Podcast Summary
Coping with Uncertainties in 2020: Inspite of financial losses and fears, many people, including the speaker, have adapted and even found new ways to engage with their audience during the unprecedented challenges of 2020.
Despite the unprecedented challenges of 2020, many people, including the speaker, have been able to cope better than they feared. Though there have been hardships and losses, the situation did not turn out as negatively as some had imagined. The speaker shares that he was initially terrified about financial losses due to canceled gigs, but he managed to cope and even found ways to engage with his audience through bonus podcast episodes. He encourages new listeners to explore earlier podcasts and invites everyone to find companionship in listening to the podcast. The speaker also mentions his fear of missing a week of recording due to illness or COVID-19, but overall, he reflects on the past year with a sense of resilience and adaptation.
Discovering new creative outlets during the pandemic: An artist found a new avenue for creativity and income through a Twitch channel, but struggled with others' disregard for safety protocols in public places, impacting their self-esteem.
The pandemic forced an artist to reevaluate their work-life balance and discover new creative outlets, while also highlighting the challenge of dealing with others' behavior during social distancing. The artist, who had been overworking themselves with gigs, discovered a Twitch channel as a new avenue for creativity and income. However, the ongoing issue of dealing with others' disregard for safety protocols in public places has been a significant negative experience. Self-esteem, a crucial aspect of mental health, was something the artist had worked hard to improve, and the constant judgment of others' behavior in public was a regression to old insecurities. Self-esteem is a personal opinion of oneself, and high self-esteem means viewing oneself as "okay" or "grand." The artist is grateful for the new opportunities but looks forward to putting the stressors of public judgment behind them.
Understanding Self-esteem and Confidence: Self-esteem is internal, confidence can be external. Focus on personal growth and worth, not others' actions or opinions.
Self-esteem and confidence are not the same. Self-esteem comes from within, while confidence can be performed outwardly. Constantly comparing yourself to others and judging your worth based on their behavior or what they think of you can lead to low self-esteem. It's important to focus on your own sense of self and worth, rather than getting stuck in other people's business. The development of high self-esteem is a natural process that comes with age, but it also requires effort. Avoid internalizing negative thoughts and fantasies about others, and instead, recognize that their actions and appearances are none of your business. By focusing on your own growth and worth, you can break free from the cycle of low self-esteem and confidence issues.
Expressing anger towards others due to insecurity and jealousy is harmful: Focus on personal growth instead of comparing and judging others, leads to a more positive and fulfilling outlook on life
Expressing anger towards others due to feelings of insecurity and jealousy is a harmful and unhelpful way to live. These emotions often stem from a deep-rooted sense of insecurity and lack of confidence, making us feel uncomfortable with others who appear more confident or successful. This discomfort can lead to contempt and anger, but it's essential to recognize that these emotions don't benefit us in any way. Instead, it's crucial to focus on our own growth and development, rather than comparing ourselves to others or judging them based on their appearance or achievements. It takes time and effort to break free from this pattern of thinking, but the reward is a more positive and fulfilling outlook on life. Ultimately, it's important to remember that other people's clothes, jobs, or behaviors have nothing to do with us, and we should focus on our own journey towards self-improvement and self-acceptance.
Maintaining Self-Worth in Different Stages of Life: As we age, it's important to separate self-worth from external influences and focus on joy and meaning in life, while responding appropriately to situations that pose a risk to safety.
Our self-worth should come from within and not be influenced by external factors or people. However, when dealing with situations where others' actions pose a risk to our safety or the safety of those around us, it's appropriate to respond with anger and take necessary actions. The difference lies in recognizing the root cause of our anger and ensuring it's an appropriate response. As we age, we gain the ability to separate our self-worth from external influences and focus on what brings us joy and meaning in life. It's natural to miss the fun and experiences of our youth, but it's important to embrace new experiences and find joy in different aspects of life. Ultimately, it's essential to recognize and respond to situations appropriately while maintaining a strong sense of self-worth.
Struggling with others' disregard for safety measures: Despite past struggles with anxiety and insecurity, the speaker has learned to manage her emotions and keep her behavior in check during the pandemic, even when faced with others' disregard for safety measures.
Despite missing certain aspects of her twenties, the speaker recognizes the negative impact of the insecurity and anxiety that came with it. Now, in her current situation, she finds herself reacting with anger towards others' disregard for safety measures, which triggers her old feelings of social anxiety. However, she's learned to manage her anger and not let it control her behavior. The struggle with others' disregard for masks is the one thing she's finding difficult to cope with during the pandemic. She reminds herself that her anger isn't leading to harmful actions, and she takes comfort in the fact that she's able to manage her emotions and keep her behavior in check.
Support the Podcast on Patreon: Consider becoming a patron on Patreon to support the podcast and give the host creative freedom, while still enjoying the content for free
The host of the Blind By Podcast values the support of his listeners and invites them to become patrons on Patreon to help fund the podcast and give him creative freedom. He emphasizes that this model is based on kindness and that those who can't afford to contribute still get to enjoy the podcast. The host also shares his experiences with family dynamics during the holidays, particularly the concept of enmeshment in families with generational trauma. He encourages listeners to reflect on whether their goals and dreams are truly their own or if they're focused on making their family members happy. The host also invites listeners to join him on Twitch three times a week for live music and interaction.
Impact of job insecurity on self-worth and success: Job insecurity can deeply affect one's sense of self-worth and success, rooted in generational traumas and cultural norms, leading to feelings of failure and anxiety, even for those achieving great things in their careers.
The fear of job insecurity can deeply impact an individual's sense of self-worth and success, even if they are achieving great things in their career. This fear can be rooted in generational traumas and cultural norms, as highlighted in the discussion about the speaker's upbringing in Ireland and the importance of secure jobs in that context. Despite the speaker's success as an independent artist, the uncertainty of their industry and the desire for security instilled in them by their upbringing can lead to feelings of failure and anxiety. These emotions can manifest in irrational ways, such as the speaker's consideration of quitting their successful podcast to teach podcasting in Limerick. The speaker's experience underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing the emotional roots of job insecurity and the impact it can have on mental health and personal growth.
Blurring boundaries can lead to an unfillable hole and burnout: Recognize the difference between fulfilling personal needs and familial ones, prioritize self-care, and work towards a healthy balance.
Enmeshment, a blurring of boundaries between one's own needs and desires and those of their family, can lead to an unfillable hole that one tries to fill with excessive work or other unhealthy behaviors. This can result in physical and emotional burnout, as well as a persistent feeling of insecurity and uncertainty. It's essential to recognize the difference between fulfilling one's own needs and desires and those of one's family, and to prioritize self-care and individuation. The speaker's experience of trying to fill this unfillable hole with overachievement and work may be a healthier alternative for some, but it can still lead to detrimental consequences if not managed properly. It's crucial to examine the root causes of these feelings of insecurity and inadequacy and work towards achieving a healthy balance between personal and familial needs.
Enmeshment: Overdependence in Relationships: Enmeshment can negatively impact emotional health, causing feelings of unfulfillment and constant need for external validation. It stems from experiences where individuality is discouraged and can be addressed by focusing on personal needs and fostering independence.
Enmeshment, a dynamic in relationships where one's sense of identity becomes overly dependent on meeting another person's needs, can have detrimental emotional consequences. This can manifest in various ways, such as feeling unfulfilled by achievements that aren't tied to the act of doing, or constantly seeking external validation. Enmeshment can stem from upbringing experiences where individual desires and needs are discouraged or undervalued. To identify if one is enmeshed, consider if you have a strong sense of self and focus on your own needs rather than others'. If not, reflect on your expectations of yourself and your relationships, and work towards fostering a healthier sense of independence.
Enmeshed relationships hinder personal growth: Prioritizing family needs over own can hinder growth, stemming from unmet childhood needs, and healthy family dynamics foster self-discovery and independence through respecting each other's needs and boundaries.
Enmeshed relationships, where individuals prioritize the needs of their family members over their own, can hinder personal growth and lead to unhealthy dynamics in intimate relationships. This can stem from childhood experiences where individuals' needs were not respected, leading to a lack of understanding of their own needs and inability to assert boundaries. Conversely, a healthy family dynamic allows children to explore their interests and learn from their failures, fostering self-discovery and independence. By respecting each other's needs and boundaries, individuals can build equal and fulfilling relationships.
