Have you ever masked your true self in fear of judgment or rejection? We're tearing down the walls, stripping off the armor, and cracking open the power of vulnerability in the latest installment of Pockets of Time. Your host, Chuck Panda, shares her personal journey of embracing vulnerability, highlighting the struggles and pressures of perfectionism, and the desire to fit in. You'll realize that it's not weakness we expose when we're vulnerable, but rather – it's our strength, courage, and authenticity.
As we delve deeper, we question the importance of vulnerability in forming meaningful relationships and the damage caused by comparing ourselves to others. We also tackle the need to set boundaries, understanding that sometimes, it's okay to keep parts of ourselves private. With personal anecdotes and sincere reflections, we aim to inspire you to find power in your vulnerability. So prepare yourself for an honest, heartfelt conversation about vulnerability, self-acceptance, and the transformative power of being your authentic self.
Have you ever masked your true self in fear of judgment or rejection? We're tearing down the walls, stripping off the armor, and cracking open the power of vulnerability in the latest installment of Pockets of Time. Your host, Chuck Panda, shares her personal journey of embracing vulnerability, highlighting the struggles and pressures of perfectionism, and the desire to fit in. You'll realize that it's not weakness we expose when we're vulnerable, but rather – it's our strength, courage, and authenticity.
As we delve deeper, we question the importance of vulnerability in forming meaningful relationships and the damage caused by comparing ourselves to others. We also tackle the need to set boundaries, understanding that sometimes, it's okay to keep parts of ourselves private. With personal anecdotes and sincere reflections, we aim to inspire you to find power in your vulnerability. So prepare yourself for an honest, heartfelt conversation about vulnerability, self-acceptance, and the transformative power of being your authentic self.
Speaker 1:
Hey guys, so I wanted to get on here and explain to you guys, you know, a little bit before you dive into this episode. The topic is about vulnerability and I recorded the podcast and I was so thrilled, so excited. I went to go play it back and realized that I had the voice disguiser on and the sad part was when I was recording this podcast there was no feedback of my voice being distorted, so you can only imagine how I felt in the moment. But you know what it's the theme vulnerability so I'm going to put it out there. It's going to sound a little crazy, but I hope that you guys can resonate with it. And you know I just feel like you can't re-record an episode, so I just feel like it doesn't flow the same. And you know I put a lot of heart and thought into this and I hope that you guys enjoy it. I love you guys so much. I will see you soon. Bye. Bye, I mean not bye, but like, enjoy the episode. Okay. Bye, I mean yes, bye, not bye, okay.
Speaker 2:
Welcome, welcome, welcome to Parkets of Time hosted by Chuck Panda. I don't know why I said it like that, guys, but it felt right at the time. I just wanted to get on here and just take a moment and say thank you, thank you, thank you for everybody that has tuned in, that has showed love, that has shown support. I greatly appreciate you guys, beyond words. So thank you, thank you, thank you, and I love you guys and I appreciate you. And I also wanted to get on here and apologize for just kind of falling off and slacking off on the podcast. I don't really have an excuse, so I'll do one better.
Speaker 2:
This is me getting on here making you guys promise. I know that it's Thursday, but it's better than never. But starting next week, every single Wednesday I am going to be putting out an episode for you guys. Whether it's me sitting here, like I am now, with the microphone and just kind of talking with my hands, or it's with other guests, you know, having conversations or sharing experiences and insights and that sort of thing, all I have to say is there will be an episode every Wednesday, and I also would love to hear from you guys what kind of topics that you guys want to talk about or any questions that you guys have, that could be turned into episodes. So, if you guys want to, I'm on Instagram at pockets of time dot cp.
Speaker 2:
Find me on there, send me a message. I would love to get you guys's feedback, and I think part of the reason why it's been so tough for me to come out with these episodes is I get stuck in my head really, really bad, and I think it's also scary for me because I'm talking through this microphone and I think it's easier when you have conversations with people in person, because I can do that all day. It's when you give me a microphone, I'm just.
Speaker 1:
I just freeze up you know, and I've been told hey.
Speaker 2:
Kelly, you should be like a comedian. I don't think I can, because I will freeze up. I have stage fright and I feel like talking through my phone also kind of is the same, because well, I guess not exactly. But I feel like I don't get the same feedback. If I was talking to you, know anyone in like a social setting.
Speaker 2:
I get in my head and I'm like wow, you know, does this resonate with anybody out there? Or does this make sense? Or am I crazier? Do I sound funny? But then I just realized that I got to stop thinking like that and you know.
Speaker 1:
I chose to put myself out there and I chose to get on here.
Speaker 2:
So what's going to resonate with people is going to resonate with whoever it's meant to, and what's does it Good riddance. I'm sorry that you guys feel that way, um, but yeah, so I guess that puts me in a very vulnerable state, and that's actually kind of funny, because we are actually going to be talking about vulnerability today. I think it's also the fact that you know, starting something new is fucking scary, it's petrifying um, because you've got to start it, knowing that you're not going to be great at it.
Speaker 2:
And it's funny because we spend so much time comparing ourselves to other people and we forget that all these people started from this point too. And yeah, and there's nothing. There's no such thing as perfect, and if we sit there and try to wait for perfect, it's never going to happen. And I'm realizing that and I'm good with it and I'm excited at this point because I'm going to be able to see the progress from point A to point B and I'm going to be able to listen to all these like old episodes and be like, wow, you know, like I've grown so much. You know I'm a bit more confident talking on this mic, or, you know, I flow better or I don't feel so nervous or scatterbrained, um, but yeah, yeah, that's, that's, that's it, guys, um, and thank you for being on the string with me, because it's going to be wild and might be a little bit bumpy or along the way, but you know we're in it to win it Okay.
Speaker 2:
I guess we start talking about vulnerability, vulnerability, oh man, that is a loaded topic. Where do you live, stars? Um, I'm not sure I'm going to talk it. Where do you live, stars? Um, I want to say I guess I'll just start with telling you guys what it means to me, and I wish that I could hear what you guys have to say and what it means to you, but I'll let you guys think about it in the meantime.
Speaker 2:
Um, vulnerability to me means being wrong and being your most authentic self um taking off that armor and removing that shield and taking that mask off and just the art of being. And I know that that's scary because we've been taught over time as kids to now that vulnerability is weakness and that if you show any sign of emotion that means that you're you're weak, and that's actually really sad. Um, and it's hard too, cause you know we've been taught to tough it out, to suck it up, to deal with it to. You know, always be put together. So, yeah, I mean, I don't know that just makes it hard.
Speaker 2:
And I think for me, vulnerability means strength, power. It's courage. It takes courage to be vulnerable. And it's just kind of funny to me because people hear vulnerable and they're like oh shiver, that's scary. But when they hear courage, they're like hell, yeah. Or like bravery, they're like hell, yeah, but when you think about it bravery and courage they're like oh shiver, that's scary. You have to be vulnerable to do that. You know like it goes hand in hand and you can't have one without the other.
Speaker 2:
So it's just kind of funny how we play such a positive like mindset on the words bravery, courage and when you hear vulnerable like you get chills or you know you just want to hide and curl up and triple up. You know, and it's so sad to me, you know, but I mean being vulnerable is uncomfortable because you know there's the fear of, like judgment, emotion and we all have wanted to always fit in into places and stuff.
Speaker 2:
And sometimes that means not being ourselves and you know, kind of straying away from who you are at the core. But that stuff is never fun and it makes it so uncomfortable, you know, because you just, I just feel like everybody has a center and when, the further you stray away from it, you're just unhappy and you don't realize why you're unhappy. Because I feel like you're not really facing yourself, you know, and with the whole kid thing growing up, we're taught to compartmentalize our emotions.
Speaker 2:
And let me tell you I am the master at compartmentalizing emotions and the past couple years have been extremely tough for me because I've actually had to force myself to face them, because I feel like a lot of us don't realize this, but we harness a lot of like emotions and things in our lives and we like sweep it under the rug and we don't talk about it, we don't deal with it, so it seeps out and then you're like a ball of like emotion and you just explode and people are like what the hell is going on? Yes, it is tough and I feel like it's important to be in our emotions because that's the whole point. It makes us aware of a lot of things like why things bother us and what it is, and I feel like when we're not able to talk about it or, you know, find somebody safe to share things with, it's like we don't have feedback that's going to help us grow.
Speaker 2:
We're just so ashamed, you know, and I mean when you think about vulnerability, it's like you have to face yourself and I feel like a lot of us live in shame, which is sad, because I feel like when you shame yourself, it doesn't help you grow, it just makes you ignore things and curl up, and I also feel like vulnerability helps yourself as well as others, you know. So there's that. That's your self part.
Speaker 2:
The others part is you know, there's so many people going through things and they all think that they're in it by themselves and they feel like the world it's, it's them against the world and it's really sad because, a lot of us everyone is going through shit, no matter how perfect your world looks and how social media portrays things, everybody is going through stuff and I feel like whenever you figure out or you find out that somebody else is kind of going through something similar to you, it makes you feel less crazy, it makes you feel less shame, you know. And it's crazy because I've had a friend in the past where she was in the fitness world and she was to me. She was body goals. She was somebody that I looked up to heavily and I would like beat myself up over or not like beat myself up over, but I would like compare, which I shouldn't be comparing myself in general, but I would look at her and I just admired her so heavy and I was like I want to look like that.
Speaker 2:
And it's so crazy because a couple years later I had a whole conversation with her and I was telling her I was like yeah, I've been.
Speaker 2:
Like sharing your stuff all the time and like that. She was like girl. Let me tell you, I didn't even like myself then. I didn't like my body, I didn't like how I looked, I didn't like any of it. And I'm sitting here like confused, I'm just like, and I was like, but I promise you, like there's so many people looking up to you and it's crazy because even people that we perceive as perfect don't even feel that way. And it's just like funny when we're comparing ourselves or trying to reach someone else who doesn't even feel that way. You know, it's almost hurtful to ourselves, you know, just, I mean something to think about. But yeah, and I mean even like couples out there, you're like, oh, couple goals, like, and then turns out like you know, a couple years later something crazy happens and then all all the dirty laundry is aired out and you're just like, holy shit, wow, I totally just don't see that coming. So there, is no perfect.
Speaker 2:
There isn't, and I feel like we're always growing and involving, so you can't even see perfect, you know. So that's just something to think about. But yeah and I mean with being vulnerable. That doesn't mean that everybody deserves to know everything about you you know, so I also want you guys to know that too. That doesn't mean go and just expose yourself 100% to people. That sounds kind of dirty, but some people you know what I mean, but it means have boundaries with people there has to be a trust that gets built to.
Speaker 2:
So just remember that and I feel like it's meant for me to share parts of you that you're ready to share and maybe some of those parts kind of resonates with other people and it helps them feel like they're less alone. You know, and sometimes you connect over that and you know you bond over that. I mean there's so many communities that are built off of vulnerability that have helped people be better and do better. I mean there's probably communities for new moms. Actually there is. I don't know why I said they're probably, but their communities for, like, new moms, tips and tricks and all that fun stuff. There's communities for dog owners. You know, tips and tricks and all that fun stuff. There is communities for people who have alcohol issues and support groups, you know, for that kind of stuff. And yeah, there's just so much out there. There's mental health groups like, and that's everybody in those groups are just being vulnerable and sharing stories and, you know, fostering deeper connections and not even just community. But how do you build meaningful relationships without vulnerability? There's a trust between that, you know, and there's it's an intimacy. But yeah, so vulnerability is so helpful in so many topics that we don't even realize and not even that.
Speaker 2:
But being vulnerable helps us shed what. Does it belong to us? You know it's. You know, I think that I have been the most myself these past like two years, two and a half years. I have come out of my shell and I've just done things that have just made me happy, and I don't give a fuck who, you know, has anything negative to say for me. I just go. You know what, I'm sorry, you feel that way, I feel better, or I'll pay for you because you're upset at me for being my most authentic self. I don't know what else to say. You know, like, if it bothers you that much, then you're not my people and you're not my crew. So for me, it has helped me shed a lot of you know relationships that don't belong to me, and I hope that it does the same for you guys. But I've made that realization. It's just like wow, you know, and you shouldn't be around people that you can't be yourself with.
Speaker 2:
I think, that a lot of times we try to fit in so hard that we stray away from ourselves and it never feels good, and it never feels right, and there's a difference between like belonging and fitting in.
Speaker 2:
I feel like belonging is when you're yourself and people around you just resonate with that, you know, and fitting in is just like trying to stray from everything that you are to fit in, to be cool, to be in the group, you know, but yeah. So I hope that this gives you guys a different way of thinking about vulnerability, because I feel like I've been all over the place.
Speaker 2:
But, like I said, you know I've committed to this journey and there it is. So I hope that you know, you guys are able to take something from this episode to apply to your life, or just a different way of thinking. But, yeah, and this is me being vulnerable with you guys and putting myself out there. So thank you again. I love you guys until next episode. Bye, love you.
