We Can Do Hard Things

1. The Mother of Codependence shares the difference between healthy and unhealthy helping. 

2. The daily practice that helps Melody stop controlling others and “Let Life Happen.”

3. Why no one is able to gaslight you more than you. 

4. The one area of life where Codependence is necessary.

5. All four of us surrender to the truth that we will never be Codependent No More.

About Melody:

A pioneering voice in self-help literature, Melody Beattie is the author of many bestselling books, including Codependent No More – a #1 New York Times bestseller, which has sold over 7 million copies – as well as The Language of Letting Go, Playing It by Heart, The Grief Club, and Beyond Codependency. An updated edition of the bestselling, modern classic, Codependent No More, is available now. Melody lives in Southern California.

TW: @MelodyBeattie

IG: @authormelodybeattie

390. Manifestation: Is it Real or BS? 

Today we have a treat for you. Abby’s excited, Glennon is nervous and Amanda’s skeptical because we are finally talking about…MANIFESTATION. What is it, is it BS, or could magic actually be real? We also discuss the deeper stories that the current interest in manifestation tells us about the culture and world we live in. 

-Is manifestation real and empowering or is it just another way to feel bad about ourselves? 

-If there’s a connection between neuroscience and manifestation

-Whether some of the disdain for or mistrust of manifestation *could* be rooted in sexism

-What individual manifestation misses and how we can use it for collective good

Glennon and Abby welcome their dear friend Cameron Esposito to discuss:

1. Cameron’s brutiful relationship with her body–and how it feels playing a sexy TV role.

2. The way Cameron grew up using humor as self-defense and to become socially “valuable”–and the moment she wondered if comedy was no longer working for her. 

3. Why Cameron says she’s able to cry for the first time in 35 years. 

4. How as a gender-nonconforming queer kid, Cameron felt “overnoticed”–and how being a comedian allows her to “hide in plain sight."

5. The rule Cameron and Glennon made to help them become better at friendship.

CW: eating disorders

About Cameron:

Cameron Esposito is a queer, gender non-conforming standup comic, actor, writer and host.

As a standup, Cameron has headlined tours and festivals nationwide and internationally. As an actor and host, Cameron has been seen across television and film, appearing in big budget films and beloved Sundance indies, and on Netflix, HBO, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, Starz, Comedy Central, Logo, TBS, IFC, E! and Cartoon Network. Cameron's podcast, Queery, features hour long conversations with some of the brightest luminaries in the LGBTQ+ community, including Emmy and Grammy winning performers, Olympians, politicians, even an astronaut. Cameron's writing has been published by The New York Times, Vulture/New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, Bon Appetit, Refinery29 and more. Cameron's first book, Save Yourself, was an instant bestseller and is available in paperback March of 2022. Next up, Cameron is set to recur on the ABC series A Million Little Things and appear in HBOMax's Moonshot. Cameron lives in Los Angeles and likes to swim.

TW: @cameronesposito

IG: @cameronesposito

389. One Change to Go From Being Time Poor to Time Rich with Cassie Holmes

Chaired professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and best selling author, Cassie Holmes, discusses how much time is enough. She also shares how free time is linked to happiness – and the importance of defining your values to figure out how to spend your time. 

-The surprising statistic about how much time we spend distracted

-The surefire way to finally feel successful in life 

-How much free time you actually need to be happy

-An exercise you can do to help you avoid deathbed regret 

Cassie Holmes is a chaired professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, an award-winning teacher and researcher on time and happiness, and bestselling author of Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most. The course that she developed and now teaches, Applying the Science of Happiness to Life Design, is among UCLA’s most popular courses for graduate business students and executives.

Elon’s Email Power Grab, What to Do & Why to Have Joy: Calm News with Jessica Yellin 

Award-winning journalist, Jessica Yellin, breaks down the latest news unfolding in the US and world. Today, Amanda and Jessica discuss Elon Musk’s unprecedented power grab—and what it means for democracy, national security, and your everyday life, as well as Germany’s recent elections, the relationship between the US, Ukraine, and Russia, and a little good news about a recent medical discovery to restore our faith in humanity.

-The new demand from Musk that panicked federal employees—and why some consider it a national security crisis

-What members of Congress are (and aren’t) doing to stop DOGE

-Two urgent actions you can take today to hold government officials accountable 

-Why joy is a powerful tool of resistance and how to find some today 

On Jessica: Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a pioneering, Webby award-winning independent news brand. Over 1M+ subscribers and followers across Instagram and other digital media rely on Jessica and News Not Noise to understand what matters, which experts to trust, and to manage their “information overload.” She is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and an Emmy and Gracie Award-winning political correspondent for ABC, MSNBC, and CNN. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @JessicaYellin. You can also find the News Not Noise Newsletter on Substack.

388. LIVE from Mexico with Brandi and Catherine Carlile 

A big treat for you! In our first-ever live podcast recording from the Girls Just Wanna Weekend, Glennon and Abby welcome very special guests, Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile, to talk about courage, community, and how to approach all of life’s hard things. Plus, a special live performance of the We Can Do Hard Things theme song!

-How Brandi and Catherine think about building and joining communities 

-What the Girls Just Wanna Weekend is and why it’s so special

-Glennon, Abby, Brandi, and Catherine’s advice on self-forgiveness and growth

1. Why Hannah describes her later-in-life Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis as “an exfoliation of shame.”

2. How neurodiversity affects Hannah’s relationships–and how she connects to the world through what’s “interesting” instead of what’s “important.”

3. Hannah’s revolutionary commitment to stop using self-deprecating humor about her body, sexuality, and gender–and why we might all consider the same commitment.

4. Why it’s easier for Hannah to share her personal stories “in bulk” on stage instead of one-on-one.

5. What it takes for Hannah to prepare for conversations–like ours on We Can Do Hard Things.

About Hannah:

Tasmania’s own Hannah Gadsby stopped stand-up comedy in its tracks with her multi-award-winning show, Nanette. When it premiered on Netflix in 2018, it left audiences captivated by her blistering honesty and her singular ability to take them from rolling laughter to devastated silence. Its release and subsequent Emmy and Peabody wins took Nanette (and Hannah) to the world. Hannah’s difficult second album (which was also her eleventh solo show) was named Douglas after her dog. Hannah walked Douglas around the world, selling out the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Opera House in Sydney and the Kennedy Center in DC, a sit-down run in New York and shows across the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Douglas covered Hannah’s autism diagnosis, moving beyond the trauma at the centre of Nanette and instead letting the world see the view from Hannah’s brain – one that sees the world differently but with breathtaking clarity. The show was an Emmy-nominated smash hit and is available throughout the world on Netflix, recorded in Los Angeles. 

Hannah Gadsby’s “overnight” success was more than ten years in the making, with her award-winning stand-up shows having been a fixture in festivals across Australia and the UK since 2009. She played a character called “Hannah” on the TV series Please Like Me and has hosted multiple art documentaries, inspired by her comedy art lectures. In 2022, Hannah’s first book Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation was published by Ballantine, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in the United States, Atlantic in the UK, and Allen & Unwin in Australia.

Hannah has done plenty of other things over the course of more than a decade in comedy, but that will do for now.

IG: hannah_gadsby

TW: HannahGadsby

387. Find Your “Tingle” & Live Wild with Justina Blakeney 

Multidisciplinary artist and designer – Justina Blakeney – joins Glennon, Abby, and Amanda to discuss living close to one's true self and Justina’s insights on self-expression and creativity. 

Discover: 

-How to know whether you’re having a spiritual awakening or a midlife crisis

-The beauty of being an outsider

-What to do when you get to the goal and say, “Now what?”

-How to balance creativity and discipline

More on Justina: Justina Blakeney is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and New York Times Bestselling Author. She is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the home décor brand, Jungalow® and the author of several design books including Jungalow; Decorate Wild! and The New Bohemians book series. Justina lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jason, their kiddo, Ida, her kitties, Juju and Nova, and 52 houseplants.

What is Elon Musk Doing to America Today & What Can You Do About It? Calm News with Jessica Yellin

Award-winning journalist, Jessica Yellien, is back to walk us through what's going on right now in our country, and call our attention to very serious developments. We also discuss two things you can do to protect democracy and one thing you can do to protect yourself.

-The three main theories on why DOGE and Elon Musk are ruthlessly breaking down our government organizations 

-The reason why all the people on the left (from moderates to the most liberal) must come together right now

-Two actionable ways to protect our country and the one way to protect yourself financially today

-The government officials who are standing up for Democracy and how to best support them

On Jessica: Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a pioneering Webby award-winning independent news brand. Over 1M+ subscribers and followers across Instagram and other digital media rely on Jessica and News Not Noise to understand what matters, which experts to trust, and to manage their “information overload.” She is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and an Emmy and Gracie Award-winning political correspondent for ABC, MSNBC and CNN. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @JessicaYellin. You can also find the News Not Noise Newsletter on Substack.

386. How to Talk to Kids About Hard Things: Sonya Renee Taylor 

Sonya Renee Taylor returns to help us talk to kids about hard things like climate change, racial injustice, and sex.

-The three rules to keep in mind when talking to kids about sex or any complex topic

-Why sharing reality with your kids protects their self-esteem long-term

-How to buy yourself some time when your kid asks you a tough question 

-The best way to become a reliable narrator and guide for your child 

Sonya Renee Taylor is one of many hands currently called to midwife the new world. She is a guide, poet, storyteller, vision holder, intuitive astrologer, and evangelist of radical love. She is the author of seven books including the New York Times bestseller The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love and her most recent offering for young readers The Book of Radical Answers.