December 30, 2025 • 12 mins
Jennie takes a moment in the quiet space between Christmas and the new year to celebrate this year of learning how to lead with more trust and self-belief. She reads an exclusive first excerpt from her upcoming book, I Choose Me, coming to shelves in April and revisits 2025's most powerful conversations with her amazing guests
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Girl. Hi everyone,
it's Jenny. Here. We are somehow we've made it to
that strange, quiet pocket of time between Christmas and New Year's.
It is that week where the world feels like it's
(00:24):
holding its breath kind of, and I gotta be honest,
I'm right there with it. I have. I've been doing
what one does at the end of the year. I've
been reflecting and sitting with all that has happened this
past year, maybe even looking through some of my old journals,
(00:45):
looking back at the last twelve months, and wow, twenty
twenty five, what a ride. If I had to sum
it up, it was a year for me of expansion,
a year of throwing caution into the wind, really allowing
myself to lead, not just myself, but also getting comfortable
(01:09):
leading others in some helpful way. Hopefully. It's been a
time of pushing past the comfort zones I tended to
hang out in and sitting in unknown territory with new,
unknown people all around me. It wasn't always comfortable, because
you know, growth rarely is, and it doesn't come in
(01:31):
a gift wrap box with a bow. Unfortunately, it usually
comes through looking at the hard truths and realizing that
healing isn't None of this is a sprint, It's all
a marathon. This year asked a lot of me. It
asked me to show up when I was exhausted. It
(01:54):
asked me to listen even when the answers weren't what
I want to say to hear. It asked me to
trust the people around me even more. It asked me
to believe in myself, which, if I'm being honest, is
a daily practice for me. But mostly it reminded me
(02:16):
to keep choosing myself. It reminded me that taking care
of myself is worth the time and effort, even when
it's not easy, and even when it's the smallest, most quiet,
ordinary moments when no one's watching. So one of the
best parts of twenty twenty five has been this podcast,
(02:38):
You guys. Being here with all of you and getting
to sit across from people who are willing to be
raw and vulnerable has really changed me in ways I
did not expect. For instance, Jason Priestley. Talking with Jason
was like a warm hug from the past, and it
(03:00):
really reminded me how wild it is that we have
grown up in public. It takes a massive amount of
grace to evolve when everyone thinks they already know you're ending.
And there's just such power in being seen by someone
who knew you then and still chooses to see you now.
Deepak Chopra really expanded my brain. After the mics were off,
(03:25):
I kept thinking about what he said, that healing isn't
just physical or emotional, it's spiritual. Our inner world is
the designer, the architect of the outer one. And then
Barbara Heeden, Oh my gosh, can we just talk about
pure magic? She is a beacon. She taught me that longevity,
(03:49):
whether in your career or in your life, it isn't
about perfection. It's about staying curious. It's about staying open
and letting yourself change without losing who you truly are
at your core. I also dove deep into the world
of health this year, and let me tell you, it
(04:10):
is a wild West out there. I have learned that
wellness is so deeply personal. It's experimental, it's messy, and
sometimes it's just plain weird. You guys. Take my friend
doctor Nicholas Parcone, for example. I adore him, but the
man drinks salmon smoothies, yes, blended fish. I remember listening
(04:37):
to him and thinking, is this is this what I
have to do next? Is this where we are now?
But then I just started laughing, because honestly, we're all
just out here trying to feel better, live longer, and
to show up with a little more clarity. And if
it's a salmon smoothie, so be it. Whether it's Candice
(04:57):
Cameron Beret finding her strength in prayer, where Elizabeth Smart
crushing marathons or Cameron matheson fostering dogs, we all have
our things. My takeaway from twenty twenty five is that
health isn't about following a rigid set of rules. It's
about listening to people we trust, and most importantly, listening
(05:21):
to our own intuition. It's about choosing what feels supportive
instead of what feels like a punishment. As I look
toward next year, I have this quiet hum of excitement
in my chest. And I'll tell you why, because in
twenty twenty six, I finally get to share something that
(05:43):
I've been pouring my heart into all year. I have
written a book. It's called You Guessed It. I Choose
me when this isn't your typical Hollywood memoir its It's
definitely not a highlight reel of my best moments. It's
about the work, the hard, gentle, sometimes grueling work of
(06:04):
finding actually know of coming back to myself. I'm talking
about aging identity and the pressure we all feel as
women to hold the whole world together while we're quietly
falling apart inside. I share the boundaries I failed to
set and the cost of ignoring my own needs. But
(06:28):
I also share how I find the hope. I wanted
to give you my podcast family the very first taste
of it. So here is a never before heard excerpt
(06:49):
from the introductory of my book, I Choose Me. In
nineteen ninety five, Kelly Taylor made a choice. She stood
between Brandon and Dylan, two of the most beloved characters
on Beverly Hills nine O two one zero, and said,
I choose Me. On the surface, it was a love triangle,
(07:11):
a choice between two handsome, iconic young men who each
offered their own version of love and validation. But beneath
it was something deeper. Kelly was choosing whether to define
herself through someone else or finally take ownership of her
own life. That moment was a defining crossroads about so
(07:34):
much more than romance. It was about self worth and
independence and identity. It was a gentle act of rebellion.
At the time, I didn't fully grasp the power of
those words. I had no idea that one scene would
stay with me for the rest of my life, or
(07:54):
that years later it would become kind of a personal manifesto.
That scene, that line echoed far beyond the west Beverly
Hills High Halls. Back then, I was acting. But over
the years I've started to live those words. Slowly, through
(08:16):
seasons of heartbreak and healing, motherhood and identity loss, reinvention
and self doubt, I began to understand the truth behind them.
I Choose Me wasn't a plot twist. It was a decision,
a quiet, radical act of reclaiming your life, And like
(08:38):
all life changing decisions, it started small. This book is
about that journey, the hard earned lessons, the painful moments
of reckoning, the small decisions that slowly, steadily brought me
home to myself. I'm looking back at some of the toughest,
darkest moments of my life, not to dwell or romanticize them,
(09:02):
but to understand the pain, to give it context, meaning,
and purpose. I'm revisiting the confusion, the heartbreak, the pivots
and unravelings, because that's where the real transformation happened. In
telling the truth about those moments, I'm reclaiming them, and
(09:23):
in doing so, I hope to remind you that it's
never too late to return to yourself, to choose a
different path, to write a new ending, or to finally
begin again. I used to think my story needed to
be wrapped up in a bow before I could share it,
But I've learned that the most meaningful stories don't come
(09:46):
from perfection. They come from the mess, the middle, the
in between space where we're still figuring things out. That's
what this book is, not a highlight reel, a real one.
Our past doesn't define us, but it does inform us.
When we look back at our lives, really go back
(10:09):
with honesty and compassion, we don't just revisit where we've been.
We uncover why and how we've survived. We remember who
we are, and in doing so we begin again, not
from scratch, but from wisdom. I choose Me as a
memoir of becoming. It's about looking at the messy, beautiful,
(10:32):
imperfect path that brought me here and saying I'm still
standing and I'm finally standing for myself. It's a story
of waking up, letting go, and reclaiming the parts of
me I once gave away. I Choose Me is about
becoming whole, not by erasing the past, but embracing it
(10:55):
as the foundation for something stronger, truer and free. You guys,
that's just the beginning. I cannot wait for this book,
My Baby, to be out in the world. And yes,
I will be narrating the audiobook too. You can actually
(11:17):
pre order it now, which would be so incredibly helpful
anywhere you buy your books and audio books. I hope
you will, and I hope you are going to love it.
In twenty twenty six, I'm so excited to say we
are going to keep expanding this space, more deep conversations,
more new voices, and more tools to help you and
(11:39):
me navigate our own choices and reckonings. I want this
space to remain your safe place, a place where you
can show up exactly as you are. If twenty twenty
five taught me anything, it's that connection is everything. None
of us are meant to do this alone. We need
(12:02):
the reminders that is okay to slow down, it's okay
to change directions, and it is okay to choose ourselves
again and again. So as we close out this year,
I want to say thank you. Thank you for listening,
thank you for growing with me, and for being part
of this incredible community. Whatever you're carrying, give yourself permission
(12:28):
to rest this week, reflect on how far you've come,
Imagine what you want next for yourself, and then just breathe.
I'm so grateful you're here. I love you all. I'll
see you in twenty twenty six.
You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Girl. Hi everyone,
it's Jenny. Here. We are somehow we've made it to
that strange, quiet pocket of time between Christmas and New Year's.
It is that week where the world feels like it's
(00:24):
holding its breath kind of, and I gotta be honest,
I'm right there with it. I have. I've been doing
what one does at the end of the year. I've
been reflecting and sitting with all that has happened this
past year, maybe even looking through some of my old journals,
(00:45):
looking back at the last twelve months, and wow, twenty
twenty five, what a ride. If I had to sum
it up, it was a year for me of expansion,
a year of throwing caution into the wind, really allowing
myself to lead, not just myself, but also getting comfortable
(01:09):
leading others in some helpful way. Hopefully. It's been a
time of pushing past the comfort zones I tended to
hang out in and sitting in unknown territory with new,
unknown people all around me. It wasn't always comfortable, because
you know, growth rarely is, and it doesn't come in
(01:31):
a gift wrap box with a bow. Unfortunately, it usually
comes through looking at the hard truths and realizing that
healing isn't None of this is a sprint, It's all
a marathon. This year asked a lot of me. It
asked me to show up when I was exhausted. It
(01:54):
asked me to listen even when the answers weren't what
I want to say to hear. It asked me to
trust the people around me even more. It asked me
to believe in myself, which, if I'm being honest, is
a daily practice for me. But mostly it reminded me
(02:16):
to keep choosing myself. It reminded me that taking care
of myself is worth the time and effort, even when
it's not easy, and even when it's the smallest, most quiet,
ordinary moments when no one's watching. So one of the
best parts of twenty twenty five has been this podcast,
(02:38):
You guys. Being here with all of you and getting
to sit across from people who are willing to be
raw and vulnerable has really changed me in ways I
did not expect. For instance, Jason Priestley. Talking with Jason
was like a warm hug from the past, and it
(03:00):
really reminded me how wild it is that we have
grown up in public. It takes a massive amount of
grace to evolve when everyone thinks they already know you're ending.
And there's just such power in being seen by someone
who knew you then and still chooses to see you now.
Deepak Chopra really expanded my brain. After the mics were off,
(03:25):
I kept thinking about what he said, that healing isn't
just physical or emotional, it's spiritual. Our inner world is
the designer, the architect of the outer one. And then
Barbara Heeden, Oh my gosh, can we just talk about
pure magic? She is a beacon. She taught me that longevity,
(03:49):
whether in your career or in your life, it isn't
about perfection. It's about staying curious. It's about staying open
and letting yourself change without losing who you truly are
at your core. I also dove deep into the world
of health this year, and let me tell you, it
(04:10):
is a wild West out there. I have learned that
wellness is so deeply personal. It's experimental, it's messy, and
sometimes it's just plain weird. You guys. Take my friend
doctor Nicholas Parcone, for example. I adore him, but the
man drinks salmon smoothies, yes, blended fish. I remember listening
(04:37):
to him and thinking, is this is this what I
have to do next? Is this where we are now?
But then I just started laughing, because honestly, we're all
just out here trying to feel better, live longer, and
to show up with a little more clarity. And if
it's a salmon smoothie, so be it. Whether it's Candice
(04:57):
Cameron Beret finding her strength in prayer, where Elizabeth Smart
crushing marathons or Cameron matheson fostering dogs, we all have
our things. My takeaway from twenty twenty five is that
health isn't about following a rigid set of rules. It's
about listening to people we trust, and most importantly, listening
(05:21):
to our own intuition. It's about choosing what feels supportive
instead of what feels like a punishment. As I look
toward next year, I have this quiet hum of excitement
in my chest. And I'll tell you why, because in
twenty twenty six, I finally get to share something that
(05:43):
I've been pouring my heart into all year. I have
written a book. It's called You Guessed It. I Choose
me when this isn't your typical Hollywood memoir its It's
definitely not a highlight reel of my best moments. It's
about the work, the hard, gentle, sometimes grueling work of
(06:04):
finding actually know of coming back to myself. I'm talking
about aging identity and the pressure we all feel as
women to hold the whole world together while we're quietly
falling apart inside. I share the boundaries I failed to
set and the cost of ignoring my own needs. But
(06:28):
I also share how I find the hope. I wanted
to give you my podcast family the very first taste
of it. So here is a never before heard excerpt
(06:49):
from the introductory of my book, I Choose Me. In
nineteen ninety five, Kelly Taylor made a choice. She stood
between Brandon and Dylan, two of the most beloved characters
on Beverly Hills nine O two one zero, and said,
I choose Me. On the surface, it was a love triangle,
(07:11):
a choice between two handsome, iconic young men who each
offered their own version of love and validation. But beneath
it was something deeper. Kelly was choosing whether to define
herself through someone else or finally take ownership of her
own life. That moment was a defining crossroads about so
(07:34):
much more than romance. It was about self worth and
independence and identity. It was a gentle act of rebellion.
At the time, I didn't fully grasp the power of
those words. I had no idea that one scene would
stay with me for the rest of my life, or
(07:54):
that years later it would become kind of a personal manifesto.
That scene, that line echoed far beyond the west Beverly
Hills High Halls. Back then, I was acting. But over
the years I've started to live those words. Slowly, through
(08:16):
seasons of heartbreak and healing, motherhood and identity loss, reinvention
and self doubt, I began to understand the truth behind them.
I Choose Me wasn't a plot twist. It was a decision,
a quiet, radical act of reclaiming your life, And like
(08:38):
all life changing decisions, it started small. This book is
about that journey, the hard earned lessons, the painful moments
of reckoning, the small decisions that slowly, steadily brought me
home to myself. I'm looking back at some of the toughest,
darkest moments of my life, not to dwell or romanticize them,
(09:02):
but to understand the pain, to give it context, meaning,
and purpose. I'm revisiting the confusion, the heartbreak, the pivots
and unravelings, because that's where the real transformation happened. In
telling the truth about those moments, I'm reclaiming them, and
(09:23):
in doing so, I hope to remind you that it's
never too late to return to yourself, to choose a
different path, to write a new ending, or to finally
begin again. I used to think my story needed to
be wrapped up in a bow before I could share it,
But I've learned that the most meaningful stories don't come
(09:46):
from perfection. They come from the mess, the middle, the
in between space where we're still figuring things out. That's
what this book is, not a highlight reel, a real one.
Our past doesn't define us, but it does inform us.
When we look back at our lives, really go back
(10:09):
with honesty and compassion, we don't just revisit where we've been.
We uncover why and how we've survived. We remember who
we are, and in doing so we begin again, not
from scratch, but from wisdom. I choose Me as a
memoir of becoming. It's about looking at the messy, beautiful,
(10:32):
imperfect path that brought me here and saying I'm still
standing and I'm finally standing for myself. It's a story
of waking up, letting go, and reclaiming the parts of
me I once gave away. I Choose Me is about
becoming whole, not by erasing the past, but embracing it
(10:55):
as the foundation for something stronger, truer and free. You guys,
that's just the beginning. I cannot wait for this book,
My Baby, to be out in the world. And yes,
I will be narrating the audiobook too. You can actually
(11:17):
pre order it now, which would be so incredibly helpful
anywhere you buy your books and audio books. I hope
you will, and I hope you are going to love it.
In twenty twenty six, I'm so excited to say we
are going to keep expanding this space, more deep conversations,
more new voices, and more tools to help you and
(11:39):
me navigate our own choices and reckonings. I want this
space to remain your safe place, a place where you
can show up exactly as you are. If twenty twenty
five taught me anything, it's that connection is everything. None
of us are meant to do this alone. We need
(12:02):
the reminders that is okay to slow down, it's okay
to change directions, and it is okay to choose ourselves
again and again. So as we close out this year,
I want to say thank you. Thank you for listening,
thank you for growing with me, and for being part
of this incredible community. Whatever you're carrying, give yourself permission
(12:28):
to rest this week, reflect on how far you've come,
Imagine what you want next for yourself, and then just breathe.
I'm so grateful you're here. I love you all. I'll
see you in twenty twenty six.
Hosts And Creators
Tori Spelling
Jennie Garth
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