So a friend told me something that stopped me mid-sentence the anxiety of walking into a room isn't about not knowing what to say, it's about who you're focused on. And the second he said it, I realized I do the exact same thing, bathroom-hiding included. This one's about the shift that's changed how both of us walk into rooms now. It's not about confidence.

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I write about this exact stuff, curiosity, connection, and the parts of life that don't make the highlight reel, every week on my newsletter, The Harty Life. If this episode felt like your kind of thing, that's basically the whole vibe over there too: thehartylife.substack.com

Instagram: @livingthehartylife

You checked every box, job, relationship, routine, so why does it still feel like something's off? In this episode I break down the two shifts that actually moved the needle for me: becoming my own best friend, and romanticizing the boring parts of your day. No life overhaul required, no five-year plan.

Quick heads-up: some salty language in this one.

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Instagram: @livingthehartylife

Newsletter: thehartylife.substack.com

Trigger Warning: this episode discusses sexual assault, personal safety, and traumatic experiences.

I've been followed more than once in my life, enough times that it's shaped how I move through the world. In this episode I'm sharing those specific experiences, along with a personal safety workshop I sat through at 15 that I still think about, and the four stress responses, fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, and why knowing your own default reaction matters more than most people realize.

This is a heavier episode than usual. It's honest and personal, and it's not really here for entertainment, it's for anyone who's ever wondered how they'd actually respond in a dangerous moment, and wants to understand themselves a little better before they're ever in one.

Quick heads-up: some salty language in this one.

Instagram: @livingthehartylife

Newsletter: thehartylife.substack.com

A guy asked me out, and before I said yes, I told him there was one thing I needed him to do first. He tried. He left. That's just one of the meet-cutes in this episode, the strange, unplanned ways I've ended up meeting people who mattered, in work, friendship, and dating, and why I've learned to lean into the weird ones instead of playing it safe.

Quick heads-up: some salty language in this one.

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Instagram: @livingthehartylife

Newsletter: thehartylife.substack.com

I went to a strip club, multiple times, actually, and lived to tell the whole chaotic story: the beaded curtains I wasn't remotely prepared for, the lap dance I spent the entire time trying to have appropriate feelings about, and yes, somehow also getting scammed out of cash in the middle of all of it.

This one's pure chaos and comedy, no real lesson required, though I did learn a few things anyway.

Quick heads-up: some salty language in this one.

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Instagram: @livingthehartylife

Newsletter: thehartylife.substack.com

I used to think accepting the worst parts of myself meant just... tolerating them. Gritting my teeth through it. It doesn't work that way. This episode is about the actual turning point for me, a chaotic situationship that brought me to a real low point, and the technique I found for actually feeling an emotion instead of arguing with it or trying to think my way past it. That's what accepting yourself turned out to mean: not fixing the ugly parts, just finally letting them exist without a fight.

This one's for anyone who's been in a situation that forced them to look at the parts of themselves they'd rather not.

Quick heads-up: some salty language in this one.

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Instagram: @livingthehartylife

Newsletter: thehartylife.substack.com

I got scammed twice in my first year of living in London, once on my very first film job, and once when I moved into my second place. Two completely different situations, two completely different kinds of red flags I didn't see until it was too late. In this episode I'm telling both stories in full.

If you want to avoid making the same mistakes, or just want to laugh at my expense, this one's for you.

Quick heads-up: some salty language in this one.

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Instagram: @livingthehartylife

Newsletter: thehartylife.substack.com

A few years ago, I spent a weekend in Greece staying with a group of people in their 30s, friends of a friend, people I'd only just met, and somehow walked away with ten pieces of advice I still think about. This episode is me sharing all ten, and being honest about which ones hit closest to home for whatever I was going through at the time.

If you've ever needed the reminder that nobody actually has it figured out, even people a decade ahead of you, this one's for you.

Quick note: I was recovering from a cold when I recorded this, so my voice sounds a little different. I'm fine.

Salty language warning: as always, I keep it real.

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Instagram: @livingthehartylife

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This one's raw and unscripted, I'm talking through three limiting beliefs that have genuinely held me back, on a day that wasn't a particularly easy one to record on. No polished takeaways, no neat structure. Just me thinking out loud about the patterns I keep running into and the small things I've tried to break free of them.

Quick heads-up: you'll notice some mic noise in this one, I'm working on improving the sound quality and am on the lookout for microphone sponsorships.

Heads up: salty language ahead!

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Instagram: @livingthehartylife

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I need to get something off my chest: I keep saying yes when I mean no, and I know I'm not the only one. This is me ranting about people-pleasing, the giving until you're running on empty, the boundaries that feel impossible to actually hold, the exhaustion of showing up for everyone except yourself. No neat conclusion, no five-step plan. Just the thoughts, mid-spiral, the way I'd actually say them to a friend.

Heads up: salty language ahead!

Love awkward stories and real talk? Subscribe for weekly episodes that keep it raw, relatable, and ridiculously entertaining.

Instagram: @livingthehartylife

Newsletter: thehartylife.substack.com