The Quiet Power of Validation

Ever had someone say the exact right thing at the exact right moment which  caught you off guard because it really mattered? That's this week's crack in the ordinary.

This episode is for you if...

• you've ever needed to hear "that makes sense" more than you needed advice
• you're working on getting out of your head and into your body
• you want simple ways to make someone's day without it costing a thing
• you're curious how presence shows up in creative work

I'm reflecting on why validation feels so grounding, whether it's celebrating something good or acknowledging something hard, and how a small moment of being truly seen can fill you with wonder you didn't expect.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why validation feels so powerful, even when we don't want to admit we need it
• How presence and intention show up in creative work
• Getting out of your head and into your body
• Small, everyday ways to practice validation — for others and for yourself
• Why "holding space" matters more than we think

Validation doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's just noticing, and saying so.

Take a listen and let's get noticing together

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Noticing the Ordinary is produced by Michele Mateus.
If this episode caught you, subscribe so you never miss a beat!
 
Please Note: This podcast is about personal sharing, not professional advice. So if you're going through something please reach out to a professional who can really help. I've added some resources to my podcast homepage, so make sure to check those out.https://www.mateusstudios.com/podcast/
 

Lessons from a Peach Tree

I planted my first peach tree, watched three little peaches grow, and then came outside one day to find them completely eaten. Turns out the critters threw a whole picnic without me.

This episode is for you if...

• you've ever put in the work and had it not go the way you planned
• you're tired of being frustrated every time something goes wrong
• you could use a reminder that new growth is still possible, even when it's exhausting
• you're curious how a moment of "great, THIS happened" can turn into something closer to joy

What started as frustration somehow turned into joy, and that shift is exactly what this episode is about. It's not only about the lessons from nature, but about how we shift our thinking so we're not always walking around frustrated at the things that go wrong in life.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What happened to the peaches (and how I reacted at first)
• The moment frustration turned into something lighter
• Why "growth" doesn't always look the way we expect it to
• Shifting your thinking when things don't go to plan

Things don't always grow the way we plan. New growth is still possible — even when it's exhausting, even when it's hard.Let's get noticing together.

Share your love for this episode with me!

Noticing the Ordinary is produced by Michele Mateus.
If this episode caught you, subscribe so you never miss a beat!
 
Please Note: This podcast is about personal sharing, not professional advice. So if you're going through something please reach out to a professional who can really help. I've added some resources to my podcast homepage, so make sure to check those out.https://www.mateusstudios.com/podcast/
 

Noticing Morning Anxiety

Have you ever woken up with a buzz in your chest. No clear reason, sunny outside, decent sleep, but something just feels off? That was me this morning, and it's been happening a lot lately

This episode is for you if...

• you wake up some mornings with anxiety you can't quite explain
• you're someone who's been told "notice the feeling" a hundred times in therapy and are figuring out what that actually looks like
• you're curious about small embodiment practices that don't require a whole routine
• you want a reminder that pushing feelings away doesn't actually make them go away faster

This one's a quick morning note about waking up with that anxious buzz, and a small thing I did differently today: instead of fighting it or reaching for my phone, I put my hand on my chest and shifted my attention to the feeling of the fan moving air across my skin. I talk about my background in embodiment coaching, why staying with a feeling instead of pushing it away seems to help it move through faster, and the small, unexpectedly lovely moment I had after, watering the garden and watching the poppies bloom.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What that anxious "buzz" actually feels like, and why it showed up more in recent years
• A simple embodiment practice: shifting attention to physical sensation (like air on skin) instead of fighting the feeling
• Why noticing and staying with a feeling can help it dissipate faster than pushing it away
• Other ways people move through this feeling, humming, singing, stimming, rocking, hand massage
• Finding a small moment of joy (hello, poppies) right alongside the anxiety, not after it

Some mornings you don't get rid of the anxious buzz. You just learn to sit close enough to it that the poppies can bloom right alongside it.

Let's get noticing together.

Share your love for this episode with me!

Noticing the Ordinary is produced by Michele Mateus.
If this episode caught you, subscribe so you never miss a beat!
 
Please Note: This podcast is about personal sharing, not professional advice. So if you're going through something please reach out to a professional who can really help. I've added some resources to my podcast homepage, so make sure to check those out.https://www.mateusstudios.com/podcast/
 

Welcome to Noticing the Ordinary

It's June 22nd. In four days it'll be 20 years since I lost my mom to breast cancer, she was 49. I'm 49 now. And this week, I found a lump in my left breast. The timing is eerie, and I'm trying not to panic. This is the moment this podcast was born out of.

This episode is for you if...

• you want to know what this whole podcast is actually about before diving in
• you're autistic, ADHD, or just someone who notices things other people walk right past
• you're carrying grief, heavy timing, or complicated family stuff and want company, not toxic positivity
• you like the idea of small moments: glimmers, wonder (whatever you call them) being enough, without needing to go "look" for them

This is the origin story episode, why I'm starting this podcast, what it's really about, and why it's not about giving you homework or another thing to do. I talk about the last few years being genuinely hard, about parenting a child with high support needs and the grief that comes with a life that looks different than I imagined, and about a daddy long legs in my kitchen that stopped me in my tracks. 

This podcast is about noticing what's already there. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why I'm launching this podcast now, and the 20-year anniversary that shaped the timing
• What "noticing the ordinary" actually means, and what this podcast isn't (spoiler: it's not toxic positivity)
• Being autistic and ADHD, and noticing things other people miss
• Parenting a child with high support needs, and the grief that comes with an unexpected path
• The daddy long legs story, and why I didn't pick it up and throw it outside

Let's get noticing together.

Share your love for this episode with me!

Noticing the Ordinary is produced by Award Winning Vancouver photographer Michele Mateus. If this episode caught you, subscribe so you never miss a beat!

Please Note: This podcast is about personal sharing, not professional advice. So if you're going through something please reach out to a professional who can really help. I've added some resources to my podcast homepage, so make sure to check those out. https://www.mateusstudios.com/podcast/

Share your love for this episode with me!

Noticing the Ordinary is produced by Michele Mateus.
If this episode caught you, subscribe so you never miss a beat!
 
Please Note: This podcast is about personal sharing, not professional advice. So if you're going through something please reach out to a professional who can really help. I've added some resources to my podcast homepage, so make sure to check those out.https://www.mateusstudios.com/podcast/