Hello to the 5 maybe 6 people who still read my blog…
I felt like doing a little update + celebration today so let’s go, shall we?
Today I published my 10th episode of Open Book With Ash! (*insert clapping and cheering here)
I am definitely proud of the fact that I have stayed the path.
One could say it started off a little rocky. Or that I decided to set a goal and life was like, “hold my beer” and threw me some curveballs to see how committed to the goal I really was….
How committed was I, you ask? Well let’s see….
I literally recorded my intro like 10 times and I still may go back and redo it because I am not sure it REALLY captures the essence of what I am going for with the podcast (but “the essence” is really unfolding as I go).
To keep the timeline I set for myself, I ended up recording the first couple of episodes from FL at my parents after my mom had a medical emergency and I had to fly down there unexpectedly. I packed my mics. That’s how committed I was.
I recorded during the emotional rollercoaster of dropping my oldest and first born off at college 5 hours away for his freshman year (my emotions would have rather me stay under a blanket on my couch).
I recorded an episode post getaway with Aaron even though I came home sick AND most recently, I recorded THEN RErecorded my 10th episode after my mic did not work.
So to say I have overcome adversity in order to keep the ball rolling would be an understatement. And that is part of the reason I am doing this podcast to begin with…to rebuild a trusting relationship with myself, to remember I can do things EVEN WHEN life is LIFEing and to rediscover who I am when I’m not confined to algorithms and word counts among other things. (I will be doing an episode on the rediscovering bit so be sure to follow the podcast!) And also just to do something for me as I enter into this new season of life with one kid away and one kid who spends her time at school or dance.
And the other thing I wanted to share is why I picked the name Open Book with Ash.
There are 3 reasons why…
One: I'm an open book. Some would say I overshare and I agree but it is not a trait I dislike about myself but there are definitely times I leave after meeting new people, and I'm like, why did I just say that? And sometimes, Aaron looks at me and goes “you said the quiet part out loud.” I think (and know from DM’s, conversations, etc.) that many people have loved following me online for years because I do my best to keep it real and authentic in my space. I share everything I can within reason because some things are obviously meant to be private. But I don’t sugarcoat things. I am pretty straightforward and either you love me or hate me for it. Either way, that is none of my business. I’m just here to do me (AND relearn that is enough, again podcast to come on this…).
Two: I love books. And books contain stories. Sharing stories is how we connect, it's how we feel seen and how we have those moments that are like, “oh shit, that's me.” Like “she is going through the same thing as me.” Common human experiences = connection. Think about it - stories shared amongst women around a table (said in my best British accent) during girls night out often let us know that we're a little less alone in life. And that is also definitely a goal of mine around here.
Three: This is one of my favorite things to talk about. Everything in our life that we have right now is created from stories. Again, whether it's related to our relationships, parenting, our own bodies, it's all created from stories. Andthe life you want is also created from stories. These stories can move us towards the shit we want, or it can keep us stuck. And most of us have never stopped to question where these stories come from. And sometimes just hearing a story out loud, whether it's my story or a story I've walked women through as a coach, it's exactly what you need to see where maybe you've got a story in your life that's similar and you get to decide is this working for me or is this something that's just been running the show for a little too long and I'm ready to let it go.
I don’t see those 3 pillars going away because they ARE the backbone of why I picked the name but I do see me getting more fun and creative with the delivery as time goes on and I learn more about the podcasting world. AND as I let my freak flag fly a little more freely. Ha!
So if you are following along, thank you. I appreciate you. If you tried an episode in the beginning and haven’t been back, come back…try again.
My top 3 fav episodes so far are:
The “Diet Culture Deadline”
Bonus Episode: Doing the Thing…Even When Life is Life-ing
And we are counting these as 1…LOL:
Your Stories (Self Limiting Beliefs & Shitty Self Talk: Part 1
Your Stories (Self Limiting Beliefs & Shitty Self Talk: Part 2
If you are following along and love it, don’t forget to leave a review or share your fav episode with a friend!
Chat soon(ISH).
Xoxo,
Ash