Spiritual-ish

Well, beloved listeners, we've reached the end of Spiritualish. We know this isn't expected (but it wasn't expected by us, either, at least not yet!). We talk about how we reached this decision, why it's the right one for us now, and the anxiety around ending it, too. We love you. We've loved doing this show. Thank you for letting us into your world. Music by Izzy DeVor.

This week we answer a letter from a mom who's been trying to get sober for over a year and struggling hard. She says she's exhausted. She asks, "How does one hold it together all the time?". We've got some answers. Music by Izzy DeVor.

WE'RE BACK! "Those who look for the laws of Nature as support for their new works collaborate with the creator." - Antonio Gaudi. This week, we explore the Vedic concept of "Support of Nature" and how we can always tune into this knowing, elemental force as a guide and powerful feedback mechanism for decision-making and navigation through life. We walk through Meadow's current process of book writing and how this concept is playing out for her in real-time. Music by Izzy DeVor.

"Tie the dog to the damn tree" is some advice Laura heard a few years ago and in the past month, as things started to fall apart, she realized she needed to listen. This week we talk about the anxiety and problems that ensue when we can't tell the difference between what's urgent and important, how to learn to discern between the two, and what to do.

One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves in this life is: how much is enough? In our home, our relationships, money, work, success, our belongings, what is the value of going bigger, and what are the costs? This week, we talk about how we've been wrestling with this question in our own lives and the surprising contrasts in our desires. Music by Izzy DeVor.

"Philip Morris just wanted your lungs; the App Store wants your soul." - Bill Maher, 2018. This week, we explore the concept of Digital Minimalism, as described in Cal Newport's new book of the same title, the significant changes we've both made in response, the early results we've seen, as well as some of the open questions and fears we each have. This isn't about hating on tech (we love it!) but rather understanding the real impact of how we are now "connected", making choices based on what you value most, crushing some of the myths of being an online entrepreneur and "needing" social media, and deciding how you really want to spend your life. Music by Izzy DeVor.

Is there a conversation you've been having for waaaaay too long? (There is, we promise.) This week, we talk about the conversations we want to stop having, and what happens when you get stuck in a loop without realizing it. Also: Laura meets capital R resistance and Meadow goes to visit David Whyte the day after Mary Oliver passes. Music by Izzy DeVor.

TODAY IS OUR ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SPIRITUALISH! Okay, that aside, this week's episode is about letting the real you be seen. We answer a letter from a woman who isn't sure how to come to terms with who she was in the past, or if she really wants or needs to. She fears the people in her life would be shocked and scatter if they knew what she was like in her drinking days--she's not even sure *she* can accept that person, either. We discuss. And, for inquiring minds, we also discuss Laura's new way of eating, her hellish week of detox, and why she decided to kick grains and sugar.

Do you have things you’re committed to doing more or less daily that keep you sane and functional? Weeeell, you should. We all need them. And this episode might just give you permission to claim your non-negotiables. We talk about ours, why they matter, and how they fit into our day. What does this have to do with John Travolta jazzercizing in short-short shorts? Nothing! But it’s a glorious image to behold, no? Note: We are now on Spotify too, for your Spotify folks. Music by Izzy DeVor

As we approach the darkest and shortest day of the year, we talk about the necessity and value of the dark. Emotionally, seasonally, culturally, and psychologically, we tend to avoid the dark at all costs. But what if we could embrace it, instead? We talk about Laura's deep fear of winter, of the mystical meaning of darkness, and how we might look at it all a little bit differently.

It may be the hardest question we all face at some point: do you stay (in the relationship, the job, the city), or do you go? In this episode, we respond to a letter from a woman who's having second thoughts about her decision to divorce, break down our own experience, and offer a way to help her (and you) make a decision. Album art: The Clash Music: Izzy DeVor

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, but what the hell is anxiety, anyway? This week, we talk about our experience with anxiety as we understand it. Meadow gives her take on money anxiety and Laura talks about the correlation between drinking and anxiety. Image by Allie Brosh (Hyperbole and a Half) Music by Izzy DeVor

This week, we answer a letter from a woman whose long-term relationship has just ended--an ending she did not want--and she's struggling to make it through. We share our own stories of devastating heartbreak, including divorce: what helped, what didn't, and what we know now. Music by Izzy DeVor

Fucking rejection. Is there anything worse? This week, we talk about why rejection actually hurts as much as it does, share some of our own cringey man-rejection stories, and talk about what can make it better, or worse. Music by Izzy DeVor.

Let's talk about the P word. Why do we bury our head in the sand when we have important things to do, or find ANYTHING ELSE to do other than that dreaded thing. Procrastination is a tricky monster and we've got some good ideas to help you look at what's real and how to work through it.

This week, we answer a letter from a woman who's struggling with feeling constant guilt about her mother. We break down the difference between guilt and toxic guilt, where we've felt toxic guilt in our own lives, and what you can do to help yourself move through it.

We're back from summer camp! This week, we talk about teenage angst as being steeped in priceless wisdom. All that bullshit we pulled on our parents? The way we tried to rebel (or not)? What if we were just telling the truth? And what if, in our middle-age, we come up against the same things? What if what you were doing as a teenager has more to tell you about what you're experiencing now, than any self-help book or spiritual teacher? Music by Izzy DeVor

How do you keep going when nothing seems to be working? How do you stay in the game when things become overwhelming? What's the effing point of it all? This week we discuss how despair, hopelessness, sadness and happiness work to figure out what the "point" actually is.

In this episode, Laura & Meadow read a doozie of a letter from a woman who has "lit herself on fire to keep someone else warm" and dissect the difference between enabling and helping.

Co-Dependency has been called "The Disease of The Lost Self" and we think that's exactly the right description. In this episode (one of many to come on this topic) Laura & Meadow talk about the basics of co-dependency: what it is, what it isn't, some common myths, and how you can start to look at it in your own life.