Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north. 

In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same.

Today, we start to wrap up 2020 with a reflection episode from Rachel + Jenell, co-creators and co-hosts of the TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE podcast. This is a two parter where we first focus on Jenell’s biggest take-away and learning from 2020 and then next week we will reveal Rachel’s biggest take-away and learning from 2020. In part 1, we talk about the sudden loss of pets and loved ones, the power of making your own mistakes, exploring how to address trauma in social situations, experiencing loneliness + a lack of connection to self + others, the power of community help, owning our shit, acknowledging elephants in the room, 

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• #amplifymelanatedvoices @soulcarecollective
• #amplifymelanatedvoices @reikiandflowhealing
• Ronit LeMon
• Ira Glass quote
• Native American Tribes in North Texas
• Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. What if making mistakes is actually a gift to the world? When we make mistakes we allow ourselves to be humxn, to experience being fully humxn, and be fully expressed. Mistakes give us a chance to KNOW first-hand what it’s like to feel all that comes with making mistakes vs just having it be a concept in your mind. Making mistakes gives us more depth of understanding to what it’s like to be more fully humxn. When we have a deeper experiential understanding of being humxn, we can be more aware and available for others as they are also learning to be humxn. What lessons are lost when you avoid making mistakes?
2. Where in your life are you allowing yourself to be fully seen? We talk about self help, but there is so much power in community help that can be missed in our attempts to get all our needs met on our own and be so independent. Don’t get us wrong - that is absolutely important - and it’s also important to find groups of people where we can be fully expressed and witnessed as we are, as well as fully witness others do the same. There is a collective grounding when we can be who we are, and be with who others truly are, too, without trying to change or fix or avoid or rush past anything. Where can you slow down, self manage your own inner world, + acknowledge another humxn exactly as they are? Where can you find + embrace the communities that exist for you to be fully seen as you are?
3. When you’re growing, there will eventually be a gap between how people expect to experience you from the way you used to be to the way you actually are now. It can be jarring, confusing, and frustrating to know that internally you are changed, but external some environments still bring you back to your old ways so easily. This is normal and ok! Just keep showing up and practicing being the new you until it becomes your new default. And invite grace when you forget. Because you will - because you’re humxn. 🙂 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [1:25] A good cry
• [2:00] Clearing
• [4:00] Power of ritual
• [6:50] Acknowledging + honoring death
• [11:00] When/how to bring up trauma in social situations
• [13:50] What if making mistakes was actually a gift for yourself + others?
• [17:15] Fully seeing + being fully seen
• [19:00] Feeling like a burden on other people
• [20:47] AD: As you know, Rachel is a life coach, and to wrap up this crazy year, we’re excited to offer our TNC community an exclusive 10% off any/all life coaching packages/sessions purchased with Rachel between now + 1/31/21. Simply email rachel.unstuck@gmail.com + mention promo code TRUENORTHHOLIDAYS. <3 
• [21:47] Loneliness + vulnerability
• [25:50] Lack of connection
• [29:20] Numbing out
• [32:40] Power of true community help
• [36:00] Voice your authentic love to those around you
• [37:30] Re-experiencing childhood environments + experiences
• [40:10] Internally processing to influence the external world
• [44:00] Being humxn is hard when the goal is only to be happy
• [44:40] Own your shit
• [49:40] AD: If you love listening to us each week, we would love it if you’d share us with a friend that you think might also love the content! Or leave us a review on iTunes, Apple Music or wherever you listen to us + help us grow this podcast + expand our reach!
• [50:00] The elephant in the room + feeling like an outcast for being real
• [52:54] INTERMISSION: Join us next week for part 2 of this conversation!