 

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us Fan Mail

Though it’s safe to say that, if you’re listening to this podcast, you’re day isn’t going perfectly, are you the type that’s bothered by that sort of thing? How often do you find yourself chained by the exhausting anxiety of perfectionism? Do you find your joy spoiled and your peace sapped when your endeavors inevitably don’t go precisely as your mind says they should? Join the club—we’re still working the kinks out and, you know, it’s probably not the most well organized club you’ve ever been in, but like, in our heads it looked a lot cooler…

On this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John try to flawlessly depict that subtle, relentless urge to do everything “right”—be it creating universally beloved art, being liked by literally everyone, or trying to make your voice sound even one iota less embarrassing on a microphone while discussing the potential benefits of perfectionism. 

-What preconceived notions do we have about perfectionism, and how does considering its five types help us to avoid the heinous cycle of using our own tendency towards perfectionism as more evidence of our imperfection?

-Does the process of healing from our perfectionism mean trying to pretend it isn’t there, settling, or growing out of it--is that even possible? Or are there ways we can view it as an innate quality that can be used to our advantage as opposed to our destruction?

-Given that these descriptions are usually not proofread, does the author (whose name rhymes with Don Jennis) ever worry that he’ll be deemed a moron if anyone actually reads them? 

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (except that last one: Yes, but he’s super confident that the actual audio of each episode will make you think otherwise… lmao) it is but the flawed flailing of two overly self-conscious friends. However, if you find yourself constantly grading all of your interactions, successes, and situations against an impossible rubric of idealized reality, this podcast is for you.

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us Fan Mail

It’s an age old artistic question: does the aim of being professionally creative destroy or empower the impetus for actual creation? Whereas one’s mind may go to the adage of “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” anyone who has assigned an occupational dimension to artistry has almost certainly wound up, now and again, wondering if they even love what they’re doing anymore—what with the sheer amount of thankless labor and eroding expectations that inevitably freckle that path. Even more embarrassingly, they could end up starting an amateur podcast about that very dynamic…

In this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John attempt to get to the bottom of whether the professional aspiration actually helps to inspire the very creative expression it seeks to market, or whether adding a business component is a crippling obstacle that leads to artistic stagnancy. 

-Does the goal of making art your job—and the implication that doing so means sharing and pleasing an audience—actually propel the artist forward, or does it sap the blissful freedom that inspired you to create in the first place?

-Are the creative mindset and the business mindset mutually exclusive, or is there a healthy balance that can be struck which utilizes the best facets of both frameworks to be the most authentic and productive artist one can be? 

-Do Brett and John honestly think that making this podcast is an outgrowth of… lmao… professionalism?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (well, except that last one: hahaha no, we’re laughing right along with you—and by “you” we mean Brett’s mom). It is but the aimless ambling of amateurs. However, if you find yourself worn out and wandering through the minefield of dreaming of an artistic vocation and gradually wondering whether you even love it enough to keep on, this podcast is for you. 

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us Fan Mail

We know what we want. We know when we want it. We think, at least. Every time we actually get serious about our dreams we find ourselves resisting every step towards actually fulfilling them. What gives? What is it about actually starting to see the success we have long craved coming to fruition that inspires us to self-sabotage? 

In this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John try to get to the bottom of the brutal tendency to get in our own way and guard the doors of our own dreams. We look at the many subtle habits so many of us have developed to prevent ourselves from actually following the path we know we want to walk both when the going gets tough and (infuriatingly) when the going gets easier. 

-What does self-sabotage look like? Do we always know when we're doing it, and is it something that can eventually be managed through enough awareness and perseverance?

-Is it accurate that humans are wired for comfort over happiness--even when that comfort/safety comes in the form of confining ourselves to relationships, routines, and lives that not only don't fulfill us but often make us miserable?

-Could it be said that spending time on an amateur podcast was, itself, a form of self-sabotage on the part of Brett and John who each have musical aspirations (allegedly)?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (well, except maybe that last one. Answer: probably, but it's at least a more entertaining form of sabotage than all of the other distraction we'd inevitably be using to not make music), it is but quibbling in the quicksand. However, if you find yourself constantly telling yourself that you know what steps to take towards a better life, but instead find yourself just pacing the unfulfilling circular pattern you know, this podcast is for you!

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us Fan Mail

In the early innings of yet another new year, compelled to take on fresh resolutions and (likely short-lived) self-improvement projects, it can be difficult not to get overwhelmed by the incessant pressure to always be working on oneself. Of course, it is both noble and worthwhile to be willing to grow and heal, but is it possible to go overboard? Is there such a thing as unhealthy self-care?

In Season 2 episode 3 of Nah-cademics, Brett and John reconvene to discuss the, sometimes neurotic, tendency to  constantly be looking for areas of improvement and consuming self-help materials—be it literature, motivational speakers, or binging those online inspirational quotes in typewriter font printed over a bust of Marcus Aurelius or Mt. Everest… you know the ones.

-In an era of much needed destigmatization of and emphasis on self-reflection, mental health, and trauma exploration, is it possible to overidentify with one’s brokenness and perceived need to be “fixed?” 

-How can one approach self-improvement in a healthy and compassionate manner, rather than simply approaching personal recovery with the same tendencies toward self-abandonment, imbalance, and overextension? 

-Is the term self-hell the most clever and artistically significant contribution Brett and John will collectively make to the world?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (well, except maybe that last one. Answer: all signs point to yes, and Brett came up with it, so not looking good for the J man); it is but the blathering of the “broken.” However, if you find yourself burnt out trying to cure your perfectionism with more perfectionism, this podcast is for you.

Come, overthink with us! 

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us Fan Mail

We all have moments in our lives that we look back on and cringe. Maybe it’s a legitimate regret at an opportunity we wish our previous self had taken or a situation we could have handled differently. Maybe it’s something as truly heinous as telling the cashier at the movie theater “you too” when they tell you to enjoy your movie (who even does that!?!), but how useful is it to get angry about it now? 

In this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John dive headfirst into the “deep” end (they tell themselves) of this tendency towards replaying past missteps and drowning in the could have beens. 

-Is there any value in weighing the past events of our lives against our current context and getting angry when they inevitably don’t balance out? Can one legitimately find peace in seeing those past mistakes as an essential part of a better present?

-What does a healthy relationship with the past look like? Where can the middle road between totally dissociating from the shames of our past and the emotionally charged constant perpetuation of that shame be found? 

-If Brett and John hadn’t made all the so-called mistakes they now overthink, would they have ended up feeling the need to make an amateur podcast? Will they look back on this and cringe? 

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (except maybe that last one. Answer: unfortunately for you, we’ll never know, but yea *cringe*), it is but a rambling reminiscence. However, if you find yourself tossed about by the waves of wishing things had gone differently, we hope you find a buoy here—or at least a couple more people to flounder in the pool with. 

Come, overthink with us! 

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions