November 14, 2025 • 32 mins
Are you stuck in self-doubt, playing small while secretly craving something wildly more freeing?
This week on Radical Joy, James invites us to try on something better—emotionally, mentally, even sartorially—by shedding the heavy sweaters of self-sabotage and donning the wings of self-trust. ✨
Top Takeaways:
🔁 “Put yourself outside the circle every day”—a mantra for ditching doubt
👕 That old belief? Just a too-tight sweater—time to donate it
🧠 Obstacle or outfit? Why your inner critic might just be bad fashion advice
💥 Smash your stuckness—yes, literally, with a sledgehammer
👢 Hooker boots, biker jackets, and bold nails—because joy has a wardrobe
🐝 Got wasps in your hive? Here’s your permission to kick them out
❌ “Thanks, but no thanks”—how to say no to unsolicited feedback
☁️ Radical Joy isn’t toxic positivity—it’s survival with style
🌍 You don’t have to fix the world to light it up
👤 From obstacle to wing—the upgrade your spirit’s been waiting for
📬 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and send us a screenshot—we’ll send you a little swag love (stickers, anyone?) to brighten your day. And remember: your joy isn’t a luxury—it’s a lighthouse. Let it shine.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.
🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔ ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕ 🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!
Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.
Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.
James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.
For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.
This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.
We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.
This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios
This week on Radical Joy, James invites us to try on something better—emotionally, mentally, even sartorially—by shedding the heavy sweaters of self-sabotage and donning the wings of self-trust. ✨
Top Takeaways:
🔁 “Put yourself outside the circle every day”—a mantra for ditching doubt
👕 That old belief? Just a too-tight sweater—time to donate it
🧠 Obstacle or outfit? Why your inner critic might just be bad fashion advice
💥 Smash your stuckness—yes, literally, with a sledgehammer
👢 Hooker boots, biker jackets, and bold nails—because joy has a wardrobe
🐝 Got wasps in your hive? Here’s your permission to kick them out
❌ “Thanks, but no thanks”—how to say no to unsolicited feedback
☁️ Radical Joy isn’t toxic positivity—it’s survival with style
🌍 You don’t have to fix the world to light it up
👤 From obstacle to wing—the upgrade your spirit’s been waiting for
📬 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and send us a screenshot—we’ll send you a little swag love (stickers, anyone?) to brighten your day. And remember: your joy isn’t a luxury—it’s a lighthouse. Let it shine.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.
🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔ ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕ 🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!
Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.
Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.
James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.
For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.
This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.
We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.
This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Hello, friends, So happy to have you here with me
today at Radical Joy. If you've been here before, hey,
welcome back. If this is your first time with me,
well I'm glad you're here. Each week, i'm here with
you talking to myself about things that weigh on my
mind and heart, hoping if you're dealing with something similar,
we can adjust our perspectives as you listen. Hey, if
you're struggling with something that needs immediate attention, please know
(00:35):
that help is available. Just a nine eight eight nationwide
in the US to reach the Mental Health and Suicide
Crisis Hotline. All of us here at Cola Studios believe
that mental health is a.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Vital part of our well being.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
The more people I meet and the more places I go,
the more I realize how important it is to make
people aware of the fact that there is no shame
in enjoying the parts of our lives that are incredible.
It's time for some radical Joy, and this week the
three fingers pointing back at me are for living outside
of the circle. I take notes whenever something comes across
(01:18):
my mind and heart to make sure that whenever I
get back in front of a microphone that I can
talk about it with all of you. One of the
topics that I put into my notes at not long
ago says, put yourself outside the circle every day, forget
the obstacle and imagine the amazing. I love this idea.
(01:43):
I know this comes as a zero surprise to anyone
and everyone listening within the sound of my voice. I
think it's so incredibly important that we continue to look
for the amazing in everything that we're doing. Now, please
bear with me for a moment, because I promise you
this is not sunshine, lollipops and rainbow shooting out of
my in. What this is is an honest search for
(02:05):
a reason to be happy in a world that continues
to tug at every single emotion and thread of attention
that we have in order to keep us afraid or small,
or angry or divided. Okay, I will be the first
to admit that I definitely fall prey to that sometimes
I'm not proud of it. But I think the first
(02:28):
rule in improving that is acknowledging it so that I
can work on being better about it. Whenever this happens again,
and low and behold trust and believe it is definitely
going to happen again. I think that whenever we ponder
(02:48):
an idea of forgetting an obstacle, I think we have
to be very careful about what we classify as an obstacle.
There are certain things in your life that are going
to make things more interest shall we say, a partner,
a family, a job that perhaps pays okay, but it's
not necessarily your favorite way to spend eight hours in
(03:09):
a day or forty in a week.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
These are things that we had hoped for because they
facilitate something or they fulfill something that we've wanted. Since
whatever your timeline is on those kinds of things, and
because of that, looking at those things as obstacles is
probably not our best choice of action. So instead, what
(03:34):
I would like to do is look at the things
in our lives that are obstacles, that are truly obstacles. Well, okay,
what does that mean? Well, personally to me, the things
that I view as obstacles are self doubt a lot
of the things that I see as obstacles in my life.
Whenever I really put pen to paper and a scrutinizing
eye on it, it really turns into something that I
(03:56):
have told myself that when put to empirical evidence to
prove either yay or nay, true or false. I often
find that I'm tricking myself, and so what I have
to do in that respect is try to find a
way through it, around it, beside it, because those are
(04:18):
the voices that I listen to most closely, even though
they are the ones who hold the least truth. Now,
am I proud of it? No? Is it one of
those things where the older I get, the more I
realize this to be pretty accurate. Yeah, it is, And
so for me, whenever I think of or visualize what
I would think to be an obstacle, that's what I think. Now.
(04:43):
I have a lot of really interesting people in my life,
very good friends who carry a lot of self doubt.
They carry a lot of loneliness, they carry a lot
of very strong feelings that whenever they tell me about it,
and honestly, I'm lattered and honored that they share those
kinds of things with me, it surprises me because those
(05:05):
don't seem to be the things that I would think
would be the things that hang them up. You know,
whenever I look at those kind of things, oh, I
would never have guessed that to be your personal obstacle.
I think it's important whenever we have conversations like that
that I don't get judgy about it or I don't
poke fun or make light of it, because an obstacle,
(05:28):
whether real or imagined, feels very real to the person
who's being detained by it, including yourself. So whenever you
come to the realization of whatever this is that's holding
you back or slowing you down or weighing you, could
you be kind of gentle with yourself because I think
(05:49):
that if we add more ridicule or shamed the situation,
that that's probably going to make it just a little
bit more difficult to put down, just from the nature
of the beast. If that is something that you do
that helps you great, that's wonderful. Please know this does
not apply to you, I think at large, definitely, including myself.
(06:11):
What I don't want to do is be harsh with
myself on something like this. What I want to do
is dismiss it. I want to belittle it. I want
to put it in the washing machine on hot, throw
it in the dryer on high, and shrink the shit
out of that socker. I want it to get lighter
and smaller and less significant. I want, every time I
(06:35):
try that on again after putting it through the washing dry,
for it to get smaller and snugger and less comfortable.
I want it to become something that I have no
time or space for in my life anymore. I don't
want to treat it like a big booger bear. What
(06:55):
I want to treat it like is a sweater that
I outgrew a couple of years back, and for whatever reason,
I'm still wearing it because I don't have anything to
replace it, and I want to go shopping for something
new to replace it. Something that is flattering, something that
has a very fine line, a sophisticated cut to it,
(07:19):
something very clearly suits the man I am now instead
of the person that outgrew this two years ago. Okay,
And whenever I do that, I want to matter a
really nice material, a lighter weight, something so we can
wear it a little bit more during the year than
we can do seasonal work. I would love for it
(07:42):
to be something that I can dress up with a
blazer and a nice boot, or dressed down with jeans
and a pair of chucks, maybe a jaunty hat when
I'm feeling extra special awesome. What I want to do
is make sure that whenever I leave that obstacle behind,
(08:02):
I have replaced it with something that I like so
much better that I never look back at the thing
that I had to put on the donation pile or
throw into the garage sale box. All I want to
do is look down and see what I'm wearing now
that is no longer an obstacle, but more of a
(08:27):
what's the obstacle? Opposite of an obstacle? What would you
call this?
Speaker 2 (08:30):
A lift? A wing? That's what it is. It's a wing.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So instead of an obstacle, something that weighs you down,
something that keeps you from moving as quickly as perhaps
you are capable of moving, now you are equipped, festuned,
if you will, with a wing. And it's so good.
You feel great when you're wearing it. You feel super slick.
And it's not that it's flashy or showy.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
What it is.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
It's just one one of those things that just reaches
down into the very middle of your guts and gives
you that.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yeah feeling.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
No matter how you dress it up or down, it's
just got you. It's you. That's what I want us
to think about. I want us to move past these obstacles,
these things that no longer serve or fit or cultivate
a sense of well being or abundance in who we are,
and trade them, give them away if you have to.
(09:30):
Something I have not learned recently, but something I continue
to learn, a lesson that continues to make itself very
visible in my life, is that there are certain things
in my life that I must release if I want
something new and better to take its place. It's not
that I can hold on to one thing while I
(09:51):
wait on the next thing. It's that I have to
completely let go of that one thing that no longer
serves to give that strong signal to the universe to say, Okay,
I am trusting, this is my faith. This is me
really giving you all I can give you in hope,
in divine confidence that you're gonna deliver the new thing
(10:13):
to me. So I don't hit the ground with the splatter.
And just about the time that millstone leaves your neck
and you're taking your arc of assent scared you're gonna
hit that peek and start going back down again, here
comes that wing. The universe delivers and equips you with
something that just fits right, that does the job that
(10:38):
ticks every box. Why because you believed it would, because
you trusted that it would. And this is the part
where I wanted to say, embrace the amazing. We're gonna
let go a lot of things in our life over
the next few months because we've been living in fear
(10:59):
and scarcity. And I can't say that I blame anybody.
Please trust when I say this is not a scold
at all. It is an acknowledgment of that is a
perfectly natural reaction to the way literally all of this
is going. So what I'm gonna say is, after dealing
(11:20):
with all of that and hunkered down and browbeaten and
just folded in on ourselves, what we're going to do
is start to lay those burdens down, knowing they're still there,
acknowledging the fact that we still have a responsibility to
do the most that we can individually to make these
things better for our community as a whole, and know
(11:44):
that the entirety of it does not rest on a
single individual's shoulders, namely ours, us one by one whenever
we come to that, what we're going to do is
lay that down, and we're going to find whatever that
is that makes us feel amazing because that is where
our strength flies. We've been hunkered down and stood in
(12:04):
the shade for so long, we must feel pale and
stiff and sore from just trying to mash ourselves into
something that doesn't even come close to giving us the
space that we need for the incredible people that we are. Okay,
and I believe this with my whole heart. Again, I'm
not trying to beat Pollyanna nothing. What I'm trying to
(12:26):
say is that if after living as small and scared
for as long as many of us have, myself included,
we got to remember just exactly who the hell we are,
and we've got to put down some of these things
that continue to just grump at us. They're grumping at us,
they see the television, and we just get so mad
(12:48):
because somebody ain't doing the right thing on the Capitol steps,
or or somebody's being hurt just for who they love,
or somebody's doing whatever it is they are doing because
of a skin color or where they were raised, any
number of things. What we're gonna do is we're gonna
put that down for just a second. I'm not gonna
(13:09):
forget it. We're just gonna like lay that burden down
for a minute, and we're gonna find what it is
that makes us feel like our full and fully realized selves.
We're gonna find our art, our writing, our sculpture, our paint.
We're gonna throw some pots, uh meaning literally mold them
(13:29):
from clay, not literally throw them from the cupboard though. Hey,
if that makes you feel good, and far be it
from me to stop you, get after it.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Boy.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I know the kind of catharsist that'll bring break something hell, yes,
preferably something you're not gonna miss, or something that just
really pisses you off. There's no reason to hold on
to chotkeys and trinkets that don't do anything except continue
to cultivate some kind of bad or ill will feeling
in your guts, heart, soul, mind, light.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Get rid of it.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Chuck it, sledgehammer that some bitch put on a stump
outside and literally take something heavy to it. Make sure
when it hits it blows into a bajillion giblets. Okay,
I want it to make sure, like send a message
loud and clear. I want to crack it. I want
to obliterate it. I want to pulverize it. That's a
(14:21):
beautiful word pull verise, it's got I think it's got
a Latin root to it, because pol vere is the
word for powder in Italian. It was like, yeah, I mean,
I want you to turn that thing from solid to powder,
mash it till there ain't no more mash to be had,
and don't even give it the time of day. Once
(14:42):
it's done, just leave the giblets. Talk to a friend,
a neighbor, a spouse, say hey, could you clean that
up for me? Because I ain't got no time to
clean up what's left. What I needed to do is
make sure that it was destroyed. Put all of this
small and angry and scared and awful and disappointed and
(15:05):
frustrated and all these other things that continue to just
great at us and make us feel as though we
are less or less mobile than we truly are. Put
that intention into whatever object it is that you're about
to just absolutely rain down hellfire and brimstone and just
beat the hell out of it. That's one. Get yourself
(15:29):
something new to wear. It doesn't have to be super
expensive thrifted. I highly recommend going out there and doing
sustainable shopping. Find something that somebody else had loved intensely
for as long as they could, or simply discarded because
they never found something to wear with it. Give it
new life, Let it give you a little pep in
your stuff. Find it. Hey, When I was a kid,
(15:51):
the thing that I wanted more than anything for whatever
amount of time, Man, I wanted a black leather biker
jacket with the silver zippers. It only went to the wasist.
You know what I'm talking about, Like, it didn't go.
It didn't cover your rear end at all. It stopped
right there at the waist. Trying to find one of
those things in Blunt County, Alabama that did not break
the bank was a difficult proposition. Now. I eventually outgrew
(16:17):
that phase long before I ever got that garment. But
I tell you right now, I don't forget that longing
to have it. Now. I own a mirror, so I
know that wearing something like that would look ridiculous to
anyone else. Let me tell you something right now. I'm
real tired of my thoughts on how I appear to
everyone else being a driving force in my life at all.
(16:41):
If I could tell you right now that people can
love you and still not give two hoots about what
you do with your wardrobe, or your free time or
any other kind of stuff. I wish I could communicate
that clearly enough to you. It is absolutely possible for
somebody to love you and still not give a single
care about what it is you do. Now, on the
(17:03):
other side of that, there will also be people in
your life that have an opinion on every little thing
that you do. And this is where a little bit
of boundary setting would not kill any of us. If
you want to try something new and different because you
just feel like you're stuck in a rut, and something
like a garish nail color would be something that you
(17:25):
would like to try. Or a hooker boot, I said, up,
you heard me right, a hooker boot, one with a
heel that goes up to your knee or higher ladies, gentlemen,
them's and knays, if you want to give that a shot,
I'm here for it. I say, give it a whirl.
And whenever that Mildred in your life or that Ustas
(17:47):
cuts you some side eye or tips their hat in
your direction with the arched eyebrow, you can absolutely ignore
them or tell them that James Edward Bullard told them
to mind their beeswax because I think that we've let
a whole lot of wasps into our hive. They come
(18:07):
in there and they try to wreak havoc. All we're
doing is living. We're in there, we are doing our dance.
We're telling all of our friends where to find the
best pollen. We're coming back with nectar to the hive.
We are filling these beautiful hexagonal businesses with all of
the good stuff that eventually is going to turn into
that golden nectar that takes care of the whole community.
(18:29):
And for whatever reason, we've let a couple of wasps
in there and they're starting to really shake shit up,
and it's time to invite them to leave, or we
do as nature does and we make sure they find
their way out. If they know it's good for them,
(18:51):
they make their way out before we have to do
anything else, because it often ends poorly for all parties
involved if one must forcibly remove a wasp from a
bumblebeehive or community or James, are you promoting violence? I
most certainly am not. I am promoting accountability, and I'm
(19:13):
making sure that folks know that just because somebody says
something ugly to you doesn't mean, you need to give
them any kind of time of day, and if what
they say to you is just ugly enough to really
hurt your feelings, you can one hundred percent tell them
that their feelings when you reply to how they hurt
your feelings is nothing on you. Folks need to know
(19:33):
that if they care about you at all, they need
to know it, and the only way they're gonna know
it is if you say it now. I'm not saying
that you got to be ugly about it. What I
can say is that you can be direct about it. Man,
let me tell you something. I got some friends now
in my life that they are not afraid to really
just tell me. And that's good in two ways. Number One,
I know, without a shadow of doubt these people care
(19:55):
about me more than a whole lot of folks in
my life have. I am not saying all. I've got
some incredible friends. Okay, So, if you're listening to the sound
of my voice and you suspect this is you, chances
are good it ain't because the people I'm talking about
probably would not be listening to this podcast right now.
So if you can hear the sound of my voice,
please understand it is not you to which I am
(20:18):
of which am I speaking? Now, they'll tell me some
pretty pretty direct things, and it's just funny to me
because whenever they tell me some of these things, I
am also given permission to reply in as direct a fashion,
and that is delightful and not something I'm used to doing,
because I was always told usually people who had some
(20:40):
sort of input on whatever dall is I was doing before,
came from some sort of position of authority, whether real
or imagined, whether it be they are an elder, or
they had popular opinion on their side, or whatever ma
up reason they thought, so they felt very comfortable telling
(21:03):
me these kind of things. In reply, I would be oh,
and if I tried to justify or explain my position,
they would be uninterested, or they would double down, or etcetera, etcetera, etc.
Occasionally they'd let it be, but not often. Welcome to
the new era of James Bullard. Whenever somebody comes at
(21:23):
me with something like that that I do not believe
to be true, I don't have to entertain it, nor
do I have to worry about their feelings when I
tell them that what they've just told me, though the
feedback is welcome. I will not be integrating that into
whatever it is that I'm doing, nor correcting the course
that they have tried to correct. Thank you so much.
I'm so happy you feel comfortable in sharing this with me.
Please understand, the course remains the same, the steering wheel
(21:47):
has not budged, the rudder will not be shifting. And
my favorite is whenever somebody comes in with more explanation, well,
you know, I just think that great, you made that
clear the first round, or even if you didn't, thank
you for more input. But you can stop talking now
because it's starting to get to the point now where
it's going to escalate. And though I don't love that,
(22:09):
I do not shy from it any longer. It's always
so fun for me to watch things like that, whenever
people are like, no, no, no, I'm trying to help you.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Oh no.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I understand your motivation has been very clear, because you
told me on several moments during this conversation. What I
need you to understand is that I think this particular
piece of advice, whether solicited or not, is not really
very valuable to me because I think where you're coming
from and what you're suggesting isn't the way I want
(22:42):
to live my life. The butt hurt them follows hilarious.
I'm only trying to help wonderful and I've already thanked
you for your help. I thank you for the thought.
Please understand that this gift that you're trying to give
is that's not something I like. And if you were
(23:02):
truly trying to give a gift, you would understand that
it should come with a receipt that I can exchange
it for something at a later date, for something that
I do find useful or enjoyable, because this ain't it. Yeah,
I'm not offering it disrespect, but please understand that I
won't be apologizing for rejecting your unsolicited or unwelcome advances
on who I think I am and how cool I
(23:25):
feel being that person. Embrace it. We've got a metric
ton of amazing that just waits right outside this cramped,
shadowy circle that we continue to try to keep ourselves in.
And I get it.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
I do.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
We've got to navigate some really tricky landscape lately, family dynamics,
employment dynamics, whether or not we will have employment in
the future, looking for something more lucrative, housing, food inflation.
How am I going to afford fill in the blank,
(24:01):
how am I going to afford? However many blanks? That
is because we're all getting a little scared and times
are tight wonderful while we are searching for those answers.
We do not have to stay small. We do not
have to hold on to all of that burden and obstacle.
We can still continue to look for the amazing in
our own lives and not feel irresponsible for doing it.
(24:26):
This is me calling me out right now. I feel
bad about going after things that I love whenever so
much of the world is in chaos. Yes, the world
is a little crazy, and who's to say that you're
going after your small modicum of joy in a day,
(24:47):
in a week, in an afternoon isn't exactly the kind
of touchstone that your community needs, so they give themselves
permission to do the same. I don't think we really
give the weight necessary to the connections that we share
in our communities. I think we've been led to believe
that they don't exist as strongly as they are. I
(25:09):
think that we rely on each other very heavily for
bad news and darkness and cold and shade. Whenever we
want to share something with a community. I think that
we have gotten so used to that sensation that we
have stopped sharing the joy, or we don't share it
nearly as often because you've almost always got somebody out
(25:31):
there ready to step on it to say that, well,
you know, I feel bad, you know, smiling or laughing
or dah da da dah because blah blah blah, and
you just need to stop it right there. Yeah, no,
I hear what you're saying. I do, and I used
to feel like that too, and then it just got
to a point where I just couldn't do that no more.
And I'm not doing that today now tomorrow, you know,
I will definitely give that a closer look. I'll give
(25:53):
that a second opinion and see if that's something that
I can help or if that's something that I need
let somebody else handle. Because this this right here, I'm
gonna put my thumb and my forefinger together. This is
my circle of influence, and I'm gonna do my dead
level best to make sure that whatever I can do
here and this bull's eye is exactly what I dedicate
all of my energy and love and goodwill to doing.
(26:16):
All that other stuff is gonna have to find another hero.
I do not have that in me, and folks are
just gonna have to be okay with that. And if
they're not well, they're gonna have to find somebody else
to hassle because it's about to get real stinky up
and here. If people keep trying to tell me what
it is I have and have not done, I promise
you I have dedicated my love, goodwill, and joy to
(26:38):
this much and I'm gonna blast that sucker with as
much sunshine as I possibly can. There is not a
way for an individual to care about everything in the
world the way it needs caring for. What we can
do is make sure that we focus on the things
that we can make an immediate impact on and anticipate
(27:01):
the ripples that flow out from that in love and
positivity and strength and inspiration for others. Because what I
love is not going to be what everyone else loves.
What I find crucial is not going to be everybody
else's prioritized item on some list of things that need
to be addressed. While the world is trying to burn
(27:23):
itself down, pardon me, while there are people with evil
intentions trying to burn down this beautiful world that we
have created, pardon me while I swapped from passive voice
to active in that I'm not getting conspiratorial. What I'm
saying is there are forces afoot that are trying to
burn down everything we have tried to make good and
(27:47):
write and true for a lion's share of the people
sharing this rock. And what we can't do is let
that get to us so deeply that they when there's more.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Of us than them, they got.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Metric ton of resources. Make no mistake, Gosh, those folks
are so powerful and so influential, and they've got the
means to really make things very very difficult for a
whole lot of people. And there's just a teeny tiny,
teeny tiny little percentage of them whenever you look at
the population of this beautiful planet in its entirety, and
(28:25):
we got to remember that that ain't nothing. That ain't nothing.
And the best way I know how to do it,
the best way I know to get myself in a
mindset where I can really start to feel strong and
effective and part of a society that wants to do better,
is by embracing my amazing and stepping outside that circle
(28:46):
that for too long I have been hunkered down and
hiding in in order to be shinier. Lord God, let
me shine. Let me do that not only from the inside.
Let me the light that others in my community are shining,
so we can make sure that those around us do
not feel the cold or the darkness any longer, but
(29:09):
that we start to inspire that hope that maybe, just
maybe we ain't done yet. I love the time that
we get to spend together. I get real scared, y'all.
(29:30):
I promise you. I start with an idea and I'm like,
how in the world am I gonna make a worthwhile
moment with these people that I love so much? And
then here we go. I watched this little red timer countdown.
I was like, well, I'll be dang, we did it again.
I wish you would just look at that. I'm so
grateful you're here. If this is your first episode, welcome.
(29:50):
We are so happy to have you here at Radical Joy.
If this is not your first episode, hey, welcome back.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
I'm glad you're here too.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
If you're the kind of person who likes to leave
a review, please do so. Take a screenshot of your
five star review on whatever platform where you're listening, send
it to us here at Radical Joy. And Claw Studios.
We would love to send you a little bit of
swag from our podcast. It's probably gonna be a sticker,
something you're gonna add to, something like a laptop or
a journal. We love a journal, a water bottle, even
(30:20):
a bumper, just to make sure that folks know where
it is. You're getting some of your listening good in
the world, because hey, word of mouth is the very
best we could hope to get from any of you.
Advertising is great, but whenever somebody says, hey, you know what,
I tune into this every week because it gives me
a little I take no higher honor or flattery than
(30:42):
that right there, So get out there. It's probably Friday.
Whenever you're listening to this, have a fantastic weekend, and please, never, ever, ever,
ever forget.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
We love y'all.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Thank you for taking time to share a moment of
joy and hope with me. We're so grateful you're here.
If this is your first time, take a moment to
check out our archive see if there's something else in
there that fires you up, rekindles the joy in you. Hey,
spread the word. If you got something out of being
with us today, we welcome your thoughts and suggestions. Now,
I rarely run out of things to talk about, but
if there's something I haven't covered that's on your mind
(31:24):
or heart, I want to hear from you. To learn
more about me and CLW Studios, follow the links in
the show notes. Hey, don't forget. When you leave Radical
Joy a review, be sure.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
To send us a screenshot.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
We'll send you some kick ass swag to show our gratitude.
I am not a therapist or a medical professional. If
you're experiencing a mental health emergency, please call nine to
eighty eight to reach the National Crisis Lifeline. This content
and other content produced by CLAU Studios and affiliated partners,
is not therapy, and nothing in this content indicates a
therapeutic relationship. Any opinions of guests on this podcast are
(31:58):
their own and do not represent the opinions of James
or CLA Studios. Please consult with your therapist or see
what in your area if you're experiencing mental health symptoms.
Everything in this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes.
Only have a great one and we will see you
next week for another dose of Radical Joy.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Love y'all,
Hello, friends, So happy to have you here with me
today at Radical Joy. If you've been here before, hey,
welcome back. If this is your first time with me,
well I'm glad you're here. Each week, i'm here with
you talking to myself about things that weigh on my
mind and heart, hoping if you're dealing with something similar,
we can adjust our perspectives as you listen. Hey, if
you're struggling with something that needs immediate attention, please know
(00:35):
that help is available. Just a nine eight eight nationwide
in the US to reach the Mental Health and Suicide
Crisis Hotline. All of us here at Cola Studios believe
that mental health is a.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Vital part of our well being.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
The more people I meet and the more places I go,
the more I realize how important it is to make
people aware of the fact that there is no shame
in enjoying the parts of our lives that are incredible.
It's time for some radical Joy, and this week the
three fingers pointing back at me are for living outside
of the circle. I take notes whenever something comes across
(01:18):
my mind and heart to make sure that whenever I
get back in front of a microphone that I can
talk about it with all of you. One of the
topics that I put into my notes at not long
ago says, put yourself outside the circle every day, forget
the obstacle and imagine the amazing. I love this idea.
(01:43):
I know this comes as a zero surprise to anyone
and everyone listening within the sound of my voice. I
think it's so incredibly important that we continue to look
for the amazing in everything that we're doing. Now, please
bear with me for a moment, because I promise you
this is not sunshine, lollipops and rainbow shooting out of
my in. What this is is an honest search for
(02:05):
a reason to be happy in a world that continues
to tug at every single emotion and thread of attention
that we have in order to keep us afraid or small,
or angry or divided. Okay, I will be the first
to admit that I definitely fall prey to that sometimes
I'm not proud of it. But I think the first
(02:28):
rule in improving that is acknowledging it so that I
can work on being better about it. Whenever this happens again,
and low and behold trust and believe it is definitely
going to happen again. I think that whenever we ponder
(02:48):
an idea of forgetting an obstacle, I think we have
to be very careful about what we classify as an obstacle.
There are certain things in your life that are going
to make things more interest shall we say, a partner,
a family, a job that perhaps pays okay, but it's
not necessarily your favorite way to spend eight hours in
(03:09):
a day or forty in a week.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
These are things that we had hoped for because they
facilitate something or they fulfill something that we've wanted. Since
whatever your timeline is on those kinds of things, and
because of that, looking at those things as obstacles is
probably not our best choice of action. So instead, what
(03:34):
I would like to do is look at the things
in our lives that are obstacles, that are truly obstacles. Well, okay,
what does that mean? Well, personally to me, the things
that I view as obstacles are self doubt a lot
of the things that I see as obstacles in my life.
Whenever I really put pen to paper and a scrutinizing
eye on it, it really turns into something that I
(03:56):
have told myself that when put to empirical evidence to
prove either yay or nay, true or false. I often
find that I'm tricking myself, and so what I have
to do in that respect is try to find a
way through it, around it, beside it, because those are
(04:18):
the voices that I listen to most closely, even though
they are the ones who hold the least truth. Now,
am I proud of it? No? Is it one of
those things where the older I get, the more I
realize this to be pretty accurate. Yeah, it is, And
so for me, whenever I think of or visualize what
I would think to be an obstacle, that's what I think. Now.
(04:43):
I have a lot of really interesting people in my life,
very good friends who carry a lot of self doubt.
They carry a lot of loneliness, they carry a lot
of very strong feelings that whenever they tell me about it,
and honestly, I'm lattered and honored that they share those
kinds of things with me, it surprises me because those
(05:05):
don't seem to be the things that I would think
would be the things that hang them up. You know,
whenever I look at those kind of things, oh, I
would never have guessed that to be your personal obstacle.
I think it's important whenever we have conversations like that
that I don't get judgy about it or I don't
poke fun or make light of it, because an obstacle,
(05:28):
whether real or imagined, feels very real to the person
who's being detained by it, including yourself. So whenever you
come to the realization of whatever this is that's holding
you back or slowing you down or weighing you, could
you be kind of gentle with yourself because I think
(05:49):
that if we add more ridicule or shamed the situation,
that that's probably going to make it just a little
bit more difficult to put down, just from the nature
of the beast. If that is something that you do
that helps you great, that's wonderful. Please know this does
not apply to you, I think at large, definitely, including myself.
(06:11):
What I don't want to do is be harsh with
myself on something like this. What I want to do
is dismiss it. I want to belittle it. I want
to put it in the washing machine on hot, throw
it in the dryer on high, and shrink the shit
out of that socker. I want it to get lighter
and smaller and less significant. I want, every time I
(06:35):
try that on again after putting it through the washing dry,
for it to get smaller and snugger and less comfortable.
I want it to become something that I have no
time or space for in my life anymore. I don't
want to treat it like a big booger bear. What
(06:55):
I want to treat it like is a sweater that
I outgrew a couple of years back, and for whatever reason,
I'm still wearing it because I don't have anything to
replace it, and I want to go shopping for something
new to replace it. Something that is flattering, something that
has a very fine line, a sophisticated cut to it,
(07:19):
something very clearly suits the man I am now instead
of the person that outgrew this two years ago. Okay,
And whenever I do that, I want to matter a
really nice material, a lighter weight, something so we can
wear it a little bit more during the year than
we can do seasonal work. I would love for it
(07:42):
to be something that I can dress up with a
blazer and a nice boot, or dressed down with jeans
and a pair of chucks, maybe a jaunty hat when
I'm feeling extra special awesome. What I want to do
is make sure that whenever I leave that obstacle behind,
(08:02):
I have replaced it with something that I like so
much better that I never look back at the thing
that I had to put on the donation pile or
throw into the garage sale box. All I want to
do is look down and see what I'm wearing now
that is no longer an obstacle, but more of a
(08:27):
what's the obstacle? Opposite of an obstacle? What would you
call this?
Speaker 2 (08:30):
A lift? A wing? That's what it is. It's a wing.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So instead of an obstacle, something that weighs you down,
something that keeps you from moving as quickly as perhaps
you are capable of moving, now you are equipped, festuned,
if you will, with a wing. And it's so good.
You feel great when you're wearing it. You feel super slick.
And it's not that it's flashy or showy.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
What it is.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
It's just one one of those things that just reaches
down into the very middle of your guts and gives
you that.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yeah feeling.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
No matter how you dress it up or down, it's
just got you. It's you. That's what I want us
to think about. I want us to move past these obstacles,
these things that no longer serve or fit or cultivate
a sense of well being or abundance in who we are,
and trade them, give them away if you have to.
(09:30):
Something I have not learned recently, but something I continue
to learn, a lesson that continues to make itself very
visible in my life, is that there are certain things
in my life that I must release if I want
something new and better to take its place. It's not
that I can hold on to one thing while I
(09:51):
wait on the next thing. It's that I have to
completely let go of that one thing that no longer
serves to give that strong signal to the universe to say, Okay,
I am trusting, this is my faith. This is me
really giving you all I can give you in hope,
in divine confidence that you're gonna deliver the new thing
(10:13):
to me. So I don't hit the ground with the splatter.
And just about the time that millstone leaves your neck
and you're taking your arc of assent scared you're gonna
hit that peek and start going back down again, here
comes that wing. The universe delivers and equips you with
something that just fits right, that does the job that
(10:38):
ticks every box. Why because you believed it would, because
you trusted that it would. And this is the part
where I wanted to say, embrace the amazing. We're gonna
let go a lot of things in our life over
the next few months because we've been living in fear
(10:59):
and scarcity. And I can't say that I blame anybody.
Please trust when I say this is not a scold
at all. It is an acknowledgment of that is a
perfectly natural reaction to the way literally all of this
is going. So what I'm gonna say is, after dealing
(11:20):
with all of that and hunkered down and browbeaten and
just folded in on ourselves, what we're going to do
is start to lay those burdens down, knowing they're still there,
acknowledging the fact that we still have a responsibility to
do the most that we can individually to make these
things better for our community as a whole, and know
(11:44):
that the entirety of it does not rest on a
single individual's shoulders, namely ours, us one by one whenever
we come to that, what we're going to do is
lay that down, and we're going to find whatever that
is that makes us feel amazing because that is where
our strength flies. We've been hunkered down and stood in
(12:04):
the shade for so long, we must feel pale and
stiff and sore from just trying to mash ourselves into
something that doesn't even come close to giving us the
space that we need for the incredible people that we are. Okay,
and I believe this with my whole heart. Again, I'm
not trying to beat Pollyanna nothing. What I'm trying to
(12:26):
say is that if after living as small and scared
for as long as many of us have, myself included,
we got to remember just exactly who the hell we are,
and we've got to put down some of these things
that continue to just grump at us. They're grumping at us,
they see the television, and we just get so mad
(12:48):
because somebody ain't doing the right thing on the Capitol steps,
or or somebody's being hurt just for who they love,
or somebody's doing whatever it is they are doing because
of a skin color or where they were raised, any
number of things. What we're gonna do is we're gonna
put that down for just a second. I'm not gonna
(13:09):
forget it. We're just gonna like lay that burden down
for a minute, and we're gonna find what it is
that makes us feel like our full and fully realized selves.
We're gonna find our art, our writing, our sculpture, our paint.
We're gonna throw some pots, uh meaning literally mold them
(13:29):
from clay, not literally throw them from the cupboard though. Hey,
if that makes you feel good, and far be it
from me to stop you, get after it.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Boy.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I know the kind of catharsist that'll bring break something hell, yes,
preferably something you're not gonna miss, or something that just
really pisses you off. There's no reason to hold on
to chotkeys and trinkets that don't do anything except continue
to cultivate some kind of bad or ill will feeling
in your guts, heart, soul, mind, light.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Get rid of it.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Chuck it, sledgehammer that some bitch put on a stump
outside and literally take something heavy to it. Make sure
when it hits it blows into a bajillion giblets. Okay,
I want it to make sure, like send a message
loud and clear. I want to crack it. I want
to obliterate it. I want to pulverize it. That's a
(14:21):
beautiful word pull verise, it's got I think it's got
a Latin root to it, because pol vere is the
word for powder in Italian. It was like, yeah, I mean,
I want you to turn that thing from solid to powder,
mash it till there ain't no more mash to be had,
and don't even give it the time of day. Once
(14:42):
it's done, just leave the giblets. Talk to a friend,
a neighbor, a spouse, say hey, could you clean that
up for me? Because I ain't got no time to
clean up what's left. What I needed to do is
make sure that it was destroyed. Put all of this
small and angry and scared and awful and disappointed and
(15:05):
frustrated and all these other things that continue to just
great at us and make us feel as though we
are less or less mobile than we truly are. Put
that intention into whatever object it is that you're about
to just absolutely rain down hellfire and brimstone and just
beat the hell out of it. That's one. Get yourself
(15:29):
something new to wear. It doesn't have to be super
expensive thrifted. I highly recommend going out there and doing
sustainable shopping. Find something that somebody else had loved intensely
for as long as they could, or simply discarded because
they never found something to wear with it. Give it
new life, Let it give you a little pep in
your stuff. Find it. Hey, When I was a kid,
(15:51):
the thing that I wanted more than anything for whatever
amount of time, Man, I wanted a black leather biker
jacket with the silver zippers. It only went to the wasist.
You know what I'm talking about, Like, it didn't go.
It didn't cover your rear end at all. It stopped
right there at the waist. Trying to find one of
those things in Blunt County, Alabama that did not break
the bank was a difficult proposition. Now. I eventually outgrew
(16:17):
that phase long before I ever got that garment. But
I tell you right now, I don't forget that longing
to have it. Now. I own a mirror, so I
know that wearing something like that would look ridiculous to
anyone else. Let me tell you something right now. I'm
real tired of my thoughts on how I appear to
everyone else being a driving force in my life at all.
(16:41):
If I could tell you right now that people can
love you and still not give two hoots about what
you do with your wardrobe, or your free time or
any other kind of stuff. I wish I could communicate
that clearly enough to you. It is absolutely possible for
somebody to love you and still not give a single
care about what it is you do. Now, on the
(17:03):
other side of that, there will also be people in
your life that have an opinion on every little thing
that you do. And this is where a little bit
of boundary setting would not kill any of us. If
you want to try something new and different because you
just feel like you're stuck in a rut, and something
like a garish nail color would be something that you
(17:25):
would like to try. Or a hooker boot, I said, up,
you heard me right, a hooker boot, one with a
heel that goes up to your knee or higher ladies, gentlemen,
them's and knays, if you want to give that a shot,
I'm here for it. I say, give it a whirl.
And whenever that Mildred in your life or that Ustas
(17:47):
cuts you some side eye or tips their hat in
your direction with the arched eyebrow, you can absolutely ignore
them or tell them that James Edward Bullard told them
to mind their beeswax because I think that we've let
a whole lot of wasps into our hive. They come
(18:07):
in there and they try to wreak havoc. All we're
doing is living. We're in there, we are doing our dance.
We're telling all of our friends where to find the
best pollen. We're coming back with nectar to the hive.
We are filling these beautiful hexagonal businesses with all of
the good stuff that eventually is going to turn into
that golden nectar that takes care of the whole community.
(18:29):
And for whatever reason, we've let a couple of wasps
in there and they're starting to really shake shit up,
and it's time to invite them to leave, or we
do as nature does and we make sure they find
their way out. If they know it's good for them,
(18:51):
they make their way out before we have to do
anything else, because it often ends poorly for all parties
involved if one must forcibly remove a wasp from a
bumblebeehive or community or James, are you promoting violence? I
most certainly am not. I am promoting accountability, and I'm
(19:13):
making sure that folks know that just because somebody says
something ugly to you doesn't mean, you need to give
them any kind of time of day, and if what
they say to you is just ugly enough to really
hurt your feelings, you can one hundred percent tell them
that their feelings when you reply to how they hurt
your feelings is nothing on you. Folks need to know
(19:33):
that if they care about you at all, they need
to know it, and the only way they're gonna know
it is if you say it now. I'm not saying
that you got to be ugly about it. What I
can say is that you can be direct about it. Man,
let me tell you something. I got some friends now
in my life that they are not afraid to really
just tell me. And that's good in two ways. Number One,
I know, without a shadow of doubt these people care
(19:55):
about me more than a whole lot of folks in
my life have. I am not saying all. I've got
some incredible friends. Okay, So, if you're listening to the sound
of my voice and you suspect this is you, chances
are good it ain't because the people I'm talking about
probably would not be listening to this podcast right now.
So if you can hear the sound of my voice,
please understand it is not you to which I am
(20:18):
of which am I speaking? Now, they'll tell me some
pretty pretty direct things, and it's just funny to me
because whenever they tell me some of these things, I
am also given permission to reply in as direct a fashion,
and that is delightful and not something I'm used to doing,
because I was always told usually people who had some
(20:40):
sort of input on whatever dall is I was doing before,
came from some sort of position of authority, whether real
or imagined, whether it be they are an elder, or
they had popular opinion on their side, or whatever ma
up reason they thought, so they felt very comfortable telling
(21:03):
me these kind of things. In reply, I would be oh,
and if I tried to justify or explain my position,
they would be uninterested, or they would double down, or etcetera, etcetera, etc.
Occasionally they'd let it be, but not often. Welcome to
the new era of James Bullard. Whenever somebody comes at
(21:23):
me with something like that that I do not believe
to be true, I don't have to entertain it, nor
do I have to worry about their feelings when I
tell them that what they've just told me, though the
feedback is welcome. I will not be integrating that into
whatever it is that I'm doing, nor correcting the course
that they have tried to correct. Thank you so much.
I'm so happy you feel comfortable in sharing this with me.
Please understand, the course remains the same, the steering wheel
(21:47):
has not budged, the rudder will not be shifting. And
my favorite is whenever somebody comes in with more explanation, well,
you know, I just think that great, you made that
clear the first round, or even if you didn't, thank
you for more input. But you can stop talking now
because it's starting to get to the point now where
it's going to escalate. And though I don't love that,
(22:09):
I do not shy from it any longer. It's always
so fun for me to watch things like that, whenever
people are like, no, no, no, I'm trying to help you.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Oh no.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I understand your motivation has been very clear, because you
told me on several moments during this conversation. What I
need you to understand is that I think this particular
piece of advice, whether solicited or not, is not really
very valuable to me because I think where you're coming
from and what you're suggesting isn't the way I want
(22:42):
to live my life. The butt hurt them follows hilarious.
I'm only trying to help wonderful and I've already thanked
you for your help. I thank you for the thought.
Please understand that this gift that you're trying to give
is that's not something I like. And if you were
(23:02):
truly trying to give a gift, you would understand that
it should come with a receipt that I can exchange
it for something at a later date, for something that
I do find useful or enjoyable, because this ain't it. Yeah,
I'm not offering it disrespect, but please understand that I
won't be apologizing for rejecting your unsolicited or unwelcome advances
on who I think I am and how cool I
(23:25):
feel being that person. Embrace it. We've got a metric
ton of amazing that just waits right outside this cramped,
shadowy circle that we continue to try to keep ourselves in.
And I get it.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
I do.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
We've got to navigate some really tricky landscape lately, family dynamics,
employment dynamics, whether or not we will have employment in
the future, looking for something more lucrative, housing, food inflation.
How am I going to afford fill in the blank,
(24:01):
how am I going to afford? However many blanks? That
is because we're all getting a little scared and times
are tight wonderful while we are searching for those answers.
We do not have to stay small. We do not
have to hold on to all of that burden and obstacle.
We can still continue to look for the amazing in
our own lives and not feel irresponsible for doing it.
(24:26):
This is me calling me out right now. I feel
bad about going after things that I love whenever so
much of the world is in chaos. Yes, the world
is a little crazy, and who's to say that you're
going after your small modicum of joy in a day,
(24:47):
in a week, in an afternoon isn't exactly the kind
of touchstone that your community needs, so they give themselves
permission to do the same. I don't think we really
give the weight necessary to the connections that we share
in our communities. I think we've been led to believe
that they don't exist as strongly as they are. I
(25:09):
think that we rely on each other very heavily for
bad news and darkness and cold and shade. Whenever we
want to share something with a community. I think that
we have gotten so used to that sensation that we
have stopped sharing the joy, or we don't share it
nearly as often because you've almost always got somebody out
(25:31):
there ready to step on it to say that, well,
you know, I feel bad, you know, smiling or laughing
or dah da da dah because blah blah blah, and
you just need to stop it right there. Yeah, no,
I hear what you're saying. I do, and I used
to feel like that too, and then it just got
to a point where I just couldn't do that no more.
And I'm not doing that today now tomorrow, you know,
I will definitely give that a closer look. I'll give
(25:53):
that a second opinion and see if that's something that
I can help or if that's something that I need
let somebody else handle. Because this this right here, I'm
gonna put my thumb and my forefinger together. This is
my circle of influence, and I'm gonna do my dead
level best to make sure that whatever I can do
here and this bull's eye is exactly what I dedicate
all of my energy and love and goodwill to doing.
(26:16):
All that other stuff is gonna have to find another hero.
I do not have that in me, and folks are
just gonna have to be okay with that. And if
they're not well, they're gonna have to find somebody else
to hassle because it's about to get real stinky up
and here. If people keep trying to tell me what
it is I have and have not done, I promise
you I have dedicated my love, goodwill, and joy to
(26:38):
this much and I'm gonna blast that sucker with as
much sunshine as I possibly can. There is not a
way for an individual to care about everything in the
world the way it needs caring for. What we can
do is make sure that we focus on the things
that we can make an immediate impact on and anticipate
(27:01):
the ripples that flow out from that in love and
positivity and strength and inspiration for others. Because what I
love is not going to be what everyone else loves.
What I find crucial is not going to be everybody
else's prioritized item on some list of things that need
to be addressed. While the world is trying to burn
(27:23):
itself down, pardon me, while there are people with evil
intentions trying to burn down this beautiful world that we
have created, pardon me while I swapped from passive voice
to active in that I'm not getting conspiratorial. What I'm
saying is there are forces afoot that are trying to
burn down everything we have tried to make good and
(27:47):
write and true for a lion's share of the people
sharing this rock. And what we can't do is let
that get to us so deeply that they when there's more.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Of us than them, they got.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Metric ton of resources. Make no mistake, Gosh, those folks
are so powerful and so influential, and they've got the
means to really make things very very difficult for a
whole lot of people. And there's just a teeny tiny,
teeny tiny little percentage of them whenever you look at
the population of this beautiful planet in its entirety, and
(28:25):
we got to remember that that ain't nothing. That ain't nothing.
And the best way I know how to do it,
the best way I know to get myself in a
mindset where I can really start to feel strong and
effective and part of a society that wants to do better,
is by embracing my amazing and stepping outside that circle
(28:46):
that for too long I have been hunkered down and
hiding in in order to be shinier. Lord God, let
me shine. Let me do that not only from the inside.
Let me the light that others in my community are shining,
so we can make sure that those around us do
not feel the cold or the darkness any longer, but
(29:09):
that we start to inspire that hope that maybe, just
maybe we ain't done yet. I love the time that
we get to spend together. I get real scared, y'all.
(29:30):
I promise you. I start with an idea and I'm like,
how in the world am I gonna make a worthwhile
moment with these people that I love so much? And
then here we go. I watched this little red timer countdown.
I was like, well, I'll be dang, we did it again.
I wish you would just look at that. I'm so
grateful you're here. If this is your first episode, welcome.
(29:50):
We are so happy to have you here at Radical Joy.
If this is not your first episode, hey, welcome back.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
I'm glad you're here too.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
If you're the kind of person who likes to leave
a review, please do so. Take a screenshot of your
five star review on whatever platform where you're listening, send
it to us here at Radical Joy. And Claw Studios.
We would love to send you a little bit of
swag from our podcast. It's probably gonna be a sticker,
something you're gonna add to, something like a laptop or
a journal. We love a journal, a water bottle, even
(30:20):
a bumper, just to make sure that folks know where
it is. You're getting some of your listening good in
the world, because hey, word of mouth is the very
best we could hope to get from any of you.
Advertising is great, but whenever somebody says, hey, you know what,
I tune into this every week because it gives me
a little I take no higher honor or flattery than
(30:42):
that right there, So get out there. It's probably Friday.
Whenever you're listening to this, have a fantastic weekend, and please, never, ever, ever,
ever forget.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
We love y'all.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Thank you for taking time to share a moment of
joy and hope with me. We're so grateful you're here.
If this is your first time, take a moment to
check out our archive see if there's something else in
there that fires you up, rekindles the joy in you. Hey,
spread the word. If you got something out of being
with us today, we welcome your thoughts and suggestions. Now,
I rarely run out of things to talk about, but
if there's something I haven't covered that's on your mind
(31:24):
or heart, I want to hear from you. To learn
more about me and CLW Studios, follow the links in
the show notes. Hey, don't forget. When you leave Radical
Joy a review, be sure.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
To send us a screenshot.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
We'll send you some kick ass swag to show our gratitude.
I am not a therapist or a medical professional. If
you're experiencing a mental health emergency, please call nine to
eighty eight to reach the National Crisis Lifeline. This content
and other content produced by CLAU Studios and affiliated partners,
is not therapy, and nothing in this content indicates a
therapeutic relationship. Any opinions of guests on this podcast are
(31:58):
their own and do not represent the opinions of James
or CLA Studios. Please consult with your therapist or see
what in your area if you're experiencing mental health symptoms.
Everything in this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes.
Only have a great one and we will see you
next week for another dose of Radical Joy.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Love y'all,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.