The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
I've been wanting to experiment with sharing some quicker, more actionable episodes with you and this is my first foray into that. Right now, my working title for these episodes is "I have some thoughts on ___ ." Today, I have some thoughts on playing small inspired by this question, "How much different would your life be if you actually went after what you wanted?" Share your thoughts with me after you've had a chance to listen on your favorite social media channel. I'm @hellodrjoy everywhere.
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Our Production Team
Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Maya Cole Howard
Producers: Fredia Lucas, Ellice Ellis & Cindy Okereke
Production Intern: Zariah Taylor
Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast, a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. I'm your host, doctor Joy hard and Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or to find a therapist in your area, visit our website at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com. While I hope you love listening to and learning from the podcast, it is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship with a licensed mental health professional. Hey y'all, thanks so much for joining me for session three twenty one of Therapy for Black Girls Podcast. We'll get right into our conversation after a word from our sponsors. Which friend are you? And your sister circle? Are you the wallflower, the peacemaker, the firecracker or the leader? Take the quiz at Sisterhoodheels dot com slash quiz to find out, and then make sure to grab your copy of Sisterhood Heels to find out more about how you can be a better friend and how your circle can do a better job of supporting you. Order yours today at Sisterhoodheels dot com I've been wanting to experiment with shorter, more actionable field episodes for a minute, so today is my first foray into what I'm right now calling I have some thoughts on blank for this episode, I want to share some thoughts on playing small. This weekend, I started rewatching Insecure from the beginning and was struck when one of the first lines Esa has in episode one is her asking herself, how much different would my life be if I actually went after what I wanted? Now y'all already know Insecure is one of my favorite shows for lots of reasons, but chief among them is the ability the writing has to pierce at the heart of what so many of us struggle with, in this case, the struggle with playing it safe, not doing too much, not taking up more space. With this line, Esa verbalizes a dilemma many of us have or are currently trying to navigate. What would happen if I really went after the life I really want for myself? Now? There are a lot of reasons why this might be hard for us. It could be that even though we like something different, our current state is comfortable, while the idea of an unknown makes us uncomfortable. It could be that we don't know what steps to take to get to what's next, or it may be that we doubt our ability to actually obtain what we truly want. If this is something you struggle with, I want to share a few questions for you to consider and maybe even take to your journal if you'd like. That just might help you to get some clarity on what's stopping you from playing bigger and help you to take some steps in the direction toward the life you really want? Question number one? What are you afraid will happen? If you went after what you really wanted in life? What would happen? Is there fear related to this decision? What are you afraid will happen? Question number two? Whose criticism sounds the loudest in your head? Many times it's difficult for us to move forward because we've been criticized in the past. Does someone's voice come to mind? Whose voice is it? Question three? What will have to be left behind in order to go after what you want? Are there habits that you'll have to leave behind? Environments, maybe even people? What will have to be left behind to go after what you want? And is the grief related to this keeping you at a standstill? Question four, what support and our resources do you need and how can you obtain it? Is there somebody or some organization you need to reach out to that can answer some questions for you? And question five, what's the smallest step you can take towards this new reality? How can you take a tiny, small step in this direction? Is it through sending an email, maybe listening to a podcast, or someone who has done what you're trying to do has been interviewed. What's one thing you can do to get some movement started? I want you to remember that the things that we are called to do are often tied to the destiny of others as well. So when the fear gets too big or you get too worried about what others might say, try to silence those thoughts by remembering that someone is waiting for you to stop hesitating so that they can take their next step as well. Well. If you're so inclined, I'd love to hear the small step you're going to take are the dream you've been sitting on, both to celebrate with you and to serve as a space for you to boldly proclaim walking in this new path. You can find me across social media at Hello, doctor Joy. Let me know what felt true for you about this episode. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, make sure to visit our therapist directory at Therapyfro Blackgirls dot com slash directory, and don't forget to check out my new book, Sisterhood Heels The Transformative Power of Healing and Community at Sisterhoodheels dot com. This episode was produced by Frida Lucas, Elise Ellis, and Zaria Taylor. Editing was done by Dennis and Bradford. Thank y'all so much for joining me again this week. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you all real soon. Take good care which friend are you and your sister circle? Are you the wallflower, the peacemaker, the firecracker or the leader? Take the quiz at Sisterhoodhels dot com slash quiz to find out, and then make sure to grab your copy of Sisterhood Heels to find out more about how you can be a better friend and how your circle can do a better job of supporting you. Order yours today at Sisterhoodheels dot com.