Puzzle Pieces: Recent Episodes
Shelby Bates
Each one of our lives is a puzzle. We don’t realize that our puzzle is incomplete until we need to depend on a particular "piece" of wisdom, advice, or experience that is missing. This podcast is filled with puzzle pieces, some of which may not be useful for your own puzzle but could be for someone else you know who might need it. These topics range from lighthearted and humorous conversations to vulnerable and difficult discussions. Even when you feel like giving up, I will fill your puzzle if you just listen along.
Intro/Outro: https://soundcloud.com/veselin-glushkov/masego-don-toliver-myst Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Life is a beautiful mess. The beautiful highs and the messy lows we all endure create a synergy to reveal the oxymoronic story of life. How is our journey supposed to unfold naturally if we are constantly manipulating the process in an attempt to minimize the "mess"? How can we be content with ourselves, the people around us, and our lives as a whole, if we continuously set expectations that lead to disappointment if unfulfilled? Tune in to hear about how childhood development builds a backbone for what we expect from life, and how one unparalleled expectation has the power to break us free from the captivity of unhealthy expectations.
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It's ironic that a fresh new year often results in people subconsciously failing themselves. We see many make resolutions or goals for the upcoming year, with most failing quickly and few actually following through with them. Why is this so? To identify and generate change, you really need to dive deep into all aspects of your life: those you surround yourself with, the environment you're in, what you're focusing on, what is/isn't working, how everything makes you feel, etc. This is the most ideal time to work towards creating your happiest life. Show up for yourself this year and make it the best yet.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Have you ever wondered what life would be like in another generation? We hold a portal with access to anything and anyone in our hands, and aimlessly scroll through an overload of the lives around us. Consequently, this open access to other people’s thoughts and opinions has caused us to lose our own in the process. As the world evolves, there are benefits and setbacks to such a powerful force. The question is if the effects are distracting enough to swallow you whole.
--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/appSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
How are we the only person that has our back 24/7, yet we can also be our worst enemy? Thoughts, actions, and behaviors we engage in can either dramatically help or drastically hinder our progression in life. Unfortunately, it is common to turn a blind eye to the negative aspects of self-sabatoging behavior because we are only interested in immediate relief, which is usually only temporary. As more time passes, the harder it will be to dig yourself out of the grave you slowly buried yourself in. So start now, because you owe it to yourself to heal the wounds that you have left untreated.
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Imagine if starting today, everyone on earth was forced to live on their own, only guided by the wisdom they’ve gained from learning and asking questions. Would you survive? In this episode, Sam Lyon and I discuss how each little thing you don’t do for yourself leads you one step closer to living a life of reliance. Not having a mind of your own in the life that only you live is a disservice to yourself. Do you truly enjoy how you are living your life, or are your decisions and actions dependent on someone else?
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$100 given is not valued the same as $100 earned. For this extensive topic, I knew I needed expertise; lucky me that Sam Lyon is one of my best friends! In this episode we sit down to discuss financial independence, either from our own lives or from observing others as a bystander. Tune in as the stories we share and interactions we have unfold to reveal the importance of financial independence. Do you truly understand the value of money?
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Let's face it...no one likes being disrespected. The feeling of being used and treated like a doormat is difficult to put into words, but when will you use your words and speak up for yourself? Once you invite the guest to step on your doormat and into your home, the more comfortable they will be with doing it over and over again. The good thing is that this can be reversed and fixed, but only if you acknowledge the disrespect yourself. Is every single person in your life truly treating you with respect? Are you really giving 50% and receiving 50% of effort in every friendship or relationship in your life? Don't be the doormat inviting disrespectful guests to step all over you and into your life; be the door that hits their ass on the way out.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Routines are the foundation of life. We rely on them so heavily during times of uncertainty, change, and vulnerability. But what if I told you that being too routine-disciplined can actually deprive you of a more meaningful life? Having a consistent daily plan is admired in the eyes of society, and the earlier you wake up, the more productive you are, and the more self-discipline you have, the better. Just make sure you're ready to watch your kids yawn and check their watch as you tell them about how you quite honestly wasted the most cherished years of your life. Your ~ nighttime routine~ and ~morning meditations~ may be aesthetically pleasing to social media, but the spontaneous leaps out of your cookie-cutter regimen will leave you fulfilled with life as you pass away, and leave a legacy on earth to remember you by. Are you truly living life, or just going with the motions?
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Have you ever felt sad on your birthday? Well, that's actually pretty normal. A person's birthday represents a positive milestone in life that can quite literally feel like a stone being launched at 100 miles per hour straight for their head. This can be for many reasons...growing up, anxiety about the future, not fulfilling life goals at the same pace as others, expectations not being met, having a memory from this day in the past, or something else. How can you change the Birthday Blues to not be so....blue? In this episode I share some of my own thoughts during my birthday this past week, and how I acknowledged my initial feelings first before changing them to have a more optimistic outlook. Do you have a specific date approaching that you allow to hit you like a stone, or will you acknowledge it as a harmless milestone and simply continue on?
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
I know what you're thinking and trust me, I used to roll my eyes when my mom would beg me to keep a journal. In this episode I actually grab my own journals to tell you all the story of how my process of journaling began, the benefits behind it, and some prompts to get you started. Are you really processing your emotions, or are you pretending that you are with a surface-level conversation about it with a friend or therapist? Are you really telling that person your true feelings, or are you downplaying them due to your inability to trust even the closest people in your life? Let's find out with a journal entry of your own.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Gen Z is definitely the most aware generation we've seen but man... are we quick to assume. In this episode, I talk about how my 7-second claim to fame somehow resulted in me being absolutely bashed on the internet for 700,000 people to see. Cancel culture can be great in some instances, but if there's not an actual reason for it then we're either assuming the worst without evidence or just being too soft. Have you ever been too quick to judge? Do you automatically tend to assume the worst? Is this actually offensive, or are you just being sensitive?
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Your default should be kindness, but when you are not receiving that in return, at least respond with class. In this episode, I talk about some times when being nice saved me or was enough to put someone in their place. You can't control what happens in life, but you can control how you react to it. So, are you reacting with anger or kindness?
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Let's be honest... last episode was mid. In this episode I explain what exactly made me realize that I was scared of failure. We strive for perfection when in reality, trial and error is what brings us closer to it. Are you really a perfectionist, or are you just scared of the vulnerability of a new challenge?
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
This episode's theme was my reality this week, when I practically begged for my first ever ~extension~ after overloading my plate and throwing myself into the cycle of toxic productivity. Together, we will discuss signals to look out for, reasons for why we do this in the first place, and how to prevent this from happening. You don't want to crash and burn before it's too late.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support
Welcome to the first episode of the podcast I have spent months working on for you all. This episode introduces a bit more insight into who I am and why I am doing this in the first place. I will also uncover the meanings behind the name, cover art, and what to expect in the following episodes. This episode acts as an outline for Puzzle Pieces, but the episodes after will dive into specific topics we all need work or insight on. I am beyond excited to share this platform with you guys, and can't wait to fill your puzzle of life as you simply listen along.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelbybates/support