#219: Bridging the Divide: How to Reconnect When It Feels Like You’re Worlds Apart (with Topaz Adizes)
03/15/25 • 65 min
Right now, it feels like the world, and maybe even your own home, is pulling apart at the seams. Conversations that once felt effortless now feel loaded. The people we love can start to feel like strangers. And sometimes, shutting down or avoiding the tough talks just seems easier. But at what cost?
Welcome to Love Shack Live, the podcast for people at a relationship crossroads, where daily conflicts, growing emotional distance, and a longing for real connection collide. I’m Staci Bartley, a relationship mentor, joined by my husband and co-host Tom, and our daughter Brooke. Together, we’re here to help you navigate love’s toughest seasons.
Today, we’re picking up where we left off with Topaz Adizes, a master of human connection and the creator of the Emmy-winning project The And. He’s spent years facilitating raw, unfiltered conversations between people from all walks of life, proving that the right questions can dissolve fear and bring people back together.
But here’s the question: What’s really at the root of division, in our relationships and in the world? And what’s the one shift that could change everything about how we relate to each other?
If you’ve ever felt like you’re losing someone, not because they’ve left, but because you just can’t seem to reach them anymore, stick with us. This episode isn’t just about understanding connection. It’s about learning how to create it, even when it feels impossible.
🔹 Listen now and discover the power of the right questions.
Timestamps:
02:36 The Impact of Social Media on Connection
03:37 The Art of Active Listening
07:25 The Challenge of Disagreement
10:30 Echo Chambers and Identity
16:46 The Importance of Vulnerability
21:41 Navigating Change and Conflict
36:22 The Power of Vulnerability in Holding Space
36:47 Fear and Fury in Media Content
37:53 The Impact of Algorithms on Human Behavior
38:08 Content Creation with a Purpose
39:10 The Role of Fear in Control
39:54 The Importance of Listening and Understanding
43:42 Creating Safe Spaces Through Questions
53:44 The Value of Owning Your Actions
🌟 Learn more about Topaz and his incredible work:
🔗 Visit The Skin Deep: https://www.theskindeep.com
📖 Get Topaz’s Book: 12 Questions for Love: https://www.theskindeep.com/products/12-questions-for-love-book
💡 Want to go deeper? If you’re navigating space, separation, or emotional distance, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship, it can be the start of a transformative journey toward clarity, confidence, and connection.
✨ Start Your Self-Paced 30-Day Roadmap: This flexible, step-by-step guide helps you move from obligation and anxiety to self-focus and strength, so you can navigate emotional distance with clarity and purpose. Learn more & start today: https://stacibartley.com/self-paced/30-day-roadmap
✨ Download the Separation Survival Kit: Your must-have resource for staying grounded, managing emotions, and regaining clarity during this uncertain time. Get your free guide here: https://stacibartley.com/separation-survival-kit/optin
✨ Explore All Our Programs: From expert mentorship to proven strategies, find the support you need to navigate this chapter of your relationship. https://stacibartley.com/programs/index/
Right now, it feels like the world, and maybe even your own home, is pulling apart at the seams. Conversations that once felt effortless now feel loaded. The people we love can start to feel like strangers. And sometimes, shutting down or avoiding the tough talks just seems easier. But at what cost?
Welcome to Love Shack Live, the podcast for people at a relationship crossroads, where daily conflicts, growing emotional distance, and a longing for real connection collide. I’m Staci Bartley, a relationship mentor, joined by my husband and co-host Tom, and our daughter Brooke. Together, we’re here to help you navigate love’s toughest seasons.
Today, we’re picking up where we left off with Topaz Adizes, a master of human connection and the creator of the Emmy-winning project The And. He’s spent years facilitating raw, unfiltered conversations between people from all walks of life, proving that the right questions can dissolve fear and bring people back together.
But here’s the question: What’s really at the root of division, in our relationships and in the world? And what’s the one shift that could change everything about how we relate to each other?
If you’ve ever felt like you’re losing someone, not because they’ve left, but because you just can’t seem to reach them anymore, stick with us. This episode isn’t just about understanding connection. It’s about learning how to create it, even when it feels impossible.
🔹 Listen now and discover the power of the right questions.
Timestamps:
02:36 The Impact of Social Media on Connection
03:37 The Art of Active Listening
07:25 The Challenge of Disagreement
10:30 Echo Chambers and Identity
16:46 The Importance of Vulnerability
21:41 Navigating Change and Conflict
36:22 The Power of Vulnerability in Holding Space
36:47 Fear and Fury in Media Content
37:53 The Impact of Algorithms on Human Behavior
38:08 Content Creation with a Purpose
39:10 The Role of Fear in Control
39:54 The Importance of Listening and Understanding
43:42 Creating Safe Spaces Through Questions
53:44 The Value of Owning Your Actions
🌟 Learn more about Topaz and his incredible work:
🔗 Visit The Skin Deep: https://www.theskindeep.com
📖 Get Topaz’s Book: 12 Questions for Love: https://www.theskindeep.com/products/12-questions-for-love-book
💡 Want to go deeper? If you’re navigating space, separation, or emotional distance, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship, it can be the start of a transformative journey toward clarity, confidence, and connection.
✨ Start Your Self-Paced 30-Day Roadmap: This flexible, step-by-step guide helps you move from obligation and anxiety to self-focus and strength, so you can navigate emotional distance with clarity and purpose. Learn more & start today: https://stacibartley.com/self-paced/30-day-roadmap
✨ Download the Separation Survival Kit: Your must-have resource for staying grounded, managing emotions, and regaining clarity during this uncertain time. Get your free guide here: https://stacibartley.com/separation-survival-kit/optin
✨ Explore All Our Programs: From expert mentorship to proven strategies, find the support you need to navigate this chapter of your relationship. https://stacibartley.com/programs/index/
Previous Episode
#218: Want to Save Your Relationship? Change the Questions You’re Asking (with Topaz Adizes)
Do you feel like you and your partner are growing apart? Like no matter how much you try, the connection you once had is slipping through your fingers? Maybe conversations feel repetitive, like you’re stuck in the same arguments, or worse, like you’re just roommates, living parallel lives under the same roof.
If you’ve ever wondered:
- Why does my partner seem distant?
- How do I bring back the spark in my relationship?
- What should I do if my partner won’t open up?
- Is emotional intimacy something we can rebuild, or is it too late?
Then this episode is for you.
Welcome to Love Shack Live, the podcast for people at a relationship crossroads, where emotional distance, conflict, and uncertainty don’t have to mean the end, but an opportunity to create something new. I’m Staci Bartley, a relationship mentor who’s spent over a decade helping couples navigate the hardest moments of love, alongside my husband and co-host, Tom, and our daughter, Brooke.
Today, we’re joined by Topaz Adizes, creator of The And, an Emmy Award-winning project that has helped thousands of couples reconnect by asking the right questions, the ones that cut through the tension and lead to real, vulnerable conversations.
Could the secret to saving your relationship lie not in fighting harder for answers, but in learning how to ask better questions?
If you’re desperate to reconnect but don’t know where to start, this episode will show you the simple but powerful way to rebuild trust, intimacy, and emotional closeness, starting today.
🎧 Tune in now and discover how the right questions could change everything.
Timestamps:
01:19 Meet Topaz Adias: Master of Human Connection
02:59 Discovering a Passion for Intimate Conversations
04:34 The Essence of Teamwork and Connection
07:09 Navigating Relationship Challenges
12:47 The Importance of Emotional Weightlifting
16:37 Identifying and Addressing Toxic Relationships
21:50 Making the Decision to Let Go
24:26 Embracing Completion in Relationships
27:20 Crafting Quality Questions
29:14 The Science of Constructive Questions
39:59 Exploring Anger and Emotional Management
43:43 Resources and Final Thoughts
🌟 Learn more about Topaz and his incredible work:
🔗 Visit The Skin Deep: https://www.theskindeep.com
📖 Get Topaz’s Book: 12 Questions for Love: https://www.theskindeep.com/products/12-questions-for-love-book
💡 Want to go deeper? If you’re navigating space, separation, or emotional distance, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship, it can be the start of a transformative journey toward clarity, confidence, and connection.
✨ Start Your Self-Paced 30-Day Roadmap: This flexible, step-by-step guide helps you move from obligation and anxiety to self-focus and strength, so you can navigate emotional distance with clarity and purpose. Learn more & start today: https://stacibartley.com/self-paced/30-day-roadmap
✨ Download the Separation Survival Kit: Your must-have resource for staying grounded, managing emotions, and regaining clarity during this uncertain time. Get your free guide here: https://stacibartley.com/separation-survival-kit/optin
✨ Explore All Our Programs: From expert mentorship to proven strategies, find the support you need to navigate this chapter of your relationship. Browse
Next Episode
#220: They Cheated. Now What? A Step-by-Step Guide to Surviving the First Days
Infidelity cracks everything open. The trust you relied on? Shattered. The future you imagined? Uncertain. And now, you’re left asking the question no one ever wants to face: Can we actually survive this?
In this week’s episode of Love Shack Live, we’re stepping into one of the most painful, and misunderstood, relationship challenges: what happens after betrayal. If your partner has cheated and you’re trying to figure out whether to stay, how to heal, or even just how to breathe again, this conversation is for you.
We’ll answer the tough questions, like:
- What’s reasonable to expect from your partner in the early days of reconciliation?
- How do you begin to rebuild trust when everything inside you wants to protect yourself?
- What conversations actually matter after infidelity, and which ones will just make things worse?
You’ll also hear a deeply personal story from Staci about her own experience of betrayal, and how understanding, not blame, became the key to finding her footing again.
This isn’t a conversation about blame, shame, or quick fixes. It’s about anchoring yourself when the ground disappears beneath you. It’s about discovering what’s underneath the choice to betray. And it’s about giving yourself permission to not know what comes next.
Because the truth is: what you don’t say in your relationship matters just as much as what you do.
Whether you stay or walk away, this episode will help you begin the process of making sense of the mess, and finding your next step forward.
Timestamps:
01:34 Listener Questions on Infidelity
02:40 Personal Story of Betrayal
06:50 Coping with the Shock
10:43 Understanding Emotional Drivers
13:39 Navigating Relationship Ruts
20:29 Key Conversations to Have
25:42 Common Misunderstandings
28:06 Reflecting on Personal Responsibility
30:58 Understanding Emotional Drivers
31:12 Gender Dynamics in Relationships
39:58 Building Emotional Safety
47:11 Practical Steps for Healing
47:33 The Power of Play
51:41 Musical Reflection
52:57 Final Thoughts and Resources
💡 Want to go deeper? If you’re navigating space, separation, or emotional distance, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship, it can be the start of a transformative journey toward clarity, confidence, and connection.
✨ Start Your Self-Paced 30-Day Roadmap: This flexible, step-by-step guide helps you move from obligation and anxiety to self-focus and strength, so you can navigate emotional distance with clarity and purpose. Learn more & start today: https://stacibartley.com/self-paced/30-day-roadmap
✨ Download the Separation Survival Kit: Your must-have resource for staying grounded, managing emotions, and regaining clarity during this uncertain time. Get your free guide here: https://stacibartley.com/separation-survival-kit/optin
✨ Explore All Our Programs: From expert mentorship to proven strategies, find the support you need to navigate this chapter of your relationship. https://stacibartley.com/programs/index/
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