Episode Description
I still think about the $30 Bumblebee toy from Target.
My son wanted to ride it through the store, and I said yes, with the very clear boundary that we were not buying it. Then, of course, he wanted to buy it. I said no. He pushed back. And eventually I gave in because I did not want to deal with the meltdown.
He never even used the thing because he was too big for it.
At the time, I could have just chalked it up to one of those parenting moments. But when I looked at why I gave in, I realized it wasn't really about the toy. I was trying to keep the peace.
And that pattern showed up in a lot more places than Target.
I stayed quiet when I wanted to speak up. I made decisions based on how someone else might react. I waited for things to change instead of listening to the little nudges that were already telling me something wasn't right.
That’s what Samantha Taylor and I ended up talking about on Parenthood Unscripted.
We got into people pleasing, motherhood, the pressure to do everything, and the strange way we can start measuring our worth by how much we're able to handle. We also talked about how journaling helped me actually hear myself.
Not gratitude lists. Not affirmations. Not trying to convince myself everything was fine. Just giving myself enough space to stop fixing, solving, and performing long enough to figure out what I actually felt and what I wanted.
Because sometimes you don't need more advice. You need to be honest about what you already know. And then you need to see what happens when you finally act on it.
Resources Mentioned:- Episode 246: Why “Doing It All” Still Never Feels Like Enough
- Lighter: finally release the weight attached to your plate www.samanthapenkoff.com/lighter
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- The Leaders Table: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/leaders-table
- Breakthrough Intensive: You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your Breakthrough
- Exhale Private Coaching: For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me