Lately, I’ve been catching myself in a habit I don’t much like: quietly judging other people for the smallest things. A driver weaving through traffic, someone moving too slowly, a forgotten water bottle at the gym… and then, much to my surprise, I find myself doing the very same things. In this episode, I sit with that uncomfortable realization and what it reveals about the gap between who I think I am and how I sometimes show up.

As I wrestle with my own impatience and assumptions, I begin to see how much energy judgment steals and how difficult it is to let it go. Still, I’m trying. Trying to slow down, to soften my reactions, and to make room for a little more kindness, especially toward myself. Because maybe real change doesn’t come all at once, but in small moments where I choose, even briefly, to think differently.

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

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As I look back over the many turns my life has taken - the careers, moves, relationships, and the quiet inner thread that seemed to guide them all - I begin to see how much of my journey has been shaped by listening to that voice inside.

I think about the different ways people choose to live: some rooted in one place with lifelong connections, others pulled outward by curiosity and change. Both, it seems to me now, require their own kind of courage. As I near eighty, I’m learning that daring doesn’t always look like grand adventure. Sometimes it’s simply the willingness to keep listening, to reconsider, to try again, and to trust that the voice within still has something important to say.

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

Thank you for listening!

Listen to more episodes like this and subscribe to updates at https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com

I’ve always believed that humor lives very close to the fire of truth. In this episode, I reflect on my lifelong love of laughter. From comedians who challenge my thinking to the small, spontaneous jokes I slip into everyday conversation, humor has often been my way of easing tension, softening embarrassment, and making peace with the many little missteps that come with being human… and with getting older.

But lately I’ve been wondering about the fine line between using humor to open a moment and using it to avoid one. When truth heats up a conversation, my instinct is often to reach for a joke and cool things down. Sometimes it works beautifully. Sometimes it doesn’t. Still, I’ve come to believe that laughter, especially the kind that makes us look at ourselves a little more honestly, may be one of the most generous gifts we can offer each other. And since humor seems to run in my blood, I suspect I’ll keep sharing it whenever the moment calls… or even when it doesn’t.

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

Thank you for listening!

Listen to more episodes like this and subscribe to updates at https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com