Episode 7

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Published on:

28th Jun 2026

Episode 7: Truth

Welcome back to the Three Rebel Souls podcast! This week, we’re peeling back the curtain on one of our third core value: Truth.

If you’ve ever felt pressured to play nice, keep the peace, or just smile and nod when you really wanted to scream the truth, this episode is for you. We’re diving into why being "nice" is often just a performance, while being truthful, even when it feels awkward or messy, is actually the kindest thing you can do for yourself and the people you love.

In this episode, we chat about why we were conditioned to prioritize social niceties over honesty and how we're working to unlearn those "polite" habits, being kind vs. being nice, how using "my truth" can sometimes feel weaponized or manipulated, why we’ve chosen to keep our conversations raw and unpolished even if it feels a little messy, and using discernment about who we open up to.

We also get a little vulnerable about the struggle of managing other people’s reactions versus owning our own space, and why we’re perfectly fine with our podcast being a little "chaotic" because, well, that’s just life.

Grab a seat (and maybe a coffee) and join the mess with us. We’re so glad you’re here.

Coming up next: We’re moving from Truth to Courage—the natural next step in our rebel journey. See you there!

Mentioned in this episode:

Stacey wrap

Intro with music

Provided by Jonathon Wilde

Transcript
Speaker:

Truth Truth

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Ready, go.

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Just be, like, as awkward as possible.

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Truth.

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Mm.

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We like this one.

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Stacey, you're, you're up, right?

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Yep.

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By the way.

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Hello.

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I meant Sloane.

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Fine.

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It's both.

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I've been feeling very

Stacey lately, so it's fine.

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Oh, good.

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Sloane might go away, or she's

some future version of myself

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Oh, nice There we go.

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Welcome back to Three Rebel Souls.

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What's up?

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Here we go.

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Hello.

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We're back.

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How's everybody doing today?

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I'm good, I guess.

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I don't know.

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Real answers only here.

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Yeah.

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Um, well, uh, one, I'm tired,

and two, my throat is killing me.

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Mm-hmm.

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So I don't know.

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I don't usually get, um,

allergies, but I mean, you know,

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I am older now, so who knows?

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You know.

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But- Mm … everything is blooming.

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I think that's why.

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There's a lot going on

in the air right now.

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Yeah.

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I'm feeling the same.

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I've been feeling like kinda

stuffy and- Mm … cough,

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cough and, uh, bleh all week.

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So I'm, I'm feeling the same.

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A little bit run down today,

but we're gonna make it work

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How about you, Sloane?

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Um, it's been an

interesting couple weeks, so

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some old patterns coming up that

I- Yeah … haven't seen in a while

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Not exactly happy to see

them, but understanding

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that- Yeah … I, they needed, I think, um

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real-world reflection to

understand some internal

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struggles I've been going through.

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So yeah.

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Uh, it was very effective,

let's put it that way.

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Yeah.

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You're right.

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Especially with that Mercury

retrograde in Pisces.

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Crap.

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Full moon.

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Oh, that's over now, so.

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Yeah, thank God.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, I feel like the full moon

was really intense last week.

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I, that I think was another

reason I've been tired all week.

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I think it just absolutely kicked my ass.

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Yeah.

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We're recovering.

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I slept till 7:00 yesterday.

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Wow.

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Wow.

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That's long for you.

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I, you know.

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You know.

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That's really late for you.

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Last, I didn't even sleep that late last

weekend when we stayed up extra late.

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That's right.

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Exactly.

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All right.

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Well, today we're diving

into our value of truth.

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Yes.

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So let me read our definition of that.

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Um, truth, we speak it even

when it shakes the room.

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We believe that truth and integrity

are acts of love, especially with

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the people we care about most.

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We hold each other and

ourselves accountable.

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There's no pretending here,

just real talk, real hearts, and

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the courage to say the thing.

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Yeah.

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And that's a little preview

there 'cause courage is up next.

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So- Yeah.

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But for now, truth.

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So- They're all intertwined.

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Yeah.

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Uh, uh, always.

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Values are always intertwined.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, so what does truth mean to you?

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I think this one is interesting.

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Um, when I think back to like

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conditioning and like

what we're told, right?

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Like we're told- Mm-hmm

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to

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Like, we, we were raised on these

little things, like honesty is the

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best policy and blah, blah, blah.

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But I don't feel like honesty

was ever really modeled, right?

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Because- Yeah

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there was all these social niceties

that we were also conditioned to.

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Like- Mm-hmm … even just

how we started this episode.

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How are you feeling today?

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Good, I guess.

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Like, no, no, no, don't give me that shit.

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How are you really feeling today?

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Right.

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Real answers only.

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I only want the truth.

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I don't want your canned response.

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Mm-hmm.

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And I think there's, there's

that, but then there's also, like,

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we could go, we could pull on a

lot of different threads here.

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But I think the way that, like,

I experienced friendship growing

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up was always, you know, always

having your friend's back and

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telling them what they wanna hear.

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When, you know, my experience of

friendship now is the people I value most

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are the people who tell me the truth.

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I don't wanna hear, I

don't wanna hear, like…

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I don't need you to

puff me up if I'm wrong.

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Tell me I'm wrong.

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Mm-hmm.

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Yeah.

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Right?

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Like, so it's, I think, I think

that we used to, we were sort of,

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like, taught contradicting things,

and that's been a lot to unlearn

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and try to figure out, like-

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that

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Truth is what I, I guess maybe, maybe

the amount of times that I've been, I

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felt like I've been lied to or deceived

is what made me value truth so much

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Deceived I'll, I'll get off

my soapbox for the moment.

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Let someone else speak.

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Well, I mean, that's what you just

said, like being deceived, but we

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were deceived as children too, right?

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By being told, like, you tell the

truth, but then lie here or there.

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You know?

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Like, so- Little white lies … right.

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So what, which I can't fucking stand.

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Like, I can't stand little white lies

because what's the fucking point?

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What's the fucking point?

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Just fucking say it.

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If it's something so minor, just

fucking say it, 'cause if you're-

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Yeah … willing to lie about something

so stupid, like, I get really…

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I mean, I, I'm already going

off the rails here 'cause I-

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can't fucking stand lies.

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Like, I can't fucking stand lying.

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And I'm not gonna say that I

haven't lied myself, right?

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Like, we all have, but

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I don't know.

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I just feel like just

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being truthful, then you're able to

deal with things in the moment and

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with what they are than having to deal

with a lie and then the truth later on.

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Mm-hmm.

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That, that makes it so much worse.

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Mm-hmm.

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So, um, yeah.

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Yeah For me, I like, I, I feel like I had

to suppress truth so much my whole life.

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Mm-hmm.

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It's, it's also, um, a part of why I was

so angry when I was- Hmm … younger,

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'cause always having to suppress that, to

suppress it, and I'm like, "I'm gonna…"

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And then I would explode is the problem.

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Then I would explode, and then

y- I just let you have it,

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and it was not pretty, right?

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Because then I was telling you

all the truth and everything that

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you probably didn't wanna hear.

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Um, but- All at once.

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All at once.

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Exactly.

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Everything you told me to keep

in, I just let you have it.

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Um, and then, yeah, it didn't,

it did not come out, it did

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not come out so, uh, tactful.

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Sagittarius, not very tactful.

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Um, but I'm learning.

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Um, yeah, I don't know.

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I just-

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And, you know, I admit that.

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As much as I love truth,

it's not always easy to hear.

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Mm.

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Right?

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Like, it's not- No, it's

almost never easy to hear.

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Right.

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It's really, it's really not.

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But I, I'd rather, I'd rather

be uncomfortable for a minute

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with the truth than, um, I- Than

have to hear comfortable lies.

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Yeah.

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I li- being lied to angers me.

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It angers me, like, when I'm lied to.

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So just tell me the truth, 'cause I feel

like I might be angry for a minute, but

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it's gonna go away much quicker than if

it's just, if you just keep lying to me.

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Yeah, there's a compound effect- Yeah.

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Mm … of, like, repeated

lies or time that passes.

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Well, just like even when you- Mm

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even when you ask someone,

like, something silly and-

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They just give you a

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What they think you wanna hear Mm.

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Yeah Versus the truth.

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And it's something stupid, and I'm

like, "Oh my God," like, I know

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you're lying to me because I feel it.

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Mm.

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Right.

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I feel the lie.

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And so yeah, it's, it's frustrating.

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It's very frustrating for me.

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Um-

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But it's, like, again, it's difficult

for me to want to tell someone the truth

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as well because of that conditioning,

of being told not to, not to say

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anything, because it's another way of

hush, keep the peace, you know, that

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stupid bullshit that we were told.

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The performative stuff that-

Yeah … we've been talking about.

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Mm-hmm.

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Yeah.

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So.

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Keep everybody comfortable.

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Right.

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But the performance

is, is in itself a lie.

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Correct.

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Mm.

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I think which is probably why it

feels like such a rub for me now,

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because you feel like you have

to, like, live this performance

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or put on a show for optics, and

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It's that much more

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I don't know, jarring now to be,

like, 'cause now I'm, like, I

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can see through it to your point.

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Like, why are you…

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Like, I can see that you're lying.

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Why are we lying about it, right?

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Mm-hmm.

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Yeah.

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Sloane, what about you?

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We know you like truth too.

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Oh, yeah.

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Well, honesty is one of my core value-

There you go … my personal core values.

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So, um, because, I mean, very similar to

what you've both already shared, right?

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Like, um

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people not being honest, and then it just

culminates in something painful usually.

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So I'm laughing because though I think

the flip side of that is my face is

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very expressive, so- Right … it's

almost impossible for me to lie

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because it's- Right … when I try

to lie, it's like written all over my

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face that, uh- Or, or not react when

someone's lying to me and I know it.

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Yeah.

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Right.

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Well, I have a, I have

a look for that too.

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Right.

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Well, we have a look for everything.

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Yeah.

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That's interesting.

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That's not true.

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Yeah.

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Okay.

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Are we gonna s- they'll do that or…

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I mean, I'm gonna let you show me

whatever you wanna show me, but, um,

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you're breaking something

when you're lying to me.

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Mm.

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And I've been thinking a lot about

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Simon Sinek and the difference

between being nice and being kind.

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Mm.

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Um, and being nice is

that performance, right?

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And being kind is being honest.

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But it's- Yeah … it's such…

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It's a…

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That's how we build…

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Oh my gosh, this is still Simon Sinek.

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That's how we build relationships, right?

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Like through conflict, through, um-

Yeah … honesty and building that trust.

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Like, if I can't trust you to be

honest with me, and vice versa,

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if I don't trust you enough to

be honest, that speaks volumes.

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Yeah.

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I love, I love that you say,

like, the whole, um, facing…

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I'm, I, I'm the same way.

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Like, I have a face.

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Like, I, I, I can't lie.

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Like, I have such a hard time lying

because I w- I give myself away.

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And the other part too is I don't wanna…

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I don't…

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Like, it's hard for me

to keep up with lies.

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Like, I can't keep it all straight.

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I can keep the truth straight- … but

the lies I can't keep straight.

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Yep.

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So that's why I'm not a good liar.

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Oh, yeah.

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So I'm just gonna tell you the truth.

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Yeah.

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For sure.

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I don't have to remember the truth.

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Exactly.

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It, it just is.

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Exactly, yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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It's too much work

trying to remember lies.

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Well, 'cause you're just compound it.

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That's…

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And that's the one thing I

could never maintain anyway.

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It's like a, even a simple lie,

like, then you have to lie about

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the lie, and then you're lying

about the lying about the lying.

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And it's just like, oh, fuck this shit.

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Like, Right.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, exactly.

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It's a miracle I got

through the first one.

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I'm never gonna get

through the fourth one.

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Like, you're just gonna be like,

"When did you start lying?"

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You know?

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And then how damaging is

that to relationships, right?

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Like, so it's not just one lie.

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You've actually been lying

for h- this long about- Right.

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Mm-hmm … and it's just like, ugh.

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Even if it's- Nobody wants to feel that.

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Yeah.

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Even if, like, the, the initial lie

was something, like, really minor,

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but it turns- Exactly … into

something so much bigger.

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Yep.

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Like, like, totally unnecessary.

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Yep.

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Yep.

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Yeah.

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I…

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We talk about this in some of the training

that I facilitate, because especially,

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like, in the realm of, like, leadership

or coaching, trust is the foundation

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of any, like, positive relationship.

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Regardless of whether it's a professional

relationship or a personal relationship-

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Mm-hmm … there has to be trust.

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And, um, and we talk all the time

about how trust is difficult to earn.

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Like, it's…

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Like, we say that it's gained

in inches and lost in miles.

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So it's like the compound effect of

lies or time that has passed since a

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lie before the truth is uncovered is

where you lose trust in miles, and

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then it's so hard to regain trust.

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And for me, it's like, uh, like we've

said this, Adriana, it's like once I've

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seen it, it's hard for me to unsee it.

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Yeah.

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Um, but what I, like, what I

still am practicing is that, like-

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Uh

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Being able to, like, set the right

boundaries that, like, preserve my

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peace and still give the other person

space to change if my trust has been

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betrayed, because that's, that's hard.

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Like, I would kind of want

that same, but it's hard.

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It's hard to practice because

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I don't know, I think trust is,

like, s- our most valuable currency.

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Yeah.

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And it's been a hard- All

right, before we go…

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Yeah.

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Oh, go ahead.

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And to trust, right?

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'Cause we're talking about honesty.

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So true.

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So, or truth, sorry.

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Not my core value.

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The Three Ripple Souls

value on, uh, truth.

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Oh my gosh, it's just,

like, stuck in my head now.

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Um, we'll make a note to

come back to trust- Yeah

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'cause that's huge.

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Um, so but speaking about truth,

like, when is it, like, easy?

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When it, when is truth easy?

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And when is it still- When there's

trust … really difficult?

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Yeah.

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Tell me more.

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So it's, here's the thing.

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I don't, I don't know if

it's, like, ever truly easy.

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I think it gets easier with practice,

and it's easier in a relationship that

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does have a good foundation of trust.

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Um, or, like, in any dynamic that

does have a good foundation of trust.

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But it's still not easy.

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Like, it's a simple concept to

just tell the truth, but it's

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not always easy to do, right?

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Like, it's…

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But I think I've, I think a big…

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You talked about, like, the Simon

Sinek idea, like there's a difference

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between being kind and being nice,

and nice is what we were taught.

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Yeah.

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But truth is always kind.

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Yes.

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And that's also, like,

a Brene Brown thing.

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Like, the truth is always kind.

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Uh, clear is kind, right?

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Like, um, that's been a hard…

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It's been a hard practice after a

lifetime of being conditioned to be nice.

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Mm-hmm.

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It's a hard thing to unlearn,

that, like, auto response or

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that, like, fluffy version.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, 'cause it feels so unsafe, right?

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Like, it's, uh, it's

always what we were taught-

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That, right?

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Like, it's not safe- Yeah … to be, to

be truthful, whether it's about- Yeah,

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like we can't s- you can't say that.

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Right.

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You don't say that.

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Right.

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You don't talk- Yeah, yeah.

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There's, like, a lot of niceties, again

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But I can't, I can't, like, that sort

of like the disingenuous niceties give

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me like a visceral reaction now Right.

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Yeah Like, I, it gives me the ick.

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Mm-hmm.

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I'd rather feel

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Like you said, the discomfort for a

minute of truth than like the ick of the

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Inauthentic

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Yeah.

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I still feel like so many people

are not opening, opened, open to,

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like, hearing- Oh, yeah … truth,

to having real truthful conversations

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Because it's, it's hard Right, because

it requires, right, because someone

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tells you- It requires vulnerability,

and that's hard And discomfort.

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Yeah.

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Totally, yeah.

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And, and to be willing to look

at yourself when someone tells

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you whatever's true for them.

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But I also feel like it's, like, truth

is also a word that gets, maybe not truth

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itself, but what people consider to be

truthful gets thrown around a lot, where,

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like, um, let's say, uh, in a relationship

and someone's mad at you for whatever

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reason, and they just wanna say, "Well, y-

you're a mean person," and whatever, just

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because they didn't like something that

you said or whatever the situation was.

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But it doesn't mean you actually

are a mean person, right?

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But to them, well, it's

true and you're mean.

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But is it true?

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Are they really mean or you just

didn't like what the person said?

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You know, because people say,

"Well, it's the truth" about so

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many things that aren't really…

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You know what I mean?

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Do, am I getting my point across?

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Great point, yes.

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You're talking about opinion versus truth.

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Yeah.

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Right, yes.

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Right.

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Exactly.

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Yes.

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You know?

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And so many people, it's like,

"Well, I'm telling you the truth.

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I'm telling you the truth."

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:

And it's like, but that's not really true.

437

:

As you see it.

438

:

Right.

439

:

Right.

440

:

That's an opinion or a belief.

441

:

Right.

442

:

Right.

443

:

Which is- Or it's connected to some

other, yeah, like it's connected

444

:

to some other underlying thing.

445

:

Just different than truth.

446

:

And you're filtering the

experience through your perception.

447

:

Yeah.

448

:

Exactly.

449

:

And so again, it's like, I think

there's, there's also, like, this

450

:

kind of therapy speak that's also

being potentially weaponized.

451

:

Like, "Well, this is my truth."

452

:

Mm.

453

:

Like, right?

454

:

Right.

455

:

And, and that's like the my truth is

this, and it's being kind of used as

456

:

an excuse in some- Right … cases.

457

:

Which is, I mean, that's connected

to what you just said too, Solana,

458

:

that, like, the opinion, the belief.

459

:

Mm-hmm.

460

:

Right?

461

:

It's your experience of it.

462

:

There may be some validity to the

experience or to the feelings you have or

463

:

to, you know, whatever, but in, in most

cases the truth is not that polarized.

464

:

It's always, it's usually

somewhere in the middle of the

465

:

two- … people's experiences, right?

466

:

Yeah.

467

:

Like, it's not, like- Yeah … your

experience and my experience, and the

468

:

truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

469

:

But- Yeah … I think people weaponize,

be like, "This is my truth," and they want

470

:

kind of validation in that even though- Mm

471

:

they're not willing to

acknowledge your truth.

472

:

That's where it feels shitty.

473

:

That's it.

474

:

Yeah.

475

:

It's also used to manipulate others.

476

:

Yes.

477

:

I like that distinction.

478

:

I don't know if I'm gonna

say my truth anymore.

479

:

Mm-hmm.

480

:

I don't know if I use that all that much.

481

:

I usually say, "In my experience,"

because- Mm-hmm … that's what it is.

482

:

It's my experience.

483

:

Right.

484

:

It's not somebody else's,

everybody's is different.

485

:

And I'm, and by saying my

experience, I'm not suggesting that

486

:

it should also be your experience.

487

:

Right.

488

:

Right.

489

:

Right.

490

:

Or that it could, or that my experience

could be taken from me either.

491

:

Yeah.

492

:

Right.

493

:

Because the truth is just-

Yeah … a universal fact, right?

494

:

Mm-hmm.

495

:

I like the sentence starter

that Brené teaches us to use.

496

:

Um, like the story I'm telling myself

or the story that- Mm-hmm … like

497

:

is, is coming up for me in this

situation, because that's what it is.

498

:

It's like- Yeah … it's the

narrative that we fill in

499

:

based on our past experiences

500

:

that can kind of color what that is.

501

:

But I, but I think, I think

at the heart of this or at the

502

:

root of this, it's that like I-

503

:

I don't think that people

504

:

Have, uh, I think we're getting there,

but I don't think we're there yet,

505

:

like kind of culturally or as a society

that like, that the uncomfortable

506

:

truth is always the best path.

507

:

There's still so many folks that

have a hard time having difficult

508

:

conversations or providing like critical

feedback or holding people accountable

509

:

with, again, in, in any and all

relationship dynamics and environments.

510

:

Right.

511

:

But our inability to have hard

conversations or to lean into like

512

:

those things is holding us back.

513

:

I mean, like the truth

is always kind, right?

514

:

Just keep saying that.

515

:

Feel like a broken record,

but it's always kind.

516

:

Even if it's hard, it's kind.

517

:

Yes.

518

:

Adriana, as a truth speaker, is there

anywhere that you struggle with it?

519

:

Oh, yeah.

520

:

I mean, in, in relationships I do.

521

:

You know, it's always really hard

because of being told, you know,

522

:

again, be nice, be, you know,

523

:

like put everybody else's feelings

before your own so don't- Mm

524

:

you know, don't tell the truth.

525

:

So that's really, still really

difficult for me in relationships.

526

:

Uh, you know, specifically

when there's, um-

527

:

When there is like, um, an

issue in, with the relationship.

528

:

Like it's hard for me to

529

:

open up and say what I, what I'm

feeling about the relationship.

530

:

That's, that's hard for me.

531

:

Because again, it's, oh, well,

how are they gonna take it?

532

:

How are they gonna feel?

533

:

You know, the people pleasing.

534

:

Managing other people's reactions.

535

:

Right.

536

:

Which is manipulation.

537

:

Exactly.

538

:

Right?

539

:

Um, but yeah, so I, I find that I-

540

:

I feel like I'm way better than I've

ever been in that department, but I

541

:

definitely still struggle with, um

542

:

Telling people that at some point

543

:

I

544

:

I think it, yeah, trust is huge, right?

545

:

In this context, right?

546

:

Like, I feel like I could

tell you guys anything.

547

:

Mm-hmm.

548

:

Yeah.

549

:

And it would be met with openness and

curiosity, and I wouldn't have to worry

550

:

about trying to manage your reaction.

551

:

Right.

552

:

Right?

553

:

Mm-hmm.

554

:

But it still feels like a struggle

in most other areas for me.

555

:

Um

556

:

One of the things I try to

keep in my mind to help me with

557

:

it is that kindness, right?

558

:

In, in the cost associated with- Mm

559

:

Not addressing things because the cost

just grows and grows and grows, um

560

:

Yeah, you just put so much more

distance in between it, right?

561

:

When you don't, you know, speak up.

562

:

And it's, I mean, it's

a weight that you carry.

563

:

Right.

564

:

That's true.

565

:

Well, so let me just make up an example.

566

:

Or no, I'll use something from my past.

567

:

Um, working with somebody that

568

:

was new, and I'm highly efficient, very

confident, or con- uh, uh, confident.

569

:

Um, I'm a very dedicated,

hardworking, I wanna do things well.

570

:

I like to be the best at

anything I put my mind to.

571

:

Not better than others.

572

:

Right.

573

:

Same.

574

:

The best that I can do-

Right … to be clear.

575

:

It's taken me a long time to figure

this out, but I finally figured it out.

576

:

Okay, so, um, this other person was not

like that, and, um, trying to train,

577

:

trying to train, trying to train.

578

:

Like, going over and over and over

things, which is a huge pet peeve of mine.

579

:

I hate repeating myself.

580

:

My brain works really fast, and,

uh, I get super frustrated when

581

:

I have to repeat simple things.

582

:

Um, and you know, like, eventually just

giving up because nothing ever changed,

583

:

and I really hate repeating myself.

584

:

And so the cost to me in the long run

was I was doing all the work- Oh, yeah

585

:

… until I got another job, and the person

they hired to replace me now had to deal

586

:

with this other person's incompetence.

587

:

And let me say, the person that they hired

to replace me doesn't work there anymore.

588

:

The person who was

incompetent still works there.

589

:

So that's a huge cost.

590

:

Like, uh, and that's

detrimental to everybody.

591

:

So not escalating things or

really, like, making it known how

592

:

Costly it was, not just

to me, but to everybody.

593

:

'Cause it wasn't just affecting

me, it was affecting every per-

594

:

everyone that this person interacted

with or did not interact with.

595

:

You know what I mean?

596

:

Yes.

597

:

So that's what I try to keep in mind

to help me, so I feel like it takes

598

:

a lot of courage for me to speak

the truth in some situations, so

599

:

It's not just for me

600

:

Yeah.

601

:

I think for the- Is that-

Like, I'll say the same as you.

602

:

Like, in certain situations, like with

the two of you- Mm-hmm … there's

603

:

no hesitancy- Right … for truth,

'cause we've built so much trust.

604

:

And like you said, it's

always met with curiosity.

605

:

Right.

606

:

There are times when it's way

harder because there's uncertainty

607

:

on the other side, right?

608

:

Mm-hmm.

609

:

Like, you know, like we have, we all have

people in our life who are, like, not

610

:

sure which version we're gonna get today.

611

:

Like, what are we…

612

:

Which, and, and it's hard not to

manage other people's responses.

613

:

That's a thing that, like, I'm

continuing to work on is that, like,

614

:

I have no control over it anyway.

615

:

So, like, I can't, it's just, you

know, like, if the truth is the

616

:

truth, it just needs to be said.

617

:

Um-

618

:

And I'm not responsible for what happens

on the other side, but it's hard to

619

:

not be responsible after a lifetime

of feeling responsible- Mm-hmm … for

620

:

everyone else's shit, right?

621

:

Mm-hmm.

622

:

Um,

623

:

but then there's also

like, I feel like I've-

624

:

I feel like the hardest truth

625

:

I ever had to vocalize was like

leading up to my divorce Mm … of like

626

:

the, the realization of like I don't

actually want to have children, and

627

:

then know that you do and therefore

628

:

I need you, like, I

need you to go do that.

629

:

And, and like being able to kind of

like say the truth, um, was like without

630

:

a doubt the heaviest and hardest.

631

:

But then

632

:

I can't even say that, like, every

truth after that has been easy.

633

:

Like, it's still not always easy, even

if it's a much smaller truth, right?

634

:

Like, it's still a lot of unlearning

635

:

Yep

636

:

Yeah, it's hard.

637

:

I, I feel like, you know, talk about

courage and vulnerability, right?

638

:

Like, you need those to be truthful, and

I find it really difficult to do when I

639

:

know the other person is in a safe space.

640

:

Mm.

641

:

That's why I struggle with it now

is because I don't, if I don't feel

642

:

safe with that person, it, it's

hard for me to find the courage to

643

:

be vulnerable, to tell the truth

644

:

Interesting

645

:

And I also think that's true of even,

like, the simplest things, right?

646

:

Like, if someone-- If I'm, if I'm

interacting with someone that I haven't

647

:

seen in a while or who I don't have,

like, a very deep relationship with

648

:

and they say, "How are you feeling?"

649

:

My answer's gonna be much different.

650

:

Right.

651

:

'Cause you haven't earned my truth.

652

:

You haven't earned the right to, like,

the real answer to that question.

653

:

Oof.

654

:

Right, yeah.

655

:

Whereas, like, the way I answer

that question with the two of you is

656

:

actually with a pause and to really

think about the response instead

657

:

of just being like, "I'm good.

658

:

Everything's great.

659

:

Fine, fine, fine."

660

:

Like, not gonna do that, but I

do auto-reply people who haven't

661

:

earned the right to understand

662

:

All of my inner world Yeah Or to

experience all of my inner world

663

:

Great distinction.

664

:

Thanks for bringing that up

665

:

Not everybody is permitted.

666

:

Not everybody needs to know.

667

:

Yeah.

668

:

Right.

669

:

That's the other part, right?

670

:

Like, you don't have to

tell the truth to everybody

671

:

Yeah.

672

:

As someone who has a history of

chronically oversharing it as an

673

:

attempt for connection- I'm with

you … I have learned that not

674

:

everyone is worthy of my truth.

675

:

My truth, like my true stories, right?

676

:

Yeah.

677

:

Like whatever, whatever lies in my depths.

678

:

Mm-hmm.

679

:

All right.

680

:

What about truth makes it rebellious?

681

:

Oh.

682

:

Back to the beginning where we

talk about the conditioning.

683

:

Yeah.

684

:

And the societal norms of niceties.

685

:

Do you know what I think is very funny?

686

:

Um, the, that I live in Massachusetts,

and for those of you listening who are not

687

:

familiar, many of the people who reside in

Massachusetts are often called Massholes.

688

:

Um, it's…

689

:

People in Massachusetts are not nice.

690

:

Uh, they are however very

kind, but they are not nice.

691

:

So there will be, like,

no social niceties.

692

:

Everything sounds harsh and direct,

but they will also give you the

693

:

shirt off their back, right?

694

:

Like, that's- Yeah … and I feel

like that's actually a whole vibe.

695

:

Mm-hmm.

696

:

It's one of the things I very

much appreciate about living here.

697

:

Mm-hmm.

698

:

That it might be a little rough

around the edges, but you will

699

:

absolutely always get the truth.

700

:

Um- Mm-hmm … you won't…

701

:

Yeah.

702

:

But I don't think that's the norm.

703

:

Like, that's not the norm, right?

704

:

Like, we still hear there's a lot of,

like, pockets of our society that are

705

:

still obsessed with social niceties,

and that's why it feels rebellious.

706

:

Hmm.

707

:

That's why giving a true answer to

the question, "How are you feeling?"

708

:

feels like even the tiniest little

rebellion in your day-to-day, right?

709

:

Like-

710

:

That's why it feels rebellious for me

711

:

Yeah, I'm not really

sure how to answer that

712

:

' Cause I feel like

713

:

In some sense, I just don't give a

fuck, and I'm just gonna tell you.

714

:

You know what I mean?

715

:

Like, you know, obviously

depending on the scenario, but,

716

:

I mean, I, uh, I'm thinking like

public, like being in public.

717

:

Like, I don't fucking care, 'cause I don't

care who you are, I'm just gonna tell you.

718

:

You know?

719

:

'Cause I don't have any

attachment to you- Mm-hmm

720

:

in any, in any way.

721

:

Um- So I feel like in that sense

I'm rebellious, but I'm, I'm, I'm

722

:

I don't know.

723

:

I guess, um,

724

:

I'm trying to think, like with my

mom, um, I would always just be honest

725

:

with her, and she didn't like it.

726

:

She didn't like it, and then sh-

to her it was like a respect thing.

727

:

Like, "Don't be…

728

:

That's disrespectful."

729

:

And I'm like, "Well, respect

goes both ways," you know?

730

:

Um, but yeah, usually-

Actually the most respectful.

731

:

Isn't that funny?

732

:

Yeah.

733

:

Mm-hmm.

734

:

And, uh, yeah, like I would just say

whatever, and she didn't like it,

735

:

and I was just like, I, you know.

736

:

I guess to, like I, to me that, that,

that w- that always felt rebellious.

737

:

Like I, I didn't care if, um,

she didn't like something.

738

:

I was just gonna tell her the truth, and,

you know, she found it disrespectful,

739

:

but to me I was just being honest, right?

740

:

So, um

741

:

Yeah, I don't know.

742

:

I, I guess, I don't know.

743

:

I f- I feel like in some, in some cases

it just comes so natural to me to just

744

:

say things, like, to, like, say things

that other people w- think about but would

745

:

never say, and I just, like, let it flow.

746

:

And so people are always like,

"Oh my God, Adriana," you know?

747

:

And I laugh because, uh, I, I mean, I

748

:

Even when I worked in the office,

and I would just say whatever, and

749

:

I remember, um, one of my teammates

would be like, "Adriana, no, really.

750

:

Tell us how y- tell us how you feel."

751

:

And I would always laugh.

752

:

I would always laugh.

753

:

I'm like, "I can't help myself.

754

:

I don't know."

755

:

I, like, I … It's not even

like I'm trying to, like, tell

756

:

you the truth in the moment.

757

:

I'm just, this is how I see

it and I'm just telling you.

758

:

Like, it's just a conversation.

759

:

So- It's a default setting.

760

:

Yeah.

761

:

I guess that's … I, I don't know.

762

:

I guess- Okay.

763

:

Cool, cool, cool … to me that's

rebellious without being rebellious.

764

:

She's been a rebel her whole life.

765

:

Yeah.

766

:

Yeah.

767

:

Like, but without intentionally

thinking that I'm being rebellious.

768

:

I just can't help myself.

769

:

That's what I hear, is

that's your personality.

770

:

That's why I called you a truth speaker.

771

:

Yeah.

772

:

Um, what about … So maybe if we put

it in the context of this podcast.

773

:

Yeah.

774

:

What about being truthful in

this podcast makes it rebellious?

775

:

Is these are the things…

776

:

Our plan is to talk about the things

that we were told not to talk about.

777

:

Like, the things that we don't…

778

:

I don't know.

779

:

I think the value, the value that we've

780

:

felt or the impact that we felt from

the types of conversations we have is

781

:

something that we decided to share because

782

:

The sort of like it's, it's the

last piece of the value, right?

783

:

Like the real talk, raw hearts,

the courage to say the thing.

784

:

It's like this is our plan is to

talk, is to speak about our, like

785

:

the truth of our experiences, the,

the things that were, that we were

786

:

told should kind of stay in the dark.

787

:

Mm.

788

:

That's maybe what feels

rebellious about this.

789

:

It's like some of those truths

790

:

need to be normalized.

791

:

Yeah.

792

:

Maybe so that this step

doesn't feel so hard

793

:

Yeah, I feel like it's, um

794

:

Having these conversations to

795

:

So, so like that others can

see that they can have it too.

796

:

Like, like to me that's what feels

like rebellious, that they…

797

:

Not that they have to go and get

permission from, from someone, but

798

:

sometimes we do need that permission

of like, "Shit, I can do this too.

799

:

Oh."

800

:

You know?

801

:

Or just that they see something

that they didn't see before.

802

:

So I feel like the rebellious part

about this is giving others permission

803

:

to have the conversations as well,

to be truthful, to do your thing.

804

:

You don't have to go by

soci- the societal norm.

805

:

You don't have to follow that anymore.

806

:

You can pave your own path.

807

:

Mm-hmm.

808

:

There's no pretending here.

809

:

Yeah.

810

:

So- … that's what, like to

me that's what's rebellious.

811

:

Like, you don't have to listen to them.

812

:

You can do your own thing.

813

:

You don't have to listen to us.

814

:

Right.

815

:

Do your own thing.

816

:

Right, exactly.

817

:

Yeah.

818

:

No.

819

:

Exactly.

820

:

But what we want to model

is that truth is love.

821

:

Yes.

822

:

Yep.

823

:

Because lies are not love.

824

:

Mm-mm.

825

:

And sooner or later you see that.

826

:

Even well-intentioned or white lies.

827

:

Yeah.

828

:

Not love.

829

:

Yep.

830

:

There's no, there's no protection in that.

831

:

We love the flaws that

we see in each other.

832

:

Yeah.

833

:

And hopefully ourselves.

834

:

And also that like, I think there's

maybe also something in that like we,

835

:

we don't have plans to do a whole lot

of editing these conversations either.

836

:

Yeah.

837

:

We want them to be quite raw, and

that might mean they're a little

838

:

choppy in parts or a little weird in

parts, and that's just- Uncomfortable.

839

:

Right?

840

:

Yeah.

841

:

That's what you're gonna get because we're

not trying to be perfectly polished, put a

842

:

bow on it, because that's not fucking real

843

:

So…

844

:

So like that.

845

:

Yeah.

846

:

That feels so far away from where I am.

847

:

Yeah.

848

:

That I don't even, I don't think

I could fake it if I wanted to.

849

:

Yeah

850

:

Any other final thoughts on truth?

851

:

I just have a question for you guys.

852

:

Like, as we do this, since we're

talking about truth, like, how do

853

:

you feel as you're recording this?

854

:

Like, any podcast, like when, since

we started recording, like, how do you

855

:

feel in your body when you're doing it?

856

:

I felt different for the

first few than I do today Okay

857

:

I felt a little more nervous.

858

:

Mm.

859

:

I agree.

860

:

I don't- I think … feel nervous

today, but I'm also not really

861

:

in the hot seat today, so.

862

:

I, I think on the first one, or the…

863

:

Yeah, the first one that y'all will never

hear, 'cause we're not gonna use it.

864

:

But, um- … the first one about me, I was

nervous when we started, and then it just

865

:

went, and then I was like, "Yeah,

I didn't like how that went."

866

:

Mm.

867

:

I don't feel like it conveyed

anything useful, if that makes sense.

868

:

Mm.

869

:

Like, um, and realizing, well,

this is our thing, and so we can

870

:

just do whatever we want with it.

871

:

Right, yeah.

872

:

It's just, like, so different

from other experiences.

873

:

So ever since then, literally, like,

it's just like, this is awesome.

874

:

I'm excited every single time.

875

:

I look forward to the

conversations, and that's it.

876

:

I love it.

877

:

Yeah.

878

:

Me too.

879

:

I, I definitely was more nervous at

first, and I still, I still get nervous.

880

:

I get nervous because, you

know, I get in my head.

881

:

Um, but once I'm…

882

:

once, like, we get going, like, I'm good.

883

:

You know, it's, it's like I get nervous

because of those awkward moments

884

:

where we haven't really, like…

885

:

We just started doing this, right?

886

:

So we're, there's points where

we're kinda like not sure where to

887

:

go, how to start, or how to end.

888

:

Mm-hmm.

889

:

You know?

890

:

Um, and so that's when I like s- when

the, that's like when I start bracing.

891

:

But other than that, I feel so good

doing it because of why we're doing it.

892

:

And, um, I feel amazing afterwards.

893

:

Like, I'm like on this high- Yes, for sure

894

:

after we're done, 'cause

it's, it's just great.

895

:

I love having these conversations.

896

:

To be fair, the awkwardness is that

we talk for an hour before this.

897

:

Right.

898

:

Because we can't possibly be in a virtual

meeting without just- … getting chatty.

899

:

Right And then we have to have

this, like, weird, "Well, like,

900

:

we should probably press record

and, like, do something today."

901

:

Right.

902

:

So we're just like, then we have

to have this awkward transition

903

:

over to, like, "Okay, hey."

904

:

Like, like we're just- Right … seeing

each other for the first time- Yes,

905

:

yes … and we've been here for an hour.

906

:

Like, that's the weird part.

907

:

Yeah.

908

:

That's what makes it feel awkward.

909

:

Yeah, we have to find our

way to transition over.

910

:

But we will, and I'm, again,

we're not- And the, and the

911

:

wrap-up … trying to be perfect.

912

:

Yeah.

913

:

Yeah.

914

:

We'll, we'll get there.

915

:

Yeah, exactly.

916

:

But yes, welcome to our mess.

917

:

Yes, exactly.

918

:

We are messily figuring

this out, and- It's the

919

:

truth … thank you for being here.

920

:

I love it.

921

:

I love you guys so much.

922

:

This is, this is also a

preview of general fuckery.

923

:

Right, exactly.

924

:

For today.

925

:

Exactly.

926

:

Yay.

927

:

Which is- Okay, but next up

is courage … yeah, good.

928

:

So.

929

:

Yeah.

930

:

But we'll talk courage next, 'cause

that's- Yeah … the nice, that's

931

:

a nice progression from truth.

932

:

For sure.

933

:

So.

934

:

All right.

935

:

We'll see you there.

936

:

Thank you all so much.

937

:

See you next time.

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About the Podcast

Three Rebel Souls
Three women's delightfully unserious, honest conversations on sovereignty, truth, and transforming pain into power for freedom and authenticity.
Three Rebel Souls is a no-bullshit podcast about reclaiming your truth — one messy, magical, and wildly human chapter at a time.
Hosted by three women who are still figuring shit out as we go, this is where we tell the stories we were told not to speak. The ones shaped by pain but reclaimed through power, plenty of f-bombs, and laughter.
We’re not here to be your gurus. Hell, most days we’re still trying to remember who we are. But we believe that our stories—told honestly and without shame—can be medicine.
So come along as we drop the masks, say ‘fuck that’ to anything that dims our fire, and stumble our way through the beauty, the bullshit, and everything in between.

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Rebel Souls