Self-Regard

To all of our guests and listeners, thank you for a beautiful summer! See you October 7. Some words to ponder till then...

Not fitting is okay.

Our memories and what we choose to remember can also speak to what we choose to forget.

Your skin is your skin. Your body is your body. Cherish it.

It is just so interesting how you can tether or untether yourself from the place that you were born or the place where you grew up. I find that really interesting how it plays a role in our identity.

Exposure and experiences across the spectrum will teach you to process the world and the people who live in it.

Accept then situation for what it is. Find peace in the things that you can control. Be grateful and celebrate the happiness that you can find.

You can change the value of stories by giving them attention. We can literally create culture.

We deserve the right to live in our bodies and we deserve the right to exist... in the way that we were created. That is a fundamental human right.

To be a black woman of mixed race is rather nuanced.

Leave this earth empty. Empty yourself of every gift you have.

Laughter will keep you young and beautiful. Laughter will heal you.

Food is medicine.

Really healthy and really imperative things are often basics, foundational elements of health that cost zero dollars.

Typically, history is written by the winners. Historically, because of colonialism, the winners have not been Black. We need to tell our stories. It’s time to get another point of view.

You have to know why you do something or it has no meaning.

Oftentimes, mixed race people can’t claim any part of themselves. Thus, they have to create their own identity.

Being green is seen as feminine trait, by both men and women... it's really for white women in the suburbs...in urban cities some of the biggest minorities are African American communities.. I was interested in how black men perceive green consumption, do they think it's mascuine or not? We have no research on black men.”

Me phrasing a sentence in a way that's privileged or irresponsible could be super damaging to somebody. On one hand i'm very nervous to be just another white lady contributing to the bullshit and oppression and the system and thats been really me struggling with the okay you do really look like a white lady, you do have those privileges, and you have walked through the world this way so how can you be the white lady and also be the black lady that gets it, how can you be both things?

I want to preserve this feeling, this feeling of fulfillment, this feeling of happiness, so if i have to take risks, travel, do whatever i need to do, jump outside of my comfort zone in order to preserve that feeling, in order to grow that feeling, of waking up everyday and being at peace with what i'm doing, i'm going to do it.

Those things really enable you to astonish people; your intelligence, your timing, how much you listen to people I think is really important.

1.) You can never be too prepared.

2.) Don't be afraid to take up space.

3.) Set boundaries, especially in the work space.

Using someone else’s suffering as a prop to kind of minimize your own doesn’t benefit the person who is suffering, any person who is suffering in the equation.

Truly what other advice is there, other than that? Be humble and trust that inner voice. KNow that you can be wrong and trust that inner voice.

You don't always have to be in people pleaser mode... as a woman especially... we tiptoe around certain people, from a genuine place, not wanting to inconvenience somebody or burden somebody with something that you’re wrestling with. Sometimes someone else will resonate with struggle and sadness and with emotion in a way that brings you closer. It is not a burden, it is an ability to be human together.

I learned from an early age to really understand that there is not a right or wrong way to be, as humans. There are so many different ways to exist.

If we’re in the thick of Fall and no one is hanging out by the pool – whatever – it’s totally fine to go to a pool, put your feet in the water and have a cocktail like it’s summer. I’m huge on living your best life unapologetically no matter what season it is and no matter what somebody says you have to do. A lot of the SAD comes from sitting inside and watching things change on the outside. So, break yourself free from the home. Create the life you want and live it.

When people started to tell me that I was confident, honestly, for a while I actually wasn’t. I was putting myself in situations where I didn’t feel comfortable nor confident engaging in t...

This episode is part two of demystifying mental health medicine. Please note, I am not licensed. My knowledge is derived from social psychology education, personal experience, medical consulting and persistent research. While listening keep in mind. I am just a resource, a well read girl with a story. If you need help beyond this podcast, please contact a certified professional.

I recently heard a great quote about patience in a newsletter I receive every week from Farnam Street. It says:

“Patience is not passive, on the contrary, it is concentrated strength.” ― Bruce Lee

"People wait in different ways. Some are passive. Others are active. These two approaches are as different as the results they yield.

Passive patience is waiting for the world to give you the thing you want. A lot of people live their life with passive patience. Rather than go after the promotion at work they expect it to fall in their lap. Rather than go after the love of their life, they sit back and expect to be courted. Rather than chase their dreams, they wait for just the right opening that always seems around the corner but never comes. These people have the wrong kind of patience.

Active patience is different. Active patience demands action and intention, even while waiting for results. Active patience means not only applying for the promotion but taking your time to build the skills you need to put yourself in the best position to succeed. Active patience means starting the business, writing the book, going after the love of your life.

Active patience puts you in the best position to get what you want. There is almost always an action you can take to improve the odds.

Active in the moment but patient with the results.

Active patience."

In many ways, my relationship with my therapist is the medicine. She has taught me how to have a personal connection that has strong boundaries, feels safe, involves respect, care, understanding, maturity, and has the power to grow which maintaining its foundation. I am keenly aware of the cost of therapy and I do my best to prepare deeply for every session. However, oftentimes, as soon as I end up sitting in front of her, I am flooded with all of the things I might otherwise neglect in my usual conversations. Still in those instances she knows how to reel me in, distill, and focus so that I leave our time together feeling at ease and well equipped to move through pressing issues. Though I leave the room, I find that, in many ways, she remains with me. I am able to directly apply her lessons, reconfigure thought patterns in my mind, and find healthy ways to feel better.

Oftentimes, we concern ourselves with the minute details. Like, we have to get up at 5am on the dot or else. I think rituals become more fluid, more possible, when they are less strict. Maybe it’s just earlier. Maybe it’s a timeframe. Or maybe it’s altering another aspect in your life to incentivize an earlier day. For me, building little routines in my life that have positive effect is one of the most effective ways I create rituals that support me.

A while back I learned a really great lesson. I must, no matter what, carve out time in the morning just for myself. Once I get going, even if I solo-task, I really get going. Other things. Other people. They will undoubtedly come first. Which makes me less happy, less fulfilled, less of my best self. So, I have 2 hours carved out in my calendar, everyday, from 6-8am that are labeled: “I am focused on me.” It is a non-negotiable time frame that I’ve set aside for me to sleep, do nothing, walk, read, drink coffee, lift weights, talk to a friend, literally whatever. It doesn’t matter so long as it is not work related, so long as it is purely a form of therapy. Let this serve as your reminder: take care of you first.

Resources: Remedy Place, Psychology Today

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Learn more about Sequoyah's homage to her inner child @thecoycollection.

Connect with Riley @rileyblanksreed and dive in at www.wokebeauty.com.

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We’re back with a brand new name. Self-Regard will delve into the intersection of mental health, identity, and creativity, with the underlying truth that: a strong self-regard affects our approach to challenges, relationships with others, and views of our place in the world; and a healthy self-regard is marked by faith in the unseen, resilience, and self-compassion.

In this first series, over the next few weeks, I am drawing back the curtain on how I contextualize identity and the thoughtful meaning behind self-regard. Self-Regard Reflections is composed of six parts – essentially six pieces of identity – that I consider most profound and considerable; starting with solitude; the peaceful, quiet, singular experience of being alone.

While the majority of these episodes are autobiographical, I will also leave you with tactics, quotes, and resources I’ve personally used to better understand myself and the world around me. My hope is that you will feel seen and called to discover a broadened perspective.

Consider gathering a writing tool, a notebook, and a warm cup of something you love. Ideally, you will leave with thoughts that expand beyond this podcast.

Best regards x

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Leah Thomas is an intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator based in Southern California. She's passionate about advocating for and exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism. She graduated from Chapman University in 2017 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy with a cluster in Comparative World Religions. Leah is the founder of eco-lifestyle blog @greengirlleah and The Intersectional Environmentalist Platform, which is a resource + media hub that aims to advocate for environmental justice + inclusivity within environmental education + movements. Her articles on this topic have appeared in Vogue, Elle, The Good Trade and Youth to the People. Before pursuing environmentalism full time, Leah worked for the National Park Service and Patagonia headquarters. Her mission is to inspire others to explore new places, live more sustainably and practice radical self acceptance.

This conversation was recorded last Fall on a rainy day in Austin while the sun shone brightly in Ventura.

That was intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator Leah Thomas. You can find Leah on Instagram @greengirlleah .

Follow @wokebeauty @rileyblanksreed

"For me, the pen and paper... that is my microphone. I want to show the younger generation that activism doesn't need to look a certain way. We can all contribute whatever our strengths might be. It takes all of us."

"I am just one small expression of Blackness. My methods are not the only way to practice activism. Just because I have a certain outlook doesn't mean other perspectives aren't valid."

"I think joy is an act of radical resistance to the world that we live in."

"I learned to appreciate failure because it taught me so much about myself—who I want to be and who I don't want to be. And I know the person I want to be isn't perfect."

"I would rather see a million imperfect sustainability enthusiasts than five militant people living perfectly and existing off of sunshine and water alone. That's just not healthy."

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