The Prodigal Sisters Podcast

We live in a world where criticism is everywhere. And we have easy access to it. 

Is it good to be critical? What makes it good or bad? It can be a hard pill to swallow when we’re being critiqued, but on the other hand, we can dish it out easily from behind a screen. In this week’s episode we go in deep to explore criticism.

• Brett and Sarah discuss whether or not they perceive themselves as critical, their comfort in giving criticism, whether current culture makes us feel more entitled to give critiques, what makes criticism constructive or deconstructive and the difference between criticism and judgement.
• They also chat a bit about what the Bible says about criticism and some tips for giving it and taking it kindly.
• They  talk about these tweets from the social media genius at Wendy’s.
• And Brene Brown shows up in this HuffPost article. 

• “I’m eating for three! I’m eating for Brett, her baby and me.” - Sarah
• “Why is it that we turn on people we care about the most?” -Brett
• “If you’re not growing, you’re slowing.” -Gordon Tubbs

Back at it again...

We know we took two breaks pretty close together, but it was for good reason. We made some plans! We’re releasing just a few more episodes before dear Brett has the cutest little boy (so soon!). We’ll be taking a bit of a break, so some of us (one of us…) can adjust to someone new and tiny. We’re also going to reset and think through what’s next for this on-air space. We’re excited! As for today's episode, it's time for our quarterly Casual Wednesday.

• We talk through what we’re liking, loving, trying, needing struggling and celebrating.
• Sarah raves about this quiche recipe.

• “I said that like such a white girl….salt and pepper.” -Brett
• “We’re like ice cream for your ears!” -Brett
• “I tried that countdown from 5 trick to prevent myself from eating a Reese’s egg. It doesn’t work.” -Christen Allocco, texting during recording.

Without the "ums, ahs" and everything in between? If there's one thing we've noticed that many of us (ourselves included!), instead of saying "thank you" and moving on, we qualify our choices. If someone likes our outfit we tell them how much it costs. If someone thinks our curly hair looks nice, we turn it around, or talk about how difficult it is to manage in the humidity.

We do this in the name of being humble. But where do you draw the line between humility and trash-talking yourself?

• We practice accepting compliments graciously.
• We discuss different types of compliments, and how some are easier to accept than others.
• Amy Schumer's skit on accepting compliments. (NSFW).
• A Real Simple campaign about how young women talk about their bodies.

• "If you say you like my dress, is it because you can see my boobs through it?" -Brett
• "How do you come across confident and not cocky?" -Sarah
• "If we respond negatively to a compliment about ourselves, that might be taking the pressure off." -Brett
• "Even when you say 'thank you,' that translates into 'I know.'" -Sarah
• "Speak life over yourself, girl!" -Brett

So, we took one. And we’re back for a fresh start, which is what we’re talking about this week! 

• We talk about why we are believers in fresh starts, where we struggle with them, why they help us form a new perspective, the benefits of them and more!
• We also chat about the “big” fresh starts like moving or starting a new job, role in life, etc. 
• And in typical PSP fashion, we walk down memory lane to discuss the greatness of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.
• We reference this podcast episode about the five-second rule.

• “It kind of smells like fresh fart.” -Brett
• “Being pregnant is like being hungover from a party you weren’t invited to.” -Brett
• “[Life] can get pretty boring if you’re not actively engaging in the world around you and I think having fresh starts opens your eyes to possibilities around you and opens up your creativity and expands things that you care about and helps you identify things in the world that need to be changed…” -Brett
• “I think it gives you ample space to reflect on how far you’ve come, too. It’s easy to get bogged down in the every day and forget what your accomplishments are or maybe how much progressive you have made…” -Sarah
• “I think sometimes you should still live in the past with your boy bands.” -Sarah
• “We think they’re going to fix our problems, when in fact, our problems follow us around.” -Brett

What is it about conflict that is so uncomfortable?

In our experience, it's not easy facing conflict, but things have always turned out better once it's addressed. It's a part of life, but why are we so conditioned to avoid it? We chat about the ins and outs of conflict, and we hope you'll weigh in on this one, too! At the very least to tell us who your favorite Disney princess is ;) (I promise you'll get it once you listen).

• We come to the conclusion that it would be super helpful to have a conflict translator like Obama's anger translator.
• We talk about the definition of conflict, how we handle it, why we tend to avoid it, what leads us to it, how technology has affected it and more. We wrap it up with some tips for dealing with conflict.
• One of our favorites from Dane Cook - Brain Ninja

• "Your body is a wonderland, don't forget." -Sarah
• "I do not like Aurora. She does nothing." -Brett
• "Conflict is a clash of perspective." -Sarah
• "When did we become such nerds? I woke up like this. Not flawless." -Brett
• "I was glaring at her. But me glaring is like a puppy trying to look mad at a flower. But I had feelings!" -Brett
• "Cellulite is my safety blanket." -Brett
• "I'm a last-word girl." -Sarah
• "Conflict is uncomfortable. And we're not taught to handle it as children." -Sarah
• "Jog around that ish. We're not running through it." -Sarah

What great questions. In fact, we wrestle with them as well. For this episode, we decided to continue a discussion that started in our small group book discussion (we're reading From Tablet to Table by Leonard Sweet, by the way). We get pretty deep, and we don't have all of the answers, but we hope you'll come along and it'll help you think about some things and inspire you to maybe start a discussion with some friends.

Ps. It's our 25th episode! Wow!

In this episode:

• We discuss whether or not we have a strong sense of purpose, when we’ve been set on plans and they didn’t work out, if we’ve let God and our faith guide us in our decisions, when we’ve interfered and more. We wrap up with a chat about how we can practice listening for God.
• Brett references this devotional.
• We reference two previous episodes, so we thought we’d include them here: Let’s Get Spiritually Healthy and We’re Past Patiently Waiting.

That’s what she said:

• “It’s ok, I’ve got lucky underwear on.” -Brett
• “Sallie Mae is just a name for the devil.” -Sarah
• “If we slow down enough, a little piece of you knows. I think it’s the Holy Spirit prompting us to lead our lives in a certain way.” -Brett
• “The simplest thing I could think of is that Jesus calls us to love…and we can start there at the very basic level. If there’s a way to incorporate that into our life, and if we’re able to do that, perhaps we’re on the right path.” -Sarah
• “Start the discussion. This whole podcast is about girlfriend therapy, grab some girlfriends and talk about purpose and encourage each other.” -Brett

Glass half-empty and glass half-full. As we go through life, some seasons are easier to stay positive than others. How do we look on the bright side and encourage the "negative Nancies" in our lives?

 In this episode:

• Revisiting (and clarifying) the fruits of the spirit.
• A pretty spot-on impression of Janice from Friends.
• Is optimism realistic for the real world?
• Is there such a thing as too much positivity?
• Are positive people better of than the "Debbie Downers?"
• Practical tips for remaining positive when the going gets tough.
• Follow this account for the hilarious and a more positive side of internet memes.

• "I just threw out my back from that reach." -Brett
• "It's healthier for me to be surrounded by more positive people because then that helps to push me in that direction." -Sarah
• "The Titanic was a great ship until it sank...." -Brett
• "There is a lightness to the heart and I think that some people are born more jovial than others. They don't see the glass half-empty." -Sarah

Exercising self-control is hard work. So is recording a podcast later than usual on a Tuesday night after a rough couple of days.

I know, those two statements don't have much to do with each other, but this week's episode will definitely bring them together. You'll understand once you listen. There are moments of clarity and wisdom about this fruit of the spirit, self-control. Then there are fits of giggles. It's a ride for sure, but we hope you tag along.

Also, another housekeeping item, something is up with the sound and we sound kind of echoey at times. We can't quite figure it out, so we are sorry about that!

In This Episode:

• It all starts with an afghan.
• We talk about the definition of self-control, when it’s particularly hard for us to exercise, when we might be good at it and what the difference is between self-control and self-discipline.
• A really famous song from the Breakfast Club completely derails us in the middle.
• We wrap it up with some advice for getting better.
• Here are some referenced articles:
  • Economist, TED presenter discusses methods of self-control
  • Teaching Kids Self-Control

That’s What She Said:

• “Do you want me to seriously answer the question?” -Brett “NoOoOo” - Sarah
• “It’s holding your tongue when you want to say something sassy to your partner, it’s taking charge of your own story, it’s not automatically blaming outside circumstances (apart from big traumatic life events that you can’t control) on the struggles that you have in your life…it’s living with a healthy sense of responsibility and focus throughout your day.” -Brett
• “I think we have to start thinking about self-control from a bottom-up approach like taking it from a more wholistic approach rather than trying to zone in on these different areas of our lives.” -Brett
• “I was literally the cookie monster.” -Sarah
• “We are all going to fall short. That’s the whole ‘we fall short of the Glory of God.’ If you believe that, then you know that you are not perfect all of the time, and so no area of your life is going to be under ‘control.’” -Brett
• “I’ve never done drugs.” -Sarah

Does friendship fit into #Adulting?
How do we make and keep friendships from college into adulthood? How do we get out there and meet people when we're in different life-stages and parts of the world?

The best friendships are made from a mix of trust and grace. This week, we chat about the friends who've meant the most to us, the friendships worth keeping and the ones we're at peace with letting go.

In this Episode:

• How Facebook/Instagram tricks us into thinking we're closer to people than we actually are.
• Can a friendship ending be as simple as a closing a chapter of life?
• When we change, do our friendships follow suit? 
• Are our adult friendships more meaningful now that we know we have to work a little harder for them?
• Are extroverts misunderstood? 
• Do introverts get an easy way out? 
• How Friendships Change in Adulthood, from the Atlantic.

That's what she said:

"Make millennials great again!" -Sarah
"For adulthood friendships, I have to make a conscious decision to responsibly neglect other obligations in my life." -Brett
"Friendship is work. It's like a marriage. Both parties have to commit to pouring into the relationship." -Sarah
"We reeled her in with the promise of free alcohol." -Brett
"All of this is based on experience, which is the most valuable form of knowledge." -Sarah

Big life events mean change, and that usually means lots of emotions. 

In this episode that starts with a nod to our 21st episode and birthday shenanigans (i.e. Brett discusses the Zac Efron cutout that made an appearance at her 21st - obviously you don’t want to miss this), we talk about some of our big moments in life and the feelings and anxieties that we experienced along with some advice for making the most of these moments moving forward. It’s a fun episode where we get pretty personal, so we hope you’ll join the conversation and let us know how you’re processing and planning for big life events, too!

In this episode:
 
We talk about how we felt during specific big life moments (so you’ll get a sneak peak into some of the sweetest, most stressful moments of our lives. Lucky you!)
We discuss the stress surrounding these moments, whether or not society has enhanced this stress, what actually matters during these moments and some tips for remaining present and grounded.

That’s what she said:

“You have to have some stress to get you going, or else you’ll just sit and watch New Girl forever.” -Sarah
“Ra ra ah ah ah…your face.” -Brett
“There’s no crying in therapy.” -Brett
“No, there is crying in therapy. There’s no crying in baseball.” -Sarah
“I think, with these big life events, that’s the thing - it’s not necessarily the life event itself, but it’s all of the change and feelings that come with these big changes.” -Brett
The access that we have and the habits that we have of posting the pretty moments from our lives, especially these big moments, it activates comparison for us. It doesn’t help.” -Sarah
“Everything is going to be ok on the other side.” -Brett (fair warning - this sparks a mini Hamilton sing-a-long)