Episode #217
217. Being Seen Without Being Completely Exposed
It’s been almost seven months since I sat down behind this microphone. Not because I haven’t had anything to say. I’ve had notes, ideas, conversations that could have become episodes—and plenty of moments when I thought, I should talk about this. But I’ve also been navigating a significant season of change and becoming, and figuring out what it means to use my voice when I don’t necessarily want to share everything I’m living through. At my Walking Mom Home book party in September, I found myself putting words to so much of what I’ve been sitting with: trusting the unfolding, allowing ourselves to outgrow old identities, letting other people become new versions of themselves, and learning that being seen is not the same thing as being completely exposed. So in this episode, I’m sharing the talk I gave that night—and reflecting on what it means for me now as I find my way back to the microphone. We’re talking about the many versions of ourselves we become throughout a lifetime, the hundreds of tiny acts of courage that can happen between hiding and allowing ourselves to truly be seen, and why privacy and authenticity are not opposites. I’m also sharing the three questions I ask myself when deciding what belongs publicly: What am I sharing?Why am I sharing it?Can something I’ve lived serve someone else if I allow it to be seen? Not everything meaningful in your life has to become content. You’re allowed to have boundaries. You’re allowed to evolve beyond the version of you other people know. You’re allowed to share at the level at which you’re ready to be seen. And you’re allowed to keep becoming. In this episode: Why I stepped away from the podcast for almost seven months What my Walking Mom Home book party taught me about trusting the unfolding Letting go of identities and versions of ourselves we’ve outgrown Allowing the people we love to become, too My own evolution from being terrified of visibility to podcasting, speaking and writing a memoir The difference between vulnerability and complete exposure Why privacy doesn’t make you inauthentic Using discernment when deciding what parts of your life become public Finding my way back to my own voice Why I’m feeling called back to helping other people use theirs And if using your voice through podcasting is something that’s been sitting on your heart, I’m returning to that work, too. Podcasting with Heart is my self-paced course for the person who wants to learn how to create and launch a podcast themselves. And I’m opening a small number of private Podcast in a Day intensives for the person who knows they want a podcast but wants support taking it from an idea to publish-ready. Links and details are below. A question to sit with after this episode: What are you ready to say—and at what level are you ready to be seen now? Podcasting Resources: https://www.nicholejoy.com/bestpodcastingresources Stay Connected on the ‘gram: https://www.instagram.com/nichole_joy__/ On Demand DIY Podcasting Course: https://nicholejoy.kartra.com/page/podcastingwithheart
