An Invitation to Begin

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you!

Episode 1 of Hidden Chapters is here! 

This is a soft introduction to the journey ahead! it’s not the official launch, but today, I’m gently turning the page and inviting you to listen when the moment feels right.  

A quick note:  You may hear a little crackling in this episode.  It’s not perfect, but I chose to share it anyway because the heart behind it matters more than the sound.  I’m learning as I go, and I’m so grateful you’re here to support. 

Thank you for listening through the imperfections - there’s so much more to come, and I can’t wait to grow with each new untold story.   

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Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:02):
Welcome to Hidden Chapters, a podcast where we
explore the stories we keeptucked away.
The ones we don't always talkabout, but that shape who we
are.
I'm Genevieve, and in this firstepisode, we're diving into why
we hide these parts ofourselves.
We all have them, those chaptersof our lives we keep to

(00:22):
ourselves, sometimes out offear, shame, or simply because
we don't know how to share them.
But what if...
Sharing those stories is the keyto understanding who we really
are.
What if in revealing thesehidden chapters, we could
connect with each other, findhealing, and even inspire

(00:43):
someone else to tell their ownstory?
In today's episode, we'llexplore what it means to keep a
story hidden, why we do it, andwhat happens when we finally
decide to share it.
Let's dive into the power ofuncovering those untold parts of
ourselves.
This is it, episode one ofHidden Chapters.

(01:06):
I'm Genevieve, and I couldn't bemore excited to finally bring
this podcast to life.
For as long as I can remember,I've been drawn to the stories
people don't usually tell.
The struggles, the turningpoints, the moments that shape
us but often stay hidden.
And let's be real, we all havethem.
I have mine.

(01:27):
That's why I created HiddenChapters, to give space to these
untold stories.
And in this first episode, Iwanted to talk about why we keep
certain parts of our storieshidden and why sharing them can
be so powerful.
So, why do we keep parts of ourstories hidden?
People hold back parts of theirpast for many reasons, often

(01:49):
deeply personal and complex.
Maybe we want to share only thepolished parts of our lives.
The most defining moments areoften the ones we keep to
ourselves.
Maybe it's fear, fear ofjudgment, of being
misunderstood, or having ourstruggles define us.
Maybe it's shame, or adeep-seated belief that what

(02:12):
happens to us should stay in thepast.
Sometimes we don't talk aboutcertain things, because we're
still trying to make sense ofthem ourselves.
And other times, we stay silent,because we feel like no one
would really understand.
But the thing is, so many of usare carrying untold stories,

(02:33):
stories that shape us in waysthe world never sees.
And when we don't share them, westart to believe we're the only
ones who've ever felt this way.
Think about yourself.
What's a part of your story yourarely talk about?
What's something that shaped youbut isn't common knowledge?

(02:54):
I have a few examples of whatthis looks like, not from any
one person's story, but from thekinds of experiences so many
people have lived through.
You might recognize pieces ofyour own story in some of these,
or maybe they'll remind you ofsomeone you know.
Either way, they show just howmuch we all carry beneath the

(03:15):
surface.
So let's talk about the firstexample.
Take the military spouse.
The military spouse who spentyears moving from place to
place, supporting theirpartner's career, holding their
families together.
They're proud of their role.
But deep down, they feel lost.

(03:36):
They've had to put their owndreams on hold, sacrificing
pieces of their identity for thesake of duty and stability.
And yet, when people ask themhow they're doing, they just
smile and say, I'm fine.
Because admitting that they feelinvisible or unfulfilled, that
might sound ungrateful.

(03:56):
So they keep that part of theirstory hidden.
Then there's the strong friend.
The one everyone turns to foradvice, for comfort, for
support.
The one who always knows theright thing to say, the right
thing to do.
But what no one sees is thatwhen they're the one struggling,

(04:19):
they don't know who to turn to.
They don't want to burdenanyone.
They're so used to being therock that the idea of asking for
help feels impossible.
So they stay silent.
They push through, and theirstruggles remain hidden.
Or what about the person who onthe outside looks like they have
it all together?

(04:40):
The career success, thepicture-perfect life, the kind
of accomplishments that othersadmire.
But behind the scenes, they'restruggling, battling anxiety.
burnout, or maybe even somethingdeeper, like depression.
They don't talk about it becausethey worry that admitting their
struggle might make them seemweak or like they don't deserve

(05:03):
the success they've worked sohard for.
So they keep smiling, keepperforming, and keep that part
of their story hidden.
And then there's the person whofinally walked away from a toxic
relationship, whether it was apartner, a friend, or even a
family member.
From the outside, it might seemlike they just moved on.

(05:25):
But the truth is, they carrywounds that no one can see.
They don't share the detailsbecause they don't want to seem
bitter or like they're dwellingon the past.
So they stay quiet, even thoughthe experience changed them in
ways they'll never fullyexplain.
What if we knew these stories?
How would it change how we seethe people around us?

(05:48):
This is just the beginning.
In the episodes ahead, we'll bediving into the untold stories
of real people just like you andme.
Stories of resilience,transformation, and the
unexpected twists life throwsour way.
Because when we start sharing,we realize we're not alone.

(06:08):
Thank you so much for joining mefor the first chapter of Hidden
Chapters.
There's power in sharing thesestories, both for ourselves and
for others.
And that's exactly what we'llcontinue to do here.
next time though we dive evendeeper as I share a story very
close to my heart my own hiddenchapter intertwined with my

(06:29):
mom's story with my birthday andmother's day around the corner I
couldn't think of a better wayto honor her and share the
hidden chapters that have shapedus both I hope you'll join me
next time to hear a story ofresilience love and the bonds
that define us until then takecare of yourself keep listening
and remember The stories we hideare just waiting to be shared.