Question Your Garden

You guys know who you are...You don't ask for help. You don't see a reason to ask for help. You may have even asked for help in the past and were left empty-handed. I hear you. I see you.  And while I don't have all the answers for you, with a little hive mind inquiry I think a likely culprit was discovered – obligation.

Feeling some stress about attending some upcoming family functions? You don't have to attend, just in case you needed to hear it from someone else. It's okay to take care of YOU above others, especially during the holidays and especially if your sanity depends on it. 

If you're sensitive to the topic of sexual abuse, you may want to skip this episode. This is for any other survivor out there so that they know that they aren't alone, and that they too, can share their story when they're damn good and ready to. I support you. I believe you. Visit questionyourgarden.blogspot.com for additional links. 

How many times have you chosen to silence yourself out of fear of judgement or even oppression? Did you know that sometimes, simply speaking up to the right audience can encourage someone else to take action? Someone else out there wants and needs to hear your words. Let's take a look at what it might be like to find our voice and shed the fears, at least enough to speak.

Man...is neutrality ever a comfortable place, or what? Riding the line of opinion, being able to just blend in and not be noticed for holding a strong opinion on something, one way or another. There's nothing defining in neutrality, yet so many of us are content to exist there. Sometimes...many times, it's okay to "not get along." We really should spend more time embracing our differences.

As Emily Nagoski notes in her book, "Come As You Are", "We've locked ourselves, culturally, into our own fear, rage, and despair." See, we learn, somehow someway at a young age to inhibit ourselves so we better fit in – so we can survive. In this episode, I explore some of the nefariousness that emotion stuffing has contributed to in my life. 

Your body remembers things, even if you don’t. Did you know that trauma can manifest itself through your body shaking, like an involuntary response? In this episode, I chat a bit about the book, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk and stress response cycles that could be impacting you in ways you're not even aware of! 

Here, I explain my perspective of the metaphorical garden (big thanks to Emily Nagoski!) and the overall goals for this podcast. Even though I'm exploring my own healing, I feel sharing my own struggles may help others. So, have a listen and stick around for more! I've got some meaty topics lined up and I'm excited about getting to them!