1 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: the podcast where we talk through some of the big 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: life changes and transitions of our twenties and what. 4 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 2: They mean for our psychology. Hello everybody, Welcome back to 5 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 2: the show. Welcome back to the podcast. New listeners, old listeners. 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 2: Wherever you are in the world, it is so great 7 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: to have you here. Back for another episode, back for 8 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: another topic, and today, back for another guest episode. I 9 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: love doing these every now and again, and I'm super 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 2: selective with the people that I bring on because I 11 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 2: want them to really have something to say about the 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 2: twenty something experience, about what it means to be, you know, 13 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: growing up during this time and at this age and 14 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 2: during this decade. And I feel like one of the 15 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 2: main experiences a lot of us have, one of the 16 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: universal twenty something experiences, is feeling incredibly behind and incredibly lost. 17 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 2: And today we are bringing on someone who has spoken 18 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 2: a lot about this, who has written numerous books about 19 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 2: this experience. Dr Meg Jay. Thank you so much for 20 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 2: joining us. 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 3: It's my pleasure. Jima, I'm so glad to be here. 22 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 2: So if you don't know who make is, you've definitely 23 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 2: heard of her work. She is the author of The 24 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 2: Defining Decade, one of my all time favorite pieces of nonfiction. 25 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 3: Thank you. Yeah, So I am a development While I 26 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 3: was saying, I love the title of your podcast, because 27 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 3: that's my whole life. I'm a developmental clinical psychologist, and 28 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 3: I specialize in twenty somethings, which is a thing. It 29 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 3: wasn't a thing twenty years ago when I started, which 30 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 3: we could discuss that later too, But you know, it's 31 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 3: a very unique developmental moment. It has its own unique challenges, 32 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 3: its own unique solutions, and so that's what you know, 33 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: all my days and all my books are about. 34 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 2: So what exactly drew you to really thinking about people 35 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 2: in their twenties? I think it was a natural inclination 36 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: for me. I started this podcast as someone in their twenties. 37 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: I'm still in my twenties. What was the fascination for 38 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: you with this, with this decade? 39 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, so, I believe it or not. I have been 40 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 3: specializing in twenty somethings for twenty five years, so maybe 41 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: for like, roughly your full life so far. And so 42 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 3: when I started doing that, I was actually in graduate 43 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 3: school at UC Berkeley. I was getting a degree in 44 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 3: clinical psychology, and I was studying something called adult development. 45 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 3: And when you say that to people, they're like, what's 46 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 3: adult development? I thought adults were already developed. And you know, 47 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 3: adult development is if you look at a twenty year 48 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 3: old and you look at a hundred year old. Adult 49 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: development is all the stuff that happens from twenty to 50 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 3: one hundred. But when I started studying adult development, most 51 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 3: of what was done there is about you know, midlife 52 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 3: crises or you know, the elderly, or you know, maybe 53 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 3: it was you know, the child rearing years. But there 54 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 3: really hadn't been much of anything done on the twenties. 55 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 3: And we can talk about this more in a minute, 56 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 3: but it had been somewhat recent that the twenties were 57 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 3: sort of their own developmental moment. That I mean, they're really, 58 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 3: if you think about it, they're nothing like the teen years. 59 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 3: They're not that like the thirty something years and beyond. 60 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 3: They're really their own thing. So I was sort of 61 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 3: discovering this, along with a lot of research about all 62 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 3: the amazing developmental things that are happening in our twenties. 63 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 3: There's more change between twenty and thirty than any other 64 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 3: decade in adulthoods and I was living in a college town, right, 65 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 3: so I was inundated with young adults and twenty somethings 66 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 3: who were sort of, you know, my first clients in 67 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 3: guinea pigs and all this. So it just and I 68 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 3: had just finished my twenties, so it just felt like 69 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 3: there was so much there. It was really where all 70 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 3: the action is, and no one was focusing specifically on 71 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 3: that space. And one of the ways I figured that 72 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 3: out was a lot of people would come to my 73 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 3: office and ask the same questions. I would tell them 74 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 3: the same things, and I thought, you know, I need 75 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 3: to be able to recommend a book for people. So 76 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 3: I went into the bookstore looking for something back when 77 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 3: people did that, and there was nothing. It was like 78 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 3: the girlfriend's got dear twenties, you know, maybe there was 79 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 3: just some couple of fluff projects out there. So I thought, wow, 80 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 3: this is you know, an untapped need that there's this 81 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 3: period of time which is very unique and people aren't 82 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 3: really talking about it and focusing on and specializing it. 83 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 3: So I started doing that and I have never looked back. 84 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 3: I've never wanted to do anything else. It is just, 85 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,919 Speaker 3: to me, the most important decade of life. It's also 86 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 3: super difficult, which we can talk about. But I love it. 87 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 2: It's so funny. You was saying, like you've been doing 88 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 2: this for twenty five years. It's like your career is 89 00:04:58,320 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: a twenty something year old. 90 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, exactly, Yes, it's all about it's all about 91 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 3: that decade, one way or the other. 92 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 2: So you said something in there and you were like, 93 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 2: it's the most formative decade, which I really agree, but 94 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 2: it's also the most difficult. Like we it really exists 95 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 2: in this vacuum between adolescents and what I sometimes refer 96 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 2: to as like real adulthood, like in your thirties, when 97 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 2: all the things that you thought, you know, you would 98 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 2: experience as an adult, maybe getting married, having children, buying 99 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 2: a home, they kind of for a lot of us 100 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 2: are happening a lot later. What do you think creates 101 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 2: this real difficulty for a lot of us during this period. 102 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 3: Well, it's really that is that you know, you're absolutely right, 103 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 3: adult milestones are now you know, in about adult milestones, 104 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 3: I mean, you know, figuring out your job and finding 105 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,119 Speaker 3: a partner, picking a city, you know, maybe getting a home, 106 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 3: maybe having a kid, like that's all sort of thirty 107 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 3: than to twenty now, and so in the twenties, it's 108 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 3: just this big, wide open period of uncertainty. There's a 109 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 3: lot more to sort of worry about than there is 110 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 3: to hold on to. The brain doesn't like that, so 111 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 3: your mental health does not like that, and so it 112 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 3: makes the twenties. You know, from where I'm standing, it's 113 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 3: an amazing opportunity to work with people before they've made 114 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 3: all their biggest decisions and to help them do that 115 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 3: more thoughtfully, more productively, more happily. But it's from the 116 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 3: other side of the room. The twenty something that I'm 117 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 3: work with is living with more uncertainty than they will 118 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 3: really at any other time of life. And that's what 119 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 3: makes the twenties so hard, is that it's probably the 120 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 3: only time of life where you'll wake up in the 121 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 3: morning and you'd think, gosh, you know, I don't really 122 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 3: know where I'll live in five years, or if anyone's 123 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 3: gonna love me, or if I could pay my bills, 124 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 3: or where I'm going to work, or if I could 125 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 3: be happy. And that's really really hard. And I don't 126 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 3: think we talk enough about how hard all that uncertainty is. 127 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 2: Well, let's talk about it now. Why is it that 128 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 2: this uncertainty is so scary for us? Like, how does 129 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: that manifest in maybe our behavior is even now mental 130 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 2: health the patents that you see in twenty somethings. 131 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I'll geek out briefly on brain stuff. But 132 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 3: but the brain interprets uncertainty as danger. And if you 133 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 3: think about this evolutionarily, this makes sense. Like if you 134 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 3: don't know what's around in the corner, you're going to assume, 135 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 3: you know, it's a beyor not, you know, it's a 136 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 3: little bunny rabbit, and things are fine. That's how we 137 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 3: survive that. Your brain is wired to keep you alive, 138 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 3: not make you happy. So when there's uncertainty, we're going 139 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 3: to interpret it as danger. We're going to feel stressed. 140 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 3: We're going to feel anxious. Some people get sort of 141 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 3: avoidant and depressed. Other people reach for substances or you know, 142 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 3: whatever they do to kind of manage that stress around. Yikes, 143 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 3: I don't know what's about to happen in my life. 144 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: So it's not something the brain likes very much. But 145 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 3: in the twenty first century, it's this sort of staggering 146 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 3: amount of uncertainty that twenty somethings live with I mean 147 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 3: they live with it day in and day out for five, ten, 148 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 3: fifteen years, and so that really takes a toll on 149 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 3: people's well being, on their mental health. Life does get better, 150 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 3: and we can talk about that too, But the twenties 151 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 3: are tough, and I think we kind of maybe imagine 152 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 3: are told that they're going to be this, you know, 153 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 3: best years of our lives, but they're probably not, and 154 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:36,559 Speaker 3: you don't even want them to be. You want life 155 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 3: to get better as you go. 156 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 2: I say that a lot. Actually, I was saying it 157 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 2: to someone before. Our twenties are when you have been 158 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 2: probably the least amount of money you will ever be making, right. 159 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 2: Your relationships are like up in the air. Everything feels 160 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 2: so uncertain, you'll probably quite emotionally vulnerable. You don't probably 161 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 2: like your job that much, and there is such an 162 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 2: expectation of like, these are your best years. These are 163 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 2: like you better like really hold on to them because 164 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 2: once they're going, like they're going to be the source 165 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,839 Speaker 2: of all your nostalgia, all your memories. And I'm just like, 166 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 2: is that really as good as it's going to be? 167 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 3: I mean, let's hope not. No. I mean that's what 168 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 3: I say to my clients. If your twenties turn out 169 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 3: to be the best years of your life, something has 170 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 3: gone terribly wrong, because empirically we know that. Actually it 171 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 3: may be hard to imagine as a twenty something, but 172 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 3: life does get thirty somethings or happier than twenty somethings, 173 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 3: And even old forty somethings are happier than thirty somethings. 174 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 3: Even the fifty somethings are happier. I mean it, Actually, 175 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 3: people do become happier, more grounded, Their relationships are better, 176 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 3: they have purpose, they have meaning, they have sort of 177 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 3: that emotional stability that life security. So life really does 178 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 3: get better. I'm not really sure how this kind of 179 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 3: myth keeps perpetuating that your twenties are going to be amazing. 180 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 3: I mean, there's some fun, cool stuff that goes on, 181 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 3: but they're very hard and all those things you mentioned of, 182 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 3: like you're broke, you're moving to a new city, don't 183 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 3: have friends, new jobs, stressful, you know your boss is 184 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 3: you know, stressing you out, et cetera. That's real, and 185 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 3: you know, the twenties are actually, I think, well for 186 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 3: most people, maybe more difficult than they are. 187 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 2: Sometimes that makes me hearing you say that, because I 188 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 2: I'm such an optimistic person. Right so, right now, I'm like, 189 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 2: my life is like the best it's ever going to be. 190 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 2: And so for some reason, when people are like, oh, 191 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 2: it gets better at thirty, it gets better at forty, 192 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 2: I'm like, but what if it can't get any better, 193 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 2: so it has to get worse? Like what if I've 194 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 2: got the inverse, like what if this is? What if 195 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 2: I'm the exception like it? 196 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 3: But then I'm like, yeah, yeah, I find that hard 197 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 3: to believe because the reason life gets better, it's not 198 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:02,679 Speaker 3: like just this random growth curve you're on. It gets 199 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 3: better because you as a twenty something whatever cool stuff 200 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 3: you've built that you're super psyched about. And I'm very 201 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 3: happy to hear that you feel like you have a 202 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 3: great life. You're going to keep doing that. So you're 203 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 3: going to build you know, there'll be more relationships or 204 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 3: deeper relationships, or your career is going to just get 205 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 3: even better, or your financial security will be better. And 206 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 3: I mean that's sort of why it happens, is that people, 207 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 3: I mean, there's generally an upward trajectory in life, and 208 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 3: of course nobody knows what's going to happen tomorrow, you know, 209 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 3: with the big stuff, but you know, in terms of 210 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 3: people's individual lives. I mean, I love it if you 211 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 3: feel like you've already built a lot of good stuff 212 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 3: in your twenties because you're just going to keep building 213 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 3: on that. 214 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 2: That's so so reinforcing to hear. The other thing that 215 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 2: I that actually a lot of people, this is what 216 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 2: I really want to talk about, is like feeling like 217 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 2: there is almost it's a bit of a race, and 218 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,719 Speaker 2: feeling like it's a race to find the one. It's 219 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 2: a race to buy a house, it's a race to 220 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 2: have it all figured out. Why do you think so 221 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 2: many of us feel this sense of just being behind 222 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 2: during this decade? And what are we actually behind? Like 223 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: behind what? 224 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 3: Right? Well, that would be my question against clients. Do 225 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 3: say but I'm behind, And I say behind? 226 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: What? 227 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 3: Behind? Who? 228 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: You know? 229 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 3: If you say behind what, there's usually a who, Well, 230 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 3: so and so has such and such and I don't 231 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,679 Speaker 3: have that, Or well my parents had X, Y and 232 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,679 Speaker 3: Z when they were my age, and I don't have that. 233 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 3: So there's usually some person or some idea that someone's 234 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 3: comparing themselves to. But kind of the maybe maddening, But 235 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 3: a truly wonderful thing about your twenties and beyond is 236 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 3: you can't there's just so many different paths. You can't compare. 237 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 3: Like when you were in school and everyone was in 238 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 3: the same grade and you could compare your biology test 239 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 3: with my biology test. You know, it's just not the way. 240 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 3: Not everybody's taking the same biology test anymore. And you know, 241 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 3: we've all had different paths through life and are doing 242 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 3: different things. So I mean, you really can't compare two 243 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 3: different lives, but we do. So Usually when people say 244 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 3: that they're behind, they feel like they're behind somebody or 245 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 3: some ideal that they had. But you know, a lot 246 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 3: of what I do is I like to say that 247 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 3: education is an intervention, and so writing books and talking 248 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 3: on podcasts you kind of get the real information out there. 249 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 3: And you know, I remind people, well, let's look at, 250 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,439 Speaker 3: you know, the average age of some of these milestones. 251 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 3: You know, in the US anyway, average age of marriage 252 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 3: is like twenty nine, fir his kid is maybe thirty, 253 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:49,119 Speaker 3: home ownership is thirty five, and these are just averages. 254 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 3: So the more career driven or educated you are, these 255 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 3: things can often happen even later. Because you're spending more 256 00:13:54,760 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 3: time in school. So you know, I think most of 257 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 3: the clients that I have aren't behind, but I think 258 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,319 Speaker 3: they're worried that they will be, because it's these are 259 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 3: such long form projects and you can't see, like I'm 260 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 3: halfway there. You know that you don't know right that 261 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 3: you don't know that you may meet a partner in 262 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 3: two years, but you can't really know for sure. So 263 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 3: I think they worry that ultimately they're not going to 264 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 3: get there. 265 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 2: And it's interesting because I think that at the root 266 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 2: of that is again that uncertainty, that instability of like 267 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 2: it just feels uncomfortable to not know, to not like that. 268 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 2: In that lack of knowing, it's like such a capacity 269 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 2: to catastrophize. I think when you don't have all the information. 270 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 2: I know you talk about this in your new book, 271 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 2: like there's such an opportunity there to make up your 272 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 2: own answers, to feel like everything that could go wrong 273 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 2: will go wrong because you haven't seen the alternative yet, 274 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 2: because do you have no real conception of what it 275 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 2: will mean to meet the love of your life maybe tomorrow, 276 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 2: to one day wake up and be in your own 277 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 2: home and be super happy and not be dealing with 278 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 2: work drama, friend drama, anything like that. And I just 279 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 2: feel like, how do we become comfortable with the in between, 280 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 2: with the period between kind of dreaming and realizing, where 281 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 2: there is a lot of uh yeah, just unknown, a 282 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 2: lot of blank spaces for us to seemingly feel. 283 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I love it that you mentioned catastrophic thinking. 284 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 3: So as you mentioned to have a new book out, 285 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 3: most people have read or who are listening to your 286 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 3: podcast or probably read The Defining Decade, I've got a 287 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 3: new one coming out called The twenty something Treatment, and 288 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 3: it's really age specific mental health. It's like personalized medicine, 289 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 3: twenty something mental health. And one thing I address is 290 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 3: it's been a chapter called how to Think, but it's 291 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 3: really about catastrophic thinking. So when you're face with uncertainty, 292 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 3: the brain's number one go to is catastrophic thinking. And 293 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 3: it's really similar to the brain interpreting uncertainty is danger. Right, 294 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 3: It's like, oh my gosh, I'm never going to be happy, 295 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 3: I'm never going to find anyone, I'm never going to 296 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 3: make friends. You know what if I die broken alone 297 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 3: that it's it's going to catastrophize and imagine the worst, 298 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 3: and again that's your brain, you know, trying to protect you, 299 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 3: but it's you know, that's a lot to a lot 300 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 3: of kind of catastrophizing in a ten year period in 301 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 3: your twenties. So we really have to work on shifting 302 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 3: from that sort of what if mindset, you know, what 303 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 3: if I never figure it out? What if my life 304 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 3: goes sideways to what is or what else? And we 305 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 3: can talk about that, just kind of shifting from fears 306 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 3: to facts, or from from fears to flexibility, so that 307 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 3: we can, you know, not just kind of stay stuck 308 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 3: in the fears of what if stuff never works out? 309 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, Like, can we talk about it? Because I read 310 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 2: so your team kindly sent me a manuscript of your book, 311 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 2: and I was I devout. It was amazing. I was like, 312 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 2: oh great, I feel so lucky. But that was the 313 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: thing that really stood out to me, was this concept 314 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 2: of the what is or the what else? Because I 315 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 2: have not heard of that before, and it does feel 316 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 2: like something that is very like just like one of 317 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 2: those strategies where you're like, wow, how come no one 318 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 2: ever said this? Like shifting it from like because I'm 319 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 2: such a what if thinker and I'm a catastrophizer. I'm 320 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 2: I'm a naturally very anxious person, and I always think like, oh, 321 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,959 Speaker 2: but what if they don't like me? What if like 322 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 2: everything that I've built gets taken away? What if tomorrow 323 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 2: I wake up and every single member of my family 324 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 2: has died in a plain accident. Whatever. It's like always 325 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 2: that and I and I have found it very hard 326 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 2: to break out of that thinking. Sometimes that feels like 327 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 2: once my brain is set or on the worst case scenario, 328 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 2: there is nothing to disprove it. So can you explain this? 329 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 2: What else? And what is the Yeah? 330 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, actually I'll use the example you did it earlier. 331 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,919 Speaker 3: I mean you weren't quite catastrophizing, but you said, I 332 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 3: worry that my life is just going to get worse 333 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 3: from here. Yeah, you know when you said that because 334 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:22,440 Speaker 3: I've said, well, the data shows that probably your life's 335 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 3: going to get better, but you you kind of said, well, 336 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 3: but what if it gets worse, which is of course 337 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 3: what you know, twenty something brain is going to do catastrophizing, 338 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 3: So so that's your what if that's the fear? What 339 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 3: if my life actually gets worse instead of better? I mean, 340 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,439 Speaker 3: of course that would be everybody's fear, so shifting to 341 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 3: what is is actually kind of what I did with 342 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 3: you about that of like, well, let mean, let's look 343 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 3: at the facts. Let's look at the data. You actually 344 00:18:55,560 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 3: said you've built a pretty good life now in your twenties, right. 345 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know I have. It's pretty good. I'm pretty happy. 346 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 3: Okay. So the facts are that you have. I don't 347 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 3: know all the details of your life and not trying 348 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 3: to get you to reveal that to me on the podcast, 349 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 3: but it sounds like the facts are you've managed to 350 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 3: create something good even in your twenties, which is very challenging. 351 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 3: Is that correct? 352 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 2: Yeah? And I just think all those other things like 353 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:26,960 Speaker 2: good friends, good family, I've got a long term partner 354 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 2: that I love. It just feels like I've ticked everything 355 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 2: off a little bit. 356 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 3: Okay, So the facts are you did all that. So 357 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 3: why would you completely like go sideways in your thirties 358 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 3: and like lose the all the sort of the skills 359 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 3: and the know how and the work you put into that. 360 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:45,919 Speaker 3: Why would that just go away? 361 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 2: It's so interesting because you're saying it to me, and 362 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 2: I can literally feel like irrational thoughts in my brain 363 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 2: not be able to answer that question. But I think 364 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 2: the thing I always come back to is this like 365 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 2: sense of fate. This like I think it's like a 366 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 2: huge impost syndrome thing that I think a lot of 367 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 2: us in our twenties have where it's like, oh, I 368 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 2: got all this just because I'm lucky, and luck runs out, 369 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 2: so you're putting it in some bigger things hands rather 370 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 2: than your own and like rather than think about your 371 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 2: own skills and your own effort and your own labor. 372 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:23,359 Speaker 3: Right, So I'm saying I look at your life and 373 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 3: a little I know about it so far, and I don't. 374 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 3: I mean, my saying about luck is a wise man 375 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 3: makes his own luck. So I would assume that most 376 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,239 Speaker 3: of what you have you've worked for a lot of that, 377 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 3: and there's probably some luck involved, but probably even more 378 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 3: sort of work or intentionality or care in cultivating that. 379 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 3: So I would assume for the facts, well you're going 380 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,399 Speaker 3: to you're not going to know less about that in 381 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 3: your thirties. You would keep doing that. So that's kind 382 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 3: of shifting from Okay, my brain gets going on the fears. 383 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 3: But what if I focus on some facts and I 384 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 3: give myself credit for what is not what if, But 385 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:04,160 Speaker 3: what is the other thing to do? Because sometimes people 386 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 3: are like, oh, I don't have any facts, I don't 387 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 3: know anything. You know, this is could go either way, 388 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 3: and so you think about the what else? So what 389 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 3: else could I tell myself? Besides everything is going to 390 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 3: go sideways, my life's gonna get worse. I mean, that's well, 391 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 3: that's one possibility. What's another possibility? What else could you 392 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 3: be saying? 393 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's interesting because it's like it could stay the same, 394 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 2: in which case, speaking from experience, that would be great, 395 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 2: or it could get better. And I feel like that's 396 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 2: a really nice thought I. 397 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 3: Have, right, So just letting your brain kind of have 398 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 3: these play with these different possibilities of Okay, you've got 399 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 3: your what ifs, but you've also got your what is 400 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,959 Speaker 3: and you've got your what else? None of that like 401 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 3: I know, I you know, this is not my first 402 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:54,440 Speaker 3: rodeo talking to Twist. 403 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 2: On their way. 404 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 3: No, none of that gets rid of the what if. 405 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 3: But it does make your brain hold some other possibilities besides, 406 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 3: like I am sure my life is going to be awful, 407 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 3: and like we can't. You know, sometimes clients will say, well, 408 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 3: help me stop doing that. I want to stop doing that. 409 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,440 Speaker 3: You will never stop doing that because evolutionarily, your brain 410 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 3: needs to go like, oh my gosh, what if I 411 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 3: mean it needs to do that. But I will say, 412 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 3: as you get older and you have a more grounded 413 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 3: sense of the what is it, does it But then 414 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 3: you're like, oh, whatever, it's fine, or I'll figure it out, 415 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,400 Speaker 3: or I've figured this out five times before I can 416 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:38,880 Speaker 3: figure it out another couple of times, like that actually 417 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 3: does happen. You have more what is. 418 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 2: I really like hearing that I honestly what you said. 419 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 2: Then the last point you made of you figure this 420 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 2: out a couple of like five or six or whatever 421 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 2: twelve times you've already you've done it before that it 422 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 2: just becomes like such a skill set rather than feeling that. 423 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 2: In our twenties, you know, so many of the big 424 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 2: problems of like oh my god, I didn't pay my taxes, 425 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 2: or like I don't know what I'm doing. I just 426 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 2: got fired, or somebody just broke up with me, or oh, 427 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 2: a friend of mine, like I'm feeling lonely. That's a 428 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 2: big one, Like I'm feeling lonely. I'm always going to 429 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 2: feel this way. It's like the first time that we 430 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 2: really truly experienced that, especially because of how many major 431 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 2: you know, you talked about adult development, and part of 432 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,639 Speaker 2: that is like social context, right, you know, you shift 433 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 2: from a very structured schooling environment to being on your 434 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:36,880 Speaker 2: own and people moving everywhere and work kind of being 435 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 2: the center of your life. And I remember to include 436 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 2: like a personal story about this. I used to have 437 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 2: such a problem with loneliness when I was in my 438 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 2: early twenties, when I was younger, and anytime I felt lonely, 439 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 2: I was like, oh my god, this feeling is never 440 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 2: going to go away. This is my life now. I'm 441 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 2: a lonely person. And it was only until probably a 442 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 2: few months ago and I was traveling and I was like, 443 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 2: oh my god, it happens every time I'm away from home. 444 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 2: I'm like, I'm a lonely person. This feeling's never going 445 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 2: to go away. That I went back and was like 446 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 2: looking through old journals of mine, being like, this is 447 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,479 Speaker 2: a pretty routine experience for me at this point, Like 448 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,919 Speaker 2: it's just like on a regular cycle. This is like 449 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 2: every six months, I'm having this feeling. Maybe I should 450 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 2: learn that actually it does go away. So I really 451 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,399 Speaker 2: like that, what else? And then also what is like 452 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 2: I do have the skill kind of mentality. 453 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 3: Yes, and you know, I mean you said a lot 454 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 3: of really important things and they're one is what you 455 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 3: were talking about. There are just so many firsts in 456 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 3: your twenties. You don't have a lot of what is 457 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 3: or data points or you know, maybe you can draw 458 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 3: back on, well I got through this at you know, 459 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:49,719 Speaker 3: in school or a camp or in sports or whatever. 460 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 3: But you know, there's so many firsts. I think people 461 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 3: feel like the first time they get laid off, you 462 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 3: know their lives are over. But you know after well, 463 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 3: here's a factoid for you. Your average tw something's gonna have 464 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 3: nine jobs by the age of thirty five. So by 465 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 3: the time you're on job, you know, three or four six, 466 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,920 Speaker 3: you realize, okay, whatever, I'll get another job. I mean, 467 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 3: you know, that's just that's what will happen. Or after 468 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 3: you've had your heart broken three times, it still hurts 469 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 3: because that's how the attachment system works, but you know 470 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 3: you will survive it and you know, maybe even feel 471 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 3: better and maybe and meet someone who's better suited for you. 472 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,119 Speaker 3: So you have more data points as you go along. 473 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,400 Speaker 3: And that's just one thing that's really hard in your twenties. 474 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 3: It's part of the uncertainty is there aren't a lot 475 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 3: of data points to say, I see what this is. 476 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,200 Speaker 3: I've gotten through it before, I'll get through it again. 477 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 3: But you're accruing those now. So that's sort of what's 478 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 3: happening with all these firsts and seconds and thirds as 479 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 3: your brain is learning Okay, I can do this. 480 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 2: I'm literally listening to what you were just saying, being like, 481 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 2: oh my god, yeah, that's checking a lot of boxes 482 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 2: in my brain, especially the heart break one as well. Love. 483 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:04,919 Speaker 2: You just feel it so deeply. I'm sure. I don't know. 484 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 2: I'm not in my thirties or forties, but in your twenties, 485 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 2: I remember, like it's not that the breakups have gotten easier, 486 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 2: it's just that there is a sense of like that 487 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 2: that they will end. In a way, it's like, Okay, 488 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,919 Speaker 2: you know I've done this before. I kind of have 489 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 2: like a toolkit almost of like this is how long 490 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 2: this is probably gonna last. These this is the first month, 491 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,479 Speaker 2: this is the second month, this is month six, like 492 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:33,160 Speaker 2: this is this is a routine now. Whereas I think, 493 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 2: especially like when I was like twenty or twenty one, 494 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 2: like that was world ending to me. 495 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 3: Oh, yeah, of course it's been there are yeah. 496 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:43,439 Speaker 2: Been there, done that. 497 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,160 Speaker 3: I mean, it's it's I've been there, done that more 498 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 3: than once. But you know, I think many twenty somethings 499 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:55,480 Speaker 3: don't know that breakups are the kind of leading precursor 500 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,120 Speaker 3: to feeling depressed in your twenties. I mean, as would 501 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 3: make perfect sense or you know, like a big attachment loss, 502 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:05,640 Speaker 3: and so people often feel quite depressed after a breakup. 503 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,880 Speaker 3: And you know, one thing I work with my clients 504 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 3: on is that it does not mean that you're abnormal 505 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:15,680 Speaker 3: or disordered or sick. It actually means your your heart 506 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 3: is working, your attachment system is working. If you really 507 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,960 Speaker 3: cared about someone and really loved someone and maybe even 508 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 3: envisioned to future with them, you should be super sad 509 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 3: if it doesn't work out. And I don't expect that 510 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,159 Speaker 3: to lift in two weeks. I would be kind of 511 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 3: worried if somebody was like whatever, easy come, easy go 512 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 3: after you know what felt like a significant relationship to them. So, 513 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 3: you know, some of the struggles that twenty somethings go through, 514 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 3: actually a lot of them anxiety at work or sadness 515 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 3: after a breakup. This is normal developmental struggle. That actually 516 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 3: shows that your brain and your heart are working properly. 517 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 3: They're not indications that there's something wrong with you. If 518 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 3: you're feeling stressed or anxious about work, or you're feeling 519 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 3: sad about a breakup, that's what I would expect and 520 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 3: hope in a lot of ways. 521 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 2: So actually, I want to focus on this a little 522 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 2: bit more because there's an example you give in the book, 523 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 2: and I'm am I going to spoil it. I don't know, 524 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 2: maybe it's up to you for it, go for it. 525 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 2: And I've got her name or their name, but because 526 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,479 Speaker 2: of a breakup, she was like, oh, I have an 527 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 2: insecure attachment style. I have a disorganized attachment style. Now, 528 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 2: that is something that I see all the time. And 529 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 2: you know, I think it's like sixty five seventy percent 530 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 2: of us have a secure attachment style. But by the 531 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 2: way that we are diagnosing ourselves using TikTok videos and 532 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 2: social media, you would think that all of us are 533 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 2: like anxious avoiding it, right, anxious ambivalentus. 534 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: Right. 535 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 2: We talk about that a little bit more because it's 536 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 2: one of my little secret like pet Peeves, when it 537 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 2: comes to like online psychology, that. 538 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 3: I mean, other people diagnosing themselves with that. 539 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, people late, it's. 540 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 3: It's having a moment. 541 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 2: Yes. 542 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 3: I'll have people come in new clients and they'll say, 543 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 3: you know, I'm getting to know them, well, I have 544 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 3: an insecure attachment style. I'm like, oh, I don't know, 545 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 3: not so sure. So so there's a big difference between 546 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 3: having an anxious attachment style and just feeling anxious, or 547 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 3: having a bit insecure attachment style and just feeling insecure. 548 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 3: And I would say that the vast majority of twenty 549 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 3: somethings that I work with there, they don't have an 550 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 3: insecure attachment style. They're they're in a state of insecurity. 551 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 3: So an attachment style is something that you're saying, this 552 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 3: is diagnostic and character logical and true of me across 553 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 3: all situations, all relationships, all aspects of my life, all 554 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 3: ages and stages. No, like, very few twenty somethings of 555 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 3: mine would say, yeah, I don't. I'm not secure with friends, 556 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 3: I'm not secure with my family. I'm not secure with anybody, 557 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 3: you know, partners, boyfriends, girlfriends. I mean, that's when you 558 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 3: have an insecure attachment style. And if it's been that way, 559 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 3: consistently across time and across situations. Most twenty somethings for 560 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 3: reasons we've already gotten into because of all the uncertainty. 561 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 3: They're just feeling insecure. You know, they don't know who 562 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 3: their friends are, they don't know if somebody likes them, 563 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 3: they don't know if this person wants to go out 564 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 3: with them, they don't know if this new relationship is 565 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 3: going to work or not. That's just insecurity. That's uncertainty. 566 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 3: That is not having an insecure attachment style. And I 567 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 3: don't love for twenty somethings to you know, diagnose themselves, 568 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 3: not just because they're often not accurate, but they can 569 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 3: kind of wrap their identities around the sense of abnormality. See, 570 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 3: I have an insecure attachment style, and if only I 571 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 3: had a secure attachment style, maybe this relationship with work 572 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 3: or someone would want to be with me. And that's 573 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 3: usually not okay. So it's just normal to feel nervous 574 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 3: and worried and anxious about whether a new relationship is 575 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 3: going to last, or about you know, whether someone's going 576 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 3: to text you back. That's normal. That's not like an 577 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 3: abnormal attachment style. 578 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I really like hearing that. Actually because I feel 579 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 2: like there's definitely been points in my life right I've 580 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 2: thought that that was who I was, And I really 581 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 2: understand what you mean whereby we get really invested in 582 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 2: these things being who we are, that anything that contradicts 583 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 2: that that is us we deny and we suppress, when 584 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 2: actually it might be like the gateway too much more 585 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 2: open and better life. So one of the other big 586 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 2: things about our twenties, and it's about feeling behind, but 587 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 2: it's also about dealing with uncertainty, is like, how do 588 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 2: I know that I'm making the right decisions. I feel 589 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 2: like we have so many options of career pathways and 590 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 2: people we could date, and cities we could live in. 591 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 2: Something you talk about in the first book, though, that 592 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 2: I think really applies here is this concept of sliding 593 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 2: versus deciding. Can you talk us through that a little 594 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 2: bit more? 595 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, So, the sliding versus deciding is a concept. I mean, 596 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 3: I've popularized it putting it in my book, but it's 597 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 3: research by Scott Stanley really about living together, but it 598 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 3: could apply to anything. But it's this sense of like, 599 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 3: do we sort of slide into relationships because it happens, 600 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:45,200 Speaker 3: it's convenient, it's gradual. We didn't really think about it, 601 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 3: or do we really actively decide this is the right 602 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,280 Speaker 3: person for me, I want to make this commitment, or 603 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 3: this is the right job. I'm going to stay here 604 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 3: another year for these very good reasons. And I think 605 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 3: a lot of times, we know, what with relationships, whether 606 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 3: you're living with someone or even at work, people can 607 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 3: kind of slide into sticking around in something because they're 608 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 3: already there. Well, it's just easier to stay another year 609 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 3: than to imagine starting over again, So I'll just do 610 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 3: another year, And so we can sort of slide into 611 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 3: living with people, being in relationships with people longer than 612 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 3: maybe we should be, staying in jobs longer than maybe 613 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 3: it's really serving us, because it's the sort of the 614 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 3: easier path. It's just something we can slide into rather 615 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 3: than really saying this is you know, given all choices, 616 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 3: this would be the best one for me. 617 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 2: So I guess that's leads to my next question is 618 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 2: how do we know which one is the best one 619 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 2: for us? 620 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 3: Because I feel, well, that is a good question. I 621 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 3: actually think sometimes people slide because they don't want to 622 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 3: face the fact that that can't totally be answered. So 623 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 3: in my In my book coming Out you Know any Minute, 624 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 3: the twenty something Treatment, I talk about what are called 625 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 3: large world problems and large world problems or problems where 626 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:16,000 Speaker 3: all the options and the consequences and the outcomes can't 627 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 3: be modeled. So like if you know, small world problem 628 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 3: is you throw dice and you can, you know, bet 629 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 3: on the chances of getting a three. You know how 630 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 3: likely that is, you know, to get it, not get it. 631 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:29,720 Speaker 3: You can even bet some amount to win or lose. 632 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:33,800 Speaker 3: Those are small world problems. Large world problems are choosing 633 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,040 Speaker 3: a city, or a partner or a roommate, or a 634 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 3: college or a job, or how many kids to have. 635 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:43,240 Speaker 3: I mean, it's all those problems where you can't model 636 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 3: all the options, you can't know all the consequences, so 637 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:52,320 Speaker 3: you really you're making a decision amidst uncertainty, not amidst 638 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:57,800 Speaker 3: you know, known factors. So you know, so many people 639 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:00,319 Speaker 3: come to me because they want to know is it 640 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 3: right to stay with this person or to break up? 641 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 3: Or should I take this job or should I take 642 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 3: that job? And there is no I mean, we could 643 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 3: talk it to death. You can try to, you know, 644 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 3: do an algorithm. You could go see a fortune teller 645 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:17,240 Speaker 3: and get your cards read and you know, but nobody, 646 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,680 Speaker 3: no one can hack that for you. That it's ultimately 647 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 3: really that's what truly a decision is of Okay, I 648 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,720 Speaker 3: don't know, I'll never know which one is right or best, 649 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 3: So there's not like a right decision. There's just my decision. 650 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,839 Speaker 3: So we kind of try to, you know, make the 651 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 3: most thoughtful, intentional choice that we can. And then I 652 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 3: think you reassess, you know, a year into the job 653 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 3: or a year into the relationship, and do a real 654 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 3: gut check of like, well, how did that choice pan 655 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 3: out for me so far? Am I happy? More happy 656 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,520 Speaker 3: than unhappy? What should I be? You know, kind of 657 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,759 Speaker 3: paying attention to and then you decide, well do I 658 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 3: sign up for another year of this or do I not? 659 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 2: That's really interestingly, you do a gut check, how do 660 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 2: you I like some of those questions you said, like 661 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 2: am I happy? Uh? Then I would be without this person, 662 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,840 Speaker 2: without this job. What are some of the other ways 663 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:16,520 Speaker 2: that we can maybe sense dissatisfactional sense that there might 664 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 2: there might be time to look for something that's better 665 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 2: for us? 666 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:24,520 Speaker 3: Mm hmm. I often ask clients is there something that 667 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 3: you're doing that you hope you're not doing in five years, 668 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 3: or is there something about this relationship that you hope 669 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 3: is not the way it is in five years. And 670 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 3: if they say yes, then it's like, okay, well then 671 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:37,360 Speaker 3: why are we doing it now? How long are we 672 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,359 Speaker 3: going to do this now? That usually if people look 673 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 3: out five years, like oh yeah, I definitely don't want 674 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 3: to be in this dead in relationship in five years. Okay, 675 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 3: well why are we here now? And how much longer 676 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 3: are we going to hang out? Or the same goes 677 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 3: for the job, or gosh, I hope my boyfriend and 678 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:57,960 Speaker 3: I aren't still having conflict about cooking or whatever in 679 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 3: five years, Well, then let's fix it this here. 680 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 2: That's I think about that a lot. I will say 681 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 2: I'm in a great relationship. There's no I'm I've done 682 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:11,200 Speaker 2: the questions and they've never they've always turned. But I do. 683 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 2: In previous relationships, I remember being like, I want to 684 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 2: break up with this person, but I don't, but being like, 685 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:21,480 Speaker 2: let me just wait six months because I was like 686 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:24,960 Speaker 2: delaying the pain. I was delaying the inedible. And then 687 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,799 Speaker 2: I had a friend say to me and she was like, well, 688 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:30,719 Speaker 2: wouldn't you rather be six months into it in six 689 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 2: months time rather than starting in six months time. 690 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:36,399 Speaker 3: And she was like, what good for her? 691 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:38,560 Speaker 2: Yeah? I was like, oh wow, Like you're so she's 692 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:41,200 Speaker 2: like the time is going to pass anyways, Like you're 693 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 2: going to get to the point, Like she's like, you're 694 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 2: going to have to break up with this person. It's 695 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 2: just whether you start the process now and then in 696 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:51,439 Speaker 2: six months time give me like, oh, thank gosh, I've 697 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 2: done that already, or whether you wait and you delay it. 698 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:59,879 Speaker 2: And it's like it's emotional procrastination where you understand, Yeah, 699 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:03,359 Speaker 2: it's like you understand that there's going to be a 700 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 2: lot of fallout emotionally and mentally from a big decision, 701 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:10,920 Speaker 2: So why not just wait? Why not just why not 702 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:12,839 Speaker 2: just make that a future you problem? And you don't 703 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:14,799 Speaker 2: realize that that future you is going to be there 704 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 2: pretty quick. 705 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:15,879 Speaker 3: Like. 706 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, honestly. And that's like and I feel like it's 707 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:26,279 Speaker 2: interesting because I said this to some I always say 708 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,600 Speaker 2: this on the show, like you can reverse one hundred percent, 709 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:32,680 Speaker 2: Like the only decisions you can't reverse the ones that 710 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 2: you didn't make. So I think, you know, it's like, oh, 711 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 2: I guess having children, you can't really reverse that decision. 712 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:42,680 Speaker 3: But well you can always adopt. 713 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:46,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's true. But it's like, especially when it 714 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 2: comes to career risks and career risks and wanting to 715 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 2: move to a new place, wanting to travel, you know, 716 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:59,279 Speaker 2: there is so much regret in in action, probably more 717 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,719 Speaker 2: regret then taking action because at least again we're going 718 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:05,319 Speaker 2: to return to what you were saying before, Like when 719 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 2: you actually do something about a desire or an urge 720 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:11,279 Speaker 2: you have, you're not faced with the what if being 721 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 2: what if I'd done that righting right? 722 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:16,799 Speaker 3: And you learn, you learn something. But you know, I 723 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:20,640 Speaker 3: think sometimes this isn't exactly what you're talking about. But 724 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 3: oftentimes twenty somethings will delay decisions so that they you know, 725 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,160 Speaker 3: sort of like keep all their options open so they 726 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:33,400 Speaker 3: don't make a decision, so nothing is like it's like 727 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 3: they're they think they're stopping time. I mean, they're not 728 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 3: stopping time. And not making decisions is a decision. So 729 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 3: you're deciding, you know, not to break up with that partner, 730 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 3: you know, you were sort of not making a decision 731 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:49,520 Speaker 3: on it. That's a decision. You were deciding to sink 732 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 3: another six months into a relationship that you were sort 733 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:56,760 Speaker 3: of done with Yeah, and your friend was right to say, like, shoot, 734 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 3: you could be six months through the breakup at this point, so. 735 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 2: Definitely that's good. And I did stay for another six 736 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 2: months there I probably should have listened to but you know, well, 737 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 2: we absolutely But I like that idea of like you 738 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,879 Speaker 2: feel like you're buying yourself time, but like the time 739 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 2: is still pausing, right, You're just. 740 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,279 Speaker 3: It's still passing. I mean, I think the thing with 741 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:23,440 Speaker 3: it's what's so different about being an adult versus sort 742 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 3: of being in school is you know, there's no syllabus, 743 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:28,880 Speaker 3: there's no I mean, this gets back to am I behind. 744 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:32,720 Speaker 3: There's no syllabus, there's no schedule that you have to meet. 745 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 3: The grading system is whatever you decide it is depends 746 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:38,400 Speaker 3: on your value system and what you're trying to achieve, 747 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:40,920 Speaker 3: not what other people are saying you should do or 748 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 3: what the person sitting next to you is doing. And 749 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,239 Speaker 3: you know that means there aren't any right or wrong answers. 750 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:52,319 Speaker 3: There are just your answers, which seems kind of like 751 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:57,000 Speaker 3: an annoying non answer, but it's actually really liberating when 752 00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:01,520 Speaker 3: you when you really lean into that of that's you know, 753 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:03,640 Speaker 3: I don't have to worry about whether I'm doing it 754 00:41:03,719 --> 00:41:06,280 Speaker 3: right or wrong, or on time or ahead or behind whatever. 755 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:09,920 Speaker 3: None of that really exists. It's it's just it's your life, 756 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,600 Speaker 3: your choices, and you're going to make most of these 757 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:16,239 Speaker 3: choices more than once. And I mean even within one 758 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:19,680 Speaker 3: relationship that you know may last your whole life. Every 759 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 3: day you're choosing how's that relationship going to go today? 760 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,359 Speaker 3: Or what am I going to work on or what's 761 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:28,640 Speaker 3: what conversation am I going to have with my partner 762 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:31,120 Speaker 3: to make it better. That we're constantly able to sort 763 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,799 Speaker 3: of improve the choices that we make. 764 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 2: I like that as well. It's like not just a 765 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 2: it's not just one decision, it's an active choice like 766 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:42,239 Speaker 2: throughout your life to be there, right to stay there, 767 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:47,399 Speaker 2: whether that's a relationship with job, a city. So I've 768 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:48,879 Speaker 2: got one final question for. 769 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,040 Speaker 3: You, Okay, all right, I'm ready. 770 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:53,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. I don't know that's very anticlimacticve of me, although 771 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:55,840 Speaker 2: I do feel like you have a really good answer 772 00:41:55,840 --> 00:42:00,560 Speaker 2: to this. What do you think of some expectations that 773 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 2: we should like go of in our twenties that would 774 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:03,400 Speaker 2: make us happier? 775 00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 3: You know, I feel like you've done a really good 776 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:08,840 Speaker 3: job of focusing on that today. I mean, I feel 777 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:12,279 Speaker 3: like the biggest expectation that people need to let go 778 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:14,239 Speaker 3: of is that their twenties are going to be the 779 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:16,600 Speaker 3: best years of their lives. And we talked about this, 780 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:22,600 Speaker 3: but they're probably not going to be, and that's really 781 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:25,319 Speaker 3: really good news. That's a huge bummer if the best 782 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 3: years of your lives or your twenties and then the 783 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:31,279 Speaker 3: rest of your life is all downhill. You don't want that, 784 00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:35,359 Speaker 3: it's not probably going to happen, but you know, kind 785 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 3: of feeling like everything's supposed to be amazing in your 786 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 3: twenties is really sort of a recipe for heartbreak because 787 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:45,160 Speaker 3: it's a very challenging time. So I would say, bad 788 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,960 Speaker 3: expectation that everything's going to be great and or you're 789 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 3: going to have everything figured out by thirty. I talk 790 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:56,200 Speaker 3: a lot, really in both books about there's this cool 791 00:42:56,239 --> 00:42:58,040 Speaker 3: study I won't get in the weeds about at least 792 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 3: it says eighty It says eighty percent of life's most 793 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:07,800 Speaker 3: defining moments take place by age thirty five. That is true. However, 794 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:11,839 Speaker 3: you know most of those defining moments are you know, 795 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:16,320 Speaker 3: happened in fits and starts, so I actually posted something 796 00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:18,280 Speaker 3: on my Instagram the other day. It was a picture 797 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 3: of me at thirty five, pregnant with my first child 798 00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:26,200 Speaker 3: and getting my PhD, my diploma, and that was thirty five, 799 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 3: and I was joking like, oo if I got these 800 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:32,160 Speaker 3: two in right under the wire. But when you follow 801 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:36,960 Speaker 3: them backwards, both of those projects started earlier. You know, 802 00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:40,400 Speaker 3: I started studying to get into grad school, you know, 803 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 3: in the middle of my twenties. I bumped into my 804 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:46,920 Speaker 3: partner for the first time in my mid twenties, and 805 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:49,239 Speaker 3: then met them again in my late twenties, and then 806 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:52,400 Speaker 3: we got married after that. So all so, you know, 807 00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:55,120 Speaker 3: you don't really know like all these defining moments. They're 808 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:57,400 Speaker 3: probably going to happen by the time you're thirty five, 809 00:43:57,520 --> 00:44:01,280 Speaker 3: and some of them may be happening in small pieces now. 810 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 3: You just don't know it. So the idea that everything's 811 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:07,040 Speaker 3: going to be done by thirty is ridiculous. Don't stress, 812 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:10,160 Speaker 3: But you might have started most of these things. You 813 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:12,400 Speaker 3: just don't get to see the fruits of your labor 814 00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 3: quite yet. 815 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:17,560 Speaker 2: Wow. I really like that outlook, and it just makes 816 00:44:17,560 --> 00:44:20,080 Speaker 2: things feel like very exciting and surprising. 817 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:25,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, life is exciting and surprising and want you want. 818 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:28,000 Speaker 3: I mean, I want your twenties to be awesome, but 819 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:30,279 Speaker 3: I also want your thirties and forties and fifties to 820 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 3: be awesome. And I think if you lay the groundwork 821 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:35,200 Speaker 3: for that, then life really does get better. I mean, 822 00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:35,880 Speaker 3: why would it not. 823 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:38,919 Speaker 2: What a positive way to finish. Thank you so much 824 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:42,560 Speaker 2: for this little little pleasure. Now I want to quickly say, 825 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:47,400 Speaker 2: you have just joined Instagram and everything I did. Yeah, 826 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:50,000 Speaker 2: and you've done your first little like you've dipped your 827 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:51,320 Speaker 2: toes into social media. 828 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:53,080 Speaker 3: I have. I have. 829 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:54,399 Speaker 1: Yeah. 830 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:58,839 Speaker 3: That's it's funny because I was off social media. I mean, 831 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:01,120 Speaker 3: to be an author, to be sort of out there, 832 00:45:01,360 --> 00:45:04,360 Speaker 3: I was off social media more than you would expect. 833 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:08,200 Speaker 3: I didn't have an Instagram. I had a very inactive 834 00:45:08,239 --> 00:45:13,480 Speaker 3: Twitter account. That was it. Whatever. I was just sort 835 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:16,200 Speaker 3: of off of it. And I think part of it 836 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:19,319 Speaker 3: was I was focused on writing books. You know, I 837 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:22,800 Speaker 3: have clients, and you know, I don't know how you feel, 838 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:24,680 Speaker 3: but I think a lot of clients maybe don't want 839 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:27,400 Speaker 3: to bump into their therapist on social media. 840 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:32,000 Speaker 2: I know. But the same advice that gave you like 841 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:34,160 Speaker 2: to everyone right right. 842 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:37,399 Speaker 3: So for me, it was more of you know, I'm 843 00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:41,160 Speaker 3: gonna kind of you know, lie low and write books 844 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 3: and try to reach people that way, which is super 845 00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:49,560 Speaker 3: important to me because you know, and good therapy is 846 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:53,680 Speaker 3: not accessible and affordable not only to everybody, but really 847 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:56,040 Speaker 3: not to most people. So part of writing books is 848 00:45:56,040 --> 00:46:00,200 Speaker 3: about getting that out there. But anyway, as social media 849 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:05,640 Speaker 3: has evolved, and as I have been convinced that hello, 850 00:46:05,680 --> 00:46:09,160 Speaker 3: that is where people get their education and their information 851 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:12,440 Speaker 3: and their news now, then if I want to help people, 852 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:15,200 Speaker 3: that's where I need to be. Also that I know 853 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:17,560 Speaker 3: y'all don't want to see me dance or put on makeup. 854 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:21,560 Speaker 2: Brain that well, actually. 855 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:25,319 Speaker 3: No, that's not true. But you know now that it 856 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:29,400 Speaker 3: feels like obviously this is where a lot of people 857 00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:32,360 Speaker 3: are getting, you know, good information, or they could be 858 00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:34,960 Speaker 3: getting better information, and so I wanted to be a 859 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:37,400 Speaker 3: part of that of the better information. 860 00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:40,360 Speaker 2: I really really like that because I feel like you 861 00:46:40,680 --> 00:46:45,440 Speaker 2: have a lot to contribute. There's lots of misinformation out there, 862 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:48,880 Speaker 2: and it's nice to have people online who have degrees 863 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:51,239 Speaker 2: have like have done research on this stuff to really 864 00:46:51,239 --> 00:46:54,719 Speaker 2: set the fact straight. So, well, where can people follow you? 865 00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:56,279 Speaker 2: What's your Instagram name? 866 00:46:56,760 --> 00:47:00,279 Speaker 3: Well, I'm Brand News to please come out and full 867 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:03,640 Speaker 3: force because I have like two followers, but I'm at 868 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:12,000 Speaker 3: doctor meg Jay on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, pretty much anywhere 869 00:47:12,040 --> 00:47:14,799 Speaker 3: where people would be. I'm doctor meg Jay is the 870 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:17,719 Speaker 3: handle and I've just recently joined. So there's, you know, 871 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:20,880 Speaker 3: some stuff starting to put some videos up. But the idea, 872 00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:24,040 Speaker 3: especially with the twenty something treatment coming out, is to 873 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:26,520 Speaker 3: get the content out because, like you said, there's a 874 00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:30,799 Speaker 3: lot of misinformation and I would love to you know, 875 00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:33,520 Speaker 3: kind of get it on that conversation and help people out. 876 00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:36,160 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. Well, I'm super excited and I'm super 877 00:47:36,160 --> 00:47:39,920 Speaker 2: excited for people to get their hands on your book. 878 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:41,960 Speaker 2: I'm going to leave a preyo to link in the 879 00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:46,080 Speaker 2: description of this episode and a link to The Defining Decade. 880 00:47:46,160 --> 00:47:48,520 Speaker 2: If you haven't read that book and you are a 881 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:51,840 Speaker 2: fan of this podcast, what are you doing? They go, 882 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:52,759 Speaker 2: so had and. 883 00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:56,200 Speaker 3: Yell right exactly. 884 00:47:56,680 --> 00:47:58,760 Speaker 2: It's funny. I hadn't even read it before I started 885 00:47:58,760 --> 00:48:01,000 Speaker 2: the podcast, and then I started the show and I 886 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:03,360 Speaker 2: was like, oh my gosh, like this is so aligned, 887 00:48:03,400 --> 00:48:06,120 Speaker 2: So I will yeah, I will leave a link to 888 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:09,640 Speaker 2: both of those. As always, if you enjoyed this episode, 889 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:12,080 Speaker 2: please feel free to leave a five star review on 890 00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:16,479 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you are listening right now. Share 891 00:48:16,480 --> 00:48:18,359 Speaker 2: it with a friend if you think that they would 892 00:48:18,440 --> 00:48:20,719 Speaker 2: enjoy this they would get something out of this conversation. 893 00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:24,360 Speaker 2: I definitely did. And if you have an episode suggestion, 894 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:27,239 Speaker 2: please feel free to send it to me at that 895 00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:30,160 Speaker 2: Psychology podcast and you could follow me at Gemma Spake 896 00:48:30,280 --> 00:48:34,080 Speaker 2: on Instagram for some more behind the scenes content. We 897 00:48:34,120 --> 00:48:37,319 Speaker 2: will be back next week with another episode. Until then, 898 00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:39,200 Speaker 2: stay safe and we will see you soon.