Dear Younger Me: Recent Episodes
Jai Patel
Dear Younger Me is a podcast for the questioners, the ones who are trying to find their way in the in between: in between youth and adulthood, college and whatever lies ahead, and in between faith shifts. Narrated by Osheta Moore, she reflects on journal entries she wrote from her 20’s and early 30’s, a time so full of angst and questions. Osheta now thinks about how she would go back and talk with her younger self. What would she say? What kind of advice would she give? Wherever you find yourself, maybe you can learn from these conversations and make you say to yourself, “Dear Younger Me…”
Teacher. Guide. Elder. These are ways of thinking about a mentor. But why do we need one? How do we find a mentor, and why is it a huge part of our spiritual formation? Osheta covers these questions and more in this final episode of Dear Younger Me.
If you grew up in church or grew up with Christian influence, then you know about bible study. In this episode, Osheta offers three pragmatic questions about bible study that helps us approach bible study in ways that are fruitful and life-giving.
We live in the age of social media. We’re constantly online building social networks, speaking up for causes we believe in, looking for entertaining or informative content, and much more. But how do we maintain healthy boundaries? The internet can be a scary place because of trolls, offensive content, political disagreements, etc., so we need to find social media shalom. In this episode, Osheta gives us five tips she uses to create boundaries that protects her peace and allows her to engage in healthy ways.
Having an anxiety attack can be hard. It’s even harder to find ways to cope in the middle of an attack. In this episode, Osheta tells us about a secret she’s used when moments of anxiety, stress, or fear come her way. She leans on an idea that therapists call a “coping skills toolbox.” She walks us through different remedies and items on her list that she employs when times get tough that lead her to experiencing peace. Take a listen to what she has on her list and see what you can adopt as you create your own.
Loneliness can feel like a curse, but is it? We feel lonely for lots of reasons: a major loss, a close relationship that fell apart, a life-altering transition, and more. There are times where you can find a remedy to fix your loneliness, and there are times where you struggle deeply to find a solution. In this episode, Osheta reveals that loneliness is not a curse, but an indicator – an indicator that we crave connection. Listen as Osheta unpacks this more, and even how she took the first steps of combating her feelings of loneliness during the Covid pandemic by creating the “supper club.”
Church communities play a pivotal role in our lives as Jesus followers, so how do we process entering and leaving them? When do we know whether it’s okay to stay or it’s time to move on? Whether we leave on good terms or experience hurt and disappointment on our way out the door, making these choices are never easy, but they may be necessary. In this episode, Osheta speaks to these realities and offers three major questions to consider when we find ourselves in these moments.
Decisions, decisions. Life is full of them, but how do we know if we’re making the right ones? In this episode, Osheta reflects on the big decisions she’s made with her family, how she processed them in the moment, and what she’s learned since.
We’ve all dealt with conflict and may even be dealing with some now, so how do approach it as peacemakers? Listen to this episode of Dear Younger Me as Osheta shares stories of conflict she’s experienced and what she’s learned years later.
What does it mean to choose progress instead of perfection? In this episode of “Dear Younger Me,” Osheta finds the word “perfection” over and over again in a former journal entry and it prompts her to share a message about the realities of perfection, the harm it causes, and what remedies we can apply to help set us free.