lock into episode 47!
in this episode, we are discussing the act of expansion, what it entails, + how significant of a role it plays in our liberation!
take a listen below!
show notes for the podcast episode
below are the show notes (supplemental reading) for this episode!
use them to take notes, complete the exercises, and take action this week —
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dear dope chick,
welcome + welcome back!
how you feelin‘ today?
how you livin‘ today?
are you ready, today, to take action?
what you’ll need:
for those who are new here, who haven’t been here in quite a while, or have been rockin’ with me since day one —
dear dope chick™ is an action based podcast so that means that every single episode you are challenged to take one step that aligns with living life on your own terms.
that means you’re taking one step today, however you wanna categorize or label it, that aligns with the lifestyle that you most desire.
put yourself out there fam.
don’t be afraid of looking a certain way because you want to do better for you.
you are worth the investment.
you are worth your time.
you are worth your energy.
you are worth your focus.
do you believe that thought?
that’s where we start — with your belief + tweaking the mindset to accept the challenge of moving forward, persevering, + pressing on when you are faced with adversity.
are you willing to put yourself on the other side of that challenge by going through what you need to complete in order to get to where you want to go?
you owe it to yourself to steer your life in the direction that you’ve always wanted to go + you can do that for yourself today.
i’m here as a beacon of encourage, but know that everything, what even happens today, is because of you.
let’s get to work!
so, grab a notebook or journal that is dedicated to this podcast so that you can participate in the activities and exercises discussed; to see how much you have grown over the course of your life.
have you heard our previous episodes?
not yet ready do the activities presented in this episode?
we have others that may interest you so if you aren’t familiar or haven’t heard our previous episodes, take a listen so that you can make an informed choice today.
you can listen to them here.
to do this week:
today’s action is to expand your perspective.
why would we even want to do that in the first place? why not keep thinking how we’ve been thinking?
that’s a good question.
with infinite possibilities + opportunities in life, you are only privy to a limited amount in this moment.
we don’t have the wherewithal to know every single thing in life.
in this moment, we have a limited perspective no matter how expansive we believe ourselves to be because of how we’ve been raised, our life experiences, + societies collective biases that have rubbed off on us.
the way to expand our perspective is to expand our exposure + expand our horizons.
we’ve all been influenced in some way, shape, or form growing up + that influence has played a pivotal role in how we interact with life.
bridging the gap
some folks are very optimistic people, while others see a different side of the coin.
it doesn’t make us right or wrong, it makes us different.
by expanding our perspectives, we are able to bridge a gap between both point of views + in turn, build connection.
in what ways can we expand our perspective?
factors that control how far we expand our perspective include how much time we’re wiling to invest + how much focus or energy we’re willing to put into understanding a certain situation or topic.
considering we have our time + focus locked + loaded, here are a few suggestions +/or ways we can expand our perspective.
this isn’t an all inclusive list, only a few suggestions to get us started:
realize two things can be true at once
the sky can be blue + rain can still fall from the sky.
rainbows can form during rainfall.
our intentions can be pure + the impact of what we’ve done can still cause harm.
two things can be true at once.
accepting that is the first step to expanding our perspectives.
recognize what’s working in life
an alternative phrase for this is see the good in life.
because i am distancing myself from the binary thinking of good + bad, i am offering a different perspective on “see the good” with “recognize what’s working”.
one of the reasons I want to stay away from the good + the bad as having a literal meaning.
remember: two things can be true at one time.
something we consider good can be considered bad + vice versa.
so it’s less about good + bad, + more about balance.
acknowledge our deficiencies
sometimes, we struggle with seeing the flip side because it’s not a side we tend to embrace as it can cause strife in our lives.
by focusing on what is working, we can continue on that direction.
on the flip side, when we can recognize what is not working, we can acknowledge where we need help +/or can expand our knowledge base.
we can use this information as a starting point for change — we want different, then we’ve gotta do something different to get it.
it is a step in the direction that you want to go.
accept the unbelievable
expanding our perspectives can look like accepting the unbelievable.
have you ever received news about something happening that sounds unfathomable, yet it happened?
your mind doesn’t want to accept that it happened, so denial + shock kick in, shit — your jaw might even drop + hit the floor when hearing something unheard of happen + you’re left in awe.
the unbelievable can look like miracles, tragedy, nature + supernatural events + phenomenons — whatever you think is unbelievable, it can be placed into this category.
our lack of acceptance doesn’t make it untrue.
accepting that these things can + do happen, + accepting life for what is it, that’s another way to expand our perspectives.
we don’t have to see it to believe it or experience to know it’s real.
accept what is.
it is what it is.
over the course of the week, continue to implement different ways to expand your perspective.
how can you put the above concepts into practice?
how can we start realizing two things are true at once?
how can recognize what’s working in our lives?
how can we start accepting the unbelievable?
how can we further explore those concepts?
everything sounds achievable until its time to put it into practice + then we’re confused on where to start.
let’s explore actionable steps you can take starting today that align with some of the abstract approaches of expanding our perspectives:
read more.
expand your reading list to include titles that you wouldn’t normally pick up.
it doesn’t have to be anything extreme, rather focus on broadening your perspective about a particular topic.
start small.
for example: those of us who are familiar with western medicine can expand our perspectives by reading about holistic medicine or eastern medical practices.
read more + be open to the information.
listen more.
ask someone about themselves or their experience + genuinely listen without interruption.
commit to listening more than talking.
whether or not you believe in or agree with what is stated doesn’t matter — two things can be true at once.
likewise, there are a million perspectives + then there is the unbiased truth. focus on uncovering the truth by considering different perspectives.
travel more.
this doesn’t require a passport, but can include one.
travel, in this instance, can look like visiting the other side of town + experiencing life there —
- browsing the stores,
- enjoying the food spots,
- engaging in a community event
— anything that provides a different perspective, do it.
you can travel to another state + you can also go to a different neighborhood.
visiting a library in a new neighborhood can expand your perspective to unequal access to books or a dominant genre at a particular location. it may also entice you to read more to further understand why things are the way they are.
other ways to expand your perspective:
- ask questions
- learn a new skill
- take a class —
there are so many ways to expand your perspective. don’t limit yourself to one way of learning. whatever the moment presents as an opportunity, test it out.
additionally, keep reciting those affirmations!
for 21 days straight we are reciting previously written affirmations.
continue reciting your affirmations this week.
check out the previous episode if you have not to get a jumpstart on this action step.
affirmation cards are here!
dear dope chick™ has affirmation + encouragement cards readily available on deardopechick.com. head on over + purchase a deck to have those cards on deck while you journey!
cop a deck of encouragement + affirmation cards
these pocket sized affirmation cards are perfect for every day + on-the-go encouragement! shop our decks here.
my final thoughts:
some things aren’t worth your time.
let’s be real here + state for the record that your time + energy are precious + are reserved for what you feel is important in your life.
if getting to know someone + connecting with them on a deeper level is important to you, you take time to learn more about them + to build that connection.
if having the ability to utilize a specific skill is important to you, you take time to learn it + you practice executing it.
whatever we claim is important to us, if we’re not taking time for it, then it’s not as important to we as our lip service wants to convince us it is.
don’t talk about it, be about it.
you say you want something, what action(s) are you taking to not only get it, but to sustain it?
you say you want connection, what are you doing to connect with that person or those people?
you say you want to learn a specific skill, what are you doing to learn that skill? in what ways are you putting what you’ve learned into practice?
whatever you choose to do, do it with an open mind + let curiosity lead.
commit to learning something new every single day. you are worth the investment.
in all that you do, lead with love.
true connection with others + with the world around you comes from a genuine place.
we aren’t using what we learn to weaponize or to further oppress others; instead, we are using our curiosity as an act of liberation + freedom.
taking the time to expand our perspectives is a way of freeing our minds to operate in a non-judgmental way + by calling on others to lend their perspectives, we are providing a space for all of us to be our most authentic selves.
that’s the beauty of expansion.
decide, today, how far you are willing to stretch yourself. abundance has no bounds — do you?
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i appreciate you taking the time to read + listen!
thank you for show up today, for being here today.
thank you for listening,
for learning,
for taking it all in,
+ most importantly, i thank you for being you.
i’ll see you on the next episode. 👋🏾
be you, be dope!
Phylicia Sadsarin
Mindset Coach
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