Your Fellow Human

Do you think we lose our innocence? 

Today I want to introduce you to Tyla, one of the humans life just causally dropped into my life as if to say, “you two were supposed to find each other” 

Tyla is exactly what comes to mind when I think of a woman who will dance when there is music, pour her whole self into whatever she does, and be the one to listen when y oh are in front of her 

We chat about how memories are valuable both in the remembering and in the being made, how social media gets to me a place we watch them back, and how childlike wonder is something we should never let go of 

She shares how times in life have led her to not only trust the choices she makes, but also to remember that she is one person living one life, and to have grace for our younger selves, to not greet we did the best we could 

Tyla is someone that will remind you what it is to hold a strength that doesn’t steal your glow, to hold onto the light and joy we get to pursue, and to not forget or negate what we or another might have or be going through 

So tune in and meet Tyla, a human that will share how life brings us our people when we are our whole selves and to take every chance you get to know fully just who you are 

And to you Tyla thank you, thank you for being the girl who will dance with me, make a friend in a bathroom, understand the depth and pain that life can bring, and refuse to let it win over the absolute beauty that this life gets to be. You are a gem and a treasure my sweet friend 

Have you ever felt like it was too late for you? Like you waited too long, or worse, like what you want would have required you simply been dealt a different hand in life?

Does it bother you if you can’t rely on your plans?

Today I want to introduce you to Violet, a human who values what it means to be kind, honest, and pursue freedom regardless of the way she gets to control or choose its limitations. I got to meet violet here in Turkey, but it is a place that was meant to be temporary for her, yet one she has grown up in.

We chat about life in search of freedom, of dreams that we can feel we are meant to let go of, and how when they are meant for us they find us again. she shares about growing up as an immigrant, about the times she used to plan how she might live as a teen, and how that changed and she has found gratitude in what life has become.

She shares why finding one win per day is all we need to keep growing, how joy can at times feel like something we should put aside, and how we get to make the most of what life is and how gratitude increases the joy we have.

We chat about how a timeline is our own, how we aren’t behind but pursuing the life set for us, how learning can combat fear, and how we are always in control of how we choose to see things, how we choose to understand something, and how we have empathy for others around us.

Violet is one that will smile and say hello with a spark that reminds you getting to meet someone is a gift, she is someone who will remind you that your dreams should be chased, that people should be treated with kindness, and that knowledge really is powerful

So tune in today and meet Violet, a human that will remind you to be human, to love yourself, but never lose sight of loving others, and to hold on to what you have near you that feels like home 

And to you Violet thank you, thank you for letting me ask you questions, for being so warm when I met you, for making the time and being so real in allowing me to learn more about your story and who you are. You are such sweet soul and one that I am honored to know. I can’t wait to see what you continue to create in this world 

Did you settle in life or are you living the way you will look back on with peace?

Today I want to introduce you to Haley, I just met this sweet girl and I will never stop being grateful for how friends bring new friends into my life. Haley is one that quickly gives off an ease and sincerity, one that demonstrates kindness in the little things, in the ways that point to who she is inside

We chat about what changed her entire perspective on life, what quitting her job led to, and the difference in seeking approval in those around you and seeing joy in the world around you. 

She shares how a time in her life brought her lower than anyone should ever feel and yet how she looks to that time as impacting how she sees so much joy in everyday, and values the way every “first” feels 

We chat about what it means to settle, to hold your whole value of what you want out of life, and to be willing to risk every scary reality to not give up on your heart

Haley is a sweet and kind soul, a human that holds onto what it means to be human to others, and one that will remind you that it’s ok to change your life to feel alive 

So tune in and meet Haley, a human that responds with kindness, with hope for a better world, and my vote to let Disney princess answers guide us a little more

And to you Haley thank you, thank you for sharing space that feels real and safe, for your trust in having this conversation, and for the ease in which you choose to see life as beautiful and worthwhile, both of which you are so so much 🫶🏼

What would it look like to value the journey and the pursuit over the end?

Today I want to introduce you to Alej, a human that values happiness and the gift it is to pursue living life from what he is passionate about. Social media often is blamed for much of why “real connection” has suffered, but I find it to be the opposite, I find that who we are and how we genuinely show up in relationships is only magnified by social media, and friends like Alej are proof.

Alej is one of the friends I get to know because of social media, because he is someone who values connection and shows up fully as himself in every conversation

We chat about everything from the best burger in the world, to what it means to know joy in the now moments of life, to the reality that there is both our deepest value and our greatest fear in who surrounds us and the hope they will always be a part of our lives

He shares how he left the country at 18 and how that has and continues to form so many of his conscience and unconscious choices, how getting to play a sport he loves, getting to learn how to build relationships as he adjusted to life in a new culture; how learning a new language, and adapting to knowing value in himself is something he is truly grateful for 

We chat about how the quality of work is integral to career and success, but how it matters so much to him even down to the fun others have when working with him, how the respect we give another and the trust we earn holds more weight than a project itself

Alejandro is someone who might not have a calendar that looks full, someone who will never make you feel like you won’t not measure up, but he will remind you that you have the power to choose your life, that it is in your own hand how you move forward 

So tune in today and meet Alej, and be reminded that telling those around them you love them, and never taking for granted the opportunities we get to bring to life 

And to you Alej thank you, thank you for being someone who values me reaching out as much as I value you making the time, thank you for sharing a part of your story, for the ease in which you have welcomed me into your life, looking forward to many more memories with you and grateful for how life has brought you into mine

Close your eyes for a moment, imagine you are sitting on the beach somewhere, someone walks by and pauses near you, you notice they are there but don’t say anything, a few birds walk past as if they are looking to invade your space, and the stranger says “looks like you’ve made a friend”.... tune in as I share 3 integral parts of creating authentic connection with someone new

If others were impacted by what you felt, how would they feel when they spent time with you?

Today I want to introduce you to Alessia a human that has made such an intentional and gentle impact on my life since she came into it. It has and continues to be something I find intense joy in the my life, to be surrounded by humans like this one, those that inspire me to not only learn and try new things, but to be gentle on myself as I learn them. 

Alessia is one that loves and lives with contagious joy and one who shares what she loves with authenticity. We chat about how calm and peace can almost feel off when you become accustomed to functioning under stress, and how she is one who is both organized and values the way life flows.

She shares what it was like to leave home at 15 and build a life in another country, how here warmth and the love she knows and gives is so deeply rooted in her Russian family and heritage, and how she has become and continues to be a human marked by joy and happiness

We chat about what she is excited about in her work, how sharing what she loves in a more accessible way is something she is working hard towards; how she never loses sight of what it was to begin something new, and how that allows her to hold space for others to begin and learn

Alessia is one that truly transmits joy, gentleness, and a strength I deeply admire, she is one that if you are lucky enough to know, to learn from in the gym, one that has without a doubt created space for you to find parts of your own strength and joy 

So tune in today and meet Alessia, and be reminded that being human is to love, to struggle, to learn, and not give up, and to trust the parts of you that bring you peace

And to you Alessia thank you, thank you for how you have so sincerely become a friend, how you ask questions out of a desire to know and care, how you are not afraid to speak and have reminded me to not fear or hesitate both learning and being ok not knowing. You are responsible for my love for calisthenics, for the community I already miss so much, and for being a friend I am beyond honored to have in my life. Thank you for allowing me to share a small part of your beautiful story

Today I want to introduce you to Pasquale, my friend, someone who makes me smile when I see him, a human who has chosen to live life full and with joy to share. I’ve had the pleasure of laughing and growing at the gym with him, spending time as we have learned new things and pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zones, and this life is sweeter because of humans like him in mine

We chat about what it means to find yourself on the other side of what you have always known, to live in other parts of the world and let it change you, to let your own experience define what humanity is like in new places, to let the pace of life not be determined by what you knew but rather by what brings you balance and joy 

He shares how his work is something he loves, finds passion in sharing with others, and how there is balance in learning the quick pace of the kitchen and the peaceful pace of life as a whole, he shares how his grandmother is who created his heart for cooking and how her recipes still hold so much in what he does now

He shares why it matters so much to surround himself with those that hold life with respect and truth, and how it can be hard to connect when your passion causes you to work when others are off and how that makes those he is close with even more intentional 

Pasquale is one who has allowed empathy and I have witnessed an ability to observe and respond in wisdom to what comes his way, one who chooses to live life as someone who knows how valuable each day is

So tune in today and meet Pasquale, a human that will remind you to give your time to what holds value, to not let anyone tell you how to judge a place or people but to know it for yourself, and to be proud of your capacity to adapt to what life brings your way 

And to you Pasquale thank you, thank you for all the laughter and joy I have and will still share with you, for sharing what you love, for allowing me to share a part of you with others here, and for the friend you have become. You are such a lovely light in this world and it is an honor to know you. See you soon!

If someone told you you were like your mom, would it feel like a compliment?

Today I want to introduce you to Anafeli, someone I met simply because food was meant to be shared. I spend most Wednesday evenings at the same restaurant listening to live music, and this night sat next to me was a woman I quickly fell into conversation with, and quickly gained the sweetest friend 

Ana is the kind of woman you meet and feel as though you are in the presence of someone who knows herself, carries herself with confidence as one who has known life to be all it can contain, and one that has chosen to let it be all it gets to be

We chat about what it means to rely on yourself, to know that you are the one responsible for you, how that can cause fear, and how it can cause us to see a strength within us we might not have known otherwise 

She shares the value in having those close to her that feel like you can be whole with, those that do not have imaginary lines we need to read between, and the importance in looking at yourself in the mirror and knowing you are who you are

She shares how work is something she is proud of but how it does not define her, how divorce and the changes that came with it led to the truth that it is so much less about what we are good enough for but rather what we are brave enough to choose 

Ana is a woman admire and respect, one I value getting to know, and one that I believe will remind you just how ok it is to see where life goes without fear

So tune in today and meet Ana, and in her recipe for life, to dance first, ask god next, and have empathy for yourself and others 

And to you Ana thank you thank you for being you and for the shared laughter, the time together, your sincere and genuine soul, and the way I get to know you

What would it look like for you to solidify who you are?

Today I want to introduce you to Shayna, it is something I have come to value deeply the more I live fully as myself the more consistently humans like this one find their way into my life. Shayna is one that I get consistently asked if she is my sister, and aside from having curly hair there are many things I find in that assumption to be a compliment. The way she is unafraid to approach someone and say hello, the way she holds on to the parts of herself that not everyone deserves access to, the strength she has and builds on both physically and as a woman.

Shayna is someone who will greet you from a mile away with a smile and give you the confidence that you are seen, capable, and treasured with her whole self.

We chat about what it means to have a lot of love to give but at times not be seen for who you are beyond the joy and the energy most see, the value of silence and simply staring at the ceiling, and the way sincerity and honesty allow closeness and trust in relationships in ways even time cannot compete with.

She shares how change isn’t the same as stepping into yourself, how we can say life’s moments impacted us, and not changed us. To define solidification of who we are by how the hard times caused us to trust and not apologize for who we were meant to be.

We chat about the value of freedom, how being needed in the corporate world stopped being the end goal, how overthinking serves great purpose in the right timing, and allowing our choices to not be second guessed once we make them.

Shayna is one I feel I can spend 5 minutes with or 5 hours, 5 minutes that can feel like the hour with a friend that grounds you, and 5 hours that disappears like 5 minutes cause you laughed the whole time.

So tune in today and meet Shayna, someone who will remind you that it is more than ok to choose the life you feel whole in, to not give more than you deserve and to love so fully

And to you Shayna thank you, thank you for the way you so effortlessly came into my life and how it continues to feel like you were always meant to be there, for the countless chats about everything and nothing, for the simplicity in knowing I never question where I stand with you. Love you so much