An Invitation To Share
An Invitation To Share
What's in Your "Personal Starter Pack"
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Today we delve into the world of personal starter packs - a unique assembly of items that encapsulate your identity, quirks, and passions. I share the contents of my own starter pack and I also invite you to brainstorm your own, providing a creative avenue to articulate parts of your identity.
Our exploration takes us deeper as we reflect on our identities and how advocacy shapes us. The significance of protective factors in managing heavy news and maintaining our engagement in advocacy is emphasized and how this can also relate to your identity. Our conversation extends to mental health topics, special interests, and even safety. I hope you enjoy this episode, love always.
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Exploring Personal Starter Packs and Self-Expression
Speaker 1Hey everyone , welcome back to an invitation to share . If you're new here , I'm so happy to have you . If you are an old listener , thank you so much for coming back and listening to the show . I hope you're doing medium , okay , medium well , medium , rare , whatever . However you are cooked or however you are feeling , I hope things are going alright for you .
Speaker 1This time of year is just so busy , with me trying to cram in anything I can at the end of summer preparing for fall , some of my siblings going back to school and just all the things going on . So I don't really know where you're at in your life or kind of what's going on , whether this is a more calm time of year or kind of busy or wherever you're at . I think we should just do a little check in and see how we're feeling , see how our nervous systems are feeling . I said something today at work where we have like a lot of construction going on , where they're sanding concrete , so just imagine that very loud , not good noise and I got to step away for a little bit and go to a quiet space and come back . And I came back and I was like my nervous system isn't nervous . It's not a nervous system anymore , because I got a little break . So let's take a little break , check in with how we're feeling , how our nervous system is . Is it feeling activated ? Is it feeling calm ? Is it feeling excited , neutral ? Do you have any feelings coming up in your body , any thoughts coming to mind when you do a check in ? So , yeah , just take a moment and feel into that , sink into that , tap into that and , yeah , it's always good to do a moment of grounding . I come in sometimes with a lot of energy to the pod . Sometimes I do , sometimes I don't , but today we're going to be talking about something really fun , maybe a little bit funny , kind of like a get to know you episode , but in a way that's maybe a little bit silly .
Speaker 1So , if you're on social media , for the last like several years there has been like kind of a trend I guess it's not a trend , I don't know where you can come up with a starter pack for different things and kind of what a starter pack is . I guess I would say it's the Maybe stereotypical essentials that make up either yourself or a type of person , or I don't know something that creates an image of something else . For example , one of the more funny stereotypical starter packs for like a soccer mom might be images of a minivan , like that short bob haircut that's like longer in the front , shorter in the back , who might say , like I need to speak to your manager , and maybe , like I don't know , a Starbucks Frappuccino , I don't know something . That's kind of funny that if you see it you might think of this type of person in this example a soccer mom . And I know this is a stereotype . But the reason I wanted to do this episode is because one of my best friends bachelorette parties is coming up this weekend and we're having a PowerPoint night , which I'm so excited for . I've never had a PowerPoint night .
Speaker 1It's kind of where you just present on like a topic , I guess in a more specific comical way , and one of the prompts was to do your own starter pack and that's what I picked to do . So I'm going to go through like what I think my starter pack is . It's like 10-ish funny type things and as I was going through this I kept thinking I can't think of anything for myself . I don't know what describes me . I don't know what traits or images or like stereotypes describe me , because I'm not super in touch with myself all the time . If I'm given a prompt like this , it takes several days for me to come up with like anything . So I thought it would be a good exercise and maybe fun thing for us to do together and then maybe you can like tell the people in your life or ask them , like , what are your starter pack items or what are things that make you you , just in a lighthearted way . So let's get into it . Oh , and also I'm going to share the slide that I made on my PowerPoint for my starter pack on social media . So make sure you're following so you can see it , because it's super cute . It's all pink and orange theme . I love it .
Speaker 1So one of the first things on my starter pack is this funny , like 0.5 photo of me holding a SpongeBob stuffed animal that has like the rainbow on it because one I like to take a lot of 0.5 funny photos . If you follow me on Instagram , pretty much most of my content is like 0.5 photos . I don't know why . I just think it's funny . I also love SpongeBob so much . If you've listened to the podcast , you know that I love SpongeBob . Anthony loves SpongeBob . Most of my friends do too , and that's definitely included in my starter pack because I have enjoyed watching SpongeBob my whole life and just quoting the show , because SpongeBob is a motivated individual who's dedicated to his job , has really like solid friendships . It's a very curious , funny individual . I don't know , maybe you hate it . That's totally cool , because my next item is a picture of the moon . I love taking photos of the moon . I love watching the moon rise , very similarly to how I like watching the sunrise and the sunset , so very connected to nature in that way .
Speaker 1The next Few items I have are a photo of really dark eyeliner . I have worn dark eyeliner since I don't know middle school . I love dark eyeliner . I do not care at all if people don't like it , because you better believe . Throughout my life , multiple people have said you shouldn't wear dark eyeliner , doesn't look good , doesn't look classy or doesn't go with your outfit or whatever . That's okay . You can think that I just really love dark eyeliner and I also love leggings and yoga pants , which are the next things on this slide for my PowerPoint . I prefer to be comfortable and cozy and also you never know if you're going to have the opportunity to go for a walk or a hike or to nap so many choices , when you're just comfortable all the time .
Speaker 1And I went ahead and I also added some things that are also more not serious , but they definitely are a part of me . So I added , like the words , therapy , because I'm going into , I believe , my 11th year of therapy , which has really shaped me as a person . I've heard a lot of my friends talk about how this sport helped shape them , or this like path they took in school , or this relationship that they had with either a past partner , or like relationships they had in their family or with friends . Those are some of the things that can help shape who we are , and for me , therapy has been like a pretty consistent thing in my life , and so I thought it was important to include that as well as a little image of some , like the image I put on the PowerPoint are these cute little pills , because I take a lot of medication for my mental health , for my health and just overall to help I don't know make me have less anxiety , less depression , help manage my ADHD , make sure I sleep well and I'm trying to have like a full , balanced life , I guess .
Speaker 1So make sure I get my supplements in there , and that is a part of me and something that maybe is not talked about a lot is when I travel , like I'm traveling for this bachelorette trip . I have been on edge , not fighting necessarily , but trying to push to make sure I have all of my medications refilled before I go on my trip , because if I don't have my medications , I'm not going to have a bad trip , but , wow , bad trip . I'm not going to have a like not great time at the beach , but my mood is going to be affected , my sleep , my habits and you know , I'm just really not my full , authentic self that I would like to be . And maybe people who don't take medication daily or maybe they have medication that's typically in stock , um , I don't know , maybe that's not something they have to think about . And , of course , there's people who aren't on any medication at all , which is totally fine , but I think that there's just some extra planning that I have to do , which is totally cool . But my meds have helped me live a much safer and happier , fulfilling I can't say clear minded , because I never have a clear mind , but more calm-ish , I don't know . I have a more calm-ish headspace , I guess , when I take my medication , and I'm very grateful for that and , yeah , that's , that's a part of who I am . I have some skincare photos on there of , like different products that I use . I really struggle with almost constantly having hives either on my back or on my face , which my dermatologist has said is due to stress , which totally checks out right there with you . So , anyway , I always have to be moisturizing my skin so many times a day and just doing all this skincare to make sure I am not having hives , because we don't want that and that's funny but true , and it makes up my daily routine and it helps make up who I am as a person . And speaking of daily routines , if you're wanting to think of what some items in your starter pack would be , do you have anything that you do daily ? Do you have any habits that you follow or any routines that you have or , I don't know ? Is there something that you check in with or do for yourself ? Not every day , but you know , every so often .
Speaker 1I used to make multiple TikTok videos a day . I think last summer I was making like six to eight videos a day , where now I'm down to like one or two every few weeks . One because my schedule has changed . Two , my motivation and reason for making videos is totally different . And three , I just don't always want to make videos . I used to force myself to make videos like not all of them , but I'd be like I gotta get . Gotta get in eight videos a day and I don't know . I was very hard on myself and because I love making content and videos in general , the more I was forcing myself to do them , the harder it was to do them . So I'm trying to get back into the swing of things of making videos , which is really enjoyable . So , of course , I had to include TikTok in my starter pack and I also think it's valuable to share that . You know , on the podcast I've talked a lot about finding balance with life and social media and that's , you know , a common theme that I also like to touch on . So that relates to to my habits as well .
Speaker 1Another thing that I put on here I think I only have like one or two more items that I'll share but another thing I added were these really cute photos of different squish mellows , which are stuffed animals which I've been collecting over the last several years . It was harder to have a lot of stuffed animals . Growing up , I was one of four kids and there one wasn't room . Two , my parents probably didn't want us having a bunch of stuffed animals and three . I feel like as a kid you just constantly change your mind of what you like and what you don't like , and so it's been very enjoyable and fun for me to collect different squish mellows and just have them as an adult and they're really great like pillows . We have some on our couch downstairs and , I don't know , I really enjoy them . I think they're fun and it's cool to talk about them with other people who like squish mellows too , and part of me almost didn't even want to say that I added squish mellows on there .
Speaker 1I don't know if some people just don't really like them , but I think part of making this like starter pack of things that make up me is staying true to things that I like and not thinking about what other people think that I like or think that I should like or should be , which is why I want to encourage this fun , almost like journal , prompt , creative brainstorming , thought-provoking activity for my listeners to try or at least like discuss with other people , because maybe there's something that you really like that you're worried . Oh what if I tell someone I really like this and then maybe they judge me . I want to just help reduce maybe any of those feelings of , like , anxiety or shame . If you really like something because we like what we like , we are who we are and I think it's beautiful and fun to share those things . And I also hope , if any of you make a starter pack , if you whether you share like a collage on Instagram or you just come up with a list send them to me , because you you'll find out cool and random info about somebody , I think , through this activity and I'll share mine on social media and I'd love if you guys would share some with me too . The last thing I put on my starter pack is something that's so important to me , but not necessarily like the thing is not important to me , but what it has done for me and the way that I think is so valuable .
Speaker 1I put some photos of the show the Good Place , which used to be on Hulu , now it's on Netflix , and this is a show that I have seen definitely more than 10 times . There's several seasons of the show and it is a philosophical show with so much comedy but so many moral truths in it throughout the show and the first time I saw it I was . I honestly don't even know what I experienced . I had never seen a show like this in my entire life . I do not like to watch very I don't know like suspenseful or scary shows , because I already have anxiety , and this show definitely wasn't like stressful . But it pulled me in every single episode because they were talking about , okay , what is the afterlife like ? Is there an afterlife ? What's the difference between heaven and hell , if there is one ? And they obviously put a spin of comedy and also stereotypes on the show .
Reflections on Identity and Advocacy
Speaker 1But it made me think about so many things related to ethics and philosophy that I have never thought about , or I haven't thought about in a really long time , because when I was in college , I took multiple philosophy classes , ethics classes , and I really it's not that I hated them at first , but I was blown away by how many topics and conversations I had never been a part of before I came to college related to ethics . I enjoy a great debate , I enjoy very in-depth conversations that have a lot of points of view and just a lot of depth to them , and this show has not only prompted a lot of conversations but it's made me feel very seen as a human . It's about the human experience as well and emotions , which are just my favorite things to talk about in the whole world , and the show gave me so much peace as well . So if you ever want a good recommendation for a show that has a lot of different opinions and ideas in it , but it's also very entertaining , I highly recommend the Good Place , and I had to include that on my slide for this power point because most people in my life know I've seen it a bunch of times , I've talked about it a bunch of times and it keeps me wanting to grow and evolve as a human and I feel like that's what I'm all about Now .
Speaker 1I know all of these things that I share don't make up exactly 100% of who I am , but it is interesting because these are different pieces of me and obviously the internet and my listeners and even the people in my life like friends , family , partners , co-workers they only see , I guess , bits and pieces of who I am , and it is ultimately our decision most of the time how much we share with people or how much people learn about us . And as I was kind of working through this exercise , I was wondering well , do people in my life know how important the moon is to me ? Do people in my life know you know that therapy is something that I stand for ? Do people in my life know that something that makes me smile is squishmallows ? I don't know .
Speaker 1I think it was a very reflective process for me to go through and , like I showed in the beginning , it took several days for me to come up with really anything that made up who I am , because sometimes I feel super lost and disconnected from myself , and I spent a lot of my life trying to be something for somebody else or for a group of people , or to present an image , and I was not following my own passions or hobbies or interests , and it ultimately led me to being somebody that I not only didn't recognize but didn't know how to feel or relate to , which was a very discombobulating feeling and situation to exist in in my own body for so many years . So , yes , this is maybe a funny trend that's been on the internet for a while , but at the end of the day , I saw a lot of meaning to it and I also love a good opportunity to get creative in some way and then do a little bit of self-reflection . So , as you guys are maybe thinking of doing your own potential starter pack , what are , like the top one or two things ? If somebody else in your life were to like , describe you or share an interest that you have , what do you think they would be ? I know I'm thinking of some people in my life right now and , like one of my friends always loves to be outside , no matter what . So for her I would definitely do like I would think of something nature like or the sun . My brother just really loves cape cod chips and that's his go-to snack to bring to like a party or to have on the weekend , so he would get cape cod chips . I love that . I know a lot of my friends are like vegan or vegetarian and they have a favorite like dessert item or snack that they always have on them or it's like always in stock in their house , and so I think that's a really fun one too .
Speaker 1And for Anthony , a little quick story . So for him I would definitely do something related to music , like I would want to include that in his starter pack , because when we first , I guess , kind of were in the talking phase and then eventually dating every single day , he would send me a song in the morning , like when he would text me good morning either related to how he was feeling that day or something he wanted to share with me through a song , and he would give a little description and send the song . So I have like really cool albums of all these different songs that Anthony has sent me over the years and it's a cool tie and connection that we have to each other and music is a really strong way that he likes to share and connect with other people . So , I don't know , I hope you guys enjoy brainstorming this activity if you choose to participate , and I think it was also important to me to want to do a more free , flowing , lighthearted episode this week , because there has been so many heavy things going on right now , just you know , in my life but in our community and , of course , in the world , and I definitely do not like to be avoiding my feelings or things that are really stressful in the world . But I do like to have these protective factors and these buffers to kind of bounce back and forth between staying involved and aware of the news and what's going on and then also coming back to feel grounded and to bring a little bit of joy or just a different line of thought into my life , because , although I think it's very important to do things that fill you up and that keep you feeling hopeful inside , a huge part of me also wants to be an advocate and at least understand what's going on in the world and what I can do .
Speaker 1And unfortunately , there was a shooting at a local university that I have friends and family at yesterday . Actually , it's so strange in this day and age where you might be scrolling online and you might see a meme about a starter pack , like what we're talking about today , and then the very next post is about a shooting or something violent happened , or there's some new , not good update about student loans or I don't know . You just never know what you're going to see online , and I just think it's important for us to recognize . You know we're working on holding all of these different things happening at once , and so it's very important to make decisions that are right for you and , I think , for me . Decisions that we're feeling very aligned are making a podcast episode that is somewhat enjoyable and cool to talk about , and I think it was important for me to make a podcast episode for this week that was able to bring a little bit of lightness into my heart and hopefully share something fun with my listeners , while also holding space for a tragedy that happened locally and that needs to be talked about . And so , if you are in North Carolina , or if you know the university that I'm talking about , something that I'm doing that only takes a few minutes is either calling or emailing local representatives to demand gun control reform , and if you just search and see local representatives , it'll give you photo images of all the different ones . You can go to the website and get contact information , and there's even different drafts of like what you can say if you are looking to reach out to a representative about gun control reform , like there's different drafts out there that you can find online , not on the North Carolina representative website .
Speaker 1However , I think that we can all use our voices if we are hoping for change , and I also think we can use our voices to share different things about who we are and reflect on what makes us who we are . So maybe something that I would also like to add to my starter pack is I really care about standing up for what's right for the people and the collective as a whole , and I think that everyone should always have safety at all times . We do not have that in America . I don't know if any country has that , but I guess that's . My dream is that people can feel safe , and I really like advocating for situations like this .
Speaker 1I have no problem speaking about them and I know I will continue to learn about all of these situations and I will continue to share . That is quite literally what this podcast is . It's about sharing , it's about learning , it's about making mistakes , it's about relearning , exploring different thought ideas and just trying to move forward and be better tomorrow than we were yesterday . So it means so much to me that all of you lovely listeners join us at the podcast every other Thursday or really whenever you listen to the podcast . But if you want to make sure you don't miss an episode , don't forget to subscribe to the show by hitting the plus or the follow button , and don't forget to send me your starter packs if you guys work on them at all . I love connecting with you all and hearing from you all . Thank you so much for coming back and listening to another episode . I love you so much and I will see you all next time .