Adventures with My Forties
46 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago -The adventures of a woman trying to live her best life in her forties.
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Episodes
Ep. 42 The Dark Side of Girl Scout Cookies
February 01, 2024 18:29 - 28 minutes - 18.2 MBIt's Girl Scout cookie season here in Pasadena, and Pippa LOVES selling cookies. She learns a lot of great things from the program, but I have a few issues with the way it breeds competition, whips girls into a frenzy over crappy prizes, adds to my mental load, and exposes girls to diet culture. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 41 Introducing Project 24 in '24
January 16, 2024 21:55 - 22 minutes - 14.3 MBHappy New Year! Another year, another project! Instead of resolutions, I like to concoct lists of projects that I hope to complete during the new year. I got this idea from one of my favorite podcasts, Happier With Gretchen Rubin, and I’ve been doing it since 2022. Here's the 24 in '24 list: No soda or caffeine. Take an introductory class at a rock climbing gym. Read 100 books. Bonus points: read at least 25 books for Project Read Around the World. Attend 100 hot yoga classes. This inc...
Ep. 40 Bitches Love Witches
October 27, 2023 17:41 - 25 minutes - 16.6 MBIt's October and nearly Halloween, and this year, I'm thinking a lot about witches. People tend to think of witches as evil but I love stories that reclaim witches and allow them to be good, strong and powerful. Why must a woman who practices magic be considered evil? Is the idea of the evil witch in the woods just another tool for controlling women, keeping them in line and fitting into the patriarchy's mold? Let's save the witches from patriarchal stereotypes because bitches love witches. ...
Ep. 39 Why Do Women Love True Crime?
October 20, 2023 18:47 - 47 minutes - 30.1 MBThis week, I explore the question, Why do women love true crime? I myself listen to true crime podcasts and often wonder, Why do I love listening to these stories? And perhaps, more importantly: does my interest in true crime suggest some sort of moral deficiency on my part? Spoiler alert: I think my interest in true crime comes from a place of empathy and empowerment. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 38 It’s Fall, Y’All!
September 21, 2023 20:41 - 22 minutes - 14.9 MBAutumn is here! First, I reflect on ways to welcome the change of seasons. Then, since it's autumn, of course I need a new bucket list - but I swear, I first did some soul searching to make sure my fall bucket list would serve my happiness. After I created my fall bucket list, I created my Fall JOMO List: a list of all the things I will NOT be doing this fall. Shownotes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com
Ep. 37 Rebuilding My Mind-Body Connection
September 14, 2023 20:59 - 29 minutes - 18.5 MBThis week, I talk about my mind-body connection, or lack thereof, and how hot yoga and the enneagram are helping me rebuild my relationship with my body. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 36 The PathTo Enlightenment Is in The Elementary School Carline
September 08, 2023 23:22 - 29 minutes - 18.7 MBEvery school day, when I drop my kids off, someone in the car line is a jerk or idiot or both. And this used to rile me up and I'd feel outraged at the injustices of car line. but recently I realized: what if the path to enlightenment is in car line? What if I stop letting other people steal my serenity over dumb things like car line? Someone is going to be rude and block the car line and make everyone wait while their prince or princess takes an absurdly long time to get out of the vehicle....
Ep. 35 When You Get Sucked Into Other Folks’ Agendas
September 01, 2023 23:42 - 29 minutes - 18.9 MBHello! This week, I'm talking about Human Giver Syndrome and the ways women get sucked into doing work for other people's organizations. I talk about ways I got hijacked by other folks' agendas into doing volunteer work that doesn't actually align with my values and beliefs. Specifically, I'm looking at AYSO, Girl Scout cookies and the frenzied hell that is cookie season, and the PTA membership drive. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com.
Ep. 34 Setting My Intentions For The 2023-24 School Year
August 25, 2023 19:57 - 24 minutes - 16 MBI'm back! It's been over a year, and I finally have the time, energy and bandwidth to record a podcast episode. How are you? It's been too long. In this episode, I catch you up on the past year of my life. Long story short: I volunteered for too many things, and then my dad had some serious health issues. This led to some epic burnout, so my intentions for the upcoming school year are to (a) volunteer way less and (b) take the time to heal. Shownotes are available at CourtneyHenningNova...
Ep. 33 Your Kids Are Entitled to Your Mistakes
June 23, 2022 22:39 - 34 minutes - 23 MBOn Father's Day, the kids were sassy and rude, and I lost all my shits. It was not my proudest parenting hour. But then, I apologized and explained why I had overreacted to the kids, and we hugged and made up. While I would love to be the "perfect mom," my kids are entitled to my mistakes. If they think I am a superwoman who never makes mistakes, then they will beat themselves up when they invariably make mistakes. Life is messy, and mistakes are part of the journey. So rather than beat myse...
Ep. 32 Grief Sucks But I’m Getting Better At Embracing It
February 15, 2022 22:41 - 34 minutes - 29 MBIt has been a month since my last episode and life has been a lot. My uncle died in mid-January and my grandma died on February 1. I was very close to both of them and have been exhausted from all my grief. But I think I am handling my grief for my uncle and grandma well - or, at least better than I handled grief when I was nineteen and lost my cousin Kym and grandpa. When I was nineteen, I buried my grief and pushed on with my life, and the grief festered. Now that I am forty-three, I am al...
Operation: Reclaim My Life!
January 13, 2022 17:31 - 29 minutes - 24.1 MBLast week, I told you about my 22 Projects in '22 to keep my momentum strong. To deepen my self-work this year, I am also launching Operation: Reclaim My Life. In this episode, I talk about why I picked "reclaim" to be my word of 2022 and my four areas of focus: Reclaim My House; Reclaim My Body; Reclaim My Inner Child; and Reclaim My Stories. Bonus: I also vent about pandemic life, including Julian's week of distance learning after being a close contact. Show notes are available at Cou...
Ep. 30 Twenty-two Projects in 2022
January 04, 2022 18:11 - 26 minutes - 22.7 MBHappy 2022! This week, I share the twenty-two projects I am pursuing in 2022 to keep my momentum strong. The projects range from "publish my first novel" to "get a posh trash can for the kitchen" and everything in between. Not all of these projects will happen, but this is my process and I'm excited to see what sticks and what gets abandoned. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Common...
Ep. 29 How To Raise A Successful Adult
October 13, 2021 21:18 - 30 minutes - 26.2 MBThis week, I talk about all the ways I was inspired by Julie Lythcott-Haims' book How to Raise An Adult: Break Free of The Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid For Success. The book really delivers on its promise. It showed me the ways in which I have fallen into the overparenting trap and then it gave me lots of practical ideas for how I can change my ways. Spoiler alert: chores matter! Also: other parents might be crazy about the college arms race, but that doesn't mean we have to follo...
Ep. 28 Kicking Ass And Healing During The 2021-22 School Year
August 13, 2021 16:56 - 32 minutes - 25.5 MBThe calendar year might begin on January 1, but the first day of school is the true beginning of the year. My kids returned to school on August 12, 2021 -- it was Julian's first day of kindergarten, Pippa's first day of third grade, their first day attending the same school ever, and the first day of "normal" school since March 2020. Whew! It seemed like an auspicious time to reflect on the 2021-22 school year. My mission statement for 2021-22 school year is: Kicking Ass and Healing. In this...
Ep. 27 What Does Pandemic Healing Look Like?
June 15, 2021 18:19 - 33 minutes - 29.7 MBHoly eff, I don't know about you, but I am burned out from the pandemic. I feel a deep need to heal from this collective -- and personal -- traumatic experience. Now that school is out and my kids are both going to camp, I am thinking about what I want to do this summer to heal. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Ep. 26: Maternal Mental Health Is A Journey, Not A Destination
May 05, 2021 20:51 - 25 minutes - 21.4 MBIt's Maternal Mental Health Week 2021! Maternal mental health is a cause near and dear to my heart. When I talk and write about maternal mental health, I end up focusing on postpartum depression. That's an important subject that needs attention, but maternal mental health does not end with the postpartum period. We deserve excellent mental health our entire lives, not just when we have a little baby at home. In other news, between May 5 and May 9, 2021, my memoir Adventures With Postpartum...
Ep. 25 The Mirrors That Reflect Our Inner Work
April 20, 2021 21:57 - 37 minutes - 31.5 MBThis week, I am talking about the mirrors that reflect our inner work: art! dreams! other people! especially annoying people! and signs from the Universe! We all have work to do during this lifetime, and there are so many ways to find that work. I discuss some of the things that act as mirrors to show me the work I am ignoring (or denying). Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By...
Ep. 24 Pandemic Philosophy
April 07, 2021 00:11 - 27 minutes - 22.3 MBThis week, I talk about the thoughts that are helping me stay sane as my family embarks on our next pandemic adventure: the hybrid hellscape. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Ep. 23 Building New,Radiant Beliefs
March 10, 2021 20:52 - 33 minutes - 27.5 MBMy feelings have helped me identify some toxic, outdated beliefs. Now I am working to replace those beliefs with new, radiant ones. In this episode, I describe the things I am doing to build these new beliefs. Spoiler alert: I am embracing the shit out of affirmations! Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Ep. 22 Identifying My Core Values
February 25, 2021 18:03 - 31 minutes - 25.5 MBLet's talk about values! Last week, I listened to the audiobook of Dare to Lead by Brené Brown. The second part of the book is called Living Into Our Values and it changed my attitude about values. I love values. I have journaled extensively about my values. I’ve talked about values with my therapist many times. I’ve probably blogged about my values (but I don’t have the time to dig through old posts now) (please god, will distance learning ever end?) After several months of work, I identi...
21 My Feelings Have Messages I Want To heed
February 19, 2021 00:06 - 40 minutes - 33.3 MBI am a feelings amateur but this week, I talk about feelings, from my history of suppressing my feelings to my current work to use my feelings as a tool to figure out my subconscious beliefs. We live in a culture that does not value feelings, but I believe feelings are important. Feelings are vital to our work to become our best selves. I felt awkward and completely out of my comfort zone with this episode, but I am excited to do this work. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNov...
Ep. 20 The Space Between Hope and Despair
January 19, 2021 00:43 - 26 minutes - 23.6 MBI got a little philosophical for this episode. Over the past couple months of pandemic and distance learning life, I have noticed that I am my best self when I occupy the space between hope and despair. Hope and despair are mindsets that look to the future. Hope might seem more optimistic than despair, but it conditions future happiness on wanted outcomes. It sets me up for disappointment and discontent. With both mindsets, I feel unsettled and torn from the present. I feel as if my life is ...
Ep. 19 Looking Back At 2020 & Ahead To 2021
December 30, 2020 18:27 - 54 minutes - 47 MBHappy Almost New Year! At the end of the year, I like to look back at the year I have had and reflect on the work I did to become a better version of myself. I thought that 2020 was going to be a total dumpster fire but after thinking back on the year, was pleasantly surprised to see how much I have grown as a person over the last twelve months. I would never have chosen a pandemic or distance learning for 2020, but that's what happened, and those experiences pushed me through some incredibl...
Ep. 18 Putting the SELF in Self-Help
December 12, 2020 23:09 - 36 minutes - 31.7 MBI love self-help books! But that has not always been the case. When I was younger, I felt drawn to the self-help section at the bookstore but ashamed at the idea of reading those books. After I I got my first Kindle, I started to make up for lost time. I have learned to be an active participant in the self help books I read, embracing only the ideas that work for me. But the past few years, I took Marie Kondo's books about decluttering a bit too seriously. I internalized some subconscious be...
Ep. 17 A Very Pandemic Holiday Season
November 19, 2020 17:56 - 25 minutes - 22.8 MBThis week, I talk about the upcoming 2020 holidays. Spoiler alert: the holidays will be a bit different this year because hello, #pandemic. I am trying my best to lower/change my expectations so my family can still enjoy this time of year. I talk about the mindset I am trying to embrace so I do not drive myself crazy. (Or at least, crazier than usual.) Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creati...
Ep. 16 Distance Learning Suuuucks Soooo Muuuuch
November 13, 2020 18:04 - 32 minutes - 28.3 MBThis week, I revisit the topic of distance learning because hello, it's 2020 and starting to feel like my second grader will never go back to "normal" school. I was in a 2020 rut at the beginning of October and feeling broken by distance learning. It is so time consuming! And aggravating! But then, my muse gave me an idea: I needed to stop working on my fantasy series and work on a new book called The Distance Learning Activity Book For Parents Just Barely Holding On To Their Last Shred Of S...
Ep.15 Catholic School Detox
October 15, 2020 18:12 - 35 minutes - 30.8 MBI went to Catholic school for 11.5 years, from about halfway through first grade until the day I graduated from high school in 1997. I have not practiced Catholicism since 1997, but I am starting to realize that I internalized a lot of toxic beliefs during my Catholic school years. I am now working to find those beliefs and reject them. I have felt called to do this work for a long time but have avoided it. But I am ready now to face my Catholic school demons. Show notes are available at...
Ep.14 Reclaiming My Voice
October 07, 2020 15:58 - 37 minutes - 32.8 MBWhen I was about eighteen and nineteen years old, I had a few experiences that made me feel like my voice, in both speaking and writing, was not good enough. There was the high school frenemy who told me that I was not funny. Then there was the college "friend" who criticized my potty mouth. And lastly, a creative writing professor basically convinced me that my writing was not any good. I took these experiences to heart and abandoned my personal voice in favor of a voice that I thought peop...
Ep. 13 Bumbling My Way Toward Better Boundaries
September 24, 2020 17:51 - 40 minutes - 34.9 MBThis week, I talk about boundaries. Spoiler alert: I am not an expert in having boundaries! Instead, I am an expert in not having healthy boundaries. I share how my boundaries used to be total crap - in some cases, they were too extreme and I shut people out; in other cases, they almost didn't exist; and in still other cases, I would manage to set a boundary but then feel like a horrible being. I have been bumbling my way toward having healthier boundaries and in the past year, I have notice...
Ep. 12 The Dangerous Self-Care Myth
September 17, 2020 00:59 - 42 minutes - 35.5 MBI love self-care. I believe it is necessary and vital to our lives. BUT: I also believe that self-care gets presented to women as the panacea to all their problems. Feeling down? Buy a scented candle. Feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied with your life? Take a bubble bath! But as awesome as self-care is, it's not a substitute for following your inner divine call. If you are feeling miserable because your authentic self has been crushed by society, then it is going to take more than a mani-pe...
Ep. 11 Pandemic Parenting Jedi Mind Tricks, Part Two
September 10, 2020 19:19 - 42 minutes - 35.1 MBUnder the best of circumstances, parenting is tough. Add in a pandemic and some distance learning? Holy sh*t. At the beginning of the pandemic, I wished there was a “Guide to Parenting During A Historic Pandemic” that would help me navigate these stormy times. But the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that the parenting principles that helped me stay sane pre-pandemic also help me stay sane in 2020. In this episode, which is Part 2 of 2, I dive into the principles that are guiding my ...
Ep. 10 Pandemic Parenting
September 02, 2020 23:27 - 40 minutes - 33.5 MBUnder the best of circumstances, parenting is tough. Add in a pandemic and some distance learning? Holy sh*t. At the beginning of the pandemic, I wished there was a "Guide to Parenting During A Historic Pandemic" that would help me navigate these stormy times. But the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that the parenting principles that helped me stay sane pre-pandemic also help me stay sane in 2020. In this episode, which is Part 1 of 2, I dive into the principles that are guiding my ...
Ep. 10 Pandemic Parenting Jedi Mind Tricks, Part One
September 02, 2020 23:27 - 40 minutes - 33.5 MBUnder the best of circumstances, parenting is tough. Add in a pandemic and some distance learning? Holy sh*t. At the beginning of the pandemic, I wished there was a "Guide to Parenting During A Historic Pandemic" that would help me navigate these stormy times. But the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that the parenting principles that helped me stay sane pre-pandemic also help me stay sane in 2020. In this episode, which is Part 1 of 2, I dive into the principles that are guiding my ...
Ep. 9 Pandemics Suck
August 27, 2020 02:13 - 32 minutes - 27.1 MBLast weekend, I was feeling grumpy and worn out from the pandemic. I vented to some friends during a park play date, and my friend Katie said, "This is hard. It is really, really hard." I needed that reminder. It seems so obvious: of course this is hard. But it has been so hard for so long, I sometimes forget that we are living through extraordinary circumstances. In this episode, I am taking the time to acknowledge how difficult living through this pandemic is. It was very helpful for me to...
Ep.8 Reconnecting With My Intuition
August 20, 2020 00:49 - 47 minutes - 39.8 MBI have spent the past seven years reconnecting with my intuition. For most of my life, I ignored my intuition. I trusted the opinions of other people too much to value my own inner wisdom. But as part of my recovery from postpartum depression, I started to rebuild my relationship with my intuition. It's a bit like a muscle. The more I connect with my intuition, the easier it is for me to access that part of myself. I discuss the reasons I lost touch with my intuition and then the ways I have...
Ep. 7 Embracing Radiant Health
August 13, 2020 23:46 - 31 minutes - 27.6 MBThis week, I am talking about my pursuit of radiant health. A few years ago, I decided to switch my primary physician from a traditional Western doctor to a naturopath who is helping me make lifestyle changes to take better care of my body. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Ep. 6 When Guilt is Bullsh*t
August 05, 2020 18:58 - 37 minutes - 30.9 MBThis week, I talk about motherhood guilt and the guilt I felt even before I became a mother. As women, we are conditioned by society to get our sense of worth for doing things for others. When we attend to our own needs and passions, we can start to feel guilty. I have been examining my feelings of guilt and discovered some beliefs in my subconscious related to my sense of worth. And you know what I am seeing? Bullshit. The guilt I feel as a mom and a woman is total, utter bullshit! Show n...
Ep. 5 Neglect the Housework
July 29, 2020 18:28 - 32 minutes - 26.7 MBThis week, I talk about why you should NEGLECT THE HOUSEWORK. I am not suggesting you let your house look like it was hit by a tornado, but I do think it is important to let yourself take time to answer your divine call and do whatever creative work fires you up, even if that means there is a little dust on the picture frames. I talk about one of my favorite books, If You Want To Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit, by Brenda Ueland, especially the chapter with the fantastic nam...
Ep. Neglect the Housework
July 29, 2020 18:28 - 32 minutes - 26.7 MBThis week, I talk about why you should NEGLECT THE HOUSEWORK. I am not suggesting you let your house look like it was hit by a tornado, but I do think it is important to let yourself take time to answer your divine call and do whatever creative work fires you up, even if that means there is a little dust on the picture frames. I talk about one of my favorite books, If You Want To Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit, by Brenda Ueland, especially the chapter with the fantastic nam...
Ep. 4 Distance Learning and Mental Health
July 22, 2020 23:25 - 40 minutes - 34.8 MBWe are back to distance learning this fall, and we have no idea what it is going to be like. I talk about my plan to stay open minded about distance learning while keeping my family's wellbeing front and center. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Ep. 3 Welcome to Perimenopause?
July 17, 2020 03:43 - 27 minutes - 23 MBI am on Day 41 of my menstrual cycle - is this the start of perimenopause? Or just pandemic stress? I talk about what I know about perimenopause (not a lot) and my goals for this journey. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Anxiety During the Pandemic
July 11, 2020 20:57 - 38 minutes - 33.8 MBIn this episode, I dive into the how, the when and the why of my pandemic anxiety and also about my resistance to going back on medication. If you would like to be in touch, please visit my website CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Ep. 2 Anxiety During the Pandemic
July 11, 2020 20:57 - 38 minutes - 33.8 MBIn this episode, I dive into the how, the when and the why of my pandemic anxiety and also about my resistance to going back on medication. If you would like to be in touch, please visit my website CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Introduction and Welcome
July 11, 2020 20:45 - 6 minutes - 5.57 MBWelcome to my new podcast! This episode is an overview of the topics I hope to cover as I try to figure out how to thrive during my forties. I touch on mental health, motherhood and the pandemic. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. Thanks for listening!
Ep. 1 Introduction and Welcome
July 11, 2020 20:45 - 6 minutes - 5.57 MBWelcome to my new podcast! This episode is an overview of the topics I hope to cover as I try to figure out how to thrive during my forties. I touch on mental health, motherhood and the pandemic. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. Thanks for listening!